7-25-10

9:00AM

Yesterday at 8am it was already 84 degrees.
This morning it is 77 and feels like 77.
What a difference when compared to yesterday.
When the sun was setting it seemed like
kids came outside to play. It was still
very hot out. I had junior high age kids
playing basketball here and they were
sweating up a storm. I took out a gallon
of water from the cooler and some cups
for them. My $12 thrift store water cooler
has been the greatest thing this Summer!
We don't buy water for it. Instead we just
refill it with tap water.
Our truck driver neighbor had a little birthday
party for his one girl last night at most
neighborhood kids, including ours, went
and had cake and ice cream. The only problem
I had with it was that he waited all day and
ended up having kids over at 9PM!! I think
that's a tad late to be having a kids party
don't ya think?!

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

Sorry Kendra & Dewaine, I ended up falling
asleep last night before Wall to Wall Sports
came on. BUT I did dvr it so I wouldn't miss it.

Oh yeah gotta have some pics of y'all lookin'
like a deer caught in headlights! LOL!
Hey that's better than everyone telling
me I looked like Blair Witch when I was
on 10TV, LMAO!! But hey it was like 20 below
outside and I was having a cap on my head!
They zoomed in so close you could
see the pores on my face, ahhhh!



OK I better be nice, I still have the rest
of my fence to be done, LOL!
Y'all got more guts than I do
to go on tv!







__________________________________

$3:40PM

Just home from Kroger. Tony had to
pick up a prescription.
They had lots of sample ladies there
today :0)
While there I got the following:

2 packages 2 pound chicken breasts
$1.44 each

Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade Cups
.19 cents

Sweet Italian bread
.49 cents

Sweet Italian sub buns
$1.49

4 Mentos gums
$2.00 for 4

2 gallons milk
.99 cents each

Saw regular bread for .39 cents
but didn't get any.

Then we stopped by Speedway on the
way home and got 2 free 40 ounce
slushies.

On the way home the truck started
acting up. Tony thinks it's a
fowled out spark plug.
So there's more money to
spend to buy spark plugs
and hopefully that fixes the
problem. Bought a bottle of
Gumout to put in the tank.
I'm sick of spending money
on stuff. If they made things
they way they used to we
would have to kerplunk money
into things to get them repaired
or replaced!! Now a days things
are made cheaper with a higher
price tag on them!! Years
ago things were made to last.
Not now. They figured out how
they can make money off ya.

Don't know what was going on
around 315 & Henderson Rd today.
Saw the helicopter flying REALLY
low around where the bike path is
and just North of it along
Olentangy River. I thought
it was landing. Normally
you don't see the helicopter
in that area.

I think for awhile I'm gonna cut
back on grocery shopping as long
as money keeps flying out of this
house for one thing or another.
So unless it's dirt cheap or something
we really need, that's when I'll get it.

__________________________________

Today I spent cleaning the dining room
and vacuuming the floor. Then went
out and weeded out the garden.
I was a little behind with that.
But it looks good now and you can
see the veggies now, lol.



Tony putting in $40+ worth
of spark plugs in the truck.
Did not fix the problem of
running rough.





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I will keep this at the bottom of the page
so when you check back be sure to scroll up.

More jar and convenient mixes recipes:

CRISP IN A JAR

Note: I would let the jars thaw some
and come somewhat to room temperature
before putting in a hot oven!




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

Homemade Baking Mix (AKA Bisquick)

Ingredients

5 ½ cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp baking powder
1 cup shortening

Mix all ingredients well until crumbly. Store in an air tight container.

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

Homemade Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix

Ingredients

1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp ground oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp salt (adjust to your own personal preference)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground basil
¼ tsp ground thyme
½ tsp dried celery flakes

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To prepare the dressing: Mix two tablespoons of the mix with ¼ cup vinegar, 2 tablespoons of water, and ½ to 2/3 cup olive oil or canola oil.

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

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients

½ cup cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla

Mix the cocoa & the water in a saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve the cocoa. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Boil three minutes. Add the salt & the vanilla. Pour into a sterilized pint jar, and store covered in the refrigerator.

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

Homemade Pancake Syrup

Ingredients

3 cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups water
3 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter flavoring
1 tsp maple extract

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn off burner, but leave pot on burner until the bubbling stops.

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

Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

Ingredients

1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
¼ tsp parsley
Dash of paprika
1 ½ cups milk
¾ cup flour

In a medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, ½ cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining one cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until the mixture boils and thickens.

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Homemade Rice Seasoning Mix

Ingredients

¾ cup chicken bouillon granules
½ cup dried parsley
1 tbsp. basil
1 tbsp dill weed
2 tbsp, dried onion flakes
1 tsp seasoning salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped (optional)

Mix together and store in an airtight container. When preparing rice, combine 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, and three tablespoons of the seasoning. Bring your water to a boil and add rice & seasoning. Reduce to simmer and cook for eighteen minutes.

