June 4, 2008

Easy Kettle LasagnaBrown ground beef in large skillet, stirring until crumbly. Pour off drippings. Sprinkle half the spaghetti sauce mix over ground beef. Spread cottage cheese on top. Cover with noodles. Sprinkle with remaining sauce mix. Pour tomatoes over all.

 

Cod Au GratinMelt margarine in skillet. Add flour, salt and pepper, stirring until smooth. Add milk gradually. Cook until chick, stirring constantly. Arrange fish in casserole. Cover with sauce. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

 

Creamy Juice PopsStir boiling juice into Jello and sugar in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add to Jello, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any remaining ice.

 

Baked Rice with MushroomsPlace all ingredients in large baking dish; mix well. Bake, covered, at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

 

No Bake Coconut CookiesCook to rolling boil, remove from stove and add remaining ingredients. Drop on wax paper. Do not bake.

 

Stir-Fry Beef with BroccoliCombine 1 tablespoon oil, cornstarch and soy sauce in bowl. Add steak slices, mixing well. Brown onions in 2 tablespoons oil in skillet. Add steak, cooking until brown. Add remaining oil and broccoli. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.

 

RaggletsBring butter and 1 cup water to boil in saucepan. Remove from heat and add flour. Beat until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep fat at 375 degrees F.

 

Cool Mexi-Corn DipMy friend Donna brought this to a cookout at my house and she took home an empty bowl. It was a huge hit with everyone.

 

Savory SquashCook squash in a small amount of water in saucepan until tender. Drain well. Combine with next 7 ingredients in large bowl, mixing well. Turn into shallow 2 qt. buttered casserole. Top with crumbs and almonds.

 

Beer-Steamed ClamsPlace the clams in the bottom of a clam steamer of a deep boiling pot (I use a wire basket sitting on a steel rack to fit bottom of pan). Add the beer to completely cover the clams, then add the bay leaves and the lemon juice.

 

Party Salmon CrepesCombine pancake mix with 1 1/4 cups milk, 1 Tbsp. butter and egg in bowl. Stir lightly until just mixed. Pour 1/3 cup batter onto hot, lightly buttered griddle. Bake until set. Turn to brown other side. Saute' onion and celery in 1/4 cup butter in skillet until tender.

 

Sweet and Spicy NutsHeat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheet with foil. Coat with no-stick cooking spray. In a large saucepan, combine nuts, water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil and stir for 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove nuts. Spread on prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

 

Pork Chop SupperBrown pork chops in a small amount of shortening in skillet. Remove pork chops, setting aside. Add rice and onion. Cook until golden brown, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups water and bouillon and bring to a boil. Stir in apple.

 

Apple-Praline Bubble BreadWhen having relatives spending several days visiting, and using convenient refrigerated biscuits to make this cinnamon scented coffee cake has saved many mornings breakfast for me.

 

Potato and Wild Rice SoupCook wild rice in chicken broth completely. Fry bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet, blot and crumble. In the same pan, saute' onion in bacon drippings until onion is transparent; drain. Combine all ingredients in large kettle.

 

Make Your Own Casino Themed PartyTo save money and impress your friends, consider throwing a casino-themed party. You can make your own craps and blackjack tables using green felt and fabric paint. Simple casino-themed decorations can make a difference, for instance wrapping speakers or other furniture with white tissue paper and attaching black circle cut-outs to make dice.

 

Twinkies DessertTake 4 packages of Twinkies, split lengthwise. Lay in the bottom of a 9x15 inch pan. Dissolve 2 packages of orange gelatin in 1 cup hot water and add 1/2 cup juice drained from pineapple. Add 7 oz. of 7-Up, 1 qt. vanilla ice cream and 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with Cool Whip and a cherry on top.

 

Tips For Feeding Cats Soft FoodFor those of us who have cats, you know how cat food sticks to their feeding dish and is hard to scrub away. My tip is to cut the top off an empty laundry jug but leave the jug handle.

 

Celery SubstituteSubstitute chopped cabbage (for the crunch) and add some celery seed or salt (for the flavor)!

 

Clean Your Area Rugs at The Car WashTake your area rugs to the car wash to get them super clean! I have done this numerous times with a helper and a truck, and know others who do the same. It's amazing to see the dirt run out off the rug!

