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Simple Living
in a Complex World
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Even
Better....
... Second uses and alternative uses for the items in your life
by Patti Tokar
RECIPES
Save time, money (and gasoline!) by using the ingredients right
in your kitchen to make delicious, thrifty, creative dishes.
Today we feature Melted Ice Cream. You
know, that carton of really good ice cream ... but now it has
been sitting in the freezer for two weeks getting a bit of a
frosty shimmer on the top and it is fast losing it's creamy texture.
Or maybe that carton the kids accidentally left out on the counter
when they made their ice cream cones. Not to worry.
Make delicious muffins and watch them disappear.
SECOND USE: Ice Cream
Magnificent Melted Muffins
This recipe is quick, simple and surprisingly good.
1-1/2 c flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
slightly more than 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups melted (or very soft) ice cream
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin cups by greasing the bottom
and bottom edges only of 12 muffins cups.
Scoop ice cream in a 2 cup pyrex
measuring cup. Microwave in 10 - 20 second increments
until it is thick and melted and is smooth and stirrable with
the consisitency of a milk shake.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in
a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour
mixture. Pour in the ice cream. With as few strokes
as possible, stir until mixed. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 to
3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Makes 10 - 12
muffins. If you like a
sweeter muffin, try adding about 3 Tbs of white or brown
sugar to the flour mixture, mixing well before adding the ice
cream. Alternatively, you can drizzle
on a glaze (mix powdered sugar and milk to desired thickness) or
sprinkle powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar on the top of the
freshly baked muffins.
Note: Nearly any flavor ice
cream can be used. Reduced fat ice cream works fine.
Be cautious of using reduced calorie ice cream - some artificial
sweeteners should not be heated.
For a super easy recipe that even
the kids can make, substitute self-rising flour for the flour,
baking powder, salt, and baking soda. One caution with
self-rising flour: it only lasts on the shelf for 2 - 3
months before beginning to lose it's leavening power. If
the flour is more than 3 months old, you may still need to add
the baking soda and baking powder (the salt would not be
affected).
If you are using vanilla ice
cream, then try adding 1 to 1-1/2 cup of blueberries and make
delicious blueberry muffins.
Household items - Even Better Uses
Dryer sheets - spray with perfume and use as a
sachet in your drawer or closet. They hold scent very
well. Chipped or
mismatched pretty coffee cup - use as a pencil holder.
Coffee cups are usually the perfect size and shape.
Old vinyl Shower curtain - use as a paint drop cloth or give to
a painter. If you can find color-matching duct tape and
you are handy, you could make an outdoor furniture or equipment
cover from the old curtain.
Newspapers - these make great mulch for your garden.
They help retain moisture, control weeds, and they are
biodegradable and eventually enrich the soil. Do not use
glossy colored sections since the ink may contaminate the
ground. (Call your newspaper office and ask if their ink
is earth friendly.) To use as mulch, either lay papers
directly on the ground and then cover with grass clippings, or
dig 1/2" to 1" deep in the desired location and then lay the
newspaper out and cover with soil. The paper can be torn
to accommodate plants. The layers should be about 5 - 7
sheets thick. If you are concerned about drainage, punch a
few holes here and there with a screwdriver or nail.
Otherwise no need to do much except lay the paper out and cover
it. I have even layered papers directly on a section
overgrown with weeds. Just use your trimmer and cut the
weeds low, then cover with thick layers of newspaper with grass
clippings on top.
Half bottle of beer - use this for shiny hair.
Shampoo as usual, then pour the beer through your hair.
Wait a moment, then rinse. Condition as usual.
Live simply. Live green. Live in abundance. Enjoy the beauty of
your life. |
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