Dee

Some Shake and Bake Chicken , Baked in the oven we'll have, With mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn from a can, To quench our pallet with fancy desserts Cats Chocolate pie will make our taste buds high So this is the tale of dinner at Reci's When were done with our eating I will make Mr. Reci DO all of the cleaning, meaning That I get to sit and work on my stitches while Mr. Reci gets to do all of the dishes! The cost for this dinner is one dollar twenty cents No where else can you get a dinner as cheap as this for a quid and a penny you can have a full plate But instead of walking after dinner We just might have to roll you out the gate!

Let's Support Sears! My husband sent me this and I support Sears 100%! Not like you actually have to give me a reason to shop, but I can't think of a better one! IT IS ALL ABOUT HOW YOU TREAT THE PROTECTORS OF OUR LAND. I assume you have all seen the reports about how Sears is treating its reservist employees who are called up? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up... Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years. I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves

I will surely pm you Happy! I also read the series Twi!

I sure will!

If you are due for your yearly mamo make sure you get an appointment to get it done... PLEASE! Its important to not only you but to your family. We want you around for a long time, cause we love ya!

The Hallmark Channel will be showing the made for tv movie Love Comes Softly ( you know the Christian Book Series of Love Comes Softly by Janet Okes) I think on Aprill 11. This is the Christian Counterpart to Sarah Plain and Tall Series. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. Michael Landon Junior, child of Sr and Little House Fame, made the LCS Movie.

It sounds like a scam job to me Happy! I would be really leary about the whole thing especially since he wouldn't get paid until after 54 presentations. What are his interests?

Lavender Tea Bread Ingredients: 3/4 cup milk 2 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers, finely chopped, or 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped flowers 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 6 Tbsp. butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat milk with lavender almost to a boil, then steep until cool. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in bowl. In another bowl cream butter and gradually add sugar, then eggs, one at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with lavender milk, in three parts. Mix until batter is just blended, do not overbeat. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, drizzle with a simple sugar glaze or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with sprigs of fresh lavender.

Old Fashioned Agrarian Advice Waterproof Leather Take Linseed Oil one lb. Beeswax six ounces, mutton suet eight ounces, melt the whole together slowly, rub the composition well upon boots and shoes; soles as well as upper leather. Tanning Leather An eminent tanner in Poland, has ascertained that the leaves of the oak are equal to the bark, in tanning leather; provided they are used in the month of September, when they possess a bitter sap, which they afterwards lose. Star in a Horse's forehead Take pickled mackerel and confine it on in any shape you please, three or four days repeating, and it will produce a white spot. Rub the white saddle spots, on a horse's back, a few times daily in the spring of the year, before the coat is shed, with bacon grease, and it will restore the natural colour. Butts in a Horse Bleed in the mouth; in about an hour or two after the blood is stopped, pour down two ounces of alum dissolved in a quart of cider, warmed. Potatoes Plough a deep furrow, place a quantity of cut straw or old hay in the furrow, and lay the seed potatoes on it and cover as usual. The potatoes will be of better quality. It has been proved, that one large potatoe put into a hill is preferable and more productive than cutting them in the usual way.--Pick off the blows and balls. Corn Stalks Do not be in haste to cut your stalks, until they loose their deep green color, begin to turn yellow and become dry at the top end; the sap of the upper stock is absorbed and is necessary to the growth of the ear; by cutting too early you will loose more in grain than is gained in fodder. When corn is frost bitten, cut it up by the roots, tye it in small bundles and stook it. Spring Rye Sow a peck of oats, with a bushel of spring rye to prevent blasting, it is easily separated from the rye by a good winnowing mill. This has been proved. Fall Ploughing By ploughing land in the fall, intended to be planted the next season, the weeds, are turned in and grub worms and eggs are destroyed.

I'm good for 15 miles at the track!

