How to Stop Junk Mail

Want to stop all the junk mail coming into your home daily?  Send a letter with all possible spellings of your name, address and signature. Mail it to: Mail Preference Service / DMA ATTN: Dept. 9407644 P.O. Box 643 Carmel, NY 10512. Or Call them at 212-768-7277.

Uses for Coffee Filters

Wanted to pass this list on, There  are some great uses for coffee filters,  Never knew there were so many.  Don't know who originally made this list.  If you do, let me know so I can give them credit.  Thanks to  Mary Alice for sending it to me.   

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers.."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18 Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car..

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

26. Great in the tool room when separating nails and screws then use in to bottom of containers to remove moisture and prevent rust.

OH YEAH THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS TOO

Calm Coughs and Sinus Headaches

Got this tip from In this Crazy Life blog.  She used Eucalyptus Oil to calm coughs for her husband and baby.  By rubbing the oil on the bottom of their feet and and putting on socks, she said the coughs were gone.  To clear sinuses she put it on a tissue and breathed in the vapors....Sinus headache gone.  Also great for a vaporizer.  I haven't tried this but it is on my list of must buy products in the future.  My family and I have terrible sinus and allergy problems in the spring.  This is definitely worth a try at 8.00 a bottle.

Home made Febreze Spray

I have read several articles about making your own Febreze (Gain scented), so I set out to make my own.  I bought Gain Fabric Softener (original scent),  and baking soda.  The recipe calls for

•  1/8 cup fabric softener
• 2 Tablespoons baking soda
• Hot tap water

I put the soda and softner in a measuring cup to mix so I could pour it into  the Febreze bottle. I added hot water to the bottle to  melt the ingredients and to fill to the top. 


Reading posts from people who tried it, it got rave reviews.  They said it was better than the original Febreze and lasted longer. 
Maybe it's my sinus problems but I'm not getting the Febreze love they are.  I added more Gain and still, no staying power, and my black  crocs turned white from the baking soda mist.


  I am obsessed with Gain but I was willing to try this because it can be made for around 20 cents. Maybe it's one of those things were you are willing to pay the extra to get exactly what you want. 
If you try this, please, please let me know what you thought of it.   You don't have to go out and buy Gain Fabric Softener, any scent you have on hand will work.

More Great Household Tips

  Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and  you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.  It's the perfect container for mini desserts that kids will love...and presentation is the king.

Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel. Great travel tip that is  better than tying them in a grocery bag and having to fight the knot you tied.  You can easily grab these from the cap.

Use egg cartons to store Christmas decorations.  I really like this idea for smaller ornaments.  I bought expensive ornaments when they went on sale.  Each year I put them in the clear cylinder I bought them in and hope they are in one piece next year.  Trying to figure out storage for larger decorations.

Here is the easy way to do  deviled eggs... Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Close and knead until they are mashed up.  Add other ingredients and mix.  Cut the tip of the baggy, and pipe into the eggs.  Easy cleanup.... 

Use plastic cups in a muffin pan for a craft caddy.  Put magnets on the bottom of cups to hold them in place.  Perfect for little ones to keep supplies organized.

Everyone loves fresh baked cookies, but no one needs to eat 3 dozen in one sitting....honestly, I have  eaten cookies and not even remembered eating them.  I looked down and they were gone....lol.  When you make cookies take scoops of dough and put them on a cookie sheet and freeze.  When they are frozen put them in a zip top freezer bag.  When you want a cookie or two, you can bake them and not be tempted by the other dozen.  This way you always have fresh cookies without all the work every time.

12 Tips That Make Life Easier

Simple solutions for Everyday problems

These Useful tips that will make you say, why didn't I think of that.

  Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily.

Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the floor.

Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose.

Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.

How to perfectly fold a fitted sheet. 

:

 Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

 

 Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

 Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40.

 Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

  Overhaul your linen cupboard, store bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

Do you have a hard time sorting socks on laundry day? And where do those missing socks go... I'm convinced our washer is eating socks.
Here is a way to turn your laundry ordeal into something simple and sweet... Order twenty identical pairs of socks in the same size. Now you have 40 identical socks; You never have to match them , just put them all in a drawer and pull out 2 a day. If one gets lost, you won't even ever notice. This way, you never run out of socks between washings.

