Good morning and welcome to A to Z Recipes newsletter. I'd like to send out get well wishes to our very own Linda in Michigan. She has been ill and returned from a hospital visit just this weekend. Get well, Linda! And don't worry about a2z until you feel all better.

In this issue I have shared a little something that exemplifies what a treasure a2z is to me. It has afforded me the opportunity to meet some of the nicest people and share a bit of their rich lives. No, not their money. Memories! In today's Ramblings, I share a piece written as a newsy email to me that I have posted (with permission). Along with it is a little background on the story and its writer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. We also have some great tips in Did you Know? and enough laughs to jump start your day in our Crazy Corner. The recipes today are from my "Five Ingredients or Less" cookbook.

Thanks these nice folks for their help in today's issue:
Don G., GA
Bette, CA
Lillian, FL
Angelique, TX
Luanne, FL

Ramblings

Shared by Don G., GA

Just read your joke about the 90-plus years old ladies. Well the following actually happened to me.

I had been sent to Savannah, Georgia to do a story on a nursing home there. It seemed a bunch of senior citizens had made enough money in this state run facility to return 34 million dollars back to the state funds after providing the food, several vans and drivers to deliver at least two hot meals a day to any senior citizen in a two county area that wanted them. The powers that be wanted to how how they did it. As I drove up to the building I instantly saw one way. There was a giant sign you could easily see from the street. It said in large letters: "This business practices age discrimination". In smaller type it said: "You have to be at least sixty five to work here". They made large shipping pallets for the many ships using the port of Savannah. They also paid their own way for cruises, trips all over and of course support for the facility. The whole enterprise was blessed by the state. This was not the idea of nursing homes many people have. These people had a few days on them but they were not old. That was where I first heard my favorite expression, "Age is attitude and has very little to do with days."

I did my morning interviews and everything was a little stiff and formal as there were several state officials along. We had lunch, then as we were sitting around the table talking, three ladies set me up so fine I still laugh. They were three sisters, the youngest was 97 and they were as full of fun as anyone you could meet. One of the sisters had an oversize police whistle hanging around her neck. You would have had to be blind to miss it. One of the other sisters asked did I see the whistle Mary had around her neck. I said, "Yes ma'am, many women in Atlanta carry a smaller size as a defense against an attack or rape". "Not Mary; she was in the mall the other day blowing that thing as hard as could yelling, 'over here, over here'". Well I about fell out if my chair and the state officials stuttered for minutes. Of course the whole table was in an uproar, laughing. The state guys found a quick reason to leave and I had a ball the rest of the day. I have told every one who may have any say so, if they ever have to put me in a nursing home that is where I want to go. Those folks know how to care for and love one another and have a good time doing it. I'll save you a seat.

=OooO=

Yep, the story is true. Actually I was doing a piece about nursing homes in a tri-county area, why was this one so successful and the others, all getting basically the same state support, just being a drain on the state budget. The answer I found was attitude. They had a quality arts and crafts shop and did old furniture repair. (You know how that goes. If I have an old broken down dresser it's an antique, if you have it it's old furniture and if some one we don't like has it it's junk.) They also worked in several schools in the area as substitute teachers or counselors and as guides for tourists to the area. You would move pretty quick to keep up with them. All these folks were retired but none of them had given up. This was in the late 70's when most people went to nursing homes as a way station on the way to the funeral home. Not these folks. Things are a little better now as society has found people can be useful, contribute and make a difference at any age. At that time I was a Photojournalist for the State's Department of Human Resources.

--Don

Did You Know?

Helpful Hints

Shared by Bette, CA

Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. (hmmmmmm...)

Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. (wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)

Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).

Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. And now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!

Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time! Now, where to put the body?

Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.

Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.

Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.

To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!

To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop.

Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. Left over wine? What's that?! :)

To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.

Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.

When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

Monthly Theme

Pastabilities!

Here's the scoop on the current theme:

I love pasta recipes. My kids enjoy eating and preparing them. Since most folks enjoy pasta, I thought it would be great to share some of those recipes right here as a theme topic. How about it, folks? Is there a recipe that makes your family swoon when you prepare it? Even simple pasta dishes are great for sharing. The sky's the limit!

Please use this link: Pastabilities!

A to Z Recipes continues with its popular Theme Issues. We will share theme recipes and post them on the first Sunday of each month. Send your recipes no later than the last Friday of each month to have them posted in the next monthly theme issue. You may send in your favorite theme recipes in ONE email. If the number of recipes exceeds those needed in the issue, the publisher will post as many from every submitter as possible and save the remaining recipes for the following Sundays of that month. The rules for recipe submissions for the monthly theme issues are the same as ALL recipes submitted for posting.

The rules are as follows:
As a service to your fellow readers, please send only recipes that are in a form that others could easily copy and save for their own use. Recipes that would require a lot of editing or cleaning up or use non-standard measurements should not be submitted. Recipes without a name and location of sender may NOT be posted or posted without any credit given. There will be NO recipes posted that are from other recipe-zines. A to Z Recipes protects the privacy of its readers and does NOT publish email addresses. There will be no exceptions.

See the A to Z Recipes Theme Issues collection here:

A to Z Recipes Theme Issues

The theme issue for Pastabilities! has a deadline of March 25, 2005, and will be posted on April 3, 2005.

Please use this link: Pastabilities!

As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox.

