Moms.Alltop.com

Ivy says:

I keep meaning to write here to tell you guys about Alltop.com and to thank Guy Kawasaki for having us on there.  Alltop is a neat site that aggregates posts from some of the best and brightest bloggers out there. It’s a great way to find awesome blogs you don’t yet read. And we all need more blogs to read, right?

I think the best thing I found on there was the fact that Donald Trump has a blog. I don’t know why that tickles me so much, but it does.

Cookie-a-day: Snickerdoodles

Heather says:

I took today off, but Malia was kind enough to send in her recipe and instructions for snickerdoodles; just the name  makes me grin.  Malia is currently on break from her blog Live.Laugh.Love, but she can be found at Music City Bloggers where she is a contributing author.

Snickerdoodles

While the origins of the cookie and its name have a varied history this cookie, no matter what you call it, is a quintessential crowd pleaser.  The dough can be refrigerated for a day or two as a make ahead recipe and  these cookies freeze well. Make some now and save them for holiday parties/consumption.

• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup stick butter, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions after the jump.

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Timeless foods

Heather says:

In an effort to “keep learning exciting” teachers often turn to food and there comes a time when almost every student has to research period foods for a school project.  Maybe one of your more eccentric friends will decide to host a Victorian Era tea or 50’s Night.   Where do you turn to find out what they ate actually ate in Medieval Europe?  Does your fourth grader need to bring in a food from the first Thanksgiving?

Check out FoodTimeline.org, bookmark it, and keep it handy.  You will thank me when it comes time to send in something from the Oregon Trail.

Because burglars would love to steal your riding lawnmower

Ivy says:

Every once in awhile I read a post where I go, “Whoa, I didn’t know that.” and then want to shout the info from the highest mountain. Since I’m in the Cumberland Basin, I actually live pretty far from a mountain, so Home-Ec 101 will have to do for my shouting.

Paul Michael at Wise Bread has an article about how your garage door opener keypad can be easily figured out by burglars:

Like most people with a garage door, I had the garage door keypad fitted. It seemed like a handy thing to have and I’ve used it countless times. With almost 10,000 possible combinations, I felt that it was a safe bet and no burglar would take the time to crack that code. But that safety is a façade. My contact in the Aurora Police Department, here in Colorado, recounted his conversation with the crook.

“He explained that skin, particularly fingertips, emit oils on the keypads when the code is punched in; e.g. 1-4-5-6. He said that other keys on the pads that are never used become dirty with wind, rain and dust. Using a flashlight with a blue or red lens, or even using angles in daylight hours, you can see where the 1-4-5-6 numbers appear clean and/or shiny with use.

Once he could determine the four most used or clean numbers he could “crack” the code in a few minutes or less, leaving no signs of forced entry.”

Whoa. Scary stuff. But wait! There’s more! Paul has another way burglars can get in, and how to thwart them. Go on over and check it out.

Quick Hit: Make it from scratch

Heather says:

Looking for new projects to try?

Head over to And Miles to go Before We Sleep, Bridget hosts this week’s Make it From Scratch Blog Carnival. This week’s round up contains both crafty ideas and plenty of recipes. Check it out.

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