I will be 50 on the 23rd & am having a costume party. Have always wanted to have one & this milestone is a good enough excuse, don't you think? ... View related article.
I have done the same thing except that we used what is left at the end of the candle once it has burned down & can't be used anymore. Scented ones are best. You can use them either as a candle (just add a wick when wax is partially set), or you can use them as little drawer fresheners. We save the candle bits, my daughter also gives me hers - cut into pieces & put into the molds. Very colorful & very nice with varying scents as the candle burns. ... View related article.
I've not pickled okra by myself, but I watched & helped my mother & grandmother years ago. I've tried the freezer method & not only were the okra's slimey, but they just didn't taste as good! The secret is to get the vinegar into the pods - the acid in the vinegar cuts the slimey - just as boiling tomatoes with okra is not slimey - the acid in the tomatoes. The salt is the preservative.
The method I'm describing here is the boiling water bath & you can use any large kettle that will allow you to cover the tops of the jars by at least 2 inches. It's not really that hard & our pickled okra was never, ever slimey. The first thing we did was to trim the top off, but to not cut all the way down to the veggie. And we didn't cut off the tip end either. Then we punctured the pods several times along the sides with a fork - this allows the brine & vinegar to go inside the pods-more vinegary taste than salty taste, taste it & gauge for yourself.
After soaking over night, we drained the vinegar & salt brine from the pods & threw it away. Then we made fresh brine with vinegar, water & just a touch of sugar & heated to boiling. While this mixture was heating we packed sterilized pint jars with the pods & sometimes also fresh garlic &/or a small hot red pepper & a spoonful of the seasonings, about as tight as we could get them without squishing - up to about 1/2-inch from the top of the jar. Once the mix had come to a boil, we poured it into the jars over the pods up to about 1/4-inch from the top.
Wiped off the mouth of the jar, put on sterilized jar lids & screw bands & processed for about 10 or 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Our pickled okra was never slimey & the taste was out of this world! Dang! Now I'm gonna have to locate some young, fresh okra! ... View related article.
We never cut my daughters hair (except for trim ups) from the time she was born until Kindergarten where she got head lice & we HAD to cut it because it was so long & thick that we kept missing lice eggs & she'd have another outbreak. Her hair is blond, straight as a pin & super thick, so thick that even with today's style (just below the ear) it still takes 2 body perm packages to do a home perm on her. She is also very tender-headed. I am very tender-headed too, have ultra fine hair that tangles even with just shaking my head after brushing, but at 50 I still wear my hair long. Nearly all of my life, as has my daughter (even with short hair), it has become routine to use a conditioner on our hair after washing.
Then, before we brush it out, we use a spray on detangler that we get at Dollar General, use a wide-tooth comb to comb out the tangles, finish it with a spikey-type brush & hope for the best. After it is dry & between washings & we brush our hair, if there is a tangle we use the same spray on detangler - spray just a bit on the tangle & work it out with the wide-tooth comb. Since turning 5 & deciding she was too big for me to wash her hair for her, my daughter has since taken care of her own hair - she's now 33 & has 3 children who, unfortunately have inherited her hair & scalp. The 2 girls choose to wear their hair long. The 5 year old has been doing her own hair since she was 4 - both girls do the same thing their mother & I have done nearly all our lives.
Perhaps your children have very tender scalps & don't like to brush it because of the tangles & pulling. However, they shouldn't go without brushing their hair at least twice a day! Yes, it IS up to the parents to teach their children good grooming habits, otherwise, it will get worse as they get older. It's not right that your wife gives you 'those looks' because you want the children to be presentable in public. Isn't she embarrassed when they go out looking like lost little orphans? I would be! Raising 5 children was really, really tough at times money wise. There were a lot of things we couldn't afford to get - but our children were always clean & well-groomed when we went out in public. You need to make it an absolute rule that hair gets brushed before leaving the house! And don't back down!
Also, your daughter should make up her own mind about whether to wear long or short hair. My mother kept my hair in a boyish style & refused to let me grow it long - too much trouble, she said. Because I was too much of a tomboy, was another excuse. I hated it & yearned for long hair. Since I married I haven't cut it except for trim ups or long cut styles. My hair is so fine & burns horribly during perms (I have a 3.75 minute set time before it starts to burn) I haven't had a perm for years but put my hair up in long styles most of the time, French twists, etc. - & it tangles less & most are easy to do. Yes, it's a hassle to keep my hair this long - but it's my choice... ... View related article.
I can't remember the name of it but Lowe's has a product that comes in a tube for a caulking gun that will glue almost anything together--it's very strong. It's for commercial use in houses & for building cabinets without nails. You have to have the area well ventilated for like 24 hours after using it. We bought some very pretty wall board for our bathroom once & it kept loosening from the wall. A friend, a carpenter by trade, told us about this & we didn't have any more problems--that is, until we tried to remove the wallboard several years later!
I would use this first as it could save you a lot of problems trying to remove the old laminate to apply something else. Your particle board will probably crumble if the old laminate is removed. Just squirt a little of this adhesive in where you need it & clamp together. It would probably be better to take them down first & put them somewhere where you can isolate them from the rest of the house as the warning on the tube says to ventilate well & not breathe in the fumes. ... View related article.
