5-31-10

For those of you who got to sleep in this
morning and missed the downpour I got
some videos for ya. We was up at 6:30AM
like a typical work day. Had to take Tony's
pager back to work this morning. He is
officially off call now for about another month, yeah!!

I didn't know it was supposed to rain this morning
and told the kids we'd take them to Hayden Falls.
Those plans didn't quite work out with all this
rain plus they are doing paving at the Falls
and won't be open til June 3rd.



I got my bird bath in the garden. Still awaiting to
get a satellite dish to put on top. For now I found
a smaller metal bird bath bowl to put on top.



More and more projects getting thought of every day.
I would love to do something with our kitchen cabinets.
While white is nice it constantly has to be cleaned
off. So maybe thinking of painting them or
I told Tony I even thought about doing them in
a wood looking contact paper.

Next Tony wants me to design a bird for the
hood of our blue Trans Am. I did one years
ago and it takes some time to paint all
the little details and make a stencil for it.
But I'm game if people have patience with me.
I had always thought it would be neat to get
some glow in the dark powder to mix in with the
paint. Wouldn't that be cool at night to
have a glowing bird on the hood of the car?
I like to be unique.
Was thinking maybe an aqua and a blue bird
on a dark blue car.



____________________________________________________

This afternoon after the rain cleared up
we went to Prairie Oaks Park. It was ok, doubt if we'd go back.
There was no playground, picnic tables
or shelter houses just trails and ponds.
















Christopher kept getting annoyed by bugs when
walking on the trail. I picked up a weed
and tickled his ear and leg to make him
think it was a bug, LOL!

5-30-10

With Summer vacation drawing near I am
trying to find recipes for the kids
to enjoy that will keep me from
having to run to the store or them wanting
to visit the nearest ice cream shop.
Plus I feel it's a learning experience for the
kids. To learn that every time you want
something you don't have to run to
the grocery store to pick up convenience
foods when it can be made at home for much
cheaper!
These ingredients are something we already have
at home in the pantry or fridge.


These are similar to making crepes.

Ice Cream Cones Recipe from Joy Of Cooking

2 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 - 3 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil and pastry brush

Ice Cream Cones: In a medium sized bowl whisk together (or use a hand mixer) the eggs and sugar until frothy. Whisk in the melted butter, milk and vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and whisk until the batter is smooth. The batter should be quite thin (like a crepe batter) so add more milk if the consistency is too thick.

Heat a 8-9 inch saute pan over medium heat until it is hot. Reduce the heat to medium low and brush the pan lightly with vegetable oil. Pour or ladle about 3-4 tablespoons of batter into the pan and immediately tilt or rotate the pan so the batter forms a thin 5-6 inch circle. Place pan back on the heat and cook until the batter is set and you can see the underside is golden brown (3-4 minutes). Slip a metal spatula under the crepe and gently flip it over. Cook until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and slide the crepe from the pan onto your work surface. While the crepe is still hot, quickly start at one edge and roll the crepe into a cone shape. Squeeze the tip of the cone to seal it so the ice cream won't drip out. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Continue making the rest of the cones, lightly brushing the pan with vegetable oil each time. These cones are best if eaten the same day.

However, if you have leftovers store them in a covered container. To re-crisp the cones preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Working with one cone at a time, unroll the cone until it is a circle again, place on a baking sheet and bake for about 3-5 minutes or until the crepe is hot and soft. Remove from oven and place the hot crepe on your work surface. Quickly reroll into a cone shape, again squeezing the tip of the cone so the ice cream won't drip out. Place on a wire rack to cool. Continue with the rest of the cones.

Makes about 8 ice cream cones.

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It's that time of year when the weather starts
warming up and the air conditioners start coming
on. We all need a little relief from the heat
and air conditioning can be expensive. To help
keep our costs down we try to keep the air
conditioner set around 75.
When it's 95 degrees out a 20 degree temperature
difference can make a big difference.
We try not to turn it on and off a lot unless
there will be a period of cooler weather.
It takes a lot of energy to cool off a hot
house than it does just to keep the ac running.

Close off vents to unused rooms and rooms like
the bathroom and basement.
Keep your blinds or drapes closed to keep
out any extra heat from the sun.

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Sitting here checking out the leftovers in my fridge
deciding what to make with them.

I have:

1/2 can pineapple rings
2 oranges
large container of yogurt

Soooo, I'm thinking how about some
pineapple orange yogurt pops.

Found this recipe below and have added my tweaks to it.

