Spring Cleaning and Delicious Chicken Meal - April 23, 2009

Hi Everyone!

Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers for a safe pregnancy. We found out that I need insulin and have high blood pressure along with the fact that I have been having lots of contractions. If you have an order problem and we don't respond to your e-mail right away, I might be in the hospital so please be patient with us. If so, Mike and Mom will respond to you as soon as possible. Thanks!

In today's newsletter, we've included some tips to make your spring cleaning easier and also a delicious menu that's sure to please!

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

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Today's Tips:

Spring is here and for many of us that means spring cleaning! Today's tips are meant to help you make cleaning easier.

• If you have old linens that have yellowed, turned brown or are dingy, soak them in buttermilk or sour milk to brighten them and remove some of the stains. This works especially well for items like quilts or old doilies that you don't want to use anything harsh on.
  


• Soak colored cottons overnight in salt water to reduce fading of the colors.
  


• If you get a build up of spray starch or fusible web on the sole plate of your iron, just run it over a dryer sheet to clean it off.
  


• Keep a toothbrush by your kitchen sink to clean things like graters, choppers, mixer beaters and openers. You will be surprised how often you grab it to use on hard to clean places.
  


• Clean your coffee pot once in a while. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar into it and run it through as if you were making coffee. Repeat a couple of times using the same vinegar.
  
  Pour 1/4 cup baking soda down your drain. Then pour the used vinegar from the coffee maker down the drain. Let it sit for a minute or so.
  
  Next, pour 1-2 pots of water through the coffee maker to wash out the vinegar. When each pot of rinse water from the coffee maker is done, pour it into the drain. You now have a clean coffee pot and a clean drain.
  


• Take care of all your small appliances. It really does help them last longer.
  
  
  • There is a little door on the bottom of your toaster that catches the crumbs. Open and clean out the crumbs once in a while. (UNPLUG THE TOASTER FIRST!)
    
  
  
  • Wipe down your hand mixer after each use.
    
  
  
  • Run your iron over a dryer sheet to remove anything gummy, including fusible web
    
  
  
  • Blow the dirt off of your fans, computers, or air purifiers. (You can buy cans of air for use with computers at office supply stores. These can be used to blow dirt off of other hard to clean items. I used to use an air compressor to blow the dirt off of house fans and grates.)
    

Today's Menu:

Sonja's Chicken*
Mashed Potatoes
Fried Okra
Pear Fruit Compote*
Seven Layer Cookies*

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Today's Recipes:

I have tasted so many chicken recipes that use cream of chicken soup. This recipe tastes like homemade cream of chicken soup and there is nothing else like it. This is probably the best chicken I have ever eaten. It is like manna from heaven! The flavor is so much richer than any similar recipe I have tasted.

*Sonja's Chicken

1 chicken, cut into pieces
2 cups water
1 tsp. chicken bouillon
Bay leaf
1 tsp. onion salt
1/2 -3/4 cup mushrooms
1/4 tsp. thyme
3/4 cup heavy cream

Place chicken in a plastic bag with some flour and shake to coat chicken in flour. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Mix water, bouillon, bay leaf, onion salt and mushrooms and pour over chicken. Cover and bake for 2 hours at 350°. In the last 15 minutes, add the thyme and heavy cream and continue baking. Leave foil off for that last 15 minutes.

*Seven Layer Cookies

1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1-2 cups flake coconut
1 pkg. (6 oz.) chocolate chips
1 pkg. (6 oz.) butterscotch chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup nuts, chopped

Melt margarine in a 9x13 pan. Add the rest of the ingredients in layers. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Cut into bars when cool.

*Pear Fruit Compote

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup concentrated orange juice
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
1 can (15 1/4 oz.) pear halves, drained
1 can (15 oz.) Mandarin oranges, drained

Topping:

1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. concentrated orange juice

In a large sauce pan, combine the first 5 ingredients in order. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes until thickened. Add fruit, turn down heat and just heat through. In a small bowl, beat topping ingredients until smooth. Serve fruit with a dollop of topping.

Christmas Leftovers - December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!

Don't forget to take advantage of all of the after Christmas sales! For tips on how to make the most of them, read "Save Big During After Christmas Sales!"

Have a Merry Christmas and a great weekend!

-Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

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Today's Tips:

Instead of a menu this week, I will give you some extra recipes to use those Christmas dinner leftovers and also some dips to serve at your New Year's get together.

• This is an unexpected canape and a handy little finger food.
  
  
  • Take your favorite cream cheese dip and roll about 1 teaspoon full into a ball. Press it between two walnut halves. Lay on a platter to serve.
    
  
  


• Save dry cereal odds and ends to add to your Chex mix when you make it.
  


• Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting it in the fridge. It will keep much longer.
  

Today's Recipes:

(Using Leftover Ham)

Sheala's Ham and Noodles

1 (8 oz.) pkg. egg noodles, cooked
1/2 lb. ham, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Mix first three ingredients together in a casserole dish and bake at 350° for 20 minutes until warmed. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serves 4.

1 package of any vegetable may be added.

(Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes)

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

3-4 cups mashed potatoes
4 oz. cream cheese, softened in microwave
1 clove of garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder, to taste
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Mix potatoes, cream cheese and garlic and place in a 1 quart greased baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and place under broiler for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted.

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(Using Leftover Eggnog)

Eggnog Pound Cake

2 Tbsp. margarine
2/3 cup sliced almonds

Grease Bundt or tube pan with margarine and press almonds into sides and bottom

Cake:

1 package yellow cake mix
3 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups eggnog
2 eggs
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Beat everything together until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

David's Favorite Dip

1 jar Kraft Old English cheese spread
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup nuts, chopped

Mix ingredients. Roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Most of the time we just mix it and serve in a bowl without wrapping it. Serve with chips.

Blue Cheese Dip (my favorite)

1 stick butter (not margarine), softened
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1/2 small package (2-3 Tbsp.) slivered almonds, toasted*
2 Tbsp. chopped ripe olives

Mix everything. Chill. If you want to make a ball or log then save out the almonds and roll it in them.

*To toast your almonds lay them on foil or a pan and heat in a 400° oven until brown. Watch carefully.

Serve with chips.

This dip tastes like some very expensive ones that you can buy pre-made. Be sure to use dried herbs and not powdered. Dried herbs are the bigger flakes that haven't been ground fine.

Herb Dip

1 clove garlic, crushed or garlic powder
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. each of dried basil, dill weed, marjoram, thyme,
pepper

Blend all ingredients together. This will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.

Here's a recipe for you fruit lovers!

Cinnamon Sour Cream

1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Mix and serve with fresh fruit. You can use this as a fruit salad dressing. too.
If used as a dressing, then you can use canned fruit and garnish with coconut and/or toasted chopped almonds or nuts.