April 16, 2005

Dish Pan CookiesCombine both sugars, oil, eggs, vanilla. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Stir all together. Drop on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

 

Mud Pie BarsPat into 9x13 inch pan. Freeze until firm. Soften 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream. Spread onto the frozen crust above. Freeze again until firm.

 

Special ChickenPlace chicken breasts in cooking pan. Place slices of cheese over chicken. Mix together the soup and milk to thin the soup and pour over the chicken.

 

Grandma's Rhubarb PieMix sugar, flour, nutmeg, and eggs with a fork. Pour over rhubarb and stir until well coated. Place in unbaked pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake at 40 minutes more. Must be firm in center.

 

Giving the Kids All the Family Names and NumbersI was getting vexed at the number of times my adult children, now living in their own homes, would call me for family information such as telephone numbers, cell numbers, work numbers, fax numbers, birthdates, wedding anniversaries and even correct spellings of our grandchildren's names.

 

Keeping Clutter Off The Dining Room TableI finally found a simple solution to a problem that has bugged me for years! My dining room table seemed to take on the life of a dump-it-all spot for everyone in the family.

 

25% of Food Purchases Get Thrown OutDon't shop on impulse. Skip impulse food buys. Stop & consider the size of your family. Will this product go to waste by not getting eaten? I read recently where 25% of food purchases get thrown out.

 

Organizing With Land O'Lakes Egg ContainersI use Land O'Lakes egg containers to store jewelry, office supplies, bathroom items such as barrettes and bobby pins, buttons, etc. I can see what I've stored and they can either stack or trifold close.

 

Clean Out the Dryer's Lint TrapBe sure to clean out your dryer's lint trap, after each use. Forgetting to do so, might cause a fire. It's better to be safe than sorry.

 

Keeping Track of When You Changed the Air FilterWhenever I change my car's air filter, I write that day's date right on the rim of the filter with a Sharpie marker. That way, I can see at a glance when the filter was last changed.

 

Drying Paintbrush TipAfter cleaning a used paintbrush, put a rubber band around the bristles of the brush to help it keep its shape while drying.

 

Carry Address Labels for Entry FormsI love to attend street fairs, and I take along return address labels to use whenever I fill out any entry forms or the like. People always comment on how smart I am!

 

Diagnosing Plants That Need More IronPlant leaves that are all turning yellow need iron, available in garden centers as Ironite, not more water.

 

Prepare Your Hands For PaintingBefore painting, rub a light coat of baby oil all over your hands. It makes cleaning up your hands SO much easier at the end of the day.

 

Abigail the TomThis is a picture of my wild turkey!

 

Reusing Mandarin Orange BoxesYou know those sturdy wooden crates that you buy mandarin oranges in? I paint them, decoupage nice pictures on the sides and use them for storing items in the bathroom. I put it on the counter or on the tank of the toilet.

 

Turn Off Ventilation FansWhen finished with the ventilating fans in your bath and kitchen. Turn them off as they can blow out a house full of heated air if left on.

 

Keep Fireplace Dampers ClosedKeep your fireplace damper closed unless you're burning a fire to prevent up to 8% of your furnace heated air from going up your chimney.

 

Recipe to Clean Mildew and Dirt Off Aluminum SidingScrub on and rinse off.

 

Chux Magic ErasersI'm from Australia and recently I saw mention of a product called Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I don't know if it's the same product as we get in Australia but I thought I'd submit this tip anyway. Our product is called Chux Magic Erasers.

 

Keeping a Dust Cloth HandyKeep a Swiffer cloth or other dusting cloth in a ziplock bag in your car. Whenever you're stuck at a long light or waiting for someone in a parking lot, you can dust the dash or other dusty surfaces quickly.

 

Repairing Rips in ScreensSew tears in a screen with clear nylon thread or dental floss.

 

Dakotah (Rottweiler) Posing for the CameraDakotah is my 'Grand-dog', meaning he belongs to my daughter. He is 6 yrs. old and is her baby (think's he human). She can say go to Grandmom and he will come to me or tell Papaw goodbye and he will go to him. So smart, just like a grandchild.

 

Being Prepared for TornadosWe're under storm warnings (again) today. It's part of our Spring weather where I live, smack in the middle of "Tornado Alley".

 

When Baking, Invest In The Right Tools For The JobThe right tools make all the difference when baking and cooking. I saved for years to acquire the very best kitchen tools I could find, especially for the "luxury" tools that I now consider essentials, such as different scoops for cookies, meatballs, etc.

 

Cutting Pills For Prescription SavingsConsider having your doctor prescribe pills in a strength you can cut in half (not all meds are suitable for this). If you do this, buy a pill cutter for a few dollars at the drug store.

 

Trimming Fat off MeatNever trim fat from meat before cooking. Fat helps give meat it's flavor. One can trim their meat before serving or eating.

 

Interruptions While PaintingI have been painting my living room and find that, very often, I am called away from my work by a telephone call or a child needing help. I keep a large plastic garbage sack nearby and, when I am called away, I place my paint pan, with roller and brush and all, inside the bag and twist it a few times to seal.

 

Traveling In a Car With Kids?Traveling with kids can be quite a challenge. Here are some tips to help keep them occupied and prevent you from going nuts.

 

Help Me Tie a Quilt?I have been working on a queen size quilt and not sure how to tie a quilt. Do I knot the corners of each block which are 9 in blocks? Any suggestions? Thanks

 

Storing Important Papers?Tips for storing important papers. Post your ideas.

 

Inexpenisve Edging Ideas?Any suggestions on how I can edge my flower beds with little or no expense? I want something that will be easy to mow around instead of having to weed eat around all flower beds. Thanks!

 

Strawberry Syrup Recipe?A little while ago I had made "strawberry syrup" made with white syrup and adding Kool-aid or jello to it. When I wanted to make it again I had misplaced the recipe. Does anyone have this?

 

Music Themed Centerpieces and Favors?My fiance and I are very musical people and we are looking for ways to incorporate our love of music into our wedding. I am looking for ideas of centerpieces or favors.

 

Repairing Holes In Laminate Countertop?I have 2 knife stab holes in a 9 month old laminate kitchen countertop. Can they be repaired? Should it be replaced? Should I have a piece of butcher block installed? Any suggestions?

 

Screening in a Front Porch?We would like to screen in our own front porch. It is an old fashioned front porch with cement and brick railings. If we could screen it in, it would make a great place to sit outside. But I can't find instructions.