Homemade Household Cleaning Products

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For those of you who receive or read Laine's Letters you know what a blessing there are. I do subscribe to them so that I don't miss any of them. Here is one that I thought I would share because I thought it offered a lot of great information on frugality in the home.  PS, I can't beleive this women feeds six people on $260 a month. It makes me very ashamed of myself. LOL.........Kitty

Dear Sisters,
I had written a full page on saving food last week, but my little guy
accidentally deleted it moments before I was to send it out. Ahh, such
is life, yes! He felt so bad, but I knew God is in control of what goes
out and when on this list, so here we are back again this week to share
with you how I save money on my food shopping.

My food budget for the month is $260. This is for a family of six with
three eating as men. (My teenagers eat the same amount as my husband.)
And also my dad, who lives next door, stopping in at dinner time for a
chat and a bite to eat. ~Smile~ I will be sharing with you many ways
that I save money on food. I think it was meant to be quite a bit of
work to save money as revealed in this verse:

"She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar."
Proverbs 31:14

Notice, it is ships in plural. Not just one merchant ship, but many
merchant ships. There is a lot of work going on here. A lot of learning
and growing as well. I think these next verses that follow also show
the wisdom of a frugal cook in the family:

"Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine, in the innermost parts of
your house." Psalm 128:3a

"House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife
is from the LORD." Proverbs 19:14

You can't find a wife like this without the LORD, and you can't be one
like this without Him either.

"There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a
foolish man swallows it up. Proverbs 21:20

This verse comes right under the verse where it is better to live in a
desert than with a contentious and vexing woman! I think a man can have
precious treasure and oil in his house with a wise and frugal wife by
his side. I have learned so much from such women of God.

It is a privilege for me to stretch my husband's paycheck as much as is
possible. One of the ways I can do that is by my strength in the
kitchen. The stronger that I get in that room, the more that I can save
us. Not only that, but the better we eat and the tastier it is as well.
It is blessing upon blessing upon blessing. With this in mind, I share
with you how I save money on food up to this day:

1~ I do not spend a certain amount of money each week. Some weeks I
might only need a couple of items at the market like milk or fresh
vegetables. I do a major food shopping once a month. I pray when I go,
while I shop, and at the check out. Everything in the store is set up
to get me to spend more than I need to; so I never want to go shopping
without the LORD Who has "eyes to see". At this time I buy most of what
I will need all month. So far this month I have spent $190 on our food
shopping. If I could not go shopping for over a month or more, I would
still have enough food to feed my family. I have learned the value of
keeping a well stocked pantry (as I shared before) and continue to
learn how to do this better and better each year. I don't like to spend all
my budget at once because there are usually some store specials that will
come up during the month that I like to buy. So each week I check the
ads that come in my mail to see what is on special. Sometimes there is
nothing, and sometimes, like this week, there are pears for 20 cents a
pound.

2~ I buy many things in bulk. It saves us money and time. I don't buy
everything in bulk in one month, but rather stretch it out over the
year. In that way my food budget is not overly stretched any particular
month. I like to have dried as well as fresh on hand. So if I need it,
I have dried milk available.

3~ I cost items out. This helps me to avoid buying items that I can
make much more inexpensively. Take french bread, for example. I can make two
loaves for 50 cents. ( This recipe was shared in a past letter.) So I
am not tempted to buy it at the store no matter how good that hot loaf
smells in the bakery. I can make a large pizza for under $3. So, again,
I am not tempted to buy it. (This recipe was also shared in a past
letter.)

4~ We have some meatless meals. I love to make a meatless meal that
everyone likes. My husband was raised on meat almost every night. So it
has been a slow process to change our dietary habits. I had to do it
primarily for financial reasons, but I now realize that it is healthier
for us. I also make meals from many different countries. Many other
countries, such as China, use far less meat with lots of fresh
vegetables for an abundance of flavor and good health.

5~ Our markets mark down their meat early in the morning, so once or
twice a month I will go to the market at that time to see what I can
find. It is a challenge for me to see if I can make a piece of meat
work for two or three meals. Oftentimes I can do this by using a recipe from
another country. As I shared before, I love to check out cookbooks from
my local library, especially cookbooks from other parts of the world.

