Texas Cooperative Extension
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Volume 1, Issue 12 December, 2001  WilliamsonSusan Richey County Extension Agent Family and Consumer Sciences Williamson County 512-930-4400 sg-richey@tamu.edu williamson-tx.tamu.edu  |
 Don't Forget to Pay Your Dues!!Don't forget to pay your dues for this year. The Extension Education Club year begins in October. If you haven't paid your dues for this year, send a check for $11.50 to the County Extension Office. Use the address below:Susan Richey County Extension Office 3151 S.E. Inner Loop, Suite A Georgetown, Texas 78626 If you don't pay your dues by January 1st, this is the last e-mail newsletter you will get. Let me know if you have any questions, and tell a friend about our club! Ladies Night Out MeetingsThe last Ladies Night Out was conducted November 20th, in Round Rock. During the meeting we talked about future ladies night out programs. Below is a tentative schedule of dates for the 2002 Ladies Night Out programs:January 31st - Bunko Night April 25th - Spring Fashion Program July 23rd - Seasonal Celebration Program October 24th - Basics of Floral Design Put these dates on your calendars, and make plans to attend! If you have any other suggestions or ideas for our e-mail club, please let me know. |
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What better way to show your appreciation of friends and family than by giving colorful packages of holiday confections and savory treats. These yummy gifts are sure to delight children and adults alike. Try these creative packaging ideas and see your neighbors smile this holiday season.
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each end with raffia or colorful ribbon.
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paper, and add a design with a rubber stamp or paint.
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This year, instead of standing in line for hours or spending a mint on giftwrap, show off your creativity under the tree. Designing your own giftwrap is an easy, fun project you can do very inexpensively. Painting butcher paper or brown-paper grocery bags with seasonal designs is a wonderful way to start. Supplies such as colorful construction paper, craft paints, brushes, sponges, stencils, and stamps can all be purchased at craft stores, and you may already own many of these items. Choose a few basic colors of paper and paint, add simple stencils and stamps, |
and form a pattern by using lines or by staggering the design.
Freehand drawings and paintings add a personal touch to your wrapping paper. Whether you can paint a holiday scene or can draw only stick people and snowmen, your wrapping paper will be wonderful under the tree. This is also an excellent project for children. Let your kids be creative. Encourage them to get their hands dirty. (But be sure to dress them in old clothes.) They can make handprint paper by painting a hand using a brush and then pressing the hand to paper. By using a variety of |
colors, your little artist can create his own wrapping paper that Grandma will gush over.
Gift bags can also be painted, stamped, or stenciled. Solid-colored bags in a variety of sizes can be purchased from paper or craft stores, or use white or brown lunch bags. Small designs work best on bags. Try using a favorite stamp or stencil to decorate an assortment of bags in a variety of colors. Personalize gift bags by painting or drawing names on each. Accent the design with colored ribbon tied onto the handles of each gift. |
Treating Winter Holiday Stains |
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| Beverages (coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine, alcoholic beverages): Sponge or soak stain in cold water. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover, liquid laundry detergent or a paste of powder laundry detergent and water. Then launder with a bleach that’s safe for the fabric.
Candlewax: Scrape off surface with a dull knife. Place the stain between clean paper towels and press with a warm iron. Replace paper towels frequently to absorb more wax and to |
avoid transferring stains. Place stain facedown on clean paper towels. Sponge the remaining stain with a prewash stain remover or cleaning fluid; blot with paper towels. Let dry, then launder. If any color remains, rewash using a bleach that’s safe for the fabric.
Chocolate: Pretreat with a prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent. Then launder. If stain remains, rewash using a bleach that’s safe for the fabric. Fruit and Juices: Launder using a laundry detergent and a bleach |
that’s safe for the fabric.
Grease and oil: For light stains, pretreat with a prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent. Launder using the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric. For heavy stains, place stain facedown on clean paper towels. Apply cleaning fluid to the back of the stain. Replace paper towels under the stain frequently. Let dry, then rinse. Launder using the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric. |
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Sprucing Up the Home for the Holidays |
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| At holiday time, the desire to make homes look their sparkling best runs strong. The Soap and Detergent Association offers some helpful tips for cleaning up.
General holiday entertaining means more traffic in and out of the home. Some preventative measures can help keep clean up to a minimum. Use rugs or mats at all entrances to catch dirt and grit that might otherwise build up on carpets and damage wood floors. Place coasters under beverage glasses, cups and flower pots. This will prevent water spots and rings on wood surfaces. Trivets and cutting boards will protect kitchen countertops Having the right products on hand for quick clean up will also help. For carpets and upholstery, use only products formulated for cleaning those surfaces. Other cleaning products may discolor the fibers. Regular vacuuming will help remove ground-in dirt that will dull and weaken carpet fibers. Keep lots of soft cotton clothes and paper towels handy for cleaning. |
When cleaning glass surfaces, avoid cloths treated with fabric softener and extra-absorbent paper towels. The former may leave a residue and the latter may leave lint.
This year, the home furnishings market is full of offerings to warm the heart and home. In the kitchen, high-tech and nostalgia go hand in hand with small appliances straight from June Cleaver’s kitchen. Toasters, mixers, juicers and blenders in platinum and chrome all have a decidedly retro look. Fondue pots and lava lamps, those instantly recognizable household icons of 40 years ago, are leaders of a whole bandwagon full of ‘60s and ‘70s looks. These include shaggy textures for rugs, pillows and throws, and slick surfaces in the kitchen. Much of this fascination for fashions of the ‘60s and ‘70s is generational. For Baby Boomers who lived it, there is little attraction, but for Generations X and Y, it’s an era that’s making a comeback. |
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I hope you enjoy these quick and easy microwave recipes. Use them to make your holidays a little less stressful!
| MICROWAVE FUDGE 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk 2 cups milk chocolate chips 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chopped nuts  PEANUT PATTIES 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1 1/2 cups raw peanuts 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 or 3 drops red food coloring |
| GERMAN CHOCOLATE MYSTERY CAKE 1 package German chocolate cake mix (with pudding in mix) 1 cup sour cream 1 cup water 3 eggs 1 package coconut-pecan frosting mix 1/3 cup milk 1/4 cup margarine Grease a microwave bundt pan with shortening and sprinkle with sugar. Combine cake mix, sour cream, water and eggs. Mix well. Place milk and margarine in glass mixing bowl. Microwave 1 minute on HIGH. Stir in dry frosting. Mix well. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Spoon frosting mixture over top of batter forming a ring. Do not let frosting touch sides of cake pan. Microwave on MEDIUM-HIGH for 17 minutes. Test with toothpick. Cool 10 minutes, invert on serving plate.
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