Tip of the Day: Lettuce Be Frugal
Don’t throw away the outer leaves from a head of lettuce! They come in handy when you need to cover foods in the microwave. You won’t have to use up a paper towel, and the leaves will keep your food moist.
Tip of the Day: Unglued
To remove glue residue from almost any surface, pour some vegetable oil on a rag and rub vigorously. The oil will neutralize the glue’s bonds.
Ten Tips for Beautiful Bouquets
Tip of the Day: It's Got Stand-Up Soul
Trying to get an ink stain out? Try spraying ultra-stiffening hairspray on the spot, then laundering as usual. Hairspray will usually remove the stain.
Recipe of the Week: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake
In case you're suffering from sugar withdrawals after Easter, here is a delicious dessert recipe from Trish Tkach of Geneva, Illinois! She says, "This recipe was given to me by a co-worker on one of my first jobs. It is still one of my favorite cakes." It contains cinnamon and cloves, which intensify the chocolate flavor. Yum!
Ingredients
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup water
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 cup butter
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
How to Make It
1. Combine chocolate, water, and 1 cup of the sugar and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Cool to lukewarm.
2. In separate bowl, cream together butter, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and vanilla with electric mixer.
4. Add remaining sugar, eggs, and buttermilk and mix well. Add the cooled chocolate mixture (be sure it's lukewarm, so you don't melt the butter).
5. In separate bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt and gradually add to the batter until just combined.
6. Turn into greased and floured 13x9" pan.
7. Bake at 375ยบ for 30-35 minutes. Cool and frost with your favorite vanilla or chocolate frosting!
Serves 12.
Do you have any mouthwatering dessert recipes you'd like to share? We'd love to hear them!
Ingredients
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup water
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 cup butter
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
How to Make It
1. Combine chocolate, water, and 1 cup of the sugar and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Cool to lukewarm.
2. In separate bowl, cream together butter, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and vanilla with electric mixer.
4. Add remaining sugar, eggs, and buttermilk and mix well. Add the cooled chocolate mixture (be sure it's lukewarm, so you don't melt the butter).
5. In separate bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt and gradually add to the batter until just combined.
6. Turn into greased and floured 13x9" pan.
7. Bake at 375ยบ for 30-35 minutes. Cool and frost with your favorite vanilla or chocolate frosting!
Serves 12.
Do you have any mouthwatering dessert recipes you'd like to share? We'd love to hear them!
Tip of the Day: Pancakes: Heinz's 58th Variety
If you’re a pancake lover, you can make the process painless by thoroughly rinsing out a squeezable ketchup or salad dressing bottle. Pour the batter in and squeeze, and you’ll have neater, rounder, and more precise pancakes. You can even store the leftover amount in the fridge for next time.
Tip of the Day: Mornings for Meat
Did you know that the best time to buy meat is in the mornings? That's usually when the butcher marks down meat that is close to its sell-by date. If you won't make it tonight, freeze it for later!
Tip of the Day: Jammin' Out
Keep soft cookies, cakes, and pancakes deliciously moist by adding a teaspoon of jelly to the batter.
Tip of the Day: Bridal Shower Gift Idea
Here’s a wonderful, one-of-a-kind gift for a bridal shower. Buy a blank hardcover book, add dividers, and create a family cookbook. Just ask the bride and groom’s families to provide their favorite treasured recipes.
Tip of the Day: Stop that Nosebleed
White vinegar stops nosebleeds. Just dampen a cotton ball and plug the nostril. The acetic acid in the vinegar cauterizes the wound. Who knew?
Tip of the Day: Natural Easter Egg Dyes
It’s easy to make natural Easter egg dyes. Just add colorful ingredients to the water while you boil your eggs. Use grass for green, onionskins for yellow and deep orange, and beets for pink. If you plan to eat the eggs, be sure to use plants that haven’t been fertilized or treated with pesticides or other chemicals.