Pineapple Orange Popsicles

* 8 oz. carton vanilla yogurt
* 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
(Will use the pineapple slices, they are drained.)
* 6 oz. can frozen pineapple orange juice concentrate, thawed
(Will juice the 2 oranges I have)
* 8 paper drink cups
* 8 wooden sticks
(If you don't have sticks I use plastic spoons)

Preparation:
In a blender container or food processor, combine yogurt, pineapple and juice concentrate and blend until smooth. Fill each drink cup with about 1/3 cup pineapple mixture and freeze until partially frozen, about 1 hour. Insert sticks and freeze until firm, 2 more hours. Peel off paper cups to serve. 8 pops.

--------------------------------------------------

And because I have a 16 ounce container of
yogurt and the recipe above only calls for 8 ounces
of yogurt I wanted to try another recipe
with low fat and sugar.

Ingredients

1 pkg sugar free jello (any flavor)
(I'll probably do strawberry)
1/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 c. boiling water

Directions
Boil 1 cup of water and mix with your favorite flavor of sugar-free jello.

Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Mix in 1/4 cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt and pour into popsicle maker or small paper cups (add a stick after it's partially set). Freeze.

Number of Servings: 4

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Mom wants a few extra wooden chairs for her
dining room table. I have decided to give her
the ones from our old table. They have been sitting
outside under the carport. I washed them down
with some murphy's oil soap. And because some
of the finish wore off the chairs from being
outside I needed a polish for them. I don't have
any furniture polish so whipped up a batch of
homemade. I took canola oil and some lemon
juice and mixed the two together in a bowl.
I wiped each chair with this mixture
then took a dry towel and wiped it off.




___________________________________________________

I have one week before vacation time starts.
So starting today I will be getting out a notebook
and making lists of things we need to take. By doing
this early you're more than likely NOT to forget something.

I will also start planning a menu of foods to make
to take with us to keep from eating fast food
and spending more money.
Will have one cooler just for drinks
and another just for food.

We will be staying in the Baymont Hotel
and they have microwaves and fridges in each room
so that is good to know when planning my meal
list.

They have free continental breakfasts.
Would have to set the clock to get up for
that because I think last time we got up too
late to get any.

And they do offer smoking and non smoking rooms.

They have an indoor swimming pool and hot tub so that
would keep the kids and us entertained in the evenings
when we aren't out and about.

I've checked prices on Travelocity,
Priceline and so on and don't see
much savings if any. They all seem to
be around what the hotel normally is.

_____________________________________________________

Ok racking brain for a food list for trip.

MAIN

-Breakfast Tortilla Roll Ups

-make up a bunch of large dinner rolls
to use as mini buns.

-BBQ pulled pork in crockpot
(put boneless pork ribs in crock on high
with a bottle of brown sugar bbq sauce)

-Chicken salad sandwiches.
have a bunch of chicken breasts in crock now
with a little water and a packet of onion soup mix.

SIDES

-Macaroni & Cheese

-Potato salad

-Baked beans

-Corn on the cob


DRINKS

-Kool Aid & Country Time lemonade
made up in 2 liter pop bottles.

-12 packs of Big K canned pop

SNACKS

-Chips

-Cookies or Little Debbies




Been eating White Castles since last night.
I have figured out how to recycle the Crave Case
box. I'm going to use it to put all the
plastic ware, condiments, napkins and plates
in for vacation.

Save up all those condiment packages from
the fast food joints to use them on vacation,
lunch breaks or sporting events.
No need to let those go to waste so I'm taking
them along with us on vacation.

5:30PM

Got the chicken breast out of the crock.
Will use some of this to make chicken salad with.



7:30PM

Just got done making pineapple orange popsicles
and bread is rising in the bread machine
to make buns out of. The recipe says I
should get about 16 buns from this ball
of dough.




__________________________________________________

5-29-10

10:15 to 10:30AM cut my step dads hair.

left soon after to go on call with Tony.
Took the kids swimming for about 3-4 hours.
Then hung out another 3-4 hours because
the damn on call pager would not stop!!!


And that's how my day went. It's now 7:35PM
and I'm wore out from being at Tony's work
all day and the heat.
Might head out to the garden after bit
to give the plants a drink.

5-28-10

Went to a few yard sales today.
Bought:

2 extendable snow brushes/ice scrapers .75 cents each
goes for around $13 new

1 dryer lint brush .50 cents
goes for $9 to $10 new

3 women's tops .25 cents each

1 new in package bird suet .25 cents
Have the hanger but no food for it.

1 electric lap blanket $2.00
have 2 already and am trying to find one
more so each family member has one during
the Winter months. Total spent on 3 of
them so far has been $12.
They probably run about $25 to $40 each new.

Photo book called
Columbus The Discovery City
Original price was $40
I paid .25 cents!

