January 11, 2011

Antipasto Salad AppetizerServe with baguette slices slathered with unsalted butter - Yum!

 

Mad DogsUsing a knife, make a slit along the entire length of the hot dog that's about 3/4 of the way through the hot dog. Break the cheese slice into 2 pieces and stuff each piece into the slit in the dog.

 

Fried PotatoesSlices potatoes very thin. Add potatoes to meat fat in frying pan. Sprinkle with salt. Cover. Cook over medium heat until tender and mealy.b

 

Crock Pot MeatballsEasy and delicious. Mix two can of cream of mushroom soup with 1 can of water. Put meatballs (28 or so) in crock pot and pour soup mixture over them. Add salt, pepper, and minced onions.

 

Shrimp Pasta SaladCook macaroni, rinse in cold water; drain. Add chopped onion, pickle relish, and peas. Add dressing. Fold in shrimp and refrigerate 6 hours.

 

Yummy Yogurt Cake I made this cake just last week and iced it with a lemon cream cheese icing. It was absolutely, yummy!

 

Ham LoafCombine loaf ingredients. Shape into 3 loaves. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour. Poke holes in top and cover with sauce.

 

Glazed Golden ChickenPreheat electric skillet to 300 degrees F. Combine water, bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce in skillet and stir. Add chicken pieces. In small bowl, combine salt, curry powder, mustard, oregano, and paprika.

 

Browny (Terrier Mix)Browny is a 1 year old terrier mix. She was a puppy from my oldest dog's litter. A few months after her mother gave birth to Browny, we gave her to a neighbor. A month later Browny's mother, who we had been with us for 10 years, passed away.

 

Horseshoe Falls (Niagara, Ontario, Canada)My husband and I visited Niagara Falls in September, 2010. This photo was taken from the closest point one can stand at the "Journey Behind the Falls" attraction in Niagara, Ontario, Canada.

 

Homemade Bath Oil BeadsMakes 10 beads. Combine the dried milk, flour, and borax in a bowl. Using a fork, stir until well mixed. Add the rose water, mineral oil, rose fragrance oil, and food coloring (if desired).

 

Reuse Broken Rake PartsWith spring right around the corner, believe it or not, it will soon be time to check out your garden and lawn tools. If you have a broken rake, don't throw out either part.

 

Scenery: Old Iron WheelsA pair of old iron wheels my husband found behind my grandfather's shed.

 

TJ (Tabby Kitten)TJ is a 7 week old tabby kitten with gray stripes. We went to the shelter and some people drove up with a kennel full of kittens. I picked out two of them for my daughter who had just lost her other gray cat, Tiger, to a bad condition of paralysis.

 

Storage Bags from Old Jean LegsWhenever your kids outgrow their denim jeans, save them for making bags from the legs. Cut off the legs at the crotch, turn inside out and hem the unfinished edge. Now you have a nice long tube-bag for tent poles, beach umbrella storage, etc.

 

Clean Wood Surfaces with SaltTo clean and freshen wooden chopping blocks, counter, or rolling pins, sprinkle table salt on these surfaces when they are wet and scrub dry.

 

Garden: Summer FlowersThis is one of the many seasonal photos I take of our garden throughout the year. It is such pleasure and I'd like to share with others.

 

Recycled Wine Cork BoardEver wondered what to do with all those wine corks that you have been saving for some reason? Well here is the answer to that problem: make a recycled cork-board.

 

Raised Dog Dish Using a Rubbermaid ContainerMy dog needed a raised food dish. I just couldn't part with the big bucks to buy one, so I made one instead. I took a good sized Rubbermaid container and flipped it over.

 

Learning To Garden In A New ZonePlants are not always the only things in the garden to get transplanted. Sometimes it's gardeners themselves. If you move across the country, or even across the state, you may suddenly find yourself in entirely new Hardiness Zone.

 

Freeze Nuts for BakingI use a lot of different nuts and seeds in salads, cooking, and baking (walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, soy nuts, sunflower seeds, etc.) and keep them all in the freezer to preserve the oils and lengthen "shelf" life.

 

Avoid Grocery Store SplurgesI tend to do my shopping in bulk, except for milk and fresh fruits. I feel I save more money this way. I make my list, attach the weekly ad and coupons to it and go. Recently I went shopping with a friend who shopped similar to how I shop, only she made 2 major mistakes.

 

Line Compost Bucket with NewspaperI have started a compost pile. Since it is far from the house, I have an ice cream bucket that I use for my daily scraps. To keep it from getting so messy when I empty it, I line it with newspapers or paper ads from the mail.

 

Use Candle Stumps in Tea-Light HoldersDon't throw away those old candle stumps that are too small for the candle holder. Instead, place them into a used empty tea-light or night-light case to use up the last little bit.

 

Zoe (Aussie Mix)Zoe is a 11 year old Aussie mix rescue pet. She throws a toy up in the air and tries to catch it - her own game, no one taught it to her. She catches it fairly often, too!

 

Saving Time When Applying MakeupI rush through my mornings and have found several ways to save time on makeup application. The first is: Do not wear any. It's actually freeing. But if you do want to wear it, I have my makeup in a little drawer under the sink that is removable.

