This simple housewife's contribution to the world

AOhelL Journal transferred here

2008-10-08T19:25:00.000-04:00

Okay, well that seemed to go okay. It looks like everything transferred. I haven't been around to check all the way back to the beginning, but it appears to have transferred. And it wasn't even (too) painful, lol.
Now, I'm a wee bit torn. This is my old and trusty journal, but a part of the past. I like my new Fryin' Up The Bacon blog...hm. I may just keep this up and go with the new one while I decide whether or not to delete the past 3 years of journaling.
Jill Marie

Let me know...

2008-10-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

Hey ya'll, be sure to send me an email with your new blog address. And stop by over at my new "head quarters". I'm (for the time being) calling it "Fryin' Up The Bacon". Yeah, kind of lame...but I couldn't think of anything else. Let me know if you think of a better name for my new blog.

The blog spot is okay. Something are easier and some things are just a matter of figuring out, I think. Loading a picture seems to take forever...or it could be just because my computer seems to be a bit slow lately. I think it's because of all the downloading Ray is doing on his computer. It seems to steal my speed. There has to be a way for me to get around that. Oh well...

Take care,
Jill Marie

Trying it out...

2008-10-03T23:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm giving it a try. Here's a new address for anyone interested:
Fryin' Up The Bacon.

AOhelL!!!!!

2008-10-02T11:51:00.000-04:00

I am so confused and annoyed and getting more so as I try to learn more about this whole AOhelL mess. I just got this reply from Magic Smoke...

Hi,

AOL won't transfer your journal, you've got to take action yourself. You will be notified when that can be done.
All AOL Journals will be deleted by November 1st.

The journal will look different at Blogger, although you can tweak it.

I have put a few more entries on Magic Smoke which are useful.

Guido

If AOhelL is NOT going to transfer my entire journal then why did I read the following at Magic Smoke...

In case you haven't been reading my comments..

Some of my responses to users comments

To Paul, yes a copy of your journal will be made on Blogger. Your journal will still be available till Nov 1st. Also, the migration will be opened up to Journals users starting on or after Oct. 7th. We will be using this week to iron out any kinks in the process.

To Sherri - I would not worry about the migration too much. It should be fairly straightforward. Blogger will also have a helpdesk that you can send email to, if you have any issues and a live real person will respond and help out. So, all efforts have been made to minimize the pain.

To Yasmin (cayasm) and everybody else - Your journals will be copied over in its ENTIRETY (entries, comments, about me). So, anything else you hear is not true.

And no, your email account is not affected by this at all as some have been suggesting.

I understand that people are upset and that is okay. However, I request you to be patient and understanding as we work thru this process.

Vish

I am beginning to think that NO ONE at AOhelL knows what the heck is going on! Surprise...NOT.

Tags: AOL hell

GOTTA PEE

2008-10-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the giggle mom. The following is copied from an email that my mother sent me. I just love when I get one that makes me giggle out loud.

GOTTA PEE

Two women friends had gone for a girl's night out.
Both were very faithful and loving wives, however They had gotten over-enthusiastic on the Bacardi Breezers. Incredibly drunk and walking home they needed to Pee, so they stopped in the cemetery.

One of them had nothing to wipe with so she thought She would take off her panties and use them.
Her friend however was wearing a rather expensive Pair of panties and did not want to ruin them.
She was lucky enough to squat down next to a grave That had a wreath with a ribbon on it, so she
Proceeded to wipe with that.

After the girls did their business they proceeded to go home.
The next day one of the woman's husband was concerned That his normally sweet and i nnocent wife was still in bed hung over, so he phoned the other husband and said:

'These girl nights have got to stop! I'm starting to suspect the worst. My wife came home with no panties!!'

'That's nothing' said the other husband, 'Mine came back with a card stuck to her ass that said...

'From all of us at the Fire Station. We'll never forget you.''

Home Remedy--Bee Stings

2008-10-02T08:42:00.000-04:00

Good morning. Here is are some tips to relieve Bee Stings.

Bee Stings

Use meat tenderizer
Mix water with cornstarch into a paste and apply. This is effective in drawing out the poisons of most insect bites
Make a paste with crushed aspirin and water and apply liberally to the sting.
When you get a bee sting spit in some dirt and make mud. Apply the mud for 15 minutes this helps bring the stinger quickly and helps the pain go away. Great idea to try if your away from home, camping, hiking or whatever.
Sprinkle an alka-seltzer tablet with enough water to make it fizz and lay it directly on top of the sting. In a couple of minutes the pain should go away and the swelling should go down.
If you have a cigarrete nearby. break it open, wet the tobacco & apply directly onto bee sting, it relieves the pain and avoids swelling.

But before doing any of that you need to remove the stinger if it is still in the skin. I've heard that the best way to do that is to gently scrape a credit card across the site of the bee sting.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with this journal. If anyone knows of a good blogging site, please let me know. Keep in mind I don't know much of anything about HTML, so it has to be one that is easy to work with. Thanks for any places you can give me advice about.

Have a good day,
Jill Marie

Tags: home remedy, bee stings

AOhelL

2008-09-30T18:58:00.000-04:00

Okay...this really sucks lemons! Why in the heck would they close down AOL Journals? This makes no sense to me at all. I mean I could understand no making Journals available to those who have a FREE aol email address. But we are still paying $24 for our AOL membership every freaking month.

I am going to have to look into other E-Mail providers and see what they offer. This really sucks...we've been members since 1999 and I really don't feel like changing all my stuff. This would mean changing my email address with all my family and friends, copying and emailing all saved email to a new address, including all business related items. GRRRRRRRR @ AOhelL!

Well, if you're a reader of this journal I don't really know what to tell you. They say to go here and read this to find out how to transfer your journal, etc. But so far all I've found are dead links, or entries repeating the fact that AOhelL is sticking it to us in the bum, but no real information. Who in the heck are the idiots running AOhelL these days?!

Later...if I'm still able to make entries.
Jill Marie

Tags: AOL hell

For Grins & giggles

2008-09-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

Here's a fun little thing a friend sent me...

Subject:
New Presidential Candidate... It's someone we know!

Hi,

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President... and it's someone we know! Watch this online video about the surprising new nominee:

Election Coverage

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=370743&altf=Kjmm&altl=Dpssbm If the link doesn't work copy and paste this address.

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

Hehehehehe.
Jill Marie (Corral)

Tags: New Presidential candidate

2008-09-30T09:26:00.000-04:00

Grrrr! Let's try this again for the third time and see if I can get it all saved before AOL closes my journal before I'm ready.

Okay, first things first. A quick cleaning tip for clean drinking glasses.

Cloudy Drinking Glasses: Soak them for an hour or longer in slightly warm white vinegar. Then, use a nylon-net or plastic dish scrubber to remove film. Still there? The damage must be etching (tiny scratches that occur in the dishwasher) and is permanent, sorry to say. To avoid this altogether, hand-wash your best glasses.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Does anyone watch Dr. Phil? I watched yesterdays show, extreme mom's, and was blown away by the lack of insight of mothers. Especially the one who appeared on the show for the third time in 4 years.

There was one mother who lives in NY city and gave her 9 year old son a subway map and let him find his way home from a store. She writes a blog called Free Range Kids. Luckily she and her husband had brought their child up to be an independent and responsible child. I may have secretly followed just to be extra safe the first time, but I totally understand her reasoning. Of course, it depends on the child and how they've been raised. I know some 18 year olds who wouldn't be ready for that.

On the other hand, there were mothers who are what are being called "Helicopter Moms". They're called that because they constantly hover over their children. I'm pretty protective of Rylie Jo, but I don't think I hover. I let her go to her friends house to play, she's stayed the night at her sister's house, etc. She's allowed to play outside and ride her bike and I don't feel the need to be at her side constantly. I want her to be independent but still feel like there is always that safe place in our arms.

I wonder if these Helicopter Moms feel the need to keep their children reliant on them for their own selfish needs, because as long as that child depends on them, they feel needed and loved. How sad for those children. The one returning mother tried to turn it around and blame Dr. Phil for the fact that her daughter was now rebelling and doing things she didn't want her 17 year old doing. DUH! The girl is behaving exactly as Dr. Phil predicted 4 years ago the first time he talked to the woman and warned her of the consequences of being overly involved in her child's life.

I remember back when we were kids. We'd ride our bikes to the public pool and be gone for hours with no contact with Mom or Dad. They just wanted to know where we were going and what time we would be home. We'd play with the kids in the neighborhood and be outside all day long. There were no cell phones or GPS devices for our folks to keep track of us. Mom would open the door and say "get out and play". If Dad was really annoyed with us he'd tell us to "go play in traffic", he was joking of course...I think.

Me? I truly believe in the phrase I cross-stitched about 15 years ago.

"Give your children two things,

One is roots,

The other wings."

I can only pray that I am giving my children the right balance of security and independence. If not, I'll feel as though I've failed as a parent. I want them to be able to fly on their own, but always feel like they always have a a safe place to return to if need be, not matter where their life may take them.

(This is where I tried to put a poll in but AOL lost my entire entry by closing the page so I'll try saving before doing the poll.)

Actual poll is at the bottom of this entry.

So, if you had to label yourself as a parent, what would your label be?

Helicopter Parent--constantly hovering and not realizing your life and your child's are two different things.

Dunno Parent--dunno where my kid is nor do I care as long as I get to take a nap and they aren't bleeding.