Tresemme Smooth No Frizz Shine Spray .10 cents

Jason Aloe Vera Shampoo
reg $8 to $10
I paid .10 cents

Sunsilk Hydra TLC Creme .10 cents

Herbal Essence Citrus Lift Foaming Gel .10 cents

Wet N Wild clear nail color .10 cents

And lastly this metal thing that was once
probably part of a standing coat rack.
paid $1.00 for it.
I had a vision though.
I'm gonna have Tony find me a satellite dish
and I'm going to turn it into a bird bath.
I thought I could use this metal piece as
the base for the satellite dish to set on.
I want to sand a couple areas first and
then paint it all to match.
If I really wanted to get creative I could
find some old dishes and break them up
and make a mosaic with grout inside the
satellite dish. Still would cost ALOT cheaper
and look nicer than if I would have bought new!
A mosaic handcrafted bird bath is not cheap.
About $70 to $350 plus.



8PM

Found a leftover can of paint called
hammered metal. I used it to paint
the soon to be bottom of my bird bath.
I think it looks better than before :0)



I favor the metal stand upside down
but also had the idea of using it right
side up. I could find a bowling ball
to use as a weight to hold the bird bath
in place and paint it to look like a gazing ball.
I could put the bowling ball in
the round ring.



Now you will have to envision a dish
sitting on top.

I love finding creative ways to make
things out of junk that would have
probably been thrown away and giving
them a new purpose!



The car is ready to be picked up tonight.
So this evening we will truck back over
to Reynoldsburg to trailer it back home.
I'm going to try to get a small nap in
before kids get home from school and
Tony is getting off work early.

___________________________________________________

5:15PM

Car is still not ready. Guy drove it
and it still leaks. Won't be ready til
sometime next week. Oh goodie.

Tonight's supper

A little lasagna and chicken parmesean.

Dessert

I've decided to do a combination
of the grilled pineapple sundae
with a mexican type ice cream.

Tropical Fruity Sundae

I grilled the pineapple slices
in butter, splenda and nutmeg
on the george foreman.

Roll a small scoop of ice cream in
crushed up fruity pebble cereal.
Place on top of pineapple.

Squirt whipped cream around
sides and a little on top.

___________________________________________________

We had our side neighbor lady come over and
admire my garden. She saw everything I had done
and couldn't believe I had never had a garden before.

As we all got to talking she had made the comment
to Tony jokingly about him having loads of money!
I couldn't help but to laugh. Loads of money?
Where? I said I was probably one of the cheapest
and thriftiest persons on Earth. Then I took
her over to show my bird bath that I was making.
I said see I am so cheap that I make my own things.
That was the reason for the garden to save money
on vegetables since they are getting so expensive
in the stores. We showed her around the yard more.
I said all the Hostas and Lilies were free I just
had to dig them out of someone's yard that didn't
want them. She saw my baby trees and wanted to know
what they were, I said I think they were pear trees.
I got them from Lowes last year unmarked for $1.50 each.
You see how much I save by going to yard sales.
Why pay full price for something when you don't have to???

Sooooo....
You can live very cheaply and fit in like
the rest. No one knows any different if you
paid full price for something , got it cheap
or even free! And that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

5-27-10

Still looking at Summer time recipes.
I think I've made this one before.

Heavenly Filled Strawberries

This would be good for a cookout or a party.
You could fill a ziploc baggie with cream
cheese mixture and snip the corner of the bottom
of the bag to pipe the cream cheese into the
strawberries.
You could also use vanilla in place of the
almond extract.
This recipe says it makes 36 servings
so you may want to half it for a small family.



Ingredients

* 1 pound fresh strawberries
* 2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
* Grated chocolate

Directions

* Remove stems from strawberries; cut a deep "X" in the tip of each berry. Gently spread berries open.
* In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and extract until light and fluffy. Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons into each berry; sprinkle with chocolate. Chill until serving. Yield: about 3 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 filled strawberry (calculated without chocolate) equals 41 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 26 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1/2 fat.

___________________________________________________

Mom wanted to go thrift store shopping this morning
and I wanted to stop back in Kroger.
Why is it these stores have to be so cold
icicles could have hung from the ceiling.
I froze my butt off in Kroger and Goodwill!!!

At thrift store #1 I found the boys each
a pair of swim trunks and me some bras for
.99 cents each.
Then the second thrift store had a sale
if you bought 4 children's clothing
it was $1.99 for all 4 so I bought
the boys some more shorts.

I've been doing good with thrift stores,
yard sales and flea markets with only
buying things that we need. I have been
known to get carried away so have been
getting better.

Last stop was Kroger on Olentangy. I hadn't
been in there for awhile to see what kind
of mark downs they had. Plus I wanted
some strawberries and pineapple to make
my desserts.

