Frugal Kitchen Spruce UpsWritten by Kathleen Wilson
Frugal Kitchen Spruce Ups By Kathleen WilsonMost of us spend a good deal of time in our kitchens these days, and it’s not just for cooking. More homes are being built with kitchen as hub of home, and even if you’re on a tight budget, that shouldn’t stop you from making it a pleasant and personal place to be! If your cabinets are in need of a total overhaul, consider painting them. Nothing changes look of a kitchen faster! Visit library for info on faux finishing, or go to www.paintedhouse.com or www.fauxlikeapro.com, and turn a simple paint job into a one of a kind kitchen. If you don’t want hard work that goes into total repainting, consider removing a cupboard door to make a display cabinet. Paint entire interior of cabinet a light or bright accent color, and put your prettiest on display. Or have someone good with power tools cut out center panels of doors, then shirr fabric over inside to hide contents of cupboard…secure with a staple gun or Velcro tape. Pick up inexpensive plate hangers from hardware store and hang saucers from your good china around backsplash, or as a border. Don’t have any china? Visit garage sales and thrift stores this weekend to pick up a bunch of sweet little plates for a song. (No, they don’t have to match, or be fancy!) Hang tea towels on diagonal over your curtain rod for a fresh summer valance, and save some extra to stitch up into potholders and placemats. Make a floor cloth to perk up your tired floors from a piece of remnant vinyl flooring you get at a home improvement center for just a few dollars. Turn piece over to backside, and give it a coat or two of good primer, then a coat of any basecoat color. Then use masking tape, stencils, stamps, sponges or freehand painting to impart a design that fits your room. Be sure to seal it with a couple of coats of water based polyurethane, and it will wipe clean for years! This is a great way to customize your kitchen for little money…lets face it, rugs are expensive, impossible to keep clean in a kitchen, and are usually same old boring thing. This is also a great way to cover an aging or damaged floor, as you can make floorcloth to whatever size you need.
| | A SALUTE TO THE 4TH Written by Arleen M. Kaptur
Fourth of July celebrations - bands playing, flags waving, firework displays and a lot of parades and fun! There are games, and outdoor sports, military displays, music, pageants and contests. Family picnics and barbecues are choice of day. Homes and backyards are decorated with flags, streamers, and all sorts of fun items that are red/white/blue. However you decide to celebrate - have fun with family and friends. Enjoy great outdoors and let Mother Nature help in your entertaining plans. Here are some ideas for Fourth of July entertaining: Firecracker Punch - 2-1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail, icy cold 1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate that is thawed but not diluted 1/2 cup sweet vermouth, chilled 3/4 cup ice water Combine all ingredients. Serve with red or blue straws and lemon slices. ******************** FRUITY FAVORITE COOKIES Need a fast dessert - but one that will impress your guests - try this - Using sugar cookies, cut them in half. Using vanilla frosting divide frosting into two bowls. Color one with red food coloring for a “pretty watermelon pink/red” and other with green food coloring. Cut each cookie in half and frost with pink frosting. Pipe green food coloring around edges for “rind”. Then using chocolate chips, give your watermelon cookies some “seeds”. Place on a pretty plate and dazzle your guests! Your watermelon cookies will be hit of barbecue! ************************ Or try cutting your favorite cookie dough with star-shaped cutters. Then sprinkle cookies with colored sugars - some red, some blue, and some white. Place in a basket with a colorful napkin and your “stars” will shine! ************************ Use fresh fruit to bring out colors of fourth. - On a large platter, lined with lettuce leaves, place a bowl of creamy fruit dip in center - 1 pkg. (8 ozs.) cream cheese, softened, 1 jar (7 ozs.) marshmallow cream, 1 tbs. milk In a bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth. Around bowl of dip, place strawberries, uncut, washed, with stems intact for easier handling, and tiny skewers with tiny white marshmallows and juicy blueberries. All colors and delights of day!
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