Tightrope Walker--doin my best to maintain that balancing act & raise a healthy child that will grow up to be an independent adult.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Last night was a really good evening. Steph's birthday was Sunday so we had the kids over for a Ham dinner. I cannot even begin to explain how wonderful it feels when all our kids are getting along so well. It took 11 years to get to this point and it's just a peaceful kind of feeling. I love having all the kids over and having them all get along. It's what Ray and I have always wanted and longed for. We love all thekids and it just feels great to reach this point. I always wondered what true contentment felt like...and I think I felt it for a few minutes last night. Then I realized I had still had to clean up after everyone left. LOL

~~~~~~~~~~~

Last, but certainly not least, does anyone know what that banner up top is all about? Does that mean all our journals are going to close down? Or are we just going to lose all past entries? What the heck is going on around here?!

I clicked the link and all it said was that AOL Hometown is closing down. It also included another link to read how to save all your stuff. However, when I clicked it I got a blank page. Thanks ever so much for the important information AOL.

Have a wonderful Tuesday,

Jill Marie

Tags: cleaning tip, cloudy drinking glasses, AOL shutting down journals, helicopter parents, range free kids, parenting styles

Casserole Recipes

2008-09-29T08:48:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning ya'll! I'm feeling really good this morning...like I just wanted to get up and "hug" the day. Weird, I know...especially for me. I'm not usually a morning person. Oh well, here are some Casserole Recipes to look over and maybe give a try.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes

Ingredients
3 cups medium noodles (4 oz.)
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 3 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
2-1/4 cups milk
1 12-oz. can chunk tuna, drained
1/2 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, chopped
Potato chips, optional

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large saucepan cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; return noodles to pan.
2. For sauce, in medium saucepan cook celery and onion in hot butter until tender. Stir in flour, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add milk all at once; cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly, whisking to remove any lumps.
3. Gently fold sauce, tuna, and peppers into noodles. Transfer to lightly greased 1-1/2-quart baking dish. Top with chips. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes. Serves 4.

Chicken Alfredo & Rice Casserole
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes

Ingredients
1 10-oz. container refrigerated light Alfredo pasta sauce
1/2 cup milk
2-1/2 cups cooked white rice or wild rice
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup chopped bottled roasted red sweet peppers
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil or 1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl combine pasta sauce and milk. Stir in rice, chicken, peas, sweet peppers, nuts, and basil. Transfer to 1-1/2-quart baking dish.
2. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Uncover and stir. Combine bread crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle atop. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes more or until heated through and crumbs are golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Nacho Casserole
Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes

Ingredients
5 cups slightly crushed tortilla chips
4 cups cooked cubed or ground turkey or you can use chicken or hamburger
2 16-ounce jars salsa
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers or mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Lightly grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Place 3 cups of the tortilla chips in bottom of dish. In a large bowl combine turkey, salsa, corn, sour cream, and flour; spoon over tortilla chips.
2. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups tortilla chips and the cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. Makes 8 servings.

Upside-Down Pizza Casserole
Prep: 20 min.
Bake: 15 min.

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 15-ounce can Italian-style tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1 10-ounce package refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet cook beef until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce; heat through. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle mixture with cheese.
2. Flatten each biscuit with your hands; arrange the biscuits on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden. Makes 5 servings.

Bean & Beef Encilada Casserole
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Prep: 25 min.
Chill: up to 24 hours
Bake: 40 min.

Ingredients
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream or light dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 6-inch corn tortillas
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce or one 101/2-ounce can tomato puree
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

Directions
1. In a large skillet cook the ground beef, onion, chili powder, and cumin until onion is tender and meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir pinto beans and undrained chili peppers into meat mixture; set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl stir together sour cream, flour, and garlic powder until combined; set aside.
3. Place half of the tortillas in the bottom of a lightly greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish, cutting to fit if necessary. Top with half of the meat mixture, half of the sour cream mixture, and half of the enchilada sauce. Repeat layers. Cover dish with plastic wrap; chill in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
4. To serve: Preheat ovento 350F. Remove plastic wrap; cover dish with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes more. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients
4 strips bacon
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
6 oz. dry elbow macaroni
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2 to 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, turning once. Drain bacon on paper towels; crumble. Reserve bacon drippings in skillet.
2. Cook onion in reserved bacon drippings for 5 to 8 minutes or until onion is tender and golden brown. Set aside.
3. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain and place in a 1-1/2-quart casserole. Add the crumbled bacon, onions, 1-1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the blue cheese, half-and half, and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir gently. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes more or until top of casserole is brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.

This morning I finally discovered the way to get Ray to do his one little bitty chore around the house. Yep, he only has one chore that I expect him to do every week. Take out the trash. Usually it sits and sits until I get so frustrated that I take it out myself. Well, this morning as he was on his way out the door, about to walk past 3 bags of trash, I just said "I'll have Rylie take out the trash today." You should have seen his face, he said "No, no...I'll take that out for her." And he did. YEA!!!! He actually took out the trash and I only had to say one little thing.

Of course, before he left I told him I'd have to think of a few other "chores" for that baby girl to do. Hmm, the flooring needs replaced by the shower, the tiles I bought for the bathroom, 9 months ago, are still in the box...LOL. I now know the secret to getting him to do something, and it only took me 11 years, 11 months and 7 days to figure it out. Yeah, I can be a slower learner sometimes.

I thought the following, from Daily OM, was an interesting little article. During these economic times I'm sure we could all use a bit of insight to help us get through each day.

September 29, 2008
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Nothing Is Insurmountable

When our next best course of action seems unclear, any dilemmas we face can appear insurmountable. Yet there is nothing we cannot overcome with time, persistence, focused thought, help, and faith. Whatever the situation or problem, there is always a solution. And if you remember to look within, even as you search around you for the “right” course of action, you will be able to center yourself, clear your mind, and see that nothing has to be impossible.

The first step in overcoming any obstacle is to believe that it can be overcome. Doing so will give you the strength and courage to move through any crisis. The second step is to make a resolution that you can prevail over any chaos. Enlist your support network of family and friends if necessary. The more minds there are to consider a problem, the more solutions can be found. Don’t discount ideas just because they seem impractical or “unrealistic,” and don’t keep searching for the “best” alternative. Often there is no “best” choice, there is only a choice to make so we can begin moving beyond whatever is obstructing our path. At the very least, making a choice, even if isn’t the ideal one, can give you a sense of peace before you have to figure out what your next course of action will be.

If you feel overwhelmed by the scope of your troubles, you may want to think of other people who have turned adversity into triumph. We often gain a fresh perspective when we remember others who have overcome larger obstacles. It can be inspiring to hear of their victories, helping us remember that there is always light at the end of every tunnel. It is during our darkest hours that we sometimes need to remind ourselves that we don’t have to feel helpless. You have within and around you the resources to find a solution to any problem. And remember that if a solution or choice you make doesn’t work, you are always free to try another. Believe that you can get through anything, and you will always prevail.

Have a great week!
Jill Marie

Tags: casserole, recipes, daily om

Home Remedy--Bad Breath

2008-09-25T10:02:00.000-04:00

Good Morning. Here are a few tips if you suffer from bad breath. Of course, you may want to read this AOL Health Article as bad breath may be a sign of something more serious.

Bad Breath

Boil some cinnamon bark in a cup of water. Store it in a clean bottle in your bathroom. Use it as a mouthwash frequently.
Parsley leaves are rich in chlorophyll, nature's own deodorizer. Chew some leaves regularly and your breath will remain fresh.
You can chew some cardamom seeds to sweeten your breath.

I also found a few more Apple Recipes, from Pillsbury, that I want to share with you.

Easy Apple Foldovers with Apple Glaze
Refrigerated pie crusts make these apple foldovers easy. A pretty presentation and tempting treat!

INGREDIENTS
Filling
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 medium apples, peeled, finely chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crust
1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Glaze
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 teaspoons apple cider or apple juice

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix walnuts, brown sugar and butter with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. In medium bowl, stir together apples, flour and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.
2. Unroll crusts on work surface. Cut each crust into quarters. Place about 1/4 cup apple mixture on one half of each pie crust wedge. Sprinkle with walnut mixture. Fold untopped half over filled half (foldovers will be full). Press edges with fork to seal. Prick top with fork. Place on ungreased large cookie sheet.
3. Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over foldovers. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Cinnamon-Apple Crostata
This European-style tart is easily shaped on a cookie sheet and has an extra-cinnamony aroma while it bakes. Enjoy it warm from the oven.

INGREDIENTS
Crust
1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box
Filling
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples (4 medium)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts
Topping
Whipped cream, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 450°F. Remove pie crust from pouch; place flat on ungreased cookie sheet.
2. In medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch and cinnamon. Gently stir in apples. Spoon apple mixture onto center of crust, spreading to within 2 inches of edge. Fold crust edge over filling to form 2-inch border, pleating crust as necessary. Brush crust edge with water; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.
3. Bake 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle pecans over apple mixture. Bake 5 to 15 minutes longer or until apples are tender. Serve with whipped cream.

Slow-Cooked Praline Apple Crisp
The cinnamon-rich flavors of old-fashioned apple crisp meet the convenience of a slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS
6 medium-size crisp tart apples (Granny Smith or Braeburn), peeled if desired, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup toffee bits
Ice cream, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix apples and cinnamon to coat. Place in slow cooker.
2. In medium bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, flour and butter with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Stir in pecans and toffee bits. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over apples.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours. Serve apple crisp with ice cream.

I just love getting new recipes for my slow cooker! And this one sounds really good. I just wish I could find my other crock-pot so I could cook the apple crisp in one cooker while I'm doing a pot roast in the other. LOL

Yesterday I began working on the linoleum tile floor in Sammi's house. First I had to remove the existing tiles by the front door. There were only about 20 of them down, but they were a real pain in the tush to get off the floor. Ray finally came over to help me get started and we got about a third of the tiles down.

I have to go over today and put more adhesive on the sub-floor and then I can start putting the tiles down. I think I'll leave the outer edge tiles for Ray...I'm just not too sure about cutting them. I don't think I can do as well as Ray and his brother do. We'll see. I may try one and see how it goes from there.

I'll only have a few hours to work though. Ray has an appointment with his new doctor today and I think he wants me to go with him. His appointment is in the afternoon so that will give me at least 2-3 hours to get some work done.

Well, I guess I better get my bum in gear.

Have a wonderful day,
Jill Marie

Tags: home remedy, bad breath, apple recipes

Tuesday Tip--Keeping shoes clean

2008-09-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

Here are some tips for keeping a variety of shoes looking clean.

Sneakers: Oh, those smelly sneaks! To deodorize them, sprinkle 3 tablespoons baking soda into each shoe and leave overnight; pour out in the morning. Also helpful: spraying a foot antiperspirant/deodorant inside the sneakers before each wearing. To machine-wash non-leather sneakers, first remove laces and pretreat stains. Toss into a cold cycle. Let air-dry or put into the dryer with several towels on cool-air cycle. (Actually, my sister-in-law says if you put bunched up newspaper into the shoes, they will dry a lot quicker. She swears by it.)

Flip-flops and plastic sandals: These are fun to wear, but the open soles get imprinted with grime. Keep them from looking too grungy with a regular scrub in hot, soapy water. Use a toothbrush on nooks and crannies. Or for a full scouring, put thongs and slides in an empty dishwasher, secured to the top rack with a clothespin. Remove after the final rinse and let air-dry.

Hiking boots: Cleaning boots after a day's hike will make your next trek much more comfortable. If just the tops are dusty, a shoe brush will do the job. But if the boots are muddy, let them dry completely. Then, after removing the laces, go over the entire boot with a soft toothbrush, scrubbing seams and hidden spots. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Let boots air out before re-lacing, and stick a couple of used fabric softener sheets inside to help deodorize. If the boots are leather, apply an oil or cream conditioner after cleaning.

Cotton espadrilles and fabric slip-ons: Dunking these in water is a bad idea: The shoes can lose their shape, and rope-covered soles may come unglued. If the cloth gets dirty, treat it with a mild spray fabric cleaner. Allow the cleaner to dry to a powder, then brush it off.

Winter salt on Leather Shoes: Make a solution of one part water to one part white vinegar, and use it sparingly on the shoes. Dip a cloth into the solution, and dab it over the salt-streaked parts of your shoes.
May have to repeat the cleaning afew times before all the salt is removed. Salt actually can damage leather, so it's best to clean shoes as quickly as possible. Don't let the salt stains build up.

I've got to get moving here. Rylie has another dental appointment today. This should be exciting...the last 2 times we've been to the dentist they had to papoose her. This time we have an appointment with the dentist who is able to use laughing gas on children, so hopefully we won't have to wrap her up in that straight-jacket contraption. I think it is as emotionally hard on me as it is on Rylie.

Samantha's place is almost done. As soon as we get the flooring down she will be able to move her furniture in and begin getting her home all set up. I've got the before pictures and will be sure to take some after pictures to share with ya'll.

Have a really awesome Tuesday.
Jill Marie

Tags: cleaning shoes, cleaning tips

Apple Recipes

2008-09-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Autumn is here and that means, around here anyway, lots of apples. So here are a few recipes for all those delicious apples.

The Perfect Apple Pie
Prep Time: 35 min Total Time: 1 hr 25 min Makes: 10 servings

2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
5 to 7 Tbsp. ice cold water
6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (about 4 large apples)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

ADD water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing lightly with fork until flour mixture is evenly moistened and clings together when pressed into a ball. Divide dough in half; shape each half into 1/2-inch-thick round. Wrap each dough round in plastic wrap; refrigerate 15 min.

MEANWHILE, toss apples with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice in large bowl; set aside. Place 1 dough round between two large sheets of plastic wrap; roll out dough with rolling pin to flatten slightly, working from center of dough to the edge. Turn over; continue rolling until dough round is about 2 inches larger than diameter of inverted 9-inch pie plate.

PEEL off top piece of plastic wrap; invert dough into pie plate. Peel off remaining piece of plastic wrap; press dough evenly onto bottom and up side of pie plate, being careful not to stretch the dough. Trim any dough hanging over edge of pie plate with sharp knife or kitchen shears; reserve trimmings.

FILL with apple mixture; set aside. Roll out remaining dough as directed; place over filling. Trim top crust about 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold edge of top crust under edge of bottom crust; pinch edges together to form a ridge. Flute edge (see Tip). Cut several slits near center of pie to allow steam to escape.

BAKE 45 to 50 min. or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool.

Applesauce

4 Granny Smith apples
2 McIntosh or other sweet apple
Juice f 1 lemon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of coarse salt

Peel, core and cut all apples into eighths. (I usually chop into smaller bits at this point rather than cooking big pieces of apple.)

Melt butter over medium high heat. Sprinkle sugar over; cook until sugar begins to brown.

Add apples; cook until they turn golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Stir in cinnamon and salt. Mash apples like you would potatoes, you can mash a lot or leave it chunky, whichever you prefer.

Store refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Double-Dipped Gourmet Caramel Apples

4 or 5 medium apples
Wooden sticks
2 (14 ounce) packages caramels (96 pieces), divided

First Caramel Layer:
Wash and dry apples; insert stick into stem end of each apple.

Microwave 1 package of the caramels and 2 tablespoons of the water in a small deep micorwave safe bowl on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every minute. If caramel sauce is too thin, let stand about 2 minutes before dipping apples.

Dip apples into hot caramel sauce; turn until coated. Scrape excess sauce from bottom of apples. Place on greased wax paper. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Second Caramel Layer:
After refrigerating, repeat microwave and dipping directions with remaining the remaining package of caramels and 2 tablespoons water.

See decorating ideas below for warm caramel apples. Otherwise, refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. See decorating ideas below for chilled caramel apples.

Store decorated apples in refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving to allow caramel to soften. Makes 4 to 5 medium apples or 2 large (3/4 to 1 pound each).

Decorating ideas for warm caramel apples:
Roll in chopped pecans or nuts of your choice; drizzle with melted apples.

Decorate with non-pareil covered semi sweet chocolate chips; drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Roll in graham cracker pieces and miniature marshmallows; drizzle with melted chocolate.

Roll in macadamia nuts or premium mixed nuts; drizzle with melted white and semi-sweet chocolate.

Decorating ideas for chilled caramel apples:
Dip apple in melted chocolate, several times, waiting for chocolate to harden a little between each dip. Use white or semi-sweet chocolate or marbleize.

Dip bottom of apple in melted chocolate; decorate with toasted coconut and slice almonds.

Decorate with melted white or semi-sweet chocolate and sprinkles.

Any of these apples can be decorated with anything you choose, such as raisins, chopped malted milk balls, peanut butter chips, chopped potato chips or preztels.

Mmm, if you've never made homemade applesauce before, give it a try. It's really easy and it makes the whole house smell absolutely delicious.

Have a beautiful week!
Jill Marie

Tags: apple pie, applesauce, caramel apple, recipes

Click to give a free mammogram

2008-09-19T16:07:00.000-04:00

If you haven't been by there lately, or if you've never heard of it, please visit the following link to help provide free mammograms for women who can't afford them. I was lucky enough to get my first mammogram this year and I am deeply grateful for programs such as this.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com

Have a beautiful weekend!
Jill Marie

Home Remedy--Athletes Foot

2008-09-18T09:05:00.000-04:00

Here are a few helpful tips for curing and preventing Athletes Foot.

Athletes Foot

Take the skin off of the garlic cloves. Put the garlic through the garlic press. Spread the mixture over any affected area of the foot. Allow the mixture to set on feet for 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat for several days until it clears up.
Mix one part of tea tree oil with 9 parts of another oil, Either peanut oil or olive oil. store this mixture in a bottle and apply some to the affected areas 2 times a day. In a week or so you will see that your feet look and feel a lot better. Keep up this until all of the athletes foot is dead and gone.
Soak feet in very warm water with about one part white vinegar to four parts water, for 20 - 30 minutes, 2 times a day, until the fungus is no longer visible and irritating.
Try using cornstarch to cure athletes foot. (* I don't know if this will cure athletes foot, but it may help cut down on the moisture if you're wearing socks.)

The best cure is prevention. Be sure to wear flip flops or some other sort of foot wear in public showers. Hard surfaces like tubs and bathroom tile, that are often wet can harbor the fungus. By bleaching them twice a week you can greatly reduce your risk of re-contracting athletes foot after you cure yourself of it.

If you do catch athletes foot, remember that it needs moisture to survive, so sweaty feet grow it the most. Prevent this by wearing sandles or go barefoot when you can. If you have to wear shoes, change your socks often to keep them from getting sweaty.

I can't believe it's already Thursday. Wow, this week is just flying by. Other than the bathroom and the spare room, I think I may be able to finish up with the painting at Sammi's new house. It is looking really good.

Of course, it will look even better when we can get some floor covering down. I took measurements of all the floors and windows yesterday and wrote them down in a little notebook. I'll also paste samples of the paint we used in that notebook. Then Sammi can put it in her purse and whenever she is out shopping and see's something for the house she'll know what size she needs and if it will look good with her paint.

I'm so freaking anal that sometimes it scares me. LOL I've even already made some folders with labels for her utilities, etc. Yep, I probably have copies of bills from 5 years ago and the date, amount & check number that I paid them. Yeah...I confess...I'm a wee bit anal.

Well, have a good day. I have a load of clean clothes that have been screaming at me to come and fold them since last night.

Jill Marie

Tags: athletes feet

Cleaner Dishes and Glasses Tip

2008-09-16T08:42:00.000-04:00

Good morning, want cleaner dishes coming out of your dishwasher? Then try this quick and easy tip...

Cleaner Dishes and Glasses: Pour 1 ½ cup to 2 cups white distilled vinegar in the bottom of dishwasher, along with regular dishwasher soap. Wash full cycle.

Here's a quote to think about...
"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval." — Mark Twain

Well, I got Samantha's bedroom ceiling primed and ready to paint. I also went around and covered any area that hadn't been primed and needed to be, or that didn't get a heavy enough coat of primer.

I don't feel like painting today but I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday so I suppose I should go over and at least try to get the coat of paint on the bedroom ceiling. Blah...I'd rather sleep. It's just kind of a poopy morning and I don't feel like doing much.

I still have one load of laundry left to fold and I don't even feel like doing that. Ugh--I hate autumn. It's just so depressing. I know lots of people who like it and all the fall colors but to me it seems like the season of death. I LOVE spring...new growth, new life, re-birth, warming temperatures, birds singing and sun shining. Yep, I'm definately a Spring and Summer girl. Those seasons just don't seem to last long enough while Autumn and Winter just seem to drag by for me.

Alrighty then...I think I've bummed myself and ya'll out enough for the day, lol.

Have a good one!
Jill Marie

Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwiches

2008-09-15T09:08:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! This is one of my honey's favorite meals. He loves this for dinner and he usually eats so much of it that I don't have to fix any sides, although I try to make some green beans or something so they get a veggie in. Even Rylie ate some last week (she is such a finicky eater) and she said it was really good too.

Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwiches

Brown Gravy Mix
Fresh Roast Beef from the deli OR a can of Roast Beef
Bread
Mashed Potatoes

You can use a package of Gravy Mix or make your own gravy. I usually make homemade gravy using beef boullion, flour, water and salt & pepper to taste. After the gravy is made add bite size pieces of Roast Beef. The fresh roast beef is good, but when the budget calls for it, the canned beef is just as good. The gravy is really what matter with this meal.

