Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #474 March 1, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= ...KCnM Advertising... Info by emailing christinam @ nucleus.com Please support the KCnM newsletter ...by clicking on these sponsor ads... ================================= Buy the Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning Why are people LOVING this book so much? Because it boils down nasty and boring household tasks into something EASIER and FASTER! Drop by now to get your copy AND to learn about Christina's online mission... Click Here for the Happy Slob's Housecleaning Guide ============= Enter to win a $50,000 Ultimate Home Makeover! Click Here to Enter ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN TODAY'S ISSUE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES: * 3 Milk Dominican Cake (Recipes Found) * Bell Pepper Salsa (Recipes Found) * Breakfast or Brunch Sweet Rolls (Traditional) * Chicken Enchilada Casserole (Traditional) * Maple Butternut Squash Casserole (Traditional) * Monterey Spaghetti Bake (Recipes Found) * Shell Candles (Kitchen Crafts) * Wintergreen Air Freshener (Kitchen Crafts) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- CLEANING A SHOWER STALL Beth asks: "I am having a hard time getting my shower stall floor clean. I'm not sure what it's made of, maybe plastic or fiberglass. Can anyone help me?" CRAFT SHOW IDEAS One reader wrote: "I'm thinking of selling at craft shows, but I need ideas from those who have on what will really sell. Does anyone have any tips for me? Thanks!" ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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) ----------------- CLEANING SMOOTH-TOP STOVE Hope suggests: "I have a glass top and I use either soft scrub or Dawn Power Dissolver. They both work great and do not scratch the top." Elaine says: "I was given a boxtop cutter with mine to use as a scraper. When my stovetop gets bad buildup I will use the cutter to scrape as much residue off with it first. Then I take a kitchen spray cleaner and spritz over then use a wet sponge to wipe off as much as possible. Last, I use a cook top cleaner, pour some on the cooktop, take a wet sponge and using circular motions I scrub the cleaner into the mess, I then let the cleaner sit for about 5 minutes. Then remove with a dry soft cloth, buffing at the end. Sometimes I have had to use the cleaner twice on really baked in stains, even letting the cleaner sit longer before buffing off. I hope this helps." HELP WITH CANKER SORES Nancy writes: "I had lots of them when I was younger. This is what worked for me and the rest of my family. Take a teaspoon of sugar, yes sugar and put it on the sore. You do this when your going to bed the sore is usually gone in the morning. Now she can't wait until they are big to do this do it at the first sign. " Oleta says: "I always use cider vinegar on canker sores and they heal up almost immediately and surprise it doesn't hurt." Bettie in Texas writes: " As soon as you feel the sore coming, wrap an ice cube in a napkin and hold it on the spot for 5 seconds on and 5 seconds off for a total of about 2 minutes. Doctors think the virus that causes the canker sore is probably killed by the cold, but they are not really sure why it works." More Helpful Health Tips: 6 Ways to Reduce Cold & Flu Symptoms Help with Kidney Stones Migraine Relief - Tips & Hints from Readers ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** >>>BENEFITS OF OLIVE OIL <<< Includes all sorts of health benefits that come just from using olive oil! Olive Oil Article >>>TIPS ON GETTING MORE WHEN SELLING YOUR HOME<<< Easy tips to make more money when selling your home! Selling Homes - Tips >>> MAKE YOUR OWN HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT <<< Still one of the most popular pages on our site - check out why. Easy recipes that ANYONE can make! Vanilla Recipes ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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: ~~~ ITALIAN MEATBALLS Laura asks: "I am looking for a recipe for the large spicy meatballs that you usually get at a church spaghetti dinner in an Italian parish. I've tried various spices, but can't seem to get the result I'm looking for. I also think my problem might be that I am just using ground beef and they may have had pork added." MORE COFFEE RECIPES Janelle writes: "my friend and I were wondering if anyone had any ideas on homemade coffee drinks. they have lots of places where they sell "specialty coffees" where we live, but they are really expensive. thank you!!" CHICKEN SPREAD Judi writes: "I love Underwood Chicken Spread, and have recently found that Armour also makes a chicken spread. However, they are both very expensive, but taste almost identical.. I would really like to find a recipe for these to make at home, becausea 6 ounce can of Underwood is liek $1.75 and a 5.5 ounce can of Armour is $1.18. I buy chicken breasts when they are on sale for $.99 a pound and could make a WHOLE LOT of chicken spread with a $.99 pound of chicken breast!! Anyone got any ideas how I can copy this product??" ~~~RECIPES FOUND:~~~ Tres Leches (3 Milk Cake) Dominican Cake ~Submitted by Olga~ 1 cup sugar 5 eggs, separated 1/3 cup milk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar MILK SYRUP: 1 - 12 ounce can evaporated milk 1 cup sweetened condensed milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tablespoon rum MERINGUE: 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar 3 egg whites Directions For the cake - beat 3/4 cup sugar and the egg yolks until light and fluffy. Stir in the milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, add the cream of tartar and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Continue beating until the whites are firm and glossy. Gently fold the whites into the egg mixture. Pur into a greased 9 X 13" greased pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Unmold onto deep platter. Cool 2 hours. Pierce all over with a fork. For the milk syrup - combine the evaporated and sweetened condensed milk with the cream, vanilla and rum. Blend well. Pour syrup over cake, spooning the overflow until all the syrup is absorbed. For the meringue - Place all but 2 tablespoons of sugar in a heavy saucepan with 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Uncover the pan and cook to the soft ball stage (239 degrees on a candy thermometer). BEAT the egg whites to soft peaks with the remaining 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. POUR the boiling SUGAR SYRUP carefully in a thin stream