October 6, 2010

Chocolate Cream PieThis is one of those desserts that I didn't see as often as I'd have liked when I was growing up. My father liked cream pies. It wasn't until I was grown that I found out why.

 

Balsamic Dressed TomatoesThis is a very simple salad but so delicious. It is perfect for late summer and early fall, when tomatoes are still in season. I have sometimes layered thinly sliced cucumbers as well.

 

Apple DumplingsFor biscuits: Roll out and cut into six pieces. Put sliced apples in middle of each piece and add butter, sugar, and cinnamon.

 

Chile Relleno CasseroleUsing a small casserole dish, I lightly stuffed the chilies with cheese instead of layering them and spiced up the plain tomato sauce.

 

Thanksgiving BallsInexpensive, quick and easy crowd pleaser. Combine one packet potato flakes and one bag stuffing mix in bowl with half a cup of hot water; stir.

 

Overnight Lettuce SaladPlace in large bowl in order given. Miracle Whip should completely cover previous layer. Cover tightly; store overnight in refrigerator; toss and serve.

 

Taco CheeseburgersMix meat and seasoning mix. Shape into 4 patties. Place patties on grill over medium coals. Grill 7-9 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

 

Dissolving Drink MixesUsually when I make a pitcher of any type of pre-sweetened powdered drink mix, the powder does not dissolve well and has to be stirred for a while. Now, I fill the container with about three quarters of the water, and stir it quickly to create a whirlpool.

 

Get More Toothpaste by Turning It Upside DownIf you have toothpaste that can be tipped over, put it upside down and squeeze the bottle with the toothpaste in there. There would be a lot of toothpaste coming out if you can squeeze the bottle.

 

Use Business Name from StatementWhen we get the first statement from any business, he clips off the return address portion of the envelope or statement. He then cuts out the name of the business and slips it into the little plastic sleeve on the green hanging file folders.

 

Halloween Couples Costume: Salt and Pepper...My husband and I went as salt and pepper shakers a few years back and won first prize. This costume is so easy to make and cost little. I know you can buy these but why would you when half the fun is creating it!

 

Wrigley (Golden Lab-Rottweiler Mix)Wrigley is a 2 year old mix of Golden Lab and Rottweiler. We added Wrigley to our family 2 years ago when a friend of our daughters' dogs had a litter. We fell in love with him instantly.

 

Morning Glory PhotosI am not known to have a green thumb but this really amazed. We planted these morning glories this late spring. They grew but I never saw any flowers. My plant nearly died without rain and being hot. This week it rained for 3 days and guess what?

 

Garden: Butterfly On FlowerThis beautiful "tourist" was vacationing in my garden. Enjoying the colors!

 

Blackie (Tortoiseshell)Blackie is a 5 year old Tortoiseshell. Someone left her at the end of my sister-in-law's dead end street after hurricane Wilma in Florida. So, I took her home.

 

Spider Egg Sac Light CoverThe magic of Halloween happens outside, at night; right? I made this easy decoration to go over the globe of the porch light. You can too for almost nothing!

 

Take Photos of GradesI am going to take a picture of every good grade that my little 9 year old makes this year. I will wait til the end of the week and then photograph them. At the end of the year, I will put them in an album with pictures of her throughout the school year.

 

Scrape Burned Cookie Bottoms OffDon't throw out burned cookies! Scrape off the blackened bottoms with your cheese grater, since it is much faster than using a table knife.

 

Use Pram to Walk "Handicapped" DogBoth of my dogs are Miniature Pomeranians and have a few issues with their hind legs, so to get them out and about I take them in a pram. When we get to our destination they get out to play.

 

Put Lotion on Hands Before Using Super GlueApply lotion to your skin before using super glue. It will peel off easily if you get any on you.

 

Leftover CafeNeed a fun way to get your family to eat leftovers? We have a "Leftover Cafe" night once a week. We decorate the table with fake flowers and candles, and play some music in the background.

 

Caring For Leather ShoesShine your patent leather shoes by rubbing them with a small amount of petroleum jelly. Leather shoes or purses can be shined quickly with a light application of furniture polish.

