Life's a Garden - Dig it!

Christmas Tree Sap

annebaade — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 03:10:46 +0000

Hello everyone, I got a real Christmas tree this year and I have fake wood floors. I did not buy a tree skirt and the tree started to leave drops of sap all over the floor. When I googled how to get the sap off, many sites suggest using Pam, Goo Gone, and even Mineral spirits! I decided to try the Pam first, sprayed on a hefty layer and let it sit for a minute before scrubbing with a wash cloth… it didnt work and now I had really slippery floors. To clean up the Pam, I grabbed a Clorox wipe and with a few swipes it took off the sap instantly and the Pam! So the next time your struggling with tree sap on a surface try a Clorox wipe, It worked so fast and so easy, I couldn’t believe the answer was so simple!

Jim’s Birthday Cake – Double Chocolate cake

annebaade — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:00:36 +0000

CAKE

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 TSP baking soda

1 TSP baking powder

1 TSP salt

2 eggs

1 cup of brewed coffee (brought to room temp)

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 TSP vanilla extract

FROSTING –

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CAKE - Pre heat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.

In your Kitchen Aid stand mixer (with the whisk attachment), combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Pour the batter into the cake pans (it will be thin)

Bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool.

FROSTING –

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting.

Better Than Paper Towels

annebaade — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:12:50 +0000

COFFEE FILTERS

Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for $1.00, even the large ones.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome… Coffee filters are lint-free so they’ll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine

through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great ”razor nick fixers..”

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliquéing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car..

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.

25. Use as a disposable ”snack bowl” for popcorn, chips, etc. 26. Great in the tool room when separating nails and screws then use in to bottom of containers to remove moisture and prevent rust

Happy Mothers Day!

annebaade — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:01:48 +0000

My parents on their wedding day (11-2-1969)….I’m in a lovey mood

annebaade — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:00:31 +0000

This is their wedding song!

Heavy song for the kind of month im having……

annebaade — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:31:09 +0000

Molly’s Dill Pretzels

annebaade — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:11:00 +0000

My grandma use to make these dill flavored oyster crackers. They were sooo good! My sister makes something very similar but with pretzels. She buys the pretzels that look like little windows, the “goods” stick in there better.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil
1 tblsp garlic powder(optional)
1 tsp onion powder
1 ranch packet
1 tbl dill

1 pound bag of Snyders Butter Snaps

Directions:

Put everything in a plastic zip lock bag and mix around. Make sure all the pretzels are evenly coated. Let sit for at least 4 hours. Serve and enjoy! It’s a great twist on an old favorite snack!

Going to look at houses today!!

annebaade — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:23:01 +0000

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy :)

annebaade — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:47:46 +0000

Coffee Flavored Dark Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Coffee Frosting

annebaade — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:06:27 +0000

Ingredients:

CAKE

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 TSP baking soda

1 TSP baking powder

1 TSP salt

2 eggs

1 cup of brewed coffee (brought to room temp)

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 TSP vanilla extract

FROSTING

2 TSP instant coffee granuals

1 TSP ground cinnamon

2 pinches of salt

2 TSP vanilla extract

1 cup of butter (room temp)

6 cups of powder sugar

2/3 cup milk

Directions:

CAKE – Pre heat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.

Pour the batter into the cake pans (it will be thin)

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool.

FROSTING – In a small bowl smash the coffee granuals until it turns into a powder. Add cinnamon and salt. In your Kitchen Aid stand mixer (with the whisk attachment) beat butter until smooth.

Add the spice mixture, and vanilla. Mix in the powder sugar (one cup at a time.) Alternate the milk and powder sugar for a even mix. Refrigerate for at least 20 min.

Frost the cake and enjoy!