Old Fashioned Advice for Everyday Hygiene To Clean Teeth Rub the teeth two or three times a day with a very fine powder of red Coral, washing them well with water in which Sal Pranel, is dissolved. To make cream of roses Take one pound of oil of sweet almonds, one ounce of spermaceti, one ounce of white wax, one pint of rose water, and two drachms of Malta rose or nerolet essence. Put the oil, spermaceti, and wax, into a well glazed pipkin, over a clear fire, and when melted, pour in the rose water by degrees, and keep heating, till the compound becomes like pomatum. Now add the essence, and then put the cream into small pots or jars, which must be well covered with pieces of bladder, and soft skin leather. Pearl water for the face Put half a pound of the best Spanish oil soap, scraped very fine, into a gallon of boiling water, stir it well for some time, and let it stand till cold. Add a quart of rectified spirit of wine, and half an ounce of oil of rosemary; stir them again. This compound liquid, when put up in proper phials, in Italy, is called tincture of pearls. It is an excellent cosmetic for removing freckles from the face, and for improving the complexion. Common almond paste To make this paste, take six pounds of fresh al mounds, which blanch and beat in a stone mortar, with a sufficient quantity of rose water. Now add a pound of finely drained honey, and mix the whole well together. This paste, which is exceedingly good for the hands, is to be put into small pots for sale. If this paste gets dry, rub it up on a marble slab with rose water. To prevent this dryness, put about half a teaspoonful of this water on the top of each pot, before tying up. An astringent for the teeth Take of fresh conserve of roses two ounces, the juice of half a sour lemon, a little very rough claret, and six ounces of coral tooth powder. Make them into a paste, which put up in small pots; and if it dry by standing, moisten with lemon juice and wine as before. To prevent the tooth ache Rub well the teeth and gums with a hard toothbrush, using the flowers of sulphur as a tooth powder, every night on going to bed; and if it is done after dinner it will be best: this is an excellent preservative to the teeth, and void of any unpleasant smell. A radical cure for the tooth ache Use as a tooth powder the Spanish snuff called Sibella, and it will clean the teeth as well as any other powder, and totally prevent the tooth-ache; and make a regular practice of washing behind the ears with cold water every morning, the remedy is infallible. To make rose lip salve Put eight ounces of the best olive oil into a wide mouthed bottle, add two ounces of the small parts of alkanet root. Stop up the bottle, and set it in the sun; shake it often, until it be of a beautiful crimson. Now strain the oil off very clear from the roots, and add to it, in a glazed pipkin, three ounces of very fine white wax, and the same quantity of fresh clean mutton suet. Deer suet is too brittle, and also apt to turn yellow. Melt this by a slow fire, and perfume it when taken off, with forty drops of oil of rhodium, or of lavender. When cold put it into small gallipots, or rather whilst in a liquid state. The common way is to make this salve up into small cakes; but in that form the colour is apt to be impaired. This salve never fails to cure chopped or sore lips, if applied pretty freely at bed time, in the course of a day or two at farthest. To sweeten the breath Take two ounces of terra japonica; half an ounce of sugar candy, both in powder. Grind one drachm of the best ambergris with ten grains of pure musk; and dissolve a quarter of an ounce of clean gum tragacanth in two ounces of orange flour water. Mix all together, so as to form a paste, which roll into pieces of the thickness of a straw. Cut these into pieces, and lay them in clean paper. This is an excellent perfume for those whose breath is disagreeable.

