Page Three
Have enjoyed your pages and wanted to leave a tip that I have used. When my children were home I found that if I made orderves ( all the little bits and pieces of leftovers that there wasn't enough of for everyone) and put it out on a lazysusan in the center ofthe table , the leftovers dissapeared and I needed to cook less of the main meal! For example one or two hardboiled eggs became deviled eggs, or mashed up with left over pickles or relish and spread on soda crackers, or the last few buns cut in halfs or quarters. The last dill pickle in the jar, sliced and served lengthwise, celery stuffed with spreads shrimpand creamed cheese, any spread made with leftover meat pureedand mixed with pickle, cheese ect. The only limit to this is your imagination! I had one very picky eater and once I started making orderves, well this eater came alive and ate all maner of foods she would never have tried before! Don't forget fresh fruit and vegetables, a little can go a long way.
I like homemade muffins for lunchboxes. You can make them nutritious by using wholesome ingredients like fruit and oatmeal, or a few nuts for protein. Most recently we have also made them low-fat by substituting applesauce for oil or butter. They are also a great way to use up aging bananas. You can freeze them individually, pop them in a lunchbox frozen and they will be thawed by noon.
My daughter, Renée, is about to complete her first year at school. When school started last September I didn't like the idea of buying a milk box every day. I place in the freezer the night before a cup with milk only filled half way. In the morning I fill the cup with fresh milk and it thaws out by lunch time and the milk is cold with no fear of it spoiling during the morning. Also, this "fresh milk" is dry skim milk which also saves approximately half my milk costs in a month as the milk in our area is quite expensive.
Bake brownies in a mini muffin pan to include in the lunchable. They are less "crumby" than brownies cut from a pan, can freeze easily, and are cute.
We always have always used lots of milk with five kids growing up in the family, but I mix up a quart of powdered milk according to the directions and keep it in the refrigerator all the time. We then mix a quart of 2% with a quart of powdered for drinking, or just use the powdered for cooking. If it's for something like cream of tomato soup use powdered with hot water and it works nicely. They didn't seem to mind drinking the mixed milk as long as it was good and cold, and with keeping a quart on-hand at all times, that is easy.
My husband is a bicycling enthusiast. To avoid the high cost of buying gatorade, we came up with this receipe.
Homemade Exercizade
1pkg unsweetened koolaid
2qt water
7tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tablets potassium gluconate 550mg
mix everything except potassium. Either crush and mix, then shake before drinking or keep with you and swallow with drink. I approximate this would cost 13.5c per qt. where gatorade costs 99c per qt.
Yes that's really the name of the town I live in. I have learned to save money on store bought cereal. I make granola.
7 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 csunflower nuts
1/2 c walnuts or other nuts
Mixed in large flat pan, I find my turkey roaster works great.
in a sauce pan heat almost to boiling 1/2 c veg. oil, 1/2 c honey and a 1/2 c water. Mix with oat mixture and bake at 250 F for about an hour or till dry. Don't forget to stir during baking to avoid scorching. After you take it out of the oven mix in raisins and/or pitted prunes or your choice of dried fruit.
Here's a tip from Lynn Ferrell. Mix 4 parts water, 1 part white vinegar, and 1 part rubbing alcohol in am empty gallon milk jug. Fill a spray bottle with this and use it to clean almost any surface. I clean houses and I have found that this will cut almost anything on glass. It also dries quickly, and does not streak. Try this and you'll be hooked for life!!!
Here's one from Jeanette VanTassel. WHEN TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN TO CUT COST OF DRINKING COKE,PEPSI ETC..ASK FOR ICE WATER IN MCDONALDS,BURGER KING...THEN TO TO WHERE SUPPLIES ARE KEPT,NAPKINS, STRAWS ETC..SEE OR ASK FOR LEMON JUICE.(USED FOR THEIR TEA)ADD PACKAGE OF LEMON JUICE TO ICE WATER AND SWEET AND LOW AND WALLA...FREE COOL DRINK LOW IN CALORIES.
Here's one from Kris Holaway. I enjoy reading all the tips and have tried to be frugal thru my life....here's one I learned from my mother, Eula Arseneau,..use the leftover mashed potatoes and mix it and scrambled eggs together for a country breakfast the next day. I also make my "Whatever" muffins with leftover and old fruit, jellies, jams, cereals and juices. Mix in with ordinary pancake mix, no eggs are necesary, use applesauce instead of butter, and add water instead of milk....nearly fat free muffins made with leftovers.
