My friend, Julie, did a post about slime on her family blog.
Slime....It looked like fun, so I asked her for her recipe.
Here is it:
SLIME!
·water
·white glue (like Elmer's™)
·borax
·food coloring (unless you want uncolored white slime)
There are two components to slime. There is a borax and water solution and a glue, water, and food coloring solution. Prepare them separately.
·Mix 1 teaspoon borax in 1 cup of water. Stir until the borax is dissolved.
·In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup (4 oz) white glue with 1/2 cup water. Add food coloring, if desired.
After you have dissolved the borax and diluted the glue, you are ready to combine the two solutions. Stir one slime solution into the other. (I poured the water/borax into the glue solution.) Your slime will begin to polymerize immediately.
The slime will become hard to stir after you mix the borax and glue solutions. Try to mix it up as much as you can, then remove it from the bowl and finish mixing it by hand. It's okay if there is some colored water remaining in the bowl.
Store your slime in a sealed ziplock bag, preferably in the refrigerator. Insect pests will leave slime alone because borax is a natural pesticide, but you'll want to chill the slime to prevent mold growth if you live in an area with high mold count. The main danger to your slime is evaporation, so keep it sealed when you're not using it.
Several years ago, I figured out that making the turkey the day before relieved a lot of stress on Thanksgiving day. It allows you to get the turkey all cooked, carved and cleaned up without having to worry about all the last minute things that go on with serving the holiday meal. After I have cooked the turkey, I carve the whole bird and put the sliced meat in one or two 9 x 13 pans (depending on how big the turkey is) with a can or two of Swanson's chicken broth to keep the meat moist. Then I put tinfoil over it and heat it up the next day 15 to 20 minutes in the oven before dinner is served.
After the turkey is carved, I put the carcass in a big pot and cover it with water and add onions, carrots, and celery. I let it boil for about 45 minutes. After it cools down I remove and discard the bones, and cooked vegetables and put the broth in the fridge or freezer. You can use this broth to make turkey vegetable soup or creamy turkey soup for the days ahead with some leftover meat, new vegetables, noodles and spices (such as Mrs. Dash).
When we were in Utah last week for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Deseret News had an excellent article entitled: It's Time for Dinner (with family) by Carolyn Campbell . I would suggest that you click onto the link and read the whole article.
Here is a little section of the article that I thought was interesting:
So why eat together?
Family bonding
Eating a family meal creates an environment that fosters conversation. During dinner, the family has the opportunity to spend time together, author Janet Peterson says.
"Because they are sitting down together at the table, looking across at each other, it is a level playing field, with the parents not standing taller than the children, which creates a more relaxed atmosphere," she says.
Saving money
"Restaurants are in the business to make money," Peterson said. "Their labors, real estate and profit margin all cost. If they don't make money, they don't stay in business." She says if you multiply the average of $812 spent annually per person on eating out, it doesn't take a CPA to tell you that it's costly, especially for a family with children.
"Restaurant prices in recent years have risen slightly faster than inflation, making it even more expensive to eat away from home," Peterson says.
Healthier meals
A study published in the British Archives of Family Medicine found that having a family dinner was not only associated with a healthier way of eating, but also had a positive effect on the family's physical and emotional health.
The study reported that those who ate dinner with their families were more likely to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables daily. The home-cooked meal is more likely to contain a variety of food groups. Milk or water is more likely to be served, and less soda pop or high fat foods are typically offered.
Commercially prepared foods are notoriously high in sugar, starch and fat, although some restaurants do list low-fat items on their menus, says Peterson. She adds that home cooking allows a family to select healthful ingredients, tailor meals to suit their own particular nutritional needs and tastes, serve portions appropriate to age and activity level, and monitor methods of preparation.
We also eat more when we eat out.
"Everything is super-sized," Peterson says. "Restaurant portions continue to increase. The usual restaurant plate used to be 10 inches in diameter and now it is 12 inches."
