Luckily, by taking a look at some of the higher quality options, you can figure out the best craft light for you. If you don’t know where to begin, here are some tips along with a top picks list.

What to Look for to Find the Best Craft Light

Before you buy a craft light, you need to take a moment to reflect on your needs and preferences. To help you figure it out, here are some questions to consider:

• Would you rather have bulbs that mimic daylight, or ones that have a warmer hue?
• Do you have space to place the light on your craft table, or do you need a floor lamp?
• Would you be better off with a craft light that’s highly adjustable, or is a single position enough?

Each of those questions can narrow down the best craft light for you, ensuring you focus your search on models that can really meet your needs. But if you’d like an idea of where to start, here’s a look at six of the best craft light options around.

6 Best Craft Light Top Picks

1. Brightech Litespan LED 2^nd Edition Reading Floor Lamp

If you want to find a craft light with a ton of features, this Brightech Litespan LED 2^nd Edition Reading Floor Lamp is an exceptional choice. Along with an adjustable top that can pivot in every direction, this option also has a dimmer built-in.

Plus, the LEDs offer a range of lighting, including cool, soft, and warm white hues. This helps eliminate yellow or blue tones that other lights can create, allowing you to see your crafts properly. As an added bonus, LED lights also run cooler than many alternative kinds of bulbs and are highly energy efficient.

2. TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp

For those who’d rather have a desk lamp, the TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp is hard to beat. Not only is the lamp itself incredibly attractive, but it’s also very functional. You get access to five color modes as well as seven brightness settings, giving you more control of your lighting. For added convenience, there’s a USB port built-in, so you can even charge your phone or tablet through the lamp.

The design is also adjustable. The head tilts and swivels, and the base does the same. Plus, the LED bulbs are energy-efficient, so it ensures you can run your lamp without having to stress over your power bill.

3. Vekkia Rechargeable 4 LED Book Light

Sometimes, portability is essential when crafting. With the Vekkia Rechargeable 4 LED Book Light, you have a bright light source that you can easily carry around. It simply rests on your neck, giving you the ability to focus light right where you need it. Each arm adjusts independently, ensuring you can position them with ease.

Plus, this book light is rechargeable. You won’t have to worry about batteries for the life of the device, which is ideal for frugal crafters who’d rather spend money on supplies instead of batteries for their craft light.

4. Ottlite Natural Daylight LED Flex Floor Lamp

Featuring a massive shade – making it ideal for large workspaces – the Ottlite Natural Daylight LED Flex Floor Lamp is a solid choice for any crafter. The fixture itself has a sleek, minimalist design, allowing it to blend into nearly any décor. Plus, it’s incredibly functional, providing a maximum brightness of 700 lumens across three brightness settings, an adjustable neck, and energy-efficient LEDs.

The light itself is designed to mimic daylight. This ensures that colors show accurately and that details remain clear. If that isn’t ideal for crafting, what is?

5. Zeny 2-in-1 LED Magnifying Glass Floor Lamp

Sometimes, you need more than a lamp. With the Zeny 2-in-1 LED Magnifying Glass Floor Lamp, you get more than high-quality LED light; you also get a 6.5-inch by 4-inch magnifying glass attached. This is ideal for keeping an eye on small pieces or details, ensuring you don’t have to strain while crafting.

The gooseneck swivels in any direction, allowing you to get the perfect angle on your project. Plus, the twist and lock design guarantees that the gooseneck will stay right where you set it, even when you let go.

6. TOMOL Super Bright COB LED Portable Desk Lamp

If you like crafting on the go, the TOMOL Super Bright COB LED Portable Desk Lamp might be your perfect solution. Along with an output of 220 lumens, this lamp has easy touch controls for adjusting the brightness. It’s lightweight and foldable, making it easy to tote around in any craft bag. Plus, it can be powered with four AA batteries or via USB cord, giving you options for keeping your light on as you work.

The post What’s the Best Craft Light – 6 Top Picks appeared first on Happy Wifey.

Plus, they are very nutritious and incredibly affordable. By incorporating chickpeas recipes into your meal plans, you can achieve your nutritional goals and keep your food budget on target.

