Kitchen Crafts 'n' More "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #467 February 10, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================ ~~~...KCnM Advertising...~~~ E-mail christinam @ nucleus.com to get YOUR ads now. Great prices to a fantastic base of loyal subscribers. ================================= Support the KCnM newsletter ...by clicking on these sponsor ads... ================================= Custom designed handmade jewelry! Visit www.colorflares.net for beautiful low cost handmade Jewelry. ColorFlares will also custom design jewelry for your special events, such as weddings or parties. Visit ColorFlares to buy jewelry to meet your needs. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN TODAY'S ISSUE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES: * Amaretto Fudge Cappuccino (Recipes Found) * Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge (Traditional) * Black Forest Coffee (Recipes Found) * Chai Cheesecake (Extra, Extra!) * Crockpot Bread Pudding (Extra, Extra!) * Crystal Rain Bubble Bath (Kitchen Crafts) * Easy Ice Cream Coffee Drink (Recipes Found) * Fizzing Bath Oil Balls (Kitchen Crafts) * Hearty Beef and Barley Soup (Traditional) * International House of Coffees Flavored Coffee Mixes (Recipes Found) * Low-Fat Carrot Cake (Traditional) * Taste of Texas Cinnamon Coffee (Recipes Found) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- USING EVAPORATED MILK Arlene asks: "Hi everyone! Need some help! We recently gave up drinking milk because my husband was gaining quite a bit. Since I am trying not to have it in the house I've tried using evaporated milk in some recipes. Some are OK, not great just OK, but tonite I made the worst mashed potatoes ever. Does anyone have any tips or hints using evaporated milk? Should I mix it with water? I hate to buy a quart of milk just to use a little and don't want the waste. Thanks in advance." REMOVING URINE ODOR Pam asks: "I was wondering if anybody can help me. My Mother died recently, when she was sick. She had a comode in her room. I guess she must have missed several times and now her room smells quite bad. I've shampooed the rug and used witch hazel (which has worked for cat urine). But the room still smells awful. Thank you in advance.' ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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) ----------------- CLEANING GLASS TOP STOVES Cammie from KS writes: "I use 'Cook Top' brand Cleaning Creme for Smooth Top Ranges, and on the back of the bottle, it says that it is manufactured in the USA for Maytag Customer Service. I am sure that my husband got it at Sears. We have made some messes on our stove, and it takes it right off. If you keep cooking over the mess, I don't know how well anything would work!" Marilyn in Florida suggests: "I know that most people know about the virtues of baking soda, but I would like to put my two cents in! I have spent countless hours trying to scrub my ceramic cook top to get all the burnt on foods off. I've used the commercial cleaner that came with my stove, SOS pads and even the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I finally poured baking soda on the food, dampened it with water to make a paste, and let it sit for 15 minutes or so. The burnt food came off in one wipe! I am now a true believer in the power of baking soda! I've saved money, time and my elbows." HELP FOR RUSTED UTENSILS Karen writes: "Rub rusted item with a lemon, cut in half. I also used concentrated lemon juice when the lemon half wore out. This worked just as well. After the item is saturated with juice, shake on a generous amount of ordinary table salt. (I went out and bought a big cheap container of table salt for less than $ 1). Coat the item with salt and let it sit for several hours. Scrub the item with a soft teflon scrubbing pad, moistened with lemon juice. Rinse under running water and dry the item well with a soft cloth or paper towelling. This recipe did not scratch the surface of the chrome. Everything came out looking like new." For MORE Baking Soda Uses, Click Here For MORE Household and Cleaning Tips and Recipes, Click Here ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** BARGAINS OF THE DAY ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** FLANNEL SHEET SETS 75% off -- Only $19.99 for the Queen Size Wrap yourself in some super cozy warmth tonight with these gorgeous sheets. You Save $60.00! T-FAL ULTRAGLIDE IRON 50% off -- Only $29.99 (was $59.99) Make ironing a breeze with a beautiful new T-Fal iron!The scratch-resistant, non-stick Ultraglide Diffusion soleplate glides smoothly over clothes so ironing goes faster and requires less pressure. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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: ~~~ HEALTHY RECIPES One reader wrote: "Hello! My father had a heart attack last week. This week he is home from the hospital, but on a low-fat, low sodium diet. My mother is a diabetic and on a low carb diet. We are looking for recipes that will suit both health problems. They both have high blood pressure. I want to keep them around, so any help is appreciated!" ~~~RECIPES FOUND:~~~ EASY ICE CREAM COFFEE DRINK ~Submitted by Kimberli~ For the reader asking for "gourmet" coffee drinks: here's a REALLY simple way to make frothy tasty coffee drinks. 