Replies

LOL! Now that’s a perfect situation. You could let Dink say all the things you wanted to and feign ignorance. I wonder if all parrots are that feisty - he sounds like he was quite a handful.<<<

No, not all, for I owned other Petz Conures and they were almost boring, but that too may have been Dink’s fault.

For I had one that I hoped would breed with Dink, and nothing happened, it never did talk, so I took it to the pet shop that I supplied.

They were very happy with it, for they knew Dink and that they would never own him, for once it was away from Dink the other parrot could say everyone of Dinks words and voices, they kept it for their own joy.

I bought a pair of Nanday Conures, from a lady that groomed dogs, all he would do was bark at anything with fur.

For several nights, he barked in the middle of the night and I could not figure out why, but did, when I discovered a mouse was eating out of his cage, he left droppings.

The Pet Shop had bought a large fancy parrot from a young family that was getting a divorce.......LOL, they had to remove it from the front of the store, for it would argue in the couples voices and the words got downright ugly at times.

Lots of checkbook and credit card talk and more, poor parrot had picked up all they said.

In Wellton, we had a Deputy, who was a bit of a red-neck and not loved at all.

If someone wanted to get his dander up, they asked if he had talked to any birds lately.

For he had gone to one of the ‘old family’ homes, knocked on the door and a voice yelled “Come on in, the door is open”.

So he did....

In time to catch the naked wife as she came out of her shower.

I am sure she screamed and he got out, in a hurry.

It was their parrot who told him to come on in.
LOL

16 Homemade Salsa Recipes & Canning Tips

Posted By TipNut On June 11, 2009 @ 1:02 pm In Recipes | 1 Comment

Canning Jar & Tomatoes From The Garden

This week’s Recipe Hit List is a collection of homemade salsa recipes, some are canning recipes while others are for refrigerating & serving fresh. There’s a mix of recipes that use garden fresh tomatoes and ingredients while others use canned tomatoes. I also added a few resources at the bottom that are packed with info and safety tips for canning salsa.
Homemade Salsa Recipes

*Note: Descriptions below are quotes from the recipe sites

1. Garden Salsa Recipe [1]: I grow almost all of these ingredients in my garden. This recipe makes a large batch, but it’s always gone in no time. Recipe from Taste Of Home.
2. Canning Salsa [2]: Canning salsa is a lot of work, no question about it. However, the results are excellent, and I love being able to dig into a bowl of summery salsa in the middle of the winter. Recipe from Seasonal Ontario Food.
3. The Best Salsa Recipe for Canning [3]: We use this salsa in place of rotel for a cheese dip, also added to mashed avocados with lime juice for guacamole and my hispanic friends like to eat it on rice. And of course, it’s used as a dip for tortilla chips or topping on other mexican dishes. Recipe found at Belle Adorn.
4. Spicy Salsa [4]: Let me also tell you that we like things spicy, so this recipe it not for someone that likes things on the mild side. However, the recipe can be adapted by decreasing the amount of spicy ingredients you add. In my opinion this is one of the best salsas I have tasted and reminds of the salsa you get at really great Mexican restaurants…not to mention it is definitely far better than the bottled versions at the grocery store. Recipe found at My Baking Addiction.
5. Homemade Traditional Salsa (Canning Recipe) [5]: you can adjust the “hotness” of it by adding more jalapeno peppers. Recipe found at The Bryant Family News.
6. Bryanna’s Homemade Tomato Salsa [6]: This is the excellent tomato salsa recipe I have made over and over again. Recipe found at Cotton Picker Cooking.
7. My Favorite Salsa Ever [7]: The texture is somewhere between chunky and thin. There are lots of small pieces of veggies suspended in the liquid base. I think what makes this really fantastic is the fresh and spicy flavor, similar to pico de gallo. Now I keep a batch in the fridge at all times. Recipe found at Annie’s Eats.
8. Homemade Salsa and Canning Tips [8]: My dh and I think it tastes a lot like the salsa at Carlos O’ Kelly’s, a popular Mexican restaurant here in the midwest. Found at Home Steeped Hope.
9. Roasted Tomato Salsa [9]: It’s a variation on the salsa that I’ve made a bajillion times: a make-over, if you will. Instead of combining raw tomatoes, garlic and peppers as usual, I’ve roasted them here, which deepens their flavors and, in this case, compensated for the rather sad roma tomatoes I was stuck with. And then, instead of chopping the veggies, I briefly whizzed them in the food processor. Found at The Kitchen Sink Recipes.
10. Homemade Salsa [10]: This recipe came from my Granny C, literally she told me over the phone and I have it scribbled down on a scrap piece of paper, but I haven’t misplaced it because it is the best homemade cooked salsa I have ever eaten. Trust me that’s saying something. I live in Texas and eat Mexican food at least 1 time a week, seriously I know my salsa. Recipe found at Newlyweds!
11. Canning Salsa with Garden Tomatoes [11]: These ingredients will create a mild to medium salsa. It has a sweet beginning, but the more it sits in your mouth, you’ll feel a slight heat. Simply adjust the heat by adjusting the amount and types of chilis. Recipe found at Real Life.
12. Homemade Salsa [12] (Canned & Fresh OK): For those of you who are new to making salsa or blanching tomatoes…you’re in luck! I just made a batch of salsa today, and I took pictures so I can give you the play-by-play. Recipe found at Call Her Blessed.
13. Super Fast Blender Salsa [13]: Buy up cases of tomatoes when they go on sale. If you can’t find cheap tomatoes with jalapenos, buy a jalapeno separately and use plain diced tomatoes. A lemon can swap in for the lime also. Use up some of the tender cilantro stems to save extra money here. Recipe found at Prudence Pennywise.
14. Tomatillo Salsa (Canning) [14]: This salsa smells impossibly sour while you’re cooking it down, but fret not… all will be well when the simmering is done. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the acids; they’re necessary for safely preserving this naturally low-acid food. Recipe found at Married…With Dinner.
15. Salsa Roja (roasted red salsa) [15]: And people, this salsa. PEOPLE. With a lifetime of tasting, sampling, and gorging research on salsa, I have never in my life had salsa this good. Recipe found at One Particular Kitchen.
16. Roasted Yellow Tomato Salsa Recipe with Cilantro [16]: If you cannot find these tiny heirloom yellow tomatoes, any grape or cherry tomatoes will do. The roasting coaxes fresh tomato salsa from bright and acidic into complex, subtle and sweet. If you don’t care for cilantro, try using basil instead, and serve this salsa as a bruschetta on toasted gluten-free bread rubbed with a clove of fresh garlic. Recipe found at Karina’s Kitchen.

Bonus: Canning Tips For Salsa

* Canning Salsa Safety (pdf) [17]: Includes lots of recipes. Excellent resource, make sure to download a copy for yourself. (University of Wisconsin)
* Freezing and Canning Tips Can Reduce Risks from Homemade Salsa [18] (Kansas State University)
* Salsa Recipes for Canning [19]: Information and tips for canning salsa, includes some recipes. (New Mexico State University)

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* 20 Canning Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection [20]
* Recipe Hit List: 12 Zesty Mexican Recipes [21]
* Recipe Hit List: 12 Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes [22]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/homemade-salsa/

URLs in this post:

[1] Garden Salsa Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Garden-Salsa-2

[2] Canning Salsa: http://seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com/2007/09/canning-salsa.html

[3] The Best Salsa Recipe for Canning: http://belleadorn.blogspot.com/2008/08/best-salsa-recipe.html

[4] Spicy Salsa: http://mybakingaddiction.blogspot.com/2009/05/spicy-salsa.html

[5] Homemade Traditional Salsa (Canning Recipe): http://bryantfamilynews.blogspot.com/2009/06/homemade-salsa.html

[6] Bryanna’s Homemade Tomato Salsa: http://cottonpickercooking.blogspot.com/2009/05/bryannas-homemade-tomato-salsa.html

[7] My Favorite Salsa Ever: http://annies-eats.com/2009/01/25/my-favorite-salsa-ever/

[8] Homemade Salsa and Canning Tips: http://homesteepedhope.com/2007/07/30/homemade-salsa-and-canning-tips/

[9] Roasted Tomato Salsa: http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2008/07/08/a-roasty-makeover/

[10] Homemade Salsa: http://newlyweds.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/homemade-salsa/

[11] Canning Salsa with Garden Tomatoes: http://www.reallifeblog.net/2008/08/canning-salsa-with-garden-tomatoes-or.html

[12] Homemade Salsa: http://www.calledblessed.com/2008/09/recipe-homemade-salsa.html

[13] Super Fast Blender Salsa: http://prudencepennywise.blogspot.com/2009/03/sure-fire-salsa-and-seventh-graders.html

[14] Tomatillo Salsa (Canning): http://marriedwithdinner.com/2008/11/03/green-in-the-bank/

[15] Salsa Roja (roasted red salsa): http://oneparticularkitchen.com/2009/05/19/salsa/

[16] Roasted Yellow Tomato Salsa Recipe with Cilantro: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/05/roasted-yellow-tomato-salsa-recipe-with.html

[17] Canning Salsa Safety (pdf): http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf%5CB3570.pdf

[18] Freezing and Canning Tips Can Reduce Risks from Homemade Salsa: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2007/homemade_salsa090507.htm

[19] Salsa Recipes for Canning: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/e-323.html

[20] 20 Canning Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection: http://tipnut.com/canning-tips/

[21] Recipe Hit List: 12 Zesty Mexican Recipes: http://tipnut.com/mexican-recipes/

[22] Recipe Hit List: 12 Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-salad-dressing/

Recipe Hit List: A Medley Mix Of 12 Tasty Recipes

Posted By TipNut On February 12, 2009 @ 1:06 pm In Recipes | 2 Comments

Nothing too structured with this week’s Recipe Hit List, I have homemade breads, rolls, biscuits, cakes, and a lasagna and pot roast tossed in as well.