Old Fashioned Remedies for Illness Cure for Sore Throat Purge with calomel, then take Borax, bole Armenic, and Sang. Draconis of each an equal quantity; when finely powdered, to a quarter of an ounce of that mixture, add 3 gills of vinegar and 4 ounces of honey, which shake well together for a Gargle, and use it warm every two hours. Polipus in the Nose Take blood root powdered fine, and used as snuff, will cure. For the Ulcers Take 4 ounces honey, tinct. of myrrh and vinegar, of each an ounce, loaf sugar, two ounces, Borax and balsam sulphur, of each half an ounce--mix this to a balsam with the yolk of an egg, with a rag tied to a skewer to cleanse and anoint the ulcers after every gargling. Whooping Cough Take a wine glass of rum, and a little spirits of turpentine, shake well together, rub the child by the fire gently down the neck and chin, night and morning; in a few days the cough will be cured. Another Take dried Colts foot, a good handful, cut it fine and boil it in a pint of spring water, to half a pint, when almost cold, strain it and squeezing the herb as dry as you can. Dissolve in it half an ounce of sugar candy finely powdered, add one spoonful and a half of tincture of Liquorice. Give a child one spoonful 3 or 4 times a day and more to a grown person. It will cure in three or four days. A Mouth-wash for the Canker Take sage, rose leaves, blue violets, a little alum and honey. Nerve ointment Take neats foot oil, oil terebinth, brandy and oil of John's wort, beef gall and simmer together. Dropsy Six quarts old hard cider, 1 pint mustard seed pounded, 1 double handful parsley roots, do. lignum vitae shavings, 1 do. horse radish roots, simmer over a slow fire 48 hours, take a teacupful three times a day. It operates powerfully by urine. Another Put a large cup full of bohea tea into a tea pot, steep it, drink the liquor by degrees, and eat all the tea leaves or grounds, in the course of the forenoon. Do the like in the afternoon, and so proceed on for 3 or 4 days. The water will be discharged by natural evacuations. Another A strong decoction of the leaves or ripe berries of dwarf elder has cured a man of an inveterate dropsy in about a week. Sweeten it with molasses. Rickets Buckshorn roots that grows in meadows two ounces, New-England Gentian two ounces, Rhubarb 50 grains, Stoned Raisins one pound, put them into a quart of good wine, steep them 24 hours and give two spoonfulls morning and evening. The Stone Take Alicant Soap 8 parts, Oyster Shell Lime 1 part, beat into a mass with water, then dissolve the mass into an Emulsion, by adding more water so as to make 6 quarts of the emulsion, from every pound of soap avoirdupois; let it stand a month, stir it frequently and give half a pint three times a day. Stone or Gravel Take a large handful of the fibres or roots of garden Leeks, put them into two quarts of soft water; simmer gently over the fire close stopped, to the consumption of one half; pour off and drink a pint in the day, morning, noon, and night. This is for an adult--it is some weeks before relief appears; perseverance gains the point. Corns It is said, if you bind a lock of unwrought cotton on a Corn for a week or two, you will find in an unaccountable manner, the corn will be dislodged. Tooth-Ache Burn a sheet of clean white writing paper on a clean white plate, take up the oil with clean cotton, and apply it in or on the tooth 12 or 15 minutes. Putrid Sore Throat Take a handful of hops, steep in spirits and apply a common funnel to the liquid, let the patient apply the funnel to his throat, and thereby absorb the steam. Let the hops be applied like a poultice to the throat, and occasionally repeated. Gout Apply a Leek poultice to the part affected; numerous instances of its efficacy in this painful disorder, have recently occurred; its culture should be cherished as a medicine of inestimable value. Weak and Weeping Eyes Make a strong decoction of camomile, boiled in sweet cow's milk; batho the eyes several times a day, as warm as can be borne. It must be continued several weeks. Rheumatism Put 1 ounce of gum camphor into a quart of spirits, and as much of the bark of sassafras roots as the spirits will cover, steep 12 hours at least--take half a wine glass full at bed time, in the morning, and before noon. Rub the parts affected with it--the dose may be increased if necessary--it produces perspiration--avoid taking cold.

