Preparing our homes and families for an earthquake is important!
Please take a few minutes to read this and make a list of what you need to do to be prepared for an earthquake or other emergency situation. Each family needs to be prepared to either shelter in place if our homes are safe or leave to a safer location with a 72 hour kit for each member of the family.
What to Do Before an Earthquake
*Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning.
*Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake.
*Repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards, will help reduce the impact of earthquakes.
Six Ways to Plan Ahead
*Check for Hazards in the Home
*Fasten shelves securely to walls.
*Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
*Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
*Hang heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere people sit.
*Brace overhead light fixtures.
*Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks.
*Secure a water heater by strapping it to the wall studs and bolting it to the floor.
*Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
*Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.
Identify Safe Places Indoors and Outdoors
*Under sturdy furniture such as a heavy desk or table.
*Against an inside wall.
*Away from where glass could shatter around windows, mirrors, pictures, or where heavy bookcases or other heavy furniture could fall over.
*In the open, away from buildings, trees, telephone and electrical lines, overpasses, or elevated expressways.
Educate Yourself and Family Members
*Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter for more information on earthquakes. Also read the "How-To Series" for information on how to protect your property from earthquakes.
*Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, or fire department and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
*Teach all family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
Have Disaster Supplies on Hand in a PORTABLE 72 Hour Kit
Flashlight and extra batteries.
Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
First aid kit and manual.
Emergency food and water.for each member of the family
Nonelectric can opener.
Essential medicines.
Cash and copies of important documents (birth certificates, bank accounts, copies of drivers license or identification)
Sturdy shoes.
Develop an Emergency Communication Plan
In case family members are separated from one another during an earthquake (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), develop a plan for reuniting after the disaster.
Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact."
After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance.
Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
101 Ways to Stretch Your Food Dollars
101 Ways To Stretch Your Food Dollars
By Valerie Phillips
Deseret News
From theideadoor.com
Food prices are going up. But here are lots of ways * 101 of them * to shave off pennies, dimes and dollars from your food costs.
Not every tip fits every situation. A vat-size container of salad dressing is cheaper per ounce, but not if it sits in a single person's fridge for months on end. Remember, the most expensive food you can buy is the food that goes to waste.
Before you go
1. For a week, track what your family actually spends on food. Don't forget to include work lunches, restaurant meals, vending-machine snacks and convenience store stops. These add up quickly.
2. Have a plan. Jot down simple dinner menus for the week, using the weekly grocery store ads so you can take advantage of what's on sale that week. Having a plan ends the 5 p.m. "what's for dinner?" plight.
3. Make a shopping list from your menu. Having the ingredients you need for the week eliminates extra trips to the supermarket, where more incidental items can end up in your grocery cart.
4. To save time, compile a basic shopping list of things you usually buy on a weekly basis, such as milk, lettuce, etc. Organize the list by the store layout and make lots of copies. Then each week it's just a matter of penciling in the extra ingredients from your menu.
5. Get out of the dinner rut. Check out cookbooks or magazines from the library or attend local cooking classes for new ideas.
6. For low-cost, nutritious recipe ideas, check the Food Stamp Nutrition Connection at recipefinder.nal.usda.gov. The recipes have cost-per-serving and nutrition data.
7. Consider making from scratch many of the things you usually buy in prepared form, such as brownies or salad dressing.
8. Time is a valuable resource. It's usually not worth the time (or gasoline) to hopscotch from store to store to save a few dollars.
9. Consider the advantages when you choose where to shop. Some stores offer credit cards with rebates, discounts on gasoline, special coupons and so on.
10. Club warehouses can save money, but be judicious. Can you use 18 cartons of yogurt at a time? Often you can find similar good buys and a better selection at a regular grocery store
11. Sometimes you're lured into buying things that lose their appeal and end up sitting on the shelf. To cure your self of impulse shopping, every so often force yourself to make a meal out of those items in the cupboard.
12. Consider group strategies. A neighborhood group or extended family might save by buying in bulk directly from wholesalers and farmers.
Shopping
13. Try shopping with cash, taking only an allotted amount to the store.
14. Statistics indicate that people buy more when they are hungry or accompanied by others, especially children. (However, grocery shopping can be a good learning experience for kids; let them find all the coupon foods and comparison shop with you.)
15. Don't dawdle. The longer you're wandering through the store, the more chance of impulse buys.
16. Avoid convenience stores. They have higher prices and very few specials.
17. Guard against nonfood impulse buys that could end up in your cart, such as the latest DVD, perfumes or toiletries. Do you really need them?
18. Limit trips to the store. Multiple trips usually mean more incidental items added to the cart.
19. Try "catch-and-release" shopping with high-end items. Put that bottle of name-brand, extra-virgin olive oil in the cart, and while you finish the rest of your purchases, ask if it's something you can live without. Then before you check out, put it back on the shelf. After all, dreaming is free. (However, if you end up convincing yourself to buy these things, or you forget to put them back, this method isn't for you!)
Coupons
20. Use the coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper ads.
21. To maximize coupon savings, use resources such as Pinchingyourpennies.com, the Grocery Guru at www.gurusdeals.com, or Couponsense.com, which help you to coordinate coupons with sales at local grocery stores. By using the coupon with the sale price, you can get items for a fraction of the cost.
22. Multiply the savings. Some people take multiple Sunday newspaper subscriptions for the coupons, and you can also ask your neighbors or relatives for the coupons from their paper.
23. Check other sources for coupons: the "blinkies" in the red boxes on grocery store shelves, home mailers, "peelies" that are peeled off the product itself and printables off Web sites.
24. Be wise about coupons. Sometimes a brand name with a coupon is still more expensive than a generic brand. And resist buying things you may not use just because you have a coupon.
25. Some grocery stores match competitor coupons if you have the advertisement with you.
26. Organize your coupons so you can use them efficiently. A woman uses a three-ring binder with clear photo pages or baseball card pockets. Others use a filing box and take out the coupons they will be using and clip them to their shopping list on their way to the grocery store.
27. Send in rebates. One woman puts all the money she receives from rebates in a separate account, and she's now up to $200.
Cereals & baked goods
28. One reason people avoid buying cheaper bagged cereals is because they're hard to store and pour. Store them in a plastic pitcher with a pour spout.
29. Consider how much you can save by cooking whole grains for breakfast instead of cold breakfast cereal. Homer Cook of Layton said as a welfare volunteer, he helped a single mother of three cut her breakfast costs from $1,000 per year to $58 per year by cooking cracked wheat (based on Honeyville Grain prices).
30. Buy whole-grain cereals and breads. They're more filling, so you are satisfied with less. And they're better for you.
31. Go '90s retro and pull out your old bread machine. Besides bread, it can be used for rolls and pizza dough.
32. Make croutons or bread crumbs from day-old bread or hotdog buns. The crumbs can be seasoned and used as a "shake-and-bake" chicken coating.
33. Seek out day-old bread "thrift" stores. But be wary of the temptation to overbuy empty calorie items such as cupcakes, potato chips and doughnuts.
34. Bake a batch of muffins from scratch for on-the-go breakfasts. Even if you use a mix, you'll still save over bakery prices.
Produce
35. Buy fruits and vegetables in season when they're cheaper and taste fresher. When compared to the price per pound of meat, cheese, chocolate, etc., they're a nutritional bargain.
36. If you're preparing a commercial meal kit (such as Hamburger Helper or a frozen pasta dinner), toss in a few more vegetables. Chopped bell peppers or celery, and frozen broccoli or peas add color, flavor and nutrition to what is usually a lot of starch, sauce and salt. They can also stretch the meal into more servings.
