Happy New Year!

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday!

Single Serve Cookies

You are home alone, but you still want something sweet around the holidays.  Check out these single serve cookie recipes from The Kitchn.  These are great when you are having a craving for sweets.


You know the feeling: it's late at night, you have the place to yourself, and you just want something sweet. But just a little something. You don't want to make an entire cake, or a dozen cookies, or anything that you'll be tempted to eat the entire thing. Instead of busting out a pint of ice cream or a candy bar, treat yourself! Make one of these single-serve warm, gooey homemade cookies.
Yes, of course you could just prepare the whole batch and just freeze the rest of the dough if you have that kind of self-restraint. If, however, you just have one egg or you know yourself well enough that you couldn't resist making the whole batch, these recipes are here to help. 


1. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie for One - Good Life Eats 2. XXL Buttery Sugar Cookie - Sally's Baking Addiction 3. XXL Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Brownie Cookie - My Happy Place 4. Single-Serve Peanut Butter Cookie - Chocolate Covered Katie 5. Single-Serving Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies - Chocolate Moosey
6. One Giant Snickerdoodle Cookie - Sally's Baking Addiction 7. Jumbo Cinnamon Butterscotch Oatmeal - Bake Your Day

Great Gift Ideas Under Ten Dollars

 Do you have secret santa and gift exchanges to go to this year?  Apartment Therapy has some great gifts for under ten dollars.  You can find all the details about these great gifts below.

Secret santas exchanges, office holiday parties, a little token for the the helpful neighbor next door...sometimes something small but special is in order. Here are our 10 picks for ultra inexpensive (all under $10!) goodies that are fun to give and even more fun to receive. (Full disclosure: I couldn't resist and gave myself the gift of those kitty cat hood knitting instructions...)

Read on for the gift ideas and to enter our Holiday Sweepstakes for a chance to win $1000 (a little help for buying your holiday gifts this year!)...



Monogrammed Ornament by Jonathan Adler, $8.39 at JCPenney
Money Tree, $6.99 at IKEA
Pale Blue & Red Vacuum Flask, $7.99 at IKEA
Everyday I'm Hustlin Temporary Tattoo By Arianna Orland, $5 at Tattly
Chunky Kitty Hood Knitting Pattern by Erin Blacks, $5.86 on Etsy
Metallic Zipper Pouch, $9 at West Elm
Made With Love Cookie Stamp, $8 at Anthropologie
Fortune Telling Book of Love, $9.95 at Nordstrom
Natural Pumice Stone, $9 at West Elm
Moon Night Light by Kikkerland, $9.73 on Amazon

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  We hope you have a great time with friends and family!

Asparagus for Your Thanksgiving Side Dish

This week we are giving you an idea for a new Thanksgiving side dish to try this year.  Have you ever thought about adding asparagus to your meal.  It is a pretty easy recipe, and it tastes delicious.  Keep reading and check out My Recipes for more information.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh asparagus $
• 2 tablespoons olive oil $
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation

1. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with olive oil; sprinkle evenly with garlic, salt, and pepper.
2. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer asparagus to a serving dish; sprinkle with almonds.

How to Really Enjoy Your Food?

Ed Behr is a well experienced food writer and editor from The Art of Eating, a culinary publication that's been around for over 25 years. He has some essential tips for you, so check out "Edward Behr's 5 Essentials for Delicious, Sensual Home Cooking"

Edward Behr's 5 Essentials for Delicious, Sensual Home Cooking

1. You really have to enjoy the physical process of cooking. "Some people come home from work and find it very relaxing to prepare a meal at the end of the day. But despite all the badgering from good folks such as Mark Bittman, many people find that cooking is a lot of work. They don't find pleasure in it. The people who do enjoy it, often what they're reacting to, what they're responding to, is the physical pleasure of cooking, the pleasure found in cutting vegetables neatly with a sharp knife or the sound of sautéing or taking a little taste of delicious olive oil. The pleasure in the physical, in the sensual, is so critical if you're going to enjoy cooking. If the only thing you're thinking is that you have to be done by 7:30 or that you don't want to wash the dishes afterwards or stressing out about everyone's food allergies, then it's just not going to be an enjoyable experience."

What encourages people who aren't naturally inclined to enjoy cooking? What about the beginner who isn't yet comfortable in the kitchen? "You have to remember not to think of it primarily as work. Think of it primarily as a form of sensuality. Be sure you have a few ingredients you really love on hand (see number 3 below). It can be anything that really brings you pleasure, from a really good olive oil or a beautiful piece of meat that you only cook once a week to a great glass of wine. You may have to take a leap of confidence at first. A great place to start is with something that's simple but uses great ingredients and cook them simply. Begin modestly with things you're sure of and you'll build the confidence you need."

2. You really have to love to eat, and it helps to love to feed other people."People love to eat. Some may have forgotten that but still, deep down, people love to eat. Really good foods can give a deep sense of satisfaction and help you to not eat quite as much. Stuff like fast food only encourages us to overeat because its never quite satisfying. Feeding other people can be hard and complicated sometimes. People don't like to eat certain things and it can seem challenging. I have two sons and one loves to eat fish, for instance, and the other just can't get past the fishiness of fish. But he loves rillettes! So you can always find something that people love and that will make them happy."

3. You need at least a few ingredients that give you special pleasure. "Be sure to stock your kitchen with things that are very fresh or appropriately aged, or very well produced, or simply something you really like. They could be beautiful carrots from a farm stand, a great Parmigiano Reggiano, some delicious olive oil, or a pint of wild blueberries that a friend picked and gave you."

4. You need at least one or two pieces of equipment that you really enjoy. "Or things make your work easier and the results better. A dull knife is misery. Still, except perhaps for that knife, you can cook great food with really bad equipment. Before we got our current stove, we were down to two burners on a cheap old electric stove. You could heat a frying pan plenty hot enough for a steak, if you were willing to wait and then add the meat. But it doesn't have to be a sharp knife, it could be your brand new food processor. Or things that mean something special: I have my mother's yellow pyrex mixing bowl as well as her mother's bowl, one of those cream earthenware with a stripe. Or maybe try an old cast iron frying pan (the vintage ones are better)."