Place a slice of bread on the plate, top the bread with a scoop of mashed potates and top that with gravy. My ol' man likes it double stacked, lol. It's a really easy meal if you use gravy mix and fake taters. Of course, I prefer homemade gravy and real taters. If your just feeding 2-3 people use one package of the gravy mix. For more people use 2 packages of gravy and add a little more beef to it. It really depends on the appetites of the people you are feeding.

I've been busy helping Samantha paint the new place. It is such a pain in the tush...the old man that lived there was such a heavy smoker and we have to prime everything before we can even begin painting. The ceilings are the worst. Even after two coats of primer and a coat of paint the nicotine stains are bleeding through. Ugh! So gross. Although, even with the stains coming through, the ceilings look 10 times better than they did before we began.

I'll be going down there today to finish priming the master bedroom and maybe begin some painting. Although I should really get started on priming the bathroom. We'll see what I am able to get done. If I can get all the priming done then we can just start the painting and hopefully get it all done in the next few days.

I should probably get off here and go get some of my own chores done here this morning before I go and do anything else. I have at least 3 loads of laundry I need to attack.

Have a great day!
Jill Marie

Tags: Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwiches, recipe

2008-09-12T09:20:00.000-04:00

Have ya'll seen the ABC show called Extreme Home Makeover? Well, Ty Pennington and his crew have been in Toledo this week. They are doing a home for Jackie & Aaron Frisch who are raising 11 children, 8 or whom (I believe) were adopted. I think I heard that one of them was adopted from the Toledo area and the rest are boys who were adopted from Haiti.

The ol' man went over on Wednesday evening to work on the HVAC installation with a lot of other volunteers. They were suppose to begin work at 4pm, however the build was behind schedule and he was told not to show up until 7pm. I called him at 10:30pm to say good-nite and luv you's and he told me that they still hadn't been into the house yet because things were behind but they were suppose to get in any minute. He got home around 9:30am on Thursday.

He said it was very exciting and that it was like a little city. Lot's of food and volunteers and there were huge lights up outside and you wouldn't even know it was night time out there. He really enjoyed volunteering and helping out with such a huge project.

This isn't his first time working as a volunteer either. He has helped work on at least 2 Habitat For Humanity homes. He really enjoys helping people who really need the help and that appreciate what is being done for them. And, as he says, it's good for our karma too.

In other news, Sammi was approved by the community manager to buy the single wide for $99. Her deposit was a little more than we had hoped for, but her father is going to help her with it, Thank God. I'm going today to buy some paint. She closes on Saturday at 9:30am and she will receive the keys then. We'll go right away and get started on painting. There is no carpet anywhere in the home, they took it all out because the guy was such a heavy smoker and they said it really, really stank.

We're thinking about just putting linoleum tiles down in the kitchen and living room and then she can use some area rugs. Then we could get some remnant carpet to use in the 2 bedrooms. I know she'd really like to carpet it all, but even a cheap job is about $700 to carpet 3 rooms (45 sq. yards) and that is just too far out of her budget right now. I wish I could give her about $1000 to use as she needs, but I just can't afford to. However, I will paint, clean and do whatever else I can to help her out.

I've picked up a few things for her at the store. Just little things that were on sale. Mom also called me last night and said she found some really cute little lamps on sale on Wal-Mart and wanted to know if the set of table and chairs she had at the lake cottage would be something that Sam could use in her kitchen. It's a round table about 30" across, but sits high like a bar and has two bar stools with it. I said it would probably be just about perfect. She also has a small little dresser, which is just what Sammi said she needs, that she can have.

There is a little desk built into the front bedroom where she can put her computer. I'm gonna give her my love-seat that pulls out into a bed for the front bedroom. That way she can use it as a sitting room/guest room.

I think she said her Dad told her she could have his old tv when he gets his new one. So now all she needs is a full-size mattress set and frame, coffee & end tables, window coverings, linens and pots & pans. LOL, yep, that's all.

I've been going to some of the re-sale shops and checking out what they have. We could get a used mattress set at one place for about $80, but then sheesh, we may be able to find her a new set for around $200. So it's kind of silly to buy a used set, but she needs it NOW and she just can't afford it right away.

Well, I've got some things to do around here before I go and buy the paint, so take it easy and have a wonderful weekend!

Jill Marie

2008-09-11T19:26:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lateness of this post. AOL was being real touchy this morning and would not let me post an entry.

Arthritis

A daily serving of fresh fish or fish oil capsules helps to give relief of arthritis and other joint pains.
3-4 walnuts eaten daily, on an empty stomach, will help.
Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.
WD-40 ~ Spray and rub in.
Some say they relieve the pain by rubbing castor oil on the affected joints.
Reportedly, the consumption of fresh coconut helped relieve the pain of arthritis for some.

Have a great Friday!
Jill Marie

Sunflower harvesting?

2008-09-10T19:18:00.000-04:00

Okay I just went outside to clean up my garden a wee bit. I found that my tallest sunflower, which had probably grown to about 12' tall, was at the point where the petals were beginning to drop but the birds hadn't gotten to the seeds yet. So I'm wondering does anyone know the best way to harvest the seeds?

I'd like to save several to plant next year. I know that I need to just let them dry out. However, I'd like to use the rest for snacking. Do I let these dry out too? Or should I remove them from the head then salt and bake them like pumpkin seeds? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Jill Marie

Cleaning Chrome

2008-09-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

Good Morning ya'll! Here are some tips for keeping chrome clean.

Chrome:

Vinegar: To clean chrome, wipe with a soft cloth dipped in undiluted white or cider vinegar.
Baby Oil: Apply baby oil with a soft cloth and polish to remove stains from chrome trim on faucets, kitchen appliances, vehicles, etc.
Chrome faucets: are easily cleaned with soapy water. Rinse and wipe dry with a paper towel to restore luster. An old toothbrush helps get deposits of dirt out from under edges of faucet. For hard-to-remove spots, use silver polish, rinse, and wipe dry.

To remove rust from chrome: To remove rust from chrome, wipe it with aluminum foil dipped in Coke®. To polish chrome, use a crumbled up piece of aluminum foil and rub.

Here are a few fun little things I wasted some time on at blog things, lol.

The True You

You want your girlfriend or boyfriend to be more relaxed, calm, and composed.

With respect to money, you spend as little as possible.

You think good luck might come your way, but if it does you'll be so surprised you'll burst out laughing.

The hidden side of your personality tends to be satisfied to care for things with a minimal amount of effort.

You have a tendency to overdo things, but basically you value your friendships highly.

When it comes to finding a romantic partner, you base your search on information from your friends.

Who's The True You?

And then there's this one...

What Your Name Says About You

Your name says that you are mostly:

Talented but unmotivated

Your name also says you are:

Artistic but extreme
Thoughtful but slow
Energetic but impatient

What Does Your Name Say About You?

And finally this one...

You Are a Visionary Soul

You are a curious person, always in a state of awareness.
Connected to all things spiritual, you are very connected to your soul.
You are wise and bright: able to reason and be reasonable.
Occasionally, you get quite depressed and have dark feelings.

You have great vision and can be very insightful.
In fact, you are often profound in a way that surprises yourself.
Visionary souls like you can be the best type of friend.
You are intuitive, understanding, sympathetic, and a good healer.

Souls you are most compatible with: Old Soul and Peacemaker Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Oh and this one...

You Are China

You adhere to the ideas of loyalty, honesty, sincerity, and duty.
You respect authority and age. You believe in social harmony.

You are big and bold. People consider you to be someone with a lot of potential.
You are coming into your own right now, and you are figuring out your place in the world.

What Country Are You?

Are they true? Well, some of it hits right on and some of it is so-so and then some of it is what in the heck does that mean? LOL

I guess it's time to go read my mail and then get some laundry done, sweep the floors and try to figure what to defrost for dinner tonight.

Have a great day!
Jill Marie

Tags: cleaning tip, cleaning chrome, blog things

Grill recipes

2008-09-08T10:58:00.000-04:00

Well as summer is very nearly over...sigh...I thought I would post a few grilling recipes today.

Grilled Hawaiian Pork Tenderloin

3 pounds pork tenderloin
1 quart reduced pork broth
1/2 cup brown mustard
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons horseradish
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 small red potatoes
2 carrots, stripped
1 can pineapple rings

In saucepan, place pork broth, brown and yellow mustards, honey, horseradish, ketchup, brown sugar and garlic. Simmer on low and reduce. Grill pork tenderloin, turning to prevent burning while brushing sauce over the meat. Remove from grill when done, 170 degrees. About 1 hour on low heat. Grill vegetables and pineapple during last half of the cooking time and serve with the meat.

Rib Eye Steaks 'N Seasoned Vegetable Kabobs

3 beef rib eye steaks, cut 1 inch thick
6 small red potatoes, halved
4 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves, divided
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 large clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper, as desired

Place potatoes in 11 3/4 x 7 1/2 inch microwave safe baking dish. Cover and microwave at high 6 to 7 minutes or until barely fork tender, rearranging potatoes after 3 minutes. Meanwhile combine 2 teaspoons oregano and red pepper; sprinkle on both sides of beef rib eye steaks; reserve. Alternately thread cooked potatoes and squash on six 8 inch skewers. Combine butter, garlic and remaining 2 teaspoons oregano; brush half of mixture over vegetables. Place steaks and kabobs on grid over medium coals. Grill steaks 9 to 12 for rare to medium, turning once; grill kabobs 10 minutes, turning once and brushing with remaining butter mixture. Season steak and vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. 6 servings.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

3 portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Clean mushroomsand remove stems, reserve for other use. Place caps on a plate with the gills up. In a small bowl, combine the oil, onion, garlic and vinegar. Pour mixture evenly over the mushroom caps and let stand for 1 hour. Grill over hot grill for 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 3 servings.

Charcoal Grilled Herbed Chicken Halves

3 small chickens, halved

Herb Marinade:
1 cup sherry or if desired, apple juice
1/2 cup salad oil
1 large onion, grated
1 tablespoon dry or prepared mustard
1 tablespoon mixed herbs; thyme, marjoram, rosemary oregano
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Measure all marinade ingredients into large jar; shake well to blend. Place chicken in shallow glass dish; pour Herb Marinade over chicken. Cover dish with plastic wrap; refrigerate several hours,turning meat occasionally. Remove chicken from marinade. Place chicken halves, bone side down, on grill 5 inches from medium coals; cook 20 to 30 minutes. Turn chicken and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer; basting frequently with marinade, until chicken is done. Makes 6 servings.

NOTE:
Either refrain from basting the chicken for the last several minutes of cooking or halfway through cooking, boil remaining marinade (let boil for 5 minutes to kill off the bacteria. Do not brush finished meat with contaminated sauce.

Baby Back Ribs With Orange-Chipotle Glaze

Source: Chef Emeril Lagasse
Glaze:
1 cup orange juice
2 cups cider vinegar
1 (7 ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce,
pur�ed in the blender or finely chopped
1 cup soy sauce
4 cups granulated sugar
Ribs:
4 or 6 slabs baby back ribs, 10 to 12 ribs per slab
Chinese five-spice powder
Kosher salt
Coarse black pepper

To make the glaze: In a heavy 3-gallon non-reactive stockpot, reduce the orange juice to 1/4 cup. Add the vinegar, peppers, soy sauce and sugar and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is melted and the sauce has reduced to 4 cups and coats the back of a spoon, about 20 to 30 minutes.

To make the ribs: Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high. Season the ribs liberally on both sides with the spices. Place the ribs on the grill and cook about 5 minutes per side. Remove the ribs and let cool.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap, then in foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the ribs from the oven and let cool while still wrapped. Before serving, spoon the Orange-Chipotle Glaze over the ribs, liberally coating both sides.

Serve 1 slab of ribs per person, and pass the remaining glaze at the table.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

I hope ya'll had a wonderful weekend. Mine was pretty exciting as we found a home for Samantha to buy. Yep, a two bedroom, one bathroom, single wide for...are ya ready for this? $99...nope, I didn't make a mistake and noooooo, it isn't a piece of poo dump either.

It's very nice. It just needs new paint and all new carpet. Still it's a great deal for just $99. She just has to wait for the credit check, which takes anywhere from 1-3 days, and then the closing will be within 7 days of that. It is one street over from her brother, down the street and around the corner from her step-sister and just a few streets away from us, so if she ever needs anything someone will be here for her. I'm so excited as is Rylie. As we were walking through the house Rylie went into the front bedroom and proclaimed that it was her room. LOL

Speaking of my lil' diva, she is miserable. Poor thing. I'm not sure if it is allergies or a cold. Her head is so stuffed up, she keeps sneezing, and she hardly slept last night. She also tended to talk in her sleep when she did finally fall asleep. Soooo, of course, if she is miserable and not sleeping...that means that mommy is not sleeping. y-a-w-n.

I got up this morning and set up a doctor appointment for Wednesday. If she starts to feel better I can cancel it, but if she continues like this or gets worse (God forbid), I'll be thankful that I made the appointment.

Have a great week!
Jill Marie

Tags: grill recipes

Anemia home remedy

2008-09-04T08:51:00.000-04:00

Here are a few tips to help if you have anemia. Of course, you should always follow your doctors orders.

Anemia

Avoid drinking tea (regular, not herbal varieties) and coffee immediately after meals, as the tannin present in these interferes in the absorption of iron from the food.
Drink a cup of herbal tea mixed with 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses each day. This provides 80% of the iron needed in one day.
Foods high in iron: lean beef, lean pork, skinned poultry, shellfish, fish, liver, organ meats, egg yolks, pinto, kidney, lima, navy, chick peas, black-eyed peas, lentils, split peas, green peas, spinach, kale, collards, beet greens, chard, broccoli, raisins, prunes, figs, dates, dried peaches, dried apricots, nuts, peanut butter, whole grain breads.
Your body absorbs iron from meats easier than fruits and vegetables. To aid in the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables, eat them with a good source of vitamin C.

Have a wonderful Thursday!
Jill Marie

Carpet cleaning tips

2008-09-02T08:32:00.000-04:00

Good morning. Here are a few tips for cleaning your carpet.

Carpet Stain Removal:

Carpet Stain Removal - Method 1

Mix some neutral pH detergent with a cup of warm water. Blot, don't rub onto the carpet. Prepare a slightly acidic solution of one third of a cup of white vinegar and two thirds of a cup of warm water. Again blot, and don't rub onto the carpet.

Apply cold water and blot Absorb all of the liquid with clean, white towels. Allow the area to dry thoroughly and then go over it with a vacuum cleaner.

Carpet Stain Removal - Method 2

Soak up as much of the spill as possible. Mix a few drops of dish soap into about a cup or two of hydrogen peroxide. Use a sponge and carefully blot on the carpet.

Treat carpet stains as quickly as you can. Only use white towels or cloths to prevent bleeding from the material into the stain. When blotting, work from the outer edges of the stain in towards the center. This will prevent unsightly rings from remaining on the carpet. Pretest all mixtures in an inconspicuous area of the carpet before using on the actual stain.

If the stain persists contact a carpet and rug cleaning professional. With the use of heavy duty equipment, industrial cleaners and steam extraction, they may be able to remove stains that have left you frustrated.

Carpet Cleaning tips

To keep your carpet clean, it is important to clean up spills as they happen. Blot up the spill immediately using clean, white paper towels or a regular towel. Do not rub as this will force the spill deeper into the carpet.

There are several ways to clean spills that have turned into stains. Club soda makes a great emergency spotter. Pour it on the spot, let it sit for a few seconds and pat it dry with a clean white towel

Older stains do well with an acidic formulation as follows: combine 2 tablespoons detergent, 3 tablespoons vinegar, and one quart warm water. Work into stain and blot dry. Cover the spot with a clean towel or paper towels and place a heavy item such as a book on top of it to help draw out excess moisture. When the towel becomes damp, replace it with a dry one.

Emergency Stain Removal

It is inevitable that things are going to be spilled. For gravy spills, big food spills, red wine, soda, coffee or tea, sprinkle with a heavy layer of salt right on the spill. The salt works like a magic sponge, soaking up the spill, keeping the stain from setting. Vacuum or wipe up the salt and get to work removing what ever small amount remains.

Quick carpet cleaning tip

Baby wipes are miracle workers on carpet stains, from motor oil to blood, they remove almost anything. I have used this one several times, it works very well on fresh stains.

Remove Candle Wax Stains from carpet

First, remove as much of the wax as you can by hand after it has dried. You can try using a credit card or a plastic knife or spoon. Then place a piece of paper towel or a wet towel over the wax in the area you want to clean and go over it with a warm iron. (warm not hot! hot temperature will burn some carpets!)

Keep the iron moving, and move the paper often. The heat from the iron melts the wax, and the paper wicks the wax OUT of the carpet. Repeat until it is gone.

Remove Blood Stains

Blot with a white paper towel toremove as much of the blood stain that you can. Next, neutralize by spraying the stain with a solution of 1/2 cup cool water and 1 Tbs, of clear ammonia. Blot to remove exess moisture. (Use a white paper towel for blotting) Then spray on a solution made with 1 qt. cool water and 1/4 tsp. of dish detergent. (NOT containing bleach or lanolin) Joy or Dawn are good for this. Continue if you see the spot being removed. Now use a spray bottle filled with cool water to rinse. Then apply a pad of paper towels and place something heavy on top to absorb the moisture. If all of the stain does not come out, moisten the ends of the fabric with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Let stand for 1 hour. Blot and repeat until carpet is stain free.

My favorite easy clean up is what the sister in law told me...Shaving Cream. I've used this to clean up spilled grape juice...which I found several days later. It was on beige carpet and the stain is dang near spotless. Yep...shaving cream has become one of this mommie's best friends. Yeah...I don't have much of a life...lol...serious look...lol.

I hope ya'll had a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. Ours was...well, nothing...we did absolutely nothing and it was boring as heck. Same as our entire summer. I'm getting ready to put a For Sale sign on the motor home. It seems pointless to keep it when we've only used twice in 4 years. Sheesh!

The only fun we had was just me and Rylie hanging out at the pool, by ourselves. I actually found the time to read a book, my first one it 4 years. Yea! Rylie met a lot of other kids around her age and had a blast playing with them. Her swimming skills have increased so much this year and I am so proud of her.

I think the socialization with the other children were a huge benefit too. Her speech skills are a lot better than they were at the beginning of the summer. So a big "thank you" to all the children she was playing with at the pool.

I was hoping that we would get a lot of projects, which have kept getting put off, done this summer. However, not many things have been done...at least not at our home. Funny how there is always time to help everyone else get their stuff done, but never any time to do a few things around here. Amazing...not even time to finish a simple afternoon project.

Oh well...looks like it's time for me to start cleaning and pitching. There is a community garage sale coming up. I can either sell some of the junk in that or just pitch it all and be done with it that simply.

I've got to get busy around here. Ya'll have a great day.
Jill Marie

Tags: carpet cleaning tips

Home remedy--Acne

2008-08-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! Here are a few tips for dealing with acne. I've been using the last tip to deal with large pores and some stubborn black heads.

Acne, Blackheads & Pimples

Dab a small amount of toothpaste (paste, not gel) on pimples before bed; this helps dry out the pimples.
Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and rose water, apply to face with a cotton ball, and allow to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing. 15-20 days of this application helps cure pimples and also helps to remove blemishes and scars.
Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water next morning.
For acne that hasn't seemed to respond to anything, steep 2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves in 1 cup boiling water for 10-20 minutes, cool, and apply to affected area with a cotton ball.
Apply a dab of honey to the pimple, cover with a band-aid and leave on overnight. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin, sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight. * My daughter and I have tried this one and we all think it works.
Paint Elmers glue onto face, let dry and then peel off and see the black heads and dead skin. (*Much cheaper than those strips they sell in the stores!)
Use a cotton ball to apply rubbing alcohol to your face as an astringent.

It's Thursday, but around here it is an early Friday. Tomorrow is the annual golf day at Ray's place of employment. Which makes this evening the beginning of our holiday weekend. Yippee!

Rylie and I went to the pool yesterday, in spite of a sky full of fluffy clouds. It was kind of nice though, the sun was shining but the clouds provided some cover and it wasn't too hot. There was also a wee bit of wind. However, I'm not quite sure how Rylie was able to stand getting in the water for more than a few minutes as it felt like standing in a glass of ice water.

She spent most of her time playing with another child, a bit in the water, mostly outside of the pool. Or talking to the life guard. After getting home, I was pleasantly surprised to find I got quite a bit of sun on my face.

Later in the afternoon I spent some time in the garden pulling out dying flowers, etc. How depressing. Another year of my life coming to a close. sigh. Yeah, yeah...I know, the optimist would say it's getting close to the time of a clean slate and a brand new year to start all over. Blpppphhhht! A bright outlook on life is not one of my better qualities, to say the least. LOL

Nope, I guess you could call me a bit of a pessimist. I hate that word. I prefer to think of myself as being logical...yeah...let's go with that. LOL Don't get me wrong, I do hold onto hopes. I am forever hopeful. I always hoped I'd never turn 30. However, as people do like to remind me, I am no longer 29. Sheesh, when in the heck did that happen? Makes sense though as my oldest child will be 23 this December. Will someone please bring me a cane?!

That's not fair! I am the mother of a 4 year old, how in the heck can I be this freaking old? And here's the really unfair part...I thought that having a young child in the house would help keep me young. You know, playing games, moving about, young at heart, blah, blah, blah. NOT true! It usually has me feeling older. Well, a heck of a lot older than *29 anyway. Where are the people that told me that "it will keep you young". I think I need to find them and make them aware of the fact that she doesn't take naps anymore and I now want to take one almost everyday.

Well, I suppose I should go shower and wet my hair down and see what it looks like. I gave myself a home perm last night. Last time I did this I used these little blue rods thinking it would give me these really neat looking curls. Uhhhh, noooooooo. Instead I had this really kinky looking hair that I wanted to shave off. My hair hadn't been permed in years, but it used to be really hard to get it to take a perm. Well, after almost a year I had to straighten it because it was driving me crazy.

So yesterday I bought these much larger tan rods and used them instead. I am hoping that this will be just enough to give my hair some body and not be too kinky looking. It looked okay last night, but it was still wet when I went to sleep. I am hoping (see I can be hopeful) for some good results. I don't think I can shampoo it until tomorrow, I'll have to go get the instructions and look them over again.

Well, have a wonderful holiday weekend and be safe.
Jill Marie

Tags: acne home remedy

Cleaning with Coca-Cola

2008-08-26T10:04:00.000-04:00

Hm, so I'm really curious about this cleaning with Coke business. Supposedly, the phosphoric acid in the soda is good for cleaning several things. I've read about people using it to clean really stubborn toilet stains, using it to clean rust from an iron skillet, and rubbing it on chrome with aluminum to clean rust stains...

Well, I know someone who has an older home with a very, very badly stained toilet. Maybe I'll make a trip over there and do a little experimenting. I also have an iron skillet with some rust on it. I'll be performing a few experiments and get back with ya'll on the results, and maybe even pictures.

In the meantime here is a site with some suggestions for ways to use Coke, Crazy Things To Do With Coca-Cola.

For those of you who haven't received it yet, the following is an example of one of the "Other uses for Coke" emails.

Just when you thought you knew everything....

1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl... Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean.

4. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

5. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

6. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away corrosion.

7. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

9.The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days.

10.To carry CocaCola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly Corrosive materials.

11.The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Hey, it can't hurt to give it a try. I know that when I worked in the kitchen at the county fair we used to use cola to clean the grill.

Have a wonderful day.
Jill Marie

Tags: Coca-cola cleaning

Beef Tips Recipe

2008-08-25T09:21:00.000-04:00

Here is a yummy little recipe that would be good served with mashed potatoes, a veggie or a salad, and some rolls. Mmmm.

Beef Tips Recipe
This is a quick and simple beef tips recipe for those days when you are on the go and do not want to eat fast food again. Fondue beef is simply beef sirloin or tenderloin cut into bite sized pieces. These are usually lean pieces of meat.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 package "fondue" beef (about 3/4 pound)
1 (12 ounce) package wide or extra-wide egg noodles
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (7 ounce) can mushroom pieces, drained, optional

Directions:
1. Place large pot of water on to boil for the noodles and prepare noodles per instructions.
2. While waiting for the water to come to a boil, melt the butter in a large pan. Sauté the onion for a couple of minutes.
3. Place beef in the skillet and brown on all sides.
4. Add the can of mushroom soup and mix with the natural juices from the beef. Add the can of
mushrooms and heat through.
5. Drain the noodles and return to pot. Pour beef mixture over and toss.

I am hoping that it is a little warmer than predicted. The local weatherman is calling for a high of 76 today. I'd like to take Rylie down to the pool most of the days this week. They close the pool here on labor day so this is our last week of fun in the sun at the pool.

Rylie and I will be so disappointed when they close it. We've had lots of fun there this summer. I actually found time to read a book (without pictures) and really enjoyed it. Ahh, I remember the old days (any time prior to 4 years,and 5 months ago-when Ry was born) when I actually used to read one to two books a week and even found time to work on counted cross-stitch projects.

We had a wee bit of excitement this weekend. Bee's...yep, found them in our bedroom closet. They weren't there on Friday, butthere they were on Saturday. The little boogers had gnawed a hole through our ceiling and were all over the closet. So I went and got some "none staining" bee killer spray and let Ray and David do the assassination work.

After they were done I went in and began removing clothes to wash and cleaning up the bodies. The guys had flushed a lot of the bodies as they fell, but when I went in an hour later there were about 15 more dead bee's on the floor and I found another 10-15 on the shelf after removing the items from it. I swept them up with my handy dandy vacuum attachment.

Then I was taking items out of a plastic box where I had some scrap booking items and found about 4 or 5 dead bee's on the bottom of that. As I lifted the last piece of paper I found a live bee. It had to have been the Queen because she was about 3 times bigger than the rest of the bee's. I grabbed my sweeper real fast, turned it on and sucked her up into the land of the dead bee's. Ray opened the vacuum and found her still alive and gave her shot her once in the back of the head...with the bee killer.

So I am still in the process of washing all the clothes, so they don't smell like bee killing chemicals. I guess I may as well sort through the clothes and maybe get rid of some while I've got everything out of the closet. Sigh...

Have a wonderful week!
Jill Marie

Tags: Beef Tips Recipe

Home remedies--stomach acidity

2008-08-21T09:03:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! Whats not to be cheerful about? It is Thursday, just one more day until Friday and to top it off...it's a beautiful day outside.

If you suffer from a sour stomach here are a few home remedies to try. Of course, if you're like me...you keep a big ol' bottle of antacid tablets next to the bed. Those chalky lil' boogers are a life saver for me.

Acidity

Take one piece of Clove and suck on it slowly. This will give you relief from acidity and also help in reducing the onslaught of diseases arising out of acidity.

Try drinking tea. Green tea has been used for centuries in Japan as an after dinner drink. Green teas aid the body in the digestion process, and help soothe the stomach's sensitive tissue.

Herbal teas containing even trace amounts of peppermint, chamomile, ginger, licorice root and catnip help the stomach lining repair itself. Often, one cup of tea following dinner is enough to stave off future heartburn episodes.

Many find that ingesting ginger with a meal helps to reduce suffering and stomach upset. Fresh ginger can be ground and added to foods or taken in tea or capsule form. Herbalists recommend consuming 500mg. of ginger with a full glass of water after each meal.

MEDICAL ALERT

It Could Be an Ulcer

If you're experiencing heartburn regularly for no apparent reason, it's time to call your doctor, says Samuel Klein, M.D.

How regularly? As a rule of thumb, "two or three times a week for more than four weeks," says Francis S. Kleckner, M.D. Although heartburnis most usually caused by simple acid reflux, he cautions that it can also be a sign of an ulcer.

Heartburn accompanied by any of the following symptoms, says Dr. Klein, should be checked out by a physician fast. It could mean you're having a heart attack.

Difficulty or pain when swallowing
Vomiting with blood
Bloody or black stool
Shortness of breath
Dizziness or light-headedness
Pain radiating into your neck and shoulder In addition, know that heartburn caused by simple acid reflux is normally worse after meals. If your heartburn worsens before meals, it may be a sign of an ulcer.

It's been a pretty good week for us. Nothing special, just the normal everyday boring life. Yesterday Rylie and I went on a cheerleader outfit search. I promised her last month that if she began sleeping in her own room, and kept it up for 2 weeks, I would buy her something special.

Well she wanted a cheerleader costume. She's been sleeping in her own bed for a month now (thank you Lord) and I figured I better keep up my end of the deal. We finally found a little Ohio State cheerleader outfit at Wal-Mart. At first she didn't want it because it didn't have any pom-poms with it. I told her we would find some somewhere. So now the search is on for pom-poms.

She looks too cute in her new little outfit. I'll have to get a picture of her. I tried to teach her how to do a lil' cheer, but she said "No mom...you have to go like this. Cheerleading, cheerleading, yeaaaaa CHEERLEADING!" As she waved her arms about. Uh...okay...LOL

I hope ya'll are having a wonderful week so far.
Jill Marie

Tags: stomach acid, heartburn, home remedy, Ohio state

Using candles tip

2008-08-19T18:16:00.000-04:00

Oops! I almost forgot about the Tuesday Tip.

Candle Holders: To prevent the wax from melting and sticking to the inside of a votive candle holder, pour a bit of water in the holder, then place the candle on top. If you forgot the water and there's wax stuck to your candle holder, popit in the freezer for an hour. The wax will chip right off.

Candle Wax: To remove wax from carpeting or other fabric, first scrape away any excess. Then, place a brown paper bag over the wax and run a warm iron over the bag. The wax will melt right into the bag! Continue moving the bag around as you pick up the wax so you are always using a clean section. If a little grease stain remains on carpet, sprinkle with baking soda and allow to sit overnight before vacuuming, which will remove the grease residue. If colored wax leaves a stain on carpet, blot with spot remover or carpet cleaner, following label directions.

I hope you're having a good day. Mine has been so-so. I'm just so tired for no apparent reason. I could go to sleep right now, if that was possible.

Jill Marie

Tags: candles, tip

Garlic Roast Recipe

2008-08-18T09:32:00.000-04:00

Be sure to have some after dinner mints ready. I love garlic flavor but it will do one heck of a number on your breath. LOL

Roast Beef with Garlic Crust Recipe
Ingredients:
1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) chuck eye, rolled cross rib or prime rib roast
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Wipe roast and place on roasting rack. Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic. Sauté 2 minutes pressing juice from garlic into oil. Discard garlic.
2. Mix in bread crumbs, parsley, salt and black pepper.
3. Press mixture onto roast, coating well. Insert roast thermometer in thickest portion of muscle.
4. Roast at 325 degrees F until meat thermometer registers 140 degrees F for rare (18 to 20 minutes per pound) or 160 degrees F for medium (20 to 22 minutes per pound) or 170 degrees F for well done (22 to 24 minutes per pound).
5. Remove from oven; allow to stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

The garlic-crumb coating helps keep juice inside the meat. It can be used on rump roasts or any other cut of meat with very little fat covering.

I added a picture to my Photo journal of Rylie and Samantha, if anyone wants to check it out. Sammi stopped by for a visit yesterday and I got a picture of the girls sitting in my garden.

My garden...sigh...this time of year is so depressing. It's the end of the season...soon everything will start dying. Yesterday I took some envelopes outside and started collecting seeds. I got lots and lots of them. Poppies...Cosmos...Bachelor Buttons...Marigolds...Poppies...Mallow...so sad. I love the upcoming holidays, but I will so miss being outside in the sun everyday, working in the garden and playing with Rylie at the pool.

And besides...I've completely rearranged my house and have no idea where I am going to put a Christmas tree. Sheesh...just 4 and half months till Christmas. It will be time to start shopping before I know it. LOL

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Jill Marie

Tags: Garlic Roast Recipe

2008-08-14T08:19:00.000-04:00

Good morning, here is are two home remedies for achy muscles.

Achy muscles

Mix 1 Tablespoon of Horseradish in a cup of Olive Oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.
Place enough rice to fill up your sock and tie it tight with a rubber band. Put it in a microwave oven for a few minutes until it is as hot as you like. Makes a wonderful heat pack for any body aches, and you can take it anywhere because you don't need to plug it in. (Do NOT use minute rice)

Well I took my break from the journal just before David was suppose to leave for the National Guard training at the end of April. So here is the story. He had been to Cleveland several times for physical exams, etc. He was approved and told he would leave for training on April 29th.

He got there and just before he was to leave they looked at him and said "Oops, we didn't notice your lazy eye. We can't accept you." Now David has never had any problems with his eye. So he decided to fight for his right to serve his country. He got letters of recommendation from his H.S. principal, a congressman and from an eye doctor who examined him. He sent all this in toward the end of May or beginning of June.

In the meantime, he has been going every month to the base nearby for monthly trips to the National Guard and doing service there. Yesterday he finally received word...they approved him to serve in the National Guard. We're not sure yet when he will leave. But as far as we know, he will definately be going to basic this time. It's a bit of a shame because he would have just been getting done with his basic training around this time.

I see young people all around these day's who are too lazy to work at this or that job. They seem to want everything handed to them on a silver platter just because they think they deserve it. Or they live with mom and dad because they're too lazy to go get a full-time job. How often do we hear of robbery's or drug dealing. These are more people who want money the easy way.

I have to tell you it makes this momma very, very proud of her son who fought to be able to serve his country. I must admit to being a bit afraid of what may come after the basic training, but no matter what...I will always and forever hold a special place in my heart for that little boy of mine who grew up to be such a dedicated American man.

Have a really great day.
Jill Marie

PS~ I just posted some pictures in my photo journal.
http://journals.aol.com/jillannemarie/photo-journal/

Cleaning tip--metal polishing

2008-08-12T08:16:00.000-04:00

Anyone experiencing a lil' trouble with aol this morning? I kept opening my journal to find I had no buttons. No "add entry", "edit"...nothing! I finally had to click the AOL Journal bar (top left) and then click something there so SIGN INTO my journal. Yeah...weird, I'm signed into aol with my name, yet I still had to sign in to get to my journal.

Makes me think that someone at aol pushed the "mess with aol-ers button". Yep...I think they have one. A lil' button they push just to do weird things and mess with us. Yep, yep, yep...shhhh, they're watching us now. LOL

Okay, here are some tips I found on the internet for dealing with tarnished metals.

Brass, Copper & Pewter Polish
Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and stir in flour until it becomes a paste. Apply paste to the metals and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.

A combination of toothpaste and Worcestershire sauce also works as a brass polish, although it is not as powerful as a commercial cleaner. Apply with a soft cloth, wipe off, and buff with a clean, dry cloth.

To polish copper sprinkling regular table salt on the copper surface. Cut half a lemon and rub on the surface, mixing with the salt. Keep rubbing until you see the copper shine. Rinse under water. Or soak the copper surface in coca-cola overnight.

Another recipe for Copper & Brass cleaner:
What You Need:
1/2 c flour
1/2 c salt
1/2 c powdered detergent
3/4 c white vinegar
1/4 c lemon juice
1/2 c very warm water
bowl
spoon
measuring cups
quart jar with lid
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Stir in the liquid ingredients. Mix well.
Transfer the cleaning mixture to a glass jar. Close the jar tightly and label it.
To use the cleaner, shake a small amount onto a cloth and rub it into the surface of the copper, brass, or bronze object. Use a toothbrush for hard-to-reach areas. Rinse with water and rub dry with a clean cloth.

Polishing Silver
When I am about to wear a piece of silver jewelry and find it is a bit tarnished, I grab some white toothpaste and rub it on the silver item. Rinse and viola!

As silver oxidizes it will tarnish. This layer of oxidation can be removed without polishing and scrubbing by simply dipping your silver in this non-toxic electrochemical dip. Another big advantage to using a dip is that the liquid can reach places a polishing cloth cannot.

What You Need:
Sink or glass pan
Hot water
Baking soda
Salt
Aluminum foil
Tarnished silver

Here's How:
Line the bottom of the sink or a glass baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Fill the foil-lined container with steaming hot water.
Add salt (sodium chloride) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the water. Some recipes call for 2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt, whereas others call for 2 tablespoons each of baking soda and salt. Personally, I wouldn't measure the amounts... just add a bit of each substance.
Drop the silver items into the container so that they are touching each other and resting on the foil. You will be able to watch the tarnish disappear.
Leave heavily tarnished items in the solution for as long as 5 minutes. Otherwise, remove the silver when it appears clean.
Rinse the silver with water and gently buff it dry with a soft towel.
Ideally, you should store your silver in a low-humidity environment. You can place a container of activated charcoal or a piece of chalk in the storage area to minimize future tarnish.

Tips:
Use care when polishing or dipping silver plated items. It is easy to wear away the thin layer of silver and cause more harm than good through overcleaning.

Minimize exposing your silver to substances which contain sulfur (e.g., mayonnaise, eggs, mustard, onions, latex, wool) as the sulfur will cause corrosion.

Using your silver flatware/holloware or wearing silver jewelry helps to keep it free from tarnish.

I've got to go. I have to get around...I've got an appointment with the dentist. Broke a tooth while grinding my teeth in my sleep. This should be fun.

Have a terrific day!
Jill Marie

Easy dinner recipe for Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops

2008-08-11T10:12:00.000-04:00

I found this recipe at the Smuckers website. It certainly looks intersting and since I bought a pork loin (to cut into single servings) yesterday, maybe I'll give this one a try.

Smucker's® Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops

No-Stick Cooking Spray
4 pork chops, trimmed
1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard
2/3 cup Smucker’s Orange Marmalade
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a medium skillet with Crisco cooking spray. Over medium heat, sauté pork chops on each side until nicely browned. Transfer chops to a baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Using a pastry brush, brush mixture on top side of chops, then turn chops over and brush mixture on other side.
3. Bake chops for 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness.

Makes 4 servings.

I also found a wee lil' MP3 player at the grocery store and bought one for Rylie. I got one this summer and she is always wanting to listen to mine so I got her one of these little ones. I spent all night trying to get music files on the dern thing, just to find out there was a wee lil' lock button on the side. duh! I had to un-lock it to put files on it.

Now I've got the music files on there, but it won't turn on. I can't remember if I left it on the computer last night or not. If I didn't then it probably doesn't have enough power to turn on. So I'll leave it connected to the puter and see if it powers up or not. If not, Rylie is gonna be hoppin' mad at mama, because I'm going to return the dern thing.

Have a great week!
Jill Marie

Tags: Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops, easy dinner recipe, Smuckers

Home remedy--Swimmers Ear

2008-08-07T08:32:00.000-04:00

Since I have a case of swimmers ear this week I thought I would add this helpful home remedy on here today.

What is swimmers ear? If your ear aches and you pull on it, wiggle it or push on that little bump (called the tragus) in front of the ear canal and it really hurts, you don't have just any old earache. You have swimmer's ear, an inflammation of the external ear canal (known in medical circles as otitis externa).

Swimmer's ear usually occurs after water gets trapped in the ear following a swim, shower or even a shampoo. The damp, dark environment is ideal for bacterial and fungal growth.

At first your ear may feel blocked or itchy. At that point home remedies can help. Untreated, the ear canal will swell and possibly even shut. A milky or yellowish liquid may drain out, and it will hurt to touch your ear. At that point, you need medical treatment.

Whip up some eardrops. Combine equal amounts of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar in a clean, empty eyedropper bottle. You can find eyedropper bottles at the drugstore; just ask the pharmacist.

If you're sure that your eardrum has never been perforated (say, from an accident or previous ear infection), apply a few drops to each ear. If it's just a mild infection, you may need no further treatment.

This home remedy works because the alcohol kills the bacteria and evaporates the water; the vinegar changes the pH of the external ear, making it less hospitable to bacteria and fungi, the "germs" that cause swimmer's ear.

To prevent future problems or if you have chronic swimmer's ear, try using the drops each time you swim or take a shower.

Try peroxide. Place a few drops of drugstore-variety peroxide in the ear. Its antibacterial action can quell minor cases of swimmer's ear.

I woke up yesterday morning with that pain. I knew what it wasbecause Rylie had swimmers ear a few weeks ago. I took her to the doctor and he gave us a prescription for ear drops. That teeny tiny bottle (probably less than half an ounce) cost $120. I don't mind spending that kind of money to keep my child healthy, but I'm not about to spend that kind of money on myself.

The ladies at the pool told me about the alcohol and vinegar remedy. I tried it yesterday (even though my ear was perferated years ago) and today it feels much better. I'll probably do another dose today just to be sure it's cleared up.

Here's a picture of Rylie with her cousin, Tyler, at the pool.

Can you tell she just loves the water? She has been having so much fun this summer. Her swimming skills are really improving. She'll swim about 3 or 4 feet. Although if we go down to the deep end, where she likes to jump, she can swim a lot farther. Of course, it involves me backing up and saying "you can do it, come on you're almost here".

I once got her to swim half-way across the pool doing that. Now she stands at the side and say's "don't go far away!" She loves the social interaction too. There are usually so many kids down there for her to play with.

I keep sunscreen on her, but she is tanning right through it. It is sweat and water proof stuff too. And her hair...it's practically white these days.

I wish we lived somewhere warm all year round. Sigh...I'm really going to miss having this much fun with her when the weather turns cold. Well, that and sitting in the sun, lol.

Have a wonderful day.
Jill Marie

Tags: swimmers ear, home remedy

Cleaning tip--Keeping ants out of the house

2008-08-05T08:42:00.000-04:00

Good morning! Here are a few tips to help keep the ants out of the house. Of course, prevention is the best method. Make sure you clean up spills right away and keep the floor clean. If there are no spills or crumbs for them they won't have a reason to come inside.

Ant Repellant:

To keep ants out of the house, find where the ants are entering the house and sprinkle a "barrier" of cinnamon or any type of ground pepper to block their way. The spices are too hot for the ants to cross.
Cornmeal can be used as a weapon against ants, and it's not poisonous to people or animals. Ants eat it and after consuming water, the cornmeal swells inside their digestive organs, causing them to die.
You can also apply scents and substances that ants simply don't like for various reasons: vinegar, peppermint oil, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, whole cloves, and bay leaves. Some of these might be harmful to pets and irritating to curious children.

Yesterday Rylie and I went and picked up her niece. The two of them played all afternoon. Aubreigh is only 19 months, but Rylie calls her "my best friend" and really seems to enjoy playing with her. Aubs is going through a bit of a biting and hitting stage, but we only had one incident yesterday.

Of course, I didn't see it but Rylie did come to me and nark on her niece. I could see the welt on her head, so I called Aubreigh over and asked her to say "sorry" to Rylie. She did and then I asked her to kiss Ry's boo-boo and make it all better. Which she did, so they were cool and went back to Ry's room to play.

Ray got home and we decided Breakfast for Dinner sounded good. I made homemade waffles, bacon and eggs. Rylie ate a bit and Aub's took about 2 or 3 bites of bacon. Mostly she kept her eyes on Papa and seemed a bit intriqued by him. LOL

An hour or two later I took Aubreigh home and Rylie had a fit. She did NOT want her "best friend" to leave. LOL I'll have to talk to Stephanie and see if she wants to take the kids to the Zoo with me one day next week. We could pack a lunch. I think the kids would really have fun.

It is supposed to be humid and "sprinkly" today. I'm hoping very few sprinkles so I can take my lil' diva to the pool.

Have a good one!
Jill Marie

Chicken & soup gravy

2008-08-04T09:42:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning! I had to check to see what it was I usually do on Mondays, lol. I guess it has been quiet some time since I've been here, huh?

Okay, here is an easy dinner idea. Last week I had a whole chicken and decided to just throw it into a big pot, a lil' bit of salt & pepper and then I was going to throw a can of mushroom soup over top. I didn't have any mushroom but I did have cream of celery. I thought "oh well..." and put it on top of the chicken. Then I just put it in the oven at about 350.

When my handy dandy meat thermometer said it was done, I poured the soup juice mixture into another pan. I added a bit of flour mixed with some cold water and made a yummy gravy. I served the chicken and gravy with some mashed taters and green beans.

Now it is just Ray, Rylie and myself, so I picked the meat off the chicken and put all the left over meat in the fridge. The gravy too. A few days later I fixed some egg noodles. I put the noodles, leftover chicken and the gravy (I did add some more cream of something, I think it was mushroom this time) soup. I mixed it all together and put crushed chips on top. Viola! Chicken noodle casserole. Ray really liked it and actually ate almost half of it.

Have a wonderful week!
Jill Marie

Tags: Chicken & soup gravy dinner, left over chicken noodle casserole

Hmmm...

2008-08-03T10:19:00.000-04:00

I guess it may be time to pick this back up. I'm feeling kind of neglectful of this lil' journal. I have done a few montage jobs although not as many as I would have liked. Other than that, Rylie and I have been having a pretty good summer.

Every morning when she wakes up the first thing out of her mouth is "can we go to the pool today?" At first it was pretty cool, but I've found that even I can get tired of sitting by the pool all day long, every day...sigh. It is amazing how tiring sitting in the sun all day long can be. LOL

I've been keeping Rylie covered in sun screen, but even she is starting to get some cute lil' tan lines. Me? If not for my blonde hair and blue eyes people might question my ethnicity. LOL Ray always tells me that I'll turn into leather, but I've been using vitamin E oil 2-3 times a day on my face and neck. I'm hoping that will help.

I posted a few pictures of Rylie at the fair in my photo journal, http://journals.aol.com/jillannemarie/photo-journal/, if you want to take a peek.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. Rylie is waiting for me to get around so she can ride her bike and then go to the...you guessed it...the pool. LOL

See ya later!
Jill Marie

On leave...

2008-04-27T15:48:00.000-04:00

I'm going to take a break from here for a bit while I try to get the business going a bit more and try to straighten some other things out.

Jill Marie

My Mom, a survivor and my hero

2008-04-25T12:46:00.000-04:00

Four and a half years ago, just about the time I found out I was pregnant with Rylie, my Mother was diagnosed with rectal cancer. My Mom is a beautiful and amazingly strong woman. Shortly after her treatment ended my father died unexpectedly.

She survived the cancer and the sudden loss of her husband. She has been free of the cancer for 4 years now. I am so proud of my Mom. Once again she is participating in the Relay for Life. Please visit her Relay Page and make a donation, if possible. You can also see a picture of the quilt she made to raffle off for the Cancer Society. I'm not sure of the dimension's...hmm, but I think it is like a crib size or lap quilt. I think.

She had it up here at Rylie's birthday party and it is really pretty. I am sure if you live out of state and contact her to buy a raffle ticket for $1, or 6 for $5, that she will fill it out and mail you the other half of the ticket. Then if you win she can just pop it in the mail, or you could donate it to me...lol.

