June 17, 2010

Tex Mex Stuffed Bell PeppersPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds, discard stems and place, cut side up, in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Vegetable SoupCover soup bone with water in kettle and bring to a boil and simmer 2-3 hours. Remove bone and salt to taste. To broth add any meat removed from bone, add carrots, rutabaga, potato, onion and bay leaf.

 

Oatmeal PancakesMix the oats and buttermilk together and gradually add the remaining ingredients. Blend. Bake on greased grill.

 

Peking PorkUsing a sharp knife, cut the tenderloin crosswise into very thin slices. Put them into a bowl with the 2 Tbsp. water, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, chili powder and sugar. Marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

 

Crock Pot BarbecueI love the ease of crock pot cooking and I love BBQ and this recipe is both easy and delicious.

 

Mozzarella ChickenThis is easy to prepare and my family loves it. Place chicken breast in casserole dish. Size depends on how many breasts you are using. Top each piece with cheese.

 

Sicilian Strawberry SlawIn a salad bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well blended. Toss with the slaw mixture to evenly coat. Garnish each serving with pine nuts

 

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter PieGreat summertime treat! Combine pudding, peanut butter, and whipped cream. Place in the pie shell. Freeze and share.

 

Use Bubble Wrap in VasesWhile looking for something to go into the bottom of vases to hold flowers for my daughter's wedding and keep the costs down, I ran across some bubble wrap laying around that was shaped like ice cubes.

 

Harley (Toy Poodle)Harley is a 6 years old Toy Poodle. Harley became part of our family on April 7, 04 when his Mom, Diamond decided to go into labor, somewhere in the early morning hours.

 

Travel: Burj Kalifa, DubaiThat is the highest tower in Dubai. We went there, the whole family, to see some fun things in Dubai. I really enjoyed it.

 

Charlie (Cat)I had just moved into a new apartment and I wanted a pet to keep me company. When I went to the pet shop to look at the kittens, Charlie ran up to the top of the cage, grabbed my finger, started licking me, and would not let go!

 

Join a Local Bird Watching GroupI recently signed up online with a group called BirdYak through the Audubon society. They get together and go on outings to various areas around here to watch and identify the many species of birds that live here year round and those who migrate through the area too.

 

Freeze Yogurt for SmoothiesThis is a way to save that uneaten yogurt that is near its expiration date. I toss the yogurt container in the freezer and add it to smoothies in the blender as needed. Yes, it will expand a bit as it freezes, but I have never had a lid pop.

 

Super Mario Brothers CostumeWhat gamer doesn't love the Mario Brothers? Turn your kid into one or the other of these lovable little plumbers for Halloween. The costume is warm, comfortable, and can be made reflective with the addition of some reflective tape.

 

My Frugal Life: It's Just Common SenseBeing frugal or thrifty is more a matter of common sense than anything else in my mind. There are so many ways it is possible to save money, but it does require making small changes in the way things are usually done in our busy, hectic world.

 

Garden: Blue IrisWhen I married my husband and moved here, his yard was a jungle of plants. Not being a gardener, my first inclination was to bulldoze the entire thing. Better judgment won out.

 

Soak Okra Seeds Before PlantingIf anyone is having problems getting okra seeds to grow, try soaking them in pure bleach overnight. The next day don't wash off the bleach and plant them as usual. My dad planted some four days ago he'd soaked in bleach and they're already up and 3 inches tall.

 

Scenery: Water Drop And FlowersI'm fascinated with water drops. I love to try to capture pictures inside of them. This is one I took in my backyard.

 

Use Orange Hand Cleaner to Clean VinylAutoZone sells a hand cleaner called Permatex Fast Orange hand cleaner that also cleans vinyl. It makes the vinyl look like new no matter how dirty it is. My grandson called me and said he had discovered this while he was cleaning his boat.

 

Store Shredder in Picnic BasketIn the past I had trouble shredding my documents because my shredder was not in a handy place. I grabbed an old picnic basket and put the shredder inside, closed the lid, and ran the electrical cord through an existing hole in the weave.

 

Scenery: Sunset (Carolina Beach, NC)This is a view of the sunset as we were leaving Carolina Beach, NC. This small lake across from the beach area in Carolina beach is an area where you can peddle boat.

 

Don't Charge iPhone in CarYou should not be in the habit of charging your iPhone in the car using a car charger. If you do, make sure you only plug the phone in after the vehicle has been cranked, and remove the phone from the charger before the vehicle has been turned off.

 

Use Plumbers Cloth for CleaningSome things can be very difficult to clean, as we all know, but I have a solution to many of my cleaning problems. It is called plumbers cloth and can be purchased at Ace Hardware.

 

Garden: Clematis (Franziska Maria)I am a plant it and let it survive gardener. I found this Clematis last year and planted it during the summer months. It has grown beyond my imagination with watering and a touch of plant food.

 

Store Children's Books on Plate StackerA plate stacker is a nice way to store children's books. Since I had one, I decided to use it for this purpose, and it is really nice. I don't put tons of books out at once. I change them periodically so the kids don't lose interest.

 

Feed Cats Soft Food to Increase HydrationI saw that it is better to feed a cat homemade or canned food than to give it dry food, since a cat will not drink enough water for it's own health. Probably a better idea might be to mix soft food with dry food or do all soft food.

