Ask Anna

Pomegranate Martini

First of all I want to wish all of you awesome moms out there a Happy Mother’s Day! This drinks for you, cheers to being a mom!! I have to admit that I didn’t do a lot of cooking this week because we had family in town, as well as I was getting ready to leave for our trip (we left yesterday, woo-hoo!). So this week I’m doing another martini recipe since you all loved my last one so much. 🙂 This recipe I actually received from a fellow blogging friend after I posted the Dark Chocolate Martini… Read More

Feta & Veggie Pasta Salad

I’m honestly not sure where I got this recipe from but it’s a great one for summer! I love the freshness and bright colors in this beautiful pasta salad. Feta & Veggie Pasta Salad3 cups tricolor Rotini pasta, cooked, drained and cooled1 cup Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese (I usually use an entire small container because I like lots of feta!)1 cup halved grape tomatoes1 cucumber peeled and chopped1 4oz can sliced black olives1 cup Italian Dressing1/2 cup finely chopped red onion1 avocado (optional) Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving so… Read More

How to Clean a Humidifier

I have had multiple people ask me how to clean a humidifier, so I think it’s time for me to post about it! Spring is here, the “sick season” is almost gone and it’s time to clean out those nasty humidifiers. I have to admit I used to be good about cleaning ours out but then I got tired of it because every time I’d clean it Malea would end up needing it again! Grrr. So ours hasn’t been cleaned in about 2 months and it is gross. I know every humidifier is different but here’s how I… Read More

How to Clean the Dryer

I recently posted on how to clean your washing machine and after that post I had a reader, Kathy, email me a post that she had done on cleaning her dryer. Her tutorial is very thorough, I don’t know if I could have done it better myself. Of course I asked her if I could share it with you, my lovely readers, and she said yes! Yay! So here is Kathy’s post. She has a new blog–Kathy’z Chats–so after reading this head over and give her some love. 🙂 *** I was enjoying my evening when I heard it –… Read More

Dark Chocolate Martini

Most of you don’t know but I love to mix drinks. I used to waitress in college and I always thought it would be so much fun to be a bartender. Something about it just always seemed like so much fun. Obviously I’m not in college anymore and the idea of working at a restaurant again just about kills me but that doesn’t mean that I still don’t love the idea of bartending. I think mixing drinks is so much fun, I’m not sure what it is–if it’s the creativity of it, the chef aspect of it, or just the… Read More

Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations Review

Last weekend my husband and I tackled a project that only a few homeowners are brave enough (or crazy enough) to tackle: we refinished our kitchen and laundry room cabinets. This was a project that I was dreading because I have heard so many horror stories from other homeowners about how hard it is, how long it takes and how grueling the work is. The fact was though that no matter what I had heard my kitchen definitely needed a makeover! As I do with all major projects I began researching the best kitchen cabinet makeover ideas. I was lucky… Read More

How to Clean a Fireplace

Photo Source My mom is the one that gave me this tip for how to clean a fireplace and she has used it many times on her fireplace. 🙂 This has been a long and cold winter. I know we have been using our heater a lot this winter, oh how I long for my gas fireplace… However now that winter is coming to a close it’s time to start thinking about cleaning that fireplace. If your fireplace is covered in soot and smoke residue here is your answer to get it clean! Here’s what you need: 1. A damp… Read More

Pineapple Curry Chicken

I was really surprised that I loved this recipe as much as I did. I’m not a fan of curry but mixed with all of the other flavors was fabulous! The other great thing about this recipe is that it was super fast and easy to make, a great combo for any mom on the go! This is another recipe from my America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook (can you tell it’s my favorite cookbook?). Pineapple Curry Chicken Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed Salt and Pepper 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice 1/4 cup honey 1 TBS cider… Read More