August 26, 2010

Cauliflower CasseroleMake a white sauce of the flour, butter and milk. Cool and add egg yolks; stir well. Flavor to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

 

Thick Hamburger SoupBrown meat slightly in butter. Cover with water, add bouillon cubes, vegetables and herbs as desired. Cook slowly for 1 1/2 hours or heat in crockpot for 8-10 hours.

 

Sugar Free CookiesSo many people need to cut back on sugar, I thought it would be good to pass this recipe along, The holidays are coming soon. Jingle Bells!

 

Campfire Foil PacketsMy husband used to have his campers make these foil packets when he was a camp director. Now we make these when camping with the kids. It's a favorite; so easy to make and healthy too, which is good considering this is usually followed by s'mores for dessert.

 

Red Top SaladCut marshmallows into lemon gelatin. Add 2 cups hot water. When cool and slightly thickened, whip and add pineapple, cream cheese, mayonnaise, celery, nut meats, and cream.

 

Sesame Asparagus and Cashew Stir FryHeat both oils in a wok or skillet (using a wok works better) over medium heat. Add ginger and stir until blended. Add asparagus and stir fry until "almost" tender.

 

Cherry Fruit SoupI like fruit soup any time of year and any time of the day! In a three quart casserole dish, combine all ingredients. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F for one hour. Serve warm.

 

Calabash for Dog MangeI live on the Caribbean island of Dominica in the West Indies and have a local dog. She came to us with a low immune system and gets recurring mange. We have tried the chemical treatment, but it was very harsh on her. We also tried neem oil without very good results.

 

Trixie Jo (Pomeranian/Chihuahua)Trixie Jo is a 6 year old Pomchi (Pomeranian/Chihuahua). I adopted her from Rescue Organization (ARF) in April, 2009. She likes to fetch her little finger puppet toys; play with kittens I foster; nap. I love her!

 

Scenery: Jaguar (Stone Zoo, Stoneham, MA)This is a female jaguar staring off to nowhere as she rests for a bit. The photo was taken at the Stone Zoo, in Stoneham Massachusetts.

 

Use Hair Wrap Instead of Swiffer PadsI found that my old swiffer mop that has no holders of any kind on it, will do well with the dollar store hair wraps with the button on the back.

 

Use Boxes as Toy Train/Car TunnelsIf any of you do warehouse shopping, you know that the boxes you put your food in to take it home are not the best, except for one! You will notice that there are always boxes that look like a big "U" was cut out of the middle.

 

Rudee, Rylee, and Maggie (Dogs)This is Rudee, Rylee, and Maggie. They are 1, 6, and 7. Rudee is a red Chihuahua. Rylee is a white toy Fox Terrier, and Maggie is mixed. We purchased Rudee and Rylee from a breeder. Maggie is from a rescue.

 

Watering Houseplants On VacationIf you are going on vacation, water plants in an enclosed porch, with shutters down.

 

Sassy (Bichon Frise) and Daisy (Malthund)Car travel is an important part of Sassy (8 yrs) and Daisy's (13 yrs) lives. They are dressed in their safety harnesses that hook to the car seat belts, and seem to be saying, "so is it that time yet?"

 

Use Iron Out to Clean Toilet BowlI read most toilet cleaning testimonies. I'm in this business, and my best advice is to use "Iron Out". Fill your tank and bowl above the "dirt" line and add 1/2 cup in each. Leave overnight if possible, or at least 5 to 6 hours. You will be amazed.

 

Scenery: Tiny Forest (Panthertown Valley, Western NC)These little moss, lichen fungus and plant communities were found on a hike on Little Green Mountain in Panthertown Valley in Western NC. These varieties are not common in this region except in special places where conditions of temperature, moisture, soil are just right.

 

Paint One Side of Steps at a TimeEvery time I paint steps, as soon as the steps have fresh paint, they are needed. It's like a "Murphy's Law" thing! Well, I have the solution. Paint half of the steps at a time, left side from top to bottom or vice-versa. Then, when they're dry, paint the other side.

 

Angelina (Standardbred Horse)Angelina is 5 years old. She is a Standardbred - she wasn't fast enough for the track. I adopted her from www.adoptahorse.org, the Starndardbred Retirement Foundation.

 

Make Your Own FrappeIf you've tried the mocha or caramel frappes out there, you know how expensive they are. Don't pour out your leftover morning coffee! I fix mine while it's hot with cream and sweet and low, and put it in a jar in the fridge.

 

Preparing for a Power OutageThese tips are in addition to the American Red Cross tips for dealing with storms and power outages.

 

Use Shoe Inserts to Make Crutches ComfortableTo make crutches more comfortable, purchase silicone gel pads (the type that fits into shoes) and secure with duct tape over the crutch pads.

 

Garden: "Hope" And FlowerThis is a favorite picture of mine from my garden. Hope. Just like the picture, my favorite.

 

Ideas for Using Roasted Chicken from DeliIn a pinch for time? Too warm to cook? Instead of grilling chicken after a long day's work, stop by the market deli for a roasted chicken. Whip up a package of mashed potatoes and a second veggie, and feed your family in less than twenty minutes.

 

Wildlife: Butterfly On LeafThis was taken in my sister in law's garden. The butterfly is so gorgeous and I loved that we were able to get such a great closeup of it. This is why we moved to the country, for the beauty that surrounds us every day.

