About  Mabel:  Mabel White was appointed the nick name by her husband who noticed she was never short on energy or ideas.  Never running out of  projects to work on, she will tell you she always stays  fairly happy.  "I have never met a busy person who was depressed."  She says.   So, regardless of the circumstances going on around her, or of what success or result her projects bring, she finds the true value in simply being busy and learning something, even if the results were not quite what she wanted.   Steven, her husband of eleven years has since passed away from cancer, but the nickname he assigned her and his great wisdom live on!

STAFF CREDITS:  Editor in Chief-Graphic Arts-Deborah R. Dolen, Florida-Ottawa, Graphic Arts , John Kamowski-Florida, Senior Editor-Viola Benson, Newfoundland, SE Assistant-Colleen Allen, Washington State,  Unix Tech-Rorg Simmons, Japan,  Web Master I-David Neubauer, Alaska, Web Master II-Dena Suarez, New York State 

Her collection of winning ideals are posted within this site.  They include perfuming and shrink wrapping clean linens in shrink wrap bags when they come out of the dryer to keep them fresh,  in proper sets, and appear to be new purchases!  (The appearing to be new part even tricked her cheap husband who saw ten linen sets that appeared new when he came home one day from work!)   She  loves to cook so much, she found sifting around in drawers for utensils took too long, and now hangs every major utensil fashionably on her kitchen wall.  We hope you too enjoy the ideals within this site and we know you will benefit from the information!  See www.DeborahDolen.com .  Most of the items within this site are singular recipes that are e-mailed upon Pay Pal payment. We have new spiral books offered at Amazon and there you may see more about us and our mission. 

Chili Tips            Home Made Soup Mixes            10 Gifts for Under $50!         

• A bit of semisweet chocolate added to your chili recipe will reduce the acid from the tomatoes and help blend the flavors.

• For spicy hot chili, try leaving the seeds in the hot peppers.

• For the best pepper flavor, grind peppercorns just before using.

• Try grinding your spices in a coffee grinder to release the flavorful oils.

• Adding a can of refried beans to your chili make a great thickener.

• Reheated chili makes a great topper for corn chips or hot dogs.

• Serving chili in bread hallowed out in bowls is something guests will never forget.

Homemade Soup Mixes:

I traveled a lot for my company  this year (one week- 7 airports- 6 days) and I looked at some of the food items sold in airports as gifts. A number of companies across the country put a cup or two of beans and a packet of herbs and spices in a mason jar, calico bag or soda type bottle (like old coke bottle shape) , add a recipe to the outside and sell it for $8 -15 dollars. You could give someone several different soup mixes very inexpensively. Use jars you have or ask friends before recycling day each week. you can buy beans in bulk at the health food store or just buy the beans packaged by the pound (Goya has some different kinds). The beans look really nice layered (but pack full or it will shift) or if you are using a colorful bean mixture, it doesn't need layers. Make up the packets of spices and herbs (get them in bulk at a health food or ethnic food store) and put into saran wrap and tape. You can put rounds of fabric and ribbon over the lid. You can write out the recipe on a little card or print it out on the computer and tie it to the jar. You'll have a provided a useful, healthy gift that will be great through the winter (and it won't have MSG, too much salt or those unpronounceable preservatives).

10 Gifts for $50!

As a struggling College student  several years ago I had to find a way to give Christmas gifts to my entire family and I only had $50. Well $50 doesn't buy anything of quality for 10 family members so I came up with a plan. I had some scraps of fabric  and some glue, bristol board and embroidery thread. I went to a local craft shop and bought baskets, tissue paper, candles and some wire cone frames. This cost about $25. And I spent the last $5 on Christmassy candle holders from a dollar store. Then I went to the grocery and bought some chocolate making supplies (basically butter, choc. pieces, creams and flavorings) and that cost about $20. Then I went on a trek through the woods and gathered acorns, twigs and pine cones galore. My final product was a Christmas basket for each person (couples had to share one) filled with 20 handmade Christmas ornaments, truffles and candies, a candle holder and candles. Included in the baskets were Christmas mice (little Christmas bread loaves made in a slightly oval shape with almond slivers for ears, and string for tails and currants). Along with this I gave a Christmas tree that was about 20" high made with pinecones glued to a wire frame and embellished with bits and pieces of fabric made into bows. I also used bits of baby breath saved from flowers that were sent to me.

Now, several years later, I asked for a Christmas list from my family. I think that they were actually appalled at the fact that I wanted to buy something instead of making it. And after much complaining on their part I am once again making Christmas baskets even though it is no longer a financial necessity.

If you stir your muffin batter too much, you'll end up with dense, lopsided muffins. Mix the wet ingredients well, in a separate bowl from the dry ingredients. When you add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir only enough to moisten. It's fine to leave some small lumps in the batter.  I also add a 1/2 teaspoon of Cream of Tatar to my muffins, and I always expect oil to be in the recipe.