5-21-10

Went to a few yard sales this morning.
The day started off with rain so thought
this day was not looking good.
It finally tapered off and even saw
a small break of sunshine amongst
all the clouds.

Started out by going to Bob Evans for
breakfast with me, mom and my step-dad.
We tried a different location this time
around in Westerville. After waiting
too long for our food and then receiving
it cold I headed to the cashier to complain.
We walked out with 3 free meals!!!

I'm not one for neighborhood yard sales
but that's about all I found today.
The reason is most people set out a table
with a couple items on it. What a waste of time!

I did find a church sale on the other side
of Hoover Dam.
About a year ago our cordless home phone
went missing. Never found the darn thing so
we had bought another one. I loved our other phone
since you could program it with different ringers
and sounds for different people who called in.
I would know who was calling without even looking
at the caller ID. Well today I found a brand new
phone just like the one we had for $3.
Ebay has them used for $40!

I got the boys a shoe box full of skateboard toys.
That seems to be the "in" thing at the moment.
There was 11 lil magnetized skater dudes,
9 skateboards and 6 ramps. Paid $3.00 for the box.

I figure these are collector items like cards
so I don't know if one figure might be worth
more than another about like Pokemon.

I did find this figure in the shoe box
and saw him alone for $20!

I have no clue when it comes to this stuff!



I finally found me a Swiffer for a buck.
I had all these bottles of Swiffer refills
that Tony brought me home from his work
that he found. I was going to make my
own Swiffer pads from microfiber towels
found at the Dollar Tree.
Once I go through the bottles of cleaner
then I'll reuse those and fill with
my own cleaner of choice.
Drill a hole in the top and either find
a stopper to plug it with or use
duct tape but make sure the surface is
dry when applying it.


Well I am off here to take a nap before
the weekend starts. Still a gloomy
looking day out and it makes you want to crawl back
into bed!

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It's Friday so it's pizza night. Woo hoo,
no cooking or baking tonight!
Might stop in the Dollar Tree to pick
up some microfiber towels/rags to work
on making some reusable pads for my Swiffer
and some pads for a dust mop I found for
.90 cents that has a swivel head. I plan
on using that to clean the bathtub and walls
with so I don't have to bend over.
Could also double as a cobweb remover.

My dust mop looks like the smaller
rounded one pictured here.






Don't remember if y'all recall seeing the
commercials for Clorox's BathWand.
They run $15 to $18 and then you have to
buy the disposable pads.
I'm trying to make my own for under $2.00.
.90 cents for swivel dust mop and $1.00
for microfiber towel that is reusable.
I'll post pics once I make them.
Right now pizza is calling and we are getting ready
to leave :0P

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Never a weekend, it seems, that we can sleep in.
Going tomorrow morning with Tony to get this
paint job done and to help out.

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8:30PM

Got my cleaning pads made. Not the prettiest, but
hey they aren't to impress but to clean after all.

I also used an old towel on some parts of my
pads. The microfiber part is the part that
cleans the surfaces though.

Floors are yucky with all this rain!

5-20-10

This morning started off foggy, literally.



Found a few garage sales this morning.
Didn't buy much, an outdoor frog statue
for a buck and a hair coloring for .25 cents.
I think it's unusual finding yard sales
on Thursdays but I'm seeing more and more of them.

At least the sun is shining today
and it's not raining.
Went out to inspect the garden this morning.
I thought onions would keep squirrels out.
WRONG. They are digging some of the bulbs up!

Ok back to reading about keeping squirrels out.
And here are some more ideas. This will look
like FORT LEE GARDEN by the time I am done
with barricading it from critters!!




I got the little pinwheels in the garden this
morning so maybe that will help.

Thinking maybe also about cleaning
my brush out and putting my hair
or hair clippings from hair cuts
around the garden. Human scent
might keep them out.

Fake snake.

Someone stated they eat your garden plants
because they are thirsty so put out a bird
bath for them to drink from.

Use hot pepper. Buy a container of ground cayenne pepper in the spice section at your local dollar store. Sprinkle it all over the plants and also all along the top of the soil and around the base of the stems. The squirrels can't stand the smell and it makes them sneeze.
Unfortunately, when using this method, you'll have to re-apply the pepper after heavy wind and rains.

Marigolds.

Used cat litter.

Moth balls.

Make a spray by soaking several cut up jalapeño peppers in water and vinegar in a spray bottle. This was used to spray the perimeter of the garden to keep squirrels out.

