September 3, 2008

Frosty Strawberry SquaresCombine first 4 ingredients in bowl, mixing well. Spread in 9x12 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, stirring to crumble. Combine egg whites, sugar, strawberries and lemon juice in large mixing bowl.

 

Apple Cider CheesecakeThis is a sure fire hit if you or anyone loves apples and cheesecake. In large bowl, mix with mixer: 10 oz. can of apple pie filling, 10 oz. softened cream cheese ...

 

Fancy Rice CasseroleTasty rice casserole using minute rice, onions, almonds and raisins.

 

Farmer's StrataIn a skillet, cook bacon until crisp; add ham and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender; drain. In a greased 9x13 inch baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, potatoes and cheese.

 

Dilly BeansPack beans lengthwise into hot pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Add to each pint, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 clove garlic and 1 head of dill. Combine rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.

 

Tomato SalsaRecipes for Tomato Salsa.

 

Zucchini BreadSeveral recipes for Zucchini Bread.

 

Recycle Paper Napkins For Cleaning Up GreaseI recycle my paper towels by using them to soak up grease and other liquids that I put in the trash. At mealtime, my husband and I use paper towels for napkins. I felt it such a waste to throw all these paper towels away so I started putting most of them in my recycle bag hanging in the kitchen.

 

Hugs and Kisses BasketI was wanting a small inexpensive thank you gift for the young girl who had helped me at physical therapy. So, I came up with this "hugs and kisses basket". I had the container left from buying my husband some nuts and bolts from Dollar Tree.

 

Bee Trap for Trapping Yellow JacketsI saw this tip in "Country" magazine years ago and use it every year to trap yellow jackets and hornets. I have this one hanging in the grapevine. The yellow jackets like the apple juice better than the grapes. Lures them right in and they can't get out.

 

Tips for Having a Great Family DogYour dog needs to be socialized from the time you make him/ her part of the family. If you have them around different age groups and other home pets, you will have a friendly dog.

 

Environmentally Friendly Lawn MowersGone are the days when buying an environmentally-friendly lawn mower meant a trip to the local hardware store to pick out an old-fashioned reel-type mower. From cords to cordless, and from reel to robotic, today's carbon conscious lawnscapers have lots of eco-friendly choices.

 

Make CDs for Wedding FavorsCDs featuring songs from your wedding make great favors. Your guests will enjoy receiving a gift that is thoughtful and not just a store bought favor that will sit in a drawer and collect dust.

 

Use Drawers for Frequently Used...I am about 4 ft. 12 in. tall, so in other words, I am pretty short. Standard cupboard shelves present a real problem for me. Then I thought "why do I have to use them for things I use everyday?"

 

Air Purifiers That Run on Sunshine and WaterAs much of the country prepares to move indoors for the winter, air quality becomes a concern. Air purifiers are expensive to run not only due to electrical needs but also due to the cost of filters.

 

Link: Free Online Books for KidsIf you can't seem to pull your kids from the monitor, get them interested in reading free online books by logging on to: childrensbooksonline.org.

 

Organizing Your MakeupI am always bothered that it takes me so long to put on my makeup, and realized finally that it was because it takes so long to find my items among the pile.

 

Have A Painting PartyWhen we moved in to our new home, we wanted to get the painting done before moving all the furniture. We supplied the paint and the food. Friends and family had an enjoyable time and the painting got done in no time.

 

Use Old Bread to Absorb Onion SmellIf I have extra onion and I want to use it in a couple of days or whenever, I take and put it in a ziplock bag and I take some old bread or buns I was going to throw away and stick in with the onion.

 

Sweetie Mae (Golden Retriever)Sweetie Mae is a 5 month old Golden Retriever. She was a Mother's Day present.

 

Use PayPal Instead of Credit CardsI am really trying not to use credit cards for spending. I have a PayPal account. So every week I put money into my PayPal account. It can be 2, 3, 10 dollars or more. This way, when I come across something I want to purchase on-line, I can just pay for it from my PayPal account. It's also neat to treat it as a savings. For example if you put $10 a week in the account for 52 weeks, you will save an easy $520 at the end of the year you start savings.

 

What Is This Plant? (Yucca?)Can anyone tell me the name of this plant. It has 3-4 tiny lavender flower spikes on it once a year.

 

Planting an Eastern Redbud Tree?I have an Eastern Redbud which produces multiple seedlings in the summer. This year I decided to save a few of these trees, which are only a few inches tall. I put them in separate gallon sized pots with nice, fertile soil. How I should handle these trees through the winter and when should I put them in the ground?