December 7, 2011

Gazpacho with ChickenVery good. I love the veggies in this soup!

 

CaramelsGreat Valentine's candy! Love homemade caramels!

 

Chocolate DelightsFancy holiday treats can be budget breakers especially if the budget is already tight. However, with just a little creativity you can make delicious treats at a fraction of what it would cost to buy them already made.

 

Bean DipWe love this dip for the holidays. You could make it year around. Great for family dinner or church dinners. Easy and so yummy!

 

Yorkshire PuddingMany people think of a dessert when hearing about Yorkshire Pudding for the first time. It's actually a bread-like, savory side dish from England that is similar to a popover. It is to be served with a beef roast or something similar and best when served with gravy.

 

Rotisserie ChickenWash breast off in cool water. Pour some EVOO in a bowl. Swish each breast around in evoo, drain back into bowl. Place breast in large basket, leaving room around each breast.

 

Beef BrisketThis makes a yummy gravy to go over after it's cooked. Make the day before serving.

 

Party SandwichOne of my favorite sandwiches!

 

Homemade Oxi-CleanIf you are anything like me, you spend too much on laundry products each month. I especially would splurge on stain treatments that were overpriced, as I found their generic counterparts to often be ineffective or too diluted to cause any real savings on our monthly budget.

 

Hairball Cure for Cats That Throw Up Their FoodPut mineral oil in the food. I use 3 cups dry food and add enough mineral oil to coat it all. You can also do the same for wet food. This works every time for my 3 cats.

 

Decoupage a Popcorn BowlAs a family, we love spending quality time together. One of our favorite weekend pastimes is watching DVD's while munching popcorn. Using decoupage techniques to make a popcorn bowl can add some additional fun to family time.

 

Prime Chicken Parts for LessBuy whole chicken and clean and cutup. Buy several of them to get a pack of prime parts like the breast at only 69 cents a lb. instead of $2.00 a pound.

 

Using Leftover Juice From Cooked HamI freeze the juice from a cooked ham, then use it to season green beans and other vegetables. Although frozen, I can take out whatever amount I need and put the container back in the freezer. No need to divide before freezing.

 

Smoke Detectors and Family PetsI recently had an experience with my dogs that I will never, ever forget and need to share what I learned with other dog owners for their dogs and other inside pets they may have.

 

Wildlife: Roseate Spoonbill (Florida)To see these birds in the wild is a thrill. Unfortunately they became rare because their feathers were once used to adorn ladies' hats. Fortunately they are now protected and making a slow comeback.

 

Paint Remover and Hair Spray to Remove InkThis happened to me several years ago when my son left a pen in his pocket. I used paint remover and hair spray. I put it on a rag (separately), then scrubbed and scrubbed.

 

Donate Charity Items For Tax SavingsAs an Accountant, I recommend that every month people work to gather their excess or unused items and donate it to a legit 503b non-profit charity. The benefits are tremendous!

 

Stop Motion PregnancyAmazing stop motion video of this woman's pregnancy. This is very cool indeed.

 

In Memory of Ginger (Cat)This is Ginger at 5 years old. We got Ginger from a shelter when she was about 11 months old. She loved people and as soon as you sat down you were a target for her cuddles and lovin'.

 

When a Bathtub Shelf Won't FitI love those wire basket shelves that adjust over the tub. I finally found one, but then realized that the oval shape of my tub made it not fit. Not one to be daunted, I found that it fits over the lip on top and the curtain rod.

 

Santa Suit For PetIt cost $13.00 for a Santa suit for Digby and it was easy to make. I made it sort of small as the piggy grows so fast, but I can use it on my small dog next year.

 

Christmas Button BraceletsYou will need an assortment of non-shank buttons for this craft project and you can use buttons with either 2 or 4 holes in them.

 

Bunny (Chihuahua)Bunny is a 2 year old Chihuahua. I originally got Bunny for my mother but unfortunately she passed away a little over a month after we got Bunny. Naturally I kept her and she is such a joy to our family.

