Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #484 April 19, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= Today's Top 5 KCnM Website Pages Check out what pages are the most popular on Kitchen Crafts 'n' more! #1 Crafts Page #2 Bath and Beauty Recipes #3 Our Recipe Collection #4 Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole Recipe #5 Homemade Cleaning Recipes ================================= ...KCnM Advertising... Info by emailing christinam @ nucleus.com Please support the KCnM newsletter ...by clicking on these sponsor ads... ================================= Clean Burning Gourmet Soy Candles Make Money! Huge potential of 50% commission. Start for under $50! For wonderful products and a great career opportunity, visit http://www.mammamia.scent-team.com And don't forget to enter the weekly drawing for a free 16 oz. gourmet candle! ============== Nuts & Bolts Fabric Shop 500 2nd Ave. Po Box 135 Edgemont, SD 57735 605-662-5758 605-662-6806 FAX Tuesday---Friday 10am to 5pm Saturday---10am to 4pm We have lots of fabric, books, notions, patterns, and embroidery items. We also do sewing machine service and repair. We restore quilts and do handquilting on special orders. We offer kits, classes and BOM's. Mention where you saw this ad and receive an additional 10% off your order. Nuts and Bolts Fabric Site ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** VISIT OUR BLOGS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Click HERE to Visit the Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Blog Recent posts include: - Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies - Copycat Shake and Bake Click HERE for Our Housecleaning Blog Recent posts include: -Two Goodies for Gardeners - Wacky Bath & Tile Cleaner ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN TODAY'S ISSUE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES: * Insanely Easy Vegetarian Chili (Traditional) * Lemonade Dessert (Traditional) * Maureen's Festive Artichoke Spread (Traditional) * Rose Macaroons (Kitchen Crafts) * Rose Petal Iced Tea (Kitchen Crafts) * Simplest Weight Watchers Dessert (Recipes Found) * Weight Watchers 1 point Bean Soup (Recipes Found) * Weight Watchers Angel Dessert (Recipes Found) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- BROWNIE BATTER Tanya asks: "I love your website you have so many amazing recipies... I wanted to know if you can store unbaked brownie batter in the fridge like some muffin mixes?" BARE ESSENTIALS MAKEUP Arlene asks: "I was wondering if any of our faithful readers have tried the Bare Essentials makeup seen on the infomercials? It looks wonderful and natural, but is a little pricey, has any one tried it? " ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** HELP FROM READERS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Help a fellow reader - send an answer to one of the above questions, and we'll post it here! (Send to christinam@nucleus.com) ----------------- COMFORT DURING CHEMO TREATMENT Lynne writes: " While my mother was undergoing chemotherapy, and long after she finished treatment, she slept under an electric blanket and a heating pad. On nights when she had trouble falling asleep I would rub her chest and back with Mentholatum Deep Heat, Ben Gay, or Vick's and apply the heating pad to where ever she had pain. I would also warm up towels in the dryer and rub her down with them after her bath. Just about anything with heat applied should help ease Roberta's brother-in-law's discomfort. " EASY DISH FOR LARGE CROWDS Deb says: "Haystacks comes to mind!! You can make a very HUGE batch of chili without much cost or effort. McCormick's makes the best chili seasoning packets and it comes in mild, medium or hot so you could make batches of each for the kids and adults. I have always doubled the beans and used twice the tomatoes called for on the packet with great results. Usually I use 1 can of sauce and one can of diced tomatoes. To make haystacks, you start with corn chips then add chili, chopped onion, lettuce, shredded chees, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, sour cream.. pretty much whatever you want and stack it all on a plate or bowl. Good luck with the reunion. It's a LOT of work but the rewards are many." HARD BOILED EGG TIP Treva wrote: "When making hard boiled eggs add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the cooking water to prevent the egg white from leaking out of any shell cracks. For poached eggs, vinegar in the poaching water will help the eggs keep their shape." Click HERE For More Handy Household Hints ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** REQUEST A RECIPE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** One of the most popular sections of our newsletter - request a recipe or send in requested recipe. Contact: christinam @ nucleus.com ======================== ~~~RECIPE REQUESTS: ~~~ Please help by sending in some of these requested recipes! :) We're running low on recipes lately... WOMAN'S WORLD RECIPE Debbi asks: " I hope a reader can help me. A few months (quite possibly a year even!) ago, Woman's World ran an article on a product called 'Sprinkle Thin.' The article gave 3 recipes for copycat mixes - each using only 2 or 3 spices..one was for desserts/sweets - one of the ingredients was cinnamon. I think another one was Parmesan cheese & garlic (I remember keeping the container in the fridge) and have no clue what the 3rd combo was. Is there anyone who can help me? " STARBUCKS DOUBLE SHOT Brooke writes: "I've become addicted to Starbucks doubleshot espresso and cream, but at nearly $2 for a 6.5 oz can, I don't get it often. Anybody got a good copy cat for this one???? Thanks everybody!" OLD COUNTRY BUFFET'S BBQ CHICKEN Vicki asks: "I'm looking for a recipe for Old Country Buffet's BBQ chicken. It doesn't have BBQ sauce on it. They told me they use a "rub" on the chicken. It's more like a glaze on the chicken that is a little sweet and spicy. I'm guessing it's a dry rub put on the chicken before baking. " ~~~RECIPES FOUND:~~~ SIMPLEST WEIGHT WATCHERS DESSERT Thanks