Make do: The big cover-up

   I love antiques... They have so much more of a back story than new furniture, plus none of the off-gassing that we're hearing about these days.
   This old rocker was inherited from my Great Aunt M, who lived to be 96 and died over a decade ago. I can still picture my tiny little auntie sitting in it, with her pink nightgown draped across the back as she got her things ready for bed.
   As you can see, the rocker seat's frayed. I'd always meant to get it recovered...just never got around to it. When I was working, there never seemed to be enough time to go choose a material, even though I had the name of a good upholsterer.
   As the years have passed, recovering this old rocker still doesn't rank high on my list of priorities. Besides, this quilt cover-up suits me so well, I just may never get around to it.
   Somehow our home seems more homey with this less-than-perfect, creaky old rocker around. Know what I mean?
   Any big cover-ups over at your place?

Link love: Sites to save us $$ on gas

   Forgive the dirty car tire, just wanted to share something I've just gleaned from reading Wise Bread's book 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget. Did you know that keeping car tires inflated properly can "improve fuel economy by up to 5%"? I'd heard this before but didn't realize the savings could be that much. Gotta love that!
   I'm going to try to remember to check my tires' pressure once a week. Can't hurt, might help, eh?
   Check out this website for more info on gas savings: http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml, like how we should make sure to remove any weight that doesn't need to be in our car/trunk. Nothing new maybe, but if you're like me, a reminder may be in order.
   Something I didn't know is that "...tires need special attention during the winter. Cold temperatures decrease the air pressure in tires." And under-inflated tires means more gas is being used, less $$ for me! Found this out on a Canadian site mentioned on Wise Bread. If interested in learning more, visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/personal/driving/autosmart-maintenance.cfm.
   If you haven't visited Wise Bread lately, they're always worth the time spent to look around.
   Temperatures below freezing here, but fortunately, the roads have mostly been cleared of the white stuff that fell a couple of days ago.
   How's the driving in your neck of the woods?

My favorite pumpkin bread recipe

This recipe makes a whopping big pumpkin bread. Love that...means I don't have to figure out "what's for breakfast?" anytime soon.
Pumpkin Bread
Mix in large bowl:
2 2/3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (for the bread pictured here, I replaced 1/2 c. all purpose flour with 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Then add:
4 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups pumpkin (1 can)
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup chopped nuts (used walnuts today)
Blend until thoroughly mixed. Pour into LARGE Bundt pan, greased and floured if needed. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.
   This bread took about 70 minutes. This recipe is such a large, dense version of pumpkin bread that I used an instant thermometer to be sure it was completely done before removing the bread from the oven. But if I don't want to bother with that, we eat the bread even if it didn't get all the way done in the center, even like it that way.
   In the interest of getting the most out of my oven, I did a back-to-back baking by popping a Whole Wheat Date bread into the oven after this one came out. That loaf went into the freezer.
   What's cooking up at your house today?

On my mind: Saving the dog's food

Snowy, icy and 4F degrees here in Kentucky this morn, but I braved the cold to take a pic of our dog's house. Cracks me up every time I look out there and see this turkey decoy. Tired of watching the birds literally eat all our dog's food, Hubby had moved her bowl to several different locations. But the birds always found it, even inside the garage! Finally, he put out this decoy. It sways in the wind & the birds won't come anywhere near it for some reason. So, let the neighbors wonder why we've decorated our yard this winter, Hubby has saved the day with his ingenious little "scarecrow."

Thanks, SouleMama and down---to---earth, for inviting me into this Friday photo sharing. Share your link here, on SouleMama or on down---to---earth. TGIF!

We Support an Organic Future

Thought a 2nd post of the day might be in order, in case anyone out there is as concerned as I am about genetically modified foods. I received an e-mail from Stonyfield Farms, the organic yogurt makers, about this issue which stated in part:

If you care about being able to choose organic foods...We each need to get a message to our congressperson right away.

Within the next few days, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will announce its policy on genetically-engineered (GE) alfalfa. There are lots of reasons to be concerned about GE crops including compelling evidence that these crops lead to herbicide-resistant super-weeds and require the use of more toxic herbicides. But the biggest potential problem posed by GE alfalfa is the likely contamination of organic alfalfa which is used as feed by most organic dairies.