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

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Seasoning Mix (submitted by Marva)

Ingredients

4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Mix well. Store in an airtight container. Use this as a substitute for store bought pumpkin pie spice. Yield: 7 1/2 teaspoons.

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Homemade Poultry Seasoning Mix

Ingredients

2 tsp. ground sage
1 ½ tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. ground marjoram
¾ tsp ground rosemary
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp finely ground black pepper

Mix well. Store in an airtight container. Use this as a substitute for store bought poultry seasoning.

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

Chicken Rice Mix

* 4 cups uncooked long grain rice
* 1/4 cup dry instant chicken bouillon granules
* 1 tsp. salt
* 2 tsp. dried tarragon leaves
* 2 tsp. dried parsley
* 1/4 tsp. white pepper
* 2 tsp. dried minced onions
* 1/2 tsp. sugar

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until evenly distributed. Put about 1 1/3 cups into three 1-pint containers and label as "Chicken Flavored Rice Mix". Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 to 8 months. Makes about 4 cups of mix.

To use: Mix 1 1/3 cups Chicken Flavored Rice Mix with 2 cups cold water and 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. 4 to 6 servings

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

Sloppy Joe Mix

* 1 cup dried minced onion
* 3 Tbsp. dried green pepper pieces
* 4 tsp. salt
* 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
* 4 tsp. instant minced garlic
* 2 tsp. dry mustard
* 2 tsp. celery seed
* 2 tsp. chili powder

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in airtight container in a cool, dry place. Makes the equivalent of 8 packages purchased Sloppy Joe seasoning mix. 3 Tbsp. Sloppy Joe Mix equals one package purchased mix.

Sloppy Joes

Brown 1 lb. lean ground beef in a large skillet; drain fat. Add 3 Tbsp. Sloppy Joe Mix, 1/2 cup water, and 1 cup ketchup or crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer 5-10 minutes until thickened.

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

Convenience Taco Seasoning Mix

1/3 cup instant minced onion
1 tablespoon crushed dried red pepper
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon instant minced garlic
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons oregano

Combine all ingredients. Store in a jar and cover tightly. To use, measure 2 tablespoons to equal a package. Makes 8 packages or 1 cup mix.

Tacos
Brown 1 pound lean hamburger in skillet. Drain excess fat. Add 1 package taco mix and 3/4 cup water; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced. Stir. Place about 2 tablespoons meat mixture into each taco shell. Top the meat with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes and finely shredded lettuce. Makes 8 to 10 tacos

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

Convenience Salt-Free Seasoning Mix

1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
2 teaspoons paprika

Combine and place in an airtight container; store in a cool place. Use in place of salt to season food.

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Basic Pancake Batter
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup dry milk plus 1-1/4 cups water or
1-1/2 cups fluid milk
3 tablespoons margarine

Thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, dry milk (if used) and margarine. Store the mix in a jar or other airtight container. Label with directions. Make only as many batches as you will use within 3 months.

When ready to make a batch of pancakes, empty one batch of mix into bowl. Add an egg and water or milk and combine well. Follow recipe directions for cooking.

It may be simpler to make and store several single batches individually. But it is also possible to multiply the dry ingredients to make a quantity of mix to be stored in a large container. The only difference in using this approach is that you must figure how much mix to measure out when you want a single batch of pancakes. To do this, add together all the cups, all the tablespoons and all the teaspoons to dry ingredients and fat in the original recipe for a single batch and then convert the answer you get into cups of dry mix.

2 cups four + 1/2 cup dry milk = 2-1/2 cups (or 2 cups and 8 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon baking powder + 2 tablespoons sugar + 3 tablespoons fat = 6 tablespoons

1 teaspoon salt = 1 teaspoon

Total = 2 cups + 14 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (or 3 cups minus 2 tablespoons)

As in this recipe, you are likely to come out with a sum that does not make an even 1/4, 1/3 or 1/2 cup. Estimate your figures to the nearest tablespoon. In this case, to make a single batch of pancakes, you would measure out 3 cups of the mix less 2 tablespoons.

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Cappuccino Mix

* 1 1/3 cups instant coffee, with or without caffeine
* 1 1/2 cups plain powdered coffee creamer
* 2 cups hot chocolate mix, reg. or sugar-free
* 1 cup sugar or sugar substitute
* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

Mix well and store in air-tight container.

To use, mix 3 teaspoons per cup of boiling water

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Homemade Baking Powder

* 1/4 tsp. baking soda
* 1/4 tsp. cornstarch
* 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:

Mix well. This makes one teaspoon of baking powder. Recipe can be doubled or tripled

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

Homemade Sugar Free Hot Chocolate Drink Mix

* 2 cups instant non-fat dry milk
* 1/2 cup cocoa, unsweetened
* artificial sweetner to equal 1 cup (sweet n low-24 packets)
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 3 /4 cup dry non-dairy creamer

Directions
Mix all ingredients and store in airtight container. To make cup of hot chocolate, mix 1 /4 cup dry mix with one cup boiling water. You can add some spices like cinnamon or vanilla flavor, etc., if desired.

