- Boil yams with skin on until they are tender. A fork should go right through
- Drain yams and cover with cold water so that they cool down. Don’t let them sit in water too long or they get water logged.
- As soon as cooled, drain yams and peel them. Slice in half. If really large, slice each half in half again.
- Fry until browned on each side. You can use a combination of butter and oil (extra light olive oil or avocado oil) or only fry in oil – your choice.
- Place in a 9 by 12 pan
- For each 9 by 12 pan, when you are ready to bake the yams, in a frying pan melt 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar until bubbly then pour over the top of the yams. The mixture does not need to be evenly spread.
- Bake at 350 degrees until the topping is bubbling all over.
- The carrots are first finely shredded and thoroughly patted dry with some paper towels. This is key because carrots have a lot of moisture and you want to remove as much moisture as possible so that they crisp up. Use a box grater to get them finely shredded.
- The carrots are then spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and baked for about 5-7 minutes or until they turn start to crisp up. The carrot will also usually turn a yellow color though some will be crisp while still orange. Try not to let them get too brown.
- Measure the carrots by adding them loosely to a 1/2 cup, do not compact them.
- The oats are then added to a mixing bowl. Drizzle the coconut oil over the oats and then stir for about 20 seconds so that the oats all become lightly coated in oil.
- Add maple syrup and stir until the oats are evenly coated in syrup. Don’t substitute honey.
- Stir in the carrots until evenly mixed.
- Scoop your mixture with a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop and release onto your prepared baking sheet. Use the back of a metal spoon to flatten, compact and shape the mixture to be thin round disks.
- Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges.
Ingredients
- 1 /2 cup (38 g) finely shredded patted dry carrots carrots should be patted dry with paper towels before measuring 1/2 cup, see note before starting
- 1 cup (90 g) quick oats
- 2 tbsp (1 fl oz/30 ml) melted coconut oil
- 3 tbsp (1.5 fl oz/44 ml) maple syrup
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
-
Spread shredded carrots onto one of your lined baking sheets, doing your best to spread the carrots out so they are not clumped together. It’s okay if you can’t get out all the clumps, but do you best to separate them which will help them crisp up faster.
-
Add carrots into the oven and bake for about 5 minutes. Watch the carrots carefully because baking time can vary depending on oven, baking pan material, how much moisture is in your carrots and the size of your carrots. The carrots should start to shrivel and turn a lighter color. You want to take them out before they are completely browned (some browning around the edges is okay). Some of the carrots may be done before others. I removed my carrots after 5 minutes and took off the already crisped up ones and then put the rest of the carrots back in the oven for about 3 more minutes to crisp up the rest. It’s okay if a few of your carrot shreds get browned– you just don’t want too many of them to be browned. See note section for more details on crisping up the carrots. Set the crisped carrots aside so they can crisp up a little more as they cool.
-
Add oats to a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle melted coconut oil evenly across. Using a spoon or spatula, stir the mixture briskly for about 20-30 seconds, stopping a few times to scrape the sides of your bowl, until most of the oats look slightly moistened with coconut oil. The oats only need a little oil so they should not look fully wet.
-
Add in the maple syrup. Mix with your spatula until the oats are evenly coated in syrup and the oats start to clump together.
-
Measure 2 tbsp of crisped carrots (4 g). You should have slightly more than 2 tbsp on your baking sheet and you can try your best to select the ones that are most yellow and orange and avoid ones that are too browned. Add the carrots to the oat mixture and stir a few times just until they are evenly incorporated.
-
Using a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop, pack 1.5 tbsp of oat mixture into your cookie scoop. Release onto your remaining prepared baking sheet. The mixture will be loose and not fully hold together. Use the back of a metal spoon to press, compact and shape your cookie until it becomes a thin round disk (about 1/4 inch thick). Repeat with the remaining mixture. The cookie mixture does not spread or rise during baking so shape your cookies how you want their final appearance to be. If the oat mixture is sticking to your spoon, you can lightly wet the back of your spoon and that should prevent the oat mixture from sticking. It is important to really pat and shape each cookie because that helps the oats compact and stick together, which will help them bind during baking. Try your best to make sure there are no gaps or holes in your cookies.
-
Bake the cookies for about 13-18 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the surface is just starting to brown. Baking time will vary depending on how thick your cookies are. The longer you bake, the crispier the cookies will be but you do want to make sure the edges don’t get too dark.
-
Remove cookies from oven but don’t attempt to move them from the baking sheet until they are fully cooled and set. If you try to remove them while they are still warm, the cookies will fall apart. Once they are cooled, the cookies will be fully set and should peel off the parchment paper easily. Store cookies in a sealed container once cooled. If the cookies are left out too long, they will absorb the moisture from the air which will cause them to soften. Cookies can be stored 1 day at room temperature and longer in the fridge or freezer.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/problem-solved/2025/04/08/how-to-replace-clean-window-screens-diy/82742561007/
To replace a window or door screen, you’ll need:
- Replacement screen big enough to fit over the frame.
- Screen roller tool.
- Screen spline.
- Tape.
- Utility knife.