Okay, gonna go pop a couple Excedrin Migraine and lie down for a bit.
Later.

Original Watercolor

2008-04-24T22:40:00.000-04:00

She dances, she sings, she makes me smile and now she's an artist too! LOL Here is just one of the watercolors Rylie did tonight.

Home Remedy--Yellow Teeth

2008-04-24T08:39:00.000-04:00

Here is a home remedy for whitening your teeth you can try if you don't feel like spending $20+ for a box of those little strips.

Yellow Teeth

Brush your teeth with baking soda. Or a mixture of baking soda and crushed strawberries. Just be sure to brush with a flouride toothpaste afterwards to clean off the natural sugars from the berries.
Mix salt with finely powdered rind of lime. Use this as toothpowder frequently.
Some people recommend using lemon juice and baking soda.

I have heard that the only reason it seems to make your teeth look whiter is that it is citric acid and you may lose some of the calcium of your teeth. So be very careful if you are using any remedy that includes citric acid.

I also rinse with hydrogen peroxide after I brush my teeth. It's not the most pleasant taste but it seems to work for me. It doesn't make my teeth glow in the dark white like some people like. But I think it helps with some of the staining.

It was so beautiful yesterday, so I packed a lunch and took Rylie back to Wildwood Park. (more pictures) She had so much fun. She even made a little friend, Ivy, who is just 6 months younger than Rylie. Her mom and I exchanged numbers, so maybe we can set up some playdates for the park. I think it would be very benefitial to Rylie's speech to spend more time with children her own age.

Mammogram today. Ugh! It doesn't help with all the horror stories I've been hearing. Yes Kentucky Kat! I mean you! LOL Oh well, I'll just try to get through this one time and take it from there. Oh, by the way...I want to thank all of you who go and click on the Click to Give Free Mammograms button at the Breast Cancer site. Without people like ya'll, this mother of 4 without insurance, would not be able to get a mammogram. So I want to say a big THANK YOU to all of you!

And if you haven't heard about the Free Mammograms, please visit the site and click on the little box. It doesn't cost you anything and they really, really do give free mammograms to women who wouldn't be able to get them otherwise. All I had to do was get the order from my doctor, call the number of the Northwest Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention (BCCP) Program and they helped me set up the appointment with a participating hospital. Thank you to Tamara at BCCP and St. Anne's Hospital.

Have a beautiful spring day and thanks for stopping by!

Tags: home remedy, teeth whitening, yellow teeth, Free Mammograms, BCCP

Cleaning tip

2008-04-22T08:51:00.000-04:00

Good Tuesday Morning! Here's a few quick bathroom cleaning tips.

General Bathroom Cleaning:
Bathrooms can be a source for all sorts of cleaning problems. Keeping mildew under control in the bathroom can be a challenge. Try spraying a mixture of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water on the walls every six months to prevent mildew. Cut the seam off of the bottom of the plastic shower curtain to keep mold from growing there. Also, put a couple cups of bleach in the back of the toilet every few weeks to help control germs. Be careful that children and pets don’t come into contact with this water.

Bathroom Odors: Place an opened box of baking soda behind the toilet to absorb bathroom odors. Also put baking soda in the bottom of the trash cans to absorb odors. Bathroom odors can be controlled by putting cotton balls filled with vanilla extract in bowls or under the sink.

Shower Doors: 1)Try using Resolve® carpet cleaner on clear shower doors to remove soap scum.

2) Make ammonia solution of 1/2 C. ammonia in 1 gal. water. Pour solution into a spray bottle. Spray the shower door. Use a sponge or stiff bristle brush to scrub. Rinse well.

Warning: Keep room well ventilated while working! Ammonia can irritate your skin, so wear gloves while cleaning with this solution. Ammonia and bleach form a toxic gas when mixed together. Do NOT mix the two cleaners!

3) Vinegar works well on soap scum, especially hot vinegar. Try heating up vinegar in the microwave, clean the microwave (as the vinegar will have loosened any stuck on food) and take the vinegar to the bathroom to clean the soap scum from the shower curtain and walls.

Shower soap scum: Ifpossible change to liquid soap it is a better alternative over bar soap. Liquid soap doesn't have any talc and talc is responsible for the build up of soap scum. Talc only adds volume to the soap without adding any value to it. Changing to liquid soap will reduce the frequency of needing to remove soap scum.

I'm going to go and upload some pictures to my photo journal now. I had fun playing around with those last night. I can't wait until things start to get a wee bit more green outside and I can get some more pictures.

Have a good day and thanks for stopping by!

Tags: bathroom cleaning, cleaning tips, bathroom odor, soap scum

Wildwood Metro Park

2008-04-21T17:22:00.000-04:00

Here are 2 pictures from our trip to Wildwood Metro Park.

Have a good evening!

Tags: Wildwood Metro Park, Ray, Rylie, picture

Recipe--Chicken dinner & dessert

2008-04-21T08:15:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning! I can't remember exactly where I got the chicken recipe, I think it was from Better Homes & Gardens.

Chicken Breasts with Herbs
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped Italian (flat leaf )parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
3 Tbsp. butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions

1. In small bowl stir together parsley, oregano, lemon peel, and garlic. Set aside. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

2. In 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat cook chicken in butter for 6 minutes or until browned, turning once. Transfer to plate. Remove skillet from heat; stir in half herb mixture. Return to heat. Add broth; bring to boiling, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Return chicken to skillet; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

3. Serve with pan sauce; sprinkle with remaining herb mixture. Makes 4 servings.

Make some chicken flavored rice, I can buy a package for about 69 cents at Aldi's. I'd probably also make some broccoli too. Broccoli is one of the few veggies Rylie will eat. Weird...a 4 year old who loves broccoli. Oh, and she likes to dip it in ketchup. Yeah, I don't think she will ever work in Ramsey's kitchen, lol.

I found this recipe over at the Kraft website. Sounds kind of yummy.

Strawberry Swirl Cake
Prep: 35 min. Total: 1 hour 35 min. (incl. cooling) Makes 16 servings, one slice each

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Strawberry Flavor
Gelatin
2/3 cup Breakstone's or Knudsen Sour Cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour half of the batter into medium bowl. Add dry gelatin mix; stir
until well blended. Spoon half of the white batter and half of the pink batter, side-by-side, into each prepared pan. Swirl batters together using a teaspoon.
BAKE 30 min. Cool 30 min. in pans. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
MIX sour cream and powdered sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Place one of the cake
layers on serving plate; spread top with 1 cup of the whipped
topping mixture. Top with 1 cup of the strawberries and remaining cake layer. Spread top and side of cake with remaining whipped topping mixture. Top with remaining 1/2 cup strawberries just before serving. Store any leftover cake in refrigerator.

Frosting tip: For a great looking cake, try using a "crumb coat". Basically it's a thin layer of frosting applied to a completely cooled cake. Allow this layer to set before you frost and decorate the cake. When the final frosting is applied, it is virtually crumb-free, since any loose crumbs have been already sealed in the crumb coat. Give it a try the next time you make this cake, for professional-looking results!

We ended up going to Wildwood metro park yesterday, after having breakfast with David and Jill. We had a blast walking the trails with Rylie. I really want to take her back there this summer (with the stroller) so I can spend some time walking the trails and getting a bit of a work out. Then we can pack a lunch and picnic over by the kids playground. I took a bunch of pictures, I'll have to re-size them and post a few.

Rylie rode around on daddys shoulders. He finally got tired and put her down telling her his shoulders hurt and he needed to take a break. Well, she took about 4steps, sat down on the trail and said "My legs hurt, I can't walk" and gave daddy this real sad face. LOL Let me tell you...that girl can work it. Daddy turned around picked her up and continued carrying that 35 pound child. To which she said..."you're the BEST daddy!" Is she good or what?

I was suppose to take Rylie to the park this week. However, Ray took my car to work again today, which leaves me car-less. His car is here, but I don't have a car seat for Rylie as it is in my vehicle that he took. Grrrr! I can't take her on Tuesday because she has a dentist appointment that day. Wednesday the weather is suppose to get wet. Thursday I have my breast squashing (mammogram). And I think the weekend is suppose to be yucky. So it looks like another week stuck here at home...again.

Have a beautiful week!

Tags: recipe, chicken and herbs, strawberry cake, Wildwood park

Free Nine Inch Nails...

2008-04-19T08:02:00.000-04:00

Good morning! If you thought I was talking about hardware when I said Nine Inch Nails, this is not your type of music, lol. Anyway, I came across this information where you can go and download free music from NIN. It's something new, totally instrumental. I like some of the NIN, however I clicked to listen to some of this...maybe it's just the connection, but it soulded real "scratchy" or something.

Well, here's the link if you want to go check it out. Click to listen and then there is a link to "download". Nine Inch Nails download

Have a happy day!

Sticky situation...

2008-04-18T09:24:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, life's lessons learned the hard way. Rylie loves gum. Most importantly she loves the gum that her Aunt Cathy chews...Freedent. I've tried buying her other gum when they don't have Freedent at the store. She will stick out her tongue, lick it and then say "I don't like this. I like Aunt Caffy's gum."

Well, this past week Rylie and Ray made a trip to the conveinence store. While there Rylie saw this "tape" gum. It's bubble gum in what looks like a tape dispenser. She just HAD to have and Daddy bought it for her. Hm. So she comes home, we open it and give her a slice. She licks it..."Ohhhh, I like this gum!" Okay.

About 15 minutes later I hear "What are you doing? Moooooommmmmmy, you better come see what this baby has done." (Yep, she's 4 and we still call her our baby. lol) So I go and look and what do I find? My child has decided to put her gum...are you ready for this? Nope...not in her hair. She has taken it out of her mouth and patted it allllllll over her face. We're talking sticky bubble gum here.

Grrrrrr...now what? So I take her in the kitchen, thinking about how your suppose to take an ice cube and freeze the gum it to get it out of carpet. Well sheesh, I can't freeze my kids face. So I grab a wash rag and put cold water on it, hoping to get it stiff enough to pick off her face. Ick! That stuff was soooooo gooey! That didn't work.

So I start to think about the trick for getting it out of hair. Peanut butter, which works really good by the way (creamy not crunchy). Well, I certainly wasn't going to smear PB all over the kids face. Although how much worse was that than sticky gum all over her face? So I grabbed the vegetable oil. I put some on my finger tips and started rubbing it into her lil' face. Thank goodness it started to come off.

So...got a strange and curious child like mine? If they ever stick gum all over their lil' body go for the vegetable oil. Send one pack of Freedent to me if you appreciated this information. LOL

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tags: Sticky situation, gum, kids, gum on skin, tip

2008-04-17T07:53:00.000-04:00

Good morning! Here are a few home remedies for your skin.

Wrinkles & Skin Freshener

Combine 2 Tbls. vodka, 1 Tbls. fennel seeds, and 1 1/2 tsp. honey. Stir well and allow to sit for 3 days. Strain mixture. Use full strength or add 2 Tbls. water to dilute. Use a cotton ball to apply to face as a toner.
Apply coconut oil on the portions of skin and face where wrinkles set in and gently massage every night at bed time.
Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash 1/4 banana until very creamy. Spread all over face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water followed by a dash of cold. Gently pat dry.

Have a happy day and thanks for stopping by!

Tags: home remedies, skin, wrinkles, toner

2008-04-16T08:22:00.000-04:00

I've had this information sitting here for a while now, I wanted to post this and just kept forgetting. I found this cute little video (from clicking a link in one journal and then another link in that journal, etc, etc). I ended up in a journal called Almost Forty. The writer is Pam and she's in the UK.

Ever wonder what a hug from a big ol' lion would be like? Well go check out the video Lion Hug. It's kind of cute.

Let's see...yesterday I went to Wal-Mart and picked up my new BP script. Yep, he upped it again...sigh. Hopefully he will have reason to lower it again soon though. While I was at the store I saw that they had generic nicotine patches. Ray and I could share the 14 patches, which will last us a week, and spend less than half of what we spend on smokes. So we put them on yesterday.

I was really craving badly last night. I finally grabbed a straw, cut it in half and was actually inhaling and exhaling. Yep, I'm going to be one of those people...always with the gum or sucker or chewing on the straw, lol. Oh well, if it works, it works. Whatever I need to do to quit this nasty 25+ year habit. I don't want to say the exact number of years...my mom reads this and I might get grounded. lol

There were times I've quit for a short duration. However, living with a smoker makes it that much more difficult to stay quit. Within minutes of coming home after Rylie was born, the first thing I made Ray do was to go buy me a pack of cigarettes. Sheesh! I could have been smoke free for over 4 years if I had been able to put up with Ray's smoking.

So here I sit, half a straw in my mouth, inhaling and exhaling off the little plastic stick. LOL I'll need to pick up some sugar free candy too. Those little Dum Dum suckers are okay...way too much sugar for me though. I love Life Savers sugar free wintergreen mints, I guess I'll get some of those. I'll probably go through a bag in a day or two. Better than a pack of smokes a day though. I guess...lol...good golly I really want a smoke right now. The patch helps with the chemical addiction, so I don't know why I am jonsing for a smoke so bad.

LOL I sound like some junkie. Well, of all the addictions I guess I'd rather have this one. At least I'm not stealing from family and neighbors.

I'll just try to distract myself. It looks like it's going to be a nice day. I'll have to take Rylie out for a walk. She can ride her bike or lil' car and I can take my camera to see I can get any good pictures.

Have a truly wonderful day!

Tags: Lion Hug, Almost 40, nicotine, quitting smoking

Cleaning Tip--Counter Stains

2008-04-15T13:03:00.000-04:00

Hello! I have a 4 year old here so I am constantly dealing with stains on the counter froms spills dried up before I ever knew of them. Hopefully this little tip will help with some of those stains.

Red Dye Stains
For red food dye stains on counters, like those left by drinks, use straight rubbing alcohol, enough to puddle on the stain. Leave it for several minutes and wipe away. Use a sudsy cleaner on counter after.

A quick warning, that we learned the hard way. When using something like straight rubbing alcohol, or a product that has alcohol in it, keep it out of the reach of children. Even if they aren't in the room! When Ry was about a year old Ray was cleaning some electrical device and before he even knew she was in the room, Rylie had grabbed the bottle of rubbing alcohol and started chugging it.

Luckily she was okay. Just...inebriated. Yep, my 1 year old got drunk. I called the poison control hotline and everything. I was so freaking out at the time. It is amazing how fast (and quiet) little ones can be when they want to.

Well, I'm going back to sitting by the phone. I'm waiting on some test results to come back from my appointments yesterday. Wish me luck.

Oh! I almost forgot I wanted to put this link on here. You can go to the site for Paralyzed Veterans of America and get address labels and send an ecard to a veteran. Look on the left side of the page near the bottom to send the cards. I think this is a really nice thing to do and hope some of ya'll go there too.

Thanks for visiting!

Tags: cleaning tip, counter stains, juice stains, paralyzed veterans of America

Recipe--Contributed by Patty

2008-04-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

Good Morning, today's recipe was send to me by Patty from When life gives you lemons.... make limeade . Thanks Patty! This sounds real yummy, although it also sounds like it will add about 3 inches to my bum, lol.

Bacon Crisp Sandwiches
Serves 4
8 Slices of Bacon
3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
4 Hoagie buns, sliced
2 Tomatoes, thickly cut {I use ROMA Tomatoes, so you might want more if you use them too}

Dip the Bacon slices in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and press to coat.

Place 4 slices of the coated Bacon on microwave safe paper towels {now if you run out of paper towels like I did last night use a plate with another plate to cover.} in a 12" x 8" micro. safe baking dish.

Cover with another sheet of paper towels.

Micro on high for 3 to 4 mins or until Bacon is light golden brown.

Repeat with all the Bacon slices.

MEANWHILE, in a SMALL bowl, Mix the thyme,mayo,and the rest of the 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese and spread on the CUT sides of the Hoagie Buns.

Toast in Toaster oven or under Broiler until Cheese mix. bubbles. {I use my big oven at 425 until the Buns are toasted, 5 mins maybe..never did time it.}

Make sandwiches with the cooked Bacon, Tomatoes, and toasted Buns and serve right away.

Mmmm, sounds like a baked BLT...I might add some lettuce to it after it bakes. I have everything I need except the tomatoes, I'll have to get some this week and give this recipe a try. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe Patty!

I had my first Video Memorial job this past week. I received the photos on Tuesday night and had the project done by Thursday. The Memorial was on Saturday in Oregon (the city, not the state) and I went to it. It was a lovely service and I was glad I went. I didn't know Anne, but her grandson works with Ray. She seemed like a really beautiful soul and I'm sorry I didn't get to know her.

I love being able to provide this service for family and friends, although it can be a bit sad to look over someone's life and feel the love and pain the family is going through. I'm glad that I can do something for the family that they really seem to appreciate though.

Well, I have to get some chores done. I have 2 doctor appointments this afternoon so I need to get some laundry and cleaning done this morning. Rylie is going to Grandma B's while I'm at the drs. She already has her tea party things packed and ready to go, lol. Last night she told her dad "You go to work, Mommy go to doctor and I'm going to go play with Grandma. We're playing kitchen and tea party." She was real emphatic about him going to work which is funny because she usually tries to get him to stay home.

Have a terrific week and thanks for stopping by!

Tags: recipe, Bacon Crisp Sandwiches

Cleaning Tip--No Wax Floors

2008-04-08T08:28:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! Here's a quick tip for cleaning those no wax floors.

No-wax floors: To wash no-wax floors, add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water.

I just have those little peel and stick tiles in my kitchen. I just grab my spray bottle of diluted Awesome, a rag and get on my knees and clean the floor. Sometimes I use a little bleach and water. Whatever I'm using as a cleaner, I always do it on my hands & knees. I just never feel like the floor gets really clean using a mop.

Does everyone know that they are entitled to a free yearly credit report? Just checking. It's probably a good thing to do every year. It can't hurt.

I received this quote in my email from Real Simple and thought I would share it with ya'll.
"Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a
meal. It's a way to live." - Jackie Windspear

Have a happy day and thanks for stopping by!

Tags: cleaning tip, no wax floors, free credit report, quote, grace

Recipe--Cream Soup Base

2008-04-07T08:13:00.000-04:00

Good Monday Morning! Ever wake up and just feel really happy? Yeah, me neither, lol. I'm always a bit of a bear for the first 15 minutes of the morning. But after that first 15 minutes this morning...wooohooooo! I just feel "HaPpY" I've got my green tea, the washer is running and it just feels like it is going to be a good day.

Yesterday was beeeee-U-tee-ful! I actually walked outside barefoot, lol. I went to take some stuff out to the compost pile and on the way back I stopped to clear a few leafes. Well, that was all it took. Next thing you know I am cleaning out the wee little pond we have. Icky...the fishies didn't make it this year and that was just a really gross job. After awhile Miss Rylie came out to check on me. What would I do without that baby girl watching out for me? lol

So, 2 hours later I finish with "taking stuff to the compost pile" and finally go inside. It was just a really fantastic day. I was a bit annoyed though, I still don't have my rake back and the leaf blower we borrowed didn't work. So the I had to use my lil' 3 prong garden tool to clean up the leafs.

I told Rylie that as soon as it starts to warm up a bit more, we will make a trip down to the Farmers Market and pick up some flowers for the garden. She has her momma in her because her answer was "YEAAAAAAA!" lol No, all she heard was the word Market and she knows that means shopping and to her, shopping = toys.

Okay, back to the reason for this entry today. My mom sent me this recipe for a Cream Soup Base.

CREAM SOUP BASE
1 cup dry milk
1 T onion flakes
2 T cornstarch
2 T chicken bouillon
½ teas each basil, thyme, pepper (or use 1½ poultry seasoning)
Add 2 cups water
Use with veggies, chicken, etc.

I e-mailed her back and asked if I could use the recipe to make Cheesy Broccoli Soup. She wrote back and said "Yes, or mushroom, tomato, meat, whatever you want." So there ya go, make your own soup this week.

Have a wonderful week and thanks for visiting!

Tags: Recipe, Cream Soup Base

I'm official!

2008-04-05T02:43:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is...finally...a link to my web site. It took me all day to get this thing done. Not bad considering I have absolutely no idea what I was doing. LOL If anyone see's any typo's, mis-spelling, etc., please let me know.

Reflections By Jill Marie

I've only got to figure out how to put video up on there and I will be all done. YEA me!

Well, good night...

Tags: Reflections, Jill Marie, my website

2 recipes from Emeril

2008-04-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

So I was flipping through the morning shows this morning when I came across Emeril Legasse on the Good Morning America program. He made Apple Pancakes. I've made German pancakes before, which is real similar to this recipe. So I went to their website and grabbed the recipe for the Apple Pancakes and for the muffins they also showed.

German Apple Pancake
*Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse's "There's a Chef in My World"
Ingredients:
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
pinch salt
powdered sugar, for serving
maple syrup, for serving
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, flour, and vanilla extract and whisk until just blended, being careful to not overmix. Set the batter aside to rest while you prepare the apples, at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a heavy, ovenproof (preferably nonstick)12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are soft and lightly golden around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, until the apples are caramelized and very soft, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir to melt.

Working very quickly, pour the batter evenly over the top of the apples. Using oven mitts or potholders, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pancake is golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. Don't be alarmed when you see the edges of the pancake puff up and extend above the top of the inner edge of the pan – this is supposed to happen!
Using oven mitts or potholders, remove the skillet from the oven and serve the pancake, sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with maple syrup, if desired.
Makes 1 large pancakce & feeds 4

Blueberry Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
*Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse's "Emeril's Food of Love Productions"
Topping Ingredients:
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Muffin Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
¾ cup fresh blueberries
¾ cup fresh raspberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

To make the topping, in a medium bowl, mix together the topping ingredients until crumbly. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the melted butter. Add the buttermilk and lemon zest and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just to combine. (Batter will still be somewhat lumpy; do not overmix.) Gently fold in the blueberries and raspberries so the berries do not break open and pour into the prepared muffin tin. Crumble the streusel topping over the muffins and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Let cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on wire racks.
Yield: 1 dozen

Ray didn't have to work today, so when he and the munchkin woke up I made the pancakes. They were very good. Although Miss Picky Eater didn't join us. Apparently we have strange appetites as we don't prefer to eat Cheerio's for breakfast every day.

Hm, I wonder if I could make them with a cherry filling and then top with powdered sugar and cherry syrup. Or blueberries and blueberry syrup. Hm, now my mind is just a buzzing with the different varieties I could try. Mmm, plain with cherry pie filling on top with some pecans and whip cream. LOL It's probably best for my diet if I make these just once a month and stick to my 2 egg (only 1 yolk) scrambled eggs the rest of the time.

Thanks for visiting!

Tags: Recipe, Emeril Legasse, german apple pancakes, Blueberry Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping, Good Morning America

Home Remedy--Weak Nails

2008-04-03T08:16:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! Here are some tips if you have weak, brittle finger nails.

Weak Nails

To strengthen and shine nails, combine 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. castor oil, and 1 tsp. wheat germ oil and mix thoroughly. Pour into bottle. Shake before using. To use, rub a small amount into your nails. Leave on 3-5 minutes and tissue off. Follow up with more plain castor oil, if desired.
Soak nails in lemon juice for 15 minutes everyday.
Soak nails in iodine (if not allergic) for 30 minutes then take it off with acetone.
Blanch lemon grass and drink several times a day to treat the nails with natural treatment.
Mix 2 teaspoons of tea with a bit of salt, some oil drops and some wheat oil drops. Apply some on the nails, wait 5 minutes and wipe off.
