Sherri's Helpful Hints

Cleaning Household Surfaces

How to Clean Butcher Block

Use: A few drops of mild detergent, like dishwashing liquid, and warm water. (It coated with urethane or polyurethane, follow care instructions for Hardwood Cabinets).
Tools: A cloth or sponge.
Tips: After cleaning, rinse with plain water and pat dry. Water left on the surface will stain. Replace boards that have cracks, as bacteria can grow there. Sanitize with a slice of lemon, not bleach, which is unsafe around food.
Tough Stains: Unlike most surfaces, butcher blocks can be professionally sanded.

How to Clean Ceramic Tile

Use: For glazed tiles, one capful of isopropyl alcohol in one gallon of water. For unglazed tile, like terra-cotta, a few drops of dishwashing liquid.
Tools: A cloth or mop.
Tips: Rinse with water and a clean cloth. Avoid oil soaps or ammonia, which will yellow grout. Avoid vinegar, which will damage grout.
Tough Stains: Use a scraper or putty knife to remove stubborn debris. Use a nylon scrubbing pad dampened with dishwashing liquid to remove stains from grout. Apply grout sealer twice a year to prevent stains.

How to Clean Glass

Use: Plain water.
Tools: A microfiber cloth.
Tips: For extremely dirty windows, make a solution of one part vinegar to one part warm water and use a squeegee. To reduce streaking don't clean windows in the heat of the day.
Tough Stains: Rub tough streaks with crumpled newspaper and the vinegar solution.

How to Clean Granite

Use: A few drops of dishwashing liquid and warm water.
Tools: A cloth, sponge, or mop.
Tips: Sweep or vacuum stone floors regularly; stone surfaces are susceptible to damage from grit. Rinse with a clean, soft cloth. Apply a penetrating sealer, available at stone dealers and home centers, every two to three years to prevent deep stains. Avoid abrasive cleansers, which can scratch, and ammonia and nonchlorine bleach, which can dull the surface.
Tough Stains: Use a ready-made poultice, available at stone dealers.

How to Clean Hardwood Cabinets

Use: A few drops of dishwashing liquid or all-purpose cleanser and warm water.
Tools: A well-wrung-out cloth or sponge.
Tips: Scouring pads or powdered cleansers can damage the finish.
Tough Stains: To remove grease, rub gently with a solution of dishwashing liquid and warm water. Buff lightly with a cloth.

Christian Quote of the Day

As the great test of medical practice is that it heals the patient, so the great test of preaching is that it converts and builds up the hearers.

...Herman L. Wayland

RECIPE of the Day - 5/31/2007

This is a wonderful pasta dish that is so flavorful and easy to make. The heavy cream, peas and pecorino work together so well with the lemon zest and lemon essence basil. This is a dish even the kids should like.

Orecchiette with Leeks, Peas, and Pecorino

1 pound dry orecchiette or some other short pasta
1 tablespoon fresh lemon essence basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Pecorino
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, season with the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and peas and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the cream and 3/4 cup of the Pecorino. Simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes.

Drain the pasta and return it to pot. Add the sauce, lemon zest, and mint and toss. Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Pecorino and pepper.

Tip: Sugary and slightly crunchy, fresh peas are well worth the extra effort of shelling during the brief period in the spring when they're available. You can use 2 pounds of fresh peas (2 cups shelled) in place of the frozen ones called for in this recipe.

Makes 4 servings
735 calories per serving.

FREEBIES of the Day - 5/31/07

Krispy Kreme doughnut for free. To celebrate National Doughnut Day, Krispy Kreme is giving away 1 free doughnut on Friday, June 1st. What a deal - a free doughnut (it would be great if it is customer's choice). To go to their site and view their doughnut flavors, locations, etc., click here!

Dr. Diamond Natural Formula samples. They have several to choose from: Herpanacine Skin Support for healthy, beautiful skin and the immune system; Diamond Etern-L to fight against aging from head to toe; Diamond Mind to enhance mental clarity, renew focus and help with memory; Healthy Horizons to target stress with advanced daily mega vitamin and antioxidants. To get these free samples, click here!

Planet Heroes DVD for kids. This is age appropriate for 3 years +. This is a fun and interesting DVD for kids and the subject matter is great for them. To get your free DVD, click here!

Aerobitine anti-fatigue sample packet. This product reduces fatigue and promotes energy, stamina, strength and endurance. It increases nitric oxide levels, which improves blood flow and circulation. This increases oxygen supply and nutrient delivery to working muscles and helps to remove metabolic waste by-products. Aerobitine also helps to regulate blood sugar. To get this free sample, click here!

Shape Works Protein Bar sample. These are rich and chewy and are packed with essential vitamins and 10g of protein. They have 3 popular flavor combinations covered in rich chocolate coating and they're only 140 calories per bar with no trans-fat. To get your tasty, vitamin enriched protein bar, click here!

Buy.com free music download. You click on the redeem coupon button and select the 1 download you would like to get. It is completely free, so to get a free music download, click here!

Edgepark Medical Supplies Diabetes Kit. Sign up for their newsletter and get their cookbook, dry skin care samples, a diabetes supply catalog and more. To get some free samples of skin care and some useful recipes plus...., click here!

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes sample from Wal-Mart. This one is still good and so is the product. These wipes kill 99.9% of common household germs that can make your family sick. To get a sample of cleaning wipes that wipe out bacteria and germs, click here!

Highlights Kids freebies. You have printable hidden pictures, games, science projects and so many other activities for kids. To get some cool printables and activities for your kids to enjoy, click here!