37. Ready-prepped veggies cost more but may be worth it if you actually use those peeled carrots or sliced mushrooms. A huge percentage of fresh produce goes to waste sitting in refrigerators.
38. A pound bag of chopped iceberg lettuce salad costs more (about $2) than a head of iceberg lettuce (approximately $1 per pound) that you clean and chop yourself. But if bagged salad greens keep you from buying restaurant salads, there's still a savings.
39. If lettuce prices are up, vary your veggies. Consider cabbage, spinach, carrot or broccoli salads.
40. Grow your favorite herbs year-round in your kitchen window. It's convenient to be able to cut a few sprigs as needed, and packets of fresh herbs can cost $1.50-$2 in grocery stores.
41. If you're not up to planting a garden, add a few strawberry or tomato plants to your flower beds. You have to weed and water them anyway. Or add a fruit tree to your back yard.
42. Yellow onions are often 40 cents to 50 cents less per pound than red (purple) onions.
43. When your favorite fresh vegetables are off season, look for canned and frozen versions. Do the math and figure out which offers the best price per serving.
44. Beans are an inexpensive protein. Add them to tacos, casseroles, salads, etc., so you can use less meat.
45. Dried beans, per cooked serving, are often less than half the price of canned beans. But they take a lot of time to cook. Soak a batch overnight in your slow cooker on low heat, then portion and freeze for later use.
46. Vegetables frozen in butter sauce usually cost more than plain frozen vegetables, and they have more fat and calories.
47. Price fruits with an eye on the cost-per-edible serving. If you are buying by the pound, you are also paying for any inedible seeds and rinds.
48. When buying fresh greens by weight, be sure to shake off the excess water before you put them in your cart. Water hidden in between the leaves adds weight and raises the cost.
49. Serve a vegetable "medley" when you have small amounts of several different vegetables. Mix together and microwave, and top with a little cheese or a sprinkle of nuts.
Dairy
50. Unless you buy powdered milk in bulk for a price break, you won't save money over fresh milk. On a recent shopping trip, the Deseret News found that a box of generic-brand powdered milk that yields 31 cups of milk was $6.49. If you can buy fresh milk at $3 a gallon, you can get 32 cups for $6.
51. Buy a large container of yogurt and divide it into portions yourself. A 32-ounce container, at $2.79, yields four 8-ounce portions at 34 cents a serving. The same brand in single-serve containers was 50 cents each.
52. Milk fat costs. You can often save about 10 cents to 20 cents per gallon by dropping from 2 percent to 1 percent or skim.
53. If you use margarine instead of butter to cut costs, don't use anything less than 100 percent margarine for baking. The lower-fat spreads have water and fillers that bake up poorly (and when poured over popcorn turn it to mush). Real butter is approximately $4 per pound; 100 percent margarine (such as Nucoa) can be $1.50 to $2 per pound. Save the less-expensive spreads for your toast.
54. Consider home delivery of milk and bread. It costs more, but it might save on extra trips to the store.
55. There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs; it has more to do with the color of the hen. White eggs usually cost less.
56. Freeze butter to keep its fresh flavor. Grate it, frozen, over toast, baked potatoes, etc. for portion control.
57. Finely shred cheese when topping pizzas, grilled ham and cheese, etc. You'll use less.
Meat
58. Unless they're on special, breasts are the most expensive part of the chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs offer the same convenience for less, and dark meat is more moist and flavorful anyway.
59. Take a cue from restaurant chefs who can make a small portion of meat or chicken look plentiful. They slice it thinly and fan out the slices on top of a mound of rice or potatoes.
60. Tough cuts of meat are usually cheaper. Place a beef brisket in your slow cooker in the morning and by dinner time you'll have tender beef (and a tantalizing aroma in your kitchen).
61. Don't throw out your bacon drippings. Some suggestions from Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine: Stir it into grits, use in place of oil when popping popcorn, saute bread cubes in it for croutons, add to cornbread batter, add to barbecue sauce and brush on ribs or chicken while they're cooking.
62. Compare meat costs by servings, not pounds. Bony meats are cheaper per pound, but they yield less edible meat per pound.
63. Likewise, a large store-cooked rotisserie chicken at $6 is cheaper than buying a raw, 5-pound whole raw chicken at $1.30 per pound and cooking it at home. As a bonus, you can use the carcass and bits of meat on the bones to make chicken broth.
64. Although the price of eggs has nearly doubled in the past year, a $2 carton of eggs can still supply a protein-rich meal for a family of six. Scramble them with leftovers such as chopped ham, crumbled bacon, chopped peppers, onions and so on.
65. Buy ground beef in bulk quantities to get a better price. When you get home, divide meal-size portions in zip-lock bags and freeze.
Canned goods
66. Big cans are often cheaper, but not always. Check the price per unit guide on the grocery shelf, which shows the cost per ounce. Also, consider how you use the product. If you buy a big can of tomato sauce, use a little and end up wasting the rest, you're better off buying the small can in the first place.
67. What to do with the last of the jam or jelly jar: Pour in some milk, refrigerate for a little while to loosen the jam stuck to the jar sides, and shake into a flavored drink.
68. Generic brands can save money. But try one can first before you invest in a whole case to make sure it appeals to your family.
69. Stockpile pantry items you normally use, such as spaghetti sauce or pasta, when they're on sale. Keep a list of quick-fix possibilities on the inside of your cupboard door, such as spaghetti, meatball sub sandwiches, baked tortellini, etc.
Snacks
70. Invest in a popcorn popper. You can make 10 times as much popcorn for the same price as microwave popcorn. A three-pack box of microwave popcorn yields about 10 1/2 cups of popcorn for $2 to $3, depending on the brand. A $1.99 bag of regular popcorn yields 113 cups. You'll have to add you own butter and salt, but you have more control over the amounts.
71. When making s'mores, instead of buying chocolate bars and graham crackers, place the marshmallow between two chocolate-striped cookies. A package of Keebler Fudge Shoppe cookies is approximately $3 and makes 15 s'mores. You'd spend at least that much money on chocolate bars alone.
72. Break the soda pop habit. If you normally drink a can per day, at 50 cents per can, you could pocket more than $180 a year.
73. Every time you have a few leftover strawberries, peach slices, etc., store them in the same zip-lock bag in the freezer. Then every so often, whir them all together in the blender for a smoothie snack.
74. If you like the look of designer bottled water, buy it once and keep refilling with tap water, which is free. Many bottled waters cost more per gallon than gasoline.
75. Use food as a reward sparingly. Make treats more significant by using them only for special occasions. With obesity on the rise, most people don't need them on a regular basis.
76. Nip nighttime snacks. Go to bed a half-hour early and keep yourself from wanting a handful of chips while watching David Letterman. Your waistline will thank you.
Storage
77. Keep an eye on your pantry inventory so you use up all the pancake mix or corn syrup before buying more.
78. Oil goes rancid fairly quickly. Unless you use it often, buy in small quantities or refrigerate after using.
79. Post a "must use" list on the fridge to remind yourself of the half-empty can of pineapple, three hot dogs, etc. that will go bad quickly.
80. Label leftovers with date and contents before putting them in the freezer. You'll actually use these things instead of having mystery containers stuck in the back of the freezer.
81. Use and rotate your food storage. If you aren't using it, it is basically a waste of space and money. Rule of thumb: Store what you use and use what you store.