Quite a mix this week but they all look delicious!
A Medley Mix Of 12 Tasty Recipes

*Note: Descriptions below are quotes from the recipe sites

1. Sausage Roll Tutorial [1]: Mouth watering, flaky, tender, as spicy as you like, delicious! I used to use whole sausages and pie pastry for my sausage rolls but Hubby hates sausage (I know weird) and Dallas didn’t like pie pastry on the rolls. I had to come up with something that both of them liked. I now use ground pork and puff pastry and the two of them both love this recipe, it’s a winner! Recipe tutorial From Kansas A, Canadian Crafter.
2. Baked Sandwiches [2]: Made with surprisingly affordable frozen bread dough, this is a throw together recipe which only requires time in terms of waiting for your dough to thaw and rise. I dreamed this up some years back and it was an instant hit. I encourage you to adapt this recipe to your own family, adding vegetables and spices that you enjoy in order to make it truly your own. My version is very simple (to please little ones who like it that way!) and is a great starting place for you. This sandwich is gorgeous when its baked and impressive when cut but when you taste how wonderful it is, you’ll be shaking your head at the ease of such a filling meal! Found at Southern Plate.
3. How To Make Sourdough Starter & Making Sourdough Grandmother Bread [3]: Who doesn’t love sourdough bread? You can make it at home easily–with Grandmother Bread. Most of us think of San Francisco-style sourdough when we hear the words sourdough bread, but sourdough is a type of riser, not a type of bread, which adds a distinctively tangy flavor to the end product. Any bread recipe can be converted to sourdough. Recipe & instructions from Chickens In The Road.
4. Paprika Cheddar Drop Biscuits [4]: About the biscuits: super easy, delicately spiced with sweet paprika from Spain (thank you Rachel!) and dotted with melted cheddar. I measured out each biscuit with a half cup scoop and they were absolutely GIANT! Next time I might try a 1/4-cup of 1/3-cup measuring scoop to dollop out the batter for more reasonable biscuits. These pretties would be just lovely for breakfast with a fried egg and sliced tomato, or with an equally giant pot of Turkey Chili. You could always just go the Joy the Baker route and plow through four biscuits while standing in your kitchen reading the newest issue of Bon Appetit magazine. You’ve got options, just make these biscuits part of your plan. Recipe from Joy The Baker.
5. Easy French Bread [5]: This is a delicious and frugal alternative to store bought French bread! You can even make it with whole wheat! We brought it to a friend’s house for dinner last night and it received unending rave reviews!
Original recipe from More with Less, but I made it more healthy. Recipe from Passionate Homemaking.
6. Homemade Garlic Buns [6]: From the photo, these tasty buns look almost like mini baguettes with a hard crisp crust. In reality, they taste just like soft dinner rolls. Recipe found at Happy Home Baking.
7. Buttermilk Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [7]: This has to be one of my favorite cakes. It’s remarkably tender and spicy—and covered in gloriously tangy cream-cheese and butter frosting. And the best part? It’s ridiculously easy to make. Combine the dry ingredients, beat in the wet ingredients, pop it in the oven and…voila! Slather it with rich frosting, slice off a big hunk and enjoy with a piping hot cup of coffee. Recipe from The Hungry Mouse.
8. Meyer Lemon and Orange Flower Yogurt Cake [8]: Recipe from Brooklyn Farmhouse.
9. Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake [9]: This bundt bakes into a beautiful ring, drizzled with a shine of orangey glaze. It slices into compact wedges that are dotted with cranberries and slivers of toasted almonds. And the first bite will delight you, with its contrasts of flavors—sweet, lightly spicy, a little citrusy and sometimes tart—and textures—the moist, tender cake; the yielding, juicy cranberries; the bits of crunchy almond. It also reminded me that my mother is always right (in the kitchen, at least!). Recipe found at Leave It To My Mom.
10. Sausage-Vegetable Lasagna [10]: Lasagna can seem like a pain to make, but really it’s so easy and really worth it. This recipe is special because it gets its great flavors from an array of vegetables, fresh parsley and sausage. It’s not too high in calories and fat as I used very few noodles, part-skim ricotta cheese and just a small amount of shredded cheese for such a large dish. If you don’t prefer sausage, use lean ground beef or ground turkey. You can make this recipe ahead. It’s perfect for company or for weeknight with leftovers for the next day. Recipe from Ingredients, Inc.
11. Cheddar Dill Cornbread [11]: Recipe from Ina Garten, Food Network.
12. Italian Pot Roast Recipe [12]: Recipe from Taste of Home.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Recipe Hit List: 17 Tasty Casserole Recipes [13]
* Recipe Hit List – Tasty Main Dishes [14]
* Recipe Hit List: 18 More Slow Cooker Recipes [15]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/medley-mix-recipes/

URLs in this post:

[1] Sausage Roll Tutorial: http://kansasa.blogspot.com/2008/12/sausage-roll-tutorial.html

[2] Baked Sandwiches: http://www.southernplate.com/2009/02/baked-sandwiches.html

[3] How To Make Sourdough Starter & Making Sourdough Grandmother Bread: http://suzannemcminn.com/blog/2009/01/09/how-to-make-sourdough-starter-and-making-sourdough-grandmother-bread/

[4] Paprika Cheddar Drop Biscuits: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/archives/377

[5] Easy French Bread: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/03/easy-french-bread.html

[6] Homemade Garlic Buns: http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.com/2008/07/garlic-buns.html

[7] Buttermilk Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: http://www.thehungrymouse.com/home/2009/02/10/buttermilk-spice-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

[8] Meyer Lemon and Orange Flower Yogurt Cake: http://www.brooklynfarmhouse.com/2009/02/01/meyer-lemon-and-orange-flower-yogurt-cake/

[9] Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake: http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2008/12/27/leave-it-to-my-mom/

[10] Sausage-Vegetable Lasagna: http://ingredientsinc.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/fresh-simple-and-luscious-lasagna/

[11] Cheddar Dill Cornbread: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cheddar-dill-cornbread-recipe/index.html

[12] Italian Pot Roast Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Italian-Pot-Roast-4

[13] Recipe Hit List: 17 Tasty Casserole Recipes: http://tipnut.com/casserole-recipes/

[14] Recipe Hit List – Tasty Main Dishes: http://tipnut.com/tasty-main-dishes/

[15] Recipe Hit List: 18 More Slow Cooker Recipes: http://tipnut.com/slowcooker-recipes/

How To Make Sun Dried Tomatoes

Posted By TipNut On July 30, 2009 @ 9:55 am In Recipes | No Comments

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Traditionally sun dried tomatoes were made by laying out freshly cut pieces of tomatoes in the sun to bake in the natural heat for days (the tomato pieces were first covered in cheesecloth). Nowadays, we use the oven. In just a few hours, you can have bags to freeze or jars of homemade sun dried tomatoes covered in olive oil. Use in pastas, on top of pizzas, in sauces, etc. If you have a bumper crop of fresh tomatoes from the garden, drying them in the oven is a great way to preserve them for future use.

Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes

* Preheat oven to 200° F.
* Gently wash & dry the tomatoes, cut into pieces then scoop out the seeds.
* Oval Tomatoes (Plum): Cut lengthwise; Round Tomatoes: Cut into quarters.
* Place the tomato pieces cut side up on a rack or cookie sheet, do not allow the tomato pieces to touch each other, drizzle or brush a bit of olive oil over them then lightly sprinkle with salt.
* Place in oven and cook 6 to 8 hours or when done–they will be shrunken, leathery looking yet still flexible.

Storage Tips:

* Pack the dried tomato pieces in sterilized jars, cover with extra virgin olive oil (make sure each piece of tomato is fully covered in oil) and seal. For extra flavor, add herbs such as basil. The flavored oil can be used in cooking and on vegetables or salad. Keep the jars of tomatoes refrigerated bringing them to room temperature before using.
* Pack tomato pieces in freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, then freeze.

Video: How To Make Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Here’s a good video showing you how to make sun dried/oven dried tomatoes, steps and ingredients are slightly different than above.

For those of you who can’t watch the video, here are the instructions:

* Cut the tomatoes in half and scrape out the seeds and as much of the liquid as you can (this will help the tomatoes dry faster).
* Cover a cookie sheet with several layers of tinfoil.
* Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on the cookie sheet.
* Season the tomatoes with garlic pepper or fresh slices of garlic.
* Next sprinkle with Herbes de Provence, fresh thyme (including stems) and coarse sea salt and black pepper.
* Drizzle good extra virgin olive oil (be generous).
* Place the tomatoes in the oven at 200° for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until done. The texture will be leathery and the tomatoes will have shrunk at least 50%.
* When the tomatoes are at room temperature, store in a clean mason jar, with fresh thyme layered between the tomatoes. Pour extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes, pushing the tomatoes down to get rid of the air.
* Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring the tomatoes to room temperature before using.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* How To Make A Sun Jar: DIY [1]
* How To Skin Tomatoes [2]
* Homemade Herb & Garlic Croutons [3]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/sun-dried-tomatoes/

URLs in this post:

[1] How To Make A Sun Jar: DIY: http://tipnut.com/sun-jar-diy/

[2] How To Skin Tomatoes: http://tipnut.com/how-to-skin-tomatoes/

[3] Homemade Herb & Garlic Croutons: http://tipnut.com/homemade-herb-garlic-croutons/

25 Green Tomato Recipes To Try

Posted By TipNut On July 30, 2009 @ 1:10 pm In Recipes | 1 Comment

This week’s Recipe Hit List is a collection of various recipes for green tomatoes that I’ve found online. I chose traditional favorites like recipes for fried green tomatoes, chutneys, relishes, salsas, pickles as well as a few interesting recipes such as green tomato bread, green tomato soup and a spaghetti sauce! Plenty of dishes to inspire you, enjoy!
Green Tomato Recipes