Coffee Grounds.

Cover plants soil with old garlic cloves cut and chopped THEY HATE THE SMELL OF THEM.

Hang rags soaked in vinegar and stapled onto small wooden stakes or dowels near you plants. Most rodents hate the smell even when dry. Re-soak each rag in about a week.

You can also mix up some regular cheap liquid soap with some ground red hot chili pepper powder and pour that around the base of your tomato plants.

Got a dog? Then when you sweep up their dog hairs when you brush them, do not throw the dog hair in the garbage. Simply sprinkle it around your tomato plants and that will also work.

* 1 1/2 Gallons of Water
* 8 Caps of Murphy's Oil Soap
* 3 Tablespoons of Cayenne Pepper
Get a large container that you can put 1 1/2 gallons of water in. If you can't find one, just simply use a milk jug.
Once you have your water, add in the Murphy's oil soap and pepper. Be careful when adding the pepper as the wind may blow it towards your eyes if you're doing this out.
Once you have all of the ingredients mixed together, shake up the jug and pour into a bottle with a spray attachment. Proceed to spray the mixture all over your plants and even the soil. This will not hurt the plants, the goal is to keep the squirrels and other animals away.

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Today I made Pop Sorbet.

I mixed a can of sweetened condensed milk
with 2 1/2 cups of Big K Strawberry Kiwi
in a large butter bowl with lid.
I then poured more "pop" in until it
was an inch or two from the top of the bowl
and stirred some more. I just popped it in
the freezer. I'll stir it every couple of
hours to keep ice crystals from forming.

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Today I bought 12 half pint canning jars.
So I see some kool aid and juice jelly in the
near future. The jars I had were just too big
to go through that much jelly at once so
needed some smaller jars.

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I am currently trying the dog hair method in
the garden to keep squirrels out.
I took the dog outside and combed her all over
to the point of her drooling.
My thanks for that, pissing on the carpet
and getting into the bathroom trash can
leaving a mess!!
Dog is now back to being confined to the kitchen!!

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Supper- Stuffed Pork with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

What I thought was chicken breasts is I think
boneless pork ribs.

I pounded them out flat with a mallot.
Then made up some stuffing.
Starting at one end of the pork chop
I put a squished up ball of stuffing
then rolled up the pork.
I then rolled the pork in a mixture
of a beaten egg and Italian dressing.
Then rolled in Italian bread crumbs.

I then took a can of cream of chicken
and mixed it with cream and milk.
Poured some over top the pork and
along the sides.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese, garlic
and sea salt grinder and pepper on top.

Serve with mashed potatoes.
Pour gravy on top.

YUMMY!

It is now in the oven at 375 degrees.

Here it is just going into the oven.



And here it is just before going into tummy.



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Went out to Blacklick this evening to pick
up a Trans Am hood and a couple tires and rims.
On the way back we stopped in Speedway to get
the boys each a slushie. I noticed on their
2 liter bottles of Pepsi there is a .50 cent
coupon off the purchase of 2 bottles.
I snatched a few.

At Kroger this week if you buy 6 bottles
of Pepsi 2 liters they are .84 cents each.
.84 cents times 6 is $5.04
use 3 of the above coupons doubled to make
all 6 bottles $2.04 or .34 cents each!!

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Just my 2 cents...

I see that Scioto Downs horse track is in jeopardy
of possibly closing in the near future.

So if this is a place to go and bet on horses
and it's not doing so well,
what makes the city think it can bring a
Casino in. We are still not out of the recession
and bringing in a casino to me is not the answer.
Just spells out Trouble with a capital "T"!
If people are losing jobs, business closing down
and people can't afford their
homes and bills, what makes them think they can
afford to blow money on slot machines and what not.

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Well I think we have decided where we are going on
vacation, Hocking Hills with Old Man's Cave,
Lake Logan, Lake Hope, Cedar Falls and so on.
It's a place we love
and have vacationed there a couple times before.
They were really quick with getting out the
free Hocking Hills Guide. Only took a day or two
to get. I think we'll stay in the same hotel
as before in Logan. We did camping in a tent
one time and a hotel the other.

For those that are unfamiliar with
Hocking Hills here are a few photos
to show you what it is all about.