Recipe of the Week: Mary's Vegetable Beef Stew
This week's recipe is from Mary Cowser from Shreveport, Louisiana. She says, "My Mom used to make a stew similar to this. I just simplified it with canned ingredients. You will not believe how easy this is. My kids absolutely love it!!" Thanks, Mary, we love it too!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1-2 pounds stew meat (depending on how meaty you want it), or use leftover roast beef or steak
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cups water
1 large (29 ounce) can cut, mixed vegetables
2 (16 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 cup elbow macaroni (uncooked)
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
How to Make It
1. Add oil to large pot and heat over medium-high heat. When hot, add stew meat and onion and cook, stirring often, until meat is browned, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add water and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender. (If using cooked, leftover meat, cooking time will be reduced.) Add additional water during cooking if necessary to cover meat.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until macaroni is tender.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
Serves 9-10
Do you have a quick and easy recipe your family loves? We'd love to hear it! And don't forget to check out Who Knew? Cooking Essentials on HSN.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1-2 pounds stew meat (depending on how meaty you want it), or use leftover roast beef or steak
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cups water
1 large (29 ounce) can cut, mixed vegetables
2 (16 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 cup elbow macaroni (uncooked)
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
How to Make It
1. Add oil to large pot and heat over medium-high heat. When hot, add stew meat and onion and cook, stirring often, until meat is browned, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add water and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender. (If using cooked, leftover meat, cooking time will be reduced.) Add additional water during cooking if necessary to cover meat.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until macaroni is tender.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
Serves 9-10
Do you have a quick and easy recipe your family loves? We'd love to hear it! And don't forget to check out Who Knew? Cooking Essentials on HSN.
Tip of the Day: Put a Cork on It
Slice old corks into thin disks, then glue them to the feet of your heavy furniture. It’s a great way to protect your floors, and makes moving the furniture a bit easier.
Tip of the Day: Jarringly Beautiful
Have some beautiful clear jars, but don’t know what to do with them? Try putting photos inside! Add marbles, rocks, colored sand, or other decoration at the bottom, then bend the photo ever-so-slightly so it fits the curve of the jar.
Tip of the Day: Reboot Your Boots
Keep your boots looking their best by storing them with empty wine or soda bottles inside. It will keep your boots upright and help them maintain their shapes.
Tip of the Day: Decanting Wine
Red wines that are more than eight years old tend to develop sediment. It’s harmless, but it doesn’t always look too nice. Get rid of sediment, and any bits of cork, by pouring your wine through a coffee filter and into a decanter before you serve it.
Recipe of the Week: Easy Halibut Olympia
This week's recipe comes from Lucy from Saginaw, MI! It's an Alaskan favorite that's quick and easy to prepare!
Ingredients
4 halibut or swordfish steaks
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
How to Make It
1. Spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise on one side of each steak, then top with 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
2. Grill or broil until fish is opaque and top is brown and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes. No need to flip!
Serves 4.
Do you have a great quick 'n' easy recipe to share? We'd love to hear it! And don't forget to check out Who Knew? Cooking Essentials on HSN.
Ingredients
4 halibut or swordfish steaks
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
How to Make It
1. Spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise on one side of each steak, then top with 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
2. Grill or broil until fish is opaque and top is brown and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes. No need to flip!
Serves 4.
Do you have a great quick 'n' easy recipe to share? We'd love to hear it! And don't forget to check out Who Knew? Cooking Essentials on HSN.
Tip of the Day: Battery Booster
Batteries will last longer if they’re stored in the refrigerator. To boost their energy, place them in the sun for a day before you use them.
Tip of the Day: Wash the Dishwasher
Soap film coating your dishwasher? Run it on an empty cycle using vinegar instead of detergent. It will be sparkling clean, and your next load of dishes will be, too.
Tip of the Day: Decorating on a Budget
For an inexpensive wall hanging for your home, find a large piece of cotton or linen fabric in a design you like, then stretch it over a canvas and staple in to the back of the frame. And try not to laugh when your friends ask you where you found that great piece of art!
Tip of the Day: Free Breadcrumbs
Don't spend money on store-bought breadcrumbs! Instead, set aside a jar or tea tin and empty crumbs from the bottom of cracker boxes, bread bags, and even the bags of low-sugar cereals like corn flakes. Add some herbs and a bit of garlic powder for seasoned breadcrumbs!
Tip of the Day: Don't Be Fooled
If you haven’t already, get a free credit report by going to AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. Don’t be fooled by other “free credit report” sites, which often require you to pay a membership fee.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