5. You have to trust your own palate. "Maybe you still have a lot to learn, but your palate is the most important tool you have. This may be a leap of faith for some people, but if you don't go by your own palate, you're just lost. You just have to be yourself and that's your anchor, that's your foundation. Your tastes will evolve and change and maybe even become more sophisticated but you have to jump in somewhere. You have to just leap in and do it and not worry about someone else's palate."

(Images: Natalie Stultz)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/edward-behrs-5-essentials-for-delicious-sensual-home-cooking-expert-essentials-196379

Happy Halloween!

We hope everyone in Calder Commons has a safe and happy Halloween!

5 Things Not to Miss in State College

What is your favorite place in Happy Valley?  Check out these five things that you should not miss in State College.  You can learn more at Happy Valley.

1. We love some good wine tasting and good friends. There are lots of places to hit, but our favorite is Mt Nittany Winery. Talk about a view!

2. Hit up the downtown State College shopping and restaurant scene. You'll find gear for the game and some amazing food for lunch and dinner at places like Zola on College Ave.

3. The Creamery - amazing freakin ice cream and an alumni hot spot. And, yes, they still offer Peachy Paterno!

4. Most of the year, you have an opportunity to catch the best D-1 sports action available in a range of sports. Sure, we love football, who doesn't - the tailgate, the air, but if you've never been to a basketball game or women's volleyball game, you're missing out.

(img courtesy Penn State Athletics)

5. The bars downtown State College - need we say more? Memories, memories and more memories. One of our all-time favorites is the The Deli and below it The Saloon. Check out the pic below of all the beers on tap at The Deli - Mmmmm.

Job Searching After College

Are you graduating soon?  Congratulations!  This is a great moment in your life, but job searching can be more scary than entering college.  Check out these great job searching tips for college graduates. It is never too early to start.  These can also help you grab a great internship.  Check out US News and World Report for more information.

1. Don't wait to start job searching. You might be tempted to take a few months off after graduating to relax, but you might not realize how long job searches take. Hiring processes often take months, and getting a job in this market—especially without much experience—may really take a long time. Start actively searching now, since even with a May start, you might not find a job until the fall or later.

2. Include all of your work experience on your résumé. New grads sometimes exclude certain types of work from their résumé, like fast food or retail, figuring that it won't be relevant to the types of jobs they're targeting now. But especially if you don't have much other work experience to show, these sorts of jobs can be key in demonstrating that you know how to deal with customers, show up reliably and that you have a track record of handling paid employment like an adult. Don't shy away from including them.

3. Don't listen to every piece of job-search advice you hear. If your parents or friends are your main source of job-hunt guidance, you might be at a disadvantage. Job-search conventions have changed significantly in the last decade, so your parents might not know what's most effective in the process today. And your friends probably don't have much more experience than you do, so take their suggestions with some skepticism. Seek out more current and reliable sources of advice instead.

4. Don't apply for everything you see. Anxious job seekers sometimes blast off their résumé to every opening they spot, hoping that something will garner them a call-back. But carefully targeting your search to jobs you're truly qualified for—and writing a tailored cover letter for each—will get you far better results than simply aiming for quantity. That said…

5. Broaden your horizons. While you shouldn't apply for everything you see, you also shouldn't be narrow and only willing to consider a very specific role in a very specific field. The reality is, in today's job market you might not have the luxury of being picky about the specific roles you'll take. Open yourself up to a broader range of possibilities, and you might find it easier to find work (and might also discover that you like some of the alternatives that you hadn't originally considered!).

6. Don't think you can't intern just because you're no longer a student. If you're having trouble finding a full-time job—and if you're like a lot of new grads, you might be—don't assume that internships are no longer a possibility. Many internships are open to non-students, and they can be a good way to get experience and give you something to put on your résumé while you continue to search for something full-time. Volunteering can play a similarly useful role as well.

7. Use your network. You might feel pushy reaching out to co-workers at past internships, your parents' friends and other people you know, but it's very normal to do that as part of a job search. At a minimum, make sure that you've alerted your managers from past jobs to the fact that you're now looking—that's a basic and crucial step that far too many new grads overlook.

8. Practice interviewing. You might have been able to get away with occasionally skipping a reading for a class, but job interviews don't work that way: Interviewers will be able to tell whether you prepared or not, and winging it—especially when you don't have much experience interviewing—virtually guarantees that you'll crash and burn. If you prepare ahead of time and practice your answers to likely interview questions, you'll do far better in interviews and dramatically increase your chances of getting an offer.

9. Make sure that your email address, outgoing voice mail message and online presence all portray you as a professional, mature adult, not a partying college student. Employers will form opinions about you based on these things, and the more mature and polished you appear, the better your chances.

10. Don't panic. Your job search might take time, possibly a lot of time. That's pretty common these days. But it doesn't mean that you'll be unemployed forever or living with your parents when you're 45. You will find a job eventually!

Frozen Fruit Recipe

Wake up. Shower. Get dressed. Get moving! If your mornings are a hectic blur of hustling to get out the door then we've got something for you. Shave some minutes off your morning routine with "Recipe: Frozen Single-Serve Oatmeal with Almonds & Dried Cherries" to make your food grab-and-go!

Frozen Single-Serve Oatmeal with Almonds & Dried Cherries

Makes about twelve 1/3-cup pucks (4 to 6 servings)

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 1/2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt
Honey, brown sugar, agave or other sweetener, to taste (optional)
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Lightly grease a standard muffin pan and set aside. (No need to grease if you are using a nonstick pan.)

Combine the oats, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and ready to eat, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in sweetener of choice, if using. Divide the oatmeal evenly into the cups of the muffin pan. Top with the cherries, almonds and pumpkin seeds, pressing lightly to make sure they are embedded in the oatmeal.