Note: Adding the non dairy creamer was my idea. The original is copied from a package of instant dry milk powder. Only difference is I add non dairy creamer. They do not. Name of company manufacturer is not available. I got the instant milk from a food pantry. Many times names are not available. Being diabetic, I could not afford to buy the mix in the store.

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

White Sauce, Gravy or Soup Mix

* 4 cups instant dry milk
* 1 cup flour
* 1 cup margarine, softened

Directions
Mix dry milk and flour until thoroughly blended. With pastry blender, cut in margarine until like fine meal. Store in lightly closed container in refrigerator. To make white sauce or gravy: Combine 2/3 cup mix with each cup of water or broth. Heat while stirring until mixture boils. Season as desired. Serve over meat or vegetables. Grated cheese may be added after mixture thickens. Note: Creamed dried beef can be made in a few minutes with this recipe.

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


Vegetable Dip Mix

* 1 Tbsp dried chives
* 1/2 tsp. dill weed
* 1 tsp. garlic salt
* 1/2 tsp. paprika

Directions
Combine all ingredients mixing well. Place in a ziplock bag. Use within 6 months. Makes 2 Tbsp.
Vegetable Dip
Ingredients

* 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 package vegetable dip mix (recipe above)

Directions
Combine all ingredients. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 2 cups.

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

Homemade Chocolate Pudding Mix
Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup powdered milk
* 7/8 cup cornstarch, 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp.
* 1 1/2 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup cocoa powder
* 1/4 tsp. salt, rounded

Directions:

Combine all the dry ingredients and store in an airtight container. The mix fits in a quart jar.
To prepare:

Add 2/3 cup mix to a saucepan. Add 2 cups milk and stir until blended. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while stirring constantly until thickened. Cool and serve.

Serving Size : 24
Homemade Vanilla Pudding Mix
Ingredients:

* 1 1/4 cups powdered milk
* 1 1/4 cups cornstarch
* 1 5/8 cups sugar
* 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
* 3/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

Combine all the dry ingredients and store in an airtight container. The mix fits in a quart jar.
To prepare:

Add 1/2 cup mix to a saucepan. Add 2 cups milk and stir until blended. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cool and serve.

Variations: Leave out the nutmeg and substitute your choice of extract: Almond, Banana, Lemon, Maple or Pineapple or other flavor that you like.

Serving Size : 32

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

Instant Oatmeal Packets

Check the cereal aisle for more flavor ideas. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients

* 3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats
* Salt
* 8 Plastic Sandwich Bags

Directions

Put 1/2 cup oats in a blender and whirl at high speed until powdery; reserve in a small bowl and repeat procedure with an additional 1/2 cup oats. If you're using a food processor, powder the 1 cup of oats in one motion. Into each sandwich bag put 1/4 cup un-powdered oats, 2 tablespoons powdered oats, and a scant 1/4 teaspoon salt. Store in a box or airtight container.

To serve: Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water; stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal, use less water; for thinner, use more water. (I microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 minutes or until done on high)

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal: To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples.

Cinnamon-Spice Oatmeal: To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and a scant 1/8 tsp. nutmeg.

Fruit and Cream: To each packet add 1 Tbsp. dry milk and 2 Tbsp. dried fruit or fresh fruit after cooking or jam.

Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar: To each packet add 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. raisins.

Sweetened Oatmeal: To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar

Wheat Germ Oatmeal: To each packet add 2 Tbsp. any kind of wheat germ

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


Make Your Own Cake Mix

* 8 cups all-purpose flour
* 6 cups granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup baking powder
* 1 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 lb. can vegetable shortening (2 1/4 cups)

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with 2 knives or pastry blender until the consistency of corn meal. Mix well and put in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator, if you have the space. Use within 10 to 12 weeks. Makes about 16 cups
Plain Cake:

* 2 cups cake mix
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 1 egg, slightly beaten
* 1/2 cup milk

Stir ingredients for plain cake until well blended. Pour into 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. For a 9 x 13-inch pan or layer cakes, double the ingredients.

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

Making Mock Condensed Milk (like Eagle Brand)

With the holidays coming sooner than we think, it is time to make those delicious recipes that call for Eagle Brand condensed milk. But it is really expensive to buy. So make your own with this simple recipe. I guarantee it works as well as the real thing!

Mock Condensed Milk

Mix together in your blender: 2 1/4 cups Milk Powder, 1/4 cup warm water, and 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Pour into covered container and refrigerate until cold and thick. This amount is equal to 1 can Eagle Brand.

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

Creamsicle Drink Mix

1 part orange-flavored instant drink mix (Tang)
1 part powdered milk
2 parts instant vanilla pudding

To use, stir 2 tablespoons of Creamsicle Drink Mix into 1 cup of cold water.

