July 16, 2009

Tomato Juice CocktailWash, scald and peel tomatoes. Quarter. Put 1 cup tomatoes with juice into a blender. Add onions, celery and peppers. Puree. Add to balance of tomatoes.

 

Campfire Foiled Chicken DinnerThis is a favorite summer meal.

 

Fudge PopsFun and with no preservatives :-) You will need popsicle molds or 6 each 3 oz. paper cups and 6 popsicle sticks (which you can purchase at any craft store including fancy cut ones).

 

Fruit Cocktail CakeMix with spoon. Bake in buttered 8x8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar. May sprinkle nuts over brown sugar.

 

Green Tea SquaresI am currently on a diet and I was experimenting with ways to add green tea to different foods. Add all ingredients in a bowl. Mix and, using a heaping Tbsp, put on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes until golden brown.

 

Reuse Small Button Bags to Sort Jewelry When TravelingWhen buying a blouse, you often receive an extra button in a small plastic bag. I save all my buttons in a jar and use the little plastic bags to separate my jewelry when I travel.

 

Saving Your Garden from Torrential RainLast year, around the end of summer, there was a big storm that formed off the coast of Baja California. We saw it on the Weather Channel. We live in the Midwest, and we had no reason to believe that storm could possibly come our way, but it did.

 

Get Up Early to do College HomeworkI started college the same time my youngest entered K-5. I was having trouble juggling my homework with housework and family obligations. I found that if I took care of my family obligations and did not touch my school work until early morning things went smoother.

 

Salem (Black Cat)Salem is almost a year old black cat. I picked her out of a friend's litter of kittens,she was 5 weeks old. She likes to stalk me.

 

Removing Drink Stains on CarpetTo my horror, my strawberry margarita slipped off the end table and disaster struck on my light beige apartment carpet. Being a typical male I begin rubbing not blotting the stain and after a while of scrubbing gave up and went to bed.

 

Sunken Beds for Arid ClimatesIf you garden in an area with poor soil fertility and drainage, you're probably familiar with the advantages of planting in raised beds. Less familiar, however, may be the concept of sunken beds - beds dug down to sit slightly below the soil surface.

 

Preventing Fruit FliesThe best way to avoid fruit fly problem is to water wash all produce, especially bananas, as soon as possible. I put the wet produce on a kitchen towel or paper towel, blot it a bit, and let it sit out until its dries thoroughly.

 

Trash Bag Bird BathI like to put a trash bag, folded in half or to whatever size I want it and held down by rocks out in the garden and then when it rains, the water puddles and makes a great bird bath.

 

Use Mylar on Your WindowsMy kitchen, bathroom and son's room are on the side of the house that get the evening sun. Unfortunately, that means these are the hottest rooms in the house to come home to.

 

Raising Your Sinks (and Other Tips)I want to say that this site is awesome! I don't know how to get more than one pic on at a time so I will do this in parts so you can see it all. I did 2 bathroom vanities and my kitchen.

 

Reuse Plastic Cupcake Trays to Start SeedsUse cupcake trays from the grocery store bakery for mini greenhouse to start plant seeds in. Each cake compartment holds a peat seed starter pot nicely.

 

Garden: Wet LiliesIt rained all day today and when I got home from work I took pictures of the wet flowers.

 

Recycled Mosaic MirrorMosaic mirror without the messy grout. This is a great use of recycled cut up credit and gift cards. Plastic cards are cut up and glued onto a painted wood frame that give it a whole new look with dimension, color, and without the messy grout.

 

Habitat for Humanity StoresIf you are in need of building or home improvement supplies (paint, flooring, tile, etc.) try Habitat for Humanity. They have stores located in all states. The items are donated from builders.

 

Getting Rid of Subterranean (Ground) Termites?Does anyone have any tips on how to get rid of ground termites without using chemicals or pesticides? We have 2 mounds that we need to get rid of before they start infecting my house.

 

Night Before French Toast Casserole?I would like a make ahead (freezer friendly) recipe for a Breakfast Casserole. I don't want to do the typical egg type strata with cheese and eggs.

 

Rotary Cutting Machine Reviews?I'm looking to research rotary cutting machines used to cut strips of fabric for quilting. Does anyone know where to look?

 

Making a Table Out of a Tree Stump?I have a black walnut stump around which my deck is built. The stump is cut to table-top height and we'd like to seal it and make an outdoor eating area. Any suggestions on products that will seal the stump and withstand the outdoor elements?

 

Planting Instructions for Hyacinths?I have never planted bulbs before. I am interested in planting Hyacinth bulbs. Do they need full sun, partial sun, or shade. I am new to this and have no idea.

 

What is This Cookie?I have often come across sweets recipes which ask for "wafers". Please, could U.S.Thriftyfun members confirm if they are the same thing as I understand them to be?

 

Removing Gilded Writing from a Mug?I bought a figural mug for a gift from a second hand store. It has a name inscribed in gold on it that I want to remove as it is not anything close to the name of the person I want to give it to.

 

Removing Leather Dye from Socks?My husband's work boots stain his socks a rust color. I've tried bleaching them and using Borax, Oxi Clean, and every stain remover you can think of. Any suggestions on how to get out the stains?

 

Mower Carburetor Not Getting Gas?I have a Sears 16 hp twin riding mower. When I went to start it the engine didn't suck gas through the gas line. After cleaning the carburetor the engine sucks gas part way to the carburetor. What do I do? How do I check the fuel pump and where do get a new one?

 

Keeping My Dog in the Yard?I have a 10 month old yellow Lab who is quite large. I love her to death, but unfortunately the neighbors are not so fond of her. I can't put her on a chain, because there is too much in our yard for her to get tangled up on (basketball goal, five cars, steps, trees, etc).

 

Getting Rid of Maggots in Garage Wall?Maggots from a garbage can that is cracked on the bottom have made their way into the wall between garage and basement. They came out of the wall when strong cleaner was used on floor and trim.

 

Problems Applying Transfers and Tattoos?I have some iron-on transfers or very colorful fake tattoos, I don't know which. I tried applying them to some bare wood trinket boxes first by rubbing them like you would a window transfer, then by ironing.

 

Removing Kool-aid Stains from Clothing?How do you get red Kool-Aid stain out of a white shirt?

 

Learning to Embroider?Does anyone know of a site that I can go to for embroidery stitches? I would like to learn to embroider. I have wanted to do this for many years. Thank you.

 

Swim Party Ideas?My 14 year old daughter wanted to have a pool party for her birthday. Her birthday is in February, so she waited till summer. We have a pool in our back yard. We have decided on a Luau theme, but I'm not sure what activities they should do.

 

Substituting Yellow Squash for Zucchini?We are going to have an over abundance of yellow summer squash. I am assuming it can be substituted in any recipe calling for zucchini, is that true?

 

Using Aloe Vera For Hair Regrowth?Can I use Aloe Vera plant directly on my hair? It is falling out and I want to help it regrow. If yes, how?

 

Making Tote Bag Handles?I am very good at making tote bags, but not very good at the handles. Any tips or instructions?

 

Sauteing Frozen Vegetables?I am making crab cakes. Can I saute frozen onion, celery and bell pepper instead of fresh? Will I sacrifice flavor?