 

Make a Bib from an Old Shower Curtain LinerGot an old shower curtain liner? Make baby bibs with it and save big! After sterilizing with diluted bleach, cut a rectangle slightly longer than would fit your baby depending on age, with a slight dip on the top edge for the neck.

 

Hanging A Fitted Sheet to DryHanging laundry on a clothesline is one of the best green activities you can do. I used to struggle with my fitted sheets, though, trying to hang them straight when they have elastic all the way around.

 

Repairing Scratches On WoodTo cover scratches on wood furniture, rub a matching color crayon into the scratch and smooth with the fingers. Heat and oil from your finger will blend in the crayon. Alternatively, cover with petroleum jelly overnight. Rub in well, remove excess and buff.

 

Tire SavingsIt's not the best news that you've heard when your auto mechanic tells you to replace your car's tires. It's essential, and it's a several hundred dollars investment. Is there a way to save on the new tires?

 

Hoarding: Cleaning and MaintenanceI have a sister who does q-tip cleaning. Now, the first time she mentioned that to me, I immediately thought of the world's tiniest feather duster, ready to take on a dusty q-tip.

 

Organizing Kitchen Towel DrawerTo keep my kitchen towel drawer organized, I jelly roll each towel and put them in rows. No more towels out of place, and I can use front to back each time without getting them out of order. My drawer never gets unorganized because every towel is visible.

 

Sammi (Lesser Crested Sulfur Cockatoo)Sammi is a 10 year old Lesser Crested Sulfur Cockatoo bird. My son purchased her, but after 6 months she came to reside with me, by default I guess. She has been at my house ever since.

 

Scenery: Horse Pulling Our CanoeWe got five inches of rain one day which canceled our plans for a rodeo at our arena. In order to make the best of the occasion, we took our canoe to our pasture's new lake, loaded up two of the granddaughters, and had my husband and his horse pull us around the new lake.

 

Sock Tops for Arm WarmersCut both socks off where you want them above the heel. It's much easier to cut one then cut the second one by laying the first one on top of the second one so they are both the exact same length.

 

Storing Rotary CutterA handy holder for a rotary cutter is an old glasses case that is closed on one end and open on the other. Insert cutter into case, roller edge first, and it keeps your cutter out of the way of small hands.

 

Colored Hair Came Out Purple?I colored my hair last week and it turned pink. I called the help line on the Clairol box and after following their advice, my hair is now dark purple. I just want a brownish-red. Any ideas on getting rid of the purple? Thanks!

 

Sheets Stored in Under Bed Container Smell Musty?We store our sheets in a plastic container under the bed. Lately we have noticed that the sheets have a musty smell to them. I don't think that this is a humidity issue since the container has a cover. Any suggestions?

 

Letter from the Mothers of the Bride and Groom?Could you give me some suggestions about what to say in a letter that will be put in Welcome Bags that would be from the mothers of both the bride and groom?

 

Cleaning a Yellowed Vinyl Floor?What is the best product or home made cleanser to clean a yellowing vinyl floor?

 

Christmas Float Ideas for A/C and Home Improvement Business?A friend of mine is going to be doing a Christmas float this year. He owns an A/C company and also does home improvements. Any ideas on what he could do?

 

Skim Coating Walls?I am preparing walls for skimcoating: Do the walls have to be free of all wallpaper adhesive?

 

Cleaning a Porcelain Tub?I have a stain in a porcelain tub, which I can't remove. The stain appears to be in the tub itself. Please help. Thank you.

 

Recipe for Piedras?I have been searching for a Mexican recipe for piedras. They are cookies, also called stones.

 

Preserving Ornamental Gourds?How do I preserve ornamental gourds so they don't rot and you can use them for over a year? Is this possible?

 

Converting an Oven Cake Recipe to a Microwave Recipe?Can anyone tell me how to adapt a cake recipe made for cooking in the oven, to cooking it in the microwave? Due to egg allergies, my cakes are always recipes that are eggless and are very successful when cooked in my conventional gas oven.

 

Preschool Lunch Ideas?My nieces started a new preschool and we have to pack them a lunch. That's not hard, but the lunches can't be heated and cannot have nuts in it. So I'm stuck with absolutely no ideas. Please help with any ideas you may have. Thanks.