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

Gatorade Sport Drink Mixes

10 tbs. sugar (5/8 cups or 120 grams)
3/4 tsp Morton Lite salt (4.2 grams)
1 package of unsweetened Coolade mix for flavor (ie ... Koolaid or similar store brand)
Water to make 2 liters

The recipe will give a total of 124 grams of solute which in 2 liters water gives a total of 6.2% concentration. For an 8 oz serving this gives:
14.2 grams carbohydrate (6%)
53 calories
103 mg Sodium
121 mg Potassium

You'll notice that the amount of potassium is quite a bit higher than Gatorade, but the rest is pretty close. If you wanted to reduce the potassium, another option would be to use 1/2 tsp. each of regular salt and the Morton Lite Salt. This would change it to:
104mg sodium
40mg potassium

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

Brown Sugar

2 tablespoon molasses
1 cup granulated sugar

Add molasses to sugar and stir with a fork. Store brown sugar in an airtight container to keep it soft.

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

Ketchup
Yield: 2 1/2 cups

1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard

Combine ingredients and store in refrigerator.

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

Heinz Ketchup

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove pan from heat and cover until cool. Chill and store in a covered container.

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Confectioners' Sugar

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Blend sugar on highest speed of blender for two minutes. Add cornstarch to keep from packing. Store in an airtight container.

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HOMEMADE PICKLING SPICE

2 tb Mustard seed
1 tb Whole allspice
2 ts Coriander seeds
2 Whole cloves
1 ts Ground ginger
1 ts Dried red pepper flakes
1 Bay leaf, crumbled
1 Cinnamon stick (2 inches)

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar or container. Use in favorite pickle recipes. Yield: 1/3 Cup

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

Homemade tortilla chips

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut each tortilla you want to bake into 8 triangles. Spread the triangles on a foil-covered baking tray, making sure none of the triangles touch or overlap with each other. Spray the triangles lightly with olive or vegetable oil, then salt to taste. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the pan once half-way through baking, then let sit for 5 minutes so the chips can harden before serving.

Two tortillas make 16 chips, or one serving. You can bake your homemade tortilla chips fresh, or do a large batch at once, and store them in an airtight container. If you bake chips as you go, be sure to store unused tortillas in an airtight container as well. The homemade tortilla chips will keep for 4-5 days.

Doing the math

For families who are used to buying one bag of tortilla chips weekly, switching from that $4 bag to this simple $1 recipe can save them up to $156 a year on their grocery bills. Plus, your homemade tortilla chips are healthier for you, without all the added preservatives that keep chips fresh on the grocery shelf. And there's hardly any broken chips to contend with!

7-24-10

8:00AM

84 degrees out already.
The heat index today is supposed
to be somewhere between 100 to 110.

My internet and home phone is not working
or runs REALLY slow. Don't know what
the problem is. I don't know if it
is the cable company or the modems.

I think I will work on getting my
one wooden shelf hung in the kitchen
today. With Tony having the pager
on call and them running the guys
at work like crazy working over some,
it has been delayed.
Might get some laundry done also.
It should take no time today to dry
clothes on the line.
But first I have to wait for some
ibuprofen to kick in as my back
is stiff this morning again.
Need to have time to work out the kinks.

I've got the air condition set on
76-77. You would think that wouldn't
feel nice in here but once you step
outside in what feels like 100+,
then step back inside, it feels great!

I might make some zucchini bread sometime
soon in the crock. I still have a lot
leftover of the huge zucchini that my friend
gave me. Don't want to waste it!

Well I'm off here to get the kitchen tidied
up and go tear wires and modems apart
to see if I can figure out why we don't
have internet or phone. I have no clue
when it comes to this stuff so ain't
looking forward to it!!

Kitchen, slowly but surely coming
together.

Remember what it looked like before?
This has got to make my life
easier having more shelves!






________________________________________

12:00PM

According to the weather channel it
is 90 degrees out and feel like 100!!!
It's only noon so we'll see how hot
it will get this afternoon. Whew!

Tucked inside a darkened house today
to stay cool. Told the kids not to
go outside today and play. Jonathan
thought he would just go outside
and play in the shade. Let's just say
that didn't last too long!

___________________________________

With my internet being down and
getting behind with posts
I wanted to show pics of the car
coming home yesterday.

This is a project car and is in
no way perfect. I think the first
thing we will work on is getting
a wiring harness and try to rewire
the whole electrical system.
Doesn't that sound like fun???
It looks like someone rewired something
and many wires are running everywhere
under the hood. Some connected and some
not. I'd feel safer if we put in all
new!

Me and Jonathan gave it a bath soon
after it's arrival. Needed to get
the grime off the paint. One step
in helping preserve it. The other
is having a roof over it. Keeps out
most weather and sun which can cause
dry rot.

This car will be a project the whole
family can come together and do.
This teaches the kids how to
work together. They learn to work
on cars in the process and how to take
care of them. Then one day it can
belong to them and is something
they can look forward to if they help
take care of it.













