Pecans, Pudding, and Cream Cheese, Oh My!

Photo: France C - allrecipes

Called Texas Delight by some, it’s the first dessert I ever made as a child. During the summers, I made it often! My family clipped the recipe from our newspaper under a different name. Pecans, Pudding, and Cream Cheese Delight is a delicious layered dessert well worth the effort and calories:

First Layer: Make an easy pecan crust:

Ingredients:

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 stick of soften butter

1 teaspoon cider vinegar (Vinegar is a gluten inhibitor that makes a flaky crust. Bakers call it their secret ingredient.)

1 cup of pecans - We left them whole, but feel free to break them up.

Directions for the crust, your 1st layer:

1) Mix the flour, butter and vinegar together and press the dough into a cake or square baking pan. I use a 9” by 9” pan. Press the pecans evenly into the dough.

2) Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. The dough will start to turn brown slightly. Remove and cool completely.

Second Layer:

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

3/4 cup of powered sugar

1 cup of very cold whipped cream - We no longer eat Cool Whip, the original whipped topping in the recipe. If you can find a readymade healthy whipped cream topping made from real cream or milk at your supermarket you can use it for convenience. I have a recipe below for making 3 cups of real whipped cream* you can make first and keep in the freezer while making the dessert.

Dirctions for the 2nd layer:

3. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 cup of whipped cream together and spread it on the cold pecan crust. Place it in the refrigerator, the colder, the better.

Third Layer:

Ingredients

2 packages of instant vanilla pudding

2 cups of cold milk

Directions for the 3rd layer:

4) Whip the dry pudding powder into the milk (a 2:2 ratio), mixing for 2 minutes. Spead the pudding over the cream cheese mixture.

Forth Layer

Ingredients:

2 cups of very cold whipped cream

1/2 cup of chopped pecans.

Directions for the 4th layer:

5) Spread the remaining 2 cups of whipped cream as a final 4th layer over the others and garnish with a half cup of chopped pecans.

6) Chill in the refrigerator until set. We always tried to wait at least 3 hours, the colder the better the taste!

Our recipe calls for instant vanilla pudding, but I see in allrecipes, the uploader uses instant coconut cream pudding mix, which I haven’t tried. I know the vanilla pudding is delicious. Nowadays I lighten the recipe with reduced fat cream cheese and milk in the pudding. But! Don’t be fooled, there’s still plenty of calories, and yet not as many as when I made it as a child.😝🌞

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*How to make 3 cups of Real Whipped Cream:

Ingredients: 

Photo: Getty

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons sugar (granuated or powered)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions to make whipped cream:

1) Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer.

2) Add your heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Begin mixing on a low speed and increase to medium. Mix until stiff peaks form.

Keep in the freezer while you make the dessert.

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Inside Drawer Organizers Are the Bomb

Mr. Penn Interlocking Drawer Organizer

Many people have a junk drawer, where necessary things like scissors, tape, staples, paper clips, or rubber bands reside for when we need them. Sometimes other articles like electrician tape, a ruler, nails, screws, or appliance instructions end up in there too because we don’t know where else to put them. 

Are you tired of shifting through your junk drawer (or night stand) to find stuff you were savvy enought to keep? You can turn to Walmart or Target for inexpensive drawer organizers to separate and give all these practical things their own home. I’ve pulled up 2 brands under $7 from Walmart Online as I think they are ideal.

Madesmart 8 Piece Desk Drawer Organizer

Made of durable and washable plastic; the compartments are sized for reasonably big, long, and small articles, and an interlocking feature gives customers options on arranging and keeping each section from sliding as you open and close the drawers. There’s no real need to spend more on expensive drawer organizers to hold inexpensive stuff. Still I recommend paying the extra dollar or two to get the interlocking benefit! Some of the $5 organizers lack this component.

If everything is visable, items won’t get lost, and you won’t forget you have them. What’s more, you may even become motivated to declutter if you see that you haven’t reached for something since it went into the drawer.

