Cucumber Summer Salad

This is a great yummy summer salad and can stay in your fridge up to 2 months.


4 thinly sliced cucumbers
1-large sliced red onions
1-large sliced green bell peppers
1-tbsp salt
2-cup white vinegar
1 1/2-cups sugar
1-tsp celery flakes
1-tsp red pepper flakes


Mix cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt; set a side.

Put vinegar, sugar, celery flakes and pepper flakes in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 handfuls of ice until melted.


Place all veggies in large mouth canning jars (2 quarts or 1 half gallon jar)

Pour mixture over cucumbers, store in refrigerator.
Will keep up to 2 months

DIY Mixes for Ranch Dressing, Onion Soup and Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cabbage, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Join us for more interesting info -- fun stuff, recipes and inspirational friends from all over the world!Gregg's Skinny Friends - Health & Weight Control
http://skinnygregg.com/

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cabbage, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce**
1/2 cup water
*1 teaspoon ground black pepper (Way too much for me!  It was way to peppery and stung my tongue.)
*1 teaspoon sea salt

*I would salt and pepper to taste if I make this again.
** I used 1 1/2 cups of V-8 vegetable juice

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Note from Jenelle:

When I make stuffed cabbage, I always use V-8 juice instead of tomato sauce.  I also add some brown sugar to the juice.... I like things a little on the sweet side.  (And my mom always did this.)

Hay bale gardening becoming a big hit
By Kristin Latty

CENTRE — Looking for a simple way to do some country gardening? Why not grab up a wheat straw bale and go to town. Er ... you know what we mean. Although, the popular method of hay bale gardening is getting more popular in town, as well.

"Bale gardening is no trouble at all," said Bobby Baker of Centre. "Plus I've had real good luck with my crops." Baker has been gardening in hay for four years. A friend told him how to get prosperous crops using nothing but wheat straw, potting soil, a little fertilizer and some tomato plants.

"Every fall I get some bales and let them sit out all winter to get good and soggy," said Baker. "I plant a few every year and I've had real good luck. Of course, I do prune and stick them."

Like Baker, Jim Wright of Cedar Bluff started out his first wheat straw crop using only tomato plants.

"I started last year and did three bales with two plants each," said Wright. "I ended up with over 486 tomatoes."

Right now, Wright has winter cabbage in the bales and has 10 more soaking for future planting.

"It's easy because you don't have to have a tiller and tear the yard up," said Wright. Plus, he said, there's no back-breaking row-hoeing or weed-pulling."  Some people don't have real good soil for planting crops," said Baker. "My neighbor's land has a tendency to stay real wet. He started hay gardening after he saw how well it worked for me."

Wright said a long-time friend who was in the landscaping business showed him how to use wheat straw to garden.  "He had all kinds of crops including cucumber, squash and green beans," said Wright. "You can raise almost anything except corn, because it's too tall and the bale will fall over."

Both Baker and Wright agree that there is one thing that must be done when using wheat straw gardening: the bales must be kept wet.  "If the bales aren't kept a little soggy, the crops don't do so well," said Wright. "I also use a little fertilizer about once a week."  

"We haven't really gone through a summer drought that would effect the bales badly, but it is better to water them regularly," said Baker.

"Planting the crops is really no trouble," said Baker. "I go down about six-and-a-half inches from the top of the bale to make a hole in it. Then, I add potting soil and my tomato plant."

To plant your own wheat straw garden follow these simple directions. Purchase the wheat straws bales and leave the twine or wire on them. (Wheat straw will be less likely to contain weeds than hay.)

If you haven't had the chance to let your bales sit out through winter, give your bale or bales a thorough soaking, and let them begin to rot before your plant your vegetables. If the weather is warm, soak them more than once a day for three days. Make sure they are placed where they will be in the sun all summer. They shouldn't be moved once you've started treating them.

On the fourth day, apply your choice of fertilizer to the top of each bale. Repeat this for three or four more days. Allow one day for the bales to cool off. Then you are ready to plant your crop. Put commercial potting soil or a 50-50 mix of topsoil and manure on the top of each bail and moisten with a fine water spray. Pull apart the bale by hand to make a hole to put your plant. Each bale should hold two tomato plants or four pepper plants.

When using seeds, mix seeds into the soil mixture on top of the bale. Six to eight cucumbers, three yellow squash or 12-15 bean seeds per bale is the recommended limit.

Root crops such as carrots, parsnips and onions aren't good for bale gardening because the roots would be too crowded. Annual herbs like basil, cilantro and parsley will thrive. Even watermelon and cantaloupe can be planted in wheat straw.

