| How to Dispose of Coffee Grounds Posted: 22 Oct 2018 01:00 AM PDT While tossing them in the trash is quick and easy, there are plenty of more sustainable ways to dispose of coffee grounds. See if there's a local curbside composting service available, or make your own compost heap. You could also reuse your grounds for a variety of household projects. Whichever method you go with, just remember to keep used grounds away from drains, as they're a common cause of clogs and septic tank issues. EditThrowing Away Coffee Grounds - Toss coffee grounds in the trash if you want the easiest solution. For a no-fuss solution, just throw your grounds in the garbage as you would any other non-hazardous household waste. As a bonus, coffee grounds can absorb odors, so they might help keep your trash from smelling bad.[1]
- While you can just throw grounds in the trash, there are a variety of ways to reuse them. Reducing the amount of trash you send to the landfill is good for the environment.[2]
- Keep your used grounds away from sinks and toilets. Never dispose of coffee grounds by pouring them down a sink or flushing them down a toilet. They collect in the drain and are a common cause of clogs.[3]
- Additionally, coffee grounds can cause major septic system problems, so keeping them out of your plumbing is especially important if you have a septic tank.[4]
- See if there's a local curbside composting service. In some areas, government or private companies provide bins for compostable food waste, including coffee grounds and filters. Search online to see if this service is available in your area. You fill the bin up with compostable waste, then they pick it up and replace the filled bin with a fresh one.[5]
- If you don't want to pay for curbside composting service, you can also make your own compost pile.
EditMaking a Compost Heap - Place a lidded bin in a shaded dry spot. To deter pests and protect your heap from the wind, cover your bin with a lid or tarp. Keep the bin in a shaded spot in your yard, and make sure it's far enough from homes and property lines to comply with your local codes.[6]
- For instance, you might need to keep the bin at least from homes and drainage ways, from property lines and fences, and out of sight from the street.
- Check your city or county government website for your specific local regulations.
- Start with a layer of course branches and twigs to promote air flow. For the first layer, cover the bottom of the bin with woody materials. That way, the bottom of the heap will still be able to breathe after you've added layers of denser materials, such your used coffee grounds.[7]
- Add a layer of leaves and yard clippings. Rake your yard, mow the lawn, and prune your bushes so you'll have material for your heap's next layer. Leaves, grass clippings, and other organic yard debris will provide your heap with sources of carbon.[8]
- Toss in coffee grounds, fruit and veggie scraps, and eggshells. After the leaves and grass trimmings, add any stems, peels, rinds, eggshells, nut shells, vacuum cleaner bag contents, and coffee grounds you have on hand. Mix them up with the grass and leaves, then water the heap.[9]
- Just get the heap damp; you don't want to flood it.
- Don't compost meat or bones, animal fat, dairy products, diseased or insect-infested plants, yard trimming treated with chemical pesticides or herbicides, or pet wastes. These substances can create pest problems or render your compost harmful to plants, pets, or people.
- Dampen the pile when you add dry materials. Try to keep the pile moist enough so its surface glistens. You want it damp, but not soggy or flooded. Water it whenever you add new layers or if it starts to dry.[10]
- In dry conditions, you might need to water it several times a week.
- To prevent runoff, dig an indentation in the center so the sides slope gently toward the middle of the pile.
- Turn the pile weekly to speed up decomposition. When you add new layers, mix them into the compost pile instead of just scattering them on the top. Cover the newly added waste with about of composted material, and remember to reshape the indentation at the center of the pile.[11]
- Turning the pile will help break down waste faster. After at least 3 to 6 months, the bottom of your heap should break down into a dark, crumbly soil that you can use to fertilize your plants.
EditReusing Coffee Grounds - Dry any coffee grounds you're storing to prevent mold growth. Cover a baking sheet with newspaper, and scatter the grounds in a layer no more than thick. The thinner you spread them, the faster they'll dry. If conditions are dry and sunny, let them sit outside for 2 to 3 days to dry.[12]
- Alternatively, you can dry them in the oven at for a total of 20 to 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheet and check to see if they're dry.
- Wet coffee grounds promote mold growth, so any that you're storing for reuse need to be dried.
- Scrub stubborn buildup with a small amount of grounds. Since they're abrasive and acidic, coffee grounds are good at scrubbing away residue on pots and pans. Keep in mind coffee grounds can leave behind a brown tinge, so make sure anything you clean with them is stain-resistant.[13]
- Remember that coffee grounds can clog a drain. If you use grounds to scrub a pot, use a kitchen sink plug with a fine mesh drain basket to collect the grounds, then throw them in the trash.
