August 31, 2010

5 Minute Chocolate Mug CakeLast year at Christmas time, I needed something to give out to 16 employees. I looked for something personal and affordable. I had seen the 5 minute chocolate cake recipe and had made one. It was simply delicious and way too easy to make.

 

Chicken, Cheese and Brown Rice BurritosDelicious, inexpensive, and a great way to use leftovers!

 

Banana Stuffed Peanut Butter French ToastI found a peanut butter french toast recipe at Allrecipes, and thought, "Why not stuff them with banana's?" Turned out to be a yummy breakfast treat!

 

Spaghetti SauceBrown hamburger in salad oil. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on stove for at least one hour.

 

Lemon DessertMix ingredients from part 1 together and blend thoroughly. Pat into 9x13 inch dish. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.

 

Hawaiian TunaDrain pineapple, reserving liquid. Fry pineapple in butter 5 minutes. Add enough water to pineapple liquid make 1 cup. Blend cornstarch into the liquid, and add chicken noodle soup.

 

Bear Gift/Lunch BagCreate this recycled bear bag and use as a gift bag or cute lunch tote for your kids.

 

Lily (Silky Terrier/Chihuahua)Lily is a 6 year old Silky Terrier/Chihuahua. I found Lily through the local paper. I was looking for a lapdog, and after having cats for so long, I knew a small dog with a personality would be the right choice.

 

Make Four Small Fringed Blankets from Old Large BlanketI had this big old blanket that the dogs didn't lay on anymore, so I washed it and cut it out, and did it like a no tie blanket. I didn't double it over and do the fringe, I just cut out squares on each corner and fringed it.

 

Decorated Recycled BucketsApply decorative finishes on bucket surface using Mod Podge or similar product. I made a toys carry-all bucket for my grandson.

 

Marbles to Know When Water is BoilingPut a few marbles in the bottom of your double boiler. When they start to rattle, you'll know the water is boiling.

 

Inexpensive SignsWhen my friends and I used to have a group garage sale, we always had tons of shoppers. The shoppers frequently told us they came because they noticed our outstanding artistic signs.

 

Bubble and SqueakWhat a great way to use up leftovers and it really does bubble and squeak. How much fun is that?

 

April The CatI adopted this cutey from a local shelter. She had gone through 4 homes and had been mistreated in just the first year of her life. When we found each other in the shelter she was 6 pounds and in pretty rough shape. So began our journey together 5 years ago.

 

Tent Plants in Plastic Wrap When On VacationI have many houseplants and I have found an excellent way to keep them from drying out when we go on vacation. Water plants first, then tent smaller house plants with plastic wrap.

 

Garden: Mango Tree (Florida)Here is a photo of a mango tree. Mangoes shown are still too green to harvest, but they will get bigger and more colorful before they are ready.

 

Lemon and Cilantro SpaghettiniSubstituting the cilantro with basil is yummy too.

 

My Frugal Life: Me And The BeeBeing frugal has to do with more than just money; you need to be frugal with your time. This was especially true years ago when moms stayed home to care for the kids, clean house, and have a meal on the table when hubby got home from work.

 

Creating A Garden Weather StationWeather can play a dramatic role in the success or failure of your garden. It impacts plants' need for food and water, their ability to flower and produce fruit, and their resistance to attacks by insects and disease.

 

Use Vacuum Sealer to Seal Jar LidsSince this is a Waste Nothing Group, for those who have Food Saver vacuum sealers or similar brand, and have the attachment to vacuum seal in canning jars, the lids can be reused over and over again.

 

Shampoo Clothing Stain RemoverShampoo from the Dollar Store or Aldi's is the greatest stain remover I have ever used. I washed and dried a pair of pink slacks with a grass stain on them. I covered the stain with shampoo and let it sit for a day or so.

 

Ginger (Boxer/Border Terrier)After getting my compact camera I was sort of fascinated with all the different picture modes and had decided to experiment with some evening shots. Ginger was standing on the picnic table and I walked up to her and told her to grab my nose.