Place the muffin pan in the freezer until oatmeal is fully frozen, at least 3 hours. Remove and allow to thaw slightly, until the oatmeal can be popped out of the pan with an offset spatula or a thin butter knife. (You can dip the bottom of the pan in warm water to speed the process.) Wrap the oatmeal in freezer-safe packaging and freeze.

To eat, remove the desired number of pucks and warm in a bowl in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

Recipe Notes

• Steel cut oats can be used in place of rolled oats. Adjust the amount of water and cooking time according to package directions.
• Any combination of nuts, dried fruit or seeds can be used on top of the oatmeal.

(Images: Anjali Prasertong)

Make and Freeze Meals

Sometimes there's just no extra time to cook up a complicated meal, so having ones already prepared to eat can be incredibly convenient in a pinch. Check out "​5 Great Meals to Make Ahead and Freeze" to make sure that you'll always have something to chow down on even if you're in a time pinch.

Soups

While I grew up eating canned soup, that’s not been the case for my kids. The canned variety is generally oversalted, oversweetened, and overpriced. Since it’s so easy to make my own, there’s really no reason not to.

I regularly prepare our favorite soups, sometimes two or three varieties at a time, and freeze them in family- and individually-sized portions. It’s super easy to grab a few different pints of soup from the freezer for a quick lunch or supper. They pack well to work as well to reheat in the microwave.

Soups are great to pack on vacation, send to college with your child, or fill the freezer of a new mom or aging parent. Soup is good food. Particularly if you make it ahead of time and stash it in the freezer.

Favorite recipes:

• Cheddar Cheese Soup with Zucchini, Broccoli, and Carrots
• Jalapeño Chili
• Roasted Vegetable Soup with Fresh Oregano

Casseroles

Casseroles are an ultimate comfort food. It speaks my husband’s love language to pull a pan of enchiladas out of the oven. For my kids, it’s my famous Chicken Pot Pie or Lawnmower Taco. It’s even easier to treat their tastebuds when I’ve made a bulk batch of these and stashed them in the deep freeze.

Consider your favorite lasagna, enchilada, quiche, egg bake, or other casserole. Next time you prep it, make two (or more) and freeze the extras. It really doesn't take that much more time, but you'll reap the rewards later.

Favorite recipes:

• Chicken Pot Pie
• Cheese Enchiladas
• Lawnmower Taco

Marinated or Cooked Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breast is one of the most economical proteins here on the West Coast where it’s regularly less than $2/pound. I snatch up big flats of chicken and do one of two things: I package trimmed breast fillets with marinade in a ziptop freezer bag, or I cook it up by poaching or grilling and then I freeze the cooked results.

The fruit of my labor is an easy, ready-to go protein. I can thaw the marinated chicken in the fridge overnight and have it ready to throw on the grill at dinnertime. I can thaw the cooked chicken and toss it into salads, stir it into soups, or tuck it into sandwiches.

Favorite recipes:

• Salsa Verde Chicken
• Dijon Chicken
• Pulled Chicken

Taco and Burrito Fillings

We’ve always been big taco and burrito fans, so it makes sense to keep the fillings on hand for quick and easy suppers. By cooking up bulk batches of seasoned taco meat, pinto beans, or carnitas, I’ve got the makings of many a great dinner. Since these items are already cooked, I can quickly thaw and reheat, lay out tortillas, taco shells, chips, rice or even fried potatoes, and an array of toppings, and dinner is served before I can make a run for the border.

Favorite recipes:

• Salsa Verde Beef
• Seasoned Taco Meat
• Slowcooker Carnitas

Apple Pie

Apple pie is a meal, right? Well, at our house it is, at least on the first day of school when I serve apple pie for breakfast. While it may not be your typical "meal," it sure is nice to have a stash of pies in the freezer.

Every fall, I prep as many pies as I can and store them in our big freezer. This allows me to surprise my family with a fresh-baked pie on cold fall evenings. It takes the load off my Thanksgiving Day prep work since I only need to slide them into the oven on Wednesday night. And it brings a comfort and a touch of sweetness to savor the flavors of fall throughout the cold winter months.

Favorite recipes:

• Slab Apple Pie
• Nanna’s Apple Pie

When I’ve got my freezer stocked with these five of my favorite things, all’s right with the world. I can surprise my family with their favorite foods. I can pull a quick dinner off in less time than it would take me to find my car keys and latch some car seats. I can rest a little easier, knowing that if other plans don’t go my way, at least dinner will.

Check out Jessica's book on freezer meals

→ Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook

Visit Jessica's family cooking blog:

→ Good Cheap Eats

(Images: Jessica Fisher)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-great-meals-to-make-ahead-and-freeze-193994

5 Things You Do Not Need to Move Back to College

Moving back to college can be fun and  an exciting time.  However, saving money is also crucial on a college budget lifestyle.  Check out these five items that you really do not need to go back to school.  You can get away without them or find cheaper alternatives. Keep reading or check out College Hack for more information.

