75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda

Found this little tidbit, 75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda, on lifehackery.com and thought I'd share. Hope this finds you well!

Growing Up in the First Great Depression--a video

Love the Peak Moment videos I've come across so far on YouTube. Thought I'd share!

Make do: Fix broken powder makeup

Don't even want to think about how many of my face powder compacts have crashed and burned in my years of wearing makeup. Wish I'd known all along that there IS a way to salvage the shattered mess and keep from wasting my good money!! If interested, check out: KatrinaLomidze.com: How to: Fix your broken powder makeup. Just found a video on youtube too, if you'd like a tutorial of the general process. Happy saving!!

Hiding an ingredient I don't like in recipes that I do

 

When Hubby's out of pocket and I only have to feed myself for a few meals, I often buy a package of fake crab meat, that surimi fish product otherwise known as krab. I love the stuff with some homemade seafood cocktail sauce...makes for a quick, no-cook protein for my solo meals. Well, lately I bought a different brand of krab, and well, yuck! Both the taste and the texture!
   Wasting the krab was NOT AN OPTION however much I disliked it, so my plan of not having to cook for a couple of meals went out the window.

Krab Bisque transformed the yucky krab into something I liked for one lunch.

Krab and Gruyère Flatbread made the offending krab surprisingly tasty.

When Hubby could finally join me for a meal, we polished that krab off.
Krab and Cauliflower Bisque was the krab's last hurrah. Hubby never knew I was passing off an ingredient I didn't like, because we both liked this soup.

Just had to show off the reusable filter I discovered.
New coffee pots now come with this filter, but I bought one before they did.
Soon as I bought Hubby this pot, I'd looked online for a filter
like this, but they didn't sell them for the 4-cup pot then.

Isn't that the prettiest li'l thing you ever saw?
No more wasting money on filters,
and less paper waste.
(Note: we did compost the used paper coffee filters.)

   Have you bought any yucky food lately? What did you do with it? Or found any new products that will save money in the long run? If so, I'd love to hear about it!  (Feel free to leave a link, if you've already blogged about these things.)

I'll be out of pocket myself a few days,

but hope to find the time soon to show you why!!

Each Memorial Day, I am humbled by the remembrance of those who have died in service to our country. May our world leaders always strive for diplomatic solutions that we may--brothers and sisters ALL--live in peace and harmony forever after.

Pretending 'this may be my last' saves me money

In the Great Depression, people learned to "Make Do, Make Over, Do Without" because when there's scarcely enough money for food, everything else becomes a luxury. Though most of us reading this don't worry about where our next meal may come from, consciously trying to make things last still helps our budgets and our planet!
   So, I play a little mind trick on myself before tossing/re-buying anything. I ask, 'What if this _____ is my last?" If this were my last pencil, I'd make do with a dull point to use all the carbon before sharpening it again. If this were my last tea towel, I'd durned well make it over instead of tossing it into the rag bag.
   The more I learn about the environmental impact of the products we use, the more I'm motivated to apply the 'this may be my last' mind trick. This past weekend I discovered a fascinating series produced by the Sundance Channel called Eco-Trip, and its episode about the impact of a cotton t-shirt really got me thinking. Evidently the use of pesticides in growing cotton make it the world's 'dirtiest' crop. So, I'll be looking for organic cotton, I'll be trying to buy from companies with ethical practices, and I'll be working even harder to make sure anything made of cloth that I do buy is well cared for.
   And if there's anything to this Peak Oil business, the ole ditty "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" will really come in handy.
From rags to riches
   Did I mention I have an amazing mom? She revamped these years-old kitchen linens of mine by sewing like-colored lace and little patches over the holes. Don't know where she got the "moda" ribbon that she repurposed to make some patches from, but at least four of my kitchen towels now sport this new "logo." (Including the one I accidentally burned recently!)
     Patched kitchen towels suit me fine. I'd much rather buy new clothes than new kitchen towels, wouldn't you? Sporting any patches over at your place?

Make do: Alternatives to trash cans

Be back soon!