Snacks for Road Trips

How cool is this snack on the go?  I found a site that gives you several snacks that are very portable and they are made from jars and containers we all have laying around.  Honestly, this picture made me want to eat peanut butter and celery, which I don't even like.   This site, Choose to Thrive has some frugal tips for the family on the go... carrots and dip, apples and dip....so  now I'm off to cut those those celery sticks and find a peanut butter jar....my husband will love this idea for his lunch, and the good part is he's going to think I'm so smart.

Uses for Aluminum Foil

  Aluminum foil is found in nearly every kitchen, and it’s surprisingly useful - but not only for its traditional purpose. From the cookbooks of grandmothers and the journals of contemporary internet homemakers, here are 30 new uses for that most unassuming of all shiny flexible metals: aluminum foil.


1. Frosting a cake but you’ve run out of pastry bags? Just grab a double thickness of aluminum foil and roll it into a cone shape, leaving a small opening at the point. Fill with frosting of spreading consistency. Twist the top to close the cone and use the device to make pretty frosting designs on your cake. Admittedly, this whole process is easier with a plastic zip-close bag with a corner snipped off, but when aluminum foil is all you’ve got it can be a lifesaver!

2. Sharpen your scissors. In between professional sharpenings (or for those 99 cent pairs of scissors that you don’t want to pay to have sharpened), use aluminum foil to keep your scissors in top form. Cutting through 6-8 layers of aluminum foil will improve the cutting surface of most scissors.

3. Make an Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie. You know, for protection from mind control enemies.

4. Shine up rusty chrome. With a bit of water on a wadded-up piece of aluminum foil, you can rub most rust spots off of chrome car parts.

5. Keep your oven clean. Tired of scraping burned-on food out of the bottom of your oven? Line it with aluminum foil before making something particularly messy. Don’t leave it in there permanently, however, because it can lead to oven damage over time.

6. Protect the heating element in your electric oven. For those times when you have to scrub burned-on crud out of your oven, cover the heating element with long strips of aluminum foil before spraying the inside of the oven with oven cleaner.

7. Make your soap last longer. Put a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of your bar of soap to keep it from sitting in a puddle of water and wearing away quickly.

8. Make interesting cakes. Novelty cake pans in odd shapes are expensive. Get the same effect by using a regular cake pan but making a shaped liner for the inside. Make sure the liner is at least as tall as the edges of the pan and several thicknesses so it will hold its shape. This makes it easy to make that snowman or heart-shaped cake without spending a lot of money on a new pan.

9. Make a sun box for seedlings. If your plants are growing crooked or looking less than healthy, cut off the top and one side of a cardboard box, then line the bottom and remaining sides with aluminum foil. Place your plant inside and put the entire operation in the window with the open side facing the window. The sun will reflect off of the foil and cause your plant to grow up straight.

10. Make a portrait reflector. Forget those super-expensive professional photography reflectors. Just cover a sturdy piece of cardboard with aluminum foil and you’ll have an excellent light reflector for portraits and still lifes.
11. Keep birds out of your fruit trees. Hang twisted strips of aluminum foil all over your fruit trees using fishing line. The light reflections and the sound will keep birds away from your fruit.

12. Protect saplings. Rodents and other animals sometimes chew on young trees in the winter. Protect your saplings by covering their bases with aluminum foil. Remember to change the covering periodically as the tree grows.
13. Re-soften hard brown sugar. Many people put hard brown sugar in the microwave to soften it up, but this can actually backfire and make the sugar harden even more. Instead, wrap the block of hardened sugar in some aluminum foil and bake in a 300° (Fahrenheit) oven for 5 minutes.

14. Keep the bottom of your fireplace or charcoal grill from becoming encrusted with soot. Line the bottom of your fireplace or grill with aluminum foil before starting a fire, then dispose of the foil after the fire is out and the coals are completely cooled.

