family home pragmatic historian projects tips work in progress

Breaking the Keys & Leaving the Mess

Removing the plaster and lath in our dining room continues. I’m doing most of the plaster removal and cleanup while Hubby removes the lath and some of the harder-to-remove plaster. Back in the early 2000s, when we were remodeling other rooms in the house and removing the plaster and lath, I learned one trick that could help remove the plaster more easily: Breaking the keys. That sounds mysterious, like snapping a bunch of skeleton keys…

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family process recipe tips

Swedish Meatballs with Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Substitutions

Swedish Meatballs with Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Substitutions From the kitchen of Jan Warner With gluten-free & dairy-free substitutions and additional instructions by Erik & Mary Warner Ingredients 3 pounds ground beef 1 ½ pounds ground veal or lamb 1 ½ pounds ground pork 2 eggs 1 finely chopped onion Crackers or breadcrumbs (use gluten-free bread, like Canyon Bakehouse, or cooked quinoa as gluten-free substitute) Milk (use oat milk or almond milk as dairy-free substitute) Nutmeg to…

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design ideas tips

Improving My Office with New Glasses & a Creative Desk Solution

Over the course of the pandemic, when I’ve been working from home or working at the museum with very few visitors drawing me away from the computer, I’ve noticed a significant amount of neck and shoulder tension. My shoulders seem to be spending more time up near my ears because I forget to take breaks from staring at my computer screen. Another issue with my posture was pointed out to me after a Zoom meeting.…

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