Are You Bringing Cookies to Thanksgiving?

I put an easy/basic Slice & Bake cookie recipe on eHow this morning. We could have fresh cookies all day if some of you bring a pre-made roll of cookies to slice up and bake. Don't forget chocolate ones for Dad! And, may-be the children could decorate a few for us.

love, Mom

TOMATO ASPIC - YUK!

You know how I tell you about Tomato Aspic and how much I disliked it as a kid? I put the recipe on eHow...I think I'll start contributing to that site. Here's my article: Tomato Aspic

And no, I won't be serving any at Thanksgiving!

love, Mom

Like Math?

Math Trick

Here is a math trick so unbelievable that it will stump you. Personally Iwould like to know who came up with this and why that person is not running the country.

1. Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in yourhead)
2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the areacode)
3. Multiply by 804.
4. Add 15.
5. Multiply by 2506.
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number.
7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
8. Subtract 250
9. Divide number by 2

Do you recognize the answer ??????

NEW USES FOR COFFEE FILTERS

I am going to be teaching a class this coming Spring on Living Green—what you as an individual can do to eliminate waste, recycle and reuse what you already have, and of course save money at the same time. I’ve been researching on the Internet and found lots of great ideas.

Here’s a few about coffee filters. These are useful to me because dad recently changed coffee pots and I have a package of larger filters that we didn’t use.

An even better “green” suggestion is to buy a re-useable (washable) coffee filter (we have one!), so you don’t even have to buy the paper kind at all.

• Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee Filters are lint-free so they'll leave your windows sparkling.
• Protect china. Separate your good dishes by putting a Coffee Filter between each dish.
• Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee Filters make excellent covers.
• Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a Coffee Filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
• Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free Coffee Filter.
• Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a Coffee Filter.
• Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a Coffee Filter on a kitchen scale.
• Hold tacos. Coffee Filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
• Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a Coffee Filter to prevent the soil from leaking through the drainage holes.

I'll be posting more fun and useful "Green" things you can do every day, so keep this spot bookmarked!

love, Mom

Today's Hint: Free Samples from Walmart

I was reading an online friend's blog where she talks about Walmart giving free samples. In fact they have a page on their website that offers them: Free Samples from Walmart. Also, check her blog out for other fun stuff: Moomette's.


I sent a private email out to daughters: we need to start thinking about Thanksgiving! With everyone spread far and wide (distance not girth) it won't hurt to start planning early!

love, Mom

Homemade Baby Wipes

Baby Wipes are good to keep in more than just the baby's room....keep some in your bedroom, the kitchen, tucked into a corner in the family room--anywhere the baby might be! Here's a great way to make your own, for just pennies!

Homemade Baby Wipes
Ingredients:
1/2 roll of paper towels (cut in half to make short rolls)
1/8-1/4 c. baby shampoo
1/8-1/4 c. baby oil
2 cups lukewarm water

1 plastic container that the rolls fit in
Cut roll in half and remove center cardboard. In Baby Wipe Container, mix liquid ingredients and place half of roll in container. Place on lid and tip upside down. To use, pull out from center.

PIE CHART

I just couldn't resist it! love, Mom

DESSERT HINTS

Oops! I didn't write anything yesterday....I was just too busy I guess. I taught at the college in the afternoon. Dad went with me which was very helpful--it's difficult to do one-on-one teaching when there are 15 students! Yesterday was my Basic Internet class. It's hard to cover everything I wanted in just two hours!

OK, well, here's today's hints:

Mint Brownies: Make brownies as directed.Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies.Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Quick Dessert: Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert.Simply chop them up with a 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.

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.

Reheating refrigerated bread: 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.

NO CHEESE YESTERDAY--DID YOU NOTICE?

So, did you notice I forgot to include the "Cheese" hint yesterday? OOPS.... So here is Cheese at the top of the list today:

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

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

Eggs: To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a coupleof spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream inand then beat them up.

Garlic: Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a lighttaste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want astronger taste of garlic.