15. Protect your furniture. Pets can’t stand the feeling or the sound of crinkling aluminum foil. If you want them to stay off of your furniture, cover the seats with clean aluminum foil whenever you’re not using the furniture. Your pets will learn within a couple of days to avoid sitting up there. You can also prevent them from scratching or biting furniture legs by covering them in aluminum foil.

16. Avoid moving the heavy furniture. When you want to quickly shampoo your carpets but don’t want to lug all of the furniture out of the room, simply cover the legs with aluminum foil to avoid getting shampoo on them.

17. Although we haven’t tested this tip (and it seems a bit dubious), it’s said that you can put a wadded-up ball of aluminum foil in your dryer with a load of clothes to reduce static cling.
18. Get creative and make fun sculptures with your aluminum foil.

19. Remove daily buildup on silver jewelry. With some common kitchen items you can make a simple but effective way to clean your jewelry at home.

20. If your TV and DVD player are stacked one on top of the other, you may find the picture is a bit fuzzy. This often happens when the electromagnetic fields from both devices interfere with each other. Place a sheet of aluminum foil between them to cut down on the interference.

21. When ironing, put a piece of aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. The foil will reflect the heat from the iron so you can essentially iron both sides at once.

22. Steam your silk or wool garments by placing a piece of aluminum foil on top of the ironing board and under the garment. Pass the iron over the garment from a few inches above the fabric while holding down the steam button. The steam will remove wrinkles without harming the cloth with direct heat.


23. Use it as wrapping paper in a pinch. You can glue or tape interesting cut-out pictures onto the aluminum foil to make it even more personal.

24. Make interesting Easter eggs.

25. Reflect heat into your house. Put a layer of aluminum foil behind your radiator when it is off and completely cool. When the radiator is turned on, more of the heat will be directed into the living area and less will be absorbed into the wall behind the radiator.

26. Keep pie crusts from burning. This may be one of the oldest aluminum foil tricks in the book, but it’s a good one. When baking a pie, cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil at the very end of the baking time to keep it from browning too much.

27. Make a cool noisemaker with your kids
.
28. Make a solar cooker. You’ll cut down on energy costs and experience a traditional way of cooking.

29. Use strips of aluminum foil to wrap your hair, then coil them up to make impromptu curlers.

30. Cover doorknobs and hinges with aluminum foil to avoid having to take them off while painting.
Bonus Tip: In many locations, aluminum foil can be recycled along with all of the other household recycling. When you’ve used it for cooking and all of the other interesting projects listed here, just throw it into the bin along with all of your other recyclable materials to keep it out of the waste stream.

Article from  http://lifehackery.com

Tips for New Years Resolutions

5 Tips For New Year's Resolutions

Making a lasting change in behavior is rarely a simple process, and usually involves a substantial commitment of time and effort.

 1.  Be realistic- make your goals attainable. Instead of resolving to never each desserts again, strive for a goal to eat less of your favorite sweets. Don't set yourself up for failure.

 2.  Dealing with Temptation- have a plan to deal with the temptations to come (and they will). Call a friend, think of the rewards of reaching your goal, have activities in place to take your mind off the temptation.

 3.  Reward yourself along the way but make sure it's not a 10 pound box of chocolates if you are trying to lose weight.

 4.  Focus on Positive New behaviors-start a journal and keep yourself accountable for the behavior you are trying to change.

 5   Forgive yourself-slip ups are normal, learn to forgive yourself and get back on track. This is the place that makes or breaks a resolution. When you slip up,it's valuable lesson, we know where the flaw is, and we can fine tune our resolution. For example if we eat something we know we shouldn't, you have two choices in the future.  Refuse to keep junk food in the house or replace these foods with more acceptable choices.

 Baby World

 Cool Tees

 Family Tees

Frozen Tomatoes

I have never thought of freezing tomatoes until I ran across this idea on the Newlyweds site. When tomatoes are taking over and you hate to throw them away, this is a great idea. Here are her step by step instructions for frozen tomatoes:

1. First select your ripe tomatoes, don’t worry if they have any imperfections you can always cut them out later once they are frozen. But do make sure they are ripe to be eaten/or frozen that day. If you don’t have enough for a whole bag, that’s ok, just freeze as you go.
2. Wash each tomato individually
3. remove the stems.
4. Place the clean tomatoes on a towel to dry.
5. hand dry each tomato
6. place in a freezer bag in a single layer.
7. seal up the bag leaving a 1 inch opening, and pinch it open and with your mouth suck out as much air as you can. The less air the better.
8. Place in your freezer on a flat surface till frozen.

