May 11, 2006

Marinated Carrot SaladBeat dressing ingredients together. Pour over vegetables and refrigerate overnight. Yum!

 

Apricot-Pineapple SaladDissolve Jello in water. Add juice and marshmallows, stir until dissolved. Chill till firm.

 

Jello Cookie MixLayer ingredients in order given in 1 quart mason jar.

 

Swiss ChickenPut each chicken breast between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Pound out to 1/4 inch thickness with a mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with salt. Dip in beaten egg, then bread crumbs. In skillet, heat oil and brown chicken.

 

Three Pepper Fajita Chicken (Freezer Meal)This rainbow of a low fat meal can be served as is for a delicious low-carb option, or pour over rice or wrap in a flour tortilla for a family-friendly favorite.

 

Green Salad (Jello)Dissolve Jello with 2 cups hot water. Let cool. Add remaining ingredients. Chill.

 

High Hat MeatloafCombine the first 10 ingredients. Shape into 8 loaves. Place in shallow baking pan so that they do not touch. Bake, uncovered, in 350 degrees F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.

 

Avoid the Standard Meal Plan at CollegeUnless you are an athlete that must eat copious amounts of food to maintain weight, muscle, and stamina, the standard meal plan is not advisable.

 

Thought for the DayIf it were not for the optimist, the pessimist would never know how happy he wasn't!

 

Starting a Garden on a BudgetI am looking for ideas on how to inexpensively start a flower, grass, and shrub garden. I have a very small budget for this and am new to the area so I don't have the resources for cuttings and other transfer plants.

 

Marigold CleanserMarigolds are so much more than the hardy, popular orange and yellow flowers we see in flower beds and boxes during the summer. The petals are a bit spicy and can be used as decoration in salads and are sparingly used in custards to provide a hint of spice.

 

Check Out Your Professor's RatingWhen planning your schedule for the coming year, first pick the classes you need to take, and then check to see who teaches them. With that information in hand, visit www.ratemyprofessor.com. This site lets students search by school for ratings submitted by past students of any professor.

 

Keeping the Kids Sleeves Dry in the SnowA lady I know used to live in snow country. She said to keep snow from getting down the sleeves of her children, when out playing, etc. She'd cut the elastic tops off of crew socks and sew on to the cuffs of their mittens and/or gloves.

 

Doing Laundry at CollegeHopefully you have found yourself at a school that offers free laundry facilities. If so, do laundry all the time and be proud that you are saving hundreds of dollars annually in washing and drying costs. If you live off campus, bus the laundry in and do it for free.

 

Study as You WishYou will hear from lots of people that the best way to study is in a quiet comfortable location free of distractions. While that works for many people, it doesn't work for everyone. I had a roommate that couldn't stand any sort of distraction when studying. I on the other hand cannot stand the quiet.

 

Don't Try to Solve All Your Kid's ProblemsAs tempting as it might be to step in if your child has a problem at school, don't. Let him or her handle it if there are roommate problems, questions regarding financial aid, or any other problem. Your child is now in college. He or she is expected to act like an adult.

 

Casey (Pit Bull)Casey is my 10 week old pit bull. I rescued her from a home where a litter was born, she was kept in a crate in a garage.

 

Buttered NoodlesIf you're broke and money is too tight to buy food, I have a great recipe for you. Take some dry pasta, preferably egg noodles, but whatever you have on hand should work fine. Cook your serving until it is al dente, drain pasta and return to pan.

 

Lists for the RefrigeratorIf you get a small notebook and glue some magnets to the back, you can keep it on your refrigerator.

 

Create a Home Project PlannerHere is a system I use for cataloging and keeping track of the many household projects I wish to complete. First, buy a notebook and insert page dividers; writing the names of each room on the dividers.

 

Food to Have on Hand at CollegeCollege students notoriously have horrible diets either because of poor eating habits or because of budget concerns. Here's a list of foods that I always tried to keep in stock because they were fairly low costing and weren't too bad for the diet either.

 

Get a Job with Perks (College Life)When seeking a job, look for one where you get something more than just pay. Is the job super easy like watching the front desk in your dorm? If so, congratulations, you now have time to study at work. Do you love to shop at a particular store in the mall?

 

Fill Out The FAFSA Every Year (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)Every year that you plan to attend school, you will want to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Almost any scholarship you apply for will require you to complete the FAFSA in order to receive it.

 

Easy Ways to Get a Little Cash at CollegeIf you are in need of a little extra cash fast try these simple tips. Collect pop cans and return them for deposit. Looking for an easier way to get some cash? Donate plasma. Take part in a psychological experiment.

 

Growing MarigoldsGuide for growing growing Marigolds. Marigolds possess natural compounds useful for repelling nematodes in the garden, especially African varieties. Several varieties are also widely used for their culinary and herbal properties (mostly for tea) in many Latin American countries.

 

Environmentally Safe Grub ControlIt seems like all the lawns around here are infested with grubs this year. Is there an environmentally safe way to control and kill them?

