Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Newsletter "Recipes, crafts and help around the home." Issue #473 February 27, 2006 ~11,000+ SUBSCRIBERS~ ================================= ...KCnM Advertising... Info by emailing christinam @ nucleus.com Please support the KCnM newsletter ...by clicking on these sponsor ads... ================================= Find REAL travel deals at ShermansTravel.co.uk. Sign up now! Click Here ============= Take 4 large print books for $1, plus 1 FREE from Doubleday Large Print®. Choose from the latest bestsellers in easy to read large type. Click for details. Click Here ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** IN TODAY'S ISSUE ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** RECIPES: * Black Forest Coffee (Recipes Found) * Black Olive Casserole (Recipes Found) * Dog Biscuit Mix (Kitchen Crafts) * Leaf Transparencies Simplified (Kitchen Crafts) * Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake (Traditional) * Low-Fat Blender Chocolate Mousse (Traditional) * Olive Garden Copycat Alfredo Sauce (Recipes Found) * Pasta Delight (Traditional) * Peanut Butter Bars (Recipes Found) * Yugoslavian Cevapcici (Recipes Found) ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** READER'S QUESTIONS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Ask a question, or provide an answer! :) Email questions or answers to Christina at christinam@nucleus.com Thanks! ----------------- No questions today -- send your questions in! ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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 AN OLD TUB Chris in Minnesota says: "HI -- I've used a product called Zud with some awesome results. It is a cleanser type product. I have a ceramic toped gas stove and Zud is the only thing I've found that will take the burned on black crud off (and yes I've cleaned some really cruddy tubs with it too). It is a little spendy but well worth it. If you cannot find Zud in your area the other one that works well is Bar Keepers Friend. You should be able to find either one at your grocery store or your local hardware store." Another reader wrote: "Many years ago, I cleaned an old porcelain tub making a paste of peroxide and cream of tartar. Apply to tub and let stand for 30 minutes or more. Wipe with damp sponge or rag, making sure it is rinsed well. Try a small area first to see if this will help." Janet wrote: "This is the best I have found to clean your shower..Mr.Clean Magic eraser..You don;t need any thing else... Your Shower will look like brand new. EAR WAX REMOVAL Kenna replies: "Don't buy the ear wax cleaners in the store. They are VERY sticky and VERY expensive. I was told by my doctor to use half hydrogen peroxide and half water to squirt in the ears. Hold your head sideways and let it bubble and do it's work before letting it run out on a tissue. I have been using it full strength every 2-4 weeks. " Rick says: "I used to have a major ear wax build up problem...to the point it was affecting my hearing. There is a product you can get at your local drug store/grocery store or WalMart called Debrox. It's a liquid that you put a few drops in each ear, follow with a cotton ball and it starts disolving the build up." Deb K. suggests: " Hi. I am sending a reply for ROSE about ear wax removal. A couple of years back a Doctor gave me a paper, according to him it works. I have never tried it. Baking soda and water dissolves ear wax. It will break it up and help dissolve it. Dissolve one-half tsp baking soda in two ounces of warm water. Put it into a dropper bottle. Use a few drops in the ear twice a day for up to a week. After a week period discard any solution that is left. It says not to use if you have had a perforated eardrum or are prone to ear infections. Not sure if this will help, but hope so!" ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** >>>USING FRESH LEMONS AROUND THE HOUSE <<< They smell great, deodorize AND can be useful for cleaning and more. Check out our favorite uses for fresh lemons -- including helpful tips on how to freeze and store lemon juice AND fresh lemon peel! Using FRESH Lemons >>> OUR MESSAGE BOARDS <<< Drop by today and see 1000s of recipes, craft ideas, helpful household hints and so much more! Our Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Message Boards ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 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: ~~~ BORSCHT SOUP RECIPES One reader wrote: "I love borscht, but am looking for a great tried and true recipe. Does anyone have one to share? I'm looking for a Ukrainian