OLD MAN'S CAVE



LAKE HOPE



LAKE LOGAN



CEDAR FALLS



ASH CAVE



CONKLE'S HOLLOW




ROCK HOUSE



ROCK BRIDGE

5-19-10

Yesterday we went shoe shopping for Christopher.
We stopped in AJ Wright which we haven't been in before.
We didn't find any shoes for him there but I had
a pair of shoes jump out at me. They were quite
noticeable as they looked like something a giant wore.
I don't think we had ever seen a size 20 shoe before.
If you picture the length from your elbow to the
tips of your fingers that's how long these shoes were!!

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1:15PM

It's been a fun morning.

Kept Jonathan home from
school. He has had a cough for about the last week and
a half. No nose drainage, no fever or other complaints.
So I took him over to Urgent Care in Dublin due to
his barking cough which he even had in his sleep.
They did a strep test which came back negative
and an xray to look for signs of pneumonia which
also came back clear. She said his throat was red
and inflamed along with his right ear. She said
he had bronchitis and put him on amoxicillin.
She is also keeping him out of school until
next Monday because she said his bronchitis
was contagious and it would take a couple days
for the medicine to get into his system to start
working.
I did not know bronchitis was contagious but I guess
some forms of it are as it is a viral infection.

We did some other running this morning
to return a pair of shoes I bought yesterday
at Walmart that didn't fit Christopher.
I went to the one on Bethel instead of Morse.
With that money from those one pair of shoes
I bought Tony a pair and found another pair
for Jonathan on a clearance for $7.00.
Mom also bought 2 more pairs of shoes for
the boys since they were only $7.00 a pair
that way we had them.
I also went ahead and bought Tony's Father's
Day gift. I don't think I ever have bought
a brand new dvd before but Tony really
liked the movie Avatar so I got it for him.

Before coming home we stopped by Sprint which
was finally open, yeah. They didn't understand
why we didn't get our rebate and are looking into
it. They are supposed to give us a call about it soon
to let us know what is going on.

And that's about it for now. I think me
and Jonathan's gonna lay down for a lil nap.
I haven't felt the greatest myself. My back
is still spasming and my head feels congested
with a slight headache. Still no energy.

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KOOL AID JELLY
(POOR MAN'S JELLY)

A quick jelly recipe with many flavors, how about Watermelon Kiwi or Arctic Green Apple, Black Cherry, yum, to name a few.



1 (1/4 ounce) package Kool-Aid, any flavor (no sugar added*)
1 (1 3/4 ounce) package sure-jell pectin
3 cups granulated sugar
3 cups water

* Mix water, Sure-Jell and Kool-Aid together.
* Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
* Stir in sugar.
* Stir and bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
* Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
* Remove from heat.
* Quickly skim off foam with a large metal spoon.
* Pour into jelly glasses and seal.

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People go a little overboard with their pets.
Yesterday when checking out at Meijer I turned
around and this lady was carrying her dog around
the store in a sling like a baby about like this
picture below. I didn't think animals were allowed
in stores unless they were helping the disabled!!

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While rummaging around the freezer I found
some chicken breasts. So I got to thinking,
what can I make with these?

So here is what I will be making...



Chicken Breast With Stuffing

Here's a delightfully delicious chicken breast with stuffing recipe that is easy to make and oh so delicious. If you like chicken and stuffing you may just find that you have just discovered the ultimate chicken and stuffing recipe.

You will want to have 8 chicken breast half's that are boneless and skinless. Place plastic wrap over your chicken breast and beat flat with a kitchen hammer.

Now you will want to take a box of stove top stuffing and make it in a bowl according to package directions and set aside. Place a spoon of the dressing at the center of each chicken breast and roll up like in above photo. Place your rolled up chicken breast into a casserole dish that you have sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.Sprinkle your chicken breasts with dried parsley.

Now you will want to mix the below in a mixing bowl.

1. 1 Can Cream Of Chicken Soup.

2. 1 Can Cream Of Celery Soup.

3. 2 Cups Heavy Cream.

Mix together well and pour over your chicken breast in the casserole dish. Cover the casserole dish with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees and then remove the tin foil. Bake for 10 minutes uncovered to allow to brown the dish some. This dish makes its own delicious gravy and your dressing is inside each rolled up chicken breast.

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Still not feeling up to par. Drained is pretty
much how I feel. Tony is working at a side job
tonight painting so won't be home til about 9-9:30pm.

I look around the house thinking man I have so much
that needs done! Where am I going to find the energy
to do it all? I take vitamins, have my caffeine and
still nothing. Maybe I could use a little sunlight
since it's been nothing but rain these past couple
of days.