Sonic's root beer float free today. They are offering their 10 oz. root beer float for free today - now that's cool. You can also register with them to get a free treat of your choice. Sonic is all over the place, so chances are, you probably have one very close to you. To view their other tasty treats, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. When I signed up they only had a New York area code available, now they have a few more (which is fine, because with Vonage your area code doesn't have to be in your actual geographical location). You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Sherri's Helpful Hints

Removing Tricky Stains

How to Remove Crayon Stains

Place the garment stain-side down on a stack of paper towels. Spray with WD-40 and let sit for five minutes. Flip garment over and spray again. Rinse well. Rub liquid dish soap into the stain. Rinse again. If any stain remains, apply a stick or spray stain remover and machine wash.

How to Remove Glue, Gum, and Stickers

Remove as much as possible with a dull knife or a spoon. (To make it easier to remove gum, first rub an ice cube over it to freeze it.) Apply a lubricant, like glycerin, to loosen any remaining residue, then scrape it off and rinse. Rub in liquid dish soap to remove any leftover stain. Machine wash.

How to Remove Paint

Wipe off any dried acrylic or water-based paint residue with a paper towel. Sponge on a solution of laundry detergent and warm water. Once the paint has softened, remove as much as possible with a dull knife or a spoon. Rinse and repeat until most of the stain has been removed. Machine wash.

How to Remove Red Clay Stains

Remove dried clay with a dull knife or a spoon (or go outside and give the garment a shake). Apply liquid dish soap to the stain and let it sit overnight. Machine wash. If any stain remains, apply a color-safe bleach directly on the fabric or flush with rubbing alcohol, then machine wash again.

How to Remove Tree Sap Stains

Remove as much as possible with a dull knife or a spoon. Rub in a lubricant, like glycerin, and let sit until the sap softens. Place the garment stain-side down on a stack of paper towels and tap to loosen the sap. Rinse. If any stain remains, apply a stick or spray stain remover and let sit for 15 minutes. Machine wash.

How to Remove Chalk Stains

Shake out or vacuum up any loose chalk particles. Place the garment stain-side down on a stack of paper towels and blot the back of the stain with a cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol. Rinse. Rub liquid dish soap into any leftover stain and let sit for several minutes. Machine wash.

Christian Quote of the Day

Pardon comes not to the soul alone; or rather, Christ comes not to the soul with pardon only! It is that which He opens the door and enters by, but He comes with a Spirit of life and power.

...John Owen

RECIPE of the Day - 5/30/2007

We eat a lot of this at our house. We normally use just the sausage and chicken (sometimes children just don't like shrimp). This is a great recipe that is full of flavor and absolutely delicious. If you don't like to turn up the heat, leave the cayenne out and substitute paprika for a little extra flavor.





Jambalaya

3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille, sliced into rounds
1 large red pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups rice
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sauté the sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Add the red pepper to the Dutch oven; sauté 2 minutes. Add the celery, scallions, parsley, garlic, and thyme, stirring well. Cook another 3 minutes, then add the rice, still stirring. Add the chicken, combining well. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice is done. Stir in the shrimp and lemon juice and cook until the shrimp are just done, another 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings
498 calories per serving

FREEBIES of the Day - 5/30/07

Pure Agele skin care samples. These products are nourishing and non-irritating natural and organic skin care formulations for all skin types. They have a patented technology they use to regenerate cells which ensures the delivery of ingredients to skin receptors activating the natural moisturizing factors in our body. To get your free skin care samples, click here!

Clarins in-store free facial treatment. They offer 7 personalized complimentary facial treatments: brightening booster for a more even-toned complexion, age defying to fight lines, firm skin and replenish mature skin, radiance reviver to boost skin's energy with maximum radiance, thirst quencher to hydrate skin with natural moisture, skin soother to soothe sensitivity with calming botanicals, shine stopper to purify and refine without irritation and sunless tanning to bronze beautifully without the sun. Just print out their certificate and call your local Clarins counter to schedule an appt. to enjoy your free facial treatment. To print your certificate, click here!

Reynold's Parchment Paper sample. This is the bakers secret - it is great for baking cookies, danish, just about anything without burning underneath or sticking. We used parchment paper for just about everything at the bakery - it really works! To get your free sample, click here!

3M hook sample. These are so convenient to hang a myriad of objects with for holidays or anytime. You don't have to provide a company name to be eligible for the sample. To try these 3M hooks for yourself, click here!

Krispy Kreme is offering customers a free doughnut of their choice on Friday, June 1st. This is in celebration of national doughnut day. The notification came by e-mail for being a friend of Krispy Kreme, but you don't have to be a member to get their freebie. To log onto their site and decide on the flavor you would like to try, click here!

Bali Bra & Panty Club free future samples. Join their club and you'll have access to special member offers, inside info, samples and more. To join and get your free perks from Bali, click here!

At Home. Naturally... cleansing bath bar. Just fill out their guest book and send an e-mail to get this great freebie. This bath bar leaves your skin silky smooth and clean and smells as rich as an orange grove on a cool spring morning (that's it, I have to try it now). It has a rich, cleansing lather that lasts much longer than other bars. To try this cleansing bath bar for yourself, click here!

Penn free tennis posters. They have posters of Agassi, Safrin and more. Just enter the code PENN and you can get a tennis poster of one of your favorite players. To get your free poster, click here!

