Waxed Canvas Tutorial

 Have you ever heard of waxing canvas? My mom and I have talked about it for years. It’s a method of infusing wax into canvas fabric to waterproof it. I thought one had to dedicate a whole clothes dryer to the craft of waxing canvas

Cream Cheese Frosting

RECIPE:

 1 package cream cheese, at room temperature

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese and butter in large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds.  Stop the machine.  Add the confectioners' sugar, a bit at a time, blending with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute.  Add the vanilla, then increase the mixer speed to medium and blend the frosting until fluffy, 1 minute more.

Sweet Muffins Base Recipe

Recipe:

3 eggs  

1 1/2 cups sugar  

1 1/2 cups  milk  

6 teaspoons Baking Powder  

3/4 cup vegetable oil  

1 1/2 teaspoons salt  

4 1/2 cups flour

One bowl dump, mix and bake.

400 degrees for 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your muffin tin.

 Add in ideas: Lemon poppyseed, maple nut, triple berry, blueberry, banana nut, apple cinnamon. 

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

 

Recipe:

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Heat oil in large 2-Qt saucepan; stir in flour and chili powder; cook for 1 minute.
2. Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.

 

This is hands down the best enchilada sauce I've ever had. 

Strawberry Container Garden

 When we moved from the country to the city we went from 5 acres to a small city lot, and as a result, the gardening isn't even close to what it was in years past and last year, it didn't happen at all.

 But, I want to continue to grow things. 

For mothers day, I was gifted something that I'd been talking about since we moved in three years ago-

12 Ways to Use Isopropyl Alcohol

 

12 Ways to Use Rubbing Alcohol

from Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things

1. Remove hair spray from mirrors
When you are spritzing your head with hair spray, some of it inevitably winds up on the mirror. A quick wipe with rubbing alcohol will whisk away that sticky residue and leave your mirror sparkling clean.

Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide

 HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Here is one of my favorite tips.  Hydrogen Peroxide is one of those things that I couldn't do without.  I soak all our toothbrushes in it to disinfect them and I know it makes a difference. We don't get sick as much. If I get a canker sore I swish my mouth with it and it's gone the next day.

One day my little son face planted and got a major bloody nose. 

Homemade White Bread

 RECIPE:

Bread and Butter Pickles

 

8 cups sliced squash, or cucumbers
2 medium onions
2 sweet peppers (one red, one green)
1/4 cup salt
Mix squash, onions and peppers together, sprinkle w/ salt (un-iodized) mix well, cover with water and ice.
This is important to keep the veggies cold.
Let sit for 1-2 hours.
Rinse, drain and set veggies aside.

Brine ingredients:
2 1/4 cups cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric

Mix brine ingredients in a stainless steel stock pot.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly, let boil 3 minutes.  Add vegetables and bring back to a boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and fill jars to within 1/2 inch of top with mixture.  (Important: liquid must cover vegetables and be within 1/2 of top.)  Place sterilized rings and lids on jars finger tight.  Process in steam canner, or boiling water bath for 5 minutes.  Adjust time accordingly for elevation.

Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

RECIPE:

1 box cake mix (white or yellow)
ingredients cake mix asks for except for water (i.e. eggs, oil) in place of water, use peach juice from canned peaches.

1 large can sliced peaches
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar

Instructions:

Mix cake mix in separate bowl.
In  Dutch oven melt butter and brown sugar and stir over heat until bubbly and they have caramelized. Remove Dutch oven from heat, layer drained peaches, and mixed cake mix.
Put lid on Dutch oven, place directly over hot coals with 5-6 hot coals on Dutch oven lid.  Cook approx. 15-20 minutes or until done.  Remove from heat.  Cut the sweetness with whipped, or ice cream as it is very rich.