Category: MISC

Making something out of nothing ~ A SOAP tutorial



We’re all trying to cut a few corners these days and conserving all the scraps just makes sense.

  • Save up your old bars of soap, making sure they are dry slivers.
  • Use your grater or chopper to make small pieces. Or like me I eventually give up and use an old ziploc and a meat tenderizer.
  • Put them in a sauce pan with 8 ounces of water for every 1 1/2 cups grated slivers and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. They should blend together like a smooth pudding.
  • I added a hint of lemon extract and green food color also.
  • Pour into molds. I like to use an old ice cube tray for a smaller decorative soap for the guest bathroom or this should make about 3-4 medium-sized bars.
  • After they are set up, pop the bars out of the molds. If they don’t come out easily, stick them in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight, or until they feel dry when you touch them. Then they will pop out easily.
  • Air dry them without their touching each other for 2-3 days.

JEWELRY CLEANER

My tip this week is for the best and super inexpensive jewelry cleaner. Denture cleaner tablets! You can pick up a box of 100 for around $4. House brand works just as well as name brands too. 
Keep a small bowl and old toothbrush handy. Get your rings wet and brush over the surface to loosen the dirt. Put them in the bowl and just cover with water. Pop in 1 tablet and let set several hours or over night. 
I used to take mine in for a good cleaning and my jeweler actually taught me this, he said this is what they use a lot of the time. I run the toothbrush over them again before rinsing and they turn out like new!

DO NOT USE THIS ON SILVER JEWELRY AS IT WILL TARNISH THEM.
THIS METHOD IS ONLY GOOD ON GOLD OR PLATINUM!

UNCLOGGING DRAINS

Here is a recipe for a safe and inexpensive way to keep your drains clear and or unclog them as necessary. I have used it for years and it WORKS!!

1 cup baking soda
1 cup white vinegar

Pour the baking soda in the drain followed by the vinegar. Allow it to fizz for 20 minutes or so and then rinse with hot water.

I also do this to the shower heads when they start to clog.

CARAMEL APPLE RAISIN DIMSUM DUMPLIINGS

CARAMEL APPLE RAISIN DIMSUM DUMPLIINGS

2 large apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons golden rum
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
Melissa’s Dimsum dumpling wrappers
Frying oil (with a neutral flavor)

  • Soak raisins in the rum for an hour before preparing the apples.
  • Toss apples and raisins with the lemon juice.
  • Sift together the dry ingredients.
  • Toss the apple mixture with the dry mixture until well coated.
  • Add vanilla and cream until well blended.
  • Melt butter in cast iron skillet (preferred). Add apple mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes until tender.
  • Fill each dumpling wrapper with a heaping teaspoon of the apple mixture.
  • Wet and seal the edges.
  • Bring oil to a frying heat.
  • Add several of the dumplings, but do not crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Sprinkle with powder sugar or cinnamon sugar.
  • Serve with french vanilla ice cream.

BAKED CARAMEL PEARS

In an effort to clean out magazines and cookbooklets, I’ve decided to join Magazine Mondays hosted by Cream Puffs in Venice. What I really like is that she isn’t strict about when you post so I can publish these yummy results as I find them.

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! Now while I usually keep the combination of spices and seasonings somewhat intact, I do make changes that make it more palatable to my family. So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

These recipes have been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where they originated (but they look like pages from an old Lawry’s magazine when I worked there) which based on all my changes doesn’t matter, but reminds me to keep that box. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were favorites and will now be revived.


BAKED CARAMEL PEARS
3-4 firm pears, pared and cut into fourths
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small squares
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 to 6 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans, optional
1/4 cup rum soaked golden raisins**

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Arrange pears side by side, center down in an un-greased 8×8 baking dish.
  • Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
  • Sprinkle raisins around the pears.
  • Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
  • Evenly dot with the butter squares.
  • Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until pears are tender and brown sugar is bubbly.

*I deleted the pecans and increased the brown sugar to 1/3 cup while adding the cinnamon also.
**I soaked the raisins in rum for a day or so before and they were yummy!

Next time I will maybe broil the pears for a couple of minutes after they come out of the oven to crystallize the sugar.

