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Hello,
Lots of interesting tips and requests today. It's Veteran's Day here in the U.S. Happy Veteran's Day to all of our veteran's and servicemen and women throughout the world.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
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Today's Tips
Are your teens and preteens begging for the hottest fall look known as "dirty denim"? All you need to do to make them happy is gather these materials and follow the steps.
Ingredients:
1 package Rit Dye Tan Powder
1/2 cup or 4 ounces Rit Dye Tangerine Liquid (optional)
Distressed denim jeans, skirt, jacket or other items
Rubber gloves
Directions:
1. Turn the washing machine on and let it fill with hot water. You want the water very hot, 140 F. You may need to turn your water heater to "hot" a few hours in advance to achieve this very hot temperature. If you adjust the water heater, warn all of your family members because water this hot can scald youngsters and elderly people in just a few seconds.
2. Add Rit Tan Powder to the water.
3. Submerge the jeans and or other items in the mixture and soak for 10 minutes. Close the lid of the washer to maintain the hot temperature.
4. Rinse items, wash and rinse again. You do not need to add soap.
5. Dry in the usual manner.
Repeat steps 1 through 5, this time with the Rit Tangerine Liquid to give the denim an added "dirty" look (optional).
After dyeing, clean the washing machine by running it through a complete wash cycle with detergent and 1 to 2 cups of bleach.
By Kathy
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Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided use
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 apple, cored, peeled and finely chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line a muffin pan with paper muffins cups and lightly coat them with vegetable or canola oil spray. Streusel Topping: Combine 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and butter. Rub the mixture together with your fingers to make coarse crumbs, and set aside.
Batter: In a large bowl combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice. In a separate bowl combine together, buttermilk, milk, ricotta, canola oil, corn syrup, egg, egg whites and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Stir in apple and pour mixture into dry ingredients, mixing just until all ingredients are moist. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full; sprinkle the top of each muffin with some of the streusel mixture.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Muffins should be light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Remove from oven, cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes 1 dozen muffins.
By Kathy
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To lower fat and cholesterol, replace most of the oil in your baking recipes with plain, unsweetened applesauce. It will add moistness without all that fat content.
By Kathy
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Since the powder in compacts seems to fall apart or you use the middle and have the sides left here's a way to "recycle" it! Take the pressed powder from the compact or compacts and crush or break up the remaining pieces. Add a small amount of rubbing alcohol and mix it into a paste. Place it back into the compact or compacts and form into a round flat shape. As the alcohol dries another solid cake forms again. The drying time is several hours but the mixing won't take more than a few minutes!
By Kathy
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Pam cooking spray will dry fingernail polish quickly.
By Kathy
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When my children were young and still living at home, they made a habit of burning my tea kettles dry. I decided to plant flowers, and/or herbs in them. They look really cute outside or inside! Especially the cow one!
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Getting Coupons for Products You Buy Regularly
To get some great coupons and recipes go to the websites of products you buy regularly. You may be able to sign up to get email coupons. You may even want to call the 800 number located on most products. They are usually very anxious to get you on the mailing list for coupons and even samples of new products.
By Christine
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Let Them Know if You Didn't Like It!
If you purchased a product and it wasn't to your liking, you prepared it and it didn't taste great, call the 800 number on the product packing (if there is one) and let them know. They may send you a coupon for other items about the same price. We burnt a Di Giorno pizza once and called and told them, they sent us a coupon for another one so that we could try it as it is suppose to taste as well as other $2 off more for the future.
By Christine
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When ever I need any size ice packs I take my food saver and make my own ice packs. You can have any size that you want and it never leaks. They can be reused over and over and cost very little to make.
By Linda
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Save Warranty Information For Home Improvement Products!
We recently had to redo the plumbing in our bathroom which included replacing leaky fixtures. Unfortunately the faucet in the bathtub began to leak after only 6 months. We discovered the leak was probably due to the contractor soldering a part that wasn't meant to be.
