April 21, 2010

MuffinsSift dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut in shortening. Combine remaining ingredients and add all at once. Stir with fork until dry ingredients are just dampened.

 

Ham Pasta SaladCombine first 5 ingredients in salad bowl. Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and garlic salt in small bowl. Add to salad; toss to mix. Chill until serving time. Serve in lettuce cups.

 

Roasted Red Peppers and Mozzarella Pasta SaladWhisk balsamic vinegar, oil and mustard in a large bowl. Add cooked and cooled pasta, red peppers, basil and toss to combine. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Fold in mozzarella and serve.

 

Meringue-Topped Southern Banana PuddingPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add milk to dry pudding mix in medium saucepan, stir until well blended. Lightly beat egg yolks in small bowl, add to milk mixture, mix well.

 

Morning SmoothieI never get bored with this one and have it nearly every day and what a healthy and easy way to start each day! Of course you can switch the raspberries for other fruits but the banana gives this smoothie a lovely richness so the banana is a keeper.

 

My Mother's GingerbreadThis recipe is so rich and good, and it brings back so many nice memories of walking up our driveway and being able to smell the aroma of Mother's baking. Sometimes it was as simple as bread pudding or sugar cookies, but very often, it was Gingerbread.

 

Sweet Potato CakeCombine cooking oil and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add egg yolks 1 at a time. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with water to first mixture.

 

Lemony Pecan ChickenPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Arrange chicken in 8x12 baking pan. Combine 2/3 cup parsley, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, oil, 1/3 cup pecans, lemon juice, basil and garlic in blender container.

 

Ask Cable Company About Special DealsIf you are not locked into a price for cable, check on a regular basis to see if the cable company is offering a special promotion. You would be surprised at the promotions that they have and sometimes it is only for 3 months but this savings can add up.

 

Making a Cover for an Outdoor GrillWith warm weather coming and lots of BBQ's, I found an old vinyl table cloth that no longer matches my color schemes. I folded it in half lengthwise, turned inside out, and stitched up both ends. I turned it back so the pretty side shows.

 

Matching Bathroom AccessoriesI originally purchased two flat sheets and made a duvet to match the bedroom drapes. I acquired another comforter at a garage sale, and no longer needed the duvet. I didn't have the heart to throw it away, so I cut all the seams and made a shower curtain.

 

Keep Plants Insulated With Bubble WrapI use to garden in Coquille, OR. The weather really fluctuates. I grew veggies and herbs in those big black containers. I wrapped the outside of containers in bubble wrap-sealed with a glue gun. It maintained a more even temperature for the plants.

 

Expandable Ice Chest for Carry On LuggageWhen traveling consider a cooler/ ice chest on wheels with the expandable handle as your carry on luggage at the airport. When you arrive at your destination, you also have a cooler at your disposal.

 

Prevent Mold on Cheese with VinegarIf you are like me and prefer to purchase a "chunk" of cheese instead of already shredded cheese, this tip is for you.

 

Bleeding HeartI couldn't resist showing off my lovely bleeding heart this spring - it has been loaded with blooms!

 

Glenn (Welch Corgi)Glenn is a five month old Welch Corgi. He was my Christmas puppy. He loves to play and snuggle.

 

Sugar (Bichon Frise)Sugar will be 4 years old on March 7, 2010. She is a Bichon Frise, but is often mistaken for a poodle. I bought her when she was 8 weeks old from a lady whose dog had pups.

 

Belladonna (Mastiff)Belladonna is a 16 month old Mastiff. Bella is a rescue shelter dog. She captured my heart. She likes to chew tractor tires! Bella had a very bad start in life. Here in the country, she has all the love and care that can be given. After all, doesn't she deserve it.

 

Store Canned Beans Upside DownI'm sure you've had to deal with the beans on the bottom and juice/soup at the top. When you turn the can up to empty it, all the goodies are in the bottom. I store mine upside down so that all the beans settle in the top of the can and the soup is in the bottom.

 

Fabric Covered ContainerA nice addition to match any decor and a great way to save that change. Any size container would work of course, mine happened to be a empty plastic peanut container when the idea hit me. I had a scrap of vintage, Victorian drapery material leftover that I used.

 

Refill Liquid Containers in the SinkI keep my cooking oil in a reusable squirt bottle. Since I'm blind, the process of refilling it has sometimes resulted in quite a mess. In spite of this, I'd rather do for myself than ask for help.

 

Garden: HoneysuckleDew drops on Honeysuckle.

