Saturday, January 28, 2012

Facebook Fan Page vs Personal Profile for Business or Causes


We all know that using a Personal profile on Facebook strictly for business is a no-no.  But still we see people doing it every day.  Let's be honest.  I used a personal profile for a long time until Facebook announced the "change to a fan page" option.

Not only is using that personal profile a no-no but it could be restricting you from having the fans or "likes" and the shares that you want and deserve.  And that's not good.  Wouldn't you rather have 4,000 fans than 1,000 friends?

My plight is often not heard which breaks my heart....especially when rescues refuse to make the switch.  I think of those sweet animals waiting for homes who are missing out on the proper promotion.  I've tried and tried though.  Still those restrictive "friends only" personal profiles are being used.  So you're thinking, "woman...what's the big deal?"

Well besides the fact that if they catch you, your account could be at risk, here are the biggies:

  • First and foremost, many people don't want to "friend" strangers.  No one knows who is really behind that personal profile being used for business.  Not to mention with the way Facebook works now, if that "stranger" comments on something, everyone who is friends with that "stranger" can see the original post no matter how locked down the "fan's" profile is.  With a Fan Page, people can easily "like" you page without requests and rigamorole.  They often won't even think twice about the like and you'll be showing up in their feed in no time!  
  • Second, you miss out on people's "likes."  If they aren't your friend on a personal profile, they can't "like" or comment on your stuff.  That means others won't see that they liked it either...because they were never able to "like" it.  
  • Third, you may miss out on "shares" and you want those!  You want people to share all of your stuff so other people like your page, buy what you are selling, adopt those animals, etc.
  • Fourth, a fan page gives you a tool called "Insights" which give you stats...how many people are looking at your page, where are they located, etc.
  • Fifth, people can share your page on their walls and add it to their favorite pages which others can see.  More, more, more promo!
Ready to make the switch?  You can switch over that personal profile to a page and keep all of those friends as fans!  You will lose some content but it's not significant (trust me, I've done it).  Better yet, it is incredibly easy.

To get started, log in with that personal profile and go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php?migrate.  After that, it is pretty self explanatory.  You will be asked to choose a business type and some standard options.  

I'll discuss more on how to set up and use that page in future articles.




Happy cooking, loving, crafting, and laughing!
Suzanne

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes

Got this recipe from a friend long ago and not sure who to give the credit to.  Just know that I don't deserve the credit....lol :)

Ingredients:

2 cups Stuffing
1 tbsp Minced Onion
2 lb Potatoes (I use two bags of cubed simply potatoes...better yet the ones with onion already in them)
1/4 cup Butter melted
1 tsp Salt
8 oz Sour Cream
1 can Cream of Chicken
2 cups Cheddar Cheese
3 tbsp Butter melted (for stuffing)

Instructions:

Mix the 1/4 cup butter, onion, salt, sour cream, and cream of chicken.

Put potatoes in crock pot and mix in the cheese.

Pour the soup mix into the crock pot and mix.

Cover with the stuffing.

Drizzle the 3 tbsp of butter on top of the stuffing.

Cook on high 5-6 hours (adjust if necessary for your crock pot).



Happy cooking, loving, crafting, and laughing!
Suzanne

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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Butter Pecan Ice Cream - Egg Free














I've been playing with ice cream for a couple months now and I am just not a fan of the egg custard versions.  So I continue to experiment with new combinations of ingredients.  This one turned out very yummy!  No greasy feeling on the tongue, just the right amount of butter, great ice milk texture...  Love it!

Ingredients:

2 cups Half and Half
1 cup Whole Milk
2/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Powdered Milk
1/2 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Butter (melted)
Pecans

Instructions:

Whisk together half and half, whole milk, powdered milk, salt, and dark brown sugar.  Place in refrigerator for at least two hours.

Remove batter from refrigerator and whisk well again.  Whisk in melted butter just prior to putting in ice cream maker.

Follow manufacturer's instructions for your ice cream maker.  If using a Kitchenaid ice cream attachment, this will take about 20 minutes.

Add pecans during the last three minutes of churning.

For harder ice cream, place in freezer for at least three hours.


Happy cooking, loving, crafting, and laughing!
Suzanne

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Monday, January 2, 2012

Enchilada Lasagna Bake

All dressed up
















This yummy creation is one of my first in my journey learning how to cook. It is relatively easy to make too!  First, you will need to make some of my Suzi's Creamy Dreamy Taco Meat.

Ingredients:

1 can Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp (or less) Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Cumin
1 clove Garlic
Diced Jalapenos (to taste)

1 pkg Soft Corn Tortillas
1 pkg Cheddar Cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

While cooking your taco meat, simmer the first six ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Meanwhile, place first layer of tortillas in an oven safe dish.

1st layer

Add a layer of the sauce mixture to the dish.

Sauce layer

Add a layer of the taco meat.

Meat layer

Repeat steps twice with the top layers being tortillas and sauce topped with the cheese.

Final layer

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes until bubbling.

Final

Serve with your choice of lettuce, sour cream, salsa, etc.


Happy cooking, loving, crafting, and laughing!
Suzanne

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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Andes Mint Ice Cream

Andes Mint Ice Cream

This yummy recipe is perfect year round! This has an ice milk consistency and requires no eggs or cooking.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups Half and Half
1/2 cup Heavy/Whipping Cream
2/3 cup Sugar
1/2 tbsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp Peppermint Extract
Green Food Coloring
Andes Mint Baking Pieces

Instructions:

Whisk together all ingredients except for the Andes mint pieces until sugar is dissolved. Place batter in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours.

Prepare according to your ice cream attachment/maker instructions. If using a Kitchenaid attachment, this will take about 20 minutes. Add the desired amount of Andes mint pieces during the last 3-5 minutes.

Put in freezer for at least three hours for harder ice cream.

Happy cooking, loving, crafting, and laughing!
Suzanne

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Suzi's Creamy Dreamy Taco Meat

Creamy Taco Meat

This taco meat is definitely not the norm. It's wonderful in a variety of Mexican food recipes. Its also a great way to keep the kiddos from making a mess with the sour cream and cheese because they are already in the meat.

Ingredients:

1 pound Ground Sirloin
1/2 Onion diced
Pepper
1/2 - 1 cup Sour Cream
1/2 - 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
1-1/2 tbsp Trade East Taco Seasoning

Instructions:

Brown ground sirloin and onions in medium fry pan with the pepper and taco seasoning. Once fully cooked, add desired amount of sour cream and cheese. Continue cooking until heated and sour cream and cheese are fully incorporated.

Use in your favorite recipe!


Happy cooking, loving, crafting, and laughing!
Suzanne

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