1: Anything From The School Bookstore
C’mon; are you a Freshman? The School bookstore is convenient, neat, and nice, and you’re paying a premium for all those services. Go on the internet; buy your textbook, rent your textbook, borrow your textbook from your friend; whatever you do, don’t buy it whole-priced, wrapped in plastic, from a smiling clerk who thinks you’re a Freshman now. Move ahead and buy from different sources when you can.
2: Highlighters.
When have you ever used highlighters? They look pretty and represent productivity. Wonderful. Underline your books with good old fashioned pencil and save your eyes the trouble of checking around the bright yellow sentences jumping out of your book. And don’t get me started on the variety packs of highlighters, full of new colors to color code your book as though that’s the thing that can write your essay. If you’re productive enough to want to color code your book you’re set: you’re productive enough not to need to. If, on the other hand, you, like me, would never do that sort of thing, don’t buy the highlighters because you won’t. Get it?
3: A Fancy Backpack
A backpack is made to carry your books. You don’t need it to be strong, you don’t need bonus pockets or camouflage or a holder for your water bottle. The entire backpack holds things: why do you need a bottle-holder? A backpack is simple: it’s something that isn’t a paper bag that can hond your books, packing them, if you will, on your back. That’s it. Nothing complex that can handle camping or whatever. Nothing huge to handle all the books you’re taking- you shouldn’t be taking more than two classes of books at a time, even, just for your back. Leave the fancy backpacks for the fancier students. Get one that works and move on.
4: Anything New in Bulk
If you want to get back to school, and you’re determined to try something, don’t get it in bulk. That includes protein powder, those colored post-its, or a whole set of assignment notebooks; whatever it is, no matter how much you want it, start smaller. Nothing’s more embarrassing than leaving forty bucks of school supply untouched when you’re September ambitions fade.
5: Anything New, Period.
Okay, maybe I’m biased, but don’t get anything new.
If you haven’t used it before, you’re not going to use it now. Sorry. Those binders, that orginization you say you’re always going to do? Not happening. And that’s okay. If you’ve survived this long without it, you’ll keep on surviving. Old dogs don’t learn new tricks, so if you find yourself looking at an impulse buy that’ll change the way you study, ask yourself: do you think you’re going to change anything? If not, then be honest, and save yourself twenty bucks. Otherwise you’ll do things just like you always have, only now you have a few shiny new binders under your bed.

Moving Tips

 

1. Proper planning prevents problems. Be prepared with your vehicles (unless they are bringing them and that's why they got stuck helping you move!), boxes, tape, packing materials, blankets for car protection and maps to help them find your new home. The greatest goal when having friends take time out of their day to help you move is to make it easy on them, and show your gratitude as best as possible. Preparation helps this process.

2. Food! Have some fun snacks or meals on hand, depending on the duration of the move for your friends. Take into consideration what they like and will appreciate. (ie Don't buy pepperoni pizza for your vegan friends, etc.) Have beer for your drinking friends during the move, but be careful not to drink too much! Also, have plenty of water and cold, icy drinks for super hot days.

3. Don't expect them to be there all day. Some of your friends may be able to help you for just a little while and then will have to or even want to go about their day. Try to schedule friend-helping time to move large pieces of furniture that you won't be able to move without help.

4. Do a clean sweep before the move. You might not need a lot of those books you've been holding onto, and they are definitely heavy. It will help you and your friends in the long run if you donate some of the items you won't necessarily be using in your new home.

5. Let them know what to do during the actual move. No one wants to rifle through your things or assume which pieces go where. Help your friends know how to help you by giving them specific tasks to keep them busy and the move, well, moving!

6. Give them a token of your appreciation. This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to buy them a gift—just return the favor. Take them to the airport a few times, or offer a babysitting date night, or organize a lovely dinner party at your new home when it's all set up! Remember your friends' acts of generosity and let them know you appreciate them.

It is almost that time of year.  You need to ask your friends and family to help you move into your new apartment for school.  Friends and family are always willing to help, but here are some tips on how to make the experience a bit more enjoyable for them.  You can find more great apartment tips on apartment therapy .

Organize Your Life with These Tips

Do you feel like your life is unorganized sometimes?  These tips can help you organize your life and be more productive in your every day tasks.  You can learn more at the ZenBlog.