The USDA is now considering whether to approve full deregulation, giving biotech a green light to use GE-alfalfa without any restrictions OR deregulation with restrictions through a policy of "coexistence" which would mandate the protection of organic.

If you agree that consumers deserve to be able to choose to buy organic foods free of GE contamination, your voice is needed today. We are joining with the National Cooperative Grocers Association and others to ask that you take this step:

Please ask your Congressperson to contact House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas to express support for Secretary Vilsack's coexistence option. To find your Congressperson, visit: http://www.house.gov/zip/ZIP2Rep.html

COPY of my letter to our congressman:

My husband and I believe organic foods are essential to healthy living. All consumers deserve to be able to choose to buy organic foods free of GE contamination.

Please contact House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas to express support for Secretary Vilsack's coexistence option.

Thank you for your consideration of this vital request.

For more info, click here: We Support an Organic Future

Ice, Ice baby: Homemade ice cream in January

   Homemade ice cream in January? You betcha! Cheaper than buying the luxury brands; better tasting than the cheaper brands.
   And no need to be perfect...because toppings can be added for extra flavor. In the strawberry ice cream pictured here, my frozen strawberries, once thawed, didn't end up being 3 cups, so the strawberry flavor didn't have as much force as I'd have liked. No problem, I just blended more strawberries with a little water to make a strawberry topping that added all the strawberry goodness needed.
   (Ice looks dirty because of the rock salt we use.)
Easy, No-cook Homemade Ice Cream
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (OMIT for a fruit-flavored ice cream, if you prefer a less sweet ice cream)
1 - 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 pint whipping cream
1 cup sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
Mix all ingredients. And proceed as indicated for desired flavor below.
VANILLA Ice Cream:
Pour mixture into 1 gallon freezer container; fill freezer rest of the way with whole milk.
CHERRY Ice Cream
Add 1 large jar of cherries, chopped, with juice. Blend into mixture before topping off with milk.
STRAWBERRY Ice Cream
Add 3 cups chopped strawberries, blending into mixture before adding milk
BANANA Ice Cream
Add 6 ripe bananas, blending into mixture before adding milk

NOTE: Any leftover ice cream must be removed from the freezer & left to soften 15 minutes or more before serving. Still experimenting with this recipe to develop an ice cream that will be less icy once the leftovers are completely frozen. Meanwhile, softening & stirring the leftovers takes care of that problem.
   For curiosity's sake, what flavor ice cream calls your name??

Lions and tigers and $53/mos. increases, OH, MY!

   With the mail the other day came the MOST unpleasant news that our health insurance is going up to the tune of $53 smackers a month. Yikes!
   When Hubby took an early retirement in 2009 just a couple of weeks shy of his 49th birthday, I quit work that same year, so we could travel whenever we wanted and not be held back by my job constraints. I didn't retire...I quit, meaning no lovely pension for me. Which means, we are effectively on a fixed income. Which means, getting the most out of our $$ is my full-time job.
   So, though some may laugh at my small economies, they make perfect sense to me. I spend as little money as possible on the things with short-lived value (like one-time use products, utility bills, etc.), so we will have as much money as possible to spend on the things we do value, like family and travel. I know, I know, I've said this before--it's my MANTRA!
   So, here you find me, more dedicated than ever before to frugal living. Thanks for whichever of you wonderful people recently reminded me of the value of making double, even triple batches. Here you see what's left after lunch, what was a full veggie lasagna. Previously I'd have just made half of that. Two containers of lasagna are headed for the freezer, for those "don't-feel-like-cooking-days." Gonna have to be extra cautious not to get caught without options when it comes to dinner, so no eating out because there's nothing in the house to eat.
   Now, where can I cut $53 out of the ole monthly budget and not feel it? I'll be needing all the help I can get on this one!
UPDATE: Hubby has since informed me that the $53 buck increase was for both TAXES as well as health insurance increases. Regardless, the total decrease to our take-home income is $53/month.

