December 9, 2005

Egg & SausageBeat eggs - use a large bowl. Mix in milk, salt & dry mustard. Mix in bread crumbs, cheese, onion, sausage & mushrooms. Pour into greased 8"x8" baking dish. Can be refrigerated overnight.

 

Spiced Orange Ginger TeaIn a large saucepan, combine all ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 10 to 20 minutes. Remove ginger root, cinnamon sticks and allspice; discard...

 

Green Beans SauteGreen beans and onions are lightly sautéed in only 1 tablespoon of oil...

 

Blue Ribbon Applesauce CornbreadSift together all dry ingredients. Add egg, milk, applesauce and melted margarine. Mix until dry ingredients are well moistened, NOT SMOOTH...

 

Chayotes Stuffed With CheeseThis heart-healthy dish uses low fat cheese and a small amount of margarine.

 

Sweet and Spicy Mexican CoffeeA yummy way to make instant coffee with cinnamon and cloves.

 

Herbal AftershaveCombine ingredients into bowl. Pour into glass jar, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 days, shaking occasionally. Strain ingredients after 3-4 days and store refrigerated for up to 2 months.

 

Dry Scalp TreatmentSqueeze ginger root through press to obtain one tablespoon of juice. Mix all ingredients. Apply to scalp and let dry before shampooing. Repeat three times a week.

 

Fruit ConditionerCombine mashed avocado with some coconut milk. Mash together until it is smooth and about as thick as shampoo. Comb it through the hair and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

 

Discovery with Crayola Clay and Transfer FoilI was working with the kind of clay that air drys, not hard clay, the one I use is made by Crayola and comes in a foil wrapper. I was trying to make some jewelry. I had sheets of transfer foil, I placed the foil sheet against the slighty damp clay and the foil transferred...

 

Beet Moisturizing MaskBlend ingredients in a blender. Pat on face and leave on until dry. Rinse.

 

Add Marshmallows to Pumpkin PieTo make a tasty topping for pumpkin pie, put marshmallows on the bottom of the pie crust and top with the filling, as it bakes the marshmallows come to the top.

 

Tomato Juice and Milk CleanserCombine the juice from one very ripe tomato (processed in blender and strained) with 5 oz. of fresh whole milk. Apply to the face and neck and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Do this once or twice daily for a week for a deep cleansing of skin. Caution: Not for sensitive skin.

 

Cleaning Up a Broken Egg from the FloorFor a broken egg on the floor, sprinkle it generously with salt before pushing it on to a dust pan.

 

Heart Ornaments from Scrap FabricTake old scraps of quilting if you have some or your favorite fabrics and cut out a few hearts and sew up leaving a small place to stuff them and then whip stitch them shut. Then hot glue green and red antique or old buttons on them for extra charm.

 

Sun Burn FacialAdd honey or egg yolk to crushed green grapes and leave on damp skin for 15 minutes. Also, try applying a chamomile extract, crushed strawberries or liquid from a split fresh Aloe Vera leaf.

 

Starlight's Christmas TraditionThis was a Christmas Tradition for years when the kids were young. I would turn my basement into a craft area, decorate it for Christmas with a tree, and then invite all of my sisters and brothers to drop their kids off from noon till 8 pm.

 

Citrus Hair SprayChop one lemon (or orange for dry hair). Place in pot with 2 cups water and boil until only half of the original amount remains. Cool, strain, and place in a spray bottle.

 

Strawberry Foot ExfoliantThis foot exfoliant can be used on your feet to help smooth rough calluses.

 

Pine Cone CenterpieceIf you have pinecones in your yard or know where you can get them free, then this is the project for you. Use them to make an interesting and good smelling table decoration.

 

Radish DeodorantExtract juice from radishes and combine with glycerin. Pour into a squirt bottle and refrigerate. After bathing, pour mixture into palm of hands and apply under arms.

