Anyone bake & decorate cakes a lot? Can you give me some tips? sm

 

JUST CLICK ON THE NAME OF THE COOKIE AND BAM, THE RECIPE IS THERE.  GOOD TO KEEP HANDY FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

1-2-3 Cookies 7 Layer Cookies  Allie Nelson's Famous Snickerdoodle Cookies Almond Crescent Shortbread Amish Sugar Cookies  Andies Candies Cookies Angel Crisps Angenets Applesauce Cookies  Apricot Fold-Overs Aunt Edy's Molasses Crinkles Auntie Linda's Ginger Gems Bakeless Dream Cookies  Banana Drop Cookies Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World Biscotti Biscotti Blueberry Cookies Boiled Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies  Bronwnies Brown Sugar Shortbread Brownie Cookies Brownie Delight Brownies Buccaneer Snowballs  Buried Cherry Cookies Butter Cookies Butter Nut Balls Butterballs  Butterscotch Haystacks C.O.P. Cookies Candy Cane Cookies Candy Cookies  Caramel Shortbread Cheesecake Brownies Cherry Buns Cherry Crowns Cherry Winks Chewies Chewy Noels Chinese Chews/Haystacks Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Chocolate Chip Cookies Chocolate Chip Meltaways Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies  Chocolate Christmas Trees Chocolate Cream Cheese Squares Chocolate Crinkles Chocolate Mint Snow-Top Cookies Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (no bake) Chocolate Snowball Cookies Chocolate Streusel Bars Chocolate Sundae Cookies Chocolate Walnut Crumb Bars Choco-Scotch Crunchies Choose A Cookie Dough Recipe Christmas Crackers Christmas Crunch Bars Christmas Ginger Snaps Christmas Macaroons  Christmas Mice Cookies Christmas Shaped Cookies Church Window Cookies Coconut Cookies Congo Squares Cookie in a Jar  Corn Flakes Cookies Cornflake Christmas Wreaths Cowboy Cookies (oatmeal)  Cream Cheese Cookies with Apricot Filling Creme DE Menthe Chocolate Squares Cream Wafers Crescent Cookies Crispy Crunchies Date Nut Balls Date-nut Pinwheel Cookies Diabetic Peanut Butter Cookies Disgustingly Rich Brownies Doodles Double chocolate chip cookies Double-Chocolate Crinkles  Eatmore Cookies Eggnog Cookies Elizabeth's Sugar Cookies Elves Quick Fudge Brownies Emily Dickinson's Gingerbread Cookie Recipe Emily's Best Brownies  Famous Oatmeal Cookies  Firemen Cookies Fluffy Shortbread Cookies Forgotten Cookies  Frosted Peanut Butter Brownies  Fruit Cake Cookies Bake like a regular potato They are good if you make them just like a regular baked potato too and just add butter, salt, and pepper. My husband also grilled them in foil this summer with butter and just a touch of brown sugar and they were great. I do not like the canned, fresh are MUCH better and less sweet from the start. I also saw a recipe for sweet potato chips in the oven. I haven't tried it yet and can't remember where I found the recipe but I'm sure you can Google it. Bake a ham and pour pineapple during sm the last 20 minutes of baking, or donate it to a food bank. I'm making funnel cakes at our church for our Harvest Festival! Any people from New Orleans that bake pecan pie? The reason I ask this is my new housekeeper brought me a pecan pie about 2 or 3 days ago. I love pecan, ate if all my life but I could never eat anything else she or her partner fix- I was told they had baked 30 something pies the day she brought this one over. I ate some last night and liked to have died- my tongue is red and beefy like, sore even, raised taste buds, some whitish and then on the mucous membranes right inside my mouth it make bump like places there. Anyone who is from there- can you tell me perhaps an ingredient that goes into them other than the normal, that being the syrup, nuts, flavoring, etc. I feel sorry for the other people who paid for these. Tried to find Benadryl last night as thought maybe this could quiet these problems down. Thanks! A lot of people are so desperate for work that some will give you free bids and give you ideas while nm Actually, we bake cornish hens with wild rice. Glaze is made with melted butter, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce. Cheesy pork chop and potato bake-- YUM! Although, b-fast does sound mighty good.  I am preggo, and eggs sound good absolutey any tme!!  Can someone tell me what temperature you bake cod fillets at in the oven and for how long. It is about 1-1/2 pounds.  I have a hard time with fish knowing when it is done.  Do you put it on a baking sheet.  I want just plain old fish just butter and lemon on it. Speaking of cookies, do you exchange with neighbors, bake only for family, or s My all time fave.....chocolate and peanutbutter no bake cookies. To die for!!!! nm nm Tips My general out look on tipping is I tip for a job well done and a lot of times when they are in my house my previous have been known to throw the bathroom rugs in the wash(which wasnt on the list but was appreciated), vacuum the dog bed, one lady would wash my dishes and would actually take great pains to make sure she put them up correctly (major points there) and would run my families laundry (correctly) while she did the cleaning which was not requested so I tipped. BUT then after a couple of months she would rescedule, show up hours or a day late and would only half complete the list but would do the extra and got attitude when she did not get a tip. A tip (IN MY OPINION) is for above average service. If you do not complete the minimum then I do not even consider tipping. A few tips... First, taking a taxi is even scarier than the subway! (keep in mind everyone I am from a small town in West Virginia and New York was a little intimidating!) I went with my mother for my 21st