Did you know?!?

My sister Chris sent me an email with some interesting food and non-food facts, did you know...

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic. *Make sure not to burn garlic!*

Expanding Frosting; When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed . Melt Andes mints in double boiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away; Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic, but they will not get through wet newspapers.

For broken glass, use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes! Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Pin a small safety pin in the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! ... static is gone! (WOW, I will have to try this!)

Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser. Works better than a cloth!

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Dust mice/rat areas with baby powder to get rid of them. They ingest the powder when grooming themselves and it causes there blood to coagulate.

The best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take the filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. It makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long. The buildup from using dryer sheets causes a film on the filter and results in poor air circulation forcing your dryer to work harder and could also cause a fire, yikes!

The week is over!

I am soooo happy that it is the weekend! I injured my back during the week and I am looking forward to relaxing for a couple of days. Also, I am dogsitting for a friend, her pug is a puppy from the last litter that my pugs had and is Winston's brother. It is interesting to have 4 active dogs in the house, but they are adjusting to each other.














Winston, Lucy, Frank, & Roscoe

Termination Dust

These are the mountains behind our home. We had a fresh dusting of snow over the weekend, and have been down to the low 30's this week. For some strange reason, the first few snow falls of the season are referred to as "termination dust".

Non-Food Recipes

Some of my non-food recipes that I have. The homemade detergent sounds interesting, I may have to try it out as we have allergies.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

1 1/2 Bars Fels Naptha Soap
1 C 20 Mule Team Borax
1 C Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

Grate Fels Naptha with a grater or use a food processor. Add in the Borax and washing soda. Mix well, place in container that will hold at least 4 cups.

Use:
1 Tbsp Per load of laundry
**add an additional 1 tsp for heavily soiled clothes

Yield: 4 C of detergent using 1 Tbsp will yield 64 loads


Edible Playdough

2 C Honey
2 C Smooth Peanut Butter
2 C Powdered Sugar
1/4 C Flour (more or less to reduce stickiness)

Combine all ingredients, chill 20 min. Store in air tight container in fridge, throw away within 4 weeks.


Colored Playdough

1 C Flour
1 package Kool-Aid (any flavor)
1 Tbsp Cream of tartar
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1/4 C Salt
3/4 C Boiling Water (start with 3/4 C and add more if too dry)

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl then add in oil, then pour boiling water in and mix thoroughly. Wrap in cellophane or air tight container and store in fridge. Throw away within 4 weeks. Smells good but tastes awful!

New Toy

My sweet husband bought me a new toy this week. He was tired of me complaining about my stone age computer, it is 8 yrs old, so he got me a shiny new laptop!! This will make my blogging a lot more convenient, I'm so excited!

Versatile Recipes

I have several recipes that can be used multiple ways. Just thought I'd share...

Hamburger Mix

1 1/2 Lb. Hamburger

1 Pkg. (6 0z.) Stove top Stuffing mix for Chicken

1 C Water

3/4 C Onion-chopped

1/4 C Ketchup

Combine all ingredients together.

Meatloaf

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place mixture into large loaf pan. Top with 1/2 cup ketchup.

Bake 55-65 min. or until internal temp. reached 160 degrees F. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese and bake 2 min. more.

Salisbury Steak

Spray large skillet and set to medium heat. Form hamburger mix into patties, cook in skillet until browned and cooked thoroughly, flip once. Remove from pan and set aside, add into pan brown gravy (follow directions), once thickened add in 1 cup sliced mushrooms (canned is ok). Cook until mushrooms are softened. Plate up steaks and top with gravy/mushroom mix.
**I have heard that using bbq sauce instead of brown gravy is also tasty!

