June 29, 2010

Pan Fried Mustard and Honey TilapiaYummo with a butter lettuce vinaigrette dressed salad! Stir together the Panko crumbs, salt, paprika, thyme, black pepper, and dried parsley in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

 

30 Day MuffinsHave you ever felt disappointed because after you eat that wonderful moist muffin and save the rest for the next day, you find out that they are not wonderful and moist anymore?

 

Meat Pie (French Canadian Tourtiere)This is by far one of the best-flavored meat pies made by any culture. It is a favorite of everyone who has ever eaten at our house during the Christmas holidays. It is a wonderful way to cook ahead for a party or family meal, and easily eaten from a lunchbox.

 

Glazed Chicken WingsPut all ingredients together except chicken. Pour marinade over chicken and set aside for a few hours, overnight if possible. Turn chicken occasionally.

 

Tomato Soup CakeMix cake ingredients together and place in greased square pan, 8x8 inches. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Mix frosting ingredients together and when cake is cool, frost.

 

Vegetable PizzaPlace rolls on cookie sheet to make a crust.l Bake until done. Mix sour cream and cream cheese and dressing mix. Put over cooled crust. Put raw vegetables onto dressing mix and then shredded cheese.

 

Apple WashingtonTasty and very easy if canned apples are used. Mix all ingredients except apples; set aside. Place apples in ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples.

 

Put Ice in Dogs Water in SummerDuring the summer, I fill a stainless steel dog dish with water and freeze it in the freezer. Once frozen solid, I turn it over and the ice slides out into my dog's water dish, keeping their water cold for a few hours.

 

Make Your Own Cleaning Rags from Old ClothingWhenever your old socks get holes in them or you outgrow t-shirts or pants, don't throw them away. Keep them in a basket and use them for rags or washcloths. I use them all the time in the garage to clean my hands or wash the rims of our car.

 

Pickling Vinegar For Weeds

 

Make Pillow Covers From Holiday SweatshirtsUse outgrown holiday sweatshirts for pillow covers. Measure the pillow (or pillow form) plus one inch all around. Cut out matching front and back pieces of sweatshirt or fronts from two sweatshirts if you want reversible pillows.

 

Applying Lotion To Your BackI found the perfect way to put lotion on my back all by myself. Use a wooden spoon with a really long handle. Put about four squirts of lotion on the backside of the spoon and smear it around a bit.

 

Homemade Wrinkle ReleaserI was buying a bottle of wrinkle releaser every week so I decided to experiment with cost costing methods. At first I simply added water to make the bottle last longer. Then I decided that was still too expensive.

 

Bocephus Juan Taco (Chihuahua)Bocephus Juan Taco is a year and a half old Chihuahua. A friend called and said if we didn't take him, he was going to the pound! He likes to fetch an old Dale Jr. coozie. He loves everyone!

 

Lower Flow To Conserve WaterI never realized how important is was to conserve water until we had the drought a few years ago . I turned the water flow down on each faucet except the dishwasher and washing machine

 

Use Eraser to Clean ComputerI have a white Mac and it always gets black dirt on it. The safest way I found to clean it so it looks like new is to use a pencil eraser. Be sure to use a white eraser, not a hard one designed for ink.

 

Wipe Clean Cookbook HolderNeed a wipe clean and attractive cookbook holder? You can also make these for gifts! Take very heavy gauge clear vinyl. Cut it to fit your largest cookbook open flat on your counter, and add 2 inches on the left and right side.

 

Reusing Hi-LitersI recycle hi-liters. It's best to do this before they completely run out of the original fluid. Add food coloring and anti-freeze in a 5:1 ratio to the worn out hi-liter. The quantity required depends on just how dried out the chamber is and the volume of the pen.

 

How to (or Not) Administer Medicine to an Ungrateful BirdThis is just a funny account of having to administer medicine to my Moluccan Cockatoo. I knew when I picked him up at the vet, that I would have to give him his medicine twice daily.

 

Snowy Mountains (Orem, UT)This photo was taken outside my brother's front door in Orem, Utah. I love how it turned out; majestic snowy mountains in Spring. I love the clouds hovering above too.

 

Share Your Treasure ShipThis craft would work for any sea or ship-themed program or party. I used it for preschoolers at Vacation Bible School. You could use it with primaries, letting them cut out their own project.

