Cure for Headaches

Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on  your forehead.  The throbbing will go away.
Martha Stewart Tips Email
or,
Take a Coca Cola, open it slam it with some Tylonol the throbbing will go away.
or,
Take some Excedrine, the throbbing will go away.
or
For a migrane, put a bag of ice at the base of your neck and lay on it. Turn off all the lights, close the curtains and put on some soothing nature sounds, like the ocean or streams running.  This will usually help you fall asleep and sleep is about the only thing that helps a headache.
I have used the Coke tip and it works like a charm.  The ice bag for the migrane works too if you catch the migrane in the beginning.  You can only use these tips if you do them just as you feel a migrane coming on.  If you wait to long, I have found serious drugs for migranes are all that will help.  I have also found that eating well and regularly, getting the right kind/amount of sleep and reducing my stress all help in keeping migranes away.

Taco Soup

After making tacos for dinner, who doesn't have a little of this and a little of that leftover? I have made it my quest to make over leftovers. It saves the moans and cries of, "we have to have that again?" and usually the food gets gobbled up.
Taco Soup:
In a large pot-preferably 8 quarts-add the following:

1 quart can of tomato juice, any brand-if you don't have tomato juice use a can (15 ounces) of tomato sauce and add enough water to equal 1 quart.

Any leftover taco meat
1 can of corn-unless you have some corn left from the night before
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 T dried cilantro or a handful of fresh cilantro chopped fine
2 cups of left over spanish rice-you can omit if you didn't make any
1/2 C fresh onions diced fine or 1/4 cup dried onions
salt to taste.

To the juice, add the onions, cilantro, taco meat, and rice. Let come to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer. Add the corn and the beans.
Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the flavors are combined.
Add additional water if needed. No other seasonings are needed because the rice and meat should already be seasoned from the night before. If you need an extra kick to the flavor, add a tablespoon of taco seasoning.
While simmering, fry up some tortilla strips for the topping.

Tortilla Strips:
Cut 3 taco size fresh corn tortillas with kitchen shears into very thing strips.
Put some Vegetable Shortening into a skillet (I use my cast iron skillet for this. A stainless skillet will work too. I have not used non stick to fry like this in so I am not sure what the heat does to the surface.) to equal about 1/4 of and inch of liquid when melted.

Let it heat up.
Take the handle of a wooden spoon and place it in the oil to see if it bubbles up. The shortening is hot enough when this occurs.
Drop some tortilla strips into the oil and let them fry for a few minutes. About 1 1/2- 2 minutes. Put some paper towels onto a plate, 4-5.
Using a slotted spoon, take the strips out of the hot oil and place on the paper towels to drain. Repeat until they are all fried up.

To serve, ladle soup into the bowl, top with left over cheese, tortilla strips, and left over diced tomatoes. Add a dollop of sour cream and your tummy and your family will beg for more!

Make Your Own Laundry Soap

This tip comes to me from my cousin's wife Cassie.


Powdered Laundry Soap
1 C grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 C Washing Soda-it is in the isle with the laundry detergent
1/2 C Borax-also in the laundry isle
Her report:

I used the food processor to grate the soap and then used the chopping blade to mix it all together. Store in a strong zip-lock bag (or an old oxiclean container!).

For light loads, use 1 tablespoon.
For large or heavily soiled loads, use 2 tablespoons.

*My only issues is that you need to dissolve the soap in hot water, which means I'm turning on the hot, pouring in the soap and then switching it to cold. Next time, I think I'll try the liquid version, even though it does take a little more time and effort:

Liquid Laundry Detergent:
3 pints water
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap, Grated
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
2 gallon bucket
1 quart hot water
hot water

Mix Fels Naptha soap in a suacepan with 3 pints water, and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in washing soda and borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. Add 1 quart hot water to 2 gallon bucket. Add soap mixture and mix well. Fill bucket with how ater, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup per load.

