March 23, 2010

Last Night's Easy StewI came across this accidentally, but I was making a stew last night.

 

Beef Cheese LogSoften cream cheese. Add Miracle Whip, Worcestershire sauce, olives and onion. Separate beef slices using two thicknesses. Spread mixture on each beef slice and roll up.

 

Quick Chinese Takeout (Copycat)I wanted a fancy Chinese meal cheap so I created it!

 

Feta SpreadA wonderful easy spread for crackers, bread, wraps and even veggies.

 

Pecan Crisp CookiesSift dry ingredients together into bowl. Mix in shortening until mixtures looks like meal. Mix together the milk, egg yolk, and the vanilla and blend into the flour mixture.

 

Raw Vegetable SaladCut vegetables in chunks or slices. Toss with dressing ingredients. Mix together and refrigerate overnight.

 

Terrific Bread PuddingMy husband was raised on this. This one is a specialty of his grandmother and his mom. Yummy! Place brown sugar in top of double boiler. Cut bread in 1 inch squares and place over brown sugar.

 

Minted Peas And RiceThe mint gives it a fresh taste. Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add rice and bring to a simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4 minutes.

 

Glorified Chicken BreastsStir soup and water together. Place Swiss cheese on chicken breasts. Pour soup and water over breasts, then top with croutons. Drizzle melted butter over croutons. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

 

Cutting Hamburger Cooking TimeCut the cooking time for hamburgers in half by making several holes in the center of each patty. The inside cooks more quickly.

 

Lint Roller for Dusting Lamp ShadesTo clean fabric lamp shades, use a lint roller. Can also be used to clean carpeted stairs.

 

Bijou (Toy Poodle)Bijou is a 6 years 11 months old Toy Poodle. He was a gift from my mother in law. He likes to chase the rabbits and birds in our back yard. We think he was taken from his mommy too early, because he doesn't like to be alone.

 

Use Carpet Padding as Shoe InsertsYou know those expensive padded shoe inserts that you can buy in the store? Lots of people use them for extra cushion in their shoes, especially if they have a job that requires lots of standing.

 

Using Old Eyeglass Cases to Hold Your Cell PhoneI like to put a velcro tab on those silky material eyeglass holders to make a phone case out of it for use in my purse. I bought a nine dollar Virgin Mobile phone at Walmart because it was a pretty color.

 

Ask Your Physician for Generic DrugsSave some money and get well! Tell your physician to prescribe older medications or generic.

 

Tips from the Priscilla Circle Vintage CookbookNeat hints and older recipes for us baby boomers. I love to shop thrift stores, and I happened upon this gem of a cookbook called, "The Priscilla Cook Book" Personal Recipes by The Woman's Association Pilgrim Congregational Church in St. Pete, Florida.

 

Peeling Hard Boiled EggsWhen peeling hardboiled eggs, roll eggs on center divider of sink under cold running water. Squeezing the egg with your hands. The shell will peel off easily and the membrane holds the shell almost whole.

 

Shoe RepairThe sole on a pair of my favorite shoes began to separate from the shoe. I slipped a little tacky glue between the bottom of the shoe and the top of the sole, clamped the shoes with a couple binder clips, and by next morning they were good as new.

 

Craft: Recycled Plastic Bottle Door HangerCreate a quick pattern from an old business size envelope if you need one, level out the side. (I rounded my corners a little bit). Cut out the circle for the doorknob and you're done.

 

Jack (Rat Terrier)Jack is a 13 year old Rat Terrier, adopted from shelter 8+ years ago. When I got Jack I had recently lost two lovable pets to liver cancer and decided I couldn't live without a companion. So, I went to our local animal shelter and searched.

 

Outdoor Easter Egg HuntFor our Easter Egg Hunt last year, we hid them outside even though it was a bit on the cold side. Our 5 year old grandson Mason didn't care. We hid them first and then he hid them as he loves to have us find them.

 

Silverware Organizer for Sewing BasketUse a silverware drawer divider in your sewing basket to organize your thread, scissors, needles, and whatever gets collected there. They are easily cut down between the dividers. I moved one of the slots on one side to the end of my sewing basket.

 

Use Aquarium Water For PlantsDirty fish tank water makes great plant food. Instead of pouring all those great nutrients down the drain use it to make your plants look great.

 

Use Oversize Zip Lock Bags in LuggageI found that I can put a lot more in my suitcase using the vacuum bags sold for food. I ran out of those and bought the XL zip locks and just rolled the air out and it worked just as well.

 

Suzie's Beaded Easter BagCute little drawstring bag for Easter. Read all instructions through before beginning. Note: Always pull your slipstitches tight.

 

How To Avoid Misleading Environmental ClaimsAlmost no products are 100% green, but many claim to be. Unfortunately, many well-intentioned consumers are being persuaded to buy products that don't come close to delivering on their environmental promises.