Here’s a look at what chickpeas have to offer, as well as some amazing recipes.

Beyond Hummus – What You Need to Know About Chickpeas

When most people think of chickpea recipes, hummus is the first thing that comes to mind. But that barely scratches the surface of what you can do with garbanzo beans.

These versatile legumes have an amazing, buttery taste that works well in a range of scenarios. Plus, they’re brimming with fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals, making them worthy of being the main focus of any meal. If you are considering veganism or want to reduce your meat consumption, chickpeas are an invaluable source of protein.

10 Great Chickpea Recipes

1. Vegetarian, Soy-Honey Glazed Meatballs

With hints of sweetness and spice, these vegetarian meatballs are a great main course. Chickpeas and shitake mushrooms bring a buttery earthiness while the honey-soy glaze also features a bit of heat. As the meatballs cook, the glaze caramelizes, making it incredibly decadent.

2. Classic Homemade Falafel

If you want to try your hand at a Middle Eastern staple that is also Israel’s national dish, this classic homemade falafel is a great place to start. As with many chickpea recipes, this one is vegetarian, but that doesn’t mean omnivores won’t adore it, too.

Plus, it’s pretty simple to make. Along with chickpeas, you simply need an onion, flour, oil, and a few spices. Falafel is also incredibly versatile when it comes to how it is served. It can be an appetizer when served with a dip or, if you want to make it part of an entrée, include some pita bread, a small salad, and sauce.

3. Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Chickpeas can make a great snack, especially when nicely spiced and roasted. Plus, like many chickpea recipes, it’s reasonably easy to make. You just need to combine cooked chickpeas, olive oil, and seasoning, and then bake them.

However, do keep in mind that chickpeas can “pop” when baking, though usually only a few will do so in every batch (if any). If you want to make sure that exploding chickpeas don’t make a mess in your oven, consider covering the pan lightly with some foil or baking in a loose foil pocket instead of on an open ban.

4. Vegan Quinoa and Chickpea Lettuce Wraps

Chocked full of trendy healthy ingredients like quinoa and kale, this is one of the chickpea recipes that’s also vegan. Plus, it’s incredibly simple. Beyond cooking the chickpeas and quinoa, the rest really only requires combining ingredients.

A range of vegetables provide crunch, and the seasoning makes these wraps very flavorful. Plus, you could make a big batch of the wrap filling in advance and use it for wraps over more than one day. Just keep it in the refrigerator.

5. Zucchini Pasta with Broccolini, Chickpeas, and Gremolata Breadcrumbs

If you love turning veggies into makeshift pasta, this chickpea recipe is for you. Not only is it incredibly flavorful, but it’s also very hearty and satisfying. It also isn’t complicated or overly time-consuming to make but looks impressive when served.

6. Chickpea Coconut Red Curry

For anyone who wants to try their hand at Indian food but worries that it’s too complicated, this recipe is a great place to start. Along with being simple and kick, the end result is a sweet and savory delight featuring subtle spices. Plus, it’s a vegan recipe that many non-vegans would also enjoy, making it ideal for a variety of situations.

7. Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Sandwich

If you’re looking for a lunch sandwich worthy of taking to work, this is a great choice. It’s incredibly filling and remarkably flavorful. This sandwich also features a ton of healthy ingredients, including spinach, cucumber, and celery. It’s a meal you can feel good about eating that will also leave you feeling satisfied until it’s time for dinner.

8. Chickpea Protein Bars

Protein bars have been all the rage for years now, but store-bought options can be spendy, and they aren’t always the healthiest. This chickpea protein bar recipe is a great alternative to those products. Not only is the recipe flavorful, but it’s also affordable.

Plus, these chickpea protein bars and incredibly simple to make. It only takes eight ingredients and, if you store the bars in the fridge, you can keep a few stashed away for up to 2 weeks.

9. Chickpea Flourless Chocolate Chip Blondies

One of many dessert chickpea recipes, these chocolate chip blondies are mainly made of chickpeas, nut butter, and maple syrup. It’s a great way to squeeze more protein into what is essentially a cookie. Plus, they are gluten-free and vegan.