to our reader who sent this in! GREAT WEIGHT WATCHERS DESSERT AND IT IS SO VERY EASY TO MAKE TOO... ADD ONE CAN OF ANY FLAVOR DIET SODA TO ONE BOX OF ANY FLAVOR CAKE MIX. EACH PIECE ONLY COUNTS AS ONE POINT AND IT IS VERY SATISFYING. USE DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS TO GET DIFFERENT RESULTS...FOR EXAMPLE DIET CHERRY COKE TO CHOCOLATE CAKE DIET ORANGE OR CHERRY TO WHITE CAKE DIET SPRITE TO SPICE OR CARROT CAKE NO OTHER INGREDIENTS ARE NECESSARY AND BAKE AS DIRECTED. ENJOY ----------------------- WEIGHT WATCHERS 1 POINT BEAN SOUP ~Submitted by Lori~ 13 Bean Soup 1 Pkg Dry Bean Soup 4 Potatoes – Red & Russet – Diced 1 pound Turkey Ham – Diced 3 Carrots - Diced 3 Ribs Celery - Diced 1/2 Onion - Chopped Rosemary, Thyme, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Follow directions to soak beans. Put all ingredients in a large pot. Cover with water. Simmer till done. I left it on low (after the veggies cooked through) for a couple of hours. Makes a lot! 1 cup = 1 POINT -------------------------- WEIGHT WATCHERS DESSERT -- Angel Dessert ~Submitted by Lori~ 1 large Sugar-Free Jell-O 1 10-oz. Angel Food Cake, torn into cubes 1 – 8 oz Fat Free Yogurt Dissolve Jell-O in 2 cups boiling water. Add 1 cup cold water and chill until the consistency of egg whites (about 2 minutes). Beat with mixer until frothy. Fold in yogurt, then fold in the cake cubes. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Refrigerate. Servings = 8 Large! 2 POINTS each MORE RECIPES FOUND ON OUR SITE: Recipes - Lost and Found - Find Your Favorites HERE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== Using Roses in Recipes Please note: Always use only fresh, organic roses that have NOT been treated with any chemicals. Both ideas submitted by Shannon Rose Macaroons Ingredients: 1 pound confectioners' sugar 2 cups whole blanched almonds 6 large egg whites 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons rose water Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the confectioners' sugar and almonds in a food processor and process until it looks like a powder. In a large bowl beat the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar until glossy peaks form. Gently fold the ground nut mixture into the egg whites along with the rose water. Using a pastry bag, pipe the dough into 1 inch rounds that are placed 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Let the cookies air dry on the sheets, on the counter, until they are no longer glossy, from 15 to 30 minutes. Bake cookies one pan at a time for 10-15 minutes until they appear dry. Carefully transfer the parchment paper with the macaroons onto a cooling rack. Rose Petal Iced Tea Ingredients: 3 large roses, petals only, white bases removed 3 cups water 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 2 cups water 3 tea bags (quality black or green tea) 3 tbsp. granulated sugar Bring the 3 cups water to a boil. Add the rose petals and lemon juice then turn off the heat and allow it to sit for 8-10 hours. Strain the rose water into a pitcher. Discard petals. Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat and place in the tea bags. Brew for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and add the granulated sugar to the tea. Stir. Allow this mixture to cool. Add to the rose water and stir. Serve over ice. Notes: It's better to choose a light tasting tea that won't overwhelm the roses. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam @ nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== Insanely Easy Vegetarian Chili Submitted by Treva From AllRecipes.com This chili is SO easy to make. You can pretty much throw whatever you have into the pot and it'll be great. (I added some leftover salsa once.) It's very colorful, not to mention delicious. Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 55 Minutes Servings: 8 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup chopped onions 3/4 cup chopped carrots 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 3/4 cup chopped celery 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped 1 (19 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, and garlic until tender. Stir in green pepper, red pepper, celery, and chili powder. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, and cook 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, and corn. Season with cumin, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. -------------- Maureen’s Festive Artichoke Spread Submitted by Brenda Ingredients: 2 8 oz. Pkg. Cream cheese, softened 1 pkt Ranch dressing mix 1 6 oz. Can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 2 tbsp. Fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped Cream together cheese and ranch mix. In a separate bowl, mix together artichoke hearts, parsley and red peppers. Line a Jello mold or small mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Starting with cream cheese mixture, create layers with 2 different mixtures. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Flip bowl onto serving dish. Remove plastic. Serve with bread or crackers ------------------- FROM: SUE B. LEMONADE DESSERT INGREDIENTS: 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1 ( 6 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate 1 10" tube angel food cake 1/2 cup sugar or Splenda 2 beaten eggs Dash of salt 1/4 cup water 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can evaporated milk DIRECTIONS: Chill evaporated milk and whip. Mix gelatin sugar and salt. Add eggs and water. Cook and stir until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in lemonade concentrate and chill until partially set. Fold in whipped milk. Rub brown crumbs off cake and break into bite size pieces. Cover bottom of 10" tube pan with thin layer of gelatin mixture. Loosely arrange 1/3 of cake pieces on top. Pour 1/3 of remaining gelatin and repeat process. Chill until firm. MAKES: 12 servings. NOTE: You may use a coffee cake or a pound cake in place of angel food cake. =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================