After the tomatoes are frozen they are very easy to peel, chop and use in any recipe that calls for canned tomatoes. The texture of the tomato changes once it’s frozen so it best to use in only cooked recipes.

Close a Bag without a Clip

This video clip shows you how to close a bag without a clip. This is so cool. Good to know when you are short on clips or want to save a little money.

Speed Cleaning Tips

Here are 10 great tips to keep your house running smooth...

Childhood memories are funny. Some are so clear you think they happened yesterday. Other memories are hazy or forgotten. For some reason, I remember the day my mother taught me how to clean. "Because dust falls, I start high," she explained, "and then dust lower things." Mom would spend the entire day cleaning the house, a fact I did not appreciate until I was older.
Now that I am a grandmother I have my own cleaning plan and whiz through the house quickly. My philosophy -- doing a little all the time -- works for me and I think it will work for you. These tips will also help you speed clean your home.
1. Join the de-clutter patrol. When it comes to clutter, I am on constant alert. I clear counters, hang up clothes, put shoes away, discard dated magazines, and collect items for recycling. While I am de-cluttering I also water the plants.
2. Create supply central. My cleaning supplies are stored in two cupboards in the laundry room. To save steps, I store paper towels and toilet cleaner in the upstairs bathroom. I also have an upstairs vacuum (a small canister) and a downstairs vacuum (an upright).
3. Set a schedule. D. B. Uhlman makes this point in "Tips for Keeping a House-Cleaning Schedule,' published on the Helium website. "Each week choose two major chores to perform" is one piece of advice.
4. Wipe up immediately. Heloise writes about this approach in a Good Housekeeping website article, "Room-by-Room House-Cleaning." According to Heloise, wiping up floor and refrigerator spills immediately saves you time.
5. Sweep up after meals. In her book, "The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home," Martha Stewart tells homemakers to sweep the floor after dinner. Using the dish cloth, I wipe the floor in front of the sink and stove, and toss the cloth into the washing machine.
6. Try new products. I just discovered pull-out glass cleaning wipes and love them. These wipes can be used on sinks and glass or china lamps. I also love the new electro static dusters with retractable wands.
7. Vacuum smartly. Years ago, when my husband and I were in Hong Kong, we purchased some Oriental rugs. To prolong the life of the rugs, I vacuum them in one direction only. Another cleaning tip, according to Heloise, is to vacuum high traffic areas and save the rest for later.
8. Choose your mop. I used sponge mops for years. Now I use a synthetic rag mop which can be washed in the machine. It gets into corners better than the sponge mop. Speed cleaning is easier with the right mop.
9. Keep a supplies list. Jot down the items you are running low on as you clean. This way, you will never be caught short or run out of supplies.
10. Add some fun. Cleaning to music can change your whole outlook on the task. Extra lighting will lift your spirits and energy. Doing a little all the time eliminates the need for spring cleaning. Now that's something to cheer about!
Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for decades. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of Health Care Journalists, and Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon.
Centering Corporation has published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal with 100 writing prompts. Hodgson is also a monthly columnist for the new "Caregiving in America" magazine. Please visit her website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson

Shelf Life of Foods

Ever wonder about foods that have best to use by on the container..should you throw it away?  Get all the answers for food safety from this very informative site.  Great for all Food Preparers.

Click Here to Visit the  Still Tasty Site

Herb Garden

I thought this was such a clever idea if you are into herb gardening. Debbie took these clay pots and rebar(steel rods) and made a unique garden. She ran the rods through the holes and positioned the pots so she could fill each one with herbs. I thought this was a clever idea...Here are her comments on the pots and what she has in them:

The pot behind this one has chives and rosemary. It's just an old pot that I've had these herbs in for 4 years now. They come back every year. The stacked garden has parsley, oregano, basil and cilantro. When I planted them, they were teeny tiny. They've really done well. You only have to water the top pot, the water trickles down.

