June 15, 2006

Festival Tortilla AppetizersSpread on 12-inch tortillas and roll. Refrigerate all day or overnight. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Great for parties.

 

Cherry Crunch PiePreheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush bottom and sides of crust evenly with egg yolk. Bake on baking sheet until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove crust from oven.

 

Honey Fruit DressingIn a mixing bowl, combine sugar, mustard, paprika, celery seed and salt. Add honey, vinegar, lemon juice and onion. Pour oil into mixture very slowly, beating constantly.

 

Broccoli-Ham Hot DishCook broccoli according to package directions; drain. Spoon rice into 9x13 inch baking pan. Place broccoli over rice. Melt butter in a large skillet.

 

Fruit and Nut Topped Carrot CakeHeat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour rectangular pan, 9x13 inch size. Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup.

 

Creamy Raspberry DessertCombine crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan.

 

Saucy Zucchini Skillet DinnerIn large skillet, brown sausage with zucchini; drain. Stir in water, cooked macaroni, tomato paste, and sauce mix. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes to blend flavors.

 

How to Make a TentHere is my grandson. He figured how to improve and make a tent all by himself. I call him my Shining Star...

 

Poll: Do you have any young drivers (16 to 21) on your insurance?Today's poll asks: Do you have any young drivers (16 to 21) on your insurance?

 

Five of My Favorite Perennial VinesVines add interest to the garden by providing a variety of shapes, colors, textures, and in some cases, fragrance to your landscape. They can climb walls, cover arbors, hide ugly fences, creep along rock gardens, create a sense of privacy and shade us from the sun.

 

Freezing CookiesFestive cookies can be made in advance and frozen for the holidays. Cookies should be completely cooled before freezing.

 

Anheuser Busch Theme Park Entry for Active MilitaryTHANKS FROM ANHEUSER-BUSCH: Each active-duty military personnel or drilling reservist (and up to three dependents) is eligible to receive one free pass in 2006 to an Anheuser Busch theme park. A friend of ours and her husband went to Sea World last year on their vacation when they had a few hours to spend before their flight left. . .

 

Avoid Additional Warranties at CheckoutOnly buy products that have good warranties in the first place, and say "No" when a checker offers you an impulse warranty on electronics. If you are afraid that the product will not last past the manufacturers warranty, it's probably not worth buying.

 

Make a File Box from a Detergent BoxI transformed a family size Tide detergent box into a file box. I attached teabag envelopes to the outside to indicate the contents of the box. I put ribbons through the handle.

 

Washing Small Items in the DishwasherA lingerie bag is a great help in an automatic dishwasher for washing small, unbreakable items. Fill the bag, zip it closed and lay it in the top rack.

 

Freezing CheeseWhen selecting cheeses for freezing, avoid those with dry or cracked edges, mold that doesn't belong or cheeses that appear greasy on the surface. Check the date of prepackaged cheese to make sure it hasn't expired.

 

Growing: MintA guide to growing mint. Except for pennyroyal, mint grows on upright stems to a height of 1-2 feet high, has aromatic leaves and sends up spikes of small, pink to purple flowers that bloom in the late summer.

 

Beware of Balance Transfer FeesIf you have a credit card you have probably received balance transfer offers which offer to lower your interest rate. Make sure to factor in the balance transfer fees and to look at the actual interest rate before accepting one of these offers.

 

Turning My Hydrangea BlueHow can I turn my hydrangea blue? I am hoping it is something that I would have on hand.

 

Moss AppealGrowing a thick, lush carpet of moss gives a shade garden a mystical, almost surreal feeling. The dark, velvety aesthetic appeal of moss is evident just by looking at it, but its resiliency and the fact that it requires almost no maintenance once it's established...

 

Abigail GraceThis is our granddaughter Abigail Grace. She lives in Seldovia AK with her mom and dad (our son). We see them once a year at Christmas but Abbey was home in May visiting with her mother Charity...

 

Getting Rid of Canada ThistleCan anyone give me an idea on how to get rid of Canada Thistle? It has invaded every bed of my garden, and this year, I can't plant a veggie garden, I will have to cover the whole garden with black plastic to kill everything in there.

 

Breed Information: Ibizan HoundThe Ibizan Hound is tall, elegant, and athletic in appearance. Originally bred for hunting rabbits, the sight hound also relied on its keen sense of smell and large erect ears and to help track his quarry.

 

Freezing ChiliesWhen freezing this vegetable, select crisp, thick-fleshed chilies that are free from blemishes and have a bright color.

 

Pasta Salad from LeftoversPasta salad with veggies is quick and easy, if you think leftovers. During the summer months, I try to keep a container of cooked rotini noodles in the freezer. If I find I have small amounts of cooked vegetables, such as broccoli, grilled zucchini, carrots...

 

Ant Hill in a Flower Bed?We have an ant hill in the center of a perennial flower bed. I tried boiling water (friend's recommendation) but it only resulted in killing a foot of Phlox, the ants still thriving! I would like to dig it out and plant tall perennials in center while keeping the mature phlox. Any suggestions?

 

Solution for a Very Invasive Weed?I have unfortunately acquired a terribly invasive weed. I have no idea what it is. It looks like a fern, has black pods along it's length, grows in clumps, prefers areas heavily mulched but basically took over large areas of my yard in late winter/early spring.

 

Planting Food in Creosote Logs?My mom and I are planting a garden. She has some old creosote logs about 40 years old. Is it ok to plant strawberries in the holes of the logs? I don't want anyone to get sick on strawberry short cake.

 

Bugs on Burning Bush?I have a bug problem and no idea what they are. I have a Burning Bush, now 3 years old. I found what looks like black aphid looking bugs. They are very sticky and the black ants are all over where they are.

 

Caterpillar Nest In a Tree?I have a weeping cherry tree, however this year it did not flower as much as last year. I found a large white cotton nest in the tree. I think it's caterpillars. How do I get rid of them?