In the kitchen
82. Use smaller plates. Studies show that when people are served on larger plates, they take larger servings, whether they're really hungry or not.
83. One night a week have leftover night. Pull out all the leftovers from other meals * the half-cup of spaghetti sauce, the slices of ham or stray chicken breast, the chunk of cheese, the corn or peas. Bake some potatoes and let everyone pick the leftovers for toppings.
84. Pack a lunch for the next day from dinner leftovers instead of eating out.
85. Use meals to stretch your entertainment dollars. Go on a picnic in a park or get out the Dutch oven pots, have a hot dog roast or go fishing and then cook your catch.
86. When serving buffet-style, put the low-cost items, such as salad or rolls, at the beginning of the line and the most expensive item * meat * near the end.
87. Have meatless Monday meals.
88. Homemade soups are a good way to use leftover meat and vegetables. Their liquid content also makes them more satisfying.
89. Pasta or rice can also stretch small amounts of food into a meal. Throw in chopped pepper, ribbons of spinach or basil, chopped tomatoes or chicken or ham.
90. Instead of serving fruit punch or juice at meals, use a pitcher of ice water with a few lemon or lime slices floating on top.
91. Use small appliances, such as the microwave, slow-cooker and electric frying pan; they use less energy than a stovetop.
92. Use the dishwasher only when completely full. Washing dishes by hand can cost more than one load in the dishwasher. Let the dishes air-dry rather than using the "dry" cycle.
93. Don't open the oven door to preview baking food. Each time you open it, the temperature drops by 25-50 degrees. It takes longer to cook your food and adds to your energy bill.
Dining out
94. Use your gift certificates soon after getting them. Many have expiration dates.
95. Use frequent-diners' cards. Some restaurants offer punch cards * if you buy 10 meals, the next one is free. For a family of six, it takes only two visits to earn a free meal.
96. Go out to lunch when entree prices are often a dollar or two less than dinner.
97. If a full-course dinner comes with soup, salad, drink and dessert, it's only a great buy if you really want (or need) all that. You may be satisfied ordering an a la carte entree without the extras. Ditto combo meals in fast-food restaurants.
98. Guard against up-sell, when you're asked if you want guacamole with your taco or extra cheese for the fondue. If it costs extra, you might not want it that much.
99. At fast-food restaurants, order a kids' meal for yourself (if there's no age limit). Most of the time, you're getting a more appropriate portion of food (and a toy to boot!).
100. Watch beverage costs. Alcoholic drinks can double your tab, but even soft drinks can add $10 to $15 to the bill for a family of six. Water is a healthier choice anyway. Be sure to specify "tap" water, some restaurants may bring you bottled water at $3 or $4 per bottle.
101. If you feel you can't afford to tip, choose a fast-food or fast-casual eatery where tipping isn't expected. In sit-down restaurants, servers' salaries are less than minimum wage. Tips make up the difference.
By Valerie Phillips
Deseret News
From theideadoor.com
Food prices are going up. But here are lots of ways * 101 of them * to shave off pennies, dimes and dollars from your food costs.
Not every tip fits every situation. A vat-size container of salad dressing is cheaper per ounce, but not if it sits in a single person's fridge for months on end. Remember, the most expensive food you can buy is the food that goes to waste.
Before you go
1. For a week, track what your family actually spends on food. Don't forget to include work lunches, restaurant meals, vending-machine snacks and convenience store stops. These add up quickly.
2. Have a plan. Jot down simple dinner menus for the week, using the weekly grocery store ads so you can take advantage of what's on sale that week. Having a plan ends the 5 p.m. "what's for dinner?" plight.
3. Make a shopping list from your menu. Having the ingredients you need for the week eliminates extra trips to the supermarket, where more incidental items can end up in your grocery cart.
4. To save time, compile a basic shopping list of things you usually buy on a weekly basis, such as milk, lettuce, etc. Organize the list by the store layout and make lots of copies. Then each week it's just a matter of penciling in the extra ingredients from your menu.
5. Get out of the dinner rut. Check out cookbooks or magazines from the library or attend local cooking classes for new ideas.
6. For low-cost, nutritious recipe ideas, check the Food Stamp Nutrition Connection at recipefinder.nal.usda.gov. The recipes have cost-per-serving and nutrition data.
7. Consider making from scratch many of the things you usually buy in prepared form, such as brownies or salad dressing.
8. Time is a valuable resource. It's usually not worth the time (or gasoline) to hopscotch from store to store to save a few dollars.
9. Consider the advantages when you choose where to shop. Some stores offer credit cards with rebates, discounts on gasoline, special coupons and so on.
10. Club warehouses can save money, but be judicious. Can you use 18 cartons of yogurt at a time? Often you can find similar good buys and a better selection at a regular grocery store
11. Sometimes you're lured into buying things that lose their appeal and end up sitting on the shelf. To cure your self of impulse shopping, every so often force yourself to make a meal out of those items in the cupboard.
12. Consider group strategies. A neighborhood group or extended family might save by buying in bulk directly from wholesalers and farmers.
Shopping
13. Try shopping with cash, taking only an allotted amount to the store.
14. Statistics indicate that people buy more when they are hungry or accompanied by others, especially children. (However, grocery shopping can be a good learning experience for kids; let them find all the coupon foods and comparison shop with you.)
15. Don't dawdle. The longer you're wandering through the store, the more chance of impulse buys.
16. Avoid convenience stores. They have higher prices and very few specials.
17. Guard against nonfood impulse buys that could end up in your cart, such as the latest DVD, perfumes or toiletries. Do you really need them?
18. Limit trips to the store. Multiple trips usually mean more incidental items added to the cart.
19. Try "catch-and-release" shopping with high-end items. Put that bottle of name-brand, extra-virgin olive oil in the cart, and while you finish the rest of your purchases, ask if it's something you can live without. Then before you check out, put it back on the shelf. After all, dreaming is free. (However, if you end up convincing yourself to buy these things, or you forget to put them back, this method isn't for you!)
Coupons
20. Use the coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper ads.
21. To maximize coupon savings, use resources such as Pinchingyourpennies.com, the Grocery Guru at www.gurusdeals.com, or Couponsense.com, which help you to coordinate coupons with sales at local grocery stores. By using the coupon with the sale price, you can get items for a fraction of the cost.
22. Multiply the savings. Some people take multiple Sunday newspaper subscriptions for the coupons, and you can also ask your neighbors or relatives for the coupons from their paper.
23. Check other sources for coupons: the "blinkies" in the red boxes on grocery store shelves, home mailers, "peelies" that are peeled off the product itself and printables off Web sites.
24. Be wise about coupons. Sometimes a brand name with a coupon is still more expensive than a generic brand. And resist buying things you may not use just because you have a coupon.
25. Some grocery stores match competitor coupons if you have the advertisement with you.
26. Organize your coupons so you can use them efficiently. A woman uses a three-ring binder with clear photo pages or baseball card pockets. Others use a filing box and take out the coupons they will be using and clip them to their shopping list on their way to the grocery store.
27. Send in rebates. One woman puts all the money she receives from rebates in a separate account, and she's now up to $200.
Cereals & baked goods
28. One reason people avoid buying cheaper bagged cereals is because they're hard to store and pour. Store them in a plastic pitcher with a pour spout.
29. Consider how much you can save by cooking whole grains for breakfast instead of cold breakfast cereal. Homer Cook of Layton said as a welfare volunteer, he helped a single mother of three cut her breakfast costs from $1,000 per year to $58 per year by cooking cracked wheat (based on Honeyville Grain prices).