1. 3 Most Important Tasks. Writing down and making mental note of my top 3 tasks to get done for the day. Everything else seems to fall into place if I do that.
2. An easy and workable task list, or to do list. While I love all of these handy web 2.0 apps, computer software, very neat gadgets like palms and really cool cell phones, they just don’t work for me. I’m a lazy woman, with an even lazier attitude. I might put a task in Remember the Milk, another task in my palm, one in my Gcal and send another text to my phone. With all of these different ways of doing things, I end up spending much more time trying to organize my to do list, or consolidate it, that I don’t get much actually done.
3. Keep ubiquitous capture device. It might not be the same device for every location (I have a moleskine for work, but use my mobile for inspiration on the fly) but just being able to write stuff down when you think about it is key for me.
4. Choose one tool and stick with it.
5. Do one thing at a time.
6. Do it now.
7. Make use of the word no.
8. Use the recycling bin/trash basket. Organizing unnecessary items is wasted energy. It is amazing how much more in control I feel just by ridding myself of now outdated articles I’d like to read “someday,” or countless meeting notes from which relevant action items have already been extracted.
9. A (good) place for everything, and everything in its place. By finding places that are easy to get to for all the things I use most often, and places that are pretty easy to get to for the things I use less often, I spend less time dreading doing things and more time actually doing things. And the place for things you never use is elsewhere (trash can, place that accepts donations, etc.).
10. Simplify, simplify, simplify!
11. Put it away now. The single, simplest thing I do to stay personally organized is to put whatever tool, item, clothing, bag, hairbrush etc., away immediately after using it. I always know where everything and anything is so I never waste time looking for something. Very efficient. I could tell a stranger where to find anything in my home.
12. Keep a to-do list that syncs with your mobile phone (so you can add stuff as and when you remember it). And make sure every item has a due date.
13. Change. It obsoletes unimportant things. It brings down any method or idea that isn’t timeless. It brings up newer and more important things that you and others can’t resist anymore. Best of all: it’s an organizing tool that operates itself. You simply have to embrace it.
14. Divide material into red, yellow, blue and green plastic file folders. For example, anything that has to be done today (paperwork to be given to a client, bills to be mailed) go in the red folder. Contact material or anything related to customer field support goes in the yellow folder. Your mileage may vary as to how you organize your briefcase, and like me you may also have project-specific manilla file folders as well, but dividing stuff up into just four color coded folders is a huge help.
15. Flylady.net. She helped me realize that I needed to apply GTD principles to my home life and not just work. I had work under control using checklists, projects and next actions. I tried the same system at home and failed. Then about a month ago I discovered flylady.net courtesy I believe one of your blog posts. Wow, what a difference. My house is clean and so is my desk at work. Many if not most of her basic ideas are just like GTD in a slightly different perspective (control journal, baby steps) and also concrete methods for accomplishing next actions (2 minute hot spots, 15 minute timers). Her most useful tip was to put my daily/weekly lists into shiny page protectors in my control journal. I use a dry erase marker and voila no more killing trees or not doing my list because I can’t print it (or want to avoid the hassle). The best thing about this, I am more relaxed, my blood pressure is finally dropping and I feel less stressed.
16. Unapologetically take control of your time and priorities.
17. Sort at the source. My favorite organizational tool is my post office box. I visit it once a week (usually Saturday), stand at the counter in the lobby and sort my mail. I use the P.O.’s trash bin. What comes into my house is only what I need to have. Bills and letters and checks go into my inbox (which by the way is a box with a lid that is wrapped in lovely fabric and has a yellow bow on it so it looks like a present sitting on my desk). Reading material goes on the table by my chaise lounge which is where I do all my reading.
18. A sheet of paper, a calendar and a white board. I’ve found that the easiest way to organize myself, my days and so forth is a good paper calendar, a sheet of paper that I divide into four sections and a medium sized white board. For my paper the top left section is my actual running to do list for today. The top right section is my running grocery list, or list of things I must purchase. The bottom left is for notes such as calls I made, who I spoke to, appointment dates. The bottom right is whatever I need to move to another day. If I’m told to call back on Monday, then I note that on the calendar. As for the white board, the kids can make notes (Can I spend the night at Brian’s on Friday? Grandma called), and I can jot down things as I think of them to be added to tomorrow’s to do list. My calendar, and the white board are in the same location, so I can transfer short notes if need be. I carry my paper task list with me everywhere, so I can make notes at any given moment.
19. Color coding. I’m a visual person, and I find that color-coding my various lists and calendars minimizes the time I have to spend looking at them. This worked especially well when I was in school: I dumped every class syllabus into Outlook, and then color-coded every class period (blue for paper due, yellow for quiz, red for test, etc). It took awhile to set up, sure, but then for the rest of the semester I only had to glance at Outlook to get a very clear idea of what kind of week I was going to have.
20. One binder. I use a binder cleverly labeled “@ 2007″ with the following divisions:
    • @ Today – With my Emergent Task Planner from davidseah.com;
    • @ Week – The remaining days of the week ETP’s as a skeleton;
    • @ Year – All my historical sheets;
    • @ Diet – Which tracks what I have eaten for the day;
    • @ Fitness – Which tracks my workout routine for the day. My binder is with me all the time and it has helped me become a better employee, family member and relationship guy.
21. Write down, execute and tidy up on the way. These are is my organization bible. I’ve been living that way since more than two years and I can say that I’m an organized person.
22. A little whiteboard on my bedroom wall. I have it separated into two sections, a “todo” and a “today”. “Todo” is a list of general things I have to do, like get my car inspected, buy someone a present, etc. Then “today” is what I need to do, obviously, today! Things can be moved back and forth as appropriate. I find having a specific list for today helps push me to get the important things done in a timely manner. I also keep two things permanently on the “today” part, which are meditation and exercise. This seems to help.
23. Note cards. One can write tasks on them — one per card, or in a list (depending on the type of task in question; I do both). When doing one per card, the stack serves as an easy prioritization scheme. But wait, there’s more: They can be arranged on cork boards, shared, annotated, torn up and rearranged. They can be used as placeholders, as mini-white boards and as tokens to model ideas. They are easy to carry around, and to attach to other documents. Further, different colors allow for a visual representation of different kinds of todo’s (as can different annotations). Finally, they are cheap and most importantly of all: easy (much easier than software) to reconfigure as needs and projects change.
24. Never rely on a single point of failure. I’ve seen people pay $1,000 to hear speakers at a conference and only have one pen to take notes. It’s a great feeling when one thing breaks, gets lost, or runs out of power, and you have another one in reserve!
25. Have.. less.. stuff.
26. Delegate. Learn to trust people with critical tasks in all areas of your life. When you learn to effectively delegate tasks you actually find that it is easier to keep the stuff you cannot delegate better organized.
27. You control your life. Whatever electronics or paper you use, make them work for YOU not the other way around. Does Outlook really have to stay checking your email every 5 minutes? Maybe, but I bet you’ll get a whole lot more done if you check it a few times per day. That goes for the Blackberry too! After all, there are so many tools, and one to fit everyone – so use what works, but make it work for you!

A Creative Way to Remember Your Wifi Password

Do you have a really complicated wifi password? Check out this great idea to always have your wifi password handy?  You can learn more at apartment therapy.

Eve-Marie of Tixeretne came up with the brilliant idea of converting her wi-fi neywork password into a custom QR code, then framing it for display in a guest room. Guests can use a QR code reader on their smartphone or tablet to read the code and get the password in an easy copy-and-paste format.
Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Eve-Marie writes:

Now when we have people over, they don’t actually have to awkwardly talk to us to get the wi-fi password. They just scan it with their device and viola: internet access. You see, we have eliminated the last shred of one-on-one social interactions. Now we can all spend our time together ignoring each other and playing with out phones! Bliss.

Yes, in many cases it's easier to just quickly tell the guests your wi-fi password when they first ask, iPad-in-hand. But with a super-secure and hard-to-remember password, it's convenient to have the QR code displayed in the guests' room to call up at a moments notice, especially if the host is away.



Generate the CodeCreating a QR code is way easier than it looks, thanks to fool-proof QR Code generator websites. Check out The Super Simple Way to Make Your Own QR Code. Eve-Marie used a site called QRStuff.com, which lets you link your QR graphic to plain text instead of a link.

Print it OutThere's no wrong way to do this, really. Once you have a QR graphic, test it out to make sure it works, then drop it into a graphics editor like Photoshop or Paint (or even just a Word document) to size it up and print it out. Eve-Marie's made it foolproof, including a wi-fi graphic and detailed instructions on her site.

