Bachelor's Roast

BACHELOR’S ROAST: 

Place roast (about 3 lbs) in Bean Pot & pour 1 cup of coke & 2 cups of catsup over it. Cover with lid and

bake for about 30 minutes per lb. at 325 degrees.

Optional: Add onions, pressed garlic. 

If there are any leftovers, just shred & mix with the sauce & you have BBQ for a couple of meals!


How easy is that?!


More recipes can be found on my website!

Do you know 10 uses for banana peels?

Scrapes and cuts: For a speedy recovery, disinfect the sore and massage the wound with the white side of the banana peel for 1 minute.

Whiten teeth: Massage your teeth with the inside of a banana peel, rubbing in a circular motion for 2 minutes. Repeat once a day for 2 weeks.

Glossy houseplants: Stroke each leaf with the rough side of the banana peel.

Spice up your hot chocolate: When heated the peel releases lutein, an antioxidant that provides nutritional support to the eyes for strong healthy vision.

Warts: To remove, cut a coin-size piece of the peel and place it pulp-side down on the wart. Secure with a bandage. Leave on overnight an remove in the morning. Re-apply nightly for about 2 weeks.

Bug-bite itch: To relieve the annoying bite, rub the inside of the peel against the inflamed area.

Ink stains on skin: Rub the white side of the peel on the affected area.

Scratched CD: Use the skin's inner layer to stroke the disc in a circular motion for 30 seconds. Wipe clean with a cloth.

Keep flower garden aphid-free: For a DIY pesticide cut up three banana peels, place on a baking tray and bake at 100 degrees for 15 minutes. Dig a 2½ cm deep hole at the base of the plant and place the dried pieces in the soil. The high concentration potassium will make aphids disappear.

Scuffs and spots on leather: Rub with the white side of the peel and buff with a clean cloth.

What Do You Mean Summer Is Almost Over??

Just as I was getting into it...it's snatched away already! ::sighs:: Spring is definitely my favorite season of the year. Summer is a very close second! I enjoy the sunshine, the warmth, the greenery, the fresh produce, the garden, the flowers...I could just go on and on. I just can't believe that it's almost over!

However, I must be mentally prepared for it because I've been creating lists of all that I have to do to prepare for the fall and winter months. I love the hustle and bustle of getting ready for a new season even if I don't enjoy the season so much.

I've added several new items to my season change "to-do" list this year because we are making several major changes in our household right now. We have made a conscience effort to "go green" and organic in our household. This encompasses everything from composting to recycling to healthier eating habits. We've decided it's time to revamp our entire lifestyle - and get it right. I have even found healthier ways to use my beanpot! Now you know I'm serious!! If you're interested in knowing how to steam veggies in your beanpot - by all means, send me a message! I'm happy to share. It will appear in an upcoming blog - but I'm happy to spill the beans ahead of time. No pun intended. Ok, pun intended.

In addition to my own to-do list, I've started researching what I need to do to winterize my home. I'm so used to the husband doing this that I'm not really sure what it all entails but I'm eager to learn and get started. In doing so, I stumbled across the following article on About.com and thought I would share it with you.

Enjoy the rest of your summer...and look for a couple of new recipes on my blog in the next few days!

All the best,
~Tammy

Winterizing Your Home
Preparing Your Home for Winter
By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com Guide

The fall Equinox is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for winter, because as temperatures begin to dip, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.

Autumn is invariably a prelude to falling winter temperatures, regardless of where you live. It might rain or snow or, as David Letterman says, "Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees." Did you know there is only one state in the United States where the temperatures have never dipped below zero? Give up? It's Hawaii.

Here are ten tips to help you prepare your home for winter:

1) Furnace Inspection

Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts.

Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.

Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.

If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them.

Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.

2) Get the Fireplace Ready

Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds.

If the chimney hasn't been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.

Buy firewood or chop wood. Store it in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.

Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.

Check the mortar between bricks and tuckpoint, if necessary.

3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows

Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.

Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.

Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.

If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields.

Switch out summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.

4) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

If your weather temperature will fall below 32 degrees in the winter, adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams.

Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home.

Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.

Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.

5) Service Weather-Specific Equipment

Drain gas from lawnmowers.

Service or tune-up snow blowers.

Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.

Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.

Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.

6) Check Foundations

Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation.

Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.

Tuckpoint or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.

Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.

Secure crawlspace entrances.

