JALEPENO POPPER DIP
KID’S CORNER
Looking for a delicious dip to enjoy while watching the Super Bowl this year? This one might be it! Ingredients 6-8 slices of bacon, cooked crispy and diced 2 – 8 oz. packages cream cheese, soft 1 cup mayonnaise 4-6 jalapenos, chopped and deseeded (or one small can diced jalapenos) 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, shredded ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded ¼ cup diced green onion Topping 1 cup crushed crackers (like Ritz) ½ cup parmesan cheese ½ stick butter, melted Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well. Transfer to an oven proof dish. The size of the dish depends on how thick the dip is. The thicker the dip the longer it may need to warm up. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle all over the top of the dip. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly. From bettycrocker.blogspot.sg
Creative Valentine’s Day Ideas Take your sweetie on a scavenger hunt. Ask him/her to answer riddles to find the clues to items that you placed somewhere around the house. The last item should give instructions that lead to your Valentine’s Day activity. Write a poem for your loved one and frame it. After your sweetie goes to bed on the 13th, tape notes to their car’s steering wheel with reasons that you love him/her, or decorate the bathroom mirror with Valentine’s window clings. Make a book about why you love them and why you are thankful for him/her. It’s a great way to focus on all of the reasons you love your significant other.
WHAT ELSE CAN GO IN THE DISHWASHER? While we tend to think of the dishwasher as being only for the dishes, there are a variety of other items that can go in it for cleaning. Baseball caps hold their shape if washed in the dishwasher, especially in a “Ball Cap Washer” as is available on Amazon. Just remember not to wash it with dishes though or food can get trapped in the cloth. Small toys can go in a lingerie bag on the top rack of the washing machine. Just be sure not to wash dolls with hair as this makes their hair a mess. Tools can go in as long as they have metal or plastic handles. Towel dry to make sure they don’t rust. Plastic hair brushes and combs may be washed in the dishwasher once any remaining hair is removed to protect the drain. No wood or natural boar-bristle brushes though. Potatoes can be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher with a rinse-only cycle (no detergent). This is great if you’re having company and have a lot of potatoes to wash. Flip Flops hook on the tines on the top rack and clean well in the dishwasher. FYI – Crocs are not dishwasher safe. What about items that shouldn’t go in the dishwasher? No cast iron it can rust. Wooden spoons can warp and crack so if you do use the dishwasher for them, they may need replacement more often. Wooden cutting boards should also avoid the dishwasher for the same reason. Insulated mugs and containers have vacuum seals, which can be ruined if water gets in them. It’s best to hand-wash these items. Hopefully these tips will help in your cleaning efforts, as well as save some items from being ruined. www.realsimple.com