November 13, 2009

Peppermint CheesecakeCombine crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool. Soften gelatin in water, stir over low heat until dissolved.

 

Raspberry Almond Shortbread ThumbprintsYou can use any flavor of jam instead of raspberry if you would like to. My next favorite is apricot. Combine butter, sugar and almond extract in large bowl.

 

French Apricot ChickenMix first 3 ingredients; spread over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours. Garnish with parsley. Serves 8.

 

Cranberry Sweet Potatoes or YamsHere's a nice sweet potato or yam variation for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix cranberry sauce and juices in a bowl. Mix corn syrup and melted butter in another bowl.

 

Hunters ChickenI love chicken, and this dish has only 6-7 ingredients, so it's super easy. Heat cooking spray coated pan on medium. Sprinkle chicken with rosemary, and brown, turning once.

 

Ramen Stir FryThis is quick, easy and not always the same thing. Plus even my vegetable-hating kids used to beg me to make it!

 

Insects In Food Need OxygenFor bugs in your food stuff, take all the oxygen out of bags and out of jars. Seal a meal is great. Bugs cannot live without oxygen.

 

Halloween: Horse Costume (Dog)I never enjoyed playing with dolls when I was little, but I get a real kick out of dressing my dogs for Halloween. This year I made a special costume for Petey because he is as big as a horse!

 

Craft Project: Supersize Gingerbread ManHave fun creating a giant gingerbread man to play with or use for decoration. This is my grandson with the one we created.

 

Use Pipe for Towel BarsA great way to save $ on towel bars is to purchase a small piece of pipe of your choice (I happen to like the copper) at the hardware store. You can simply attach these with curtain rod hardware.

 

Rainy Day GiftMy wonderfully, creative daughter came up with this idea one year "Money for a Rainy Day". Choose 10-20 bills (use whatever denomination you want), and tape a string on each (use various string lengths).

 

Patchwork Back PorchMy small back porch is somewhat of a relaxing/storage space that leads to my patio and also to my basement. I want it to look welcoming. On the left is a seat cover my G-Ma made me back in the 70's to fit a vanity seat.

 

Use Old Breadbox to Control Kitchen ClutterUsing an old wooden breadbox to store misc. items has really improved the everyday kitchen clutter that I used to have laying around or stuck to the fridge with magnets.

 

Add Pumpkin to Turkey SoupIf you are planning on making soup with leftover turkey this Thanksgiving, here's a tip for adding a little extra nutrition for your family.

 

In Memory of Little Bit (Long Haired Angora)Little Bit (AKA Bitsy) is 14. He is a Long Haired Angora. Got my pet from my daughter and granddaughter when we met. He loves cheese, sleeping, watching birds and being the King of the House. We lost him recently and I just wanted to share him with all of you.

 

Hair Washing TipsIf you wash your hair more than once a week, save on shampoo and only shampoo once. Just scrub a little longer with the one shampoo.

 

Hand Lotion to Polish Imitation LeatherI use cheap hand lotion to polish away the scuff marks on my imitation leather shoes. Works beautifully. Just smooth on and wipe off excess with a paper towel or a sock without a mate!

 

Mia (German Shepherd)Mia is a 10 year old German Shepherd. We adopted her when she was 7 weeks old. Her mom and siblings were living in an awful state. My husband accompanied his cousin to see Mia's sister, Bailey and couldn't resist bringing her home to me.

 

Sample Laundry Detergent Stain TreatmentI received a small sample bottle of laundry detergent. I had a stain on a shirt so I put a little detergent directly on the spot and laundered as usual. The stain came out and I have been refilling the little bottle ever since.

 

What You Shouldn't Try Yourself (But Maybe You Have)Chopping the budget is invigorating, especially when extra money can be seen as a result. However, sometimes it can get a bit too invigorating and lead to some over-pruning. Just like the shrub in your front yard, your budget may be more beautiful to look at if it's pruned regularly but over pruning could kill it.