6~ I shop many different fruit stands and stores. I keep my eyes open
for good specials. The wise woman in Proverbs 31 was likened to
merchant ships, so there is no question that she was a keen shopper looking for
the best in quality at the best possible price for her family. It is
not uncommon for me to stop at seven or more stores when I do my first big
shopping of the month. I run in to get what is on special or what is
found at that store at a good price, and then I'm back out again. I
find this easier to do in the early morning when there isn't too much foot
traffic. It did take some getting used to, and I am pretty tired when I
come home, but I only do this once a month, so it is a good workout for
me. ~Smile~ Plus I save us hundreds of dollars in a year's time by this
method. Yes, I have taken my children shopping with me since they were
infants. Sometimes my husband and my children both are with me.
Sometimes I shop alone or with my mother. It always varies.

7~ I keep my coupons with me at all times. I am not a big coupon
shopper, and if coupons were stopped in this country, I would still be
able to save money for my family by other methods. But since they are
offered in our country, I take advantage of them when it is profitable.
Take this month. I noticed that six dented boxes of Wheaties were
marked down in one of the supermarkets. (I love to check the marked down
section of each store when I shop.) I was able to buy all the boxes
they had for 29 cents a box. I don't buy cereal often unless I can get it
under a dollar a box, so this was right in my price range. (I don't buy
the sugary stuff even if I can get it for free.) Where I save
predominantly in this area is by making my own granola and such. So if
I could never buy cereal with coupons, it would be okay, as I would make
granola and other kinds of cereal for my family. I also found Ivory
soap (packaging ripped) marked down in the same aisle, so I was able to get
all twelve bars for pennies with my coupons.

8~ I try to buy "real" whenever possible. So I use butter, not
margarine. I use bread flour or freshly ground wheat flour, not all
purpose flour. I use olive oil, not all purpose oil. I am moving more
and more into whole grains and such as we get more for our money and
our health.

9~ My food budget does include paper products, cleansers, and such. The
only thing that it does not include is our dog food. I have that
budgeted separately. When toilet paper goes on sale, I buy a lot. I
store it under my son's bed. Sometimes I do not buy toilet paper for
months at a time. I do not use paper towels much anymore, rather a rag.
Instead of paper napkins, I have switched to cloth napkins. As I shared
with you before, I make many of my own cleansers which is much cheaper
and healthier. I also use half the required amount of detergent when
washing my clothes and just let it agitate longer.

10~ If it is profitable for me to send in a refund, I will do so. This
past shopping trip I will get a free pair of rubber gloves for buying a
rust stain remover. So I mailed that off the next day.

11~ I love to do things with leftovers. So often little pieces of meat
and potatoes will be chopped up the next day and find their way into a
burrito for lunch. Or some squash or leftover oatmeal will find its way
into a batch of muffins. Or some mashed potatoes will find their way
into a loaf of bread. I love to learn and I find that when you love to
learn, you do! So I am learning monthly how to do more with what I've
got in my kitchen. Many times I will buy a piece of meat that has been
marked down and not know what I will do with it. This month a turkey
leg was one such piece of meat. I bought it for a little over a dollar. I
cooked it on low all day in the crock pot with vegetable and
seasonings, then took the meat off the bone and chopped it up. I made some Chinese
noodles. I took some of the noodles, put them in a bowl for each person
with some of the turkey and broth on top, added a few dashes of soy
sauce, and served it with a piece of homemade bread. It was a hit!

12~ Cooking from scratch is so important in my method of food savings.
When I first began to learn to cook, I started in the "soup corner."
Once I learned how to make soups, I progressed on to bread. And so on
and so on. I am still learning. It is such fun! So I do not "menu plan"
or cook ahead for my freezer too much (only a small one above the
fridge) or count on the garden (still learning there, but hope to add
more savings in the future). Rather I take out one of my pieces of meat
or vegetables in the morning, then sit down with my cookbooks to see
what I can make with it. I always ask the LORD to show me the way. It
is never boring because I am always trying something new.