Here's one from Karen. Hi I used to spend lots of money on a plumber to get my pipes unclogged. This would be after I spent money on homemade remedies/Draino etc and then gave up. For less than $5, I have fit up all my sinks/tubs with hair/lint catchers. I have not had to call a plumber in 2 years. For the kitchen sinks - both of them, a little basket that I pop in as soon as I pull the plug to drain the water out. In the second sink (rinse sink) I leave it in all the time to catch gunk. In my bathtub I bought a little strainer - it is rubbery plastic and looks like a little derby hat sitting there. It fits all drains even the ones with the pop up stopper. The water running out of tub keeps the strainer in place. You just scoop the hair off and toss. If it gets too yucky, just toss it into the wash with a load of towels or washclothes - it comes out new looking. And for my washer - the worst trouble maker of all! I buy a strainer that looks like a long skinny bag - it can be made out of mesh or metal. It hooks onto the washer hose. Not one single piece of lint gets into my wash tub. You can use an old knee high orpanty hose piece, just make sure it doesn't stretch into the drain hole and plug it up . I hope that you find my tip useful.
Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces. No more stains!
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator-it will keep for weeks!
Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.
Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before hard-boiling, and the egg will peel with ease! And hold that needle in place with a magnet refrigerator clip!
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips!
Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!
Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the whole griddle perfectly shaped pancakes every time.
Always spray your grill with nonstick cooking spray before grilling to avoid sticking!
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes!
To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling!
Use a pastry blender to cut ground beef into small pieces after browning!
Sweeten whipped cream with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated sugar. It will stay fluffy & hold its shape better!
For easy "meatloaf mixing", combine the ingredients with a potato masher!
If you don't have enough batter to fill all cupcake tins, pour 1 tablespoon of water into the unfilled spots. This helps preserve the life of your pans!
To easily remove honey from a measuring spoon, first coat the spoon with nonstick cooking spray!
Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan. The marshmallow won't stick to your fingers!
Mash and freeze ripe bananas, in one-cup portions, for use in later baking. No wasted bananas (or you can freeze them whole, peeled, in plastic baggies.)
To quickly use that frozen juice concentrate, simply mash it with a potato masher. No need to wait for it to thaw! A wire whip works also.
To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature & roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing!
To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap & enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop skillet will be much easier to clean now!
Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle-no more messy, sticky jars or knives! This also works well for homemade salad dressing!
To aid in washing dishes, add a tablespoon of baking soda to your soapy water-it softens hands while cutting through grease!
Save your store-bought-bread bags and ties-they make perfect storage bags for homemade bread!
When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead. No white mess on the outside of the cake!
If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato. It absorbs the excess salt for an instant "fix me up"!
Next time you need a quick ice pack, grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of your freezer-no watery leaks from a plastic baggie!
When making bread, substitute nondairy creamer for the dry milk-it works just as well!!!
Rinse cooked, ground meat with water when draining off the fat-this helps "wash away" even more fat! Use HOT or Warm water so fat won't congeal.
Slicing meat when partially frozen makes it easier to get thin slices.
Instead of throwing away bread heels or leftover cornbread, use them to make bread crumbs. For use later, store them in the freezer.
Substitute half applesauce for the vegetable oil in your baking recipes. You'll greatly reduce the fat content! (Example: 1/2 cup vegetable oil = 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup oil)
To ripen avocados and bananas, enclose them in a brown paper bag with an apple for 2-3 days.
Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful, glossy finish!
In recipes calling for margarine, substitute reduced-calorie margarine to help cut back on fat! Same goes with sour cream, milk, cheese, cream cheese, and cream soups
Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up!
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corns natural sweetness!
When starting your garden seedlings indoors, plant the seeds in egg shell halves. Simply crack the shells around the roots of your plants & transplant them outdoors-the shell is a natural fertilizer!
To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
Keep the linings from cereal boxes-they make great substitutes for waxed paper!
SUPER HINTS
1) Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go.
2) Use of soap wrapper: Don't throw away the wrapper after removing a bar of soap. Place it inside your shoe cabinet or shoe box. It's a cheap way of filling the air with a nice smell.
3) If your polished furniture has small scratches: Try rubbing them with a shelled walnut. You'll see the scratches just disappear!
4) Are your shoes smelly: Here's a solution. Put some tea leaves into a pair of stockings & stuff each into a shoe. Leave for a day or two & the smell just vanishes!
5) If you have problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy!
6) Tips for stamp collectors: Place the envelope in the freezer for a few hours. You'll then be able to easily lift the stamps off with a pair of tweezers.
7) To keep buttons from dropping off: Dab a drop of clear nail polish onto the thread that secures the buttons. This will harden & make it more difficult for thread to break off.