30. Buy whole-grain cereals and breads. They're more filling, so you are satisfied with less. And they're better for you.
31. Go '90s retro and pull out your old bread machine. Besides bread, it can be used for rolls and pizza dough.
32. Make croutons or bread crumbs from day-old bread or hotdog buns. The crumbs can be seasoned and used as a "shake-and-bake" chicken coating.
33. Seek out day-old bread "thrift" stores. But be wary of the temptation to overbuy empty calorie items such as cupcakes, potato chips and doughnuts.
34. Bake a batch of muffins from scratch for on-the-go breakfasts. Even if you use a mix, you'll still save over bakery prices.
Produce
35. Buy fruits and vegetables in season when they're cheaper and taste fresher. When compared to the price per pound of meat, cheese, chocolate, etc., they're a nutritional bargain.
36. If you're preparing a commercial meal kit (such as Hamburger Helper or a frozen pasta dinner), toss in a few more vegetables. Chopped bell peppers or celery, and frozen broccoli or peas add color, flavor and nutrition to what is usually a lot of starch, sauce and salt. They can also stretch the meal into more servings.
37. Ready-prepped veggies cost more but may be worth it if you actually use those peeled carrots or sliced mushrooms. A huge percentage of fresh produce goes to waste sitting in refrigerators.
38. A pound bag of chopped iceberg lettuce salad costs more (about $2) than a head of iceberg lettuce (approximately $1 per pound) that you clean and chop yourself. But if bagged salad greens keep you from buying restaurant salads, there's still a savings.
39. If lettuce prices are up, vary your veggies. Consider cabbage, spinach, carrot or broccoli salads.
40. Grow your favorite herbs year-round in your kitchen window. It's convenient to be able to cut a few sprigs as needed, and packets of fresh herbs can cost $1.50-$2 in grocery stores.
41. If you're not up to planting a garden, add a few strawberry or tomato plants to your flower beds. You have to weed and water them anyway. Or add a fruit tree to your back yard.
42. Yellow onions are often 40 cents to 50 cents less per pound than red (purple) onions.
43. When your favorite fresh vegetables are off season, look for canned and frozen versions. Do the math and figure out which offers the best price per serving.
44. Beans are an inexpensive protein. Add them to tacos, casseroles, salads, etc., so you can use less meat.
45. Dried beans, per cooked serving, are often less than half the price of canned beans. But they take a lot of time to cook. Soak a batch overnight in your slow cooker on low heat, then portion and freeze for later use.
46. Vegetables frozen in butter sauce usually cost more than plain frozen vegetables, and they have more fat and calories.
47. Price fruits with an eye on the cost-per-edible serving. If you are buying by the pound, you are also paying for any inedible seeds and rinds.
48. When buying fresh greens by weight, be sure to shake off the excess water before you put them in your cart. Water hidden in between the leaves adds weight and raises the cost.
49. Serve a vegetable "medley" when you have small amounts of several different vegetables. Mix together and microwave, and top with a little cheese or a sprinkle of nuts.
Dairy
50. Unless you buy powdered milk in bulk for a price break, you won't save money over fresh milk. On a recent shopping trip, the Deseret News found that a box of generic-brand powdered milk that yields 31 cups of milk was $6.49. If you can buy fresh milk at $3 a gallon, you can get 32 cups for $6.
51. Buy a large container of yogurt and divide it into portions yourself. A 32-ounce container, at $2.79, yields four 8-ounce portions at 34 cents a serving. The same brand in single-serve containers was 50 cents each.
52. Milk fat costs. You can often save about 10 cents to 20 cents per gallon by dropping from 2 percent to 1 percent or skim.
53. If you use margarine instead of butter to cut costs, don't use anything less than 100 percent margarine for baking. The lower-fat spreads have water and fillers that bake up poorly (and when poured over popcorn turn it to mush). Real butter is approximately $4 per pound; 100 percent margarine (such as Nucoa) can be $1.50 to $2 per pound. Save the less-expensive spreads for your toast.
54. Consider home delivery of milk and bread. It costs more, but it might save on extra trips to the store.
55. There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs; it has more to do with the color of the hen. White eggs usually cost less.
56. Freeze butter to keep its fresh flavor. Grate it, frozen, over toast, baked potatoes, etc. for portion control.
57. Finely shred cheese when topping pizzas, grilled ham and cheese, etc. You'll use less.
Meat
58. Unless they're on special, breasts are the most expensive part of the chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs offer the same convenience for less, and dark meat is more moist and flavorful anyway.
59. Take a cue from restaurant chefs who can make a small portion of meat or chicken look plentiful. They slice it thinly and fan out the slices on top of a mound of rice or potatoes.
60. Tough cuts of meat are usually cheaper. Place a beef brisket in your slow cooker in the morning and by dinner time you'll have tender beef (and a tantalizing aroma in your kitchen).
61. Don't throw out your bacon drippings. Some suggestions from Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine: Stir it into grits, use in place of oil when popping popcorn, saute bread cubes in it for croutons, add to cornbread batter, add to barbecue sauce and brush on ribs or chicken while they're cooking.
62. Compare meat costs by servings, not pounds. Bony meats are cheaper per pound, but they yield less edible meat per pound.
63. Likewise, a large store-cooked rotisserie chicken at $6 is cheaper than buying a raw, 5-pound whole raw chicken at $1.30 per pound and cooking it at home. As a bonus, you can use the carcass and bits of meat on the bones to make chicken broth.
64. Although the price of eggs has nearly doubled in the past year, a $2 carton of eggs can still supply a protein-rich meal for a family of six. Scramble them with leftovers such as chopped ham, crumbled bacon, chopped peppers, onions and so on.
65. Buy ground beef in bulk quantities to get a better price. When you get home, divide meal-size portions in zip-lock bags and freeze.
Canned goods
66. Big cans are often cheaper, but not always. Check the price per unit guide on the grocery shelf, which shows the cost per ounce. Also, consider how you use the product. If you buy a big can of tomato sauce, use a little and end up wasting the rest, you're better off buying the small can in the first place.
67. What to do with the last of the jam or jelly jar: Pour in some milk, refrigerate for a little while to loosen the jam stuck to the jar sides, and shake into a flavored drink.
68. Generic brands can save money. But try one can first before you invest in a whole case to make sure it appeals to your family.
69. Stockpile pantry items you normally use, such as spaghetti sauce or pasta, when they're on sale. Keep a list of quick-fix possibilities on the inside of your cupboard door, such as spaghetti, meatball sub sandwiches, baked tortellini, etc.
Snacks
70. Invest in a popcorn popper. You can make 10 times as much popcorn for the same price as microwave popcorn. A three-pack box of microwave popcorn yields about 10 1/2 cups of popcorn for $2 to $3, depending on the brand. A $1.99 bag of regular popcorn yields 113 cups. You'll have to add you own butter and salt, but you have more control over the amounts.
71. When making s'mores, instead of buying chocolate bars and graham crackers, place the marshmallow between two chocolate-striped cookies. A package of Keebler Fudge Shoppe cookies is approximately $3 and makes 15 s'mores. You'd spend at least that much money on chocolate bars alone.
72. Break the soda pop habit. If you normally drink a can per day, at 50 cents per can, you could pocket more than $180 a year.
73. Every time you have a few leftover strawberries, peach slices, etc., store them in the same zip-lock bag in the freezer. Then every so often, whir them all together in the blender for a smoothie snack.