*Note: Descriptions below are quotes from the recipe sites

Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe By ezrapoundcake.com

1. Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk-Lime Dressing [1]: (as seen in picture) While the oil heated, I sliced and dredged the tomatoes – a much simpler task than expected, since they’re so firm. Then I lowered them into the oil. Making fried green tomatoes at home is dangerously easy. Recipe found at Ezra Pound Cake.
2. How To Make Fried Green Tomatoes [2]: Back to beloved southern foods! This is the prime time of year for fried green tomatoes. All of our grocery stores sell green ones alongside the red for this very purpose (green tomatoes are like rocks so I can’t imagine them being used for anything else). Recipe from Southern Plate.
3. Fried Green Tomato BLT [3]: The green tomatoes are dredged in flour and cornmeal, dipped into a milk-and-egg mixture, and redredged before taking a dip in the fryer. They come out crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. It’s a great contrast, and in a sandwich that relies on the interplay of different textures, it’s a welcome treat. Recipe from Serious Eats.
4. Green Tomato Pickles Recipe [4]: I’ve been waiting to harvest the end-of-the-season green tomatoes that won’t ripen – not to fry them, but to make green tomato pickles. When I visit my dad, he always has homemade pickles, chutneys, and hot sauces in the pantry. He could survive forever on the many jars of pickles and cases of wine stored in his closets. This is a sweet pickle he devised from a handful of recipes. Follow the recipe, and you’ll have enough to can. Not prepared to can? Reduce the recipe to make just enough for one container, and eat it within the next couple of weeks. Recipe from Mac & Cheese.
5. Italian Farmhouse Green Tomato Pickles [5]: Snappy, spicy, and a perfect lift for so many dishes, this seasoning found in the city of Lecce, in southern Italy’s Apulia region, is an old way of putting up the last (or first) of the tomato harvest. There, they are often small oval green tomatoes with pointed tips. Sometimes the tomatoes, in their marinade of garlic, chiles, basil, and mint, are set out on their own as part of an antipasto. On other occasions they season vegetable sautes, soups, tomato sauces, are sauteed into simple pasta dishes, blended with scrambled eggs, and are added to meat stews and ragus. Try a few spoonfuls the next time you saute spinach, sweet peppers, or onions. They’re excellent on sandwiches, especially ones of roasted vegetables, or good ham. Recipe from The Splendid Table.
6. Pickled Green Tomatoes [6]: Since our counters were overflowing with tomatoes and peppers, I wanted to try my sister’s recipe for pickled green tomatoes. I call her The Canning Queen, a title she has worked hard to earn. She’s been canning for about 20 years and making this pickle recipe for three years with great success. This year she put up 19 quarts of these delicious pickled tomatoes. They are good cut up in salads or as a snack right out of the jar. Recipe found at Andrea’s Recipes.
7. Orange-Green Tomato Relish [7]: Here is a recipe with very few ingredients worth putting away for the fall: Orange-green tomato relish. If you’re not into “canning,” just put in zip-lock bags and freeze. Canning is really easy, though, and this recipe looks pretty in a jar. Recipe from The Atlantic.
8. Green Tomato Relish [8]: This recipe yielded 3 pint size jars and 5 half pint jars. Just enough to keep a few and to give away as gifts. You really need to give this relish a try especially if you are a lover of green tomatoes. Recipe found at Mommy’s Kitchen.
9. Farmgirl Susan’s Green Tomato Relish [9]: This recipe also takes full advantage of the late summer/early fall harvest; red peppers, onions, garlic, and apples are all called for. Adding the cilantro and jalapenos right at the end helps them retain their bright color. Green cilantro and jalapenos coupled with red peppers gives the relish a festive color combination that lends itself perfectly to holiday gifts–that definitely won’t get tossed into the compost bin. Recipe from Farmgirl Fare.
10. Green Tomato Salsa [10]: This mild two-tomato salsa boasts the tartness of green tomatoes and the sweet flavor of fresh corn and ripe red tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips or as a condiment to tacos or fajitas. Recipe found at Delish.
11. Green Tomato Salsa Recipe [11]: This salsa was so delicious. Everyone was slopping spoonfuls in their soups. I enjoyed it with my black-eyed peas and rice. I’ll share those recipes as we transcribe our memories from the other night! Recipe found at Eat. Drink. Better.
12. Green Tomato Chutney [12]: I have done my research and found a really good green tomato chutney recipe! I have adapted it to my own taste and present it here for you. Now the first thing I would suggest when it comes to making chutney is to allow yourself a good few hours. This is very much like jam making as you are effectively making a savoury jam, and cannot be rushed. Recipe found at Margeland.
13. Green Tomatoes & Green Tomato Chutney [13]: I’m sure many UK tomato growers will be knee deep in green tomatoes at the moment. A poor summer and tomato blight have made many of us strip our plants early. Some of my tomatoes went into my recipe for Green Tomato Chutney. The rest are covering various flat surfaces in the house. Recipe from Greenforks.
14. Green Tomato Chutney [14]: If you’re wondering why I use dried Cranberries instead of Raisins it’s because a certain someone (who eats most of the chutney in our house) doesn’t like the taste of Raisins. Recipe found at My Tiny Plot.
15. Currant and Green Tomato Chutney (aka Mincemeat) [15]: The recipe yields enough chutney, which is recommended by the cookbook author (and me) as a substitute for mincemeat, to fill 6 one-pint jars. I also pack it in some larger ones for pie filling…but the pint size is perfect for spooning over a lot of bowls of vanilla ice cream. (Did somebody remember to make a batch of ginger snaps to go with that?). Recipe from A Way To Garden.
16. Green Tomato Mincemeat [16]: Green tomato mincemeat makes a great basic material for culinary experiments. Right now the air in my house is laden with the fragrance of a mincemeat coffeecake that I made from a whole wheat bread recipe: rolled out, spread with last fall’s thickened filling, rolled up, and popped into the oven. What a treat! And the experimental possibilities go on and on . . . for as long as those quart jars last, that is! Recipe from Mother Earth News.
17. Rozanne Hall’s Mince Filling Recipe [17]: (sometimes called mincemeat still even if there is no meat) This filling can be used in cookies or squares or just served warm over ice cream, but I personally mainly use it in pie. My husband loves it for Thanksgiving or Christmas especially, and my daughter-in-law just requested it for her birthday next week. Recipe found at The Cottage Smallholder.
18. Green Tomato Jam [18]: The flavor is pure green tomato, with a slight floral undertone that reminded me of borage blossoms, contrasted by the lemony tartness I prefer in my jam. The recipe, as I interpreted it–by skipping both the cinnamon stick in and the food mill step in Ferber’s original version–, allowed for the taste and texture of the tomatoes in all their glory to remain palpable, unadulterated. Perfect! Recipe found at Seattle Bon Vivant.
19. Green Tomato Jam With Ginger & Vanilla [19]: The result, after a relaxing hour and a half of bubbling and occasional stirring, was a beautiful translucent green jam flecked with black dots, its sweetness enhanced by the vanilla and offset by the ginger. You can of course spread it on bread, but I agree with Nadim that it’s particularly delicious with fresh cheese or thick yoghurt. Recipe from Rosa Jackson.
20. Recipe: Green Tomato and Lemon Marmalade [20]: Recipe from The New York Times.
21. Green Tomato Bread [21]: I have so many green tomatoes growing on my tomato plants right now that it’s tempting to go ahead and pick a few to make this delicious bread. It’s similar to a zucchini bread in that it’s packed with vegetables that you’d never know are there (another one of those great ways to sneak things in for picky eaters). You can freeze the puree in measure quantities at the end of the summer so that you’ll have this ready when needed to make this moist bread. I make the recipe with part Splenda to keep the sugar content down, but you can use all sugar instead. Same with the nonfat yogurt – use whatever type you like or even sour cream which gives it a nice tang. Recipe from Cooking With Michelle.
22. Green Tomato Soup [22]: We love the flavor of Black Forest ham in this soup, but you can use any variety of ham, or even kielbasa, smoked turkey, or bacon. A dollop of sour cream rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes. Recipe from Epicurious.
23. Green Tomato-Bacon Spaghetti Sauce [23]: This quick, anytime pasta dish works well for a quick weekday supper or for late evening dining. Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese creates a creamy sauce when combined with the pasta water. Crispy bacon, sweet tomatoes and vibrant parsley accent the warm, white spaghetti strands. Recipe found at Oregon Live.
24. Beef and Green Tomato Casserole [24]: This ain’t the Betty Crocker casserole you’re used to. Instead, this higher-end version combines tender beef, tangy green tomatoes, and fluffy Sweet Potato Biscuits. It may take slightly more work than the Betty Crocker recipe, but it’s well worth it. Recipe found at Chow.
25. Deep Dish Green Tomato Pie [25]: I think you will be thrilled with one of these versions of a Tomato Pie. Yes, to complicate matters there are three versions of this Southern gem. Green Tomato Pie the sweet version that included some sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter or the Savory Tomato Pie or Summer Tomato Pie version using ripe tomatoes with basil, a cream sauce, and mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Ultimately, I decided on the Green Tomato Pie version, the one with just a few ingredients to highlight the taste of green tomatoes. It is also the version that sounded more Southern. Recipe found at A Yankee In A Southern Kitchen.

Do you have more green tomatoes on hand than you know what to do with? Check out How To Ripen Tomatoes: Tips & Tricks [26]. Plenty of ripe tomatoes on hand? Try these Homemade Salsa Recipes [27] or preserving them dried, see How To Make Sun Dried/Oven Dried Tomatoes [28].

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Recipe Hit List: 12 Family Favorite Pie Recipes [29]
* Recipe Hit List: A Medley Mix Of 12 Tasty Recipes [30]
* 16 Homemade Salsa Recipes & Canning Tips [27]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/green-tomato-recipes/

URLs in this post:

[1] Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk-Lime Dressing: http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/300

[2] How To Make Fried Green Tomatoes: http://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/fried-green-tomatoes.html

[3] Fried Green Tomato BLT: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/09/dinner-tonight-fried-green-tomato-blt.html

[4] Green Tomato Pickles Recipe: http://macandcheesereview.blogspot.com/2006/11/green-tomato-pickle.html

[5] Italian Farmhouse Green Tomato Pickles: http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/vegetable_pickle.html

[6] Pickled Green Tomatoes: http://www.andreasrecipes.com/2008/10/27/pickled-green-tomatoes/

[7] Orange-Green Tomato Relish: http://food.theatlantic.com/cooking-from-the-south/how-to-have-summer-food-all-year.php

[8] Green Tomato Relish: http://tinamommyx3.blogspot.com/2009/07/tomatoes-tomatoes-everywhere-lets-make.html

[9] Farmgirl Susan’s Green Tomato Relish: http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2005/09/saving-harvest-green-tomato-relish.html

[10] Green Tomato Salsa: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/green-tomato-salsa

[11] Green Tomato Salsa Recipe: http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/10/21/green-divas-guide-to-delicious-living-green-tomato-salsa/

[12] Green Tomato Chutney: http://margeland.co.uk/blog/2008/09/17/green-tomato-chutney/

[13] Green Tomatoes & Green Tomato Chutney: http://greenforks.com/2008/09/green-tomatoes-and-green-tomato-chutney/

[14] Green Tomato Chutney: http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/recipes/green-tomato-chutney/

[15] Currant and Green Tomato Chutney (aka Mincemeat): http://awaytogarden.com/applesgreen-tomatoesgooey-mincemeat

[16] Green Tomato Mincemeat: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1977-09-01/Green-Tomato-Mincemeat.aspx

[17] Rozanne Hall’s Mince Filling Recipe: http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=482

[18] Green Tomato Jam: http://seattlebonvivant.typepad.com/seattle_bon_vivant/2005/10/green_tomato_ja.html

[19] Green Tomato Jam With Ginger & Vanilla: http://rosajackson.blogspot.com/2007/11/green-tomato-jam-with-ginger-and.html

[20] Recipe: Green Tomato and Lemon Marmalade: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/dining/227arex.html

[21] Green Tomato Bread: http://cookingwithmichele.blogspot.com/2009/06/green-tomato-bread.html

[22] Green Tomato Soup: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Tomato-Soup-230446

[23] Green Tomato-Bacon Spaghetti Sauce: http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2008/06/recipe_detail.html?id=6363

[24] Beef and Green Tomato Casserole: http://www.chow.com/recipes/10885

[25] Deep Dish Green Tomato Pie: http://ayankeeinasouthernkitchen.com/2008/05/31/green-tomato-pie-summer-tomato-pie-savory-tomato-pie/

[26] How To Ripen Tomatoes: Tips & Tricks: http://tipnut.com/ripen-tomatoes/

[27] Homemade Salsa Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-salsa/

[28] How To Make Sun Dried/Oven Dried Tomatoes: http://tipnut.com/sun-dried-tomatoes/

[29] Recipe Hit List: 12 Family Favorite Pie Recipes: http://tipnut.com/favorite-pies/

[30] Recipe Hit List: A Medley Mix Of 12 Tasty Recipes: http://tipnut.com/medley-mix-recipes/

Tipnut Mailbag: Crush Herbs Fast & Easy

Posted By TipNut On October 17, 2008 @ 6:33 am In Food Tips, Tipnut Mailbag | No Comments

I’m just about caught up with my email backlog (woohoo!), here’s a kitchen tip quickie Josee Meehan sent in to share with us all:

This from my husband (who is a chef): Herbs, like basil and oregano, can be quickly and easily crushed when frozen. The trick is to take them out of the freezer seconds before use, put your hand in the bag and crinkle the herbs. No cutting required. The trick is in the timing. You can’t let the herbs thaw out even a little.

