Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #481 April 3, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= ...KCnM Advertising... Info by emailing christinam @ nucleus.com Please support the KCnM newsletter ...by clicking on these sponsor ads... ================================= MYSTERY QUILT TOUR Join us on Quilter's 'journey' of quilts around the world! You will LOVE how easy it is to complete a quilt each month - all levels, prizes, gorgeous quilts to showcase your incredible International Mystery Quilt Tour! Hurry - 'Seats' are limited! Mystery Quilt Tour ============== Love Candles? Clean Burning Gourmet Soy Candles Make Money and we need Distributors in Your Area. Huge earning potential with 50% commissions on sales. Start your business today for under $50. Soy Candle Business Info ============== MEDIFAST WEIGHT LOSS Medifast has helped over 1 million people lose weight. Start your program today and receive one week free Medifast Weight Loss Program ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TODAY ON OUR BLOGS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Visit my NEW Coffee Creations Blog For all sorts of inspiring recipes & ideas using coffee - today's includes a fun Coffee Can Ice Cream recipe, and an Amaretto Iced Coffee. Yummmm... Coffee Creations Blog Click HERE to Visit the Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Blog - Tips on removing stains & rust from clothing - Baking Soda Bath Salts - and much more! Click HERE for Our Housecleaning Blog - Organizing Spices & Baking Supplies - Uses for the Magic Eraser Click HERE for the Happy Slob's Great Bargains Blog - LUSH Blackberry Bath Bomb (a great bathing treat to try!) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN TODAY'S ISSUE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES: * Eye Wrinkle Treatment (Kitchen Crafts) * Lower Fat Sour Cream (Traditional) * Peanut Butter Pie (Traditional) * Sea Salt Body Scrub (Kitchen Crafts) * Tangy Broccoli Salad (Traditional) * Weight Watchers Recipes (Recipes Found) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- SLOW COOKERS Careen asks: "Are there any new truly "slow cooker' cookers out there? The last three I have purchased cook too hot......too fast... two were Rivals and the last from Toastmaster. My corned beef which should have taken from 7 to 12 hours was done and boiling on Low within 3 1/2- 4 hours.... I want one that I'm not afraid to leave cooking while I'm away from home. Thanks for any advice. " ANY HUMMINGBIRDS SPOTTED YET? Shirley in Ohio asks: "Hi.. Have a question ? I live in north east Ohio, and am wondering if anyone has seen any Hummingbirds yet ??? I usually don't put my feeders out till around the 15th of April (or later) but this year, someone told me she has seen a hummer already. I usually have 3 feeders up, and for the last 7 years now, the Momma has built a nest in one of my trees in my front yard. It is the neatest thing to see those tiny, tiny eggs, and soon see that little beak peaking out over the sides. Thanks for any information.... just wondering if anyone has spotted them yet." REMOVING CIGARETTE ODOR FROM AIR Another reader asks: "I read somewhere about how to get cigarette smoke out of the air. I think it was in your news letter. Let me know if you or anyone can help. " ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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) ----------------- FINDING TEACUPS FOR CRAFT PROJECT Lorraine suggests: "Check out Garage Sales and Thrift Shops! Also ask around at your church, craft group, friends & family to see if anyone has any "mismatched" china they'd like to donate!" Daisy from NY says: "When I was looking for tea cups and saucers to make topiaries for our church Ladies Tea, I found them in the thrift shop. You can find them individually, or sometime you have to buy the set for a very minimal price. " Maribel says: "I would go to thrifts shop, salvation army, even the dollar store. if you shop around them you will find many different ones and prices with vary you may even get a good price since you are buying in bulk you may want to check out www.orientaltrading.com they sell things in bulk projects also. hope this helps." Looking for more craft ideas? Fun Craft Ideas CANKER SORES TREATMENT One reader said: "My son frequently gets large and multiple canker sores to. We use Milk of Magnesia on a cotton swab and they are gone within 2 days. Hope this helps." Lots of natural Health and Beauty Tips at: Health & Beauty Tips Collection ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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... LOW CHOLESTEROL RECIPES Linda asks: "I need some good low colesteral recipies and a colesteral chart. do you know where i can get these free?" WEIGHT WATCHERS CORE RECIPES Cindy asks: "I am on Weight Watcher Core program. I was wondering if any readers had some good recipes including desert (I am really having a hard time finding anything other than jello!) Many thanks in advance." ~~~RECIPES FOUND:~~~ Even MORE Weight Watchers Recipes on Our Site! FOR: Cindy FROM: SUE B. WEIGHT WATCHERS RECIPES COOKIES AND CREAM SHAKE (Dessert) Points@value-3, Prep. Time-5 minutes, Cooking Time- 0 minutes. INGREDIENTS: 2 cups fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt, 1/2 cup fat-free skim milk, 1/4 tsp. mint extract (optional), 4 average Nabisco Reduced-Fat Oreos coarsely broken. DIRECTIONS: Place yogurt, milk and mint extract in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy; add Oreos and blend for 5 seconds. MAKES: 4 YIELDS: About 2/3 cup per serving. PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (Dessert) Points value: WAS 2 is now 1, Prep. Time-20 minutes, Cooking Time-10 minutes, Servings- 24 INGREDIENTS: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/8 tsp. table salt, 3 Tbsp's. reduced-calorie margarine (stick variety), 2 Tbsp's. reduced fat-free peanut butter, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 large egg white, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 sprays cooking spray. DIRECTIONS: 1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; mix well and set aside. 