74. If you like the look of designer bottled water, buy it once and keep refilling with tap water, which is free. Many bottled waters cost more per gallon than gasoline.
75. Use food as a reward sparingly. Make treats more significant by using them only for special occasions. With obesity on the rise, most people don't need them on a regular basis.
76. Nip nighttime snacks. Go to bed a half-hour early and keep yourself from wanting a handful of chips while watching David Letterman. Your waistline will thank you.
Storage
77. Keep an eye on your pantry inventory so you use up all the pancake mix or corn syrup before buying more.
78. Oil goes rancid fairly quickly. Unless you use it often, buy in small quantities or refrigerate after using.
79. Post a "must use" list on the fridge to remind yourself of the half-empty can of pineapple, three hot dogs, etc. that will go bad quickly.
80. Label leftovers with date and contents before putting them in the freezer. You'll actually use these things instead of having mystery containers stuck in the back of the freezer.
81. Use and rotate your food storage. If you aren't using it, it is basically a waste of space and money. Rule of thumb: Store what you use and use what you store.
In the kitchen
82. Use smaller plates. Studies show that when people are served on larger plates, they take larger servings, whether they're really hungry or not.
83. One night a week have leftover night. Pull out all the leftovers from other meals * the half-cup of spaghetti sauce, the slices of ham or stray chicken breast, the chunk of cheese, the corn or peas. Bake some potatoes and let everyone pick the leftovers for toppings.
84. Pack a lunch for the next day from dinner leftovers instead of eating out.
85. Use meals to stretch your entertainment dollars. Go on a picnic in a park or get out the Dutch oven pots, have a hot dog roast or go fishing and then cook your catch.
86. When serving buffet-style, put the low-cost items, such as salad or rolls, at the beginning of the line and the most expensive item * meat * near the end.
87. Have meatless Monday meals.
88. Homemade soups are a good way to use leftover meat and vegetables. Their liquid content also makes them more satisfying.
89. Pasta or rice can also stretch small amounts of food into a meal. Throw in chopped pepper, ribbons of spinach or basil, chopped tomatoes or chicken or ham.
90. Instead of serving fruit punch or juice at meals, use a pitcher of ice water with a few lemon or lime slices floating on top.
91. Use small appliances, such as the microwave, slow-cooker and electric frying pan; they use less energy than a stovetop.
92. Use the dishwasher only when completely full. Washing dishes by hand can cost more than one load in the dishwasher. Let the dishes air-dry rather than using the "dry" cycle.
93. Don't open the oven door to preview baking food. Each time you open it, the temperature drops by 25-50 degrees. It takes longer to cook your food and adds to your energy bill.
Dining out
94. Use your gift certificates soon after getting them. Many have expiration dates.
95. Use frequent-diners' cards. Some restaurants offer punch cards * if you buy 10 meals, the next one is free. For a family of six, it takes only two visits to earn a free meal.
96. Go out to lunch when entree prices are often a dollar or two less than dinner.
97. If a full-course dinner comes with soup, salad, drink and dessert, it's only a great buy if you really want (or need) all that. You may be satisfied ordering an a la carte entree without the extras. Ditto combo meals in fast-food restaurants.
98. Guard against up-sell, when you're asked if you want guacamole with your taco or extra cheese for the fondue. If it costs extra, you might not want it that much.
99. At fast-food restaurants, order a kids' meal for yourself (if there's no age limit). Most of the time, you're getting a more appropriate portion of food (and a toy to boot!).
100. Watch beverage costs. Alcoholic drinks can double your tab, but even soft drinks can add $10 to $15 to the bill for a family of six. Water is a healthier choice anyway. Be sure to specify "tap" water, some restaurants may bring you bottled water at $3 or $4 per bottle.
101. If you feel you can't afford to tip, choose a fast-food or fast-casual eatery where tipping isn't expected. In sit-down restaurants, servers' salaries are less than minimum wage. Tips make up the difference.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Are You An Overspender?
Are You an Overspender?
ANSWER “YES’ OR “NO” TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT:
Are you still paying for purchases made a
year ago? (Exclude payments on your home
and car.)
Do you race to get your paycheck to the bank
before the checks you have written get there?
Are your credit cards usually at their maximum
credit limit?
Do you use credit instead of cash,
even when the purchase is small
and you have the money?
Are you often broke by payday?
Do friends or family tease you about having
“champagne” taste on a “beer” budget?
Do you shop for recreation?
Is your checking account frequently overdrawn?
Do you notice mood swings when shopping –
down before you go, up while shopping, down
again after getting your bill?
When you receive statements from creditors at
tax time, are you surprised at how much you’ve
paid in interest?
If you answered yes more often than no, you may be a
chronic overspender.
The FIRST STEP in getting your finances under
control is recognizing the problem.
The SECOND STEP is deciding if now is the
time you want to make a change.
The THIRD STEP is to take a realistic look at
your financial picture, decide where the trouble
spots are, and begin doing something. NOW!
Maybe you need to get rid of your credit cards,
or limit shopping trips with the person who
always encourages you to buy things.
Maybe you need a cooling-off period before
purchasing new tools, or clothes, or computer
items.
By trying to understand the situations that entice you
to overspend and making a plan to handle those
situations differently, you can make an important
difference in your financial future.
AUTHOR:
Ann Henderson, M.S., CFCS, Utah State University
Extension Educator, Box Elder County
This might be a good time to resolve to set
aside some money each month for those
unexpected expenses or for a trip or....
ANSWER “YES’ OR “NO” TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT:
Are you still paying for purchases made a
year ago? (Exclude payments on your home
and car.)
Do you race to get your paycheck to the bank
before the checks you have written get there?
Are your credit cards usually at their maximum
credit limit?
Do you use credit instead of cash,
even when the purchase is small
and you have the money?
Are you often broke by payday?
Do friends or family tease you about having
“champagne” taste on a “beer” budget?
Do you shop for recreation?
Is your checking account frequently overdrawn?
Do you notice mood swings when shopping –
down before you go, up while shopping, down
again after getting your bill?
When you receive statements from creditors at
tax time, are you surprised at how much you’ve
paid in interest?
If you answered yes more often than no, you may be a
chronic overspender.
The FIRST STEP in getting your finances under
control is recognizing the problem.
The SECOND STEP is deciding if now is the
time you want to make a change.
The THIRD STEP is to take a realistic look at
your financial picture, decide where the trouble
spots are, and begin doing something. NOW!
Maybe you need to get rid of your credit cards,
or limit shopping trips with the person who
always encourages you to buy things.
Maybe you need a cooling-off period before
purchasing new tools, or clothes, or computer
items.
By trying to understand the situations that entice you
to overspend and making a plan to handle those
situations differently, you can make an important
difference in your financial future.
AUTHOR:
Ann Henderson, M.S., CFCS, Utah State University
Extension Educator, Box Elder County
This might be a good time to resolve to set
aside some money each month for those
unexpected expenses or for a trip or....
Sunday, November 8, 2009
3 day/3 month/12 month Food Storage
Food and Water Storage
Prepare for adversity by storing an emergency supply of food and water.
Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, and power outages are just some of the potential emergencies we may encounter. Imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water and no telephone service. What would happen if you are told to evacuate your home in the next ten minutes? Imagine that all the businesses are closed and you are without any kind of emergency services. What will you do until help arrives?