- Try exfoliating your skin with coffee grounds. For a moisturizing, exfoliating scrub, mix a tablespoon of olive oil with of used coffee grounds. Massage your face and any areas of dry, flaky skin, then rinse off the grounds and oil with lukewarm water.[14]
- If you have oily skin, skip the olive oil. Just massage your face with coffee grounds, then rinse.
- A teaspoon or so of grounds here and there won't clog your drains, but you still shouldn't get in the habit of pouring them down the drain. For larger amounts, like , you'll definitely need to collect the used grounds with a drain stopper instead of letting them go down the drain.
- Soak used grounds in hot water to make a dye. Grab your coffee filter filled with used grounds, tie it tightly with a rubber band, then soak it in of water. Steep it for 10 minutes, or longer for a deeper color, then mix in a teaspoon of vinegar to set the dye.[15]
- Use your sepia-toned dye on paper, fabric, clothes, for touching up worn brown furniture, or to color your hair naturally.
- Mix expired or unneeded medicines with used coffee grounds. The best way to dispose of medicines is with a community drug take-back program. However, if that's not an option, you can also throw them out with coffee grounds. Put the medicine in a sealable plastic bag, fill the bag with used coffee grounds, then seal the bag and throw it in the garbage.[16]
- Keep in mind that the best option is a take-back program. Contact your local pharmacy for information about local take-back programs. If none are available in your area, consider using the coffee ground method.
- Always dispose of narcotic pain killers and other commonly abused prescription drugs through a take-back program.
- Avoid adding coffee grounds to your soil without composting them first. Though some people advocate adding them to soil, coffee grounds can promote mold, and there's no evidence that they benefit plant growth without first being composted.[17]
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| How to Make Unicorn Cupcakes Posted: 21 Oct 2018 05:00 PM PDT If you're planning to host or attend a special event where unicorn cupcakes seem like the perfect addition, look no further. You'll need some special ingredients, decorations, and a bit of patience for these magical and yummy cupcakes! EditIngredients EditCupcake Batter - of all-purpose flour
- of salt
- of baking powder
- soft unsalted butter
- of sugar
- of vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- of milk
- Food coloring in the colors of pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple
- of softened unsalted butter
- of vanilla extract
- of confectioner's sugar
EditDecorations - Fondant for your unicorn horns OR 12 small spiraled birthday candles
- Edible metallic paint in gold, silver, copper, or pearl (for edible horns)
- 12 mini marshmallows
- Small bowl of pink sugar for ears
- Rainbow sprinkles or edible glitter
EditMaking Your Batter - Preheat your oven and combine your flour, salt, and baking powder. Preheat your oven to . In a medium sized bowl, combine your flour, salt and baking powder with a spoon. Set your bowl of dry ingredients aside until you're ready to use it.[1]
- Cream your butter and add sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Place your softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Starting at a low speed and gradually increasing to medium speed, cream your butter with an electric mixer until it's pale and fluffy.
- Add your sugar to the butter and continue mixing at medium speed. Then add your vanilla and eggs and continue beating until they're combined in your mixture.[2]
- Add your dry ingredients and milk to your butter mixture. Add half of your flour mixture from the medium bowl to the butter mixture and mix at a low speed until it's combined. Add half of your milk to the mixture and mix until it's combined.
- Repeat this process with the rest of your flour mixture, and the rest of your milk, until all your batter ingredients are combined.[3]
- Divide your batter into 6 smaller bowls and add food coloring. Take your batter and carefully pour a bit into each of your smaller bowls, until all the batter is divided evenly into 6 different bowls. Place a few drops of your pink food coloring into one bowl and mix it gently to make a bowl of pink batter.
- Use a few drops of your orange food coloring into the second bowl and mix that one gently to make orange batter. Repeat this process with each of your colors so that you have 6 different colors of batter.[4]
EditBaking Your Cupcakes - Line your muffin tin with colorful cupcake wrappers. Take your muffin tin and place a colorful wrapper into each of the muffin spaces. The recipe will make 12 cupcakes, so you will need one standard sized muffin tin and 12 cupcake wrappers.[5]
- Fill your cupcake wrappers with some of each color of batter. Using a tablespoon or a soup spoon, place a dollop of your pink batter into each cupcake wrapper. Use all the pink batter evenly in each cupcake wrapper until it's gone.
- Repeat this process with all your colors of batter, being sure to use each color evenly in each cupcake as you go.
- Don't mix the colors together in each wrapper. Just allow each color to sit on top of the last one to create layers. The cupcakes will be rainbow when they are done baking.
