How To Turn One Stick Of Butter Into Two 

From Choosing Voluntary Simplicity

During the World War II food shortages, people were forced to make the most of what they had. With today’s escalating grocery prices, one hint from that time still makes a lot of sense (and cents!)… how to turn one stick of butter into two. This extended butter has the same taste and texture as regular butter. It’s frugal… half the cost… but it’s also healthier… because it has half the fat and half the calories of regular butter. You can use extended butter almost anywhere you would normally use butter, but remember that it contains only half the amount of fat, so you cannot use it in any dish that depends on a certain fat content. This is why you cannot use it for baking.
 Extended butter is easy to make. Just beat one half cup of lukewarm water into one softened stick of butter. If you use a mixer, start slowly to prevent splattering. Add small amounts of water at a time and keep beating until the water is thoroughly incorporated into the butter. The mixture will be smooth and fluffy, and you will end up with one cup of soft butter. After this soft butter is refrigerated, it will become as firm as regular butter. I make up only one stick at a time and usually store the butter covered in a stainless steel measuring cup that lost its handle some time back. If your preferences run to something fancier, try shaping it or putting it in a pretty dish. This butter will also pick up detail nicely from a mold.For more frugal tips, visit Frugal Fridays

Coffee Creamer Recipes

French Vanilla

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla

Almond Orange Cappuccino

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. orange extract

Amaretto

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. almond extract

Almond Cappuccino

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. orange extract

Chocolate Almond

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. almond extract

Chocolate Truffle Mint

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a glass container. It is best stored in glass mason jar. Remember to shake before pouring, as the condensed milk will settle to the bottom. This will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Tip: substitute low fat sweetened condensed milk for regular for a healthier alternative.

Liquid coffee creamer base can also be made by mixing 1 cup of dry coffee creamer with 1 cup of hot water. Mix until dissolved. Add 1 cup of cold water. Store in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

Try creating a powder from your favorite candy. Candy canes now come in many flavors. By adding bits of candy to your food processor and processing until the candy bits are a powder, you can add new flavors to your coffee creamer with a fraction of the cost of commercial flavored creamers. Simply add the powdered candy bits to your liquid coffee creamer and shake well to dissolve.

Source: Sent to me by a friend

Great post at tipNut. Check it out.

20 Things You Can Use Twice Before Tossing

Imagine for a moment that I'm standing in front of a gigantic chart that tracks the movement of the stock market from almost the beginning of last century. You see a series of peaks and valleys corresponding to various historic events. There is a serious downdraft during the Depression. But look. After it bottoms out, the line goes up. Invariably goes up.

Notice the 1987 stock market crash. See that abrupt drop? I remember that one. The feeling that swept the nation was that the market would never, ever come back. But look. It did. Look at the new highs the U.S. stock market achieved in the 1990s.

The markets are a lot like life. Things happen. There are peaks and valleys. And there are events that send our lives plunging -- sometimes to record depths. We think we will never, ever recover. But we do. Things get better.

So what does the chart of your life look like? Peaks? Valleys? Where are you now? If you are in a valley of unemployment and uncertainty with fog and darkness all around, grab onto this truth: This will not last forever. Things will change. For sure there are upswings and new peaks in your future. There are seasons of joy and prosperity ahead.

One day you will look at this chart of your life again, in another context, from another vantage point. You'll be able to see the upturn that followed this difficult time. You recovered. You'll look back and wonder how you ever made it through. But you did! I'm certain that you'll say that as difficult as it was, you are grateful for all you learned, for all the ways your character was strengthened and for the ways this season of your life prepared you to handle what was, and is, to come.

Just hang on to that truth right now. Mark today's date on your calendar. Write about it in your journal. And whatever you do, don't give up. You may be in a valley right now, but an upturn is coming!

========

Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

TipNut comes through again. Check out this great post.

Printable Recipe Cards For Homemade Cleaners

The Anatomy of a Supermarket

Mary Hunt

I never had thought much about the intense marketing logistics behind the supermarket business until one day when I was in a tremendous hurry. I dashed into my favorite market, only to find it had been rearranged completely the previous night.

