Mommy Has to Work

Shopping Online at Walmart – MardiGras King Cake

February 26, 2017 By Anne

I tested out Walmart’s Online Grocery service mentioned in this post, and received grocery shopping funds from Walmart in order to do so.

Photo Credit

This past Christmas I did most of my shopping online. I loved not having to go to the store and fight the crowds. Even when the stores are not crowed I enjoy shopping from home. That’s why I love shopping at Walmart. They have the best prices around and if they don’t you can get it back on their Savings Catcher app.

I was asked to give the Walmart Grocery Shopping a try, so I did. I wanted to make a Mardi Gras King Cake for Mardi Gras. I found the recipe on All Recipes. But I needed a few items from the store. I needed dry active yeast and raisins. But I also needed a few other items; toilet paper, Clorox wipes and batteries.

Shopping on Walmart.com is super easy. To order groceries to pick up just go to Walmart.com and then schedule your pick up! Super easy. You can also order and have it shipped to your home in 2 days with free shipping! There is a minium for the free delivery but it beats going to the store.

So I ordered my items and was told they would be ready Friday February 24th. I went on Saturday the 25th and there they were, all ready for me to pick up.

I then came home to make my Mardi Gras King Cake.

MardiGras King Cake

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: All Recipes

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients

Pastry:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup melted butter
Frosting:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10×16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners’ sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

The Natural Way to Color Eggs

February 23, 2017 By Anne

Okay, I haven’t done this myself, yet. I really want to try it this year. We have company coming in tonight and I’m not sure I will get a chance.

But… I wanted to share these recipes in case you want to try it! I promise to share pictures if I get to it!

Boil eggs the usual way…. place raw, white eggs in a single layer in a pan. Cover with cold water. Add a little more than a teaspoon of white vinegar. Add the natural “ingredients” for the color you want your eggs to be.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

If you like the color, pour off the hot dye liquid and rinse the eggs immediately in cold water to stop the eggs from cooking. Continue to change the water until it stays cool in the pot because the eggs are no longer releasing heat. Drain and allow eggs to cool in the refrigerator.

If not, cool eggs and cover in dyed water in the fridge. You don’t want the eggs to continue to cook.

So – how do you get the colors?

Red – Pink — lots of red onion skins, cranberry juice, or frozen raspberries.
Orange — Yellow onion skins
Brown — Red beet skins or grape juice (produces a beautiful sparkling tan), coffee.
Yellow — Saffron, tumeric or cumin, orange or lemon peels, or celery seed.
Green — spinach, or carrot tops and peels from Yellow Delicious apples for a yellow-green.
Blue — Red cabbage leaves make the most incredible robin’s-egg blue.
Deep Purple — Red wine makes a beautiful burgundy color

Another idea that sounds neat is making a cracked eggs with tea.

You’ll need eggs, 1 1/2 tablespoons of black tea leaves, 8 cups of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Place eggs in a large pan covered with water. Bring water to a gentle boil. Boil for 10 to 12 minutes. When the eggs are cooked, gently lift the eggs out of the pan and place them under cold running water for 2 minutes.

When eggs are cold, gently crack the eggshells all over by rolling them on a paper towel. NOTE: Do not allow the shells to detach from the eggs.
In a large pan, add black tea leaves, water, and salt. Place the cooked eggs into the pan. NOTE: If needed, add additional water to cover them. Bring water slowly to a boil; then cover the pan, turn off the heat, and allow the eggs to simmer for one hour.
Remove from heat and let the eggs cool in the liquid. When cool, drain and wrap the eggs in plastic wrap or a sealed plastic bag. Store in refrigerator.
Remove the shells just prior to serving. Eggs will have a marbleized appearance

Info and pictures from BHG.com, Allfreecrafts.com and Squidoo.com

Anne

Better Technologies for Better Protection

February 23, 2017 By Anne

There have been a lot of advancements in the technologies behind architecture and construction in recent years. According to studies compiled by the New Jersey Institute of Technology and its masters degree in civil engineering program, civil engineering has improved by leaps and bounds, allowing engineers to deal with natural disasters more efficiently. At the same time, engineers can now rely on technology to create better properties designed to withstand more severe natural disasters.

For moms, family safety comes first. This is why these technologies and the improvements they have made possible are all very valuable. Energy dissipating devices, for instance, can help make a house more resistant to earthquakes, even at a higher magnitude. The same can be said for hurricane straps and impact resistant doors and windows. The latter are actually available on the market today, marketed as hurricane-proof doors and windows with extra safety features.

You can find out more about these new technologies from the complete infographic, Civil Engineering in Natural Disasters below.
New Jersey Institute of Technology Online Masters of Civil Engineering

This infographic was created by the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Anne

The Top Reasons You Can Excel by Becoming a Pediatric Nurse

February 22, 2017 By Anne

Does pediatric nursing sound like a career path you are interested in? It can take some time to figure out what field of nursing you are interested in. There are some individuals who know they work best with seniors, and then there are others who prefer the high energy of an emergency room. However, before you decide that you want to be a pediatric nurse, you will want to go over the following traits to see if any of them match your personality.

Patience

The saying goes that “patience is a virtue”, and it takes a lot of skill to have the patience needed to work with children. It does not matter how long you went to nursing school, whether you attended an online BSN program or a traditional school, children require that you demonstrate patience when providing them with care.

If they are sick, they are more than likely scared, especially if they are separated from familiar surroundings. It is the pediatric nurse’s job to not only keep them comfortable but to also help alleviate their fears.

If you transferred from rn to bsn you are fortunate enough to already know the bedside manner needed to ensure that they know you have their best interest at heart and will be giving them the best care possible. This can help to calm their nerves and allow you to perform your job to the best of your ability.

Kindness

Being in a big, scary hospital can make a child feel uneasy. It does not help if they are being cared for by an unfit nurse. An unkind and rude nurse can make the entire experience unpleasant. This is one of the reasons why those who are contemplating pediatric nursing must have a genuine love for all children. They should not only love cuddly babies and toddlers, they should also love caring for older children and teenagers. The kindness of a nurse will help soothe their fears and keep them comfortable.

Playfulness

Children want to have fun in their lives, even when they do not feel well. An online nursing degree graduate who is also playful will quickly become a favorite among the youngest patients. This is the nurse the kids beg to play games with them while they are in recovery, and the one who reads books to them with animation and playfulness in her voice. This will also be the nurse who will dress up in Minnie Mouse scrubs just to remind them they are children.

Knows How to Distract

A good pediatric nurse knows when to distract a young patient. Parents and medical professionals use the art of distraction quite often and it is a vital skill when dealing with sick children. Needles represent pain to children, and distracting children can keep their minds off scary procedures.

Strength

When you are around healthy children, it is easy to laugh and enjoy life. However, it is more challenging to laugh when a child is sick and not feeling well. Children should not be stuck in a hospital; they should be out having fun. Unfortunately, it does not always work that way. Therefore, a pediatric nurse needs to be strong for the child and herself. It is important not to let the situation get you down. Be the encouragement the child needs to get better.

If you love being around children and taking care of children when they are sick, you have the traits needed to be a pediatric nurse. Many pediatric nurses consider it the greatest job in the world.

Anne

Cocoa Beach

February 22, 2017 By Anne

We went to Cocoa Beach last weekend. My brother lives there now and we wanted to go visit for a bit. There was a launch this past weekend as well. That was cool to see and hear!