Daily Thrifty Tips - May 7, 2005

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. An early Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Today's newsletter contains:

Today's Photo Contest Entries:

• Cloud Filled Grand Canyon
• Laundry Detergent Lid Planter

Today's Tips:

• Give Your Presence, Or Calling Cards
• For Mother's Far Away
• MOTHER'S DAY QUICHE
• Using Mascara
• Preserving Roses
• Storing Clothing in Totes on Wheels
• Nail Polish Tips
• Labelling Measuring Cups
• Whiskey Sour in Strawberry Jam
• Use an Old Freezer as a Pantry
• May's Best Food Buys
• Cleaning The Oven
• Preventing Vegetable Water from Boiling Over
• Use a Spin Dryer to Cut Tumble Dryer Time
• Candle Wax off Carpet
• Relieving Headaches
• Arthritis Tips
• Keeping the Bathroom Clean
• Fireplace Safety Tips
• Nana's Chicken Pie
• Sausage and Cornbread Pie
• Sweet Potato Bread
• Carrot Cake
• Cherry Cake
• Sausage and Rice Casserole
• Treasure Chest Birthday Cake
• Butterfly Birthday Cake

New Requests:

• Homemade Fresh Brush Refills
• Chicken And Rice Baked Casserole
• York CH 5372-B Wallpaper Pattern
• Feeding a Puppy That Can't Eat Dry Food Yet

More Reading:

• Do You Have a Bored and Unhappy Pet Bird?
• How to Transplant Lilacs
• Identify Your Tasks

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Today's Photo Contest Entries

Cloud Filled Grand Canyon

I want to share our first visit to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It was awesome -- it was filled with clouds! We were told this was a rare occurrence. We witnessed what is called an inversion. We are hoping to make another trip to see how it normally looks.

"Mike"

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Laundry Detergent Lid Planter

Here is an inexpensive craft for Mother's Day easy enough for pre-schoolers to do.

Materials:

• Lid from laundry detergent bottle
• Stickers or pictures of flowers
• Bow
• Hot glue and glue gun
• Potting soil
• Small house plant

Decorate your lid with stickers or pictures. Hot glue the bow on (parents can do this step). Fill it up with potting soil and put your plant in. I used a Spider Plant. They always have babies that you can use to start new plants.

We did this in church for Mothers Day this year. The kids enjoyed decorating the planters for their mothers and its a gift that mom can enjoy all year.

By luv2craft

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Today's Tips

Give Your Presence, Or Calling Cards

With Mother's Day and Father's Day coming up, the best gift you could ever give is your presence. But if this is not possible, send them several prepaid calling cards so they can keep in touch with you and their grandchildren more often than maybe their budget will allow.

And since the printing on some of these cards can be pretty small, copy the numbers they are to use onto a seperate piece of paper so they can use your gift more easily.

By Patricia

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For Mother's Far Away

With Mother's Day right around the corner I thought I would send a tip that I like to use. We live several hours away from the closest relative so we need something easy to send. I have found that gift cards to my mother's favorite store or restaurant are a big hit. These are especially good for the mom who has everything. She can go get whatever she wants or needs!

By Robin

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MOTHER'S DAY QUICHE

Ingredients:

• 16 slices french bread
• 1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
• 1 lb. grated montery jack cheese
• 1 pkg. leaf spinach, frozen and thawed, optional
• 1 box mushrooms, fresh sliced, optional
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and cut in chunks
• 14 eggs
• 1 pint 1/2 and 1/2
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. each pepper, paprika, dry mustard

Ingredients:

Grease 9 x 13 pan with butter. Cut crusts off bread. Butter both sides of bread. Place 8 slices of bread in pan, 1/2 of each of the cheeses, 1/2 of the bacon, a layer of leaf spinach (optional), and mushrooms (optional), and the green peppers. Place next 8 slices of bread on top. Cover with remaining cheeses and bacon. Beat eggs, 1/2 and 1/2 and spices and pour mixture over all. Let stand in fridge for 24 hours. Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Serve with cut up fresh fruit.

By Las Vegas Angel

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Using Mascara

I learned this recently. When applying mascara, remove the wand from the tube and wipe the excess off with a tissue before use. No more clumpy eyelashes. I place the want on toilet paper and roll it around a bit then clean the end of the wand. Throw the toilet paper away and I'm all ready to go. I can't believe what a difference it makes.