I picked up more pepsi 2 liters while
I could get them for .38 cents a bottle.
While I haven't used coupons in awhile
(other than for pop) I still try to
find the best deals.
My mark down deals I found there...

8 pack Kroger Jumbo Biscuits
.50 cents each



Chunky Soup
Reg. $1.85
paid .89 cents
These will come in handy for a few of
Tony's lunches for work.



Canned pickled beats
Reg. .79 cents
paid .39 cents each
I use these to make pickled eggs.



Canned mushrooms
reg. .58 cents
paid .29 cents

Big K 2 liter Fruit Punch
Reg. .68 cents
paid .39 cents
Will use this to make more sorbet.

Van Kamp's Pork & Beans
reg. .75 cents
paid .39 cents
Christopher's favorite.



___________________________________________________

Tonight's supper

Meal
Tortilla Roll Ups
-cream cheese and dry ranch dressing,
ham slices, cheese slices and wheat tortillas.
-side of baked beans

Dessert
Grilled Pineapple Butterscotch Sundaes


___________________________________________________

Tomorrow's Supper

Meal
Oven-Fried Picnic Chicken- from Betty Crocker
with a side of chicken pasta salad leftover
from Tuesday's supper.

Dessert
Strawberries stuffed with cream cheese filling.

And of course I have to tweak it to what I have on hand.
My tweaks will be noted, lol. I will need
to halve this recipe like the rest.
I have no need to make up 8 chicken breasts
for a family of 4!
No buttermilk?
Add vinegar or lemon juice
to milk.
No cornflakes?
You could use bread crumbs,
potato chips or dry mashed potato flakes.
Moister chicken?
Allow it to marinade overnight in
the buttermilk.
OR
marinade chicken in ranch or Italian dressing.





2/3 cup buttermilk
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 1/2 lb)
1 cup Country® Corn Flakes cereal
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix or Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 packages (1 oz each) ranch dressing mix (dry)
Cooking spray

1.
Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2.
Pour buttermilk into shallow glass or plastic bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat. Let stand 5 minutes.
3.
Meanwhile, in 2-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag, crush cereal with rolling pin. Add Bisquick mix and dressing mix (dry) to cereal in bag. Remove chicken from buttermilk; discard buttermilk. Add chicken to cereal mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat.
4.
Place chicken on cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 85mg; Sodium 860mg; Total Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 4g); Protein 34g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 15%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1

___________________________________________________

I'm going to do something a little different this evening.
Growing up I have always had blonde hair but after
having Jonathan my hair turned a brownish color
and I've had to use hair coloring to keep my
blonde hair. My hair grows fast so it gets annoying
having to color constantly because of dark roots.
So tonight I bought a Golden Mahogany Brown.
(chocolate caramel)
It looks like a brown with slight reddish highlights.
I'm sure it will turn out lighter than what the front
of the box shows because my hair is a lighter blonde.

Here's a tip for ya, don't let hubby choose a hair
color for ya. Did this once and only once!
He chose a red. Not an ordinary red either.
The kids called it ROCK STAR RED!







___________________________________________________

HOUSEHOLD TIPS

80 WAYS TO USE AVON'S SKIN SO SOFT BATH OIL

SKIN SO SOFT BATH OIL USES:

PERSONAL USES:
1. It's a bath oil and after shower moisturizer.
2. It can be used to remove makeup.
3. Great tanning oil (no sunscreen).
4. Hot oil treatment to soften cuticles.
5. Great massage oil for tired muscles.
6. Cleans off tape marks left from bandages on skin.
7. Cleans ink off the skin.
8. Insect repellent.
9. Helps relieve itching caused by dry skin.
10. Cleans oil and grease off of skin.
11. Painting something? Use Skin-So-Soft to remove paint from the hands. (Instead of turpentine).
12. It soothes light sunburn.
13. Rub hands with it before washing, it helps get them cleaner.
14. Rub on dry, cracked skin....helps heal skin in 2-3 days.
15. Put 1-2 caps full in liquid soap and use it for shaving legs and under arms. Helps razor glide and leaves skin feeling smooth.
16. Pour a little into your Foot Saver to help moisturize your feet while you relax them.
17. It removes chewing gum from hair, skin, and most non-pour us surfaces.
18. Cleans permanent ink off stamps.
19. SSS Original Bath Oil works GREAT on Head Lice!!!!! Saturate head and let it set for 15 minutes. Then rinse under an outdoor faucet, but the lice were gone!!!!!!! Of course shampoo hair a couple of times to get the oil out, but the lice were gone and stayed gone!
20. It kills ants instantly.
21. Spray on skin to relieve dry itching skin. Helps skin retain it's elasticity.
22. Wash hair with shampoo and conditioner like always and after it dries....Use about the size of a dime of SSS and rub it in your hair. It goes straight in and leaves hair as shiny as the ads on TV, not greasy at all, just soft and shiny.
23. Use bath oil towelettes -- cover window sill with towelettes to keep ants out.
24. (LICE) Sometimes, using a bath oil, like Avon's Skin So Soft, will work to loosen the glue which holds the nits to the hair. There is a product called Neon Nits, which when sprayed on the hair, will highlight the nits so you can see them to then snip them out with a small scissors.
25. This is to let you readers known about something that helped me for a mild case of psoriasis on my elbows. My internist recommended that I try Avon's Skin-So-Soft bath oil spray. I did and it eliminated the psoriasis on my elbows.
26. Bath use, fill bath with water and a little skin so soft, very relaxing and gets rid of dry skin.

