November 24, 2009

Mother's Spanish Rice with Ground BeefThis is my Mother's recipe for Spanish Rice. I have never found a recipe this good. I think it is the milk which is unusual in this dish that makes the difference.

 

Asparagus, Tomato and Ham Pasta Quick and tasty. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, saute asparagus in olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes and ham and heat thoroughly.

 

Holiday Quick BreadsEveryone loves quick bread for the holidays right? Well here are some quick and easy quick breads that can be given as gifts this year.

 

Nutted Wild Rice SaladRinse rice under cold water. Bring chicken stock to a boil; add rice and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients and toss.

 

Fruity Cranberry SaladOnly three ingredients go into this salad and its a great alternative to the stuff that comes in a can. Add bag of cranberries, orange slices, and apple into food processor. Chop until the consistency you want.

 

Chickpea SoupA hearty vegetable soup. Cover chick peas with one quart of water ( 4 cups). Add onion and seasonings and beef bouillon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

 

Basic GravyA recipe that can be made from roasted chicken, turkey, beef, ham or pork drippings. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pan drippings in your roasting pan. Place roasting pan on the stove and heat drippings over medium heat.

 

Union Station Chocolate Chip CookiesCream butter, brown sugar, and sugar together. Add 2 eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients and then add to wet mixture.

 

Heat Liquid Before Adding to RouxWhen making your gravy with roux, always heat the stock, broth, milk or cream you are using before adding it to the hot roux. This prevents the clumping that can easily occur when making gravy.

 

Wallpaper BookmarksWanting to have a small thank you gift lead me to make these free bookmarks from wallpaper.

 

Keep Track of Gifts from Year to YearFrom year to year, we don't remember what we gave as gifts for occasions. If we attend the bar mitzvah of a friend's child, it would be nice to know how much we wrote the check for.

 

Add Pumpkin Pie Spice to Coffee GroundsI love the Pumpkin Spice Flavored Coffee that is sold at this time of the year. But, drinking too many of them can really put a hole in my pocket!

 

Reuse Receipts as Note PaperFor those of us who save receipts throughout the month in that envelope, shoebox, file etc, stop before you throw away the receipts at months end! Use the blank back side of receipts to write on!

 

Recycle All Egg CartonsI keep all the containers eggs come packaged in. You can use them to place eggs in from your local farmer's market. If you don't buy your eggs there, you can take your containers, and donate them to the vendors.

 

How To Grow Giant PumpkinsWhether your goal is to make a statement with your fall display or win first prize at a local pumpkin weigh-off, once you've mastered some pumpkin growing basics, growing the giants isn't really that hard.

 

Reuse Plastic Bags At TargetTarget deducts .05 off your total for every bag you bring in to bag your purchased items. I keep mine in my vehicle so they are always available.

 

Santa FaceI placed the photo under a piece of glass out of a frame that I decided was the right size. I then built a crushed glass Santa beard and hat around his face on a black crushed glass background as you can see.

 

Halloween Hay (Nova Scotia, Canada)Here in Nova Scotia, we have farms and lots of hay, so HEY!

 

Organizing Photos On Your CameraI love to take pictures, but I don't love trying to remember where one day ends and the next begins as I go to catalog my digital photos as I upload them to my computer after a long trip.

 

Homemade "Space Bags"Instead of buying those high priced bags to store things in like clothes and bedding etc., you can take the garbage bags, fill it up with jackets or bedding or what ever.

 

Freshen a Ferret CageI have been hanging a plastic sandwich bag, open, on the outside of the cage with a 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla in it. It seems to help freshen the area around the cage. Any other ferret freshness ideas?

 

Anthony (Standard Poodle)Anthony is a 2 1/2 years old Standard Poodle. Anthony was given to me when he was 7 weeks old. Anthony loves to play with my son's guinea pig Fredrick, and play catch for treats. Anthony is a awesome companion, loyal and is a great joy to have in my life.