We headed to our local Lowes to get a new part and were instructed to call the manufacturer because they would send us the part free under the company's lifetime warranty (The faucet was made by Moen by the way.)
We were skeptical but it's true! They sent us the replacement part even though we told them how the damage occurred! So save that warranty information, it can save you a bundle.
By Katie in NY
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Fabric Softener Sheets For Bath Tub Rings
I reuse fabric softener sheets to clean the rings in my bath tubs. They are also good to clean around the faucets and sinks.
By Pat
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Creative Breading for Chicken or Fish
Be creative when breading chicken or fish. Cracker and chip crumbs, corn meal, leftover nuts, sesame seeds can all be ground in a food processor and used to coat fillets before frying or baking.
By Lynn
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Uses For Coffee Creamer Containers
I use coffee creamer and always buy the big container at Walmart, it's the off brand. I have saved one of the smaller ones to empty the larger one into because of the savings you get with the bigger one as opposed to the smaller one.
When finished with the large creamer container, I wash it out and take the label off. When I need a container for leftover soup or something else I use the large container. I always make large amounts of soup, beans, or whatever type of bulk type item I'm making at the time. I put one container in the refrigerator and one in the freezer or both into the freezer after we eat what we want from the freshly made dinner.
I write on the lid with a marker what is in it. I try to take it out the day before I want to use it to thaw. I also have microwaved the container when in a hurry. I put it in a bowl on it's side with the lid off, this will tend to melt however, so the container is not really useable again. It really doesn't matter to me since I use two of these containers of creamer a month and have several stockpiled in my pantry.
I also have numerous containers filled with flour, sugar, salt, beans etc. Always labeling the container before it's put away. A great way to recycle these creamer containers. Hope this is a help to others.
By RoseMary
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If you live in the northern states as I do, you know the importance of keeping a winter emergency kit in your car in case you break down or get stuck in the snow. In addition to things like a cell phone, blankets, jumper cables, etc., be sure to include food and water. Peanut butter and crackers are good choices, as the peanut butter is high in calories, and contains a fair amount of protein. If you're caught during a particularly bad snow storm, tow trucks could be backed up several hours and you will appreciate the snack.
By Leann D
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Using It All - In Praise of Rubber Spatulas
Rubber spatulas are wonderful things! I routinely use mine to get the last little bit out of a jar. Recently, a visitor was amazed that I was able to scrape enough peanut butter out of an empty-looking jar to make a full sandwich!
By Leann D
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Ingredients:
1 (13 ounce) package brownie mix
1 tablespoon hot water
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow crème
6 ounces small soft chocolate covered mints
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Directions:
Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and bake in a greased 9 inch round cake pan. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, dissolve the coffee powder in the water. Add the cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Blend in marshmallow crème. Melt mints by placing them in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; stir until smooth. Or, place mints in small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted. Stir melted mints into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the whipped cream and spread into the cooled crust. Loosely cover, place into the refrigerator and chill for several hours before serving.
By Kathy
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Ingredients:
8 apples
3 cups white sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup water
8 cinnamon red hot candies
1 teaspoon red food coloring
Directions:
Insert a wooden craft stick into the bottom of each apple. Butter a baking sheet and set aside. Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat, without stirring, to 270 to 290 degrees F (132 to 143 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard but pliable threads. Remove from heat and stir in candies and food coloring until just mixed. Holding each apple by its stick, quickly twirl in syrup, tilting pan to cover apple. Lift out of syrup, turning to allow drips to adhere to apple. Place apples on prepared baking sheet to cool completely.
By Kathy
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Makes 6 caramel apples
Ingredients:
6 apples
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons milk
6 wooden craft sticks
Directions:
Remove the stem from each apple and press a craft stick into the top. Butter a baking sheet.
Place caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave 2 minutes, stirring once. Allow to cool briefly.
