Peppermint Oil uses

I love to play "Witchipoo" with essential oils... I have posted about this in the past, they are great for cleaning, scenting the air, pest control, ailments, etc.

Here are a few uses for Peppermint Oil...don't limit yourself to these...but I wanted to get you started with them.

Massage several drops of Peppermint oil on the abdomen to relieve nausea.

Add a drop of Peppermint oil to herbal tea to aid in digestion and relieve heartburn.

Rub several drops of Peppermint oil on the bottoms of the feet to reduce fever.

Apply a drop of Peppermint oil topically on unbroken skin to stop itching.

For poison ivy or poison oak, apply Peppermint oil on location neat or dilute with Vegetable Oil.

To relieve a headache, rub a drop of Peppermint oil on the temples, forehead, over the sinuses (stay away from the eyes) and on the back of the neck.

Place two drops of Peppermint oil on the tongue and rub another drop under the nose to improve alertness and concentration.

Diffuse Peppermint oil in the room while studying to improve concentration.

Rub 4 drops of Peppermint oil on chest and stomach to relieve travel sickness.

Add Peppermint oil to food as a flavoring and a preservative.

To deter rats, mice, ants or cockroaches, place two drops of Peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place along the path or point of entry for these pests.

Drink a drop of Peppermint oil mixed in a glass of cold water to cool off on a hot day.

Place a drop of Peppermint oil on the tongue to stop bad breath.

Mix Peppermint oil in a foot bath to relieve sore feet. Keep water agitated while soaking feet.

Place a few drops of peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place where mice are getting in and they will not come in.

Use a few drops of pepermint oil in a spray bottle with water or vinegar and spray in doorways and windowsills and ants will not come in. They run from mint for some reason. The same is true if you plant it around your house.

Tomato Tart * Wow this is good! Try some!

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My pampered chef stones are gold in the kitchen...I have 15-20 of them that are over 15 years old! The darker the better...some are all but black!

This tart is so easy and delicious, perfect for summer when the tomatoes are pushing like crazy. Its great for breakfast, a light dinner with wine, or a snack. I took the picture of my basil from my garden. Isn't it breathtaking! lol.

Before I start,

I have a Special note

to the

"HOMEMADE PIE CRUST SNOBS"

I CAN AND HAVE MADE MY OWN DELICIOUS PIE CRUSTS.....

quite frankly any moron can....but in a pinch, these prepared refrigerated one's are just as good and super handy to have around...and who has time for pie crust making, there is exercising to be done, don't forget, if you are going to eat the good things in life...ya better make damn sure you are working it off!

I have heard it before when someone sees I use the Pillsbury one's, "mine are better, I make them homemade" Bullshit, I tasted yours and its not any better...lol. And I make pies all of the time..how often are you rolling out pie crusts? And I exercise 5-7 times a week...raise my kids, homeschool, grow a big garden that supplies not only my family but extended family and friends, yard work, run a few yahoo cooking groups with over 5000 members, blog here and there and everywhere, and chat with my friends on facebook daily...should I go on? If you manage to do all those things and make your own pie crust all of the time, good for you!

So if you want to brag about how you make your own pie crust, big fat freakin' raspberries to ya...GET A LIFE!

I can make them too...but just feel there are more important things in life, and if Pillsbury wants to do the work for me...Thanks Pillsbury!

Now, on with the recipe

Tomato Tart

one roll of pie crust from

the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust box

2 C Mozzarella Cheese

5 tomatoes

1/2 c Kraft Real Mayo
(its the brand I use, use what you prefer)

1/4 c parmesan cheese grated

2 T basil pesto

2-4 T chopped fresh basil (opt)

Unroll pie crust on a pizza stone and brush the outer edges with water, and fold over to make a pie or pizza crust look. Prick with a fork

Bake the pie crust at 450 degrees for 8-10 min. Sprinkle with ONE cup of the mozzerella cheese and let it set for 15 min on the counter or stove top. Meanwhile, lower oven temp to 375.

Arrange the tomato slices over the cheese. Stir together 1 cup mozzerella cheese, mayo, Parmesan cheese, and pesto. Spread it over the tomato slices.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 min. Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil to garnish.

This is also good with Ricotta Cheese dolloped on top before the final baking! I made it again and added garlic..

As you can see, I used canned tomatoes, due to the fact that I can't get any red one's yet out of my garden lol. I could not wait for the tomatoes anymore, I had to make this, I was so hungry for it.
Basil Pesto

Yield
Makes 2 cups or 16 (2-tablespoon) cubes
Ingredients
4 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
6 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup olive oil
Preparation
Process all ingredients in a food processor or the manual food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Spoon mixture into ice-cube trays, and freeze. Store cubes in freezer bags up to 6 months.
Pesto is great to have on hand for last minute hors d'oeuvres. It can stand alone as a dip and also works as a spread for pizzas and sandwiches.
Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2003


Just a quick note:  I used my cookie scoop and put them onto wax paper on a tray and froze them.

Chicken Pot Pie is in a POT..it's NOT a pie!

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I always laugh when I see someone, even famous chef's, making what they call Chicken Pot Pie, in a pie plate....its not a pie...that is chicken pie!!!!! The PA Dutch also made Chicken Pies, but they did not call these Pot pie. It honestly drives me insane sometimes.