Shrek the Third free downloads. There are too many to mention, but there are screensavers, wallpapers, files with projects and activities, coloring pages, etc. To get your free Shrek the Third downloads, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. When I signed up they only had a New York area code available, now they have a few more (which is fine, because with Vonage your area code doesn't have to be in your actual geographical location). You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Crazy State Laws

Virginia
• An old Virginia law was titled, "An Act to Prevent Corrupt Practices or Bribery by Any Person Other Than a Candidate."
• As in many towns, you need a permit to run a barbershop in Christiansburg, Va. But the wording of the town's law indicates that the permit will be revoked if you're caught operating without a permit.
• A Virginia law requires all bathtubs to be kept out in the yards, not inside the houses.
• Children are not to go trick-or-treating on Halloween.
• Citizens must honk their horn while passing other cars.
• Culpeper: No one may wash a mule on the sidewalk.
• Driving while not wearing shoes is prohibited.
• If you are intoxicated but not driving your car, but the person who is driving your car is intoxicated, both you and the driver can be charged with DUI in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• In Christiansburg, Va., it's illegal to imitate a police whistle.
• In Christiansburg, Va., it's illegal to "spit, expectorate or deposit any sputum, saliva or any form of saliva or sputum."
• In Newport it's against the law to tickle a girl under her chin with a feather duster in order to get her attention.
• In Norfolk a woman can't go out without wearing a corset.
• In Richmond, Va., you must buy a license for 93 cents to sell song books on the street.
• In Richmond, Virginia it is illegal to flip a coin in any eating establishment to determine who buys a cup of coffee.
• It is illegal to sell peanut brittle on Sundays.
• Lebanon: It is illegal to kick your wife out of bed.
• Norfolk: Spitting on a sea gull is not tolerated. A man may face 60 days in jail for patting a woman's derriere.
• Perhaps anticipating telemarketing, the town fathers of Albany, Va., have for years prohibited peddlers from using the telephone to either sell things or raise funds.
• Police radar detectors are illegal.
• Swearing at someone over the phone in virginia is punishable by a $100 fine.
• There was once a law in Salem Virginia that made it illegal to leave home without knowing where you were going.
• Victoria: It is illegal to skate down the sidewalk of Main Street.
• Virginia Beach: It is illegal for a person to ride on the handlebars of a bike. It is illegal to use profanity on Atlantic Avenue or the boardwalk. It is also unlawful to drive by the same place within 30 minutes on Atlantic Avenue.
• Waynesboro: It is illegal for a woman to drive a car up Main Street unless her husband is walking in front of the car waving a red flag.
• You cannot buy hardware of any kind on Sunday.
• You cannot sell lettuce on Sunday, but you can sell beer, wine etc.
• You may not work on Sunday.

Sherri's Helpful Hints

Other Uses for Everyday Household Items

Endust®

Keep ski goggles from fogging up. Spray the inside of the lens with Endust, then wipe clean.

Oil a squeaky door. Lubricate the hinges with Endust.

Prevent stains on kitchen drain boards. Coat rubber drain board trays with a light coat of Endust.

Sweep up dust and dirt with ease. Spray the bristles of your broom or mop with Endust before sweeping.

Prevent water spots and soap scum on shower walls and doors. Coat the tile walls with Endust and wipe clean.

Make cleaning grease splatters on the wall behind the stove easier. Spray the clean, painted wall behind your stove with a generous coat of Endust and buff well. Future grease spatters can be wiped away with a dry sheet of Bounty Paper Towel.

Revitalize dull candles. Spray Endust on a cloth and wipe the candles thoroughly.

Clean brass. Use very fine steel wool sprayed with Endust.

Listerine®

Cure Acne. Use a cotton ball to dab Listerine on blemishes.

Use as a deodorant when in need. Listerine helps kill the bacteria that cause perspiration odor. Dab it under your arms.

Eliminate mildew odors. Wipe with full-strength Listerine.

Disinfect a washing machine at a laundromat. To avoid getting germs from another family, wipe off the surface of the machine with Listerine and add one-half cup Listerine to the wash cycle to disinfect the machine.

Lubriderm®

Shine shoes. Rub a dab of Lubriderm on each shoe and buff thoroughly.

Shave. If your run out of shaving cream, slather on Lubriderm.

Sooth a sunburn. After soaking or compresses, smooth on some bath oil. Then moisturize with Lubriderm.

Remove a ring stuck on a finger. Apply Lubriderm around the ring band and slide the ring off.

Slip on rubber gloves. Apply Lubriderm before putting on rubber gloves. The heat from washing dishes will also help the moisturizing hand cream melt in.

Prevent hangnails. Moisturize your cuticles daily. Rub Lubriderm into the flesh surrounding your nails to keep the area soft.

Prevent dry skin in a steam-heated or air-conditioned room. Use extra Lubriderm. Steam heat and air conditioning dry skin.

Eliminate static cling. Rub a dab of Lubriderm into your hands until it disappears, then rub your palms over your panty hose or slip.

Christian Quote of the Day

A Christian should always remember that the value of his good works is not based on their number and excellence, but on the love of God which prompts him to do these things.

...St. John of the Cross

RECIPE of the Day - 5/29/2007

This has to be my favorite cake of them all - just plain white cake with buttercream. Mmmmmmmm!

White Cake Supreme

2 1/4 c. flour, sifted
1 c. milk
3/4 c. Crisco or other shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
5 egg whites, beat until stiff

Add sugar to softened shortening and cream until light and fluffy. Beat for about 8 to 10 minutes at high speed on mixer. Add vanilla.
Sift flour with salt and baking powder. Beginning and ending with flour mixture, alternately mix flour mixture and milk to the creamed mixture. Beat well after each addition. Stir in the stiffly beaten egg whites.

Pour into 2 (9 x 1 1/2 inch) round cake pans which have been paper lined and bake in 375 degree oven for 18 or 20 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

White Frosting

1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened
3 C. powdered sugar, triple sifted
1 t. vanilla
2 to 3 T. cream

Beat butter at medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla and 2 T. cream, adding additional cream if necessary to make of good spreading consistency.