 

Dressing Up a Lattice FenceI have a lattice fence that hides my pool equipment. I placed Christmas lights on the lattice and then planted a vine to cover the lights.

 

Cardboard Pop Cases for Drawer DividersI found a great use for cardboard from pop cases or 12 packs, I use it to make dividers for my drawers, such as my "junk" drawer.

 

Use Garage Sales and eBay to Save Money for VacationsI sell stuff on ebay and keep all the money in my paypal account. When I reach a thousand dollars, I withdrawl it and put it in a cd to earn interest at my bank. We also have two garage sales a year that fund our vacations.

 

Arrange Plants By Height When LandscapingWhen planting perennials around buildings, pools, decks, etc., always place the taller of the plants towards the rear where they will display their beauty against the object such as the deck, a stone wall, etc.

 

Lowering Fats and Sugars in Your DietThis really is not a recipe, but I feel it should be put with the recipes. Being as we have certain hereditary diseases in the family. I have to learn to cook differently now as I think I am young but my body is not agreeing with me which I don't think is right.

 

Making Cheap Ground Beef HealthierMy frugal tip is for cooking, but it's also a healthy one. Buy the cheap ground beef and BOIL it! The fat will rise to the top! Just don't pour the water (and grease) down your sink.

 

Apple Orchard in BloomThis picture is just one of series I photographed in an abandoned apple orchard at the very top of our bluff. It is the most beautiful, peaceful place and full of wonderful photo opportunities! It is worth the hike!

 

Save Boxes and Cans for Craft TimeStart a new habit. Rinse cans and flatten boxes for a week and put aside until you have "craft time".

 

Craft: Hand Stamped CardI'm a rubber stamper/scrapper. This is a scan of one of my hand stamped cards.

 

Father's Day Gift BagsCreate a special gift bag for Dad and fill with homemade treats, something salty and something sweet, for a gift he'll love.

 

Welcoming Daddy Home From IraqI captured this photo of my granddaughter Savannah at the Greensboro NC airport. She was waiting on her daddy to come home from Iraq. She was an infant when he was deployed and did not know him. I thought she was so beautiful waving her little flag.

 

Left-over Coffee SmoothiePut coffee left over from breakfast in a blender. Add milk and chocolate syrup and two to three ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Great afternoon pick me up. Yummy.

 

Nonfat Cookies and MuffinsWhen baking I like to leave out the oil, shorting and butter. Instead I add an equal amount of canned pumpkin, apple sauce, plum or prune baby food or put some canned unsweetened plums through the blender to puree them.

 

Disposable Camping ToothpasteWhen I go backpacking and don't have one of those tiny travel tubes of toothpaste, I'll make my own so I don't have to cart the large tube of toothpaste with me.

 

Vinegar Marinade To Tenderize MeatUse 2-3 Tbsp. of vinegar to tenderize meat. I add to my favorite marinade or, if I am not using a marinade, I mix 1/4 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup water and 2-3 Tbsp. vinegar (you can also use red wine vinegar but it takes 5-6 Tbsp.)

 

Mention Disappointments When Eating OutDon't be too bashful to bring up your disappointments when eating out! List things that you feel are wrong on the back of your dinner ticket and mention it when you cash out to the cashier. Writing it on the form that is often supplied doesn't always get you somewhere.

 

Use Dental Floss to Repair a SailLike an old-time sailor, I took needle and thread and mended a rip in the sail of our boat. The needle was a heavy-duty one from the drug store - and the THREAD was DENTAL FLOSS. It fit through the needle and because it was WAXED, it slid easily through the sail cloth!

 

One Saved Kitty!My son saved our kitty and I'd like to share how he did it. We had her spayed on Wednesday and she panicked when let out of the carrier and leaped to the loft area in our condo and disappeared into an attic area. We could not see her, and heard nothing until almost 24 hours later.

 

Try Something New In Your Garden Each YearPlant something new every year. You'll be amazed at what you learn once your plant starts to grow. I remember the year my mom told me she was going to grow celery. I thought sure she'd lost her mind. She lived in Iowa, celery would never grow there, I thought. But it did. And she loved it!

