August 3, 2009

Avocado Fruit DressingIt's quick and easy to make, and it's light and refreshing. Cut avocado in half and remove seed. Using a spoon, remove meat from peel.

 

Blackberry Wine CakeThis is a delicious cake that I've been making for several years now. I got the recipe from my neighbor who is almost 90 years. old. She has people begging her to make this cake for charity events and auctions.

 

Individual PizzasThrifty, tasty, and low sodium individual pizzas can be made quickly and easily. the contents are as varied as any pizza restaurant, and just about as tasty. I just use what I have at hand; left over roasted chicken or beef, for instance.

 

Tomato PieLiving in the south, we are so blessed to have so many fresh fruits and vegetables. Having so many means coming up with creative ways to prepare them. This recipe is a favorite for those who love fresh tomatoes.

 

Heavenly HelpingBeat cream cheese and pineapple and juice together. Add cherries and juice, marshmallows, and nuts.

 

Spicy Chocolate Oatmeal CookiesCombine flour, cinnamon, salt, and soda in small bowl; set aside. In large pan, combine chocolate bits, brown sugar, marshmallows, and butter. Heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.

 

Use Recycled File Folders For CardstockWhile purging some old files here at home, I found I was getting quite a pile of empty folders. I figured that there had to be something I could do with these besides tossing them in the recycling.

 

Einstein The DogEinstein is about 2 years old. He is a mixed breed, possibly with some Cairn Terrier. I adopted him from a rescue organization on March 7, 2009.

 

Windex for Dried Latex Paint on WindowsI painted a room of mine a couple of months ago, but never got around to scraping paint from my old wood windows. To loosen the dried two month old paint, I spayed the windows with Windex first, then I hardly had to scrape at all.

 

Link: Low Cost Eye Glasses at Zennioptical.comEye glasses are so expensive. My family and I go to our optometrist for exam and Rx and then order our eyeglasses online. I have had excellent results with www.zennioptical.com There are numerous places on the net if you search.

 

Uniform Hamburger PattiesWhen forming hamburger patties, leave the middle thinner or even put a hole in the middle (like a donut). When they cook, the middle will fill in and the thickness will be the same all around.

 

Set Up Pup Pool for Summer HeatLiving in Florida, the heat is horrible for my outdoor pets. I bought a cheap kiddy, outdoor pool, and put in the back yard in the sun. When my pup gets hot, he dives in, and plays with his toys in the pool. He stays cool at the same time.

 

Use Paper Towels for Temporary CurtainsAfter I moved into my brand new house, the most important thing for me was to find curtain for all of those more than 40 windows. Because there are so many, it is hard for me to find the right curtains and have them installed in a short period of time.

 

Using Grey Water From Your Washer for The GardenThis one comes from my dad. When I was young, he maintained a very large garden and my mom canned most of the fruits and veggies that we ate. One year because of a water main break, all outdoor watering was banned.

 

Baby BoomingWhen the time is right and your hearts are ready, a baby is a blessing. That doesn't mean that it's the wrong choice to plan ahead financially for that day of arrival. If a baby is in your future thoughts, save some money now.

 

Crochet Venetian Leaf Towel TopperI like the towel toppers that have a concealed crochet chain so you can hang a towel over the chain without having to cut the towel in half and deal with the cut edge.

 

Freeze Bananas in Their PeelWhen the last bananas in a bunch get over ripe, I just put them in the freezer "as is" to save for when I want to make banana bread. The bananas get horrid looking when they are frozen; black and wrinkly, but the insides stay perfectly good.

 

Murphy Oil Soap for Cleaning Paint BrushesI use Murphy Oil Soap, to clean my paint brushes. I do decoupage, and the brushes get gluey. So I will soak them overnight in the oil soap, and they are clean again.

 

Capture Chipmunks With Panty HoseChipmunks! I saw one run into the black drainage tube that's attached to the downspout on the side of my house. After it ran up the spout, I took a pair of panty hose, pulled a leg over each end, not real easy, but it worked.

 

Check Freecycle Before You BuyI am dismayed that not everyone seems to be aware that there is an option for getting used appliances and other stuff for free by checking for a FreeCycle group in your area.

 

Brown Papering a Vinyl Floor Before Faux Painting?I think I have a good idea for "painting" vinyl floors and need to know if anyone else has tried it? First, super clean the floor and prime it. I thought that I"d get a really large roll of light brown or light gray medium weight paper and cut it into 2 or 3 foot squares, crumple it tightly and leave it crumpled for a few days.

 

Craft Projects Made from Seeds?What are some projects made from seeds?

 

Getting Rid of Flies and Ants in Compost Bin?I have lots of flies and ants in my compost bin. What can I do to stop these insects breeding in my compost bin (that's if they are harming the actual production of my compost, which I think they are doing).

