February 22, 2010

Louisiana Beef RoastIn small bowl combine onions, celery, peppers, oil and seasonings, mixing well. Place roast, fat side up, in roasting pan. With large knife make about 14 deep slits in meat to form pockets.

 

End of the Garden PicklesSoak cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, onions, celery, and tomatoes in salt water (1/2 cup salt to 2 quarts water) over night. Drain. Cook carrots and string beans in boiling water until tender.

 

Easy Enchiladas Easy, you use frozen burritos, lots of cheese, everyone likes it and easy to change up! Mix the cheese soup and enchilada sauce together. Pour half on the bottom of a 8x8 or a 9x13 inch (will be little big, but ok) pan. Microwave the burritos for a minute.

 

30's Depression CakeA chocolate cake with minimal ingredients and no eggs. Using a 2 cup measure make a paste of cocoa and hot water. Fill the 2 cup measure the rest of the way with milk. Add sugar, baking soda, flour and vanilla and mix all ingredients until smooth.

 

Fluffy Lemon SaladMix together all ingredients. Refrigerate.

 

Flavored Cream CheeseI get bored with the same old plain cream cheese and the store bought flavors are not usually very tasty (or very limited choice) so I did some searching for different recipes to make at home.

 

Cajun Chew BreadPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix brown sugar and margarine. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking powder.

 

Coconut CarrotsMelt butter in a 1 1/2 quart casserole on medium high power for 30 seconds. Stir in brown sugar and salt.

 

Peanut Butter BrowniesCream the margarine, peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; add slowly to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips; pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

 

Toothbrush Holders For Battery ToothbrushesWe use battery powered toothbrushes but I could not find tooth brush holders to accommodate them. I bought cheap salt and pepper shakers that were about 4 inches tall. I tossed the cap, and glued ribbon around the threads at the top.

 

Nap Mat Under Car SeatWhen my daughter was small and still in a car seat, I purchased one of those nap mats used in kindergarten to place under the car seat in my car. It helped protect the car from spills, dropped food, spit up or what ever.

 

Jewel Case Picture FramesInstead of tossing old CD cases into the landfill, why not make some picture frames from them? Here is a way to do that.

 

Sweet Pea (American Shorthair)Sweet Pea is a 5 year old American Shorthair. He was dumped in the woods near our house, and he found us.

 

Uses for Juice from Canned FruitUse it when making yeast breads; including cinnamon rolls and or quick breads. It adds another layer of delicious flavor and nutrition. You may want to reduce the amount of sugar by a Tbsp. or so to keep from having your breads or rolls too sweet.

 

Watermelon BowlFor those of you lucky enough to have fresh watermelon year round, have fun using them as your centerpiece at parties. You can make them into any design you can draw. Here I made a fish jumping over the watermelon bowl.

 

Craft: Recycled Pop Can GarlandPierce the side of the can near the top with a knife.Carefully cut out the top, beginning where you pierced it. Then cut down the side and cut out the bottom.

 

Hang Storage Bags Under EavesI have some closets under the eaves upstairs. They are full of hooks, so I have put lots of things in plastic grocery bags, and hung them by the handles on the hooks.

 

Annabelle (Tabby)Annabelle is 14 years old. She is a tabby cat. A friend gave her to me. She likes to play with her catnip toys and likes her belly rubbed. She's a great loving friend and pet.

 

Barney (Black Lab)Barney is a 1 1/2 year old Registered Black Lab. A friend bred a large litter of pups and sold all but the last 3. She knew that we had lost a golden retriever a while back and felt in her heart that she should give us this puppy. He was 9 weeks old at that time.

 

Removing Shoe Polish from CarpetTo get black shoe polish out of beige carpet, use Goof Off but saturate the cloth and dab on affected area. It works!

 

Photograph Your Card or Scrapbook LayoutWhen you make a card or scrapbook layout you like, take a photograph and you will be able to repeat it in future.

 

Using The Whole ChickenAt least once per month, I boil a whole chicken. Then I pull all that wonderful meat off the bones. I use some of it right away, and combine it with the broth from boiling the chicken, and frozen mixed vegetables and rice or soup pasta, for soup.

 

New and Transferred Prescriptions IncentivesTo get some bang for your expensive prescription bucks, you may want to transfer some prescriptions to your local Kmart. They are having a special offer right now in which you can receive up to four $25 gift cards between now and April 10, 2010.

 

Recycled Sweater Gift BagTurn the sleeve of an old sweater into a personalized gift bag. Place it over a canning jar filled with homemade soup, layered cookie mix, or some homemade goodies and you'll have a warm and cozy gift for a friend or shut-in!

 

Dryer Lint for Bird NestsDon't throw away your dryer lint! In the winter birds love it to line their nest with.

 

Reuse Manila Folders for Card StockI reuse manila folders that I no longer need by trimming the sides and turning them into 8 1/2x11 inch sheets. They can then be printed into business cards (2 1/2x3 inches).

 

Alternative for Waterbed SheetsI have a water bed and sheets for it never go on sale. I found a pair of king size sheets at our local little thrift shop really cheap. When I got home, I put the fitted bottom on our bed to see how short it was and measured how much more sheet I needed to tuck in.