birthday. We got two maps - a subway map and a detailed map of the streets. We either walked or took the subway everywhere we went. We learned after having to take a cab from the airport to our hotel that it was probably safer just to walk! The hotel that we stayed in was in China Town and it was very tiny - don't expect any alone time with your hubby! :) Central Park was excellent and your kids will love the zoo. That would definitely be a good place to go. We did all the touristy things -went to the statue of liberty and all that. The Lion King was the best show I have ever seen!! We also saw Wicked, which was also great and would probably be kid friendly. Overall, it was an excellent experience and I cannot wait to go back some day. My only suggestion would be to get any map you can! Preferably, a subway map and the street map like I did. Even if you do take a taxi, you need to know where you are so the cab driver doesn't 'take you for a ride'! I hope you have a wonderful, safe trip! Thanks for the tips - sm I have spent a small fortune trying to find a mascara that doesn't irritate my skin. Even the hypoallergenic mascara is irritating or clumpy. Definitely going to try the false lashes. Tips It's easy to get mad at someone, but getting to the deeper root of the problem is sometimes more difficult. If you have recurring arguments, get to the root of the issue once and for all. Knowing what the sore spot is will help you understand each other more and will help avoid future blow outs. Admit when you're wrong. The power of a simple apology is extremely underrated so when you're in the wrong, own up to it; I guarantee he will appreciate it. Although fighting is serious, breaking the tension if the timing is right is sometimes necessary. Don't mock or undermine the argument, but making a joke will prove that your relationship means more than simply winning an argument. You really get to see someone's insecurities during a fight so talk about them with each other in order to get to know each other even better than you thought you did. Try to avoid hitting below the belt and bringing up past fights. No matter how angry you are, it will behoove you to fight fairly. These are some good tips I came across. Good luck! Lilly Thanks for the tips - I too.... am not quite at that stage where I think I'm ready for all gray. (I'm only...48 - wait a minute...there's no way I can be 48...born in 1960....yeah I guess that's right 48 - egaads!) :-) Anyway...maybe I should start just going gray, but just bought the hair color so will use it. I'd love to have a hairdresser color my hair but I can't afford monthly trips to the beauty salon. I just got this shampoo and conditioner from a hair salon, but when I'm out I'm going to use the stuff you suggested. I also have a jar of cholesterol hair conditioner, so I'm going to try that too and hopefully it will make it softer. I used to have such beautiful hair a few years back. Natural curls, and all the hairdressers that cut my hair said how everyone wishes they had hair like mine. Over the past few years I've noticed my hair thinning (going bald) towards the front. I also don't have any more natural curls like I used to and now I have to keep my hair shorter because if it goes longer it just looks stringy. I only wash my hair about once every 3 days. I figured seeing as I sit at my desk every day and only go out of the house once every other weekend to grocery shop there's no need to wash it so much. Thanks for the tips. I should put a post up in about a month with an update of how my hair turns out :-) or if I do end up just "doing the gray thing". Maybe some tips that might help sm i to am gray, not sure how much cause i color my hair.  i'm 36 and i got my first gray at 22.  my mom is 55 and i have more gray than her.  my dad is completely silver (he's 56).  his hair is beautiful!!!  anyway, i color my hair.  i used to buy my stuff from walmart and highlight too.  my hair would look really dry.  i found a great hairdresser and she told me to wash with Redken Allsoft (and conditioner too).  she said to also give myself a conditioning treatment twice a week where after you wash your hair, towel dry it and put this conditioner in (she gave me the stuff) on the tips or wherever it's dry and leave it in for about five minutes then rinse.  what happened was before i started going to her, i used one of those caps and pulled my hair through and highlighted it that way.  that really dries out the hair.  so now i'm not doing to that anymore.  i'm going to let my hairdresser take care of the coloring.  she's really great and full of information.  i've often thought about going gray too, but i'm still too young to look about 10 years older.  i have like a dirty brown with gray (yuck).  oh she also said to try and only wash hair about every other day.  washing every day dries it out too.  use conditioner every time you wash.  i hope it helps! Thanks for the tips - sm I know our daughter wants to be in a State school.  She has lots to choose from in NY.  And she wants to live at college.  Over the past several days since I posted, she's looked up three particular schools and signed up for the open houses, the first of which we're going to on Monday.  I liked that advice about going to the open houses and then if it looks like something she might want to then schedule a more private tour.  So now it starts.  I'm excited and scared stiff at the same time, living vicariously through her.  