I have suffered allergies for most of my 50 years & can tell you now, that other than finding out exactly what you are allergic or sensitive to & being treated for that problem--shots or allergy tablets, is the only real solution to post nasal drip. I myself use Alavert when the various pollens & molds are really high (I only use as needed), keep my nose blown (don't blow too hard or you will damage the linings of your sinuses), & when I get that 'tickle' that makes me cough I sip at unsweetened lemon tea or water with lemon in it.
This usually keeps me from getting a sinus infection, which if not taken care of immediately, it then turns to bronchitis & then to pneumonia. It is very wise to go to the doc even when you just blow yellow from your nose as this means the start of a sinus upset--green simply means the infection is worse. I have also had the lump in my throat that is very annoying. Usually, once I took the antibiotics for the sinus infection, the lump also went away.
There are also a few medicines that I can't take because they cause a lump inside my throat. Most pharmacists, or their computer read-outs on a product, will tell you (under side effects) that if you feel a lump in your throat to contact your doctor immediately. Some long-term medicines can also cause this after being taken for a long time & the prescription has to be changed for a while. ... View related article.
It's been my experience in the past that you have to repot the plant. There's something in cat urine that will kill the plant over a short period of time. ... View related article.
I have been in the restaurant business all of my life--inherited it from both parents. Mom was a bakeress & daddy was a Chef. I myself am a retired Chef. When working, I was very picky about my white coat & pants. My solution was to use just a dot or 2 of Dawn dish washing liquid on any spots I thought would stain-scrub them for just a minute with a fingernail brush. Then I would fill my washer about 1/4 of the way with straight hot water & add a 1/2 c. of automatic dishwasher soap to the tub--the cheaper the better because most cheaper brands have more phosphorous. I'd swish the water around, turn the temp. to warm, & put in my whites when the tub was about halfway full. Then I'd add about half the amount of detergent to the tub that I would normally use.
I rinsed my whites in cold & added a cup of baking soda. Baking soda seemed to freshen the fabric because--as you know, even washing sometimes doesn't remove the food or grease odors from your whites. I also took my Chef whites from the dryer before they were completely dry. Complete drying seemed to make them feel stiff & scratchy against my skin. Then, because I was such a fanatic about looking right, I ironed them whether they needed it or not. A light coating of spray starch somehow seemed to keep the whites from staining so badly. ... View related article.
For as far back as I can remember my mother & I have used the pressed paper-type egg cartons to start seedlings for our gardens. You may pay just a tad more for eggs in the paper cartons, but in the long run you save because those little peat pots can get expensive if you need a lot! The paper egg cartons keep you from over watering your seeds & drainage for the young plants before you have planted them in the garden. Just fill the paper egg cartons with garden soil about early to mid-February (we live in Oklahoma), plant the seeds, put them in some type of under liner to catch drips (I use cut down cardboard boxes with plastic in the bottoms), put in a sunny location (window or sun porch) or use sun lamps, & care for & water them as needed until ready for planting in late March or early April.
When ready for planting, take a pair of scissors or clippers & cut the individual egg/plant holders apart & plant the whole thing (starter plant & individual paper egg holder) in the garden. Since the egg cartons are paper, they have already started to deteriorate by planting time & deteriorate faster once planted in the ground. You can do the same thing with the styrofoam egg cartons, but you have to poke a hole in the bottoms of the styrofoam egg holders with a toothpick for drainage and of course you can't plant the little styrofoam holders in the ground because their deterioration time is so slow - so you have to take the plants out of the egg containers before planting in the garden & throw them away anyway. You're not saving anything from going into the landfill. Truthfully, the paper egg holders are lots better because you give back. ... View related article.
When I'm in one of my 'lazy moods', & don't particularly want to mix up the pizza or bread dough for 'hot pockets' or calzones, I'll separate a roll of crescent rolls, roll each out as evenly on each side as I can. Then I put whatever filling I want on one side (either breakfast foods, lunch or dinner foods), making sure not to get too close to the edges. Wet the edges with your finger dipped in water, fold the dough over the filling matching up the edges. Crimp with a fork & poke a few holes in the top of the dough with the fork or cut a couple of small gashes in it to allow the dough to vent--otherwise the dough will puff up from the steam made by the fillings & you'll have a lot of empty air space inside your pocket. If you want, you can brush with a flavored butter (butter, Italian seasoning & garlic is good for an Italian-style pocket. Sprinkle with Parmesan when done) before baking. Bake until golden brown.
I have also used the store brand biscuits using the same method. They're smaller but equally good. My favorites are scrambled eggs with bacon & cheese for breakfast. For lunch I like ham & American cheese with a little chopped bell pepper or Turkey with Swiss. Dinner is usually something made from leftovers in the 'fridge. I am a fan of making ahead & freezing & these do very well. Just put on a cookie sheet without brushing on or sprinkling on seasoning or poking or slashing any vents & stick in the freezer until frozen solid. Wrap each individually 1st in waxed paper & then in plastic wrap. Label & date.
I keep small things like this in small plastic baskets in the freezer. Saves time--& energy for me. Simply unwrap, thaw (can thaw on defrost in microwave), put in a vent, brush or sprinkle with seasoning if wanted, & bake in a toaster oven or your regular oven until golden brown & a little bubbly through the vents. ... View related article.
