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Delicious No-Bake Chocolate Wafer Log Recipe

Serves 10.

What you need:

  • 1 package chocolate wafers (it is kind of like the Oreo cookie but without the cream)
  • 1-pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
  • Green food coloring

What to do:

  1. Whip cream until it forms peaks.
  2. Fold in sugar, vanilla, and a few drops of green food coloring.
  3. Stack 3 or 4 wafers together at a time, putting a teaspoonful of green whipped cream between each one.
  4. Save one wafer for later.
  5. Place the stack sideways on a dish to form a log.
  6. Cover the log with the rest of the cream.
  7. Crumble the wafer you have saved and sprinkle on top.
  8. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  9. Cut diagonally at a 45° angle.

A MINT HINT

  • Add a teaspoon of mint extract to the cream while whipping.

Category:

baking, Cakes /Bar, Holiday Recipes, Recipes

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Easy Irish Soda Bread Raisin Bread Recipe for Beginners

Makes 6 or more servings.

What you need:

  • Cornmeal, for dusting
  • 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
  • 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup raisins or currants

What to do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a medium baking sheet and dust it with cornmeal.
  2. Mix the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients (or rub it in with your fingers), until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
  4. Make a well in the dry ingredients.
  5. In a separate small bowl, blend the buttermilk and egg Reserve 1½ tablespoons of this liquid, then add the remainder to the
    dry mixture along with the raisins.
  6. Stir well, until evenly mixed. The dough will be wet and sticky. Let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Shake a tablespoon or two of flour over the dough and work it into the dough with the back of a wooden spoon.
  8. Dust the work surface generously with flour, then scrape the dough out onto it.
  9. Using floured hands, shape (or coax) the dough into a ball.
  10. If the dough is too wet to handle (it is sticky!), just cup it with your floured hands to shape it into 2 rounds. Transfer the rounds to the sheet.
  11. Using a sharp serrated knife, make two shallow slashes in a crisscross on top of the bread.
  12. Brush the top with the reserved buttermilk mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
  13. Bake on the center oven rack for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
  14. Cool the bread on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Category:

baking, bread, Holiday Recipes, Recipes, St Patrick'sDay

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Healthy Green Pepper Stew with Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, [chopped]
  • 4 tablespoons shortening
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 green peppers, [chopped]
  • 2 tomatoes, [chopped]
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 medium sized potatoes, [diced]
  • 2 tablespoons flour

What to do:

  1. Brown onion in shortening.
  2. Add water, peppers, tomatoes, salt and pepper.
  3. Cook for 20 minutes.
  4. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft but not mushy.
  5. Mix flour with small amount of water.
  6. Add just enough to vegetables to thicken.

Category:

Lunch/ Dinner, Recipes, Soup, Chowder, chili, stew

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Easy Italian Meatball Soup Recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 6 cups tomato juice
  • 1.5-ounce package spaghetti-sauce mix, Italian style
  • 1 small onion, [diced]
  • 1 cup uncooked small-shell or elbow macaroni [Cooked according to package instructions]
  • 3/4 cup diced green pepper
  • 3/4 cup celery [diced]
  • 4-ounce can mushroom, [diced]
  • Meatballs, browned
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

What to do:

  1. In large, kettle, mix tomato juice and spaghetti-sauce mix; place over medium heat.
  2. While juice is heating, brown meatballs in vegetable oil in heavy frying pan over medium heat.
  3. Add to juice mixture. Using same frying pan, sauté vegetables until onion is transparent, about 15 minutes.
  4. Add to juice mixture; simmer 30 minutes stirring occasionally
  5. Add cooked macaroni; bring to simmer.
  6. Serve in bowls with a teaspoon of grated cheese sprinkle on top.


Variation:

Replace macaroni with 15-ounce can ravioli or its equivalent of fresh or frozen ravioli or tortellini
cooked according to package instructions. A green salad with an Italian dressing, garlic toast or hard-crust Italian bread and a dessert will make a good meal for a hungry group.

Category:

Recipes, Soup, Chowder, chili, stew

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Delicious Zucchini Cold Soup Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups grated zucchini
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • Grated pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dillweed
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1(13-ounce) evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

What to do

  1. In a 2-quart casserole combine zucchini, water, onion, bouillon cubes, pepper, garlic powder, dillweed, and nutmeg.
  2. Microwave for 8 minutes on HIGH.
  3. Puree in blender. Pour back into bowl.
  4. In a small dish combine the com starch with the 1/2 cup water: mix well.
  5. Pour into the puree, add the can of milk, and microwave the entire mixture until thick, for 5-8 minutes on HIGH.
  6. Refrigerate to cool. Serve as a cold soup with garish of paprika and parsley.