Old Fashioned Methods for Cleaning To remove Printing Ink Apply warm oil of turpentine, by rubbing the spot it will extract ink or paint. Warm the turpentine by putting the vial in warm water. Stain of fruit or wine Apply strong spirits of wine; if that does not succeed, apply oxy muriatic acid, and washing with soap alternately. Apply this, in a small tea or coffee cup, put three or four tea spoonfuls of common spirits of salt, to this add about half a spoonful of red lead, after having immersed the small cup in a larger one containing hot water; moisten the stain and stretch it over the vapor, till the stain be effaced--wash it well in water. To remove grease spots Apply white tobacco pipe clay, or French chalk (that is Steatite or soap stone) put blotting paper over it and apply a hot iron at a little distance. This will take out much of the grease by repetition. Good ether or hot oil of turpentine will efface the remainder. Where you can venture to wash the place, a good washing with hot soap and water, will answer every purpose. You may thus effaco grease spots from paper, should any slight stain remain at the edges, brush it with a camel's hair pencil, dipped in very strong spirits of wine or ether. To clean silk stockings Wash with soap and water; and simmer them in the same for ten minutes, rinsing in cold water. For a blue cast, put one drop of liquid blue, into a pan of cold spring water, run the stockings through this a minute or two, and dry them. For a pink cast, put one or two drops of saturated pink dye into cold water, and rinse them through this. For a flesh color, add a little rose pink in a thin soap liquor, rub them with clean flannel, and calender or mangle them. To clean buff colored cloth Take tobacco pipe clay, and mix it with water as thick as lime-water used for whitewashing rooms; spread this over the cloth, and when it is dry, rub it off with a brush, and the cloth will look extremely well. To wash fine lace or linen Take a gallon of furze blossoms and burn them to ashes, then boil them in six quarts of soft water; this, when fine, use in washing with the suds, as occasion requires, and the linen, &c. will not only be exceedingly white, but it is done with half the soap, and little trouble. To clean while veils Put the veil in a solution of white soap, and let it simmer a quarter of an hour. Squeeze it in some water and soap till quite clean. Rinse it from soap, and then in clean cold water, in which is a drop of liquid blue. Then pour boiling water upon a teaspoonful of starch, run the veil through this, and clear it well, by clapping it. Afterwards pin it out, keeping the edges straight and even. To clean black silks To bullock's gall and boiling water sufficient to make it warm, and with a clean sponge, rub the silk well on both sides, squeeze it well out, and proceed again in like manner. Rinse it in spring water, and change the water till perfectly clean dry it in the air, and pin it out on a table; but first dip the sponge in glue water, and rub it on the wrong side; then dry it before a fire. To clean black veils Pass them through a warm liquor of bullock's gall and water; rinse in cold water: then take a small piece of glue, pour boiling water on it, and pass the veil through it; clap it, and frame it to dry To clean scarlet cloth Dissolve the best white soap; and if black looking spots appear, rub dry soap on them; while the other soap is dissolving; with hot water, brush it off. If very dirty, immerse the article into the warm solution and rub the stained parts. Dispatch it quickly, and as soon as the colour begins to give wring it out, and immerse it in a pan or pail of warm water; wring it again, and immerse it in cold spring water, in which mix a table spoonfull of solution