The harder I searched for the items I needed the more frustrated I became. Finally, I went to the store manager to register my complaint. He told me that this is business as usual for a profit-conscious modern-day supermarket. He then gave me a "behind the scenes" tour of the supermarket business.

It seems that stores that are the size of typical supermarkets allocate a large portion of their advertising budgets to appealing to customers' compulsive shopping habits. They count heavily on customers who make their buying decisions on the spot. That means it is critical that every item on every shelf is placed strategically to capture the fascination of the customer.

It's a proven fact that the typical shopper quickly memorizes the layout of the store, knows exactly where to find the items needed, and becomes oblivious to everything else. But by turning the place upside down every year or so, the store can "introduce" its regular shoppers to thousands of products they might never have noticed if the store remained unchanged.

If that is the goal, it certainly worked on me. In my quest to find the regular stuff, I saw all kinds of things I never had seen before.

I learned the average food shopper spends more than an hour every week shuffling up and down the aisles of the all-American supermarket, snatching item after item, building an expensive tower in a basket. At the end of the exercise, the score is tallied, and in most cases, the supermarket is the clear winner.

The most expensive and frivolous items usually are placed at eye level. Baking staples such as flour and sugar are commonly on low shelves or so high up you have to reach for them. Eye-catching displays with lights, bells and whistles usually promote junk-type and expensive items, even though they are piled up to appear to be on sale.

The center aisles usually house the prepared and brightly packaged over-processed food items. Either a hot deli or a bakery in the store will be emitting heavenly smells to appeal to your senses and get those compulsive buying juices flowing. The perimeter of the store is the safe zone: produce, dairy and meat.

You probably can't avoid the supermarket completely, and it is difficult to remain completely true to your shopping list and financial plan. But you can enter the supermarket with extreme caution, fully aware of the many ways your compulsiveness is being tested. And you can walk in with personal protection: a shopping list and only the amount of cash you intend to spend. Leave all of the plastic and your checkbook at home so you will not be able to overspend.

========

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

This week, I turned off the TV. Well, I did watch "American Idol" (I've decided the winner), but for the most part, I just turned the darn thing off. I tell you, the media has a way of spinning basic information into something so sensational it's difficult to know what's real.

I'm referring to the state of the economy and all the predictions of a recession. Look, I'm not saying the economy is not slowing or that a recession never will happen. But the truth is a little bit different from what we may be hearing every day on the evening news.

First, a recent survey of reputable economists shows that there is a 40 percent chance we will have a full-blown recession in 2008. That means there is a 60 percent chance we won't.

Unemployment dropped from 5 percent in December to 4.8 percent in January. Not exactly runaway unemployment as the media seems to be shouting, even though 62,000 jobs were lost in February.

I could go on, but my point is this: It's easy to get all wound up in knots of fear and dread based on reports about the national economy. And that does us absolutely no good. We need to be focusing on our personal economies. Unemployment figures only matter when it's your job that goes bye-bye, and then the rate for you is 100 percent, regardless of what the Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting.

Rather than sitting and stewing about the national economy, turn your attention and your energy to assessing your personal economy.

Do you have an emergency fund? You need a savings account with money in it from which to pay your bills if you go through a season of unemployment. If you don't have that now, start crash saving. And if you don't lose your job, hooray! You will have your emergency fund standing guard over your personal economy.

Are you keeping up with inflation? Your gross household income should be increasing by at least 2 percent each year just to keep up with inflation. Check it out. If you're behind, find ways to add to your income by working extra hours or a side job.

Is your employment secure? Are you keeping yourself cutting-edge on your job? You may need to take some classes or clean up your work ethic by always being on time, staying late as needed and doing more than is expected of you. After all, if they need to cut back, you want to be the employee they couldn't bear to lose.

Whether you are going through rough waters right now or not, remember this: Your time will come. You can plan on it. And when it does, be strong, knowing that tough times don't last, but tough people do.

========

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Jon Wood owner at the ORGANIC HOMESTEAD GARDENING yahoo group posted this helpful recipe. I am an avid fan of Jon and the OGH group.