 

Get Local Scholarships for CollegeLook to local sources when applying for scholarships. You are much more likely to get a scholarship from the school's PTA than you are to get the scholarships given by giants like Coca-Cola and Calgon. It's all a numbers game. National scholarship searches will have hundreds more applicants than local organizations.

 

Seek Out Jobs that Pay Your College TuitionIf you need a job to help pay for school, why not look for one that will also pay part of your tuition? National companies that supplement wages with tuition money include UPS, FedEx, and Home Depot.

 

Bring the Kitchen Bare Necessities to CollegeDon't buy a bunch of stuff for your new dorm or apartment. It probably won't fit in the tight quarters and you may not even have a kitchen in your room. You will want to start with one medium sized sauce pan, one serving spoon, one bowl, one plate, a stack of paper plates and plastic silverware.

 

Saving Money on Boating SuppliesBoating doesn't have to be a pricey business. You don't have to go to the high-priced marine stores for most of your needs. My husband gets everything at the regular hardware store when he can - it's cheaper.

 

Mother's Day Bath SaltsHere's an inexpensive gift for Mother's Day that any kid can make for their mom.

 

Labeling Items for Bake SalesWhen having a bake sale, be sure to write on the bags of snacks (cookies, candies, etc.) what flavors they are. Just because you know what they are, others won't and might not can tell by looking. . .

 

How To Create A Monthly Budget For...Food is not something we can do without. Cutting back on your food bill, though, can leave you with a substantial amount of money left in your pocket at the end of the month.

 

Don't Shop During the 1st Week of CollegeMove in with the items you will need. Do not plan to head to your local mall to pick up sheets, towels, etc. when you move in and by all means avoid the grocery store. Plan to eat everything on campus for a week, or bring groceries from home.

 

Free Fertilizer With Leftover TeaWant to enjoy that cup of tea and get free fertilizer in return? Then don't throw away that leftover cup or teapot of tea (the one without sugar and cream) as they make excellent fertilizer for your greens. . .

 

Tips for Studying a Foreign LanguageIf you will be majoring or minoring in a foreign language you may find it beneficial to check your essays in a version of Microsoft Word that is capable of editing in the chosen language.

 

An Introduction to the Art of BonsaiThe art of Bonsai initially showed up on America's gardening radar after the Karate Kid movie trilogy in the early 1980s, when Pat Morita (a.k.a Mr. Miyagi) used a bonsai tree to teach Ralph Macchio the finer points of martial arts and life.

 

Designing the Perfect Garden PathA garden path can be functional and it can be so much more. Functional paths provide safe and efficient routes of travel through your garden. They cut down on tracking mud into the house, and act as anchors to surrounding plants. But garden paths can also be works of art.

 

Become a Resident AssistantIf you're looking for ways to save money at school, why not become a resident assistant? RAs are generally given free room and board in exchange for planning programs for other residents on their floor, helping solve any problems, and just being someone their residents can talk to.

 

Safety - Your Money and Your LifeI was mugged several months ago. I have gained some insight that could save your money and your life.

 

Organizing Sewing Supplies?I do a lot of sewing for babies, especially "preemies", and have quite a bit of sewing supplies in my stash. How does everyone organize sewing, trims, lace, thread, etc.?

 

Straw Salad Recipe?I am trying to find a recipe my Mom used to make. She called it "Straw Salad" (I don't know why). Some of the ingredients were apricot Jell-O, cream cheese, pineapple, bananas, and coconut. If I remember correctly, the ingredients were layered.

 

Moving Cats to a New Home?I am moving from the U.K.. to Florida soon and plan to take my three cats with me. I am terrified of losing them and as they love to go outside. It is very hard to keep them indoors. Any suggestions on how to keep them close and keeping them from getting lost?

 

Candle Wax on Linoleum?I was wondering if anyone knows how to get candle wax off of linoleum floors?

 

50th Birthday Game Ideas?I need games for a ladies 50th Birthday Luncheon held at my mom's home on June 24th. The party is for my sister.

 

Curtains for a Burgundy Wall?I have a long narrow bedroom and want to paint the wall opposite the door a dark burgundy-type colour to bring it in a bit. The other walls will be a cream/stone complimentary colour. However, that is the wall with the window and I am now stuck as to what colour curtains to get.

 

Pace Picante Sauce Recipe?Does anyone have a cloned recipe for Pace Picante Sauce?

 

Removing Paint from a Christmas Stocking?How can I remove Puffy paint from a Christmas Stocking?

 

10 Month Old Won't Hold His Own Bottle?My son is 10 months old and still will not hold his bottle on his own or a cup. He does everything else any 10 month old does. I'm a new mother so I don't know when they start doing this. Does anyone know?

 

Is it ever acceptable to strike a dog?Some people I know adopted a pit bull puppy. She is now 7 months old named Cali. One of the people she is with hits her for stuff like pooping in his room, or sometimes just "playing around" slapping her "in jest". Her feeding, watering and pooping schedule is something erratic.