 

A Cure for Hiccups?To get rid of hiccups, get a glass of water, or something to drink, and put a straw in it. Hold your head down with chin on chest, hold your breath, drink, and count to ten.

 

Kiam (Chow Chow Terrier Mix)Kiam is about 9 weeks old. She is a Chow chow Terrier mix. :) I got her Aug. 13, 2010. She likes to bite everyone's foot or hand. She's very playful and intelligent. She loves to eat a lot.

 

Freshening Down PillowsI kept the down pillows from my Mom and Dad's home, after they passed. I took them to the cleaners, who cleaned the feathers, and put them in new ticking of my choice of pattern.

 

Shampoo as a Carpet Stain RemoverPut 1/2 shampoo, 1/2 water in a spray bottle, spray the stain, let it sit for a minute or two then scrub lightly with a rag or brush.

 

Grungy Paper For ScrapbookingEasy way to make your own grungy background paper for cards or scrapbooks.

 

Scenery: A Walk in the WoodsThis picture was taken by a friend as she started her journey "in the woods!" Really it's just a park but was heavily wooded!

 

Mango TreeThey are getting ready to ripen. They have excellent taste, between peach and orange flavors. They are also a good source of vitamins. Each mango weighs about 2 to 3 pounds and the tree holds up to 200 mangoes.

 

Substituting Half and Half for Milk in Recipes?Can I use half and half as a substitute for milk?

 

Repairing an Electric Fan?My oscillating standup fan is acting funny. When I put it on it takes awhile before it starts. I thought it was done for, but it still works. I wonder what I can do for this. Is it broken? Anyone have this issue? Thanks.

 

Cleaning Stone Coasters?How can sandstone/stone coasters be cleaned? Softscrub and Mr. Clean aren't effective.

 

What Breed is My Dog?What breed do you think she is? She is 5 months old.

 

Removing Body Odor from Football Shoulder Pads?My son's football shoulder pads smell very strongly of body odor. These have been passed down to him so it isn't even his own odor he has to put up with. How do you remove this odor without being able to throw it in the wash.

 

Choosing Toys and Other Gifts for a 3 Year Old?My sons 3rd birthday is coming up soon. I have a basic idea on some things to do like having homemade cake, decorations, and a birthday card with a personalized poem/saying by me. I am just stuck with what toys and gifts to get for him.

 

What Turned My Silver Plate Tableware Yellow?My silver plate tableware is turning yellow. A friend said it was from dishwasher detergent that had lemon in it. I cleaned it up and switched to Cascade "Shine Shield Fresh Scent" formula, and the same thing is happening! What's up with that?

 

Recommendations for a Pet Safe Weed Killer?How do I make an animal friendly weedkiller?

 

Using Zyrtec For a Dog With Allergies?My dog has severe skin allergies and the medication is getting quite expensive. Is it safe to give my dog over the counter Zyrtec? I tried Benadryl and it did not work. Can you please answer my question as soon as possible?

 

Making Fleece Lap Blankets?A group of us ladies are planning to make fleece lap blankets for a local nursing home. We need to know what is a good size for those in a wheelchair. The fleece is 59-60 inches wide and we would like to make as many blankets as possible with as little waste as possible.

 

Uses For Wallpaper?I have some discontinued wall covering books and I would like to use the book of design pages to decorate bookshelves, etc. The problem is, I don't know how to get the pins or screws that hold all of the sample wall covering designs together.

 

Game Ideas for a Class Reunion?I need some suggestions for games to play at a 55th class reunion.

 

More Flea Questions?I live in a basement that had a lot of flood damage and want to know if that attracts fleas and bugs, because now my house is infested with fleas. Can this happen even without animals?

 

Identifying Ticks on Pets?Is there a picture of ticks? The ones I see look like black sesame seeds.

 

Getting Rid of Black Mold Around Shower?We are getting ready to move into a house, but there is a lot of work that has to be done first. The bathtub is fine, it just needs to be cleaned really well. Now on the outside of the tub surround there is mold. What can I do to safely remove and prevent if from coming back?

 

Stale Popcorn?Is there a way to refresh stale popcorn?