Giving everything you own a home is impowering. This is one time when spending under $7 ... to save time ... will improve your life!

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Which is Cheaper Toilet Paper or Tissue?

Like many of you, I buy both toilet paper and tissue, but short of having a cold, and the need to repeatedly blow my nose, I’ll just grab a few sheets of toilet paper because using a tissue seems wasteful to clear my sinuses after a shower or an allergy or dust causing sneeze. I don’t really need a whole tissue to drain my sinuses. This got me wondering which is cheaper, toilet paper or tissue? The answer turns out to be toilet paper.

Buying rolls of toilet paper (especially in bulk) to act as a tissue is more cost-efficient than buying boxes of tissues. Usually you get more sheets of toilet paper per roll for less money than the cost of a standard box of tissues. In other words, the toilet paper tends to cost less per roll and each roll has 2 to 3 more sheets compared to the more expensive box of tissues that contains fewer tissues per box.

Toilet paper is designed to break up quickly in water and is the only paper to safely flush down a toilet.

When you’re sick and blowing your nose frequently, a box of tissues are a better option as they’re bigger sheets so you don’t end up with snot on your hands.👃⛑

Also I’d never offer house guests a wad of toilet paper to blow their nose. It seems cheap.

Some sources say tissues are softer than toilet paper, but my 2-ply toilet paper is as soft as the tissues I buy (and I have also encountered some rough tissues I would not buy); therefore in my home, it’s more the size that differs.

So using toilet paper to blow your nose will save you a few bucks over time, but when you’re sick and blowing your nose often,  you’ll need a box of tissues. Like me, you’ll have to buy both, but when you don’t really need a bigger tissue to blow your nose, grabbing a few squares of toilet paper will simplify your life since your boxes of tissues will last longer.

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Old Navy For Jeans, Cotton & Linen Part II

In part I, I talked about how Old Navy has truly stepped up its game since the retailer first opened its doors in 1994. The range of causal smart and date night aparel is wide and fashionable. Decent quality at unbeatable prices! Not exactly top quality, yet Old Navy dresses, t-shirts, and layering pieces tend to hold up for many machine washings.

In this part II the focus is on denim pieces that give customers plenty of bang for the buck! You’ll own them for years to come because they’re durable, versatile and always in style.

1) First up is the Long Denim Barn Coat in a dark blue wash, perhaps my favorite piece of the offerings. The coat has a spread collar, long raglan sleeves, button front, front welt pockets and a vented back hem. A dark rinse is always dressier than lighter rinses. It’s selling out fast!

2) Fit and flare Sleeveless Denim Midi Dress - Available in 2 dark rinses (black or blue) with a square neck, wide straps and a seamed skirt.

3) Baggy Wide-Leg Jean Overalls - Oversized jeans with a bib pocket, utility and back packets and adjustable buckled straps. 

 4) Long-Sleeve Denim Jumpsuit - It has a spread collar, tie-belt waist, covered zipper; with chest, front and back pockets.

5)  Oversized Jean Trucker Jacket - The jacket has lots of buttons and pockets in all the right places: Long sleeves with buttoned cuffs, a full-button front, button-flap and chest pocket, vertical welt pockets, a button table at the waist and a seamed front. Plus the pants in the matching wash is available.

Old Navy seems to have replaced its pricey sister company, The Gap, offering customers good quality at more reasonable prices. It's what the Gap used to do. Decades ago I bought my lined denim jacket at the Gap and still wear it. Today consumers can turn to Old Navy for similar quality and selections as the old Gap. I love Old Navy’s high-toned additions at affordable price points!

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Cozy Earth Brushed Bamboo Midi Dress

The brushed bamboo midi dress by Cozy Earth is very wearable. Made of 70% bamboo viscose, 26% acrylic and 4% spandex, many of us would likely get our $105 - $128 worth of wear out of it due to its comfort, style and versatility. So yes, we could think of it as an investment piece, but if you don’t wish to spend as much, there are a number of visual matches on the internet for less.