Category:

Lunch/ Dinner, microwave cooking, Recipes, Soup, Chowder, chili, stew

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Marbles: From Ancient Play to Modern Collectibles and a Recipe for how to make Marbles

Glass Marbles

Ancient Origins of Marbles

  • Marbles have been found in archaeological sites worldwide, including the Indus Valley (Cira 2500 BC), ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome, indicating their long- standing presence as a source of play.
  • Early marbles were made from stone, clay, nut, and fruit pits, polish or fired to create small spheres.
  • Roman children often played game with nuts, and references to this game appear in literature such as Ovid’s poem ‘nux”. Bas-reliefs from Roman times Depict children engaged in marbles game, and Early glass marbles have been found in Europe, though some may have originated as jewelry.

Medieval and Early Modern Europe

  • During the Middle Ages, marbles became popular in Europe. In Germany around 1503, authorities regulated marble games to specific areas, and marbles produced from marble, alabaster, agate, and limestone were polished for play.
  • Germany later became the center of marble craftsmanship, with water-powered stone mills turning raw marble and alabaster into perfectly shaped spheres by the 17th century Glass marbles emerged in Venice, Italy, and by the mid-19th century, German glassmakers invented marble scissors, allowing precise cutting of molten glass into uniform spheres.

Introduction to America and Industrialization

  • Marbles were brought to the United States by early settlers, and the first American mass-produced clay marbles were made by Samuel C. Dyke in Akron, Ohio, in the 1880s.
  • In the early 1900s, Martin Frederick Christensen invented machinery to produce glass marbles efficiently in Akron, marking the beginning of largescale U.S. glass marble production. His machinery could produce up to 10,000 marbles per day, creating more uniform and affordable marbles
  • The Akro Agate Company, founded in 1911 in West Virginia, quickly became a dominant manufacturer, controlling much of the U.S. market by the 1920s.

Golden Age and Global Expansion

  • The 1920s and 1930s are known as the “Golden Age of Marbles,” with marble games thriving as a popular children’s pastime. Companies like Peltier Glass, Christensen Agate, and Akro Agate produced colorful, decorative, and collectible marbles, including picture marbles showcasing comic-strip characters.
  • Post World 2, inexpensive Japanese cat’s eye marbles flooded Global markets, overtaking American production.

Modern Marbles and Collecting

  • Today, marbles are both games and collectibles, with art glass marbles created by artisans worldwide Machine-made marbles continue to be produced predominantly in Mexico and China for global distribution.
  • The British and World Marbles Championship in Tinsley Green, England, is still held annually since 1932, highlighting the enduring legacy of marble games.

Things to do with Marbles

Here are 25 Games with marbles that you can play. There are others game with Marbles like Chinese checkers

  • Classic Marbles [1]
  • Bullseye Marbles[2]
  • Mini Marble Golf [3]
  • Booby Trap [4]
  • Off The Wall [5]
  • What Decade? [6]
  • Color Match [7]
  • Bounce Eye [8]
  • The Conqueror [9]
  • Marble Obstacle Racing[10]
  • Marble Tilt [11]
  • Eggs in a Basket [12]
  • Thin Ice [13]
  • Marble Box [14]
  • Marble Skee Ball [15]
  • Marble Racetrack [16]
  • Pool Noodle Marble Race [17]
  • Newton’s Cradle [18]
  • Marble Cup [19]
  • Valentins Marble [20]
  • Guess How Many [21]
  • Marble Roll [22]
  • Pacman Marble [23]
  • Marble Painting [24]
  • Floating Marbles [25]
Clay marbles painted

Easy Homemade Marbles:

You can make homemade marbles using 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, and 1 cup of water, adjusting slightly for texture as needed. Basic Ingredients and Ratio For a standard salt dough or homemade clay to form marbles:

Ingredients for a large batch (for large groups)

  • Oven
  • Wax paper
  • Baking sheet,
  • 2 1 teaspoons [To form the shooter]
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons [ To form the small Marbles]
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1 cup Salt
  • 1 cup Water
  • Paints [for decoration]
  • Glitter [for decoration]

Ingredients for a small batch (for 1 person)

  • Oven
  • Wax paper
  • Baking sheet,
  • 2 1 teaspoons [To form the shooter]
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons [To form the small Marbles]
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/4 cup Salt
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • Paints [for decoration]
  • Glitter [for decoration]

What to do

  1. Cover: your workspace with wax paper.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt thoroughly.
  3. Add Water: Gradually: Slowly pour in the water while stirring. Mix until a rough dough begins to form
  4. Knead the Dough: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5–10 minutes until it is smooth and pliable.
  5. If the dough: feels dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time; if too sticky, sprinkle in a little flour
  6. Form Marbles: Take small portions and roll them between your palms to form round marbles.
  7. To Ensure: they are smooth and even get two 1/4 teaspoons, put the small ball in them, and push them together. Then roll the ball around one more time in the palm of your hand. Do the same thing with two 1/2 teaspoons to make the shooter.
  8. Drying/Curing: You can either air dry the marbles for 24–48 hours or bake them in a low oven at around 200°F (93°C) for 2–3 hours, turning occasionally to prevent cracking
  9. Time to decoration: Decoration it will what you like .