- Instead of starting with pink, you can start with a different color and use the colors in whatever order you wish.[6]
- Bake your cupcakes at for 15-20 minutes. Open your preheated oven and carefully place your tin of cupcakes onto a middle shelf in the oven. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes. While your cupcakes are baking, you can begin making your frosting.
- After 15-20 minutes, check to make sure your cupcakes are done by gently inserting a toothpick into the center of one of them. If it comes out clean, your cupcakes are done.[7]
EditMaking Your Frosting - Cream your butter and vanilla for your frosting. Place your butter into your large mixing bowl and add your vanilla. Starting at a low speed and working up to medium, cream your butter and vanilla with your electric mixer until the butter is pale and fluffy.[8]
- Add your confectioner's sugar one cup at a time while mixing. Take your confectioner's sugar and add it one cup at a time to the butter mixture. Allow each cup of sugar to combine before starting the next one.
- When all the sugar is added, beat your frosting at a medium speed with your electric mixer for another 3-5 minutes, until the frosting is fluffy.[9]
- Allow your cupcakes to cool completely before starting to frost them. Your cupcakes will need about 1-2 hours to cool completely. If the cupcakes are still warm, your frosting may become runny and melt off of them.[10]
EditDecorating Your Unicorn Cupcakes - Gather your decoration ingredients. For decorating your cupcakes, you will need a piping bag for frosting, fondant for your unicorn horns, edible metallic paint in gold, silver, copper, or pearl), a food safe paint brush, 12 mini marshmallows and a small bowl of pink sugar for ears, and rainbow sprinkles.[11]
- Use a piping bag or a knife to coat surface of each cupcake with frosting. If you would like your frosting swirled from the bottom, use your piping bag filled with frosting to squeeze frosting out in a spiral to cover each of your cooled cupcakes.
- If you would rather your unicorns have a smooth face, use a butter knife to evenly spread a layer of frosting on each cupcake.[12]
- Make edible unicorn horns out of fondant and edible gold paint. Take your fondant and roll out two thin pieces about in length. Twist the two pieces together to form one spiraled horn. Pinch the end lightly with your fingers to make the top pointy, and smooth the horn by rolling it back and forth either between your hands or with an icing roller on your counter.
- Repeat this process with your fondant until you have 12 horns.
- Put a bit of edible gold paint (or whatever color you chose) on the end of your paint brush and smooth the paint lightly covering each unicorn horn. Allow your horns to dry.[13]
- If you don't want to make edible horns, you can use small birthday cake candles as horns instead. Just make sure people take them off before eating the cupcakes![14]
- Cut your mini marshmallows in half and dip in sugar to make ears. Take a mini marshmallow and cut it in half diagonally. Dip the sticky inside part into the pink sugar to make the inside ear part. Repeat this process until you have 24 small ears.[15]
- Arrange your horns and ears in upper center of each cupcake. Take a unicorn horn and place it down gently but firmly into the upper center of a frosted cupcake, so that it is standing straight up. Next place an ear down into the cupcake on each side of the horn. Repeat this step for all of your cupcakes.[16]
- Use your thin black icing gel to make eyes. Take your thin black icing gel and draw two half circles (the bottom or top half of a circle) to make closed eyes near the center of one of your cupcakes below the horns and ears. Draw a few eyelashes onto each of the closed eyes. Repeat this step for all of your cupcakes.
- Leave some space between the horns/ears and the eyes if you want to add a unicorn mane or flower crown with frosting.[17]
- Use frosting to make a mane or flower crown if you want. You may have some remaining frosting leftover from frosting your cupcakes. Color the frosting with food colorings of your choice and use your piping bag to squeeze little bits of colored frosting around the horns and ears of your unicorns.
- You can get as creative as you want with this part, using different colors of frosting to create a rainbow mane, or squeezing white or colored flower shapes around the unicorn's head.[18]
- Sprinkle rainbow sprinkles or edible glitter around your unicorns' faces. Take your rainbow sprinkles or edible glitter to add a bit of sparkle to each of your unicorns. And then congratulate yourself on a job well done![19]
EditThings You'll Need - 6 small bowls, 1 medium sized mixing bowl, and 1 large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Muffin tin for 12 cupcakes
- 12 cupcake wrappers
- Piping bag for frosting
- A food safe paint brush (unused or a brush you've used only for food)
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| How to Choose a Halloween Costume for Your Dog Posted: 21 Oct 2018 09:00 AM PDT When choosing a costume for your dog, make your dog's safety a priority. Try to avoid costumes that do not fit, and that have small components that your dog can choke on. Visit a pet store or a Halloween store to find a costume for your dog. Choose a costume that reflects your dog's personality, or a themed costume for you and your dog to enjoy together. Finally, remember to go through some trial runs before the big night to ensure that your dog is comfortable with the costume, and that the costume fits properly. EditEnsuring Your Dog's Safety - Choose a lightweight costume. Make sure the costume you choose for your dog is not too heavy, both in terms of weight and breathability. Costumes that are too heavy can possibly injure your dog, or cause your dog to overheat. Lightweight costumes also facilitate movement.
