How to Boil Eggs in the Oven

Did you know that you could "boil" eggs in the oven? I'd sure never heard of it, but once I tried it I think it will be my go-to method!  

First, put your eggs in the oven.  DO NOT PREHEAT. I put the eggs in a pie plate.  You can pop them right on the oven rack, but I was a tiny bit worried that they'd explode.

Next, bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Every oven is different, so you may have to experiment a little to see how long it takes for your eggs to get the way *you* like them.  For me, 30 minutes was fine.  It was great to not have to pay attention to water.  I went off and did other tasks while the eggs cooked.

Prepare an ice bath. Mine's more of a cold water bath, as we don't generally have ice on hand in my house.

Pull the eggs out.  There may be some brown dots on them.  That's okay.  They'll wipe right off, and you'll be removing the shell anyway.

Put the eggs in your ice bath for about ten minutes.  I put my eggs in the ice bath a bit too enthusiastically and chipped one.

Peel your eggs.  They're now ready to eat! 

Inspired by this pin.

Homemade Floor Cleaner for Pergo/Laminate Floors

I just got laminate floors in October, and I am loving them.  Keeping them clean can be a challenge, between what gets dropped on the floors while cooking, the dog bringing in dirt on her paws, and general living.  I was excited to see this homemade laminate floor cleaner.  I had all the ingredients in my home already, and it was very inexpensive to make. It cleaned the floor well!  I mixed it in the spray bottle you see, and used a fuzzy sock on the end of a swiffer as my mop.  I just spritzed an area, mopped, and moved on.

It does smell strongly of rubbing alcohol and vinegar while you are mopping, but the smell does dissipate as it dries.  I used some essential oil as well, but I don't think it masks the scent very much while it is wet.  If you're sensitive to the smell of alcohol or vinegar, you may want to pass this one over.  I'm pleased with it, and I plan to keep using it!

A (P)interesting Start: Let's Blast Away the Cold Germs!

Since everybody in the house has finally gotten over the Horrific Cold of 2013, I decided that this was going to be my first Pin-a-day Project.

My bedding was the first task.  Can I tell you how thankful I am to have a washer and dryer, and even more thankful to have one that can handle my queen sized comforter?  I went to the laundromat for years, and although I've had my own machines since 2010, I have never gotten over the sheer luxury of it.

Next up?  Points of contact with my trusty Lysol wipes.   I never thought that we had a lot of door knobs, faucets, and light switches, but we sure do!

I aired out the house for about ten minutes, which was all I could stand on this cold winter day. Our bedroom sure smelled fresh once I was done.

All towels were washed with hot water.
I soaked our toothbrushes in the carefully and lovingly prepared germ killing solution outlined on the blog (Just kidding- I threw them away and replaced them. The germ solution is a nice idea, but we had extra toothbrushes, so I skipped that step.) and scrubbed down the bathroom.

The kitchen was scrubbed, including wiping down the trashcans with Lysol wipes.

The laundry (with our ghetto pajamas- we do the same!) is done as well.  I did not add the germ killing essential oils, but I think the hot water, laundry detergent, and hot dryer should do the trick.

Whew.  One pin down.  My house looks and smells amazing.  Not a bad way to start a new year! Maybe there's something to actually *doing* what Pinterest puts forth. :)