Tips for Best Results

  • Use all-purpose flour for optimal texture; avoid self-rising flour.
  • Kneading well ensures a smooth, workable dough that holds its shape.
  • For firmer marbles, slightly increase the flour; for softer or more pliable dough, increase water slightly.
  • Store leftover dough in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.
  • Optionally, you can paint or glaze baked marbles once fully hardened for decoration

Category:

Cool Facts, Education, history, Recipes

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Natural Cleaning Tips: Vinegar, Lemons & Salt

The Virtues of Vinegar, Lemons & Salt


The Old Farmer’s Almanac has long been a proponent of the cleaning power of vinegar, lemons, and salt (and other equally down-to-earth ingredients). Following is a compilation of years of Almanac cleaning advice for the Kitchen.

Appliances

  • Dishwasher
    • To help keep the drain line clean and sweet smelling, add ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
    • Fresh lemon juice will remove soap film from the interior.
  • Garbage Disposal
    • If the rubber shield smells after much use, soak it in a pan of white vinegar.
    • Toss used lemons into your garbage disposal to help keep it clean and fresh smelling.
  • Humidifier
    • To clean the filter, remove it and soak it in a pan of white vinegar until all the sediment is off. Then wash in dishwashing detergent and water.
  • Stove
    • Filmy dirt and grease on the stovetop will come clean with white vinegar.
    • To prevent grease buildup, dampen a rag with a solution of white vinegar and water and wipe out the interior of the oven.
    • Oven spills will stop smoking if you sprinkle them with salt. Wipe with a
      damp cloth after the oven cools.
    • If something in the oven catches on fire, salt or baking soda will help smother the flames.
    • A mixture of salt and cinnamon makes a good oven freshener. Sprinkle spills while the oven is still warm to take away the burned smell.
  • Refrigerator
    • Half a lemon place on a shelf will absorb odors
    • Salt and baking soda in water will clean and sweeten the inside of your refrigerator.

Metals

  • Chrome
    • Clean of soup and stains with a mixture of 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons white vinegar. To shine chrome and remove spots, rub with a piece of lemon rind, then wash and dry with a soft cloth.
  • Chrome and Stainless Steel
    • Shine with a cloth sprinkled generously with flour. Rub well, then dust off gently with another cloth.
  • Stainless Steel
    • Remove white hard water stains by rubbing with white vinegar
  • Brass, Copper, and Bronzer
    • Make a thick paste of salt, white vinegar, and flour. Rub it on the metal, then wash, rinse, and wipe dry.
  • Copper and Brass
    • Rub with lemon juice or for heavy corrosion, a paste of lemon juice and salt. Wash, rinse, and wipe dry.
  • Copper
    • Dip sorrel leaves in hot water and rub the metal to a rich
  • Silver
    • To ease polishing, rub with salt before washing and polishing.
  • Silverware
    • To remove stains, place silverware in a pan and cover with sour milk. Let stand overnight. In the morning, rinse with cold water then hot water.
  • Aluminum Utensils
    • When discolored, boil in lemon juice or sliced lemon and water to renew the shine. Or clean with a cloth dipped in lemon juice, then rinse with warm water
  • Aluminum Pans
    • Remove dark stains by filling the pan with water, adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar for each quart of water, and boiling for ten minutes.
  • Sooty Pans: Before using a pan for
  • outdoor cooking, coat the bottom with soap.
  • The soot that accumulates during cooking will wash off easily with
  • the soap.
  • Greasy Pans: Sprinkle with salt, then wipe with a paper towel
  • Pins with Burned-On Food: Fill with cold water, add 2 to 3 table
  • spoons salt, and let stand overnight. In the morning, bring the water
  • slowly to a boil, and your pan will be dean

