February 10, 2006

Swedish St. Lucia BunsDissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup margarine, 2 eggs, cardamom, saffron, and 3 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough of remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle...

 

StollenCombine raisins, currants, citron, and cherries and rum; set aside 1 hour. Combine 2 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Heat milk, water 4 Tbsp. butter, and rind over low heat until warm...

 

Amish-Mennonite Tapioca PuddingBring water to a boil. Add tapioca, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until most of the balls are clear. Remove from heat and add gelatin and sugar...

 

So Simple Cauliflower Mashed PotatoHaving diabetes 2 and trying faithfully to watch what I eat to keep my weight down I found this great little recipe for Mock mashed potatoes. Granted it isn't the real thing but very close. It really is very good.

 

Norwegian Rye BreadCombine water, sugars, salt and molasses in a saucepan and bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add shortening to mixture. Cool to lukewarm and add yeast. Add whole wheat flour, rye flour, and 1 cup of white flour...

 

Bacon Wrapped Little SmokiesRefrigerate 2/3 of the bacon until needed. It is easier to wrap the wieners with cold bacon. Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick...

 

Tips from a Reforming Pack RatThis is an organizing tip from a reforming pack rat that will also save you lots of money. It is a fun challenging idea. We love it!

 

Growing BasilBasil is one of the most widely grown herbs in the world. Originally from India, it is grown for its clove-like smelling, soft green or purple foliage and is often associated with its culinary use in Italian dishes.

 

Create Cleaning IncentivesIf you are a reforming clutteraholic, like myself, you probably need something like a 12 second reminder to stay focused on a task, just to get it done...

 

Class Plate for TeacherThis is a great idea for making a very special gift for your child's teacher. Take a plain glass plate, pictures of her students, and a class group photo.

 

Growing: Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)Plant tubers 3 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart in the fall for spring flowers. Tubers do not like to be dry and can be soaked overnight before planting for a faster start. . .

 

Growing TulipsPlant bulbs from 4 to 8 inches deep and 4 to 8 inches apart in the fall. Bulbs should be free of mold or black spots and the outer tunic (brown layer) should be intact. . .

 

A To Do List for Major Home ImprovementWe had major work to do to our new home when me moved in. Let me tell you we had our work cut out for us, but we sat down and made a to do list.

 

Floss FlowerFloss flowers can be somewhat difficult to start from seed, so buying seedlings is recommended. Plant in early spring after the danger of frost has passed. . .

 

Getting the Kids Involved with the Food BudgetOur children used to love having a certain brand of cookie or snack, but unfortunately they were also the most expensive. I wanted to teach them about a budget without making them feel as if they were missing out on something so we invented "Family coupon night".

 

Garden Gift from HubbyThis is a garden gift from my hubby. He built a shelf for my garden kids. Then had to remove it because the lavender lady lilac grew to tall. LOL Trial and error, we all learn from. Happy gardening.

 

Keeping Warm in One RoomConfining yourself to one room and using a space heater on colder days lets you turn the thermostat down on the central heater and save money.

 

Peanut (Jack Russell Terrier)Peanut is a 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier. I got Peanut at the puppy depot about a year ago.

 

Fortune Cookie Wisdom"Heavy borrowing creates heavy sorrowing" from a fortune cookie I received.

 

ChynnaChynna was 8 years old on Feb 4. He is a mixed breed cat. I got Chynna the day after St Patrick's day when I was a Senior in High School. He was a tiny ball of fur then, now he's about 14 lbs. of pure cat.

 

Avoiding Magazine Build UpTo avoid magazine build up I follow this rule. I have until the last day of the month the magazine is dated to keep it.

 

Creating Labels for Storage BoxesWhen you are storing items within a larger box (such as what reams of paper are housed in) for long-term storage, make the label of the contents on the computer, and then do a copy-and-paste two additional times so that you have 3 identical labels.

 

Problems Eliminating Clutter in Your Household?Do you have problems eliminating clutter in your household? Read our readers' answers and solutions here.

 

Self Tanning Solution Stains on Bathroom Floor?Any ideas of how to remove self tanning solution stains from bathroom flooring. I think it is linoleum.

 

Transplanting a Surinam Cherry Tree?I have just found out that I have a Surinam Cherry Tree. It was there when we moved in 7 years ago. I never knew what it was so I would chop it to the gound every year. It is planted very close to the house on the north side with no sun. This year I let it grow and it actally has blooms on it.