April 14, 2020

Painting an Aluminum MailboxWhen painting a new aluminum mailbox it is best to use a primer and a paint especially made for metal.

 

Freezing MirepoixA mixture of chopped onion, carrot and celery, mirepoix is the base for many French dishes. It's an easy way to add a hearty flavor to all sorts of soups, sauces and casseroles. Freeze the mixture to use in future meals.

 

Sweet Onion Poppyseed DressingThis delicious sweet onion poppyseed dressing gets its added sweetness from honey. Mix some up next time you have some poppy seeds.

 

Finches Sitting on Infertile EggsFinches will lay eggs even if there is no male in the cage. If you are sure they are both females, discard the eggs. Otherwise, give them time as finch eggs can take 12 - 14 days to hatch. If they don't again discard.

 

Making Grape and Edamame CaterpillarsDesigning edible art is not only a fun creative activity, but makes for unique and yummy party treats. These fun caterpillars are made from grapes and edamame with sesame seed eyes. Learn how here.

 

Maple Apple Pork Japanese CurryThis delicious recipe is actually the combination of two recipes, maple apple pork and Japanese curry. The flavors of the two complement each other and tone down the curry a bit. The recipe follows.

 

Making a Monkey Theme Decoration BannerScrapbook paper cut into banner shapes, some thread or yarn, and printable monkeys are the start to a cute decorative banner for a birthday party or other occasion.

 

Simple Paper Bag Tassel Bow Gift TopperIf you have a brown paper bag there is no need for traditional gift wrapping paper. Learn how to make this cute, economical paper bag tassel bow gift topper for your paper bag wrapped present.

 

Barley Potato SconeThese tasty vegan scones use barley flour, mashed potatoes, and coconut milk along with dried fruit and spices. The easy to follow recipe can be found below.

 

Making a Rainbow and Clouds Paper Twirler Room DecorTransform a painted paper plate into this rainbow and cloud twirling hanging for your child's room. They can help with the painting and assembly.

 

Remedies for Dogs with Car SicknessJust like their pet parents, dogs can suffer from car sickness. You can check with your vet for suggestions and/or give one of the tips below a try.

 

Refried Black BeansThis simple recipe only calls for black beans, onion, garlic, taco seasoning, and a bit of oil. To make it easy you can just use canned beans. You will probably find it tastes better than store bought varieties. The recipe follows.

 

Drying Out Wet Shopping BagsMany areas are moving away from disposable shopping bags. Since they have been replaced by reusable ones, it may be necessary on occasion to dry out your bags that were caught in a downpour. Try this helpful tip.

 

Freezing MirepoixThis classic vegetable combination is a staple of French cooking. The three ingredients are cooked in butter or oil at the start of many dishes to make a savory flavor base for soups, sauces and casseroles. Freezing them in advance will make meal preparation easier and can save the day if you are out of fresh ingredients.

 

Pantry SoupAt a time like this, we need to use what we have in the pantry to make meals. Things are scarce in the supermarket and many do not want to go out to the supermarket! Everyone has enough in their pantry to make a great soup!

 

Tree Tops - OahuWhile on a jungle tour ride, the guide stopped several times and allowed the tourists to get out of the jeep and take pictures and walk around. This grouping of different kinds of trees against the background of sky was particularly striking.

 

Coffee Filters as Extra COVID-19 ProtectionUse extra protection when using your masks. You can do many things to create double protection. You can use a piece of paper towel inside your mask or double your mask, but, masks are getting scarce.

 

Baked Potatoes to Save Time and MoneyAt the beginning of the week, I wash a 5 pound bag of potatoes and bake them for 1 hour. Having these partially cooked potatoes allows me to make quick, nutritious sides that can go along with entrees such as french fries with hamburgers, home fries with omelettes, or mashed potatoes with a roast.

 

Mr. Red (Cardinal)It took about an hour to snap a picture of this red cardinal as I chased him around from bush to bush and from tree to tree. He finally gave in before I did.