7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Some cities require a smoke detector in every room.

Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.

Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.

Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.

Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.

8) Prevent Plumbing Freezes

Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.

Drain all garden hoses.

Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.

Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.

If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.

9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces

Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.

Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.

Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter over such as dahlias in areas where the ground freezes.

Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.

Don't automatically remove dead vegetation from gardens as some provide attractive scenery in an otherwise dreary, snow-drenched yard.

Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.

10) Prepare an Emergency Kit

Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.

Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and tape them near your phone or inside the phone book.

Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.

Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.

Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.

Squash! Squash! And More....Squash!

It's summer time and most gardens are billowing over with yummy summer squash and zucchini. Are you running out of ideas of what to do with your squash? Wondering what's for dinner at the Darrows? Here's a new recipe for you to try!

Happy Gardening....and Happy Cooking!!!


Zucchini Casserole

4 cups of diced zucchini (or a combination of summer squash and zucchini)
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 diced tomato
1 cup bisquick
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil

In a large bowl mix the first 8 ingredients. Mix well and put in greased 9x13 baking dish. In a small bowl, beat eggs and oil well and pour over mixture in baking dish. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

White Potato Pie

Today in the Darrow kitchen I will be preparing White Potato Pie. As soon as some got wind of this...they wanted the recipe right away. So, here...at your request!

White Potato Pie

3 med. white potatoes, cooked and mashed
2/3 c. butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. lemon extract
1/2 c. whipping cream


Combine potatoes, butter, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Slowly add the rest of ingredients. Add beaten eggs last. Bake 50 minutes at 350 degrees or until knife cuts cleanly in a regular round pie shell (prepared uncooked) pie shell. Serve with Cool Whip, if desired, when pie has cooled.

Enjoy.....and do let me know how yours came out....and how you liked it!

Happy Baking!
~Tammy

~Getting The Most Out Of Your Compost~

This summer I've been "composting as I go" - for tips on how to do this refer back to my earlier blog on June 2, 2011 called "Black Gold." As summer continues on I've started "juice composting" as well - and my garden is lovin' it! I separate my daily veggie and fruit compost and bring it to a boil while we're eating dinner. By the time dinner dishes are done it's cooled down to a temperature that it can be added to the garden. I then take the solids and add it to the compost pile. I've found little information in the garden forums about it - but it is apparent that some gardeners are also engaging in the practice. As long as my garden is lovin' it....I'm doin it!

Get out and get your toes in the fresh dirt...and enjoy your garden! It's good for the belly and good for the soul!

Happy Gardening!
~Tammy

Squash Pudding Delight

My squash plants are thriving and producing quite a crop this year! Now that they're coming in we are enjoying squash in a variety of ways. It's definitely one of my favorites.

At your request, I'm posting my recipe for Squash Pudding. Enjoy!!!!

~Squash Pudding Delight~

2 C. yellow squash, mashed slightly
1/4 C. butter, melted
2/3 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. flour
1 2/3 C milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Slice and steam squash. Mash slightly. Add butter. Mix sugar, salt and flour. Mix into squash. Add milk and vanilla. Pour into dish. Sprinkle on nutmeg. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Yummy!!

Remodeling On A Budget

The blog has been quiet but the Darrow household has not been. We've forged full speed ahead with the remodeling project that Joe started pre-brain tumor. It's been a challenge of sorts. We went from "who cares what it costs" to "remodeling on a pauper's wage." However, it's enabled us to get back to our life of Simple Abundance - and it feels great!

I'm on a real "color kick" at the moment. I love color. I want color. I need color! We have been scouring the paint departments in search of our next "oops" paint and finding some wonderful deals. If you've never searched out the "oops" paint - make it a point to visit the paint department of store and ask them to direct you to the "oops" paint. It's not usually right out front sporting a "clearance" tag. It's generally tucked in and hard to find. Now keep in mind - you cannot be choosy about the paint and you have to shop with an open mind. But always remember, if you buy paint that you have no use for or would never use - it's not a bargain. It's just throwing hard earned money out the window!

I, myself, love color. I shop the paints with excitement and anticipation of what and where I may be able to add a splash of color - and the "oops" shelves have yet to disappointment. We can easily find gallons of paint that were once $25 - $50 for a mere $5! Now that's what I call a deal!