____________________________________

2:00PM

Just returned from Tony's work.
All I got to say is that it is FREAKIN'
hot out there!! Tony asked if I wanted
to stop at a few yard sales on the way
back home. I said just keep going home!
I don't know why it is, but it seems like
there is more yard sales the hotter it is.

Weather channel says 92 degrees
but the heat index is 102!!!!!

________________________________________

3:00PM

Pulled some things out of the freezer
to start thawing out. Here's a few
things I will be making in the next
couple of days:

1. Cheeseburger Potato Soup
* I don't have sour cream or onions but
I do have French Onion dip that I will
use in place of those two things.

Here's a tip for picky eaters that I found in
it's reviews:

I use my food process to chop the onions, carrots and celery small to hide them from picky eaters. I don't thicken with the butter and flour, I just use instant potato flakes which uses less fat and is easier. Flavor is the same.

It's a great recipe for freezing

2. Chicken Cordon Bleu
Not sure how I am making this.
I have swiss cheese, bacon
and chicken leg quarters.

3. Maple Crock Pot Salmon

INGREDIENTS

* 4 Fresh Atlantic Salmon portions
* 1/4 cup maple syrup
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
* 1/8 tsp. ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the maple syrup, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2. Place salmon portions in a shallow dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon portions in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning over at 15 minutes.
3. Drain the salmon steaks and discard used marinade.
4. Wrap in tin foil packets
5. Put into crock pot.
See recipe from yesterday for Crock Pot Fish

_______________________________________

4:40PM

Supper in the making for
tomorrow.




Crock #1
Got chicken leg quarters skinned then
wrapped in bacon put in the crock pot.
I used little round tins saved from
pot pies in the bottom of the crock
pot to put the chicken on.



Crock #2
Got a chocolate zucchini bread
in another crock.



____________________________________________

From: Examiner.com

Almost KFC Coleslaw

This is the best coleslaw we have ever had. The flavors blend and intensify with time, so if possible, make this the day before you plan on eating it.

Ingredients:

8 cups very finely chopped green cabbage (1 head)
1/4 cup shredded carrot (1 medium carrot)
1/2 cup mayonnaise OR 1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk*
2-1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Be sure that the cabbage and carrots are chopped up into very fine pieces. Place in a large bowl.
In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise or sour cream, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper; beat until smooth. Pour over cabbage mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
For a buttermilk substitution, mix 1/2 tsp. white vinegar and enough milk to make 1/4 cup. Let stand for 5 minutes before using. I use a commercial slaw mixture instead of cutting up cabbage and carrots myself. It saved me a bit of time, but feel free to start from scratch. Also, I replaced the salt with celery salt.

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

Almost KFC chicken

Ingredients:

16 pieces of chicken (4 legs, 4 thighs, 4 wings, 4 breasts), skin on, bone in (I prefer 8 chicken breast halves, boneless & skinless)
2 envelopes Italian Salad Dressing Mix , divided
2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce (like Frank's)
1-1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
3-1/2 to 4 cups oil, divided

Directions:

Place chicken in shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of the salad dressing mix and hot pepper sauce; turn to coat. Cover. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to marinate. Mix flour and remaining salad dressing mix in plastic bag. Shake 1 chicken piece at a time to coat. Heat 2 cups of oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 8 pieces of chicken; brown on all sides. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Repeat from oil step through cooking step with remaining chicken.
YIELD: 16 pieces (depending on appetites 4 to 8 servings)

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It's been several months since my family and I have been to KFC (formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken). The last time we went we spent close to $50 for 4 people for dinner. OUCH! $50 for chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy and coleslaw? $50 is about half my grocery budget for one week. I vowed never again! Not only did it cost us an outrageous amount of money, but none of us felt very well after wards.

If only I had just taken a little extra time in my menu planning that week, we could have had our own version (aka Copycat version) of KFC for about $10, and not felt poorly (or poor!) afterward.

Round out your at home KFC experience with Almost KFC coleslaw and Almost KFC chicken.

Almost KFC Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 cups self-rising***
2 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk****
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F.
In a large bowl blend together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening using two knives or a pastry tool. Add milk and mix well.
Turn out onto a floured surface (mix a bit of baking powder with the flour). Knead a bit to pick up the flour until dough is slightly stiff. Roll or pat out into a 9x5 rectangle and use a 3-inch round cookie cutter (or water glass) to cut biscuits out.
Place in an 8x8-inch round cake pan or 8x8-inch square baking dish (the biscuits will touch) that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Makes about 12

Rachael's Recipe Notes:

***If you don't have self-rising flour, use all-purpose flour with an extra 1 Tbsp. of baking powder and an extra 1 tsp. of baking soda.
****You can use 3/4 cup regular milk with 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar in place of the buttermilk.

_______________________________________

Just got notice that my friends will
be on Wall To Wall Sports tonight
so be sure to check it out!!
This is their second time on there!