Learning
Preschool children who eat with the family have better language skills, according to the Rockford Clinic. Dinner-time conversation exposes them to a broader vocabulary, especially as they listen to adults and older children. Eating together as a family can teach good communications skills, such as listening patiently and expressing one's opinion in a respectful manner.
According to researchers at the University of Illinois, children age 7-11 who did well on school achievement tests ate the majority of their meals and snacks with their families.
One study points out how family dinners are strong preventative medicine. Joseph A. Califano Jr., president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, reported: "Intensive research and teen surveys have consistently revealed that the more often children eat dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs."
Family tradition
Food served at the family table helps shape and give lasting meaning to our cultural heritage, says Katherine Carson, associate professor of food science at Pennsylvania State College.
"Positive food memories created during childhood are cherished for life," she says.
Peterson adds that food provides a connection among families.
1 clove of garlic, minced OR 1 tsp crushed garlic from jar
1/2 cup diced carrots
4 cups chicken broth 1⁄2 1/2 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
3 cups spinach, de-stemmed and chopped coarsely (1 cup if using frozen spinach)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil. Saute onions, garlic, carrots.
Add chicken broth, orzo pasta, and meatballs. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach and boil for 5 minutes longer.
Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4-6.
This soup is from Trader Joe's cookbook and is officially called "Italian Wedding Soup." My friend Carrie invited me over to have some when I was having a very bad day. It filled my tummy and evening with happiness!
Combine above ingredients and fill into a spray bottle.
To clean glasses:
Spray both sides of each lens and rub clean with a soft cloth. Never use paper towels, toilet paper or kleenex as they contain harsh abrasives that will scratch your lenses.
Scott cleans his glasses every day, sometimes twice, so he asked if I could find a recipe for a cleaning solution for his glasses.
The above recipe is a combination of two recipes that I got off the Internet. It takes pennies to make this compared to the cost of picking up something from the store.
½ lb cooked bacon, ham, or breakfast sausage(or any combination of the 3) chopped veggies (optional. We like to use broccoli & tomatoes. You can also do red peppers and onion if you want even more flavor) 12 eggs 1 c. milk 1 pkg. (1 b.) frozen shredded hash browns 1 c. cheddar cheese (shredded) 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp pepper
In a bowl, beat eggs and milk. Stir in all other ingredients. Put in greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 45-55 min or until well set. Serve topped with salsa.
Scott's secretary served this at a work breakfast the other day. He mentioned how good it was. When I asked Jo Ann for the recipe, I recognized that is was the same recipe that was posted on Family Favorite Recipes that can be found on my blog list (on the side of this page).
1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup butter, melted (I use 1/2 cup butter and instead of melting it I grate it with a cheese grater. See picture below)
Heat oven to 350°. Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bow. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Then sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle with butter. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool, served chilled. Serve with whipped topping.
I saw this recipe in the paper this morning. I got off livingonadime.com On the last step I cut the butter from 1 cup to 1/2 cup.
2025
I made this for dessert last night and I wanted to add some pictures of our Pumpkin Crunch dessert.
This is what my grated butter looked like before I put it on the dry cake mix
This is what it looked like just before I put it into the oven.
Pumpkin Crunch done
On the far left of the pan I didn't put on any walnuts because I would rather eat it without nuts.
I had a friend reach out to me and said this about the recipe: I Love this recipe!. My family and co-workers request this every year for Thanksgiving. I double the recipe every time I make it but instead of 3 cups of sugar I use 2 cups instead, it will still taste the same. Its great with vanilla ice cream.
You all remember the story of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears.... Someone had been intruding on the poor bear family and ate their porridge, sat in their chairs, and slept in their beds.
I can relate to the bear family because someone has been eating my winter garden of peas, carrots, and lettuce. The tender sprouts were growing so nicely. It was a little unnerving to get up each morning and see my tender plants plucked and dug right out of the ground. Ugh!
I called our city's animal control and they said if I caught the critter, they would release him into the hills. My neighbor came to the rescue with the trap and advice. The little critter was caught red handed and is now roaming the hills above the beautiful city of Duarte. We'll see if he has a mate, and if he does, hopefully we'll be able to reunite them soon.