 

Use Ammonia for Carpet CleaningKeep carpet cleaning simple. I have a small steam vacuum. I have always had trouble rinsing out soap residue on carpet areas even when using very little soap in the cleaner. Recently I tried adding a little ammonia to the water instead of soap.

 

Don't Leave Dog Unattended in Hot CarThere are so many times during hot weather when I see dogs left alone in cars while their owners go shopping. This is very upsetting to me. I don't understand the need for people to take their dogs with them while they shop.

 

Refill Foaming Hand SoapI absolutely love foaming soap for the bathroom. My husband loves it too. I discovered that the foam is caused by the dispenser. So I reuse the dispenser by putting something like Dawn liquid in it and add some water to it.

 

Use Perfume Pages for SachetMy daughter has tons of fashion magazines with those glossy high-end perfume samples. Besides their obvious use, a quick, one-use product try, she found that saving them in baggies until ready to give them a whirl helps them last indefinitely.

 

Scenery: Audubon Park, New OrleansNew Orleans is a favorite place to visit. You can even forget about all the nightlife. A terrific spot to spend some time is Audubon Park. Walk, jog, bike, through the park. It has a pond, and a large variety of wildlife. It has a golf course; and the Zoo is nearby.

 

Fabric Storage and OrganizationI sew and sell purses, totes, and diaper bags. So I have a lot of fabrics on hand. I use the large plastic containers to store most of my fabrics for my "Crazy Quilt Purses".

 

Ideas for High School Olympic Games?Our high school is planning on having Olympic games, which will be a grade level competition. It will be an indoor/outdoor event. However, we need game ideas?

 

Keeping Mice Out of My House?I moved into a new construction 3 years ago. Since then, I've been having problems with mice. I'm not sure where they are coming from. I make sure doors are closed because there is construction around the area where I live and I know rodents tend to roam those areas.

 

Red Rainbow Tea Ideas?We're having Rainbow Tea on May 1, 2010. And I'm the captain of the my table. My color is red. I need some ideas. Also, what does the color red mean in the bible? Please help me out.

 

Estimating the Cost of and Ingredients for a Salad for 50?I need help estimating the cost of and ingredients needed for a salad for 50. I will be making it with a romaine and iceberg lettuce mix, shredded carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and salad dressing.

 

Preventing Shirts from Yellowing When Stored?How do I store white suits to avoid yellowing stains?

 

Indoor Cat Got Out for the Night?My cat got out last night, we got her back tonight. Is there anything that we should worry about with her being gone for the night?

 

Free Dental Care?I need a dentist desperately and I have no money nor insurance. I have a few teeth that are broken and they hurt so badly that I can't sleep nor eat. Where can I get them removed with me having no money nor insurance?

 

Are Wild Onion Safe to Eat?Can you eat wild onions?

 

Life Cycle of a Roly Poly?How do roly polys develop over time? How do they get the shells on the outside? Recently my daughter and I found a roly poly that was having babies. The babies came out of the top area and the roly poly used her 2 top legs to push out the babies.

 

Color Scheme Advice for Basement With Exposed Logs and Wood Walls?We are finishing our basement in our log home. We have all the logs exposed in the upper floor, so have not had to paint any sheet rock until now. I had picked out "leather brown" paint for one side of the room.

 

Making a Layer Cake?I love to cook and love to bake and most of the time, I do an excellent job. As I get older I find I have more time to do so. One thing I have never been able to master is a layered cake.

 

Ideas for a Toy Story Themed 2nd Birthday Party?I need ideas for 2 year old male party with Toy Story as the theme. I would like game suggestions and ways to save money, if that's possible.

 

Discontinued Wallpaper: SA Maxwell Vintage Colonial #7026-109?I am looking for wallpaper from the S.A.Maxwell Co. I've been told where we bought this paper 7 years ago that Warner bought them out. I need to buy 2 more rolls of this pattern #7026-109, Vintage Colonial, lot # 002. The design repeat is 52cm.

 

Installing Corel Print Office 2000 on XP Machine?How can I install Corel Print Office 2000 on a computer with Windows XP OS?

 

Lilac Flower Buds Turn Black?The buds on my lilac just begin to develop, then they turn black and cease to develop into blossoms.

 

Advantages of Wire Curtain Rods?Can someone help me to know what the real advantages are for using wire curtain rods?

 

Printable 2 Year Planner?Does anyone know where I can print out a 2 year planner for my purse? I would like to use my old planner cover.