Thanks Josee, that’s a great tip! Also, here’s a different tip that shows you how to wash & chop fresh herbs quickly: How to Clean and Chop Herbs Quickly [1].

This is the newest addition to the Tipnut Mailbag section [2]. Share your tips with fellow Tip Nuts by sending in your favorite tip [3] to be featured in the Tipnut Mailbag section. There will be some editorial control and I am interested in items with good details, fairly original or unique and are helpful for everyday living or are Wow! neat to know–you’ll get full credit.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Tipnut Mailbag: Clip Sponges & Cloths Used For Dirty Jobs [4]
* Tipnut Mailbag: How To Remove Chewing Gum From Clothing [5]
* Tipnut Mailbag: Homemade Pre Wet Shave Lotion [6]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/crush-herbs-fast/

URLs in this post:

[1] How to Clean and Chop Herbs Quickly: http://tipnut.com/chop-herbs-quickly/

[2] Tipnut Mailbag section: http://tipnut.com/category/mailbag/

[3] sending in your favorite tip: http://tipnut.com/contact/

[4] Tipnut Mailbag: Clip Sponges & Cloths Used For Dirty Jobs: http://tipnut.com/tipnut-mailbag-clip-your-sponges-cloths-used-for-dirty-jobs/

[5] Tipnut Mailbag: How To Remove Chewing Gum From Clothing: http://tipnut.com/tipnut-mailbag-how-to-remove-chewing-gum-from-clothing/

[6] Tipnut Mailbag: Homemade Pre Wet Shave Lotion: http://tipnut.com/homemade-pre-wet-shave-lotion/

12 Quick Tips For The Home: Tipnut’s Mailbag

Posted By TipNut On July 31, 2009 @ 6:22 am In Household, Tipnut Mailbag | No Comments

Handy Tips For The Home

Here is the latest batch of helpful quick tips sent in by Tipnut readers:

1. Keep bread fresh by sticking a piece of celery in the bread bag before closing. (Tracey)
2. Use wooden pants hangers to hang rugs on the clothesline, regular clothespins don’t work because they can’t hold the weight. (Dale)
3. Having done the flowers and foods for many weddings. My favorite trick to keep my flowers looking fresh is: instead of using the packets that come with the flowers to preserve them use clear soda, like a ginger-ale, 7 up type soda, without any water added. This will keep rose buds closed for a week or more here in Florida’s heat. Mums last about 3 weeks. Just give them a fresh cut and drop them in. (Tina). Also see Old-Time Tips For Flowers & Plants: Timeless Wisdom [1].
4. Clean out the gunk in a can opener by feeding a sheet of paper towel through it. (Laurel)
5. Rub Vaseline along the hairline before dying your hair to protect skin from getting stained by the dye. (Shelley)
6. I installed a small towel bar on the inside of the cabinet door underneath the kitchen sink. I use this to hang spray bottles by their handles as I find it frees up the space and I can find what bottle I need with no trouble. I also installed a towel bar in the spare closet to hang scarves and belts (Eva).
7. I’m in the throes of menopause and one problem I have is waking up in the middle of the night in a full sweat. I found a trick that’s helped me: I spray vinegar all over my arms, across the top of my chest and the top of my back and around my neck and rub it in. I let this air dry before putting on my nightgown. For some reason this makes a difference and I don’t have that many night sweats now. (Lorna).
8. If you sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on icy patches on walkways, it’s much easier on the cement than salt and makes a slip free zone. (Rhea).
9. My kitchen blender has a glass jar with measurements that are hard to read so I marked off every 1/2 cup with a bright red nail polish on the outside, works like a charm! (Alice)
10. I just wanted to send you a tip that I found extremely helpful late last night. My dog got sprayed in the face around 11 pm last night – no tomato juice in the house. I had heard a long time ago that the Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario use toothpaste to rid their dogs of skunk smell. Used a whole tube of toothpaste, but it worked like a charm. Only an “essence” of skunk today. (Carmen). Also see Rid Your Pet of Skunk Spray Smell [2].
11. Replace paper towels with cheap facecloths. I often find them in packages of a dozen white cloths. As facecloths, they are terrible, rough and thin, but those qualities make them great for paper towel replacements. They are easily washed, and you can stash the clean ones in a little container under the sink. When you think they are finally too grubby to use anymore, you can throw them out without guilt ~~~ they’ll have paid for themselves over and over again. (Mary)
12. Removing skin from garlic: If you have one of those rubber gripper squares or circles for opening jars, you can use them to peel garlic cloves too. Put the clove of garlic at one edge, roll it into a tube, and then with a bit of pressure, roll the tube back and forth a few times. When you open it, the clove will be peeled, without being crushed! (Mary)

Thanks so much to everyone for sharing these with Tipnut readers! If you’d like to share your favorite tips, please send it in by using the contact form [3].

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Tipnut Mailbag: Crush Herbs Fast & Easy [4]
* Tipnut Mailbag: Remove Microwave Scorch Marks [5]
* Tipnut Mailbag – Traveling With Children Tip [6]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/tips-for-home/

URLs in this post:

[1] Old-Time Tips For Flowers & Plants: Timeless Wisdom: http://tipnut.com/tips-plants/

[2] Rid Your Pet of Skunk Spray Smell: http://tipnut.com/rid-your-pet-of-skunk-spray-smell/

[3] contact form: http://tipnut.com/contact/

[4] Tipnut Mailbag: Crush Herbs Fast & Easy: http://tipnut.com/crush-herbs-fast/

[5] Tipnut Mailbag: Remove Microwave Scorch Marks: http://tipnut.com/tipnut-mailbag-remove-microwave-scorch-marks/

[6] Tipnut Mailbag – Traveling With Children Tip: http://tipnut.com/tipnut-mailbag-traveling-with-children-tip/

Homemade Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe

Posted By TipNut On June 6, 2007 @ 7:36 am In Beauty & Health, Food, Recipes | 1 Comment

Uses for Rose Petal Vinegar:

* Salad dressing or vinaigrette*
* Facial splash and skin freshener (dilute with water)
* Headache soother (soak cloth with vinegar, squeeze out, then place on forehead)
* Shampoo rinse
* Bath soak (approx 1 cup per full bath)

Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups white wine vinegar (heat to near boil)
1 cup rose petals
3 or 4 whole cloves

Directions:

* Gently wash and drain rose petals thoroughly. Carefully remove the white/yellow part of the petals (just snip with scissors). Gently crush the petals to bruise a bit.
* In a sterilized jar, place the rose petals and cloves. Pour hot vinegar over top, roughly mash the petals a bit with a wooden spoon and seal immediately.
* Set aside for 10 days (room temperature and dark). Shake occasionally.
* Strain vinegar and discard the cloves and rose petals.
* Using small decorative jars (sterilized), pour the vinegar and seal.

Tip: If possible, use the freshest petals you can by picking the flowers on the day you’ll be making this recipe.

*Do not consume if chemicals or pesticides were used on the rose bush

Make sure to check out the big bunch of Lavender Vinegar Recipes [1] and the Multipurpose Herb Vinegar Recipe [2] as well.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Raspberry Thyme Vinegar Recipe [3]
* Homemade Rose Bath Oil [4]
* How To Make Rose Water: Recipes & Tips [5]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-petal-vinegar-recipe/

URLs in this post:

[1] Lavender Vinegar Recipes: http://tipnut.com/lavender-vinegar-recipes/

[2] Multipurpose Herb Vinegar Recipe: http://tipnut.com/multipurpose-herb-vinegar/

[3] Raspberry Thyme Vinegar Recipe: http://tipnut.com/raspberry-thyme-vinegar-recipe/

[4] Homemade Rose Bath Oil: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-bath-oil/

[5] How To Make Rose Water: Recipes & Tips: http://tipnut.com/how-to-make-rose-water-4-recipes/

Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe

Posted By TipNut On June 1, 2009 @ 8:39 am In Beauty & Health | No Comments

How To Make Homemade Floral Bath Splash & Spritzer
Ingredients:

Cider Vinegar
Distilled Water
Fresh flowers, herbs, aromatic leaves (pesticide free)

Directions:

* Fill a sterilized mason jar with assorted fresh flowers and leaves, filling jar at least half full.
* Pour cider vinegar over all, filling the jar to the top. Cover with lid, seal and shake well.
* Place jar in sunny location. Shake or swirl contents daily.
* After 10 days, strain the vinegar then bottle a 50/50 mix of distilled water and the batch of floral vinegar. Refrigerate.

Use in baths and as a skin spritz refresher on hot summer days.

Floral Ideas: Fresh geranium leaves, rosemary, lemon balm, rose petals, lavender

Need more ideas to make pretty bath spa items with your garden flowers? See Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid [1], Homemade Rose Bath Oil [2], Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe [3], How To Make Rose Water [4] and How To Make Lavender Water [5].

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid [1]
* Homemade Honey Bath Recipes [6]
* Homemade Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe [3]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/floral-splash/

URLs in this post:

[1] Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid: http://tipnut.com/floral-olive-oil/

[2] Homemade Rose Bath Oil: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-bath-oil/

[3] Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-petal-vinegar-recipe/

[4] How To Make Rose Water: http://tipnut.com/how-to-make-rose-water-4-recipes/

[5] How To Make Lavender Water: http://tipnut.com/homemade-lavender-water-recipes/

[6] Homemade Honey Bath Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-honey-bath-recipes/

Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid

Posted By TipNut On February 24, 2009 @ 10:50 am In Beauty & Health | 2 Comments

Flowers & Olive Oil - Tipnut.com
Did you know olive oil is a lovely (and natural) skin moisturizer? Here’s a way to make it more special…infuse it with flowers picked fresh from your garden!

Floral Infused Olive Oil Recipe

Ingredients:

Glass jar (pint)
Flower petals (1 1/2 cups)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 3/4 cups)
6 Vitamin E Capsules (400 IU)

Directions:

* Fill a clean jar with your choice of fresh flower petals or buds. Pierce the vitamin capsules and squeeze the oil into the jar on top of the petals.
* Heat olive oil over medium heat then pour over petals. Seal and shake jar gently to mix.
* Place the jar in a sunny location and turn it over daily for 2 weeks.
* After 2 weeks, strain the oil to remove all petals then bottle in a sterilized container.

Tips For Use

* Use as a bath oil (2 to 3 TBS) or apply on skin after bathing/showering and use as a body moisturizer.
* Apply to dry patches of skin on hands, elbows [1], knees, feet.
* Can be used as a facial moisturizer, be careful not to get the infused oil in your eyes.
* Some believe that eczema, rosesca and stretch marks benefit from applications of olive oil, try a regular treatment to see if it helps.

