August 31, 2009

Cream Cheese Taco DipSoften cream cheese, then add sour cream gradually, mixing with mixer. Add bean dip and taco seasoning and beat on low speed until well mixed. Put in casserole dish and top with cheddar cheese.

 

Butter Pecan CookiesSift flour and salt together; set aside. Cream butter, vanilla, extract, almond extract, and powdered sugar together in bowl. Add flour mixture in 3 parts and mix well.

 

Bubba's Pork Chops in Orange Tomato SaucePreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a shallow pan.

 

Fresh Tomatoes with Dipping OilQuick, easy, can be used along with the entree, as an appetizer or even a snack.

 

Black Bottom PieMy most favorite pie in the whole wide world :-) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Make pudding mix with milk as directed on box for pie. Cool 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times.

 

French Fry Hot DishFry ground beef and onions; drain. Then add soup and fries. Mix all together. Bake in 325 degree F oven for 45 minutes.

 

Stretching Tuna for Tuna SaladI don't know how many of you have noticed, but tuna now comes in 5 oz cans, not 6. The price didn't go down either! That's a 17% decrease in the contents!

 

Organizing Recipes In CookbooksI use many different recipe books. I don't always take the time to copy all the recipes onto recipe cards especially when it is something I make occasionally.

 

Sugar Free Tangy DrinkI love tangy drinks and am diabetic so I made up my own sugar free version of an "Arnold Palmer":

 

Be Good the First Week of SchoolIn the first week of school, don't act bad. You will really be considered the "bad kid" and teachers won't be nice to you during the school year because they know how you act.

 

Save Old Scrubbies to Clean the TubSave those worn out scrubbies used with liquid bath soap, and use them to clean your tub and surround. They are great to scrub off soap scum and hold enough water to rinse the walls of the tub surround effectively.

 

Garden: Head PlanterOur daughter made this "head" in pottery class. Our garden needed a little whimsey and he made the perfect addition. He is the "Head" gardener. We call him Big Al after my dad who was the real head gardener in our family.

 

Reuse Medical Scrubs for GardeningWhen I go out to work in my garden, I wear a pair of old scrubs. Besides, being very comfortable, they have many pockets. I put gloves, shears, rags, my phone or mp3 player in them.

 

Overwintering PentasDo you have a plant in the yard that is just beautiful but will die when the frost and snow come? I have 2 Pentas plant, Google it, they are pretty! Hummingbirds love them.

 

My Cleaning Made SimpleInstead of keeping specific cleaning things for specific jobs, I have learned to "generalize" my supplies. So now, I keep on hand the following things for cleaning any room in the house.

 

"To-Go" Coffee Cup for Cooking OilKnow those "to-go" coffee cups? The ones with the little plastic lids that form a natural drinking spout? Instead of disposing of barely used cooking oil from your skillet after frying, use a rinsed out to-go coffee cup to pour it in.

 

Saving Summer's BountySummer offers a plethora of berries and fruits that are both healthy and tasty. However, sometimes nature's bounty provides more than we can eat. Even at the best roadside stand bargain price, the produce costs too much if it's thrown away.

 

Lost Bread (Pain Perdu)Have Left over biscuits? Try splitting them horizontally, dip them into beaten eggs with a little ground cinnamon and granulated sugar mixed in (and a little nutmeg if you like).

 

Link: Shoeboxed.com For Storing RecieptsI have to keep all my receipts for tax purposes. I hate searching though files of them and have found that it is so much less clutter and easier to find by using shoeboxed.com.

 

Button and Ribbon BookmarkAs one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I use my Bible on a daily basis. My Bible only has 1 piece of ribbon as a place mark. During my Bible reading, I find a lot of Scriptures I would like to remember, so this is what I did.

 

Pom Pom RugI had a lot of yarn laying around the house so I made a pom pom rug out of it. I got the idea from Lions yarns, but of course, I could not afford their yarn. I did not use their directions either.

 

Use Hand Sanitizer To Clean WhiteboardsCan't get the dry erase marker completely off of your white board? Use a paper towel and a dime size amount of hand sanitizer.

 

Drink Mix Container of Pringles Can Pencil ToteA nifty storage container made from an empty drink mix container. A great way for kids to carry or store pencils, pens or markers. Also a neat idea for storing craft supplies, small toys, sewing accessories, crochet hooks, etc.

 

Keeping Cross-Stitching Hoop TightI have always had a hard time when I am cross-stitching when my hoop won't keep the material tight. I put a heavy rubber band around the bottom hoop and now I have nice and tight fabric.

 

Fleur (Persian)Fleur is 5 months old and a Persian. My friend's husband read about her in a newspaper and was so nice to bring her up 5 hours in the car from the Metro Detroit area.