I've also heard that you can used distilled vinegar instead of laundry softener in a Downy ball.... but I'm not brave enough to try that one yet. One step at a time. :)
I am excited to try this. It has got to cost less than regular laundry soap and you could add a scent using the Febreeze laundry freshener.

Bat Mix

Just in time for Halloween! This is a fun treat to send to your child's class for treats.
1 C Cheerios
1 C Goldfish
1 C Pretzels
1/2 C Raisins
1/2 C Mini Marshmallows
1/2 C Peanuts-omit if allergies are a problem
1/4 C Candy Corn
1/4 C M & M's

Put all of the ingredients into a very large bowl. Mix them together and put into snack size sandwich bags or Halloween themed goodie bags. If you are making it ahead of time, don't add the raisins until it is going to be eaten. There is some moisture in them that will effect the texture of the other foods over time.

Universal Cookie Dough Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 Cake mix of your choice
1/3 C cooking oil
2 eggs or 2/3 C peanut butter (this will depend on your cake choice)
Any stir ins you like

Mix ingredients together to form a fairly stiff dough. Use a scoop to measure out balls of dough that are the same size. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool on a rack before eating. The add ins may be very hot. These cookies bake up very soft and chewy and they stay that way even after a few days. They also don't taste like cake. They taste like cookies. This recipe will make about 20 cookies the size in the picture.

Combination Suggestions:
Butter cake mix with toffee bits, chocolate chips, or nuts
Devil's Food mix with white chips, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips
Spice mix with craisins, nuts, dried banana, or apple chips
White mix with coconut
I have used the Devil's food cake mix and created sandwich cookies with raspberry filling. I have also expanded some frosting and made chocolate frosting filled sandwich cookies using the white cake mix. This is quick, easy, and very tasty.

Graham Crackers

I made graham crackers yesterday and it was so easy! The recipe called for less sugar than my kids thought should be in it so I have included the regular amounts and an increased sugar amount. One gives you a cracker and the other gives you more of a cookie/cracker. You'll never buy graham crackers again!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Recipe Variation
3/4 C whole wheat or graham flour-I used whole wheat flour because it was what I had at the house.   
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 C brown sugar-add 1/3 cup of white sugar for sweeter cracker
1/4 tsp ground ginger-omit
1/2 tsp cinnamon-omit
1/3 C room temperature butter-you can use shortening if you like.  I use butter to avoid the trans fats.
1/3 cup butter 1/2 of which is coconut oil
1/4 C honey and molasses, warmed; it should equal 1/4 C combined, not 1/4 C each.
3 T water
Optional: pinch of ground cloves

1. In a food processor or stand mixer such as a Kitchenaid, combine all dry ingredients.

2.  Add butter and pulse until it becomes a course crumbly mixture. Pinch the mixture and it should clump/stick together in your fingers.

3.  Pour in the water and pulse.

4. Turn on food processor and slowly pour the honey/molasses  mixture into the dough and mix until thoroughly combined. The dough will not be completely combined. 

5. Pour out onto cookie sheet (do not flour cookie sheet) and knead 3 or 4 times just to make sure everything is combined.  The dough pictured is a double batch. 

 **If you don't have a roller like the one pictured below, you can roll the dough out on the counter on top of a silicone baking pad that fits the jelly roll pan you are using.  Simply pick up the pad and place it in the pan and then clean up the edges by pressing them back into the pan.  When it comes time to score the dough, take care so you don't cut through your silicone mat. 

5. Roll the dough onto the cookie sheet, score into the sizes you like and then prick with a fork to prevent rising in the oven. 

6. To roll the dough evenly in the pan. I use the Pampered Chef Baker's Roller (item #1485 at www.pamperedchef.com; $16.50) and it works great.

 

7. Score the dough to look like graham crackers and use a fork to prick each rectangle 3-4 times.
8. Scoring the dough really helps to break it into pieces after it has baked and cooled off.
9. Sprinkle sugar or cinnamon sugar all over the dough if you like before baking.
10. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes for soft. I baked mine for 13-15 minutes for a more crunchy texture.   Remove from oven and let cool completely in pan. Break apart and enjoy!