 

Reuse Jugs for Dry FoodsThoroughly clean out and dry your milk and juice jugs for reuse. They are great for storing dry food items things like rice, beans, and sugar. Label them and store them in any cool area in your house, even bedrooms or odd closets. Just be sure to label.

 

Measuring and LearningWhen you are having your little ones help you make a cake, cookies, etc., pull a chair up to the sink for them to stand on and tell them that you need 1/2 cup of water. Show them the 1/2 cup mark, explain what it means and then put the measuring cup in the sink and let them fill it from the tap or a plastic glass. If they spill, it's only water and it's in the sink and tempers don't flare.

 

Quick Easter Dinner For OneDue to COVID-19 and being quarantined, Easter for everyone was different this year.Well, I told myself I would not get upset and would try to make a similar but somewhat traditional dinner for one. I bought a ham steak, a baking sweet potato, fresh asparagus and pineapple chunks.

 

Ordering Groceries from AmazonIf you need groceries an alternative would be ordering off Amazon via Amazon Fresh or Amazon Whole Foods. It is free shipping if you spend $35 or more for Amazon members.

 

Homemade Sanitizing WipesI used old cloths materials for these to avoid wasting paper towels in this trying time. After use of cloths, wash and reuse cloths. I use them at home and at work and they work out wonderful!

 

Value of a Seeburg 10079M JukeboxI have recently acquired a vintage 1980ish Seeburg 100 79M. I'm seeing it's rare. It doesn't turn on, but I have all the keys. I am wondering its retail value or cost of restoration. I see they are quite rare with 100 made mainly exported.

 

What Breed Is My Husky?Heis six months old so I don't know if you and tell yet, but I'm still wondering what type of dog he is.

 

Removing a Burn Mark on a Formica CountertopWhat can I use to get rid of this burn mark and put the shine back in my counter top?

 

Craftsman LT2000 Starts But Won't Cut GrassI have a Craftsman LT2000, model 31C707 riding mower and it cranks and runs, but has but very little power. It will move forward and backward, but does not have power enough to mow the grass. Is this evidence of a burnt valve or what?

 

Identifying the Markings on an Old Diamond RingI found this ring and it has 10k stamped on it. It also has a stamp of a bird I know what 10k stands for, but does anyone know what the bird marking means?

 

Identifying Small Black Biting BugsI have a big problem. My pets and I are getting bitten by a small black bugs. First they bite your legs and then the whole body starts to itch. Do you know what they are?

 

Value of an Antique Indestructo Steamer TrunkI've come across a large trunk with an insured Indestructo trunk label including a registration number. It's got leather handles on each side and brass fixtures and hardware. The inside is in good, but not perfect condition although all the drawers work great. It's super neat, but is it valuable? Also can I trace original owner via registration number?

 

Identifying an Old Piece of Equipment?Can someone please tell me what this thing is?

 

Removing an Ammonia Stain on Car Paint?Does anyone have an idea of how to remove what seems to be an ammonia stain from car paint? I say it's ammonia because I found an empty ammonia bottle not to far from my car.

 

Identifying Insect Eggs?I have cleaned these multiple times, but they still come back. What are these and how can I get rid of them? They are usually found outside the house.

 

Do All Boxed Hair Dyes Have Metallic Salts in Them?I want to dye my hair with Splat in the color crimson. It says not to if I've dyed my hair with a product with metallic salts in it. What do I do?

 

Could These be McCoy Demitasse Cups?Are these cups McCoy? The reason I ask is that many McCoy items I have and have seen are just marked USA, but then some are also marked with the McCoy along with the USA. These cups were found many, many years ago at a flea market due to the fact that I have a huge fondness for demitasse cups.

 

Elna Experience 580 Won't Sew in ReverseMy 2yr old Elna Experience 580 has a reverse sewing button. When I use it all that happens is the needle moves extremely slowly. What can I do to solve this!