Moms Homemade Fly Paper

2 C milk
2 T black pepper
2 T white sugar
2 T brown sugar

Brown paper bags, cut into strips.

Boil milk, pepper, and sugar together for 5 minutes. Simmer
uncovered 5 minutes longer, until thickened, and then let cool.
Wind the brown paper strips into a tight roll and drop them into
the milk mixture. Let them become completely saturated. Rewind
the strips gently and let them air dry on a cookie sheet.

They are ready to hang when they are sticky
to the touch.

To use, suspend the strips up and out of the way wherever flies
are a problem.

CAUTION: Keep the strips away from young children, especially
after they are covered with flies.

__._,_.___

Did you have a tree swing as a child?  I can remember lots of wonderful summer hours of play that included the tire swing dad put up . Clink on the link for 1000,s of DIY tips.

How to Build a Tree Swing

by By Erika Bentson, Mother Earth News

Spring is here, so it’s time to get outdoors and enjoy fresh air. One fun and easy way to feel the breeze is to add a tree swing to your yard. Swooshing through the air can be a joy for anyone, whether you’re 4 or 40, and if you know how to tie a knot and drill holes, you can start building a swing in the morning and be kicking up your heels by sundown.

To get started, pick out a sturdy, healthy tree, and make sure the branch to which you will anchor your swing is more than 10 inches in diameter. You’ll also need to make sure there’s adequate swinging room, so you don’t slam into the tree, or a fence. To make a seat for your swing, you can use recycled wood. But if you don’t have a sturdy piece of wood left over from an old building project, you can find recycled wood from demolished buildings in your area at http://www.build.recycle.net and Freecycle. Check out more tips for finding recycled building materials to make your swing in the article Save Money With Used Building Materials. The wood for your seat should be about 2 inches thick, 16 inches long and about 10 inches wide. For detailed instructions on constructing a more complex seat check out John Vivian’s article Swing Into Fall With A Tree Swing. He connects several pieces of wood together to reinforce the seat, so the board won’t split. He suggests using cedar or redwood because they are rot-resistant.

You’ll also need rope that is twice the height of your swing, plus a little extra. Vivian suggests using three-eighths-inch polyester rope and adding 4 yards to your swing’s length. In Vivian’s plan, he uses a five-eighths-inch drill bit and drills four holes 1½ inches from the ends of the seat. He suggests tying a “granny” knot. If your knot knowledge isn’t up to par, check out How to Tie the Ten Most Useful Knots. For more security, Vivian attaches three-eighths-inch stainless steel or brass washers to the bottom of the seat to make sure the knot won’t shimmy through the holes.

When it’s time to test the swing and see how high you can fly, plan to attach the ropes to the limb about 17 inches apart. Vivian throws the rope over the branch and attaches a running “bowline” knot to the limb. Or he suggests using eyescrews and “S” hooks as a way to attach the swing to the branch. You can be creative with your knots, just make sure they’re sturdy enough to support the swing, and its swinger.

If you’re looking for an easy way to relax and feel like a kid again, make a tree swing. If you’ve already built a swing, share your ideas and experience with others by posting a comment below. With a little creativity, you can swing all spring and summer long.

Make Your Own 2% Milk At Home

I do not pay for the store to water down my milk, as in 2% and such. We found that we can do this at home. Buy whole milk and add cold water to it. Since this is a matter of taste, you will have to find what suits your family best. It is a great way to get more bang for the buck, plus my 8 year old who loves dairy does not know I am cutting out some of his milk fats. Also do not forget when you get deals on milk, add them to your freezer. I keep several gallons in the freezer. I dilute when I remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge.

By Shirley C. from Calumet City, IL

Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73187289.tip.html

Buying Food in Bulk - How Long Will It Last? 

Donna L Montaldo at http://couponing.about.com/cs/grocerysavings/a/buyinginbulk.htm

1) Will you have adequate storage space to put everything you are buying?

2) Do you have a freezer large enough to store bulk food items?

3) How much will your family enjoy the products you are buying?