FREEBIES of the Day - 5/29/07

Colgate Total Advanced Clean toothpaste sample. This toothpaste is the only one to have a formula that attaches to the teeth for 12 hours to protect against plaque and keep your mouth feeling really clean. It is also the first toothpaste approved by the FDA to fight gingivitis. To get your sample of this great toothpaste, click here!

Sensodyne free sample of your choice. You can choose ProNamel or the original Sensodyne. ProNamel helps strengthen weakened enamel due to acidic food or drink. These are both great products and they really help sensitive teeth. To get your free sample, click here!

Ban Intensely Fresh deoderant sample. They send out Paradise Winds scent with is floral and citrus (it smells really good and works really well, too). This product keeps you feeling and smelling fresh for 24 hours. To get your free sample of deoderant from Ban, click here!

Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner samples. It has the freshness of cucumber and intoxicating green tea fragrance that leaves your hair smelling fresh and feeling clean and beautiful. To get your cool moisture sample, click here!

Compassion freebies. Their motto is "Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name". You can order so many things for free that will spread the word about Compassion and their work. You can link to them, get Christian E-Cards, download posters, get a window decal, wallpaper, bumper sticker, and more. To get freebies to spread the word about this important ministry for children in poverty, click here!

Nasonex coupon. This is a coupon for up to $10.00 off your next prescription when you sign up with them. You not only get the coupon, but you get their allergy relief newsletters (facts, tips and reminders to help you better manage your nasal allergy symptoms), pollen e-lerts that give the pollen count in your area and refill reminders to help keep your allergies under control. To get this great package from Nasonex, click here!

Ancestry.com free military records search through D-Day (June 6). This covers more than three centuries of American wars and conflicts with more than 90 million names and 700 titles. There are countless opportunities to learn the stories of courage and sacrifice in your family tree. You can also search through hisorical documents from every major war and view draft registration cards, veteran's gravesites, enlistment records, muster rolls and much more. To get free info from ancestry.com, click here!

Child Safe Network freebies. When you sign up for free you get: free sex offender search (find out where sex offenders live in proximity to your home), free child identification kit and free Child Safe Network Alert Bar that provides Amber alerts and other important info. To get these great freebies from Child Safe Network and other info as well, click here!

Earth's Best Baby Food sample. Sign up to receive their rice cereal sample and get a free feeding guide, coupons and offers, and their monthly e-newsletter with really great info. This is an organic baby food and it is pure and healthy for your little one. To get your free sample and a lot more, click here!

Double Tree and The National Arbor Day Foundation are offering 2 free tree seedlings. They have a nationwide re-greening goal and they can make it with our help. To get your free tree seedlings, click here!

Chuck E. Cheese coupon. This coupon is for 12 free tokens (no purchase necessary). This has to be one of the favorite places for kids to go - they have pizza, they have games, it's perfect. To get your coupon for free tokens, click here!

Hobby Lobby coupon. This is for 40% off any one regularly priced item. What a deal! I really love that store and they not only have everything you could possibly need, but great prices as well. To take advantage of their coupon and get some things you need, click here!

Metropolitan Museum of Art - Kid's Catalog. Help your children discover their own creativity, individuality and the power of imagination. These fun and exciting tools open the door to the world of art, ancient cultures, history and music. To order your free catalog, click here!

Taco Bell is giving out one free crunch taco on 6-5 from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. This is part of their effort to collect donations for the American Red Cross. Donations are not required to receive the free taco, but it is nice to give something. To visit their website and see what goodies they have on their menu besides the tacos, click here!

Wal-Mart is offering a free 5x7 photo of you or your child with life-size cutouts of the Pirates of the Caribbean figures on Saturday, May 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. You can refer to page 8 of the May 20th circular. To get a look at the circular online or just find the location nearest you, click here!

Nestle Good Starts Gift. You can go to this link and get a free gift for new moms. They also have the Very Best Baby Resource Center, which you can sign up for and get up to $319.00 in savings and offers for free. They give you checks for Nestle Good Starts formula, exclusive partner offers and personalized booklets and e-mails. To get in on both of these great offers, click here!


Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. When I signed up they only had a New York area code available, now they have a few more (which is fine, because with Vonage your area code doesn't have to be in your actual geographical location). You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Sherri's Helpful Hints

Natural Pest Control for the Garden

Aphids

Natural control: Plant adapted varieties and encourage natural biodiversity, healthy plants, and beneficial insects such as ladybugs, green lacewings, hover flies, praying mantids, and braconid wasps. Avoid feeding plants heavy amounts of nitrogen.

Organic control: Strong blasts of water, garlic-pepper tea, liquid seaweed, and the release of ladybugs and green lacewings. Citrus oil spray can be used for heavy infestations. Biological sprays are also now available. Plant oil products will also work.

To control aphids, plant adapted varieties, encourage biodiversity especially beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, hover flies, and predatory wasps. Avoid heavy amounts of fertilizers. Spray infested plants with strong blasts of sugar water and release ladybugs. Garlic-pepper tea, Garrett Juice with garlic, neem, and citrus oil based sprays will also help.

Insight: Aphids, one of the most prolific insects, are considered one of our biggest pests. There are over 200 species. They may produce up to fifty generations per year. Some species produce several generations without mating. The females can lay eggs or give live birth, and those already have within them developing embryos for the next generation. The young can be born with or without wings. It all depends on whether they need to migrate away from a natural enemy or to a better food supply. The life cycle varies widely between different species and may even vary within the same species in different geographical locations.

Bag Worms

Identification: Larvae hang in bags from twigs of trees. Bags are camouflaged with pieces of twigs and leaves from the host plant. Adult male is a black moth. The bag has a small opening at the narrow lower end that serves as a waste exhaust port. A wider opening at the top allows the larvae to crawl out and feed.