**You can also use the hamburger mix for meatballs.**




Creme Brulee Mix

I love creme brulee, and I found that the mixture can be used in a variety of ways.
1 Quart Heavy Cream
1 C Granulated Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean, split in half (or 1 Tbsp. Pure Vanilla Extract)
8 Lg. Egg Yolks
Combine cream, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla in pot over medium heat. Bring to low boil, whisk until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
In seperate bowl whisk yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Slowly incorporate hot cream mixture into yolks, whisk until smooth. Pour back into cream pan. Strain through cheese cloth or something fine to catch any egg pieces. Let cool completely.
Creme Brulee
Fill 8, 60z. custard cups with cooled creme brulee mixture. Place in water bath (large pan containing water, water should go half way up the sides of the ramekins), and bake at 300 degrees for approx. 45 min. Cool, refrigerate at least 4 hrs. before serving. At service, sprinkle tops with granulated sugar and carmelize with kitchen torch or in oven using the broiler setting.
Bread Pudding
6-8 C Cubed dry bread (I prefer french but any firm bread will work)
Creme brulee mix
Place bread in bowl, pour brulee mixture over top, you will probably need a full creme brulee recipe for this. Place bread brulee mixture into large ramekins (or you can bake all the filling in a 9x9 baking dish). Top mixture will 1 Tbsp. butter. Place in water bath (see creme brulee recipe for procedure), bake 350 degrees for 30 min covered. Remove lid and continue to bake until tops turn golden. Serve warm.
**Variations**
Add in mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, chopped pecans or walnuts into pudding before baking. When done baking drizzle tops with caramel sauce, now you have Rocky Road Bread Pudding!
Add in pineapple pieces, coconut flakes, chopped macademia nuts and a splash of rum before baking, for a Tropical Bread Pudding.
Combine blue berries and lemon zest into mixture before baking. At service drizzle tops with white chocolate sauce.

French Toast

Use creme brulee mixture as the batter for french toast.

I like to make stuffed french toast for breakfast. You take 1 C softened cream cheese and sweeten with 1/3 c powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract (add more sugar if not sweet enough). Chill til firm. Place 3-4 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture between two pieces of bread, place in freezer 5 min. Heat up skillet. Place stuffed french toast in brulee mixture until coated, cook in skillet until golden on both sides. Top with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.



Vanilla Simple Syrup

1 Quart Water

3 C Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

Combine water and sugar in large pot, stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool, add in vanilla extract.

Whipped cream

1 Pint Heavy Cream, let sit out at room temp. before using
2 Tbsp. Vanilla Syrup

Whip until peaks form. With excess, put in fridge and use later. It may soften up, so just re-whip until desired firmness.

Coffee Sweetner

Use in coffee instead of sugar, also this is the same syrup that you buy in the store in the coffee aisle and the same stuff the barista's put in your coffee at the expensive coffee shops.
**You can make your own syrup by adding another flavor instead of vanilla.**

Bean Recipes

I was at the grocery store yesterday and bought a variety of beans. Being cheap and a great source of protein, I have been incorporating them more into our weekly diet. Here are some tasty bean recipes.


BBQ Beans

1 lb. Pinto beans, cooked and drained

7 C Water
1 Bay leaf
1 Onion-diced
1 lb. Hamburger
2 tsp. Garlic-minced
1 tsp. Sweet Paprika
1 tsp. Thyme, dried
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder

3/4 C Ketchup

1/4 C Brown Sugar

1/3 C Yellow Mustard

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Place pinto beans in large pot with water and bay leaf, bring to a boil.

In a large skillet, cook onions in 2 Tbsp. of the bean cooking water until completely softened. Add in hamburger and garlic, cook until hamburger is brown approx. 5-7 min. Stir in paprika, thyme, chili powder, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Pour into pot with beans and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until flavors have come together and beans are tender and sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Beef & Bean Manwich

I don't have an official recipe for this.

