Classical Homemaking

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Kleenex Softness Worth Sharing #SharetheSoft #CBias

According to Kleenex®, hands are "only as clean as the towel used to wash them." Isn't that the truth? When Lynzie and I went shopping for Kleenex® Hand Towels at Walmart today, we were on a mission to find a few items to help prevent germs in our home this flu and cold season. You can read more about our shopping trip in my Google+ album.

Unfortunately, our store did not carry the bundle packs we were looking for, but we did find this pretty box of hand towels very easily. While we're not going to be able to afford disposable hand towels on a regular basis for this family of 11, it's good to know we have this easy option during a time of year when illnesses spread easily.

Kleenex® Hand Towels are great for the kitchen, utility room, and bathroom, but I think we'll use ours in the bathroom most often. We don't have anywhere to keep the box in the kitchen or utility room but it looks great on our bathroom counter!

In addition to our hand towels, Lynzie and I picked up a few more things to help fight the battle of the bacteria in our home.

One of the very best things we can do to fight germs is to use a good hand soap regularly. We chose one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom.

Old shower curtains harbor a lot of bacteria so we bought a new pretty one for Spring.

It's also important that our cleaning tools are in good shape. I use a new toilet brush every time I clean the toilet. At less than $1 each, this is an expense I'm willing to deal with for the sake of keeping things less germy.

Kleenex® has been a trusted brand for me as long as I can remember. I rely on the good quality, affordable price, and large selection of products Kleenex® provides. I'm glad to know there's a trusted alternative to bacteria-friendly cloth towels when I'm worried about germs being spread in my home.

Connect with Kleenex®:

Kleenex® at Walmart
Kleenex® on Twitter
Kleenex® on Facebook

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Kleenex® Brand Tissues. All opinions are honest and are my own. #CBias #SocialFabric

#SharetheSoft

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Cinnamon Almond Biscotti

On Valentine's Day I received this beautiful book, Afternoon Tea Parties, from my BookCrossing birthday buddy. I'd had it on my wish list for awhile so I was thrilled to receive it!

Today I made a batch of the Almond Biscotti that's featured in the book. I've made biscotti a few times in the past and every time it has been really easy and has turned out well. This recipe was no exception!

Next time, however, I think I'll add some cinnamon. Although that probably wouldn't go well with my favorite Twinnings Peppermint, it would be a good addition to this delicious recipe. I'll write out my version for you here in a minute.

Jamie bought me this beautiful cup and saucer for Christmas the year we were in Mount Vernon, Washington. I just love it and it's a special keepsake from our favorite part of the world (so far)! This was the year that I told him just to walk into an antique shop and buy me whatever caught his eye. He did SO good that year---ha! In addition to this pretty set, he also bought me a gorgeous antique plate with ribbon slats for hanging, a set of Lefton candlesticks from the 1950s and a piece of paper money from 1776. Very awesome. My mom gave me the spoon a few years ago for my birthday---isn't it pretty? I love stuff like this---can't get enough!

Anyway, here are the markings from the set. I've not had time to look it up yet but anything bearing the letters, E.N.G.L.A.N.D., in that order, has my heart!

Here's the recipe I'm planning on using next time I make almond biscotti. Hope you have a blessed day!

Cinnamon Almond Biscotti

2/3 c. flour
2/3 c. self-rising flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. slivered almonds

Heat oven to 325. Stir flours, cornmeal, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in egg mixture and almonds, and stir together. Knead a few times to form a sticky dough (add some water if needed). Shape the dough into a flat log (about 9x4x1) and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 min until golden. Remove from the oven and cool on counter for just a few minutes. Move to a cutting board and slice the log into pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange them on a baking sheet and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden and desired crispness. (I like mine a bit chewy). Cool and enjoy!

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Saturday, February 16, 2013

MyMemories Suite Giveaway

I have had so much fun this afternoon playing around with my MyMemories Suite scrapbooking software!

A friend of mine has been trying to get me into doing digital scrapbooking layouts but I haven't really taken the time to learn. I decided to sit down with the MyMemories software today and see what else I could come up with besides a regular scrapbook layout.

The kids and I are having a Titanic tea party here pretty soon so I decided to make them a cute invitation announcement.

I like that I can save portions of the layout. This will come in handy for making matching scrapbooking templates.

I was able to customize size, colors, patterns, fonts and embellishments to create this cute card. The software's extensive Help Menu was useful a time or two and I really appreciated the "undo" button. Knowing I could undo anything I created really allowed me to be free to experiment with my card until I got it just how I wanted it.