100 Great DIY Projects For Your Weekend

Do you have a weekend coming up with nothing planned? Check out these great DIY projects that you and your friends can try.  You can find more ideas for your weekend at apartment therapy.

1. Learn to make your pics prettier: How To Instantly Improve Your Photos
2. Give your dining chairs a new (tufted!) look: How To Tuft a Seat
3. Fancy up the laundry: How To Make a French Vintage Inspired Hamper
4. Make your plants swing: DIY Hanging Planter
5. Style up some succulents: 5 Easy Indoor Succulent DIY Ideas
6. Make some cash: How to List an Item on Apartment Therapy Classifieds
7. Give an old friend a makeover: How To Paint a Wooden Dresser
8. Brighten up your closet: Quick DIY Colorful Hangers
9. Make a cool mobile: Make Your Own Decahedron Himmeli Mobile
10. Get ready for old-school vacation gaming: DIY Travel Checkers Set
11. Line your drawers: 3 Uses for Decorative Paper
12. Wrangle those toys: Build a Letter Block Toy Box
13. Fix up a jacket before packing it away: How To Sew a Button On
14. Get your tables gleaming: How To Polish Wood Furniture
15. Keep the summertime grime out: Make It: A Colorful Wooden Doormat
16. Make a rustic-chic note holder: How To Repurpose a Door Knob
17. Speak your mind on a pillow: Graphic Stencil Pillow
18. Learn something new: Design Cheat Sheets from Around the Web
19. Explore block printing: Block Printed Textiles Inspiration & DIY Tips
20. Whip up an easy outdoor side table: How To Make a Flower Pot Table
21. Make a custom light switch plate: One Minute Tip How To
22. Make some type-based magnets: Modern Cement ABCs
23. Turn your instagrams into somehting new: Make Faux Photostrips
24. Learn to cut your own mats: How To Cut a Mat for Framing Artwork
25. Let there be light: How To Install a New Light Fixture
26. ...or not: How To Remove a Light Fixture
27. Embrace the neon trend: DIY Graphic Neon Vase
28. Tackle a chilly job: How To Clean & Organize a Refrigerator
29. Organize some treasures: How To Make an Alphabet Shadow Box
30. Add a little vroom to a kids room: Washi Tape Toy Car Track
31. Say goodbye to the wallpaper: How To Remove Wallpaper
32. Elevate a photograph: DIY Custom Photo Canvas
33. Lose the wires: How To Make Any Lamp Cordless
34. Decorate your table: 20 DIY Centerpiece Projects & Ideas
35. Make a little chef happy: How To Make a Toy Grill for $20
36. Stash your pens and pencils: DIY No-Sew Colored Pencil Roll
37. Clean your bedroom: Guide to Green Cleaning Your Bedroom
38. Make your kid fly – How to Make Your Baby Fly
39. Create a charging station: Upcycled Plastic Bottle Charging Station
40. Tidy up: How To Make a Rope Wrapped Hanging Clothes Bar
41. Go to sleep!: How to Nap (No, Really!)
42. Create an urban garden: Budget Friendly: DIY Cinderblock Planters
43. Stop the tangles :DIY Tangle-Free Headphones with Embroidery Floss
44. Make map pillows:  Modular DIY Map Cushions
45. Upcycle in a colorful style: DIY Painted Jars
46. Make a window box: DIY Wood Shim Window Box
47. Add some design detail: $5 DIY: Dress Up Your Frames with Tape
48. Cover an ugly light: How To Make a DIY Drum Shade
49. Make a headboard: 10 DIY Headboard Ideas
50. Stencil something: Put Some Pattern On It: Stencil Resources
51. Give your bed a fresh look: You Can Do It: Sew Your Own Bedding
52. Light up the night: DIY Leather & Glass Outdoor Lanterns
53. Make everlasting flowers: DIY Paper Flowers From Recycled Maps
54. Get your books in order: How To Organize Your Personal Library
55. Dress up your can lights: How To: Make Can Light Luminaries
56. Put up a yurt: How To Raise a Yurt in Four Hours
57. Switch out your shower head: DIY Basics: Replacing a Shower Head
58. Learn the technique: How To Tie a Perfect Bow for Presents
59. Join the terrarium trend: Buy or DIY: Trendy Terrariums
60. Stamp it: DIY Wine Cork Stamps
61. Dress up a wall: How To: Create A Reclaimed Wood Wall
62. Weave a basket: DIY: Recycled Paper Sewing Basket
63. Dress a window: Making Your Own Curtains: Easy Instructions
64. Funkify your keyboard: Colorful Keyboard Makeover
65. DIY an ikat mirror: How To Make an Ikat-Inspired Mirror
66. Build an outdoor dining set: Simple Farm Style Table & Bench
67. Tape your floors: Bring Crazy Colors to Your Floors with Vinyl Tape
68. Hit the road for vintage finds:  10 Architectural Salvage Stores
69. Make everything a blackboard: Chalkboard Paint: Off the Wall
70. ...with your own paint: How to Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint
71. Watch how it's done: Video Alert: How Spray Paint Cans are Made
72. Custom print fabric: How To Print DIY Patterned Fabric
73. Dress up the fridge: How to Create a Patterned Refrigerator 
74. Create an impromptu patio: How to Build a Quick Outdoor Patio
75. Camp in your living room: How to Build an Indoor Fort
76. Prepare for the real heat:Time to Tune Up: AC Tips
77. Shut out the world in style: How to Make No Sew Roman Shades
78. Get label happy: Free Printables to Organize Your Home in Style
79. Create new furniture with rope: Jessa's DIY Rope Wrapped Table
80. Put your denim on ice: How to Freeze Your Jeans
81. Freshen your furry floor covering: How to Clean a Flokati Rug
82. Create a library of plants: How to Make Your Own Book Planters
83. Bring fire to the party: A Cure for Cool Nights: A DIY Firepit
84. Celebrate two crafts in one: Cross Stitch Wall Mural
85. Create outdoor ambiance: How to Create Glowing Outdoor Orbs
86. Put some color on the wall: Sally's DIY Paint Chip Wall
87. Add a farmhouse feature: How to Create a Sliding Barn Door
88. Make a new tuffet: DIY Floor Cushion
89. Disguise the power source: You've Got to Hide Your Cord Away
90. ...or make it into art: Turning Power Cables into a Design Plus
91. Stow your wheels: How to Build a Vertical Bike Rack Using Spare Parts
92. Dress up a door with felt: How to Make DIY Felt Sliding Doors
93. Save space: Make Your Own Radiator Covers for Extra Shelf Space
94. Dress up the walls with fabric: DIY Burlap Wallcovering
95. Line your walls with music: Dave's Musical Wallpaper Treatment
96. Make the bath look so much better: How To Recaulk a Bathtub
97. Set up a napping place outdoors: Make Your Own Bed Swing
98. Add a little pizzazz: How To Brighten Up Your Medicine Cabinet
99. Clean your greens: How To Clean a Large Housplant
100. Find your own project in our archives and let us know how it goes!

