pixirae's Profile

I really love these upcycled garden markers:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaDiddit?section_id=7327332

They're made from flatware that is laser-etched.

Love the greyhounds! Ours is white with little black spots.

Our family usually does a baked french toast - there are tons of recipes out there. We mix it up the night before and throw it in the oven the morning of.

One of the key things I love about this play kitchen is that it uses a piece of furniture that has little hope of another life - as we move away from televisions built for these entertainment centers, this is a great way to re-purpose them and give them a great life as something else. I'd love to see other ideas about re-purposing this type of furniture as well.

I would love to suggest you rent an RV and do some visits to some of the big parks, especially Mesa Verde and the Great Sand Dunes - we actually did this this August as our family vacation. In Mesa Verde, I'd suggest the KOA in Cortez - if you aren't RVing it, you can get a cabin there, and either cook your own food over the fire or eat at restaurants in Cortez. You can do Mesa Verde with two full days in the park - spend one on each Mesa. Head into the park early the first day and pick up tickets to the guided tours (3$ a pop) and do the guided tours for each mesa as well as the self-guided - it's an inexpensive great way to see history. At the Sand Dunes, you can park your RV in the park or at the Lodge just outside the Sand Dunes, and spend a couple of days playing on the Dunes. In August it does get quite hot on the Dunes by the end of the day, but there are some great programs throughout the day and Zapata Falls is a must.

As an individual landlord, we go through a service to do the background checks, other than calling references. I think (the last time we had to do this) that we collected some information, but then the potential renter had to complete it and sign off on it on their end. We felt that it was the best way. I also would say it was pretty irresponsible for him to be carrying the forms around and leave them in a gym locker...

Ratatouille has always intrigued me, except, I HATE eggplant. With a fervor. Any suggestions on how you'd alter it? Just omit it? Use more Zucchini? Sub in something else?

In my experience, garlic powder works well when you're trying to infuse garlic taste into something where you either need it to be evenly spread or where you don't want the texture of real garlic. I've used it in savory crepe batter, in some sauces and soups, etc.