October 19, 2010

Pie CrustIt turns out the same every time!

 

Tuna Salad Sandwich SpooksMake tuna salad sandwich as normal. Cut sandwich into ghost shapes and ice the top with cream cheese. Cut small eyes out of the black olives and place them on the sandwich.

 

Apricot Ginger SquashThis is so easy and reheated leftovers are yummy too. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut squash in half, discard seeds, cut a thin slice from bottom of squash so it will sit flat and place halves, hollowed side up, in a large greased baking dish.

 

Halloween Gummy LollipopsMake Halloween Lollipops with the kids. Gather 'gummy' candies including gumdrops. Push one gumdrop 2/3rds of the way down on your craft sticks to make a stopping point for the rest of your candies.

 

Scrumptious Egg RollsBlanch celery, cabbage, and green onions in 1 cup boiling water. Add all ingredients together in large skillet and cook until thoroughly mixed and hot. Refrigerate. Fill each egg roll with about 2 tablespoons filling.

 

Scalloped ChickenButter a baking dish and put 1/2 of bread crumbs in bottom. Put macaroni in; chop 3 eggs over the macaroni. Add chicken and top with the rest of the bread crumbs.

 

Fruit BreadCream butter and sugar; add beaten eggs. Sift together flour and soda; add alternately with banana and egg mixture. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour in 4x9 inch loaf pan.

 

Make and Freeze 14 Meals in One DayIt might take a while to get all these done in one day, but it is worth it later on. Make Asian Chicken, Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie, Cheesy Broccoli Pasta, Beef Chili, Beef and Vegetable Paprikash, Italian Pasta Bake, Chicken Pierogies Alfredo

 

Nutty ApplesQuick, easy, and delicious. Peel, slice, and core the apples. Place in baking dish. Hand chop or with a food chopper, chop the candy bars and sprinkle over the apples. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

 

Check Fire Code Before Holiday DecoratingI just finished decorating for Halloween. The VA Fire Marshall showed up for a routine inspection. All the decorations on the walls such as spider webs and hanging ghosts and witches had to be taken down because they are not fire retardant.

 

Baby Powder to Temporarily Cover "Accidents"Baby powder is excellent as a covering up medium for anything that you don't want to look at, or don't want the kids to look at. This goes for children's viruses and stomach flus to kitty littler boxes to any kind of accident.

 

Stacked Stars from Food PackagingBy cutting my kitchen cardboard empties into 3 different star sizes, then stacking them I now have "chunky stars" to use in decorating. I fasten them with glue or tape, and paint them and add glitter or cover with pretty paper to disguise them from their original state.

 

Canning Fruits with White Grape JuiceWhen canning my fruits, I use white grape juice instead of water and sugar. If you use frozen, mix according to recipe. You can use the juice to drink in a glass, thicken it up with a little pearled tapioca and make your bars/pies with it.

 

Garden: Giant CabbageMy husband and I live in extreme northern California. We live off grid and our home is powered by solar panels and a wind generator. We have recently erected a large green house to grow our garden in since the growing season here is so short and harsh.

 

Personalized Recipe/Tip BookEach time I try a recipe and it works, I type it out adding my own personal thoughts or tips on the dish, including what goes well with it, whether it be a certain wine or side dish.

 

Toby, Ty, and Tiny (Fox Terriers)Here is Toby, Ty, and Tiny (she's the one with the great ears) Tiny will turn 9 in November. Toby Just turned 7 in October and Ty will be 3 in November. Tiny and Toby are Fox Terriers and Ty is a Jack Fox (Jack Russel-Fox Terrier mix).

 

Make Sweet Pickles from DillYou can make sweet pickles out of hamburger dill chips. Drain the juice and use for salad dressing, potato salad, pickled eggs, etc. You can even use the dill pickle juice to make "refrigerator pickles" from fresh cucumbers.

 

Wheelchair Lapghan with Foot Pocket4 rows cafe, 2 rows Aran, 2 rows shaded browns, 2 Rows Aran. Finish with 4 rows cafe.

 

My Frugal Life: Teaching Children About ToysThe last time I was at Walmart with my younger group of kids/neighbors, I noticed they don't seem to realize that a huge package with four small useless toys in it would be a waste of their hard earned dollar.

 

Link: Microsoft's Free Virus ProgramMicrosoft now has a free virus program called Microsoft Security Essentials. I have been using for quite sometime - I love it and it is free!

 

Craft Project: Pumpkin GarlandOrange cardstock, black ribbon, and black marker are used to create this quick pumpkin garland. Make a pumpkin template on white card.

