Dee

To prevent corrosion on your battery posts, apply some vaseline to them. Make sure that your car engine is cold before attempting this. I do this and it really works. Mr. Reci thinks I'm nuts but it makes my car batteries last longer.

Instead of buying plastic wrap or bowl covers to keep food fresh in the refrigerator, split a bread sack down one seam, leaving the bottom intact. This will slip over most bowls and pans, even glass cake pans. Twist the other end and slip it under the bowl or pan to keep it closed.

Get more life from those furnace filters by vacuuming them between replacements. If you do a good job, a filter should last several months. Replace when it starts to look fuzzy or if you shake it after vacuuming and still see dust falling.

Instead of buying magnetic sheets to cover vents in unused rooms, buy narrow rolls of that magnetic stuff (or cut strips from a sheet) and put them around the edges of (free) cardboard sheets. It's just as effective and costs a lot less.

A rubber spatula is probably the frugal cook's best friend. Use it to scrape out the last of the peanut butter, clean out the butter dish (for your toast), and get all the batter from a bowl.

Two nice Sirloins with sauteed mushrooms cooked on the grill A nice Tossed Salad Baked potatoes cooked on the grill and topped with sour cream . A banana split for the boss and some fresh fruit for myself. Total amount per plate per person: 2 dollars and 60 cents.

1. Sweet Potato Balls 12 lbs. cooked sweet potato 1 c. melted margarine 4 c. brown sugar ~ 1 1/2 c. melted margarine 50 pecan halves - 2 lbs. 4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. grated orange rind 16 c. corn flakes, crushed Mash potatoes until light and fluffy. Add seasonings. Cool and shape into small balls around a marshmallow. Dip ball in melted oleo and roll in crushed corn flakes. Top with a pecan half and bake 7 to 8 minutes at 450 degrees. 2. Broccoli and Rice Casserole 10 lb. frozen broccoli, uncooked 2 (50 oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup 10 c. raw rice, cooked partially 2 (50 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup 3 lb. sliced or shredded processed cheese Sprinkle broccoli in roaster or steam table pans. Sprinkle rice over top. Spoon on mushroom soup, then chicken soup. Top with sliced or shredded processed cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Can make 6 smaller casseroles, feeds approx 65. 3. Crumb Topped Mushrooms Side dish for 50-60 2 pkg. (12 ounces, each) butter-flavored crackers, crushed 'divided' 1 c. melted butter or margarine 4-1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced 3 c. whipping cream 1 tsp. paprika Toss 3 cups of cracker crumb with butter; set aside. Divide half of the mushrooms between 3 greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining unbuttered cracker crumbs; top with remaining mushrooms. Pour cream over all. Sprinkle with buttered crumbs and paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350-F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. 4. Scalloped Potatoes for a Crowd 10 lb. potatoes 1 qt. (4 c.) whipping cream or half and half 4 cans chicken soup (cream soup) Peel and slice potatoes into a large casserole or roaster. Mix cream and soup together and mix with potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until done. This recipe can be cut down to 1/4. Options: 4 sliced onions can be layered in with the potatoes. 5.Melon & Grape Salad ~ooo~ 1 medium-large watermelon, cut into cubes or balls 3 honeydew melons, cut into cubes or balls 3 cantaloupe melons, cut into cubes or balls 1-1/2 pounds seedless green grapes 1-1/2 pounds red grapes 3 c. sugar 1 c. lemon juice 1/3 lime juice 1/3 orange juice Combine melons and grapes. Combine sugar and juices; pour over fruit and toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serve with a slotted spoon. Serves: 50-54 (about 1 c. each) 6. Cranberry Salad >> 9 packs raspberry Jell-O (3 oz.) 6 c. hot water 4 cans (No. 2) whole berry cranberries 4 cans (20 oz.) crushed pineapple Dissolve Jell-O in hot water. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well and chill. 7. Nutty Cranberry Salad --- 2-3/4 lbs. red flavored gelatin (7 large pkg. jello) 1-3/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon (or less to taste) 1 tsp. cloves (or less to taste) 2 quarts plus 3 cups boiling water 7 lbs. canned whole berry cranberry sauce (7 -16 oz cans) 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. orange rind 4 lbs. Golden Delicious apples, chopped 4-2/3 cups chopped walnuts --- Dissolve first 4 ingredients in boiling water. Stir in cranberry sauce and orange rind. Chill until it just begins to thicken. Fold in apple and nuts. Pour into molds or this will fill as many as seven 9 inch baking dishes or the equivalent. Chill at least 3 hours, or until firm. --- Serves approx. 55 servings or over 100+ if on a buffet table When made and served at a wedding it was suggested to omitt the spices and maybe even the apples the next time, you be the judge! --- 9. Low Fat Zucchini Bread (no eggs, butter or milk) 5 lbs zucchini, seeded and grated 4 lbs 8 oz Maple syrup 1 1/4 oz Baking Powder Baking soda 3/4 oz baking soda Salt 3/4 oz salt 1 oz cinnamon 1/8 oz ground cloves 1/8 oz ground nutmeg 2 lbs unsweetened applesauce 3 lbs 8 oz all purpose flour 4 oz finely chopped pecans Combine all ingredients with whip or other mixer for 5 minutes. Bake in greased, floured loaf pans at 350 degrees, about one hour or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool, wrap and store overnight before slicing. (Note: I think 5 min. would be over mixing.) YIELD: About 50 1-inch slices - 4 14-inch loaves PER SERVING: 245 calories, 2 grams fat 10. Baked Ziti with Fresh Tomato Sauce 6 eggs 4 lbs ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons fresh thyme 2 tablespoons fresh oregano 2 tablespoons fresh basil salt and pepper 3 lbs Italian sausage links 4 lbs ziti, cooked, refreshed and drained 8 oz Parmesan cheese, grated 3 quarts fresh tomato sauce (recipe follows) -Or use spaghetti sauce. 2 pounds Mozzarella cheese, shredded Combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, thyme, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Mix well and reserve. Place the sausage links in a 2-inch-deep full-sized hotel pan. Cook in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Drain the sausage. Slice the links into rounds and reserve. Place the ziti in the hotel pan that was used to cook the sausage. Top with an even coating of the cheese mixture, sausage slices and Parmesan cheese. Pour the tomato sauce over the top layer and stir slightly to distribute the sauce. Bake at 375 F for 1 hour. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the pasta and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Serve. Fresh Tomato Sauce 8 oz onion, small dice 4 oz carrot, small dice 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 2 oz olive oil 7 pounds tomato concasse (coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes) 1 tablespoon fresh oregano 2 tablespoon fresh thyme salt pepper 1/2 oz fresh basil, chopped Sweat the onion, carrot and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Add the concasse and herbs. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the desired consistency is reached. Pass the sauce through a food mill if a smooth consistency is desired. Adjust seasonings and add the chopped basil.