13~ This year I did a bit of canning because it was profitable to do
so. Each can of peaches cost us under 40 cents. I have also been
dehydrating. I am so excited to learn how to do this. I have started
bags of mushrooms, chilies, bell peppers, peaches, pears, apples,
carrots, celery, spinach, and tomatoes. Some are fuller than others. It
is so nice to know that if I need a certain item and I do not have it
fresh, I just might have it dried. It is like having a mini
fruit/vegetable stand in my pantry.

14~ I love to collect recipes. I love to collect unusual recipes.
Recipes that do not have eggs or oil or butter. The reason for this is
there might come a time when I will be so glad that I have these kinds
of recipes. Some of these ingredients might be hard to come by if we
fell upon hard times, so I see the value in recipes like these. That is
why I will make a cookie recipe with oil. I like to make different
kinds of recipes so that I'll know a good one when I need it. Many times I
will see something marked down at the store and a certain recipe will
pop into my head as soon as I see it.

15~ I enjoy learning how to make things and stretching myself in the
kitchen. Such as cheese. I have made ricotta, cream cheese, and cottage
cheese. But I want to learn how to make cheese using rennet. I hope to
do this soon. I remember how much fun it was to learn how to make sour
cream and buttermilk (recipes shared in past letters as well). I make
those without thinking now. So I hope to do the same with cheese soon.
It is so helpful to know how to make things from simple ingredients.
Then I do not need to go to the store, rather to my pantry. Take
noodles, for example. If I don't have noodles on hand, it is very good
to know how to make them. I might be out of noodles, but not out of the
ingredients to make them. Within 40 minutes, I can have noodles ready
for the boiling water and my recipe.

16~ There are a couple of stores that I go to every three or four
months. They are an hour away, but worth the trip when I do make it. I
always look forward to these trips. This is the time that I will buy
some items in bulk.

17~Bakery cakes have never been in my budget. I remember when I was
asked to be in my friend's wedding. One of the girls, who was also in
the wedding, threw her a bridal shower. She asked me to buy the cake. I
knew that I couldn't afford a big cake. So I told her that I'd make it.
She looked worried and asked me if I had ever made a large cake before.
I had to admit that I hadn't. But I told her that if it didn't work,
I'd buy one. Well, I practiced and practiced. My family loved eating my
efforts. ~Smile~ The day of the shower I brought a cake that looked
like two wedding rings entwined with a cream cheese/whipped cream frosting
and fresh strawberries. Everyone loved it. I saved us some money, plus
learned a lot in the process about cake decorating which I have used
time and time again.

18~ I am about a year ahead on my toiletries. What I mean by this is if
I did not buy tooth paste, deodorant, shampoos, and such for a year, I
would have ample supply. I have been buying them with coupons when they
were on sale and free or near free, so I have stocked up quite a bit.
They don't go bad as with food. And if I need to use something for a
gift or a food basket, I have it there and ready.

19~ I buy most of my spices in bulk. Much more inexpensive this way.

20~ I have been training myself to do my cooking early in the morning.
I find that I do a better job and feel so much more accomplished when my
meal is well on its way early in the day. (As taught in Proverbs 31.)
It is pure pleasure to pull out a meal that was made earlier in the day to
share with my family in the evening. I am usually pretty tired by then,
and so very, very glad that my meal is ready.

I hope these tips have been a help to you. I am still learning how to
save money on my food shopping, and I am sure many of you could share
so much more than I've shared here. May the LORD bless you as you serve
Him in your kitchen.

Love Laine

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Thursday, October 25, 2007
Thrifty Thursday

Posted in Frugal Tips

Here are some great tips that were in my inbox this morning that I thought were worth sharing.

CHEAP GARDENING. In September, October, and November, nurseries and garden centers typically reduce prices by 50 percent or more. They need to make room for Halloween pumpkins and Christmas trees.

