Happy Memorial Day!

What did you do on your day off?  We hope everyone had a great day with friends and family!

Memorial Day Recipe

Are you having a Memorial Day party?  Check out this great recipe for your first summer picnic.  They are super easy to make and will be a hit at your party.  You can find out more information at Taste of Home.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound ground beef
  
• 3 slices process American cheese
• 4 slices white bread (heels of loaf recommended)
• 2 tablespoons prepared Thousand Island salad dressing
• 2 pearl onions, thinly sliced
• 4 baby dill pickles, thinly sliced
• 3 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions

• Shape beef into twelve 1-in. patties. Place on a microwave-safe plate lined with paper towels. Cover with another paper towel; microwave on high for 1 minute until meat is no longer pink. Cut each slice of cheese into fourths; set aside.
• Using a 1-in. round cookie cutter, cut out six circles from each slice of bread. Spread half of the bread circles with dressing. Layer with burgers, cheese, onions, pickles and tomatoes. Top with remaining bread circles; secure with toothpicks. Yield: 1 dozen.

Editor's Note: This recipe was tested in a 1,100-watt microwave.

Homemade Bug Killer

Ants are everywhere and something we all have to deal with on a daily basis.  However, you do not need chemicals or fancy spray to kill an ant or two that appear in your apartment or outside.  There is a homemade ant killer that will get rid of the pest without hurting or damaging anything else.   You can learn more at apartment therapy.

What You Need

Materials

• Baking Soda
• Powdered Sugar
• Jar Lids (or something similar to hold the bait, although a container is not necessary)

Tools

• Measuring Spoon

Instructions

1. Combine 1 part baking soda with 1 part powdered sugar. 

Note: I used a 3/4 tablespoon of each, and mixed it together directly in the jar lid. From what I have read, ants cannot differentiate between baking soda and powdered sugar because they are similar in size. The sugar attracts the ants, and the baking soda is what kills them: It reacts with the acid in their digestive system and they explode.

2. Place the mixture in strategic locations and wait for the baking soda to do its thing. You can use a jar lid or something similar to keep the bait contained, or you can place it directly on the surface where the ants are prevalent.

 

Note: I made 3 lids with the bait, and placed them in the corners of my kitchen counter. After several days, the number of ants in my kitchen reduced dramatically. I also found that it is essential to keep the problem areas clean and void of any food; I used vinegar to clean my kitchen surfaces and to scrub the ant trails. If you can find their point of entry, it is strongly recommended that you fill it with Borax or diatomaceous earth and seal it off with clear caulk.

Relieve Stress During Finals

Do you carry a lot of stress?  Most of us do in today's age.  Stress relief can be beneficial to your health and well-being.  Here are some great tips that are easy to help reduce stress.  You can do these tips everyday in a short amount of time.  You can find more great health tips here.

Stress Relief Now!

If you often feel stressed out (your health and your job are primary culprits!), you’re not the only one. A recent American Psychological Association showed that Millennials (those aged 18 to 33) experience the most stress overall.

What can you do to ease your mind and body? Deep breathing, meditation, and exercise are always helpful, but sometimes you just don't have the time or energy. That's why we've found these fun tricks, all backed by the latest research, to get you feeling calm and centered and stress-free.

1. Laugh

A big belly laugh can have all kinds of positive effects on your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, “A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure." In other words, it releases tension and ups blood flow to the heart and other vital organs. What else can it do? Lower blood pressure, and may even positively influence blood sugar levels. Need a place to get started?

2. Eat an Orange

Common wisdom has always said that vitamin C boosts the immune system and wards off cold viruses, but it turns out Vitamin C can reduce stress, too. Researchers have found that a boost of vitamin C taken when you're feeling stressed can lower blood pressure and calm the body. So the next time you feel anxiety come on, reach for that orange, or grab some C-rich blueberries or strawberries.

3. Go Outside

Turns out what you choose to surround yourself with makes a huge difference in your stress level. A recent study from the University of Edinburgh found that people who surround themselves with more green space—tree-lined streets, a walk in the park—are significantly less stressed than their urban counterparts. And it doesn’t mean you have to spend hours outdoors. A 2010 study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that just five minutes outside in the fresh air doing a mild activity like walking can boost your mood. 

 

Need more reasons to get outside? Researchers at the University of Michigan found that your memory and attention span can improve by 20 percent after an hour in nature. So take a walk outside, sit in the park, and enjoy.

4. Rub On Rose Oil

A recent study from Srinakharinwirot University in Thailand found that people who absorbed rose oil through their skin (as an experiment control, they wore masks so they couldn't smell the scent), had lower breathing rates and blood pressure, and they felt more relaxed than those in a control group. Click here to learn how to make your own rose oil.

Rose oil not your favorite scent? Try another natural de-stressor, ylang-ylang oil.

5. Walk Into Another Room

It might sound a little nutty, but according to a study at the University of Notre Dame, just shifting your environment a little can change what you’re thinking about and help you forget stress. According to the study, when you walk into a new room, your brain views it as a new event, and essentially resets itself, forgetting what was happening before. This works great for getting rid of those tension-filled thoughts. It also explains why you can never remember where you left your keys!!