Don't feel like cooking: Tortilla pizzas

   Okay, whether you're struggling to get through a cold, got home late for work, PMS-ing, or just feeling plain lazy, sometimes you just don't FEEL like cooking. That's when it's especially nice to have a few ingredients on hand that lend themselves to quick cooking. Like flour tortillas.
   My Tortilla Pizzas are modified from a recipe found on Everyday Foods for Thinnest Crust Pizza, which uses whole wheat sandwich wraps.
   Their recipe calls for the pizzas to be baked on parchment paper, but I prefer the silicone mats you see here, as they're re-usable.
   I used flour tortillas, 'cause that's what was in the pantry, and they crisped up beautifully. Had to suit my toppings to what was on hand as well.
   Brushed the tortillas on both sides with a little olive oil, topped each with: grated Parmesan cheese, dollops of ricotta cheese, thinly sliced onion & coarsely chopped orange bell pepper both sautéed in olive oil & sprinkled with oregano, and finally, slices of roasted red pepper, sautéed lightly. Top with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. (Sautéed the onion 'cause I'm not a fan of raw yellow onion; sautéed the orange peppers and roasted red peppers because they were frozen & I wanted to make sure the pizza wouldn't get soggy. If I'd had fresh red onion and thinly sliced mushrooms, maybe I could've skipped this step.) Bake in a 400 degree oven 'til slightly browned and crispy.
   Tortilla pizzas...the perfect antidote for a don't-feel-much-like-cookin' day.

P.S. Many, many thanks for the well wishes...still working on getting over my cold & appreciate all the advice! I made these pizzas a couple of nights ago, but last night when I didn't feel like doing ANYTHING, Hubby made me a tortilla pizza with just the cheeses & some crabmeat on top & it was good too.

This is on my mind: Tomorrow never comes?

Nothing like getting a common cold to remind me that I should exercise regularly, eat right and reduce stress. To remind me that I bought this meditation cushion for more than just to add a pop of color to our guest bedroom. Gotta start taking better care of my health. And I will. You know...tomorrow!

Thanks, SouleMama and down---to---earth, for inviting me into this Friday photo sharing. Hope to see your link here, on SouleMama or on down---to---earth. TGIF!

Less $$ for electric company, more for us!

  Though our television (TV) and its peripherals were already plugged into a powerstrip, I finally talked Hubby into placing the strip somewhere easily accessible, so it could be turned off after each use.
   As pictured here, our powerstrip's now attached at the top back of the TV instead of on the floor, unreachable. That means, instead of a phantom load running and costing us money 24/7, our TV, DVD, stereo, converter box and woofer only get power when the TV's actually on (a couple of hours each night).
   There is an alternative for folks who don't want to turn off the power to all components, like the cable box, but I don't know the full story. From what I've read, you can either buy a kill-switch powerstrip that would turn off the TV's companions each time the remote turns off the TV or place the TV/cable box on one powerstrip and the peripherals on another.
   This isn't an issue for us since we don't use cable; therefore, we don't lose any programming. No need for us to even bother to reset the time.

   Recently read that not finding ways to save on electricity amounts to making a monthly charitable contribution to the power company. As the electric company is not my idea of a worthwhile recipient of our charitable giving, I'm thrilled with this little, do-able change!
   Have you made any little, doable changes to reduce your monthly "contributions" to the electric company?

Look sharp!

   Hubby doesn't like the way I sharpen our knives, so he does it. (Guess what? Works for me!)
   Keeping the knives sharp helps to make cooking easier. When cooking is easy, there are fewer reasons to eat out.
    For more on sharpening knives, check out this article on Mother Earth News. Apparently Hubby was right: I wasn't keeping the knife at the right angle.
   Care to share something you do to make cooking at home easier?

Did ignorance kill our freezer?

   Spent instead of saved yesterday & for one of my least favorite reasons: replacing something that broke. While Hubby had been jonesing for an upright freezer for awhile, I was hoping our little chest-type freezer had a few more years on it.
   Anyway, we phoned a couple of stores for prices, then hit three stores within close range of one another to come up with the best deal we could find. This upright style should make it easier to find things at a glance, so hopefully less foods will be lost to freezer burn. And I vow to open it and take a picture periodically, so I can see at a glance (in the picture) all that lies within...without standing with the door open, wasting energy.
   We went with a non-defrosting type, 'cause it costs $20 bucks less to operate per year. We'll have to be extra vigilant to defrost it, since I've recently learned that frost makes a freezer work harder, wasting energy.
   Always looking for ways to save money, go greener, I've always got some book cracked open. Currently reading the book "Tight Living for Tough Times" by Frank Nellis and ironically came across a section this morn about the importance of cleaning air filters and condensers. In his experience with outdoor freezer chests, "half the time a unit went down it was due to a dirty condenser." (Click for Frank's website) As we keep our freezer in an attached garage that also houses my car, I'd for some reason never even considered pulling the thing out to vacuum the back of it, like we do with the coils on our inside refrigerator/freezer. I'll know better next time!

