Remove Chipped Paint from Stainless Steel Water Bottles

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Don't you hate it when the paint on your stainless steel coffee mugs and water bottles begin to peel? If you want to get a uniform appearance back to your water bottle, you can remove the remaining outer paint for a natural stainless steel look.

Why use harmful chemicals that can get into the inside of your bottle that holds your drinking water? Use this easy process instead.

It takes about 10 minutes to remove the paint on the bottle. Some paints will remove faster, others take a couple minutes longer.

Equipment Needed:

white vinegar
large pot
stainless steel sponge

Procedure:

1. Fill pot with white vinegar

2. Bring the vinegar to a boil

3. Remove from heat

4. Immediately put water bottle in the vinegar

5. Soak in hot vinegar for 2-4 minutes, to soften the outer paint

6. Remove from pot and immediately scrub the paint with a metal sponge

7. If paint becomes difficult to remove, return bottle to the hot vinegar to re-soften the paint

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After

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest - SAMOAS!!

Once again, I have entered the Girl Scouts of Western Washington  recipe competition. Contestants are asked to enter a recipe using Samoa Girl Scout cookies. Previous contests have challenged local cooks to develop a recipe with any Girl Scout cookie. But in honor of the 40th birthday of the Samoa cookie, contestants are required to use the Samoa. I have no problem with this requirement, since I believe this is the best flavor cookie EVER! More details on the contest can be found at this website: Samoas Only

If you're craving Girl Scout cookies, they will soon be available for public purchase. The sale date begins February 27 and ends March 15, 2015. Here is a link for a cookie locator, to help you find where girls are selling cookies. Don't miss out!!
Cookie Locator

Last year, I submitted a savory dijon chicken recipe.  It was yummy, but I'm excited to submit a dessert recipe this year. Desserts are SO much more fun! My  Girl Scout daughter has been helping me come up with the perfect Samoa recipe. She also  helped cook while the rest of the family assisted with  the taste-testing. This is not a recipe for the calorie conscious. It is intended to be a treat for a special occasion. My husband says one of these bars goes perfectly with a cold glass of milk.

No-Bake Samoa Crèmes

Bottom Layer

20 Girl Scout Samoa cookies – finely chopped in food processor
10 graham crackers – finely chopped in food processor
1 ¼  cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten

Line 8X8 pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil (for easy cutting.) Finely chop Samoas in food processor. Set aside ¾ cup of the chopped Samoas. Add graham crackers to remaining Samoas in food processor, finely chop together. Melt butter and cocoa on low heat. Whisk a small amount of the hot melted mixture into the beaten egg. Then return the egg mixture to the pan, whisking constantly.

Stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in graham cracker and Samoa crumbs. Press firmly into prepared pan. Don’t use a larger pan, as you want these bars to be thick.

Middle Layer
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
4 Tbsp. Darigold French Vanilla Creamer
2 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding powder
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together butter, creamer, vanilla pudding powder, and powdered sugar. Beat briskly until light. Spread over bottom layer. Chill for at least 20 minutes.


Top Layer
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. milk
¾ cup Samoa crumbs (reserved)

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Add milk, stir until smooth. Add the reserved ¾ cup of Samoa crumbs, and stir. Let cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Keep leftovers refrigerated

Seattle Seahawks win NFC Championship

Things were not looking good for the Seattle Seahawks at halftime of the NFC Championships on January 18, 2015. They were losing to the Green Bay Packers 0-16. The Seahawks had very little to show for themselves as they went into the locker room. The offense was nonexistent, the turnovers were at an all-time high and the Packers were having a good time shutting up the 12th man.

But don't forget... the Seahawks have always been a "second half" team. Just when you thought the Hawks were down and out, they pulled off the mother of all comebacks. The second half of the game was an opportunity for the Seahawks to show they had some crazy stuff planned. This included a touchdown pass by the punter, an insane on-side kick, a beast quake touchdown, a hail mary 2-point conversion, an OT, a lucky coin toss, and a game winning pass to the wide receiver who had been making mistakes all day. Did I mention there was some nail biting going on?

The Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. I never thought it would come in such a deficit-facing playoff game. In post-game interviews, the players all seemed to have a phrase in common, "No doubt." Each player claimed he had no doubt that the team could pull through this nearly insurmountable challenge. Some of us who were watching the drama unfold on television were not feeling so optimistic at halftime, but we were awfully happy that we stuck around to watch the magic.

 Go Hawks!

Snowflakes forming

The greatest video in the world today. This slow motion photography shows the forming of beautiful tiny snowflakes. This is the advancement in photography at its finest. The video shows the intricate formation of different snow crystals in such clarity. At first I had hoped this video would have some sort of music accompaniment, but the silence seems to be appropriate.