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PACE CHILI CON QUESO BITES

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

4 eggs
1/2 cup PACE Picante Sauce or Thick & Chunky Salsa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 green onion, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease 24 (3-inch) muffin-pan cups. Set aside.

In medium bowl mix eggs, picante sauce, flour and chili powder. Stir in cheese and onion.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each cup. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with sour cream and additional picante sauce, if desired.

Makes 24 appetizers.

Tip: Baked appetizers may be frozen. To reheat, bake frozen appetizers at 350F for 10 minutes or until hot.


PEPPERED BEEF RIB ROAST

1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 boneless beef rib roast (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), well trimmed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sour Cream Sauce (recipe follows)

Prepare grill for indirect cooking.

Place peppercorns in small resealable plastic food storage bag. Squeeze out excess air; close bag securely. Pound peppercorns until cracked using flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin. Set aside.

Pat roast dry with paper towels. Combine mustard and garlic in small bowl; brush onto top and sides of roast. Sprinkle pepper over mustard mixture.

Place roast, pepper side up, on grid directly over drip pan. Grill, covered, over medium heat 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes for medium or until internal temperature reaches 145F when tested with meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast, adding 4 to 9 briquettes to both sides of the fire after 45 minutes to maintain medium heat.

If desired, prepare Sour Cream Sauce. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Transfer roast to cutting board; cover with foil. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Internal temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees during stand time. Serve with Sour Cream Sauce.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.


SOUR CREAM SAUCE

3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in small bowl; mix well.

Note: Sour Cream Sauce may be stored, covered, in refrigerator up to 1 day.


CHOCOLATE SATIN PIE

1 1/2 cups (12-ounce can) undiluted Carnation Evaporated Milk
2 eggs yolks
2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 prepared 8-inch (6 ounces) chocolate crumb crust
Whipped cream (optional)
Chopped nuts (optional)

Whisk together evaporated milk and egg yolks in a 2-quart saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is very hot and thickens slightly; do not boil. Remove from heat; stir in morsels until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is very smooth.

Pour into crust; chill until firm. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nuts.

Makes 10 servings.


CHEESE-STUFFED MEAT LOAF

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 jar (26 to 28 ounces) RAGU Chunky Gardenstyle Pasta Sauce
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350F. In large bowl, combine ground beef, 1/3 cup Ragu Pasta Sauce, egg and bread crumbs. Season, if desired, with salt and ground black pepper. In 13x9-inch baking or roasting pan, shape into a 12x8-inch rectangle.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese and the parsley down center leaving 3/4-inch border. Roll, starting at long end, jelly-roll style. Press ends together to seal.

Bake uncovered 45 minutes. Pour remaining sauce over meat loaf and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until sauce is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Tip: Molding the meat mixture onto waxed paper helps make rolling easier. Just lift waxed paper to curl the meat over cheese filling, and then carefully remove meat from paper. Continue rolling in this manner until filling is enclosed in roll and meat is off paper.


CHEESY SPINACH BURGERS

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Garlic Mushroom Soup Mix*
2 pounds ground beef
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

*Also terrific with Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix.

In large bowl, combine all ingredients; shape into 8 patties.

Grill or broil until done. Serve, if desired, on hamburger buns.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe Tip: LIPTON ONION BUTTER makes a terrific topping for vegetables, potatoes, hot bread or rolls. Thoroughly blend 1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix with 3/4 cup softened butter or margarine. Store covered in the refrigerator. Makes 1 cup.


MUSHROOM-BACON SAUCE

5 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 4 ounces)
1 (10-ounce) package mushrooms, sliced (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup A1 Steak Sauce
2 tablespoons sherry cooking wine

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings.

Saute mushrooms in same skillet in reserved drippings for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in steak sauce, sherry and bacon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Serve with hot cooked beef, burgers or poultry.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

WILD WEDGES

2 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 green onion, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons mild, thick and chunky salsa

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.

Spray one side of one flour tortilla with nonstick cooking spray; place sprayed side down in skillet. Top with cheese, chicken, green onion and salsa. Place remaining tortilla over mixture and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut into 8 triangles.

Makes 4 servings.

Variation: For bean quesadillas, omit the chicken and spread 1/3 cup canned fat-free refried beans over one of the tortillas.

HUEVOS RANCHWICH

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

1/4 cup Egg Beaters Healthy Real Egg Product
1 teaspoon diced green chilies
1 whole wheat hamburger roll, split and toasted
1 tablespoon thick and chunky salsa, heated
1 tablespoon shredded, reduced-fat Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

On lightly greased griddle or skillet, pour Egg Beaters into lightly greased 4-inch egg ring or biscuit cutter. Sprinkle with chilies. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until bottom of egg patty is set. Remove egg ring and turn egg patty over. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer or until done.

To serve, place egg patty on bottom half of roll. Top with salsa, cheese and roll top.

Makes 1 serving.

LEMONADE STAND PIE

Prep time: 10 minutes

1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade or pink lemonade concentrate, partially thawed
1 pint (2 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
1 tub (8 ounces) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
1 prepared graham cracker crust (6 ounces or 9 inches)

Beat lemonade concentrate in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds. Spoon in ice cream; beat until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping until smooth. Freeze, if necessary, until mixture will mound. Spoon into crust.

Freeze 4 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes or until pie can be cut easily. Garnish with additional whipped topping, lemon slices and fresh mint leaves, if desired.