2-3 pints(a variety) of your Favourite ice creams (coffee, vanilla and chocolate seem to be the best-avoid using the kinds that contain nuts -could be a choking hazard)If you like your coffee sweet you might try the kinds with chocolate syrups or caramel ribbons. brew a strong pot of your Favourite coffee In mugs put 1- 2 scoops of ice cream(depending on how large a mug you are using) mixing flavours if desired. Rapidly pour the HOT coffee over the ice cream in the mug and stir quickly until all or most of the ice cream is melted. This works well for "left over" remnants of ice cream in the bottom of the carton. ------------------- MORE GOURMET COFFEE RECIPES Black Forest Coffee Amaretto Fudge Cappuccino ------------------- FOR: A Reader FROM: SUE B. INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF COFFEE FLAVORED COFFEES #1. CAFE BAVARIAN MINT INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup powdered creamer, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup instant coffee, 2 tbsp's powdered baking cocoa, 2 hard peppermints candy. #2. CAFE CAPPUCCINO INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup powdered creamer, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup instant coffee, 1 orange flavored piece of hard candy. #3. CAFE SWISS MOCHA INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup powdered creamer, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup instant coffee, 2 tbsp's. powdered baking cocoa. #4. CAFE VIENNESE INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup powered creamer, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup instant coffee, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. PREPARATION: Processes in a blender on liquefy until well blended. Store in a AIRTIGHT CONTAINER. TASTE OF TEXAS CINNAMON COFFEE INGREDIENTS: 10 cups water, 4 whole cinnamon sticks, 3 heaping tsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. PREPARATION: For DRIP COFFEE MAKER ONLY: Pour 10 cups of water into machine. Put 4 whole cinnamon sticks and 3 heaping tsp's. brown sugar into the glass pot. Put 1 cup ground coffee and 1 tsp. cinnamon into the brew basket. Brew and stir well. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== Crystal Rain Bubble Bath Recipe A beautiful, luxurious homemade bath to try. Fizzing Bath Oil Balls Recipe What a cool idea for a homemade bath project! ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam@nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== LOW FAT CARROT CAKE 6 egg whites 1 & 1/3 cups white sugar 1 cup applesauce 1/2 cup skim milk 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice 2 cups shredded carrots 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup raisins In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites. Slowly beat in sugar, then applesauce, skim milk, and vanilla. Stir in with a spoon the dry ingredients, (cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, flour), in order given. Stir in, one ingredient at a time, pineapple (with juice), carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Pour into lightly greased (use non-fat cooking spray) 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C ) oven for 35 - 40 minutes. It is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean Yield: 1 - 9 x 13 cake, 18 servings 3 Weight Watchers POINTS per serving Nutritional Information: Calories 173, Protein 4g, Total Fat 2g, Sodium 171mg, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 35g, Fiber 2g --------------- Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge 4 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk 1/2 pound butter 2 (12 ounce) packages milk chocolate chips 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips 2 (7 ounce) jars Marshmallow Crème 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream 2 cups chopped nuts Follow directions EXACTLY. Set chocolate chips, Marshmallow Crème, vanilla extract, Bailey's and nuts in a very large bowl. Set aside for later. Bring butter, sugar and milk to a boil and then cook slowly for exactly 11 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour milk mixture over the other ingredients and stir slowly to blend. Do not use a mixer. Pour into a buttered 13 x 9-inch pan and chill very well. Cut when cold. -------------- FROM: SUE B. HEARTY BEEF & BARLEY SOUP INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. lean ground beef or ground round, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 46-ounce can V8 juice (low sodium), 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1/3 cup pearled barley, 1 cup sliced carrots, 3/4 cup chopped celery, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. basil, 1 bay leaf, 8 ounces frozen peas. OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS: 2 cups chopped, washed greens such as spinach, kale or Swiss chard, 2 cups sliced mushrooms. DIRECTIONS: Coat a large Dutch oven lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Place Dutch oven on stove over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add ground beef. Stir to crumble while browning. Add onion and garlic to meat. Cook onion and garlic until translucent. Add V8 juice, crushed tomatoes, 2 cups water, barley, carrots, celery and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer until barley and vegetables are done (about 30 minutes). Add frozen peas and optional vegetables. Return to a simmer for about 8-12 minutes. Taste for salt and serve. MAKES: 8 servings. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** EXTRA! EXTRA! Even MORE recipes you'll want to try! Newly posted on our website. ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** >> CHAI CHEESECAKE Yum! Combine the great taste of spicy chai tea with the decadence of creamy cheesecake and THIS dessert is what you get! Chai Cheesecake Recipe >> CROCKPOT BREAD PUDDING The slow cooked taste of bread pudding just can't be beat. Put this on to bake while you get on with your day. Try pairing it with whipped cream, ice cream, or even a homemade butterscotch sauce. Crockpot Bread Pudding Recipe =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE -- Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================