   A project will be taking up all my time for a few days...more about that later.
   Meantime, I'll share something that may look goofy to many but works for me! When I needed a trashcan for our large bath and couldn't find anything I liked in our price range, I started using this old crock. Ended up liking it so well, there it sits still. (We re-use the same plastic liner over and over and over...)
   Found the little metal planter at an antique shop; it works quite nicely as a bin for the bedroom, I think.
   Incidentally, the dresser here is part of that suite Hubby inherited that does nothing for me style-wise. For years and years our bedroom furniture was a mish mash of antiques that I loved but he didn't, so now it's his turn. And the warm walnut wood does speak to me, so I can love that.
   Still in need of a receptacle for another bedroom, to replace a plastic trashcan we came upon sometime. Keeping my eyes open for an interesting alternative for that room.
   Any ideas?

If you stopped by, feel free to leave your link in the comments any time, so I and others may more easily visit your neck of the woods. Such a big, beautiful world out there, and I'm "seeing" more of it thanks to your blogs. Gotta love that!

Barefoot Contessa's Chipolte & Rosemary Roasted Nuts...well, sort of...

   I know, I know, who am I to mess with any recipe of the ultimate food goddess, the Barefoot Contessa? However, having accepted the "eat from your own pantry" in January challenge, I had to make do instead of going out and buying the missing ingredients for the Contessa's Chipolte & Rosemary Roasted Nuts.
   Fortunately, the basic premise of her recipe (linked above) is highly adaptable, meaning even my version using pimentón and dried rosemary turned out highly edible. The end result is that we'll be snacking on something healthier than chips around here for awhile.
   While I'm on the subject of nuts, I have to tell you about my little antique food chopper that I thought I'd ruined yesterday. Lucky for me, Hubby and I make a great team--I break things and he fixes them! How was I to know the spring would SPROING if I dared to chop nuts without the li'l wooden disk in the bottom? Hubby had already fixed this for me once before when I'd attempted to chop something hard as rocks, I guess, and he had to weld the little chopper blades back together. Moral to this story is to be gentler on your nut chopper than I am!
   And if you have a minute to satisfy my curiosity, what kind of healthy snack foods are hanging around your house?
Update: These nuts were VERY much enjoyed by the both of us, and they got even better after a few days. I will definitely use the Contessa's recipe as the basis for future variations! 

Make do: I used to hate my bed!

   While the rich walnut woodgrain of this bed appeals to me, the design of the headboard leaves me cold. I'm stuck with it though. As it's an heirloom from Hubby's paternal grandparents, it's not going anywhere. To make it work, I asked my mum to make us a quilt & some pillow shams. My only contribution was to say I wanted "rainbow colors." The end result is the quilt you see here, what Mom calls her "wonky" quilt. I call it BEAUTIFUL and a funky, creative piece of quilt-art. Art that camouflages or at least somewhat obscures the part of this bed that I don't like. Yet another case where making do can turn out even better than expected.
   Don't you love it when that happens?

Making cooking easier means no excuses for take-out

   When I first set up kitchen, they didn't have all the fancy ceramic or wooden salt boxes. In my neck of the woods, they didn't even have kitchen stores like Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma (still don't!). For years, when a recipe called for salt, I poured salt directly from the box, over the sink of course, to catch the inevitable spills. Don't know why it took me so long to think to put salt into a little jar instead.
   Having salt readily accessible is just one of the many little ways to make cooking easier. Quick and easy means no excuses. No need to eat lousy, polystyrene-packaged take-out food on the run when it is just as quick, more delicious and much more comfy to eat at home.
   No need to buy a fancy salt box to make salt readily accessible when an old canning jar has just as much character. And for all those who have never suffered the frustration of trying to pour salt from the original container's little metal spout onto a little measuring spoon, why didn't someone tell me sooner?