You can read part II of this saga by clicking here
Pre-heat over to 400 F. Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients with beaters (milk, pumpkin, butter or margarine, egg). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir in raisins last if desired. Line muffin tins with liners or grease with spray. Fill each up 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 min. Makes 12 muffins.
Purchase the boxed cake mix of your choice + whatever frosting you would like to pair with it (or make your own!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine:
Cake mix of your choice
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
Place walnut-sized balls of dough onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with Pam (or whatever you prefer). Bake cookies for 8 - 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, move to a cooling rack until completely cool. Spread frosting onto the backside of a cookie and top it with another.
Typically makes about 45 cookies = 22 cookie sandwiches, plus a bonus cookie to eat as you frost. :)
Potatoes, peeled and diced (or leave on the skins if you use red potatoes)
Onion, cut into big slices
Carrots, peeled
Celery, cut in large chunks
Beef of some sort (I used browned ground beef. Stew meat would be awesome. Leftover roast would work, I'm sure.)
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 pkg. onion soup mix
Water
Seasonings to taste (I used pepper, Mrs. Dash, and Creole seasoning)
Throw everything in a crock pot and turn on low. Leave and go for a long, long hike. Come home, salivate as you pull into the driveway because you can already smell it, and eat three big bowls.
Ok, so maybe you can enjoy this even if you haven't been hiking all day. But it definitely tastes ten times better if you have.... :)
If you have some time on your hand, and want to make some cool Halloween cupcakes check out how to make them here . This web site has some pretty amazing ideas. I have a link to www.makeit-loveit.com on my sidebar to the right.
Pilar Fonbuena taught a canning class in Relief Society and told us about this recipe that she got years ago. I asked her to email me the recipe. Below is a copy of the email she sent me.
Here's the recipe for the Tomato Soup. I got this from Pam Hadfield in 1980 or 1981
1 lug tomatoes = about 15 lbs (I used 23 lbs in the last batch I made)
Cook the following vegetables separately
5 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 bunch celery, sliced
15 medium carrots, sliced
1 bunch parsley chopped - add to carrots after carrots are cooked
1 pkg pearled barley (I used 2 cups) - cook 10 minutes, then rinse
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
Add all ingredients together with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup salt and simmer 10 minutes.
Bottle and process 15 minutes in steamer or water bath canner
Measurements are not exact, but turn out OK each time.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
I got this recipe off allrecipes.com. Click here for the link. The bread has a nice banana flavor because it uses lots of bananas. When I made the recipe this morning I used 5 medium sized bananas to get the 2 1/3 cups of mashed bananas called for in the recipe. I made muffins out of them instead of bread. I just lined muffin tins with cupcake papers and cooked them for 15- 18 minutes.
Click here for another banana muffin recipe found on this blog. It doesn't call for as many bananas, but I'm sure it's a good recipe too.
Add vinegar to sugar, whisk well. Add oil and salt Whisk everything long and fast unti it thickens to the consistency of Karo syrup.
Sugar almonds:
3 cups slivered almonds
1 cup sugar
Heat sugar in teflon coated sauce pan on low heat until melted. Add almonds and mix to coat. Remove from heat and let cool.
I was cleaning out my email inbox and saw this recipe from April Steimle that she sent last summer. We had it at the dinner that was served between stake conference sessions last August. I remember that it was really good. I would substitute rice vinegar for red wine vinegar. No one has officially taught me how to sugar almonds. I was happy to read the detailed instructions. I never knew the ratio of almonds to sugar and I didn't know that you should start melting the sugar before you add the almonds.
Fall is my favorite season. I love the fall weather, starting of a new school year, and planting my fall vegetables garden.
The one thing I will greatly miss about summer are the summer fruits. Almost EVERY DAY for dinner this summer I have served a fruit salad. Below is a picture of one we had last night.