of tin. Stir it about, and in ten minutes hang it to dry in the shade, and cold press it. To dip scarlet cloth After it has been thoroughly cleaned with soap, and rinsed with warm water, put into boiling spring water, a quarter of a pound of young fustic, or zant, a drachm of pounded and sifted cochineal, and and equal quantity of cream of tartar and cochincal; boil five or six minutes, and cool by adding a pint or two of cold spring water, and a table spoonful of the solution of tin. Stir the mixture, put in the cloth, boil for ten minutes, and when dry cold press it. Dip a brush in warm gall, and apply it to greasy places, rinse it off in cold water; dry by the fire, then lay the coat flat, strew damp sand over it, and with a brush beat the sand into the cloth; then brush it out with a hard brush, and the sand will bring away the dirt.--Rub a drop of oil of olives over a soft brush, to brighten the colours To take stains out of silver plate Steop the plate in soap leys for the space of four hours, then cover it over with whiting wet with vinegar, so that it may stick thick upon it, and dry it by the fire; after which, rub off the whiting and pass it over with bran, and the spots will not only disappear, but the plate will look exceedingly bright. To cleanse gloves without welling Lay the gloves upon a clean board, make a mixture of dried fulling earth and powdered allum, and pass them over on each side with a common stiff brush; then sweep it off, and sprinkle them well with dry bran and whiting, and dust them well; this, if they be not exceedingly greasy, will render them quite clean; but if they are much soiled take out the grease with crumbs of toasted bread, and powder of burnt bone; then pass them over with a woollen cloth dipped in fulling earth or alum powder; and in this manner they can be cleaned without wetting, which frequently shrinks and spoils them. To take out writing When recently written, ink may be completely removed by the oxymuriatic acid, (concentrated and in solution.) The paper is to be washed over repeatedly with the acid; but it will be necessary afterward to wash it with lime water, for the purpose of neutralizing any acid that may be left on the paper, and which would considerably weaken it. If the ink has been long written, it will have undergone such a change as to prevent the preceding process acting. It ought therefore to be washed with liver of sulphur (sulphuret of ammonia) before the oxymuriatic acid is applied. It may be washed with a hair pencil. To clean paper hangings Cut into eight half quarters a stale quartern loaf; with one of these pieces, after having blown off all the dust from the paper to be cleaned by means of a good pair of bellows, begin at the top of the room, holding the crust in the hand, and wiping lightly downward with the crumb, about half a yard at each stroke, till the upper part of the hangings is completely cleaned all round; then go again round with the like sweeping stroke downward, always commencing each successive course a little higher than the upper stroke had extended till the bottom be finished. This operation, if carefully performed, will frequently make very old paper look almost equal to new. Great caution must be used not by any means to rub the paper hard, nor to attempt cleaning it the cross or horrizontal way. The dirty part of the bread too must be each time cut away, and the pieces renewed as soon as at all necessary. To clean gold lace Gold lace is easily cleaned and restored to its original brightness by rubbing it with a soft brush dipped in roch alum burnt, sifted to a very fine powder. To take out spots of ink As soon as the accident happens, wet the place with juice of sorrel or lemon, or with vinegar, and the best hard white soap.