How about a really large aluminum pan of Baked Ziti and sauce (4 boxes cooked) with mozarella on top. Throw in some small rolls about 3 or four dozen ( or make garlic knots) and Make a large pan of tossed salad 3 heads of lettuce-4 tomatoes and 4 cukes plus whatever else you want to add and make your own Italian dressing with oil and vinegar and spices. Make about 3 cups of dressing. Or a rice and broccoli casserole: (Amounts to base your per person serving calculation for 24 servings: spaghetti or noodles =3/4 c. cooked need 2 1/2 lb. uncooked rice 1/2 c. needs 1 1/2 lb. raw Also you can have a cheese and pepperoni plate for your guests to pick on. Cut the cheese in small squares and slice the pepperoni in slices. How about a Fresh fruit bowl with watermellon, cantalope, honeydo, seedless grapes, and other fresh fruits. Make the serving bowl out of the watermellon and buy some little decorative items to stick in the watermellon for a theme type of food. Also you can bake some breads, like banana, cranberry, pumpkin nut, zucchini nut and blueberry bread and perhaps some little muffins of the same kind and set them out on a tray for your guests to pick at. Get paper doilies and decorate a tray with them then cut slices of the breads and the muffins and add a centerpiece of butter in the center and a couple of butter knifes or plastic butter knifes on the size of the tray. The less cleanup the better and you can have a nice looking spread without it looking tacky if you use plasticware. You can buy inexpensive serving trays warmed by candles on the bottom of the trays and put a nice bunch of flowers as a centerpiece for your serving table with a nice linen tablecloth for buffet style. Check the freebies. I will look for some wedding and baby shower freebies for you Kelly.

LOL this is really cute! There you are Lowie.. I have missed you!

Hey Shep! Long time no see!

Well I thought there had to be something more to the first post!! What an insult to our childrens intelligence. If thats considered a good read I think Scholastic.coms Joe Reynolds who is THE PRESIDENT OF SCHOLASTIC LIBRARY PUBLISHING and THE LEARNING CHANNEL better take a closer look at what he and The Learning Channel are feeding our childrens minds. With all the excellent childrens writers around today I can't believe they are dishing out this crap to kids. Have good reads gone to the dogs and replaced by this nonsense. It sure looks like it. Mr. Reynolds and The Learning Channel besides the author are going to get a snail mail from me concerning this literary smut. I don't find it amusing at all.