Easy Deviled Eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done for an easy clean up.

BANANAS, PEPPERS & CHEESE

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.)

Banana Ripening: Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating raw.

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

Reheat Pizza: Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza.

More hints tomorrow! love, Mom

Easy Bathroom Cleaning

1. Wipe a little glycerin (available in drug stores) on windows and bathroom mirrors and buff with a soft cloth to keep them from steaming up.
2. For a fast shine to your glass shower doors, wipe them with a sponge containing white vinegar. It cuts soap film quickly.
3. Use baking soda mixed with liquid dish detergent and water to scour the tub and walls and doors of the shower.
4. Clean bathroom tiles with vinegar which has been poured into a spray bottle.
5. One of the easiest ways to clean bathroom walls is to run hot water in the bathtub and shut the door for five minutes. Steam will form on the walls and ceilings and loosen the dirt, which can then be wiped with a dry, clean cloth.
6. The same enzyme presoak that takes stains out of fabric will clean unsightly spots from porcelain sinks. Soak sink and garments at the same time.
7. The rough, grainy texture which forms in bathtubs can be removed by soaking with vinegar.
8. To remove stains from old bathtubs, use a “fine” automotive polishing compound.
9. Use undiluted ammonia to remove bath oil rings from the bathtub.
10. To get rid of mildew stains on sinks, tubs and tiles, pour on bleach, let sit for a few minutes, then rinse.
11. Shine chrome in the bathroom with a cloth dampened with vinegar. Let dry, then polish with a soft cloth.
12. Use hydrogen peroxide in shower door tracks to loosen the hardened scum. When it bubbles up, run a cotton swab along the track and flush with glass of water.
13. To get soap film and grime off vinyl shower curtains, spray them down with a vinegar/water solution and then wash them in the washing machine with another cup of vinegar and regular detergent.
14. Use wintergreen oil as a bathroom deodorant. Soak a cotton ball with the oil and place in a glass container. It will last for months.
15. Place a denture-cleaning tablet in the toilet bowl and let it dissolve. This is an easy, inexpensive way to help keep the bowl clean.
16. Put a scoop of Tang in the toilet bowl and let sit for a couple of hours. It eliminates toilet bowl stains, leaving the toilet clean and fresh smelling.
17. Pour left over cola drinks into your toilet bowl. Let soak, then flush and the bowl will sparkle.
18. Save old toothbrushes for cleaning around difficult areas in the bathroom.
19. A sponge makes a great soap dish.

TODAY'S CHUCKLE

I found this on another blog today...Dad and I got a chuckle out of it and I wanted to share it with you:


Who says today’s kids aren’t smart? Well, some of them are!

At a high school in Montana a group of students played a prank on the school.

They let three goats loose in the school.

Before they let them go they painted numbers on the sides of the goats: 1, 2 and 4.

Local school administrators spent most of the day looking for #3.

(Can't you just imagine how they felt after looking all day for the "other" goat?)

still laughing, Mom

APPLES ARE IN SEASON

When I was young, a favorite treat was fried apples. They aren’t fixed much anymore….but here’s a recipe for you to try.

Fried Apples
4 large apples, cored and sliced
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices. Heat butter in a large skillet. Put the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the skillet and cover. Over medium-low heat, cook apple slices 7-10 minutes or until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens. Serve coated with excess syrup on top. Serves 4.

For more apple recipes check out the newest page of our Family Cookbook.

Pay Toilets

Nowadays, all public restrooms are free of charge. I can remember downtown San Luis Obispo having public restrooms in a small area between a couple of businesses. This was before businesses started providing their own restrooms, and there was only one set so you had to walk a block or two to get to it. Also, many times you had to pay to use a public toilet. Though it was only a nickel or a dime (by today’s standards, that might be a quarter or two), it was still a nuisance.

Paying was especially more of a problem for women than for men. Since women had to use a stall every time while men hardly ever did, they usually spent more money. Pay toilets referred to using a stall. One could put money in and stay for as long as they wanted. But everything else in the bathroom was free. This wasn't much of an expense for men except on a date.