Join Dom Tiberi and Dan Fronczak
for Wall to Wall Sports,
Saturdays and Sundays at 11:35 p.m. only on 10TV.

Would you like to sign up to be on
Wall to Wall Sports?

Wall To Wall Sports audience sign-up

___________________________________________

With the temps being so hot out I have
spent my afternoon/evening cleaning
my kitchen top to bottom. Doesn't
look like my same kitchen.
I'm sure you would agree Kendra/Dewaine,
I know you saw what it looked like
when I had it wiped out the other
day weeding and wiping it out, LOL!
You couldn't see the floor or countertops.
But that's how I clean. It gets
messy before it gets a total cleaning.




________________________________________

I tried some of my crock pot chicken,
YUMMY! It does taste a little like
a rotisserie chicken.

To make it Cordon Bleu I melted some
swiss cheese on top then poured
a lil bacon ranch dressing on top.
Everyone loved it! Jonathan said,
Man this stuff is GOOOOD!"
This recipe will be a keeper for sure!
Normally Cordon Bleu is chicken breast
stuffed with swiss cheese and bacon.
Can't afford chicken breast around here
so used chicken leg quarters instead.
Tasted just as good!



And here's my Chocolate Zucchini Bread
I didn't have oil so used some cinnamon
applesauce in it's place. I didn't add
sugar and instead used a large box
of sugar-free pudding. I sprinkled
some brown sugar on top along with some
semi- sweet chocolate chips. I did all
this to reduce sugar and fat.

Both kids ate it and liked it.
I did not dare tell them it
had zucchini in it or they probably
wouldn't have touched it with
a 10 foot pole.

I almost screwed up and asked them
if they tried the zucchini bread.
Christopher was like, IT HAS ZUCCHINI
IN IT! I said, I meant to say
chocolate pudding cake not zucchini bread.
LOL




________________________________________



I ran across this website for a book
called DINNER IS IN THE JAR.
Of course I don't have money to buy the book
and I cannot locate it at the library.
But it is an idea to think about doing.
I'm sure I could google something
and find some jar mixes.
If I do I'll be sure to keep a list
of recipe that I find :0)

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

Side Dish Mixes


MYO Copycat Stove Top Stuffing Mix


Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

Homemade Hamburger Help

Friendship Soup Mix in a Jar

Potato Soup Mix

Noodle Mixes & Bean Mixes

Texas Two Step Soup

Shake N Bake Mix

Herbed Rice Mix

Tortilla Soup

Chili in a Jar

Chicken Soup With Noodles

Beef Barley Soup

Boston Baked Beans

Almost Hamburger Helper Mix in a Jar

Red Beans and Rice

Rice Pilaf Mix

Onion Soup Mix

7-23-10

Not sure about going to garage sales this morning.
I saw on the news that the heat index could get up
to 105 degrees today. So will sit here and await
the arrival of the tow truck. Have no idea,
other than this morning, of when it's coming.

One of the things I look for when buying an old
car is that it has most of it's pieces and parts.
Meaning it has all it's trim, molding, paneling,
emblems, knobs and items of that sort.
All those pieces start adding up
if missing. This will not be an overnight
project but will probably take many years
to put together. It will also need
completely sanded down and repainted.
It does have a few rust spots
on the top where a vinyl top was.
Other than that the rust is minimal.

I'm just taking notes about some prices
of a few decorative things this car needs.
I like to get ideas of what things
will cost in the future. When we go
to swap meets this is something to keep
in mind when wheelin' and dealin'.
Know what it sells for and know who
is price gouging!

It's taken me 11 years to learn about
Trans Ams and now I am starting from
scratch learning about this car that I
absolutely know nothing about!
So every now and then you will see
me take notes about it so I can learn.

These are the only decorative pieces I know
it needs at the moment. Hub caps are iffy
if we go with another rim then it won't be
needed. But if we go original then it will.

These items are not something I am getting
at the moment. Like I said it could
take years to put together and acquire
parts for. Can't afford to do it
all at once so will do a little
bit each year.

$70+shipping Ebay
set of 4 hubcaps


$4.50+shipping Ebay
charger stick on emblem


$200+shipping Ebay
charger hood ornament


________________________________________________


9-9:30AM

Decided to clean up the carport area
and sweep the entire driveway.
For being early in the morning it sure
is hot as heck out there. I shouldn't
be sweating this much this early!

__________________________________


SCHOOL SUPPLY DEALS

BIG LOTS

70 sheet spiral notebooks
10 for $1.00 limit 10

10 pack glue sticks $1.00

10 pack folders $1.00

___________________________________

HINTS AND TIPS

Frozen Storage Solution

I found one more good use for the abundance of old tube socks left over from when I had teens in the house. I use pint-sized glass jars for freezer storage instead of plastic, but without some kind of protection around the jar, they are easily broken and can make a big mess. I cut up the old, but clean tube sock and slip a jar into it before filling. I cut the sock short enough so it doesn't cover the lid. I then put my label on the lid. While thawing, I leave the jar in the sock.
H.