I am looking for something which will not ruin the compost?

 

Freezing Quiche?Can quiche be frozen?

 

Removing Fabric Dye Stains on Concrete?How can I remove fabric dye stains from my cement driveway?

 

Buying Sanuk Flip Flops?I am considering purchasing a pair of Sanuk flip flops. Can anyone tell me if they are comfortable, durable, and worth the money? Thanks.

 

What is this Plant? Bee BalmWhat is this plant? My mom has this growing out by her driveway. We don't know where it came from. She had thrown a packet of zinnia seeds out along the drive and they came up beautifully.

 

When Are Kittens Old Enough to Give Away?How long do you keep four kittens after they were born?

 

Looking for Osage Oranges?Do any stores sell Osage oranges?

 

Cantaloupe Foliage Dying ?My cantaloupe stopped growing, but the foliage is looking terrible. Yellow and crisp, instead of green. I have several melons and hope to be able to harvest them before the raccoons get them. Any suggestions? Kathy

 

Pruning Maple Trees?I just pruned my 4 year old maple trees that looked like bushes, because of the deer. I am halfway through, I'm wondering if this is the wrong time of year and did I prune off too many branches.

 

Painting Old Furniture?How do I paint old furniture?

 

Looking for an Easy to Use Edger?I mow a very large lawn. By the time I am done I am having a hard time getting to the edging around fence, house, and driveway. I have an electric edger and it is a hassle to even get it to the far-off places that need edged.

 

Buying Nylotex?I made covered wire hangers years ago using Denier nylon. It is no longer available in my city. I saw a pattern online using Nylotex. Any idea where I could find that? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Dollar Store Freezer Bags vs the Name Brand?I am thinking about trying to save time in the kitchen by cooking 2 or 3 meals at a time and freezing them for later in the week. What is the best thing to freeze spaghetti in? Should I invest in the expensive freezer bags or can I use the freezer bags at the Dollar store?

 

Making Balloon Animals and Other Shapes?How do you make animal balloons or any shapes for that matter?

 

On Line Shopping Advice?I have a pair of Red Wing work boots that I purchased with other work clothes and my Carhartt jacket about 10 years ago. Believe it or not, I have finally worn out the work boots, and am ready for a new pair.

 

Removing a Silver Cleaner Stain on Counter?I left a container of silver cleaner on my counter and it left a ring. I can't remove it. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

 

Substituting Arrowroot for Cornstarch?My son has a corn allergy. An allergy site says to substitute arrowroot for cornstarch in recipes. Are the measurements the same for both? Hope someone can help, he's missing his oriental food something fierce.

 

Looking for Crochet Doggy Dress Pattern?Has any one received the crochet pattern for the red and white doggy dress that was pictured on the site?

 

Restoring a Shortcut on Desktop?How do I get the Internet Explorer icon back on my screen?

 

Removing Oil Stain from Dry Clean Only Fabric?Any suggestions on how to get an oil based stain out of a comforter that is only to be dry-cleaned? The oil stain is Skin-So-Soft body oil. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Making Faux Stained Glass Window?How do I make faux stained glass window?

 

Buying an Olympus Stylus S550?Has anyone purchased the Olympus Stylus S550? It is waterproof with 10 megapixels, has a 3x zoom, and a 2.5 inch screen, I believe. It is sold for around $179.99. Is this a good reliable product?

 

What Breed is My Dog?Can someone try to guess the breed of dog that we just got?

 

Growing Recommendations for Zone 6a?Can you give me a few suggestions on what grows good in this area?

 

Sterilizing a Foot Soaking Spa?What can I use to sterilize a foot soaker I purchased used?

 

Ideas for Environmental Club Activities?I'm starting the Environmental club at my school, and I want to know if anyone out there has any suggestions on activities we can have. I already have a few in mind, but I'd love to here from others. Thanks a bunch.

 

Buying Internet Explorer 8?I hear Internet Explorer 7 is about to be on the shelf and keep seeing ads for IE 8. Are they for real, or a scam? haven't heard anything about 8 that I recall, but I'm fried from this heat, so I could just be mixed up.

 

What Variety is this Peony?Does anyone know the variety of this peony?

 

Bell Pepper Plants Wilted?My red pepper plants just decided to wilt this week. They have plenty of water, sun, and warmth. I have blight is on nearby tomato plants. Will the baking soda, 2 tablespoons to a quart of water take care of both?

 

Thick Hair Unmanageable?I have thick hair that I sometimes like to wear down which doesn't usually work because of it's thickness. I'd really appreciate if anyone has any ideas to thin it so it's more manageable.