Easy Natural Coffee Pot Cleaner

I don't know if this happens to you, but my coffee pot seems to accumulate this hard to get off grime over time. And since I am not lucky enough to have a Keurig (honey are you listening? *hint hint* No? Ok then.), well I have to try to clean it.  So I scrub. And scrub. And scrub. And then call it good enough. 

Well, a while back I found an easy & natural way to clean your coffee pot that didn't require scrubbing!  And leaves your coffee pot sparkling clean! 

Start with your dirty coffee pot. As you can see, I tend to let mine get pretty bad.

Then fill the coffee pot about 1/2 full with ice.

Add 1/4 cup of salt.

Swirl that around & let sit for 10-15 minutes.  I then add a bit of water and shake & swirl the whole works around a bit more.  And dump out.  Then fill with hot & sudsy water and swipe with a rag (I like to use one that has this scratchy mesh on the back).

Rinse thoroughly. And that's it. You're done! How easy was that?! And no harsh chemicals!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Ever since I saw these super cute Love Bugs I knew I had to try to make some. One of my friends is having a rough time, and I thought one of these might cheer her up a bit! 

Hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and Fries

I don't know about you guys, but I've been seeing this recipe for Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken floating around & since I love using my slow-cooker I really wanted to try it!  So I figured the Superbowl would be a great time to give this a try.

The recipes is super easy-only 3 ingredients!

• 3lbs of frozen chicken breast
• 1 bottle of Franks Wings Sauce
• 1 Hidden Valley Ranch Packet

I followed her recipe pretty close, except I used fresh chicken breast instead of frozen and the Hidden Valley Ranch packet I used didn't say "Dips" on it, but I don't think that made any difference.  Here is what it looked like after cooking 5 hours on High.

I made sandwiches on fresh bakery hamburger buns that were still warm when I bought them. And added a slice of Colby cheese to melt over the chicken. I also made Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potato Fries by chopping up a sweet potato, tossing them in a little olive oil and mixed together some salt, pepper, cayenne, dried rosemary, and brown sugar.  Baked at 425 for 10 minutes, flipped, and baked for about 5 minutes more.  The brown sugar caramelized a bit and the little bit of heat tied in nicely with the buffalo chicken. While we were eating I decided I need a little ranch on the side to dip the fries and my sandwich since it was a bit hot for me.  My husband didn't need any he liked the heat level, but he is obsessed with Franks Red Hot anyway. 

And since it was just the two of us, 3lbs of chicken made A LOT of food, so it was great to have some to freeze for a different day as well.  

11 Things About Me

The other day Veronica who writes at Adventures of D and V tagged me in her All About Me post.  So here are my answers to her questions. 

1.  Have you ever had a nickname? If so what was/is it?   Yes. When I was doing my internship, our boss had a nickname for each of the interns. Mine was Pinky. Because I LOVE pink and wore something pink almost every day. 
2. What is your favorite dessert?  There is a place in a small town north of here that makes the BEST pies ever. My favorite is Raspberry Cream Cheese. I could seriously eat the whole pie myself.  OMG they are just amazing!
3. If you could take a trip anywhere where would you go?  Well, for people who know me, my favortie place in the world is Colorado. Its where we got married, and we just LOVE it there. 
4. What is the #1 most played song on your iPod? LOL this suprised me. Hey, Soul Sister - by Train.
5. What is your favorite way to exercise?  I love to take a walk after dinner. I like walking by myself and having some time to unwind from the day with my own thoughts or jamming out to my iPod.  However, in the winter I am a wimp and do not do this because I hate being outside in the cold. In the winter, I'm a big fan of Jillian's 30 Day Shred (well, usually not too much of a fan WHILE I'm doing it, she is brutal!).
6. If you could stay the same age forever, what age would you pick? Interesting question...I would have to say 19. My 2nd year of college was probably the funnest year of my life, although if I could go back I would probably do some things differently. 
7. If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?  I really want to learn how to crochet. I bought myself a book to teach myself to crochet and last weekend when my mom & I were in our hotel, I did start reading it. And made a couple stiches, but I need A LOT more time and lessons for sure!
8. If you had to change your first name, what would you chage it to?  Ok, I have to take the easy route out on this one. I love my name & wouldn't change it! I think it fits me perfectly.
9. What is your favorite sound? Oh my, our dog Mr. C makes the cutest noise when you feed him bites of apples! He loves them and makes this little crunching sound, it is SOO cute! 
10. When you were growing up, what did you do that got you in the most trouble?  Fighting with my brother for sure. He was a quite a bit younger than me, but he loved to pick at me and we ended fighting all of the time. Our poor parents. But now, we get along great! 
11. What story does your family always tell about you? One my mom's favroties, is when we were shopping once & she asked me how the shirt looked that she was trying on & told her she looked like a "teapot". Everyone knows me as the sweet & quiet girl, and find it funny that I would tell my own mother she looked like a teapot. But seriously, she asked my opinon it was not good, although I probably could've told her in a nice way, but when you're a teenager sometimes thats tough! 

Ok so now its my turn to come up with some questions for you.  I'm tagging Alecia @Chicken Scratch, The Cooking Accountant @ The Cooking Accountant, Denyse @ My Crazy Beautiful Life, Racheal @ Lovely Crafty Home, Cherise @ sewingly along, and of course anyone else who wants to play along!

1. If you could be an animal, what would you be and why?
2. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
3. What is your favorite breakfast cereal?
4. Do you fall into the stereotype of your birth order? Oldest sibling? The baby? Only child?
5. What is your favorite household chore?
6. What is your LEAST favorite household chore?
7. If you are sitting down alone, what do you watch on TV?
8. What would be one word to describe your personality?
9. How often do you check your email?
10. What is the most interesting thing in your purse right now?
11. How tall are you? Would you rather be taller or shorter?