CANDLE WICK TRIMMER. As a long-time lover of jar candles, I was often frustrated with the manufacturer’s instructions to keep the wick trimmed to one fourth inch to ensure efficient burning. How was I supposed to maneuver a pair of scissors inside the narrow jar? My solution? Fingernail clippers. They are slim enough to fit inside the jar’s mouth, and easy to manipulate using only two fingers.

MATCHING DECORATIONS. When looking for things to match a room or piece of furniture I get paint swatches from the paint store and mark the one closest in color to the item I’m trying to match. I carry around a few paint samples instead of a pillow sham or such.

CREATIVE COASTERS. Give your old plastic placemats a new life by making them into coasters. Take pinking shears and cut the placemats into squares. Keep them on your coffee or end tables to put under glasses and drinks.

LEMON TRICK. I usually use a little lemon juice in my stainless steel pots when they get stained from deposits. Just put a little lemon in the bottom of the pot, swoosh it all around, rinse with water and dry!  Your pot will look as good as new.

CLEAN CEILING. After climbing up and down a ladder to clean my kitchen ceiling by hand with a sponge, I decided there had to be an easier way. I pulled out a new sponge mop that I had on hand, filled the sink with hot water, some dish soap and some vinegar and mopped my ceiling. I just rinsed out the mop in the sink, so I didn’t need a bucket. Since I have a white ceiling, I used a new, clean mop head. It only took a fraction of the time!

COFFEE POT CLEANING. Sometimes cleaning the inside of a coffee pot can be challenging. Unless you have really small hands you can’t put your hand inside the pot. So put some salt in the bottom of the coffee pot and add some ice cubes. Swirl the mixture around and the salt will act as an abrasive. Your pots will sparkle like new!

Fabric and patterns can be costly, but JoAnn Fabrics does have great sales on both. You can get on their mailing list if you go to one of their stores. Ask the cashier if you can be placed on their mailing list. Nearly every flyer mailing has a 40% off discount coupon on it.

Well I hope these tips are helpful to some. I for one did not know about the  40% off at Joann's, I will have to check that one out.

Thanks for visiting today..............Kitty

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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Frugal Fall Decorating Tips

Posted in Frugal Tips

                                        Fall is the Season for Frugal Decor

       

              Every year there is great discussion among leaf peepers about whether this year’s leaves will be more colorful than last, or disappointingly under par. To me fall foliage, no matter the color, is Mother Nature’s gift to the frugal home decorator. Just about everything you need to make a fall wreath, centerpiece or mantle adornment is readily available, and for little if any cost. Just step outdoors, look around and you’ll see what I mean.

          WREATHS: You’ll have an easier time making a wreath using twigs, thin branches, leaves, pods and other natural materials if you start with a wreath form. Forms are quite inexpensive at crafts stores. You may be able to recycle a wreath base from an old wreath that’s past its prime. You can also make your own from a wire coat hanger using a pair of pliers to bend it into a circle. Attach your choice of materials to the form with a hot glue gun or 24-gauge wire (found at home improvement or craft stores). You won’t believe how simple it is to make a spectacular fall wreath.

 SWAGS: Several lengths of twine make the perfect base for a fall swag. Attach dried branches, leaves, and other plant material to the swag. Now you can hang it along a stair rail, above a window or under the mantle.

         MINI PUMPKINS. Perfect for decorating a mantle or adding color to a fall centerpiece, mini pumpkins (available at farmers markets and supermarkets this time of year) also make very attractive candleholders. With a very sharp knife, cut out the stem from the tops of 3- or 4-inch mini pumpkins. Create a hole the same size as your candle tapers. Pull out the stem part and discard. Insert candles. Embellish with raffia or ribbon as desired. Note: If the mini is extremely hard, wait a few days for it to soften before attempting to cut. Or use mini-pumpkins for place card holders to jazz up your fall table. Simply cut a straight slit across the top of the pumpkin and insert the place card.

         GOURDS: With their amazing colors, patterns and shapes, gourds look fantastic piled into a bowl or other vessel. If you intend to keep them from year to year, however, make sure they (and your fall leaves, dried corn, wheat stalks and so forth) have been chemically preserved, as are the ones you will find in a craft store.