HOUSEHOLD USES:
1. Sponge it around doors, windows, and on screens to keep crawling bugs out.
2. It's a good wood cleaner and conditioner for natural wood.
3. It removes glue and gum left from price tags and labels from glass, metals, and most plastics.
4. It removes soap scum from shower doors and curtains, and bathroom and kitchen figures.
5. It removes lime and hard water deposits from fixtures, tile, shower doors and windows.
6. It's an oil lubricant for fitting pipe joints that won't slip together.
7. It cleans ink off most vinyl and painted surfaces.
8. It cleans heavy oil and grease from non-porous surfaces.
9. It takes fur off of clothing.
10. Rub on brass ornaments or figurines to help keep them from turning dark.
11. Removes crayon from appliances and most painted surfaces.
12. Wash cupboards with it mixed in your cleaning water to keep ants off and out of the cupboards.
13. Use it to discourage hornets from building their nests. After using a hornet killing spray, remove the nest and keep the area sprayed with SSS. They will not rebuild there.
14. Use it to clean leather, it will also keep it soft and supple.
15. Use it on your air conditioning screen (filter)--your incoming air will smell fresher and the filter is easier to clean.
16. Rub all over window sills to keep ants out.
17. It cleans paint brushes easily and leaves them soft as new.
18. It removes gum from carpets.
19. It removes scuff marks from patent leather shoes.
20. Use it on running rails for sliding glass doors and windows.
21. It removes "ring around the collar".
22. It removes liquid nail (paneling glue).
23. Two glass bowls or glasses stuck together? Drizzle a little S.S.S down the sides and they'll come apart easily.
24. It removes candle wax from furniture, carpets and clothing.
25. Hummingbird Feeders: To deter bees try rubbing SSS on the feeder surface by the feeder ports.
26. Maggots too!! You squirted SSS in can and lid, then later flushed with soapy water, you shouldn't have any bugs in cans rest of summer!!!
27. It is a great furniture polish!
28. Ok, we have a new use for SSS bath oil. Put it in one of the bottle that you attach to your backyard hose and then spray down the back yard! Will cut down on ants, mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies.
29. People around the outskirts of Eureka and surrounding areas (and sometimes in town) spray it on their rose bushes to keep the deer from eating them, and at the cemeteries on the flowers they put out there for the same reason.
30. Kills spiders.
31. It cuts grease and cleans dirt from range hoods.
32. Add a capful to wash water of clothes...acts as a fabric softener and keeps the bugs off clothes.
33. Spray on orchids and other flowers for moisture and to keep bugs away.
34. Cleans baseball caps. Just spray on and rub with toothbrush.
35. SSS I used this recipe mix one part SSS and 2 parts water on my tomato plants and kept those ugly old tomato worms off. I think that adding the vinegar would be fine too and would be nice not to have to shake the spray bottle all the time. I sprayed my plants about every 2 or 3 days. Worked grand!! Too late for most this year, but file this for next.
36. SSS bath oil also does a great job cleaning cherry wood cabinets.
37. Put a little in your mopping water to help keep crawling bugs out. (Not too much or the floor gets slippery.)
38. Use to clean windows.
39. Removes crayon from most surfaces.
40. It's a great insect repellent (or you can use Bug Guard, the actual SSS repellent)
41. Screens can be lightly sprayed with Avon "Skin-So-Soft" to repel no-see-'ums and tiny gnats that otherwise might slip though the screens.
42. Another use for SSS is it will kill those pesky earwigs. Spray it on & they don't return to life.
43. Also if you ever make candles, use clear wax and melt put skin so soft in it and harden works great for out side in the summer.
44. As a deodorizer, spray into air and let settle, kills those nasty pet orders.
45. Kids rooms if a child wets the bed, spray the bedding and sheets before washing and will give it a fresh clean smell.
46. To keep bugs away from patio so got one of the liquid oil burners ( I got mine from the body shop in the mall but I think some of the Dollar Stores have them) and I poured about a cap full into the burner and stuck it outside. It worked sooooo well. I personally hate the smell of the regular bug candles, however, this made my whole back yard smell wonderful.

