January 15, 2009

Sweet and Sour Curry ChickenIn a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the chicken, tomatoes, green pepper, onion and chutney. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, curry powder and water until smooth; stir into chicken mixture.

 

Sweet Potato Banana Bake This is a very good side dish with chicken. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a 1-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray.

 

Sweet and Sour SpinachCombine dressing ingredients and toss all together. Keep refrigerated.

 

Not Your Usual Turkey SandwichOur son in law bought us a twenty three pound bird and it was way too big, even though we fed a crowd. So for the last couple of days, we have been experimenting with turkey sandwiches.

 

Tater Tots and Hamburger CasseroleBrown hamburger and drain. Put in bottom of 9x9 inch pan. Spread mushroom soup over hamburger layer with cheese, cover with the dried onions. Layer tater tots over entire casserole.

 

Cream Cheese Ranch Cheese BallCream the cream cheese, add ranch dip mix and shredded cheese. Make sure the dip mix is mixed very good into the cream cheese. Form into a ball and roll in chopped nuts. Serve with a butter cracker. Mmmmm good!

 

Cold Salmon LoafMix together, form in log rolls and roll in parsley flakes. Chill. Serve on crackers.

 

Lemon Chess PieMix all ingredients thoroughly and bake in pie shell at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

 

Bargain Plants at Garden CentersHave a green thumb and a tight budget? I have found that if I go to garden centers in the big box home improvement stores on the day after their vendors go through the plants, I can find some real bargains.

 

Raider (Shiba Inu Mix)Raider is 5 months old. He is a Shiba Inu mix, possibly Chihuahua. I adopted him.

 

Use Vinegar to Kill Weeds in Sidewalk CracksThis is sort of a garden tip. When doing your yard, mowing, weeding, etc. you find you have grass/weeds growing in the sidewalk. It is such a pain to crawl along or bend over pulling them up with TOXIC chemicals. Fill a sprayer with vinegar and go at it.

 

Wedding Cake and Flower CenterpieceYou can slash your flower and cake budget with this cool tip. Have your baker make an 8 or 9 inch birthday type cake for each one of your tables. Display them on rented or borrowed cake stands. Wind the base with ivy or other greens, and scatter real or silk rose petals about the table.

 

Weather Planning for VacationWhen planning a vacation, be aware of your destinations weather and temperatures. Some folks who come to Las Vegas, NV, think just because they're coming to "the desert", that it's going to be warm.

 

Garden: Greenhouse LilyI wanted to share a flower my daughter raised in my little greenhouse. She

 

Build Your Own Patio CoverUpdated With Photo. We built a nice patio cover with bamboo fencing, got it from Lowe's. I have potted plants under it. I planted morning glory and ivy vines at the corners. It is covered with pretty blue and pink blooms from spring time till the freeze comes.

 

Use Sandbox Sand in the GardenIn the fall when we put things away, it was always "What do we do with the sand from the sandbox?" Well, I assess what areas of my veggie and flower garden soil needs some soil treatment and divide out the sand box to the garden needing it most.

 

Recharger Cord LabelingWe all have those "rechargeable" appliances. Sometimes the cords all look the same. I could not match up cords to appliances when we relocated. Not only was it frustrating to match, but also time consuming and expensive to replace.

 

Scenery: Ice BushA photo of a bush in our back yard after an ice storm. Beautiful, but it was the matter of taking the photo without falling down that was the challenge here!

 

Retrieve Long Hair in a Plugged Shower DrainIf drain cleaners are not working in a shower or bathtub drain, the problem might be higher up. The shower drain in my long-haired teenage daughter's bathroom was plugged so badly she ended up standing in water up to her ankles when she took a shower.

 

Firewood from Building SitesWe managed to get nearly all of our wood this year from local building sites. The builders are only too happy to empty their expensive skips of offcuts and waste wood. So, if you have a van and time next year start early.

 

Recycle a Spiral Christmas Tree as a TrellisAt Christmas one year, I bought one of those lighted spiral decoration trees. After a few years, it just didn't work. I was looking for a trellis for some plants, and guess what I used? The spiral frame made the flowering vine that grew up it, look like a tree in my yard. Everyone would ask what kind of tree it was.

 

Eight Great Perennial VegetablesPerennial vegetables sometimes take a year or more to yield a first harvest, but the rewards are well worth your effort. Plant them once and you will have a reliable annual crop for years to come.

 

Bedskirt Shoe Organizer StorageIf you live in a small home and need more space to store your crafts, yarn, and scrapbook supplies, think of buying an Under Bedskirt Shoe Organizer.

 

Jingle SpoonsThis is an easy craft for a musical instrument, using items you probably already have at home. Crafts like these are an easy way to occupy your kids when it's too cold to play outside.

 

Gardening on a BudgetGardening can get expensive. I think that the easiest way to garden on a budget is to first have patience. Gain a collection of plants that are simple propagators; for example Sedum.

 

Vegetables for a Potted Garden?I am wanting to plant some vegetables in pots next spring. What kinds of vegetables can I plant in pots? I really like tomatoes and used to help my mother with those, but I am wondering about others.

 

Product Testing Websites?Does anyone know of any REAL sites for product testing? The sites I went to want you to pick an offer and order things and do a lot of surveys.

 

Paint Stains on a Cotton T-shirt?How do you remove paint stains from a cotton t-shirt?

 

Replacing Paneling With Sheetrock?I want to remove wall paneling that does not have drywall behind it. When I go back to the sheetrock will I have to have all new door and window frames? What about the electrical boxes, will they still fit?

 

Gleaning Clubs in Georgia?I noticed an article about getting free foods. Where can I find Gleaning clubs in Georgia?

 

Making a Valentine's Scrapbook?I'm making a Valentine's scrapbook for my boyfriend. We have been together for about 2 years now and I want to make it really special. Does anyone have any ideas? Does anybody have any good Valentines sayings or jokes that I can us in it? I am also going to but some photos of us in it. Anyone got some special things I can do with pictures?

 

Keeping Slipcovers on Sofa?I recently put slip covers on my sofas. How do I keep them from slipping or getting messy after sitting on the sofas? It's a pain to adjust them every time someone sits on them.

 

Charcoal Stains on a Rug?How do you remove charcoal stains from a rug?

 

Homemade Boraxo Recipe?I want to find the old Boraxo, but it appears that no one makes it. The Boraxo now is less powerful. Does anyone know how to make a similar product using borax and another ingredient? Thank you.

 

Changing the Color of a Fabric Chair?I have a chair that would be very difficult to remove the fabric. The fabric is a sturdy cotton. Is there a way I can brush fabric paint or fabric dye on the material to change the color while it is still on the chair?

 

Reviews of "Tough As Tile" Product?Has anyone used the "Tough As Tile" product to refinish a bathtub? I am curious of the results.