Biology and life cycle: Newly hatched bagworm larvae make conical bags that they carry upright as they move. Adult females are grublike, have no wings or eyes, and are nearly hairless. The rarely seen male adult is a small flying moth. It has clear wings and feathery antennae and is sooty black. The female lays eggs in the bags in the fall, then goes through the lower opening and drops to the ground and dies. Larvae hatch and lower themselves on silk threads and attach on limbs where they start building their own silk bags.

Habitat: Ornamental trees and shrubs like arborvitae, junipers, fruit trees, and many others.

Feeding habits: Eat foliage starting on the upper part of the plant. They live in and feed on willow, cedar, cypress, some pines, boxelder, locust, sycamore, maple, sumac, persimmon, and other ornamentals and fruit trees.

Economic importance: Defoliation of ornamental plants.

Natural control: Wasps, birds, and several insect parasites and predators.

Organic control: Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) products sprayed in the spring. Hand picking the rest of the year is by far the best technique. Plant oil products will also work.

Insight: Texas has several recorded species of bagworms. Since the female doesn't have wings or ever leave the bag, it is somewhat of a mystery how bagworms get dispersed. While the larvae are attached to single strands of silk thread after hatching, they may be blown a distance by the wind. The silk thread could get caught on an animal such as a bird and be carried a distance.

Defoliating insects that attack several tree species. Hand remove bags then apply The Sick Tree Treatment. Once the bags has firmly attached to the plant, the only solution is to pull them off and toss into the compost pile. When the female worms are pulling the bag around and feeding in the spring, spray with Bt products with 1 ounce of molasses per gallon of spray and release trichogramma wasps.

Identification: Microscopic animals related to ticks and spiders. Larvae are bright red.

Biology and life cycle: Nymphs hatch in the spring and are parasites on humans and animals. They inject a digestive juice that dissolves skin cells so they can be more easily eaten. Affected skin will redden and swell. Their numbers are the highest in mid-summer. The adults feed on insects.

Chiggers

Habitat: Grasslands and weedy unirrigated areas.

Feeding habits: Nymphs attach to skin of various animals to feed.

Economic importance: Cause severe itching and small reddish welts on skin.

Natural control: Increased soil moisture. Some researchers say chiggers have no natural enemies. That may be true, but the imported fire ants will certainly eliminate them.

Organic control: Sulfur dust is a good repellent. So is lemonmint, also called horsemint (Monarda citriodora). Take a hot, soapy bath to remove larvae. Stop the itching with baking soda, vinegar, aloe vera, or comfrey juice.

Insight: If you have to walk through property that's dry and weedy and it's summertime, take a few precautions. First, don't wear shorts. Second, dust your shoes, pant legs, and socks with powdered sulfur. It's available at any nursery or feed store. Rubbing the crushed flowers of lemonmint on your clothing will also repel chiggers.

Chiggers can be controlled with a broadcast application of diatomaceous earth or an application of granular or dusting sulfur at 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If you have alkaline soil, the sulfur is also a good soil amendment. If you have acid soil, just don't overdo it. Excess sulfur will kill or severely imbalance the microorganisms in the soil. If your property is watered occasionally, chiggers won't be a problem.

We know one outdoorsman who swears that if you don't wear underwear or socks, the chiggers won't have a place to hide and won't bother you.

Treat infested sites with elemental sulfur at 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet. People allergic to sulfur can spray the site with the Garden-Ville Fire Ant Control formula. Chiggers like dry infertile soil. Increase the organic matter and the water holding capacity of the soil and the pressure from these mites will be minimal. Lava sand or other volcanic material will help the soil’s moisture retention. Apply baby oil to your body before dressing if you plan to be in infested area.

Gnats

Gnats can be caused by decaying organic matter but they are more commonly related to keeping the soil too moist. Let the pots dry out more in between waterings and treat the soil with neem.

Gnats can usually be controlled by watering with compost tea with 1 oz of orange oil per gallon of water and waiting a longer period of time between waterings. A light dusting on the soil of horticultural cornmeal often helps and heavy infestations can be controlled with a drenching of neem. There are several products on the market but avoid those that also contain pyrethrum and PBO (piperonyl butoxide).

A listener reported this idea. Put apple juice or apple cider in a mason jar, cover the opening with plastic and secure with a rubber band. Stab a small hole in the plastic. The small gnats are attracted th the apple juice, enter the small hole and can't get out


These hints come from The Dirt Doctor.

Christian Quote of the Day

We must alter our lives in order to alter our hearts, for it is impossible to live one way and pray another.

...William Law

RECIPE of the Day - 5/27/2007

This is a great stir fry recipe that is very flavorful. You can adjust the heat by using as much or as little red pepper as you like. This is great served with rice or terriyaki noodles.









PEPPER STEAK STIR FRY

1 1/2 inch thick beef steak, any kind (16-24 oz)
2-3 bell peppers, any color
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 hot pepper (depending upon heat desired)
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Wondra (or other flour)
3 tablespoons red wine
1 bouillon cube or teaspoon of beef flavored soup base (optional)
salt or soy sauce (if desired)
pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste

Slice uncooked steak into thin slices across the grain. Tip: Place steak in freezer until partially frozen but the tip of a sharp knife can still pierce it 3/8" deep. This makes it easier to slice.

Prepare vegetables: Core and slice peppers, peel onions and thinly slice, peel garlic. Clean mushrooms and slice.