ANIMAL USES:
1. It's a great insect repellent for your pet. (as recommended in "Outdoor Life" and "Field and Stream")
2. Mix 5 parts water, 1 part SSS and mist on animals. Brushing it in makes their coats gleam and keeps insects off so the animals don't fidget in the show ring.
3. Mix in your pet's bath water. It takes the fleas off of them.....and in between spray them with the same mixture as in #2 to help keep them off.
4. Rub on your hands before and after working with your pets and farm animals. It will remove the strong smells.
5. Black Fly Spray For Dogs: Use as a spray or a dip. 1 cup SSS, 1/2 cup liquid detergent and 3 gallons of water.
6. For dog's dry skin mix 1 tablespoon of SSS per gallon of water and use as an after bath rinse. Or spritz your pet's coat once per week.
7. If your dog should get tar or asphalt on the pads of their feet rub on SSS and then wipe off.
8. Flea Bath: Use a flea and tick shampoo. Rinse, rinse, rinse so no soap residue is left. Follow with final rinse of 2 gallons of water mixed with flea dip and 1 capful of SSS. The SSS helps replace the oils lost in bathing and has the added benefit of repelling insects.
9. Flea Repellent: Avon's Skin So Soft Bath Oil. 1-1/2 ounces per gallon of water; used as a sponge-on dip (or as a spritz) has been tested and proven to have significant, but not complete, flea-repellent activity for a 6-day period. It should help those dry coats, too.
10. Does anyone use the Avon Skin So Soft bath oil on their chows? I have begun using it on Chancey and it has done wonders for her skin. Like, many chows, she has very dry and flaky skin, especially for being black. Since I started using that product, her dandruff and itchiness has improved tremendously and her hair has become shiny and smooth. It also serves as a great flea and tick protector. I use it about twice a month and I just spray it on her. I really like it.
11. I use the following on my horses and on my dogs when necessary.
1 cup Avon Skin So Soft bath oil 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup (or more) water 5 cc of essential oil of citronella (from the health food store NOT the type you burn to keep insects away that is available in a drug store) Mix in a spray bottle. Straight SSS works well for mosquitoes too but really makes your dog greasy.
12. (Barns) Use of an inexpensive fly control spray or a diluted mix of Avon Skin-So-Soft in water can be sprayed on barn walls and floor to discourage insects from hanging around or to eliminate them before putting in the new bedding. As time permits, and if you can keep your goats out of the barn for a few hours - let the barn stand and air out before re-filling with bedding.
13. Rub on your hands before and after working with pets and farm animals, takes away pet odor.
14. AVON'S SKIN-SO-SOFT bath oil massaged directly into the skin of your Rottweiler acts not only as a successful repellant and makes their dogs smell good but helps prevent drying and itchy skin.
15. A natural way to help cats with flea problems and flea allergies is to rub Skin So Soft into the skin. Once a bug, always a bug. Fleas don't like it either! Spread the word!
16. Cats: SSS IS SAFE FOR FUR LICKING -------The SSS plus is safe as long as it is the one without sunscreen.
17. Don't overuse the SSS. I just use the lotion, and rub it into the skin, not more than every few days. My cat's sensitive and we're being careful. Common sense is the rule. Sprinkling Yeast on the cat food helps, too. My cat's fur is medium-length; he's part Persian, and he's doing fine, no ill effects from the SSS. You can check with your vet to be sure if it's okay...
SKIN-SO-SOFT USES FOR HORSES
1. SSS can be used as a hoof polish. This will put a nice shine to the hoof without drying it. The farrier's wife will appreciate this one!
2. SSS can be used as a muzzle, eye, and ear enhancer. Generally we used baby oil but it was so messy. I tried SSS and it works great and still helps keep bugs away.

3. I have a show mare that has allergies and also gets dry skin very easily so I started giving her baths in SSS. What I do is bathe her like normal and then I put a capful of SSS in a 5 gallon bucket of warm water and sponge this all over her. Her hair coat dries silky soft and she quits itching. Works for her.
4. The bug guard towelletes we had last summer work great on the horse's ears and around their eyes.
5. When I have to band (braid) their manes I use the Techniques Oil Sheen. It seems to help hold the braids a lot better and they don't try to rub them out.
6. The dry end serum works great in their tails as a detangler. Everything I have mentioned here I use faithfully on our show horses. The products are a heck of a lot cheaper than actual horse products. People see me using these products at the horse shows and start inquiring about them. I usually let them take my bottles and try them on their horses at the show which usually ends up in a sale for me.