borscht recipe. Thanks!" CHICKEN SPREAD Judi writes: "I love Underwood Chicken Spread, and have recently found that Armour also makes a chicken spread. However, they are both very expensive, but taste almost identical.. I would really like to find a recipe for these to make at home, becausea 6 ounce can of Underwood is liek $1.75 and a 5.5 ounce can of Armour is $1.18. I buy chicken breasts when they are on sale for $.99 a pound and could make a WHOLE LOT of chicken spread with a $.99 pound of chicken breast!! Anyone got any ideas how I can copy this product??" HASH & RICE DISH Karen M. asks: "When traveling in the south we always love to eat at BBQ places. Does anyone know how to make a dish that tastes like Maurices' Carolina Hash & Rice? We have nothing like this anywhere around here. I have searched the internet and found recipes with the same name but they are nothing like Maurices' . I would love to recreate this in my kitchen to tide us over between trips. Thank so much in advance. " ~~~RECIPES FOUND:~~~ FOR: Pat FROM: SUE B. YUGOSLAVIAN CEVAPCICI INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. ground lamb, pork or veal 1 lb. ground chuck 1 egg beaten 5 - 6 drops Tabasco 1 tsp. marjoram 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. paprika 1 large clove garlic, crushed 3-4 Tbsp's. beef broth or bouillon DIRECTIONS: Combine all ingredients; blend well. Form into finger shaped sausages or meatballs about 3/4" thick. Cook slowly until well browned on a charcoal grill or stove top. Turn often. They should be brown on the outside and slightly pink on the inside. According to tradition, these sausages/meatballs are served on a bed of chopped onions with tiny hot peppers, mixed vegetables and bread. ------------------- MORE ABOUT CEVAPCICI Sylvie writes: "For the lady asking for this recipe. This recipe is Croatian. I rememner them quite well form our holidays on the Dalmatian coast. After speaking with my Croatin freind she says in order to pronounce it corectly the c's need to followed by an h so they are called Chevapchichi or che-vap-chi-chi. Yes they are delicious. Your right equal parts ground pok/beef/lamb and some garlicand chopped onion. That's it, no egg no bread crumbs. Instead of shapping the ground meat into patties they form them into sausage shapes. We had them cooked on a BBQ, they were excellent!" ------------------- BLACK OLIVE CASSEROLE 2 LBS. OF GROUND CHUCK ( BROWNED) 1 CUP OF BELL PEPPER (SAUTEED) 1 CUP OF ONION ( CHOPPED & SAUTEED) 1 CUP OF BLACK OLIVES (CHOPPED ) 2 CLOVES OF GARLIC ( MINCED) 1 (12 OZ.)CAN OF DICED TOMATOES 1 CAN OF TOMATO SAUCE 1 CAN OF CORN 2 CUPS OF MACARONI (COOKED ) 2 CUPS OF GRATED CHEESE SALT AND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE 1 TBSP. OF CHILI POWDER MIX ALL THE INGREDIENTS, THEN ADD THE COOKED MACARONI, SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE. POUR INTO A 9"INCH X 13" INCH CASSEROLE DISH. TOP WITH GRATED CHEESE, ( CHEDDAR, VELVEETA, OR AMERICAN ) BAKE AT 350% DEGREES COVERED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES MORE RECIPES FOUND ON OUR SITE: Even more delicious recipes you'll want to try! Black Forest Coffee Recipe Olive Garden's ALFREDO SAUCE Copycat Recipe Peanut Butter Bars Recipe Our Entire Collection of Bars and Squares Recipes ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** 'KITCHEN CRAFT' RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** Bath and beauty products, home remedies, craft recipes, food mixes, natural cleaning formulas, fun kids recipes and other unique recipes! ======================== LEAF TRANSPARENCIES - SIMPLIFIED CRAFT PROJECT Janis wrote in with this craft idea: "When I used to make Leaf Transparencies with my children, we simplified the process a bit. Instead of putting the leaves between white sheets of paper and then adding wax slivers, we simply ironed the leaves between two pieces of waxed paper. It worked very well for us :-)" DOG BISCUIT MIX - CRAFT PROJECT - GIFTS FOR DOGS We recently featured this fantastic dog biscuit mix recipe, but I wanted to make sure all of you got to check it out. :) Even if you don't own a dog, this makes a great gift for friends or family that DO own a dog. A really cute idea for a unique gift -- cute for when a new puppy joins the family too! Dog Biscuit Mix and Craft Project Instructions ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** ARTICLE OF THE DAY How to Start a Crafts Show Business ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** For years, family, friends and even people who you just meet, have really liked the crafts you produce. They