Cut 20-50% of your expenses!

   Okay, this is the 2nd post of the day for two days in a row, but when I come across something worthwhile, I just have to share.
   For anyone serious about spending less and saving more in 2011, the book "Your Money or Your Life" by Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin just may change your life. It changed mine.
   Those who follow the "Your Money or Your Life" program can expect to cut an average of 20 to 50% off of their expenses. Even though I never actually followed "the program" depicted in the book, it caused me to question every expenditure for its VALUE to my life, thus saving us untold $$$$ in the several years since I first read it. That meant questioning every dollar spent eating out, for instance, and particularly those $ spent on one-time-use products like detergents and paper products.

   Thanks to TreeHugger for the head's up to a Peak Moment interview of co-author Vicki Robin. The interview covers a broad range of topics, including our responsibility to steward the earth's resources, but those without the 27+ minutes to watch it in its entirety will surely appreciate spending a few moments gazing at the OH-WOW flower garden in which the interview takes place:

Going crackers!

Here lies the opening salvo of my latest recipe cookoff: a quest for the perfect homemade crackers. (Trying to incorporate more organic foods into our diets, but balking at the cost of organic crackers. Besides, making my own, with organic flour, will save on packaging waste.)

   Though enjoyable and somewhat quirky, the cumin-cheddar crackers pictured here were not crisp enough to suit everyday purposes. (Recipe from Great Bar Food at Home by Kate Heyhoe.) But I did like that the dough could be made ahead, refrigerated and used later. Hope to find other recipes that work that way, to allow for freshly baked crackers on demand. Oh, and you can see that I didn't take the time to make mine round, just tapped somewhat flat edges into the roll of dough.
   Tried this recipe because I had some cheddar that needed to be used up, but will be looking for a recipe without cheese. Frugal Girl is also searching for the perfect recipe for homemade crackers, so hopefully she will come up with something and save me some time.
   If you have a recipe for a yummy, beautifully crispy homemade cracker, I'd love to hear about it!

Green Washing by Kelly Shea — YES! Magazine

For anyone with high-efficiency front-load washing machines, the VERY high cost of HE laundry detergents seems to somewhat offset the energy savings. Not a problem according to the article linked below. Yes, I will now be using just a tablespoon of soap for loads of laundry that are only minimally dirty. Favorite quote from the article: "Generally, a tablespoon is enough for a load.... Any excess could result in mildew and damage to your machine."
YES! But How?: Green Washing by Kelly Shea — YES! Magazine

Soap marriage, like real marriage, takes patience

   Yeah, count this among the frugal things I hate but do anyway: marry a sliver of soap to another soap, so the sliver doesn't go to waste. If anyone has a quicker way to get two soaps to stick together, I'd love to hear it. Takes all my patience to wait for the two soaps to meld. Seems to go quicker if I only use the sliver/bar once a day, so I use another bar meantimes, which is why there are two bars on my sink here.
   The soap holder is an old milk glass dish Hubby scavenged from a golf course dump when he was just a kid. (Back in the 60s, dumps were everywhere!) The milk glass has some stains I can't get out--that's NOT mold on my soap dish. But the stains are minimal, so the dish works fine for this not as publicly used bath.

   Oh, the plant in the top photo is just there to relieve the boredom of all the white. It usually rests in the plant holder pictured at right. Got the holder, then rusted & forlorn, at an antique shop for $5 bucks. You guessed it...5 bucks IS my magic number for buying junk that I'm not sure will work in my home. Hubby scrubbed this of its rust & painted it a nice black for me, and now it brightens our little master bath nicely.
   The plant needs little water; good thing 'cause I forget to water it!
How'm I doin' with spending less, saving more in 2011?

• Thinking ahead, I bought a few Christmas presents for 75% off and enough ornaments at 50% off for the next two Christmases, for grandgirls' and daughter's stockings.
• Bought candy canes for my 2011 Christmas tree at 90% off (24 canes for 20 cents!). Plan to let the grandgirls decorate the tree this coming Xmas, with strung popcorn & homemade ornaments. The candy canes will add to the homey look of it, I think.
• Asked Hubby to clean our furnace filter, so it will work more efficiently.
• Shop from my pantry challenge: Soft Currant Drop cookies are on the agenda today, using whole spelt flour and currants--two items from my pantry that I had never gotten around to using.