Roll each apple quickly in caramel sauce until well coated. Place on prepared sheet to set.
Refrigerate the apples for about 15 minutes, or until the caramel has firmed up.
By Kathy
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Grease Jar Tip - Keep the Mess in the Sink
Do you make a mess when draining grease from cooked hamburger? I set my grease jar in the sink while spooning the grease. If I spill a little, no worry. I'll rinse the sink out when I'm finished.
This also works well when filling a lunch thermos with soup or pouring a large batch of sports drink mix into individual bottles.
By Cheryl from Missouri
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Makes 4 dozen bars
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan.
In a small pan over low heat, melt the butter or margarine. In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 2 cups quick cooking oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and melted butter or margarine. Mix until crumbly. Press half of mixture (about 2-1/2 cups) in the greased pan. Set aside the rest. Bake for 8 minutes.
In a small pan over medium heat, combine caramel topping and 1/2 cup flour. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Still stirring constantly, boil for 2 or 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Spread apples and nuts onto the baked crust. Pour hot caramel mixture evenly over apples and nuts. Sprinkle reserved crumbly mixture evenly over the top.
Return pan to oven. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan. Cut into bars. (Refrigeration makes cutting easier). Store tightly covered.
By Kathy
Source: AllRecipes
http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/CarmlApplBrs.asp
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Chocolate Marshmallow Holiday Treats
A quick and easy snack/treat that you can customize for any time of year is MARSHMALLOWS. I just made a batch for my girls halloween party at school. Take some Popsicle sticks and place them in the marshmallows. Melt some chocolate. I used white chocolate chips and added food coloring to make them orange for pumpkins, green for Frankenstein, etc. You can use any color.
Anyhow, you just dip the marshmallows in the melted chocolate and place on wax paper. let harden and then decorate with those icing tubes or while still wet roll in sprinkles, nuts etc.
I will also be making them for Christmas. Placing two marshmallows on a stick and just adding some colored chocolate for a hat, a couple of eyes and some buttons, using candies and the melted chocolate as glue. Also make some light brown chocolate by mixing white and dark and dip one mallow and then add some broken pretzels for antlers, a red candy for a nose and there you have Rudolph. There are a great many things you can make with these and the kids just go nuts for them. it only took me about an hour to make 120 of them for the party. Easy and delicious.
By Melissa
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Quick Tip for a Chipped Nail - Matchbook Nail File
When you are out at a party and chip a nail, use the striking edge of a matchbook to create a temporary smooth edge.
By Linda
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Finding Time For Christmas Card Notes
Love to write notes inside Christmas cards? Carry a few cards in your purse and do these in those few odd minutes that we all have-waiting in line, picking up kids, waiting for take-out, even waiting in traffic for a train to go by!
By Linda
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Frugal Christmas Gift Wrap For Guys
Many companies are now using crumpled plain brown paper instead of styrofoam peanuts when they ship merchandise. Instead of putting the brown paper in the recycling bin make Christmas gift wrap. Iron the wrinkles out of the paper, using the highest setting.
Spritz with water if necessary. Lay the paper out flat until cool and dry. I like to use it plain, with Christmas plaid ribbon - especially for the men and boys. The presents look great under the tree - especially if you like a country theme. Or give a sheet to each kid with paint and rubber (or potato) stamps and let them decorate the paper.
I use the paper also for birthday and Father's Day gifts for the men and boys - raffia makes a nice "ribbon" with it.
By Trudy in KC
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Never beat muffin batter. Stir the ingredients only until you see no more dry flour. The dough is supposed to be lumpy. If you continue mixing, you'll have tough dry muffins which won't rise properly.
When you fill muffin pans with batter, fill one of the cups with water and the other muffins won't scorch during baking.
Leftover muffins can be hollowed out. Then filled with a creamed mixture and served as a luncheon dish.
By joesgirl
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You can make your candles burn slower and last longer on your dinner table if you put them in the freezer the day before you intend to use them.
