Beauty Tip

Okay, I have feet so rough I can scratch an itch on my leg with my foot. Bad, I know, but the truth.
I also have a rough ankle. I tend to want to sit with my leg curled under me and that has made my ankle rough too. Which looks horrible, SO embarrassing. (said looking heavenward)
So, I was visiting a good friend of mine the other day and learned a neat way to help soften them.
I never would have thought of it in a million years and you only need 3 things, well 4 if you count both feet. Grin.

This is what you need:
The soft face washing pads (I took my son's)
Cream (not lotion, I'm using a cheap face cream that I don't like on my face)
and a pair of socks, if you need both feet done.









Okay, before you go to bed you want to rub your feet real good with the face wash cloth, leaving them moist. ( I do one at a time so they do stay moist)
Add a thin layer of the face cream and then on top of that just glob (great word) it on. Put your sock on and go to bed. Next morning, ta-da, softer feet.
If you have rough elbows, as I do that too, take an old clean sock and cut the toe out and use it for your elbow the same way as the socks.
Let me know if you try this and how it does for you. I couldn't believe how well it did.
See ya!
Oh, see the date on this picture? It's wrong, I just took this this morning, the 29th. I set that thing and it's still showing the wrong date. Why do you think that is? Oh, well maybe I'll have to look into that.

Cook once eat twice or more

I am getting into cooking once and making enough for two meals putting one in the freezer.
Here is the way I plan on doing it.

Spaghetti:
Here is the way I make baked spaghetti,

In large pot brown ground beef, when all the pink is gone, drain and put into bowl.
In the same pot add 1 whole jar of spaghetti sauce. In the same jar I add enough water to come to 3/4 up the jar. Add that to the sauce.
When sauce boils add spaghetti and cook till done.
Then add the cooked ground beef back into pot and let simmer a couple minutes so all the flavors marry up real good.
Pour into casserole dish and add shredded sharp chedder cheese (or your fav.) and then shredded mozzerella cheese.
Bake 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese has melted.
If I'm not starving to death by this time, I'll put it on broil until the top is a little browned. This don't happen very often though cause I'm usually starving from the fragrance coming from the oven.
Take out and let set for as long as you can, for me it's usually 1 minute, long enough for me to get a bowl and dig in. I usually have homemade garlic toast too.
To freeze I will have to make two batches of this as it is usually wiped out in a matter of just a few minutes. I have 2 stocky men to feed ya know.

For the one to freeze, make it as normal just don't add the cheese.
The casserole dish will be lined with aluminum foil with extra for covering up.
Freeze for an hour or until frozen, take out of freezer and remove with aluminum foil, wrap with more foil and put into a freezer bag and back into the freezer. That way you still have your dish to use.
When you're ready to fix it to eat just put back into the same dish, add your cheeses and bake (after it defrostes) until cheeses are melted and is hot all through.
Time saver if you're in a pinch. Good if you're hungry. Yummy!!

Recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or Zote soap (I use 1/2 bar Zote cause I have dirty work clothes) Grated
1/2 cup Borax Powder
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda ( NOT BAKING SODA)
A bucket (I use a 5 gal. bucket)
Water

Put grated soap in sauce pan with 6 cups water, heat till soap melts.
Add washing soda and borax stirring until dissolved.
Pour 4 cups hot tap water into the bucket. Add soap mixture and stir.
Add another 22 cups water to the bucket, stir to combine.
Let set 12-24 hours.
It will jell up (some of it will) it will dissolve in the wash so there is no need to stir when using.The jell and liquid are the same, so no worries.
Use 1/2 cup per load.
Let me know what you think. You can also add essential oils if you want to have it scented.

I told you I'd let you know how the homemade

Well, I told you I'd let you know how the homemade laundry detergent is doing with my laundry. As far as I can tell it it doing just fine. The clothes are getting clean anyway.
I didn't add fragrance so it don't have that Gain smell that I like so well, but they are clean and it only costs pennies per load to do.
I also made the fabric softener and I don't care for it much. It calls for white vinegar in the recipe and I don't like that smell. The clothes don't smell like vinegar, but I do miss the Downy smell, but here again it is only pennies per load. They smell fresh not perfumed which is better, I'm sure.

Canning Squash For Frying

Our squash is coming in in leaps and bounds. We have eaten some fresh from the garden and shared some with friends and family. Now I am getting to can some for breading and frying this winter. It is so good to open a can of squash in the dead of winter and fry them up for supper.

Here's how to do it:

Wash and remove bad spots, if you have any, ours were perfect right off the vine.

Cut into 1/4 inch rings and pack in jars. I will use a butter knife to "guide" some of them into the place I want them to be so I can get more in. Add 1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp salt for pints)

In a medium size sauce pan, combine:

4-4 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 cup Sugar

(This will be enough for 3 quarts or 6 pints)

Bring to a boil and pour into jars. I run the butter knife around the inside, carefully, to get the air bubbles out.

Clean the rims of the jars, seal and hot bath for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes set out and wait for the wonderful sound of it sealing.

When you're ready to cook, rinse 3-4 times bread and fry as normal. I will fry one layer at a time and they are awesome good. Takes a while, but worth it. I will be canning more as they come out of the garden.