The fit and quality of the Cozy Earth dress is a surer bet over its lookalikes, and at times I've paid the piper for the certainty of a worthwhile classic piece of clothing. Sometimes we take a risk to spend less and at other we don't! 

Another consideration is when you get it right, you just need the one dress. What I like about the Cozy Earth brand of this dress is the cut is spot on -- not too boxy, showy or sexy! The side splits for flexibility are not too high. The dress is feminine and not at all baggy.

The deliberation is: Do you spend $105 - $128 (depending on color) for a dress if it's "just right?” There is a spin the wheel discount on Cozy Earth’s website requring you to sign up for emails to make pulling the trigger less painful.

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You Save With Home Goods For the Back To College Crowd

All photos and items courtesy of Walmart 

A way to save money is to learn when to pay for top of the line quality verses settling for cheaper good enough quality. Good enough quality should never fall apart by using it, but you’re not paying for one of a kind design, or pricey features when inexpensive options work just as well or sometimes better because you don’t have to baby the item. You or your kids can use it with abandoned. If broken, it hurts less to replace the article. Moreover, a trick of interior decorators to save money is to mix high with low end home goods.

A great time of the year to find bargains is when retailers such as Walmart and Target start to sell Home Goods for the Back to College Crowd. Playful  colors or designs at attractive prices are often offered. Do you need new kitchen, living room, or bathroom auxilliary items? Examples include: towels or washcloths; pots or pans or kitchen tools; a reading lamp, or small clock or flower pots or book ends or organizing baskets. Grab them off the shelves starting in August.

My blog is unsponsored but I think Walmart has some super cute, good enough quality home goods that are also durable. The selection is wide and fabulous at Target too, but Target is always a few dollars higher than Walmart. Both offer decent quality without emptying your wallet! 

Who uses bone china or Waterford drinking glasses nowadays? Certainly not the younger generation nor folks with children or grandchildren. The Back To College Crowd offerings look nice in a home and are priced to sell out!

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Old Navy For Jeans and Cotton & Linen

Old Navy is the place to go for casual smart attire for less than elsewhere, and recently the retailer has really stepped up its game. Take a look at how many styles and shades of jeans, it offers! An absolute steal as its back to school sales are on! You couldn’t match the $15 price tag if you bought the denim then cut and sticked a pair together yourself!

I’m also loving Old Navy’s array of cotton and linen summer dresses of different skirt lengths -- mini, midi or maxi -- that can be dressed up or down. To boot, there are a few rayon or rayon crepe fabrics, which are wrinkle-free and cool to wear on hot summer days. Each style comes in several colors or patterns. Many have pockets!

Of course, you can still find what Old Navy has always sold since opening its doors in 1994 ... 👕🎽👕 t-shirts 👕🎽👕... in crew necks, v-necks, boat necks, sleeveless, short sleeves, or long sleeves. All your summer essentials without breaking the bank!👗

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DIY Moisturizing Rose Body Cream

Photo and website here

I’m not into perfume, but I like the clean smell of botanicals in soap, lotions, and creams, therefore it’s what I buy. Sometimes it’s also fun to make your own. If we know how, unlike one trick ponies, we can buy, or make our own cream and lotions. As you likely already know the difference between cream and lotion is the water content. I leave mine as cream. Add a bit of water, a little at a time until you get a thinner consistency if you wish. I don’t add water since the DIY cream melts right into my skin.

Essential oils are beneficial to the skin but are too strong without mixing them with a carrier oil (like almond oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, or rosehip oil among others). 

Here’s an easy homemade moisturizing lotion/cream to make. Right now I’m hooked on the smell of roses but your favorite essential oil (such as the ever popular lavender or jasmine or freesia) could be substituted:

DIY Rose Moisturizing Lotion/Cream🌹

Ingredients:

8 oz Shea Butter

4 oz Coconut Oil (I only buy the food grade one.)