AUTOMOBILE USES:
1. It removes tar spots from the car without damage to the paint.
2. Use it to clean vinyl dashboards, seats, and tops. It not only cleans, but keeps it soft and helps to prevent any cracking.
3. After washing your car, use it as a tire dressing to keep them looking like new.
4. Put some on a small washcloth and leave in the car to help keep the air fresh and clean.
5. Wipe down vinyl surfaces inside your car. Cleans nicely and removes smoke odors left by cigarette smokers.
6. It gently cleans heavy grease and oil from skin and non-porous surfaces (great for Mechanic's Hands).
7. It removes tree sap.
8. Prior to traveling...rub SSS on headlights and grill. It makes insects and bugs easier to remove.
9. Shines vehicle tires
10. Open a towlette and use as an automotive air freshener.

*Skin-So-Soft bath oil is approved by the FDA/CDA only as a bath oil. This list of uses comes from customers. Avon makes no claims of these uses, nor have they.

5-26-10

I went to the Taste Of Home's web site
and read reviews about the tortillas I
posted yesterday. Out of 9 reviews they
were all bad saying the dough was too sticky
so now I am looking for another recipe to try.
This one is from allrecipes.

FLOUR TORTILLAS
makes 12
this had 139 reviews
and they gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon lard (use maybe shortening)
3/4 cup water

1. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

---------------------------------------------------



Tortilla roll ups are a great Summer time food.
I used to make them to take for baseball games
and the race track. Easy to transport and
easy to keep chilled in the cooler.

Ingredients

* 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
(I used one 8 ounce package)
* 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
* 3 green onions, chopped
(I think I used a little dry onion soup mix instead)
* 11 flour tortillas (8 inches)
* 22 thin slices deli ham
(the ham I used wasn't thin sliced. I found
ham slices at Aldi's that was a little thicker
so that would reduce the amount of ham slices needed)

You could half the recipe like I did.
And I didn't cut the roll ups into slices.
We ate them whole.
Lettuce leaves on the roll ups
would be good also.
I also think I added a little ranch dressing
to the cream cheese mix the last time I made
it along with the dry ranch mix to thin it
out a little to make more spreadable.

Directions

* In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and salad dressing mix until smooth. Stir in onions. Spread about 3 tablespoons over each tortilla; top each with two ham slices.
* Roll up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm. Unwrap and cut into 3/4-in. slices. Yield: about 7-1/2 dozen.

___________________________________________________

Garden is looking good except for pesky ants!!

They seem to be coming out in full force everywhere.
They were even at the bus stop this morning down
the street. They were swarming all over the sidewalk.
Sure was a way to keep all the boys entertained
while waiting for the bus.

I would like to keep the garden as natural as possible
but at the same time if my home remedies don't work
I don't want to see my garden dwindle down to nothing
because of bugs! At the moment I am trying a mix
of corn meal and cinnamon. Ants are supposed to
take the cornmeal back to their nests and
it is toxic to them to eat.
I'm thinking about getting some ant killer
to put down over the yard. Never tried it
before but it's becoming a problem.
There are ant hills everywhere.
I don't know anything about this stuff
so if anyone has any input with using
stuff like this I would like to hear from you.
It needs to be safe around flowers, trees,
gardens, fruits, animals and people.




This morning I also tried to repair a couple
leaks in the water barrels pipes. I used
Mighty Putty that you're supposed to be able
to put over wet surfaces. Well let me tell ya
it wasn't as easy as it sounded. I had a hard
time getting it to stick. I'll have to check
it out the next time it rains.

Stopped in Kroger this morning.
Needed pop and milk.
Got Pepsi 2 liter bottles for .38 cents
each with coupons and sale.
They had a special on On-Cor entrees
for $1.99 compared to $3 to $4.
I got 3 of them for those nights
when I don't feel like standing in
the kitchen cooking.
Also got some cream cheese, ham and
dry ranch dressing to make up some
tortilla roll ups. Will try to make
my own tortillas to save some money.


____________________________________________________



My 2 Cents for today.

I get a call that Jonathan wasn't allowed to
ride the bus home this afternoon.
I guess he was sticking up for his brother
on the bus which was getting picked on by another kid.
Anyway I find out Christopher rode the bus home.
Soooo...
When I got to the school I asked them this
question below and got the answer "I don't know!"

If I was asked to come to the school to pick
up my son then why in the world did you leave
my other son on the bus???
If I am in the car, coming to the school,
who is home to get my other son????

