Homemade Mosquito Repellant

I can't stand Off Spray. I'll say that up front. I've tried Avon Skin-So-Soft and while it may work, it's hard to find an Avon Lady anymore and it makes you smell like a girl.  If you're looking for something less toxic, this might be an alternative for you.  It uses natural stuff like cloves and almond oil and good old alcohol. It should keep away mosquitoes, flies and fleas.  You can even use it on your dog, but probably need to do it more like daily rather than like the monthly kind. If you are a bit unsure about using chemical repellants, though, this provides you an alternative.

Ingredients:

·       7 ounces of isopropyl alcohol

·       3½ ounces of whole cloves

·       3½ ounces of baby oil or similar (almond, sesame, chamomile, lavender, fennel etc)

Preparation:

1.     Marinate cloves in sealed jar with alcohol 4 days

2.     Stir twice daily during marinating process

3.     When marinating is complete, add baby oil

4.     Shake up and decant liquid into storage bottles with eyedroppers.

Use:

·       Place a few drops of the oil onto your arms and legs and gently rub into skin.  For pets gently rub into their fur where they can't lick it off (behind the head is good).

Greeting Card Campaign: 7-14 Bastille Day

Forget to Get a Card for Your Wife?  

It was a dark and stormy Mother's Day.  By the time it was over, I had resolved to do much better and tasted my first ever salty berry cobbler. How do you atone for something like that, especially if you are a simple dim-witted male who has trouble some mornings even remembering who he is and why he was born, let alone that this is the anniversary of something.

The secret is advance preparation.  You'll have to approach it as a project.  Get your cards in advance, sort them by date and place notices on your computer to remind you that it's time to send the Bastille Day Card.

Yes, I said "Bastille Day" Card.  I was in that much trouble. For a while I sent her cards on everything from Calvin Coolidge's birthday to St. Swithen's Day.

I am currently working on preserving my printable "get out of trouble" collection of greeting cards for your wife.  I plan to publish it as a printable e-book or possibly a CD.  For now, I can start you off with a handy Bastille Day card available for free on a pdf file.  Just make sure you print the inside of the card upside down with reference to the front side.  The card looks like the pictures above.  You can download these pictures and make your own card (you have my permission) or leave a comment below.  I'll send you the pdf file if you request it.  Hurry though.  Bastille Day's almost over and then it'll be Tapioca Pudding Day or National Cow Appreciation Day (take your pick).

(c) 2013 by Tom King

New York Style Pizza Crust (for Texans)

Here is your never-miss medium to thin crust pizza crust. The original recipe calls this "New York Style", but my bunch give it the Texas touch with the ingredients, which can be pretty much anything you want.

A pizza is a wonderfully versatile place to put all kinds of delicious stuff from meat to veggies to fruits and fruits masquerading as vegetables. Be creative. Add some jalepenos and cheddar, some spinach and goat cheese. Whatever you want. Make up a bunch of dough balls and have a make-your-own pizza party. You are only limited by your imagination.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup warm water – 110° to 115°
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2¼ cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)

Directions:

1. Put all the dry ingredients except the yeast and cornmeal into a mixing bowl
2. Put the yeast into the warm water and whisk to blend.  Allow it to sit for 10 or 15 minutes till it starts to bubble.
3. Add liquid and any sediment in the cup to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix with dough hook or knead by hand till you have a smooth dough ball. Add flour if needed till dough is just barely not sticky to touch.
4. Flatten dough on a very lightly oiled (olive oil is best) pizza baking sheet or pizza stone with a rolling pin or twirl it in the air or press it flat with your fingers (technique will depend on your pizza crust making skill.
5. Spread the dough to make a 12 to 14 inch circular crust.  You can make it 16 inches if you like a cracker thin crust and you've got a good rolling pin.
6. Preheat oven to 500°.  While the oven is heating add pizza sauce, cheese and toppings.  
7. Bake on bottom or middle rack of the oven till crust browns at the edges and cheese bubbles.

Makes enough crust for one 12-16 inch pizza


Tom King © 2013