Mitzi

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Preserving Roses

I have a girlfriend who saves all her rose bouquets from her husband from gift giving occasions. When the roses dry, she'll gently take the arrangement out to her garage, set it on some newspaper and thoroughly spray the floral arrangement with a good holding hair spray.

She allows it to dry and then takes back into the house. She puts hers up high so nothing will bother the vase and arrangement. I've only seen 1 of her few arrangements and it's almost as beautiful as the day she got the beautiful arrangement a few years ago for their anniversary!

By Terri H.

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Storing Clothing in Totes on Wheels

I bought one of those clear plastic upright totes on wheels. It has 2 drawers in it. I wheeled this into my bedroom closet. I keep my bandanas and sweat bands in the top drawer (I work out and we live in the desert).

In the bottom drawer, I keep my socks (In the winter, I wear black socks, in the summer I wear white socks) that I'm not wearing for the season. This way, my sock drawer in my bedroom dresser isn't overflowing.

By Terri H.

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Nail Polish Tips

Tips and ideas for applying and removing nail polish. Post your ideas.

Ran Out of Cotton Balls?

If you run out of cotton balls to remove your nail polish with, use a clean tampon! Hold it like a pen, dip it in the nail polish remover and easily wipe nail polish away! When the end gets too dirty, snip the end and reuse. Keep it to clean up smudges around the nails afterwards. Since you can hold it like a pen, you won't ruin your other nails.

By Lorna L.

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Labelling Measuring Cups

I take an indelible pen and mark the size of each of my measuring cups on the inside (1/4, 1/2, etc.) so when I grab one they are easier to choose from.

By Gardencraft

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Whiskey Sour in Strawberry Jam

Substitute whiskey sour mix for lemon juice when making strawberry jam.

By Laura Kerr

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Use an Old Freezer as a Pantry

Someone gave us a huge used upright freezer. It worked fine, but I didn't really need THAT much freezer space and it needed to be defrosted way too often for me. So I started using it as a 'pantry'. I have very little cabinet space so I keep all my canned goods, pasta, cereal, and even paper products in it. When I have company they get a kick out of when I go into the freezer for paper plates!

By KimMcG

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May's Best Food Buys

Asparagus, Beans, Beef, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggs, Fish, Lamb, Lemons, Peas, Onions, Pineapple, Pork, Potatoes, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Summer Squash, and Tomatoes.

Stock up if you get a chance!

By Terri H.

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Cleaning The Oven

Tips for cleaning your oven. Post your ideas.

Self Cleaning Oven Tip

The next time you run the self clean oven put your burners from you stove top in your oven. Will come clean with no scrubbing. WONDERFUL!

By Char Kilcrease

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Preventing Vegetable Water from Boiling Over

When boiling potatoes, other vegetables, or pasta for your favorite recipe, a small amount, 1/2 tsp. or so of butter, will keep it from boiling over onto the burner.

By Becky

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Use a Spin Dryer to Cut Tumble Dryer Time

Sometimes using a clothes line isn't convenient. When you have to use a dryer, consider buying a spin dryer. They run at 3300 RPM (vs. 500 RPM that your typical top loading washer spins at) and use of a spin dryer will cut your drying time in half. Spin dryers are more common in Europe.

If you look carefully, you can find a spin dryer online for $150 - $500 each. They last for years, and can wring an extra liter of water (and soap!) out of your laundry. This is easier on your clothes, as the spinning does not affect them, but reducing the tumbling time will keep them looking newer longer (fewer pills, etc.)

By L. Reese

Editor's Note: I believe this is what she means:

http://www.realgoods.com/shop/shop2.cfm/dp/208/ts/1063610

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Candle Wax off Carpet

Tips for removing candle wax from carpet. Post your ideas.

To say I had a "major" wax spill on my dining room carpet is an understatement. Knowing that I already had a disaster, I had nothing to lose by trying the paper bag/iron technique to remove the wax. To my utter amazement and absolute delight, it worked. Not only did it just work, it worked extremely well! From my personal experience, I found better results using (brown) paper bags over paper towels, with a low iron using slow passes.

By SandyP

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Relieving Headaches

Tips to help you cure a headache, post your ideas.

Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

By Diana

Editor's Note: You can get a headache when you are dehydrated, so drinking a couple glasses of water should help too.

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Arthritis Tips

Tips for dealing with arthritis pain. Post your ideas.

Quaker Oats for Fast Pain Relief

It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

By Diana

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Keeping the Bathroom Clean

Tips to help keep the bathroom clean. Post your ideas.

Clean Up After Showering

After showering, occasionally throw the damp towel on the bathroom floor and walk around while shuffling your feet. The floor gets a quick clean up and the towel goes right in the washer!

By Diana

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Fireplace Safety Tips

Tips for using a fireplace to heat your home, safely. Post your ideas.

Don't Burn Colored Newspapers or Magazines

Do not burn colored newspaper or magazines in your fireplace! They contain lead and when burned will emit dangerous levels of the lead. This can be extremely harmful especially to children!

By MrsMoted2

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Nana's Chicken Pie

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pearl onions
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup frozen English peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 cup chopped cooked chicken
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Cook pearl onions and carrots in boiling water to cover 5 minutes. Add green pepper; continue to cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and drain. add peas; set aside. Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion in oil in a large skillet until tender and lightly browned. Remove half of onions to a paper towel; set aside for use in biscuits. aDd 1/4 cup flour to onion and oil in skillet, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add broth, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in pepper. Add vegetables and chicken; simmer 5 minutes, stirring often. Pour into a lightly greased 9 inch square baking dish; set aside. Combine 1 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, and salt; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and reserved onion, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 4 or 5 times. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness; cut with a 2 inch chicken shaped or round cutter. Arrange biscuits on top of chicken mixture; bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.

By Robin

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Sausage and Cornbread Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. bulk pork sausage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 can tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can chopped green chilies, undrained
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble meat; drain. Add tomatoes, chilies, corn, and chili powder, simmer 20 minutes. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 8 inch square baking dish and set aside. Combine cornmeal and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well. Combine egg, milk, and oil in a small bowl; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over sausage mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

By Robin

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Sweet Potato Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cup baked sweet potatoes, mashed
• 3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream margarine, add sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add potatoes. In a medium sized bowl, sift together: flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Blend with potato mixture. You may add 1 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup raisins or 1 cup Bran Buds cereal and 1/2 cup chopped dates. Bake in 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 60-65 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before trying to remove from pan. Remove and cool on racks. Wrap well. It's better the next day. Makes 2 loaves.

By Terri H.

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Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 1 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 cup grated carrots
• 1 can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, cream butter, gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at at time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. In medium bowl, combine: flour, baking powder, salt and spices; gradually add to creamed mixture; blend well. Stir in carrots, pineapple, raisins and nuts. Spoon batter into a well greased and floured 12 cup Bundt pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a rack. Can ice completely or pour icing over top of cake and let drizzle, with a cream cheese icing. Garnish as you wish.

By Terri

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Cherry Cake

Cherry Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 regular pkg. miniature marshmallows
• 1 regular pkg. cherry Jello
• 1 yellow cake mix (without pudding)
• 1 can cherry pie filling

Directions:

Sprinkle marshmallows over bottom of 9x13 greased pan. Do not pack them too tightly. Prepare yellow cake mix and pour over marshmallows. Mix cherry Jello with can cherry pie filling. Put over top of cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

By Robin

Cherry Cake II

Ingredients:

• 2 cup sugar
• 2 sticks margarine
• 4 eggs
• 3 cup self rising flour
• 1 can cherry pie filling*
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour and vanilla. Pour 1/3 of batter into a 9"x13" baking dish. Pour pie filling over the batter. Dab remaining batter by spoonfuls over pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

*Any flavor of pie filling can be used.