This great information was taken from my Everyday Cheapskate.com newsletter. If you havn't subscribed to this newsletter, you don't know what your missing out on.  It's a "good thing", LOL.

Have a wonderful day...................Kitty

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Monday, September 10, 2007
Frugal Tips for Autumn Decorating

Posted in Frugal Tips

 

                  

                                Home and Hearth: Autumn Decorating

With fall in the air, I'm wanting to decorate and I know many of you are too. So I came across these great frugal tips to help us with that.

-Gather pinecones, seedpods, acorns and fall leaves to
put in wicker baskets. Use these on the porch or in
entry ways for simple, rustic decorations. You can also
use small branches with the pinecones and/or leaves
still attached and place them in vases.

-Potted mums this time of year are the same prices as
cut flowers, or cheaper, so why not buy several, pot
them up and place them around your walks, steps and
porch. Tie autumn themed ribbons around the base of
the pots. If you have room plant them in the ground after
the blooms are gone and lay down some mulch (grass
clippings or chopped leaves) for the winter.

-Pumpkins and Gourds Galore: Put them everywhere.
Try to find a grower or farm market instead of buying
them at the garden center or store. You'll find some
great buys on the "less" than perfect ones, but they
are still great for decorating. Put the gourds and the
pumpkins in groups. Place some on top of upside
down clay pots to raise them up to different levels in
a grouping. Mix a mum or two in with them, and tie
a few bows all around.

-Winter Squash: Look for Hubbard and Turban squash.
They have an interesting texture and a neat look to them.
Decorate the porch, but don't allow them to freeze, and
afterwards you can eat them for Sunday and holiday
dinners. Group them in a large wicker basket.

-Make a garland of small gourds with the long necks
and Indian corn still in the husk. Use jute or twine and
alternate between corn and the gourds. Measure the
section of your porch where you want to hang it. Cut
the jute, and tie a knot on each end.  In the middle of
the rope tie a bow made from raffia (or more jute) and
pieces of torn rust or orange colored fabric. Tie on the
corn and gourds on both sides of the bow and hang
from two nails or if it's quite long put two more nails
where you want to hang it, spaced evenly, and attach
there too.

-Rustic Scarecrow: Instead of stuffing clothing, take two
pieces of scrap wood and nail together a cross formation
with the one piece as long as tall as you want him to be.
Take a piece of muslin, stuff it with cotton and place it
over the top piece of wood-tie it at the "neck". You can
leave the face blank or  and draw a face with waterproof
marker before stuffing. Dress your friend in clothing, a
hat and you can even put hooks on the end of each "arm"
and hang buckets of flowers, a birdhouse or other items.
Turn your scarecrow into a country lady by dressing her
in woman's clothing and giving her a garden hat, gloves,
and small garden tools. The great thing with this is that
you literally can use scrap wood and old clothing, and
go wild with your imagination.

-Tin Cans:  Paint different sizes of tin cans with primer
then go to town painting them in fun fall colors. You can
plant mums in the larger coffee type cans and in the
others place wildflowers, dried grasses and branches to
decorate outside.

-Milk Cans: If you have old worn rakes, shovels and
other lawn tools laying around, put them to a decorative
use. Place cornstalks in an old metal milk can, behind
the tools, and tie a big fall themed bow around the milk
can. You can do this with a large bucket or basket too.

 

Thanks for visiting,,,,,,I'm going decorate..........Kitty

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Friday, September 7, 2007
Frugal Friday

Posted in Frugal Tips

Here are a few tips from Everyday Cheapskate.com.

PADDING PACKAGES. When mailing a package, I stuff newspaper into plastic grocery bags and then use these bags to pad the items in the box. The bags keep the newsprint from getting on everything in the box and makes for easy cleanup after the recipient has opened the box.

MARINADE TRICK. I like to freeze meats in the marinade so they’re all ready to go upon thawing. I place a gallon–size freezer bag inside a large empty coffee can, folding the top over the sides to hold it open. Then I can mix my marinade inside of the bag, add my meat, zip the bag closed and stick the bag in the freezer. It's quick and doesn't mess up any bowls in the kitchen.