Penn State Traditions

NITTANY LION LEGEND
Penn State’s athletic symbol, chosen by the student body in 1906, is the mountain lion, which once roamed central Pennsylvania. H.D. “Joe” Mason, a member of the Class of 1907, conducted a one-man campaign to choose a school mascot after seeing the Princeton tiger on a trip with the Penn State baseball team to that New Jersey campus. A student publication sponsored the campaign to select a mascot and Penn State is believed to be the first college to adopt the lion as a mascot. Since Penn State is located in the Nittany Valley at the foot of Mount Nittany, the lion was designated as a Nittany Lion. In regional folklore, Nittany (or Nita-Nee) was a valorous Indian princess in whose honor the Great Spirit caused Mount Nittany to be formed. A later namesake, daughter of chief O-Ko-Cho, who lived near the mouth of Penn’s Creek, fell in love with Malachi Boyer, a trader. The tearful maiden and her lost lover became legend and her name was given to the stately mountain.

NITTANY LION SHRINE
Penn State’s Nittany Lion shrine was dedicated on Oct. 24, 1942, during Homecoming Weekend. Animal sculptor Heinz Warneke and stonecutter Joseph Garatti molded a 13-ton block of Indiana limestone into the most recognizable symbol of Penn State. The shrine was chosen from six models submitted by Warneke. The shrine is a gift of the Class of 1940 and rests in a natural setting of trees near Recreation Building. The site was chosen because of its accessibility, the surrounding trees and the fact that the sculpture would not be dwarfed by nearby buildings.

BLUE & WHITE
Penn State’s student-athletes are instantly identified by their blue and white uniforms — but those weren’t the original school colors. A three-member committee representing the sophomore, junior and senior classes was appointed in October of 1887 to develop color options from which the student body would select the school’s official colors. Dark pink and black was the unanimous choice of the student body after considering the color combinations presented by the committee. Soon many students and the baseball team were sporting pink and black striped blazers and caps. However, problems arose when the pink faded to white after several weeks of exposure to the sun. The students then opted for blue, rather than black, and white. The official announcement of the new choice was made on March 18, 1890.

PENN STATE WHITE OUT
In recent years, Penn State students have donned white clothes, paint — anything white — to show their solidarity and support for the Nittany Lions. Forming a mass of bouncing and infectious enthusiasm, the students have “Whited Out” Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center and other sports venues, making them some of the noisiest and most intimidating stadiums in America.

“HAPPY VALLEY”
The first thing to know is Wikipedia has it wrong. The term “Happy Valley” originated with Centre Daily Times columnist Katey Lehman. Ross and Katey Lehman, one of the town’s regal couples, became good friends with Pat and Harriet O’Brien. Ross Lehman, a 1942 graduate, was the executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association, among other things, and Katey wrote a column for the Centre Daily Times entitled “Open House.” Pat O’Brien was a Liberal Arts professor. The O’Briens used to take Sunday drives with their kids and often remarked “What a happy valley,” a phrase that then traveled to Katey. The initial appearance of the phrase in print was in Katey’s column of June 22, 1961. She used it in lower case between quotes, “happy valley.” In a June 25, 1962 column she headlined it, “Happy Valley And Jet Age.” Katey continued to mention it a few more times in the early 1960s.

NITTANY LION PUSHUPS
Although some Nittany Lion mascots had been doing pushups periodically through the years, Marty Seorta (1965-67) is generally credited with starting the ritual of pushups after every Penn State score, matching the number of pushups with Penn State’s total points on the scoreboard. Twelve years later, Nittany Lion Norm Constantine decided to do one-handed pushups and that tradition carries on to this day. Tragically, Constantine became the iconic symbol of all Nittany Lion mascots after a 1981 car accident left him paralyzed — unable to walk or speak again — until his death in 1990. A fund-raising effort in Norm’s honor continues to this day by the Back The Lions organization, providing a scholarship for the reigning mascot, cheerleaders, and others. The mascot statue located in the lobby of Penn State’s All-Sports Museum was part of that fundraising endeavor and is dedicated in Constantine’s memory.

WE ARE…PENN STATE
The original Penn State cheer from the 1920s into the 1950s was N-I….Double-T….A-N-Y, which the cheerleaders guided different sections to chant in rhythm. In the 1970s, the cheerleaders were looking for more cheers. They checked around the country for ideas and learned of cheers at Kentucky, Ohio State and Southern California that they liked. They blended the three together to come up with “We Are…Penn State.” The cheer didn’t catch on right away, but after several years and growing pride in Penn State’s gridiron success it caught hold in the early 1980s. The cheerleaders later added “Thank You …Your Welcome.” The first utterance of the phrase “We are Penn State” is often attributed to All-American Steve Suhey. A captain on the 1947 Cotton Bowl team, Suhey used the phrase as the team, an early racially-integrated unit, was faced with several situations in which Penn State’s African-American players were not welcome to participate. Team captain Suhey, pointing at all his teammates, said “We’re Penn State and we play together or we don’t play.” Penn State forfeited a game against the University of Miami and stayed in Army barracks when hotels at the Cotton Bowl refused them lodging as a team.

