Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Put A Marble Finish On Anything

Marbling is one of the oldest of all painted finishes. You can marble ceilings, doors, walls, table tops or whole tables (small ones look best) and all types of woodwork and finishings. Marbling can be applied to almost any surface.

This is a fun technique with a wonderful result. You almost can't do it wrong, because it's just about all freeform and what it looks like at the end is totally up to you. So, if it looks good to you, it's right.

This is how you do it...

Before you begin, lightly sand and wipe clean the piece you are going to work on.

Use oil-base enamel paints for the marble application. Marble comes in many different colors so choose colors that match your decor.

Haphazardly brush on a combination of three to five colors in a small area, creating a patchwork effect.

Carefully dab the paint colors onto one another with loosely crumpled newspaper or a sponge. Do not smudge or smear the colors. Use an up and down motion to achieve a mottled effect. The marbling is more realistic if your movements are spontaneous, so work quickly.

Experiment on a scrap piece of wood before trying this technique on a permanent piece.
Repeat the process until the entire piece is covered.

Allow the paint to dry.

Add veins of color randomly with a thin brush. Use light and heavy strokes, and smooth and jagged ones to create uneven veining.

Apply several coats of high-gloss polyurethane, sanding between coats to finish.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Sour Cream Mayonnaise Biscuits

This is one of my husband's recipes, who is a better cook than a baker because he likes to experiment and not follow the recipes, which "those who know" say you're suppose to do if you bake anything.

He wanted some biscuits one night to go with dinner and I told him we did not have all the proper ingredients. So he got into the kitchen and went to work with what he could find.

Most of his recipes are "dump it all in a bowl, mix it up and cook it." It's surprising how often that works, though.

This is one that turned out to be really good. We have had these biscuits many times and they have always turned out great. This recipe will make some very good and quick biscuits that go good with anything.

I like them, not only with a meal, but with butter and jelly after a meal or for breakfast with poached eggs, and bacon.

We hope you will enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups of self-rising flour
1/2 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 full tsp. of real mayonnaise (not salad dressing or light mayonnaise)
2 full tsp. of sour cream

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium size bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well.

For each biscuit drop a medium size ice cream scoop, or heaping tablespoon of dough onto a large oiled or greased cookie sheet, leaving about two inches between each biscuit.

Then bake in a preheated 400 degree oven, bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Or until golden brown on the top.

*Note: Keep the scoop or spoon damp or lightly oiled.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Make An Easy Chocolate Pie

I believe that for a chocolate lover, like me, that nothing tastes better for something sweet to eat than a Hershey bar with almonds, or a dessert than a piece of good chocolate pie.

To me this recipe makes the best chocolate pie and is the easiest to make. All you have to do is dump everything in a pot and cook until it is thick, pour it in a baked crust, put it in the refrigerator a while to let it cool, and here I just put whipped cream on it and put it back in the refrigerator or you can beat the egg whites and top it with that if you want. Pretty easy, huh?


Ingredients

1 cup sugar
3 heaping Tbs. flour
4 Tbs. cocoa
2 cups sweet milk (I use 2%)
1 stick margarine
3 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla
3 egg whites
3 Tbs. sugar
1 baked pie crust

Directions

Mix dry ingredients. Add milk and egg yolks which have been beaten together. Add butter and cook until thick. Add vanilla. Pour into baked pie crust.

Beat three egg whites until stiff. Add 3 Tbs. sugar and beat unil meringue stands in peaks. Spread on pie and brown under broiler. Refrigerate 3-6 hours.

I have had my share of chocolate pies, but this one is the best I have tasted so far. My mother was an absolutely wonderful cook, but she did not bake nor make desserts, but if she had, I think her chocolate pie would have tasted just like this.

Enjoy.


Enhance Your Looks With These Makeup Tips

I remember when I was in high school, which was a while back, we had a cosmotologist come to talk to us in our P.E. class. She gave us some timeless tips (I think they are timeless) on makeup. The thing I remember most about her advice was that makeup is meant to enhance, not to be, or look like, a mask and there is not a woman alive, no matter how good she looks without makeup, that can not benefit her looks with a little makeup. She said that makeup should look natural and not like makeup, that your makeup is right when no one an tell you have any on. Then she gave is these pointers...

Always start with clean and moisturized skin.

Decide which is your best feature and enhance it so attention will be drawn away from a less attractive feature. It is safer to just ignore a feature you don't like and enhance the feature you do like.

Apply makeup in the same kind of light you will be spending most of your time. Check your daytime look by the light through a window. Sunlight will be the harshest light to be seen in.

Your makeup might need to be freshened up a bit after dressing and combing your hair. Sometimes, what you wear or the way you wear your hair makes a difference in how your makeup looks.

Listen to department store makeup demonstrators. You can get a lot of helpful information from them to use at home.

Always remove makeup every night, either with soap and water or a cream or liquid made to remove makeup, especially eye makeup.

As I said, I received these tips many years ago, but, I believe they still work today.

How To Back Up Any Trailer

Whether you have a boat trailer, camper trailer or one of the many utility type trailers, the backing up of all trailers is the same.

The main step is the set-up. Getting the trailer the right distance past and out from the drive or parking space, and also getting yourself in place so the area you want to back into is on your left side, makes backing up a lot easier. If you can get set up so you can back straight in, all the better.

Depending on the size of the unit, trailer and auto combo, you will need to be from one foot to eight feet past and out from the spot. When pulling a trailer you have to remember, at all times, you have a tail. Backing up and going forward, you will have to have swinging room. This gets easier the more you do it with the same trailer.