Dear Mary,
My skin is very prone to allergic reactions when I use products like soap and detergents with fragrances. It seems every time the manufacturers change the formula of their products, I have a reaction. I have started making my own liquid laundry detergent and love it, but is there a way for me to make a gentle body wash product of my own, too?........ Marianne

Dear Marianne,
Here’s a simple recipe to try. One–half cup unscented shampoo, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 15 drops essential oil. Pour shampoo into a bowl and add water. Stir gently until well mixed. Add salt and stir until mixture thickens. Add oil, mix thoroughly and place in a decorative container. If you cannot find unscented shampoo, use a mild baby shampoo instead. Table salt is a fine substitute for sea salt. And you can leave out the oil if you are sensitive to its fragrance.

 

Have a great weekend..........Kitty

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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Thrifty Thursday

Posted in Frugal Tips

The Internet is a wonderful place where both truth and fiction abound. It’s quite simple to find out if something is true or not at www.truthorfiction.com, a site that is constantly researching Internet information. That’s where I went to check out the popular suggestion that fabric softeners could be harming our clothes dryers. The verdict? It is true, although not all softening products are the same. Read on for a simple way to find out if your dryer is in jeopardy.

DRYER SAVER. Take your clean lint screen from you dryer and try to run water through it. If the water rolls around on top and doesn't pass immediately through the screen, then you have build–up. The build–up is from dryer sheets, liquid fabric softener and laundry detergent residue. Take a toothbrush or any fine bristle brush and some liquid dish soap and gently but thoroughly scrub it clean. Now water should pass through easily. This will save you years on the life of your dryer. Do this at least every six months.

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM. Here’s a quick way to make homemade ice cream with kids. Make up your ice cream recipe and divide the mixture into several sandwich size zip–type bags. Then put each small bag in its own larger zip–type bag and fill the large bag with ice and rock salt. Give a bag to each kid and tell them to swish their bags until the liquid becomes ice cream.

ORGANIZE IT. I use over–the–door shoe organizers with lots of pockets for storage in my little apartment. In the bathroom, I fill the organizer with bottles of shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, bubble bath, etc. In the laundry room the organizer holds kitchen and bathroom cleaning supplies. They’re fantastic!

SHOWER HEAD CLEANER. Shower head clogged? Find an old plastic shower cap or one of those small elastic bowl covers and hold it around the shower head. Fill a turkey baster with white vinegar and squirt it into the plastic cover. Then secure the cap or cover on the shower head with rubber bands. Leave it on for 24 hours, then remove the vinegar and plastic and scrub the showerhead carefully with an old toothbrush. This should take care of the build–up. Just be careful not to get any vinegar in your eyes.

BUYING APPLIANCES. If you need to buy an appliance, try searching the internet for a store that sells reconditioned appliances. All defective parts are replaced and the appliances are well cleaned. The one I found came with a 90–percent guarantee. It gave me enough time to find out if the appliance worked, and it was better than buying it from a garage sale. I’m very happy with the gas range I bought.

CHEAP CHEESE. If you need cheese for cheese fondue or a salad, ask for cheese ends at the deli section of your grocery store. They go at a much reduced price, so it’s worthwhile to choose a more expensive brand.

Sales Alert

 

Several items go on sale during August and September that are not ordinarily seen on sale at other times of the year. Check to see if your favorite stores are abiding with the rest of the retail market sales calendar.

 

~Peanut butter & jelly

~Notebooks and school supplies

~Computers

~Summer items like: sandals, flip-flops, boogie boards, swimming pools

~Labor Day Weekend: Gas grills. A friend of mine told me she bought hers during Labor Day weekend of last year at Lowes and was able to purchase a $400 grill for $100. She also got the first fill up on the gas tank free of charge.

 

You'll need to make a fast move on the summer leftovers, because they don't last long.

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These tips were taken from my Everyday Cheapskate daily tip newsletter and also my Kindred Spirits (a yahoo group) newsletter. Both of these letters are a wealth of information.