How 'you doin'????

This is on my mind: USE those foodie foods!

Even before accepting the January "shop only from your own pantry" challenge, I'd vowed to finally USE the foodie foodstuffs that I buy but seldom or never use. (Anchovies...what was I thinking?!) Not included in the pic are the curry pastes and coconut oil in the fridge, to name a few. Some items pictured here I just bought...my idea of souvenirs from recent travels. Yes, I will be making my own pasta and tortillas in 2011. I WILL!

Thanks, SouleMama and down---to---earth, for inviting me into this Friday photo sharing. What’s on your mind this moment? Hope to see your link here, on SouleMama or on down---to---earth. TGIF!

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?

Failed recipe experiment: Ate it anyway!

   Okay, make that two failed experiments, and still eating on them, but I really wanted to say "ate it anyway," because it reminds me of that old Found a Peanut song. Baked a pineapple upside down cake and veggie potpie on Monday. The cake is dry--cough, cough dry, NOT gag, gag dry. Know what? Still tastes better than a mix. Just started buying organic butter and because it's more expensive, trying to cut back on the butter in our favorite recipes. Well, this cut-back didn't cut it. Always next time.
   The potpie is actually my friend's beef tenderloin potpie recipe that I modified into a chicken potpie that we love. (Secret ingredient: a heaping tablespoon of yellow mustard in the milk/butter gravy...yum!) But since I'm trying to buy humanely raised organic meats, they are so very EXPENSIVE that I'm trying to change some of our favorites into vegetarian entrées.
   Anyone have an idea of what to put in a veggie potpie in place of the chicken? Lookin' for the classic potpie taste, don'cha'know, with potatoes, green beans and corn. I like the garbanzos as a substitute but Hubby not so much.
   Help!

January's "spend less" focus: Eat from pantry; use less electricity

   Fearless frugalista that I am, I accepted an "eat from the cupboard" challenge over at Greenhab (exceptions: can buy fresh dairy/produce). And before my bravery could flag, when Being Frugal threw down a challenge to pick one month to use less electricity, I chose January.
   Hopefully challenging myself to a particular focus on electricity and shopping my own pantry this month will increase my chances of success with my resolution to spend less, save more in 2011. And it's not taking on too much with these types of challenges...even if every day doesn't breed success, the days that do will add up.
   How'm I doin' so far?

• There's a load of laundry out hanging on the line. 
• Lunch was veggie soup cooked entirely on the shelf of our woodburner. (No woodburner? A crockpot would turn the trick.)
• Pictured above are some onions slowly simmering in butter and olive oil (in the same pan the soup was cooked in). No prob if it takes all afternoon for the onions to caramelize, since this is a step-ahead for a future meal.
• And I air-dried my hair. Yeah, it looks air-dried, but I'm not going anywhere today. 

   I've been stewing over how to reduce my blow drier and cooktop usage ever since reading a post on EcoMama: Be PowerWise. Did I mention this before? Her post contains a link to an energy calculator that gives a ballpark estimate of how much energy (read $$) common household appliances/electronics use. Even if my appliances are more energy efficient than the ones used for the calculations, the estimates create a powerful picture of my dollars going down the drain (also picturing a bigger carbon footprint).
   Although I value quick cooking and having good hair days, I do NOT value spending money on one-time-use products like electricity!
   If you vowed to spend less, save more, how 'you doin' so far?

A new year to spend less, save more

   Ringing in the New Year here with the 2000 calendar, which has the same calendar layout as 2011. Each year a new calendar goes up in the kitchen but an old, previously used calendar works fine in the room where we keep Hubby's elliptical trainer. (Incidentally, the bell shined up fine after being smothered in ketchup for an hour as you recommended, Sarina. Thx!)
   Caught a news report that stated 13% of Americans resolve to spend less, save more in 2011--count me in! Yup, I made New Year's resolutions this year, mainly because resolutions help me to refocus on my financial/personal goals in life. Hey, if BIG money man Warren Buffett credits "focus" as the most important factor in his success, there's gotta be something to it.
   So, I hereby resolve to spend less, save more in 2011, and hopefully this blog will help me to stay focused on this and my other resolutions. Are you in?