Make a small can of manwich filling per directions, add in 1/2 cup Pinto beans (cooked and drained). Add filling to warm sesame seed buns and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
1/2 C Onion-chopped
1 Tbsp. Garlic-minced
1 1/2 lb. Chicken breast-cubed
2 C Black beans, cooked and drained
4 oz. Can diced Green Chiles
1/3 C Salsa (I prefer mild but whatever you like)
2 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro-chopped
8 in. Flour tortillas (approx. 4)
1 1/2 C Jack and or Cheddar Cheese-shredded
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In medium saute pan, cook onion and garlic in small amount of oil, approx. 2 min. Add in chicken and saute 5 min. until golden and cooked through. Stir in black beans, green chiles and salsa. Let simmer 5 min until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add in cilantro.
Top each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken filling. Roll up and place side by side in shallow baking dish. Top with shredded cheese.
Bake 15 min. until cheese is golden and gooey! Serve with sour cream and salsa.

5 Bean Chili
1 1b. Hamburger
1 C Onion-diced
1 C Green bell pepper-diced
1 Tbsp. Garlic-minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. Chili powder
1 Tbsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Black pepper
1/2 tsp. Ground coriander
1/8 tsp. Ground cinnamon
28 oz. Can Whole peeled tomatoes, broken up with your hands
3 C Beef Stock
2 Bay leaves
7 1/2 C Beans, cooked and drained (I use a mix of kidney, black, pinto, great northern, & navy. Whatever varieties you have on hand.)
In large pot, cook hamburger over medium heat until well browned, approx. 4-6 min. Add in onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, salt cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander and cinnamon, cook until vegetables are soft 4-6 min. Add in tomatoes, stock and bay leaves, bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 40 min., stirring occasionally. Add in the beans, continue to cook another 20-30 min. or until the flavors have come together and the chili has a nice thick consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Taco Soup
1 1/2 Lb. Hamburger
1 Tbsp. Garlic-minced
1/2 C Onion-diced
2 1/2 C Beans, cooked and drained (I prefer kidney and/or black beans)
1/2 C Corn
2, 14.5 oz. Cans Stewed tomatoes
1 Small can tomato paste
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
In large pot cook hamburger, garlic and onion in small amount of oil until hamburger is browned. Add in corn and beans, continue to cook 4-6 min. Add in stewed tomatoes and tomato paste. Add in enough water to cover ingredients, approx. 7-9 Cups. If soup is too thick due to tomato paste just add in more water until desired consistency. Let simmer 20 min. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese.
We like to garnish ours with Frito chips and ranch.
ENJOY!

Dryer Sheets

Another list of optional uses for regular home products.

Dryer Sheet uses

1. Use to repel mosquitoes
2. Wipe down shower doors and walls to prevent soap scum
3. Wipe tv's and computer screens with a sheet to prevent static cling
4. Put a sheet in dresser drawer to keep clothes smelling fresh!
5. Place a sheet in each shoe to deodorize them
6. Rub sheet over clothes and/or furniture to get rid of pet hair
7. Place a sheet in your vacuum bag and the air will smell fresh as you clean
8. Use dryer sheets to brighten chrome

Uses for Listerine

Not nearly as extensive as the Coca-Cola list!

Wacky uses for Listerine

1. Use for smelly feet, rub on bottoms of feet to get rid of odors
2. Also use for smelly shoes, rub on insoles of shoes to get rid of the stinky smell!
3. Use on shingles to get rid of the itch
4. Massage into scalp to ease dandruff and psoriasis
5. Dab on blemishes to dry them out
6. Use as a deodorant, dab on underarms
7. Mix listerine with water, 50/50 and use as a disinfectant on floors, toilets, etc.
8. Apply listerine to toe fungus daily to clear it up
9. Massage into scalp to prevent lice

Uses for Coca-Cola

Found this list at: http://www.sisterlysavings.net/ and thought it was interesting. I hope to add more product myths...I heard there are quite a few uses for Listerine and dryer sheets!

I normally don't have coca-cola in the house, maybe I need to pick up a couple of cans and see if any of this works.

