February 22, 2007

Tangy Sloppy JoesIn a large skillet, cook the beef, celery, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.

 

Rock Candy Stir SticksIn a large saucepan over medium heat, place water. Bring to a boil and stir in sugar. Continue to boil until mixture reaches 260 degrees F. Remove from heat and let mixture cool for 5 minutes. Pour sugar mixture into glass jar add drops of food coloring.

 

Divinity CandyMix sugar, syrup and water, bring to a boil and continue boiling until mixture forms a firm ball when dropped in cold water. While above mixture is cooking, beat egg whites and salt until they form stiff peaks.

 

Raised DoughnutsPut potatoes in a bowl, add butter, eggs, sugar and milk. Cool to lukewarm and add yeast, dissolved. Also add flour and salt.

 

Instant OatmealProcess 1 cup of oats (in batches if necessary) in blender or food processor until powdered. In each plastic bag, combine 2 Tbsp. of the powdered oats, 1/4 cup unprocessed oats, and 1/8 tsp salt.

 

Easy Tuna CasseroleMix in order and add a small amount of milk and blend thoroughly. Roll out some more crackers and sprinkle over top and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees F until brown, about half an hour.

 

Raisin RocksSift flour, soda and spices together. Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and sifted ingredients alternately with sour milk in small amounts.

 

4 Bean SaladThis is a great salad that is high in fiber and is easy to make.

 

Avoid Delays With Your Tax ReturnBe careful when switching software or filling out your tax return if you are married-filing jointly. My husband and I accidentally switched the order of our social security numbers from last year to this.

 

Fruit Tree Bird Net FrameHubby and I made this frame out of 2 inch plastic irrigation piping attached to metal 'star' pickets. This size pipe fits snuggly on to the ends of the pickets, sliding easily over.

 

Controlling Weeds OrganicallyA garden filled with weeds will yield about half as much as a weed-free garden of the same size. In fact, one of the most common causes of a failed garden is letting weeds get the jump on your plants.

 

Monthly ResolutionsStatistically, most people don't succeed with their New Year's resolutions. If you are one of those people, try starting smaller, with weekly or monthly resolutions. If you are trying to cut down on fast food, commit yourself to not eating out for a month.

 

Keep Cooking Spices In FreezerKeep cooking spices fresh by keeping them in the freezer. To organize them, I use the top shelf of the door. I arrange them in alphabetical order so I don't have to search through all of them to find a particular one.

 

Team Up With Your Husband For Thrifty ShoppingGet your husband in on it! Since we have gotten together, my husband has been warming up to thrift stores and the 99 Cent store, etc. And he prowls the bargain tables at Staples and Office Depot.

 

Food Coloring Substitute Made From CandyI was making Valentine cupcakes last week and didn't have any food coloring. I went through my leftover Halloween candy and found some bright red candies (Nerds is what I used, but anything super bright will work).

 

Recipe For A Tie-Dye B-Day PartyMake very colorful individual invitations by coloring inside, 5 stripes up and down. Then cover stripes by coloring over with black crayons. Use knife to scrape out info for party. Design own covers.

 

Chickenpox Booster VaccinationSo this is just a heads up to parents with kids over 5 to make sure they get the new immunization. If anyone has any tips for caring for kids with chickenpox, I'd love some input.

 

Growing Fruit In PotsContainer gardeners (and fruit lovers) rejoice! You don't need a big yard to grow delicious apples, plums, or pears. With the right fruit, the right pot, the right compost and the right care, you can create your own little fruit orchard right on your balcony or terrace.

 

Debt Reduction Companies in Iowa?I am wondering if anyone who lives in Iowa can recommend a good company for debt reduction, etc. What I am looking for is the type of company that takes credit card debt and other unsecured type debts and gets payments and interest lowered for its customers.

 

Rough Spots on Leather?I used the tip to remove acetone free nail polish remover to remove white scuff marks from my blue patent leather handbag - it worked great!

 

Recipes Using Kielbasa Sausage?My son gave me some kielbasa, the Polish sausage. I would like some recipes for its use, but not too heavy. Does one boil it, saute it, broil it?

 

Super Fresco Pattern Number 11037?I'm looking for a super fresco wallpaper if anybody can help. It's pattern number 11037. I need 1 roll, two would be even better.

 

Flower Loom Patterns?I am looking for patterns for a Flower Loom.

 

Spring Fling Ideas?I am the faculty adviser for a student-led community service club at the high school where I teach. The students want to have a "Spring Fling" at a retirement home to provide the residents with something fun to do for an evening.

 

Wedding Mints?I want the recipe for those mints you make in molds for weddings, bridal showers or baby showers.

 

Liquid Sand Paper?Does liquid sand paper work, or is there something better than liquid sand paper?

 

Drought, Heat and Cold Tolerant Plants?We had nasty below freezing weather this week. I am thinking we are going to have to replace some shrubbery and decorative perennials. I have decided to use drought, heat and cold tolerant plants that don't have a bad spreading habit.

 

Casino Themed Dance?What are good ideas for casino themed dance? I need some good ideas for a Las Vegas theme dance. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Buying a Used Digital Camera?I would like to buy an inexpensive used digital camera on eBay. I intend to use it to photograph items I'm selling on eBay. Do you have a camera (manufacturer and model, please) that you'd recommend?

 

Crockpot Rice Pudding?Does anyone have a good rice pudding recipe that can be made in a crockpot? Tried and tasty recipes.

 

California Wedding Service Providers?I am getting married September 2007 and would like to know if anyone knows an affordable caterer with servers, cleanup crew and possibly (I know I'm pushing it) decorating crew for a budget of $3000-$4000.

 

Autism Financial Advice?I have a 4 year old child with autism. My husband works full time. We have health insurance but the only thing regarding autism they will cover is 4 yearly visits for a speech therapist.

 

Lhasa Apso That Bites?I have a Lhasa Apso, he is about 16 pounds. How do I get him to stop wanting to bite and chase after anybody he sees, even when it comes to children?

 

Buying Plain Cotton Nightgowns?Does anyone know of a site or a store that sells plain cotton nightgowns for a reasonable price? Maybe not quite the "prairie" type but just simple gowns for summer.

 

Corn Silk Loose Powder?Does anybody in Southern NJ know where to find Cornsilk loose powder?

 

Pet Urine Smell After Using a Carpet Cleaning Machine?I've cleaned my carpets beautifully with a machine and now I've got strong pet urine smell all over my living room.

 

Is Cat Mint the same as Catnip?Is Cat Mint the same as Catnip? I got some "cat mint" from a swap last year. Is this the same as cat nip? It certainly looks like it's in the mint family.

 

Removing Pen Ink from Furniture?I was wondering if any one can help me? My dog got to a pen and it exploded and it's all over my furniture. I was wondering if there is anything to take the pen out?