Think about that one and people wonder why
Columbus Public Schools do the things they do.

I guess it is more important safety issue
to smack someone upside the head because of
someone bullying someone else than it is
to have someone home to watch over your
other child.

You start to wonder about bus drivers and schools.
Hell look at the one school in Hilliard that put
junior high students on the bus to go on a trip
to I think it was King's Island, or wherever it was,
and the bus driver was drunk and crashed!!!
Then come to find out this bus company
was suspended from being able to use buses
because they hadn't shown proof of insurance
to the school. DUH DUH DUH!!

Another incident that recently happened
at a Columbus School was that for some
reason a kid did not get on the bus in time.
Instead of calling the parent, the principal
put the kid in a car with another parent and child,
with whom this other child did not know,
and took them home. The mother was irate
about not calling her to come pick him up
and sending him home with a stranger.

Other bus drivers have been on dope, beat
kids up, crashed buses and the list goes on and on.
But when my kids get bullied and takes some
action because nothing is done about it,
they get kicked off the bus for the day.
SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!!!

I even asked the principal of the school
the same question and got the same answer,
I don't know.

___________________________________________________

7:30PM

This is the reason I love my 10x's zoom camera.
Get those up close shots of the kids playing
across and down the street without them knowing.








____________________________________________________

8:35PM

Sitting here browsing through my Taste Of Home
magazine before we head out to close up the pools
at Tony's work. He's on call this week and whoever
has the pager this time of year has to close all
three pools at 9pm.

Anyway I saw this canning recipe for



Zucchini Pickles #1

8 cups sliced zucchini
4 large onions, sliced
1 large green pepper, sliced
3 Tablespoons canning salt
1 quart white vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons ground tumeric
1 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions

* In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, onions and pepper; sprinkle with canning salt and cover with cold water. Let stand for 2 hours; rinse and drain.
* In a large saucepan, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil. Pour over zucchini mixture; cover and let stand for 2 hours.
* Transfer to a stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: 5 pints.

Nutrition Facts: 1/4 cup equals 31 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 237 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1/2 starch.

---------------------------------------------------

Zucchini Pickles #2

Ingredients

* 2 pounds firm fresh zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
* 2 small onions, sliced
* 1/4 cup canning salt
* 3 cups white vinegar
* 2 cups sugar
* 2 teaspoons mustard seed
* 1 teaspoon celery seed
* 1 teaspoon turmeric

Directions

* Combine zucchini and onions in a large bowl; sprinkle with canning salt and cover with cold water. Let stand for 2 hours; rinse and drain.
* In a large saucepan, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil. Pour over zucchini and onions; cover and let stand for 2 hours.
* Transfer to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Carefully pack hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 4 half-pints.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1/4 cup) equals 111 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 1,772 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein.
___________________________________________________

Had to go close a pool at Tony's work this evening.
I guess they only have one out of three pools
open at the moment. It's so much fun running people
out after dark and I'm saying that sarcastically.
Two girls in the pool had to be told about 4 times
the pool was closing. I finally got to the point
of going up and telling them they NEEDED TO GET OUT NOW!
They got out but moved slow as molasses getting
things rounded up. I finally made the comment
I was gonna light a fire under people's asses because
I didn't feel like being there all night.
What worries me about closing pools is telling
a bunch of drunks they have to leave.
We haven't had any problems yet, but other maintenance
guys have. If they don't leave then we will
call police to have them removed. It just worries
me because you know how college students can be
with getting drunk and partying.
___________________________________________________

Get outta here. Sitting here watching the 10PM
news on channel 28 about the Hilliard student
who drowned. I'll be damned if they didn't interview
my nephew, Tony's brother's son, who lives in Hilliard.
They didn't post his name but you know a face.
He goes to Hilliard Davison
High School and also plays football.
___________________________________________________


This sounded good for a Summer treat.
I have included what my variations would be.

Grilled Pineapple Butterscotch Sundaes



6 servings

Ingredients

* 2 fresh pineapples (can of pineapple slices)
* 6 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup butter, divided
* 2 tablespoons sugar (Splenda)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Dash salt
* 3 cups vanilla ice cream

Directions

* Peel, core and cut each pineapple into six spears. In a small saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons butter with sugar and nutmeg. Brush over pineapple. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally.

(my version: take pineapple slices and grill on
George Foreman)

* For sauce, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter. Stir in brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and salt. Serve sauce with ice cream and grilled pineapple. Yield: 6 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 2 pineapple spears with 1/2 cup ice cream and 3 tablespoons sauce equals 667 calories, 41 g fat (26 g saturated fat), 126 mg cholesterol, 264 mg sodium, 76 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.