The 3 day emergency food and water supply is meant to be a quickly accessed, portable source of food and water that can sustain you and your family for several days. It should be stored in one or two containers for quick portability. The foods chosen should be ready-to-eat without the need for cooking.
The 3 week/ 3 month emergency food and water supply are meant for a disaster where food and water delivery may be interrupted. Hurricane Katrina was a perfect example where the normal delivery of food was interrupted. Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet by purchasing a few extra items each week. Expand on this until you reach your goal. Not all of these foods will be ready-to-eat and plans must be made to store the necessary means to prepare them.
Long term food supply is stored for one to many years. This type of food storage emphasizes a mixture of canned goods that can be safely stored for several years and low moisture foods that can be safely stored for long periods (10-30 years). These foods must be stored along with equipment to prepare them. A typical long term food supply for a family of four could weigh as much as 1500-2000 lbs. That’s almost a “ton” of food!
Prepare for adversity by storing an emergency supply of food and water.
Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, and power outages are just some of the potential emergencies we may encounter. Imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water and no telephone service. What would happen if you are told to evacuate your home in the next ten minutes? Imagine that all the businesses are closed and you are without any kind of emergency services. What will you do until help arrives?
The 3 day emergency food and water supply is meant to be a quickly accessed, portable source of food and water that can sustain you and your family for several days. It should be stored in one or two containers for quick portability. The foods chosen should be ready-to-eat without the need for cooking.
The 3 week/ 3 month emergency food and water supply are meant for a disaster where food and water delivery may be interrupted. Hurricane Katrina was a perfect example where the normal delivery of food was interrupted. Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet by purchasing a few extra items each week. Expand on this until you reach your goal. Not all of these foods will be ready-to-eat and plans must be made to store the necessary means to prepare them.
Long term food supply is stored for one to many years. This type of food storage emphasizes a mixture of canned goods that can be safely stored for several years and low moisture foods that can be safely stored for long periods (10-30 years). These foods must be stored along with equipment to prepare them. A typical long term food supply for a family of four could weigh as much as 1500-2000 lbs. That’s almost a “ton” of food!
Kitchen Tips and Helps
To grease your pans, and save money at the same time, simply save your butter wrappers in a baggie, and then use them to grease your pans when you’re ready!
A good way to use up the last drops of honey in the container is to add a cup of boiling water to the jar. Then add your favorite tea bag, let it steep, and treat yourself to a relaxing tea break!
Freeze clusters of grapes to float in punches. They keep the punch cold and add a lovely garnish as well.
To keep cheese longer in the refrigerator, moisten a paper towel with a bit of cider vinegar and wrap it around your cheese; then place the wrapped cheese in a plastic bag and seal. The acid in the vinegar will keep mold away. If the paper towel dries out, moisten it with a bit of water-vinegar solution.
Ricotta and cottage cheeses will store longer in the refrigerator once they’ve been opened if you turn the reclosed container upside down, thereby forcing some of the air out of the container. You can get the same results by taking the cheese out of its original container and storing it in a smaller glass jar.
If you find that the difference in price between large and small eggs is 8 cents or less per dozen, the larger eggs are the better buy.
You don't have to throw away the cracked raw eggs you find in the carton; use them, but only for egg dishes that are thoroughly cooked, such as hard-cooked eggs, or in baked goods.
You can tell whether eggs are fresh or not by placing them in a deep pan of water. Any floaters should be thrown away. If you've cooked some eggs, and are not sure if they're done, simply take one out and spin it. If it spins quickly, it's done, if it spins slowly and then stops; it's raw or needs more time.
When you need to store raw eggs without the help of a refrigerator, such as during a camping trip, coat the eggs with shortening. It will help to preserve them longer by sealing out air.
An egg poacher or fried egg mold can be made by removing the top and bottom of a clean tuna can.
Get more volume from beaten eggs by letting them stand at room temperature for about an hour before you beat them.
If you have the patience, a slow but easy way to separate eggs is to beat them one at a time into a small funnel over a cup. The white will pass through into the cup, and the yolk will be left behind in the funnel.
Here are some great tips on fruit I thought you'd enjoy....
Extra bananas? You can freeze them either peeled or unpeeled, cut into chunks, or mashed, depending on what you plan to do with them.
Here's a great use for ripe bananas: Slice the fruit, place the slices on a baking sheet, and freeze them until firm. Roll each slice in honey and then in your favorite topping, such as chopped nuts, coconut, or crushed rice puffs. Return them to the freezer and when frozen solid, put them into plastic bags and seal. These make wonderful frozen candy snacks.
Pureed bananas can be used in breads and cakes. Overripe bananas--too ripe to eat raw-are particularly good because they're so sweet.
Grapes
Frozen grapes make a fine natural snack; just lay them out on a baking sheet in the freezer so that they freeze separately, and then bag them for snacking later.
Lemons and Limes
You will get almost twice the amount of juice out of a lemon or lime if you drop it into hot water for a few minutes before you squeeze it. Heating the fruit breaks down the inner membranes so that they release more juice. Or instead of heating the fruit, try rolling it on a hard surface to break down those membranes.
If you want just a few drops of lemon juice, poke a hole in one end of the fruit with a toothpick. Squeeze the desired amount from the hole, replace the toothpick, and store the lemon in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for future use.
Grating
Grate your citrus rind over wax paper or foil to make pouring it into a measuring cup or mixing bowl easy.
Use a pastry brush to remove the citrus rind that is stuck in the holes of the grater.
Pineapple
They may be messy and prickly, but pineapple trimmings can make great pineapple juice. Pineapple processing plants use this trick all the time. Put it the trimmings and even the core into a blender with just enough water for processing and grind them up; then strain the juice through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth-line strainer and serve it up chilled. Fresh pineapple juice will ferment quickly, so drink it immediately.
Every pineapple top is a houseplant ready to happen. Twist it off with a circular motion so that you leave no fruit on the stem, and then remove 10-15 of the small, bottom leaves from the stem. You'll see little brown or skittish roots already tin place to grow. Put the stem in water about 1 inch deep, and leave it ion a warm windowsill for a couple of weeks, after which time you should have roots. Then you can plant it in a pot or in your garden if you live in a warm, frost-free part of the country. Being a bromeliad, the pineapple appreciates water poured into its crown as well as on its roots.
To keep pineapple fresh longer, cut slices from the bottom as you need them, leaving the green top growth intact. Wrap the unused portion, with the top growth attached, in plastic wrap.
Watermelon
Got a surplus of watermelon? Scoop the pulp from the rind, removing the seeds as you go. Then run it through a food mill or blender, or mash it with a potato masher. Freeze the smooth pulp in ice cube trays, and you've got wonderful natural fruit pops.
Fruit Miscellany
Don't discard the rind of lemons, grapefruit, or oranges. It makes excellent flavorings for
Cakes, frostings, and such. Wash it well and grate, being careful not to include the bitter white part under the rind. Put it in a tightly covered glass jar, and store in the refrigerator.
Leftover apple, orange, or lemon rind can be put into your tea as it's steeping to add a wonderful flavor and aroma--just like the fancy gourmet tea blends.
For a quick dessert, an unsweetened can of fruit can be opened and frozen. When ready to serve, put the frozen fruit in a blender or food processor and spoon it into stemmed glasses. Top it with chopped nuts. You can make another easy, light dessert by freezing fresh fruit, like kiwi fruit or melon, and then shaving it into small chilled bowls
To freeze peaches and other fruits without sugar, use orange juice instead of the traditional sugar syrup. Slice the fruit into thawed orange juice concentrate, making sure the slices are thoroughly coated to keep them from darkening. Two large cans of concentrate will easily do for a crate of peaches.
