July 19, 2010

Garlic and Red Pepper PastaI know this probably sounds like a crazy thing to have for breakfast to most people but that's what I did this morning and I just had the re-heated leftovers for lunch with a slice of French bread and unsalted butter.

 

Rhubarbecue SauceI love this sauce. It can be used with pork, chicken, spareribs, meatloaf, stews, hamburgers - anywhere you would use ketchup or barbecue sauce. It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about one week and in the freezer for up to one month.

 

Candy-Chunk KabobA candy-chunk kabob is a delicious snack to eat anytime!

 

Pumpkin Pecan PieStir together 1 slightly beaten egg, pumpkin, 1/3 c. sugar and spice. Spread over bottom of pie shell. Combine 2 beaten eggs, corn syrup, 1/2 cup sugar, butter and vanilla.

 

Spinach SaladToss spinach with salad oil and vinegar. Add bacon, scallions, and eggs. Toss salad ingredients with prepared dressing just before serving.

 

Comfort Skillet MeatloafWarm and hearty coupled with quick and tasty for a comforting summer dinner.

 

Favorite Pork ChopsBrown pork chops in skillet. Cover with onions. Spread undiluted orange juice over onions. Season to taste. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.

 

Arnold PalmerEasy thirst quencher invented by golfer, Arnold Palmer. This is how we make a batch to keep in fridge. We love it.

 

Italian Vegetable StewThis recipe is so easy to prepare and so totally delicious. In my family, this is one of my signature dishes. It can be served hot or cold. Perfect for any meal and picnics, Italians are big fans of the outdoor meal.

 

Wildlife: Blue Button Jelly FishMother Nature never let's me down especially when walking the Atlantic Beach. Today we saw several of the Blue Button jelly fish. Not knowing anything about them until we got home and did research.

 

Wildlife: killdeer hatchingA Killdeer just hatching from it's egg, only the head and parts of body visible.

 

Thrifty Summer ActivitiesHere are some frugal things I to do in the summer. Attend Bluegrass/gospel music during the week and on Saturday night, free. Attend local happenings at the University.

 

Scenery: Bass Harbor Lighthouse (ME)One of the beautiful accessible lighthouses in Maine. My family just got back from a vacation there. We stopped to see some of the beautiful scenery in this part of the country.

 

Scalloped PineappleMix melted butter, sugar and eggs together. Then add milk, bread cubes and pineapple, juice and all. Mix all together; put in a baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

 

Karlee (Calico)Kali is about 4 or 5 month old Calico kitten. We got her from a pet store in May of this year. She likes to attack our feet, play with her toys, loves playing in the laundry basket, loves watching soccer on TV, and chasing her tail.

 

Link: Seed Ambassadors ProjectI have just found this great site about seed saving and sharing. It is called The Seed Ambassadors Project and is based in the Pacific Northwest of the US. Here is the link to their free downloadable and printable seed saving and sharing guide.

 

Bathtub Water PondI designed my own water pond. I had an old bathtub. The birds love it the water. It does not turn green. It's so relaxing to hear the waterfall.

 

Make a Video of Your ParrotI noticed that Perry, my budgie or parakeet, is very unsociable and likes to be left alone, so I have to find ways to interact with him that don't make him startle.

 

Jacks and Toy Tops to Discourage DiggingI was going through my stuff to be free-cycled and decided to give some things one more try. I found a green giant jack, a beautiful green colored one, the kind you buy in a pack at the dollar store, and two plastic spinning tops the kids don't like anymore.

 

Travel: French WineWine storage at Auvigue Winery in Solutre-Pouilly in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.

 

Tinkerbells (Grey Tabby)Tinkerbells is 1.5 year old Grey Tabby. We have had Tinkerbells for 13 months. She was from the Stray Animal Adoption Program at PetsMart. I was at the store, buying food for my other 11 kitties and saw Tink. It was love at first sight!

 

Lacy Vintage BroochI saw one of these in a store and loved it so much I rushed home to copy it - you can make it in any color you want. Don't forget to scout out thrift stores for trims, etc.

 

Use Alcohol to Break In ShoesIf you have leather shoes that are a bit tight, you can "break them in" by spraying them inside and out on the tight spots with alcohol (I use cheap cologne). Wear them around and repeating applications of the alcohol until the tight spots have stretched.

 

Wear Wet Baseball Cap in Hot WeatherIf you have to go out in this heat and you wear a cloth ball cap. Take some cold water and put it in the hat; wring the hat out so you don't drip on anything and put it on your head. It works. I've done this forever.

 

My Frugal Life: Independence!Hello everyone and welcome to MY essay regarding frugal living! I was once employed for, what I thought, to be a career to which I could retire one day. Unfortunately, things did not work out for me that way.

 

Caesar (Siberian Husky and German Shepherd Mix)Caesar is an 8 year old Siberian Husky mixed with a German Shepherd. I adopted him from the SPCA. He was from a neglectful home. He likes to run around and play with his squeaky toys and bring joy to my life like nothing else can.

 

Sassy (German Shepherd/Beagle Mix)Sassy is 6 years old and a German Shepherd/Beagle mix. I had been begging my mom for a dog since I could talk. We moved to California, then to Michigan. She took my brother and I to camp, then rushed us home afterwards, saying it was an emergency.

 

Use Cloth Bags to Organize FreezerI saw this tip on Thrifty Fun last year and it has really been a big help for me in keeping the food in my chest type freezer separated and organized. I purchased several cloth bags from the grocery store and use them for stacking the vegetables and fruits.