Flower Choices With Reported Skin Healing & Therapeutic Qualities

* Echinacea, Lavender, Marigolds, Rose Petals, Pansies, Calendula
* Herbs can also be used

Note:

* Do not use petals that have been sprayed with chemicals, they’ll transfer to the oil and then be absorbed by your skin.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe [2]
* How To Make An Olive Oil Lamp [3]
* 12 Simple Beauty Hacks From The Kitchen [4]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/floral-olive-oil/

URLs in this post:

[1] elbows: http://tipnut.com/dry-elbow-home-remedies-treatments/

[2] Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe: http://tipnut.com/floral-splash/

[3] How To Make An Olive Oil Lamp: http://tipnut.com/olive-oil-lamp/

[4] 12 Simple Beauty Hacks From The Kitchen: http://tipnut.com/simple-beauty-hacks/

Homemade Weed Killer Recipes & Tips

Posted By TipNut On June 9, 2009 @ 6:04 am In Garden & Plants | 1 Comment

Pulling Weeds & Dandelions

Pulling weeds by hand is not always easy or practical, they’re pesky and determined to pop back up and spread in no time. If you’re looking for more natural ways to control weeds that don’t include harsh chemicals and are safer for children and pets (bonus: most are pretty frugal too), here is a list of homemade weed killer recipes and solutions from my collection. I’ve also included a few tips at the bottom.
Homemade Weed Killer Recipes & Methods

* Vinegar: Kill weeds dead with a good shot of vinegar. For best results, don’t dilute with water and choose a time to spray weeds when there’s no sign of rain. Household vinegar is around 5% acetic acid concentration which will do the trick for baby weeds. If you can find a stronger vinegar (like pickling which is about 9%), that will give better results for more mature (and stubborn) weeds (previously mentioned in Quick Tips For Plants & Garden [1]).
* Salt: This is an effective weed killer, but keep in mind that significant amounts will cause damage to surrounding soil as well. Salt should only be used in places where you want no plant growth (like driveways, sidewalk cracks, underneath decks and patio blocks, around the foundation of the house, etc.). To use, a ratio of 1 part salt to 2 parts water should do it. You can also drizzle salt directly over weeds.
* Salt & Vinegar Recipe: (read note above first). Combine 1 1/4 cups of table salt with 1 gallon of household vinegar. Spray where needed.
* Vinegar & Dish Detergent: Fill a spray bottle with pickling vinegar and add a squirt or two of liquid dish detergent. Spray on weeds during the hottest part of the day.
* Liquid Dish Detergent: Make a soap solution of 1 part liquid dish detergent to 10 parts water. Soak weeds with this mix.
* Boiling Water: Plug in the kettle, bring it to a boil then pour the hot water over weeds (you’re basically cooking the weed to death).
* Lemon Juice: Either use straight lemon juice or try 1/2 cup lemon juice mixed with 1 quart household vinegar. This works much the same way as straight vinegar, but lemon juice is more expensive. I would only use this if I had more lemon juice on hand than I knew what to do with.
* Common Weed Killer Recipe: 1 quart household vinegar, 1/4 cup salt, 2 teaspoons liquid dish detergent (only use a detergent that contains no bleach). Mix together and spray on weeds.
* Corn Gluten Meal (this is different than corn meal): This is an all natural weed and feed product that deters weeds spreading by seed, a great source of info regarding this method can be found here: City Of Ottawa: Weed Control Using Corn Gluten Meal [2] (how and when to apply it, etc.). Effective on crabgrass, dandelions, curly dock, knotweed, lambs quarters, pigweed, plantain and other weeds. Can be used on lawns, flowerbeds, bulb beds and vegetable gardens. Make sure to use CGM that is labeled as “pre-emergent herbicide“, stuff from the feedstore doesn’t have enough protein to work. Keep in mind that using CGM affects seed growth for all plants, not just weeds.

Tips For Weed Control:

* Many natural remedies and weed killer products will not only kill weeds dead, but they may also kill surrounding grass, plants and flowers. When using a recipe, make sure to apply to the weed only (keep in mind that liquids will saturate and seep into the ground where roots from favored plants may be able to reach).
* Use weed killers when there’s no sign of rain for at least a day or two, hot sunny weather will give you best results.
* For weed control in gardens and flower beds, consider laying newspapers and mulch in and around your plants–the weeds will have a difficult time rooting and spreading (see tip #9: 12 Ways To Reuse Newspaper Around The House [3]).
* Weed growth is greatly reduced when using the “No Dig” method of gardening (see Diggin It: No Dig Gardening [4]). The idea is to make a foundation of compost/mulch then only use soil where you plant (make a hole in the mulch, stick a handful or two of dirt inside then plant the seedling).

Did you know: Many weeds are used in home remedies for all sorts of things and some are even edible and tasty! For example, dandelions can be used to make a delicious syrup [5] or jelly [6], while plantains can be crushed and used to reduce itching from mosquito bites [7] or relieve pain from bee stings [8]. Take some time to research the weeds in your area and you may find some pretty clever ways to make them useful–you may just decide to let a few weeds live and flourish in certain parts of your yard .

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Homemade Window Cleaner Recipes & Tips [9]
* Natural Pesticides: Recipes & Tips [10]
* Quick Tips For Plants & Garden [1]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/weed-killers/

URLs in this post:

[1] Quick Tips For Plants & Garden: http://tipnut.com/tips-plants-garden/

[2] City Of Ottawa: Weed Control Using Corn Gluten Meal: http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/healthy_lawns/lawns/maintain/corn_en.html

[3] 12 Ways To Reuse Newspaper Around The House: http://tipnut.com/12-ways-to-reuse-newspaper-around-the-house/

[4] Diggin It: No Dig Gardening: http://tipnut.com/no-dig-garden/

[5] delicious syrup: http://tipnut.com/dandelion-syrup/

[6] jelly: http://tipnut.com/homemade-recipes/

[7] reduce itching from mosquito bites: http://tipnut.com/over-40-mosquito-bite-itch-relief-tips/

[8] relieve pain from bee stings: http://tipnut.com/quick-tip-bee-sting-relief/

[9] Homemade Window Cleaner Recipes & Tips: http://tipnut.com/more-homemade-window-cleaner-recipes-to-try/

[10] Natural Pesticides: Recipes & Tips: http://tipnut.com/natural-pesticides/

How To Make An Olive Oil Lamp

Posted By TipNut On July 29, 2009 @ 1:06 pm In Crafts, DIY Projects | No Comments

Today’s feature is from Down To Earth with this tutorial for How To Make An Oil Lamp [1]:

Olive Oil Lamp Project By down-—to-—earth.blogspot.com

Well, I fiddled with it for a few days, tested wicks and oil levels, I now have a perfectly serviceable oil lamp that burns clean for hours, with no smell. I was looking for a replacement for paraffin candles and saw a photo of a small oil lamp on a website somewhere but when I made my own version of it, it burned for a minute and went out. I never give up on these things so it was a battle between me and the lamp for a day or two. Let me tell you we both won. I won because the lamp burns as I want it to, the lamp wins because it looks good and gives a lovely mellow yellow glow, just like a candle.

This oil lamp is a little different since it’s filled half with water and half with olive oil (you can use other oils too). Great project for emergency lighting!

Here’s what you need to get started:

* Small canning jar with lid
* Olive oil
* Water
* Wick (you can use a strip of pure cotton or pure linen fabric, kitchen string or twine, cotton yarn or a purchased wick)

Please visit the site listed above for all the project details, nice job! The writer also mentions this helpful article on Mother Earth News: Make Your Own Olive Oil Lamp [2] which has more how-to help along with this tip:

Want to get fancy with your olive oil lamp? You can infuse your olive oil with herbs, spices or essential oils for a more scented experience.

You can make your own floral infused olive oil, instructions are here: Floral Infused Olive Oil [3].

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid [3]
* How To Make A Teapot Lamp [4]
* Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe [5]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/olive-oil-lamp/

URLs in this post:

[1] How To Make An Oil Lamp: http://down-—to-—earth.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-oil-lamp.html

[2] Make Your Own Olive Oil Lamp: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Make-Olive-Oil-Lamp.aspx

[3] Floral Infused Olive Oil: http://tipnut.com/floral-olive-oil/

[4] How To Make A Teapot Lamp: http://tipnut.com/teapot-lamp/

[5] Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe: http://tipnut.com/floral-splash/

20 Canning Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection

Posted By TipNut On August 22, 2008 @ 6:29 am In Food Tips | 2 Comments

These tips for canning are collected from the 1940s and 1950s, most are quite practical but one is truly a piece of old-timer wisdom that I couldn’t resist including (you’ll know which one when you see it!). I’ve also included a section “Canning Arithmetic” from that time period, it provides a guideline for what canned quantities to expect from several different types of fruits.
20 Timeless Canning Tips

1. When canning catsup, pour off the watery liquid on top of tomatoes after running through sieve. Your catsup will have a bright red appearance and cooking time will be cut in half.
2. If your water bath canner does not have a rack, stretch an old rubber ring round the middle of each jar. This prevents the jars from bumping together and breaking while they are being processed in the canner.
3. If you don’t have a rack, set extra jar rings on the bottom of the pot to keep your jars off the bottom.
4. For foods which have been blanched for freezing, add ice cubes to the water in which they are to be chilled to hasten the chilling and retain the full flavor.
5. To label jars of food, write on the jar while it is still hot with a bright colored crayon.
6. Flaps cut from old unsealed envelopes can be used to label jars of fruit or preserves.
7. When canning, select only the perfect and fresh products. Imperfect and irregular shaped fruits and vegetables may be used in jams and preserves.
8. One tablespoon vinegar to each quart beets will help retain their color.
9. Use soft water for blanching and precooking peas; it helps to prevent cloudiness.
10. Make sauerkraut when the moon is new until the first quarter, and the juice will stay on until it is used.
11. That teaspoon off your metal measuring spoons makes a handy gadget for coring fresh pears for canning, salads or desserts. Cut pears in half and then run metal teaspoon around the core. Presto, out it comes in a jiffy.
12. When canning corn, place cob in angel food tube and cut off the corn. The corn will fall into pan.
13. To keep pickles from shriveling, add one heaping tablespoon of alum to first salt water.
14. Use only sack salt for pickles and kraut because other salt has been treated, thus will soften, discolor, and give unpleasant taste.
15. When canning tomatoes, put onions and peppers in with them, this is grand with rice or macaroni and it is all ready to use.
16. When canning pears, add a few drops of food coloring to a jar or two. The colored pears will provide that extra touch in holiday desserts or salads.
17. To clean can lids, put lids in a pan. Cover with sweet milk, let stand till clabbered, then take out and wash. They are like new.
18. Soak jars overnight in a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water, this will remove scale and hard water film.
19. A little lime kept on shelves where jellies or preserves are stored, will usually prevent formation of mold.
20. A little borax sprinkled in empty jars will keep them sweet and fresh until needed again.