 

Make Paper Towels Serve Dual PurposeEvery time I wash my hands and use a paper towel to dry them off, I use the fact that it is wet and give a quick clean-up swipe to either the splashes of water on the sink and counter top or another small spot of dirt that could use the ol' once-over.

 

Do Not Clean Refrigerator Seals with BleachNever use bleach, diluted or undiluted, to clean refrigerator seals as it breaks down the rubber. I used to, but after 18 months I had to replace the seals.

 

Spot Seeding Your LawnWhether it's caused by insects, disease, over-use, or just a bout of bad weather, if your lawn is suffering from thin spots and bare patches, spot seeding is a great way to repair and re-establish grass in small areas.

 

Cochise (Collie)Cochise (Coach) is a 2 1/2 year old Collie. I rescued him in 2009 from a home that could not keep him. He was actually too gentle for the other two big dogs that lived with him.

 

Remove Contacts Over Soft SurfaceRecently I had to have my contacts resurfaced, due to damage. The simple act of dropping one in the bathroom sink can really cause problems. To keep this from happening again, I now place a foam shelf liner cut larger than my sink size over the sink.

 

Spooky Tree Door DecorationOne year for Halloween I made a "Spooky Tree" door decoration that was a huge hit with everyone who saw it, and it barely cost me anything! I wish I had a photo to show you, but hopefully you can picture it in your head.

 

Amanda (Bombay)Amanda is a 2 year old Black Bombay shorthair female cat. I adopted her from the Humane Society in April, 2010.

 

Easy Cleaning of a BBQ GrillI just got off the phone with my eldest who is still living in Tennessee. He said, "I've got something for ThriftyFun". When he and his wife grill, they clean the hot grill with a half lemon or lime. It's completely green and the acidity takes care of the bacteria.

 

Use Towel to Introduce New Pet's SmellIntroducing a new pet such as a dog or cat to a family with other animals can be stressful for pets and family. The main reason that pets don't like each other at first, is the strange smell of the new pet.

 

Scenery: Oregon Coast At SunsetMy friend and I went camping during the summer near the Oregon coast. We went to the beach just before sunset and we were both taking photos. Later, just as the sun was almost over I moved back trying to get just the sunset but my friend unknowingly was in the way.

 

Use Tea to Clean Varnished WoodworkIf you steep old tea leaves in water for half an hour and strain the liquid, the tea is excellent for cleaning varnished woodwork. Put a little on a damp flannel and rub the wood lightly to get rid of finger marks and that dull, gummy look.

 

Scenery: Twin ParrotsThis photo was taken at the Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach. Walking along the boardwalk, I saw these two parrots, and my creativity kicked in.

 

Sift Flour Over Paper PlateTo cut down on cleanup when sifting flour, place a paper plate under the measuring cup so that when the flour is sifted, the extra falls on the plate. Afterward, you can easily fold the plate and pour the extra flour back into the canister.

 

Halloween Costume: Dora the ExplorerNothing to it, I just got a pink shirt, orange shorts, yellow socks, white shoes, backpack with purple straps, and I made a map by rolling up a piece of paper and drawing the eyes, eyebrows and mouth. I found "Boots" the monkey on Ebay.

 

How to Get Free Used Furniture, Electronics, Clothes, and Much More?Is there anyone that is giving away furniture in west Philly or southwest?

 

Scavenger Hunt Ideas?I'm planning a family night scavenger hunt for my son-in-law and granddaughter's birthday. I'm looking for clues for indoor hiding. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

 

Dog Urine Stain on a Leather Couch?What can I use to get a pet urine stain off of my leather loveseat?

 

Scars on My Legs?What's a natural remedy that I can use to get rid of scars on my knees? When I was younger I was a tomboy and my knees are so scarred up from being rough. It didn't bother me then, but now that I am older it does.

 

Foundation Makeup Stains on Clothing?I have a foundation makeup stain on my beige linen blend pants. Can someone help me please?

 

Cleaning an Iron Skillet?Can anyone tell me how to clean built up and burned on food from an iron skillet?

 

Scuff Marks On Laminate Floors?I have laminated floors, which have marks from furniture being moved. I've tried baking soda paste, vinegar and water, and Awesome. Does anyone know how to remove these?

 

Advice for Choosing a Dog Breed?I want a small dog, but one that doesn't yap a lot. I like the Maltese terrier, but have been told they yap a lot? Is this true?

 

Super Glue on Granite?I was helping my daughter with a project for school that involved pasting a bunch of stuff to a paper pumpkin. We put the paper pumpkin on the granite countertop to dry for a few days and when we picked it up, we saw spots where the glue seeped through the paper. Please help!

 

Unclogging Washing Machine Drain Pipe?I have a clogged drain in my clothes washing machine. We live upstairs and the pipe is too long for a snake. Can I try to fix this myself?