10. Dark Chocolate Chickpea Brownies

If the blondie recipe above doesn’t give you enough chocolate, this brownie chickpea recipe might be right up your alley. The brownies are incredibly decadent and packed with protein. Plus, if you use vegan egg replacements, they can be vegan, too.

The post 10 Great Chickpea Recipes appeared first on Happy Wifey.

Why Install Under-Cabinet Lighting in Your Kitchen

Most kitchens rely heavily on overhead lighting. Since the upper cabinets extend over counters, the light might not cover all of your counter space. That can make a kitchen feel darker than it is, which isn’t ideal.

Plus, activities like preparing food on the counter can be more challenging since the upper cabinets block some of the light. It can make it harder to see what you’re doing. Not only is that problematic when you are doing something highly detailed, but it can also be a bit dangerous.

By installing under kitchen cabinet lighting, you make sure these shaded areas have an alternate source of light. Your kitchen will be brighter overall. Plus, you won’t have to worry that you don’t have enough light when you handle nearly any task.

Choosing Under Kitchen Cabinet Lighting

When you select under-cabinet lighting, you need to take a few things into account. For example, the types of bulbs and fixtures impact the overall look. While fluorescent tubes were a popular option, many homeowners didn’t care for the color, intensity, and glare created by these lights. Plus, the fixtures could be incredibly bulky.

Before you buy under kitchen cabinet lights, you need to decide what light quality and fixture size you want. You might prefer halogen, xenon, or LED bulbs, and might think that a hockey puck design is better than a strip for your needs. Some of these decisions are personal, while others are functional, so you need to envision your ideal space to narrow down your options.

Additionally, you need to be aware of the amount of heat a lighting solution produces, as hot lights could damage your cabinets and anything you store in them. Xenon bulbs tend to run hotter than some other options, so you’ll want to take that into consideration as you shop.

Finally, you have to respect your budget. Different fixtures and bulb types come with different price tags, so your choice may be limited if you need to keep the cost down.

The Best Under Kitchen Cabinet Lighting for Your Home

If you are struggling to figure out what the best under kitchen cabinet lighting for your home is, here are some options worth considering.

78 LED Rechargeable, Dimmable, Motion Sensing Under-Cabinet Light

With this 78 LED Under-Cabinet Light, you get a surprising amount of control. You can adjust the brightness and set it to only come on when it detects motion, which is great for saving energy. Installation is also a breeze. The fixture is magnetic, so you can attach it to a magnetic surface or add some magnetic strips to your cabinets, eliminating the need to screw it in.

Brilliant Evolution LED Puck Light 6 Pack with Remote

The Brilliant Evolution LED Puck Lights are very compact and give you the ability to spotlight only areas that need extra lighting. They stick on, so they can be installed on nearly any cabinet. Plus, you can control them with the included remote, allowing you to turn them on or off, or adjust the brightness, without touching the lights directly. There’s also an auto-off timer for added convenience. They are battery-operated, and typically offer at least 100 hours of runtime before the batteries need to be changed.

American Lighting Xenon Under Cabinet Hardwire Light

If you prefer the light produced by xenon bulbs and want to hardwire your lighting, the American Lighting Xenon Under Cabinet Hardwire Light is a solid choice. The casing is fairly slim, so it isn’t incredibly obvious once installed. Plus, you can choose either white, dark bronze, or brushed steel for the housing, so you can pick a look that works best in your kitchen. For added convenience, you can link several fixtures together, allowing you to operate a set of lights from one switch.

4. GE Fluorescent Under Cabinet Light Fixture

For those who prefer the warm light produced by fluorescent bulbs, the GE Fluorescent Under Cabinet Light Fixtureis a cost-effective choice from a brand that is largely trusted by the masses. The housing is white, so it’s fairly unobtrusive. Plus, you get a five-foot cord, so you don’t need an outlet right nearby to plug it in. It’s a pretty basic option, but it could work well if you have a small budget.