If a group went together they could always not let the door shut in-between each person and share a dime. But what did a person do when they didn't have any spare change? Hope that a stall door would be left open? Probably not. One just had to remember to take along some nickels and dimes.

Soon, though, it became more than just a nuisance. The Secretary of State for California, March Fong, must have forgotten her dimes one time when she was out shopping. Soon, she started fighting for free toilets to be put in public places. The change was quickly made that all public places had to have at least one or two free stalls.

This meant that less places had public restrooms for people to use. But it was much more fair than having to pay to use a restroom all of the time. Now, you never see this sort of thing.

How to Write a Thank You Note

It is always pleasant to receive Thank You notes...Receiving a note of thanks brings back all the good feelings of the giving moment--and makes me smile. Here are the elements of a well-written thank-you note:

GREETING. Keep it simple. “Dear Aunt Josephine…” works well.

EXPRESS GRATITUDE. State your thanks and identify the specific gift: “Thank you so much for the video game. It’s a perfect addition to my Wii collection, and I appreciate it so much.” Or “Thank you for the sweater, which is the exact color I would have chosen.”
The only exception to the specific reference is if the gift was money. In that case do not say, “Thank you for the $100.” Say simply, “Thank you for the generous gift which is greatly appreciated.” However, in the event Aunt Josephine actually took the time to create a clever presentation, it would be perfectly acceptable to say, “Your generosity is exceeded only by your clever ability to fold money into a cute ring.”

DISCUSS USE. A simple sentence that indicates how you will use the gift comes next. “I know I will get plenty of use from this sweater during my upcoming trip to Alaska.” Or, “It is my all-time favorite game so you can be sure that I will think of you often.” Or, “It will be spent well to help furnish the baby’s room.”

MENTION THE PAST, REFER TO THE FUTURE. Possibly the most important part of your message is reference to how this person fits into your life. Something like, “I remember fondly snow tubing with you on the hill behind the farm and I look forward to seeing you soon.” Or “You are in my thoughts and I hope to see you soon.”

REVISIT GRATITUDE. As you close your note, state again your gratitude. “Thanks again for your gift” is an appropriate way to close your note.

REGARDS. Finish your note with a proper closing and your name. “Fondly, Joe” or “Love, Laura” are excellent choices.

There. Seal it up and get it into the mail. Even if you are the only person you know sending thank-you notes, don’t let that deter you. You’ve demonstrated gracious living at a time when most are too busy to be bothered.

(As an added bonus—but certainly not offered as an incentive to do the right thing—thank-you notes have been known to encourage repeat performances, as well as improve the frequency and quality of future gifts.)

And, speaking of notes, I have a couple I need to get written....
love, Mom

Natural Household Cleaning Products

A few days ago I talked about light bulbs and saving energy. Here’s some information on how to go green while doing your basic house cleaning.
One benefit of going green with your cleaning products: You'll free up a lot of shelf space. Instead of having a single cleaner for each purpose (how different is cleaning a tub vs. a sink, anyway?), you’ll only need these four essentials:

Baking soda: Buy it in bulk, because this wonder powder has over a thousand household uses. Use it to cut odors in the fridge, mix it with castile soap for a gentle surface scrubber, or pour it down the drain with some vinegar to clear clogs.

Lemon juice: Mix with olive oil for a wood and furniture polish, use it to clean glass and stainless steel or sprinkle it in baking soda to make carpet-cleaning powder. After you've squeezed out the juice, toss the rinds down the garbage disposal to cleanse and deodorize.

White distilled vinegar: Because of its acidic properties, vinegar can dissolve grease, soap residue and mildew, making it the perfect bathroom cleaner. It works great in the kitchen, too. Use it to polish chrome, shine glass and mop tile or linoleum floors.

