With the New Orleans holiday season upon us, get-togethers always leave the inevitable mess. Once your friends and loved ones have filed out, sometimes what’s left behind can be quite taxing! Whether you’re hosting a party or simply helping out with the organization and clean-up, it’s important to have a few handy cleaning tricks up your sleeve. While most of us have plenty of household cleaners bought from the store available, sometimes homemade stain-removers work best. If they don’t do the trick, you can always use the store-bought cleaners as a back-up! Whether you’re pre-cleaning your apartment for a get-together or dealing with the aftermath of a holiday gathering, you can never have too many cleaning options.
For general, all-purpose cleaners there are a couple of simple options. Mixing vinegar and salt together will work just fine as a surface cleaner. If you have baking soda just sitting in the back of your refrigerator, you can also use it as a cleanser. Simply dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water for a general cleaner that can tackle quite a bit in your home. You can also use baking soda on a damp sponge. Not only is it an effective cleanser, but baking soda can help to deodorize all your kitchen and bathroom surfaces as well.
If you’re looking for a toilet bowl cleaner, both baking soda and vinegar can also come in handy there. Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then drizzle with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. This combination both cleans and deodorizes! You can also use lemon juice and borax for more stubborn stains. Simply mix enough borax and lemon juice into a paste that can cover the entire ring. Flush your toilet to wet the sides, then rub on the paste. Let the paste sit over the stain for 2 hours, then scrub thoroughly.
Vinegar and baking soda can be used for most ceramic and tile surfaces beyond the toilet bowl. Sprinkle a bit of baking soda, like you would with scouring powder, over your tub or tile surface. Rub with a damp sponge, then rinse thoroughly.
To clean grout, put 3 cups of baking soda into a medium-sized bowl and add 1 cup of warm water. Mix this into a smooth paste and scrub into the grout with a sponge or toothbrush. Then, rinse thoroughly and dispose of any leftover paste when finished.
The addition of vinegar to baking soda can help with pesky film build-up. Vinegar removes most dirt without much scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film. Use 1/4 of a cup (or more) vinegar to every 1 gallon of water. To remove film buildup on bathtubs, apply vinegar undiluted to a sponge and wipe the surface. Next, use baking soda as you would scouring powder. Rub with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly with clean water.
If you don’t already have most of these common household items in your home, they can be cheaply purchased at any grocery store. Make sure you’ve got what you need on hand for the next holiday gathering. Not only will some quick thinking and thrifty cleaning save you money and the headache of a mess, but you may actually impress your fellow party-goers in the process!
Pets are a joy to have in the home, and can add fun and companionship to any household! Especially for those living alone, the cliche of pets being best friends can ring very true. However, with the joy comes responsibility. And when it’s time to take an extended trip, figuring out what to do with your furry friend can be tricky. While some might be lucky enough to have responsible friends who can house-sit or check on pets as needed, sometimes a Plan B is in order. If you’re familiar with your neighbors, sometimes leaving your pet with them might be the best option.
Deciding whether to leave your pets with neighbors requires a serious assessment of both your neighbors and your pet. Not all neighbors are responsible enough to properly care for your beloved animal, and some pets may prefer to board at your veterinarian’s office or at another facility. The temperament of your pet is important to consider, as some animals are not as friendly with others as they might be with you. How well you know your neighbor and their character is also paramount when considering whether or not to leave your pet in their care.
The primary consideration when deciding if you should leave your pet with neighbors is your relationship with them. Having more than a passing acquaintance with your neighbors makes it more likely that they will follow your directions for caring for your pet because, if they do not, your friendship might end. If you’re not sure about a neighbor, or don’t know much about them, do not leave your pet in their care! While he or she very well could be a great person, you have no way of knowing without previous evaluation, and it’s not worth taking the risk.
The personality and lifestyle of your neighbors is also important. If your neighbors are rarely home, have a messy house, and are not particularly warm or caring individuals, they might not properly care for your pet. Anyone you entrust the care of your pet to should love animals, be responsible, and be consistently available during the time that you are away. An absentee pet sitter does you no good when you’re away!
Prior to leaving your pet with neighbors, consider your pet’s health, personality and exercise needs. If you have a particularly needy animal, explain this when approaching your neighbor. Make sure that they understand the importance of whatever special needs your pet has. Downplaying or not properly explaining a particular issue your pet has could lead to an unfortunate situation. Some pets might do better during your absence if they are in a pet care facility such as a doggie daycare center or at your vet’s office. Pets that require special medication, food or supervision might find living in a new residence or having a stranger visit them a few times a day unnerving. This is particularly true for elderly pets, which require more attention.