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

homemade Magic Eraser
Take a bowl and pour in some arm and hammer baking soda then pour a little
white vinegar over it -- it will foam up and just make a paste with it =
use it on the spots just like magic eraser using a wash cloth. As your
paste gets too dry - add a bit more vinegar.

____________________________________

CROCKPOT RECIPES

I love my crockpot during the Summer
months! It beats having to heat
up the house by turning the oven on!

I found a great crockpot cooking
website called Crockpot365
or a Year of Slow Cooking.

I picked and chose a few recipes
I might want to try sometime.
Still haven't gotten through
the whole blog as there are
a ton of crock recipes there!

I might give my peanut butter
banana bread recipe sometime
in the crock.




CROCKPOT ROTISSERIE STYLE CHICKEN

To satisfy our rotisserie chicken cravings, I threw a whole chicken in the crockpot last night covered in an awesome seasoning blend. I also took off all of the chicken skin. The result? A moist, delicious rotisserie-want-to-be with virtually no fat.

The Ingredients

--1 whole chicken, skinned (4-5 pounds)
--2 tsp kosher salt (if you'd like it as salty as the ones in the store, add another 1 tsp.)
--1 tsp paprika
--1 tsp onion powder
--1/2 tsp dried thyme
--1 tsp Italian seasoning
--1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--pinch of chili pepper (probably not necessary)

--4 whole garlic cloves (optional)
--1 yellow onion, quartered (optional)

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart crockpot for a 5 pound bird. It fit nicely.

Skin the chicken and get rid of the neck and other stuff from the cavity. This takes a while, and is gross. Keep small children away so you don't freak out about salmonella. I skin whole chickens because I hate the idea of the chicken fat simmering all day in the crock---it also looks disgusting when the chicken is cooked because it's all slimy and icky.

I get it that I'm weird. If chicken skin makes you happy, then by all means, ignore me.

In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the crockpot.

If desired, shove 4 whole garlic cloves and a quartered onion inside the bird.

Do not add water.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat.

The Verdict.

Very tasty. I used 2tsp of kosher salt, and the meat was no where near as salty as a store-bought rotisserie chicken. I was surprised at how not-spicy the meat was (even the part coated in the mix) although I added a bunch of pepper. We were pleased with the flavor, and the kids ate their portions without saying anything---which is always good.

TIP: TO get a better "roast effect"
either make several foil balls or wrap several potatoes in foil, place them in the crock pot, put the chicken on top of the foil - cook as usual...

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

FOIL PACKET TILAPIA SLOW COOKER RECIPE

I love making fish in the crockpot. I love making pretty much anything in the crockpot, but the ease of making fish is just so wonderful, I'm surprised everyone doesn't cook fish this way.
It's easy.
It's moist and flavorful.
It doesn't heat up the house on a hot day.
it doesn't stink up the kitchen.
and clean up is practically non-existent.

Ingredients:

-- 3 or 4 filets of Tilapia (or other favorite white fish)
--1/4 cup mayonnaise
--1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar. I've made it before with Parmesan and it was amazing. If I was planning a trip to the store specifically to get ingredients for this dish I would pick Parmesan.)
--juice of 2 lemons
--4 chopped garlic cloves
--pinch each of salt and black pepper


The Directions:

--mix all ingredients (except for the fish. definitely not the fish.) in a bowl

--lay out a piece of foil

--rub sauce mixture on both sides of fish

--fold foil over and make a little packet for the fish

--put all the packets into the crockpot

--cook on LOW for 2-4 hours; fish should flake easily with a fork

PLEASE take care when taking the packet out of the crockpot and when opening it. It will be hot.

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

Crockpot French Toast Bake


French toast! In the crockpot! While you sleep!

Life has just gotten even better.

Heather emailed me a french toast recipe that she has made a few times in the crockpot successfully. She points out that since she lives in Las Vegas, turning on the oven in 100-degree-weather is just not going to happen.

The Ingredients.

I used a 6 qt Smart-Pot Crock-Pot for this. I'd recommend a 5 or 6qt for this dish. If you have a smaller crockpot, scale back a bit. Maybe only use 1/2 a loaf of bread.

Grease the inside of your crockpot very well with butter, shortening, or cooking spray. Slice your bread into large slices (if it's already sliced, just dump it in) and place the bread into the crockpot.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Pour on top of the bread.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. This is done when the bread has soaked up all of the liquid and the egg has cooked (you can tell because you'll see bits of cooked egg stuck to the bread). The bread will expand---it's like one of those spongy foam things that come in the capsules and turn into a dinosaur. Very cool.

After 8 hours, I had a bit of liquid left in the crockpot, but the bread on top was browned nicely and the egg was done. I took the lid off and went hunting for the camera, and then checked email, and then watered the garden. 30 minutes had passed before I remembered that I had left the lid off of the crockpot, and that it was still plugged in. BUT! all the moisture was gone and the french toast was perfect.

so there you go. I'd give that a try.