Merry, Merry and Happy, Happy from Kentucky!!

Be back January 3rd!

   Time to turn my full attention to beloved family from out of town that we will be lucky enough to get to see this week. For that reason, taking a little hiatus from the Web until January 3rd, 2011.
   As I am addicted to reading everyone's blogs, I can't wait to see what I'll have missed. But meantime, maybe if I'm not staring at my computer screen I'll enjoy even more the blanket of snow that covered our countryside last night...about two inches of the snow-globe-perfect white stuff and just below freezing temps here in our region of Kentucky.
REPURPOSING: Greeting cards to gift tags
   I'll be saving all the holiday greeting cards to cut off any portions usable for gift tags. Sometimes I get lucky with a holiday card that can be used as a tag for a birthday gift, like this one pictured here above, on a gift for our young niece's birthday. The majority of our card fronts (holiday, birthday, whatever) get saved for the local veterans' association, as they collect and send them somewhere for re-use.

BAKING: Mini Pecan Tarts
   FINALLY made some goodies yesterday morn to send via Hubby to our neighbors up the hill. She gifts us with her homemade peanut brittle each year (YUM!) and then I return her container with something from my kitchen. Last year it was Mexican wedding cookies, but this year I decided to go with little pecan tarts.
   Found online at Cooks.com the exact recipe I use for these little pecan tarts called Tea Time Tassies, which will keep me from having to re-print it here. A good thing since I've got to go get ready for this wondrous day of family, family, family, food and fun.
   Wishing the same for you & a VERY Happy New Year too!!

Make over: CocaCola bottle to dish liquid dispenser

   When all those decorative bottles filled with flavored oils became ubiquitous in the retail shops, I got the idea to use a similar dispenser for dish washing liquid, so I could leave the soap out all the time rather than stashing it under the sink.
   I found the little spout at a kitchen shop and Hubby carved the rubber stopper part down a bit to fit the opening of an old CocaCola bottle we had on hand. The chrome spout originally had a little metal ring around it that corroded--I thought it looked great on the antique bottle, but evidently Hubby thought it just looked corroded, 'cause he tore that part off one day before I could stop him.
   Incidentally, on the windowsill are a couple of arrowheads found by Hubby in his childhood and a chicken wishbone that Hubby recently gleaned. Gonna have to remind him to break that one day with one of the grandkids, so I can stop looking at it!
   Until he saved this one, I had forgotten all about breaking wishbones for luck...do people still do that? Well, anyway, best of luck on all your last minute holiday shopping!!

Make do: Homemade brass cleaner

May be wicked of me, but I decided to put some bells on the grandkids' Christmas packages. (Decided to give them their gifts early, so they won't get lost in the shuffle of the next two days.) Not sure what time to expect them this morn, so I was in a hurry to clean a couple of bells I've had on hand forever. Quick surf of the Net located a recipe, which I downsized to suit the task at hand. Approximated the ingredients and coated the bells with the mixture. Left the coated bells to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing and buffing. Worked fine. The little bells on the right are much improved, as compared with larger, much tarnished bell on the left.
   Anyway, ho, ho, hope your Christmas is polishing up fine too! Jingle bells, JINGLE BELLS!
Homemade Brass Cleaner
Ingredients:
1/2 c flour
1/2 c salt
1/2 c powdered detergent
3/4 c white vinegar
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the liquid ingredients. Mix well.
Transfer the cleaning mixture to a glass jar. Close the jar tightly and label it.
To use the cleaner, shake a small amount onto a cloth and rub it into the surface of the copper, brass, or bronze object. Use a toothbrush for hard-to-reach areas. Rinse with water and rub dry with a clean cloth.
Recipe source: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/brasscleaner.htm

Mock ziplocks save me money!

   A myriad of products come in mock zip-locks these days. Seems plastic packaging is inevitable, especially for those of us in areas without stores that allow you to "bring your own" packages to fill. Best I can do is re-purpose the plastic packages we do buy (and buy in bulk when possible).
   As of last night, all four of these packages are now filled to the brim with just sliced, freshly smoked pepper-crusted Christmas ham that my uncle gifted to my dad. (yum--can't wait!)
   Did you manage to re-purpose any other types of packaging recently? Always looking for ideas!!

