A Helpful Summer Hint

 

Summer is here(finally)! Time for fresh veggies and fruit, lemonade, and visits to the local farmer's market. Along with all of the wonderful things that summer brings, comes one thing none of us enjoy....bugs! It is not uncommon to bring home a bag of flour in the summertime only to find that it has tiny, brown bugs in it..yuck.
If you live in the south, you may find weevils.These little harmless, but annoying critters love grains and reproduce rather quickly.Here are a few tips on how you can avoid them;

1. Keep all of your cereals, flours,cornmeal, and grains such as rice,bran,and wheat germ in airtight containers.
2. Store your flours,breads and/or cereals in the refrigerator.Sometimes I even keep extra bags of flour in the freezer.
3.If you see any of these critters, discard whatever they were feasting on ,and thoroughly clean out the cabinet they were living in.
4.When shopping at the market throughout the summer, try to purchase grains in see-through bags,as opposed to cardboard packaging....this makes it easier for you to shake it and look inside for possible problems.
5.If you find a true infestation in your home(highly unlikely) ,call your local exterminator.

Remember, these critters sometimes come along with the season, but are harmless. With a little extra effort, you may be able to avoid bringing them home with you.
   I usually keep my grains in Ball airtight containers. I also use cracker jars to store flour,sugar and brown sugar.They are available at Target, for a minimal price.
 

Don't forget to keep your pet food in airtight containers as well.The ants love the protein in the pet foods just as much as they enjoy sugar!
  Enjoy the warm weather!I hope your summer is pest-free!

Sweets For Teacher

 

As we approach the end of another school year, we like to send in special treats to let our teachers know how much we appreciate all of their help and patience throughout the year. I saw this idea on Pinterest last year, but never got around to putting it all together. This year, I wanted to get it done.
   I picked up a few cracker jars at Target, printed the label on some label paper, and filled the jars with chocolate chip cookies. I topped it off with a matching brown ribbon, and there you have it!
   Of course, you may fill the jar with any cookie you like, and the printable can be sized down to a simple tag that you can attach with ribbon, if preferred. I don't know of any teacher that would not enjoy a simple thank you just because.....
   

The cookie printable can be found at www.thehipmommasjournal.blogspot.com

Sporty Treats

It has been awhile since my last post, but it has been a very busy time of year  in my house. Tonight, I am off to a Sports Award Dinner with my oldest son. I decided to use some new Oreo cookie molds I have been waiting to use! I also made a variety of cookies, chocolates, and lollipops geared towards all of the different sports at the high school. Just wanted to give you a peek.
   The molds can be found at www.amazon.com

Have a great night!