The Pennsylvania Dutch originated this recipe and its in a POT !!!!!! Hence the name, POT pie...its the pie dough, but boiled in the soup. I am Pennsylvania Dutch, and I hail from Pennsylvania too. Please, get it right people! LOL

I make these in a ziploc bag now because I am lazy, and there is little clean up.

Make a chicken soup and when its done, add these and cook an extra 10 min.

Pot Pie Dough

In a ziploc baggie:
Add 2 c flour
½ t salt
1t baking powder
2T lard
seal bag and mush

reopen bag and add:
1 egg
1/3 c water or milk

reseal and mush, kneading through the bag.

I triple this for a huge stockpot

Add to chicken stew 10 min before serving.

Pickle-cicles

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My son absolutely loves pickle juice...as I did when I was a kid. Its so refreshing on a summer day. Pickle juice on potato chips is to die for too. I had to ask him not to drink all of the juice before the pickles are gone, so the pickles are not sitting in an empty jar. lol.

I took my tupperware popcicle molds and made him Pickle-cicles..frozen pickle juice in a popcicle shape. It is so good and refreshing, especially on a hot summer day!

We love pickle juice on our potato chips too, throw the pickles right on top of the chips and let the juice get all over them..yum. I had frozen potato chips once, saw it on Emeril, it was good..so I took some pickle juice, drizzled it on potato chips and froze that.

Pickles tend to be a bit high in sodium so dont' go overboard eating these...once in a while they are good and fun. 210 mg isn't too awful, not the best, Ramen is like 2000 mg!

Speaking of pickles, whatever happened to Tommy Pickles and the Rugrats?

Baby Robin's in my kitchen garden

I was cutting down some of the over-grown honeysuckle in my kitchen garden and I came across this nest. I had to stop cutting and get my camera. I did not take a pic of mom on the nest, I need to do that.

One egg did not hatch, it had a small crack in it.

Momma Robin always watches me water the garden. I have to snap her pic too next time.

I named them...Robin and Robin...lol..like George Forman did with his kids hehe

more to come

Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

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My sister is having a party and I have an over abundance of cucumbers right now from my garden, so I am bringing some cucumber salad. Here's my recipe..

double or triple this for crowds

Cucumber and Red Onion Salad

About 5 cucumbers (skin on, but skimmed with garnisher to look cute, sliced a1/4 in thick or a thickness to your liking.)

2 red onions cut up into nice size slivers or diced (however ya like it)

1/2 c Kraft Real Mayonnaise (its the only mayo that touches my food and no one has to pay me to say that!)

1/2 c sour cream

splash of milk

2 T vinegar

2 T garlic (pressed fresh or minced dry)

2 T dill (dry, m0re if using fresh)

1/4 c sugar

Mix Mayo, sour cream, milk, vinegar, garlic, dill and sugar and then toss in red onions and cucumbers.

Optional...you can add diced apples or grapes to this also.

Then I place it in a ziploc bag for storing in the refrigerator until its time to go, and easy travel. I dump it in a bowl at the picnic.

Chicken wings...or, legs...or whatever

I am pretty sure, the last time I checked, each chicken had two legs and two wings, yet in the grocery store, the wings are more than twice as much as the legs! I got a 12 pack of legs at the grocery store for 2.80. They are .70 cents a pound. Ten pounds of wings at sams club is 15.63..that comes out to alittle more than 1.56 a pound!!!!

I am not sure what sense this makes, since there is more meat on the legs than there is on the wings? My family doesn't mind me making "buffalo legs" instead of wings, in fact, they downright love it. Yes, when we go out, we eat chicken wings here and there, mostly when they are a dime a piece. But when I make wings at home...we are just as happy, if not happier, eating them made with legs.

Getting rid of clutter

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I used to give stuff away all the time, to oust the clutter from my home. I wanted it gone that day and that was that. I went to my sisters for a yard sale to sell my stuff and no one came so I went to sell my stuff I had from my Southern Living kit from when I sold Southern Living.

I had so many nice brand new things, along with my pot rack that hung from my ceiling that I no longer wanted. Well, my sister lived at the edge of her community, so only a few people came down to her sale, I was practically giving stuff away.

Around noon, I still had a table full of stuff,, so I loaded it into my truck, and called my friend to see if she wanted any of it...free....I did not want to bring it back into my house, she came over and we unloaded it from my truck into her trunk. I was rid of it all...cast iron pot rack and all..brand new southern living stuff..etc.

I was glad to be rid of the clutter.

Recently I was weeding out my homeschool books and thought, I am going to check ebay. Stuff is selling like hot cakes...so I posted some homeschool books...I sold one book for 200.67..and another for 132.00...others for 10 dollars here and there...and a Mitch Gaylord workout DVD for 27.00 (it was only 30 new and came with a workout ball....mine was just the dvd).

In two weeks I made 399.00 on my used stuff..stuff I normally would have just given away or thrown out. I can kick myself for all the stuff I have given away through the years...yes it was clutter..but it was money! Pots, pans, silverware, cookbooks, homeschool books, books, dvds, and other misc. stuff.

Lesson learned. From now on, if I don't want something, I am checking ebay before I hand it off or throw it away. I won't get up for a yard sale again, that took too much energy...but I will sell stuff on ebay...I am looking around my house right now thinking ...mmm what can I sell next!!!!