Make do: Turn old into new

   When my 96-year-old great aunt died in the 90s, I inherited this box of ornaments, tied with the same string shown here. This keepsake, which comes out every year at Christmas, reminds me of my beloved aunt, but it also reminds me of her frugal ways:

• Want little
• Buy only what you love
• Buy quality goods that will last
• Take tender care of all possessions

   In an effort to keep Christmas decorating fresh each year, I do not put every ornament I own onto the tree. Year before last, we had a red-n-white tree. Last year we downsized to a smaller tree (purchased on clearance after the previous Xmas), and I chose to use only clear glass/lucite ornaments to decorate the tree (love the way they catch the light).
   This year, I am decorating the tree with my predominantly white ornaments...ones in which white draws the eye first. A couple of ornaments from this box made the cut, as did this little one-armed white wooden snowman. Don't know what happened to his other arm...don't even know where I got him. But I did use him this year...even though he fell into two pieces when I tried to hang him. A little Elmer's glue fixed that! He doesn't look great on his own, but he kinda recedes into the ambient "white Christmas" feel I am going for.
   Because I don't have oodles of white ornaments (let my daughter take all ornaments she wanted when she moved into her own home last year), I will also use this year the 100+ little hand-blown Czechoslovakian ornaments I bought for 3 bucks at an acquaintance's yard sale.

   I love these little ornaments, but I would soon hate them if I put them on every year. So, by changing things up, the old becomes new again. And I am satisfied without buying something new! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have 75+ more t-tiny ornaments to place on our tree.

Make do: Newspaper instead of paper towels

Cooked up a mess of kale and collard greens yesterday...perfect antidote to the rich foods of the day before. Even though it may not look like many greens, the skillet was heaped high with greens before they cooked down.

   Wish I could remember which frugal blogger(s) keeps a supply of cut newspapers under the sink for cleaning up messes. Was it Frugal Hacks? Practical Parisomony? that gave me the idea to try newspaper instead of paper towels for draining bacon?
   Used five layers here and there was even some grease on the bottom layer. Next time, I will use 1 paper towel on top (we use a brand that tears off in half sheets), but I'm pleased to not be using 3 paper towels. May seem trivial as far as savings go, but buying one-time use products is NOT a good use of my money.
   We do take the newspaper, but for those who don't have papers lying around, clean rags work well. Tried this myself, but our front load washer doesn't clean the grease out of rags as well as I'd wish. I've also placed napkins accumulated from take-out foods under a clean paper towel, but we don't eat fast food often, so we don't collect many paper napkins.
   I do save paper towels that have been used to clean up condensate or other non-food substances. Once dried, I save them in a drawer and have used them to soak up bacon grease, with a clean paper towel on top, directly under the bacon. I could live without meat, I think, but I'd sure miss bacon!
Kale with Garlic and Bacon
1 1/4 lbs. kale (2 bunches) --I used a mix of kale and collards, washed and stems removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 slices of crisp bacon, with largest sections of fat removed
1 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp & remove to drain. Drain off much of the grease from the skillet before sautéing garlic 30 seconds then adding the greens. Cook covered until greens are wilted as desired, 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon, kosher salt and black pepper. For more complete instructions, see the original recipe on The Other White Meat website.
   Incidentally, according to Mayo Clinic, kale is a good source of calcium!

Make do: Groceries instead of toys

Bought this little metal shopping cart at a garage sale many moons ago...bought it as a safe landing for my teenage daughter's curling iron. These days it is my newly acquired step-granddaughters' favorite toy. They set up the "grocery" on a kitchen chair, load up the cart, and then go through the "checkout line" with me, their friendly cashier. Only real groceries from the pantry will suit now, though taped empty boxes satisfied the kids in the beginning. Bags of lentils do NOT make good groceries to play with...we learned this the hard way. Best part is the checking out, because they use real money (mine) to "pay" for their groceries. Great way for the kiddos to learn to distinguish the coins and bills and potentially learn how to count money. And the real bills and coins are more fun than play money. Real money instead of play money--real groceries instead of play groceries. By making do because we had no real toys on hand, we stumbled on the favorite toy box of all: the real world.

Make do: Vacuum cleaner

When the most-used attachment on our vacuum lost a wheel, that side then scratched the floors. Solution: a little cloth bandage. Placed on there months ago, it's still going strong! Incidentally, though I hate wasting foodstuffs, especially spices since they're so expensive, I have somehow managed to spill ground cloves on the floor (twice!), and cloves in the vacuum filter heat up as you vacuum and fill the air with a sweet aroma. That is the only time that vacuuming makes me feel like cooking!