Recipe planning is a good strategy to use when buying food in bulk. By knowing what you have, how much you have & when you plan on cooking it will help deter the problem of food going bad before you have a chance to eat it.

MEAT & POULTRY- UNCOOKED

* Chicken & turkey - 9 mo.
* Steaks, beef - 6-12 mo.
* Chops, pork - 4-6 mos.
* Chops, lamb - 6-9 mos.
* Roasts, beef - 6-12 mos.
* Roasts, lamb - 6-9 mos.
* Roasts, pork and veal - 4-6 mos.
* Stew Meats - 3-4 mos.
* Ground meats - 3-4 mos.
* Organ meats - 3-4 mos.

DAIRY PRODUCTS:  

* Butter/margarine - 6-9 mos.
* Cheese, soft & spreads, dips -1 mo.
* Cheese, hard or semi-hard - 6 mos.
* Eggs in shell- Do not freeze
* Ice cream - 1 mo.
* Milk / Cream - 3 wks.

DRIED FOOD ITEMS -SHELF LIFE

* Baking powder/soda - 18 mos.
* Bread Crumbs - 6 mos.
* Cereals - 6 mos.
* Coffee creamer, dry - 6 mos.
* Flour/cake mixes - 1 yr.
* Gelatin/pudding mixes - 1 yr.
* Herbs/spices - 6-12 mos.
* Milk, nonfat dry - 6 mos.
* Pancake/pie crust mixes - 6 mos.
* Pasta/noodles - 2 yrs.
* Potatoes, instant - 18 mos.
* Rice, white - 2 yrs.
* Sugar, granulated - 2 yrs.
* Sugar, brown, confectioners'- 4 mos.

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Commercially frozen fruits will last up to a year in your freezer. Commercially frozen vegetables have a life-span of only 8 MOS. Another option for storing these items for long periods is canning them. If you plan to buy these items in bulk, on a regular basis, it would be a good investment to consider purchasing a canning machine to insure the food is kept air-tight.

BEANS: Dried beans kept free from moisture can last for several years. This is an excellent way to stretch your money, plus beans are full of protein for healthy eating.
DRINKS: Most juices that you buy, such as apple juice, can last 3-5 years un-opened. If you are unsure of how long your juice will last, contact the mfgr. consumer phone number.

OPTIONAL ITEMS:
* Chocolate - unsweetened 18 mos.
* Coffee, vacuum pack - 1 yr.
* Milk, canned - 1 yr.
* Molasses - 2 yrs.
* Nuts - 8 mos.
* Oils/salad dressings - 3 mos.
* Peanut butter (unopened) - 6 mos.
* Sauces, condiments, relishes (unopened) - 1 yr.
* Shortening - 8 mos.
* Syrups - 1 yr.
* Tea - 18 mos.  

This is an adorable idea. Doesn't look real hard . If anyone tryies it let me know how it turns out.

Click here for link

1 bar grated homemade soap (I use Karla's Lavender Castile)
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda
1 cup baking soda
essential oils (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a widemouth container with a lid. (I use a recycled ice cream bucket). Add essential oils as desired (but they are not necessary). Use 1 tbsp to 1/4 cup per load of laundry.

Notes on ingredients: You can use any kind of soap - non-superfatted handmade soaps are wonderful! I just grate mine with a cheesegrater. Washing soda can be difficult to find in some areas of the world, I understand - usually it is found in the laundry detergent aisle of a supermarket. If you cannot find it, ask a store manager to order it for you. This recipe is VERY inexpensive and I have found it to work really well!

More info: Local folks - check your local grocery stores for most ingredients - Fareway, Dahls, Supervalu. If they don't carry the ingredietns you need, ask the manager and they might stock it for you! Also, our friend Colleen from FL wrote in with this link - she buys her laundry detergent supplies from this online source: soapsgonebuy.com Thanks Colleen!

With all the talk of a recession these days, I'm not surprised that most people believe the U.S. is experiencing a catastrophic economic crisis. But that is not true. The U.S. economy is not in a recession.

A recession, by definition, occurs when the U.S. gross national product declines for two calendar quarters in a row. We have not experienced a decline for even one quarter for nearly seven years running. So let me repeat: We are not in a recession.