Included in this salad is:
Watermellon
Cantalope
Honey dew melon
Green grapes
Other fruits that I have included in other salads are:
Pineapple
Bananas
Strawberries
Kiwi
Red grapes
Apricots
Peaches
Nectarines
Mango
In our town of Duarte, we have local food markets that sell produce at a fraction of the cost of grocery store chains. I can go into one of these markets and for $20 have a basket full of fresh fruits and vegetables to last the week.
We have a lime tree in our neighbor's yard that hangs over our fence. We love to slice a few up and squirt some lime juice our our fruit salads to give it a lime zip to the salad.
Lisa served fruit for a work event the other day. She said she served about 100 people for $22. She went to a local market that sold fresh fruit. She bought watermelon, cantaloupes, honey dew melons, grapes, and pineapple. She said she would have bought strawberries but the market didn't have any that day. Then she cut the fruit into big chunks and put them on skewers, and served the skewers off a serving platter. That was a great idea to serve lots of people fruit.
Goodbye summer and fruit salad. Hello fall and homemade apple sauce and apple crisp. (Made from apples grown on our apple tree in our back yard.)
I saw this in the paper from Mary Hunt's column entitled: Ordinary Ingredients Can Produce Magic Results . debtproofliving.com
If you haven't experienced the power of original blue Dawn plus white vinegar, you are in for a treat. Remove the top of a plastic spray bottle, and fill half of it with white vinegar. Carefully heat it in the microwave until the vinegar is hot, taking care not to melt the bottle.
Fill the rest of the bottle with blue Dawn liquid dishwashing soap. Apply the top tightly. Gently shake the bottle to mix. That's it. You now have a powerful cleaning product that will melt soap scum and tub and shower buildup and clean sinks, appliances, and just about anything else. Just spray it on, scrub, rinse and be amazed. For tough soap scum buildup, spray the mixture on and allow it to sit as long as overnight. The scrub and rinse.
9/17/10 I made this and used it to clean my tub and stovetop. I thought that 50/50 ratio of Dawn to white vinegar is too strong on the Dawn. I since have tried a 5% Dawn to 95% vinegar ratio and it worked a lot better. The other way was just too soapy.
I saw this in the paper from Mary Hunt's column entitled:Ordinary Ingredients Can Produce Magic Results . debtproofliving.com
Here's a recipe for weed-killer that has the power of Roundup for a fraction of the price. Mix 2 cups of ordinary table salt into 1 gallon of white vinegar that has 5 percent acidity. Add 8 drops of liquid dish washing soap.
Label it, and keep it out of the reach of children. This is not toxic, but it will kill any and all vegetation, even the good stuff, so be careful where you spray it.
Another caution: Spraying this multiple times in the same area will sterilize the soil so that nothing will grow there for a long time. It is ideal for killing weeds that grow between cracks in your sidewalk and other areas where you don't want vegetation.
I think I'll whip me up a batch and spray the brick path in my front yard!
Mix all other ingredients together and pour over chicken.
Cook on High for 5-7 hours.
Remove chicken and shred with fork. Serve on flour tortilla, with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa...the works.
My sister-in-law, Brittney, is queen of finding AWESOME recipes. I don't have to look for recipes...I just wait until she serves a yummy dish to Dave and I, and then I know it's a good enough recipe to steal! "The boys" LOVE this meal...and "the girls" love how easy, quick, and satisfying it is!
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked tri-color spiral pasta
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup Italian-style salad dressing
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
Mix chopped carrots, celery, cucumber, green pepper, tomatoes, and onion together in large bowl.
Combine cooled pasta and vegetables together in large bowl. Pour Italian dressing over mixture, add Parmesan cheese and mix well.
Chill for one hour before serving.
I got this recipe from allrecipes.com atthis link. The original recipe called for 2 (16 ounce) bottles of Italian-style salad dressing. That was way too much dressing, so I changed it to 1 cup. That might even be too much. You could just add it to taste. Also, the recipe didn't call for sliced olives, but I noticed in the picture that was posted with the recipe that olives were added. I bet you could add what every garden vegetables you would like to this recipe that you think would make it taste good.
