October 1, 2008

Blueberry Surprise French ToastHere is an amazingly delicious breakfast dish that is so easy, you won't believe it. It is also a great breakfast on a holiday morning, it is that special!

 

Paw-Paw's DressingThis is my FIL's WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and Christmas dressing recipe. He "shared" the recipe with me when I became a part of the family. Trust me, it is AWESOME and you will want to make an extra batch of it because it will go fast. All of the grandkids fight over the last piece. Yum Yum.

 

Frozen Strawberry PreservesWash berries before stemming. Combine 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water; let boil until it spins a thread. Add 2 cups berries; boil up good. Then add 2 cups sugar; bring to boil. Add 2 cups berries. Let boil good for 10 minutes.

 

Raspberry-Rhubarb Souffle'Prepare 1 1/2 quart souffle' dish by adding a collar of either foil or waxed paper tired around the outside of dish extending over lip approximately 3 inches. Sprinkle rhubarb with sugar. Let stand for 1 hour. Meanwhile, blend raspberries in blender to soften.

 

Cappuccino Bon BonsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix one box (standard, not jiffy size) brownie mix with 2 eggs, 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup oil, 1 tsp. coffee crystals, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1 4 oz. tub of whipped topping.

 

Perfect Chocolate CakeCombine cocoa and boiling water; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Cool. Sift flour, soda, salt and baking powder. Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light.

 

Venison Barbecue (Crockpot)Spray insides of crock pot with non-stick spray. Trim meat carefully and cut into serving size pieces. Alternate layers of meat with sprinkled layers of Shake 'N Bake, ending with Shake 'N Bake. Cook at least 12 hours on low setting.

 

Refurbish Old Plastic Pumpkins With PaintRecycle your old faded plastic pumpkins with a new coat of paint and a little glitter. Acrylic paint works best for indoor and outdoor use.

 

Use Your Door as a Message "Superboard"If you have a metal door, I have a wonderful idea that will help. If you don't you can still put up a metal sheet on the door, unless of course it is a decorative front door. Mine is metal and it's perfect.

 

Milk Carton CandlesRecycle used chunky candles by making your own. Melt down your leftovers double boiler style (never leave during this process), then dip the end of a new taper candle into this melted wax.

 

Make a Needle ThreaderIf you cannot see well enough to thread your yarn directly into a big eye needle, and have a hard time pinching the end to make it fit into the eye, you can make simple needle threaders using a piece of thin but stiff plastic, such as those that come in product packaging.

 

Garden: Chinese MantidAt first I thought this creature was a Praying Mantis, but after further research, I found out it is a "Chinese Mantid". Did you know after the female mates, she often eats him?

 

Pumpkin RollsGive your extra toilet tissue a festive look this fall with some fabric and a few craft supplies.

 

Buy a Year's Worth of School Supplies in the FallWe buy a years worth of school supplies once a year. Every year the stores such as Walmart, Target others put the school supplies on sale. Such as a box of crayons for .22cents. Most families wait for the schools list to come out.

 

Have a Plan in Case of a FireI live in an apartment on the second floor and at 4:00 am this morning I was awakened by sirens and pounding on doors. I got up to look and see what was going on and a knock immediately came to my door.

 

My Mitten Drying Rack Has Many UsesI get a lot of use out of a simple mitten drying rack! I use it to dry my rubber gloves after cleaning, my ziploc bags that I wash and save, dish towels...which do not dry very fast in the kitchen. I also put my grandson's little wet shoes on the mitten tree.

 

Homemade Vanilla WafersThis about the humble little Vanilla Wafer. Did you know that the Vanilla Wafer is made out of just cake mix with less water, about 1 1/3 cup less than the cake mix calls for. Just use any cake mix, the oil, eggs and 2 Tbsp. milk or water.

 

Have a Snack BasketI keep one of those little plastic baskets used for organizing in a cupboard that my kids can reach. This basket is filled with snacks that I feel they can eat without me knowing or are healthy alternatives to treats. We call it our snack basket.

 

Cookie Swap PartyI love cookies so when I heard about Cookie Swaps, I was in HEAVEN! There are many ways you can do your party. I set the date and just asked all my guest to bring a big batch of their favorite cookies.