 

Use Velcro Strip on Wall to Hold ToysAttach a Velcro strip to the wall of your child's room to hold soft stuffed toys.

 

Easy Alphabetizing of Papers or DocumentsBoth my hubby and I once worked at the Post Office as youngsters. We learned a method there that we still use in everyday life when we have to alphabetize any group of items. The divisions were A-D, E-L, M-R and S-Z.

 

Scenery: Christmas Day (Rees Lake)Christmas day was cold but mild a few years ago. My daughter and her family have a house here, whose back yard includes part of the lake. Our whole family spends the day there every year, 27 of us for Christmas Dinner.

 

My "Do By" ListEver wonder why you can't finish a list before another comes up? Well, I did too. I made a list to "do by" and divided it up into the areas that govern my life.

 

Craft Project: Recycled Kids' Craft BucketThis is a pencil and pen holder made out of a plastic coffee container. It uses hair bands, assorted beads, and decorations. There is no glue used, but in the case of the foam heart I used a bit of duct tape.

 

Photo: First Snow AngelMy grandson, Logan having fun times in the snow! He was making his first snow angel. It was a beautiful, crisp night and we made it in front of our window, so we could see it from inside the house.

 

Soak Rice Before CookingI have a rice cooker with a timer. I put the brown rice in it about 6 hours before it will be done. I find it tastes better after soaking in the liquid for that long. Plus I usually use chicken stock instead of water.

 

Discontinued Wallpaper: Carey Lind #IT7515 Noah's Ark?I'm looking for 1 roll of Carey Lind wallpaper #IT7515 Noah's Ark Toss Sidewall - Snuggles

 

Cleaning Tile Flooring?How do I clean tile flooring without leaving water marks?

 

Dog and Territory Issues?My 3 year old male Pit Bull and I have lived in my current apartment for 3 years. He loves people and other dogs. My neighbor just moved in about a year ago and they have a male Pit Bull the same age. They just don't like each other and already have had 2 fights.

 

Cat Eating Tinsel on Christmas Tree?This is our first year having a cat at Christmas. I left the cat in the room when I was putting up the tree and she had done just fine. Now Butter likes to get under the tree and sit and she will eat the tinsel we have on the tree.

 

Disposing of Used Cooking Oil?At one time, when you had grease you would put the grease into a used coffee tin container. What is the best way to dispose of the grease these days?

 

Heat Made Anti-glare Film on Glasses Milky White?Is there an fix or some way to remove the anti-glare coating on my eye glasses? I was told that it might crack if my eye glasses experienced some kind of heat wave from opening the oven door, which happened over the thanksgiving holiday.

 

Removing Iron On Mender?How can I remove Korbond Iron On Mender (or the residual dark glue stain) from fine woolen suit pants? I'd like to avoid rubbing.

 

Helping Rescue Dog Get Comfortable in New Home?We rescued a dog 4 weeks ago from the SPCA, he is a Husky/Greyhound cross we think, could be a Husky/Shepherd cross. The vet says Greyhound. He is very shy and skittish, does not want to play at all, gentle, good with kids and other dogs, but very reticent.

 

Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Medicare Advice?As a retired federal employee, my Blue Cross Blue Shield payment is a mandatory deduction from my pension each month in the amount of $432.00 per month. Now that I am 65, the Medicare question is complicated...

 

Repairing Cracked Tile Grout?How do you repair grout around tub and bottom of tile? In the area where the last tiles meet the tub, the grout is cracking, crumbling, discoloring, and mildewing.

 

Dye from Silk Flowers Stained House Siding?My "silk flowers" used in outdoor planter baskets are leaking red dye down my wall. How do I remove the dye from the silk flowers off of the baskets and wooden walls on the outdoor surface of my house?

 

Removing Facial Hair?I am looking for the best hair removal method for facial hair. What do you think of Finishing Touch razor. What do you all use? Thank you.

 

Do Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Lose Nutrients?I tend to buy fresh fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis and after a thorough washing I freeze much of it for a later date for juicing. Do these fruits and veggies lose any nutritional value from freezing? If so, how much? Any details and pointers are appreciated.