1. Mosquitoes HATE lemon scent. I spray my entire yard with equal parts of lemon dish soap, lemon ammonia, and lemon juice. Do this every two weeks with a 20-gallon sprayer, and you won't be on the mosquito menu this summer. 2. Keep the grass cut as short as possible and clear away any kinds of containers that might hold collected water (tubs, barrels, lids, etc.) in which mosquitoes love to breed. 3. Lemongrass is a natural mosquito repellent and one that my grandmother swears by. Depending on the layout of the area you're trying to "de-mosquito," you may even be able to plant some directly into your gardens or borders. We are going to put pots of lemongrass around the deck area in our backyard. 4. You should be able to go to your local nursery or plant store and ask for a product called Garlic Barrier. You spray it on with a fertilizer sprayer. There are certain guidelines that you must follow to get the best results. For example, you must spray it on a day with low winds and no rain in the forecast for a few days ahead. It's very successful when applied correctly and will not harm children or pets. 5. Put a Bounce dryer sheet in the waistband of your clothes and it will ward off mosquitoes. Also make sure you don't have standing water in the yard.

These not only save money, but are time savers as well. Homemade Anti-Bacterial Spray: 1 gallon tap water 2 tbsp. regular Clorox bleach Mix water and bleach in a clean, milk jug and label clearly as to contents. Pour as needed into a spray bottle, and use to sanitize counter tops, tables, cutting boards, bathroom surfaces, etc., as needed. This will keep without losing effectiveness for two weeks. This formula has been recommended by the Health Department for use in kitchens and bathrooms. Homemade Wipes (These are NOT all just for babies!) Baby Wipes: Brawny or Bounty paper towels (1/2 regular roll) 2-1/4 cups water 2 Tblsp. liquid baby bath 2 tsp. baby oil Tear off paper towels and lay in a square plastic container. They can be folded or cut in half. Mix water, baby bath & baby oil slowly in a large measuring cup, and slowly pour over stack of paper towels. They will 'squish' down after absorbing the liquid. Seal tightly. Caution: Some square seals are not airtight and may leak if tipped. Other variations are: Face/Hand Wipes: 2 tbsp.liquid baby bath 2 C water Bathroom Wipes: 1/2 C pine cleaner 2 C water Window Wipes: 1C glass cleaner 1-1/2 C water

2 c. cooked cracked wheat (see directions above) 2 T. dry milk powder 2 eggs or 2 egg whites 1/2 c. chopped onion 1 T. dried parsley 2 t. chicken or vegetable bouillon Mix all ingredients. Drop by tablespoon onto oiled frying pan. Brown on both sides. Delicious hot or cold. These can be made into hamburger-size patties and served on a bun or topped with cheese. They freeze well and reheat well. Try the toaster! Serves 4.

Old Fashioned Fruit Punch This is from the Rumford Complete Cook Book-1931 Ingredients: 2 pounds sugar 2 quarts water 2 quarts mineral water 1 large pineapple, shredded Juice of 6 oranges and 4 lemons 2 cups sliced strawberries 3 sliced bananas 1 cup raspberry or other fruit syrup Cracked ice Boil the sugar with one pint of the water to form a syrup; add the remaining water, mineral water, fruit and ice. Served very cold. Strawberry Punch Ingredients: 3 cups boiling water 1 small package strawberry gelatin 1 package (10 ounces) frozen, sugared strawberries 1 can frozen lemonade 1 liter gingerale 1/4 cup sugar Mix gelatin and water, add thawed strawberries, lemonade and sugar. Before serving add the gingerale. Banana Fruit Punch Ingredients: 5 Bananas 46 ounce can pineapple juice 12 ounce can frozen orange juice 4 tablespoons Real Lemon concentrate 4 cups sugar 6 cups water 2 liter bottle of lemon lime soda Process bananas in blender until pureed. Mix with other ingredients, except for soda. At this point you can freeze the punch in a container, and break up in a punch bowl one hour before serving, adding the lemon lime soda at this time. Citrus Punch with Sherbet Ingredients: 1 large can pineapple juice, chilled 1 large can grapefruit juice, chilled 2 liter bottle lemon lime soda Lime or lemon and orange sherbet Mix beverages together and place small scoops of sherbet on top. This makes 1 punch bowl. Tropical Kiwi Punch Ingredients: 12 ounce can Pina Colada Mix 2 kiwi, peeled and sliced 1 banana, sliced Vanilla ice cream 2 12 ounce cans cold gingerale In a blender combine the Pina Colada Mix, kiwi and banana. Mix until smooth. Freeze the mixture for one hour. Pour 1/4 cup of this mixture into 8 glasses, dividing evenly. Top each with a scoop of ice cream. Add the chilled gingerale to each glass to fill. Top with a slice of kiwi if desired. Serve immediately.