Canning Arithmetic

If the jars and fruit don’t come out even when you are canning, better sit down and do some figuring before you start to can. Here are some tips to help you…

* Apples: 1 bushel (50 pounds) cans 17 to 20 quarts
* Apricots: 4 baskets or crates (1 bushel) cans 20 to 25 quarts
* Berries: 24 quart crate cans 15 to 24 quarts
* Grapes: 1 bushel (48 pounds) cans 16 to 20 quarts
* Pears: 1 bushel (58 pounds) cans 20 to 24 quarts
* Peaches: 1 bushel (50 pounds) cans 18 to 20 quarts
* Pineapples: 15 pineapples yields 30 pints
* Plums: 1 bushel (56 pounds) cans 24 to 30 quarts
* Tomatoes: 1 bushel (56 pounds) cans 15 to 20 quarts

More Tips:

* Common Causes Of Poor Quality Pickles: Tip Sheet [1]
* Pickles And Relishes: Points On Pickling [2]

And you don’t want to miss these free canning jar label printables [3]!

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* 26 Kitchen Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection [4]
* 20 Freezing Quick Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection [5]
* 25 Cooking & Baking Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection [6]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/canning-tips/

URLs in this post:

[1] Common Causes Of Poor Quality Pickles: Tip Sheet: http://tipnut.com/common-causes-of-poor-quality-pickles/

[2] Pickles And Relishes: Points On Pickling: http://tipnut.com/pickles-and-relishes-points-on-pickling/

[3] these free canning jar label printables: http://tipnut.com/canning-jar-labels/

[4] 26 Kitchen Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection: http://tipnut.com/kitchen-tips-timeless/

[5] 20 Freezing Quick Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection: http://tipnut.com/freezing-quick-tips/

[6] 25 Cooking & Baking Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection: http://tipnut.com/25-cooking-baking-tips/

Sunburn Relief Home Remedies – Over 50 Soothing Treatments

Posted By TipNut On July 17, 2007 @ 8:19 am In Beauty & Health, Popular Tips | 91 Comments

This is a large collection of home remedies and treatments I’ve compiled to help with sunburn relief, there are over 50 soothing treatments to review.

At the bottom of this post you’ll find some information about signs to watch for when determining if medical attention is needed as well as blister care and signs of infection.

Melanoma [1] (skin cancer) has grown to be a serious concern in our time. It’s so important to protect our children (and ourselves) as much as we can from getting sunburned.

Please keep the kiddos lathered up in sunscreen, hats and sunglasses too (helps limit the chances of future cataracts [2]). Each sunburn a child experiences can increase their chance of future problems.
Sunburn Relief Home Remedies

Vinegar: Can use white household vinegar or apple cider vinegar

* Spray vinegar all over burn or soak small towels in vinegar and apply to skin
* Bathe in a cool bath with 2 – 3 cups of vinegar
* Rose Petal Vinegar [3] (skip the cloves in the recipe when using for sunburn care) – Spray on skin
* Lavender Vinegar [4] – Spray on skin

Tea: The tannic acid from tea is soothing for sunburns

* Steep a large pot of very strong tea using 4 – 6 tea bags. Refrigerate the tea until it’s cold then soak small towels in the tea and apply to burn area. Can also spray the cold tea on burn. The tea could stain the towels, you may not want to use your best.
* Save used tea bags and apply to burn area (make sure to have bags at room temperature first).
* Bathe in a cool bath with several tea bags in the water.

Dairy:

* Soak small towels in milk and apply to burn area.
* Soak in a bath with cool water and a gallon of milk.
* Plain Yogurt – apply directly to burn area.

Aloe Vera:

* Aloe Vera Gel, either purchased or taken fresh from an aloe leaf.
* Lotions that include Aloe Vera.

Oatmeal:

* Fill a bath with cool water and add 2 cups oatmeal. Soak in bath for about 30 minutes.
* Mix oatmeal with raw egg whites and apply to sunburn.

Baking Soda:

* Fill bath with cool water and add 1 – 2 cups baking soda, dissolve. Soak in tub for 30 minutes.
* Fill a spray bottle with cool water and dissolve 1/4 cup baking soda. Spritz on burned skin.

Essential Oils: Caution when applying on children. Keep out of eyes and mouth.

* Fill a spray bottle with cool water and add a few drops of choice, or add 10 to 12 drops essential oils to a bath full of cool water and soak. Lavender Oil or Chamomile Oil.

Cornstarch:

* Make a paste of cornstarch and water, apply to skin and allow to dry.
* Fill a spray bottle with cool water and add some cornstarch, mix to dissolve. Spray on burn.
* Fill a bath with cool water and add 1 cup cornstarch, dissolve. Soak in tub for 30 minutes.
* Soak in tub or shower with cool water. Pat dry. Lightly dust burn area with cornstarch.
* 1/2 cup cornstarch + 1/2 cup baking soda added to bath of cool water, dissolve. Soak for 30 minutes.

Cucumbers:

* Slices added directly to burn or mash first then apply to burn.
* Grate cucumbers and mix with milk. Apply directly to sunburn.

Potatoes:

* Grate potatoes and apply directly to burn–include as much of the potato juice as possible.

Egg Whites:

* Apply raw egg whites to skin.
* Mix 2 egg whites, 1 TBS honey, 1 TBS witch hazel and apply to burn.

Witch Hazel:

* Spray directly on burn area.

Honey:

* Smooth honey over the burn or slather honey on a strip of gauze and apply to skin.
* Mix honey with lime or lemon juice (80/20) and apply to burn.
* Mix honey 50/50 with milk, stir well, then apply to skin.

Tomatoes:

* 1/4 cup tomato juice or tomato paste mixed with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. Apply to burn area.
* Slice or mash tomatoes and apply to burn.
* Mash tomatoes and mix with an equal amount of buttermilk. Apply to burned skin.
* Add 2 cups tomato juice to bath of cool water, soak.

More Pantry Fixins:

* Smear mustard on burned skin.
* Soak cloth in pickle juice and apply to burned skin. Or spray pickle juice directly on burn.
* Puree strawberries and apply directly to skin.

Burned Skin Soothers

Water & Ice:

* Spritz chilled water on burn.
* Soak in a cool bath or take a cool shower.
* Wrap ice packs, ice cubes or bags of frozen vegetables in a towel and then apply to burn area to sooth.
* Drink lots of water to keep hydrated and help the healing process.
* Mix 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice in a spray bottle filled with cool water. Shake and spritz body as needed.

More Skin Soothers: Apply directly to sunburn

* Cocoa Butter
* Shaving Cream
* Vitamin E Cream or Oil (open capsules & apply oil)
* Diaper Rash Ointment

More Bath Soaks:

* 2 cups oatmeal, 2 cups milk, 1/4 cup honey
* Epsom salt bath
* 1 cup Epsom salts, 1 cup Baking soda

Cooling Spray Infusions

Lettuce: Quarter the head of lettuce and boil (moderate) in a pot of water for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot and allow to steep. Strain water and chill. Spray lettuce water directly on burn area. Can also chill cooked leaves and apply directly to burn area.

Cabbage: Same procedure as Lettuce.

Mint: Handful of fresh mint and proceed as above.

Plantain: Handful of fresh mint and proceed as above.

Strawberry Leaves: Save strawberry leaves and trimmings until you have a generous handful. Boil in 2 cups of water and proceed as above.
Commercial Products

*Apply directly to burn area

* Noxema
* Maalox (Milk of Magnesia)
* Gold Bond Medicated Lotion
* Lanacane Anti-Bacterial First Aid Spray Anesthetic
* Pepto-Bismol
* Preparation H
* Calamine Lotion

Sunburn Medical Issues

Sunburn Blisters: If blisters are present, don’t open or burst them. This will help avoid infection as well as speed the skin healing process, a blister is the body’s way of protecting and healing the damaged skin. Keep the blisters uncovered if possible.

The vinegar & honey remedies as well as antibacterial products are preferable when blisters are involved since they are antibacterial, helps prevent infection.

Some Signs of Infection: Swelling, painful, fever, swollen glands

For Pain Relief: Aspirin or ibuprofen or acetaminophen as directed.

See A Doctor:

* Sunburn is severe
* Purple patches, discolored blotches, or a rash appears
* Eyelids are burned or sore eyes
* Nauseous or vomiting
* Fever
* Faint or dizzy
* Excessive pain
* Chills
* Large amount of blisters
* Headaches
* Swelling

These are simply suggestions and a collection of home remedies for sunburn pain relief and treatment–not professional medical advice. Please seek a doctor’s opinion when unsure or to confirm appropriate sunburn treatment.

Have I missed your favorite tried & true remedy? Feel free to add it below .

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Dry Elbow Home Remedies & Treatments [5]
* 50 Wart Home Remedies & Treatments [6]
* Wasp Stings: Treatments & Home Remedies [7]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/sunburn-relief-home-remedies-over-50-soothing-treatments/

URLs in this post:

[1] Melanoma: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanoma

[2] cataracts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataract

[3] Rose Petal Vinegar: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-petal-vinegar-recipe/

[4] Lavender Vinegar: http://tipnut.com/lavender-vinegar-recipes/

[5] Dry Elbow Home Remedies & Treatments: http://tipnut.com/dry-elbow-home-remedies-treatments/

[6] 50 Wart Home Remedies & Treatments: http://tipnut.com/wart-remedies/

[7] Wasp Stings: Treatments & Home Remedies: http://tipnut.com/wasp-stings/

Over 40 Mosquito Bite Itch Relief Tips

Posted By TipNut On June 14, 2007 @ 6:39 am In Beauty & Health, Popular Tips | 343 Comments

It’s mosquito season and I have buffalo sized ones zipping around the backyard as I type this.

Thanks to their first feast on my ankles tonight and an earlier comment from Kim [1], I was inspired to dig through every tip I had regarding mosquito bites and relief from the itching. Scritch Scratch.

I haven’t tried most of the suggestions below, but I’ll note which ones have worked for me.

Here are more than 40 mosquito bite itch relief tips organized in one neat file, each bullet tip is a single method:
Household Items To Relieve Itching

1. Rub a bar of soap over the itch. I just tried this (Ivory soap) and the relief was near instant. I used a dry bar of soap directly on the skin, but I also have notes that you can spritz bite with water and then run bar of soap over area–or use a wet bar of soap.
2. Place a piece of scotch tape on the bite; or dab rubbing alcohol or ammonia on the bite first then stick on a piece of tape.
3. Hot water: Take a hot shower, or a hot bath, or apply a hot compress. As hot as you can stand it without burning you.
4. Ice cube, ice pack or very cold water

Dabbers For Itch Relief

The quicker you can apply one of the remedies below, the faster the relief. These are topical suggestions, apply directly to the bite area.

1. Nail Polish
2. Strong tea mixed with rubbing alcohol
3. Toothpaste (works for me)
4. Mouthwash
5. Vinegar (apply directly to bite or take a hot bath with 2 cups of vinegar in the water)
6. Honey
7. Underarm deodorant (solid or roll-on) – apply directly to bite area
8. Rubbing Alcohol
9. Ammonia
10. Bleach
11. Tea: Use a hot tea bag or a cotton ball soaked in hot tea to dab on bite area

Paste Applications

Mix these fresh then apply to bite as soon as possible. The consistency should be nice and thick so it won’t run, yet will still stay in place on the affected area. You could also spritz bite with water then apply grains/powders directly (generously) and rub them in.

