Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #471 February 20, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= ...KCnM Advertising... Info by emailing christinam @ nucleus.com Please support the KCnM newsletter ...by clicking on these sponsor ads... ================================= NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® - Sign up for great baking advice, recipes - and SAVINGS! Also, check out other free samples, money-saving coupons, exclusive discounts and other quality offers Click Here for Baking Newsletter ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN TODAY'S ISSUE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES: * Antiseptic Spray (Kitchen Crafts) * Apple & Pineapple Crisp (Traditional) * Creamy Italian Chicken for the Crockpot (Recipes Found) * English Toffee Popcorn Bars (Traditional) * Freezer Strawberry Jam (Recipes Found) * Leaf Transparencies (Kitchen Crafts) * Popeye's Red Beans and Rice Recipe (Recipes Found) * Quick Mahogany Cake (Recipes Found) * Simple BBQ Chicken Pizza (Traditional) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- GOUT REMEDIES Lawrence asks: "Do you have any gout remedies? BAKING WITH SPLENDA Doris asks: "I have a friend who is diabetic and wanted me to bake something. I was told I could substitute Splenda for the sugar? (I want to make Persimmon Bread and the recipe calls for a whopping 3 cups of sugar)." ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** HELP FROM READERS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Help a fellow reader - send an answer to one of the above questions, and we'll post it here! (Send to christinam@nucleus.com) ----------------- BATHTUB CLEANING TIPS Last Friday a reader asked about cleaning the bathtub - a much hated chore for many of us. Our readers came through with some great tips to help: Bathtub Cleaning Tips More Helpful Household Cleaning Tips - Bath and More MORE HELP USING EVAPORATED MILK One reader suggested: "For the lady wanting to know how to use evaporated milk. She could buy a quart or half gallon of milk, freeze it in small containers, then thaw as needed. " Ruthellen says: "In response to Arlene's wanting to NOT keep milk in the house. I freeze milk either in 1 cup containers or even in ice cube trays and then pop it out into a freezer bag. One or 2 minutes in the microwave defrosts it for use in recipes. I also freeze milk when it is on sale in recycled plastic tubs or plastic 1 quart mayonaise jars, leaving at least 2 inches at top. Glass jars tend to break. These can be defrosted in refrigerator overnight. It keeps fine for at least a month, especially if frozen well before expiration date. Dry powdered milk, reconstituted is fine in mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese with a little extra butter." Sandy recommends: "Use equal parts of evaporated milk and water - I use this in cereal, mashed potatoes, etc. Works well." Sylvia says: " To the lady wanting to use evaporated milk, dilute it half and half with water. Tastes great in potatoes, makes great gravy, pudding is wonderful, etc. Great for cooking, but does not taste good to just drink in a glass. " ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** REQUEST A RECIPE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** One of the most popular sections of our newsletter - request a recipe or send in requested recipe. Contact: christinam @ nucleus.com ======================== ~~~RECIPE REQUESTS: ~~~ Starbucks Aussie Bars Christine asked: "I have a recipe request for Starbucks Aussie Bars. These are so good, but I can't find a comparable recipe. Thanks!" CHOCOLATE PIZZA RECIPE Karen asks: "My daughter asked me if I had a recipe for "chocolate pizza". It apparently has M & M's, chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, etc. on it." ~~~RECIPES FOUND:~~~ Our Entire Collection of RECIPES FOUND -- Click Here Creamy Italian Chicken for the Crockpot Freezer Strawberry Jam Recipe ------------------- Mahogany Cake (Chocolate Cake with Tomato Paste in Batter) QUICK MAHOGANY CAKE Submitted by Pat 1 (18 1/2 to 19 oz.) pkg. devils food cake mix 1 (4 oz.) pkg. chocolate instant pudding 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste 3/4 c. water 4 eggs 1/2 c. salad oil 1 Tbsp. instant coffee 1/2 tsp. cinnamon confectioners sugar Combine all ingredients except confectioners sugar in large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until blended. Beat 2 minutes at high speed. Scrape bowl several times. Turn into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake is done and springs back when pressed with fingertips. Cool on wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. ------------------- Popeye's Red Beans and Rice ~Submitted by Kelly~ 3 (16 ounce) cans red beans (2 cans with liquid, 1 can drained ) 1/2 to 3/4 pound smoked ham hock 1 1/4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/4 teaspoon red pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon lard 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper 4 to 5 cups long grain rice, cooked and drained Pour 2 cans of beans with their liquid into a 2-quart saucepan. Add smoked ham hock and water. Simmer over medium heat for 1 hour until the meat starts to loosen from the bone. Remove from heat and cool until the hock is cool enough so the meat may be removed from the bone. Place the meat, beans and liquid in a food processor. To the mixture add onion powder, garlic salt, red pepper, salt, and lard. Process for only 4 seconds. Beans should be chopped and liquid thick. Add the third can of beans that have been drained of their liquid. Process just for a second or two; you want these beans to remain almost whole. Pour bean mixture back into to pan and cook slowly on low heat stirring often until ready to serve. Serve over rice. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== LEAF TRANSPARENCIES A fantastic craft idea - fun for parents and kids to do together, or as a project at school. Leaf Transparencies Project ANTISEPTIC SPRAY using Tea Tree Oil A great homemade antiseptic spray that uses tea tree oil - a favorite of many KCnM readers! If you've never tried making anything like this, you'll be surprised by how easy it is. Homemade Antiseptic Spray Recipe ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** ARTICLE OF THE DAY Step by Step Scrapbooking ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Interested in learning how to scrapbook, but not quite sure how to begin? The following guide will help you get started with this fun and rewarding hobby. The guide explains how to organize your scrapbook photos, plan your scrapbook project, select your scrapbook album, create your album pages and store your scrapbook supplies... Finish reading the article at: Step by Step Scrapbooking ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam @ nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== FROM: SUE B. APPLE AND PINEAPPLE CRISP INGREDIENTS: 4 cups peeled and sliced apples 1 ( 8 ounce) can crushed pineapple 1 tbsp. lemon juice 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the apple slices in a 9" x 9" baking dish that has been buttered. Mix the undrained crushed pineapple and the lemon juice in a bowl. Spread over the apples. Combine the brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the butter with a fork. Sprinkle over the pineapple layer. Bake, cover with foil, for 30 minutes then remove the foil. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes longer or until the top is crispy. --------------- SIMPLE BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA 1 (12-inch) pizza shell or pre-baked crust 1 Cup Barbecue sauce 2 cooked Chicken breasts, diced 10 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/2 cup red onion, chopped 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread the BBQ sauce evenly over the entire crust. Sprinkle chicken breast, onion and pepper over crust. Top with cheese and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Yield: Approx. 4 Servings -------------- English Toffee Popcorn Bars ~Submitted by Treva~ 2 & 1/2 quarts popped popcorn* 1 cup peanuts 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted Toffee: 1 & 1/2 cups butter or margarine 1 & 1/2 cups sugar 3 tablespoons water 4 & 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup Chocolate Topping: 1 & 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate pieces 1 tablespoon shortening Combine popcorn, peanuts and toasted coconut. Cover bottom of a buttered 15 & 1/2 by 10 & 1/2 by 1-inch jelly-roll pan with half popcorn mixture. Keep filled pan and remaining popcorn mixture warm in a preheated 200 degree Fahrenheit oven. Toffee: Melt butter over low heat in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Add sugar and blend well. Continue to cook over low heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches a full boil. Add water and corn syrup; mix well. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar granules. Cook and stir over low heat, until mixture reaches soft-crack stage on a candy thermometer (280 degrees). Immediately pour mixture over warm popcorn in jelly-roll pan, making certain all popcorn is covered. Quickly spread and press remaining popcorn mixture into hot toffee. Set aside to cool. Chocolate topping: Melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. Spread over popcorn mixture, making certain any loose pieces are held in place. Cool. Cut into bars. May be wrapped in plastic wrap for storage. Yield: 20 (4 by 2 inch) bars. =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================