 

3 Year Old Girl Potty Training Advice?I need help potty training my daughter who is 3. She is my only baby and I have not a clue! Thank you for your help.

 

Donating Used Textbooks?I have some college text books to get rid of. Does anyone know where I can get rid of them? I tried cash4books, but they only took one. Is there anywhere that I can donate them to?

 

Auburn Hair Color Turned Out Brown?I am naturally redheaded and every time I dye my hair auburn I get a dark brown color. So now I have dark brown hair. What can I do to lighten it or do I need to redye it and if so what color?

 

Substitute for Tomatoes?What can I substitute for tomatoes? I would be using it for an Indian recipe. I use tomatoes in almost every gravy or curry I make, such as Dal, etc.

 

Making Energy Bars With Uncooked Oats?I found recipe for no-bake energy bars that includes rolled oats. Is this possible, to not cook rolled oats, just freeze them? And eat?

 

Identifying House Plants?I have some house plants and I do not know what they are called, but they are pretty common ones that everyone else on earth knows. I am having problems with the leaves turning brown and dying. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

 

Pruning a Baptisia Plant?When does one prune a Baptisia? I have looked it up online and cannot find a definitive answer. I know that I would not do it in the spring because I would have no flowers. Also, how far back can I prune it?

 

Making Furniture Out of Wooden Clothespins?I want to make the clothespin doll house furniture for my daughter. I don't know if I'm missing something on this site or if it's just not posted. Anyone know how I find the instructions on how to make the furniture?

 

12th Birthday Party Ideas?My daughter is having her 12th birthday party! She doesn't know what to do. We want to do something very fun and creative! Any ideas?

 

Daughter's 2nd Birthday Party On A Budget?I need ideas for my 2 year old daughter's birthday party in October. I live in Michigan so you never know what the weather will be in October. I can't afford some of these party places that charge a million dollars a kid. Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

Killing Ivy?How do I kill off ivy?

 

Grafting A Citrus Tree?I just read a post from last year about grafting citrus. Any chance you could add some pictures, or share a site that has pictures, as an example? I had a Meyer lemon that died back to the root stock after an unusually hard winter last year. Thanks in advance!

 

Making a Terrarium from a Glass Jar?How do I make a terrarium using a glass gallon jar?

 

Growing Hollyhocks in Containers?I started hollyhocks from seed this spring and have transplanted them into a pot, hoping that they would have a chance to grow before the rabbits got to them. Can I individually plant them in pots and keep them in the house over winter or do they need to go dormant?

 

Drilling Glass Blocks?What do I need to cut a hole in glass (bottle, blocks)? I want to put lights in them and use them for decoration. Can anyone tell me the tools that I would need for this? Or if there is a web site that I could go to for help. Thanks.

 

Cleaning Money and Change?I have dollars covered with oil or ink. How can I clean them?

 

Circus Themed Dance Ideas?I'm on the student council of my school. My friend and I want to do a circus/carnival themed dance. We need games for the dance that are not childish. And we need some fun games that high school kids would like. Also, what kind of foods could we have?

 

Getting Rid of Bedbugs?How do you get rid of bedbugs from your home? How do you make something like a recipe from household products? What do you put together to kill them? Does anyone know? If so, let me know asap please.

 

Kidney Stone Diet?What is a good diet for someone with kidney stones? What foods should they avoid and which ones are good to eat?

 

Repairing Carpet Snags?Does anyone have any idea what I should do about pulls in a carpet that our dear puppy has done?

 

How Do I Clean a Black Sink?I have a black (stone) Moen sink. The finish has a white powdery looking scum all over it no matter what I do to clean it. I've used a Magic Eraser repeatedly to clean it. This does a good job temporarily, but ...

 

Substitution for Soy Flour in a Recipe?I cannot use soy products. If a recipe calls for soy flour, what can I substitute instead? And will the quantity be the same?

 

Difference Between Clarifying and Chelating Shampoo?I would like to know what is the difference between a clarifying shampoo and chelating shampoo.

 

Flowers for Shady Areas of the Garden?What type of plants that flower can I put in a mostly shady area that look nice?