 

Norwall Wallpaper Border TK78254?I am looking for a roll of Norwall TK78254 border wallpaper.

 

Drying Bath Bombs?Can I put my bath bombs in the oven to speed up the drying process? What temperature would I use? How long?

 

Fixing a Refrigerator Door Handle?I have a Kenmore refrigerator door handle that has come loose at the top. I can't figure out how to fix it or replace it. It's a Kenmore Coldspot side by side with bow shaped handles and no obvious mounting screw covers or anything.

 

Olive Leaf Extract?Does anyone take the extract of olive leaf? What are the benefits?

 

Winterizing an Old House?I'm new to this, but was wondering if anyone had tips on winterizing an old house, i.e. windows, etc.?

 

Recipe for Liquid Dish Soap?Does anyone have a dish soap recipe?

 

What Breed is My Dog?I just got a puppy from a local shelter and they said he was boxer mix. His vet said maybe Boxer/Lab, but I'm curious to see what other people think. Thanks for the input.

 

Information About Pomeranian/Bichon Frise Mix?Does anyone know what the size of a Pomeranian/Bichon mix puppy would be? I am interested in birth weight. Also I wonder what the average litter size is?

 

Making a Doll Cake?How do you make those cakes that have the doll standing up in the middle of the cake. Thanks for the help folks.

 

Removing Sticky Stain from Cotton Blend Shirt?I have a cotton blend shirt with a design on the front. Just under the design there is a stain that looks grayish and feels thicker than the material of the shirt. It also feels somewhat sticky.

 

Ink Stains on a Sofa?There are ink stains on my sofa. How do I get them out?

 

Removing Nicotine Stains from Vinyl Wallpaper?How do I get nicotine stains out of vinyl wallpaper? The previous owners were heavy smokers. The wallpaper is all yellow. I have tried Greased Lightning, Handy Andy, Janola, and all sorts of cleaning products and home made ones like sodium bicarbonate, etc.

 

Using Oven Recipes for a Crockpot?Does anybody know how to convert oven time to crockpot time so that you can cook recipes for casseroles in the crockpot instead of the oven?

 

Homemade Gripper Socks?How can I make home-made "gripper" socks? The non-slip socks like hospital ones. What could be applied to the soles of regular socks to make that sticky stuff?

 

Organizational Advice for a Packrat?How does a packrat/hoarder begin to organize?

 

Making Dumplings in the Oven?Does anyone know if there is a way to make dumplings in the oven or a way to make them other than on the top of a stew, etc.?

 

Feeding Turkey to a Dog?Is white turkey meat OK for my little dog to eat?

 

Using Yeast in a Bread Machine?Does it matter if you use rapid rise yeast or regular active yeast in your bread maker? The manual doesn't specify. One recipe site recommended to add water to your active yeast before adding to your machine.

 

Making a Lollipop Tree?I am trying to find instructions for make the "tree" used in a lollipop tree (where you pick a sucker with the colored end and win a prize). It will be used everyday for 2 weeks so it needs to be durable, sturdy and small enough to sit on a table.

 

Saving Elephant Ears Bulbs?I dig up my elephant ear tubers each fall. Now I read about those that have a problem with their remaining tubers in the ground keep coming back each spring. Why dig them up each fall if they survive the winters in the ground?

 

Croquettes with Mackerel Instead of Salmon?I would like to know how to make mackerel croquettes?

 

Avoiding Charity Fraud?How do you know when someone is sincere pertaining to asking for donations for different organizations?

 

Removing Odor in the Car?How do I get rid of wet car smell?

 

Fondant Patterns?I am looking for fondant patterns for the Build-A-Bear Cakes, especially the Christmas pattern. If anyone has some, it sure would be great, or a web site that has free patterns. Thanks.Cricket Girl

 

Removing Scratches from Big Screen TV?Is there a way to get scratches off big screen TV?