A regular soaking with vegetable oil is very effective. It replenishes the moisture lost from having your hands in and out of water frequently. In fact, vegetable oils are better than many commercially sold nail care products because they don't have the alcohol-containing fragrances that can dry out nails. Messy soaking in oil isn't necessary: Just brush on the oil and massage it into the nail. And don' t forget to put a drop of oil on the underside of the nail at your fingertip.
If you're plagued by brittle nails, trim them shorter. Longer nails are just more likely to crack or tear. Trim your nails right after washing or bathing, when they're softer and less likely to crack or break.
Regularly massage your fingertips to improve blood circulation around your nails. Three or four times a day--or at least in the morning and evening. If you use some petroleum jelly while you're at it, you'll moisturize as you massage.
Chow down on cauliflower. A little-known nutrient called biotin can thicken nails to help prevent splitting and cracking. "Biotin is absorbed into the core of the nail, where it may encourage a better, thicker nail to grow," says Richard K. Scher, M.D., professor of dermatology and head of the Nail Section at Columbia University-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. Cauliflower is a rich source of biotin, as are legumes such as peanuts and lentils. One study showed that people consuming 2,500 micrograms (2.5 milligrams) of biotin daily had marked increases in nail thickness after six months. To get this much biotin, you'll need to take it in supplement form.

Hm, I think I'm going to try the vegetable oil and biotin supplements.

Thanks for visiting!

Tags: home remedy, weak nails

Household tips--Pantyhose

2008-04-01T11:38:00.000-04:00

I had some errands to run this morning and I'm working with another migraine here. Ugh! Anyway here are some tips about Pantyhose and some others uses for them.

Panty Hose / Nylons

To stop a run in panty hose, dab nail polish over the run; clear polish is best, for obvious reasons, but any color will do.
To strengthen nylons, spray with aerosol hair spray when you first put them on.
To keep pantyhose from getting runs while in drawers put each pair in the leftover toilet paper cardboard rolls. This works great and keeps them neat and organized too.
Acrylic nails? Do you keep snagging your hose, when putting them on, with your acrylic nails? Then buy a pair of plain white cotton gloves to wear as you put on your hose.
Freeze your pantyhose before you wear them for the first time. Believe it or not, this helps to extend their lifetime tremendously. Wet your pantyhose and wet squeeze out most of the excess water before placing them in a freezer bag. Place the sexy hosiery in a freezer bag for at least 24 hours. (I must admit, I'd never heard that one before)

Did all that and still got a run in your hose? Don't throw them away!

Cut the leg off of the torn but clean pantyhose. Drop an onion in and tie a knot ... onion, knot, onion, knot until you run out of either onions or pantyhose. Hang in a cool, dark, ventilated area. Ifone onion goes bad, it won’t spoil the others. Cut onions off as you need them.

Onions shouldn’t be stored with potatoes because the moisture potatoes give off makes the onions rot quicker.
If the onion has sprouted, the sprouted part can be used as a substitute for scallions.
Before slicing onions put them in the freezer for 30 minutes, or put in a bowl of ice and water, or store some in your frig to use each week. Cold onions don't make you tear up. I always get my onions cold before cutting and it works for me.

And here are some more uses for pantyhose:

Lost something small in the carpet? Cut a leg off an old pair of pantyhose, make sure the toe section is intact, and pull it up over the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner hose. (If you want additional security, you can even cut off the other leg and slip that over as well.) Secure the stocking in place with a tightly wound rubber band. Turn on the vacuum, carefully move the nozzle over the carpet, and you'll soon find your lost valuable attached to the pantyhose filter.
If you have a wet-dry shop vacuum, you can change the water in your fish tank without disturbing the gravel and tank accessories. (You'll still have to relocate the fish, of course.) Just pull the foot of an old nylon stocking over the end of the vacuum's nozzle, secure it with a rubber band, and you are ready to suck out the water.
Bring out the shine in your freshly polished shoes by buffing them with a medium-length strip of pantyhose. It works so well, you may retire that chamois cloth for good.
Keep your hairbrush clean! Cut a 2-inch strip from the leg section of a pair of pantyhose, and stretch it over and around the bristles of your new (or newly cleaned) hairbrush. If necessary, use a bobby pin or a comb to push the hose down over the bristles. The next time your brush needs cleaning, simply lift up and remove the pantyhose layer -- along with all the dead hair, lint, etc. on top -- and replace it with a fresh strip.
Keep your used rolls of wrapping paper from tearing and unraveling by storing them in tubes made by cutting the leg sections off old pairs of pantyhose. (Don't forget to leave the foot section intact.) Or, if you have a bunch of used rolls, you can simply put one in each leg of a pair of pantyhose and hang them over a hanger in your closet.
Looking for an easy way to store mothballs in your closet or to make sachets of potpourri to keep in your dresser drawers? Pour either ingredient into the toe section of your recycled nylons. Knot off the contents, then cut off the remaining hose. If you plan to hang up the mothballs, leave several inches of material before cutting.
Avoid getting clothespin marks on your newly washed sweaters by putting an old pair of pantyhose through the neck of the sweater and running the legs out through the arms. Then hang the sweater to dry on your clothesline by clipping the clothespins onto the pantyhose instead of the wool.
If you run out of twine (or need something stronger -- say, for a large stack of glossy magazines), tie up your bundles of boxes, newspapers, and other types of recyclable paper goods using an old pair of pantyhose. Cut off the legs and waistband, and you'll be able to get everything curbside without any snags.
How many times have you opened your kitchen trash can only to discover that the liner has slipped down (and that someone in your house has covered it over with fresh garbage anyway)? You can prevent such "accidents" by firmly securing the garbage bag or liner to your trash can with the elastic waistband from a recycled pair of pantyhose; tie a knot in the band to keep it tight. You can also use this method to keep garbage bags from slipping off the edge of your outdoor garbage bins.
Having trouble catching those dust bunnies residing underneath and alongside your refrigerator? Round them up by balling up a pair of old pantyhoseand attaching it with a rubber band to a coat hanger or yardstick. The dust and dirt will cling to the nylon, which can easily be washed off before being called back for dusting duty.
Give your young plants and trees the support they need. Use strips of pantyhose to attach them to your garden stakes. The nylon's flexibility will stretch as your seedlings or saplings fill out and mature -- unlike string or twine, which can actually damage plant stalks if you tie it too tightly.
Pantyhose legs make terrific sacks for storing your flower bulbs over winter, since they let air freely circulate around the bulbs to prevent mold and rot. Simply cut a leg off a pair of pantyhose and place your bulbs inside, knot off the end, and place ID tags on each sack using a strip of masking tape. Hang them up in a cool, dry space, and they'll be ready for planting in the spring.
When moving a houseplant to a larger or better accommodation, put a piece of pantyhose at the bottom of the new pot. It will act as a liner that lets the excess water flow out without draining the soil along with it.
Keep small melons such as cantaloupe and muskmelons off the ground -- and free of pests and disease -- by making protective sleeves for them from your old pantyhose. Cut the legs off the pantyhose. As your young melons start to develop, slide each one into the foot section, and tie the leg to a stake to suspend the melon above the ground. The nylon holders will stretch as the melons mature, while keeping them from touching the damp soil, where they would be susceptible to rot or invasion by hungry insects and other garden pests.
Here are two recycling tips in one: Save up your leftover slivers of soap, and place them in the foot section of an old nylon stocking. Knot it off, and hang it next to your outdoor faucet. Use the soap-filled stocking to quickly wash off your hands after gardening and other outdoor work without worrying about getting dirt on door handles or bathroom fixtures inside your house.
Don't invite the bugs in for a bite; use a small square of pantyhose to temporarily patch that hole in your window screen. You can secure the patch by simply applying some rubber cement around the hole before pressing the patch in place. When you're ready to fix the hole with a piece of screening, peel off the nylon and the glue. If you want the patch to last a bit longer, sew it onto the screen with thread.
Want a more effective way to skim the debris off the surface of your pool water? Cut a leg off a pair of pantyhose and fit it over your pool's skimmer basket. It will catch a lot of tiny dirt particles and hairs that would otherwise make their way into -- and possibly clog -- your pool's filter unit.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Tags: household tips, pantyhose, pantyhose tips, other uses for pantyhose

Recipe--Bruschetta Chicken Bake

2008-03-31T07:55:00.000-04:00

Good morning! I feel wonderful this morning...it is raining, which should be depressing but I just keep thinking spring is not far off and at least it's not snowing! It just feels like one of those "life is good" days.

I am "this" close to getting my Photo Montage company us and running. I'm mainly just waiting on my web site to get set up. A friend of Ray's is suppose to do it, but if it takes much longer I may just ask David to set it up. He said he knows how to do it. I really want to get started here but I need to have that web site up.

My kids are all healthy and happy. My relationship is, as usual, wonderful...most of the time. LOL There is food in the house and we are doing okay. What more could one ask for. Especially these days and with this economy. Well, okay...more work...which means more money. At least full time hours for the ol' man. Not this B.S. of working 2-3 days a week.

Okay, time to get on with the usual stuff, here is a tasty little recipe I found at the Kraft web site.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake
Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 40 min Makes: 6 servings, 1 cup each

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix, water and garlic; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with the basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Serving Suggestion-Serve with cooked green beans and a bagged salad tossed with your favorite KRAFT Light Reduced Fat Dressing.
Substitute-Prepare as directed, omitting the garlic and using STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix Italian Style with Roasted Garlic.

This is a copy of my Daily OM for today. I thought it was interesting article and wanted to share it with ya'll.

March 31, 2008
Unblocking The Ally
Habitual Anger

Sometimes when we feel anger, it is coming from a deep place that demands acknowledgment and expression. At these times, it is important that we find healthy ways to honor our anger, remembering how dangerous it is to repress it. However, anger can also become a habit, our go-to emotion whenever things go wrong. Often this is because, for whatever reason, we feel more comfortable expressing anger than we do other emotions, like sadness. It can also be that getting angry gives us the impression that we’ve done something about our problem. In these cases, our habitual anger is inhibiting both our ability to express our other emotions and to take action in our lives.

If it’s true that anger is functioning this way in your life, the first thing you might want to try is to notice when you get angry. Youmight begin to see a pattern of some kind. For example, you could notice that it is always your first response or that it comes up a lot in one particular situation. If the pattern doesn’t become clear right away, you could try keeping a journal about when you get angry and see if you can find any underlying meaning. The good thing about keeping a journal is that you can explore your anger more deeply in it—from examining who in your family of origin expressed a lot of anger to how you feel when you encounter anger in others. This kind of awareness can be a formidable agent of transformation.

Anger can be a powerful ally, since it is filled with energy that we can harness and use to create change in the world. It is one of the most cathartic emotions, and it can also be a very effective cleanser of the emotional system. However, when it becomes a habit, it actually loses its power to transform and becomes an obstacle to growth. Identifying the role anger plays in your life and restoring it to its proper function can bring new energy and expansiveness to your emotional life.

I found it to be a very interesting and informative article. I like the idea of keeping an anger journal, what a good idea to find out what it is that triggers your anger. I like the idea of examining more than just what makes you angry. For example, looking at anger in your family (as a child) and how other peoples anger makes you feel.

Oh my, I could almost fill up a journal just on anger in others and how that makes me feel. LOL Anger in others doesn't just illicit an emotional response. I develop real feelings of nausea and my pulse races. It's a total feeling of fear or dread. It's like I'm waiting for the shoe to drop...on me...and it's not a shoe, but a huge brick.

It's as if I'm waiting for the big storm to hit and the anticipation or fear of it nearly makes me sick. I may even "poke" the big bad bear to get it over with quicker. Or I may become angry myself and fuel the fire that way. Or I may just take cover and run, as in actually leave to get away from the angry situation. Or I'll just sit and stare at the person and think about how stupid I think they are and have a totally different conversation in my own mind.

Hm, yeah...an anger journal might be a good thing for me to do. LOL

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Tags: recipe, Bruschetta Chicken Bake, Kraft, anger, journal, Daily OM

Thanks Dornbrau!

2008-03-29T23:54:00.000-04:00

What a long and tiring day. Today was Rylie's birthday party. I woke up about 7:30 this morning and got started with my cleaning, decorating and getting everything ready for the 1 PM party.

Mom, my sister-in-law Cindy and her 3 boys were the first to show up. Then Samantha arrived with yet another birthday present for her little sister. Sammi had come up on Wednesday, the 26th Rylie's actual birthday, and brought her pink sandals, a dress and I don't even remember what all. (I've seen so much birthday paper and tissue fly today)

Samantha and her boyfriend, Matt, are taking Rylie to the Shriners Circus tomorrow at 2 PM. That was another part of her birthday present that she got today. Along with a shirt, skirt, High School Musical hair things and gold sandals. I told Sammi not to spoil Rylie...sigh...

Mom also brought a cute little outfit and some gardening supplies. Cindy brought Rylie the cutest little dress that her cousin Jacob picked out for her and some head bands. Aunt Div brought 2 beautiful little dresses. Aimee & Bobby brought her a sticker book and some fun (and mess making) projects. (I'll get ya back for that one day Aim! LOL) Uncle John and Aunt Cathy brought a cute little (stuffed) puppy in a purse carrier. Grandma Blossom brought a kit to make a stepping stone. Aunt Cindy and Uncle Bob brought the cutest little fairy costume. I know I am forgetting some one and some other presents...ugh! My mind is a bog of tissue paper, boxes, dresses and toys...it's all just running together. I'm sorry if I forgot anyone!

Daddy and I got Rylie a bunch of Princess things. It seemed appropriate since lil' miss wants to be a princess when she grows up. I even got her a little porcelain Princess tea set. I told her that since she is a big girl of 4 she can have one now, she just has to be very, very careful.

After everyone left we went over to Uncle Bob & Aunt Cindys house for a while. I felt terrible about it, but I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. I couldn't believe I felt so tired. I was just going to get on here and read my mail quick, but thought I better make a bit of an entry after reading some of my alerts. It seems that Dornbrau-Dust Bunny Club of North America is this weeks guest editor and has chosen me as one of her Journal picks. How cool is that?

Even better than just that is the wonderful things she had to say about me and my wee lil' journal. Oh! Dust Bunny Club Mother of the Year! Thank you for the wonderful compliments. What an honor to have someone choose your journal to mention when there are some many wonderful writers out there. I'll definately have to go and check out the other journals when my eye lids don't feel like they weigh 5 lbs each.

Happy Saturday and thank you for visiting!

Home Remedy--Warts

2008-03-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a simple home remedy for Kidney stones. Grrrr, I've had these stupid things so many times...I want to trade my kidneys in for new ones. Anyway, between the back pain, the migraines and life in general, I just forgot to do my usual Thursday entry for a home remedy. So here it is.

Warts

Try taping a slice of garlic to the wart. Be sure to first protect the surrounding skin with petroleum jelly.
Use baking soda. Take some baking soda and mix with caster or olive oil and apply to the offending wart. You should leave this overnight, and cover with a band-aid. Repeat this until the wart drops off.
Use Vitamin E capsule. Simply open a standard Vitamin E capsule and rub the contents onto the wart and cover with a band-aid. You will need to repeat this treatment several times a day for it to be effective. You should also consider taking a Vitamin E capsule every day as a part of your diet.
Soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply it directly to the wart. Make sure you bandage it up with gauze and tape. Do this before you go to bed. Leave it on over night. When you wake up you will notice a difference.The only thing to watch out for, is that it can be irritating to the skin and cause redness. The wartmay seem to get biggerbefore it falls off.
Place a strip of duct tape over the wart(s), replacing old tape with new tape every couple of days. Continue for 1 - 2 weeks. Peel tape off and the warts should slowly soften and disappear
Rub castor oil on your warts a twice a day. Warts should disappear in 2-4 weeks.

I found a bunch of different methods to try. While reading I found that a lot of people had great success with the Apple Cider remedy. However, it sounds as though the acid in the vinegar may be very painful for some people. Most reported that their warts fell off within a few days. However, if that method is too painful try one of the others, like just taping over the wart to cut off the air supply. It may take longer, but it is probably not very painful.

I have a Princess Party to prepare for. We're having a bunch of people over tomorrow to celebrate Rylie's 4th birthday. Today I'll be making BBQ beef and a big ol' pink cake. LOL When I asked Rylie what kind of cake she wanted, she just said "Pink!" So we're having strawberry cake and her favorite ice cream...chocolate. Ewww, maybe it's just the nausea from the kidney stones, but that just doesn't sound good to me at all.

Have a great weekend and thanks for coming by.

Tags: home remedy, warts, wart removal, wart remedy

Happy Birthday Baby girl!

2008-03-26T09:03:00.000-04:00

Yep, Rylie turned 4 at 12:01 AM this morning. So she gets to have me make whatever she wants for dinner tonight. So it appears the menu for this evening is "fwesh fry and boorgers". I think she is going to be a bit disappointed though...I think she thinks her party is today because it is her birthday today. I guess she is going to learn the harsh reality of scheduling as her party isn't until Saturday. LOL

At first I thought my little vent about vaccinations the other night may have stirred up a bit of controversy, but I hope it has helped some parents to do some more investigation into the subject. Although many may believe that the best thing to do is to just go get your child vaccinated, the fact of the matter is that a lot of parents believe that to protect their child they need to NOT have them vaccinated.

After reading just a few comments it just leaves my head whirling even more. For example, Barbara said that her daughter had a mild case of the measles after her shot. Which some children so have. I know that after her chicken pox vaccination Rylie had a very, very mild case of chicken pox.

Then I read a comment from Ka71tt, who not longer takes her 21 month old child to Church because she recently learned that one of the children there does not receive vaccinations. What a shame. However, I must confess that after reading Barbara's comment and thinking about it...I would think that the child who does not receive his vaccinations would be a the greater risk by being exposed to children who have recently been vaccinated. What would be a slight case for a child recently vaccinated for measles, chicken pox or whatever, could be a full blown (possibly deadly) case for a child exposed to it who has not been vaccinated.

I hate to think of parents not taking their children to Sunday school because of the fear of their children being exposed to a child not vaccinated. I am wondering if anyone can think of any helpful suggestions that could be offered to this concerned parent. I'd like to keep this constructive and helpful, not angry, divisive or destructive. If anyone has any suggestions for her please leave a comment and thank you for any advice you can offer to this concerned parent.

As I said, after thinking about this, I realize that some parents have serious concerns regarding the vaccinations. I respect them for researching the issue and making a tough choice regarding their childs health and welfare. However, I am curious as to how they handle their child being exposed to children recently vaccinated. Especially since most children don't walk around with a sticker announcing that they were just vaccinated within the past 2 weeks. When their child is exposed to children recently vaccinated that puts them at even greater risk of catching measles or whatever. What do they do about it? How do they protect their child from this type of exposure?

Please remember, I am not a doctor or nurse. I'm not a scientist. I'm just a parent doing the best I can, with what I know, to raise a happy and healthy child. I'm not trying to start an argument with anyone, I just want to learn a little bit more about this subject.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Happy Birthday Rylie, vaccinations

Cleaning Tip-Mothballs, Vaccines and Autism

2008-03-25T09:55:00.000-04:00

First, here is the cleaning tip for today. Mothballs...weeeee!

Mothball Alternative: A better idea than using mothballs is to take your leftover soap slivers and put them in a vented plastic bag. You place the bag with seasonal clothes before packing them away. Not only will the scent prevent them from moth harm but also they'll smell great when you pull them out. I especially like this for sweaters, which can be difficult to remove the odor of mothballs from. Using soap you simply have a clean smell rather than the smell of an attic.

Mothball Odors: This odor is a hard one to get rid of. Your first step is ventilation - air out larger items outside for a day or two; for clothes, fluff in the dryer with fabric softener sheets for a couple of hours. Odor removers such as Febreeze® may help. If an entire room or closet is affected, place trays of activated charcoal (available in pet supply stores) in the corners of the rooms to absorb the smell.

Second, Amanda left some information and challenged me to do more research on the link between autism and vaccines. I am in the process of doing that. I typed "autism vaccines" in the search bar and found this article, Do vaccines cause autism, which offers information and links from both sides of the argument.

Whether you have small children or grandchildren, I really suggest reading about this. It is quite interesting. Did you know that there is "mercury" in the MMR vaccine? Which seems so strange since I was always under the impression that mercury was very dangerous to humans. So that of course leads me to wonder whether anyone is trying to adjust the vaccine and see if it can be made without the mercury. *Ahhh, I simply needed to read on. It appears they did adjust the vaccine.

Read more of the article though, there are many differing opinions and a wide variety of links to check out. This is something that pulls me in one direction one minute and then in another direction the next minute.

There seems to be a lot of focus on the MMR shot, which is the vaccine to prevent Measles, Mumps & Rubella. This is one of the stats I found on MMR "before the vaccine was given to children, there were about 400,000 measles cases reported each year in the United States but in 1999 there were only 100 cases reported." and "before measles vaccines were introduced, 1-2 children died out of every 1000 children who got measles."

However, on the other side of the argument I found the following information: "A small study in London in 1998 first raised the possibility that autism is linked to the MMR vaccine. While the study did not prove that MMR causes autism, it did increase the level of concern of many parents."

"The question whether MMR vaccine causes autism has also been raised because the number of cases of autism in the general population seems to be growing, and some parents have noticed the developmental problems occurring soon after their child receives the MMR vaccine. "

I think one thing we can all agree on is the fact that there needs to be more done to find out if there is a link between the vaccinations and autism. Could it be because of the preservatives used? Is it just because of genetics? Or is it possible that the genetics of some children is more susceptible to the thimerasol or mercury that is used in vaccinations?

However, I guess I can understand why some parents may fear having their child vaccinated. I am wondering though if it is possible to ask for and receive seperate Measles, Mumps & Rubella vaccines, not combined in an MMR shot, and to get them fresh without the preservatives in them? I am sure it would be a greater expense, but I am also sure that parents who are afraid to have their child vaccinated with the MMR would not mind paying more to receive the shots seperately and without the thimerasol in them.

It certainly is a rather large issue and one that I will quietly remove myself from. I am just thankful that all of our children were able to receive their vaccines with no terrible life changing side effects. And I'm sorry for those children and parents who have had their lives changed by the effects of Autism, whether it was because of genetics or medicine. God bless you all.

And no Amanda, I'm not so "infuriated" anymore. Thank you for suggesting that I read more about it.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Childhood Vaccinations

2008-03-24T19:08:00.000-04:00

I just watched a story on NBC news about parents who do NOT have their children vaccinated. How infuriating! I vaccinate my child to do everything within my power to protect my child. Then I'm going to send her to public school where she may sit next to a child whose parent chose not to have their child vaccinated. Yes, Ohio is one of the 21 states where parents can choose not to have their child vaccinated because of their "beliefs".