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest

The Girl Scouts of Western Washington are sponsoring a recipe competition. Contestants are asked to enter a recipe using Girl Scout cookies. Although desserts are the most popular way to use Girl Scout cookies, contestants are encouraged to work outside the "cookie box" and also consider savory recipes. More details on the contest can be found at this website:  www.girlscoutsww.org/recipecontest 
 
If you're in the mood for Girl Scout cookies (and who isn't?), they will soon be available for public purchase. The sale date begins February 28 and ends March 16, 2014. Here is a link for a cookie locator, to help you find the nearest site sale. Don't miss out!!   http://cookielocator.littlebrownie.com/

I have decided to step up to the challenge of developing a recipe that is not a dessert. Yikes! How can one compete with desserts?!?! My family members (including my Girl Scout daughter) have been very helpful in coming up with the perfect main dish. They have been taste-testing and giving feedback to help perfect this recipe. We all think this is a really yummy chicken dinner. The Trefoil and pretzel crumbs make a crunchy, crispy coating that is fabulous.  The sweetness from the Trefoil shortbread cookies blends superbly with the honey in the sauce. The honey Dijon sauce is used to coat the chicken before cooking and then also used for dipping your chicken bites while eating. This sauce is like a party in your mouth! It's RIDICULOUS!!

 

Trefoil/Pretzel Encrusted Chicken
with Honey Dijon Sauce

 
Prep time: 22 minutes
Cook time: 26 minutes
Total time: 48 minutes
Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients:

12 Trefoil Girl Scout Cookies
2 cups pretzel crumbs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup of grape seed oil or olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
freshly ground salt and  pepper
2 pounds boneless chicken breast
1/2 cup flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray oil onto large non-stick baking sheet.
2. Put Trefoil Girl Scout cookies into food processor. Pulse until you have crumbs.
3. Toast Trefoil cookie crumbs and Panko bread crumbs together in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often. When lightly golden, remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Put pretzels in food processor. Pulse until coarsely ground. Add them to a medium bowl, mix with cookie and panko crumbs.
5. Sauce: In a separate bowl, add oil, honey, Dijon mustard, water, red wine vinegar and orange juice. Mix until smooth.
6. Use a mallet to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Season with pepper and salt.
7. Pour half the sauce into a shallow dish. Put flour on a large plate. Put half of the pretzel/cookie crumb mixture into a shallow dish. (Use the other half of the pretzel mixture to add to this dish, as needed.)
8. Drag a chicken breast through the flour, coating both sides. Then dredge the breast through the Dijon sauce, allowing excess to drip into dish. Then coat the chicken with pretzel mixture, patting the crumbs on, if necessary. Place coated chicken on a greased baking sheet.
9. Bake 24 minutes at 400 degrees (until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees)
10. Serve the chicken breasts with the remaining honey Dijon sauce, as a dipping sauce or pour over the top of your chicken.

For all you social media nuts (you know who you are) you can find more Girl Scout Cookie details at facebook.com/GirlScoutsWW and twitter.com/#!/GirlScoutsWW  #GSCookieRecipe 

2 cups panko crumbs

2 cups pretzel crumbs*

1/2 cup neutral tasting olive oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey (Iike clover or orange blossom)

1/4 cup bottled water

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 + 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour, plus more if needed

Read more at http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/honey-mustard-pretzel-chicken/#bdpZWfWX8t3JjAiG.99

Ingredients

2 cups panko crumbs

2 cups pretzel crumbs*

1/2 cup neutral tasting olive oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey (Iike clover or orange blossom)

1/4 cup bottled water

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 + 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour, plus more if needed

Read more at http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/honey-mustard-pretzel-chicken/#bdpZWfWX8t3JjAiG.99

Ingredients

2 cups panko crumbs

2 cups pretzel crumbs*

1/2 cup neutral tasting olive oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey (Iike clover or orange blossom)

1/4 cup bottled water

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 + 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour, plus more if needed

Read more at http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/honey-mustard-pretzel-chicken/#bdpZWfWX8t3JjAiG.99

Ingredients

2 cups panko crumbs

2 cups pretzel crumbs*

1/2 cup neutral tasting olive oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey (Iike clover or orange blossom)

1/4 cup bottled water

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 + 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour, plus more if needed

Read more at http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/honey-mustard-pretzel-chicken/#bdpZWfWX8t3JjAiG.99

Erupting Sarychev volcano, as seen from space



This is an awe-inspiring photograph of a Russian volcano, as seen from the International Space Station in 2009. Sometimes technology can be so cool.

Delta's 80's In-Flight Safety Video

I'm so sure! This safety video by Delta Airlines is totally awesome, dude! I believe this is the first airline safety video I have ever watched in its entirety. The over-the-top 80's theme is hilarious. My formative years of high school and college were in the 80's, so this brings back tons of memories. I love all the big hair and crazy fashions (some of which I had forgotten.) These are my LOL moments when watching the video for the first time:

1. Atari joysticks and game console
2. Tab cola
3. Unraveled cassette tape

Typical airline safety videos are so boring. Delta has done a good job at trying to keep the viewers' attention during a long, but necessary step in airline travel. Thanks for the memories, Delta.