After seeing a picture of a friend's living room in Chicago, I got a sudden hankering to add some texture to our living room walls. This soon turned out to be a project in itself. Once completed it will be an accent wall in the living room, which will carry into the stairwell. And color...yes! It has a lot of color. All found on the oops shelves!! Total cost of the project $20. That included the joint compound that I used to "age" the wall, wall paint and trim paint. Score!

There are a lot of things you can do to eliminate the huge costs of remodeling. Here are a few ideas:

- update your kitchen hardware

- install new light fixtures

- cover old linoleum for vinyl tiles

- add area rugs

- add a fresh coat of paint - yes, off the "oops" shelf!

- attend auctions looking for treasures - don't forget your creative eye!

- shop salvage stores - like Ollie's, for instance. If you don't have an Ollie's in your area, google "bargain outlets" or "salvage outlets" in your area!
I was just able to pick up a perfect carpet remnant at our local Ollie's for just $165! And it was not cheap carpet! I shopped prices before going there and they won out...hands down! The stores aren't glamorous but they sure leave your checkbook intact! Who needs to the glitz when you're saving so much money!

Times are tough...bucks are tight! Be nice to your checkbook today!

Now I'm off to check on my drying wall!

Happy Shopping...On A Budget!
~Tammy

~Summer Gardening and More~

I put in a small garden this summer. One much smaller than years past when I had my husband's help with gardening. I was desperate to start gardening again. I haven't gardened since his diagnosis. I think gardening is good for the soul. It's my meditation time. One on one time with God. A time for closeness and talking. I need that time and I always find it in my garden. I'm really in my comfort zone there ....walking barefoot in the dirt, watching the dogs scampering around the field...all while tending to my little plants who so graciously give back abundantly just for a little love and time.

I'm amused that the dogs have learned their boundaries with the garden. Unless it's my mischievous PJ...they all stay on the outskirts of the garden. You have no idea how thankful I am for that! Before I was able to rehome the feral cat colony I was forever cleaning out what they had left behind...and filling in holes. It was quite a task!

This year I've had the return of squash bugs. I'm trying to battle them organically but I'm truly not opposed to zapping them with some chemical. If my Master Gardener mother is reading this, I'm sure she's started to hyperventilate. I bent down the other day to carefully inspect my squash leaves and lo' and behold there was a HUGE one staring right back at me like I had intruded on his sacred ground. We had a stand off before I slapped him inside out and reminded him who really owned the garden.

I've also been battling the mexican beetles (ladybug imposters)who are trying to take up residency in my tomato plants. I'm hoping I'm winning this battle. I saw again this morning that they are trying another variety so I'm going to have to go out with my guns blazing! I think they had moved on for awhile while I had my little coffee can in plain site. When I brought it back in they must have started whispering among themselves. Now they're back. So the can will go outside again today. I'll show them whose boss!

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I have a couple of exhausting weeks ahead. One of my friends son's has agreed to come over and help me try to button a few projects up around the house. It's been a very chaotic 18 months and I really need to try to get some organization and normalcy back in the house. I will try to post pictures as we progress over the next two weeks. I'm mighty grateful that he's coming, although I did warn him that I'm his worst nightmare and that he'll probably hate me by the end of the week. Tammy runs a tight ship not to mention that he's going to be working for my husband. Joe was a commercial construction superintendent and project estimator before his diagnosis. He was known for being an anal perfectionist. But they all liked him so I'm hoping this young man will escape with few wounds! ha!

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Once these next two weeks are over, I fully intend on living life to the fullest for the rest of the summer! Besides Spring, this is my favorite season and I plan to enjoy all it has to offer.

Happy Summer!
~Tammy~

~Black Gold~

Gardeners are often heard referring to their compost as "black gold." I would love to have an abundance of it myself to work into my garden but time does not allow me to do that at the moment. So, I've been trying a technique new to me when it comes to fertilizing. My mother, the Master Gardener (she's come a long way from the days where she used to whiffle the plants I grew for her in Botany class), really frowns upon me using fertilizer in the garden - but I have really sandy soil that isn't good for growing anything really - but cactus. Before you chuckle, I seriously have cactus growing wild throughout our yard. And no, we do not live in Arizona or Nevada. Go figure.

I would love to have more time to compost and it truly is on my to-do list. I need to start a proper composting area. I have actually begun laying it out and deciding where I would like to have it. However, while my schedule is still busy I have been engaging in "in ground composting." It works for me and my schedule.

