November 17, 2009

Quick Curried Tomato and White Bean SoupThis wonderfully thick soup takes only about 20 minutes and has a great flavor because of the curry powder and ginger.

 

Nitey-Nite CookiesPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto foil-covered cookie sheets

 

Tomato Beef MacaroniAdd water to frozen hamburger and cook over medium heat. Once the hamburger is no longer frozen, and the 3 cups of water starts to boil, add macaroni noodles, and stir it quite a bit. Then add tomato puree and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Skeleton Deviled EggsSomething fun around the Halloween/Day of the Dead. Hard boil eggs. Use straws to "punch out" eyes, nose teeth in egg white, then either serve them as hard boiled eggs, or cut in half and make deviled egg mix to fill them and close them back up!

 

Chuckwagon SpecialWe used to have this at the family camp we attended when our daughters were little. So good!

 

Buttermilk Pecan ChickenPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter in large, shallow roasting pan and melt in oven. Remove and set aside. Mix buttermilk land egg in shallow dish.

 

Kit Kat BarsI have found that these are bigger than regular kit kat bars and they are also cheaper to make. They are more healthy then those store bought ones too. You can get 2 dozen wafer bars at the dollar store.

 

Bacon Jalapeno PoppersMix cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a small bowl. Stuff each jalapeno half equally with the cheese mixture.

 

Homemade Spider TrapI happen to get quite a few spiders in my house. I hate to find them near my babies' cribs. I found a way to eliminate spiders without sprays. Put double sided tape on an index card or scrap paper.

 

Thanksgiving Time SaversPlanning Ahead: Buy everything that won't spoil as far in advance as you can. Figure out which recipes can be made at least one day in advance. Things like pies, blanched vegetables, and gratins can all be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

 

Felt for Securing Clothes on HangersIf you're tired of finding clothes on the closet floor that have fallen of hangers, here is a simple solution. Use a sticky felt circle on each side of a hanger to help clothes stay in place.

 

P.K. (Parking Lot Kitty)P.K. (Parking lot Kitty) is a 5 year old cat of mixed origins. ( I am unsure what kind of cat he is.) P.K was left by his owners in the parking lot in the Marina and he loved everyone that paid attention to him. I loved him back.

 

Make Moist Turkey With BrineThis will make even the lowest priced frozen bird rival a fresh turkey. My approach is to take a new, black plastic trash bag and use it in combination with a five gallon plastic container.

 

Scenery: Swan River, ManitobaWe saw this giant swan while passing through Swan River, Manitoba.

 

Sparkling Cranberry JuiceHere's a nice beverage for holiday meals and easy to make. All you do is add two ounces of plain sparkling water for each 8 ounces of cranberry juice. Serve in wine or champagne glasses over crushed ice for a pretty presentation.

 

How to Create a Backyard Sanctuary...In March 2009, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released the first ever comprehensive report on bird populations in the United States, which showed that nearly 1/3 of the nation's 800 bird species are either endangered, threatened, or in significant decline.

 

Patchwork Circle MatMat sewn from denim jean scraps and colorful scraps of cotton. Center the cardboard template on a print circle and mark the point where each of the four corners touches the outside edge of the circle.

 

Recycle Mattress Cover for Quilt FillingWhen making quilts, I use old (clean) mattress covers for the fill. Cut to the size that you need.

 

Baby (Yorkie Mix)Baby is 9 years old and a Yorkie mix. We adopted Baby 9 years ago from my Father-in-Law. He was so tiny that we could hardly find a bowl little enough for him to get his little head over in to drink.

 

Link: Free Drum Sticks and Book or DVDIs there a budding drummer in your family or among your friends? Go to www.playdrums.com for a coupon for a free pair of drum sticks and either a book or DVD.

 

Protecting a Mattress from Adult IncontinenceMy elderly father occasionally has an "accident" during the night. I have placed a quilted waterproof pad on top of the bottom sheet. If the bed is accidentally soiled during the night, all he does is toss the pad.

 

Air Out New Shower Curtain Before HangingWe bought a new plastic shower liner, used inside fabric curtain. You should not hang up in the bathroom, as it gives off harmful chemicals. So what we did was hang the liner in the outside garage for 10 days.

 

Halloween: Little PiratesMy granddaughter on Halloween 2009

 

Product Review: C Cleaner PC Optimization ToolTo keep my computer running smoothly, in addition to the standard anti-spyware and anti-virus scans, I like to use C Cleaner. It's free. It's wonderful.

 

Do Pantyhose Have a Shelf Life?Do pantyhose have a shelf life if it is unopened?

 

Free Antique Pineapple Crochet Patterns?I was looking for free crochet patterns for pineapple doilies. Does anyone have them?

 

What Breed is My Dog?Is my 14 week old a full pit bull or mix? What do you think she is mixed with?

 

Triple "A" Surgery (abdominal aortic aneurysm)?I had aorta surgery last March. I spent 15 days in Baptist Hospital. I came out with bowel and kidney trouble. I also lost the lower half of my right lung and had a huge hernia just below the breast bone.