into the egg whites while beating the mixture. Beat until cool. Thickly spread on top and sides of the cake using a wet spatula. Refrigerate the cake at least 2 hours before serving. ------------------- MONTEREY SPAGHETTI BAKE ~Submitted by Beth~ 4 oz. broken spaghetti, cooked and drained 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 cup sour cream ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ tsp. garlic powder 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1 can (2.8 oz.) French-fried onions Combine egg, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Add spaghetti, spinach and ½ the onions; toss to combine. Pour mixture into a baking dish. Cover; bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Top with remaining onions. Bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes until onions are browned. ------------------- FOR: A Reader FROM: SUE B. BELL PEPPER SALSA In a 8 or 9-inch square pan, combine 1 Cup coarsely chopped firm-ripe tomatoes, 1 Cup coarsely chopped red bell peppers, 2 cloves chopped garlic and 1 Tsp. olive oil. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in a 350 degree oven until tomatoes mash easily about 50 to 60 minutes. Pour vegetable mixture into a blender or food processor. Add 1/2 Cup fresh cilantro, 1/3 Cup chopped green onions, 1 1/2 Tsp. baldsamic vinegar and 1/4 Tsp. sugar. Whirl until coarsely pureed. Add salt to taste. YIELDS: Makes 4 servings. MORE RECIPES FOUND ON OUR SITE: Even more delicious recipes you'll want to try! Buttermilk Pie Recipes Calypso Bars Recipe Japanese Marinated Cucumbers Side Dish ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== WINTERGREEN OIL AIR FRESHENER So easy, and really inexpensive too. Wintergreen oil can be purchased in nearly any pharmacy. Wintergreen Air Freshener SHELL CANDLES PROJECT A simple, and beautiful way to use seashells to adorn a candle. Shell Candles Project ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam @ nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== Breakfast or Brunch Rolls ~Submitted by Hannah~ These are delicious anytime and you can heat leftover rolls in the microwave for 10-15 seconds each so the cinnamon-sugar glaze gets warm and sticky, and the rolls are tender and soft. Yum. INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup boiling water 1 cup warm water 2 pkgs. active dry yeast 2 eggs 1 tsp sugar 6-1/2 to 7 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. cinnamon PREPARATION: Combine 3/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup boiling water in a large bowl and let cool to lukewarm. Combine 1 cup warm water, yeast and 1 tsp sugar in a small bowl and set aside for 5-10 min until the mixture becomes puffy. When the yeast mixture has puffed and the butter/sugar mixture is cooled to warm, combine these two mixtures and stir to blend. Stir eggs into batter. Then stir in half the flour and beat well. Add more flour until the dough is too stiff to stir. Lightly sprinkle work surface with flour and knead the dough for five minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until dough is smooth and satiny. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover bowl and let rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/2" thick. Cut dough into 24 1x6" strips. Place melted butter in shallow bowl. Combine 1 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp. cinnamon on a plate. Dip each strip of dough into butter, then coat in the cinnamon sugar. Fold strip in half, short ends meeting, and twist dough twice. Place in greased 13x9" pans, 12 strips to each pan. Cover and let rise in warm place until rolls are doubled and light, about 40-50 minutes. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until rolls are golden brown and firm. Remove from pans and let cool. Eat warm! 24 rolls --------------- CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE ~Submitted by Treva~ 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts 6 cloves garlic,peeled and smashed 1 tsp ground cumin 1 small can diced green chiles 4 cups grated cheddar cheese 1 package corn tortillas 2 cans prepared enchilada sauce OR 2 packages of enchilada sauce mix (and tomato sauce or paste to prepare as on pkg.) salt and pepper to taste GARNISH: chopped tomato sliced olives sour cream 1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Salt and pepper chicken breasts and place in skillet in single layer. Add water to poach chicken(not covering) and place smashed garlic and 1/2 can of green chiles in skillet on top of chicken.Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.When cooked and cool enough to handle shred chicken (reserving the cooking water) and mix in the garlic and green chiles from the water and enough of the water to moisten the shredded chicken. 2.Either heat prepared enchilada sauce or prepare enchilada sauce mix as per instructions. Mix about 1/2 to 1 cup of this mixture in with chicken to flavor. 3. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish pour about 1 cup of sauce on bottom of pan. Next break tortillas in half and dip into enchilada sauce and layer on bottom of pan(use as many as you need to cover bottom of pan,about 4). On top of this layer place about,1 cup of enchilada sauce, 1/3 of shredded chicken mixture,then about 1 cup of cheese and some of the diced green chiles. Continue layering until you've used all your chicken( ABOUT 3 LAYERS). Last layer should be enchilada sauce and cheese. 4. Cover pan with foil and bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is browned ( about 10 additional minutes). To serve cut in squares,like lasagna, and garnish with your choice of sour cream,olives or tomatoes. -------------- Maple Butternut Squash Casserole ~Submitted by Treva~ Butternut squash casserole recipe, baked with maple syrup, butter, and a simple pecan and brown sugar topping. 1 medium butternut squash 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons butter dash salt 1/3 cup chopped pecans 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar Cut butternut squash up and remove seeds and pulp. Cut into 1 & 1/2-inch pieces. Steam for about 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Remove and let cool slightly. Remove peel and put squash into a bowl; mash with butter and maple syrup. Stir in a little cinnamon and a dash of salt, to taste. Transfer squash mixture to a buttered 1-quart casserole. Combine pecans and brown sugar; sprinkle over the squash. Bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes. Serves 4. =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================