August 23, 2010

Raspberry SoupCool and refreshing. Nice for any time of day. In a blender, puree raspberries, water, and wine if desired. Transfer to a large saucepan; add the cran-raspberry juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Bring just to a boil over medium heat.

 

Fried Egg And Peanut Butter on Raisin ToastToast raisin bread. Spread butter on one slice, peanut butter on the other. Fry the egg and place it on one of the slices. Finish sandwich and enjoy!

 

Pinto BurgersMash cooked pinto beans with beaten eggs, minced onion, carrot and salt. add flour a little at a time and mix well. Make into patties which will be sticky.

 

Panko Crusted TomatoesFor a little added flavor you can add 1 teaspoon of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, etc. to the panko mixture.

 

Mandarin Orange CakeCombine all ingredients in one bowl and beat 2 1/2-3 minutes. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F in 8 inch buttered pan.

 

Chicken Bacon QuesadillasIn a small bowl, mix sour cream, 1 sliced green onion, and 1 Tbsp. of the ranch dip mix. In another small bowl, mix salsa, preserves, and 1 Tbsp. of the cilantro.

 

BBQ PorkRemove skin from roast. Heat roast for 10 minutes at 300 degrees F. Mix together all ingredients. Pour ingredients over roast and cook at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes per lb.

 

Sweet And Sour Salad DressingMix well and put in blender for a few minutes at high speed. Refrigerate. Makes 1 quart.

 

Best Oatmeal CookiesI've given this as gifts many times and had it confirmed these really are the best cookies ever.

 

Use Decorative Chain to Hold HangersI lived in a small place where closet space was limited. Outside the closet, I installed a plant hanger hook in the ceiling. Put a decorative chain on the hook and let it hang down. Clothing can be hung on both sides of the chain.

 

Dish Soap PaintTo make paint that is great for painting temporary designs on windows or even sidewalks, try dish soap paint! You can also paint on paper with it.

 

Cleaning Vinyl RecordsTo clean the grooves of old records, Dip a shaving brush in a mixture of equal parts distilled water and triple distilled vodka. Brush the mixture into the grooves of the record and dry with a tack cloth.

 

Power Outage Survival Kit for College StudentMy niece is about to leave for college. In addition to the normal stuff a college bound student requires, I prepared a mini "college survival" kit, all packed within a small tupperware like container

 

Sewing VinylI am a sewing designer by trade. If you have ever sewn vinyl material, you know how difficult it is, because it is very slippery. In the past when I have sewn vinyl, my stitching has looked very unprofessional.

 

Farm LifeThis is the inner-country coming out in my 4 year old city-born daughter. She's riding in the bed of Gramma's 1983 pickup, helping her older cousins pick up straw bales to load in the barn.

 

Mark Pet Tags With Name and NumberYou can save money and effort by purchasing a tag for your dogs or cats that go outside. If your dog (or cat) gets out of your yard, having a tag with your own name and number will allow anyone who finds your pet to call you directly.

 

Lucille (English Bulldog)Lucille is 2 year old English Bulldog. Lucy was stuck in a puppy mill here in Ohio. Her breeder was breeding about 8 different breeds and it was just horrific.

 

Flower Twig VaseI make flowers from acorns and twigs found in my yard. Collect about 14 small branches. Cut to same length or longer than jar. Collect about 3 pine cones, and some ivy. Strip ivy of all leaves, this will be wrapped around jar of branches.

 

Uncle Wiggles Waiting Room KitI know from raising five kids that some of the hardest times for me were when we were in waiting rooms. One daughter tried to tear the leaves off the waiting room plants while her sister tried to eat them.

 

My Frugal Life: Great ImpressionI grew up in a family who knew The Great Depression. They made a Great Impression on how I lived, as well. My Grandpa raised his own hogs, and showed me how to make a ball out of a hog bladder early on.

 

Woven Place Mats as Wall ArtI always find really nice place mats at local thrift stores. I like ones made from straw, seagrass, and other materials like that. I really like the ones that are loosely woven so you can see through them.

 

SeashellsThis is a photo of my son's first experience with the ocean, which provided him so many explorations. He enjoyed the water the most, but the second best thing was seashells.

 

Add Fabric Strips to Fence To Keep Pests OutLast year, I had difficulty with deer, wild turkeys, and our free range chickens getting into my garden, even though we have a 6 foot fence surrounding the whole area. The would jump or fly over and nibble away, eating whatever they felt like.

 

RJ (Chihuahua Mix)RJ is a 2 1/2 year old Chihuahua mix. Two years ago, I bought him at a kennel. He kept staring at me! I just said I'll take that one! It was love at first sight. He likes to swim at the pool.

 

Rubber Bands To Secure Items in DishwasherUse rubber bands to help hold down lightweight items in the dishwasher.

 

Scenery: Botanical Gardens (Gulf Shores, Alabama)Photos I took while at the Botanical Gardens in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

 

Wiley (Cat)Wiley is 3 1/2 years old. Wiley was one of a litter of kittens delivered to my house by a stray cat. She is the only one that survived living in our wilderness homesite.

 

Sundae SurpriseThis sundae is refreshing and so very different. Make a sundae as usual, using cranberry sauce for the topping. I do not add Cool Whip, but it could be used if desired.