Rise and shine--waffles got me out of my warm bed this morn!

   Made waffles yesterday...as part of my goal to not waste the zest of the oranges we just bought from a high school band's fundraiser. The zest of only one orange makes an enormously tasty addition to a waffle recipe. Froze the leftovers to pop into the toaster oven whenever a hot breakfast is the ticket. Though my recipe is from a Good Housekeeping cookbook from the '80's, just found a recipe for a make-ahead pancake/waffle mix on the Good Housekeeping site, which might make the whole process even quicker. MUCH cheaper and easier and yummier than buying store-bought frozen waffles!
   Hope you had something good for breakfast today?!

Counting blessings: Grandgirls and handprint Santas

Had a simply MAHvelous day... One of our grandgirls spent the day with us. Our daughter, E's stepmom, made the Santa ornament (top) when she was a little schoolgirl. Today, sweet little E made a couple of versions of her own. Merry, MERRY!

Make do: Re-arranging turns old into new

 

   Ever get tired of looking at the same ole, same ole at home? When that happens, the temptation can be to buy something new. Instead, try switching things around to make the old SEEM new.
   The quilt pictured here graced one or the other of our beds for ages. Made by my mother, this quilt is one of my most prized possessions. Which is why I'm tickled pink to enjoy it now in its latest incarnation--as a wall-hanging in our family room.
   Do you like to shake things up in your home decor?

Crash Course In Resilience by Sarah van Gelder — YES! Magazine

Just read: Crash Course In Resilience by Sarah van Gelder — YES! Magazine. This line hooked me in to this great article: " In quiet conversations, many admit that they are learning to grow food and wondering how their children will survive life on a very different planet." Sarah van Gelder
----Please feel free to share a link to similarly intriguing sites-----
(Now watching Calidore's recommended link: Peak Moment on YouTube. Makes me feel so hopeful for our future!)

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?

This is on my mind...time to prepare for Old Man Winter!

This pic reminds me that it is time--well, past time even--to prepare for whatever THIS winter has in store for us. And despite the fact that these pots made it through the winter pictured here, I have since learned that I really should empty my pots and store them in the garage because extreme cold has been known to break pottery left outside. In this case, being frugal means taking tender care of all possessions, so I won't have to spend money to replace them.

Thanks to SouleMama and down---to---earth for inviting me into their Friday photo sharing. Join me in leaving a link to your moment of show n tell here, on SouleMama or on down---to---earth. TGIF!

Frugal's archenemy: LAZY!

   Sometimes the most frugal things we do are those things we DON"T DO.
   Pictured here are the many cooking utensils that do NOT get put away in our kitchen. And behind the little slow cooker containing our lunch (veggie soup) sit other items that also stay out all the time: a bottle of olive oil, a pepper grinder and three flavored vinegars.
   What may seem an eyesore to some represents the best method I've found to counteract my natural tendency to be lazy. By leaving everything within easy reach (thanks, Julia Child, for the idea!), cooking becomes less time consuming. Caught a segment of Moneywise with Kelvin Boston last night, and "not eating out" ranked high on the list of ways to save money. For that reason alone I can justify a little clutter on the counters.
   Our kitchen cabinets are even spaced to leave room on the counter-tops for the food processor, blender and stand mixer to stay out as well. Cooking is less of a chore when everything lies within easy reach!

Make over: from plate and candlestick to cakestand

   Just came across a great, inexpensive, home-made gift idea--a cute little make-over!
   Having stumbled upon the site Cooking in Mexico, I loved her post: Holiday gift idea: make a cake stand for your foodie friend. (She credits Wandering Chopsticks with the original idea.)
   The many variations presented on the two sites encouraged me that I could find a plate and candlestick combo around my own home. Imagining a pottery candlestick with an ironstone plate... Time to go look around!