By joesgirl
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Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of hot water
1/4 cup of baby shampoo
1/3 cup of baby oil
1/4 cup of which hazel
Good Quality paper towels
Directions:
Mix all ingredients except the paper towels in a container. Place folded paper towels in what ever container you plan on using to store. You can cut the paper towels in half and take out the cardboard tube and pull the inside paper towel up. Place them in a small coffee can with an X cut in the top of the plastic lid. Pull the paper towels up thru the whole in the can.
These work very well, are very inexpensive, safe for baby, and smell just like the "real" thing.
susan53_2000
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New Requests:
We have an old stove in the house we just bought and it cooks above the noted temperature. Does anyone know a way to correct the temperature gauge without having to call an expensive repairman?
By Christine
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We just bought a house and the windows are all needing to be replaced. Does anyone know of a way to help save energy on these low grade windows until we can afford to replace them?
Thank you.
By Christine
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Pattern For A Children's Apron
Does anyone have a pattern for a child-size apron?
Camilla
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What is the purpose of the flea? How does it benefit the environment? Does anyone know? - Suzzette
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I am new to this list, I stumbled upon it as I was searching for remedies to get rid of snails. A neighbor gave me a plant and it had snails in it and now they just ate an amaryllis that is on my balcony. I read about using coffee. They gave a % of a solution, but I have no idea how to dilute any coffee to those proportions. Just made a pot for them and thought that I would just put it in a spray bottle and spray the plants and then put the grounds around the plant. Any advice or opinions.
TIA
VED
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Red Candle Wax on Clothing and Carpet
My daughter spilt red candle wax all over an expensive outfit and the carpet I need to know how to get it out asap! Thank you,
Tracy
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Uses for Miscellaneous Fat Quarters (Gift Ideas)
I finally cleaned out my craft closet and found a whole bunch of children/baby print fat quarters (pieces of fabric about 18" x 21"). I don't quilt, so I'm not sure how I got them, but I have a whole stack of them and some have really cute patterns. It seems like I should be able to make something useful out of them to give as gifts this holiday season, but I'm stumped for ideas.
Can anyone help?
T. D. From Toronto
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My 3 year old is turning four, and he would like me to have a Spider-Man party for him. I will like to get Ideas, Please Help!
Elizabeth
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Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here
Today's Sponsors
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More Reading:
A Waste Not Pilgrim
By Amanda Formaro
Turn garbage and recycled goods into fun and adorable crafts. This whimsical pilgrim woman was fashioned from a plastic condiment bottle, a little felt, tempera paint, and lots of imagination.
View Article: Click Here
Frugal and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes!
By Cyndi Roberts
Here it is - that time of year when everyone's thoughts turn to food! I'm thankful that at our house, we have plenty of food, but sometimes I am not so grateful that I am the one who usually gets to cook it!
Enjoying Your Vacation in an RV
By Jim Schneider
Traveling in a Recreational Vehicle is, by most accounts, a fun, relaxing and enjoyable time to create some incredible stories that your grandchildren will someday enjoy. Here are few myths and truths about vacationing in a recreational vehicle.
View Article: Click Here
This website has a lot of information for people with pet rats. "The Rat Fan Club, founded in 1992, focuses on rats as companion animals. The club currently has about 460 members in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, and the U.S. Our goal is to share our love of rats, promote them as companion animals, and spread information about their proper care."
Recommended by Robyn
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Trust Training - Training Your Pet Rat to Have Fun
Trust Training: "If you have a baby rat who doesn't like to be held, remember that baby rats tend to be very active and often don't want to hold still to be held. Instead they want to run around and play and explore. See if your rat wants to play a game with you instead of being held. Then, wait until she is feeling sleepy to hold her. When rats are feeling sleepy, they are more willing to be held." - The Rat Fan Club
Robyn
Click the link below to read more...
View Article: Click Here
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