Cleaning tip, Go Google yourself

Okay, feeling a little frustrated here.  I just had this almost all ready to click the "save" button when a certain 2 year old, messing around by my computer, hit the little button on the power strip and turned off my computer.  So here we go again...

                       

A cleaning tip, or two, that you may find useful.  As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet.  I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness.  If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, let me know.

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.

One day Rylie (yes the naughty computer turner off-er) went crazy with an ink pen on a new outfit I had gotten her.  I went to the bathroom to get the alcohol and discovered I was out of it.  So I grabbed my bottle of hairspray, and sprayed it on the ink.  I rubbed it with a rag and viola!  The ink stain was gone.

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Last week my other baby girl, Sammi (weep, weep, about to turn 18) told me that she Googled my screen name and came up with a pretty cool result.  Apparently I was written about in a little article in the Toledo Freepress.  Hmm, well I was going to post the link to it here.  But I just went to get it and apparently the archives for May and June are gone...poof.  Oh well.  It was cool to see that someone had actually found my little journal and was recommending it as something to go check out.

So go "google" yourself.  It might be kind of fun to see what comes up.  Both my public journals came up, my kraft foods registration came up and some other things too.  Google away and if you find anything cool come back and share it with us.  Or write about it in your journal.

I also googled my full name...but I always get results for some woman who wrote some book that has the same name.  LOL  Yeah, like this housewife and mother is going to write a book based on feminism.  I can't even stand up for myself, much less our entire sisterhood.

Well, it's been a gray waiting on the rain to come kind of day.  Rylie is refusing to take a nap, so I guess we will go have a snack.  Have a great one.

Hugs,

Recipe

Shhh, be very, very quiet.  It is only a quarter till 6 am at the moment.  I've been up since 4:19.  I can't sleep.  This really stinks, it will make for an extremely long day.  With my luck I will really start dragging butt around 1 or 2 pm and Rylie won't want to take a nap.

So since I can't sleep I thought I would go ahead and get on to post my recipe for the day.  Might as well get something done.  I don't think everyone else would appreciate if I were to start running the sweeper or the washing machine right now.

Aloha Pork Chop Skillet
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4


2 tsp. oil
4 bone-in pork chops (1-1/2 lb.)
1 medium each: red and yellow pepper, cut into chunks
2 cans (8 oz. each) pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup Kraft Catalina Dressing
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1-1/2 cups Minute White Rice, uncooked


HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chops; cook 5 min. on each side or until browned on both sides.

ADD peppers, pineapple with its juice, broth, dressing and garlic powder; mix well. Bring to boil.

STIR in rice; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min. or until chops are cooked through (160°F.) Remove from heat; let
stand 5 min.

 

Have a beautiful day.

 

Hugs!

Breakfast recipe

I received this recipe in my email from SparkPeople.com.  It sounds like a tasty breakfast casserole that would be perfect to prepare the night before and just put in the oven the next morning.  Great for when you have company for the weekend.  Just put some fresh fruit out with this and your "good to go".  Mmm, and maybe make a mimosa...I just love orange juice and champagne...what a great way to start the day, LOL.   

Breakfast Casserole
Serves: 8
A sure family favorite, make the night before and pop into the oven.

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces Light (50% less fat) breakfast sausage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4-1/2 cups sourdough bread cubes or croutons
8 ounces shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 large whole eggs
4 egg whites OR 1/2 cup egg substitute
2 cups low fat milk

DIRECTIONS
1. Crumble sausage into a medium non stick skillet. Cook over medium heat until nicely brown, breaking up into bits with spatula as it cooks. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with canola cooking spray and set aside.

2. Add sausage to large bowl along with toasted bread squares, cheese, mustard powder and salt, if desired. Add whole eggs, egg whites (or egg substitute) and milk to mixing bowl, and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and completely blended.

3. Drizzle egg-milk mixture over the sausage and bread mixture; stir to blend. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spread top evenly, cover with foil, then chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake, covered in foil, for 45 minutes. Uncover the foil, and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes longer or until set.

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Okay, this past weekend we went up to Ray's Aunt Ronnie & Uncle Steve's cottage on Saturday for some swimming, fishing and just get away from the house.  While we were there they cooked hot dogs and hamburgs on the grill.  They make the juiciest burgers, YUM!  I learned their secret and I am going to share it with ya'll.