1. Baking Soda & Water (works for me)
2. Meat Tenderizer & Water
3. Salt & Water (works for me)
4. Epsom Salt & Water (could also do this as a foot soak if it’s the ankle/foot area affected)
5. Tums Tablets: crush and add a few drops of water
6. Aspirin: crush then add a few drops of water
7. Aspirin – crush then apply a few drops of rubbing alcohol

Commercial Product Lotions, Creams & Applications

*Apply directly to mosquito bite area.

1. Calamine Lotion
2. Benadryl Cream
3. Orajel
4. Anbesol
5. Caladryl
6. Vicks VapoRub (works for me)
7. Preparation H (works for me)
8. Lucas Papaw Ointment
9. Tiger Balm
10. Bag Balm
11. Gold Bond Medicated Cream (or the Gold Bond Medicated Powder)
12. Mylanta (heartburn relief product)
13. After Bite

Essential Oils For Itch Relief

Apply full strength directly to bite area. Edit: There are concerns about using essential oils on children and pre-teens, especially repeated use.

1. Tea Tree Oil
2. Lavender Oil
3. Witch Hazel (astringent)
4. Cedar Oil

Leaf Applications

*Crush the fresh leaves roughly then apply to bite area

1. Basil
2. Plantains (Plantago)

Fruity Applications

*Use fresh fruit & apply directly to bite

1. Lemon Juice
2. Lemon Slice
3. Lime Juice
4. Lime Slice
5. Banana Peel (rub inside of peel on bite)

Whew! Big List! If I’ve missed your favorite remedy for mosquito bites, please add them below.
Notes

* If a remedy doesn’t provide fast relief, don’t despair. Give it another try, sometimes it will take 2 or 3 applications before it kicks in.
* The itch from mosquito bites comes from the saliva of the mosquito that it injects into you as it feasts on your blood. There are several dozen different species of mosquitoes and you may react to some species bites more than others.
* If large swelling occurs (like welts), contact a doctor or pharmacist for suggestions (especially if it’s a child with a strong reaction). It could be an allergy to the bite. It’s important to watch the throat for swelling and get treatment asap.

Update: You’ll find tips on preventing mosquito bites here [2].

*Edit: Changed picture

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Homemade Mosquito Repellent: Recipe [3]
* How to Prevent Mosquito Bites [2]
* Poison Ivy Home Remedy For Itch Relief [4]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/over-40-mosquito-bite-itch-relief-tips/

URLs in this post:

[1] comment from Kim: http://tipnut.com/quick-tip-bee-sting-relief/

[2] preventing mosquito bites here: http://tipnut.com/how-to-prevent-mosquito-bites/

[3] Homemade Mosquito Repellent: Recipe: http://tipnut.com/homemade-mosquito-repellent/

[4] Poison Ivy Home Remedy For Itch Relief: http://tipnut.com/poison-ivy-home-remedy/

Homemade Vanilla Extract: Recipes & Tips

Posted By TipNut On October 23, 2006 @ 3:27 pm In Food Tips, Recipes, Tipnut’s Picks | 24 Comments

Homemade vanilla is very easy to make, try experimenting with different vanilla beans to find the one you like best.

First, three quick & easy methods for making homemade vanilla extract:

1. Place one vanilla bean into a pint of vodka. Shake daily for two weeks.
2. Scrape the seeds from three vanilla beans and place them into a bottle of dark rum. Place the pods in the rum as well. Let sit for three weeks, shaking occasionally.
3. Place 1/2 cup vodka or white tequila into small saucepan, and heat until it smokes but isn’t boiling. Break 2 vanilla beans into pieces and place into bottle or jar. Pour the alcohol into the bottle and cover tightly. Let sit for a week, shaking frequently.

Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipes

Vanilla Extract Recipe #1

* Split 7 vanilla beans end-to-end with a sharp knife. Add these to a .750 liter (1/5) bottle of rum, vodka, everclear, scotch, brandy, or alcohol of your choice.
* Let stand for three to four weeks before using.
* When bottle is 1/4 full add three to four more beans and more alcohol.
* Let stand for another week before using.
* Seeds may float in the syrupy liquid but unless you are giving the finished product as a gift, don’t remove them–they only add to the flavor.
* Use one-forth to one-third the amount called for in most recipes as this has a very strong vanilla flavor.
* The vanilla beans are good as long as they have a vanilla scent.
* When they have lost their scent, discard and replace with fresh beans.
* You may remove the beans from the alcohol base and either scrape or chop and use them in recipes in place of the extract if you want a strong vanilla flavor.

If you choose to remove the vanilla beans from the alcohol, dry them thoroughly and place them in a canister of sugar to make vanilla sugar.

Traditional Vanilla Recipe
(Makes 8-ounces)

1/2-pint Vodka
4 Vanilla beans
Seal tight bottle or container
Decorative bottle

* Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut a lengthwise slit down the middle of each vanilla bean.
* Cut vanilla beans into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces.
* Pour vodka into your container.
* Add vanilla beans to container and shake.
* Wait and shake. It will take 30-days for the vanilla extract to mature. Once each day, vigorously shake the container for 30-seconds.
* Once the 30-day cycle has finished, strain the liquid through a colander or coffee filter and place in decorative bottle.

Brandy Vanilla
(Makes 8-ounces)

1 cup Brandy
1 whole vanilla bean

* Place Brandy into seal-tight container.
* Add one vanilla bean.
* Wait. It will take 3-weeks for vanilla to cure properly.
* Pour into decorator bottle.

Another Recipe:

* Start with 1 cup of vodka, brandy, or real vanilla extract.
* Add 2-3 Tablespoons of corn syrup, stir or shake to dissolve.
* Finely chop 3 or more (depending on strength of flavor desired) vanilla pods; add to bottle.
* Store the bottle in a cool place; stir or shake occasionally to mix ingredients.
* As the contents of the brew bottle are poured out, top it up occasionally with additional liquid (vodka, brandy, or extract) and a bit more corn syrup; about once a year add a couple more finely chopped vanilla pods.

Tips For Making Homemade Vanilla

* Stronger Extract: Use a high proof of alcohol and scrape the seeds from the bean.
* Weaker Extract: Use a lesser proof of alcohol and soak beans intact.
* To strain and bottle for storage: Use a very fine strainer, coffee filter, or paper towel to strain.
* Vodka usually gives the highest alcohol content. Brandy adds additional flavor which some folks may or may not prefer.
* Corn syrup or sugar helps extract and develop the flavor from the vanilla pods (corn syrup dissolves more easily).
* Using a variety of vanilla pods (Madagascar, Indonesia, Tahitian, Mexican) will produce a vanilla extract with a much more complex flavor and aroma. Try using Madagascar pods as a base, adding Tahitian and Mexican pods for additional flavor/fragrance notes.
* Shake vanilla bottle before each use. Small flecks of the vanilla pods will be in the vanilla extract – they provide additional flavor. They also appear as dark flecks in light-colored food, don’t shake the bottle if you don’t want the flecks to appear.
* Occasionally spoon out some of the mass of vanilla pods that settle to the bottom of the jar for when you want a very intense vanilla flavor (such as homemade vanilla ice cream or butter/vanilla pretzel cookies).
* Have a brew bottle always on the go and every summer make sure it’s topped up so you’ll have enough vanilla extract on hand for holiday baking.

Storing Vanilla

* Keep vanilla extract in a cool, dark place, with the bottle tightly closed, to prevent evaporation and loss of flavor. Vanilla extract will stay fresh for two years unopened and for one year after being opened.

Starter brew bottles make great gifts for friends who bake. Include the basic instructions and a few extra vanilla pods in case they want to make an even stronger extract or wish to make some vanilla sugar [1] on the side.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Homemade Vanilla Sugar Recipes [1]
* Homemade Lemon Extract Recipes [2]
* Homemade Orange Extract Recipe [3]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/homemade-vanilla-extract/

URLs in this post:

[1] make some vanilla sugar: http://tipnut.com/homemade-vanilla-sugar-recipes/

[2] Homemade Lemon Extract Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-lemon-extract-recipes/

[3] Homemade Orange Extract Recipe: http://tipnut.com/homemade-orange-extract-recipe/

Homemade Potpourri 101

Posted By TipNut On August 8, 2007 @ 6:16 am In Crafty Ideas, Garden & Plants, Tipnut’s Picks | 3 Comments

The Three Components of Potpourri

Fixative:

* These do the best job of absorbing the different fragrances so things keep smelling nice for a longer period of time. Potpourri fixatives are things like oak moss and orris root.

Fragrance:

* Essential oils, fragrance oils. These are applied to the Fixatives so they’ll retain the fragrance for a longer period of time. When the potpourri needs to be freshened up because its losing its fragrance, just add more Fragrance to the Fixatives.

Filler:

* The dried flowers, herbs, leaves, wood shavings, wood chips and spices (both fragrant and non-fragrant).
* If you’re using fresh items that need to be dried first, plan on four times the amount that you are needing. For example: if you want 1 cup of potpourri, prepare 4 cups of fresh items to be dried to account for the shrinkage.

Tools Needed for Making Potpourri

* Use plastic, wood, ceramic or glass bowls and plastic or wooden spoons when preparing.
* Do not use metal items.
* A mortar and pestle will also come in handy when crushing the items.
* If recipe calls for salt, use Kosher salt because it has no additives.

Potpourri Storage

* Seal the potpourri in a jar, crock, airtight container or ziploc baggies and store in a cool, dark place until it’s ready to use.
* For freshly made potpourri, allow it to cure for about six weeks before using. The longer the potpourri is allowed to cure, the stronger and longer lasting the fragrance will be. Shake the container or bag regularly during this stage to blend the ingredients (about every other day).

Two Types of Potpourri

Dry Potpourri:

* Is made by combining dried flowers and ingredients in an airtight container and allowing to cure over time.

Moist Potpourri:

* Is made with partially dried flowers, leaves and herbs that are layered with salt (use Kosher salt).
* The potpourri should be made in a large crock or bowl that is made airtight by covering with a tight fitting lid.
* Layer flowers about 2 inches, then salt about 1/8 inch.
* Place a plate on the top layer to cover and weigh down the ingredients. Place a weight on top of the plate with something heavy (like a bowl or rock).
* Cover the container so it’s airtight.
* Stir daily and allow to ferment for 14 days.
* After 14 days, stir the mixture well then re-seal tightly.
* Allow the potpourri to “brew” untouched for four weeks. Do not peek or allow any air in the crock. After four weeks the potpourri can be removed from the crock and used.

