Dee

Lowie I mailed your package out Saturday which is coming by special air delivery, Let me know when you get it! I am a little slow with the other ornaments but I have them all done and they should be all packed and ready to ship on Saturday! I hope you like them. ------------------

Reci points the nearest lighthouse beacon at Ed's House looking for Ed in Kilt ------------------

Reci points the nearest lighthouse beacon at Ed's House looking for Ed in Kilt ------------------

" sassy boy " ------------------

And opened the door and who do you think ------------------

Jackson Browne is a hottie. You are going to get the concert of your life with him. ps: make sure you have panties to throw at him. ------------------

sigh! ------------------

Every payday the first thing that comes out of the paycheck is so many dollars for myself and spouse to do with whatever we like. This is a paycheck to ourselves. Some people start with less and thats ok. At one time I had started with a dollar a paycheck. As bills got paid off and finances shifted we gave ourselves raises. I have manage to create a nice savings account for myself. Another habit we have gotten into is throwing our change into this huge old glass piggy bank that I found at a garage sale for 10 cents. You would be surprised how much money accumulates during the year in one of these banks. Our first years total was over 1,600 dollars, all in change. If I can do it so can you even if you start small. Don't get discouraged if your savings doesn't seem to be growing. One thing you can suppliment to your personal spending money is by using coupons on items which saves you dollars and cents. I do it all the time with the food money and usually have about 10 to 15 dollars in my pocket after I cut the food bill but still provided good healthy meals for everyone. ------------------

Always save your receipts after you purchase items. If a company has a sale on a product and they give you a form telling you you could get 5.00 dollars back for sending 10 pc codes and the receipt on the items, send it in. Thats five dollars to put in your pocket. ------------------

Recycling clothes is a great way for frugal families to save money. Hand me downs, goodwill, consignment finds and garage sales make getting great clothes at a fraction of retail price easy. But what about those clothing items that seem to be permanently ruined or worn beyond repair. You can recycle them to. Here are a few ideas on how to do this. 1. Make a bed spread using old jeans. I recently made a bed spread for my daughter's first big girl bed. I am not much of a sewer but it was easy. Simply cut squares out of old worn out jeans that are no longer wearable. Sew the squares together in strips the width of the bed spread you desire. Then sew the strips together to the proper length. Sew this quilt top to an appropriate size old flannel sheet - right sides facing each other. Then turn it inside out. Secure the quilt top to the sheet further by tying pear cotton bows on every other square. This quilt is thin yet very heavy and warm. You can also make great potholders using old jeans and thick batting. 2. Dye stained clothes a darker color. 3. Jazz up plain and stained sweatshirts - great for babies and young children. To cover stains on sweatshirts or t-shirts or just to make a cheap boring bargain find more exciting, use ribbons, lace, pockets and appliques. Make your own appliques out of scrap material, cut material into simple shapes like flowers, hearts, trucks and geometric shapes. Then sew appliques onto shirt (folding edges under to prevent raveling) using a blanket stitch, covering any stains. You can also cover stains by creating a pocket and sewing it to shirt. Sew lace or buttons around a collar to jazz it up. Or just pull a piece of ribbon through the shirt and tie a bow, or two, or ten. These techniques have salvaged many .25 and .10 garage sale finds that would be perfect "if it weren't for that little stain". 4. Make mittens out of old sweatshirts. Create your own pattern to fit child's hand. A little sewing and some elastic and you have great, one of a kind mittens. Add buttons, patches or homemade appliques for decoration. For step by step instructions and patterns visit this web site: www.auntannie.com/mittens/mitten.html 5. Make throw pillows out of your young child's favorite outgrown shirts and/or baby clothes. Simply turn the garment inside out and sew up all openings, leaving a few inches which you will insert stuffing through. Next turn the garment right side out and stuff it. Then sew that opening shut. 6. Old sheets and table cloths can be used as organizers. Cut the fabric to the desired size and hem. Then sew on pockets to hold shoes, toys, stuffed animals, jewelry, whatever you want to organize. You can also make great drawstring bags for organizing toys and many other uses. Cut material to twice the desired width size and fold in half, inside out. Sew side and bottom together and turn right side out. Hem the top of bag about 5/8 inches leaving two openings to insert drawstring through. These are especially great for holding toddlers treasures such as blocks. ------------------