In the end, what’s most important is to make sure that your furry best friend is in the best hands possible. Don’t be afraid to be discerning and particular when deciding who you entrust your pet to! Doing so will afford you peace of mind, and your pet will thank you when you return home!
Halloween in New Orleans is just around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about costume ideas! While individual costumes are easy enough, what about the entire family? There are some great costume ideas out there for the entire family to get in on together! When you hit up your local costume shop for Halloween, keep these ideas in mind if you want to dress the entire family up using a fun theme!
Click here for a list of dog costumes from Party City
There are several costume stores, both in town and online, that sell Crayola Crayon group costumes! No matter how many are in your group, you can all choose a color and parade the streets as a technicolor group! It’s a great way to show some unity and allow everyone to express theselves by dressing as their favorite color.
Star Trek spans multiple generation as a family favorite. With the classic TV series, its multiple spin-offs, and the recent movie bridging the gap between young and old, everyone can enjoy dressing up as characters from the series! There are male and female costumes that everyone can wear, with kids and adults being able to dress up as heroes or aliens!
One classic costume that everyone can enjoy is the clown costume! While dressing up the whole family as clowns will give uniformity to your trick or treating adventures together, there are also enough variances in this classic stand-by to allow everyone to express themselves! There are hobo clowns, magician clowns, or the bright colors of the classic clown!
This is a great costume for your family or group, as there are multiple characters from the show, each with a different color scheme! Save the universe from evil while you collect candy on your Halloween night!
Fun for both kids and adults, Teletubbies costumes are silly enough for everyone to get a laugh out of this Halloween! Parade the streets as the entire gang! With colorful costumes that are instantly recognizable, you can’t go wrong!
Sesame Street is a show that several generations have grown up on. With the TV show still going strong, adults can feel nostalgic and children can feel right at home dressing up as their favorite characters! From Bert, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, or Big Bird, there are plenty of costumes to make the entire family look like a part of the friendliest street around!
People still love tales of the old west and the cowboy culture. With western themed costumes available at almost every costume shop, this is a great idea for families who want to add a little vintage flair to a group costume! Men and boys can dress as cowboys, while women and girls can dress as cowgirls or can-can dancers. It’s great fun for everyone!’,’Fun Family Costume Ideas’,0,’There are some great costume ideas out there for the entire family to get in on together! When you hit up your local costume shop for Halloween, keep these ideas in mind if you want to dress the entire family up using a fun theme!
During October in New Orleans, Halloween safety is a huge concern. Rightfully so, as it’s generally a holiday celebrated at night with kids running excitedly in the streets, candy being handed out by strangers, costume safety concerns, and a myriad of other potential hazards. Not only that, there are big events happening in New Orleans like the Voodoo Music Experience. While there are plenty of potential dangers on Halloween night, one of the most overlooked activities that could cause potential harm is the carving of the jack o’ lantern. However, with a little awareness, this fun family activity can go off without a hitch!
Because most injuries which occur when carving a pumpkin deal with the hands, these cuts can be tricky. Based on the nature of where tendons and nerves lie in the hand, the difference between a minor cut that will heal relatively quickly and a major wound that could potentially require surgery is razor thin. Wear gloves if you can while carving your pumpkin. While this won’t prevent any major accidents by itself, it can help in avoiding the minor cuts that may happen because of a quick slip of the knife. Gloves can also increase your grip on the cutting utensil. Thicker gardening gloves are generally recommended.
Make sure that the area you’re working in is clean, well-organized, well-lit, and dry. Any moisture on the table, cutting utensils, or your hands can cause you to slip with the knife and possibly cut yourself or someone nearby if you’re carving in a group. Be mindful of your knife handle. It’s easy for the handle to get wet during the process of carving, so make sure you keep it dry. Don’t handle the slippery pumpkin flesh with your bare hands and then grab the knife to keep cutting. As stated before, gloves with some thickness and gripping are preferable when carving.
When it comes to your knife, it’s not always best to use the sharpest knife available. While sharper knives give you more control when chopping food in the kitchen, carving a pumpkin is different in several ways. A sharper knife may become more deeply wedged in the pumpkin, and it requires more force to pull it out. You want to avoid strong, sudden movements with a sharp knife to avoid injury. Any jerking or pulling on the knife could cause you to lose control and potentially harm yourself or others. Be patient when making your cuts, and try not to be hurried. Deliberate movements will help you avoid accidents. Along with sharpness, the length of your knife is also something that should be considered. If the knife is long and sharp enough, it may pierce through the pumpkin where your other hand is stabilizing it.