 

Help Redecorating My Living Room?My whole house has burgundy carpet and all my walls are white with white borders. For my room I am going to do tan walls, but for the living room I have no idea what color would look good.

 

Looking For Homemade Clay Recipes?Anyone have a recipe for salt based play clay or porcelain cornstarch clay?

 

Removing WD-40 Stain from a T-shirt?I used WD-40 to remove a grease stain from a t-shirt. Now the WD-40 won't come out. What will work to remove the new stain?

 

Skydiving Birthday Party Ideas?I need some ideas on throwing a skydiving/golf birthday party for a 60 year old male.

 

Eyeliner Tips?I am looking for an eyeliner look for the inner rim that doesn't run or collect in corners of my eyes.

 

Painting a Chrome Bike?I just bought a bike from a friend and it is chrome. I want to know the best way to prep the chrome to paint over it.

 

Making Rock Crafts?I saw on here someone was making rock crafts. I would like to see that again, as I want to make some.

 

Cleaning Recipe for Siding?Looking for recipe for cleaning siding, mold, and bug stains.

 

Watermelon Party Decoration?I'm looking for a great recipe for a watermelon decoration for my daughters graduation party.

 

Can You Soften Hairbrush Bristles?I was given a pocket bristle Mason and Pearson hairbrush for my 21st birthday 26 years ago, and it's served me well over the years. It's the only brush I've ever had that has brushed my hair just the way I like it; not too hard, and not too soft. And it gives it lots of body.

 

Do dehumidifiers help with allergies?I have extreme allergies,and I've heard that dehumidifiers help. I have tried everything and then some. Have any of you had any experience with dehumidifiers? If so I would love your comments. Thank you and God bless.

 

Removing Lime Build Up on a Faucet?I have really bad lime build up on faucet in the guest bath tub. Any suggestions to remove it?

 

Accessorizing Straw Hats?I have two straw hats for the summer, one white and one tan. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding how to accessorize these hats easily?

 

Using Grass Clippings That Have Weed Killer On Them?I like to use newspapers and grass clipping in my vegetable garden for mulch. I would like to know if I can use grass clippings from a lawn that has been treated with a weed and feed or crabgrass preventer. If I can, how long after being treated can I use them?

 

Getting Rid of Glare on a Laptop Screen?I would like to work outside on my laptop, but the screen glare prevents me from seeing anything. I could get an anti glare screen, but would prefer a "kitchen remedy" that costs nothing.

 

What breed is my dog?Can anyone tell me what my dog is mixed with?

 

Cleaning a Jet Tub?How do I clean a jetted tub?

 

Using Baking Soda in a Swimming Pool?I am told you can use baking soda in the swimming pool to keep the water clean and not use chlorine. Does anyone know how to use just the baking soda?

 

Do You Need to Plant Strawberries in a Strawberry Pot?Do you need a strawberry pot to plant strawberries in or can a standard Terra Cotta pot do? I'm new at gardening, but in todays' economy I'm trying to build a garden (cheaply) to depend on rather than buy produce.

 

Little Green Bugs That Bite?I love leaving my windows up at night but hate the little green biting bugs that come through my screens when the lights are on.

 

Cowboy Craft Ideas?I am in charge of crafts this year for VBS (Vacation Bible School) for kids Pre-K through 6th grade. We have a cowboy theme, so I need some cowboy craft ideas that are very inexpensive and can be adapted for all age groups.

 

Lasagna Stain?How do I get a lasagna stain out my nice pink duvet cover that my dear darling daughter managed to do.

 

Essay About Children Growing Up?Does anybody recall an essay/opinion written by a man, about how children should grow up experiencing things that teach them certain characteristics, traits, lessons to live by. Not "Children Learn What They Live". I have had it forwarded to me in emails a couple of times but it's gone now. I thought it was a pretty good piece and would like to read it again.

 

Are Sage Seeds Edible?Both of my sage plants bloomed. What's now left projecting from the plant are dried up stalks with little black seeds in brown seed heads/capsules. I am familiar with using dried sage leaves from the grocery store, but not the seeds. Are they edible? How to prepare for cooking?

 

Craft Uses for Wedding Veils?I would like to know if anybody has ever done something crafty with their wedding veil with all of the lace, etc. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.