Salt: Say goodbye to your harsh oven cleaner. Instead, pour salt on spills as they happen, allow the surface to cool and scrape up the mess. "If you do that every time you have a spill, you don't need to do anything else," says Linda Hunter, co-author of Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home (Melcher Media, 2005).

Keep it Simple! love, Mom

ROAST BEEF FOR DINNER

Here is a fool-proof recipe for roast beef. If you need to impress someone with your cooking … this is it! It never turns out wrong. It is mouth watering every time! You can even substitute a different cut of beef and it will still be fantastic. Your family and friends will be asking for the recipe. You are welcome to share it…or you might want to label it as a centuries old recipe that was given to you by a famous chef as she took her last breath! You are only allowed to pass it on to one person in your lifetime and you haven’t decided who that will be yet! Believe me, after tasting your dish, they will all want to be “the special one.”
Enough of that, here is the recipe:

Roast Beef
1 large beef roast
1 bottle Liquid Smoke

Mix together:
2 tablespoons black pepper
3 tablespoons garlic powder NOT SALT
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon curry powder

Rub the dry mixture all over the roast, patting it in well. Place it in a foil lined pan, fatty side down. Next, take a sharp knife and poke holes all over the top side of the meat and pour on the bottle of liquid smoke. Cover it with heavy duty aluminum foil and seal the edges so that no steam can escape. Place it in oven and set at 225 for 6-8 hours (depends on size of brisket). Check it after about 6 hours for tenderness. If you can’t cut it with a fork yet, let it cook longer!

Serve hot with potatoes, green veggies, and garlic bread. This is great right out of the oven, but the cold sandwiches you can enjoy the next day are good, too!

Whatever story you tell to go along with this, it’s sure to become a family favorite.

Try it! love, Mom

The Mayonnaise Jar

(Aunt Sharon sent me this. I've seen it before, but still want to share it with you.)

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal Take care of the golf ball first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.'

Are You Using Those New Light Bulbs?

Going Green is the latest big thing to do….but it’s not a bad thing.

When those funny curly light bulbs first came out I was a bit slow to start changing over. My first purchase was yellow-toned ones and I was not impressed—they were too big and not bright enough. I found some white ones that I put in the bathroom…those were better.

And they are still improving the basic design and size. A little research showed me that traditional incandescent light bulbs use about 70% more electricity than compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s), so it seems like a no-brainer to switch them over. And, not to worry, fluorescent bulbs have come a long way since their inception, and now produce a similar light to incandescent bulbs. (As a bonus – CFL’s last about 10 times longer, and they don’t generate heat either (unlike an incandescent bulb), so you aren’t wasting any of your air conditioning power trying to cool down your light bulbs.)

So, I think I'll run out and get some more of those funny-looking bulbs!

love, Mom

MAKING ICE CUBES

I just solved a 35-year old mystery (well, at least it was a mystery to me)! Back in my college days a friend told me that ice cubes freeze faster if they are made with hot water. I believed him, but it just didn’t make sense to me—the freezing process involves cooling the water down, so why would you start with hot water? Well, I found a paragraph in a book (Mysteries of Liquids by Dr. Myles Bader) about that very subject.

It said:

Even though cold water is closer to the freezing point, the hot water evaporates faster, leaving less water to freeze. The evaporation also creates an air current over the ice cube tray, which tends to actually blow on the water, similar to the cooling effect when you blow on a spoonful of hot soup before tasting it.

So, there you have it: make your ice cubes with hot water!

Now I have another thing checked off my list of problems to solve! -Mom

What My Mother Taught Me

This list isn't original by me, but it is so cute I wanted to put it here for you to read...

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE."If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION."You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL."If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC."Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT."Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY."Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS."Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM."Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA."You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER."This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY."If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE."I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION."Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY."There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION."Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING."You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE."If you don't stop crossing your eyes, They are going to freeze that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP."Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOUR."When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT."If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS."You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS."Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM."When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
25. And my favorite: my mother taught me about JUSTICE."One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Have a great day! love, Mom