 

Recycled Gift BottlesSuper quick and cute way to recycle those cool shaped Frappuccino bottles.

 

Organizing DVDs?Does anyone have ideas on organizing DVD disks?

 

Nursing a Dog Through Parvo?Two days ago I found out my dog has been infected with parvo. Is it still possible for me to take her to get vaccinated against it, or will it harm her? Are there any remedies to get her to eat and drink again?

 

Finding Buyers for Old Textile Bobbins?I have hundreds of bobbins from a old textile company, does anyone know where I can sell them to another company? How can I find anyone that can use or collect them? Your help would be highly appreciated. Thank-you.

 

Converting Cooking Time from Slow Cooker to Oven?Does anyone know if there is a formula to convert slow cooker cooking times to those for the oven? For example, if a recipe calls for 8 hours in the slow cooker, how long and at what temperature would I cook it in the oven? Thanks.

 

Storing Digital Camera Memory Cards?How can I store the memory cards for my digital camera?

 

Removing Stain on Table Left By Squash Decoration?We have a light oak dining table with a dark stain, about 2 inches in diameter, left by a small squash used as Halloween decoration. Any ideas as to how to remove or reduce this satin?

 

Safe Flea Bath for Cats?I'm looking for advice regarding my cat. It's allergic to flea collars, spot-on treatments are too expensive, but he doesn't mind getting bathed and rinsed with Cat Flea shampoo.

 

Painting Cabinets with Grey and Whited Speckled Countertops and Yellow Walls?I would like advice on what color to paint my cabinets? The countertops are grey-white speckles and the walls are yellow?

 

Could Dog's Bad Odor Be Anal Glands?Do Shih tzu's have a gland that gets blocked and causes them to have a foul smell?

 

Decorating A Pink Bathroom?I moved into a house with a pink tub and shower, vanity top, and toilet. I have replaced the toilet and vanity top with basic white, but am not ready to give up the quality made shower. My husband won't paint it, so how can I decorate around it?

 

Planning a Christmas Scripture Dinner?We are wanting a unique Christmas dinner for the ladies of our church. We are planning a scripture dinner (we are running out of time), so we are looking for your details on putting on such an event

 

Party Theme Ideas?I'm looking for a theme for my 18th birthday party. It has to be big. I'm thinking of something like the "Red Carpet" or something like that.

 

Does My Dog Have an Ear Infection?My dog's ear usually stand up. One is down and a little pink, is this an ear infection?

 

Removing Grease Stain - Tried Lots of Things?My son has a red Ohio State hoodie and got grease on it from his job. He washed and dried it in hopes that the grease would come out. It didn't come out.

 

Ants in Dishwasher?I discovered ants in my dishwasher; I am a clean freak who rinses everything thoroughly before I put dishes in the washer. Any suggestions on what to do?

 

Homemade Faux Finish Paints?Does anyone have any tips about making your own soft suede paint? I need to know: paint types, proportions, do's and don'ts, etc. Thanks.

 

Banana Upside Down Cake?Does anyone have a banana upside down cake recipe?

 

Shopping in Mumbai?I want cheap and nice shoes in Mumbai City, India. Please give me shopping details.

 

Making Your Own Wire Edged Ribbon?How do you make your own wire edged ribbon on a sewing machine?

 

Uses for Stale Beer?How do I utilize some bottles of stale beer?

 

Cleaning "Sticky" Plastic Containers?How do I get the sticky off of Tupperware?

 

Cleaning Vintage Porcelain Chandelier?What can I use to clean a delicate old chandelier with lots of parts? It is porcelain with gold trim.

 

Removing Fabric Paint on Dining Table?My daughter got neon fabric paint on my dining room table, anyone know the best way to remove it?

 

Removing Dull, Stained Appearance from White Tile Floor?I have a black and white tile kitchen floor. It was only cleaned with white vinegar and ammonia until recently when it was cleaned several times with Spicand Span.