 

Dazee (Airedale Mix)Dazee is 6 and an Airedale mix. I rescued her from WAIF when she was 5 months old back in 2002.

 

Use Joy for FleasTip on ridding your pets of fleas! My daughter is a professional dog/cat groomer. When fleas are a problem at her shop, they use a dilution of lemon Joy dishwashing liquid. Take about 1 and 1/2 inches in the bottom of the original bottle and then dilute it with water to fill to top again.

 

Saving for Holiday GroceriesHere's a tip for budgeting for Christmas or any other holiday. I do this every year and it works out great. All grocery stores have gift cards, I buy them through out the year and than at Christmas, I have all my grocery money all saved up.

 

Look For Secondhand Halloween CostumesI love to shop at thrift stores and yard sales. A few summers ago I found blowup costumes that were adorable. They were still in the box and I payed a buck and a half for each. I tossed em in the closet and four months later for Halloween I remembered I had them.

 

Boo BottlesThese are just old bottles I picked up on the side of the street. They can be used just for decoration or you can put a candle in them. They are especially cute if you let the candle drip down the sides.

 

What Breed Is My Dog?Can anyone help me find out what breed my dog is? Her mother was Alaskan Malamute.

 

Adding Glitter To Dress?I would like to add glitter to a dress. I am going as a fairy godmother for Halloween and I am using a prom/brides maid dress made of polyester and nylon. I don't want it to look tacky but just a little extra flare to match my daughter's costume.

 

Off Insect Repellent On Eyeglasses?I accidentally sprayed Off insect repellent on my eyeglasses and now I can barely see out of them. I have tried several things to clean them with no luck. Any suggestions?

 

Earth Friendly Snake Repellent?Can anyone please give me ideas on earth friendly ways to keep snakes out of my yard with things I have at home? I had a rattlesnake on my front porch one morning and now I am terrified to go outside.

 

Odor Coming From Chipboard Flooring?We had intended to lay a laminate floor in our dining room which includes an under stair cupboard previously used for storage. We laid plywood over the old chipboard floor with PVA and screws. Since then we have been getting an unpleasant odor from the cupboard area but nothing from any of the rest of the floor. We have now lifted the plywood in the cupboard to try and find the source of the smell. We have sealed the area with PVA but still the smell occurs.

 

Making Silver Paint?What colors of paint do you mix to get silver? I want to make some silver bells from a stamp for Christmas cards.

 

Rabbit Urine On Persian Rugs?My 2 miniature rabbits have every once in awhile peed on my Persian Rugs. I have tried vinegar, but it is not strong enough. The Carpet is pure sheep's wool. Can someone give me some tips? I do not want a professional to do it, I want to do it myself. I know someone will take pity on me and tell me! What about this "Urine Gone", does it work? I would prefer something I can prepare at home. Thanks.

 

Dog Is Afraid Of Everything But People?I have a 3 yr old mini Dachshund with 2 problems. She is my first non-rescue dog and I don't know what to do for her "reverse sneezes" and her fearfulness. The only thing she is not afraid of is people. If I wipe her feet of sand, she will shy away for days, etc. I have never seen a non abused dog as fearful as she is. Any ideas?

 

Baby Fish Are Dying?I bought 6 fish for my 10 gallon tank. Two died and apparently one gave birth! I now have had these babies for about 2 days and they are dying! I checked my Ammonia levels and they are under control now. What should I do? Should I move the babies into another tank?

 

Can I prune old myrtle tree flowers?Can I prune old myrtle tree flowers? Is it safe to prune anytime from August through May? The flower portion is dead already and breaks off readily. There is no life in the cambium. Will this encourage more flowers if done before the cold season arrives?

 

Removing Hardened Bathtub Caulking?How do I remove old caulk from a bathtub? I have a tool but the caulk is so hard I can't remove it.

 

Removing Rust From Car Interior?I spilled "The Works" cleaner in my car and it has wreaked havoc on the interior. All of the black metal that was exposed, has rust all over it. The aluminum was etched by the fumes. I finally got the smell out, but am worried about all the rust under the seats etc. How do I get rid of the rust?

 

Looking For Tall Champagne Vases?Where can I find tall champagne vases to hold crystals and roses?

 

Where to Find Oxalis X?Where can I find Oxalis?

 

Making Salsa Without Peppers?Is there a recipe out there on how to make salsa without peppers for people who are allergic to peppers?