Add wet bread crumbs and chopped onions.  Now I also add Worcestershire sauce and a bit of seasoned salt.  Uncle Steve says not to cook the burgers all the way through to keep them juicy.  But we have a small child and meat that isn't thoroughly cooked makes me a bit uneasy.  So I go ahead and cook them through, but I make sure not to over cook them.  =D

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Now to go along with those delicious hamburgers I like to make potato salad.  Me?  I peel and cut my potatoes...how ever many it looks like I will need.  I chopped onions, celery and boiled eggs.  I make a dressing with approx. 2 Tbls. vinegar, a couple scoops of REAL Mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.  And taste I do...because I like it just a wee bit tart, so sometimes I add more vinegar, MmmHmm good. *edit* I was just re-reading this and realized that I forgot to say that I also add a few squirts of mustard.  =}

However, for those of you who are more health conscious here is a tip from RealAge that is 'spose to be better for you.  Me?  It's summer and I love my Potato salad just the way I make it.  LOL  But here is what they have to say...

Chill Out

"Healthy" and "potato salad" can go hand in hand.

Unfortunately, everyone's favorite summer side dish can send blood-sugar levels soaring, thanks to all the high-carb starch in spuds. Here's how to fix that: Boil the potatoes ahead of time and refrigerate overnight. The next day, make the dressing with vinegar and olive oil -- not mayo -- and mix with the potatoes. Both chilling and using vinegar neutralize starch's blood-sugar effects.

 

Thats it for today.  Have a good day and a wonderful weekend.

 

Hugs!

Home remedy and a lil' memory lane trip

             

These are home health remedies that have been emailed to me or that I found on the Internet.  I have not tried them all and do NOT guarantee the effectiveness of them.  If you try one and it works, or if you have one that works for you, please email me.  Thanks.

Smelly Feet

•  Soak feet in strong tea for 20 minutes every day until the smell disappears. To prepare your footbath, brew two tea bags in 2 1/2 cups of water for 15 minutes and pour the tea into a basin containing two liters of cool water.

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I remember that my mother would not let my 2 brothers and I wear leather or vinyl sneakers.  We had to get those blue and white cloth sneakers from K-Mart.  She said that way our feet were able to breath and didn't sweat as much as they would in the other type of shoes.  Of course, I'm sure the fact that the shoes were like $7 bucks and she was buying for 3 kids didn't have a thing to do with it, LOL. 

 

I hated it at the time, mostly because all the "cool" kids were wearing leather Nikes.  But it makes sense, I guess.  If someone in your family has a problem with nasty foot odor, you might want to try getting them cloth shoes AND make sure they wear socks.  The socks will help absorb the sweat and odor, rather than having it just seep into the shoes.  Ewwww!

 

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Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  I just realized this morning that my little girl, Samantha, will be turning 18 in a mere 13 days.  It just can't be possible.  How can I still be just "29" years old and be the mother of a 20 year old boy and an 18 year old little girl?

 

When Sammi was little I use to sit with her and say "Do you promise to be my baby girl forever and ever?  And never grow up?"  She would promise me that she would stay my baby and never grow up.  You lied to me Sammi!  LOL

 

Oh gosh, I miss my kids being little.  At the time, it seemed like all they did was fight and argue over the silliest little things.  But there are so many things I would like to go back and do over.  So many times that I miss.

 

Oh and Sammi...I'd like to go back and visit that day that you got David in trouble by carving his name into Sascha's dresser.  Yep, boy did I mess up on that one.  But hey, where you guys scared when I started taking your fingerprints?  Or did ya know that I was trying to trick you into spilling the beans?

 

Well, I guess I better go and get started on working on a special Graphic for my baby girls 18th birthday.

 

Have a great day!

 

Hugs!

Cleaning tip and 4th pictures

 

                           

A cleaning tip, or two, that you may find useful.  As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet.  I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness.  If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, let me know.

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 on the items normally.

I personally haven't had a problem with getting gum on clothing, yet, but I wonder if the ice method wouldn't work for clothing too.  You know, hold ice on the gum to freeze it and then work it off.