In a skillet, melt butter in oil. Add onions and saute over medium high heat until edges take on light brown color. Add whole garlic cloves and sliced peppers. When garlic cloves have a slightly roasted appearance, mash the garlic into the oil using the tines of a fork. Remove sauteed vegetables to a dish using a slotted spoon when tender, and lightly browned on edges but not soft.

Turn heat to high and brown steak; add mushrooms after several minutes. Remove steak to vegetable dish when tender. Add wine, flour, and bouillon, scraping pan to add flavor and color to gravy. Reduce heat to very low and simmer gravy ten minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water or broth if gravy is too thick; add more flour if gravy is too thin after several minutes. Add vegetables and steak to gravy and heat through. Season to taste with salt (or soy sauce), pepper and hot pepper, to taste.

Serve as is, or in sub sandwiches topped with caramelized onions. Season with soy sauce, if desired.

FREEBIES of the Day - 5/27/07

Taster's Choice Coffee sample. They offer free samples a few times a year and this offer is back again; Just answer a short survey. To get your free samples of instant coffee, click here!

Natrol My Defense sample. The natural compound in Natrol supports the activity of white blood cells and in addition, it contains vitamin C (as ester-C) a nutrient important for immune function, along with cranberry and more. To get this free sample to boost your immune system, click here!

Degree Ultra Clear for Women sample. This is a great deoderant that works well, smells good and leaves no white marks. You can't ask for more than that. To get your free sample from Degree, click here!

Dove Energy Glow sample. I can't say enough about this one. It gives you the most beautiful sun-kissed color without the skin damage. I am one of those people who always tan and never burn, but my husband can walk outside for 5 minutes and turn red. This is just a really great product to keep your skin soft and give you a nice (not orange or fakey looking) tan. To get your free sample, click here!

Honey Bunches of Oats sample. It's sweet, it has honey, it has clusters, what more can you say - it's really good. To get your free sample of cereal, click here!

Dove Pro-Age sample. You can select from: Hand & body lotion and body wash, deoderant or shampoo and conditioner. These products are all very good with a lovely fragrance. To get your free sample(s) from Dove, click here!

Spybot Search & Destroy 1.4 free download. This is winner of the best anti-spyware of 2006. Spybot Search & Destroy can detect and remove a multitude of adware files and modules from your computer. It can also clean program and web usage tracks from your system, which is especially useful if you share your computer. To get this free download, click here!

Adware Alert free scan. This scans your computer for hidden parasites and removes them permanently. The advanced system cleaner works to repair and correct errors caused by ad and spywares and it blocks pop-up ads before they have a chance to annoy you. The download and scan is free, but to register the download (to clean the files) has a charge attached. I used it to scan my files and from there I just used Norton to clean up any problems. So you can scan for free and the rest is up to you. To get your free scan to get you started, click here!

Wal-Mart is offering a free 5x7 photo of you or your child with life-size cutouts of the Pirates of the Caribbean figures on Saturday, May 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. You can refer to page 8 of the May 20th circular. To get a look at the circular online or just find the location nearest you, click here!

Nestle Good Starts Mother's Day Gift. You can go to this link after May 7th and get a free gift for Mother's Day. They also have the Very Best Baby Resource Center, which you can sign up for and get up to $319.00 in savings and offers for free. They give you checks for Nestle Good Starts formula, exclusive partner offers and personalized booklets and e-mails. To get in on both of these great offers, click here!

All you can eat at the American Legion Post #346 in Farmington, Michigan on Memorial Day, May 28. If you live in the area, this is a great deal for you - get together with your family and friends and celebrate Memorial Day. To go to their website, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. When I signed up they only had a New York area code available, now they have a few more (which is fine, because with Vonage your area code doesn't have to be in your actual geographical location). You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here

I wanted to at least get the freebies posted for today. I will try to have everything posted tomorrow, but the last couple of days have been a challenge for me with all the pain that I've had.

Our daughter is feeling much better after having Roseola, which makes their temperature go sky high and gives them a splotchy rash.

I am working on things for tomorrow, so hopefully, everything will be posted normally. From there, I will certainly try my best to get everything up and running daily for you.

Thanks for visiting.

Sherri

FREEBIES of the Day - 5/26/07

Batian Peak expedited free samples. When you sign up for their newsletter (I receive very little from them, actually), they will send free samples of their coffee and tea. They were sending out a bag of coffee (more than enough for a 12-cup pot) and 2 black tea bags. The coffee was really great. To get your free samples, click here!

Lancome free lipstick and purse-size fragrance. Make an appt. for a consultation on their new summer line between 6-14 and 6-23, and they will give you a free lipstick (you have 2 colors to choose from) and purse-size fragrance (Happy or Aromatics Elixir). Make your appt. soon to get your free items and to check out Lancome's site to get more info on their products, click here!

Biofreeze sample from Med Response. This relieves pain by using cold therapy (cryotherapy). This is a long-lasting, deep penetrating pain relief that can last for several hours. Those who benefit the most are people who suffer from back pain, sore muscles and arthritis sufferers. To get your free sample of Biofreeze, click here!

Bounty savings and samples. Join Bounty and you will receive info on special offers, new products or prints, free downloads, samples and more! To get your special offers from Bounty, click here!

Advair free gift. Join their breathe easier program adn get a free gift. As a member of their program, you get access to helpful links to get more info about asthma and its treatments, money-saving offers and customized communications. To get your free gift and useful info about asthma, click here!

Pampers diaper sample. Some offers are definitely worth repeating. You can get a Swaddlers (for newborns) or Cruisers (from rolling to crawling to walking) sample for your little one. Pampers are great diapers and they have them for every stage of your baby's development. To get your free sample, click here!