I understand that some people are under the impression that one or more of the vaccines, or vaccine preservatives, may be the cause of autism. But polio, measles, mumps, etc may possibly kill your child. If folks are really that concerned about their childs life, I'd think they'd have them vaccinated. Or perhaps they're more concerned about having a "perfect" child than having their child die of an illness that could have been prevented.

Of course, I believe that parents should have the right to decide their own childs medical care. But I also think that if they are not going to have their child vaccinated then that child should not be attending public school. Let their parents home school them or put them in a private school with other children that have NOT been vaccinated.

I know what some of you are thinking..."why worry if your daughter has been vaccinated?" Just because Rylie has had her shots does not mean that she absolutely won't catch a virus if exposed to it. However, I believe if she is exposed to children who have NOT been vaccinated she is more likely to be exposed to a potentially deadly virus.

Just my humble political opinion for today. LOL

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Tags: childhood vaccinations

Recipe - Chicken au Gratin Broccoli Bake

2008-03-24T08:53:00.000-04:00

G'morning ya'll. Here is an easy recipe from Kraft.

Chicken au Gratin Broccoli Bake
Prep Time: 5 min Total Time: 35 min Makes: 5 servings

2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup milk
1 pkg. (10.23 oz.) VELVEETA Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
5 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lb.)

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Combine boiling water, milk, Seasoned Potatoes and broccoli in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with chicken. Reserve Cheese Sauce for later use.

BAKE 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from baking dish; cover to keep warm.

STIR Cheese Sauce into potato mixture; top with chicken.

*Substitute - 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained, for the fresh broccoli.

I have lots of ham leftover. I think I may try that using the ham too. Mmmmm!

I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend and a wonderful Easter with your families and loved ones. It was a fun day here. Rylie was too funny.

It was like she knew something was going on. She woke up about an hour earlier than usual and came out to the living room. Her Easter Basket was sitting on the dining room table because I hadn't hidden it yet. She was so excited as she went through and checked out what the Easter bunny had left for her.

Then I realized that I hadn't had time to hide the eggs yet. So I whipered to Daddy to hide the eggs while I took Rylie to brush our teeth. Luckily we have one of those little sand timers, so she has to brush her teeth for a full minuter. I didn't have to encourage her too much, she was real excited to use the new battery operated Barbie tooth brush the Easter bunny had left for her.

Then we washed our faces and brushed our hair. By that time Daddy had hidden the eggs. So we walked out and I said "Rylie we forgot something. I think the Easter bunny hid the eggs. Yep, here's the empty cartons." Ohmahgosh! You should have seen the look on her face. She just kept saying "Those are all the peoples eggs...why'd he do that?" LOL I think if she could have found that bunny she might have had him charged with stealing, or trickery at the very least.

We kept telling her that the Easter bunny was playing a game with her. She just kept saying "Those eggs are for all the people." She had fun looking for the eggs and we got such a kick out of her reaction to the whole thing. I'm feeling all nostalgic now...this is really the very best age to celebrate holidays with children. Everything is so exciting and fun for them. It is so much fun to watch her enjoy these times.

All in all it was a good day, except for one thing. One of our guests didn't make it. Ray was supposed to go and pick her up at about 4 PM. However, she had invited some non-working folks over so they could have an Easter meal and they wouldn't leave. That's a shame, because she didn't get to spend any time with her grandson who leaves for Korea shortly, or David who leaves for training for a few months, or her 2 great-grandchildren, or any of her other grandkids who were here. I hope she can find a few minutes to come over for Rylies birthday next weekend.

I am thrilled that all the kids were able to make it and my Mom was able to come all the way up to Toledo. She went to lunch with my older brother earlier and came up around 3 or so. She got here before everyone else so she was able to spend some time with Rylie. Good thing, because once Christopher, my youngest son, got here Rylie didn't have much time for anyone else. Christopher is her closest sibling in age...he's 16...and she gets such a kick out of him. She even dance and sang "High School Musical" for him. Or as she calls it "High Mewhecool". LOL

The only thing that really stinks is that I was busy doing this or that, and didn't get to spend a lot of time visiting with everyone and all the babies. Of course, the other thing is that now April 29th (David leave for National Guard training) seems a lot closer.

Well, I've got to go check my ham bone. LOL I'm making a big ol' batch of bean soup this morning.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Recipe, Chicken au Gratin Broccoli Bake, Kraft, Easter bunny stole Rylie's eggs

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T23:22:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy few days. I've got the ham and tomorrow I'm making cheesy potatoes and green bean casserole. I boiled some eggs today to make deviled eggs tomorrow. I made bunny, ducky and cross sugar cookies. They look really cute.

Today I made cupcakes, frosted them green and colored some shredded coconut green to put on top to look like grass. Then I put jelly beans on top of the coconut grass to look like little eggs. It looks kind of cute.

We're having Easter dinner between 4 and 5. That gives the kids time to go and visit the rest of their other parents and grandparents. I am patiently waiting for Rylie to get tired. It's like she knows I want her to go to sleep and she is fighting it. I want to get her basket put together so I can go to sleep. She'll probably sleep in tomorrow so I could probably wait to do it in the morning.

Today she and I dyed 2 dozen eggs. I thought it would take longer, but it's amazing how fast a 3 year old can color eggs. I only got to do a few because she was just having too much fun dropping the eggs in the dye bath. We colored them first with crayons. I forgot how much fun dying Easter eggs is. LOL I made some really cute ones.

Well, I hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter day. God bless and thanks for stopping by.

Home Remedy--Nausea & Vomiting

2008-03-20T09:56:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! Time for a quick home remedy.

Vomiting and Nausea

Sucking a piece of ice controls vomiting.
Eat 1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds.
Cinnamon and sliced ginger work by interrupting nausea signals sent from the stomach to the brain. If you are an herbal tea drinker, simply sprinkle cinnamon on the tea and drink. To make ginger tea, simmer a few slices of ginger in hot tea water.
To prevent vomiting, drink ginger tea.
In 1 glass water, add some honey and drink sip by sip.
Lime juice is supposed to be an effective remedy for vomiting. Take a glass of chilled lime juice and sip slowly.

Thank you for stopping by.

Tags: home remedy, vomiting, nausea

Cleaning/Laundry Tip--Mildew stains on clothing

2008-03-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

This is such a busy week. I thought we were going somewhere else on Easter, but we're not...so now I'm planning Easter dinner here. I just mixed up some dough to make some sugar cookies. I'll use some of them for Easter and the rest for Rylies birthday party the following Saturday.

Anyway here is a tip to help remove mildew stains from clothing. I don't think I've ever had that problem so I'm not really sure if this works. If you have something that worked for you please feel free to leave a comment.

Mildew Stains: Shake or brush the item to remove loose growth. Presoak in cold water. Wash in hot water with heavy duty detergent. For whites, add 1/2 cup bleach. If colored, use color-safe bleach. If staining remains on white items, repeat washing before drying. Heat and sun tend to kill mildew, and laying an item to dry in the sun with some lemon juice is a great way to bleach many stains.

Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping by.

Tags: tips, cleaning, laundry, mildew stains

Recipe--Golden Layers® Fresh Apple Cobbler

2008-03-17T08:21:00.000-04:00

I'm going to just pop on and post this and then get going. This recipe comes from Pillsbury.

Golden Layers® Fresh Apple Cobbler
Serve this super-easy cobbler warm with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
Ingredients:
6 cups sliced peeled tart apples (4 to 6 medium)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Golden Layers® refrigerated flaky original biscuits
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. In 4-quart saucepan, heat apples, granulated sugar, dried cherries, water, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; cover pan and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until apples are starting to soften. Pour into ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish.
3. Meanwhile, separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters. In large bowl, toss biscuits with melted butter.
4. In small bowl, mix oats, pecans, brown sugar, flour and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; add to biscuit pieces. Toss gently, breaking apart any biscuit pieces.
5. Arrange biscuit pieces over hot apple mixture. Sprinkle any remaining oat mixture over biscuits.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown and fruit mixture is bubbly.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Well thats about it for today. I will try to get back and update on what is going on around here. Busy, busy, busy as I try to get everything together to begin my business. At this moment I am dealing with the idiots at Gateway and Circuit City. I swear someone is bound to lose their head.

I already have a web site address, now it's just a matter of getting the page done. Which we should be working on today, I think. I've designed my business cards and brochures. I need to get the paperwork to file as a sole proprietor. File to trademark my business name...and I'm not exactly sure what else.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Recipe, apple cobbler, Golden Layers® Fresh Apple Cobbler, Pillsbury, Circuit City, Gateway,

Cleaning/Laundry tip--removing lipstick from clothes

2008-03-11T17:45:00.000-04:00

I just realized it was Tuesday...my week is all messed up. LOL Here's a quick tip for removing lipstick from your clothing.

Lipstick: Use petroleum jelly for removing lipstick stains. Another possibility is to rub in a little vegetable shortening and then launder as normal.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: cleaning, laundry, tip

Recipes--St. Patricks day Meal

2008-03-10T09:04:00.000-04:00

Top o' the morning to you! I know St. Patricks is a week away, but this is a good time to post a few Irish recipes. That way you can look them over, decide what you want to make, and write down your grocery list.

Corned Beef Brisket with Cabbage

3 lb. corned beef brisket
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 medium head of cabbage, cored, cut into wedges
1 cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup
1/2 cup KRAFT Pure Prepared Mustard
1 Tbsp. KRAFT Prepared Horseradish

PLACE meat in large saucepan. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves and enough water just to cover all ingredients. Cover with lid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 1 hour. Drain, reserving meat in pan. Remove and discard bay leaves.
COVER meat with fresh water; cover with lid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer an additional 2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat from pan, reserving liquid in pan; place meat in shallow baking pan. Add cabbage to reserved liquid in pan; cook until tender. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Mix syrup, mustard and horseradish; spoon half of the syrup mixture over meat. Reserve remaining syrup mixture for brushing onto cooked meat.
BAKE 20 minutes or until meat is well glazed, brushing frequently with the remaining syrup mixture. Place meat on serving platter. Spoon pan drippings over meat. Serve with cabbage.

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

The slow cooker is the perfect way to go for this traditional dish, since it must bubble away untended for hours, in any event. Be sure to serve with crusty bread, and Dijon mustard and horseradish on the side.

Ingredients
4 cups hot water
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 large or 2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1 3-lb. corned beef round or brisket, packaged with spices
8 small white or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 head of green cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs.), cored and cut into 10 wedges

Directions
1. In a 6-quart electric slow cooker, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, mixing well. Place the corned beef in the mixture. Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.
2. Cover and cook on the High heat setting 4 hours. Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top. Cover and continue cooking on High 3 to 4 hours longer, or until the beef is tender. To serve, carve the beef into slices and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Corned Beef & Cabbage in Ale

IRELAND
Irish Ale and Stout Party: Serves 4
2-3 pound cut of corned beef
24 ounces ale (Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale)
2 carrots, cut into chunks
12 small red potatoes
4 onions, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon dry mustard (Coleman's)
1 large sprig thyme (optional)
1 head cabbage, quartered

Place the beef in a large pot with the ale, carrots, potatoes, onions, mustard and thyme (if using). Add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer gently 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Halfway through, check the vegetables: when they are tender, remove them and set aside. Add the cabbage quarters and cook until tender, about 15 to 30 minutes. When the meat is tender, return all vegetables to the pot and reheat. Serve the meat in slices, surrounded by the vegetables and broth.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients
1 3-pound corned beef brisket
1/2 cup sliced onion (1 small)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 cups water
1 1-1/2-pound cabbage, cut into 6wedges
Directions
1. Trim any visible fat from the meat. Set aside.
2. Place rack in a 4- to 6-quart pressure cooker. Add the meat, onion, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and water.
3. Lock lid in place. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe (if you have a first-generation cooker). Over high heat, bring cooker up to pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain pressure and pressure regulator rocks gently; cook for 50 minutes.
4. Allow pressure to come down naturally. Carefully remove lid. With a slotted spoon remove the meat and onions to a serving platter; set aside.
5. Place the wedges of cabbage in the pressure cooker. Lock lid in place. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe (if you have a first-generation cooker). Over high heat, bring cooker up to pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain pressure and pressure regulator rocks gently; cook for 2 minutes.
6. Quick-release the pressure. Carefully remove lid. With a slotted spoon remove the cabbage wedges. Serve with meat and onions. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1 egg white, slightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Cut in margarine or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins, if desired. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
2. In a small mixing bowl combine egg white and buttermilk. Add all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened.
3. On a lightly floured surface knead dough 10 to 12 strokes until nearly smooth. Shape into a 7-inch round loaf.
4. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray Place bread dough on baking sheet. With a sharp knife, make 2 slashes in the top to form an X.
5. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Makes 1 loaf (16 servings).

Dublin's Finest Caramel Apple Cake
CARMEL--
1/2 cup Firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Butter/margarine
1- 8 oz carton heavy whipped Cream -- divided
1/3 cup Chopped pecans
CAKE--
1 package Applecinnamon quick breadmix
1 cup Chopped -- peeled apple
3/4 cup Water
3 tablespoons Irish whiskey or water
1/4 cup Oil
Egg
TOPPING--
Remaining heavy whipping crm
2 tablespoons   Powdered sugar
2 tablespoons   Irish Whiskey -- if desired
Cinnamon -- if desired

Heat oven to 350F. In small sauce pan over low heat, combine brown sugar, butter and 2 TBS whipping cream. Cook and stir just until butter is melted.
Remove from heat; stir in pecans. Pour mixture into bottom of ungreased 9-in round cake pan or 9-in square pan. Set aside. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Stir 50-75 strokes by hand until mix is moistened.
Carefully spoon batter over caramel mixture, making sure caramel is completely covered. Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 minute; invert onto serving plate. Cool Just before serving, in small bowl, beat remaining whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and whiskey. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream mixture on top of cake. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Store in refrigerator.

Bailey's Chocolate Mousse Pie
6 ounces Ready Crust (graham/choc)
1 package Unflavored gelatine (env)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3/4 cup Milk
3/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
6 ounces Semisweet choc chips
2 cups   Frozen whipped topping
Choc-dipped strawberries**As garnish, if desired.

In saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatine over milk. Let stand about 1 minute. Stir over low heat until gelatine is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate and continue cooking, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted: stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and stir occasionally, adding Bailey's about five minutes after removal from heat. When mixture forms mounds when dropped from spoon, fold in whipped topping.
Turn into crust. Garnish with more whipped topping (or real whipped cream, later, by preference) and strawberries (if desired). Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Chocolate-Orange Guinness Cake
Chocolate-Orange Guinness Cake has a slightly sharp taste due to the Guinness (beer).
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
zest of 1 orange
4 eggs
1/2 cup Guinness Stout (or strong beer)
---
Icing Recipe
---
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
zest and juice of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 2 8-9-inch cake pans. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa into a bowl. Add the orange rind to the creamed butter and beat in the eggs, one at a time, including a spoonful of the measured flour mixture with each one, and beating well between additions.
Gently mix in the Guinness, a tablespoonful at a time, including another spoonful of flour with each addition. If there's any flour left over, fold it in gently to mix; blend thoroughly without over-beating. Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth down, and put the cakes into the center of the preheated oven. Reduce the heat to moderate (350F) and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cakes are springy to the touch and shrinking slightly in the pans. Turn out and cool on a wire rack. Icing Instructions -

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in orange juice and zest. Ice bottom layer with 1/3 cup icing. Place second layer on top. Ice sides with half remaining icing. Use the rest of the icing on the top. Store cake in an airtight container.

Irish Cinnamon Potato Candy
Irish Cinnamon Potato Candy is made with mashed potatoes and powdered sugar.
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup (60 ml) mashed potatoes
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
3-1/2 cups (825 ml) sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla
1 cup (225 ml) shredded coconut
1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter
cinnamon
PREPARATION:Put potatoes in large bowl (one can use instant potatoes to make 1/4 cup). Add salt, sugar, vanilla, coconut and butter. Mix well. Knead several minutes, adding more sugar, if necessary, to make a stiff dough.
Tear off a teaspoon of dough and form into a small log shape. Roll in cinnamon. Lay on wax paper for 1 hour to dry. Store in air tight container.

oops! I almost forgot the coffee...

Original Version
1 C hot coffee
1 1/2 oz. Irish Mist liqueur
whipped cream for garnish

OR

Modern Version
1 C hot coffee
1 oz. Irish Whiskey
3 sugar cubes
whipped cream for garnish

Recipe Makes 1 Drink

In order to make this recipe properly the whiskey has to be heated to a high temperature. Pour the coffee in a cup with the desired number of sugar cubes. Then use a spoon turned upside down and pour the HOT whiskey over it so it flows down gently. Top it all with the whipped cream.
When served, true Irish Coffee always has three distinct layers. When served, you first use a straw and sip (a very small amount as it is HOT) a little of the Whiskey. Then stir all the ingredients together.

No, I'm not Irish, but I love celebrating holidays and making food especially for the day. Actually, this blue eyed blonde is part Mexican, part American Indian and I believe German. Quite a mix.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: recipes, irish, st patricks day, corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, desserts

Home Remedy--UTI's

2008-03-06T12:04:00.000-05:00

Good Morning. Here is a little information most of us could use at least once in our lives.

Urinary Tract Infections

A mixture of 1/2 tsp baking soda in eight ounce glass of water can be very helpful on the first signs of urinary tract infection. The presence of baking soda in your system raises the acid-base balance of the acidic urine.
Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly - even though the product was never been advertised for this use.
My sister-in-law says to drink a beer or two.
It is very important for your system to have a good flow of urine. This can be done by consuming plenty of water. It cleanses your body by diluting and flushing out the unwanted substance.
Cranberry juice disallows bacteria to cling to the cell, which line the urinary tract. It is a great remedy to fight this infection. If you cannot have the cranberry juice directly you can mix it with apple juice to add some taste.
Drink 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar mixed with 1 tsp of honey and water, twice a day.

Urinary Tract Infection DietIncrease the intake of vitamin C

Vitamin C prevents the bacterial growth due to the acidic environment created in the bladder and the urinary tract. It is very important to have a healthy diet which is rich in minerals and other supplements for your daily quota. You can maintain the alkaline content in urine by a rich diet of milk, fruits, and fresh vegetables.

Fresh berry juice

Women consuming fresh berry juice as part of the daily diet, turns out to bevery useful in the long run.

Avoid irritant foods

A diet which consists of processed food like cheese, chocolate, dairy products should be avoided. You should also avoid spicy food, caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes which otherwise is also harmful. Avoid carbonated drinks like beer, soda or any other drink with fizz.

Stay away from artificial sweetener

Aspartame is one of a kind of artificial sweetener. You will find many artificial sweeteners in the market which should be avoided. It is mainly consumed by diabetic patients and is used in many beverages and other foods.

Other suggestions for Urinary Tract InfectionHot compression

You can place a heating pad on the lower abdominal area to provide some relief to your pain.

Reflexology

Working on the bladder or kidney points can provide you some relief from this infection.

Dressing comfortably

Wearing loose-fitting and cotton clothes helps a great deal. Wearing tight undergarments and tight fitting clothes creates more room for infection.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: home remedy, urinary tract infection, UTI

Cleaning/Laundry tip--Ink stains

2008-03-04T08:02:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! I have had to use this tip many times. However, I am usually dealing with small ink stains on fabric or artwork left on the walls by my little Picasso. Usually just rubbing alcohol onto the stain works for me. If you have a huge ink spill I'm not sure how well this will work. However, I guess it's better to give it a try rather than just throwing the garment away.

Ink Stains:

The best way I have found to get out ink stains is to put rubbing alcohol on the stain - it disappears! This must be done before washing.
Pour a small amount of milk in a bowl. Rinse area in the milk. The milk will get inky. Pour it out and repeat with a fresh bowl of milk. Repeat till no more ink comes out. Rinse in cold water then wash as usual.
Make a paste with oxi-clean, or similar product, and let it sit on the stain for several minutes. Rinse with cold water. Apply the oxi paste again if necessary.
If all else fails, try using nail polish remover. Place nail polish remover in an old bowl and soak the item for several hours. Then use a nail cleaning brush and scrub the area with soap and water. Repeat if needed. However, this does not do well on some fabric types and should NOT be used on acetate or rayon fabrics.

After speaking with someone else who does Photo-Montage work, it looks as though I may be able to begin my business sooner than I had originally thought. One of my biggest obstacles was that I thought I had to have a really expensive computer to be able to begin doing this. However, it now appears as though I could get my business up and running for probably under $500.

Thank you Mr. Emery! Everything seemed a little overwhelming and a wee bit impossible as I thought I would need a couple thousand to get started. Now my dream of a home based business actually seems to be within my reach. I won't lie and say that I'm not a bit afraid. I mean $500 is a lot less than several thousand, but it's still a lot of money for us to invest.

What if no one likes my work? What if no one wants what I am offering? What if we invest the money and it's just a total loss? Grrrr...positive thoughts Jill Marie! Success means taking a chance. Not having the courage to try is worse than failure. Right?

Okay, I am off to check out the software that was recommended to me by Mr. Emery. I am so thankful to have someone willing to give me a bit of advice and share some of his knowledge with me. Otherwise, I'd still be sitting here trying to figure out how to come up with thousands of dollars.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: cleaning tip, laundry tip, ink stains, ink removal, laundry stains

Recipe--Crunchy Chicken Strips

2008-03-03T08:25:00.000-05:00

How about a quick and easy recipe for dinner tonight? I found this recipe for crunchy chicken strips at Better Homes and Gardens. It sounds really yummy and better yet is the fact that it only takes 20 minutes to fix.

Crunchy Chicken Strips
Start to Finish: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
2-1/2 cups crushed bite-size cheddar fish-shaped crackers or pretzels
2/3 cup bottled buttermilk ranch salad dressing
1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins
Bottled buttermilk ranch salad dressing