DISHES & GLASSWARE

  • To remove chalky deposits, put dishes and glassware in the dish washer. Place a cup filled with white vinegar on the bottom rack. Run the dishwasher for five minutes, stop the machine, and empty the cup (now full of water). Refill with vinegar. Complete the cycle. Follow with another complete cycle
    using dishwasher detergent.
  • To remove cloudy mineral deposits from drinking glasses, put a tablespoon of lemon juice in each glass and fill with hot water Let stand for several hours, then wash.
  • To remove mineral deposits from baby bottles, add lemon juice to the water when boiling the bottles.
  • Let discolored or stained bottles, jars, and vases stand for some time in a solution of salt and white vinegar. Shake well and rinse.
  • Rub glass decanters with a cut lemon or soak in lemon juice and water. Dry with a lint-free cloth. To renew the sparkle and brightness inside, add a little water and a small piece of freshly cut lemon and shake well.
  • Use lemon juice and salt to return the luster to china.
  • To remove tea stains, scrub teacups and teapots vigorously with salt, then wash and dry.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Countertops:
    • Laminated counters and tabletops
      • Can be cleaned by rubbing with a soft cloth soaked in white vinegar. This also makes them shine.
      • To remove stains without scratching, make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply it to the stain, let sit for a minute or two, and rub to remove.
  • Drip Coffeemakers
    • To clean, fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run through a brewing cycle.
  • Pastry Boards and Rolling Pins
    • Bleach by occasionally rubbing with a cut lemon.
  • Closed Containers
    • Use salt to deodorize Thermoses and other closed containers.
  • Sponges:
    • Soak in cold salt water to refresh.

WORKING WITH THE WEATHER

  • Heavy-Duty Cleaning
    • Save chores such as scouring the oven for a day with a brisk breeze, since many cleaning products give off potentially harmful fumes. Whether you’re using a commercial cleaner or ammonia or simply turning on your oven for its self-cleaning operation, for good ventilation open the windows on a dry day when the air is moving. Open both a kitchen window and one on the opposite side of the house to get a cross draft.
    • Chlorine bleach and other solutions for cleaning bathroom tiles also should be used only with cross ventilation.
    • As a general rule, unless it’s plain soap, if you can smell it and it is used for cleaning, get it out of the air as quickly as possible. A heavy, humid day, even with the help of a window fan, is not the right time. -Barbara Radcliffe Rogers

Category:

Household tips and thoughts, Useful tips

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Delicious Creamy Spinach Soup Recipe


Serves 8

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 leek, chopped, or 6 to 8 green onions, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 1 clove garlic, cut in half
  • 1 can (13-3/4 ounce) chicken broth
  • 2 packages (10-ozs. each) fresh spinach, cleaned
  • 1 medium potato, shredded
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Pepper
  • Sour cream (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat; sauté leck and garlic until tender, but not browned.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, spinach and potato.
  3. Simmer, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
  4. In bowl of food processor, place chopping blade; add spinach mixture.
  5. Process just until blended.
  6. Carefully return spinach mixture to Dutch oven.
  7. Add remaining chicken broth, milk, salt and nutmeg; stir until blended.
  8. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes or until hot.
  9. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
  10. Garnish with dollop of sour cream.

Category:

Lunch/ Dinner, Recipes, Soup, Chowder, chili, stew

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Healthy Chicken Soup: A Family Recipe

Chicken Soup is a comfort food. Nothing is better than home cooked chicken soup when it is cold outside or you are feeling under the weather.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

  • 2 large or 4 small boneless chicken breasts
  • water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped
  • 2 big or 4 small potatoes
  • 2 chayote [what is a chayote?]
  • 1cup mushrooms
  • 1 cup green peas
  • 1/2 cup corn
  • 1/4 cup Bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 6 eggs

What to do:

  1. Place the chicken in a large pot. Cover with water.
  2. Add a little salt, pepper, and the garlic.
  3. Boil the chicken.
  4. Remove the chicken and cut into small cubes.
  5. Add in the carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, chayote, and potatoes to the water. Add enough water to cover the vegetables.
  6. Bring the water back to a boil.
  7. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  8. Add the chicken back in to the pot.
  9. Add the mushrooms, tomato paste, corn, and peas to the pot.
  10. Add more water if needed to cover the top of the food.
  11. Bring the water back to a full boil.
  12. Cook for about 10 minutes more.
  13. Add the 6 eggs 1 at a time. You are basically poaching the eggs. (How to make poached eggs)
  14. When the eggs are done, add salt and pepper to taste.
  15. Add fresh basil or parsley for garnish.
  16. Serve and enjoy.

Category:

Lunch/ Dinner, Recipes, Soup, Chowder, chili, stew

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Perfect Poached Eggs: A Step-by-Step Guide

The egg is cracked into a cup or bowl of any size, and then gently slid into a pan of water at approximately 62 °C (144 °F) and cooked until the egg white has mostly solidified, but the yolk remains soft.

Directions:

  1. Break each egg into a small bowl.
  2. Submerging the lip of the bowl into the simmering water, gently add the eggs, one at a time.
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Cook for 4 minutes for soft set, 5 minutes for medium set and 8 minutes for hard set.
  5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a clean dish towel to drain for a minute. (Unless you have put the egg in soup, then leave it in).

Category:

eggs, Recipes, Uncategorized

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