Uses for Coca-Cola and other myths

1. Remove grease stains from clothing and fabric
2. Remove rust; methods include using fabric dipped in Coke, a sponge or even aluminum foil.
3. Remove blood stains from clothing and fabric.
4. Make gooey Coke Funnel Cakes.
5. Clean oil stains from a garage floor; let the stain soak, hose off.
6. Loosen a rusty bolt; pour on some Coke and wait for the magic to happen.
7. Kill slugs and snails; a small bowl of Coke will attract them, the acid will kill them.
8. Help a lawn become lush and green.
9. Prevent an asthma attack! Apparently, the caffeine in two 12oz cans can prevent the onset of an attack.
10. Defrost a frozen windshield. Apply liberally and wait.
11. Clean burnt pans; let the pan soak in the Coke, then rinse.
12. Descale a kettle using the same method in 11.
13. Neutralize a jellyfish sting.
14. Clean car battery terminals by pouring a small amount of Coke over each one.
15. Cure nausea; let a can of Coke go flat then take a teaspoon of Coke every hour.
16. Also, flat coke can help relieve an upset stomach (aka “the runs”)
17. Make a Mentos & Coke exploding fountain. This one takes a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke.
18. Get rid of hiccups; gargle with a big mouthful of ice-cold Coke.
19. Shake up a can and pour it over your windshield to remove bugs and other crud.
20. Use the method in 19 for your car bumpers, too.
21. Clean your engine; Coke distributors have been using this technique for decades.
22. Relieve congestion; boil a can of Coke and drink while hot to clear you up.
23. Make a sweet BBQ sauce. Mix a can of Coke with ketchup and brush over ribs or chicken.
24. Baste a ham roast with Coke as it cooks. The sugars will caramelize; the ham will be moist.
25. Add a can of coke to your pot roast to tenderize it and add extra flavor.
26. Make pretty pennies; soaking old pennies in Coke will remove the tarnish.
27. Make your hair curly; pour flat Coke onto long hair, leave for a few minutes then rinse.
28. Age documents and photos; for that antique look, apply Coke, pat with paper, leave to dry.
29. Clean tile grout; pour onto kitchen floor, leave for a few minutes, wipe up.
30. Mix a can of Coke with a packet of Italian seasoning; cook a tough steak in it.
31. Make better compost; Coke increases the acidity, adds sugars and feeds microorganisms.
32. Dissolve a tooth in it; Use a sealed container; this takes ages. Why would you want to though, unless you’re Hannibal Lecter?
33. Remove gum from hair; dip into a small bowl of Coke, leave a few minutes. Gum will wipe off.
34. Get silky skin; mix a spoonful of Coke with regular lotion and apply liberally.
35. Make low-fat brownies.
36. Pour a little in a cup and set it out an hour before a picnic, away from your site; it will attract wasps and bees so they’re not bugging you and your grub.
37. Remove stains from vitreous china. More info on vitreous materials here.
38. Got a dirty pool? Add two 2-liter bottles of Coke to clear up the water (it acts as rust remover).
39. Add Coke to your laundry to remove bad smells, especially fish.
40. Remove (or fade) dye from hair by pouring diet Coke over it.
41. Mop a floor with Coke to make it sticky. It’s a movie industry trick to stop actors slipping.
42. Remove marker stains from carpet. Apply Coke, scrub, then clean with soapy water.
43. Clean a toilet; pour around bowl, leave for a while, flush clean. (Good use for flat Coke.)
44. Apply to skin for a deep tan.
45. Supposedly, drinking an 8oz can of Coke every day can prevent kidney stones.
46. Add it to a Sloppy Joe mix
47. Perk up your Azaleas or Gardenias.
48. Coke and aluminum foil will bring Chrome to a high shine.
49. Strip paint off metal furniture; soak a towel in Coke, sit it on the surface for days. Make sure you keep adding Coke to keep the towel wet.
50. Add it to vodka, rum or bourbon.
51. Drink it straight from the can -- it's original intended purpose.