The economy does appear to be slowing, however, so the possibility of a declining quarter is likely. Since the 1940s, the U.S. has gone through only 10 recessions, averaging 10 months in length.

A recession is the way that a free market economy corrects its mistakes. Think back to the mid-1980s, when the stock market lost more than 30 percent of its value. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 500 points in one day and went from about 2,600 to 1,600 before it stopped its freefall. You would have thought the world had come to an end.

But guess what? The economy corrected itself. And 26 years later, the Dow hit 14,000. Just imagine if you would have had $10,000 to invest when the Dow hit 1,600 and then added another $1,000 each year. Today you would be wealthy.

Without a doubt, the U.S. will go through a recession in the future, but that doesn't have to mean doom and gloom. Both the U.S. economy and your personal economy are wise when they anticipate an economic slowdown. And that is where the U.S. is right now.

How to prepare for a financial downturn:

-- Live below your means. I said it again, and believe me; it won't be the last time. Do not buy stuff you cannot afford.

-- Control your spending. Stay away from malls, online shopping sites or other places that allow you to overspend with ease.

-- Reduce your expenses. Everything from the water you use to the gasoline you burn. Start tracking your expenses, then employ every possible tactic to cut some from every area.

-- Pay off your credit cards every month. If you are carrying balances, get those cards out of your possession so you are not tempted to use them. Once paid in full, carry only one card with you, and clear it every month as if your life depended on it.

-- Save. Save. Save. Set aside a good, healthy cushion of cash to carry you through the unknown that lies ahead.

-- Pay off your home mortgage as quickly as possible. Once your unsecured debts are paid, tackle the home mortgage with a vengeance. This is the only assurance you ever will have for a rent-free retirement.

If you do all six of those things, you will be so well-prepared that you will be able not only to survive but also to thrive during any coming recession.

========

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

10 Homemade Playdough Recipes

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Playdough

Dinged By Dryer Sheets

By Annie B. Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999).

You know if you are one of those sensitive to dryer sheets and fabric softeners. (I think this is the No. 2 consumer complaint behind perfume.) You are sad that you don't like to walk in your neighborhood on Saturday mornings because of the offense smell wafting from neighbors' dryer vents. If someone uses them in your home you may have a nightmare of burning skin, respiratory irritation, anxiety attacks and irritability. I have one friend who became so sensitive to the fumes that he had to sleep in a chair until he could get new bedding! What is the problem with these laundry products? Plenty.

SIMPLE SOLUTION:  How I would love to have full disclosure of ingredients in consumer products. Given how many people complain about getting sick from dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener, it is disturbing that there is so little research available for the general public about the ingredients in the products. Dry sheets and fabric softeners actually waterproof your clothes to make them feel softer! I have found information on waterproofing and there are few safe ways to do that.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the 1990s, the following is a list of chemicals in fabric softener products, most in untested combinations. Liquid fabric softeners additionally may contain formaldehyde.

 

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer.
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant.
• Ethanol: On the EPA's Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders.
• Limonene: Known carcinogen.
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage.
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list.
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders.
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic.
• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders.
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled.

   

To hide the chemical smell, companies load dryer sheets full of chemical fragrances, which are potentially carcinogenic.

Dryer sheets are designed to stay on clothing for a long period of time and slowly release their chemicals throughout the day, which leads to prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals.

The toxins in dryer sheets and their chemical fragrances enter the body both through inhalation or are absorbed through the skin.

Some of the symptoms experienced from prolonged exposure to the chemicals in dryer sheets include headaches, nausea, vomiting , dizziness, central nervous system disorders, blood pressure reduction, fatigue, difficulty breathing, skin irritation, difficulty concentrating and remembering, cancer, irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract, and liver damage.

Alternatives point to successfully substituting vinegar in the rinse water of the laundry cycle. We've received quite a few comments from our readers finding this approach works well. There are also a number of alternative products on the market. Read our article Fabric Softener: Easy Greening.

Fabric softeners are static cling busters, mostly. One easy way to avoid using them is to use natural fibers.