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.

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

5-25-10

Got the car hooked up to the truck
last night and ready to
go for this evening. We're hauling it out to
Reynoldsburg to a transmission shop to get
it worked on. Please pray we make it in one
piece since we've not had good luck with this
trailer recently!

The guy working on the car is supposed
to be bringing me more strawberry plants, yeah.
We'll see. I bet he forgets.

Whew, gonna be another warm one today at 84,
tomorrow and Thursday 86 degrees.
It doesn't seem that long ago I was freezing
my tush off shoveling snow.
Hoping all the veggies in the garden will
be liking this heat.

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10:30AM

Just back from Meijer. Mom wanted to go there
so I tagged along.

I still say Meijers is the place to go for
garden plants. At $1.19 a 4 pack you can't go wrong.
.30 cents a plant!

Today I got these 4 pack of plants:
-eggplant
-oregano
-two 4 packs of celery

I am looking for reasonably priced Cilantro
plants or seeds.

Found a couple other sale or mark down items.

Sale items

Ballpark Frank Hot Dogs .79 cents

Khans Hot Dogs .79 cents

Johnsonville Sausage Links .99 cents

Pasta Salad in box .99 cents
(I have some frozen cooked chicken and want
to make chicken pasta salad)

Marked Down

5.51 pound package split chicken breasts $5.69
(.96 cents a pound)

1.5 pound containers Activia Vanilla Yogurt $1.07
(want to make those peach smoothies I talked about yesterday)

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11AM

Finishing up lunch, brunch or breakfast,
whatever you want to call it.
Then will be heading out to the garden
in a few to plant the veggies I just got.

Tonight's supper will be a breakfast pizza.
I have leftover thickened sausage gravy
from last nights supper that I want to use up.

This is my made up recipe.

BREAKFAST PIZZA

Press a can of biscuits onto a pizza pan,
cookie sheet (needs 2 cans biscuits) or casserole dish.
Spread sausage gravy on top.
Fry up a bunch of scrambled eggs and sprinkle
on top of gravy. You can add whatever toppings
you want that is breakfast related.
(bacon, sausage, ham) I might
cut up some of the maple sausage links
I got today, fry up, and put on top also.
Then sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake.


I'm serving this with (Strawberry) Peach Smoothies.

1 cup sliced frozen peaches
(I'm using canned, have the can in fridge chillin')
1 container (6 oz) French vanilla yogurt
(I got plain vanilla)
3/4 cup orange juice
(don't have OJ but have
Welch's Strawberry Breeze juice)
1 tablespoon honey

1. In blender or food processor, place all ingredients. Cover; blend on high speed about 1 minute or until smooth.
2. Pour into 2 glasses. Serve immediately.
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FREE Gillette Fusion ProGlide!!

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Rachael Ray had a good tip today dealing
with jingling pet tags around your dogs
neck that could be annoying to your pet or
even yourself. Get some of those key ids
and place over your pet tags to tame
down the noise. Like these below.



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Starting June 1st through June 7th
Glidden will be giving away free paint.
Enough to paint a 3' by 3' area.
Sign up at Glidden.com on June 1st
to be able to get your 2 samples
and give 2 sample to a friend!

This is something I've been needing as
I have a small area in my dining room
that still needs painted red.

I still have the last can of paint
Glidden gave away free, LOL.
Wanted to paint the bathroom
and just never got around to it.
One day I will.

Someone please think of me when
giving away the extra paint freebie :0)
I really would like to finish this one
half wall.

I like the color

TERRACOTTA ROSE



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Free sample of Ritz Cheddar Cheese Bacon Crackers
on Facebook.

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Free videos to watch and learn about cutting hair
from bangs to boys to men to women.

TIPNUT HOW TO CUT HAIR

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I'm glad to say we made it to Reynoldsburg
with the car on the trailer with no problems,
knock on wood, since it's to be picked up
Thursday and trailered back home.

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I was browsing the latest edition of Taste Of Homes
magazine tonight and saw a few simple recipes
I might try in the near future.



HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

makes 8

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3 Tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, combine flour
and salt. Stir in water and oil.
Turn onto a floured surface;
knead 5-6 times. Divide dough into
8 portions. On a lightly floured surface
roll each portion into a 7 inch circle.

In a large nonstick skillet coated
with cooking spray, cook tortillas
over medium heat 1 minute on each side
or until lightly browned.
Keep warm.

Well wrapped tortillas keep in the freezer
for up to a month.
Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat
before using.

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MEXICAN ICE CREAM



4 servings

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup frosted cornflakes, crushed
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup honey

Place four 1/2 cup scoops of ice cream
on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.
Freeze for 1 hour or until firm.

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflake
crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Roll ice cream
in crumb mixture to coat. Freeze until
serving time. Drizzle each serving with
1 tablespoon honey.

5-24-10

Went to Walmarts this morning. Wanted to get a bunch
of corn to put in the freezer and check out the
garden section.

I bought 2 more strawberry plants and a stevia plant.
Also a package of beet seeds.