By Terri

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Sausage and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3 cups white Minute Rice
• 2 envelopes Lipton dry Chicken Noodle Soup mix
• 3 cups water
• 2 lbs. Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
• 2 cups blanched slivered almonds
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. ground sage

Directions:

Brown sausage, add salt and pepper to taste, add more sage if desired. Drain and set aside. Bring 3 cups of water to boil, add the rice, and the two envelopes of soup mix and simmer for 5 minutes. Fluff rice, add 1/2 the almonds and combine the sausage. Place mixture in baking dish, top with remaining almonds. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

By Las Vegas Angel

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Treasure Chest Birthday Cake

This was a huge hit at my son's Luau party. And it was super easy to make. You will need:

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix (yellow)
• 1 jar chocolate frosting
• 1 fork
• 1 bag of M&M's
• fake candy coins / jewelry
• 1 Loaf pan
• 1 wire rack (optional but really helps)
• 1 bread knife

Directions:

Spray bottom of loaf pan with nonstick spray. Bake cake as directed on package for loaf (usually 50-60 minues). Let cake sit 10 minutes in pan, then remove and let it cool fully on wire rack. When cake is cool. slice it with bread knife 1/3 of the way down from the top. Then cut this piece to a 45 degree angle on the front side. Keep remaining cake set aside you WILL need it later. Frost entire cake with frosting. Place fake coins / jewelry on top of bottom cake piece. Lay the top piece over as "chest lid". Decorate outside of chest with M&m's or other candy of your choosing to give it the look of straps holding it together. Use fork tines by dragging across frosting to give a wood grain look. Crumble set aside cake piece along bottom of chest as the sand it was buried in. Give to children and stand back.

By Suzanne S.

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Butterfly Birthday Cake

This cake is simple and delicious! A crowd (especially little ones) favorite. You will need:

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix (any flavor)
• 1 jar chocolate frosting
• 1 jar vanilla frosting
• food coloring
• 2 licorice sticks
• 1 Twinkie cake
• 1 bag of M&M's or Skittles

Directions:

Bake cake in round pans as directed on package. Eat one by yourself as is completely unnecessary to project ;) Cut round cake in half. Turn halves to face outward, so rounded sides are in and touching. Place Twinkie in center of two "wings". Frost outer edges of wings and entire Twinkie with chocolate frosting. Mix vanilla icing with food coloring to create color of inner wings. Frost inner wing area. Decorate with Candy as you desire. place licorice on wither side of "head" of butterfly for antennae. Place two candy eyes on face. Serve and eat with people you actually love. Makes it taste much better

By Suzanne S.

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Chicken And Rice Baked Casserole

I am looking for a chicken and rice baked casserole dish. Rice was cooked in covered pan in oven. Then chicken, broth, evaporated milk, tumeric, onions(?) were cooked on stove top. This was then poured over cooked rice and baked with grated cheese on top, with some green onions in the mix. Anyone have the recipe?

DEBBIE, UTAH

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Other Active Topics

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Tip Contest

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New Requests:

Homemade Fresh Brush Refills

Does anyone have some ideas for making your own Fresh Brush refills? I love the idea of a disposable toilet brush head, I just don't like the price, esp. since I swish the potty almost every day.

Deborah

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Chicken And Rice Baked Casserole

I am looking for a chicken and rice baked casserole dish. Rice was cooked in covered pan in oven. Then chicken, broth, evaporated milk, tumeric, onions(?) were cooked on stove top. This was then poured over cooked rice and baked with grated cheese on top, with some green onions in the mix. Anyone have the recipe?

DEBBIE, UTAH

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York CH 5372-B Wallpaper Pattern

I am looking for a discontinued wall border made by York, the patten number is CH 5372-B, I do not know the pattern name. Any hints?

Thanks,
Sharyn

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Feeding a Puppy That Can't Eat Dry Food Yet

I need help. I dont know what to do with our new puppy. she's a half and half breed of something but we don't know what it is or her age. We can tell she isn't weaned. I need to know what to do. There is no way she can eat regular dry food, her teeth are barely starting to come in. Can she drink regular milk? Help.

Kesley from Oklahoma

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More Reading:

Do You Have a Bored and Unhappy Pet Bird?
By Tippy, Alfred & Dave

Birds, like other pets enjoy doing a variety of things, and like most other pets are sensitive and emotional creatures.

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How to Transplant Lilacs
By LeAnn R. Ralph

Lilacs are exceptionally easy to transplant. I have transplanted many lilac bushes from the original bushes that my grandmother planted on our Wisconsin dairy farm 70 years ago. Early spring until late spring, from when the lilacs develop buds until they actually have small leaves, is the best time to transplant. If you have lilacs growing in your yard -- or if you have a friend who has lilacs -- and you would like to start some new lilac bushes, here's how:

View Article: Click Here

Identify Your Tasks
By Maria Gracia

Each task you do each day, falls into one of four categories:

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