My new favorite liquid sweetener, especially for fruit that's too hard or tasteless (peaches, nectarines, mangoes ~ winter strawberries and melons).  It isn't grainy like sugar or Splenda, and the fruit doesn't get mushy.   Great substitute for honey or corn syrup.  **  In the fruit salad above, I just cut up peaches, nectarines and mangoes and drizzled about 1 tsp. light agave nectar over them; mixed it up gently.  After about 1/2 hour, they were softer and sweeter.  (60 calories per TB=15 calories per tsp)

I always buy LIGHT agave nectar because it isn't as sweet as regular strength (which is more like corn syrup).   A big bottle of it costs less than $6 and is either on the baking aisle near the other sugar products, or near the honey and corn syrup.

​

Yes, English hothouse cucumbers are the best because the skins are tender and they have barely any seeds at all in them.  But when regular cucumbers are on sale (or you're growing your own at home), it doesn't make sense to pay 4x as much for an English hothouse at the store.  So, pick the smallest regular cucumber you can find and make it just as tasty and "burp-less" as an English hothouse.

1) Depending on how thin and smooth (or bumpy) the skin is, you may need to peel all of the skin off (this is what will cause most of the gas when you eat it).  If it's pretty thin and smooth, I'll just "stripe" the skin with my vegetable peeler (which gives it a pretty look).

2) Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise.  Then use a melon baller to take out the seeds (photo above).  

It should now be as "burp-less" as the more expensive English hothouse cucumbers, and ready to use in all your cucumber salads and veggie platters.   

***

You can search by keyword " cucumber " for all of my cucumber recipes here too.

I sell baked goods on eBay, and have done dessert catering in the past, so I quite often have to make 5 or 10 different types of cookies or other baked goods in one day.   Not as difficult as it sounds, with just a few easy tips.

​(1) COOKIE ASSORTMENTS ** I sell cookie assortments on eBay, and sometimes send out as many as 10-12 orders per day during the Holidays (each order is 2 dozen, with a minimum of 4 different kinds in each order ~ although I always have at least 6 kinds).   I make up 4 or 5 kinds of cookie dough at one time, and keep them in Tupperware containers (with plastic wrap inside) in the refrigerator.  So, I can just scoop and bake as many cookies as I need at one time. 

I'll also make my own "slice and bake" cookie logs ~ wrap them in waxed paper, then put the logs into freezer baggies.   You can put the baggies into the refrigerator, or freeze them for up to 3 months (and no need to thaw them out when you slice & bake either).

​Just be sure to write down the name of the cookies, and baking instructions ~ tape it on the container or baggie.

​*** And don't be afraid to bake and FREEZE cookies ahead too!  Gingersnaps, mandel brot, biscotti, Spritz cookies, Rum balls, cake balls all freeze very well.   I line a big sturdy Tupperware or Rubbermaid tub with plastic baggies (from the grocery store) and put the cookies in layers (with waxed paper between the layers), and a plastic baggie on top of it all.  They'll actually stay frozen really well for about 3 months!   QUICK BREADS and MUFFINS also freeze very well too.  ** Note that meringues do NOT freeze well, and will totally crumble. 

​(2) How to ARRANGE the ORDER of your BAKING:  ** I start with the plainest item I need to bake.  First is anything with white batter ~ then anything with yellow batter ~ then anything with yellow batter and spices.  Next is anything with yellow batter and peanut butter (because a little bit of spice in peanut butter is just fine).   The last things I bake are chocolate.

​And, the reason for this order?  Because I can usually get away with just scraping down the bowl and beaters really well with my rubber scraper, and not having to totally wash everything between recipes!   .... Then, I wash everything well before I start the whole arrangement process again with frostings.    ** Of course, if you're doing anything that requires separating and beating egg whites stiff, do that FIRST before you do anything else!  You can just put them into another bowl and set them aside until you're ready for them. 

Hello.  My name is Cindy, and I'm a coffee addict. .... I admit it and I'm not ashamed of it! 

I'm also a coffee snob and would never have considered drinking decaf coffee until just recently.   I suffer from migraine headaches, and my doctor told me to cut down to just one regular cup of coffee a day.  "But, Doctor!  Your nurse told me to have a cup of strong coffee whenever I felt a migraine coming on!" .... "yes", he replied, "but that's when you don't drink coffee!  Not when you drink 4 or more cups of strong coffee a day (plus take Excedrin Migraine, which are equal to 10 cups of coffee)." .... oops ~ my bad.  .... so, the search to make that dreaded decaf taste like heaven.

​First, I was so glad that my current Keurig machine was one that had the option to make a cup of coffee stronger.  I think it's the 2.0 model.  Yes, the water tank is slightly smaller (maybe 48 oz. instead of 64 oz.?), but that doesn't really matter.  Same price as the other less expensive models too.  (I got mine at Walmart.)

​Then, my search for the best decaf K-cups ended with Green Mountain Dark Magic (for a strong, bold flavor) and Newman's Own Organic (for a nice, well-rounded bold flavor).   I find them both at the grocery store.