 

Landscaping Your MailboxPlanting around your mailbox isn't a necessity, but if done well, it can visually change the overall look of your landscaping for the better.

 

Garden: Perennials We have a perennial garden running the full width of our lot (a narrow city lot) from the house out to the sidewalk. It has gathered a lot of attention and some copycatting!

 

Refurbishing a DresserEveryone has an old dresser or end table in their garage, right? Well, times are hard and I'm strapped for money, so what I did is hand sanded an old dresser my mom/dad gave me one year for Christmas. It was out of style and I definitely did not want to get rid of it.

 

Vintage Items as an InvestmentWay before vintage was such a big "industry" I have loved old clothes, jewelry, furniture, and other collectibles! There are many advantages to buying/using vintage items.

 

Getting the Most Out of Coloring BooksMy kids must have a hundred coloring books laying around that they never pay attention to. I bought a special coloring book, one I liked, and told them it is mine. In the evening before bed, we will color one page in it together.

 

Garden: First Peas Of The SeasonThis is our first little batch of pink-eye-purple-hull (southern) peas of the season. They are supposed to be a brilliant dark purple color, but I couldn't resist picking these just a little before they changed color.

 

Crock Pot Food SafetyUsing your good old reliable crock pot can save you plenty of time and cash, but if your model is aging, give it a test. Bacteria can grow when food is kept under 140 degrees F for four hours or more.

 

Culvert With Flowing Water (MN)I saw this culvert on a bike ride along skyline parkway. I set the correct aperture and took quite a few shots of it but this one seems to be the best.

 

Cleaning Hurricane Style Candle HoldersI get so sick of having to pick out the wax in the bottom of hurricane type candle holders. I've found that if you pour some sand into the bottom of the candle holders before you light them, the wax simply drips onto the sand. When the candle is done just dump the sand out.

 

Scenery: Rickwood Caverns (Warrior, Alabama)This picture was taken inside the cave at Rickwood Caverns, last summer. The little blob on the wall is a sleeping bat.

 

Zesty Corn SaladQuick and easy! Mix well; chill before serving.

 

Mickey (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel)Mickey is a 2 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. We found a wonderful breeder just outside of Louisville, KY. She actually sold us another Cavalier. "Aunt Serena" (as we call her) babysits them when we go out of town.

 

Sophie (Bichon Frise)This is Sophie a Bichon Frise. I am note sure how old she is but my best guess is that she is 4 years old. Sophie has been with us for 7 months. She was rescued by Small Paws after a back yard breeder turned her into a shelter.

 

Use Old Gazebo in GardenWe had our old gazebo and wondered what to do with it since we were getting a new one. We didn't want to add to the landfill. So here is what we did with it.

 

Camping HamburgersPlace a tablespoon of catchup on a piece of foil large enough to make into a bundle. Place a hamburger patty on top of catchup, then a slice of onion, some diced carrots and diced potato, salt and pepper.

 

Making Boxed Cakes Taste Homemade?What would you add to the assorted flavours of cake mix to make them taste like homemade? I don't feel confident enough in my ability to follow a cake batter recipe, so tend to rely on cake mixes.

 

Painting a Linoleum Floor?Can I paint the linoleum on my kitchen floor to match my new paint job? The floor stuff is ugly in my modular and I can't afford to lay new stuff.

 

Water Damaged Carpet?My carpet was soaked with water from a burst pipe. What should I do about the carpet?

 

Using Painter's Wax to Refinish Furniture?I am interested in painting my bedroom furniture to give it a new look. I was reading about a product called Painter's Wax. How do you use it and where can I find it? What type of results can I expect to get? Thank you!

 

Flying Bugs in My House?I have flying insects around the house. I don't know if they are gnats or mosquitoes. They are very annoying and they make my body itch. Does anybody have any home remedy to get rid of these annoying things? Thanks.

 

Removing Gel Ink from Clothing?How do you get gel ink out of clothing?

 

Freezer Working Refrigerator is Not Cooling?I have an LG bottom freezer model # LRBN20514WW and the fridge portion is not working. The freezer is working fine though. Does anyone have any advice?