 

Store Freezer Items Outside in Cold WeatherIf you live in a cold climate, save even more freezer space at this time of year by simply putting things outside (in sealed containers, of course)!

 

Make Biscuits Soft or CrustyIf you want your biscuits to be crusty, then you have to spread them several inches apart on the baking sheet. If you let them touch then, they'll be soft.

 

Paint Top and Bottom Cabinets Different ColorsIf you happen to be re-doing your kitchen cabinets, try using 2 different colors for the upper and lower cabinets. Try using a light color for the top cabinets and a darker color for the bottom.

 

Scenery: Oakum Creek at Munden Point Park (Virginia Beach, VA)My husband and I took a canoe up Oakum Creek putting in at Munden Point Park, in southeastern Virginia Beach, VA. The trip took about an hour to get to the turn around point. Awesome scenery and these trees were begging to be photographed.

 

Nadia (Calico)Nadia is a 6 month old Calico. A few months ago, a stray cat had her in the rafters in our basement/garage, and we heard her crying. Nadia likes to tease our three other cats, that we rescued from being outside strays.

 

Save Used Freezer Bags for Outer BagWhen freezing food in zip lock bags, always use a new bag first where it would be in contact with the food, then use a clean used bag for the outer bag.

 

Substitute Mayo for Egg in BakingWhen you are short one egg for a cake mix calling for 2 eggs, use 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, you will never know the difference.

 

Discontinued Wallpaper: Black with Silver and Gold Streaks?I am trying to find a wallpaper pattern. Does anyone know how I can locate old stock? I have checked locally, on eBay, and contacted the larger online wallpaper companies.

 

Repairing Tears on Microsuede Furniture?How do you fix a tear in a micro suede couch?

 

Do Bell Pepper Plants Need to be Replanted Every Year?Do green bell pepper plants require replanting every year or does the plant produce again? What about tomato plants?

 

Cat Keeps Scratching a Sore?On New Years Day I found a sore on my cat. I pet her a thousand times a day so I know it wasn't there the night before. In the meantime I kept it clean and used Neosporin.

 

Finches Eating Their Own Eggs?My finch birds keeps laying eggs and eating them. Why does this happen?

 

African Violet Leaves are Turning Brown?The leaves to my African violets are becoming spotted and brown. What can I do?

 

Homemade Hair Conditioner Recipe?I am looking for a homemade hair conditioner recipe.

 

Bathroom Paint Color Advice to Coordinate with Black and Gold Tiles?I have gold tiles with black border tiles in my bathroom. What color paint should I use on the walls above the tiles?

 

Toothache Remedies?I have a bad toothache. What can I do?

 

Changing an Interior Door Lock?How do I change a door lock on an interior door?

 

How Do I Build a Metal Bread Box?I am trying to find plans on how to build a metal bread box. I need information like: what kind of tools, type of metal, paint, etc.

 

Deodorizing a Non-Removable Refrigerator Drip Pan?My refrigerator has a bad odor coming from the bottom drip pan. The pan is not removable. With my old refrigerator to clean the odor I would put baking powder all over the pan and the odor would be gone. How do I eliminate the odor if the pan is not removable? Thanks.

 

Broken Capillaries Around the Nose?What can be done about broken capillaries around the side of the nose and redness on the nose?

 

Planning a Train Trip to Canadian Rockies?My husband and I will be celebrating 40 years on Valentine's Day. We would like to take a train trip to the Canadian Rockies sometime during the year, but not in February because of the cold and snow.

 

Finding Value of a Thomas Kinkade Print?Does anyone know if a Thomas Kinkade library edition print, titled Forest Chapel, is worth anything? It's in a beautiful matted frame and about 24x20.

 

Cookbook Software or Template?Is there any free software to make my own cookbook?

 

Cake is Too Dry?Why are my cakes coming out so dry?

 

Removing Nicotine from Painted Wood?I want to remove nicotine from painted wooden door frames.

 

Measuring Cup for Sisan Steam Iron?I have a Sisan Steam Iron, but I have lost the water measuring cup. Does anyone know what volume that cup is?

 

What Breed is My Dog?What breed of dog is this? Her tail curls up over her back. She is 6 months old. I was told she is a Havanese.

 

Paint Color Ideas for a Mudroom?I have a small mudroom that you enter to get into my house. Its already white, but I need color. What color can I paint it that would make it look bigger?

 

Aluminum Can Craft Ideas?I am looking for ideas for making crafts out of aluminum cans?

 

Selecting a Tomato for Canning?For those of you who garden and can food, what variety of tomato is best for canning? I am looking for a tomato that has a big yield, great flavor, and isn't too watery.

 

Installing a Curtain Rod?I am looking for simple instructions on how to install a curtain rod in the living room. I like the decorative wood rods with brackets on each end and you lay the rod in the brackets once installed. Will I need an electric drill?

 

How Do I Do Circular Knitting on a Long Loom?Do you have any instructions on circular knitting on a long Knifty Knitter loom?