 

Combine Two Pairs Of PantyhosePanty hose are expensive! This little trick has probably saved me hundreds of dollars over the years! Decide on your most preferred color of pantyhose and buy several pair. When getting a run or hole in one leg, cut that leg off and launder the "good leg" and panty.

 

Garden: Bird BathIt's a thrill to have more than 2 birds at our birdbath at the same time. Today I saw 4 Robins and grabbed the camera. In a matter of minutes the birdbath was overcome with all these birds!

 

Puppy is Aggressive Towards Other Dog?I have a 3 1/2 year old Jack Russell-male, an 8 month old male Jack Russell, a 10 month old male Pit Bull, and a female miniature Pomeranian, that's a year and 8 months old. They are all in the same house.

 

Wine Stains on Washable Fabrics?I would like information on cleaning white polyester fabric with wine stains.

 

Cleaning Faux Fur?I have a beautiful 30 year old brown faux fur chaise, quite a conversation piece of furniture. What type of cleaning solution is best for this piece of furniture?

 

Removing Black Mold From Grout?I have some mold on the grout in my shower. I've used bleach and hydrogen peroxide with no luck. Any ideas on how to get rid of it without spending a small fortune?

 

Baby Shower Clothesline Poem?I am looking for the clothes line poem for a baby shower.

 

Removing Black Mold from a Mattress?My boyfriend has a very nice queen mattress that we could use at my place but it has been in a room and house that is full of black mold. Can I save this mattress or should I just throw it away?

 

Cleaning Eye Glasses?The nose support of my eye glasses (little rubber parts) developed some green bacteria. I used alcohol wipes to get rid of the bacteria, but they re-develop after 2 weeks or so. Can you share a tip on how to solve this for good?

 

Faded Spot on Coach Purse From Cleaning?I bought a Coach bag not to long ago. I was so excited about my bag that I wore it to school. When I got home I saw a green stain on my bag. I was so upset.

 

Cat Has Stopped Eating?I have a "very" thin cat. She is approximately 13 years old. She won't eat anything, but pate cat food. The vet says he can't find anything wrong with her.

 

Repairing Inlaid Leather Table Tops?I have a round leather top coffee table and over the years it has been badly marked up. Is it possible to repair at home or does anyone know where to have the top replaced?

 

Picking Up Sweet Gum Balls?What is the best way to pick up sweet gum balls from the yard? I would prefer not to cut down the 14 trees throughout the yard if possible.

 

Crocheted Double Wedding Ring Afghan?My grandson is getting married in June. I love the double wedding ring pattern. The instructions are hard, they don't tell you much.

 

Yellow Cake Recipe?I would like a recipe for a moist yellow cake. It will be used for a wedding cake.

 

Is it OK to Put a Refrigerator in the Garage?I am ready to purchase a new refrigerator to replace the one currently kept in my garage. I was told the new refrigerators should not be kept in the garage, because they can no longer handle extreme temperature changes. Can you confirm this and explain if it is true?

 

My Legs Are Itchy?I have itchy legs. What can be causing this?

 

Making a Mini Green House?I want to start a small green house inside and would like to know how to start the seeds to be put out later. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Can't Locate the Source of a Terrible Smell in My Home?We have a very foul dead animal odor in our home. The only time this odor is present is after my wife has used a hair dryer. We know it is not the dryer itself, because it does not smell if used outside our home, ie. vacation.

 

Training Puppy Not To Jump On People?I have a 9 month old Terrier puppy. What can one do to prevent this jumping upon people when standing? Thanks.

 

Harvesting Horseradish?I was told that for really "hot" horseradish, you should harvest in either spring or fall. I can't remember which one. Maybe it really doesn't matter?

 

Using Vinegar for Fleas?I have heard that you can add apple cider vinegar to your pet's water to help with fleas, is this true?

 

Dishwasher Detergent for Hard Water?I live in west TX where the water is hard. I'm using a liquid dishwasher detergent. The dishwasher is not getting my dishes clean and the glasses come out hazy.

 

Scratches on a Porcelain Sink?I used an abrasive pad on my porcelain kitchen sink. Big mistake. Now I have scratches and big discolorations. What can I do?

 

Blue Stain Around Sink Drain?I have a blue stain around my new sink in the bathroom upstairs, but I don't have it in my main floor bath.

 

Cleaning a Textured Tub?I have fiberglass tubs that are a "pebbled" texture. Dirt and stains get ground into the surface and I can't get them out. Any suggestions?

 

Reporting a Business That Doesn't Have a Permit?Someone in my neighborhood is running a home based catering business without any permit and are cooking in their garage. Is that legal? Who do I need to inform?

 

Costs of Making Your Own Juice?I have been considering buying a juicer for making our own fruit juice. But most of what I read online says that it is actually more expensive to make your own juice.

 

Recommendations for Full Figured Bras?Can anyone tell me the name of a good uplifting bra for a full figure? All the straps on the bras I've tried seem to let me sag instead of holding me up.

 

Removing Wax From Carpet?How do I get wax out of my carpet?

 

Headlights Foggy on Inside?Does anyone have any idea on how to get the fog off of the inside of headlights? I really don't want to buy new ones. The outside is clean, it's just the inside of them that is foggy. Thank you.