_______________________________________




Sneak peek at Walgreens ad for next week.

I'm cutting back on some shopping
so I don't have coupon matchups
done up for Walgreens.

____________________________________________



WHY MICROWAVE COOKING IS BAD FOR YOU

_____________________________________________

1:15PM

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting
for this freakin tow truck to get here.
Tony called once about 2 hours ago and said
the tow truck driver said he just got to
the car. Said he got the street wrong.
Went to 3rd St. instead of Church St.
Don't we carry a notepad to write things
down??? 2 hours goes by and I'm starting
to wonder where he's at. Tony calls him back.
The tow truck driver said he just got to
the car and was putting it on the truck.
HELLOOOOooo!! That's what he said 2 hours
ago!! Then he had to get our address again
because he forgot it. AHHHHHHH!
Get a freakin pad of paper to write things on!!!
So I am still sitting and waiting and waiting
and waiting and getting flustered wasting
my day away. So much for it being here
this morning, huh.

__________________________________________________

1:30-6:40PM

Internet and phone hasn't been working.
Cable has been good though.
Been a lil frustrating.

7-22-10

7-8:45AM

Whew, don't know what it is this morning
but my stomach doesn't feel the greatest.
Keep having to run to the potty.
Maybe it's something I ate or maybe
it's from stress.

Today I hope to start working on
hanging my shelves. Don't have anyone
coming over to do fencing nor do I have
anywhere to go this morning or afternoon.
But later on this evening will be making
a trip to Newark to pay for the charger
and have our friend roll back it home.

Will have to probably wait for Tony
to help me with putting up the wooden
shelf. We bought some hollow wall
anchors to hang it up with because
we cannot find studs in the one
kitchen wall!
So think I will get started soon
with hanging the wired shelves
in the basement stairwell.
First need to swig some Pepto!

Here is a before picture of the basement
stairwell. The big open area is where
my other wooden shelf was located.

Next project would be to hang a metal
towel bar on the opposite wall across
from this. Because I don't use many
paper towels I need a place to hang
my wet cleaning rags.



10:50AM

Here are my shelves rearranged
and more put up. I ended up with
more storage in my basement stairwell
and will have more storage in my
kitchen. So far it's all working
out as planned.
Total spent for 8 shelves $5.00!
Ok now time to put stuff on them.




My horoscope for today.

The Moon clashes with Saturn today, bringing tension to the surface. You may feel personally threatened by what is going on around you.

Hmmmm, this seems to describe me feeling
worried about spending money on a couple
big items at the moment.

_________________________________________

12:15PM

Still working on finding my kitchen.
It looks like I am just moving
in with boxes and baskets of stuff
sitting on the floor trying to
relocate and find a place for everything.

I have many spices that I had on storage shelves,
stove and in a drawer. I can finally now
put them all in one place.
These shelves with store baking items
and cleaning supplies.
When there are many move outs during
college graduation time, we find tons
of cleaning supplies. I very rarely
have to buy any. So I usually get
a bunch at once from people throwing
them away and need a place to store
it. This will last me for about a
year then.




This is where my towel bar will go.
Was in Zettler's last night and didn't
think to get the screws at the time
to hang this up.



Above my towel bar I will start putting
my seeds I have saved from the garden.
I have them in labeled plastic zip
bags and push pinned to the wall.
Perfect place to put them with
less humidity and light.



________________________________________

1:30PM

Still in the kitchen trying to figure
out things and get things put away.

I did prop my one wooden shelf up
to see what it would look like.
For what I need, it works perfect.
Perfect to put pop bottles on,
store cereal and other boxes, cans
and bread.

It does not stick out past the
pass through window which is something
I wanted.

Just had a thought and will act upon it
next. The wood that I added up top for
mounting looks too dark and sticks out
like a sore thumb. I got some leftover
paint I used on the walls and will
paint that piece to look like part of
the wall.

This shelf has been with me the last
15-16 years. I designed it and mom
had it built for me.
There used to be another cross shelf
where you see the pop sitting.
Lost that when I hit the shelf into
the carport when moving.
It's been with me through 11 moves!

I have moved at least 16 times that I can
think of in the past 22 years!!
I am so glad now to have a house and
grow roots!!





_________________________________________

2:15PM

And wallah, I fixed the problem with
a couple coats of paint on the shelf.
Now it seems to blend in with the wall!




________________________________________

2:30PM

Today's garden goodies,
cucumbers, banana & hungarian peppers
and grape tomatoes.



_____________________________________________

Went to Newark this evening and of course
it poured down rain on the way there.
The guy that was supposed to of towed
the car home tonight conveniently forgot
about it. Grrrr. Anyway he's supposed to
go get it tomorrow and bring it here.
But we got the title to it, it's notarized,
and it's officially ours.

_____________________________________________

Hey lookie I found another 1974 Dodge
Charger in Newark. This one is $6000!
I like what we paid for ours!
Ours needs some work but I can
deal with that.