A coating of lemon, orange, or pineapple juice will keep cut fruits from browning.
There's really no need to rehydrated dried fruit before you add it to a recipe, because even the hardest dried raisins or prunes will become soft and moist when cooked in recipes that contain plenty of liquid, like custards, puddings, stuffings, and moist tea breads.
There are several fresh fruits that, when included in a gelatin dessert of salad, will prevent the gelatin from firming up. They are pineapple, figs, papaya, and kiwi fruit. Save them for other uses.
Small berries, such as huckleberries, can be cleaned by gently rolling them back and forth with you hand across a dry terrycloth towel placed on the counter. They will come clean and as a bonus, they will have lost their little stems, which are so tedious to remove by hand.
To keep your homemade ice cream from crystallizing, add one envelope of gelatin for every 1 1/2 quarts of liquid in the recipe. Just heat some of the liquid and dissolve the gelatin in it; then add to the other ingredients.
You can have "sour cream": on your baked potatoes without the extra calories by using cottage cheese instead. Run it through a blender or food processor to smooth it out, and flavor it with chives. Plain yogurt is a good sour cream substitute, as well and it comes smooth right from the container!
To keep apple skins from cracking while they bake, pare a 1-inch band around each apple's center.
An avocado will ripen faster if placed in a plastic bag with a piece of banana peel.
To keep refrigerated avocado dip or half a sliced avocado from turning dark quickly, place the avocado pit in the center and wrap to form an airtight seal.
If you bring home a big bunch of bananas that you now you'll be separating and using singly, separate them right away by cutting off the "knob" that joins them all together. Make sure that you cut them so that a 1-inch tip is left on each. This tip will dry up and seal itself in a day or two. Then when you are ready to use the bananas, you won't have to bother breaking off one at a time, which can often result in splitting the top skin of several and exposing the open parts to bacteria!
So go bananas over all these tips and tricks, and join me again soon for some more ideas in the kitchen!
Grind up puffed rice and use it instead of sugar to sprinkle on cookies or pastries or try a light sprinkling of ground almonds.
If you have no wire racks on which to cool cookies, or not enough of them when making large batches, cool cookies on cotton dish towels or on a large cotton tablecloth folded in half.
A piece of bread or apple in the cookie jar keeps soft cookies from hardening.
For a flaky pie crust, use sour cream or yogurt for the liquid.
To add flavor to apple pie, sprinkle a cup of coconut over the apples before covering them with the top crust.
When measuring oil and honey for a recipe, measure the oil first so that it coats the spoon or cup, making the honey that's measured next slide out easily. When you're baking with oil and eggs, crack your eggs in a measuring cup first and then pour them into your mixing bowl. The eggs will coat the measuring cup so that when you measure the oil it will slide out easily, leaving no oil behind in the cup.
Dust buttered pans with cocoa powder instead of flour to keep dark cakes brown and beautiful.
Parchment paper can be used to line baking pans so that you don't need to oil or butter the pans. This saves calories and also saves cleanup.
To make a whole wheat bread rise higher and feel lighter, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to the dough as you're mixing it. This will add lightness but will not influence the taste.
To make sweetener-free bread, omit all honey and sugar from the recipe and add 1 tsp. of malt for every tablespoon of yeast called for. The malt provides the food that enables the yeast to grow.
Keep a plastic bag nearby when you're kneading bread or making pastry or pasta. When when the phone rings or you have to reach for a clean bowl, you can slip the bag over your messy hand and not spread the flour around the kitchen.
Lightly oil the dough hook on your Bosch before kneading your bread. The oil will keep the dough from "climbing" and will make cleaning up easier.
There's no need to go out and buy a fancy baking tile to produce a crisp bottom on your pizza or French bread. An unglazed terra-cotta tile purchased from flooring or tile store can just as easily substitute.
To keep pie shells from becoming soggy; sprinkle the bottom of a raw pie shell with instant tapioca before adding the filling. This will keep the crust from going soggy and help the filling to be thicker also.
A good way to use up the last drops of honey in the container is to add a cup of boiling water to the jar. Then add your favorite tea bag, let it steep, and treat yourself to a relaxing tea break!
Freeze clusters of grapes to float in punches. They keep the punch cold and add a lovely garnish as well.
To keep cheese longer in the refrigerator, moisten a paper towel with a bit of cider vinegar and wrap it around your cheese; then place the wrapped cheese in a plastic bag and seal. The acid in the vinegar will keep mold away. If the paper towel dries out, moisten it with a bit of water-vinegar solution.
Ricotta and cottage cheeses will store longer in the refrigerator once they’ve been opened if you turn the reclosed container upside down, thereby forcing some of the air out of the container. You can get the same results by taking the cheese out of its original container and storing it in a smaller glass jar.
If you find that the difference in price between large and small eggs is 8 cents or less per dozen, the larger eggs are the better buy.
You don't have to throw away the cracked raw eggs you find in the carton; use them, but only for egg dishes that are thoroughly cooked, such as hard-cooked eggs, or in baked goods.
You can tell whether eggs are fresh or not by placing them in a deep pan of water. Any floaters should be thrown away. If you've cooked some eggs, and are not sure if they're done, simply take one out and spin it. If it spins quickly, it's done, if it spins slowly and then stops; it's raw or needs more time.
When you need to store raw eggs without the help of a refrigerator, such as during a camping trip, coat the eggs with shortening. It will help to preserve them longer by sealing out air.
An egg poacher or fried egg mold can be made by removing the top and bottom of a clean tuna can.
Get more volume from beaten eggs by letting them stand at room temperature for about an hour before you beat them.
If you have the patience, a slow but easy way to separate eggs is to beat them one at a time into a small funnel over a cup. The white will pass through into the cup, and the yolk will be left behind in the funnel.
Here are some great tips on fruit I thought you'd enjoy....
Extra bananas? You can freeze them either peeled or unpeeled, cut into chunks, or mashed, depending on what you plan to do with them.
Here's a great use for ripe bananas: Slice the fruit, place the slices on a baking sheet, and freeze them until firm. Roll each slice in honey and then in your favorite topping, such as chopped nuts, coconut, or crushed rice puffs. Return them to the freezer and when frozen solid, put them into plastic bags and seal. These make wonderful frozen candy snacks.
Pureed bananas can be used in breads and cakes. Overripe bananas--too ripe to eat raw-are particularly good because they're so sweet.
Grapes
Frozen grapes make a fine natural snack; just lay them out on a baking sheet in the freezer so that they freeze separately, and then bag them for snacking later.
Lemons and Limes
You will get almost twice the amount of juice out of a lemon or lime if you drop it into hot water for a few minutes before you squeeze it. Heating the fruit breaks down the inner membranes so that they release more juice. Or instead of heating the fruit, try rolling it on a hard surface to break down those membranes.
If you want just a few drops of lemon juice, poke a hole in one end of the fruit with a toothpick. Squeeze the desired amount from the hole, replace the toothpick, and store the lemon in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for future use.
Grating
Grate your citrus rind over wax paper or foil to make pouring it into a measuring cup or mixing bowl easy.
Use a pastry brush to remove the citrus rind that is stuck in the holes of the grater.
Pineapple
They may be messy and prickly, but pineapple trimmings can make great pineapple juice. Pineapple processing plants use this trick all the time. Put it the trimmings and even the core into a blender with just enough water for processing and grind them up; then strain the juice through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth-line strainer and serve it up chilled. Fresh pineapple juice will ferment quickly, so drink it immediately.