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I hope everyone had a fun filled and safe 4th of July.  We went to the fireworks (pictures below) on Monday night with Ray's brother Gene, his 2 kids (Tyler and Mara) and his lady friend, Debbie.  We sat Mara and Rylie on top of our car with a bunch of snacks.  Rylie was entertained for a few minutes, then she started getting whiney.  Then just as the fireworks started she went into full blown tantrum mode.  We finally just sat her in the car and let her have her tantrum.

On the way home, Daddy said, "I wish she was older so she could sit there and worry about how much trouble she was going to be in when she got home".  LOL, of course she didn't get in trouble.  I did make her go in and give Daddy a sorry hug...after which she smiled and hit him on the leg.  She wasn't trying to be a party pooper,there was just too much going on, too much sugar, and it was late.  Hopefully next year, when she is a little older, it will work out better.

Then yesterday we had a cookout.  A bunch of the family came over.  It was just burgers and dogs.  I made cupcakes (Martha Stewart recipe), potato salad and used Aunt Ronnie and Uncle Steve's recipe for burgers (yummy).  Cathy (fav SIL & my link to sanity) brought some more burgers and beans.  Red & Ludivia brought more hot dogs, fruit and soda.

It was an alright day.  I find myself easily frustrated with people lately though.  All I know is that one day someone is going to ask for something or help and I am going to say no.  This is something that I just won't forget or forgive.  We have stepped up and done more than our fair share.  There is the safety of a child to be taken into consideration, less than a 2 weeks certainly wouldn't kill them.  I know, I'm talking in riddles.  I'll probably vent more in private, lol.

Have a great day! 

Hugs,

Happy Independence Day

      Have a great holiday! 

                                                     
                                               

We are having a cookout today, so I have to keep this short and sweet.  I'll put the usual Tuesday post in tomorrow.  Be safe!

Hugs!

Recipe & stupid people

Todays recipe looks a little involved...but the picture they sent of this looked really yummy.  You can check it out in more detail at Better Homes and Gardens.

High-and-Dry Clambake
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Prep: 30 minutes
Grill: 15 minutes
 
Ingredients
20   littleneck, Manila, or cherrystone clams in shells
1  cup salt
3/4  cup butter, melted
1  teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
2  tablespoons lemon juice
2  tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 3 tablespoons snipped fresh dillweed
4  small fresh ears of corn in husks
8  sheets  nori or 1 large bunch parsley
2,  7- to 8-ounce fresh or frozen lobster tails, thawed and halved lengthwise
8  ounces cooked kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into 8 slices
12 to 16  sprigs fresh basil and/or dillweed
   Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Thoroughly wash clams in shells. In a large pot or kettle combine 4 quarts cold water and 1/3 cup of the salt. Place clams in the salt water mixture; let stand 15 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Repeat soaking and rinsing twice more, using new water and salt each time.
2. In a small bowl stir together butter, lemon peel, lemon juice, and the 2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh herbs; set aside. Remove corn husks; clean several husks and set aside. Use hands or a stiff brush to remove silk from corn. Brush corn with about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture. Lay clean husks back in place.
3. Tear off four 24x18-inch pieces of heavy foil. Lay 2 sheets of nori or 3 to 4 large sprigs of fresh parsley in the center of each piece of foil. Cut four 12-inch squares of 100 percent cotton cheesecloth; place 1 square atop nori on each piece of foil.
4. For each packet, arrange the following on cheesecloth: 5 clams in shells, 1 ear of corn, 1/2 of a lobster tail, and 2 slices of kielbasa. Brush about 2 tablespoons butter mixture over cut sides of lobsters. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of remaining butter over each packet. (Reserve remaining butter mixture until serving time.) Top with a few sprigs of basil or dillweed. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bring ends of cheesecloth together in center. Seal foil packets, allowing room for steam to build.
5. In a grill with a cover, place foil packets, seam side up, on grill directly over medium coals. Grill, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until clams are open, lobster is opaque, and corn is tender, carefully opening packets to check doneness. To serve, open packets. (Discard any clams that have not opened, nori, if using, and herb sprigs. Replace with fresh herb sprigs, if desired.) Pass remaining lemon-butter mixture. Makes 4 servings.

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Did anyone else read this short article?  I'll just call it stupid people...I have a low tolerance for druggies. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

Hugs!