Vinegar, Vinegar, VINEGAR!!!

"What is so awesome about vinegar???" you may ask. Well, I know that I am constantly trying to economize, and let's face it, who isn't?! So I am going to let you in on a little secret... Vinegar is very inexpensive, and can be used to clean just about ANYTHING in your home.

Here are 15 practical and fun ways you can make your life easier with vinegar:

1 Clean stainless steel by wiping with vinegar.

2 Add 1/2 cup vinegar to water in your tea kettle and let sit overnight. No more build up!

3 Make buttermilk (the sour kind). Add a dash of vinegar to 1 cup of milk.

4 Add vinegar to your dishwasher to prevent water spots and soap scum on your dishes (this works also if you hand wash your dishes like I do. Just add a bit of vinegar to the rinse water).

5 Clean formica countertops till they shine with distilled vinegar.

6 Discourage fruit flies by sitting out a little distilled white vinegar near the problem area.

7 Remove soap scum from your bathtub, shower curtains, and tile with vinegar.

8 Brighten your clothes by adding a half cup or so of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle. (apple cider vinegar may stain pourous surfaces)

9 Discourage your cat from any area by spraying with undilluted distilled white vinegar. (They don't like the smell.)

10 Get rid of weeds and grass in unwanted areas by pouring undilluted white distilled vinegar on them.

11 Clean your birdbath with distilled white vinegar, and rinse well.

12 Wash fresh veggies with distilled white vinegar and water

13 Distilled white vinegar and oil makes a great salad dressing

14 Add a dash of white vinegar to your water when boiling eggs to keep them from cracking

15 Vinegar and water makes a great facial toner!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Galore!

This recipe was given to me by my aunt. Someone brought these delightful Peanut Butter Gooeys into her workplace, and she just had to have the recipe! Try it out for yourself. Your taste buds will thank you!

Submitted by: Aunt Susan

Peanut Butter Gooeys

1 Chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Combine and spread in pan over parchment paper.

Blend the following:
1 cup peanut butter
1 8 oz. cream cheese
3 eggs
1 box (1 lb.) powdered sugar

Blend and spread over the chocolate mixture.

Top with toffee, chocolate chips, nuts or your choice.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Do not overbake - the top needs to be gooey.

Enjoy!

Make Your Own Butter! (and buttermilk!)

This is such a fun idea! Kids will enjoy this too! There is something delicious about homemade sweet cream butter. But, who has the time and space to churn it themselves??? You do! All you need is a jar and a marble. Fill the jar half full with heavy whipping cream. Drop in a clean marble, and replace the lid on the jar. Shake until the milk separates from the butter (usually about 45 minutes). Refrigerate the buttermilk until needed. Drain any excess milk from the butter and store in the refrigerator until needed. Wasn't that fun?

The Weekend is Here!!!

After such a long week at work, there's nothing like coming home to some comfort food. I have a delicious, quick and easy recipe that will make them think it took hours to prepare! Its called:

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Submitted By Kristin

All you need is:
2 boxes instant vanilla pudding & enough milk to prepare
1 box graham crackers
1 canister whipped topping
1 canister chocolate frosting

Layer a 13x 9 baking dish with grahams. mix the pudding as directed on the box, and let sit 5 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Place half pudding mixture over graham crackers. Layer grahams over pudding mixture. Layer remaining pudding mixture, and layer with grahams. Place in fridge for 2 hours. Frost top with chocolate frosting. Refrigerate overnight. ENJOY!!!

Mom's Dirt Cake!!!

This is one of my family's favorite desserts. When I was 6, I'd sit at the kid's table while my Mom served us her awesome Dirt Cake!!! This cake can be made in a new clean flower pot, and seved with a new mini garden shovel to make it "authentic".

All you need is 1 pack crushed chocolate & creme cookies, 18 oz cream cheese, 3 cups milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 boxes vanilla pudding, and 1 large canister whipped topping. Blend wet ingredients, + sugar and pudding. Spread 1/2 crushed cookies into bottom of pot. Layer on the cream cheese mixture. Add the rest of the cookies. Top with whipped topping. You can add gummy worms for an additional GROSS factor for the kids. ENJOY!!!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Solutions!

How many times have we packed our pb & j sandwiches in the morning, just to find that at lunch the bread had soaked up all the jelly? Well, my friend Hazel from NJ has come up with a solution! Put the peanut butter on both pieces of bread, and put the jelly in the middle... Why didn't I think of that? Well, thanks to Hazel, I will have no more soggy pb & j's for lunch at work!

From Pat's Kitchen

Meet my mother-in-law Pat. She's a great cook from Southern Virginia. Anyone that comes into her home feels like family. I have managed to get my hands on a delicious seafood recipe from her cooking stash. I hope you enjoy it! Crab Quiche Bake (Makes 8-10 Servings) 8 Eggs, Beaten 2 Cups Half and Half 1 jar of fire roasted red peppers 1 Package (8 oz) imitation crabmeat, chopped 1 Cup bread crumbs 1 Cup (4 oz) Shredded Swiss Cheese 1 Cup (4 oz) Cheddar Cheese 1/2 Cup chopped green onions 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper In a bowl, combine all ingredients. transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!