I was going to make juice jelly this evening and
got as far as getting everything out, staring
at it all, then putting it all away.

I've been wanting to also make English Muffin
bread but have yet to do it. I just sit
and stare at the recipe torn from a magazine.

Soooo I just sit here. I don't know if it's allergies
or sinuses making me feel this way.
In the past week before the rain the cottonwood
trees were loosing all these little white
fluffies everywhere. Looked like it was snowing.
Those things tear my allergies up so I'm thinking
I should point the finger at them.
I'll be glad when all this crap is over with.

Tony said today he's taking vacation about
the second week of June, when it's not so hot out.
July and August are not times I want to
take vacation.
I'm trying to figure out what to do and where
to go. I'd like to go somewhere out of town
and get a hotel room for a night or two
to get away from here for a couple days.
I got a AAA book at a yard sale so am
checking things out in there also.

I've been checking out Discover Ohio.
They even have a free booklet you can send away for.

Here's some ideas I have...

Piatt Castles

Ohio Caverns


Entertrainment Junction
VIDEO

Somewhere to do some fishing.

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7:50PM

Decided to try and move around a little bit.
Got Jonathan's room tidied up somewhat.
Then I headed out to the garden and gave
all the veggies a dose of Miracle Grow.
Then I got some peas that finally sprouted planted.

Ok time to go get some Ibuprofen as I am
starting to get blurred vision which
usually means a migraine headache is coming
soon if I don't pop a few pills.


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30 Secret Household Cleansers (You already own)
from All You magazine.

Eliminate odors

Try coffee grounds to keep your refrigerator smelling nice and fresh, just as you do with an open box of baking soda. Place them, new or used, in a bowl and remember to replace them every month or two.

Wash the dishwasher

To clean the inside of your dishwasher, fill the detergent cups with whichever one of these four products you have on hand: ½ cup white vinegar or a few tablespoons of powdered laundry bleach, Tang or lemon-flavored Kool-Aid (lemon is the only flavor that works). Then run the empty machine through a complete cycle.

Chill out

Use ice to cleanse the blades in your garbage disposal and break up the grease that collects on the rotors. Every few weeks, toss in a handful of cubes, turn on the disposal and run cold water. Add some orange, lemon or lime peels to ward off odors.

Soften up grease

Get baked-on foods off pots and pans with a dryer sheet. Just place one in a pot, fill with water and let sit overnight, then sponge off the next morning. The antistatic agent weakens the bond between the stuck-on food and the surface of the pan, while the fabric softener works its loosening magic.


Absorb grime

Cover the bottom of your trash can with old newspapers. It's an easy way to keep clean and soaks up leaks and odors.


Wipe away scuffs

Make scuffs on vinyl flooring disappear by applying a little baking soda with a damp sponge.

Zap bacteria

To keep bacteria from taking up permanent residence in your kitchen sponges, rinse them with water at the end of each day, squeeze, then put in the microwave for three minutes. Let cool before touching. Do the same with your cutting boards, if they are microwaveable.

Bring back the bling

Polish tarnished copper with this natural solution: Fill a 16-ounce spray bottle with white vinegar and 3 tablespoons of salt. Spray onto the copper, let sit briefly, then rub clean.

Use a substitute

Try Listerine mouthwash if you’re out of floor cleaner. Add a capful to a gallon of water and mop vinyl or tile—but not wood—floors with the mixture. The same product that kills bad-breath germs also zaps the gunk beneath your feet.

Scrubbing bubbles

Freshen the toilet bowl with effervescent tablets (denture or antacid) in between scourings. Drop two in the water, let soak for at least 20 minutes, then brush and flush. A can of cola dumped in for one hour also does the trick. The phosphoric acid in the beverage removes rust rings and other mineral deposits.

Shine on

Get rid of lime buildup on sinks by soaking an old rag in vinegar, then wrapping it around the faucet and clasping with a hair clip. Let sit for an hour, then take off rag and dry faucet.

Practice your swing

Wrap a microfiber cloth over the bristles of a regular broom or around the end of a golf club, secure it with a rubber band and use to get rid of cobwebs or dust in hard-to-reach places.

Erase every trace

Did your child use the painted walls as a canvas? Mist them with hairspray and wipe immediately to remove colored marker. For crayon, scrub with a toothpaste-covered toothbrush, or gently massage with baking soda and a damp microfiber cloth.