 

Baylor (Pomeranian/Australian Mix)Baylor is a 3 year old half Pomeranian and half Australian Shepherd. The woman we got him from raises Pomeranians and had a female Australian Shepherd house pet with only 3 legs.

 

Dish Soap PaintTo make paint that is great for painting temporary designs on windows or even sidewalks, try dish soap paint! You can also paint on paper with it. Once it is dry, it has a nice shiny finish. Clean up is a breeze. You need to use clear or light colored dish soap.

 

Cleaning With BoraxMy young boys love blueberries, and one got them all over a white shirt. I decided to put the shirt in a big bowl of water with about 1/8 cup of borax and left it in the sink overnight.

 

Reuse Mayonnaise Lids For Opened Canning JarsSave lids from mayonnaise, mustard, and peanut butter jars to use for opened jars of home canned foods in the refrigerator. They don't rust, and this will leave your canning rings free for another canning project.

 

Remedy for Itching Mosquito BitesMosquitoes tend to eat me alive. I needed a quick fix to alleviate the itching, and I didn't want anything that was either too stinky or left dots all over me. Some store products didn't work for me.

 

Use Logos from Old T-Shirts as Wall ArtMy grandchildren live with me, and we are always have to buy new T-shirts for them. We recycle old T-shirts with sayings and such on them, by taking a hoop that is used for sewing projects, and putting the shirt in the hoop with the part you want to show.

 

Decorate with Peel and Stick LeavesCut leaves from peel-n-stick paper and scatter them randomly on surface you wish to give a little life! I chose the inside of the hollow core door of my master bathroom and used marble green peel-n-stick.

 

Save Paper Scraps For CraftsI do a lot of card making. Stock paper isn't really cheap, so if I have left over sentiments or papers from cutting out projects. I put them all in a basket next to my computer desk. Then if I need something, it is usually right there in the basket.

 

Cornmeal Skin CleanserThis tip will give you soft, beautiful skin; it's a little messy, but it's well worth it. Place one cup of coarse cornmeal into a plastic cup. Pour a little water on the cornmeal so that the cornmeal will absorb the water.

 

Scenery: River (San Marcos, TX)This was taken along the river crossing in San Marcos, TX. The river is so clean and clear here.

 

Choosing the Right Grass for My Lawn?I just finished a construction project and have some raw land that needs grass. Any tips on how to plant the grass and also what type? I want something easy to care for, that can be walked on, and can take lots of sun.

 

Christmas Cactus Has Turned Purple and is Droopy?After many years of regular blooming and growth my Christmas cactus has turned purple and droopy. It is in a large hanging pot in full shade and has done well for 6 years. What could be wrong?

 

Ideas for Decorating My Entryway?I want suggestions on decorating the outside of my kitchen door and surrounding area. This is on the front of the house and used as the main entrance.

 

Shopping for Heart Fan Shaped Candelabra?I am having my wedding soon and I would really like to have heart fan shaped candelabra at my ceremony, does anyone know where I might be able to purchase one for a cheap price?

 

Safe Flea Treatment for Puppies?I have 2 three month old pups who keep getting fleas. I have washed them every 10 days with an oatmeal flea and tick shampoo, but it seems to be wearing thin. How old do they have to be to wear a flea collar, or for the medication?

 

Shelf Life of Fruit Fresh Produce Protector?I was wanting to know how long can you use or keep Fruit Fresh Produce Protector and it will still be good for freezing? I have some that expired in 2008, is it still good?

 

What Breed is My Dog?Does anyone know what breed my dog is? My girlfriend and I just adopted Dexter at our local SPCA today. He's 4 months old and 6.4 lbs. We were told he's a Dachshund Terrier mix. I think I see a little Chihuahua and little mini Pinscher?

 

Inexpensive Backsplash Ideas?We have recently retired and moved to GA. We purchased a single wide mobile home with a beautiful "stick built" addition. The kitchen however, is just "mobile home" quality. I'd like to paint the cabinets, install a back splash, and "clean it up"!

 

Identifying the Source of a Water Leak into Garage?I have a water leak into my garage from above. There are two bathrooms and a washer and dryer above the garage. I cannot figure out where the leak is originating from. Any ideas on how to pin point its origin?

 

When Should I Replace My Large and Small Appliances?I had an 8 year old toaster which wasn't working the way I thought it should. I bought an on sale $35.00 toaster for $20.00. It had excellent reviews. My husband said I should have not done that, but to use the old toaster till it quit. Is that true?

 

Binding Off on Knifty Knitter Round Loom?On the Knifty Knitter, when trying to stop making the brim of a hat, how do you take off the last row of stitches for the brim? It's leaving big loops.

 

My Cactus Will Not Stand Up Straight?I have a 15 inch cactus that will not stand straight up. It started to lean and I repotted it. It was straight for a while then started to bend again. Is it OK to to plant above the roots further up the cactus? What do you suggest to keep it straight?

 

I Scorched the Apples for My Jelly?I scorched my apples for jelly; what can I do to get the burnt taste out?

 

Controlling Ticks on Calves?How and what spray do you use to control ticks that are on calves?

 

Craft Ideas Using Landscape Timbers?I recently went to a craft show and found a cigarette butt pot. It was made out of a landscape timber on a plywood platform and a metal bucket screwed to the top of the timber. A small wooden sign said "Your Butt Stops Here".

 

Why Does My Dog Try to Mount Everything in Sight?Why does my 5 year old English Bulldog hump everything in sight?