January 10, 2005

Classic Chicken Noodle SoupThere is nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of soup on a cold winters day. I guess that is why January is National Soup Month.

 

Iowa Applesauce CakeIn a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, margarine or shortening for 30 seconds. Add the sugars and egg; beat until combined. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices.

 

Pineapple Cake That Doesn't LastMix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center - add eggs, pineapple, nuts, oil, vanilla, and bananas.

 

Buying Clothing For Little GirlsWhen shopping for a little girl be sure to check the little boy sale items in the boy's dept. It is sometimes cheaper and some styles are impossible to tell whether the item was for a little boy or girl. This is especially true in stores like Gap, Old Navy, Oshkosh and Children's Place By Angel

 

PuzzleChoice - Free Wordsearch Fun OnlineHere is a great site to do interactive word searches. The writing is kind of small. By Racer

 

Makeshift BackpackTo make a temporary backpack for carrying your lunch on a short hike, bringing home trailside treasures, or transporting other light objects, just close the waist of a long-sleeved sweater or jacket with pins or string. Knot the sleeve ends together to form a strap.

 

Replacement for Air Cushioned Cookie SheetsIf you don't have the air cushioned cookie sheets, just stack two regular cookie sheets together. No more burnt bottoms and lots cheaper than the air sheets! By Debbie

 

Free Dogpile ToolbarThis is the address to get the Dogpile Toolbar. It has a ticker of the latest news. Each time you open internet explorer, you can go to view, explorer bar, and dogpile toolbar to have the ticker run the latest news at the bottom of the screen.

 

Packing Light For A TripWant to avoid long waits at the luggage counter or worse yet, lost luggage? Try to pack everything into carry on bags. Women can also fit some items into a large handbag. Wear your heaviest clothes; wear layers unless it's too hot. By joesgirl

 

Cleaning Wine DecantersWhen the bottom of the decanter is discolored from wine, drop a few drops of Clorox in and it will disappear. By Syd

 

Call 800 Numbers For Stain AdviceWhen in doubt on how to remove a stain from a product like a marker, call the manufacturer. Most have an 800 number right on them. It is easier to prevent a stain than remove - put all the pens and markers up and allow use only under supervision! By Linda

 

Video Taping Your Christmas DecorationsI always video tape my house at the holidays, then the next year it's easy to see where I had put things and it makes decorating much easier to do and also time saving. By Darija

 

Painted Memorial Rock For GardenOur son died in October and we made a small sitting area with a small maple tree, rock, monkey grass, and ceramics he had in his yard that we brought home.

 

Before Taking Your Credit Cards On VacationNotify your credit card company when you are going on vacation. Charges from strange areas may make them think your card was stolen and reject a charge you may want to make. We were going to Cancun, Mexico.

 

Organizing Frozen VeggiesI always try to have frozen veggies on hand, and often use less than a full bag at a time. To keep from losing these partial bags, I keep a plastic crate in the freezer.

 

Refrigerator Lazy SusanThey actually make one for the 'fridge that has a corner portion that keeps it in place better than the round lazy susan. It is clear plastic and a good size. I find it very convenient!

 

Recycling Old 3 Ring BindersWhen they are past their prime and ready for pitching. Cut the ring binder portion off and use the rigid covers in file cabinets for dividers. Very sturdy! By Syd

 

Quicker Cooking Dried BeansCut the cooking time way down on dried beans by soaking overnight, then freezing them in usable quantities. Then cook them by boiling them until soft. The freezing breaks down some of the cell fibers allowing them to cook more quickly.

 

More Fresh Grapes Than You Can Eat?Store some in wine in a jar and refrigerate. Then add to fresh fruit salads ... just not too many! By Syd

 

Placemat Instead of a Mouse PadHere is a great tip to keep your computer keyboard area clean and tidy and save money too. Instead of wasting money on a mouse pad, go to the dollar store or somewhere you like, pick up one vinyl placemat and your mouse will still work out just great.

 

Storing Freshly Ironed TableclothsTo store freshly ironed tablecloths, attach a long, sturdy towel bar to the inside of a closet door. place tissue between folds of tablecloth and hang carefully over the rod. By Marian

 

Looking For Ways To Volunteer?Want to work with a volunteer group but don't know where to start?

 

Party Table DecorationGreat idea for Christmas or party table decoration. Take a pretty bowl and turn it upside down, take another pretty bowl and place it on top of the other bowl. Fill the top bowl with Christmas balls of any color. Place greenery around bottom of upside down bowl.

 

When Can You Let a Puppy Be Outside Alone?I have a 6 week old puppy and I wanted to know when is the best time to start leaving her out in the backyard alone to play? Is she too young? Will she be permanently fearful if I leave her out? Will she be afraid of neighbor's dog when he barks? I would greatly appreciate some advice on this. Thanks, sphinx

 

Tsunami Relief Drive for Kindergarten Students?Any suggestions for what Kindergarten students could do? lshynes

 

Cheap Meal Ideas For a College Student?I have a request for cheap, low budget, yet tasty meal ideas. I'm going to school at St. Lawrence College in Kingston and I live in an apartment with my boyfriend where we both pay half rent. So money is a bit tight for me right now and I was wondering if anyone knew of any cool recipes?

 

How Do I Patch Sheetrock?I am going to paint my bathroom ceiling and am having a problem with a hole in my ceiling. It is small, near a corner of the wall. How do i patch it? Is there a way to do it without having to tape and compound? Or without takiing the whole piece down? Thanks, Susan :)

 

Making Pie Crusts For The Freezer?I love to make pies, but I lose recipes a lot so i have to find a recipe again every time I absolutely hate the taste of refrigerated pie crust, (store bought), I was wondering if anyone had a recipe for making a lot of pie dough that would stay good frozen or in the fridge. Juniorbaker

 

Bringing The Shine Back On A Linoleum Floor?How can I get the shine back on my linoleum floor? Thank you, Katie from NY

 

How Do Frugal People Store All The Stuff They Save?This is a request for all of us frugal people who save everything. How do we store and organize all this stuff? Linda

 

Decorating My Room with Favorite Bands?I am going to decorate my room in a music theme, since I love to play the electric guitar. Are there any special brushes I should use to paint Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Green Day on my wall since those are my fav. bands? Thanks, I'm not allowed to paint black on my walls, that sux- black is my favorite color. Chance