I have never wanted to grow herbs until now..She says there is still plenty of good growing season to start a garden. With everything so compact, I think this is a plan I could live with. Thanks for the great idea Debbie and keep sending those tips.

How To Peel Potatoes Fast

I just made potato salad yesterday. I always cook my potatoes whole, but peeling them is still a pain. This is so much easier. I was just one day short of trying this but will definitely try it next time

Duggar Family Money Saving Tips

  Money saving Tips from the Duggar Family
 

The Duggar Interview: Buy Used, Save the Difference

How do you save money? Jim Bob Duggar: Back about 18 years ago, we went through Jim Sammon's Financial Freedom Seminar. We advise any family -- Michelle Duggar: -- or young person -- JD: -- to buy this DVD set. It has 20 sessions you go through and it encourages how to get out of debt. It taught us all kinds of things about finances and saving money. From there, once we got out of debt, we were able to save up for seven years and we paid cash for a house. It took us about a year to fix it up and make it livable. From there, we started investing in commercial real estate. As far as money saving tips, we would recommend buying used MD: Buy used, save the difference. That's our family motto. MD: We get our clothes at thrift shops. You can find really nice name-brand stuff. Our girls love it. They will find tons of stuff.  JD: We have a lot of family recipes that save us money, like tater tot casserole and ice cream cake and that kind of stuff. But we also have recipes for homemade laundry soap and homemade wet wipes. We've saved a lot of money that way.  MD: It costs $2 to make 10 gallons of laundry detergent that will last us 2 months. We spend $1 a month on laundry detergent. JD: We used to pay, like, $12 for a jug of it.  MD: You can cut corners when you realize that you have a certain amount to work with. The trap when you're in debt and you're using credit a lot, is that you think they sky's the limit. You're in that mind set. But then the payments begin to fall on you, so there really isn't that freedom. That's why they named that seminar "financial freedom" because it really is a freedom when you're not borrowing.  JD: Romans 13:8 says, "Own nothing but love." There are times we've had hospital bills and stuff like that or unexpected expenses that we've had to pay off for a little while. MD: But our goal is to not go into debt. But then you live within a certain budget and you're much more creative about how you're spending it. You look for a bargain and you learn, "This really wasn't so important" when you look at the price tag. Or you find it used in a thrift shop or a pawn shop.  Do you have a budget for every day things like grocery shopping? JD: I usually give Michelle a limit so that she can kind of estimate -- each cart costs so much money. A lot of times she can go shopping and get a month's worth of groceries in bulk. Usually someone is running into town every day, five days a week, to get milk or bread or eggs or something like that.  MD: We can't keep fresh fruit. We go through it so quick. JD: We keep a list on the refrigerator of things to buy and which store to get it from. MD: Typically, we purchase the things we need for our meals, except for like the sour cream or stuff we have already bought. You can save a lot by buying family packs.  I read that once, your hospital bill didn't exactly add up so you asked for it to be itemized -- and realized you had been charged for 86 bars of soap! Do you pay extra close attention to what you're being charged for? MD: Yeah, definitely. For hospital bills, phone bills, anything -- ask for everything to be itemized. Especially cell phone bills, they always add extra expenses. They automatically put stuff on. We call them and get them to take it off. You have to keep an eye on every one of those.   Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value 4 Cups hot tap water 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar 1 Cup Washing Soda ½ Cup Borax - Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. -Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken. -Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel) -Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil. -Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons. -Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads) -Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)  Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar 1 Cup Washing Soda ½ Cup Borax -Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)  Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes Recipe #1 1 Cup White Vinegar Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too. Recipe #2 1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener 4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet. RECIPES TATER TOT CASSEROLE 2 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained 3 2lb bags tater tots 2 cans cream of mushroom 2 cans evaporated milk 2 cans cream of chicken Brown meat drain; place in large cass. dish. Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together. Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour. (One of Daddy’s Favorites!) Makes 2- 9”X13” pans BROCCOLI CASSEROLE 3/4 lb. Velveeta™ cheese, cubed 2 small boxes frozen chopped broccoli 1 cup cooked minute or brown rice 1 onion, chopped 1 stick butter 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup milk Saute onions in butter. Cook broccoli as package directs, drain. Cook rice, combine all ingredients; pour into 9x13 dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until brown. Yum! Yum BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP 7 lbs. frozen broccoli 2 lbs. Velveeta™ 1 quart sweet whipping cream enough water to cook broccoli 1 c. cornstarch w/ cold water to thicken after hot Cook broccoli first. Add Velveeta™ & whipping cream. Add corn starch to thicken. Enjoy! SLOW COOKER LASAGNA 4 pounds ground chuck 4 (28oz.) jar spaghetti sauce 32 lasagna noodles 3 (15oz.) cottage cheese 4 t. dried Italian seasoning 11/3 cups water 4 (4oz.) cans of mushrooms 6 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese Cook beef and Italian seasoning in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles; drain. Combine spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, seasoned meat and water in bowl. Layer thinly in bottom of lightly greased 5-quart electric slow cooker: 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, sauce mixture, cottage cheese & mozzarella cheese. Repeat for each layer (approx 8 total layers). Cover & cook on high setting for 1 hour; reduce heat & cook on low setting for 5 hours. Can do ahead and store in fridge!! Yields 16 Servings (one FULL 5 quart Crock Pot!!!) \ HASHBROWN CASSEROLE 1 (32 oz.) pkg. frozen hash browns (2 lbs.) 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1/2 c. milk 2 t. onion powder 1/2 t. pepper 2 c. grated cheddar cheese 1/4 c. melted butter 3 c. cornflakes, crush cornflakes in Ziploc™ bag, pour melted butter in & shake. Spray casserole dish with oil. Layer 1/2 hash brown first. Then pour 1/2 of soup mixture = cream of chicken, milk, onion powder, salt, & pepper. Then half of the grated cheese. Repeat… Hash browns, soup mixture, grated cheese. Top with crushed, buttered corn flakes. Bake at 350 for 45 min. (Jana’s favorite meal!) LAYERED SALAD 1st- 1/2 head lettuce 6 boiled eggs, chopped 1/ 2 lb. turkey bacon, crumbled 2nd- 1/2 head lettuce 1 can peas, drained 1 small onion , chopped 3rd- 2 cups REAL* Mayonnaise 1 small container sour cream Shred cheddar cheese over top. Chill. *Be sure and use REAL mayonnaise, it makes a big difference! (One of Mommy’s favorites!) ALLIE’S NO BAKE CHEESECAKE 2 pkg. cream cheese (12 oz.) 1 c. powdered sugar 8 oz. Cool Whip™ Beat cream cheese & powdered sugar together & fold in cool whip™. It will fill 24 cupcakes with a vanilla wafer in the bottom, or 1 heaping gram cracker crust, or 2 thin gram cracker crusts. (This is one of Jill’s favorite desserts!) LAYERED ICE CREAM CAKE Makes a 9”x 13” Pan 24 Ice cream sandwiches 8 oz. Cool Whip™ 1 Hershey’s™ chocolate syrup bottle 1 Smuckers™ caramel syrup bottle 2 king size Butterfinger™ candy bars chopped up 1st layer -12 ice cream sandwiches 2nd – half of whipped cream 3rd - half of Butterfinger™ bars, Squeeze 1/2 of caramel & chocolate over that. 4th - rest of ice cream sandwiches 5th – Cool Whip™ 6th - rest of Butterfinger™, caramel & chocolate You can freeze this and eat as desired! Yummy! Yummy! BUCKEYES (Michelle is originally from Ohio) Combine & mix: 1 lb. peanut butter 1 lb. powdered sugar 2 sticks melted butter (1c.) Shape into balls & cool in freezer. Combine in double boiler on low: 1/2 slab paraffin 12 oz. choc, chips Dip balls in with toothpick. Cool on waxed paper. Store in layers on waxed paper

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