Saving money at the grocery store doesn't have to be a hit or miss thing. By creating and maintain a price book you are better able to track sales. Tracking sales allows you to know where and when you need to shop in order to make the most of your monthly food allotment. If you are computer literate you can do this on the computer using spreadsheets and whatnot. I, however, prefer the pen and paper method. I use a notebook. Each week when the Sunday paper comes I take all the ads and sit down and write the items that I purchase in my price book. This is a good time to make your shopping lists. I keep track of the date, the item, the price, and write the information down in columns in the notebook. Having a separate page for each of the items you purchase helps keep things orderly and easy to read. Doing it this way you may need more than one notebook. I have 3. When starting out I make a list of everything I can think of that I have ever bought or ever will buy. Then in the notebooks I write down each item at the top of a page. After each grocery trip I transfer the information from my receipts into my price book. When I come across a good sale while doing my shopping, I can look in my price book and see what the best price I have gotten on this item is and when it was, as well as where it was. I can then buy or leave it, accordingly. This is a good time to check your coupons too. If the sale is a relatively good one, and you have a coupon that will crease your savings that expires soon it is in your best interest to buy an equal amount of items as you have coupons for. After you've been keeping a price book you will be able to track the sales at the stores you frequent. When you know how often a sale occurs you can buy enough of the product to hold you over until the next sale. You can also save up coupons to use during the sale. Creating and maintaining a price book may seem time consuming. I spend about an hour a week on this, in addition to the hour a week (or less) I spend on couponing and menu planning (each). The longer you use the tools you have (price books, coupons, menu planning, etc.) the less time you have to spend on organization and records. For saving a substantial amount on my family's grocery budget, I'm happy to give up 3 hours of my time. I usually do this while watching a television program or listening to some good music. The key to saving money and ensuring that your time spent with all these efforts is well spent, is to gather all the facts and information and decide what works best for your family, and then do it. ------------------