2. Combine margarine and peanut butter in a mixing bowl; beat on medium speed until blended and smooth. Gradually add both sugars and beat until blended; add egg white and vanilla and beat until smooth. While beating on low speed, gradually add flour mixture and mix until just blended. 3. Tranfer dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and roll into an 8-inch log. Wrap log in plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours (NOTE: You can make the cookie dough up to 3 days in advance and freeze until ready to bake). 4. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray. 5. Remove cookie dough from freezer and slice crosswise into about 24 1/3-inch-thick slices. Place slices 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden around edges about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. 6. FLAVOR BOOSTER: Browned margarine has a nutty flavor that enhances a peanut butter cookie. Melt the margarine in a small skillet until it sizzles and just begins to brown. Remove from heat and freeze for 20 minutes or until firm before using in recipe. YIELDS: 1 cookie per serving. POLENTA WITH BABY SPINACH (Side Dish) Points@value: 4, Prep. Time: 8 minutes, Cooking Time: 12 minutes. INGREDIENTS: 3 1/2 cups fat-free chicken broth, 1 cup uncooked cornmeal in the form of instant potatoes, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 2 cups spinach, baby leaves, stems removed and chopped, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano recommended), 1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk. DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat broth to boiling over high heat in a medium size heavy bottomed pot. Gradually add polenta stirring constantly to prevent lumps; stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg and spinach. 2. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixcture is thick, stirring constantly about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and milk. Simmer until cheese melts, about 1 minute. YIELDS: About 3/4 cup per serving. BBQ PORK SANDWICH WITH HOMEMADE SLAW Points@value: 6, Prep. Time: 10 minutes, Cooking Time: 25 minutes. INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. lean pork tenderloin, 3 1/3 tbsp's. barbecue sauce divided (equals 3 tbsp's. plus 1 tsp.), 3 Tbsp's reduced-calorie mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. water, 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, 1/8 tsp. black pepper, freshly grounded, 2 cups packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots), 3 tbsp's. scallion sliced, 4 medium mixed-grain hamburger rolls. DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450°. Line a shallow roasting pan with nonstick foil or coat pan with cooking spray. 2. Place pork in pan and brush with 2 tbsp's. barbecue sauce. Roast until an "instant read" thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 160° F. for medium, about 25 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board; cover loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, water, vinegar and pepper together in a medium bowl until smooth. Add coleslaw mix and scallions; toss to mix and coat. 4. Slice pork into 20 slices. For each sandwich, place 5 slices of pork on the bottom half of each roll and drizzle with 1 tsp. of barbecue sauce; top with 1/2 cup of coleslaw and cover with top half of roll. MAKES: 1 sandwich per serving. ------------------- MORE RECIPES FOUND ON OUR SITE: Almond Joy Bars Cabbage Soup Diet Soup Recipes Homemade Caramels ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== Homemade Eye Wrinkle Oil Treatment Formula Sea Salt Body Scrub ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam @ nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== Peanut Butter Pie ~Submitted by a reader~ 1 - 8-oz pkg cream cheese/softened 1 C powdered sugar 1 C crunchy peanut butter 1 - 8-oz carton of Cool Whip Cream the cream cheese. Add sugar and peanut butter. Beat until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Place in graham cracker crust. Refrigerate. --------------- Lower Fat Sour Cream ~Submitted by Treva~ Try this healthier version of sour cream on beans, vegetables, fruit, and tortillas. 2 tablespoons skim milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup low fat cottage cheese Place all ingredients in a blender, and combine on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. -------------- FROM: SUE B. TANGY BROCCOLI SALAD INGREDIENTS: 1 cup fat-free mayonnaise 2 tbsp. sugar 2 tbsp. vinegar 1 medium bunch broccoli cut into flowerets (about 6 cups) 4 cups loosely packed torn spinach 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/4 cup bacon bits 1/4 cup raisins DIRECTIONS: Mix dressing, sugar and vinegar in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix lightly. Refrigerate 1 hour or more. YIELDS: 10 servings. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** THANK YOU ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Collen wrote: I just had to drop a note to let you know how much I am enjoying the new layout of the newsletter. It is so much clearer. Very crisp and clean. I love it...Keep up the fantastic work. We are all really proud of you. =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================