http://www.ultimatehomemaker.com Learn how to make a house into a home...one step at a time. Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:54:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Makes 2  - 3 dozen (depending on the size of your cookie cutters) 3 ¼ cups flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup butter, softened ¾ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1 egg ½ cup molasses Preheat oven to 325°. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, ... http://www.ultimatehomemaker.com/2007/12/15/gingerbread-men-recipe/ If you haven't pulled your turkey out of the freezer yet, now is the time.  Leave the plastic intact and set the turkey on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator.  You may want to put a layer of paper towels underneath to catch the condensation that comes off of it. How ... http://www.ultimatehomemaker.com/2007/11/17/how-to-thaw-a-turkey/ Homemade mashed potatoes are not only easy to make, but it's also a lot more economical than the store bought kind (and tastier too).  Here is a very basic recipe. You'll need: 2 pounds of potatoes 1 cup of milk (more or less to desired consistency) 1/4 cup of butter or margarine salt and pepper Peel ... http://www.ultimatehomemaker.com/2007/11/10/recipe-for-homemade-mashed-potatoes/ Thanksgiving is a little less than two weeks away and so now is the time to start preparing. Whether this is your first year preparing a holiday meal or you've been doing it awhile, preparation is key to making the holiday go off without a hitch. Here are some items ... http://www.ultimatehomemaker.com/2007/11/10/its-time-to-start-preparing-for-thanksgiving/ This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but cleaning the toilet can perplex someone who's never done it before. There are a couple of very important facts to take into consideration before you get started: Do not mix any cleaners because you put yourself at risk of creating toxic fumes. Ventilate your ... http://www.ultimatehomemaker.com/2007/11/09/how-to-clean-a-toilet/ I figured I would start with something very basic and easy to do. Making the bed is one of the first things that should be done everyday and doing it properly and quickly can make your life easier. If the bed is a big mess, you may want to start ... http://www.ultimatehomemaker.com/2007/11/08/how-to-make-the-bed/