(POSTED BY RECI) Along with a good supply of crayons, markers, chalk and lots of paper, your children (or grandchildren) will also love playing with these homemade art supplies and games. You can purchase many of them at the store, but why not save some money and teach your child how to be even more creative by making their own supplies? Children love seeing how things are made, and they love the time you will be spending with them while making these projects. If you don't have kids at home, try making up a batch of something just for yourself, I won't tell if you don't! Glitter Mix together 5-6 drops of food coloring and 1/2 c. salt, stir well. Cook in microwave for 1-2 minutes or spread out on a piece of waxed paper to air-dry. Store in an airtight container, as with all of the art supplies in this article. Sidewalk Chalk 1 c. plaster of paris 1/2 c. water 2 - 3 Tbsp. tempera paint Mix plaster of paris and tempera paint, then add water and mix well. Pour into molds and let dry for 24 hours. Remove from mold and let air dry for 2 -7 days, depending on size. You can use paper cups, plastic butter tubs, or food trays, candy molds, muffin tins, or even toilet paper tubes covered with foil on one end. Finger Paint 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 2 c. water (divided) 1/2 c. cornstarch 3 Tbsp. sugar dishwashing liquid food coloring white shelf paper Soak gelatin in 1/4 cup warm water and put aside. Combine cornstarch and sugar in medium sized pot. Gradually add remaining water and cook slowly over low heat, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat and add gelatin. Divide into containers, adding a drop or two of dishwashing liquid and food coloring to each. Paint 1 c. liquid starch 6 c. water 1/2 c. soap powder food coloring Dissolve soap powder in water, add starch and food coloring. Mix well. Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough 1 c. creamy peanut butter 1/2 c. honey 1 1/2 c. powdered milk Mix ingredients and roll into balls. Cooked Play Dough (turns out just like the stuff at the store) 1 c. flour 1/2 c. salt 2 tsp. cream of tarter Mix together: 1 c. water 1 Tbsp. oil food coloring vanilla for scent (optional) Mix dry ingredients in the pan, then add in wet ingredients. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a ball and becomes dull. When cooled, knead well until smooth. Kool-Aid Play Dough (no cooking required) 3 c. flour 1/2 c. salt 1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid 1 Tbsp. alum 2 c. boiling water Mix dry ingredients together and then stir in boiling water. Knead dough with *up to* an additional 1 cup of flour until it becomes the desired consistency. Jell-O Play Dough (no cooking required) 4 c. flour 1 c. salt 2 pkgs. unsweetened Jell-O 4 tsp. cream of tartar 2 c. boiling water 2 tsp. cooking oil or baby oil Mix dry ingredients together and then stir in boiling water and oil. Mix together well and knead until dough becomes the desired consistency. Sticky Putty 3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. water 1 tsp. Mule Team borax (found in laundry area of supermarket) 8 ounces white glue food coloring Heat water over medium heat and add borax, stir with wooden spoon until dissolved. Add glue and a few drops of food coloring, stirring constantly until glue and water mix. Pour into a plastic bowl and cool. Modeling Clay 1 c. cornstarch 1 1/2 c. water 16 ounces baking soda (1 pound box) Combine cornstarch and baking soda together in large saucepan. Stir in water and cook over low heat until the mixture becomes thick and forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool. Knead the dough on a countertop dusted with cornstarch until smooth. Air Dry Clay 3 c. flour 1 c. salt 1/2 c. white glue 1 c. water 1 tsp. lemon juice Mix together until well blended. Mold into shapes or roll out and cut with cookie cutters. Let dry overnight before painting. Paper Mache Use a simple mixture of flour and water. Mix one part flour with about 2 parts of water until you get a consistancy like thick glue. Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix well to get out all the bumps. Use with strips of torn or cut newspaper, dipping paper into a bowl of paste, wiping slightly before forming layers. Large balloons are great for making bowl-type forms. Crushed aluminum foil or newspaper is good for forming the inside base of larger shapes. Goop 2 c salt 1 c. water 1 c. cornstarch Cook salt and half of water for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cornstarch and remaining half of water, then return to heat. Stir until mixture thickens. You can also add food coloring to this. Multi-colored crayons Peel broken crayons and melt in a small aluminum pan at 350 degrees F for 15 -20 minutes. Cool and break into new multi-colored pieces. *OR* Make molds of aluminum foil and bake in oven at very low heat until melted and mixed. Or line cupcake tins with foil and bake into rounds. Disappearing Paint Mix 1/8 tsp. "bluing" (a laundry additive) with 2 cups water. Paint the sidewalk and watch it disappear. Face Paint Mix poster paints with cold cream. Cinnamon Clay 1/4 c. white glue 1/3 c. applesauce 3 Tbsp. cinnamon 1 3/4 cup flour 1/4 c. water Mix ingredients together until dough forms a ball, then knead for a minute or two, adding a little more flour if needed. Make into desired shapes, or roll out and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes. Crazy Putty (will even bounce) 3/4 cup of white glue Add enough liquid starch until a ball of dough is formed, then add food coloring and knead dough until it's completely worked in. Slime 1 c. glue liquid starch food coloring (if desired) Add starch slowly until mixture becomes the right texture... slimey.

