Posted by The Encore on 7th on 10:50 AM
Do you know those coffee grounds that you thought you could not use? There are five ways that you can re-purpose spent coffee grounds. Keep reading this blog to learn how you can use them for cleaning, compost, and other various home solutions. You can learn more at
The Kitchn.
5 Ways to Use Spent Coffee Grounds
1. Compost
The great thing about sticking to simple brew methods that use only a paper filter and coffee grounds is that both are compostable. Used coffee grounds happen to be rich in nitrogen, which makes them great for composting. (Worms love coffee almost as much as you do!) In a compost pile, aim for a ratio of one part leaves to one part fresh grass clippings to one part coffee grounds. Keep in mind that freshly brewed coffee grounds won't have the same effect on your garden; you need to be sure that they have broken down and composted first.
2. Clean dishes
Because of the rough texture of coffee grounds, they work great as an abrasive, which means you can use them to clean tough-to-wash dishes. Simply place some grounds into a cleaning rag and twist the ends with a rubber band to secure them in place. Then you have an excellent DIY coffee sponge to clean with.
3. Exfoliate
Just like coffee grounds are a good abrasive for cleaning your dishes and kitchenware, they can also serve as an exfoliant for your skin. Simply mix with equal parts olive oil and massage into your skin. The coffee grounds exfoliate, while the olive oil serves as a moisturizer.
4. Fix furniture scratches
Have a kitchen table that needs a little love? Mixed with warm water and vinegar, coffee can be rubbed into scratches to keep your furniture looking good as new.
5. Keep your refrigerator fresh
Similar to baking soda, coffee grounds can serve as a deodorizer. Simply place a bowl of grounds in your refrigerator to suck up all the bad smells.
Posted by The Encore on 7th on 9:15 AM
We hope you have a great Thanksgiving with friends and family!
Posted by The Encore on 7th on 11:10 AM
Make sure to thank a veteran today for their service to our country. There are millions of veteran's in the United States. We want to thank them for all of their sacrifices to serve our country. You can learn more about Veteran's Day at
CNN.
There are 19.6 million veterans in the United States.
There are 1.6 million female veterans.
There are 9.3 million U.S. veterans are over the age of 65.
There are 39,890 veterans of World War II, the Korean War and theVietnam War still living.
Timeline:
November 11, 1918 - The armistice ending World War I begins at 11 am.
1919 - President Woodrow Wilson proclaims November 11 as Armistice Day.
November 11, 1921 - The first Unknown Soldier is reburied atArlington National Cemetery. The tomb has the words inscribed, "Here rests in honored glory An American Soldier Known but to God."
May 13, 1938 - Armistice Day becomes a federal holiday.
June 1, 1954 - President Eisenhower signs a bill changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to include all U.S. veterans.
May 30, 1958 - Unknown Soldiers from World War II and the Korean War are reburied next to the Unknown Soldier from World War I.
1968 - Congress changes the date of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October in order to give federal employees a three-day weekend. The change begins in 1971.
September 25, 1975 - President Gerald Ford changes the date of Veterans Day back to November 11. The change begins in 1978.
May 28, 1984 - An unknown soldier from the Vietnam War is reburied in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1998, he is identified through DNA tests as Michael Blassie, a 24-year-old pilot shot down in 1972 on the border of Cambodia.
Posted by The Encore on 7th on 9:25 AM
Travel can be expensive during the holiday season. However, you can still have a great holiday season with friends and family. Apartment Therapy has come up with eight ideas on how to have a great Thanksgiving even if you are apart from friends and family. Keep reading to learn more!
Phone Tag: Consult with the host on when a good time to call would be— during the cocktail hour? After dinner when everyone's lounging about? Ideally, everyone could pass the phone around for a quick holiday chat, without interrupting the festivities. If your family has Skype capabilities, so much the better.
Send Photos, Low-Tech: Your parents, grandparents, and/or other loved ones would love to see recent (printed) photos of you (and your family and friends), especially if you or they are not on social media. Don't be shy— you look awesome and you're always doing cool stuff. Pro tip: if your grandparents— or any relatives— have vision trouble, consider having your photos printed larger than you normally would.
Send Photos, High-Tech: The day of, text your family photos of yourThanksgiving, so they can imagine where you are and what you're up to. One year I sent my family photos from my morning hike up San Francisco's Twin Peaks and then from our lovely post-dinner stroll around Bernal Heights.
Send a Treat: if you always bring fudge or cookies or peanut brittle to Thanksgiving, look into making some ahead of time and shipping it. You could also send mail-order pie, cinnamon-glazed pecans, or dark chocolate chickpeas, and while this might be a bit pricey, it's nothing compared to the cost of plane tickets.
Send a Soundtrack: Who wouldn't love a custom-made mix CD to play during dinner? If I'm hosting, the last thing I want to worry about is the music.
Send a Game: At every family gathering, we wish that someone had remembered to bring board games. Come to your family's rescue by sendingQwirkle ($20 on Amazon) or Bezzerwizzer ($16 on Amazon), and reap the rewards the next time you do visit.
Gather Family Recipes Ahead of Time: Nobody makes apple pie like your uncle or rolls like your mom, but you can try your damndest. Most cooks would be beyond flattered to be asked for one of their signature recipes, and you'll insure that their dish lives on in the family.
Declare Your Own Thanksgiving: Many of us have to work on Thanksgiving, leaving little-to-no time and energy left for cooking and feasting. Celebrate Thanksgiving on whatever day you do have off, and live it up.
