Creating your own Favicon!

Tuesday Tip: How to create your own favicon.

Have you ever wanted to create a favicon for your blog? You know, this little guy:

 It is actually really easy to do! You can add one to your personal, craft, or business blog.

Step 1: Design your favicon in your favorite editing program. It should be 32x32px. Save it as a jpg or png file.

 *this is mine

Step 2: Upload your picture to photobucket, or post it somewhere on your blog (either in a post or on a hidden page, just make sure to click Original Size when uploading the image) *UPDATE: flickr uploads do not work.
Step 2a: After uploading your image, copy the http:// address. If you've uploaded it to your blog, click the image to go to the direct link (Just like mine is inserted above. When you click on it, it takes you to the direct link of the image.)
Step 3: Next, go to the design section of blogger, open up your EDIT HTLM
Step 4: Scroll down until you see <title>your title</title>
Step 5: Underneath that, insert this:

<link href='http://insert your source here' rel='shortcut icon' type='image/png'> </link>

Example: <link href='http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d173/krisedde/BLOGS/favicon.png' rel='shortcut icon' type='image/png'> </link>

*note, if your image is saved as a jpg, change the part that says type='image/png' to type='image/jpg'

Step 6: Save

Tada! You have a favicon! That was easy, wasn't it?

This is my icon for our personal blog. See:

Let me know if you have any questions.
Come back next Tuesday for more Web Blogging Tips!

*this method does not work for Internet Explorer. IE has a lot of malfunctions when it comes to viewing code. I suggest using firefox or chrome.

Buying meat bulk saves $$

Tuesday Tip
Buying meat in bulk packages can help save you money. When you get the meat home, separate it into freezer zip lock bags. On the bags, use a permanent marker to write what the bag contains, the weight of the meat, the date, and if you're like me, how much it cost you. To find out the weight and the price, just divide the original weight and cost by the amount of times you separated the package. Put in the freezer and save for the right meal.

Some grocery stores will have awesome deals on their meat packages, so when they are on sale stock up!

Monday Night Dessert, Tuesday Morning Breakfast: Banana Bread

WARNING: When I was editing these pictures, Devin told me that I shouldn't post them, because the ones with the bananas in them looked gross. But, I think they are great steps. So, yes I let the bananas get ripe, and yes I froze them until I was ready to use them, so yes they look a little weird. But, now you're warned.

This recipe is my Mom's and I merged it with Our Best Bite's directions on how to make chocolate swirl banana bread.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Swirls Recipe

Ingredients:
1 c margarine or butter
2 c sugar
4 eggs
2 c mashed bananas (about 5)
1/2 c milk
2 tsp lemon juice
4 c all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c nuts, chopped (optional, this is in my Mom's recipe, but I never put the nuts)
1/2 c chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Beforehand: Let butter/margarine soften. If your bananas are frozen, pull them out of the freezer. I'm going to give you a little tip on how to prep frozen bananas, you can do this at any stage you feel you have time:

 Taking the peel off of a frozen banana can be hard work, but after freezing my fingers off too many times, and leaving to many strings behind, I discovered a solution. First, cut the ends off of the banana. Second, make slits in the peel all the way down. About 4. The sections will easily pop off! After the banana has thawed for awhile, smash it! Easy.

back to the Directions
1. Cream margarine and sugar
2. Add eggs and mix well
3. Add bananas, milk, and lemon juice. Mix well
4. Add in dry ingredients. mix

without chocolate swirls: pour in 2 large loaf pans or 3 medium loaf pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

with chocolate swirls:

-melt your 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
-once melted, mix 1 c of the banana bread butter in with the chocolate chips.

I made 3 medium loafs. I left one plain banana and did the swirls to 2 loafs. I liked the banana to chocolate ratio, but you can do it however you want.

First, put a layer of the banana batter down. Next, put a layer of the chocolate batter. Using a knife, swirl it around to create a marbled look. To do this, you'll want to bring the knife up and down while you're swirling. REPEAT as many times as you want. NOTE: you need to end with the BANANA batter on top. The chocolate burns. Make sure it is well covered.

Yum. I'm going to go eat some right now!!!