"A very simple way to compost your food scraps is just to bury them at least 8 inches deep in your garden. Garden soil provides a natural barrier that keeps out flies and other pests, and holds in moisture and odors. If you have dogs that like to dig in your garden, this approach may not be the best for you.

Food scraps can be buried in empty areas of vegetable and flower gardens, or in holes outside the drip line (below the ends of branches) of trees and shrubs. Use a shovel or post hole digger to dig a hole or trench about 1 foot deep. Add 2 to 3 inches of food scraps to the hole. Chop and mix scraps into soil, then cover the food scraps with at least 8 inches of soil to keep pests out.

Check occasionally for signs of digging by rodents, dogs or other pests. If you see signs of digging, it may be better to switch to a digester or worm bin.

Food scraps may take from 1 to 6 months to decompose depending on the season, moisture, soil and the type of food scraps that are buried. Seeds and small seedlings may be planted on top of buried food scraps immediately. Large transplants should not be planted until the food has decomposed. Do not bury more food scraps in the same place until the first scraps have been fully composted."*

The inground composting technique has worked very well for me so far. I simply keep a 5 gallon bucket out by my garden and I toss my scraps into it. If you are unsure of what you can put in your compost refer back to the list I posted awhile back. You'll be amazed at what you can compost!

My next adventure is Worm Composting. Then I might get super adventurous and make a food digester! You never know what you'll find up here on these 15 acres!

I'd love to hear from you and see what you're planting this year. I've scaled back our garden but we still have a decent variety. And my favorite this year: Atkinson tomatoes!! For those of you who know me well - my grandparents last name is Atkinson - and I've always thought they were the bees knees! I had never heard of Atkinson tomatoes but I'm excited about growing them! And as my Gram said the other day, "well, I've never heard of them but they HAVE to be good!"

Happy gardening!
Tammy

~Crazy Composting~

Not to be outdone by her older sister, my youngest came across quite an interesting article on the internet. Between the giggles and gasps, you could hear how intrigued she was by her find. She emailed me the article...so now I share with you: some of the oddest things you can compost that you never would have thought about!


Paper napkins
Freezer-burned vegetables
Burlap coffee bags
Pet hair
Potash rock
Post-it notes
Freezer-burned fruit
Wood chips
Bee droppings
Lint from behind refrigerator
Hay
Popcorn (unpopped, 'Old Maids,' too)
Freezer-burned fish
Old spices
Pine needles
Leaves
Matches (paper or wood)
Seaweed and kelp
Hops
Chicken manure
Leather dust
Old, dried up and faded herbs
Bird cage cleanings
Paper towels
Brewery wastes
Grass clippings
Hoof and horn meal
Molasses residue
Potato peelings
Unpaid bills
Gin trash (wastes from cotton plants)
Weeds
Rabbit manure
Hair clippings from the barber
Stale bread
Coffee grounds
Wood ashes
Sawdust
Tea bags and grounds
Shredded newspapers
Egg shells
Cow manure
Alfalfa
Winter rye
Grapefruit rinds
Pea vines
Houseplant trimmings
Old pasta
Grape wastes
Garden soil
Powdered/ground phosphate rock
Corncobs (takes a long time to decompose)
Jell-o (gelatin)
Blood meal
Winery wastes
Spanish moss
Limestone
Fish meal
Aquarium plants
Beet wastes
Sunday comics
Harbor mud
Felt waste
Wheat straw
Peat moss
Kleenex tissues
Milk (in small amounts)
Soy milk
Tree bark
Starfish (dead ones!)
Melted ice cream
Flower petals
Pumpkin seeds
Q-tips (cotton swabs: cardboard, not plastic sticks)
Expired flower arrangements
Elmer's glue
BBQ'd fish skin
Bone meal
Citrus wastes
Stale potato chips
Rhubarb stems
Old leather gardening gloves
Tobacco wastes
Bird guano
Hog manure
Dried jellyfish
Wheat bran
Guinea pig cage cleanings
Nut shells
Cattail reeds
Clover
Granite dust
Moldy cheese
Greensand
Straw
Shredded cardboard
Dolomite lime
Cover crops
Quail eggs (OK, I needed a 'Q' word)
Rapeseed meal
Bat guano
Fish scraps
Tea bags (black and herbal)
Apple cores
Electric razor trimmings
Kitchen wastes
Outdated yogurt
Toenail clippings
Shrimp shells
Crab shells
Lobster shells
Pie crust
Leather wallets
Onion skins
Bagasse (sugar cane residue)
Watermelon rinds
Date pits
Goat manure
Olive pits
Peanut shells
Burned oatmeal (sorry, Mom)
Lint from clothes dryer
Bread crusts
Cooked rice
River mud
Tofu (it's only soybeans, man!)
Wine gone bad (what a waste!)
Banana peels
Fingernail and toenail clippings
Chocolate cookies
Wooden toothpicks
Moss from last year's hanging baskets
Stale breakfast cereal
Pickles
'Dust bunnies' from under the bed
Pencil shavings
Wool socks
Artichoke leaves
Leather watch bands
Fruit salad
Tossed salad (now THERE's tossing it!)
Brown paper bags
Soggy Cheerios
Theater tickets
Lees from making wine
Burned toast
Feathers
Animal fur
Horse manure
Vacuum cleaner bag contents
Coconut hull fiber
Old or outdated seeds
Macaroni and cheese
Liquid from canned vegetables
Liquid from canned fruit
Old beer
Wedding bouquets
Greeting card envelopes
Snow
Dead bees and flies
Horse hair
Peanut butter sandwiches
Dirt from soles of shoes, boots
Fish bones
Ivory soap scraps
Spoiled canned fruits and vegetables
Produce trimmings from grocery store
Cardboard cereal boxes (shredded)
Grocery receipts
Urine

