July 11, 2008

Zippy Bean and Bacon DipBeat soup and cream cheese together in bowl. Stir in ham, horseradish and mustard. Remove top and seed from pepper. Fill with dip. Chill in refrigerator until serving time. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

 

Black Eyed Pea SaladIn serving bowl, combine peas, corn, onion and bell pepper.

 

Crepes FrancaiseThis is my favorite type of crepe as it reminds me of marshmallows cooked on an open fire.

 

Deeli's Pasta Alla CheccaThis is a very easy and yummy summer pasta dish.

 

Two-Cheese PizzasIn a small bowl, combine butter and garlic powder; brush over pitas. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, basil and tomato. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.

 

Fresh Broccoli and Tomato SaladCut broccoli into bite-sized florets. Toss broccoli, tomatoes, and bacon in bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl, blending well. Add dressing just before serving.

 

Peas VincentaCombine first 7 ingredients in saucepan. Heat, covered, to boiling point. Blend cornstarch and soy sauce in small bowl until smooth. Stir into peas gently. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly.

 

Emergency Pie PanI think I've gone over the top for myself on this tip, but I'm sharing anyway. I forgot to buy a pie pan when I was at the market, but promised my hubby that I would make him a sweet potato pie today. What to do?

 

Using a Grill Wok to Cook French FriesI have a grill wok that is made to grill veggies, but sometimes my family would prefer the less healthy side dishes. I put frozen french fries in the grill wok and cook them while I am grilling hamburgers. They taste great with a smokey flavor. An added benefit is that I did not heat up my kitchen.

 

My Frugal Life: Waste Not, Want NotMy mother believed in "waste not, want not" and taught me to take good care of my belongings. If it were clothes I wore, they could be passed onto another and if it were toys, a younger child would get them.

 

Froggy Gift BagThis little froggy gift bag is very easy to make, using a 12x12 inch piece of card stock and scoring a bit, two circles and a couple of eyes. The bag itself isn't very big but fun. I made it for my granddaughter's birthday!

 

Plastic Flowers for Outdoor DecorIf you have a summer home, as well as a winter home, the garden can really get away from you! We go to the dollar store and purchase lots of colorful plastic flowers. We "plant" these instead of real ones, in both gardens, and have a beautiful garden, with minimal work, all season!

 

Making Your Factory Oriental Rug Look More AuthenticWant to make your factory oriental rug/oriental runner look more authentic?

 

Saving Money on Summer TravelDo you have any tips for Saving Money on Summer Travel? If you stay at a hotel over the weekend you can usually get a half-priced room because business people stay there during the weekdays and not on weekends.

 

Scooby-do (Pug)Scooby-do is a 4 year old Pug. She was born here 4 yrs ago.

 

Saving Money at DisneylandTips and ideas for Saving Money at Disneyland. Bring water & snacks with you. They are very expensive on the premises.

 

Homemade Tool for "Hard to Reach" PlacesThis is something that I have created and find it so useful in many ways. An old mop handle with a cup hook screwed on the end of it, so simple and easy.

 

Save on Utility BillsIt seems that everyone is concerned with replacing their incandescent bulbs with the compact-fluorescents to save on energy costs, however the worst offender in utility costs is the WATER HEATER. It operates 24/7/365 and we're not talking about saving just a few watts (or BTUs) per evening :).

 

How to Sew a Doll QuiltThis little quilt is simple enough for a beginner, and is a good way to use up scraps of leftover fabric. The quilt can be sewn completely by hand, but will go together more quickly with a sewing machine.

 

Rhubarb for a Burned PotWho hasn't burned a pot really badly on the stove! To clean it, get some rhubarb, several handfuls. Cut it up into about half a pot of water and boil gently for about 10 minutes. Don't let it go dry. Your pot will sparkle!

 

Tacky GlueWhen you need tacky glue, pour the amount of Elmer's Glue-All that you will need onto a paper plate about two hours before you will be using it. The glue will be nice and tacky for most craft projects.

 

Laminated "Textured Stone" Flooring?Would laminated "textured stone" flooring reveal streaks after cleaning? I'm interested in buying this pattern for my kitchen, dining and utility room and would hate to have it installed and then learn it streaks. I know that people have posted that some brands of hardwood floor show prints and streaks.

 

Cat Pees on Rugs?I just got a cat a week ago. She uses the litterbox but also started peeing on my bathroom rugs. I pulled them up and she peed on my kitchen rug, I pulled that one. After she pees on them she will poo too, but usually uses the litter box for that. I woke up and she peed on my bed while I was sleeping.

 

Soaking Up Bacon Grease?For years when I cook bacon, I have always placed the bacon on paper towels to soak up the bacon grease. I do this for hamburgers too. Instead of buying paper towels all the time, I am looking for another way to do this. What do you do?

 

HDTV Converter Problems?My hdtv converter works great when it wants to but,sometimes it breaks up and freezes. it also says no signal sometimes. Can you help me fix it?

 

Safe Candles for Power Outages?We had a power outage last night for about an hour. Lit a bunch of candles for light, had flashlights, batteries and car battery chargers with lights. I told DH to turn off the battery powered items and just keep the candles on as we had no way of knowing how long the outage would last. So far, so good.

 

Cabinets With Too Much Paint?What can I do to heavily painted kitchen cabinets? They are very large doors. The cabinets have so much paint it's hard to even see the hinges. I will do just about anything to them to save money.