Decorate an Ugly Candle

I like scented candles, especially during the colder months, but I don't like the boring vases they're plunked into. So I generally take a few minutes to cover them up. Here's one easy way to change it up a bit. 

Grab your supplies: your candle, twine, glue gun, glue sticks. Pop a glue stick in your glue gun, and let it heat up for a minute or two. 

Loosen the twine, so that you're ready to rock and roll. 

Start with a drop of hot glue at the bottom of the vase and place the twine on the dot of glue. Here's where you have to be brave. You have to hold the twine in the hot glue for a minute until it dries. This kinda smarts.  But if you're not as stupid brave as me, you can hold the twine in the hot glue with the tip of a knife. 

(Seriously, use something to hold the twine in place, the glue is hot.) 

Once you've secured the twine, you can start wrapping the twine around the jar or vase. I put little dots of glue as I go, to keep the twine in place. 

Keep wrapping and gluing right up to the top, or you can leave a little glass showing at the top. 

I think it looks much prettier. 

Talk To Chef ~ Seriously Cool Foodie Website

See that mini-banner/button over there on the left? That is a direct link to one of the coolest websites for foodies and chefs.  That's the Foodie 911 Hotline called Talk To Chef!  

So, do you ever read a recipe and think "Hey! But I don't know how to braise.", or do you stare into your fridge and wonder "What can I do with spinach, a can of white beans and oxtails?"  Maybe you starting a new diet and need some guidance? 

Lots of times I just call my Mom or my sister and we talk things through.  Other times, they're busy, and then I'm stuck.  That's where the button on the left comes in handy. 

Sure, you can use Google for the easy stuff.  This hotline is for when an at home cook needs to talk to a professional about cooking or dietary questions. And because it's done via live video chat, the chef you're connected to can walk you right through your questions. 

This service helps to connect non-professional home cooks with expert chefs ready to help them with advice via a live video chat. There are thousands of professional chefs ready to answer questions about anything.

Here are just some areas of expertise of the many chefs:

• Different cuisines - Thai, Indian, American, Southern, South American... you name it!
• Gluten Free
• Low Carb
• Paleo
• Grilling, baking, braising, frying, stir-frying...
• Meal creation
• Kid-friendly Meals
• Planning a dinner party
• Holiday feasts

Cool, huh? 

To choose your chef, you can scroll through their profiles, or Talk To chef will find a chef for you, who is knowledgeable in your specific culinary needs. If you request a specific chef, and the professional chef you request is not online, Talk To Chef will send them an email asking them to contact you. 

Now for the big question.  How much does it cost?

Well, if you're a meanie, it's free. But we foodies aren't meanies, we're nice.  Tips are recommended and it is customary to tip  at least $.60/per minute. 

So what do you think? Will you give it a try? If you do, please let me know about your experience.