Old Fashioned Recipes for Household Items & Chores Mending China Pound flint glass very fine, then grind it on a painter's stone with the white of an egg; it will not break in the same place. Writing Ink Take four ounces of Nutgalls, Coperas and Gum Arabic, each two ounces, one quart of rain water; mix and shake up well, and often. If it is set in the sun, it will be the sooner fit for use. Shoe Blacking Take I quart of good vinegar, four ounces Ivory Black, one table spoonful of sweet oil, one gill of molasses, 1-2 an ounce oil vitriol; the vitriol to be put in last, and well stirred together. To Destroy Flies Take half a tea spoonful of black pepper made fine, a tea spoonful of brown sugar, a table spoonful of cream; lay in a plate and set it for them. Get Rid of Bed Bugs Dissolve one ounce of succotrine aloes in a gill of spirits, this will clear several bedsteads, with a trifling cost--mark the breadth of a finger with the solution, round the foot of each bedpost. To Bleach Cotton The first operation consists in scouring it in a slight alkaline solution; or what is better, by exposure to steam. It is afterwards put into a basket, and rinsed in running water. The immersion of cotton in an alkaline ley, however it may be rinsed, always leaves with it an earthy deposit. It is well known that cotton bears the action of acids better than hemp or flax; that time is even necessary before the action of them can be prejudicial to it; and by taking advantage of this valuable property in regard to bleaching, means have been found to free it from the earthy deposit, by pressing down the cotton in a very weak solution of sulphuric acid, and afterwards removing the acid by washing, lest too long remaining in it should destroy the cotton. To Bleach Wool The first kind of bleaching to which wool is subjected, is to free it from grease. This operation is called scouring. In manufactories, it is generally performed by an ammoniacal ley, formed of five measures of river water and one of stale urine; the wool is immersed for about twenty minutes in a bath of this mixture, heated to fifty six degrees; it is then taken out, suffered to drain, and then rinsed in running water: this manipulation softens the wool, and gives it the first degree of whiteness, it is then repeated a second, and even a third time, after which the wool is fit to be employed. In some places scouring is performed with water slightly impregnated with sop; and, indeed, for valuable articles, this process is preferable, but it is too expensive for articles of less value. Sulphuric acid gas unites very easily with water, and in this combination it may be employed for bleaching wool and silk. To Bleach Silk Take a solution of caustic soda, so weak as to make only a fourth of a degree, at most, of the areometer for salts, and fill with it the boiler of the apparatus for bleaching with steam. Charge the frames with skeins of raw silk, and place them in the apparatus until it is full; then close the door and make the solution boil. Having continued the ebulution for twelve hours, slacken the fire, and open the door of the apparatus. The heat of the steam, which is always above 250 degrees, will have been sufficient to free the silk from the gum, and to scour it. Wash the skeins in warm water; and having wrong them, place them again on the frames in the apparatus to undergo a second boiling. Then wash them several times in water, and immerse them in water somewhat soapy, to give them a little softness. Notwithstanding the whiteness which silk acquires by these different alterations, it must be carried to a higher degree of splendour by exposing it to the action of sulpheric acid gas, in a close chamber, or by immersing it in sulphurous acid, as before recommended for wool. Excellent perfume for gloves Take of damask or rose scent, half an ounce, the spirit of cloves and mace, each a drachm; frankincense, one quarter of an ounce. Mix them together, and lay them in papers, and when hard, press the gloves; they will take the scent in twenty-four hours, and hardly ever lose it. To perfume clothes Take of oven-dried best cloves, cedar and rhubarb wood, each one ounce, beat them to a powder and sprinkle them in a box or chest, where they will create a most beautiful scent, and preserve the apparrel against moths. To preserve brass ornaments Brass ornaments, when not gilt or lackered, may be cleaned in the same way, and a fine colour may be given to them by two simple processes. The first is to beat sal ammoniac into a fine powder, then to moisten it with soft water, rubbing it on the ornaments, which must be heated over charcoal, and rubbed dry with bran and whiting. The second is to wash the brass work with roche alum boiled in strong ley, in the proportion of an ounce to a pint; when dry it must be rubbed with fine tripoli. Either of these processes will give to brass the briliancy of gold. To make cement for metals Take of gum mastic, 10 grains,--rectified spirit of wine, 2 drachms. Add 2 ounces of strong isinglass glue, made with brandy, and 10 grains of the true gum ammoniac. Dissolve all together,and keep it stopped in a phial. When intended to be used, set it in warm water. To make red sealing wax Take of shell-lac, well, powdered, two parts, of rosin and vermillion, powdered, each, 1 part. Mix them well together and melt them over a gentle fire, and when the ingredients seem thoroughly, incorporated, work the wax into sticks. Where shell-lac cannot be procured, seed-lac may be substituted for it. The quantity of vermillion may be diminished without any injury to the sealing wax, where it is not required to be of the highest and brightest red colour; and the rest should be of the whitest kind, as that improves the effect of the vermillion. Black sealing wax Proceed as directed for the red wax, only instead of the vermillion substitute the best ivory black.