Free window cord safety kit. To help prevent cord accidents, the Window Covering Safety Council provides consumers with free cord stops, tassels and tie-down devices. A safety brochure with retro fit instructions is included with each order. You can order up to 5 free kits and they have them for older window treatments (before 1995) and newer ones (after 1995). To help keep your children safe from cord accidents, click here!

Wal-Mart is offering a free 5x7 photo of you or your child with life-size cutouts of the Pirates of the Caribbean figures on Saturday, May 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. You can refer to page 8 of the May 20th circular. To get a look at the circular online or just find the location nearest you, click here!

Nestle Good Starts Mother's Day Gift. You can go to this link after May 7th and get a free gift for Mother's Day. They also have the Very Best Baby Resource Center, which you can sign up for and get up to $319.00 in savings and offers for free. They give you checks for Nestle Good Starts formula, exclusive partner offers and personalized booklets and e-mails. To get in on both of these great offers, click here!

All you can eat at the American Legion Post #346 in Farmington, Michigan on Memorial Day, May 28. If you live in the area, this is a great deal for you - get together with your family and friends and celebrate Memorial Day. To go to their website, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. When I signed up they only had a New York area code available, now they have a few more (which is fine, because with Vonage your area code doesn't have to be in your actual geographical location). You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Crazy State Laws

Utah
• A Utah legislator proposed a resolution urging that each TV weather person be required to provide an ice cream cone to every member of the state House of Representatives whenever the forecast was wrong. The resolution failed, perhaps on First Amendment grounds.
• In Utah, the husband is responsible for every criminal act committed by his wife while she is in his presence.
• It is against the law to fish from horseback.
• It is considered an offense to hunt whales.
• It is illegal not to drink milk.
• It is illegal to detonate any nuclear weapon. You can have them, but you just can't detonate them.
• It's legal for restaurants to serve wine with meals, but only if you ask for the wine list.
• Kaysville: You must have identification to enter a convenience store after dark.
• Logan: Women may not swear.
• Monroe: Daylight must be visible between partners on a dance floor.
• Salt Lake City: No one may walk down the street carrying a paper bag containing a violin.
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BAFT) bans the word "refreshing" to describe any alcohol beverage.
• Throwing snowballs will result in a $50 fine.
• Trout Creek: Pharmacists may not sell gunpowder to cure headaches.
• When a person reaches the age of 50, he/she can then marry their cousin.
• You're not allowed to sell beverages containing more than 3.2% alcohol.

Vermont
• As in most dairy states, Vermont does what it can to discourage the use of margarine. For example, it's illegal to use colored margarine in restaurants unless the menu indicates you do--in letters two inches high. Colored margarine can only be served in triangle shaped patties.
• At one time it was illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole.
• Barre All residents shall bathe every Saturday night.
• Call a Vermont court a "kangaroo court" or some similar moniker, and you might be looking at a $200 fine. It is illegal to defame a court.
• In Vermont it is illegal to paint landscapes in times of war.
• It is illegal to deny the existence of God (not so crazy if you ask me).
• It's against the law in Vermont for vagrants to procure food by force. Apparently if you have a good job and stable home life, it's O.K. to procure food by force.
• Lawmakers made it obligatory for everybody to take at least one bath each week- - on Saturday night.
• Whistling underwater is illegal.
• Women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth.

Sherri's Helpful Hints

Natural Pest Control

Roach control: This is a five-step process:

1. Exclusion. Keep them out of your house. Most roaches like it outside until they get hungry, can't find anything tasty there, and walk in through a house's holes or cracks to feast on the water and food crumbs left from dinner. To stop them, use caulking, steel wool, and copper mesh to fill the cracks in masonry, spaces between trim and brick, and holes of all kinds, including spaces around pipes. Put wire screens in air vents and stop up any other entryways.

2. Elimination of cracks. Fill cracks and crevices inside the house. One of the best weapons against roaches is the caulk gun. Every time you fill in a crack with caulk, you reduce the number of roaches that your home can support. Roaches will not mate unless they are nestled in the security of a very small space. A 1/8-inch-wide crack is too wide for roach comfort.

3. Removal of cardboard boxes. The honey-combed design of cardboard offers miles of tunnels that are perfect hiding and mating spaces; the glue on cardboard boxes and on paper sacks is attractive food for these critters.

4. Cleanliness. Eliminating food and water sources such as dripping faucets, leaks, pet water and food, and dirty kitchens makes your home much less attractive to roaches.

5. Baits. Once the roaches are in the house, there's a two-step attack. Boric acid dusted lightly where the bugs are seen is very effective, but use light dustings. If you can see the material after an application, so can the roaches--so you've put out too much. Diatomaceous earth products also work well.

Effective homemade baits can be made by mixing one part sugar and one part Arm and Hammer detergent. A pinch of boric acid added to this mix makes it even more effective. This mixture has extremely low toxicity, but it still should be put in bait stations or lids and located in areas where pets and children can't get to them.

Stronger baits can be made by mixing two parts flour, one part boric acid, and one part sugar and moistening enough to form little balls or cakes. Add more moisture from time to time to keep them more appetizing. Always keep all pesticides, even these organic home remedies, away from the pets and the kiddos.

6. Spray. The best organic sprays for roaches are the citrus products.

Control starts with thorough cleaning and the elimination of water and food in the house. Dust problem areas indoors with boric acid and natural diatomaceous earth. Put out baits indoors of 50% sugar and 50% Arm and Hammer laundry detergent. Use lids or other small containers. Apply beneficial nematodes to the grounds around the house and spray with plant oil products.