Make over: Chip clips from broken hangers

   Ever break one of those plastic skirt/pants hangers that everyone seems to have? My mom, the ultimate frugalista, breaks off and uses any unbroken clips as chip clips. Well, monkey see/monkey do, so now I do too. But as you can see, the clips work for marshmallow bags too.
   Of course, I've had my hot chocolate this morning, which is why I thought to remembered to take this pic. The idea for this post was generated by a post over on Frugal Girl.
   Here in Kentucky, we're bracing for an ice storm to hit sometime this afternoon. In preparation, I filled my car's gas tank last night. Good thing too, since today's paper contained an article about preparing for frigid temperatures that stated, "...when drivers only have a quarter tank of gas or so...that leaves room for moisture [to build up in the tank]." Evidently, putting "fuel dryer additive" into your tank will help prevent the moisture from affecting your gas/car.
   Hubby is stacking more firewood on the porch for easy access. We'll be nice and cozy regardless of the weather. Hope the same for YOU!!

Gotta love this woman!

TreeHugger article: Woman has used the same Christmas tree every year since 1928!

Frozen homemade cookie dough--like money in the bank!

   Just baked a batch of cookies. So good--they're gone in a flash! Looking to restrict your kids from overconsumption of your homemade goodies? Or maybe save YOURSELF from eating to many? Best way to do that is by freezing the cookie dough.
   To freeze, I use a cookie dough scoop to scoop out all the homemade dough onto a baking sheet, with the dough-balls spaced close together but not touching (dough pictured in the pan here is spaced far apart for baking). A few hours in the freezer until the dough is frozen enough to keep from sticking together and then all the dough balls can be tossed into a freezer storage container.
   No need to toss those store-bought, high fructose corn syrup laden, pre-packaged cookies into the grocery cart when freshly baked cookies can be had at home.
   After thawing the dough a minimum of 10 minutes, I made the mistake of baking a whole tray of cookies last night, which meant I ATE too many cookies last night. Sooo much better when I bake myself just a couple of cookies at a time in the toaster oven. Saves me calories AND money!

Stove-top popcorn easy & MUCH cheaper than microwave

   In my effort to bring home less packaging, I stopped buying microwave popcorn awhile back. And besides also saving me money, cooking popcorn on the stove-top vs. microwaving seems to have a health benefit. Just ask Oprah...switching is a good move if you're concerned about inhaling the nearly four dozen chemicals that waft up from each freshly popped bag of microwave popcorn.
   What I didn't know is how little oil is actually needed to make stove-top popcorn: only 1 teaspoon per 1/3 cup of popcorn!! I thank Southern Living magazine for this recipe that is even cheaper and has fewer calories than what I'd been doing. Their recipe's just as easy as listening for the bag in the microwave: Norman's Stove-Top Popcorn. (If in the mood for kettle corn, just add a tablespoon or two of sugar when you add the unpopped kernels.)
   Hate to think of all the money I've wasted on microwave popcorn through the years!

I'm frugal, not cheap

   There are numerous ways that I live "on the cheap," because this is what's best for my wallet and the environment. I drink water in restaurants, take navy showers, reuse aluminum foil, etc., etc. Because I do MANY little things, I have the money to splurge on what matters to me, even if it's $11.64 per pound imported cheese.
   Conscious of the carbon imprint of shipping foreign goods here, I have given up foreign wines, Nutella, avocados from Chile when they're out of season here, Bonne Maman Preserves and any number of other AMAZING products.
   Though I still crave it like mad, knowing Nutella contains palm oil, the production of which is decimating rainforests, makes it easier to give up. Abstaining from avocados in the off season just makes them that much more coveted when I can get them from here in the states. And I now make my own preserves, without high fructose corn syrup, that are pretty durned good (but not as good as Bonne Maman...sigh). Aside from an occasional bottle of liqueur, the Parmigiano Reggiano pictured here is my last holdout.
   I will use every little smidgen of this block of cheese--even the rinds, which will help to flavor soups. And I will doggedly continue to search for high quality US products, preferably made right here in ole Kentucky. Regardless of the price.
   When it comes to food, quality outweighs expense with me. BUT I've found that the expense of quality foodstuffs is sometimes comparable to the cheap stuff, because one little scoop of DELICIOUSNESS is far more satisfying than a whole heaping bowlful of MEH. Know what I mean?

This is on my mind...broken but no need to replace

The right tine on our pitchfork is missing, but it still works fine, especially for turning over and agitating the organic waste in our compost bins. So, I propose an amendment to the old adage, "If it ain't broke..." How about: If it ain't broke enough that you cain't use it, why replace it?

Thanks to SouleMama and down---to---earth for inviting me into their Friday photo sharing. Join me in leaving a link to your moment of show n tell here, on SouleMama or on down---to---earth. TGIF!