I have a great picnic recipe. I have never met a person who didn't like this dish. I give the recipe out often. It is easy to prepare, transport, and can be served hot-cold-or anywhere in between. I'm going to make this as brief as possible. If you have any questions about preparing the dish, please e-mail me. I never measure my ingredients, and I often substitute spices depending on the season, and what else is being served. The main component of the dish are prepared beans. If you are from the Northeast, you are probably familiar with Gramma Brown's Baked Beans, in the yellow can. They are a very dense, creamy recipe, and quite bland. You may substitute your favorite by draining most of the liquid. Here goes:
Beans and Keibasa
1 48 oz. can beans 1 pound cooked kielbasa, sliced or cubed 1 16 oz. can pineapple chunks (drained) 1 cup (about) brown sugar, reserve half
-season with choice of minced garlic or onion, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper
Mix all ingredients, and put into your cooking vessel of choice. These can be baked until bubbly with the remaining sugar sprinkled on top (you may also top with pineapple rings and marachino cherries to be festive). You may combined ingredients in a crockpot and keep warm on low heat, or in a dutch oven on the grill. You can warm this dish on the stove until the flavors meld, and serve while still warm, or refridgerate, and serve cold later. Enjoy!
I cut the legs, horizontally, to make stretch bands. These are great for tying up plants because they stretch, and allow for growth, and give a little against the wind, etc. I use them for my tomatoes, and raspberry canes.
Also, a clean leg works as a great tie to hold an ice pack, or hot pack in place. Again, it's the stretch.
Finally, if you have a lot of those plastic bags, stuff them into the legs of the pantyhose, a cut in the toe will allow you to pull them out as needed. The waistband can be pinned to a wire hanger. This method also works for rags, and yarn. For yarn cut the legs at he knees, and stuff the skein into the waist pull the end out of the opening at the knee. ... View related article.
I like the suggestion to donate tees to the homeless. I have also given all my unused tees to women's shelters, youth centers, and the school nurse. It's better to send a child home in a clean tee that's too big, than in a soiled, or torn shirt. Used tees make great dusting/polishing clothes. And, I cut sqares out of the material, add a small amount of liquid fabric softener for a substitute dryer sheet. ... View related article.
Aside from the obvious storage ideas, 3# coffee cans make great luminarias. Fill empty can with water, insert an empty plastic soda bottle, forcing it into the water with the can lid and seal the can shut. Freeze the can of water, the soda bottle will prevent the can from becoming mishapen as the ice expands. When the water is frozen, take the can out of the freezer, or off the porch if you live up North, and using a sharp nail and a hammer, punch holes in the can, creating a design of choice.
The can can be spray painted before or after freezing. A design can be traced on the outside before freezing. If the water begins to melt, refreeze, so start punching from the top of the can, and work your way down. When finished, drain, and dry the can, and add sand and a candle. If it's very windy, put your candle in a glass jar before setting it in the coffee can/luminaria. These can be decorated for anything from Christmas to the 4th of July. They won't catch fire, or blow away. ... View related article.