 

Zingy Macaroni Salad Recipe?I am searching for recipe to put on Dreamfield pasta to make a macaroni salad. I used to like my mom's, followed her recipe and found it bland. I want to make it with a bit more zing and nothing I've added seems to perk it up. Thanks so much in advance.

 

Replacing Louvers on Shutters?I intend to replace the louvers from my interior shutters with fabric inserts. I will staple-gun the fabric to cover the opening but need ideas for covering the staples.

 

Flea Treatments for a Nursing Cat?I have 3 cats and 2 of them go outside, so they have fleas now. Not only do I have 2 cats with fleas but my other cat just had 5 kittens and they are only 5 days old. Since the mom is nursing them I don't want any poison or harsh chemicals around them.

 

Gas Smell in Car's Trunk?How do you remove gasoline smell from the trunk of a car?

 

Differentiating Between Hardwood and Wood Laminate Flooring?How can I tell if my wood floors are hardwood or laminate?

 

Tile and Wall Color for Kitchen With Dark Cabinets and Black Worktop?I got high gloss kitchen units, with the sides that can be seen, in a dark wood with matched dark wood kick boards. The worktop is black. What colour tiles should I use? (just around worktops) and what colour do I do the walls? Please help. Thanks.

 

Cat Peeing In Same Spot?Are there any products or a spray that will keep cats from peeing in the same spot?

 

Bread Machine Bread Is Dry and Crumbly?My sister lent me her bread machine and after several attempts I made a loaf of bread. However, it came out dry and rather crumbly. Do I add more water, oil, what? Thanks in advance.

 

Planning a Very Small Wedding?I have a friend who is having a private wedding with only 6 guests. She has asked me to assist her but neither she nor I know where to start planning. We have already chosen a gown to wear.

 

Caring for Glass Shower Doors?We have brand new shower doors and they are starting to get cloudy already. We squeegee after every use, and use denatured alcohol in between. We have heavy minerals in our water and do use a filter. What is the best agent for cleaning mineral smudges and hard water?

 

Stove Not Working After Circuit Tripped?A circuit breaker (double) for the stove in my house has tripped 3 times in the last week. The first two times, it reset. The last time, it will click off and back on, but the stove will not come on. What should I check? Could it be the appliance or circuit breaker?

 

Lightening Dyed Hair With Lemon Juice?I have light brown hair and want to naturally lighten it with lemon juice, but I have highlights already. Will the lemon juice make the highlights disappear?

 

Can I Safely Use a Burned Copper Bottomed Pot?I boiled water in my 2 gallon stainless pan with a copper bottom. I forgot about it and all the copper was burnt off. Is the pan still safe to use or trash it?

 

Discontinued Wallpaper: Paget from Country House 11 Collection?I am looking for wallpaper from 20 years ago. It is a GREEFF handprint wallpaper called Paget from Country House 11 collection, colors are celedon and pink. I hope someone might have some info.

 

Too Many Rooms on the One Breaker?I have a circuit breaker that keeps tripping. It's a 20 amp and there is a lot of stuff plugged into that one breaker. In fact, there are three bedrooms full of stuff. Should I replace the 20 amp breaker with a 30 or 40 amp?

 

Looking for a Cross Smocking Plate for Baptismal Dress?I am looking for a smocking plate with a cross. I'm wanting to make a baptism/dedication dress. If anyone knows where I can get it, please let me know. Thanks.

 

Cleaning Aggregate Flooring?What can I use to clean my aggregate flooring without loosening the rocks? I was told using a steam cleaner is not good because it loosens the rocks. Is there anything else I can try that will clean with good results?

 

Smoke Alarms Have Gone Off Intermittently For Seven Years?Why does my smoke alarm go off intermittently for no reason? We are on our 2nd set of alarms. It's happened with both sets. It has been happening for 7yrs now. There are fresh batteries, they are dusted, hard wired, and in a circuit.

 

Crisp Curtains?Does anyone have a formula for using Epsom salt and water in the final rinse to make curtains crisp?

 

Buying Replacement Garbage Can Lids?My landlord threw my garbage lids out on garbage day without my permission. I am on a fixed income. Can I just buy the lids somewhere less expensively? I need a lid because the squirrels and other animals get at the garbage in the garbage bags. Thank you.