My mother is visiting this coming week. I'm sure the subject of gardening will come up since I am now planning out our summer garden. I planned on picking her brain for gardening tips. However, I have quite an arsenal of ideas to unleash on her. I wonder how much this Master Gardener will gasp. Who would have ever thought MY mother would become a Master Gardener. She's come such a long way since the days when she massacred my precious buds brought home from my Botany class. How I loved them. How she whiffled them and put them into sudden shock! The tables have turned. Who woulda thunk?

Happy Spring! Time to get those hands dirty!

~Tammy~

~Spring Cleaning~

It's been quite awhile since I've posted on the blog. Shame on me, huh? I really need to get back into the swing of things. I'm hoping the warmth and sunshine of Spring will give me just the push I need to get my act together!

I've been slowly getting into Spring cleaning here in Darrow-land. My first major project was my office. For those of you who know me personally, know that I hear your laughter and I've noted the infraction. ::raised eyebrow:: As I was cleaning, my mother heard the overwhelming tone of my voice and said "Now, Tammy, if you haven't touched it for 30 days - you don't need it." Silly goose! That may work in most lives. But Tammy is an original. Nothing is traditional here. After 16 months of life traumas with Joe - there are some things I haven't touched in 17 months. And so the project began.

For anyone who doesn't know me or personally - or hasn't visited my home - my office was once a sunroom. It is a bright room with lots of windows but quite small for the things that go on in here. You see, my office is an office/boarding kennel/mudroom/entrance to the house/place for everyone to bring everything that they either don't know where it goes or don't want to put away. Mom will get it. However, I purged it, got it straight, everything was filed....and I moved on.

Then I realized I did things backwards.

I had decided earlier to completely purge the house from the attic to the garage. What I forgot was everything was going to go out the door of the office....and it is Spring. Spring means lots of rain. At times things came through and immediately stopped at ....the office. You're starting to understand now. Yes? And so it is....I will continue to purge the house completely. THEN I will clean the office. ::sighs::

With spring finally here, why not throw open the windows and tackle those projects that you've been putting off all winter! But...heed my warning. Start at the back or the top and work it out. Here are a few Spring cleaning tips that may help you with your project:

*Remove and donate unwanted items, reorganize and clean attic, basement and garage

*Power wash exterior walls, porch floors, deck, patio, driveway and sidewalks

*Clean outdoor furniture, umbrellas and outdoor light fixtures

*Clean out gutters

*Clean out refrigerator and freezer, making sure to vacuum the grill and coil

*Reorganize closets, donating unwanted items

*Remove lint from the hose attached to back of clothes dryer

*Vacuum baseboards, walls and ceilings, wipe down walls

*Steam clean carpets and area rugs and upholstery

*Reseal natural stone surfaces (travertine, etc)

*Reseal and repair grout in bathtubs and showers

*Clean window treatments, dust and clean blinds and shutters

*Remove items from all shelves, dust and clean

*Oil hinges

With spring finally here, why not throw open the windows and tackle those projects that you've been putting off all winter!