 

Use Cooking Bags To Make Two Crock Pot Meals At OnceI have a large crock pot and a small household, so I use two cooking bags and am able to cook two meals at once.

 

Baking Soda to Clean SinkI have had a stainless steel sink for years and the only thing I've ever used to clean it was a wet sponge and baking soda. It shines beautifully.

 

Copy Herb and Spice Mixes at HomeI make almost all of my own spice, herb, and salad dressing mixes I read the ingredients on the label and reproduce it without all of the unpronounceable names added, I start out with a small batch to get a taste match as close as possible to the original product.

 

Home Made "Spray and Wash"Add 1 part liquid color-safe bleach to 5 parts water in a spray bottle. Mix well. Spray on spots and let it set a couple of hours before washing. This removes most anything.

 

Keeping Neighbors Pets From Defecating in Yard?How do I stop neighbours dogs and cats defecating in our garden please?

 

Finding a Low Cost Vet in Maine?I have a dog that needs surgery on both back knees, not at the same time, but for both it's going to cost me 600.00. I am on disability and that's not much. I would love to get this done so he can stay on his feet. He is just over a year old.

 

How Do I Reduce a Recipe?I have a recipe for Mexican cornbread muffins that makes 120, but I only need 30. How do I cut it down?

 

Growing Hydrangea From a Cutting?I have a cutting started from a friend's hydrangea. It's still very small with only six leaves, so far. I live in zone 7. Can I plant this small cutting in the garden and will it survive this winter? If not, how do I "winter it over" in the house?

 

Taming and Finding Homes for Feral Kittens?I have two feral cats that live near our house. They have 11 kittens between them. I would like to trap the older two and get them neutered and release them. I don't know what to do about the kittens. How do you tame a feral kitten?

 

Setting Up a Reptile Terrarium?I am thinking of converting my aquarium into a terrarium it is 5x2x2 ft. I was wondering what I should do to ensure a suitable environment for any reptiles. Also, what would be the best reptiles for that size of a tank?

 

Reviews of Animal Off Pest Ultrasonic Repeller?Has anyone used Animal Off, a device that emits a sound that wards off pests? Does it work?

 

Selling Clothing?I am new to this site. I would like some advice for selling toddler boys suits, purses with Elvis, Marlin Monrow, I Love Lucy, and The Wizard Of Oz. I have a very old computer and I can't upload pictures.

 

Recipe for a Gluten Free Cake?I need a good recipe for a gluten free cake, to bake for my wife. She has a gluten allergy. The mixes for gluten free cakes are terrible. Does someone have one to share?

 

How Many Appetizers Do I Need for 125 People?How much do you buy for 125 people? I am looking to purchase appetizers.

 

Jobs You Can Do While Pregnant?I'm 22 and I have a 3 year old. I just found out that I'm sixteen weeks pregnant. What kind of jobs are out there for pregnant women? Please help me out.

 

Opening a Stuck Zipper?What are some good ways to get a zipper unstuck? Thanks!

 

Using Vinegar to Kill Grass in the Driveway?What kind of vinegar do you use to get rid of the grass in your driveway? Thx.

 

Can You Cross Breed a Dachshund with a Pit Bull?Has anyone ever heard of a wiener dog breeding with a Pitbull?

 

Something is Eating My Tiger Lilies?What could be eating my tiger lily blooms? Just after they begin to bloom, they are snipped off just below the blooms.

 

Kittens With Fleas?My kittens are 2 days old and are infested with fleas. What can I do to get rid of the fleas?

 

What Breed is My Dog?What kind of dog is this? I was told she is a Husky and Malamute mix, but she doesn't look like one! The reason I am asking is because some dogs take more training then others.

 

Vacationing With Children Near Missouri?I want to take my 2 granddaughters away for about 3 days, where they can enjoy themselves at a reasonable price. I am looking for a place near the state of Missouri. Thanks.

 

Dyeing a Bathroom Rug?I have a large bright yellow bathroom rug that I'd like to dye, but don't know how to go about it. It does not have a rubber backing. Can I dye it in the washing machine? I'd like to dye it either red or black....

 

Selling Used Wedding Decorations?I just got married last weekend and we used 42 beautiful heart shaped 6 inch bowls with the floating candles as one of the center pieces. I'd like to maybe keep one or two for memory, but not 42 of them! I tired Craigslist, but nobody pays attention to the wedding stuff there.

 

Using Vinegar as a Hair Rinse?Can you substitute cane vinegar for apple cider vinegar in rinsing hair? Thanks so much.

 

Buying Rosewater?I recently submitted a question asking how to get rid of dark circles under the eyes area. One of the feedbacks was to use rosewater but I can't seem to buy it alone. It always has glycerin and rosewater together. Where can I buy just the rosewater. Thanks for any feedback on this.

 

When to Harvest Onions?When do I pick my onions?

 

Buying Prescription Reading Glasses or Drugstore Glasses?My eye doctor gave me a prescription for eyeglasses and stated that I could either get "reading" glasses or bifocals. I was wondering since I only need glasses for reading could I purchase a pair of reading glasses from a drug store or any store that carries reading glasses?

 

Repairing a Subfloor Before Installing New Flooring?I'm having laminate flooring put down in an old 1980s condo unit. The floor seems to be "spongy" in some areas and creaking in others. The person who is laying the laminate said that I need to fix it.