October 31, 2007

Cynthia's BrowniesMelt butter and chocolate together. Beat eggs well and slowly add sugar. Add melted butter and chocolate mixture, vanilla and salt. Beat well. Add flour, mix until smooth. Stir in pecans.

 

Butter Crunch CookiesCream butter, add sugar gradually. Add egg and almond extract; mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and add to first mixture. Add oatmeal and Grape Nuts.

 

Roast Chicken and PotatoesThis is a delicious all-in-one meal for a busy family.

 

Beef Cabbage StewBrown floured meat in oil; do not crowd in pan when browning. Add boiling water, spices and onions and simmer until tender

 

Corn FrittersIf you like corn fritters here are three simple recipes.

 

Apple Pie RusticaWith just five ingredients, three steps and about a half hour, you can put this dessert on the table, hot and ready to enjoy.

 

Lemonade MixCook sugar and water over low heat. Boil 5 minutes. Pour over mint leaves and orange peel. Let cool. Add juices. Cover and let stand 1 hour.

 

Vegetable Cheese Souffle'Grease 2 qt. casserole well and sprinkle with some Cheddar cheese and chopped chilies. Place green beans and corn on top. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Hay Bales and a Nice FireFor garden parties in the fall, try using hay bales as seats and placing mums along side. Have a bonfire and snuggle around on fluffy bales of hay (you could even throw a quilt on top)

 

Use Pill Bottles to Store Seasonal HardwareWhen putting away seasonal things that contain loose screws, bolts, etc., take an empty safety capped pill bottle to store them in. Label and then select a drawer or empty tool box/container to keep them in.

 

Avocado-Asparagus MarinadeBoil 8-10 large spears asparagus until crisp-tender. Cool. Peel and slice four large avocados. Arrange in 8x8 inch shallow dish. Cover with marinade and refrigerate 3-4 hours.

 

Cute Buckets for Trick or TreatingHere is a cute alternative to bags. Make these trick or treat buckets made from beach pails. Find good shapes for Halloween.

 

Watch Out For Old Lead House PaintWith all the recall notices here and elsewhere for toys etc., I would like to add that I read in the Los Angeles Times that the lead exposure in the paint in such toys is extremely limited.

 

Tobias (Italian Greyhound/Beagle)Tobias is a 1 1/2 year old Italian Greyhound/Beagle mix. I got Toby when he was 8 weeks old from a neighbor whose dog had a litter of pups.

 

Stop Light for GarageThis tip is for people like myself that runs into the wall of the garage. I've tried the tennis ball thing and it didn't work for me. So, my husband bought this "traffic light" looking wall unit that plugs into the wall.

 

Severed Hand and Wiggly Worm Creepy Halloween Punch1 day before serving: Fill a few rubber gloves with water, add a few drops of food coloring then freeze.

 

Use Wrinkle Releaser On SheetsIf you have sheets that are wrinkled, spray some fabric relaxer, like Downey wrinkle spray on it on it. Hold the dampened material for a few seconds in place, and smooth it out until it dries in place.

 

Crafty Uses For Milk And Soda BottlesI lately have been finding many ways to reuse plastic milkjugs and soda bottles. Here are just two new ways we can reuse them.

 

Funnel Pumpkin Candy HolderI saw this awhile back and I just loved it. Easy to make and great for Halloween parties. Take a long orange funnel (I purchased at Walmart for .97 each.)

 

Use Elastic Bands To Keep Clothes From SlippingTo prevent silky tops, blouses etc. from slipping off coathangers, wrap thick elastic bands tightly around the ends.

 

Use Cayenne and Lotion for AchesFor general aches and pains, mix cayenne pepper powder with your favorite hand and body lotion. Keep adding the cayenne powder until the mixture is a pink color. Mix well. Then apply to the body area, of the ache or pain that is bothering you.

 

Use Evercide To Control Fleas In Your YardFor a contact flea control in your yard, a pest control product called Evercide works great.

 

Keep Membership Cards On a KeyringOrganize your store "perk" cards, gym membership cards, library card etc. by punching a hole in one of the corners using a hole puncher and then putting them on a key ring.

 

Growing Organic Vegetables at HomeI love to grow organic vegetables they taste so much better than chemically grown. If you think that it is hard to do you are so wrong. It is actually easier once you get established.

 

LiveUpdate Failure on Computer?Any computer geniuses out there? I need help! My computer is Windows Vista, my security is Norton 360. My LiveUpdate keeps saying, "LiveUpdate failed: Could not connect to the LiveUpdate server" (no error numbers, just the message).

 

Keeping Paper Flat When Painting With Watercolors?Advice for keeping the paper flat when working with watercolors. First of all, water color paintings are going to "pucker" or curl a bit because of the use of water.

 

Sweet Potato Ponde?I am looking for a recipe. It was called a Sweet Potato Ponde and it was grated sweet potatoes and I don't know what else to put in it so if any one has that recipe please let me know.

 

Finding Free Packing Peanuts?I do a lot of packing for Ebay items and I am always buying peanuts. Is there anyone out there who knows where i can get these for FREE!! Thank you.

 

Cleaning Upholstered Chairs?I have two old upholstered swivel chairs from an aunt that has passed on. They need cleaning. Any ideas that won't wreck my budget. They are a rust brown.

 

Designs to Paint on Pottery?Does anyone know where I can get pictures or designs to paint onto blank pottery plates or platters? I buy the fired bisque plates and then paint pictures with ceramic paint and get them fired. Fruit and vegetable or floral ideas are effective. Maybe some ideas for Christmas?

 

Beer Batter Bread?We had some outstanding beer batter bread from the Czech Stop ('Check Stop') restaurant in West Texas. Anyone have a similar recipe?

 

Manicure Recipes? I'm looking for manicure recipes. In specific something pumpkin or cinnamon.

 

Removing Sharpie Laundry Marker?How can I remove Sharpie Laundry Marker from a gray sweatshirt?

 

Kitchen Aid Mixer Recipes?I just got a Kitchen Aid Stand mixer. Does anyone have recipes for this machine?

 

Alternative Uses For Wine?Does anyone know alternative uses for wine other than food related? I have about 2 gallons of homemade wine that was left by a previous house owner.

 

Storing Rubber Stamps?What is the best way to store rubber stamps? Tips for storing rubber stamps used in craft projects as submitted by the ThriftyFun community. Post your own ideas here.

 

Removing Tea Stain From Ceramic Pot?I have been brewing hot tea in a large ceramic coated pot, and cannot get the stain out. Does anyone have a method to clean this large pot without leaving a nasty taste in pot? I also use this pot for cooking.

 

VCR/DVD Recorders?I had a Panasonic VCR/DVD recorder and recorded some math VCR Well, the Panasonic broke. I ended up with a different model of Panasonic (because this was a year and a half later) and this one will not play my math DVD's.

 

Canine 7 in 1 Vaccine?I have a new Shih Tzu puppy. Is the 7 in 1 shot alright for him?

 

Insulating Walls?I would like to further insulate my walls from noise and cold. I live in my own condo so I can't really put anything into the walls. I keep thinking (for the last 4 years) I could cover the walls with fabric or carpet or something.

 

Wrong Health Insurance Plan?I have been dealing with my health insurance to no avail. My sister and I wrote a letter to the insurance commissioner trying to get help and that could take weeks.

 

Planting Pine Seeds?I have some pine cones that I dried out to get the seeds. I believe they are white pine seeds. How do I store them? When should I plant them, and how to I plant them?

 

Water Stains on Tile?How do I remove water stains from ceramic tiles in the shower?