Somewhere along the years I picked up a party planner book and this is what they say on platters: Plan on 2 to 3 ounces of meat per person. (25 servings of cold cuts would be 3 to 5 pounds) Plan 1 to 1 1/2 ounces of cheese slices per serving. (This would be 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds for 25 servings) Plan 1/2 cup of chicken, tuna, and potato salad per person. (1 gallon for 25 people) Allow 4 to 6 pieces of vegetables on a relish tray per person. (2 pounds of broccoli or cauliflower makes about 32 florets, 1 pound of carrots makes about 65 (3 X 1/2 inch) sticks, 1 3/4 pounds of celery makes about 100 (4 X 1/2 inch) sticks, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes equals 25 servings, 1 1/2 pounds of cucumber equals 50 servings (1/4 inch slices) Allow 1/2 cup per serving with fruit. (18 1/2 pounds of watermelon equals 16 cups, 4 pounds of pineapple equals 5 cups, 3 pounds of cantaloupe makes 4 cups, 1 pint of strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries equals 2 cups, 1 pound of green grapes equals 2 cups, 1 pound of Tokay grapes makes 3 cups, and 3 ounces of kiwifruit is equal to 1/2 cup) When considering children, I've found that some people take more, some take less so it pretty well balances out. The exception seems to be the salads like chicken, tuna, potato salad, etc. Kids just seem to avoid that and you could figure only one serving for every 3 to 4 kids. I hope this helps. It sure has helped me over the years.

3 1/2 cups oats (quick or regular), toasted 1 cup nuts 1 cup raisins 2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted 1/2 cup packed bown sugar 1/3 cup honey, corn syrup or molasses 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Toast oats by spreading on a cookie sheet or large baking pan. Bake 350 degrees F. for 15-20 mimutes til lightly browned. This gives the oats a nutty flavor and helps the mixture stick together better. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Press into well-greased 15x10 inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 F. for 12-15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars when cool. Variations: Substitute chocolate chips for raisins. Add 1/2 cup coconut. Substitute 1/2 cup sunflower seeds for the nuts.

I found this recipe in "Country Woman Magazine," dated July/August 1995. For Home Made A1 Steak Sauce 2 cups ketchup 2 garlic cloves, minced 2/3 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup each lemon juice, water, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons prepared mustard Combine all of the ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain if desired. Cover and refrigerate. Yield: about 3 cups

Home Made Shake and Bake Chicken Breasts Tomato and cuke salad with olive oil and a balsamic vinegarette Seasoned Rice Apple Sauce and Cantalope for dessert Total cost per person per plate: 1.85

Mare can this recipe be modified by taking out the whipping cream and using something as substitute. The cream would be too heavy on my little stomach. What do you think I can use as a substitute?

I love this they'd. I will do the same.

Welcome Armywife. So glad to meet you and happy you have joined us. I am a Retired Navy Mans Wife.... I always knew I would marry a Sailor

The Hallmark Station is having the Sarah Plain and Tall Trilogy on tv this afternoon. It started at 2 pm and runs till eight tonight! Its a nice Sunday afternoon tv watch for those of us who are stuck inside on this snowy afternoon. Thornbirds Fans the Thornbirds start on Hallmark at 8 pm.

We have about 4 inches up here on the mountain Lois. The wind is blowing it around which is making white out conditions. It looks like one of those springtime snows.

Roll Call Nathaniel Graham Shepherd (1834-1888) Stanza 2, 5, 7 and 10 "Cyrus Drew!" --- then a silent fell; This time no answer followed the call; Only his rear-man had seen him fall: Killed or wounded --- he could not tell. For the foe had crossed from the other side, That day, in the face of a murderous fire That swept them down in its terrible ire; And their life-blood went to color the tide. "Ezra Kerr!" --- and a voice answered "Here!" "Hiram Kerr!" --- but no man replied. They were brothers, these two; the sad wind sighed, And a shudder crept through the cornfield near. 'Twas a victory, yes; but it cost us dear: For that company's roll, when called at night, Of a hundred men who went into the fight, Numbered but twenty that answered "Here!"