March 18, 2010

Cheddar Corn MuffinsThese cheesy, corn bread muffins are great with chili.

 

Beef Noodle BakeBrown ground beef in skillet. Drain off any grease. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, sugar and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

 

Fresh Pear CakeBeat eggs. Add sugar, vanilla, oil. Beat well. Add flour, salt, soda along with cinnamon. Beat. Batter will be very thick. Add pecans and pears and beat to combine.

 

Tortilla CasseroleCook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until beef loses red color. Drain off grease. Add onion, garlic salt, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup taco sauce, green chilies, mushrooms, 2/3 of the olives, broccoli, mozzarella and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

 

Garden ScallopIn saucepan, bring vegetables and milk to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in a small amount of the hot milk into the beaten egg. Stir this into the hot vegetable and milk mixture.

 

Chicken CecileYou can use a whole cut up chicken, feeds many and can be done the day before!

 

Blender Hollandaise Sauce Not made the traditional way but it's boo boo proof, quick, easy and it's good. Combine the egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce in a blender and blend for about five seconds.

 

Gardening Trends for 2010Each year Garden Media Group, a public relations and marketing firm for the gardening industry, forecasts gardening trends for the coming year based on consumer spending habits from the previous year.

 

Start Seeds in a Kids Swimming PoolI do not have the money to go buy the small trays to start seedlings. So, we had a little kid swimming pool we would use to remove the fish from the pond to clean it. I put two bags of top soil in it.

 

Common Ingredient SubstitutionsThere have been times I wanted to tear my hair out because didn't have an ingredient at the last minute so here's my list of common ingredient substitutions that have worked for me in a pinch.

 

Easter Rabbit Soap HolderRabbit made from a washcloth. Roll two diagonal corners of the washcloth until they meet in the middle. Bend roll to form body of rabbit.

 

Use Plastic Cups for Food StorageI use the see-through (recycle code 5) cups with their lids (recycle code 4) to store food in the refrigerator and the cupboard. I put Scotch tape over the straw opening in the lid.

 

Freeze Makeup to Prevent BacteriaRecently, a friend and I were talking about cosmetics. She wanted to know how long I thought some of them were usable before bacteria would set in and make them unsafe to use.

 

Senior Discount Day at the GoodwillI desperately needed some new sweat pants but can't afford them new so I stopped at my local Goodwill Store. I was so happy when the woman at the counter asked about my age and because I am 56, I received a senior citizen discount of 20%.

 

Work on Tips in a DocumentWhen writing up my crafts and tips for Thriftyfun, I do it all in my documents including listing the description and ingredients for recipes or materials for crafts right above the instructions.

 

Link: Cooking Light's 25 Most Common Cooking MistakesIn the March issue of Cooking Light magazine, there was an article detailing the most common cooking mistakes and how to prevent them.

 

Pencil Shavings in Plant SoilNext time you empty your pencil sharpener, toss the shavings around any any plants that might have bugs. Mix the shavings into the soil at the base of the plant. Most pencils are made from cedar, and the bugs don't like the smell.

 

Snowball Payments to Get Out of DebtYears ago, a good friend of mine and I were discussing finances. I was a newly single mom, and was feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of trying to pay my bills. By organizing and paying them as follows, you will be surprised how quickly they can be paid off!

 

Stuff Your Meatloaf With CheeseYou take string cheese and mold your meatloaf around it. You can also make mini ones.

 

Use Hand Sanitizer as a Stain RemoverOh my goodness! hand sanitizer gel removes eyelash dye stain from a cream coloured Jacquard curtain! I squirted some on and dabbed with a cotton pad. The curtains went in the wash and I had to repeat the process but in the end the stain disappeared.

 

Aluminum Foil Easter EggsThis craft can be done by the smallest of crafters. Involve your young children in this fun Easter egg craft that can be hung for decoration, used as a gift note card, or displayed on your refrigerator.

 

Easy Candle Making Instructions?I am looking for the easiest way to make candles. Thank you.

 

Rowenta Soleplate Cleaning Paste?Where can I find more Rowenta paste to clean my iron? Or can I mix up my own paste? What are the ingredients?

 

Pet Urine on Memory Foam?I'm looking for information on how to clean pet urine from memory foam.