When backing up, you must turn the steering wheel the other way from the way you want the trailer to go. If you want the trailer to go to your left, turn the steering wheel to the right.

Also, the shorter the trailer the faster it will come around on you, and the less room you will need. If you have a long trailer, you will need more swinging room. So, when backing up, go slow until you learn how fast the trailer will react to the movement of the steering wheel and how far the front of the trailer will swing out.

After you get set up, look out your window and watch the rear end of the trailer for swinging room, and watch the trailer tires to know when to get back under the trailer or to get straight again. As the trailer moves into the place you want it, you will be turning the steering wheel back the other way, to, what is called "stay under it" or straighten up.

Until you get the hang of backing up a trailer you may have to do a pull up for a few feet to get a better alignment. Do not let the trailer cut too much because you could back over it with your vehicle, not good. Also, the trailer tires may roll off of their wheels. Again not good.

Just remember be safe and look around before backing up.

Monday, May 4, 2009

How To Make A Terrarium


Terrariums or bottle gardens are an ancient hobby going back 150 years. They create their own atmosphere inside the container and therefore, need very little care. They are the ideal houseplant for those that have trouble keeping houseplants alive.

You will need a container to hold the plants (see more below). A funnel to put the soil and gravel in the container. A long stick to make holes for planting and pressing down the soil around each plant. Long handled kitchen tongs to hold plants while putting them in the soil. A fine mist sprayer to moisten plants after planting.

Select a container for your terrarium. Goldfish bowls or clear glass round jars are the best. The bigger the jar the better, with a large opening at the top. It can have a lid or not. Make sure it is clean before you start.

Select the plants you want to put in your terrarium. They should be smallish plants because they are going to grow in a small area. You can use cuttings from your house plants or buy small plants to go in your terrarium.

Coarse gravel should be put in the bottom first for drainage. About an inch deep.
Next you add a layer of slightly damp potting soil over the gravel. Make it deep enough to accomodate the plants roots you have selected.

Then you add the plants. Place small plants at the edge working toward the middle with larger plants. Not too many, leave some growing room.

After planting place the terrarium where it can get good light, but, keep out of direct sunlight. If terrarium is sealed, water about once every six months, if left open, water more often.

Real Homemade Banana Pudding

They didn't use instant pudding, flour or anything extra to add to the cost, but, the end result was wonderful. I'm talking about our grandmothers' recipes for banana pudding. The ones that didn't have all the modern conveniences we have. It's surprising how easy and fast (as fast as making instant pudding) a real homemade banana pudding recipe can come together. Let me tell you how....


Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 2/3 cups (large can) undiluted Carnation milk
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
Box of vanilla wafers
2 or 3 ripe bananas (important that they be ripe)
1/4 cup sugar
Directions
Mix 1/2 cup sugar, salt and Carnation milk in top of double boiler; heat.
Take off double boiler.
Beat 3 egg yolks. Gradually stir into hot mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Return to double boiler.
Cook, stirring often until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
Add l teaspoon vanilla.
Completely cover the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch pan with vanilla wafers. Top with 1 sliced banana (or more, to be sure every helping has some bananas in it) and half of the custard.
Repeat layers, ending with custard on top.
Beat 3 egg whites stiff; gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until stiff and top the pudding with the egg whites, making sure they touch the edge of the pan so they don't shrink.
Bake at 350 until egg whites are browned.
This recipe is so easy and so good. You can serve this warm, at room temperature or cold right out of the refrigerator. This is the dish I have to bring to family gatherings, specially my husband's family. There is nothing like a real homemade banana pudding from scratch.
Enjoy.

How To Cope With Nicotine Withdrawal


I've done it twice. Stopped smoking, that is. I'm not going to lie to you or sugar coat it. To quit smoking the second time is not any easier than quitting the first time. So, I guarantee you there won't be a third time. Each nicotine craving does last only a few minutes, that is true, but can be tortuous for that few minutes and then it's gone for a while. Nicotine craving finally does go away completely but not overnight and not without effort on your part. This is how I coped...

I was having a really bad time one day. Seemed like the craving just would not go away no matter what I did. Almost giving in, I spotted the Tootsie Roll Pops that I had left over from Halloween give away candy. I put one in my mouth and the nicotine craving vanished immediately. I thought to myself, "Maybe Kojak had something there." I kept them on hand for a while after that. Call it a prop, but I didn't have to use them long and only when it got really bad. They worked for me.

Of course eating is a sure thing, but, you don't want to rely on food or candy. You know where that can lead. And, you know if you get very full, you want a cigarette even more than you can imagine. I found that drinking ice water helps a lot. There's no calories and water is good for you. I kept ice water at my side at all times, especially in my car, where I had smoked cigarettes while driving to and from everywhere I went before I quit.

Do something that you didn't usually smoke cigarettes while doing. Does that make sense? OK, like mowing the grass. I had never smoked while mowing the grass. I don't know why, I just never did. So the grass got mowed a lot when I quit smoking. Think of absolutely anything you did, and did not smoke cigarettes while doing it. Swimming, bicycling, lifting weights, crocheting, knitting, something you had to use both hands to do and took you a while. There's got to be something. No one smokes 24 hours a day.

Visiting friends and relatives that don't smoke cigarettes. Before quitting, I would not smoke cigarettes in their houses and, to tell the truth, didn't visit as much as I should have for that reason. But, when I quit smoking, I visited so often I think I might have worn out my welcome with some.

Coping with nicotine withdrawal is doable, withdrawal doesn't last forever, and it's worth the effort it takes to get past it. The thing is not to start back after you stop smoking the first time. And, believe me, it doesn't take much to start smoking again, even after years of not smoking. Remember what it took the first time and don't let there be a second time.