Coffee Cans 1. Use food bag labels and create unique storage containers for flour, sugar, cornmeal, etc. Mesh Onion Bags 1. Add leftover pieces of soap and make a scrubber. 2. Contain small items while in the dishwasher. 3. Cut bag open and scrunch together to make a dish scrubber ------------------

Is anyone interested on posting some of their favorite poems on one day a week..like have a poetry day? Feedback on this would be appreciated! ------------------

This is a flavorful alternative to beef dish. When my brothers get their deer for the season on Thanksgiving Day, I usually get a few pounds of the meat. This comes out very tender too and not gamey. Ingredients 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 pounds venison stew meat 3 onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon salt 3 cups water 7 small potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 pound carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup water Directions 1 In a skillet, deeply brown the meat in oil. Add onions, garlic. Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, oregano, salt, and water. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender. 2 Add potatoes and carrots; cook until tender. 3 Combine flour and water. Stir into the stew. Remove bay leaf before serving. ------------------

For the Fish Lovers heres a nice stew that will warm your gills..... Ingredients 2 cups water 1 pound cod fillets, cubed 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1/4 cup chopped almonds 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs, seasoned 2 cups vegetable broth 2 tomatoes, chopped 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper salt to taste Directions 1 In large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling add fish and garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with fork. Remove fish with slotted spoon and set aside. Keep stock in saucepan for later use, approximately 2 cups. 2 In a small nonstick saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Saute onions for approximately 5 minutes or until tender. Once onions are tender add almonds and bread crumbs, stirring for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. 3 Add onion and bread crumb mixture to reserved fish stock along with the vegetable broth, tomatoes, paprika and pepper. Add fish; cover and cook over medium heat until fish is heated through. Season to taste with salt. Serve hot!! ------------------

We eat this alot. Its very tender, flavorful and juicy. Enjoy 4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1 large roasting chicken 1 cup chopped onion In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook chicken put it in the crockpot and do not add any liquid. As the cooking process goes on it will produce it's own juices. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours and it will be falling off the bone tender. ------------------

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey 1 cup four-cheese Mexican style – shredded, divided ½ cup salsa ¼ cup crushed tortilla chips ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions 1 tsp ground cumin or chili powder ½ tsp garlic salt 4 hamburger buns lettuce sliced tomato 1. In medium bowl, combine ground beef, ¾ cup of the cheese, ¼ cup salsa, tortilla chips, green onions, cumin and garlic salt; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into four patties. 2. Grill on oiled rack about 5-6 inches from the heat five minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160º F. Lightly grill or toast hamburger buns. 3. Place burgers on bun tops with remaining salsa and remaining cheese. Serve with lettuce and tomato. 4 servings ------------------

1/2 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup flour 2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cups milk 2 tsps. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 8 ozs. egg noodles, cooked 3 cups chicken, cooked/diced 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 2 tsps. paprika Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and stir 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth and milk. Reduce heat, simmering until thick, about 10 minutes. Blend in lemon juice and seasonings. Combine cooked noodles and half the sauce, tossing gently to blend. Place in the bottom of a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Top with chicken and remaining sauce. Combine Parmesan cheese and paprika, sprinkle over casserole. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot. ------------------

Ingredients: 1 C. Graham cracker crumbs 2 Tbsp. Sugar 2 Tbsp. Butter APPLE MIX 1/4 C. Butter 1/2 C, Light brown sugar 2 lbs. Red delicious apples; peeled - cored, dice 1/2" pieces 1 tsp. Cinnamon 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg 1/2 tsp. Allspice PRALINE TOPPING 1 1/2 C. Dark brown sugar 1/2 C. Butter - softened 1 C. Pecan pieces APPLE CHEESECAKE 16 oz, Cream cheese - softened 1/2 C. Granulated sugar 3 large Eggs 1 C. Heavy whipping cream Preparation: CRUST-Melt butter. Stir in the crumbs and sugar until thoroughly blended. Press into the bottom of a 9" spring form pan. Set aside. APPLE MIX-In a Dutch oven, melt butter over low heat, add brown sugar, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Simmer over low heat until apples are soft, but still hold their shape. Cool mixture to room temperature and reserve. TOPPING-In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together with a fork until well incorporated. Reserve. CHEESECAKE-In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together sugar and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth. Add the cream and continue beating until the mixture is thick and creamy. Gently stir in the cooled apple mix by hand. Pour into the prepared spring form pan. Spread praline topping over the top. Bake at 350~ for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow cooling to room temperature before removing the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped cream. ------------------