​Ok, the last little hint:  put a dash of CINNAMON in the bottom of your cup before you brew the coffee into it!  It just seems to add that depth of flavor that decaf lacks (and disguises the somewhat metallic flavor of decaf).   ... And, if you want a Latte, just add some liquid coffee creamer (flavored or not) into the cup before you brew your coffee into it. ... Enjoy!

You see (and smell) bags of cinnamon scented pinecones at the store in the Fall or Winter.  I'm always tempted to buy a bag, but they're actually pretty pricey for what you're getting.   So, I decided to make some at home myself instead. 

CINNAMON SCENTED PINECONES

as many pinecones as you want to use (I had 5 big ones left from some craft that I had made ~ I bought them at either Michael's or JoAnn's ~ but you can certainly gather your own!  )

​a bottle of cinnamon essential oil (best) or cinnamon extract (at the grocery store, and easier to find than the essential oil)

ground cinnamon

***
​If you gathered your own pinecones, you definitely want to be sure you aren't bringing any unwanted "guests" into your house, so prepare them by putting them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for about an hour on the middle rack of your oven at 200 degrees F. This will cause tightly-closed pinecones to open up as well as kill bugs and/or bacteria that may have hitched a ride on them to your home. Let the pinecones cool completely. 

​Put the pinecones into a large zip-top baggie.   Drizzle cinnamon oil or extract over them (I used about 1/4 of the little bottle for 5 big pinecones).  Then sprinkle some ground cinnamon over them all.   Tightly seal the bag shut and shake gently (to coat all the pinecones).

​Let them stay in the sealed bag for at least an hour (or even better overnight).  Then take them out and use for decorations.  (If they need a "touch up" later {or even next year}; just spray them with a combination of distilled or purified water and more cinnamon oil/extract)

We go to EL DORADO ROYALE CASITAS for a 5-6 day vacation twice a year.  We've been on cruises and all over the world, but this is the only place we want to vacation now!

​Big luxury rooms, with an over-sized Jacuzzi tub in each room ~ gorgeous bathroom area with large indoor + outdoor shower and lots of closet space.  The "mini" bar consists of 4 full-sized bottles (whatever you want), plus bottles of wine and champagne.  Customize the mini-fridge with whatever cans/bottles you want (plus chips & candy bars) ~ and a coffee bar in-room.... If that's not enough, you can order room service 24/7!

​Personal concierge and pool butler to get whatever you possibly need, plus attentive bartenders in the swim-up bars.  There's even a pillow menu and choice of aromatherapy scents for nightly turn-down service! 

​About 14 restaurants to choose from, and many bars (remember, this is all-inclusive too!) .... movie rentals (free) to watch in your room ~ plus any outdoor activity that you could possibly want, and a nightclub on site too.  Biking, snorkeling, rifle range, cigar rolling, Tequila tasting, horseback riding, dance & cooking classes, greenhouse tour and more are on-site ~ Swim with Dolphins, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, moonlight dinner cruise, zip-line, parasailing and much more can be booked on site too.

​The resort is about 30 miles south of Cancun (just north of Playa del Carmen), and completely self-contained (they have their own water infiltration plant and huge greenhouse to grow all the veggies).   The EL DORADO ROYALE area has 3-story buildings with swim-up rooms on the bottom floor (I highly recommend those, if  you choose Royale).  The El Dorado Royale area is less expensive than the El Dorado Royale Casitas and the crowd tends to be a little younger (20s-30s).  ... We now go to El Dorado Royale CASITAS, which are grouped sections of about 38 casitas each.  There's a common pool for each casitas area, with a swim-up bar and a small outdoor restaurant for lunch.  You definitely want the higher 30, 31 or 32 areas, with the ultimate pampering and either an infinity pool or swim-up pool for each suite.

​The rates vary a great deal, depending on the season or whether there's a sale going on.  "Members" get a better rate.... but if you tell them that CINDY HANDY referred you, then you will get our RUBY member rates & all the perks (win-win situation to do that since you'll get more for your money, and they will give me a credit towards our next trip), including 20-minute couples massage and Candlelight Dinner on the Beach. 

​WEDDING CHAPEL on-site, but also beach weddings too ~ or just RENEW your VOWS there! .... Be sure to tell them if you're celebrating an anniversary or birthday within 30 days of your visit for even more benefits!  

​Search: EXOTIC TRAVELERS ~or~ KARISMA HOTELS ~or~ EL DORADO ROYALE (and Casitas).   There's a button here for the link to the members page, so you can see the difference in rates for members and regular guests.  And, be sure to keep checking the rates as they will vary as much as $300/night during the year! ****** NOTE:  If you have kids, there are also family vacations at other Exotic locales.  The link to El Dorado Royale should also allow you to view any of the other locations ~ and my RUBY membership is applicable to any and all Exotic locations. 

We were going on vacation for 6 days, and I wanted to keep my basil plant alive while we were gone.  It was over 90 in North Texas during that time, but my basil was still healthy and alive when we got home!

​I filled an empty gallon water jug with water and put the lid on.  Then poked about 5-6 slits in the sloping top of the jug around the lid (with a sharp knife ~ wiggle it a little when it's in there, so the slits are slightly open).   Turn the jug upside-down (lid down) in your pot (mine was propped against a little solar light, to keep it straight).  

​The water should gradually seep out of the slits while you're gone.  The jug collapses into itself as the water depletes.