Handmade Birthday Cards
By
Theresa Ragan
 Making
your own creative greetings cards is fun, easy, and rewarding.
Most store-bought cards cost $2.99 and up. You can buy a set of
50 colorful, blank cards for $9.99! Stickers and decorations can
be bought for $.99 a package. Or use fabric, construction paper,
ribbons and buttons from around the house. It’s much cheaper to
make your own cards. And friends and family love getting cards
made with love.
Even if you think you’re not a crafty person,
anyone can make a card. They are fast and easy.
This is what you’ll need:
1. Box or small package of blank cards with
envelopes (These can be purchased at most craft stores. I bought
mine at Michaels.)
2. Glue (Use any kind that works well with
paper. Glue sticks work well.)
3. Scissors (Decorative scissors work great!)
4. Colorful construction paper
5. Decorations! (Anything will do — stickers, buttons, pieces of
cloth, ribbon, and pictures from magazines.)
Now decorate! And while the glue is drying, go to your computer
and print off some of your favorite quotes or sayings in a fun
font. Or write your own personal note, then print, cut, and
paste the note on top of colorful paper inside your card. Write
“handcrafted by [insert your name here]” on the back of the
cards you made.
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POTATO RECIPES
By
The Noodlers
The Hundred Thousand Dollar
Recipe
This is NOT low calorie or low
cholesterol so we don’t cook it often, but it is good.
Fry 3 strips of bacon in a
large, cast-iron skillet. Eat bacon; leave grease in skillet.
Slice 4-5 large potatoes into ¼-inch thick rounds. Slice 3
onions into slightly thinner rounds. Layer potatoes, onions, and
black pepper; continue until all ingredients are used. Cover and
cook on medium, turning only twice so you don’t mash the
potatoes. They should be crispy on edges.
French Onion Potatoes
Contributed by
Priscilla
Kissinger
5 or 6 medium potatoes
1 envelope of French onion,
dried-soup mix
1/4 cup olive oil
9x13-inch oven-safe dish
Aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash potatoes, and cut them into 1-inch cubes. I don’t peel my
potatoes since the peel holds the vitamins. Evenly spread
potatoes in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Measure olive oil in a
measuring cup, add soup mix to the measuring cup, and stir to
mix the two ingredients. Pour oil and soup mixture over
potatoes. Stir to coat evenly. Cover dish with foil. Bake at 350
for 30 minutes. Stir potatoes. Cover and cook for about 15 more
minutes or until potatoes are soft.
Grilled Baked Potato
Contributed by
Diane Perkins
(aka Diane Gaston)
Microwave a white baking
potato or a sweet potato according to your microwave
instructions. Then put it on the grill when you are grilling
steaks, fish, hamburgers —anything. The grill gives it a special
flavor and soft texture. I love to just put it on the grill as
is, but some people prefer wrapping it in aluminum foil before
grilling to keep the skin softer and less singed.
Yummy
Baked Potato
Contributed by
Trish Morey
Take baked, whole-jacket
potatoes, split them, then load them with your choice of sour
cream or guacamole; beans and sour cream; or even just last
night’s leftover spaghetti bolognaise sauce.
Sliced Baked Potatoes
Layer 3-4 large, thinly sliced
potatoes and 2 large onions in a pan with desired amount of
butter, salt, and pepper. Baked at 400 degrees for an hour or
until the potatoes are slightly crispy.
Creamy
Potato Casserole
Contributed by
Terry
McLaughlin
4-6 potatoes, peeled and
quartered
1 onion, diced
1/2 stick of butter or
margarine
1/3 cup flour
1-2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350
degrees. Place the potato quarters in salted, boiling water and
cook until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, cook the
diced onion in a microwave with approximately 1 tablespoon of
the butter, stirring once or twice as necessary. Set the onion
aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the
remaining butter. Add the flour, salt, and pepper, and whisk
until all the flour is dissolved and a thick paste is formed.
Slowly add the milk, continuing to whisk, until the white sauce
has reached the consistency of thick gravy.
Drain the cooked potatoes and
slice thinly. Spread one-third of the potato slices in the
bottom of a large, greased casserole dish; sprinkle one-third of
the onion pieces over the potato slices; and drizzle one-third
of the white sauce over all. Repeat the layers of potato slices,
onion slices, and sauce. Bake for 30 minutes.
We like to sprinkle a cup or
two of diced ham in with the onion layers for a hearty breakfast
treat.
For metric conversions of the measurements above, consult any
of the following sites:
http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blconv.htm
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/recipes/conversion.htm
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions.htm
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