Thanks for visiting today...........Kitty

 

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Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thrifty Thursday Tips

Posted in Frugal Tips

SHOO FLY. If you want to keep flies away from your bowl of fruit, put sprigs of fresh mint amongst the fruit. Mint is a natural fly repellant.

CAULIFLOWER STORAGE. To keep cauliflower from turning brown in the refrigerator, store it in a plastic bag stem side up. Poke a few holes in the plastic bag so air can circulate as well.

DUSTING BOOKS. When I am dusting the books in my large bookcase, I use a big, clean paint brush. It fits easily between the books and the top of the shelf and quickly whisks away the dust.

NON–STICK CHOPPING. Whenever I chop dates or dried fruit, the fruit tends to stick to the knife. I have started putting non–stick cooking spray on both sides of the knife before beginning to chop. This prevents the fruit from sticking to the knife blade.

NO LUMPY SUGAR. If you open your canister of brown sugar to find it has become lumpy, a quick fix is to throw in an apple slice and microwave the sugar and apple slice for 20 to 25 seconds. (Make sure you put the sugar in a microwaveable container before you try this.) It worked well for me when I was in a hurry. Another tip is to put a slice of bread in the brown sugar storage container to keep it from getting hard and lumpy.

PASTRY BAG. One of the simplest ways to decorate a cake is to put your decorative frosting in a zip–type plastic bag and snip off the very tip of one of the corners. You can easily press out the icing and form the designs you want.

SOFTEN BUTTER. I always forget to take butter out of the refrigerator when it needs to be softened. Instead of putting it in the microwave, I get out my rolling pin, place the wrapped butter on the counter and whack it several tips with the rolling pin. This softens it up quickly, and I haven’t reduced it to liquid in the process.

FRESH HERBS. To keep fresh herbs fresh, wrap them in a damp paper towel. Then wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.

These great tips were once again taken from my wonderful newsletter Everyday Cheapskate. Go check her site out.

Thanks for visiting.............Kitty

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Sunday, August 12, 2007
10 Things Your Grocery Store Doesn't Want You to Know

Posted in Frugal Tips

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                                 10 Things Your Grocery Store Doesn't Want You to Know

                                       By Sally Wadyka for MSN Health & Fitness

                                                               Freelance

Grocery shopping seems like a harmless enough activity. It’s a chore, but it’s one that most of us do at least once a week, without giving much thought to what’s going on behind the scenes at the supermarket.

How we shop has become a science that’s studied endlessly. “Market researchers have worked for years to come up with ways to make sure shoppers see as many products as possible, because the more they see, the more they buy,” says Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating.

So to make yourself a smarter shopper, learn about the top tricks and other secrets lurking at the supermarket.

1. The shopping carts have cooties.

According to studies done on shopping carts, more than 60 percent of them are harboring coliform bacteria (the sort more often associated with public toilet seats). “These bacteria may be coming from raw foods or from children who sit in the carts,” says Chuck Gerba, Ph.D., a microbiologist at University of Arizona. “Just think about the fact that a few minutes ago, some kid’s bottom was where you are now putting your broccoli.” According to studies done by Gerba and his colleagues at University of Arizona, shopping carts had more bacteria than other surfaces they tested—even more than escalators, public phones and public bathrooms. To avoid picking up nasty bacteria, Gerba recommends using sanitizing wipes to clean off cart handles and seats, and to wash your hands after you finish shopping. 

2. Dates are open to interpretation.

Except for baby formula and food, product expiration dates are not required by Federal regulations (some states, however, have their own rules requiring product dating). Labels that give a “Best if Used By” date are more of a suggestion than a safety issue—the food will taste best if eaten by the date on the label, but won’t necessarily be unsafe if eaten after that. If a product is stamped with a “Sell-By” date, that is how long the store should display it. Once you bring it home, perishable products (like meats) should be kept refrigerated and used within a few days. For more detailed charts explaining the shelf life of various products, go to USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

3. Kid-friendly food is purposely placed within their reach.

Anyone who shops with a child (or several) in tow has to keep an eye out for products the kids grab and toss into the cart. “I always tell parents never to bring a kid to a store,” says Nestle. “The packages with the cartoons on them are often placed on low shelves where even toddlers can reach for them.” A trip down the cereal aisle will confirm this. “Sugary cereals are at kid’s eye level, while the healthier, all-bran options are usually on the highest shelves,” says Tara Gidus, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. It’s the same situation at the cash register, where candy and gum are strategically placed to encourage impulse buys by adults and kids can easily grab low-lying products.