Every pineapple top is a houseplant ready to happen. Twist it off with a circular motion so that you leave no fruit on the stem, and then remove 10-15 of the small, bottom leaves from the stem. You'll see little brown or skittish roots already tin place to grow. Put the stem in water about 1 inch deep, and leave it ion a warm windowsill for a couple of weeks, after which time you should have roots. Then you can plant it in a pot or in your garden if you live in a warm, frost-free part of the country. Being a bromeliad, the pineapple appreciates water poured into its crown as well as on its roots.
To keep pineapple fresh longer, cut slices from the bottom as you need them, leaving the green top growth intact. Wrap the unused portion, with the top growth attached, in plastic wrap.
Watermelon
Got a surplus of watermelon? Scoop the pulp from the rind, removing the seeds as you go. Then run it through a food mill or blender, or mash it with a potato masher. Freeze the smooth pulp in ice cube trays, and you've got wonderful natural fruit pops.
Fruit Miscellany
Don't discard the rind of lemons, grapefruit, or oranges. It makes excellent flavorings for
Cakes, frostings, and such. Wash it well and grate, being careful not to include the bitter white part under the rind. Put it in a tightly covered glass jar, and store in the refrigerator.
Leftover apple, orange, or lemon rind can be put into your tea as it's steeping to add a wonderful flavor and aroma--just like the fancy gourmet tea blends.
For a quick dessert, an unsweetened can of fruit can be opened and frozen. When ready to serve, put the frozen fruit in a blender or food processor and spoon it into stemmed glasses. Top it with chopped nuts. You can make another easy, light dessert by freezing fresh fruit, like kiwi fruit or melon, and then shaving it into small chilled bowls
To freeze peaches and other fruits without sugar, use orange juice instead of the traditional sugar syrup. Slice the fruit into thawed orange juice concentrate, making sure the slices are thoroughly coated to keep them from darkening. Two large cans of concentrate will easily do for a crate of peaches.
A coating of lemon, orange, or pineapple juice will keep cut fruits from browning.
There's really no need to rehydrated dried fruit before you add it to a recipe, because even the hardest dried raisins or prunes will become soft and moist when cooked in recipes that contain plenty of liquid, like custards, puddings, stuffings, and moist tea breads.
There are several fresh fruits that, when included in a gelatin dessert of salad, will prevent the gelatin from firming up. They are pineapple, figs, papaya, and kiwi fruit. Save them for other uses.
Small berries, such as huckleberries, can be cleaned by gently rolling them back and forth with you hand across a dry terrycloth towel placed on the counter. They will come clean and as a bonus, they will have lost their little stems, which are so tedious to remove by hand.
To keep your homemade ice cream from crystallizing, add one envelope of gelatin for every 1 1/2 quarts of liquid in the recipe. Just heat some of the liquid and dissolve the gelatin in it; then add to the other ingredients.
You can have "sour cream": on your baked potatoes without the extra calories by using cottage cheese instead. Run it through a blender or food processor to smooth it out, and flavor it with chives. Plain yogurt is a good sour cream substitute, as well and it comes smooth right from the container!
To keep apple skins from cracking while they bake, pare a 1-inch band around each apple's center.
An avocado will ripen faster if placed in a plastic bag with a piece of banana peel.
To keep refrigerated avocado dip or half a sliced avocado from turning dark quickly, place the avocado pit in the center and wrap to form an airtight seal.
If you bring home a big bunch of bananas that you now you'll be separating and using singly, separate them right away by cutting off the "knob" that joins them all together. Make sure that you cut them so that a 1-inch tip is left on each. This tip will dry up and seal itself in a day or two. Then when you are ready to use the bananas, you won't have to bother breaking off one at a time, which can often result in splitting the top skin of several and exposing the open parts to bacteria!
So go bananas over all these tips and tricks, and join me again soon for some more ideas in the kitchen!
Grind up puffed rice and use it instead of sugar to sprinkle on cookies or pastries or try a light sprinkling of ground almonds.
If you have no wire racks on which to cool cookies, or not enough of them when making large batches, cool cookies on cotton dish towels or on a large cotton tablecloth folded in half.
A piece of bread or apple in the cookie jar keeps soft cookies from hardening.
For a flaky pie crust, use sour cream or yogurt for the liquid.
To add flavor to apple pie, sprinkle a cup of coconut over the apples before covering them with the top crust.
When measuring oil and honey for a recipe, measure the oil first so that it coats the spoon or cup, making the honey that's measured next slide out easily. When you're baking with oil and eggs, crack your eggs in a measuring cup first and then pour them into your mixing bowl. The eggs will coat the measuring cup so that when you measure the oil it will slide out easily, leaving no oil behind in the cup.
Dust buttered pans with cocoa powder instead of flour to keep dark cakes brown and beautiful.
Parchment paper can be used to line baking pans so that you don't need to oil or butter the pans. This saves calories and also saves cleanup.
To make a whole wheat bread rise higher and feel lighter, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to the dough as you're mixing it. This will add lightness but will not influence the taste.
To make sweetener-free bread, omit all honey and sugar from the recipe and add 1 tsp. of malt for every tablespoon of yeast called for. The malt provides the food that enables the yeast to grow.
Keep a plastic bag nearby when you're kneading bread or making pastry or pasta. When when the phone rings or you have to reach for a clean bowl, you can slip the bag over your messy hand and not spread the flour around the kitchen.
Lightly oil the dough hook on your Bosch before kneading your bread. The oil will keep the dough from "climbing" and will make cleaning up easier.
There's no need to go out and buy a fancy baking tile to produce a crisp bottom on your pizza or French bread. An unglazed terra-cotta tile purchased from flooring or tile store can just as easily substitute.
To keep pie shells from becoming soggy; sprinkle the bottom of a raw pie shell with instant tapioca before adding the filling. This will keep the crust from going soggy and help the filling to be thicker also.
FREEZER RICE
Cook a large quantity of rice.
Divide into storage containers.
Freeze. Will store in freezer for up to 6 months.
To reheat; place in cup sized portions in a saucepan. Add 2 Tablespoons liquid (water, broth…) for each cup of rice. Cover and heat about 5 minutes or till the rice is heated through.
Divide into storage containers.
Freeze. Will store in freezer for up to 6 months.
To reheat; place in cup sized portions in a saucepan. Add 2 Tablespoons liquid (water, broth…) for each cup of rice. Cover and heat about 5 minutes or till the rice is heated through.
PERFECT WHITE RICE
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter (optional)
In a sauce pan with a good fitting lid bring water, salt and butter to a boil.
Add rice and stir.
Cover and reduce heat to medium low.
You will know that the temperature is correct if a little steam is visible leaking from the lid. A lot of steam means your heat is too high.
Cook for 20 minutes.
DO NOT LIFT LID!
The steam that is trapped inside the pan is what allows the rice to cook properly.
Remove from heat and fluff with fork.
Serve!
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter (optional)
In a sauce pan with a good fitting lid bring water, salt and butter to a boil.
Add rice and stir.
Cover and reduce heat to medium low.
You will know that the temperature is correct if a little steam is visible leaking from the lid. A lot of steam means your heat is too high.
Cook for 20 minutes.
DO NOT LIFT LID!
The steam that is trapped inside the pan is what allows the rice to cook properly.
Remove from heat and fluff with fork.
Serve!
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