Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #498 February 14, 2007 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= ================================= Today's FEATURE Sponsor Is... Betty Crocker's FREE - Dinner Made Easy Newsletter The name you trust has a fantastic new FREE Dinner newsletter. Make finding inspiration for dinnertime a breeze. Join today! ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** NEW on The BLOGS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The Always Popular KCnM BLOG Jam packed with even MORE recipes, household hints, craft ideas...everything you've come to love about KCnM! Please post a comment while you're there! The Pie Recipes Blog Believe it or not, we're up to over 220 pie recipes. Drop by and find a new favorite to try for dessert tonight... The Happy Slob's Housecleaning BLOG Housecleaning, made fun! Recent posts include: * How to get melted wax out of fabric * How to clean dusty/dirty dried flowers or dried floral wreaths The Happy Slob's Bargains Blog Find some fantastic bargains here! Recent bargains include: * A heating pad for pets * A reed diffuser in lavender vanilla, lemongrass or other beautiful scents ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** E-mail your questions or answers to me by clicking HERE Please include YOUR NAME so that I can give credit where credit is due! :) ----------------- PARTIALLY PRE-COOKING A TURKEY Kathleen, from Switzerland, writes: "Hi - I live in Switzerland where the ovens are much smaller. Every year I am limited in the number of guests I can invite for Thanksgiving due to my limited turkey size. Is it possible to partially precook a turkey (I always cook them in cooking bags without stuffing), and then while the guests are enjoying the first turkey, finish up the second in the oven? How long would it take to heat a cooled turkey through? I can get about a 12 pound turkey in the oven, but that is max. Thanks very much for your advice." BED BUGS One reader asks: "how can you get ride of bed bugs? HELP!?!?!?!" IDEAS FOR KITCHEN DECORATING/DECOR Lilly asks: "I want to decor my kitchen with a motive that lasts all year through. Can you suggest projects I can do myself,besides where to purchase nice things. I would like country decor." ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** HOUSEHOLD HINTS & HELP FROM READERS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** E-mail hints to me by clicking here Please include your name, so that I can give you proper credit for the tip. ----------------- ANOTHER TIP FOR SEASONING CAST IRON SKILLETS Becky writes: "I love to find old skillets anywhere no matter what kind of shape they are in. Trust me, some have seen better days! No matter what, I have been able to salvage each one of them. I know that one day my kids will move out and take every thing that isn't nailed down, including my skillets. So I have them stockpiled. All I do to season them is.....clean them really well with an SOS pad, dry them on a low stove burner and when I want to season them, I just make some bacon! That's it, the mystery is solved. Bacon. My dad has a fit everytime Mom washes his "seasoned" skillet. A pound of bacon later, it's as good as used! (Who would want it new?) It's not necessary to use soap to wash them after that, all you need to do is wipe it out with a paper towel and it's good for next time. It's just like using Pampered Chef stonewear. Don't wash it when a wipe will do, right?" More on Cast Iron Skillets at the KCnM Blog where I've posted more of our readers fantastic ideas! 70 WAYS TO USE VINEGAR AROUND THE HOME Lots of great tips you'll love at Our Vinegar Uses Page MAKING SOFTER COOKIES A simple way to get soft, bakery-style cookies. Tip for Softer Cookies For great cleaning ideas, visit: The Happy Slob's Guide to House Cleaning ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** GREAT DECORATING STYLE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Want to live in country style? For great design and decorating inspiration, get 3 exciting home and garden books for ONLY $4.95 plus a FREE garden tote. Click for details. Click Here for Your Decorating Books ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** REQUEST A RECIPE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** One of the most popular sections of our newsletter! Send a request of your own, or answer a previous request. E-mail recipes or requests by clicking here ======================== ~~~RECIPE REQUESTS: ~~~ Please help these readers find these recipes! :) Thanks for your help everyone... Sugar-Free Desserts and Coffee Drinks One reader asks: "Does anyone have some yummy sugar-free dessert and coffee recipes? Thanks! Homemade Herbal Tea Recipes Another reader asks: "Do you guys have any tea recipes to share? I'd like to use fresh herbs to make homemade herbal teas." ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES FOUND! The recipes readers have been asking for... ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Microwave Chocolate Fudge Recipe Submitted by a reader 1 pound powdered sugar 1/2 cup cocoa 1 stick butter or margarine 1/4 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1 teaspoon vanilla Grease a 8 inch square glass dish with butter or margarine, set aside. Sift powdered sugar. Mix powdered sugar and cocoa together. Add margarine and milk DO NOT STIR. Heat uncovered on HIGH power for 2 minutes. Stir just to mix. Add nuts and vanilla, stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan, refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut and serve. 2-3 dozen squares -------------------- Toaster Oven Recipes - Lip Smackin' Chicken Thanks to Collette for the following toaster oven recipes. 1 pkg. skinless, boneless chicken (approx. 4 thighs/2 breasts) Wheat germ Garlic powder Chives Pam cooking spray Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly rinse chicken and place in toaster over tray sprayed with Pam. Coat each chicken piece with wheat germ. Sprinkle with garlic powder and chives. Coat with Pam. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. Serves 3-4. -------------------- Toaster Oven Recipes - Banana Walnut Muffins (Makes 6) 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 egg 1/4 cup cooking oil 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 ripe bananas, coarsely mashed 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees. Brush a six-muffin tin with oil or cooking spray. Using a whisk or spoon, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, buttermilk and bananas. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until thoroughly blended. Add the walnuts and mix in. Spoon batter into pan. Bake (with or without convection) for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then remove and serve warm. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES & CRAFT PROJECTS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== Green Tea Acne Treatment A great article on how green tea can help to naturally treat acne.Green Tea Acne Treatment Apple Pie Potpourri - Great Gift Make an easy apple pie potpourri, store in jars and then give as gifts! Apple Potpourri Recipe Baby Gift Baskets Great Gift for Baby Showers Baking soda Uses Database of Uses for Baking soda Cleaning Recipe - Homemade Carpet Cleaning Foam Homemade Foaming Carpet Cleaner ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam @ nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== Friendship Tea Mix Submitted by Pat FRIENDSHIP TEA MIX (Makes about 5-6 cups of mix) 1 (18-oz.) Tang (or orange-flavored instant drink mix) 1/2 cup pre-sweetened lemonade mix 1/2 cup instant tea (not flavored) 1 (3-oz.) pkg. apricot jello 2-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground cloves Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Store in an airtight container. To give as a gift: Put 2 TBSP mix into a snack-size ziplock bag and attach instructions: Place contents of bag into a coffee cup or mug. Fill with boiling water and stir. ENJOY! Note: If giving more than one serving---attach these instructions: Place 2 TBSP of mix into a coffee cup or mug and fill with boiling water and stir ---------------------- Copycat Orange Julius Drink Submitted by a Jeannie V. 16 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate 1-ounce sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding mix (recommended: Jell-o) 1 (4-ounce) orange cream yogurt (recommended: Yoplait Orange Creme) 1 cup low-fat milk 3 cups ice cubes Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Divide among glasses. ----------------------- Easy Fruit Pizza Recipe Submitted by Jeannie V. Fruit Pizza For the crust you take sugar cookie dough spread it out lika a round pizza or you can do it square..what ever you want, then you cook it in the oven till brown. Preheat oven to 350...let cool, in the meantime you take one square block of cream cheese and mix it with a small thing of marshmallow fluff...mix it really good till its not lumpy anymore...now your crust should be ready. Spread the cream on it and you can cut up any fruit of your choice and put it on like a pizza and you can buy all this in low fat too..and enjoy! =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================