The wheat straws bales may require more fertilizer applied weekly or monthly, depending the crop. If you are worried about the appearance of the bales, you may grow annual and perennial flowers, too. Bales may be used again one or two seasons.

"I may try a few other crops this season," said Wright. "It's too easy not to try."

Crockpot Beef and Broccoli

CROCKPOT BEEF AND BROCCOLI

Ingredients

1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips

1 cup beef consumme

½ cup soy sauce

⅓ cup brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cooled sauce from the crock pot after being cooked

Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired)

Hot cooked rice (brown rice, or riced cauliflower)

Directions

1. Place beef in a crock pot.

2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar/honey, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine. (If your sauce is not thickening, try bringing your sauce to a boil on the stovetop with the corn starch mixture. Boil until your desired consistency is reached).

4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.

5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).

6. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Coconut Custard Pie Makes Its Own Crust

This makes its own crust
2 cups milk 
2 1/2 cups flaked coconut 
4 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour or bisquick
3/4 cup white sugar 
2 tablespoons margarine or butter softened 

Combine all ingredients mix well and pour into 9 inch buttered pie pan.
Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in the center comes out clean..

It’s like magic it layers into crust, custard and coconut topping

45 Uses for Vinegar

45 Uses for Vinegar 
Alee

Unleash the power of white vinegar―an all-purpose cleaner, brightener, herbicide and more. Just a bit of this multitasker, straight up or mixed with water, can replace many pricier products huddled under your sink. Try these tips to see how vinegar can make your life cheaper and easier.


1. Freshen up the fridge. Clean the shelves and walls with a solution of half water and half vinegar.

2. Brighten coffee cups and teacups. Gently scrub stains with equal parts vinegar and salt (or baking soda).

3. Eliminate odors. Swab plastic containers with a cloth dampened with vinegar.

4. Kill bathroom germs. Spray full-strength vinegar around the sink and tub. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.

5. Save a garment. To remove light scorch marks on fabrics, rub gently with vinegar. Wipe with a clean cloth. This technique also works on antiperspirant stains.

6. Tidy up a toilet. Pour a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar into the bowl. Let sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with a toilet brush and flush.

7. Lose the carpet stain. Make a paste of 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and ¼ cup salt or baking soda. Rub into the stain and let dry. Vacuum the residue the next day. (Always test an out-of-sight part of the carpet first.)

8. Renew paint brushes. To remove old paint, place brushes in a pot with vinegar. Soak for an hour, then turn on the stove and bring the vinegar to a simmer. Drain and rinse clean.

9. Wipe off a dirty faucet. To get rid of lime buildup, make a paste of 1 teaspoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt. Apply to sink fixtures and rub with a cloth.

10. Stop static cling. Add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to your wash cycle. The acid reduces static and keeps dryer lint from sticking to your clothes.

11. Make old socks look new. Get the stains out of old socks and sweaty gym clothes by soaking them in a vinegar solution. Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring to a boil and drop in the stained clothes. Let them soak overnight, and in the morning stained clothes are fresh and bright.

12. Restore handbags and shoes. Wipe white distilled vinegar on scuffed leather bags and shoes. It will restore their shine and help hide the marks.

13. Banish weeds. Pour white distilled vinegar on the weeds growing in the cracks of your walkway and driveway. Saturate the plant so the vinegar reaches the roots.

14. Liven droopy flowers. Don’t throw out cut flowers once they start to wilt. Instead, add two tablespoons of white vinegar and one teaspoon of sugar to a quart of water. Pour the solution into your vase, and the flowers will perk up.

15. Put an end to itching. Dab a cotton ball soaked in white vinegar on mosquito bites and insect stings. It will stop them from itching and help disinfect the area so they heal faster.

16. Whiten your teeth. Brush your teeth once a week with white distilled vinegar. Dip your toothbrush into the vinegar and brush thoroughly. It will help prevent bad breath, too.

17. Make nail polish last longer. Before you apply your favorite polish, wipe your nails with a cotton ball soaked in white distilled vinegar. The clean surface will help your manicure last.

18. Keep car windows frost-free. Prevent windows from frosting over in a storm by coating them with a solution of three parts white distilled vinegar to one part water. The acidity hinders ice, so you won’t have to wake up early to scrape off your car.

19. Let your dog shine. Spray your dog with one cup white distilled vinegar mixed with one quart water. The solution is a cheap alternative to expensive pet-care products, plus the vinegar will help repel pests like fleas and ticks.