are the centerpiece for conversation at holiday dinners, or the, “that’s a great idea” thing when neighbors come over for a coffee. So, you’ve decided that you might be able to make a profit off of selling your crafts to others. Great! Here’s what you need to do to make it work! Click Here to Finish Reading the Craft Show Business Article ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** TRADITIONAL RECIPES ~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~** The family favorites everyone loves! Please submit your recipes to christinam @ nucleus.com and I'll include them in an upcoming issue. =================== PASTA DELIGHT 8 ounces angel hair pasta 1/4 cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves 1 inch ginger root—peeled and finely chopped 1 red bell pepper 4 ounces snow peas 4 green onions 6 ounces cooked shrimp (peeled) 3 sprigs cilantro (finely chopped) 1/4 teaspoon lemon powder 4 ounces bean sprouts 1 teaspoon ketchup 1 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce In a large saucepan of boiling water cook noodles according to package. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil. Heat wok and add remainder of oil. Add garlic and ginger. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add bell pepper, snow peas. Stir fry 1 minute. Add green onions, cilantro, shrimp, lemon powder and bean sprouts. Stir in ketchup, chili sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to boil. Add noodles. Stir fry until covered in sauce. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings. Nutritional Analysis: Calories – 385; Total fat – 14.5 g;.Saturated fat – 1.3 g.; Sodium – 150 mg.; Cholesterol – 83 mg. --------------- FROM: SUE B. LEMON POPPYSEED POUND CAKE Prep Time: 2 1/2 hours INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup poppy seeds 2/3 cup milk 2/3 cup butter 1 1/4 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 2 lemons for: 1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind 1Tbsp. lemon juice 2 cups flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder FOR GLAZE: leftover lemon juice 1/3 cup sugar INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Mix the poppy seeds in the milk in a 1 cup liqud measuring cup and let them soak overnight or for at least 2 hours. 2. Use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. 3. Grate off the lemon rind from the lemons. Roll the lemons around on the counter hard to loosen the juice. Cut in half and squeeze juice into a liquid measuring cup. Beat in the vanilla and 1 Tbsp. of the lemon juice. Save the remaining juice. 4. Stir in the lemon rind with a wooden spoon. 5. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. 6. Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Stir well with spoon. Add 1/2 of the poppy seeds and milk and stir well. Repeat until all is mixed. 7. Line a loaf pan (bottom and longest sides) with waxed paper. Spoon mixture into the loaf pan. 8. Bake at 250° F. for 1 1/2 hours. You will be able to tell when it is done because the top will crack or if a toothpick comes out clean. 9. Take the cake out of the oven and turn it upside down onto the counter table. Peel the wax paper off and carefully turn it right side up onto a wire cooling rack. 10. To make the GLAZE, microwave the lemon juice for 50 seconds then stir in the 1/3 cup of sugar until dissolved. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the entire top and sides. 11. Let cool and enjoy. NOTE: To make it easier to mix, let the butter soften to room temperature before mixing or microwave it for a couple seconds in a glass bowl. -------------- Blender Chocolate Mousse ~Submitted by Treva~ This one is low fat and low sugar and makes a satisfying dessert for those who should not have dessert. 1 egg 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1 TBSP cold water 1 cup boiling water 2 TBSP instant coffee granules 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1/2 cup skim milk -- cold 2 TBSP cocoa 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 cup splenda (or comparable other non caloric sweetener) Combine egg, gelatin, cornstarch and cold water in blender or food processor. Blend to moisten gelatin and cornstarch. Add boiling water, blend until gelatin dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Chill until set. To serve: Blend mixture until smooth and pour into dessert dishes. Garnish with low calorie whipped topping, if desired. Serve immediately. =============================== --THANKS FOR READING THIS ISSUE Thanks for reading this edition of Kitchen Crafts n' More! ===============================