Ingredients: Dough: 2 pkg. active dry yeast 1 C. warm water (105-115 degree) 2/3 C. plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar, divided 1 C. warmed milk 2/3 C. butter 2 tsp salt 2 eggs, slightly beaten 7-8 C. all-purpose flour, or more if needed Filling: 1 C. melted butter, divided (2 sticks) 1 3/4 C. granulated sugar, divided 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon 1 1/2 C. chopped walnuts, optional 1 1/2 C. raisins, optional Creamy glaze: 2/3 C. melted butter (1 stick plus 2 Tbsp.) 4 C. powdered sugar 2 tsp vanilla 4-8 Tbsp. hot water Preparation: In a small bowl mix together warm water, yeast and sugar and set aside. In a large bowl, mix milk, remaining 2/3 cup sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs; stir well and add yeast mixture. Add half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is slightly stiff (dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a well-floured board; knead 5 -10 minutes. Place in well-buttered glass or plastic bowl, cover and let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When doubled, punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes. Roll out on floured surface into a 15 x 20 inch rectangle. To prepare filling: Spread dough with 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts and raisins, if desired. Roll up jellyroll-fashion and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices. Coat bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and a 8-inch square pan with remaining 1/2 cup melted butter, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans. Let rise in warm place until dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until rolls are nicely browned. Cool rolls slightly. To prepare glaze: Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla; add hot water 1 Tbsp. at a time until glaze reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls. ------------------

HOT DOG CHILI 3 LBS HAMBURGER 1 MEDIUM ONION -- CHOPPED FINE 1 PKG FRENCHS CHILO MIX 1 1/2 TBL CHILI POWDER 1 TBL GARLIC PWDER 2 TBL FRENCHS MUSTARD 2 CUPS HEINZ KETCHUP 2 CUPS WATER 1/4 TEA TABASCO -- MORE TO TASTE BROWN ONIONS AND HAMBURGER TOGETHER, DRAIN WELL MIX WELL WITH A HAND MIXER UNTILL FINE. ADD THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS AND STIR WELL LET SIMMER FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. ( can add more water if you want thiner sauce) THIS FREEZES GREAT ! I USUALLY DOUBLE THE RECIPE AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER AND PUT IN FREEZER BAGS FOR USE ALL SUMMER. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hot dog sauce 1 lb hamburger 1 medium onion chopped fine 1 (6 oz) tomato paste 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 tsp vinegar 1 12/ tsp chili powder 1 tsp salt 15 oz water Combine hamburger, onion, tomato paste, ketchup, vinegar, chili powder and salt in a large saucepan. add water slowly. Cook on medium-low for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. ------------------

There's a marvelous Pumpkin Pie recipe using Equal........... pastry for 9 inch pie 1 can (16 oz) pumpkin 1 can (12 oz) evaporated skim milk 3 eggs 5-1/2 tsps. Equal for recipes (or 18 pkts Equal sweetener) or 3/4 cup Equal Spoonful 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp. ground cloves Fix the pie shell Beat pumpkin, evap. milk & eggs in medium bowl; beat in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Bake in preheated 425 degrees oven 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees & bake until knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. nutrition info per serving. 175 cal., 8 g pro., 22 g carbo., 7 g fat, 86 mg chol., 208 mg sodium Food Exchanges 1-1/2 bread, 1 fat ------------------

Hey Lowey! I am teaching myself some Scottish Verbage- I found this great tutorial book of Scottish Language in Barnes and Noble. ------------------

Poop its not coming out! [This message has been edited by reci (edited November 21, 2002).]