DIY Rice-A-Roni

I've been making this since my kids came home from a friend's demanding I buy this...so I bought one box, and figured out how to make it a LOT more cheaply!

You will need:

2 T.           Butter
1/4 c.         Orzo (rice-shaped pasta for soups)
3/4 c.         Rice
1 t.             Mrs. Dash or another saltless seasoning blend
2-1/4  c.     Boiling Water
2-1/2  t.     Chicken Bouillon Powder

In a skillet put the butter and orzo. When it starts to bubble, add the rice. Keep stirring every few seconds. When the orzo is golden and the rice opaque, add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and cover. Keep over medium-low heat until the liquid has been absorbed, and serve.

To give it your own special touch pour a sauce or spices into the measuring cup before you add the boiling water to measure it. That way it won't be mushy, but it will be tasty!

Try tomato sauce...soy and dark sesame oil with ginger and garlic...or some curry sauce, or even just a spoonful of curry or chili powder. There are lots of ways to make this your own recipe!

Luciano Pavrotti's Red Pesto

Luciano Pavrotti was on the Dinah Shore show back in the 70's when I was a young housewife. She loved to have her guests cook on the show with her, so he showed her how to make his family's traditional but uncooked red pesto. Over the years we have tweaked it, from chillies to chilli powder, and from parsley to basil; but you k now it's a hit when dinner guests ask for that again. It is dead easy - just use the tin as the measure!

While your pasta is on the boil, put into a blender or food processor:

1 small tin of tomato paste
1 small tin's worth of extra virgin olive oil
1 small tin's worth of Parmesan
1 t. chilli powder
1 t. dried basil
1 t. garlic, fresh minced or granulated
salt & pepper to tasted

Whir this until smooth, and toss it over hot, drained pasta for four to six people. If making for one or two, the pasta made with this freezes well, as does the sauce.

Enjoy!

I  found this comment on another blog, and thought it too good to pass up. I tried to contact the person who who left it, but she had disappeared, but here goes!

 I thought I would post my little bit of wisdom about Murphy's Oil, gleaned from close to 15 years of using it as a professional housekeeper.

Murphy's Oil Soap (original, concentrated) can be used in two types of solutions:

1/  The way it is on the instructions, with 1/  4 cup to something like 1 gallon of water in a pail. This is good for large projects, including flooring that will accept the excess water.

2/   As a tiny drop in a spray bottle full of water. I prefer this method for both general cleaning, and floor cleaning with a terry cloth mop. It does a great job, and dries in minutes with no towels needed.

Murphy's Oil Soap can be used to clean the following things:

1/  Hardwood Flooring
2/  Tile and laminate flooring
3/  Stone tile flooring (including marble, with a mild dilution in a spray!)
4/  Finished wood furniture
5/  Painted wood furniture
6/  Other painted surfaces such as walls
7/  Wood, melamine, tile, stone (including marble!) countertops and backsplashes(in a spray)
8/  As a scrub booster directly on your sponge, when dealing with soapscum in the bath.
9/  Windows and other glass (with a little extra buffing, and in mild dilution in a spray bottle)
10/  As a spot remover for stains on carpet and upholstery(in a spray)
11/  As a spot pre-treatment for laundry
12/  As an ingredient in homemade liquid laundry detergent
13/  As an ingredient in homemade bug deterrent/  killer solutions in the garden
14/  As a preventative measure against an assortment of fungal infestations in the garden
15/  Dishes, in pinch with lots of rinsing

I have found that, when it comes to flooring (any type), the best way to clean them is by using a microfibre or terry cloth mop, and about half a teaspoon of Murphy's Oil Soap in a full (regular size) spray bottle of water. You get a great clean, and the solution dries in less than 5 minutes, so the water doesn't have a chance to sit on the floor and possibly damage it.

While it's true that vinegar is often good to use as a general cleaner and a floor and window cleaner, there are a few areas where it is inadvisable to use vinegar. If you have flooring that has been sanded and refinished, choose Murphy's (mild, in a spray bottle) over vinegar. The acid in the vinegar will- over time- eat through the re-applied finish. Ask a flooring expert- I did. Also, you can't let water sit on a refinished surface, as excessive water will also damage the finish. Vinegar cannot be used on soft stone tiles that require a mild PH, or PH neutral, cleanser- the acid will etch the surface. Excessive water will etch the surface. Murphy's in a spray bottle works just dandy. :) 

You can use Murphy's on virtually any area of your home, from the ceiling to the windows to the floor, and even in your garden. Vinegar can be used most places, but not everywhere. The two of them together, however, will combat almost any problem in keeping your home clean. :)