 

Stains on Gymboree Clothes?I love Gymboree clothing, however as you know Gymboree stains really badly. I tried everything but nothing works. Any suggestions?

 

Corn Syrup Vs. Honey?I make a granola bar that's supposed to coat dry ingredients with a chewy, sticky sauce that's made with brown sugar, honey, and butter. We really don't like the honey flavor and it gets too sweet for our tastes. Can corn syrup be added to brown sugar and butter, and does this make it softer or harder?

 

What Is This Song? (Kicking Back With Taxman - Devotion)Anybody know a song where part of the chorus goes 'Is this devotion or is it just emo-o-o-tion?' Sounds like Hip-Hop fused with dance-hall with male vocals circa 1990's. First line "Well listen dis cause it a brand new style".

 

Paint Color Ideas for Dark Blue/Terra Cotta Couch?I bought a new couch, dark blue/grays with specks weaved in of terra cotta color. The room has a white fireplace with white marble hearth. I need suggestions for wall colors. All woodwork and doors in the room are white also.

 

Ordering Bulk Dried Goods?Our family would like to purchase 20 pound (or larger) bags of rice, oatmeal, different flours and other dried products. Is there a website that anyone would suggest for large amounts with low costs? We live a distance from any food co-ops etc. Thanks

 

Trouble With 4H Projects?How do I handle this one? My younger daughters all sew and are in 4H. Our club does not have a sewing project leader, so they work their projects at home. We also homeschool, and we do sewing and other home ec projects as well. We also have Amish roots, and needlework is sort of in our blood. It is taught at a very early age. My girls projects are of the level of an Amish girls the same age, but not of an "Englishers". As a result, they are very good little seamstress, and have made numerous high quality outfits, better than many adults can sew.

 

Favorite Kitchen Gadgets?I would like to know what are some of your favorite kitchen gadgets. I have always liked baking but don't have very many gadgets. What are some that are worth spending the money on? One of my favorites for regular cooking is a little electric chopper.

 

What Breed Is My Dog?What breeds are my pups? The one on the left is Khaos, and we got him from the shelter as a German Shepherd mix. When he was a pup he looked like he had pit in him, but he quickly grew out of that, for a while he looked like he had husky.

 

Rotten Wood Siding?The back of our house is made of composite wood siding and has rotted out from flooding and carpenter ants. It is possible to replace part of the wall (only the bottom is rotted). Can anyone out there give us any suggestions?

 

Red Pet Food Stain On Carpet?How do I remove red pet food stain from a beige carpet? My cat vomited all over the carpet. I have tried peroxide and that is not removing all of the red color.

 

Backed Up Sewer Line?The main sewer line keeps backing up. Any ideas?

 

Gumamela Extract For Dish Soap?How can I make Gumamela extract be an ingredient for dishwashing liquid? Can you please give me the steps and recipe on how to do it? I will be very grateful.

 

Fixing Matted Down Carpet?How can you perk carpet up after you mash it down in places?

 

Recipe For Rich Chocolate Brownies?I can't find my recipe for the really rich brownies. It was a mix that had chocolate chips and nuts in it. It was really soft and chewy. It had 3 different kinds of chocolate in it. The brownie mix being one, the chocolate chips being 2 and I can't remember the rest.

 

Painting Dark Wood White?I am trying to paint two dark wood antique chairs white. I sanded the chairs, primed them and have applied 3 coats of semi-gloss latex paint with a sponge brush. You can still see the original color of the wood peeking through. Any suggestions how I can finish this project?

 

Collecting Lantana Seeds?How would I go about getting seeds from a lantana?

 

Rain Sticking To Window Screens?Does anyone know how to prevent the rain from sticking to the outside window screens. This has been happening since I bought new windows last spring.

 

White Blotches on Engineered Wood Floor?How do you get rid of white blotches on an engineered wood floor? I think it maybe from moisture. It is a Mannington engineered floor.

 

Quick, Cheap and Easy Goulash?I would like to get a cheap and easy recipe for goulash.

 

Is Dawn Safe for Septic?Is Dawn Septic Safe?

 

Donating To Fundraisers?What do I do when I frequently receive requests for donations to fundraisers from a friend that I have already feel I have donated enough too?