5-18-10

Went to Sprint this morning for the second
day in a row. Their sign says they open at
10am. Well we were there at 10am or a little
after and they weren't open. Will keep trying!

It is raining once again.
While it makes for a yucky and cloudy day
it means I don't have to water the garden.

The rain has helped and I'm seeing some pretty
quick growth with some of the veggies.

So here's growth comparison with some veggies.
My garden diary.

ZUCCHINI BEFORE 5-16-10



ZUCCHINI 2 DAYS LATER 5-18-10




WAX BEANS BEFORE 5-16-10



WAX BEANS 2 DAYS LATER 5-18-10



ONION BULBS COMING UP 5 DAYS AFTER PLANTING



PEAR TREE 5-18-10



ENCHANTED ROSE ZINNIAS 5-10-10




ENCHANTED ROSE ZINNIAS 8 DAYS LATER



CRACKERJACK MARIGOLDS 5-10-10



CRACKERJACK MARIGOLDS 8 DAYS LATER




LARGE CHERRY & DELICIOUS TOMATO 5-10-10




LARGE CHERRY & DELICIOUS TOMATO 8 DAYS LATER



STRAWBERRY PLANTS WITH DEW




BLACKBERRY & RASPBERRY PLANTS
STILL NEED TO FIND A SPOT TO PLANT THEM.



A COUPLE MORNING GLORIES.
THESE ARE ONES THAT CAME BACK FROM LAST YEAR.



GERANIUMS I PLANTED THIS PAST WEEKEND.




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Here's an easy recipe to make sorbet or even
frozen pops with.

1 (20 oz.) bottle beverage - orange soda pop or non-carbonated fruit drink
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk

You could also add a can of fruit to this.


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I don't know why but schools are now having
photos taken at the end of the year.
I will buy them at the beginning of the school
year but don't feel the need to purchase
another set at the end of the school year.
It's just too expensive. So this is as good as it gets.









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Summertime is the best time to stock up on fruits
and vegetables when prices are lower.
I look for ways to preserve food to enjoy
year round. I might give this
freezing corn on the cob thing a try.
Kroger has corn on the cob 10 for $2.00.
It would be nice to have some good corn on
the cob during the colder, Winter weather.
Ever bit into some crappy corn during the
off season, then you know what I am talking about.

Here's a good freezer guide to fruits
and vegetables from Woman's Day magazine.

Corn on the cob will keep in the freezer 8-12 months.

FREEZING CORN ON THE COB


This is the method I use to freeze summer's crop of corn on the cob, with this method you will have crispy corn kernels all year around --- I have stated 10 corn, you may of coarse make as many as you wish, but just boil as many as your pot will hold, if you are making a lot of corn you will have to do it in batches, to save time I shuck my corn the day or evening ahead and refrigerate --- you will need lots of ice for this so pick up a bag and also a large pot --- prep time does not include shucking the corn


Ingredients

* 10 corn on the cob, shucked and silks removed
* water
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* ice (lots of ice)

Directions


1
Have all you cobs of corn shucked and silks removed before starting this.

2
Pour ice into a large bowl then fill with very cold water; set aside on the counter near your stove.

3
Fill a large pot of water a little over half full.

4
Add in the sugar; bring to a full boil.

5
Add in as many cobs of corn that will fit into the pot without over crowding.

6
Bring the water up to a FULL boil again; cook the corn JUST until the cobs turn a darker yellow which will not take long (about 3 minutes) turning the cobs over in the water if necessary using long tongs to insure even cooking.

7
Just when the corn takes on a darker shade of yellow, using long tongs immediately plunge into the bowl of ice water and allow to sit until completely cooled.

8
Place the cobs onto a clean tea towel. to drain slightly.

9
Dry the outside of each cob slightly with a clean tea towel.

10
Wrap each cob individually in a piece of foil to prevent any freezer burn that might develop over the long freezing time.

11
Place the foil-wrapped cobs in a large bag, then freeze.

12
WHEN READY TO USE; remove as many cobs as you wish from the freezer place on the counter to thaw slightly (the corn does not have to be completely thawed).

13
To heat the corn; place 1 cob into a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 3-4 minutes or until completely heated through, turning the cob halfway through cooking time or for a more even heating place 1 cob of corn into a Glad Simply Cooking Microwave Steaming bag, seal and microwave for 3 minutes (I use the steaming bags to heat the corn).

14
The corn is now ready to eat and enjoy!

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MAIL CALL

Received a FREE Neti Pot today.