To replace a screen:
- Carefully remove the existing spline from your window or door. A screwdriver or similarly small tool is helpful to pry up a little bit so you can firmly grasp it and pull.
- Discard the old screen and spline. Some recycling centers may accept these items, or you can find clever ways to repurpose the used screen around your home and garden.
- Roll out the replacement screen so it covers the opening and the frame and cut it. You want a little bit of overhang.
- Align the screen to the frame and tape it into place. Avoid taping over the channel where the spline goes.
- Use the smooth side of the roller tool to gently press and roll the screen into the frame’s channel.
- Place some new spline above the screen and gently use the roller tool to press it into the frame’s channel.
- Once it’s in, use the grooved side of the roller tool to press the spline in firmly. Be careful not to cut the screen. You may need to go over the spline more than once to get it secure.
- Repeat these steps on the opposite side, then again on the remaining sides. Starting with the opposites will keep the screen tight and in place.
- Use the utility knife or scissors to remove the excess screen and put the window back into the frame.
If you can easily remove the screen to clean:
- Rinse it off with a hose or in the bathtub.
- Gently clean both sides of the screen with a mix of warm water and dish soap using a sponge or a soft brush.
- Rinse the soap off and repeat as needed.
- Wipe off the screens and excess water.
- Let them completely dry before reinstalling them.
ALTERNATIVE CLEANING METHOD
Use WD40 – Spray a cloth and wipe down. Keep wiping down with clean part of cloth.
Use a corkscrew.
Screw part of the corkscrew into the anchor and pull straight out.
Diane
- Ham 10 lb, but also made a frozen half ham. Next year would need larger ham.
- Coleslaw – 2 bags with 1/2 bag made into GF coleslaw
- Cheesy potatoes – 2 pans
- Candied yams – 2 pans
- Tossed salad – 2 bags butter lettuce from Aldi, cucumber, can black olives-2 is too much
- Fresh pineapple – 1 was just enough, no leftovers
- Flowers for Mom
Karen
- Dessert – 2 frozen pies
- Pineapple bread pudding – 1 pan was enough, had leftovers
- Green beans
- Candy Egg for Mom and Aunt Jo
2025 at Grandma’s house. Andy, Karen, Rachel, Rob, Gina, Joey, Grandma, Joe, Diane, Lisa, Joey & Jessie
Sugardale ham.
Peel the outside of the ham. Score the fat. Place face down in pan with nothing covering it and no liquids. Heat until 135°.
10 minutes per pound at 325°.
The ham cooked almost an hour quicker than we thought. Ham is already cooked and you are just heating it. Best, ham ever!
https://alexandracooks.com/2021/06/26/how-to-make-ciabatta-bread/
Easter Sweet Bread
(Updated Recipe)
Ingredients
The Yeast Mixture
2 large household yeast + 3 Tbsp sugar
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (don’t use all the liquid—may not need it)
3/4 cup warm water (may not need all the liquid)
The Bread Dough
1 whole pound of butter—softened in microwave 20 to 25 seconds
8 eggs beaten with fork
2 ¾ cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt (Note: handwritten edit says: cut to 1 tsp salt)
12 to 14 cups flour (start with 12)
1/2 tsp vanilla (handwritten addition)
Topping for Bread (Double It)
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar (Note: Aunt Marie only uses 2/3 cup sugar but I like it sweeter)
¾ cup soft butter (Note: handwritten edit says: 1 stick)
Instructions
Prepare Yeast: Make yeast mixture by crumbling yeast into a bowl and putting sugar over the top. Let it sit in a warm place until you see it liquefy. Sometimes I’ll stir it with a fork to move it along.
Mix Base: Cream sugar, salt, and margarine. Beat eggs into mixture and add vanilla. Start to add flour and milk/water alternately while mixing. Then beat in the yeast mixture. The dough is very sticky.
Knead & First Rise: Sprinkle extra flour and try to knead it a little bit. Put dough into a large pot and cover with a piece of cloth. Then cover the entire pot with blankets to keep it warm. Cover the entire top and sides of the pot with the blankets.
Topping: Make the topping once you put the bread into the pot to rise. Mix the ingredients like you would a pie crust.
Prep Pans: Grease your pans with Crisco and set aside. Let it rise for 2 hours and 10 minutes, punching it down once. Then throw it on the counter and knead it a little bit.
Second Rise: Fill your pans at least half way. Put the crumb topping on top of the pan. Cover the pans. (Handwritten note: “I filled it – it passed it again”)
Third Rise: Once in pans, let it rise for another 1 ½ hours. Keep house warm while making yeast bread.
Bake: Bake in 300 degree oven for approx 55 minutes—since I use different sizes of pans I try to watch to see it turn golden brown. Let it sit. Do not cut it right away. It cooks a little more as it sits and cools. Great toasted.
Baker’s Notes (Handwritten)
Yield: When I made it in 2007, it made 4 large loaves and 1 small one.
Rising: “Does not need to be more than half [full].”
Baking Story: “Got tired & threw it in oven after the [unreadable] turned oven on & it did beautifully.”
Batch Size: “Cooked longer because 4 large loaves… extra ~15 mins!”