5. Wobane Under Cabinet Lighting LED Strips

Possibly the most discrete option available, LED strips can be installed under cabinets pretty easily. The Wobane Under Cabinet Lighting kit includes six-and-a-half feet of LED lights, allowing you to cover a lot of space. Plus, it doesn’t require much power to run and is very low heat, making it a solid choice for kitchens.

The post The Best Under Kitchen Cabinet Lighting for Your Home appeared first on Happy Wifey.

When you go gluten-free, you might struggle to find alternative ingredients for your favorite meals. Luckily, if you adore homemade pizza, there are a surprising number of high-quality gluten-free pizza crusts available. Plus, you can order many of them on Amazon, allowing you to get your dough sent directly to your door.

If you are looking for a convenient way to make homemade pizza and have a restricted diet, here are the best gluten-free pizza crusts on Amazon today.

Udi’s Gluten-Free Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust

Udi’s aims to provide those who live gluten-free with amazing ingredients that can help them make delicious food. The Udi’s Gluten Free Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust (shipped frozen) doesn’t have any gluten. Plus, it’s dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free, allowing it to work for people with other diet restrictions too.

Cooking with this pizza crust from Udi’s is very simple as well. Just add your choice of toppings and bake. You don’t even have to thaw it first if you’d rather not. However, if you do, it still has a shelf life of seven days on the counter. By leaving it frozen until you are ready to use it, the pizza crusts can last up to six months in the freezer, allowing you to stash them to use as a quick dinner when the need arises.

Each pack contains two pizza crusts, making it great for a family of four.

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix

For families that prefer thicker pizza crust, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix is a great option. Since you are making your own dough, you have more control over the thickness and size. Just follow the package directions to create your dough and adjust your baking time as needed to get your ideal pizza.

Plus, you get the experience of cooking from near-scratch by using this pizza crust mix. While the dry ingredients are more or less ready to go, you do go through the mixing and rising process. If you cook with children, this can be a great way to introduce them to cooking, as it isn’t as complex as combining all of the dry ingredients but still makes creating a pizza an experience. Just use the time the dough needs to rise to prepare toppings, like fresh-cut veggies or homemade sauce.

gfJules Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

gfJules Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix features all of the dry ingredients you’ll need conveniently combined together. Making a pizza using this mix is incredibly straight forward, and you get the ability to adjust the size and thickness of your dough if you prefer.

This gluten-free pizza crust is non-GMO and is also nut and soy-free. While the mix itself is vegan, the recommended recipe does contain eggs, so it’s important to seek out a substitute approach (like a vegan egg replacer and a bit of xanthan gum) if you are a gluten-free and vegan who wants to use this mix.

Schar Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts

Another ready-to-use option, Scar Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts are a fast and easy way to have a gluten-free pizza at home. The cooking time can be as little as 15 minutes, making it a great option for quick meals when you don’t want to do a ton of cooking. Many people also appreciate that these crusts are a bit thicker than some other premade gluten-free pizza crust options, so they might support more or heavier toppings with greater ease.

Each package contains two pizza crusts, giving you the ability to craft pizzas with different toppings for feed a family of four (up to six) with a single package. Plus, these crusts are shelf-stable, so you don’t have to worry about freezing them when they arrive.

Simple Mills Almond Flour Pizza Dough Mix

Featuring an incredibly simple ingredients list and no artificial preservatives, the Simple Mills Almond Flour Pizza Dough Mix is a great choice for families that want thicker pizza crust. The ingredients are non-GMO, vegan, and paleo-friendly too, making this mix a solid option for people with a range of dietary restrictions or preferences. Plus, it doesn’t require eggs or other animal products in the pizza crust recipe, so the end result is vegan, too.

Each box contains enough ingredients for two pizzas, allowing you to make them both at once or save half of the ingredients for another meal on a different day. When using the whole thing, it could easily feed a family of four to six, depending on ages and appetites.

Plus, when you buy multiple packs at the same time, the Simple Mills Almond Flour Pizza Dough Mix is a bit cheaper than many other gluten-free crust options. If you make pizzas regularly, a few bucks saved on every meal adds up fast, which makes this mix better for gluten-free families on a budget.