I never went to college, and I really hopes she gets everything she wants out of it! Tips Been working over 25 years. Raised my 2 boys by myself in a small hick impoverished town. Had plenty. Had nothing. Here's the lessons I learned and the tips that helped me and still will, I am sure, at some point: 1. When you are in dire straits (we're talking long-term problem, not just a little short this month), you must reprioritize. Make a list of the things you MUST have to survive. You must secure those first and foremost. Once you do that, anything extra does NOT buy extras -- it goes into savings. No more extras until you are caught up on your MUST HAVES and you have enough savings for to cover those for at least 2 months. 2. Change your food budget immediately. Eat basic staples. Another poster below had the right idea: Beans, potatoes, etc. Get cozy with a family-size can of Campbell's Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Cook. Don't order out or buy any convenience foods at all. Give up sodas, coffee. Clip coupons. Any money saved goes to savings only. 3. Get rid of the junk in your home -- any/all of it -- sell it. Use consignment shops, sell it on eBay, have a garage sale, call a junk man. ALL the money goes to savings. 4. Make change at home: Change the thermostat in your home. Make it cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer. Bundle up or wear lighter clothes. Only wash clothes in cold water. Do you need the cable TV package you have? Do you have telephone extras? Do you need that cell phone? 5. Cut down your driving. Car pool for shopping trips or kids to school, etc. 6. Raise the deductible on your car insurance. This you should be doing anyway -- insurance is a paid risk, that's all. Take the max deductible allowed by your insurance company. It is unlikely you will use it and you will pay less per month. The idea is to PAY LESS but still have the necessary coverage. If you can drop full coverage for liability only - do it. 7. Pack lunches for kids or get on a free/reduced lunch program at school. 8. Evaluate your job(s). You need steady income and work that is available to you. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that MT work is the only work you can do. Convenience stores need help, so do retailers, etc. It is your RESPONSIBILITY to do what is necessary to bring home the money. If MT work is not paying you enough, then get out of it or at least supplement it. You would do better to work two outside jobs at $10 an hour than to sit at home on 3 MT jobs making only $7 an hour WHEN you get to work. 9. Make sure all in your household are aware of the crunch THE FAMILY is in. It is not just YOU in the crunch, but the entire family. Even the children. Everyone must do something to contribute. For children, this means just doing their part at home with chores but also turning off lights not used, turning off the water while brushing teeth, taking a bath with a little less water, etc. These are just some tips to get started. You have to recognize and accept that the responsibility is yours to ensure the money is coming in and being spent responsibly. There is no excuse for waiting for work nor for spending foolishly. My heart is with you ... I have truly been there and done that. Survivalist Thanks for the tips! -sm What you said about putting in the veggies last makes sense. Probably similar to steaming them, huh? Mine is also a small, 3-qt. one. (They were on sale at Target in Dec. for only $15!) I've also had some interesting microwave experiences. Like one day I went to cook something on a plate that had gold metallic-looking paint around the rim of it. There were sparks everywhere! Scared me to death! I know you can't put metal in, but I guess metallic or gold-leaf paint is a no-no, as well. I've also had some things I microwaves for too long explode. Another time I put something in the oven and left the pot-holders inside the the oven by accident, and started a fire. This is all why, when I go to my parents' for Thanksgiving, my sisters do all the cooking, and I just sit around and watch. ;D She needs more than just packing tips sm She just told her father and I that she changed the message on our answering machine. We listened "Hi, the Hurts are in New York right now so we won't be able to call you back for about a week." This is a straight A student Geesh! Don't know what she was thinking, actucally she wasn't thinking at all.LOL Thank you for the reply and the tips. Been thinking of going the natural route myself. There sure do not seem to be any good diagnosticians around today like there were years ago. Nowadays, most put the symptoms into the computer and see what comes up. Well, I can do that too! I've been reading up on the many diseases and syndromes that affect multiple body systems that often go undiagnosed or are treated separately for years, probably partly because everybody is a *specialist* these days. But the last two I saw actually called each other, so HEY maybe they're finally onto something! lol Gotta have a sense of humor or it'll make you insane. Sorry to hear of your problems. And I'm glad you are doing better! Here are some tips from a fellow I have really curly hair and I only wash it once a week with organic shampoo.  It does not have sodium laureth sulfate in it, which really makes your hair frizzy and tangled.  I also use a good quality conditioner and put it in my hair (just a little) between washings and work it through with my fingers.  Good luck.  It took me into my 20s to really appreciate my hair.  I think less is more as far as doing stuff with it.  Don't cut it, you'll regret it later because sometimes curly won't sit right cut short.  