Roaches - simple solutions

Simple but effective roach baits can be made by mixing equal amounts of baking soda or sugar, equal amounts of Arm and Hammer Soap and sugar. Some have reported that cocoa works better than sugar

Snails and Slugs

Natural Control: Maintain permanent stands of clover and mulches to favor ground beetles and rove beetles (which eat slugs). Centipedes also eat slug eggs. Other predators include small mammals, snakes, fogs, toads, lizards, birds, and carnivorous beetles. In the insect world their biggest enemy is the larva of the lightning bug.

Organic Control: Dust dry hot pepper in problem areas - - it works great. Mix with diatomaceous earth for economy. Coarse-textured, crushed hot pepper like as that used on pizza is best. Citrus oil spray works well, and coffee grounds sprinkled on top of the mulch also helps. Cedar mulches are also important.

Snail control: garlic-pepper tea works pretty well when they are young and just getting started. Later, the Garden-Ville Fire Ant Control works well. Mix equal parts molasses, orange oil, and compost tea. Mix 4 oz. Of the concentrate per gallon of water and spray directly on the pests. Also, mix equal parts DE, dry hot red pepper, and fine textured cedar flakes. Dust around affected plants. Fireplace ashes work well, especially in acid soils – rock phosphate, zeolite, and eggshells also work.

Spiders

Most spiders are beneficial. They eat insects and help to control many pests. Only two spiders in the US are poisonous to most people – black widow and brown recluse. Brown recluse spider venom has no antidote, but get to a doctor quickly if you’re bitten by either of them.

Problem spiders can be controlled with garlic/pepper tea, or citrus sprays but it is better to knock the webs and nests down with a broom or vacuum them. Citronella sprays such as Skeeter D’Feeter also work well.

A product that will prevent spiders and wasps from locating their webs and nests in unwanted locations is Dr. T's Cobb Web Eliminator. The ingredients are:
Water
Soap
Vinegar
Capsaicin (hot pepper)
Corriander oil
Anise oil

Christian Quote of the Day

We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.

...Brother Lawrence

RECIPE of the Day - 5/25/2007

One thing I have loved since I was a little girl - caramel apples. This cheesecake is absolutely delicious and is even better than eating a caramel apple.


Caramel Apple Cheesecake

1 (21 ounce) can apple fruit filling, divided
1 (9- or 10-inch) graham cracker crust
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup caramel topping
12 pecan halves plus 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Reserve 1/2 cup apple filling. Spoon remaining filling into crust. Beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Add eggs and beat well. Pour over apple filling. Bake 35 minutes or until center is set. Cool.

Mix reserved apple filling and caramel topping in a small saucepan. Heat about 1 minute. Arrange apple slices around outside edge of cheesecake. Spoon caramel sauce onto the cheesecake and spread evenly. Decorate with pecan halves around edge. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serves.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

FREEBIES of the Day - 5/25/07

Blue Lizard Australian Sun Cream for completing short survey. This is a very short survey and they send you a sample of their sun cream, which I have heard a lot about lately. To get your free sample for the hot months ahead, click here!

Murad Intensive Wrinkle Reducer sample. This product helps reveal younger looking skin and refine skin texture with an advanced formula in the fight against aging. To get your free sample, click here!

Real Skin Health foundation samples. They have 2 samples that they send out: Enhance Liquid Mineral Foundation Sampler - excellent for use on all skin types, this mineral foundation glides on velvety smooth and dries to a soft powder finish. It also has SPF 15, camouflage coverage and is hypoallergenic; Enhance Liquid Light Diffusing Sampler - This has SPF 8 and creates a younger appearance instantly by deflecting light away from fine lines and wrinkles. It also smoothes imperfections with special coated micro pigments that virtually float over skin without settling into lins and creases. This is best for normal to dry skin and mature skin types. These are both excellent products and you can order both samples if you like. The shipping and samples are completely free and they will send you an e-mail with your order # for your records. To get your free foundation samples, click here!

Mary Kate and Ashley fragrance samples. Simple form to fill out and it sounds as if they send more than one sample to you. To try a new fragrance, click here!

Desperate Housewives Forbidden Fruit fragrance sample. I don't know what a desperate housewife is supposed to smell like, but forbidden fruit is a perfect name for a fragrance that encompasses the Desperate Housewives series content. To get your free sample, click here!

Lipton Tea samples and special offers. Join their Tea & Health Club and they will send you samples, coupons and more. To get your free tea samples and savings, click here!

Land O'Lakes free gift-giving labels. These are free for you to download and print to your own choice of labels or paper. Each label file is a sheet of 10 labels. You can use the Avery #5263 (the sheets of 2" x 4" white mailing labels). You do need the Acrobat Reader to open the PDF files (download is free if you don't have it). To get your free labels, click here!

Bamboo Headquarters free gift. Sign up for their newsletter (which you can opt out of at any time) and they will send you a free gift. They don't say what it is, but it's worth a shot. To get your free gift, click here!

Wal-Mart is offering a free 5x7 photo of you or your child with life-size cutouts of the Pirates of the Caribbean figures on Saturday, May 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. You can refer to page 8 of the May 20th circular. To get a look at the circular online or just find the location nearest you, click here!

Nestle Good Starts Mother's Day Gift. You can go to this link after May 7th and get a free gift for Mother's Day. They also have the Very Best Baby Resource Center, which you can sign up for and get up to $319.00 in savings and offers for free. They give you checks for Nestle Good Starts formula, exclusive partner offers and personalized booklets and e-mails. To get in on both of these great offers, click here!

All you can eat at the American Legion Post #346 in Farmington, Michigan on Memorial Day, May 28. If you live in the area, this is a great deal for you - get together with your family and friends and celebrate Memorial Day. To go to their website, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. When I signed up they only had a New York area code available, now they have a few more (which is fine, because with Vonage your area code doesn't have to be in your actual geographical location). You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!