 

Use a Stocking as a Keyboard CoverI recently bought a new black keyboard and a package of knee-highs. Once the keyboard was connected, the stocking went on. I safety pinned the end so it wouldn't come off. It helps keep the cord out of the way and definitely is keeping things out of the keyboard.

 

Can You Freeze Cucumbers to Pickle Later?Can you freeze sliced cucumbers to pickle at a later date?

 

Lawn Mower Starter Rope Stuck?My Craftsman 6.0 mower pull cord is stuck. I've checked gas, oil, spark plug, and blade. Everything is good on those, but the blade won't turn by hand. What options do I have, or should I take it to a shop?

 

How Do I Remove Urine Smell From My Bathroom?How do you get urine smell out of a clean bathroom?

 

Borax and Water Insecticide?How much borax do you add to a quart squirt bottle of water to use for insecticide? Anybody know? Thanks!

 

Updating My Kitchen Cabinets?I would like some ideas on up dating oak cabinets?

 

Can I Use Dish Soap to Get Rid of Garden Pests?I heard that you can use a mild mixture of dishsoap and water to spray on your garden plants to prevent bugs. Is this true? My beans are being eaten severely.

 

Transplanting Vegetable Plants?I am moving to a new house and this is the 1st year my son and I have planted a garden. Everything is doing great and I want him to be able to enjoy his hard work. Can I transplant his cantaloupe, tomato, pepper, and cucumber plants?

 

4 Year Old Won't Behave?I have a 4yr old son who will not mind or listen to me or his sister at all. He knows he will get in trouble, but just doesn't seem to care. It is getting to where everyday is a struggle with him. Please does anyone out there know anything I can do?

 

What Breed is My Dog?What breed do you think my dog may be? About a year ago I sent in a picture, but she was much younger. So I wanted to see if anyone has any other opinions. Thank you all for your input.

 

Toilet Backs Up Into Shower?My toilet backs up into the shower. I snaked both the shower and toilet, no help. I put drain cleaner now both, no help.

 

Tomato Plant Help?I had a very tall tomato plant and when I transplanted it outside, about 9 inches of the top broke off. Will it recover and grow, or should I just get another one?

 

Hanging Dorothy's Originals Curtains?How do you hang Dorothy's Originals curtains?

 

Toilet Makes Loud Screeching Noise?Ever since we had a plumber work on a toilet it makes a horrible screeching sound every time it is flushed. What could be the cause of this issue?

 

Recipe for Baked Beans With Rum?Can anybody help me? I downloaded a recipe from the internet (I don't remember where) for the most delicious baked beans. The recipe had rum, brown sugar, ketchup, and other ingredients. Can someone help me find this recipe? Thanks.

 

Leaves on Fruitless Pear Are Very Light Green?I have two fruitless pear trees. One looks really good and the other, looks very pale this year. The leaves are a light green. They're about 6 years old. I am afraid I will lose it. Maybe someone out there can tell me what I might do.

 

Kansas Sweet Cherry Tree Not Leafing Out?I planted a Kansas sweet cherry tree last fall and it is now mid June and it has not leafed out yet. What to do?

 

Finding Free Sewing and Quilting Supplies?I'm looking for anything that has to do with sewing and quilting. I'm trying to start projects making blankets and bibs for Alzheimer patients. I don't have a lot of money as I'm doing this free for our local elderly. Please help me with ideas for where to find supplies.

 

How Do I Find Free Plants in My Area?I am looking for free hostas in the Navarre, Ohio area.

 

Repairing Cracks in Drywall?We live in an old house. The bathroom off our bedroom was once a small porch and the former owners made a small bathroom out of it. However, it has no air conditioning or heat. It's just built on a cement slab.

 

Filling Chips in Wall Before Repainting?We live in an old house that has many coats of paint on the inside walls. We painted the walls taupe and left the ceilings white.

 

Using Image Grass and Weed Killer?Is there a temperature above which Image grass and weed killer should not be used?

 

What Do Moles Eat?What do moles eat?

 

Homemade Waterless Car Wash Solution?How do I make my own waterless car wash solution to put in a spray bottle?

 

Kenmore Washer Stops After Wash Cycle?My washing machine is not completing a cycle. It is a Kenmore top load washer. My washing machine will fill and agitate, but when it is supposed to drain and rinse, it just stops. It does not drain or anything. If I turn the timer to another setting (i.e. rinse, spin) nothing happens.

 

Converting From Cubic Centimeters to Milliliters?I am feeding an orphaned kitten and I need to know how many cubic centimeters of formula equals 16 ml?

 

Fabric Dye Transferred While Clothes Hanging to Dry?I washed some clothes and hung them up to dry and I guess they were too close to each other. Now a light blue striped shirt that was new has a large pink spot on the back, also a pair of light pants have some pink on them. The shirt fabric is 80% modal rayon/20% polyester.

 

Removing Tough Grease Stains?I have some really difficult set in stains in some shirts. The stains I believe are grease and dirt. I have tried OxiClean, and other stain removers, but have not been able to get out these stains. I have even washed these shirts in hot water. Can you possibly offer a solution?

 

Do You Need a Business License to Sell Crafts on the Internet?Do you need a business license to sell items on sites like ECrater.com, ArtFire.com, etc?

 

Raising Chickens?I am looking for ideas on how to raise chickens in your backyard. We have raised lambs, and they are very tasty. Now we are trying our hand at raising chickens for 3 reasons.

 

When is the First Mortgage Payment Due After Closing?How long after closing on buying a home is the first mortgage payment usually due?