Acorn Squash Pineapple Pudding With Maple Chocolate Sauce Pudding 3 medium acorn squash 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Scant amount salt Sauce 8 ounces maple syrup 2 tablespoons powdered, unsweetened chocolate 1 ancho chile, minced into very small pieces Scant amount salt 1 cup pecan pieces Cut acorn squash in half, seed, and bake in a 400-degree oven flesh-side down for 40-50 minutes, until soft. Skin, and put flesh in bowl. Add crushed pineapple and salt, and mix until very smooth. Let cool. For sauce, pour 8 ounces maple syrup in a sauce pan, add chocolate, minced ancho chile and salt. Stir constantly, until chocolate dissolves, and sauce is reduced almost by a third. Spoon pudding into 8 to 12 8-ounce dessert cups, dividing evenly. Spread the cup of pecan pieces equally on pudding, then top each cup with same amount of chocolate sauce. Chill. Chocolate sauce and pecans will become a delicious crust over the pudding. -

I have some of my home made spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove since the early am with meatballs, Italian Sausage both hot and mild. I just got finished making home made pasta and have it hanging. So on tap for this evening we are having Spaghetti and Meatballs and sausage With Garlic bread green beans and its my turn to bake cookies for the free soup kitchen so thats what I am going to do in a bit and Mr. Reci will have some for dessert! Price per person per plate- 1.25. Now you can't get a meal like that in any restaurant!

We do most of our shopping there. The fresh fruits and veggies are a steal. For a nice big bunch of celery its 69 cents, a large bag of carrots is the same price and the fresh fruits such as bananas are 10 cent a lb and sunkist naval oranges are 98 cents for a five lb bag and their great. I freeze the slices for when I want a quick picker upper. I went to an Aldi's up in Cortland NY and the oranges were a bit more expensive but most prices were comparative with my areas Aldi's.

Is anyone angry over this loss? I feel like punching a punching bag after reading this and I am not a violent person. Any loss is one loss to many!

Thats what happened to me Cat! It looks good now!

I've been trying to get ahold of her too!

Lowie since I am interested in cuisine across the pond would you be kind enough to post some Easter recipes here from Scotland and England. It would be most appreciated my dear! Now on to Business: My sister invited us for dinner but we decided to stay home for our main meal which will be: Veggie Lasagna Left over baked ham Fruit salad Baked beans Rolls and for dessert Strawberry Shortcake Now later at my mothers we all get together.. 6 kids, and our spouses, 21 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. My brothers bring Italian Easter Pizza loaded with ham, cappicola, pepperoni and salami and alot of cheese and eggs that is a tradition for them to make. There is ham, roast beef and other meats for meat trays that my sister in laws bring plus rolls from our cousins bakery, Then I make 4 heaping Easter baskets with lots of chocolates and goodies for everyone to pick at and My middle sister makes and decorates a huge sheet cake to bring. My mother makes 500 home made ravioli and meatballs My youngest sister and I also make a couple of trays of cookies and then the grown grandkids bring soda, coffee and tea. I also make a couple of diabetic easter baskets for 2 of my diabetic nephews and the rest of the diabetics in the family. By the time the clan eats this feast everyone is ready to roll out the door of my mothers home instead of walking out. Oh I forgot my brothers pick up a couple of sheet pizzas from my cousins bakery too.

