July 30, 2009

Chocolate Pudding CakeMix dry ingredients together. add milk and oil. Beat well. Spread in 8 inch square pan, well greased. Mix sugar and cocoa in topping and sprinkle over cake.

 

Wild Duck With MushroomsPrepare duck and disjoint. Brown with onion in fat. Add salt, pepper and 2 cups water. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Saute' the mushrooms, add the flour and thyme; add to duck and continue cooking 30 minutes.

 

How to Make the Perfect Chocolate Chip CookieUse the freshest, highest quality ingredients. Tip 2: When selecting chocolate chips purchase high quality milk chocolate chips. Some folks like semi-sweet but the sweetness in milk chocolate is most appealing.

 

Summer ChiliA refreshing salad and hearty comfort food all in one dish! Brown the ground beef. Drain. Return to skillet. Add kidney beans, tomato sauce and seasonings.

 

Cold Rice SaladCook rice in broth 20 minutes. Chop or slices other ingredients, saving marinade from artichokes.

 

Easy Peasy Cheesy PuddingMuch simpler than a souffle and quick to prepare. For each person: Whisk eggs and milk together. Add all other ingredients and mix well.

 

German RunzasAnother favorite of my husband. Thaw dough. Brown hamburger and add onions and spices; drain. Mix with cabbage or sauerkraut. Roll out one loaf of dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle.

 

Strawberry Cream RollPrepare cake mix according to package directions and spread in prepared pan. Bake in 375 degree F oven for 15-17 minutes or until firm to touch. Do not overbake.

 

Check Your Hotel BillUpon checking out of our hotel I noticed that they had charged us $1.50 plus tax a day for use of the safe in our room. I told the clerk that we had never used the safe ...

 

Freezing Vegetables is EasyFreezing veggies is not as difficult as freezing meat or proteins. As for zucchini, carrots, etc, cut them the same round size and blanch them in boiling water for about a minute.

 

Screen Door Bird FeederSupport an old framed window screen with large stones or bricks and you have an instant feeder. When peeling fresh produce, save all the seeds and add to the feeder.

 

Rhinestone Baseball CapI have seen some glitzy looking baseball caps in the stores but they carry a hefty price. So I decided to add a little "bling" to a cap that I had.

 

Garden: Recycled Window GreenhouseThis is our Garden Greenhouse made of old wooden windows. Nail four together for the bottom. Then hinge two together for the top so that one side opens. Use "L" brackets for holding the top windows to the bottom ones.

 

Use Fabric Paint to Create Non-slip SurfacesUse a few dabs of fabric paint (the puff paint 3D type) for non-slip items. Let dry before use. Draw designs on the bottoms of knitted slippers so it's not slippery.

 

Shrinky Dinks From Recycled ContainersUse recyclable #6 plastic containers to make your own Shrinky Dinks at home.

 

Picnic in Denver, COHaving a picnic lunch in a park near Denver, CO.

 

Chore Incentives for Kids and AdultsTake a sheet of paper. With a pencil, write on one side all the chores that the person doesn't like to do/needs to do. On the other side, write a corresponding reward.

 

Preparing Strawberries for StorageWhen I buy ripe strawberries that are in the plastic clam shell type packaging, I look through it and remove any bruised berries. I fold a paper towel and put it on top of the berries. I flip the container over so it is upside down, and refrigerate.

 

Use Grater for Softened ButterHow many of us have needed softened butter for a recipe but forgot to take the butter out of the fridge? The easiest way is to simply grate the amount needed.

 

Garden: Produce Year RoundWe grow a huge garden each year. We end up having enough to eat through the summer, with plenty left over to can or freeze.

 

Petunia (Vietnamese Potbellied Pig)This is Petunia, she will be 8 yrs. old this July. She is a Vietnamese Potbellied Pig. We rescued her as a orphan when she was just a few days old. She likes to sunbathe in her kiddie pool and steal my husband's tools when he is outside working.

 

Constance Joy (Bassett Hound)Constance Joy is a 10 month old Bassett Hound that my daughter got for me. She likes to dig up my flower beds and annoy our cats. She greets everyone with sloppy kisses and she doesn't know a stranger.

 

Salad Greens All SummerChoose quick-maturing varieties that will produce a crop within weeks of sowing. In the fall, use row covers to extend the season and protect crops from frost.

 

Countertop Color for Bathroom with Yellow Fixtures?I have yellow sinks and a tub in my little girl's bathroom and my designer put in hideous marble countertops. I have no idea what color countertops to replace them with. What do you suggest?

 

Using a Folding Bed Board with a Sofa Bed?Has anyone had success with a folding bed board for sofa beds?

 

Substitute Teacher Business Cards?I need a catchy phrase. I am a substitute teacher and have business cards to leave with teachers. I need some word or short phrase, space is limited and the format of the card is weird. The last phrase I used was "Ready to Be Here For You" and I am sick of it. Any suggestions?

 

Float Ideas for Homestead Festival?We have a yearly Homestead Festival with a different theme each year. This year the theme is "Back to the 80s". I need float ideas. I am the Marketing Director at a Retirement Community called Liberty Village. Any fun ideas? I am stumped. Thanks.Lori Frick

 

Is It Too Late to Plant Vegetables and Flowers?Can I plant veggies and flowers now?

 

Cooking a Beef Round Sirloin?I want to slow cook a beef round sirloin. I have two pieces, one is 3.77 lb and the other is 4.97 lb. I am going to cook them in the same pan at the same time. How long would you recommend I cook it? And at what temperature? Thank you.

 

Making Candles With Drizzled Colors Down Sides?I vaguely remember making candles where we would drip a colored candle, crayon, or some material onto another bigger candle. The end result was this candle with all different colored "drops" all the way around and down the sides.

 

Credit Card Holder Pattern?Does anyone know where I can find a pattern to sew a credit card holder? Thank you.

 

Cutting CD Jewel Cases?Can anyone tell me how to cut plastic CD jewel cases in half without them shattering or splintering?

 

Sharpening a Reel Mower?How do you sharpen a reel mower?

 

Dish Soap for Aphids?I have aphids on my roses and want to know the soap to water ratio for mix.

 

Shipping a Pie?My sister has brain cancer and has not been able to keep much food in her stomach, but she wants me to make her a pie. That would be easy, but we live in different states and I can't go to her place right now. I was wondering if anyone knows how I could bake this pie and ship it to her?

 

Ink on a Vinyl Purse?How do I get ball point ink off a yellow vinyl purse?

 

Watching TV Without Disturbing Others?How can I watch TV without disturbing other people in a small room at night? My hearing is not good. Any suggestion? Thank you in advance.

 

A Skunk Sprayed My Dog?My daughter's dog got sprayed by a skunk. Is tomato juice really the best remedy?

 

Advertising on Craig's List?How do I advertise on Craig's list?

 

Website for Identifying Tools?I have been looking for a site to get prices and names of certain hand tools, etc. and cannot find one. I have a couple of unusual German ones and would like to know their value.

 

Repairing a GE Top Loading Washer?I have a GE Top load washing machine. The wash, rinse, spin, and 2nd rinse worked fine, but the final spin did not work. When I tried to run the spin by itself, the tub moved a little.

 

Feeding Irises?What do I feed Irises? I've had these irises since we bought the house in 2002. I've divided them and replanted them in many locations. I was told to feed them Bone Meal in the fall (something I haven't done yet). Is this good for them and if so where do I get the bone meal?

 

Freezing Unblanched Vegetables?I am freezing zucchini and one of the methods is to freeze it unblanched. Is this method safe? What about the enzymes that blanching kills?