I have wonderful organizational products available on my website that come in a variety of fabrics...and can be embroidered to add a personal touch. Visit me here!

Happy Spring everyone!!
Tammy

Did You Know?

I'm no Mrs. Fix It, by a long shot! I've left that title to the oldest girl...I swear when the dad was handing out lessons to his kids...he had her full attention! And she aced the class! She's done everything from remodeling a bathroom to replacing the fuel pump in her husband's truck to replacing the drain fields at her home. Every time I think she can't outdo herself - she does.

I just told her this morning that this crazy man I'm living with wants me to run electric to an outside light. I was hoping for a little pity and a possible trip home to help - yes I know she lives in Tampa. But instead she went into immediate prayer mode. Yeah...she also got his sarcasm!

I wish I could tell you that I could take full credit for either writing the following tips - or at the very least, finding them. But I cannot. She found it on AOL. I give her full credit - and kudos for all she taken the time to learn. The dad's purpose in teaching our kids all these things was to make them independent and self-sufficient. Again, she gets an A.

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Did you know:


You know those disposable silica packets that come in your packaging? You should actually hang on to them; their moisture-wicking properties come in handy all over the house.

If you've ever bought shoes, handbags, and other merchandise, you've definitely come across little silica gel packets. Their purpose is to preserve products and eliminate moisture that can lead to damage and mildew. That means you can use them on other items too -- not just the ones they came packaged with. So don't toss silica gel packets; save them! And reuse them in these cool way.

SAVE YOUR ELECTRONICS

If you accidentally get water in your camera or cell phone, store it immediately in a plastic bag filled with silica gel packets, which will absorb the moisture and save the device in a matter of days.

PROTECT YOUR ELECTRONICS

Here's a secret that the photo-savvy know : Keep silica gel packets in your camera case at all times to prevent moisture-related problems. And if you're headed to the beach, pack a plastic zip-top bag with a silica gel pack inside, and use it to stash and seal up cell phones, cameras and other electronic equipment. When you open it to answer to phone or take a picture some moisture can get inside the bag. The silica gel will quickly wick away the moisture and protect the electronics.

PROTECT YOUR PHOTOS

Put silica gel packet in the boxes where you store your photos to keep them safe and dry.

PROTECT SILVER

Moisture can lead to tarnish and corrosion on silver and jewelry. Slip a silica gel packet in your silver chest or jewelry box to keep those items tarnish free and looking great!

PROTECT FISHING EQUIPMENT

If you're an outdoor sports enthusiast keep silica gel packets in tackle boxes, golf bags or with your climbing gear. The packets will prevent rust from forming on your equipment. This also works to protect your tools in the toolboxes or workshop.

PROTECT YOUR WARDROBE

If you live in a high humidity area, stash silica gel packets in with your clothes when you put them in storage for the winter and in your closets where you store coats and linens. They will wick away excess moisture and prevent mustiness.

Tip: If your silica gel packets don't seem to be working any more, put them on a cookie sheet in a 100 degree oven for an hour to recharge! When you're not using the packets, keep them in an airtight container to protect them from surrounding moisture.

Misty Raye
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Best Banana Bread Ever!

As my youngest daughter has matured, it's become very apparent to us that she is picking up traits from both her father and me. Her daddy is known for his cooking, her momma for her baking. Not only has she taken to cooking like a fish does to water, she has become quite the baker! She wowed everyone at Christmas with her banana nut bread. This recipe was served at the Darrow table, as well as delivered as gifts to friends and family. To the delight of one of our recipients, one loaf was delivered while it was still deliciously warm! MmmmmMmmmm! This momma couldn't be more proud...the next generation of yummy to come out of the Darrow kitchen!!

Victoria's Banana Bread

1 Cup butter or margarine
2 Cups sugar
4 Eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsps. soda
4 Cups flour
6 Large bananas, very ripe, mashed
1 Cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Preparation:

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift dry ingredients together; add to creamed mixture. Stir in bananas and chopped nuts.

Pour banana nut bread batter into 2 well-greased loaf pans; bake at 325 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. This recipe makes 2 loaves.

Victoria baked her bread in the Berry Loaf Pan from Celebrating Home:

The berry loaf pan can be found at: http://www.celebratinghome.com/sites/tammydarrow/PWPShowProduct.ashx?ProgramProductId=2403