 

Print Topographical Maps as Alternative to GPSIf you like to hike, camp, or do outdoorsy things, but don't want to spend a lot of money on an expensive GPS system, you might want to try printing out a free topographic map online. AnyplaceAmerica.com has maps of the US that you can sort by city, county, or by feature.

 

Turn Ice Cubes onto Flexible Cutting BoardI have a tip for ice cubes. I twist the plastic ice cube trays to loosen the cubes, then quickly slap the tray upside down on one of those thin flexible plastic cutting boards to dislodge them.

 

Recycled Wine Cork BraceletsI made this collection of bracelets with slices of wine corks, garden twine, beads from my craft box, scrap findings and fine gauge copper wire. I was really pleased with the results and have already had great feedback and even some orders!

 

Scenery: Water LilliesA bee caught sipping nectar from a water lily.

 

Do It YourselfThe old adage "If you want it done right, do it yourself" carries significant merit in the frugal times of a frail economy. Donate some time to completing three tasks yourself, and you'll save money every time. Not enough time?

 

Tips When Your Dog is VomitingWhen your dog is vomiting it can be very scary. Once you've eliminated any serious issues such as bloat or poison contact, the best way to get the problem under control is Stop - Slow - Bland.

 

Homemade Lipstick Does Not Stay on Long?I made some lipstick with my granddaughter just using the Vasoline (petroleum jelly) and eye shadow. It looks really nice, but when we tried it it only stayed on for about 20 mins., even after putting lip gloss over it.

 

Fertilizing a Lilac?What do I feed my lilac bush with?

 

Can I Clean Glass With Denatured Alcohol?For glass and mirror cleaning; would denatured alcohol work just as well as rubbing alcohol?

 

On-Line Friends Matching Sites?Does anyone know of any free, reliable, online friend matching sites? I'm happily married; but would just like to make more friends which has been hard, since I retired, due to being in a basically rural area. The economy hasn't helped either.

 

Can I Freeze Corn in the Husk?Can corn be frozen in the husk?

 

Name Ideas for Business That Provides Outdoor Wedding Seating and Decorations?My partner and I are setting up a company that provides seating, canopies, customized decorations, etc. so that a wedding venue can be set up in any outside space, such as a beach, field, backyard, etc.

 

Removing Excess Moisture from Zucchini Before Freezing?How do I dry zucchini after blanching and before freezing? I've tried blotting and air drying. After freezing, the zucchini gets icy from all the moisture.

 

Removing Silly Putty From Carpet?My grandson left Silly Putty on his carpet and in the heat of summer it melted into the carpet.

 

Dog Urine Smell on Hardwood Floors?How do I remove dog urine odor from hardwood floors?

 

Freezing Stuffed Squash and Squash Casseroles?I'm making stuffed zucchini, and want to freeze them. Do I stuff them first and cook them or just stuff, cool, wrap well, and freeze. Then when I want to serve, unthaw completely and then cook. I am also trying to make a yellow squash casserole and am wondering do I do the same with it?

 

Pictures Stuck to Frames?How do you remove pictures stuck to the glass in a frame?

 

Looking for a Great Thai Recipe?What is your favorite Thai dish recipe?

 

Accelerating Nokia Cell Phone Download Speed?How do I accelerate my N78 Nokia's internet download speed?

 

Cooking Pasta for 200?What is the amount of pasta and meat sauce needed for 200 servings?

 

Making Hand-Held Fans?I would like to make round hand fans to cover with fabric. I'm having a hard time finding the right sizes, ex. 9, 10, 11, or or 12 inch round cardboard cutouts with or without handles. Has anyone ever ordered round cardstock ?

 

Can I Use Alum to Treat Swelling?Is alum an effective substance for soaking swollen body parts?

 

Removing Stains from Car's Headliner?My dog is very nervous when left alone. She has licked the roof lining in the car above the windshield. The liner is now stained brown and resists cleaning. The stain is resistant to soap and common spray cleaners. Suggestions would be welcome.

 

Are There Tomatoes That are Green When Ripe?While on holiday in Rome, we bought sandwiches containing slices of green tomatoes. Are these a special tomato or just any old unripe fruit? Thanks.

 

Making Lip Stain?How do you make semi permanent lip stain?

 

Removing Mildew from a Romertopf Clay Baking Pot?How do I clean a porous clay cooking Romertopf pot that has been stored in my basement, and as a result, has mildew all over it? It is hard to believe that anything could ever be cooked in it again.

 

Getting Rid of a Musty Smell Under the House?I own a double wide home with a block foundation. The musty smell comes up from under the home. It started when the weather changed. The cool, damp ground has released the musty smell under the home. It really smells bad in the bathroom. What can I spray the ground with?

 

Black Spots On Mirror?I have a black, rust like stain that has appeared on my bathroom mirror. It doesn't seem to be on the surface of the glass, but seems to permeate right through. Any ideas what caused it and how to get rid of it?

 

Fingernails Splitting?What can I do to prevent my nails from splitting and peeling? I've tried everything: gelatin capsules, calcium, Biotin, and rubber gloves. I need help!

 

Revamping a Small Patio?I want to revamp my patio. It's not very big at all. It's in front of the condo. The first issue is that the patio is made of 3 different materials, most of it is concrete slab, but then there's also whitish porcelain tile, and rock slab (yuck).

 

Down Comforter Is Losing Its Down?My down comforter is enclosed in a duvet cover, but it still sheds down, any suggestions? Is this normal?