The post Best Gluten-Free Pizza Crust on Amazon appeared first on Happy Wifey.

Under Bed Storage

Forget monsters under the bed. They won’t have room to hide when the space beneath is neatly filled with clean storage solutions.  Despite the clearance of most beds not exceeding a foot at greatest, the area of floor space underneath is both large and oftentimes completely accessible.  Worried about dust?  Don’t be. Many storage boxes and drawer boxes have been designed specifically for under bed storage in mind.  Bed not tall enough or still in need of a little extra space?  Furniture risers built for the purpose of increasing clearance under a bed are sold cheaply to add a few extra inches of height and substantial extra space. I bought a six pack of these to store toys and seasonal clothes:

Wall Storage

When there’s no more room on the floor, the only way to go is up. While many people default to bookcases to utilize space on walls, what of the relatively vast and unused space above other pieces of furniture such as beds or tables? Or how about above your doors and windows? This is where wall shelves and hanging cabinets come into play.  With the help of a stud finder and drywall fasteners, any part of the wall can be adapted for storage. Even better, with the help of wall shelves, you can free up space that would have otherwise been taken by large bookcases and project a clearer airier image without sacrificing storage. There’s also that wasted space above doors in all our rooms; how about making use of it with a shelf?

Pinterest: Shelf Above Door

Over The Door Storage

While most are willing to drill or nail items into their easily repairable drywall, you would be hard pressed to find those willing to permanently alter their wooden doors in the name of extra storage, even with all that vertical and easily hidden space staring them right in the face.  Luckily, hanging doesn’t always have to require nails. On the contrary, many solutions are completely damage-free.  These days there are many options for hanging over the door storage, ranging from hampers to clothes hangers and even full body length cabinets with mirrors. Or consider this spice rack you could hang in a kitchen pantry:

Hanging Closet Storage

Closet rods aren’t just for hangers.  With the current age of space saving in full swing, there are many hanging closet solutions to choose from.  Hanging vinyl and fabric cubbies made for closets can store folded clothes, hats and shoes, freeing large amounts of hanging space.  For those that prefer to hang as opposed to fold clothes, there are hanging rod solutions to add extra space. Here’s an idea that gives you shelves without losing rack space:

Buy Whitmor Fabric Closet Organizer on Amazon

Storage Furniture

Storage doesn’t have to stop where beds and sofas begin.  When dressers and armoires have been packed to overflowing, a shocking amount of space can be found in furniture/storage hybrids.  Many beds built for sale in recent years have drawer systems and other storage built into their insides, along with ottomans and benches that serve as storage trunks when their seats are lifted.

Pinterest: Ottoman storage

There’s nothing quite as unnecessarily nerve-wracking and as claustrophobic as looking around a room packed to the brim with a mess that seems to have nowhere to go. I’ve employed all of these in our house to try to manage the clutter. Not easy with a pre-schooler! However, make use of every inch of space you have and you can enjoy a clean and functional home to its absolute fullest. Literally!

The post 5 Small Space Storage Solutions appeared first on Happy Wifey.

A few weeks ago, hubby and I decided to do a 15-day detox diet to help get our weight and unhealthy eating habits under control. We were both pleased with the results and are working to incorporate more fruits and veggies into our diets and eat less meat.

I’m not a big breakfast eater but I’ve always been a fan of muffins. Unfortunately, a lot of muffins are less healthy than eating a slice of cake.

When I stumbled across a recipe for low-calorie zucchini (courgette) muffins, I decided to tweak it a bit and this is what I came up with.

If you bake these muffins, I’d love to know what you think! Leave your comments below. 

The post Zucchini, Sun-dried Tomato, and Halloumi Cheese Muffin Recipe appeared first on Happy Wifey.

[Super important caveat: Don’t go picking mushrooms in the wild unless you are 100% sure you know what they are. Some of the deadly poison mushrooms look similar to their edible cousins so if there’s any doubt leave them alone.]