- Weigh your dog before buying their costume. Then, buy a weight-appropriate costume.
- If you notice your dog panting after wearing the costume for 30 minutes, take the costume off and return the costume. Try to avoid costumes made with 100% wool or cotton.
- Ensure the costume allows mobility and visibility. The costume should not cover your dog's eyes or ears. Your dog should also be able to stand, walk, sit, and lie down, as it normally would, while wearing the costume.
- Eliminate costumes with small parts. Before buying a costume, examine it closely to see if it has any small parts that your dog can easily pull out, ingest, or choke on. Avoid costumes with small parts like buttons, little plastic objects, or excessive fabric.[1]
- Avoid noisy costumes. Costumes with moving and noisy parts should be avoided. The noisy or moving parts can stress out your dog. If your dog is pacing or pawing at the costume excessively, these are signs that your dog is uncomfortable with the costume. Take it off immediately.[2]
EditFinding the Costume - Visit pet supply stores. Big chain pet supply stores are a great place to look for a costume for your dog. Pet supply stores usually have a variety of costumes to choose from. In general, buying a costume from a pet supply store is cheaper than going to a traditional Halloween costume shop.[3]
- A full costume will cost around $20 at a pet supply store. The accessories are cheaper at these stores, as well.
- Go to a Halloween costume shop. Traditional Halloween costume shops usually host a variety of costumes for your dog. However, these stores might be less aware of the safety hazards for your pet. Make sure to inspect all costumes before buying one for your dog.[4]
- Make sure the store has a good return policy in case your dog ends up hating the costume, or it does not fit.
- Search online. You can also search for costumes online. However, sizing can be an issue. Therefore, make sure you search well in advance since it will take time to receive, try on, and return the costume if it does not fit.[5]
- Online sites are also great places to buy safety accessories for Halloween night. For example, reflective collars or glow-in-the-dark details that can help you keep track of your pet at night.
EditPicking the Costume - Choose the right size. By knowing your dog's size, i.e., small, medium, or large, and weight, you can find a costume that fits your dog appropriately. Costumes that are too small can impair circulation and movement, and can cause your dog to overheat. On the other hand, costumes that are too big can cause your dog to stumble or become tangled.[6]
- Try to avoid costumes with long capes. Your dog can trip or become tangled in the cape.
- Consider your dog's personality. Is your dog a protector or an explorer? Does your dog love to eat? Is your dog goofy or bossy? Pick a costume that reflects your dog's personality. If your dog is a protector, dress it up as a police officer or comic book hero, like Batman or Superman.
- If your dog loves eating, dress it up as a hot dog or a pumpkin.
- Dress your dog up as a pirate or a sailor if it loves to explore.
- Choose a theme. Themes are fun, and allow you and your dog to enjoy Halloween together. Some common examples of themes are Batman and Robin, a hot dog and ketchup/mustard, Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars themed costumes, and other famous duos.
- Make your dog's costume. You will need to buy a t-shirt (the size depends on the size of your dog), felt cloth, marker, glue, scissors, and any other materials you will need to make your desired costume. First, cut the sleeves off of the t-shirt. Then, draw and cut any patterns from the felt cloth. Finally, glue the patterns to the t-shirt to make your design.[7]
- For example, if you decide to dress your dog up as a stegosaurus, you will need to buy a green t-shirt and brown felt cloth. Fit the t-shirt on your dog. Then take it off to cut the sleeves. Outline the stegosaurus' plates on the brown felt cloth, and cut them out. To complete the outfit, glue the plates on the back of the t-shirt.
- Try to avoid gluing any small objects to the costume that your dog could choke on.
- Rehearse with your dog. Before the big night, it is important that you dress your dog in the costume multiple times. This way, you can see how your dog reacts to the costume, and if it fits properly. If your dog shows signs of pacing or excessive panting, paws or claws at the costume, or refuses to move, then the costume is causing undue stress on your dog.[8]
- If the costume stresses out your dog, opt to accessorize your dog instead. For example, you can buy a matching leash and collar that reflects a particular theme, a head band, or a bow tie for your dog to wear.
- Once you decide on a costume, hand wash the costume to remove any chemicals from the fabric that can cause an allergic reaction or a skin irritation.
- Don't force your dog to wear anything it does not want to wear.
- Don't leave your dog alone in its costume.
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