 

Making a Cigar Box Guitar?I would like instructions for making the cigar box guitar. Thanks.

 

Shopping for Dogtronics Pet Toys?I am looking for a Dogtronics sound toy. Going to Dogtronics website, it says that you can buy their toys at Walmart, Kmart, Target, or Petsmart. I have been to all of them and no one even heard of that brand of toys.

 

Getting Rid of Beetle Larvae in House?How do I get rid of the small worm insects that turn into beetles? They are all over my house.

 

Removing Old Wallpaper?What is the best way to take off very old wallpaper? It is the paper thin kind used back over 30-40 yrs ago. My house is over 165 yrs old and every room has that crappy wallpaper. I am taking it down. In some places there is like 3 layers of it.

 

Discontinued Wallpaper Border: Fairwinds' Orchids #WD321518?I am still looking for wallpaper border from manufacturer Fairwinds Studios. The name of the border is Orchids, the pattern # is WD321518. This border has been discontinued for some time. I am hoping someone might have a couple of rolls.

 

Amish Friendship Sweet Bread?Is my Amish friendship bread OK being left out on the counter until I add the other ingredients on the 5 day? That is when I add the sugar, milk, and flour again. After that do I still leave it out until the 10th day when I add the stuff again?

 

How Do I Make a Bleach and Water Cleaning Solution?The bleach that I buy says to use 3/4 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water to clean showers, tubs, sinks, etc. My husband puts 2 cups of bleach in a 1 quart spray bottle then adds water and uses it to spray down the shower walls and floor (tile and grout) after showering.

 

Ideas for School Talent Show Acts?What is a good idea for a talent show skit?

 

Games for Assisted Living Residents?I'm looking for games to play with my resident at an assisted living facility.

 

Shopping for Dogtronics Pet Toys?I am looking for a Dogtronics sound toy. Going to Dogtronics website, it says that you can buy their toys at Walmart, Kmart, Target, or Petsmart. I have been to all of them and no one even heard of that brand of toys.

 

Highlighter Stain on Silk?How can I remove a highlighter marker stain from a silk dresser scarf?

 

Crafts Using Recycled K-Cup Coffee Filters?I love my Keurig coffee pot, but I tend to use quite a lot of the K-cups and they are not recyclable. I do clean them and re-use with some plastic K-caps I found on line. But after a few uses, the filter tears up and can't be used again.

 

Burnt Food on a Teflon Pan?Can a Farberware Millenium Teflon skillet be restored or used after food was burnt onto it?

 

Shelf Life of Homemade Apple Juice if Not Refrigerated?After making fresh apple juice at home, how long will it stay fresh? Can I put it in my bag and give it to my 6 month old son after for example, 4-5 hours?

 

Removing Glue from a Tie?I hope you can help! I was ironing one of my ties which I had lent out, after washing it. I decided to iron with a piece of card to flatten it, but did not see glue until it was to late. Hence I need to know how do you get glue off a tie?

 

Can I Have a Discontinued Wallpaper Border Reproduced?I have a a sample piece of this border; is it possible to take this sample somewhere and have it reproduced? And if so what type of company does that or would it be infringing on Fairwinds studios copyright? Please advise. The sample doesn't have any company info on it.

 

Two Foot Tall Clear Champagne Glass Decoration?I am looking for a 2 foot champagne glass. It can be either glass or plastic, but needs to be clear.

 

Using a Steam Cleaner on Laminate Floor?Have anyone use the Haan steam vacuum on laminated wood floor? Did it damage your floor?

 

Growing a Quince Tree from Seed?I have a Quince tree and I would like to know if I can grow another with seeds?

 

Hitachi HB-B101 Bread Maker Recipe Book?I need the recipe book for the Hitachi bread machine, hb-b101.

 

Store Brand Febreze Type Product?I've never found a fabric refresher at Dollar Tree. I don't know if they're always out of it or don't carry it. Does anyone know? I love Febreze, but it's a bit pricey.Thanks.

 

Computer Monitor is Stuck at 800x600?Does anyone know how to set your graphics card so that your computer will recognize that it has higher graphics than 800x600?