SQUIRT SODA APPLE DUMPLINGS

SQUIRT SODA APPLE DUMPLINGS
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced into 8 wedges

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 cans Pillsbury crescent roll dough

1 cups sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 can Squirt soda

4 tablespoons butter, sliced thin

  • Preheat oven to 350˚.
  • Spray a baking dish with PURE.
  • Submerge apple wedges into a bowl of ice water with the lemon juice.
  • Separate the crescent roll triangles.
  • Remove the apples and dry on paper towels.
  • Roll each apple in a triangle, starting at the small end.
  • Put the rolls in the baking dish.
  • In a small bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  • Sprinkle evenly over the rolls.
  • Top with the thin slices of butter.
  • Pour the soda over everything.
  • Bake until golden brown (about 40-45 minutes).
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

APPLE BUNDLES

APPLE BUNDLES
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
4 ounces orange juice with pulp
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons golden raisins
puff pastry*
cinnamon sugar
egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons hot water

  • Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature until they’re easy to handle (about 45 minutes).
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
  • Whisk the orange juice, apple pie spice, brown sugar and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
  • Add apple pieces and raisins.
  • Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10-inch square. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (5-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.
  • Spoon 1/4 cup of apple mixture into center of square.
  • Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg.
  • Fold each pastry in half over the apple mixture and press the edges to seal.
  • Place the filled pastries onto the baking sheets.
  • Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove the pastries to a wire rack and let cool.
  • Place the butter into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the water, adding additional water, if necessary, until the icing is the desired consistency.
  • Drizzle the icing over the pastries.

*If you’re in a hurry, you can substitute a can of crescent rolls and have a similar dessert.

ROASTED RED PEPPER HAM STRATAS

ROASTED RED PEPPER HAM STRATAS
6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
5 cups day old bread, cubed
1/3 pound ham steak, cubed
3 green onions, sliced thin
1/3 cup diced roasted red pepper
8 ounces cheese of choice
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter, sliced into slivers

  • Preheat oven to 350˚.
  • Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
  • Spray four 8 ounce ramekins with PURE.
  • Divide two-thirds of the bread among the four 8 ounce ramekins.
  • Top with ham, onions, red peppers and half the cheese.
  • Top with remaining bread and then the egg mixture.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Dot with butter pieces.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Bake until set, about 30 minutes.

OATMEAL NUT MUFFINS

OATMEAL NUT MUFFINS
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Jumbo eggs
1 cup flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large bowl layer the oats.
  • Pour the buttermilk over the oats and let them soak for an hour.
  • Cream the butter.
  • Add the sugar and cream until smooth.
  • Add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet until well blended.
  • Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.
  • Sprinkle nuts on top.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes.

PARSNIP PUREE POTATO SKINS

Did you know that parsnips are from the carrot family? This vegetarian diet hubby requested is giving me room to try some new recipes and I’m losing weight though he says he isn’t.

PARSNIP PUREE POTATO SKINS
1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled & cut into 1 inch pieces
2 medium potatoes, baked & scooped out
1 green onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons sour cream
3-4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, melted
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add parsnips and boil 20-25 minutes until extremely tender.
  • Bake potatoes in oven or microwave. Halve them and scoop out the insides.
  • Puree the cooled parsnips and potato insides until smooth.
  • Add butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg and heavy cream and blend well.
  • Fill potato shells with puree. This makes enough to also fill 2 compotes for another meal later in the week.
  • Top with grated cheese and green onion
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Increase to broil and brown tops for a minute or so.

GORGONZOLA BACON GREEN BEANS

GORGONZOLA BACON GREEN BEANS
1/4 pound thick bacon, chopped
1 small bunch green onions, sliced
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup Gorgonzola crumbles

  • In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on papertowels.
  • Add onions and green beans to bacon drippings and stir fry until crisp tender.
  • Drain off any remaining bacon drippings.
  • Toss onions, green beans, bacon bits and Gorgonzola crumbles.

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Clara of I Heart Food4Thought chose, Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes* on pages 215-217

Being new to TWD I didn’t want to miss doing this week but as much as we love chocolate around here, we’re not big chocolate cake fans. So, I added a heaping tablespoon of a strong instant coffee to the batter for a bit of an espresso flavor. Hubby gave it a 2 thumbs up. They took only 20 minutes and were much moister than last week’s Pumpkin Muffins (I think the coffee helped there as well as the shorter cooking time). We’re not big on bittersweet chocolate either and I had some cream cheese frosting left. So, I used the glaze on just a few, the cream cheese frosting on a few and the mixed the remainder of the glaze with the cream cheese frosting and did a few more. The mix of both the glaze and the cream cheese frosting was our favorite.
Original posting date 10-28-2008