This & That Kitchen Junk Drawer Wednesday!!!

DRIED POTATO CHUNKS OR POTATO GARLAND

These make great fillers for mixing up a bunch of spicy fixins' If you catch a sale, good old white potatoes are much less expensive than squash or yams. You will get the same look for less!
Peel and cut potatoes into one inch chunks/cubes. You can be as fussy about this as you like...I like a more mixed up look, but sometimes I try and have the perfect shapes...
Make a pot of coffee or strong tea and once your potatoes are peeled and cubed, let them soak for about an hour in the coffee or tea.
Ready a large sheet cake pan and grab a mixing bowl. Mix in the bowl a generous blend of dried ground spices - I like cinnamonn, nutmeg and cloves the best - but you can use whatever spices you like.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F or use your dehyradetor....Using a strainer,
remove the potato cubes from the coffee or tea and let drain...Now place them a handful at a time in the spice mixture. Mix them around until they are thoroughly covered and then place in a single layer on the cookie pan . Repeat with remaining potato chunks.
Bake at 200 degrees F for 8-12 hours. The actual size of your chunks as well as the elevation and humidity in your area will impact the total drying time necessary. Check your potatoes periodically. When they are firm, they are finished!
If you wish to make a garland instead of just chunks, you will string the chunks on hemp thread (wal-mart craft section). String and place the potatoes as close together as you can. The way I did it was to let the potatoes dry for awhile till almost done, then I strung them, along with some laurel leaves and hung on pegs to finish drying. When my potatoe chunks were dried, I sprinkled on some more spices, put in a plastic bag with some dried orange peels and cloves. Now shake them to mix everything together....

LAVENDER COOKIES:
"Delightful little cookies that add a wonderful atmosphere to any afternoon tea. They have a delicate lavender flavor that is not overpowering at all! cookies will disappear before they have a chance to cool!"

INGREDIENTS
5/8 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lavender flowers
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup colored sugar for decoration (optional)
1 tablespoon lavender flowers
DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2.Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat the egg, and blend into the butter and sugar. Mix in the lavender flowers and the flour. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
3.Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove cookies to cooling racks, and sprinkle with decorative sugar and additional lavender flowers if desired.

Looking Good- Making Fabulous Eyes for Cloth Dolls:

Do you want to know how to do this type of doll eyes?..Then click on Art Doll Blog of Rivkah Mizrahi . This is such a neat site for learing to make beautiful dolls.

HOMEMADE STAIN REMOVER:

This home made stain remover is a pre-wash meaning that you put it onto the stain before you wash the item. You can mix up this home made stain remover and then store it in a bottle until you are ready to use it. It will last indefinitely and if you put it into a squirt bottle you can easily take the bottle and apply it onto the stain.To make this home made stain remover all you do is mix together one part dish soap to one part house hold ammonia and one part water. In other words you put in the same amount of all three ingredients. Then just mix the ingredients together and put them in the permanent container. Store your bottle of stain remover near your laundry soap and you will always have it handy when you are doing laundry.

If you get grease on your jeans then try spraying with WD 40 to remove the stain...