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil; lightly coat foil with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a shallow dish place the crushed crackers. In another shallow dish place the ranch dressing. Dip chicken tenderloins into the dressing, allowing excess to drip off; dip into cracker crumbs to coat. Arrange chicken in prepared pan.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F). If desired, serve with additional ranch dressing.
Makes 4 servings
Quicker Crunchy Chicken Strips: Prepare as above, except use one 10-ounce package of cooked refrigerated chicken breast strips instead of the chicken breast tenderloins and bake only 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through.

Serve the chicken with some oven baked french fries and a side of steamed broccoli. Also serve some raw carrots and celery that the kids can also dip in the ranch dressing. That way they will get some added vitamins, great idea if you have little ones that don't like eating veggies.

How about some homemade cookies to go with the dinner? Then here is a pretty simple recipe you could make and it sounds pretty good. This one also comes from Better Homes and Gardens.

Lemon Verbena Cookies
36 cookies- Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 8 minutes
Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dried lemonverbena leaves, crushed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
1. Combine flour, lemon verbena leaves, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture. Beat until combined. Stir in remaining flour mixture with a wooden spoon until combined.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks and cool. Makes 36.

I usually make my chicken strips by crushing some saltines, adding a bit of flour and spices. Then I dip the chicken strips in an egg wash then the crushed crackers. I let them sit a minute then re-dip in egg and the crackers again and fry them up.

I'm going to try this new recipe, 1. because baking them sounds much healthier and 2. I bet that ranch dressing and the gold fish crackers taste really good. Also, I don't like having Rylie help me when I have hot oil in the kitchen, and she loves to help me cook. So if I bake the strips, Rylie could help set up the raw veggie plate or whatever.

Well, I'm off to take the chicken out of the freezer. Have a wonderful day!

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Recipes, Crunchy Chicken Strips, Lemon Verbena Cookies, Better Homes and Gardens

Family Breakfast

2008-03-02T21:50:00.000-05:00

We went down to Bowling Green today and met the rest of my family for breakfast. I took copies of the Photo-movie I made for my father. I also took a copy of one for my mother.

No, my mother has not passed away. However, she wanted to see what her movie would look like. It sounds a bit weird, but have ya ever wondered who would show up for your funeral or what kind of tribute would be made? I can understand her curiosity. Although it was a bit weird for me to do it. It was however just a wee bit of a sample of what the actual movie would look like.

I guess everyone liked the movie. It was probably a bit hard for everyone to see as it was playing on a small DVD player we bought for Rylie to watch on long car rides and the screen is probably only about 10 inches big. I hoped they liked it.

Here is a the movie I made for my dad. It's a bit long, 10 minutes, but I really had a difficult time limiting the number of pictures I used. It's hard to narrow down 69 years of life into a few minutes.

And this is my mothers sample Photo-movie. It is about 3 minutes long although I hope to have another 20-30 years worth of photographs to add to this.

Oh the first clip on both movies, "Reflections", that is the name that I want to use for the business that I want to start. Hopefully it will be something that I can get started this year. I've gotten some information from the Chamber of Commerce and am in the process of looking into the cost of start up and beginning to make a Business Plan.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Joseph Corral, Judy Corral

Dad

2008-02-29T09:26:00.000-05:00

I just wish he had been able to see Rylie. Dad loved babies and I know he would have loved to see his grand-daughter. He would get such a kick out of her personality and I'm sure he would have done the same thing he used to do to Samantha...forget and call her "Jill". Of course Rylie's response would be "I not Jill, I Rylie Jo Lee Blossom!" Or as she says "Ryee Jo Eee Bop-um".

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Joseph L. Corral

Home Remedy--Toe Fungus & other uses for Listerine

2008-02-28T09:29:00.000-05:00

Good Morning. Here is a handy dandy tip if you or someone you know happens to be suffering from toe Fungus.

Toe Fungus

Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine® mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

My Mom says this is also a good way to deal with itching. After she got done with chemo she had a terrible time with her skin itching and this is one of the things she used to help deal with it.

So being the curious gal that I am, I decided to do a wee bit of research. Did you know that Listerine was originally used by surgeons as an antiseptic? Yep. You can read more about it here at Listerine dazzles with different uses.

Let's see, they also say that it is good for dealing with dandruff. Hm, well I bet that smell is a bit easier to deal with than putting vinegar on your head.

Also, it is suppose to be good at treating "hot spots" on animals. I guess this is where they dig and dig until their fur starts to disappear. Here is the mixture to use for that: 1/3 Listerine (original), 1/3 baby oil and 1/3 water. Put in a spray bottle, shake well and spray it on. I am going to guess that this takes more than just one treatment. So if your pet is having a problem with this, give it a try for a few weeks and see how it works.

One person wrote that "My aunt has had shingles and constant pain for ten years. Nothing her dermatologist or the pain management specialist prescribed has worked, but the first night she tried Listerine on her skin, she was pain-free for the first time in years." Hmm, the wonders of Listerine.

I found another page, 6 household uses for Listerine, and thought I would add those too.

#1-Surface Disinfectant and Deodorizer
To use Listerine as a surface disinfectant and deodorizer, mix a half and half solution of Listerine and water into a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto the surface to kill the germs. Let the solution stand on the surface for one minute, then clean the surface as normal. This mixture can also be used to disinfect shared surfaces such as toilet seats, water fountains, and the washing machine at your local laundromat.

Household Uses for Listerine #2-Topical First Aid Antiseptic
In the event of a serious burn or cut, Listerine is a good item to keep in your first aid kit. Applying Listerine to a cut, burn, or other skin abrasion removes germs and reduces the possibility of infection until proper medical attention can be obtained.

Household Uses for Listerine #3-Body Deodorant
If you run out of deodorant, Listerine makes a great substitute. Simply rub a few dabs under your arm with a cotton ball or spray under your arm using a spray bottle. Be sure that you only apply enough as needed, because too much Listerine may cause minor under arm irritation.

Household Uses for Listerine #4-Curing a Sore Throat
If you have a sore throat, mix together one teaspoon of table salt, 1/3 cup of warm water, and 1/3 cup of Listerine. Gargle with this rinse three times a day for one minute. Within one week, your sore throat will be cured.

Household Uses for Listerine #5-Dandruff Control
If you are prone to dandruff, use one capful of Listerine to control dandruff in your hair. Pour the capful of Listerine in your hair and work it through with a comb.

Household Uses for Listerine #6-Homemade Garden Fertilizer
In the early part of May, and again in the early part of June, fertilize your garden with a mixture of one cup of Epsom salts, one cup Listerine, One cup Ammonia, and one cup liquid hand soap. Pour this mixture into a one quart jar, and fill the rest of the jar with beer. This solution covers a garden area of 2500 ft. This is cheaper than spending hundreds of dollars on expensive fertilizers at your local feed and seed store.

I was called back in for another interview yesterday and had to fill out a ton of paperwork. I guess that's a good sign. I tried to impress upon them how important it was that I work evening and weekend hours. Those are the times that Ray will be home so I won't have to worry about paying a babysitter.

They see my work experience at Krogers and keep trying to talk me into going for a management position. No thank you...I know the headaches and long hours that come with that. I just need a little something extra to help us get through this RECESSION. (Stealing partial movie line- "Yes Virgina, there is a recession.) I need this job, at least until I figure out how to come up with $2,000 - $3,000 start up money for my business.

Frankly, I don't like working retail. Some of the people who come into stores treat you as nothing more than their servant. They talk down to you and get down right rude. What they don't realize is that I am having a completely different conversation, in my head, from the one actually going on.

When I get one of those really, really nasty people...as I smile and say "Thank you, have a nice day." I am thinking about karma. I just know that as they head home they are going to get a flat, as they get out to check the tire a bird is going to fly overhead and make a big fat deposit in their hair. The spare tire? It will be flat as a pancake. As they reach down to pick up the tire iron from the ground...they will stick their hand into a pile left by a big dog, something like a St. Bernard. Yep, I have a nice smile on my face as I wave bye-bye to them. LOL

Hey, don't look at me like that. I can guarantee you that I am NOT the only person who has worked in customer service that has had thoughts like that. Yes,I realize that working retail is probably not the best job for me. But do you know how hard it is to get a job in this economy? I know that there were almost a hundred people that applied for this job. We really need the money so I have to work whatever I can get. No matter what.

I just have to keep reminding myself about the good side or working retail. 1-It's a paycheck, 2-You also get to meet some really great people, 3-I'll be talking to more than just a 3 year old all day long, 4-Ray will step up and help me out when I need it around the house, 5-I'll make some new friends.

Well, I have a bunch of stuff to do and need to get my bum in gear.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Tags: home remedy, listerine,

Snow day

2008-02-26T18:54:00.000-05:00

I love getting a chance to get out and take some pictures. We had a bit of snow, the big fluffy stuff, so I went to Swan Creek Metro Park and took some pictures. It was wonderful to get outside and walk a bit, even if it was cold and snowy.

This was about the second or third shot. I was getting ready to take a picture when I saw a bit of movement and saw about 5 or 6 deer about two hundred feet away from me. It was so beautiful. They saw me and just watched as I took their picture.

As I walked down one of the paths.

A clump of trees growing in a circle in the middle of the field.

And of course, my favorite tree which right down the street from Davids house.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Pictures, snow day, Swan Creek Metro Park, Toledo, Ohio, Jill Corral

Cleaning tip--gum on clothing

2008-02-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! I found this tip for removing gum from clothing. I'm not sure if it works, I'd never heard this before.

Gum On Clothing: Use egg whites to remove gum on clothing. Brush egg white onto gum with a toothbrush. Let sit for 15 minutes and then launder the items normally.

I might try it, if I ever need to...but if it doesn't work I'll just slap an ice cube on the gum, wait for it to freeze and then remove it. That's how I've always gotten gum off carpet. Although...peanut butter works really good for getting it out of hair. I know it does because I had to do it to one of my kids. However, the oil from the peanut butter would probably stain the clothing.

Have a great day!

Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: cleaning tip, laundry tip, gum on clothes,

Recipe--Stovetop Beef & Penne Casserole

2008-02-25T08:39:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes from the Nestle-Very Best Baking site and sounds interesting. I'm really curious as to the flavor and I like the fact that the recipe makes enough to freeze half for another meal. Depending on your family size, this just might make enough for 3 meals. I especially love the idea of sneaking in extra nutrition and vitamins and the family not even realizing it.

Stovetop Beef & Penne Casserole
Double-Duty Freezer-Friendly
Feed your family twice-but only cook once! Recipe is already doubled. Just serve your family half and freeze the rest. Lean ground beef and pasta, plus the surprising addition of pumpkin and evaporated milk, make this hearty dish both nutritious and delicious.
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 10 min | Cooking - 15 min | Yields - 12 servings (two 6-serving meals)
Ingredients:
2 cups (8 oz.) dry penne pasta (or small pasta of your choice)
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
Directions:
COOK pasta in large saucepan for 1 to 2 minutes less than package directions (pasta should be slightly firm in texture); drain.

COOK beef and onion in large saucepan over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink; drain. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in evaporated milk, pumpkin, tomato sauce, sugar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to simmer. Add pasta and peas; stir until heated.

TIPS:
• Freeze half the casserole for another meal. Thaw in refrigerator and reheat in microwave or on stovetop.
• Using pumpkin and evaporated milk not only adds depth of flavor, but also sneaks in extra nutrition to the casserole.

Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: recipes, Stovetop Beef & Penne Casserole, Nestle

My 22 year old baby

2008-02-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

I am feeling...ambivilent, proud, happy, sad, a bit anxious...is it really possible to feel all of this at the same time? The day your son calls and says that he got into the Army National Guard you will know. David leaves for training on April 29th.

I am proud and yet a little sad. Is it really possible that my first born is already this old?

...sigh...

The Republican Clinton?

2008-02-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting development...the breaking news this morning is that McCain had a "relationship" with a lobbyist. Hmmm.

So is McCain the Republicans version of Clinton?

You can read more about this at Blogging Stocks and The New York Times.

This certainly is an interesting twist. I can't wait to see how this plays out. I'm sure that all the right wingers will turn on McCain, I mean if it was a no-no for Billy boy, then it must be a no-no for John boy too.

This is especially interesting as John boy is in Toledo today.

Tags: John McCain, ethics,

Home remedy--Tooth Pain

2008-02-21T08:59:00.000-05:00

Toothache & Mouth Pain

To ease toothache or other mouth pain, make a tea by boiling 1 Tbls. fresh peppermint in 1 cup water and adding a little salt. Peppermint is an antiseptic and contains menthol, which relieves pain when applied to skin surfaces.
Oil of cloves -- put oil on cotton ball and pack next to pain or apply a drop directly on the tooth.
A clove of garlic with a little rock salt should be placed on the affected tooth. It will relieve the pain and, sometimes, may even cure it.
Take a "shot" to numb the pain. Hold a swig of whiskey over the painful tooth. Your gums will absorb some of the alcohol and that will numb the pain. Spit out the rest.
Rinse with salty water. After each meal and at bedtime, stir 1 teaspoon of salt into an 8-ounce glass of water (at body temperature. Hold each mouthful, roll it around your mouth. Spit.

A toothache may be sharp, throbbing, shooting, or constant. If the tooth is not properly treated, it may eventually have to be extracted. Be sure to schedule an appointment with the dentist, especially if it's been awhile since you had your teeth cleaned and x-rayed.

Limit your intake of sugary drinks and sweet treats. Be sure to brush your teeth, at least, twice a day and to floss. The best cure is prevention.

Rylie has a dentist appointment this evening. Wish me luck. She's been before, but I never really know what to expect from this child. I keep reminding her about the appointment. I ask her to open her mouth wide and show me her teeth. Then I tell her that is what the dentist is going to do and that he is going to look at them and count them all and clean them up so they look really, really pretty.

I remind her that she has very special teeth (her twin teeth) and that people are going to want to see them. The last time we went some of the people had never seen twin teeth before and they were coming in to "check" them out. So I just want her to be prepared for the possibility of several people coming in to see her "special" teeth.

I have some laundry to do and then the usual cleaning and meal planning. I may do some furniture re-arranging today, we'll see. Have a wonderful day.

Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: home remedy, toothache, tooth pain

Cleaning/Laundry tip--Gas or Grease on clothing, Pinwheels, Haircut! & My singing stars

2008-02-19T08:13:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! Here are two tips for getting rid of some of those really tough laundry stains. I hope you find them useful.

Gasoline On Clothing: Gasoline is an oil based product, therefore, use another oil based product to pull out the odor (which is left because all the gas oil has not been removed yet). You can use any kind of oil that normally washes out of clothing, like baby oil. Put some of the oil into the washer along with the shorts, let it swish around for a while, then put in the detergent and all should come out okay.

Grease Stains: Sprinkle a generous amount of cornstarch or baby powder over the grease stain, allow it to sit for a couple of minutes, then brush the powder off. The powder absorbs the grease and it brushes off with the powder.

March is going to be here before we know it. So this is a good time for me to post these links for "Pinwheels".

The Toymaker

Pinwheels for Peace

Craft Ideas-Pinwheels

Leslie Tryon's Pinwheel Instructions

I plan on spending some time with Rylie on day, as soon as it starts to warm up a bit, and making a couple of these. Rylie really loves it when we have "craft" time and I thought it would be fun to make something we could put in the yard.

This will also be a good way for us to practice some fine motor skills, cutting paper. As opposed to cuttinghair...which reminds me, I have some pictures to post. The other day I happened to notice that Rylies hair looked a bit weird. On closer inspection I found "chunks" missing.

I started checking my scissors, to make sure they were still put away, when I realized she had a craft drawer. I finally found her little box with her crayons, markers & childrens scissors and discovered there were several 5-6 inch lengths of hair in there. Grrrrrr! Mama was not a happy camper. Her hair was about to her shoulder blades. By the time I got done trying to "fix" it, it was up near the top of her shoulders.

You'll see how short her hair is now in this little clip from yesterday. Mom stopped by and Rylie got her to "play" singing star with her. LOL Rylie is such a little ham. She had a blast playing American Idol with Mom.

I hope I did this right. It's a short little piece, but make sure your sound is turned on for the full effect.

Have a great day.
Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: Cleaning/Laundry tip--Gas stains, Grease stains, laundry tip, Pinwheels, Haircut, singing stars

Recipe--Creamy potato pork chop bake

2008-02-18T08:41:00.000-05:00

Good Monday Morning! Here's a little recipe from my cookbook. I'm not sure where this came from originally. I keep a file on my computer of a lot of the recipes I find that I want to try. I hope to one day print it out and make a cookbook for myself and my kids. I just keep finding so many good recipes to add to it and haven't printed it out yet, lol.

CREAMY POTATO PORK CHOP BAKE
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 pork chops
1 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 24 ounce package frozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups canned French fried onions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops and saute until browned. Remove from skillet and drain on paper toweling. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F/175C. I

n a medium bowl mix together soup, milk, sour cream and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 cup onions. Mix together and spread mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Arrange pork chops over potato mixture. Cover dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until internal temperature of pork has reached 160F/70C. Remove cover; top with remaining cheese and onions and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes. Makes 6 servings.

What a wonderful way to begin the day, I have an interview today. It is for a part-time job at a little store not too far away. I'm not looking for a lot of hours, 20 max and it really needs to be evening and weekends.

I certainly don't want to have to pay someone to watch Rylie. Paying a babysitter when your making minimum wage kind of defeats the whole purpose. Seriously, if I'm making about $7 (+ some change) before taxes and then have to pay someone $3 (or more) an hour to babysit, I'm not really making much.

Oh well, I'll go in and see what kind of hours and what times they need and see what's up. Hopefully it will be something that will work for us. Bush is going to be in office for some more time, and we can't continue to have Ray's income decrease while the cost of living rises and rises. I really hope the next President is a family and working poor friendly.

It's getting real hard to watch the ol' man continue to bust his butt at a job where he makes less than he did 8 years ago. I hate seeing his frustration and consider leaving the work he really enjoys doing (HVAC) because he feels like he can't take care of his family and that his boss is taking advantage of him (and his fellow workers). Really, in this economy who would leave a job where they are at least getting a paycheck (even if they are being taken advantage of) for an uncertain future and possibly no job? That man really has his employees over a barrel. I'd really like to get a face to face with him. Grrrrr!

Hopefully I'll get a job where I can contribute enough to help the ol' man out. I just hope I'm not sacrificing my child to improve our income. I'm so ambivilent about all of this. My main goal, after helping the family, is to be able to save enough to get a start on my home based Funeral DVD business. That's where I take family pictures and put them to music for families who've lost a loved one.

Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: Recipe, Creamy potato pork chop bake

Toledo is going to hello (minus the o) in a handbasket...

2008-02-16T20:10:00.000-05:00

Yes, I said it...Toledo, Ohio is going to hello (minus the o) in a handbasket. Not only that, but good ol' carlton finkbeiner is handing us over with that nasty smirk on his face. Have ya'll heard his latest? Yeah, I know...it usually takes him a few months to make national news after one debacle. This time he decided to bless Toledo just days after telling the Marines to get the hello (minus the o) out of town.

Our mayor fink(beiner), the man who is supposedly a person our children are to look up to and emulate, used the "f" word on a Detroit radio station. You can read about it in our local paper here: The Toledo Blade or you can read about it at United Press Inernational . Whoopee, ol' monkey face is getting Toledo all over the news once again.

I don't give a flying fleece how worked up you are carlton. There is absolutely no excuse for a man in your position to use profanity. Especially not on the air where goodness know's how many children may hear it. As the mayor of Toledo, fink(beiner) should be held up to a higher standard than any other citizen in this city.

The use of vulgarities shows how ignorant a person is. If you can't come up with a different word to use, it just goes to show how little you use your brain. "F"-word substitutes: frick, flake, freak, fleece, frag-it, flock, flick, flack...getting the idea big boy? Yeah, big boy...little man. Come on fink(beiner), stop using the profanity and start using your brain. I don't know...maybe you used up all your brain cells coming up with the idea to send the deaf to live next to the airport.

I expect to hear profanity from thoughtless teens. I expect to hear profanity from rude people. I expect to hear profanity from a drunken sailor. I don't expect to hear profanity when I turn on the radio to listen to the mayor of Toledo. Unless your thoughtless, rude and drunk...I don't know...hmmm. Was that the problem carty? That sure would explain a lot.

That would explain why you remind me of a certain relative of mine. He was a drunk for most of my life and he had that red tint to his face like you seem to have a lot of the time. You've got the same nasty attitude he had too. Where you seem to think the world revolves around you, and only you. Where you talk AT people, not to them. You've got the same laughable excuses for you idiotic mistakes too. You know, the excuses where it's not your fault and you find some way to blame it on someone else, anyone else or everyone else. Hmm, I think I'm onto something here.

In my humble opinion...carty fink(beiner) is an ignorant little man who can't control his temper or his tongue. Poll! Yep, time for a poll. LOL This should be fun.

I hope ya'll had a terrific Saturday.
Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: Toledo, Ohio, carty, finkbeiner, mayor, radio, vulgararity, profanity, poll

Well, sugar! I almost forgot this fact...major fink(beiners) spokesman, Brian Schwartz was just suspended for 15 days without pay for using the same vulgarity off the air when speaking to the same radio show's producer. I don't know...seems like ol' fink-face should be dealt some consequences for his potty mouth too.

Song challenge winner!

2008-02-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

Remember my little song challenge a few weeks ago? Well, I finally finished my home movie today. Well, the project is saved, I still have to put it on a DVD and make copies for my brothers and mother. It usually wouldn't take so long, but I had to wait to receive pictures from my brothers.

When I listened to this one song I could picture my father dancing. I could almost hear him singing. I don't know if I ever heard him sing, but this particular artist just reminded me so much of my father for some reason. Maybe it's the era...I remember hearing him as a child.

The winner is Barbara-bhbner2him-one of her journals is http://journals.aol.com/bhbner2him/LifeFaithinCaneyhead/ . She suggested I use Elvis Presley's song "Memories". I listened to it and it was exactly what I needed. As I said, I would make a little something special for the winner. I hope she likes this. Here ya are Babara...

Thank you for suggesting the perfect song and congratulations Barbara!

I had so many pictures I wanted to use, so I also added the song "One More Day" by Lonestar. I wasn't sure that I wanted to use that song...but I figured we all have our own reasons that we'd like to have the chance to see my father for just one more day.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends!

PS~This is a one of a kind graphic made special just for Barbara. Please don't ask me for one. I hate to say no to anyone but I didn't even bother to save the design without her name on it.