I know quot;fill the walls with insulationquot; is the best answer, but I don't have the money right now to hire a pro to do it and I'm not confident in my handy skills enough to tackle this on my ownI live in a 830 square foot homeInsulation in the attic and upstairs but not the first floorDoes weatherproofing really help? Plastic on the windows, electric outlet foam, etc.? Or am I wasting my time? Are there other ways for now so I'm not hit with a $200 heating bill every month?
Shish-kebabs (or Brochettes as they call them in French culture) are extremely simple to make and take very little time to cookYou can make them with your favorite meat and mix and match your favorite vegetablesI use tender beef cut in cubes, boneless chicken breasts, or pork tenderloin for mineYou can also do this with lamb or even tuna steaks or shrimpFor vegetables, I use whole large mushrooms, chunks of bell peppers (green, red, yellow), and spanish onionSome people also add cherry tomatoes and sliced zucchiniIf you buy the wooden or bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30-60 minutes before you startCut up your meat and vegetables so they are about the size to be eaten in one or two bitesStart skewering the meat and vegetables so that the meat is always next to a vegetable on the skewerOnce you have the skewers filled, place them in a 9X13 glassware dish or baking panMix up you favorite marinade to pour over top of the kebabsI tend to use a mixture of Kraft italian dressing, crushed garlic, and Bull's Eye barbecue sauceKnorr has some really great chipotle marinades now tooMarinate the kebabs in the refrigerator (covered in Saran Wrap) for at least an hourPlace them on a preheated barbecue grill that has been wiped with oil or sprayed with PamTurn down the heat so you hover between 350 and 400FYou will want to turn them at least twice to try and get the grill marks on a few sidesYou can use any of the remaining marinade in the bottom of the glassware pan to baste the meat NOTE: Just be careful (especially if the marinade had chicken or pork sitting in it) to make sure that you cook it long enough to kill any bacteria that may have been in the marinade on the last bastingKebabs are a staple for my family from the grill in the summerThey are served on a bed of spiced rice with a caesar or mixed salad on the side.
A poor man's insulation is bubble wrapIt works quite well as it is trapped airWalmart sells large rolls, or at least they do where I liveUse it over the windows in rooms you don't need to look out of over the winterYou could even use it on the walls if you don't mind the look I heard the Farmer's Almanac predicts a mild winter for the midwest, but the local weather stations say very cold with a rise in heating costs You might want to start setting a little money aside each payday in an insulation fund so you can have it done as soon as possibleIt's for sure insulation isn't going to get any cheaper as time goes on.
No, they're easy! I like making shrimp and bacon kabobsBut first you have to almost completely cook the bacon because the shrimp cooks really fastOnce the bacon's almost done, you start making the kabobI put 1 shrimp on fer every 3 pieces of bacon (I cut the bacon into small pieces)They are awesome!
Beef Shrimp Kebabs Ingredients 1 1- to 1 1/4- pound top sirloin steak [about 1 inch thick], trimmed, cut into sixteen 1-inch cubes 16 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined 16 1-inch pieces yellow bell pepper [from 1 large] 16 1-inch pieces red onion [from 1 large] 16 cherry tomatoes 8 10- to 12-inch wooden skewers 1 cup bottled French dressing, best quality 2 large garlic cloves, minced Method Alternate 2 pieces each of beef, shrimp, bell pepper, onion and cherry tomatoes on each skewer Place kebabs in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dishCombine dressing and garlic in small bowlPour 1/2 cup dressing mixture over kebabsLet stand 30 minutes, turning occasionally Prepare barbecue [medium-high heat] Grill kebabs until beef is medium-rare and shrimp are opaque in center, about 4 minutes per sideTransfer to platterPass remaining dressing separately.
These are simple to make and taste wonderful and you don't have to go out in the cold! Dijon Chicken Kabobs INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion 2 cups soft bread crumbs 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes DIRECTIONS In a bowl, combine mustard and onionIn another bowl, combine bread crumbs and parsleyToss chicken in mustard mixture, then coat evenly with crumb mixtureLine a baking sheet with foil; coat the foil with nonstick cooking sprayThread chicken onto metal or soaked wooden skewers, leaving a small space between chunksPlace on the prepared baking sheetBake, uncovered, at 450 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until juices run clearIf you like peppers, you can put red or green pepper chuncks between the chicken cubes.