 

Missy Rae (Cat)Missy Rae is a one 1 year old mixed breed. About 6 months ago we had to put our little dog Princess down because of heart failure. She was about 14 years old. We wanted another pet but not another dog right away. The neighbors posted a sign in their yard for free kittens.

 

Speed Up Your PCWith time a PC will slow down unless you perform some basic maintenance. This has changed a bit with the different operating systems by Microsoft but the tasks are roughly the same.

 

Gardening: Paper PotsI start by folding one page in half. On the folded side (to make it neater) I roll the paper around the bottle. I fold the rough end down and put the cap on the bottom. Then I pull the bottle free, leaving the cap on.

 

Easter Place Card HolderA take home favor or place card holder. With a needle or other sharp tool break a small hole in both ends of an egg. Wiggle a toothpick around inside to break the yolk so it all will blow out clean.

 

Easter Food Ideas?I am not sure what to have for lunch on Easter. I have a 4 year old daughter, so I would like it to be Easter or bunny themed. I cannot seem to find any ideas.

 

Dog Urinates Inside When Left Alone?How do I stop my 2 year old Staff from weeing in the house? He only does this when I leave him home alone. Even if I leave him for ten minutes he will do it. He knows where he is supposed to go. Any suggestions other than crating him or neutering him, as I want to breed him?

 

Removing Clothing Labels Printed Directly on Fabric?Anyone know a way to remove tagless labels from clothes without ruining the clothes? I have some tops that have tagless labels, but now the labels are starting to peel and are very scratchy against my neck. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Cleaning and Sanitizing Towels Supplied at School Pool?I work for a school where there are weekly swimming lessons at our pool. We provide towels to the students. At times, we are not able to clean all of the towels so some towels may stay dirty for 1 to 2 days, at the most. How sanitary is it to not wash towels immediately?

 

Craft Uses for Thick Pieces of Foam?I got some thick strips of foam free from a yard sale thinking I could make some homemade stamps for making greeting cards. This is the wrong type of foam for that project. This type is more for stamping paint on the wall; I am not interested in that idea.

 

Looking For "Pink Solution" Cleaning Product?Where can I find a retailer to purchase Pink Solution that is near my home, in Surrey/White Rock, B.C. Canada?

 

Toilet Tank Not Filling?My toilet isn't filling back up in the tank. No water is coming in. What can I do to clean out calcification, if that's the problem (in the intake hose)? I have had this problem with other plumbing in my house.

 

Removing Odor of Ladybugs from House?How do I get ladybug scent out of my house?

 

Growing Angel Trumpets?I planted young and older growing Angel Trumpets in my six acres. First in the shade; no flowers, then in the sun, flowers. But, what is the best way to support them, and keep them from getting too cold? Should I use any fertilizer or special soil? Thanks.

 

Cleaning Oil Stains on Leather Purse?I have gotten salad oil all over my good BK Makowsky bag. Is there anyway to clean this bag? It's dark red and almost new.

 

Instruction Manual for Baby Lock Imagine Serger?I have lost the instruction booklet that came with my Baby Lock Imagine Serger. I have searched www.Babylock.com and the web trying to locate a downloadable copy.

 

Aphids on Milkweed Plants in Butterfly Garden?I read the answer re: milkweed for butterflies. I have a much harder time trying to grow them, from seed-starting, to trying to keep the sucking aphids off every day. Your other grower stated he had grown "tons" of milkweed in Spring Hill, FL.

 

Cleaning Seashells?Most of my winter is spent at Marco Island, FL where I love to collect shells for crafts. Never do I collect live shells, however, once in awhile I've ended up with a couple that have a bit of their meat still in them, like the small conches.

 

Keeping Clothes Smelling Fresh While Traveling?I am going for a long vacation with a lot of traveling and my clothes will be mostly in a suitcase. I want to know how to keep the clothes smelling good.

 

Keeping Asian Beetles Out of My House?I am looking for a natural way to get rid of Asian lady bugs in the house. I have vacuumed them up in past years, but they continue to come in during the spring time. I just want them to go away. I have an old house so they have lots of places to get in.

 

Help with Tonsurephobia- Fear of Hair Cuts?I am 17 and I've always been scared of getting my hair cut. Is this reason to bite the bullet and shave it all off? How can I work up the courage?

 

Kitchen With Oak Cabinets?I have light sky blue countertops, honey oak cabinets, and light beige colored tile. I have a neutral/beigey colored wallpaper, it's textured and is very decent.

 

Making Soap Without Lye?I was reading information about making soap products someone had posted on ThriftyFun. Is it possible to make nice soap i.e., glycerin without using lye? As I have never tried to make soap, I wondered if it there was a way to do this. Many thanks. Helen xx

 

Controlling Grass in a Backyard Pond Without Herbicides?I still consider having a pond in my backyard as gardening. No fish, but a waterfall into a small pond, a shallow stream with rocks for birds, and into another small pond.