FIGHT SONGS
The band music played at every home game goes back almost 100 years. Two of the songs, “The Nittany Lion” and “Fight On State,” are still featured as part of the pregame festivities when the Blue Band enters Beaver Stadium and marches down the field in the “Floating Lion” formation. A third song, “Victory,” also is played during the game. Jimmy Leyden wrote both “Victory” and “The Nittany Lion.” He was a sophomore in 1913 when he wrote “Victory” with the familiar chorus, “Fight, Fight, Fight for the Blue and White, Victory will our slogan be.” Then, while working in New York in the summer of 1919, Leyden wrote “The Nittany Lion,” now better known by its opening words, “Hail to the Lion, Loyal and True…” Leyden introduced both songs at football games, standing in the middle of the field and singing the song’s lyrics through a large megaphone with a cornet accompanying him. “Fight on State” was written in 1935 by Joseph Saunders, a 1915 graduate then living in Atlantic City. The song originally was given to the freshman class to sing as their song and it was so catchy that it was soon adopted by the entire student body and the Blue Band.
How long have you been a student at Penn State?  We bet you still have some traditions you have yet to try at the University.  Check out the list below and make sure to complete them before you graduate.  You can learn more at Penn State.

A New Addition to Your Meal

Dinner rolls are a staple for any meal.  Have you ever wanted to make your own?  Check out this great recipe for soft and delicious dinner rolls.  You can make them from scratch and serve them with your next meal. You can learn more at The Kitchn.

How to Make Soft & Tender Dinner Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

What You Need

Ingredients

1 tablespoon active-dry yeast

1/2 cup (4 oz) warm water

1/2 cup (4 oz) milk (whole, 2%, or skim)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter

Equipment
Standing mixer or a mixing bowl, if making rolls by hand
Bench scraper or sharp knife
Parchment paper
9x13 baking dish

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients for the dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough. 
2. Knead the dough: Knead at low speed, or by hand against the counter, for 8-10 minutes, until smooth but slightly tacky. It should spring back when poked.
3. Let the dough rise: Cover the mixing bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
4. Shape the rolls: Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn the risen dough out on top. Divide the dough into 12 pieces with a bench scraper. To shape into rolls, tuck the edges underneath to form a plump little package, then roll the dough against the counter or between your palms until round. 
→ Read more about this technique: How to Shape Dinner Rolls.
5. Heat the oven and let the rolls rise: Line a 9x13 pan with parchment and spray with nonstick coating. Arrange the rolls inside the pan spaced a little apart. Let the rolls rise until they look pillowy and fill the pan roughly 30-40 minutes.
While the rolls are rising, pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
6. Brush the rolls with butter. Melt the butter and brush it over the risen dinner rolls. This helps the tops to brown and keeps the crust soft. 
7. Bake the rolls: Bake the rolls until golden, 15-18 minutes.
Lift the rolls from the pan using the parchment and let the rolls cool on a wire rack until cool enough to handle. They are best if eaten within a day or two, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. Rolls can also be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated in a warm oven.

Additional Notes:

• Whole Wheat Rolls: Substitute 1/2-1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and prepare the recipe as usual. The texture of the rolls will be a bit more dense, but still very delicious.
• Doubling the Recipe: Double all of the ingredients except for the yeast. To make even more rolls, it's best to prepare separate batches as the dough becomes too cumbersome to work with easily.
• Baking Rolls on a Sheet Pan: These rolls can also be backed on a sheet pan if you'd prefer not to have the tear-away edges. Line a sheet pan with parchment or non-stick liner and space the rolls a few inches apart.

Happy Fourth of July!

We hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July! What are you doing to celebrate?

A New Dessert for the Holiday

Vanilla Cakes with Strawberries and Blueberries are a staple on the Fourth of July.  However, here is a great recipe to make a different red, white, and blue dessert.  You can make mini berry pavlovas at home for your party next weekend  You can find more great Fourth of July recipes at The Kitchn.


Mini Summer Berry Pavlovas with Strawberry Sauce
Serves 8

1 pound strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 mini pavlova shells, baked and cooled
2 cups fresh berries (any combination of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries)


Combine the quartered strawberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved and the liquid at the bottom of the pan is simmering. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Using a blender or food processor, process the fruit into a smooth sauce. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until cool. (Sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.)

Combine the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

To assemble, place a pavlova shell on a plate and top with a spoonful of strawberry sauce, a dollop of whipped cream and a scattering of fresh berries. Repeat with remaining shells. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
The baked pavlova shells, once cooled, can be kept in an airtight container for several hours, or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw for 2 hours at room temperature.

Things To Do

There are tons of things to do in Happy Valley during the summer weekends. Check out this cave and water park in happy valley. It is America’s only all water cavern. It is also a working farm today. Keep reading to learn more.

America's only all-water cavern and wildlife park are nestled in Central Pennsylvania's scenic Penn State Country.

The cavern tour is a guided one-hour tour by motorboat on an underground stream. Along the limestone corridors, stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone cascades and draperies decorate the interior rooms, while underwater, trout swim and jump for feed!

The farm and wildlife tour is a guided 90-minute motorized tour over 1,500 acres of Penn's Cave forests and fields which have been carefully preserved as a natural habitat for birds, plants, and animals. North American animals, such as bears, wolves, elk, deer, bobcats, bison, longhorn cattle, mustangs as well as the Penn's Cave Icon, the cougar, are seen, along with the African adventure museum.

Penn's Cave also remains a working farm operation, and was presented with the Century Farm Award in 2008 by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Spend the day at Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park! You will be entertained, as well as educated about the geology, biology, geography and agriculture of Central Pennsylvania.

More here: http://www.pennscave.com/