 

Boxes and PegboardI keep a pasteboard box (used for cereal, soda pack, etc.) handy in the kitchen; when I empty a smaller box, I flatten it and put it in there. When it's packed full, I take it to the recycling dump and just toss it in.

 

Use Beach Rocks Inside VasesI keep my fresh flowers longer by putting them in stones I've collected at the beach. The jar is decorated with rub on decals. When the flowers die, I clean off the rocks, add shells and leave it.

 

Use Jewel Cases For Storing Small Craft ItemsI was trying to figure out what to do with all the empty jewel cases I had lying around. I noticed that if you removed the spool, it leaves enough room for paper quilled pieces made with 1/8 inch or smaller paper strips.

 

Lick Your Fingers to Open Plastic BagsMy disabled husband watched me trying to open a trash bag. He told me to lick my thumb and finger and try to open the bag. LOL it worked. Be sure your fingers are clean before licking.

 

Heidi Ho (Toy Poodle/Shih Tzu)Heidi Ho is 1 year old. She is a Toy Poodle and Shih Tzu mix. I fell in love with Heidi in a pet shop window when she was only 3 months old.

 

Use Castor Oil for Better EyelashesA great way to get better eyelashes it to put castor oil on them. I read reviews of how it made peoples lashes better over night, made them grow in fast, etc., and I didn't believe it...until I tried it!

 

Cleaning Bare Wood?I have a small shelf of bare wood that is a lovely color-except where the dust is ingrained into it. The previous owner left it either in the garage or outdoors somewhere. How do I remove the ingrained dust from it?

 

Agencies That Assist With Stray Animals?We take in stray cats and dogs and have them spayed and neutered, but right now the economy is bad and our resources for food and cat litter are pretty tight and low.

 

Tex-Mex Enchiladas?I am looking for Tex-Mex beef enchilada recipes. Also, how is the sauce made that goes over them? Thanks. I love this site.

 

Getting Rid of Weeds in Grass?Is there any quick home remedy to get rid of weeds from the grass?

 

Hamburger and Tomato Sauce Recipes?I am looking for a recipe using hamburger meat with tomato sauce.

 

Homecoming Date Idea?I am going to homecoming in two weeks and I am looking for ideas for a day activity. I'm looking for a really good one that she will really like. So if you have any good ideas just tell me.

 

Will Spray Paint Freeze?Will spray paint cans freeze?

 

Considering a Copper Kitchen Sink?I'm considering installing a copper kitchen sink. Would I need to have copper faucet as well? Does anyone have pros or cons re: a copper sink?

 

Keeping Mold Out of Packaged Foods?I have food stored in my basement, but I have mold in my basement that keeps coming back. The food is stored in a stand alone pantry with doors that don't close very well. Should I be worried about mold spores getting into my food, even if the food is unopened?

 

Recycling Window Curtain Packaging?Forgive me if this question has been asked before, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how they re-use the packaging that curtains come in? They are thick plastic and have a zipper at the top. I have used the large ones to store blankets and clothing.

 

Homemade Yogurt and Lactose Intolerance?Does anyone know if homemade yogurt affects people who are lactose intolerant? I have intestinal problems, and have heard (and read) how homemade yogurt helps with that. But I'm also lactose intolerant, and am wondering if all that milk will cause further problems.

 

Dog Won't Go Outside at Night?I have a 6 year old, 150 lb. Rottweiler/Shepherd mix. Recently he has started fighting me to go outside after dark. I have to literally carry him up the stairs and shove him outside. He's too heavy for that.

 

Yahama Wave Blew Waterbox Off?My 94 Yamaha Wave, running at 3700 RPMs backfired hard enough to blow the waterbox off.

 

Recipes Using Cucumbers and Onions?I'm looking for recipes for cucumbers and onions, preferably with a white sauce.

 

Contacting People for High School Reunion?We would like to know the best way to notify a ten year span of grads from Bently High School. The big reunion is being planned for August of 2010. Members are all over the U.S. All ideas appreciated.

 

Household Tools for Wood Burning Project?I want to do a one time project of burning letters into wood. Does anyone know of any household items that might burn into wood?

 

Reducing Blood Pressure?Anyone have tips to reduce high blood pressure especially upon awakening in the morning? I have been on several different types of BP meds and they all have side effects. I am on an ace inhibitor now, but it does not keep the BP down.

 

Ideas for a 50s Dance?We are having a 50's dance for our Township in November. Does anyone have ideas for this? We are on a tight budget.

 

Squash Vine Borers?Squash vine borers have destroyed our whole squash crop. We have tried aluminum foil, pantyhose, waiting until after the borer "season" nothing is working. We will try the covered technique next year, however, the pollinators are unable to get to the squash that way.

 

Making Curtains From Towels?Has anyone made towels into curtains with grommets? I would like a spa looking bathroom and I have two windows above my corner tub. It is a large bathroom and the kids do come in at times and like to play in the big tub.