Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #493 October 11, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= Today's FEATURE Sponsor Is... Beckley's Best Blends - All Natural Soy Candles At Beckley's Best Blends, a husband and wife team (along with help from their kids!) carefully create beautiful, all-natural soy candles. No dyes or additives are ever added, and there are DOZENS of scrumptious scents to choose from - or have a candle customized, and create your own scent! Support a family business that creates the highest quality candles by visiting Beckley's Best Blends - All Natural Soy Candles today! By supporting this sponsor, you support our FREE newsletter. Thank you for your continued support of our valued sponsors. ================================= ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** NEW on The BLOGS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Are you NEW to the idea of blogs? All a blog is is a simple WEB LOG - sort of an online diary of sorts. :) It's an easy way for me to post LOTS of delish recipes, ideas and all sorts of other lovely things that I know KCnM readers will love. So if you haven't taken a moment, pick a blog or two to visit - and be sure to post a comment while you're there! I read every single one. The Always Popular KCnM BLOG Jam packed with even MORE recipes, household hints, craft ideas...everything you've come to love about KCnM! Remember to post a comment while you're there! Recent postings include: - Pickled Beets with Caraway Recipe - Healthy Grilled Caesar Salad Recipe - Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe - How to Melt Chocolate Bath Stuff Blog! For all of us who just LOVE a great bath - and a fabulous bathroom to go along with it. Recent postings include: - Make Your Own Sugar Leg Wax - Make Your Own Herbal Soap - Create a Rose Petal Bath The Pie Recipes Blog I am determined to share as many delicious, amazing pie recipes with you as is humanly possible! :) And what a fun challenge to undertake...we're up to 160 pie recipes listed. Recent postings include: - Mock Pecan Pie Recipe - Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe - Crustless Pumpkin Pie Recipe The Happy Slob's Housecleaning BLOG Housecleaning, made fun! Recent posts include: - Cindy's Miraculous Use of Baking Soda - Remove Grease Stains with Toothpaste - How to Get Super Shiny Faucets The Coffee Creations BLOG - Yummmm All sorts of gorgeous Coffee Creations - recent posts include: - Cinnamon Caramel Iced Coffee - Crazy Coffee Trivia of the Day - Espresso Coffee Cake (from a famous B&B) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Hi everyone, Here is a fresh new issue of Kitchen Crafts 'n' More for you to enjoy. :) I've had fun compiling it with loads of delish new recipes, helpful household hints, and all-around great submissions from all of you. You readers are what makes this newsletter something truly special. As such an interactive newsletter, I look forward to your emails - send in your requests, questions, or send in your favorite household hints, answers to questions, or your best recipes. I'll gladly include them in upcoming issues. Thanks for your help! Take care, Christina ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- No questions right now - so send yours in, and our readers will help answer your tough household, cooking & craft questions! ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** HOUSEHOLD HINTS & 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) ----------------- Softer Cookies Sue submitted this tip: "Add a little cornstarch to chocolate chip cookie dough-with a recipe of about 2c flour use 1 heaping teaspoon, and with 4c flour use a tablespoon. This keeps the cookie soft on the inside." Easier Way to Sort Laundry on Laundry Day Janice Z. says: "To save time and my sanity on laundry day I have everyone sort their own clothes when they take them off each day. I use a different colored basket for different color loads. ie: white basket for white loads, blue for darks, green for hubby's work clothes, and red for brights. This also helped my daughter learn to sort things by color. If you do laundry more than 1 day per week, this will help you see at a glance what you have a full load of to wash." These & other tips featured now at: The Household Hints Blog ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** FREEBIE OF THE WEEK - FREE SAMPLE OF FEBREZE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** A Free Sample of Febreze will make your home smell nice and fresh! Free Sample of Febreze Spray ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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 these readers find these recipes! :) Thanks for your help everyone... No New Recipe Requests this week - please send your requests in! ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** '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! ======================== Easy, Natural Body Scrubs You can find all sorts of the simplest scrubs at: Natural Body Scrubs Age Spot Fading Tips from Readers Natural ways to fade age spots. Natural Tips to Fade Age Spots Wheat Germ Moisturizing Mask Recipe Wheat Germ Mask Mix Recipe: Beef Gravy Mix Recipe Make Your Own Gravy Mix Mix Recipe: Homemade Pancake Mix Recipes Homemade Pancake Mix ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam @ nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== Chocolate Crackle Sundae Sauce Submitted by Christi 1/4 c. butter or margarine 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 c. finely chopped walnuts (optional) In heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. If using walnuts, add to chocolate mixture. Pour over ice cream. Sauce will become firm and chewy. Makes 1 1/2 cups ------------------- Festive Cranberry Pineapple Salad Submitted by Sandy R. 1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Crushed Pineapple, undrained 2 pkg. (4-serving size each) or 1 pkg. (8-serving size) JELL-O Brand Raspberry Flavor Gelatin 1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce 1 medium DOLE Apple, chopped 2/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Walnuts DRAIN pineapple, reserving all of the liquid in a 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Remove 1 Tbsp. of the crushed pineapple; set aside for garnish. Add enough cold water to the reserved liquid to measure 3 cups; pour into large saucepan. Bring to boil; remove from heat. Add gelatin; stir at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add cranberry sauce; stir until well blended. (Note: Due to the presence of whole berries in the cranberry sauce, the gelatin mixture will not be smooth.) Pour into large bowl. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites.) STIR in remaining pineapple, apple and walnuts; stir gently until well blended. Pour into medium serving bowl. REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm. Garnish with reserved crushed pineapple just before serving. Store leftover gelatin in refrigerator. -------------------- Walnut Barley Recipe Submitted by Dorina 1 1/2 cups barley, rinsed and drained 2 celery stalks, chopped 3/4 cup chopped walnuts Salt and pepper to taste Boil the barley in at least 4 cups salted water until tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain and combine in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Serves 4 to 6. ----------------------- Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Submitted by Jeannie V. 3 lbs. chicken pieces - skin removed - debone now or after 1 package Italian salad dressing mix 4 tablespoons melted butter, divided 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 can cream of chicken soup 8 ounces cream cheese 1/2 cup chicken broth Place chicken pieces in crockpot and sprinkle Italian salad dressing mix over the chicken. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. melted butter over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan and saute onion and garlic. Add the cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Stir until smooth. Dip off any fat you can from the crockpot.Add the soup-cream cheese-broth mixture to the crockpot and cook on low for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours. More Crockpot Recipes on Our Site =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================