1. Give some to your friends and neighbors who would like some fresh garden tomatoes.
2. Freeze the rest to use later when you make a pot spaghetti or chili on a winter's night.
This post will tell you how to get from this....
....to this.
I found a web site that explains how to freeze tomatoes much better than I could. You can get to the site by clicking here or you can read how to do it below.
Freezing is the easiest and safest way to preserve tomatoes from your garden or the farmers market. Freezing locks in summer fresh flavor and nutrients so you can enjoy delicious tomatoes in soups and sauces all winter long!
Things You'll Need:
Fresh tomatoes
Serrated paring knife
Stockpot
Boiling water
Large bowl of ice water
Zip closure freezer bags
Step 1
Vine ripened tomatoes taste best fresh or frozen. If you didn't grow your own tomatoes, pay a visit to your local farmer's market for a wide selection of ripe tomatoes. Pick tomatoes that are fully colored and tender, but not mushy or soft.
Step 2
Clean the tomatoes by rinsing them individually under a stream of running water. Gently rub the surface of the fruit to remove any soil. If you aren't sure if the tomatoes are organic, wash them with a mild fruit and vegetable cleaner to help remove pesticide and herbicide residues, then rinse well.
Step 3
Pop the stem off the tomatoes. If it is stubborn, use a knife to carefully remove the stem.
Step 4
Fill a stockpot with water and bring it to a rapid boil. Dip 2 to 3 tomatoes at a time into the water. Remove the tomatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon when the skins begin to loosen (after about 30 seconds).
Step 5
Plunge the tomatoes immediately into an ice water bath. This stops the tomatoes from cooking and further loosens the skins.
Step 6
Slide the skins off the tomatoes and compost them. Use a serrated knife to remove any stubborn bits of peel and cut out the core of the tomato. At this point you can freeze the tomatoes whole or cut them into halves or quarters.
Step 7
Pack the tomatoes into freezer bags, leaving one inch of headroom at the top of the bag. Freezer bags that have a zipper seal work best. Squeeze the air of the bag and zip the top close.
Step 8
Save room in your freezer by laying the bags of tomatoes flat on a freezer shelf. Once frozen, stack the bags wherever you would like in the freezer. Frozen tomatoes stay fresh for up to one year and taste best cooked into soups, stews, and sauces.
When I do step 6, I take it one step further and after I quarter the tomatoes and put them in a big bowl. Then I take my clean hands and squish them all up. (who likes big chunks of tomatoes in your spaghetti sauce? Not my kids!) Then I ladle them into a quart ziploc bag. Walmart brand are a cheaper price. (Be sure you squeeze the air out of the bag.)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
Mix and spread into 13x9 pan. Chill
Filling:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature 2 cups powdered sugar
Cream together. It will crumble at first, but keep mixing until smooth. Spread on crust.
Topping:
1 container of whipped topping 1 can (15 oz.) pineapple, crushed or chunks (your choice) 1-2 bananas Strawberries or other fruit Ice cream topping Nuts or toffee bits Maraschino cherries
Slice bananas on filling, top with pineapple and then any other fruit you want. Spread with whipped topping. Drizzle with either chocolate, caramel, butterscotch sauce or favorite ice cream topping. Sprinkle with nuts and garnish with cherries.
This is a super dish to make up in the morning. Then, when dinner time comes and everyone is hot and tired, just set this dish on the table. Voila! Dinner is served.
Pasta Veggie Fruit Salad
1 1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped 1 cup green grapes, halved 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained 1 can (6 oz.) water chestnuts, drained 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup ranch dressing Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pasta. While it is cooking, chop rest of ingredients and mix. Mix dressing together. Add pasta and mix everything. Chill. Garnish with toasted slivered almonds if desired.
Living on a Dime Newsletter has done it again. I found this in my email and it looks like a great, easy, delicious summer time dish. www.LivingOnADime.com