I know there are folks out there who won’t eat mushrooms other than those bland white buttons at the grocery store. If you haven’t eaten wild mushrooms like cepes or chanterelles, trust me, you owe it to yourself to taste them! I just can’t get enough of those delicious little fungi.

Last night I had my first wild mushrooms of the season. so I decided to try out a new recipe. My Wild Mushrooms in Cream recipe is adapted from one in my favourite Jamie Oliver cookbook, Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes. It was so easy and delicious I wanted to share it with you.

Do you love wild mushrooms too? What’s your favourite way to eat them?

The post Wild Mushrooms in Cream Recipe appeared first on Happy Wifey.

I’m not entirely sure why I was afraid to try roasting a duck. I roast chickens and turkeys with great success, and I love cooking duck breast. For some reason though, the prospect of cooking the whole duck was a bit scary.

I think part of the problem was I had never even eaten duck before our trip to France. Duck isn’t a common sight on menus around these parts unless you’re at a Chinese restaurant. When we visited the farmer’s market last week though, I spotted fresh, local duck and had to buy one on the spot.

I searched the internet high and low for a good roast duck recipe. As is common for me, I ended up combining a few different recipes and coming up with my own version. (Mostly because I never have all the ingredients on hand I need to follow someone else’s recipe faithfully!)

I’ve added Amazon links to a few of the harder to find ingredients below, in case you can’t buy them at your local store:

• pomegranate molasses
• Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce
• Soy Sauce This is the best one I’ve ever tasted!
• Balsamic Vinegar Don’t use your expensive Balsamic for this recipe (but don’t use a super cheap one either!) This is a good, everyday balsamic.
• Tabasco If you can’t find this locally, I’m sorry.

If you’ve never tried roasting a whole duck before, I hope you give it a try.

The post How to Roast a Crispy Duck Recipe appeared first on Happy Wifey.

Puy lentils, lentille du Puy, (or French green lentils) come from the Le Puy region of south-central France. These small, green, peppery lentils are often called ‘poor man’s caviar’ in France. I hadn’t really eaten lentils, outside of the occasional curry, before our trip to France a few years ago. But Puy lentils have since become of favourite. They do taste better than regular green lentils and the texture is much better for salads like this one. If you can’t find them at your local grocery, these ones from Amazon are good.

If, like me, you’ve never cooked puy lentils before, don’t be intimidated. Rinse the lentils in a colander until the water runs clear.  You can cook them in stock or water with a bit of salt. Boil them for about 25-30 minutes. They should be slightly al dente. Drain off any excess water and you’re done!

Halloumi (or haloumi) was something completely new for me and I am now in love. This salty cheese is a mixture of sheep and goat milk and comes originally from Cyprus. It can be found in Greece and Middle Eastern cooking as well. The interesting thing about this cheese is that you can fry or grill it and it doesn’t lose its shape.

I have been wanting to experiment with this cheese for some time now, so when I found this recipe for puy lentils with grilled halloumi I had to give it a go.

Here’s the recipe as I cooked it (because you know I had to tweak a bit):

It’s easy and delicious and I will definitely be making this again soon! Have you cooked Puy lentils or Halloumi? Share your comments or recipes below.

The post Puy Lentil, Cherry Tomato, and Halloumi Salad appeared first on Happy Wifey.

In some places, pearl couscous is a bit hard to find but check your international and pasta sections. Of course, you can always find it on Amazon. Here are a few options:

• I’m a big fan of Red Mill’s products and they have a variety of pearl couscous options in natural, whole wheat, and tri-color.
• Another good choice is WildRoots Organic Pearl Couscous
• Or if you want to buy in bulk, try Roland Israeli Couscous

You can do so many things with pearl couscous. It’s great in soups. You can cook it a bit like risotto. It also works either hot or cold meaning it’s a great alternative to pasta salad.

I’ve made a couple of variations of this summer salad and I’m in love.  It’s so versatile you can use whatever you have on hand. You can add or switch ingredients as you see fit but here is my starting recipe.

Have fun! If you make it let me know what you put in it.

The post Pearl Couscous Salad Recipe appeared first on Happy Wifey.