Touchdown Treat
New Requests:
- My Beagle Is Itching
- Printable Shopping List
- Best Place To Get a Sofa Bed
- Lint Covered Sweater
More Reading:
- Home Remedies For Doggie Diarrhea
- Pepper Steak ("Steak au Poivre")
- Chocolate Fudge
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Today's Photo Contest Entries
Garden Flowers Valentine
Your garden flowers can be used to decorate your self-made cards
for every occasion. Here is a picture of bleeding heart that I made for my wife on Valentine's Day.
By webster7
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Corky (Rat Terrier)
My puppy Corky when he was 5 weeks was the size of a shoe. He is a registered Rat Terrier that has grown to be 14 pounds at the age of 8 months. His favorite game is "tug of war" and "keep away" with his toys. He is the son we never had. Tommie is the cat shown in the picture.
By Connie
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Submit a tip with a photo or a pet description with a photo and you could win a prize. You can enter the photo contest here:
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Today's Tips
Add Baking Soda To Frosting
When making homemade frosting for a cake, add a pinch of baking soda and the frosting will stay moist and it will prevent cracking.
By Brenda Cole
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Storing Yeast
Tips for storing yeast. Post your ideas.
Yeast Expiration Dates
Yeast will last longer than specified on those little packages from the grocery store if kept in the refrigerator and even longer in the freezer (up to a year).
By Brenda Cole
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Keeping Whipping Cream from Separating
Whipping cream will not separate if you add 1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin per cup of whipped cream.
By Brenda Cole
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Hand Washing Silverware
To save time scrubbing the silverware and other utensils I take a bowl or cup, one that's already dirty and fill half way with hot water and a tiny bit of dish soap. I let them soak till I'm ready to do the dishes, I then toss the water and put the silverware into the dishwater and wash. They come clean fast, especially forks and things like it.
By RoseMary
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Make a Little Extra
When making dinner I try to make a small amount more than we would eat that night. I then freeze the extra and have lunch for the weekend. It's just enough that my husband can have one leftover and I eat the other night's leftover. I found this to be handy especially since we are now empty nesters after years of 5 kids at home.
By RoseMary
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Painting Rooms Red
A lot of people have been painting red in their homes these days. If your thinking of trying it out here is my best advice to avoid countless coats of paint. If the wall has never been painted, get a primer tinted as dark as the paint mixer will let you. Just ask them to add black. If the wall is already primed get another gallon of cheaper paint and have that mixed to a deep mauve or rose color and use that as a base.
Magenta colorant is naturally transparent so to take your deep red paint and put it up on a white wall will take many coats (and maybe many trips to the paint store to get just one more quart). Using a darker base will save on time and money. Hope this helps someone out!
By Casie Peltier
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Making a Good Cup of Cocoa
Tips for making a good cup of cocoa. Post your ideas.
Cinnamon Cocoa
When making hot cocoa try adding some cinnamon. It spices things up a bit!
By Taylor
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Disposing of Diapers
This for all parents, caregivers etc. of infants/toddlers in diapers. Before putting smelling diapers in trash use a bread sack/plastic bags to wrap them in. We use this in my room at work. I care for infants. Somedays 9 or 10. We even use bags for the urine diapers. Makes a big difference.
By Starla
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Heating Frying Pans
You should always heat your frying pans before adding oil or butter to prevent sticking.
By Robin
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Cleaning House Plants
Tips for cleaning house plants. Post your ideas.
Cleaning Houseplant Leaves
To make the leaves of houseplants look shiny and clean, pour a little milk on a paper towel and gently rub each leaf! Makes the plant look GREAT!
By Wiseinhimmer
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Adding Chocolate to Chili
Add a Hershey's chocolate bar (NO NUTS) to your pot of chili to give it a smoother creamier taste. (You don't taste the chocolate) Sounds weird... but it's GREAT!!!
By Wiseinhimmer
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Shaping Meatballs
When making meatballs, I like to use an ice cream dipper to make the meatballs all the same size and shape.
By Robin
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Breading Chicken Without Flower
If you are frying chicken and are out of flour to roll the pieces in, try rolling them in powdered milk. Works great!
By Robin
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100 Calorie Packs: Diet Aid or Rip off?
Everyone has seen the TV commercials for these 100 calorie packs of cheese nips, oreos, chips ahoy cookies, and what not. Anyone who's tried them knows that they're pretty expensive for not very much food and they don't taste all that good.
I discovered one day at the grocery by comparing the nutrition info on the 100 calorie pack Cheese Nips and the Reduced Fat Cheese Nips that the latter had a serving more than twice as large as the 100 calorie packs for only about 120 calories and 1 gram of fat more than the 100 calorie packs and they taste like the "real thing".
You could simply buy a box of the Reduced Fat Cheese Nips and measure out your own 100 calorie packs into ziplock bags (which can always be reused) as soon as you get home (just put a few less in your bag than is a serving to equate 100 calories) to keep you from eating half the box at a sitting, which is really the only convenience the 100 calorie packs offer. Sounds like sensible indulgence to me!
By Kathleen
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Litter Box In The Tub
I keep my litter box in my bathtub as I use a flushable litter (cat's pride brand-be careful as they make both non-flushable and flushable). It makes it really easy as the toilet's right there. The litter off their feet gets rinsed down the drain. Of course, I take it out to shower myself. I have between 6-8 cats as I feed the stray cats & take them in my home in the cold weather if they'll stay in.
By Cynthia
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Peeling Eggs
New eggs are hard to peel after being boiled. I hold them a week and then boil them. They last several weeks so one week is not harmful. They peel without sticking.