After your pumpkin is carved and the knives are put away, there are still dangers. There’s still the business of putting a candle inside your pumpkin to help it light up the night! Some pumpkin artists recommend cutting the bottom out of the pumpkin instead of the top. That way, you can lower the pumpkin down onto a candle without reaching your hand inside and potentially burning yourself with a lit match or lighter.
There are also specialized carving and scraping tools available for those who prefer to be extra cautious as well as battery operated lights to use in place of candles. Halloween is great fun, and potential dangers shouldn’t overshadow that! Take the proper precautions and enjoy the Halloween season! With the right amount of care and awareness, you’ll be spooking the neighborhood in no time!
The New Orleans weather is cooling down outside, which is welcome to many who are tired of the sweltering summer heat! While grilling outside can still be fun and enjoyable in the brisk weather, some Louisiana grilling purists see an outdoor barbecue minus the summer heat as pure blasphemy. For those who still want to have a great barbecue at home, but don’t want to have to do it indoors (or for apartment dwellers who don’t have easy access to a grill), there are still ways to get great barbecue flavor indoors!
Beyond it being a massive fire hazard and a health risk, its not necessary to have an outdoor taste to your indoor meal. While most people would scoff at even the notion of using an outdoor grill indoors, every year, roughly a dozen people die from attempting just that. Indoor grilling should be done using indoor tools.
There are two types of indoor grills you can use: the open grill and the folding contact grill.
The open grill is similar in look to an outdoor grill. These appliances are electric and have a heating element with a grill-like cooking surface. While you have to flip foods to cook them evenly, the experience of grilling is much more authentic and the flavor is closer to an outdoor grill than you may get with a folding contact grill.
A folding contact grill is a grill with a hinged top that can be closed over your food, almost like a panini press or waffle maker. This grill may be better for the more inexperienced cook, as this style of grill can cook on both sides simultaneously and requires less attention from the cook.
Simply marinate and spice them the way you would choose to on an outdoor grill, and lay them on either your open or folding contact grill. Certain spices will make your indoor meal taste a little more outdoorsy. Chipotle peppers and liquid smoke, for example, can add a little of the flavor you might find on an outdoor grill.
Especially risky items such as pork or chicken should be carefully monitored to ensure they are fully cooked before eating.
While using an indoor grill is infinitely less hazardous than trying to use an outdoor grill, it can still be dangerous. Cooking food and burning fat will create smoke, so make sure that your kitchen is well-ventilated and you have air flow.
To reduce the smoke generated by your indoor grill (and eat healthier in the process), trim excess fat from your meats. Less fat means less burning, smoke, and a healthier meal in the end.
An apartment BBQ has an advantage over a backyard BBQ in that flatware needn’t be relegated to the realm of paper and plastic. Pour wine for guests in stemmed glasses or, if you have enough time, wash and repurpose glass jam and jelly jars for use as glasses.
For the table, a freshly cut flower centerpiece will capture the air of summer in an indoor space. A centerpiece of fresh fruits, such as lemons, oranges, or mangoes, is a lovely alternative as well.
Single-use plates and utensils are fine, of course, but don’t be frugal. Purchase heavy-duty plates so there’s no chance of weighty or greasy foods falling through and onto your carpet. You’ll also want plenty of plastic wrap, or re-usable containers, for leftovers.
A main component of any barbecue party is food – namely, meat; but, as an apartment dweller, using a smoke-emitting apparatus for cooking isn’t really an option. There are countertop grills on the market made just for this type of occasion, but there are also ways to cook in a barbecue style without the use of any fancy equipment.
Certain classic BBQ dishes, such as pulled pork, can be made in advance and warmed for guests before they arrive. Other dishes, such as barbecued chicken, can be basted and marinated in advance and set in the oven during the party.
You’ll definitely want a few dishes that won’t require any preparation before serving. Pasta salads keep well in the refrigerator for a few days, as do lettuce-based salads as long as there is no dressing to wilt the leaves.
If you are so inclined, you can also cut corners with a few pre-made items. Here in southern Louisiana, there are a bevy of markets offering tasty, ready-made items such as roasts and rib racks. Your guests will be astounded and your kitchen will stay clean. (That’s truly ultimate barbeque!)
If you take the time to season your food as you would during your outdoor barbecue, you may be surprised at the similarity of cooking it inside! While nothing truly compares to an outdoor grilling experience, you shouldn’t have to miss out on it due to the weather!
Have fun with your recipes, try out a few things, and be creative! Who says grilling has to go out the window along with the summer heat?
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