Ingredient Ideas for Potpourri

Flowers & Filler Suggestions:

* Lavender
* Roses (petals and buds)
* Pine cones
* Cedar tips
* Eucalyptus

Herbs:

* Mint
* Lemon Balm
* Thyme
* Rosemary

Spices:

* Cinnamon Sticks
* Cloves
* Nutmeg
* Vanilla Beans
* Anise

Dried Fruits:

* Orange peels
* Lemon peels
* Apple slices

Fixatives:

* Orris root
* Oak moss
* Calamus root
* Sandalwood chips
* Wood shavings
* Tonka beans
* Ground cinnamon

General Rule of Thumb Potpourri Ratio

* 2 parts dried flowers, 1 part dried herbs and leaves, .5 part spices, Fixative (1 TBS per 1 cup dried flowers), Fragrance (2 drops per 1 TBS of Fixative). This isn’t a hard and fast rule, mix as you prefer.

How to Pronounce “Potpourri”

* Some say “Pot–Poor–EE” but it’s actually “Poe–Poo–Ree” and it’s a french word that means “Rotten Pot” (if you try the Moist Method of making potpourri, you’ll know why rotten pot applies). See below for more info on the Moist Method.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* How To Make Winter Citrus Potpourri [1]
* Homemade Herbal Carpet Freshener Recipe [2]
* Homemade Lavender Sugar Recipes [3]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/homemade-potpourri-101/

URLs in this post:

[1] How To Make Winter Citrus Potpourri: http://tipnut.com/citrus-potpourri/

[2] Homemade Herbal Carpet Freshener Recipe: http://tipnut.com/homemade-herbal-carpet-freshener-recipe/

[3] Homemade Lavender Sugar Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-lavender-sugar-recipes/

How To Ripen Tomatoes: Tips & Tricks

Posted By TipNut On July 28, 2009 @ 10:10 am In Garden & Plants | 1 Comment

Green Tomatoes On The Vine
Ripening Tomatoes On The Vine

Here are a few tips to help speed up and encourage tomatoes to ripen on the vine close to the end of growing season:

* Keep plants free of diseased leaves and pinch off new flowers so all the plant’s energy can go into ripening the fruit.
* Watch plants daily and pick off the tomatoes just as they become ripe, more of the plant’s energy will go to the fruit left on the vine. Tomatoes should be nice and red but not turning soft yet.
* Reducing water slightly can help speed up the ripening process.
* Shortly before it’s time to harvest tomatoes, boost the plant’s energy by giving it a last feeding of compost tea (see How To Make Compost Tea [1].)

If a hard frost is looming, it’s time to get the tomatoes inside. You can still ripen the green tomatoes on the vine by the following method:

* Pull up the plants then brush off the dirt from the roots and hang the plants upside down in your garage or basement. Watch the tomatoes daily and remove them from the plant as they become ripe. Keep plants out of direct sunlight but not in total darkness. Position the plants so there is good air circulation between them.

Ripening Tomatoes Off The Vine

When a heavy frost is looming, pick all the tomatoes from the plant (including the green ones). Sort them according to size and level of maturity, set aside those that are bruised or damaged. Remove stems and wipe off the dirt with a dry cloth. Save the small tomatoes for cooking in a variety of green tomato recipes. For those that are larger (about 3/4 the size of a ripe tomato), here are a couple different ways you can ripen them off the vine:

* Wrap the green tomatoes individually in newspaper and lay them in shallow cardboard boxes. You can also lay them in bunches between sheets of newspaper, just make sure none of the tomatoes are touching each other. Store them in a dark and dry location. Check the tomatoes regularly and quickly remove those that have ripened. Watch for any rotting fruit, they must be removed from the batch immediately to prevent the others from rotting.
* You can also try layering the tomatoes in a shallow box of styrofoam peanuts, leave enough room between the tomatoes for good air circulation and remember to check the box daily for ripe tomatoes to be removed.

Be gentle when handling and arranging the tomatoes to prevent damaging them. Tip: If you arrange the tomatoes stem side up they won’t take to rot as quickly.
Ethylene Gas Fruit Ripening Boosters

Fruit naturally produces ethylene gas which helps stimulate ripening. No real need to do this unless you’re out of tomatoes and want some quickly. Here are a few different methods you can try:

* Place green tomatoes in a paper bag then add a ripe apple, fold bag closed. This will help speed up tomato ripening since the apple will add to the ethylene gas the tomatoes themselves produce.
* Ripen tomatoes in a brown paper lunch bag and fold over the top to close, this will help keep the ethylene gas the tomatoes produce inside the bag to speed up ripening.
* Place green tomatoes in a plastic bag that has several toothpick sized holes punched through. Seal the bag closed.
* Place green tomatoes in a container with a banana that still has a bit of green on the peel, seal the container closed. This will help trap the ethylene gas inside the container to help the green tomatoes ripen faster.

Tips & Troubleshooting

* Prolong The Growing Season: You can still keep your tomatoes in the garden when light frosts are expected but protect them overnight by covering with sheets, tarp or burlap (remove during the day). When freezing or hard frosts are in the forecast, you need to hustle and remove all the tomatoes from the garden before the frost hits.
* Sorting Tomatoes: Keep the green tomatoes showing a bit of pink around the stem area together in a separate box, these will ripen the fastest and will save you digging around for them.
* Boost Flavor: Set tomatoes that are very close to being ripe in a warm window a day or two before you use them, this will help increase the flavor.
* Shriveling Tomatoes: If your green tomatoes tend to shrivel instead of ripen, it’s likely because the storage area isn’t humid enough for them.
* Moldy Tomatoes: If you have a problem with your green tomatoes developing mold or starting to rot before fully ripening, it’s likely because the storage area is too humid for them.
* Tomatoes Have No Flavor: The storage area was too cool, find a location where the temperature is at least 55° F. for best results.
* Tomatoes Won’t Ripen: They were either too small or stored in too cool a location.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks [2]
* 10 Tasty Meatloaf Tips & Tricks [3]
* Storing Garden Crops: Cold Storage Tips [4]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/ripen-tomatoes/

URLs in this post:

[1] How To Make Compost Tea: http://tipnut.com/compost-tea/

[2] 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks: http://tipnut.com/cake-baking-tips/

[3] 10 Tasty Meatloaf Tips & Tricks: http://tipnut.com/tasty-meatloaf-tips-tricks/

[4] Storing Garden Crops: Cold Storage Tips: http://tipnut.com/cold-storage-tips/

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2305771/posts

Riot police use brute force to break up Moscow rally
The Telegraph ^ | 7/31/2009 | Miriam Elder in Moscow

Posted on Friday, July 31, 2009 9:21:53 PM by bruinbirdman

Pensioners, invalids and young people were among those arrested, as hundreds of riot police in blue fatigues obeyed orders to crack down on any show of dissent.

http://cbs5.com/local/berkeley.hazmat.REI.2.1109335.html Jul 31, 2009 8:17 am US/Pacific Suspect ID Possible In Berkeley Hazmat Incident CBS 5 CrimeWatch BERKELEY (BCN) ― Authorities may have the identity of an individual who left a hazardous material in a local REI store, according to the Berkeley Fire Department. snipped Dong also said the fire department believes the hazardous substance, which sent five people to the hospital complaining of respiratory problems, was some sort of pepper spray. It was released after an employee picked a backpack up off the floor that had a bottle inside. snipped

The Lost Art Of Self Reliance

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 03:00 AM PDT

I recently read an article on the Legends of Appalachia: The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center. The Foxfire Museum is located in Mountain City, GA, and is home to most of the history collected as part of the Foxfire project conducted back in the 1960’s. As a fan of the Foxfire books, I was interested to learn more about the museum, and would someday like to visit with my kids. Where better to instill in them a spirit of self reliance, something that seems lost on most of us these days.

johnolivercabin080109
Photo by rjones0856

This post has undergone many revisions, mostly because earlier versions were too politically-charged, or too much of a rant against one political party or the other. A dizzying news cycle also kept me from posting, because I wanted to include recent examples of our dependence on government, and that government’s lack of fiscal discipline, which has an affect on all our financial lives.

However, it became clear to me that I was taking the wrong approach. Suffices to say, both political parties are equally guilty of being fiscally irresponsible. Members of Congress have yet to fully recognize a truth many of us have learned the hard way; you can’t spend more than you have coming in without accumulating debt, and you cannot spend your way out of that debt.

While more and more people are clamoring for more protections, more benefits, and more intrusions into their lives, I wondered what the people featured in those Foxfire books would have thought. These were the type of people who didn’t eat if they didn’t work to grow and harvest the food, or raise and kill the hogs. These were the type of people who turned to their neighbors, and their family, and their churches when they needed help. They were off the grid well before, and long after, there even was a grid!

So what changed? Why did this life of simplicity not take hold? The article I mentioned in the opening cites the Foxfire Museum director as saying during tough economic times their attendance tends to increase. Why is that? Are we only concerned with taking care of ourselves in rough times? Should we not also be concerned with it in good times, so we don’t have to be worried about it in the tough times?

I’ve always been a fan of self reliance, and though I am not the most “green” person around, I enjoy finding more and more ways to take care of my family, and myself, without depending on others. But “dependence” is a tough thing to define.

I depend on my employer to provide me with a job so that I can buy food I cannot grow to feed my family. I depend on many of you, my readers, to supplement the salary from my employer so that I can provide shelter, and clothes and a other things for my family. I depend on a fire department to come if I need them to help put out a fire in my home. I don’t grow enough food to live off, and I don’t produce anything to sell for money (other than the lines I write here). I certainly don’t have the ability to stop a raging inferno in my attic. So to say that I do not rely on others is a farce.

Even those living a caveman-like existence, or a life tucked away in a remote stretch of New Zealand, rely on others for their land, food, and basic medical services, should they need them. I am certainly not advocating we all return to a life of such meager existence, though such an existence seems appealing to those of us surrounded by mortgages, car payments and sky-rocketing utility payments.

Soon we will likely see the end of this recession, and along with it, an end to a renewed interest in living a simple, frugal lifestyle. Most in our society will again find “the good times” an opportunity to spend money frivolously today, and be much less concerned with tomorrow. Savings rates will dip. Consumer debt will increase. The price to own a home, go to college, or buy a loaf of bread, will resume its steady upward march.

It is sad, in a way, that we have forgotten the lessons of our founders, and more recently, our grandparents and great-grandparents. They lived by the motto, “cash on the barrel,” avoiding debt, and buying things only if they had the money up front. They took pride in accepting the least amount of help possible, but gave generously to help those in their immediate community who fell on hard times.

My answer to what happened: debt happened. Readily available credit changed the face of our society forever. From the everday consumer to the highest levels of government. The easier it became accumulate debt, the more we sank ourselves into it. And the more we relied on institutions (banks, government, etc.) to provide those things we once took care of ourselves.

Some will argue that debt helped us grow our economy to the size it is today. Others will point out that without debt, few of us could afford to be in a home. Defenders of recent government stimulus plans and bailouts will cite a need to spend and grow deficits to reverse the recessionary trends we saw in 2008 and 2009.

My question is this: What would have happened if we did nothing? Would we be any worse off in ten years? Would we be any worse off today?

Post from: Frugal Dad

http://frugaldad.com