And a few Coke fallacies:
Coke is not used by the authorities to clean blood from the roads after accidents.
Coke will not dissolve teeth or nails OVERNIGHT. It takes a long time.
Coke and aspirin will not get you high.
Coke is not an effective spermicide.
Coke poured onto raw pork will not cause worms to come crawling out of it.
The acids in Coke do not make it dangerous to drink (your own stomach acids are much stronger).
Drinking too much Coke will not make you die from CO2 poisoning.
Coke does not contain cocaine (although it used to).
Coke did not become carbonated by accident.

Source for list: Wisebread.com by Paul Michael
Coca-Cola Recipes: Coca-Cola Cake Recipes & MoreCoke Formula Info from SnopesMore Trivia and History of Coke

It's the weekend!

The weekend is my favorite time for baking and making those slow roasting meals, yummy! Thought I'd share a couple of my personal favorite recipes.


Toscana Soup
3 Cups Chicken stock or broth
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
2 medium Potatoes-cubed
2 Cups Kale-chopped with woody stalks removed
1/2 lb. Sausage-spicy, break up pieces to resemble hamburger when cooking
1 tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Tobasco sauce

In large pot cook sausage and cubed potatoes until sausage is cooked and potatoes begin to soften. Add in kale and continue to cook 3-4 minutes. Add in Stock, cream, salt, and tobasco. Bring to a simmer and let cook 30 min. until potatoes cooked thoroughly and flavors combined. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. You can add less tobasco if you are concerned about spiciness, I find that 1 Tbsp. added into the soup brings out the flavors.



Kahlua Pork
Pork Butt (really is the pork shoulder, butchers frequently label as Butt)
3-4 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke
2-3 Whole Bananas
Foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take pork butt, fat side up and make long shallow cuts into it. Rub liquid smoke into pork. Lay whole bananas on top (you can wrap up in banana leaves instead), wrap roast in foil. Put on baking sheet to avoid a mess in the oven. Bake 45 minutes for every pound. When checking doneness, pork should shred off with a fork. Discard bananas. I like to serve it on a bun with BBQ sauce, or just dip into teriyaki sauce.



Grandma's Molasses cookies
These remind me of fall, and helping my grandmother around her home. She loved to bake and always enjoyed sharing her recipes with me.

1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Granulated sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup Molasses
4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Ginger-ground
1 tsp. EACH; Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon
2 tsp. Baking soda dissolved in 1 Cup Hot Water

Combine shortening, sugar, egg and molasses. Sift dry ingredients together and add into molasses mixture. Dissolve baking soda into hot water and add to mixture. Drop by Tbsp. on ungreased cookie sheets. Round tops and sides with back of spoon. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-12 min. or until springes back when touched. While warm ice tops.

Icing
2 Cups Powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. Butter-melted
3-4 Tbsp. Condensed milk
1 Tbsp. Vanilla extract



Sand Dollars
My mothers version of this recipe is called Mexican wedding cookies. I altered the recipe and found that I enjoy them even more. The recipe is small so I normally double or triple it.

1/2 Cup Butter -*unsalted, at room temp. (Do not sub with margarine)
1/4 Cup Powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Pinch of Salt
3/4 Cup and 2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Walnuts-chop finely

Combine softened butter, sugar and vanilla. Add in salt and 3/4 cup flour. If too wet add in remaining 2 Tbsp. flour. Add in walnuts, the smaller the pieces the better. Chill 1 hour. Roll into small balls, place on ungreased pans and bake 350 degrees for 12-14 min or until top is firm and bottoms are golden. Take warm cookies and roll in more powdered sugar (I use a ziploc bag or you can put sugar in a bowl and roll cookies around).

*If you use salted butter, just omit the pinch of salt in the recipe*

My family

Thought I'd post a quick photo of my family!

Setting Up

This is my first blog, please be patient as I am setting up. Please feel free to contact me with any comments and suggestions, thank you!!

DeeDee