 

Creating Your Own Diet Plan?I cannot afford the well-known diet food plans that we see on television. Can anyone give me some advice on how to create an easy diet menu, similar to Jenny Craig or Nutri System, based on foods that you can buy at the supermarket?

 

When Do Puppies Open Their Eyes?I have 4, half Miniature Pinscher half Chihuahua puppies and was wondering when they will open their eyes. They are about 8 days old now.

 

What to Expect When Getting Dentures ?I just got 5 upper teeth extracted. I can't seem to eat anything without pain. How do people do it? I have to go back to my dentist May 10, 2010. How long does it take to get the dentures made? Does this mean I will still be waiting for teeth after May 10th?

 

Advice for a Dog With Allergies?My pit mix Malcolm started to chew his feet last month. We went to the vet and the vet said he has allergies. He has been on 6-7 (25 mg) Benadryl a day for a month. The Benadryl has been making him really sleepy so we think it would be best to stop the pills.

 

Transplanting a Sweet Gum Tree?Can you transplant a gumtree after it's gotten up to 18 ft. tall?

 

Diabetic Weight Loss Diets?I am a diabetic. I need to lose weight, of course, but am having trouble finding a good, inexpensive diet.

 

Making Concrete Stepping Stones?Would I be able to use Elmer's glue as a super placticizer for making cement or concrete stepping stones?

 

Discontinued Wallpaper Border: Nojo's Princess Dreams?I am looking for a discontinued border that's called Princess Dreams made by Nojo. If anyone can help that would be great.Thank you.

 

Removing Corns Without Surgery?How can I remove corns from my feet without surgery?

 

Eat'n Park Seafood Bake Recipe?What is the recipe for Eat'n Park's seafood bake? They are only found in PA, but it has to be the best seafood dish I have ever eaten at a restaurant.

 

Keeping Chrome Clean?How can I preserve and clean up chrome?

 

Adobe Flash Player Doesn't Work With Windows Vista?I cannot get my Adobe Flash Player to work on my Dell Windows Vista, 32 bit operating system. Help.

 

Garbage Disposal Won't Drain?My waste disposal is jammed. The blades are going around because the water is spinning, but it won't drain. Any ideas?

 

Cleaning Glass Panel on a KitchenAide Cooktop?I have a KitchenAide glass cooktop stove. I don't need to clean the cooktop, I need to clean under the glass panel where the clock and timer are.

 

Buying Ivory Soap in the UK?I was reading someone's request in regards to cleaning a half leather couch. It was suggested to use Ivory soap, as I live in the U.K, could anyone tell me what this is? Maybe there is a substitute I can buy here. Many thanks.

 

Over-the-Window Plant Hook?A few years ago I purchased an over-the-window plant hanger that had a curved metal bar that just slipped behind the window frame.

 

Are Sweet Gum Balls Poisonous?Are gumballs from the gumball tree poisonous?

 

Planning a Princess Party?Any ideas on a princess party? You can include decor, games, food, etc. Thank you.

 

Finding Free Fill Dirt for the Garden?Does anybody know where people can get free dirt to fill your garden?

 

Olive Oil Spritzer Will Not Pressurize After Cleaning?I have a spritzer can that you pump to pressurize it to spray olive oil, etc. I opened it and tried to clean it and now it won't pressurize. Any hints? Thanks.

 

Repairing a Scorch Mark on Wood Furniture ?How do I repair a scorch mark on an oak table top?

 

Removing the Odor from New Silk Garments?When I purchase new silk blend garments they often have a very strong odor. How do you get rid of this odor?

 

What is This?Can anyone tell me what this is? All appears to be made of aluminum material. It was used on a housetop as a receiver for TV to see the Cowboys play in the 70s. Any help will be appreciated.

 

SnoBowl Toilet Cleaner?Where can I buy Sno Bowl?

 

Using Fresh Grape Juice for Line and Wrinkles?I was reading that if you cut some grapes in half and gently crush onto your face where lines or wrinkles are its very good for them. Could anyone tell me what's in the grapes that would be good for mature skin? Apparently if used for a period of time it is supposed to help reduce them.

 

Removing a Brown Stain on Cotton?I made a French hand sewn dress for my daughter, 26 years ago. It is a light lavender color and cotton. A small light brown spot is on it. How can I get it out for my granddaughter to wear?