20. Battle litter-box odor. Cat litter can leave behind an unwelcome smell. Eliminate it by pouring a half-inch of white distilled vinegar into the empty litter box. Let stand for 20 minutes, then rinse with cold water.

21. Kill bacteria in meat. Marinating in vinegar knocks out bacteria and tenderizes the meat. Create a marinade by adding ¼ cup balsamic vinegar for every 2 pounds of meat to your own blend of herbs and spices. Let the meat sit anywhere from 20 minutes to 24 hours, depending on how strong you want the flavor, then cook it in the morning without rinsing.

22. Prevent cracked eggs. Prevent eggs from cracking as they hard-boil by adding two tablespoons of white vinegar to the water. The eggs will stay intact, and the shells will peel off more easily when you’re ready to eat them.

23. Steam away a microwave mess. Fill a small bowl with equal parts hot water and vinegar, and place it in the microwave on high for 5 minutes. As the steam fills the microwave, it loosens the mess, making clean up a breeze.

24. Repair DVDs. If you have a worn DVD that skips or freezes, wipe it down with white distilled vinegar applied to a soft cloth. Make sure the DVD is completely dry before reinserting it into the player.

25. Get those last drops. If you can’t get that final bit of mayonnaise or salad dressing out of the jar, dribble in a few drops of vinegar. Put the cap on tightly and shake. The remaining condiments will slide out.

26. Rinse fruits and vegetables. Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to one pint water. Use the mixture to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. The solution kills more pesticide residue than does pure water.

27. Brighter Easter eggs. Before your kids dye Easter eggs, mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar with ½ cup of hot water, then add food coloring. The vinegar keeps the dye bright and prevents the color from streaking.

28. Loosen a rusted screw. Pour vinegar onto the screw, and it will easily unstick.

29. Remove gum. To remove gum from fabric or hair, heat a small bowl of vinegar in the microwave. Pour the warm vinegar over the gum, saturating the area. The gum will dissolve.

30. Keep cheese from molding. Wrap cheese in a vinegar-soaked cloth, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate.

31. Renew a loofah. Soak your loofah in equal parts vinegar and water for 24 hours to dissolve soap residue, then rinse in cold water.

32. Remove wax. If you get melted candle wax on your wood furniture or floors, gently wipe it away with a cloth soaked in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water.

33. Take a relaxing bath. Add ½ cup of vinegar to warm bath water for a cheap spa session at home. The vinegar removes dead skin, leaving you feeling soft and smooth.

34. Brighten your hair. Remove hair product buildup by rinsing a tablespoon of vinegar through your hair once a month.

35. Freshen fabrics. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and spritz your home to neutralize odors in fabrics, carpets, shoes or any sprayable surface.

36. Erase crayon. If your kids get crayon marks on the walls or floor, dip a toothbrush in white vinegar and gently scrub. The vinegar breaks down the wax, making for an inexpensive, nontoxic way to clean up after children.

37. Sticky stickers. Don’t scratch at the residue left by stickers or price tags. Instead, apply vinegar to the gunk, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe the glue away.

38. Clean the dishwasher and coffee pot. Reduce soap buildup and food residue by pouring a cup of vinegar into your empty dishwasher or coffee pot once a month and letting it run a full cycle.

39. Sanitize pet accidents. You can remove the stain―and smell―of your pet’s accident by mixing ¼ cup vinegar with a quart of water and blotting the mixture onto the mess with a washcloth. Continue dabbing until the spot is gone.

40. Prep for summer grilling. To remove charcoal buildup from your grill, spray white distilled vinegar on balled up aluminum foil and scrub the grate thoroughly.

41. Restore showerhead pressure. If your showerhead gets clogged with mineral deposits, soak it for 15 minutes in a mixture of ½ cup vinegar and 1 quart water.

42. Clean your scissors. When your scissor blades get sticky, wipe them down with a cloth dipped in full-strength white vinegar. Unlike soap and water, vinegar won’t ruin the blades or rust the metal.

43. Unclog drains. For a natural, nontoxic way to clean clogged pipes, pour one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar, down the drain. Let the products bubble and foam, then flush the pipes with a pot of boiling water.

44. Eliminate dandruff. If your scalp is feeling dry or flaky, vinegar can be a simple at-home remedy. Once a week, pour one cup of apple cider vinegar over your scalp, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cool water.

45. Soften your feet. Summer sandals leaving you with cracked heals and calluses? Soak your feet for 20 minutes a day in one part vinegar to two parts warm water. The vinegar removes dead skin, leaving your feet soft and smooth