Bed Pillow Cleaner

 

Every four months, I wash our bed pillows.  Though I don't think it matters a great deal what you use to clean them, this is the recipe I used this time.  They turned out so clean and white.

Bed Pillow Cleaner

A squirt of Dawn 

Laundry detergent, your usual brand and amount

1 pod Cascade dishwasher detergent (or whatever you use)

1 cup bleach

1/2 cup Borax

Very hot water

Boil some water to add to the hot water in your washing machine.  I just did a 1/2 gallon or so.

Squirt in the Dawn and add the detergent.  Put two pillows in your machine, balanced on either side.

Add bleach and Borax.  Run the cycle with an extra rinse cycle.

Dry the pillows in the dryer.  I use the time dry setting because my feather pillow takes so long to dry.  

Berry Dump Cake

 We had friends coming over and I needed a dessert in a hurry.  This was so fast, easy and yummy.  

Berry Dump Cake

Dump the following into a 13 x 9 pan.

3 cups frozen blueberries

3 cups frozen strawberries

Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over top, then 2 T. lemon juice.

Top with one box of white cake mix.

Slice 3/4 cup butter and put the pats all over the top OR melt the butter and pour it over all.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Let cool slightly and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.  

Cake Mix Bars

 

Cake Mix Bars

Whisk together in a bowl:

1 white or yellow cake mix

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Press half of the dough into a 13x9 pan.

Melt 1/2 cup butter

Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Whisk together until chips are melted and all is well blended.  Pour over crust.  Put the rest of the cake mix dough over the top in clumps.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Ice Cream

 This is our sister-in-law, Kathy's recipe.  It is much simpler than our old standard recipe.  Ken made it the other night to go on our cobbler.  It was delicious.

Homemade Ice Cream ( for a 2- quart freezer)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup cream

4 1/2 cups milk

2 tsp. vanilla

Put all in ice cream machine and freeze.

For chocolate, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder.  

3-Berry Crumble

 I was looking for a crumble or cobbler recipe online.  On our cruise this summer, they offered a warm cobbler with ice cream almost every evening for dessert.  So I was searching and was intrigued with this one.  I tried it and we really liked it.

3- Berry Crumble

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup frozen butter

2 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar 

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries 

1 cup blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsps. cornstarch

2 tsps. lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Heat oven to 375

Make crumble:  Combine flour, sugar, bp, and salt in a large bowl.  Whisk together.  Grate the frozen butter.  As you grate, stop several times and mix some in with the flour mixture.  Stir in egg yolks and vanilla with a fork.  Mix with hands until forms clumps.  Add the vinegar and mix in.  Add a little more vinegar if needed to form a dough.  Let rest.

Filling:  Combine the berries in a different bowl.  Add sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, zest, and cayenne pepper.  Mix well until sugar is dissolved.

Place 1/2 crumble mixture in the bottom of a 8x8 pan or a baking dish.  Press into the bottom., making it flat.  Spread the filling on top.  Put the other half of the crumble mixture on top in clumps.  Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Let cool for about 1/2 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream on top.

Ham and Cheese Roll ups

 These make delicious little appetizer pinwheels.  

Ham and Cheese Roll ups

4 flour tortillas

8 oz. cream cheese or 8 oz. soft cream cheese spread

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 T. pickle relish

2 T. green onion, clipped with scissors (opt.)

1/2 lb. deli ham

Mix together the cream cheese and garlic salt,  stir in the cheese and relish and green onion if desired. Spread the mixture evenly over the four tortillas.  Be sure to spread to the edges.  Divide the ham evenly between the four tortillas.  Roll up each tightly and wrap each roll in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 4-8 hours.  Unwrap and cut off the edges of each roll.  Then cut the sandwiches in half and serve or cut in 1/8ths for pinwheel appetizers.  Can store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Vegetable Casserole

 I was surprised how much we liked this unusual dish.  It was really delicious.  The leftovers were even good.  You can eliminate any vegetables from this list that you don't like and could add any that you want.  

Vegetable Casserole

2 bunches brocolli, cut up

1/2 head cauliflower, cut up

Put the cauliflower in some boiling, salted water.  Add 2 T. milk.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Add the broccoli and boil another 2 minutes.  Use a strainer spoon to put the vegetables in a prepared 9x13 pan.  

In a fry pan sauté:

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 box mushrooms, sliced

When soft, add to the baking pan. 

Slice several grape tomatoes and add in.

Mix together in a bowl:

4 eggs 

5 T. oil

1 cup flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

When well mixed, add 2 1/2 cups milk and mix well.

Cut up fresh parsley and mix in.  Pour this mixture over the veggies.  Grate about 1 cup cheese and sprinkle on top.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.