good tips thanks for the tips - I like the one about making a joke or trying to lighten the mood - I have used that one before and it usually works.. I also like the one about not hitting below the belt - I used to do that with my first husband - that's not good. . it is just hurtful. Believe it or not we live off those tips. DH gets 2 bucks an hour. He gets none of the surcharge, nothing for gas, nothing for delivery fee you all pay. He gets stiffed, he gets 2 bucks an hour. That is our spending money. Since I am an MT and you know these days what that means, and I watch the kids, he works at the post office and with a church, and the only way to make bills stretch is to live off his tips on pizza. So, we eat mostly the discounted (not free) pizza he gets from work (the left overs people don't pay for or are deadbeats). So next time you tip the pizza guy remember these truths. Our 3 kids depend on the tips, and so does this MT, whose 2 jobs typing goes to bills and growing kids clothes. Need frugal tips I love the fall but this is the time of year that I also get to thinking about summer vacation in order to start saving early.  I want to take my 7-year-old son to the beach.  Does anyone have any ideas for a cheap but fun vacation.  We would drive so I know packing to eat on the road would be one thing.  What else?  Is it cheaper to get a hotel or a condo?  Eat out or go to the grocery store?  ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated!! TY Canning tips. I see that you'd like to learn to can. I do a lot of canning. In fact, I have a weird little room between my kitchen and dining room that I call "the pantry". We put shelves up on all the walls. One little shelf unit along one wall is my office. (I call the place the Pantroffice. :) The rest of the shelves, floor to ceiling, are filled with canned items. It's more of a hobby and a way to ensure that I know what is going into the cans. I can't say that it is necessarily cheaper than buying canned goods at a store. If you are interested in learning, I highly recommend the latest edition of the Ball Blue Book. It costs about $5 or $6, and includes recipes and basic guidelines for canning. It's updated regularly, so find the most recent version. The Ball Blue Book will tell you when it's safe to can using a hot water bath, and when you must use a pressure canner. For years, I only did foods that required hot water canning, because that was the cheapest way to go. Several years ago, I invested in a very large pressure canner. Now I can can my own broths, soups, stews, and much more. It makes for quick foods at times. It is something of a science, and lots of guidelines have changed from the days our grandmother's canned food. You certainly don't want to poison anyone! You need to know how to can the modern way. If you want to know more, feel free to email. Some tips..for next time...sm Crock pots are not as "dummy proof" as they profess to be. I have found that most of them have too high a heat, even on low, to cook anything for 10 hours!! Everything pretty much depends on the size of the crock pot, as well. I am alone, so mine is small at 3 qt. Remember that the crock pot must be filled to about 2/3 full of food, or it will burn! Boneless chicken breasts cook a whole lot faster than the ones with the ribs. Most are done in three to four hours. Potatoes can go in at the same time as the meat, but as far as veggies, don't put them in until about an hour before the meat is due to be done or they will turn to mush! particularly anything frozen or canned. Fresh might take a little longer, but not much. Quite honestly, you really can't "just throw in everything together" and cook it for 12 hours like they advertise on TV. Crock pot cooking is just like any other cooking. It is a learning process by trial and error. There are some good crock pot recipe books out there that explain all this stuff. basically, three to four hours for meats and potatoes, one hour for veggies. good luck to you on your next try. Tips on walking my dog This is my dog Kane, doesn't he look sweet? He is not sweet on our walks, he is a big butt nugget, he pulls and wants to walk as fast as he can. I try and wait for him to calm down before we leave for the walk but as soon as I touch the door knob he gets excited. I am just using the leash as a collar and leash, I wrap it around his neck so I can pull it when he acts up, which is the enitre walk! Any ideas on how to stop the pulling and make him focus and mind? Thanks a bunch, great tips! // favorite diet tips? Mine is putting sauces on vegetables according to cravings.  My son mentioned he had ribs for lunch today and that made me want some so badly I went and put BBQ sauce on my veggies w/ rice!!! Just wanted to thank you all for the great tips and info and links. I called HSN today to speak with a supervisor, and read them the letter from their collection agency. They truly sounded horrified, and said that was not in the spirit of their company. Probably a bunch of phooey, but I also said that if the collection agency can threaten to ruin my reputation, I should also feel the same to mention to as many I can about HSN and the quality of computers they hawk. LOL. Best I could think of. At any rate, it felt good to voice my opinion to someone at HSN. I'll just wait and see what next week brings as far as if this company calls me and what I'll say. Am also following some leads on the sites for reporting collection agencies. All info said that they can never be demeaning, or insulting, or emotional/personal, etc.  I think the things they said in the letter cover all of the above.  Thanks for the help.