I know, what is a stevia plant?
This plant is known for it's sweet leaves
and is used as a sugar substitute.

Harvesting: Collect leaves as required, preferably in autumn. They can be dried and powdered.




Here are some notes I took about it:

Culinary Uses: Use dried, powdered leaves as a substitute for sugar. One tablespoon of stevia or less is equivalent to about 1 cup sugar. Some people notice a slight after-taste, while others do not. A liquid sweetener is made by pouring 1 litre boiling water over 1 tablespoon dried leaves and leaving to infuse. Refrigerate and use within a few days or freeze for later. To make a syrup, place 4 teaspoons dried powdered leaves in a saucepan with 2 cups water, simmer slowly for 10-15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. A teaspoon of Vitamin C powder may be added to act as a preservative. An infusion of fresh or dried leaves can be drunk as a beverage, hot or cold, or added to other herbs as a sweetener. If using fresh leaves to replace dried quantities listed above, multiply the amount 5 times. Approximately 6 large leaves chopped finely is a substitute for 1/2 cup of sugar for baking or in cooked recipes. 1 teaspoon of ground stevia is equal to 1 cup of sugar; 2 drops of liquid essence is equal to 1 teaspoon sugar. An extract can be made by combining 1 cup vodka with 3/4 cup fresh stevia leaves in a jar. Shake every day for 2 weeks, then filter through a coffee filter. Add a drop to beverages.

From my own experience of growing Stevia, I've learned to remove the flowers as they appear - otherwise the plant will die down to nothing. I've also found that it's a cantankerous plant which can often die down to nothing for no apparent reason, even in ideal conditions. But you never give up on it! You can have an empty space or pot for up to a year, and then suddenly the plant will resurrect! Amazing.

1 table spoon dried leave powder is equal to 1 cup of sugar!



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Due to space, I am considering putting the strawberry
plants in hanging baskets off a shepherd
hook and allowing their runners
to come down the sides of the baskets.



___________________________________________________

Still trying to decide upon a place to put the
raspberry and blackberry bushes.
I'm thinking maybe the side of the house
in between the houses. Or along side the chain link
fence. The only thing that worries me with that is
the neighbor lets his weeds and crap grow crazy
along that fence to the point it starts coming
in our yard and we have to trim it back.

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11AM

Need to head out to the garden and put the Stevia
plant in the ground and maybe plant a few beet
seed directly in the garden. Tony loves pickled
eggs is why I got those :0)

Then I have 10 ears of corn to shuck and get ready
for the freezer. In the store I usually pull
back some of the husk and puncture a kernel or two
to see how juicy it is. I did that today and got
squirted in my left eye. It is now red and
irritated.
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Here's an idea for today about recycling
satellite dishes. I'm always looking for
ways to reuse things and thought these
ideas were neat...















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With warmer weather coming up I need to find
things to make that are light and cool.
This looked yummy.

Sometimes I can find large tubs of regular
yogurt in Kroger's mark down bin.
Time to stock up and start making smoothies.
They say to keep yogurt longer by
placing it upside down in your fridge.



CREAMY PEACH SMOOTHIES

1 cup sliced frozen peaches
1 container (6 oz) French vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey

1. In blender or food processor, place all ingredients. Cover; blend on high speed about 1 minute or until smooth.
2. Pour into 2 glasses. Serve immediately.

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Got my strawberry plants transplanted into baskets.
Also got the beet seeds , a couple more tomato plants
and three stevia plants planted today.
There were three stevia plants in the pot I bought
so I divided them up.
Gave everything a drink from the water barrels.
I have yet to use city water on the garden.

Stevia plants at the end of the tomato trellis



I put up a double and single shepherd hooks
to hang strawberry plants from in the middle
of the garden.
Strawberries come back every year.
One of the plants I bought last year.






I planted about 40 or so radishes,
in four rows, under the cucumber trellis.



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I had a request today to cut my step-dad's hair.
Instant nervousness came over me.
I already cut 4 other people's hair no problem
but fear that if I cut one hair wrong on
my step dad's head I would never hear the
end of it. So I don't know if I am up
for this job just yet. I always compared
his hair to a Phil Donahue's hair.



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This evening I got 10 ears of corn in the freezer.
Here's step by step of how to freeze corn on the cob.

In a large pot bring water and 2 T. sugar to a
rolling boil.

Place corn in pot and bring to another rolling
boil for another 3 minutes.

While corn is boiling place lots of
ice and cold water in a large bowl.
Set next to stove.



Using tongs plunge corn into ice water
until completely cooled off.



Remove corn and place on a dry towel.



Using another dry towel dry each corn cob off.



Wrap each individual corn cob up with
aluminum foil.



Place in zip freezer bag.
Can be frozen for at least 8 months.
Enjoy fresh like corn during those cold
winter months.



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I just saw on the 10PM news that we are getting a
MENARDS! Always hear about this place but there hasn't
been any around here. Even greater news...
It's going in where Northland Mall used to be!!
So that means like a 5 minute drive to get there!
YEAH!!
I've never been to Menards but after checking
them out online I would compare it to an Andersons store.