Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #480 March 29, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= ...KCnM Advertising... Info by emailing christinam @ nucleus.com Please support the KCnM newsletter ...by clicking on these sponsor ads... ================================= Ladies Blend Society LadiesBlend.com is accepting new volunteers for its card giving group-the Ladies Blend Society. Our mission and requirement is to participate in sending cards (store bought or handmade) to recipients posted within our group. Please peruse our group page at: Ladies Blend Society =============== MYSTERY QUILT TOUR Join us on Quilter's 'journey' of quilts around the world! You will LOVE how easy it is to complete a quilt each month - all levels, prizes, gorgeous quilts to showcase your incredible International Mystery Quilt Tour! Hurry - 'Seats' are limited! Mystery Quilt Tour ============== Love Candles? 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Soy Candle Business Info ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TODAY ON OUR BLOGS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Click HERE to Visit the Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Blog Today on our blog we have: - Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe - Low-Fat Oven Fried Chicken Click HERE for Our Housecleaning Blog Recent posts include... - Daily Shower Cleaner - 2 Secret cleaning tips - 5 Minutes CAN Make a Difference Click HERE for the Happy Slob's Great Bargains Blog Recent posts include... - 83% off a Queen Comforter Set! - Great deal on a homemade yogurt maker... ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TODAY'S CRAFT PROJECT ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Decorative Wallpaper boxes Wallpaper Boxes Project ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN TODAY'S ISSUE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES: * Diabetic Desserts (Recipes found): Basic White Layer Cake Diabetic Oatmeal Cookies Southern Delight Muffins * Feta Cheese Dip * Fire Soup (Recipes Found) * Hamburger Soup (Traditional) * Scented Sachet Pillows (Kitchen Crafts) * Stained Glass Jello Torte (Traditional) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- FINDING TEACUPS FOR CRAFT PROJECT Melanie writes: "I need help from your readers. My Relay for Life team is doing a craft project for Mother's Day and we need a source for inexpensive teacups with matching saucers. They need to be in perfect condition (no chips, cracks, etc.) We prefer colorful ones with flowers or designs but they do not have to all be alike. I have already searched ebay. I need more sources. Thanks in advance for your help." REMOVING CIGARETTE ODOR FROM AIR Another reader asks: "I read somewhere about how to get cigarette smoke out of the air. I think it was in your news letter. Let me know if you or anyone can help. " ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** NEW ON OUR WEBSITE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Make Your Home Smell Great to Sell It Easily Realtors know that a great smelling home makes buyers more inclined to put in an offer! Read one realtor's favorite tips and tricks here: Home Scents for Sales Simple Strategies to Help You Find a Real Home Job One work at home virtual assistant shows mothers and others how easy it can be to discover a true home based business for you and your family. Simple Strategies for Finding a Home Based Job or Business ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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) ----------------- REMOVING SPOTS ON CLOTHING BJ says: "I USE "ZOUT".. IT WORKS VERY GOOD. IT COMES IN A ROLL ON OR SPRAY..I PREFER THE ROLL ON. SOAK FOR ABOUT 15 MIN AND THEN WASH AS NORMAL." MAKING AN 8-POINT SKIRT Maren says: "This site has an easy-to-follow pattern:http://www.shira.net/cg/8pointskirt.htm " HELP WITH BRA STRAPS Starla writes: "To hold up bra straps, I took one of the elastic bands with the hooks .They use them to hold mattress pads on the bed or sheets.Hook it on each strap above the hooks.It works wonders." ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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: ~~~ Please help by sending in some of these requested recipes! :) We're running low on recipes lately... WEIGHT WATCHERS CORE RECIPES Cindy asks: "I am on Weight Watcher Core program. I was wondering if any readers had some good recipes including desert (I am really having a hard time finding anything other than jello!) Many thanks in advance." ~~~RECIPES FOUND:~~~ Hi Deana, This is the recipe I have for Fire Soup. I don't know if it's German, but it's very hot! My grandmother used to use this for the flu and head and chest congestion, and it worked! Jane FIRE SOUP 8 servings 1 quart chicken stock or broth 4 teaspoons scotch bonnet peppers, diced very fine 4 garlic cloves, mashed Pour all ingredients into pot and boil vigourously 1 hour. Strain and serve. Sip this slowly, it is spicy. ------------------- DIABETIC DESSERT RECIPES FOR: Sharon FROM: SUE B. DIABETIC OATMEAL APPLE COOKIES INGREDIENTS: 2/3 cup Sugar Twin, 1/2 cup shortening, 2 eggs, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 2 cups oatmeal, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1/2 cup nuts, 1 can small applesauce, 2 cups flour. DIRECTIONS: Cream Sugar Twin, shortening and eggs. Add the rest of ingredients and mix well. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes. BASIC WHITE LAYER CAKE INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups + 2 tsp's. reduced-fat biscuit baking mix, 3/4 cup Splenda Granular, 2/3 cup fat-free milk, 1 egg or equivalent in egg substitute, 2 tbsp's. + 2 tsp's. reduced-calorie margarine, 1 1/2 tsp's. vanilla extract. DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9 by 9-inch cake pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle 2 tsp's. baking mix into prepared pan. Gently pat pan to coat. In a large bowl, combine remaining 1 1/2 cups baking mix and Splenda. Add milk, egg, margarine and vanilla extract. Mix gently just to combine. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. SERVES: 8 DIABETIC EXCHANGES: 1 starch, 1/2 fat. SOUTHERN DELIGHT MUFFINS INGREDIENTS: 1 (15-oz.) can sliced peaches packed in fruit juice, drained and 1/2 cup liquid reserved, 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat biscuit baking mix, 1/2 cup Splenda Granular, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. reduced-calorie margarine, 1/4 cup no-fat sour cream, 2 tbsp's. peach spreadable fruit, 2 tbsp's chopped pecans (optional). DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 8 wells of a 12-hole muffin pan with butter-flavored cooking spray or line with paper liners. Finely chop peaches. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine baking mix, Splenda and baking powder. Add margarine, sour cream, reserved fruit juice and spreadable fruit. Mix gently just to combine. Fold in chopped peaches and pecans. Evenly spoon batter into prepared muffin wells. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and continue cooling on wire rack. HINT: Fill unused muffin wells with water. It protects the muffin tin and ensures even baking. MAKES: 8 DIABETIC EXCHANGES: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 fat. ------------------- MORE RECIPES FOUND ON OUR SITE: Our Entire Recipes Found Collection ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== SCENTED SACHET PILLOWS Submitted by Shannon Items you'll need: 2 pieces of fabric about 6 1/2" if you make a circle, and 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" if making a square. I use Organza (aka Organdy) because it lets the scents out very nicely, and there's always a beautiful selection of it year round at my local fabric store, and it's easy to work with. You might need some Fray Stop in liquid form (spray is too hard to work with on small projects like this). It doesn't take much, either. 1 matching strip of ruffle (enough to go all the way around your circle or square, but be sure to add an inch or two for any "goofs" you might make) A handful of fiber fill. Thread in a matching color 2 packets of sachet scent from the Pot Pourri section of any store that has Pot Pourri. I buy the ones for about .50 or 1.00 at our local Wal-Mart. Tear the fiber fill in small pieces and place in a zip loc bag, then add both packets of scent to the bag. Seal and shake well. Leave it sealed until you're ready to add it to the pillows. If you're making a square, sew the fabric on three of the four sides. If you're making a circle, sew it up, leaving about a 3" opening. Turn the pillow right side out, then add your fiber fill "mixture", then sew the pillow shut. If you're not good at finishing off a pillow, don't worry! That handy little ruffle you bought gets sewn on around the entire pillow, and covers any not so pretty parts you may have. It took me less than hour to do all of this when I did it by hand. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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. HAMBURGER SOUP INGREDIENTS: 1/2 lb. ground beef 3 cups water 1 cup tomato juice 1/4 cup shredded carrots 1 cup diced potatoes 1/4 cup chopped celery 2 tbsp's. uncooked rice 1 medium onion chopped 1 tsp. salt DIRECTIONS: Brown beef in skillet chopping into bite size pieces as it browns. Drain and add to the 3 cups boiling water in a sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. --------------- STAINED GLASS JELLO TORTE Submitted by Treva 1 package lemon or orange jello 1 package lime jello 1 package cherry, raspberry, or strawberry jello Filling: 1 package unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup cold water 1 cup hot pineapple juice 2 cups whipping cream 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Crust: 2 dozen graham crackers 1/2 cup soft margarine 1/2 cup sugar For Jello: Make the three kinds of jello, dissolving each in 1 and 1/2 cups hot water. Set into separate square or cake pans, for thin layer of jello and chill until firm, or overnight. For Crust: Crush graham crackers. Mix with butter and sugar. Line a spring-form pan or pie dish with mixture. Set aside some of the crumb mixture, this will later be used as a topping. Place the graham crumb base in the fridge so that it starts to harden. For Filling: Soften unflavored gelatin in cold water; dissolve in hot pineapple juice. Whip cream, adding sugar and vanilla when almost whipped, while pineapple-gelatin mixture is cooling. When cool, fold into whipped cream. Cut flavored jello into small 1/2 inch cubes; fold into filling. Pour into pan over crust and sprinkle with remaining crust mixture. Chill six to eight hours or overnight. YIELD: Approx 16 Servings -------------- Feta Cheese Dip 8 oz. feta cheese 2 tablespons lemon juice 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil Crumble and mash feta cheese with a fork with oils and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Serve with toasted pita wedges or crackers. Variations Many herbs and spices can be added to this recipe for a "kick". Try adding a teaspoon of dill, oregano, garlic powder, or another herb or spice. For spicier spices like cumin or caraway, start off with 1/8 teaspoon and increase according to taste. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** THANK YOU ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Thanks for Milk Tips Arlene says: "Thanks to Ruthellen, Sylvia, Sandy and the other reader for all their great tips on using evap milk, knowing how to mix it and also to keep frozen milk will get me on my way to better recipes again! Thanks so much" Thanks for coffee recipes Janelle writes: "hi there, thanks for the coffee recipes that you included in the newsletter today. they look really good! and I made sure to let my friend know about that website too. I will keep it bookmarked so I can check on it from time to time for new recipes. (I think the cocoa espresso cooler and coffee frappe look really good. and so does the creamy iced coffee) " Want those yummy coffee recipes Janelle mentioned? They're here: Coffee Shop Style Gourmet Coffee Drinks =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================