4. They cut up food so they can charge more.

In the produce department there are luscious-looking slices of pineapple and melon, veggies cut up and ready for cooking or salads. At the meat counter, chicken breasts and beef are cut into chunks and marinated—ready for immediate grilling. There’s no denying that these pre-cut foods can make life incredibly easy. And nutritionists agree that if they get people to eat more healthfully, there’s nothing wrong with them. But realize that you’re also paying a tremendous premium—sometimes up to twice as much as uncut versions of the same food—just so you don’t have to bother picking up a knife.

 

5. Good-for-you foods require bending and reaching.

Not surprisingly, grocery store eye candy (which sometimes is actual candy)—those foods with enticing come-ons and delectable photos on the packaging that aren’t on your shopping list—are prominently placed to encourage you to reach for them. Even in the pasta aisle, you’ll find the most popular noodles (including packaged mac and cheese) at eye level. Look up to the highest or lowest shelves if you want to find healthier whole wheat options.

6. End-of-aisle displays are there to distract you from your mission.

“Food companies pay the stores to place their products where they can be seen most easily—such as in a display at the end of an aisle,” says Nestle. That prime real estate is likely to hold high-profit items or grouped items (such as marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers for s’mores) designed to inspire impulse buys. And although sometimes those aisle-ends are used to promote sale items, we will buy even when there is no discount. “People are 30 percent more likely to buy items on the end of the aisle versus in the middle of the aisle—often because we think what’s at the end is a better deal,” says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University and author of Mindless Eating.

7. Bargains aren’t always a bargain.

Who can resist an offer like “buy five, get one free,” or “three for $1”? Apparently, very few people can. “Any time you see numbers in a sign, you’re likely to buy at least 30 percent more than you may have purchased otherwise. “So if you go looking for soup and the sign says “limit 12 per person,” chances are you’ll purchase several more cans than you intended to buy,” he says. And of course, if you buy more than you need, it’s not necessarily a bargain. Or worse yet, it could lead to over-indulging. “Mindless shopping leads to mindless eating,” says Wansink. “Once the stuff is in the house, you’ll eat it whether you really want it or not.”

8. You’ll walk the store the way they want you to.

There’s nothing haphazard about the layout of your grocery store. Sure, some of it is practical (like refrigerated cases along the periphery or meat cases in the back by the store’s loading dock), but some is carefully calculated to help you part with more money. Walk in the front doors and chances are you’re faced immediately with hard-to-resist items (not on your list) like fresh-cut flowers or just-baked loaves of bread. Just try walking past them en route to a carton of milk without tossing something extra into your cart. In fact, research has shown that 60 percent to 70 percent of what ends up in our carts is unplanned.

9. The salad bar can make you sick.

Raw produce at the salad bar, pre-made salads at the deli counter and other pre-cooked prepared foods all have the potential for harboring harmful bacteria (like E. coli, salmonella and Norovirus). “The biggest contributors to unsafe food are foods that are held at unsafe temperatures, handling of food by individuals with poor hygiene, and refilling partially used containers of perishable food with fresh food,” says Michael Doyle, Ph.D., director of the Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement at University of Georgia. He recommends that consumers pay attention to cleanliness, freshness (all prepared food should be thrown out if not sold by the end of the day), and way food is stored (cold foods need to be kept at 41 degrees or below; hot foods at greater than 135 degrees). As for those bulk bins of candy and trail mix—while it might be a bit gross to think about people reaching in and “sampling” the goods with their dirty fingers, according to Doyle, the risk of catching anything from them is very low. “Harmful microbes are not likely to grow in bulk-