1. Tuna in water-29 cents a can 2. mixed veggies green beans carrots corn kidney beans diced tomatoes stewed tomatoes mexican chili beans all for 29 cents a can a ten lb bag of rice is 89 cents a bag. Asparagus- 49 cents a can same for spinach a can mushrooms in the can- 29 cents cranberry sauce 59 cents a can applesauce- 69 cents for a large jar canned fruit such as pineapple and fruit cocktail and peaches and other fruit for 49 cents to 59 cents a can all cereals of the Aldi Brand are under 1. 50 bread is 39 cents for a long loaf of whole wheat, white, rye or other. bagels are 49 cents a pk for 6 large bagels of course there are the goodies all for under 1.50 and consist of donuts, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, brownies, etc all cake and brownie mixes are 59 cent a large box chocolate chips- 89 cents powered sugar and brown sugar 79 cents a 2 lb bag cans of beef stews, beef hash, chicken and dumplings, canned chicken and beef all under 1.00 and the cans are large. Soups are 29 cents a can and are just as good if not better than campbells Snack crackers like ritz crackers and saltines are 59 cents a box and very good Popcorn, cooking oils, pancake mixes with big bottles of syrup all under 99 cents. frozen veggies- 69 cents a 1 lb bag frozen pizza's for 1.00 flour and sugar- 5 lbs not over a dollar spaghetti and egg noodles- 29 cents a lb instant potatoes, 69 cents a box egg noodles and hamburger helper meals, 49 cents a box and 1 lb bag. Tomato sauce 59 cents a jar along with canned sauce at 29 cents a can Ice cream is 99 cents a half gallon and all kinds of ice cream and pops and ice cream sandwiches are 1.oo for a large box. French fries are 39 cents a 1 lb bag along with tator tots. All beef hot dogs are 89 cents an 8 pk 12 man size all beef 89 % fat burgers are 2.99 a pk. Aldi Brand banquet southern fried chicken is 1.99 a box-10 pieces, also pot pies ( all) are 25 cents a piece Their fish sticks and other fish are great and for 50 fish sticks it costs 1.25 a box. I buy 5 lb bags of frozen boneless chicken breasts for 4.99 and the pieces are so large I split one between us, Breakfast pork sausage is 69 cents for 12 links they have their brand of egg mcmuffins and pancake and sausage breakfasts for under 1.25 a box for the mc's ( get 8) and Pancakes are 49 cents a container. Their cheese is 1.25 for a lb of american, cheddar, mozarella, swiss and other cheeses. Their gallon milk jugs skim or whole is 1.25 a gallon cans of chili with beef and beans are 49 cents a can Juices run about 1.25 a large gallon container Pop tarts their brand are 55 cents a box... They have cookies and candys all not over 1.50 All their cereals are their generic brand but are made by Post and kellogs cereals, They have salsa, for 89 cents a large jar, Their tuna is generic of Bumblebee They have corned beef, spam and other meats that are all generic from the spam people. Peanut butter is 99 cents a jar and is an off brand of Jif They now have the Smuckers peanut butter and jelly equivalent for 99 cents a jar, jelly is 79 cents for a two lb jar All condiments such as mustard, ketchup and barbeque sauces, alone with steak sauces and hot sauce are all under 80 cents. Del Monte does their canned veggies and fruits paper products and cleaning products are all under 1.50 Household products like lightbulbs dish liquids, baggies, freezer bags and containers, all personal products included are under 2.oo Pie fillings, baking products are all cheap and under 1.oo they have nuts, of course pretzels, tater chips and other chips all for under 1.oo a really large bag. This is just some of the prices that are really cheap. Why they are so cheap is because they buy alot of their fresh fruits, veggies, milk from local farmers and co ops. Their prices are so cheap that they don't take coupons. They do sell brand name products but for under cost. Graham crackers are 59 cents a box there compared with the Honey Made by Keebler at 2 something a box and Aldi's has the same great taste. They have canned spaghetti with meatballs for 39 cents a can and raviolis frozen for 99 cents a large bag. We do alot of our shopping there and save alot.

Debs do you have an Aldi grocery up your way? I got a box of 4 Sirloin steaks for 4. 99 a box and they are very good. Each steak is 6 ounces per steak. No grissle and very little fat if any. They make for a good meal. Also I got baking potatoes which were 2 cents a piece at Aldi ( a special) plus I had the salad fixens and the fresh fruit already from the last shopping trip. Also had the sour cream from a week ago. If you have an Aldi you must try these steaks. Also their chicken legs with thighs are 29 cents a pound and their ground turkey is 49 cents for a 1 lb pk. I will post you some of the prices off my grocery stubs I keep.

Before you go to the store for spring gardening supplies, check out your kitchen utensil drawer. Old spoons, spatulas and more can be used to dig, smooth and weed plants in pots or small areas.

Watch for old cookbooks at garage sales, thrift stores and second hand book stores. They have 'from scratch' recipes, usually with money saving tips included