By Jill
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Uses for Old Christmas or Greeting Cards
I am late sending this due to emergency surgery around the holidays! First of all, I save my Christmas cards I receive and then starting on Jan 1st I randomly pull one of them out and sit it on my kitchen table. It is a reminder to pray a little prayer for that person through out the day. The next day I pull another one and then use the one from the day before and cut it into gift labels that I will use for the following Christmas.
Be creative - sometimes I get several tags from one card! Most cards have a little picture or phrase that can be cut into different shapes and used for tags or labels for gifts! I was in the hospital for a month and received lots of get well cards. I plan on doing the same with them.
It's a nice way to remember the person who took the time to send you a card. It's a nice way to recycle and no one has gift tags like mine!
By MARCY
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Oft Forgotten Germ Catcher
Flu, cold, and sinus infection season are upon us. One thing people often forget to do when they've been sick is to GET A NEW TOOTHBRUSH! Otherwise you're just putting the same old germs back in your mouth when you're well again. And on the days in between, soak your toothbrush in Listerine to kill off the germs after you've brushed your teeth. A couple bucks on a new toothbrush sure beats the cost of another doctor visit and more medications! Kathleen
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Grandma Marilyn's Chocolate Cake & Cooked Vanilla Creamy Frosting
- 2 cups flour, sifted
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered cocoa
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
Mix together all of the above ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, measure together:
- 3/4 Crisco or Vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Then gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until well-mixed. Then stir in...
1 cup hot (prepared) coffee
For cupcakes, fill 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Check with toothpick, if dry when inserted in middle, they're done, If not, bake a few minutes longer.
For cake, bake in 13 by 9" pan or 2 round pans for layer cake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min.
Frosting:
4 tbsp. flour and 1 cup milk. Cook and stir until thick and creamy. Set aside and cool completely. Mix together with blender 1/2 cup crisco shortening and 1/2 cup margarine, softened. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla and mix well. Mix together cool flour mixture with sugar mixture and beat on high- the longer, the creamier and fluffier!
By Taylor
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Healthful Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cup All-Bran
- 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup white raisins
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- 1 tsp. soda
Directions:
Beat together egg, brown sugar, honey. Add buttermilk. Mix dry ingredients, raisins, and nuts and add to first mixture. Let rest 2-3 minutes to soak up All-Bran. Put in greased muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 30-36 muffins
By Robin
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Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients:
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup pumpkin (canned)
- 1/2 cup salad oil
- 2 eggs (unbeaten)
- 2 cup flour (sifted)
- 1 tsp. soda
- 1/2 tsp. each: salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup nuts
- 1/4 cup water
Directions:
Combine sugars, pumpkin, oil, and eggs. Beat until well blended. Sift together flour, soda, and spices; add and mix well. Stir in raisins, nuts, and water. Spoon into well oiled 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes. Turn out on rack to cool thoroughly. Frost if desired. Makes 2 loves when using 2 small loaf pans.
By Robin
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Touchdown Treat
Ingredients:
- 2 pkgs. smokie links
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 14 oz. pkg. macaroni
- 1 pkgs frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups grated cheese
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions:
Cook macaroni and vegetables until tender; drain well. Cut up smokie links, saving some for garnish, if desired. Mix ingredients all together and put in 2 large greased casserole dishes. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. This is a large recipe and can be cut in half. Freezes well.
By Robin
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Other Active Topics
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Tip Contest
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New Contest! $30.00 Gift Card
In our newest contest we are giving away a $30.00 Gift Card at one of the following stores: Home Depot, Jo-Ann's Crafts or Amazon.com. If you are the winner, you get to choose which gift card! We figured it would be more valuable if you pick out your own prize, that's why we have decided to go the gift card route. This contest will end on February 15th.
Enter the contest!
Syndication Spotlight:
Here are some publishers that have chosen to publish our tips this week!
Dear Webby's Humor Letter
Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.
http://webby.com/humor
Do you publish a newsletter? Sign up for our Tip Syndication:
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New Requests:
My Beagle Is Itching
I have a beagle. She is always itching! I have looked on her, I only found 1 flea. It looks to me like she has dry skin. Is there anything I can use of her that is very cheap!
Thanks,
Dee from NY
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Printable Shopping List
I need a printable shopping list layout/template please. I've been on the computer for half an hour trying to save time from making one myself.
Thanks,
mommykelly from wpg
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Best Place To Get a Sofa Bed
I am moving out for the first time. I am in need of a sofa bed. Any suggestions?
Thank You,
Britta, TX
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Lint Covered Sweater
I accidentally washed my new black sweater with a small light blue throw rug and the sweater came out covered in small light blue lint balls. The lint is clinging to the sweater and would take hours and hours to remove by hand. A lint roller did not work, nor did an electric fabric shaver. I tried washing a second time with only dark clothes and it looked a bit better but no significant improvements.
Any other suggestions? Do those lint remover balls you use in the dryer work well? Thanks so much!!
Kristen in Kentucky
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More Reading:
Home Remedies For Doggie Diarrhea
By Lynnette
I used to work at a vet. While there, I learned a few "home remedies" for some common pet ailments, including diarrhea.
View Article: Click Here
Pepper Steak ("Steak au Poivre")
By Charlie Burke
This preparation is a classic bistro dish and has many
variations. In the past, the sauce tended to be heavy,
containing large amounts of butter and cream. We prefer
lighter -sauced preparations which complement the fish or
meat being served.
View Article: Click Here
Chocolate Fudge
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