 

Touching Up Worn Spots on a Leather Sofa?I have a taupe leather love seat. I am looking for a creme consistency dye/tint to blend worn areas and scratches. The furniture manufacturer is no help. Has anyone used shoe dye cream, or another product, for a similar problem?

 

Activities for Special Needs Seniors?I am taking care of 70 year old woman whose husband died 3 months ago. She has a PHD in psychology. She abruptly stopped drinking due to a broken hip and shoulder. She has a touch of dementia and suicidal thoughts. (yes, I've got my hands full).

 

Painting a Mirror with Chalkboard Paint?I want to paint an 8' tall mirrored closet door with chalkboard paint. Is this possible? Can it be removed at a later date?

 

Primer Not Adhering to Bathroom Wall?I've been applying primer to my bathroom's formerly yellow walls with relatively good results until I noticed the paint over the toilet section of the wall wasn't adhering as well as the rest.

 

Cleaning a Jacuzzi?How do you clean a jacuzzi?

 

Drilling Slot For Glass Block Bank?I want to make a glass block bank. How do I drill the slot?

 

Buying an Old-fashioned Dust Mop?I know the Swiffer has taken over the market, but I need to know where to purchase the "old fashioned dust mops"? None of the stores I checked carry them any more.Please advise.Thank you.

 

Recycling an Old Christmas Card into a New One?How can I turn an old used Christmas card into a newer Christmas card, that is also cheap, creative, fun, and that several people can enjoy?

 

Recipes Using Pumpkin Puree and Cream Cheese?I normally make pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving, but I would like to make something different this year. Yes, I've searched the internet, but now I would like your tried and true recipes to made with pumpkin puree and cream cheese. Thanks.

 

Making Vegetarian Gravy?I am a vegetarian and now that Thanksgiving is coming along, I suddenly thought, "Wait a second, what should I do about gravy this year?" I haven't had gravy ever since I've become a vegetarian. I guess I just want some gravy that doesn't contain any animal products.

 

Cranberry Jelly?Does anyone have a recipe for easy cranberry jelly?

 

Using Vinegar in the Laundry?I was told to add white vinegar to the rinse cycle of my wash, but will my laundry smell like vinegar once done?

 

Finding Combinations for Old Locks?Any ideas how I can get the combination for various combination locks. I have a ton of these things around the house that my son has used on his school lockers for years. They are shut and we have no combinations. Any ideas?

 

Removing Lip Balm from Car Upholstery?How do I remove lip balm from my fabric car seat?

 

Removing Bio Gel Nails?I currently have these bio gel nails which are the best quality nails on the market as they let your nail breathe and do not damage them, but they are expensive.

 

Making Dip from Cheese Spread?I have a tub of Alouette garlic cheese spread and would like to take some of it and make it into a dip and/or salad dressing. Should I add sour cream and/or milk to make it creamy?

 

Growing Flat Leaf Parsley Indoors?How often should flat leaf parsley be fed in an indoor herb garden?

 

Doggie Diapers Won't Stay On?My dog is in heat and her diaper won't stay on at night. She is a French Bulldog and has no tail so the diaper isn't really working. I don't want to keep her just in the kitchen area and she usually sleeps with me.

 

How Well Do Garment Steamers Work?Does anyone know from experience how well a garment steamer works? I was thinking of buying one, but would like to hear from others who have had experience using garment steamers.

 

What is Corn Flour?What is corn flour? Is it corn starch?

 

Cleaning a Linoleum Floor?I have either a linoleum or vinyl floor. The shine is gone and dirt is embedded in the tile. The only way I can get the floor clean and white is by using a magic eraser and cleaner. Is there anything I can do to bring back the shine?

 

Getting Rid of English Ivy?We recently bought our house, and a retaining wall separates our back yard from our neighbor's yard below. We had to replace our fence, because English Ivy had taken it over and was weighing it down. My question is what is the best way to get rid of it?

 

Trouble Changing Sleep Schedule?I'm having a hard time creating new sleep habits. I worked for years at a hospital getting up at 3 am. and I still wake up at 3 am. Now I have a hard time keeping my eyes open past 8 pm, any suggestions?

 

Using Vinegar on Rosacea?Can I use vinegar for rosacea on my skin?

 

Gift Ideas for a 13 Year Old Girl?What are some good gifts for a 13 year old girl besides, purse, clothes, make-up, and shoes? I need ideas for my little cousin.

 

Mildew On Clothes?I need help getting mildew out of clothes.

 

Fixing a Glider Rocker That Squeaks?I have a glider rocker and it squeaks terribly. I think it is the wood, not the bolts. Help please.

 

Using Basil?Please advise me of ideas on using fresh basil. Thank you.

 

What Kind of Snake is This?What kind of snake is this?

 

What Kind of Tree is This?What kind of tree is this? What is it's native habitat? Are the seeds poisonous?

 

Ab Rocket Reviews?I want an honest review of the Ab Rocket. Does it hold up to daily use; are the connecting parts durable; is the unit comfortable to sit in and use? Any information offered would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any thoughts.