2 oz Sweet Almond Oil

10 drops of Rose Essential Oil

1 teaspoon Vitamin E (It gives the cream a longer shelf life.)

Directions:

1) Melt the shea butter and coconut oil in a microwave slowly for 20 seconds at a time to liquify the solids. I bought a glass jar (the one on the left from Home Goods) to use in the microwave uncovered, but you can use any microwave safe container if you don’t have a suitable jar. You could also use a double boiler on a stovetop.

2) After the shea butter and coconut oil melts, remove and let it cool slightly.

3) Stir in the almond oil and rose (or your favorite) essential oil and the vitamin E.

4) My cream/lotion is already in its jar. If you use a separate container, pour the mixture into a sealable container and let the liquid solidify. Screw on the top to seal. Yes, you can put it in your refrigerator for 20 - 30 minutes to speed up the process, but set a timer so you don’t leave it in there.

I bought high quality essential oils from T.J. Maxx, and I bought rose, peppermint and tea tree essential oils from a brand that Amazon and Walmart sells called HIQILI that seems to be of good quality. HIQILI’s website is very transparent and lists from where its essential oils are sourced (The rose oil from Bulgaria, the peppermint oil from India and the tea tree oil from Australia). From time to time, T.J. Maxx also carries shea butter and carrier oils for less than elsewhere. If you’re willing to make the initial investment you can make a lot of rich moisturizing lotion or cream without much effort for the buck!🌹

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Enjoy the Vibes of Vienna Blood

I like the German Art that arose from 1900 - 1930. Called German Expressionism, it is characterized by vibrant colors (often moody blues), exaggerated forms (at times drawn with heavy lines) and an interest in spiritual and psychological themes. In 1905 in Dresen a group of artists formed called The Bridge (Die Brücke), including Ernest Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and Erich Heckel, while in 1911 in Munich another loose association of painters formed including Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

A guilty pleasure television show I've watched for 4 seasons takes place in the early 1900s Austria. It is based on the Liebermann Papers novels by author Frank Tallis. One of the reasons I enjoy the drama is (you guessed it!) it takes place during the years of German Expressionism. Every Sunday I go back in time and spend the episode in cosmopolitan Vienna before the occurrences of World War I, the Anschluss of Austria and Nazi Germany, or World War II. 

Vienna Blood follows Max Liebermann, a doctor and student of Sigmund Freud (played by British actor Matthew Beard), as he helps Police Inspector Oskar Reinhardt (played by Austrian actor Jürgen Maurer) solve murders. Max is from a prominent liberal Jewish family living in Leopoldstadt while Oskar, a lapsed Catholic, works at the district’s police station. Over the course of the series the two men develop a trust and friendship which anchors the show.

As viewers watch the series, Vienna is a sophisticated thriving multi-cultural center. However, the audience knows what’s coming! You can’t help but to think of how 30 years into the future will change the city and effect the lives of Max’s idyllic family who are likable supporting characters. Every once in a while you get a hint of the antisemitism and extremism that are brewing underneath the surface of Viennese society.

Portrait of Adele Block by Gustav Klimt

If you too like the period, be sure to visit The Neue Galerie New York which is dedicated to early 20th century German and Austrian art. Established in 2001, the museum was the brainchild of art dealer Serge Sabarsky and philanthropist Ronald S. Lauder. Its pricey Modern-Art Deco styled Cafè Sabarsky is inspired by Viennese cafès. I have yet to eat there but have been told the wiener schnitzel is delicious. 

Also be sure to bing-watch the 4 seasons of the joint British/Austrian produced PBS series on PBS’s website. The production of Vienna Blood has covered the 7 Liebermann novels and seems to have ended. Sorry to see it go!🎨🎭😱

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