 

Cute and Inexpensive CandlesticksTurn jar lid opening facing down. Glue bottom of pill bottle right side up to centre of jar lid. Place various types of pasta around base of pill bottle and a few up the sides a bit. After the glue is dried; paint the whole thing...

 

All Purpose Chamomile ShampooCover flowers in boiling water and let them stand 15 minutes. Strain out leaves and keep water. Add soap and let it soften. Beat in glycerin, pour in bottle and store in a cool, dark place.

 

Herb Garden Body RefresherCombine all ingredients into a sterilized glass jar and store for 1 week-shaking occasionally. Strain and pour into an airtight bottle for use.

 

One Dollar GiftsWhen the Ladies come together just before Christmas, we each buy a gift for a $1.00 in The Dollar store. We have a gift exchange while we have our Christmas...

 

Personal Care Recipes from the GardenMost of us make a trip to the grocery store or drugstore when we need personal care products. However, if you stop to consider the fact that most of the personal care products we buy in stores are derived from natural ingredients, a trip to the garden may be all we need. Here are some easy and economical personal care recipes right from the garden.

 

Tomato Juice Hair RinseMix. Comb through clean, wet hair. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing. Restores pH balance and makes hair shiny and more manageable.

 

Cranberry Lip GlossMix all ingredients together and heat in the microwave until it begins to boil (usually 1-2 minutes). Stir well, mash the berries, and let stand 5 minutes. Strain the mixture to remove pieces of cranberry.

 

Keeping Track of ToiletriesI have a bad habit of stockpiling toiletries because I never know what I have on hand or I know I have it and can't find it. I hung a pocket shoe bag on the inside of my linen closet and now put new purchases (and those from my stash) of shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. in the pockets.

 

Saving Money on Gifts - Agree on LimitsOne year my sister and I decided not to spend a lot of money on each other. We chose 10 different categories (5 each) example: Warm and Fuzzy, old home place etc etc. We then had to purchase or make the items in each category and not spend over 5.00 for each item...

 

Marigold Hair ColorSimmer flowers in water in a nonmetal pot for 20 minutes. Remove from heat; strain when cool; saving the liquid. After washing hair; apply the marigold decoction as a final rinse; pouring it over the hair and catching it in a basin to reapply several times.

 

Cucumber Wrinkle CreamCube and blend cucumber (washed, but unpeeled) with rest of ingredients. Apply in mornings and evening.

 

Strawberry Tooth-WhitenerMash fresh strawberries and use as you would any other toothpaste. Rub fresh sage leaves over teeth to clean and whiten them.

 

3-D Memory BoxesThese are 3D memory boxes of miniature hand-crafted scenes. They feature particular themes like the beach huts, garden sheds, and Mediterranean courtyards.

 

Peanut with his Andy Dick Hair (Cocker Spaniel)Peanut is our year old American Cocker Spaniel. We bought him from a breeder in Albuquerque, NM when he was 8 weeks old. He likes to chase our newest addition-another Cocker (Female) named Sunnie. We call this photo his "Andy Dick" Hair!

 

Cat Won't Use Catit Drinking Fountain?My 6 year old cat drinks from the bathtub tap, but we will be moving soon so I invested in a Catit Drinking fountain (quite costly I might add). He loved it for about two days and now won't go near it.

 

Ferns Damaged By Cold Weather?It got so cold and the plants on my deck are not looking so good. I have Ferns and Palm trees. What can I do?

 

Ginger Bread House Recipe?I need a good recipe for ginger bread for a gingerbread house. A nice hard gingerbread, not soft and thick.

 

Replacing Caulk on a Bath Tub?I have to replace caulking around a bathtub. The caulk has become mildewy in spots. After thoroughly cleaning and removing as much old caulking as I can, will it hurt to apply new caulk over some of the old?

 

Convection Oven Reviews?I had a great one by Farberware about 20 years ago. When it broke, I replaced it with the same model, which never worked too well. It would burn the food without cooking it all the way (and on "low" it didn't cook much at all).