Uses for Common Household Items: Part 2

Here are some other money saving tips for using common household items in new ways.  Enjoy and please comment and share your own tips with us!

Coffee Filters

- Use as prep "bowls' for cut veggies and dry ingredients while baking.  They are easy to clean because you just toss when done!

- Use as a lint-free cleaning cloth when wiping down static-prone electronics.

- Put in the bottom of small flower pots to help slow drainage.

- Place filters between fragile plates and bowls to help prevent chipping.  This also works great for non-stick cookware.

- To be "green", make sure to use previously recycled filters and unbleached if possible.

Dental Floss (unflavored)

- Use to cut soft cheeses into neat disks.

- It is great for vines and leaning plants.  Use to tie the stalks or vines to a trellis or pole.

- Slice a cake in half by pulling a piece of floss through the middle for a clean cut.

- Floss can be used as a thread substitute in a pinch, ie. buttons.

Other Neat Tips

- Use a paper towel stand to store rolls of masking/duck tape and ribbon for a wrapping station.

- Use the shreds of paper from your home office paper shredder as gift packaging stuffing instead of buying tissue paper.

- Coffee mugs make great utensil holders for open cupboards or while hosting a party so people are not rummaging through your drawers.

- Dry spaghetti noodles make great candle and fireplace lighters.  Their length helps to keep your fingers away from the flame.

- Have old small baby spoons leftover from your child? Use them as cocktail serving utensils which are perfect for dips, toppings, and nuts.

- Instead of using toothpicks at your next party, buy skinny pretzel sticks.  Not only are they disposable but also delicious.

- Freeze berries in ice cube trays instead of water which can water down drinks.

- Looking for a bright or new shower curtain?  Hang two extra large beach towels.  Can change out as often as you want to switch up the feel of your bathroom.

- When you are done with those cinnamon scented pine cones for the holidays place them in your empty window flower boxes for a nice decoration until planting season comes again.

- Place a few hooks, or replace your cabinet knobs with hooks, in your bathroom.  Hang your shirt and pants up while you shower and the steam will naturally de-wrinkle your clothes.

- Toothbrush holders make great simple flower holders for a nice way to bring some freshness to your bathroom.

- Inflate plastic sandwich and freezer bags with air and use as packing cushioning when shipping or storing items.

- Lint rollers also make great lamp shade dusters.

- Use napkin holders as bill organizer in your office.  (I have done this for years and love it, so simple)

- A file rack can be used as a holder for your cookie sheets and cutting boards.

- Cant find your rolling pin?  Place the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a wine bottle.

- Empty water bottles make great boot supports.  Place in boots to help keep them upright and keep their shape.

Enjoy!

Fragrant Cinnamon Ornaments

The smell of cinnamon is one of the most comforting and pleasant smells there are.  These ornaments are not only easy and affordable but add a touch of rustic elegance to your tree.

Simply mix 3/4 cup of Applesauce to 1 cup of Ground Cinnamon.  You can use your hands but beware they will turn brown.  However, it washes off and smells great.  This makes roughly 10-12 ornaments so double or triple the recipe as you see fit.  I used the paddle attachment on my Kitchen Aid Mixer and it worked great for mixing the dough.

Portion the dough into roughly 4 equal parts and roll between two sheets of plastic wrap.  This helps to prevent sticking and staining of the counter.  The dough should be pliable enough that it does not easily crack, but dry enough that it is not tacky.  If too wet, add more cinnamon.  If too dry, add more applesauce.  Roll to roughly 1/4" - 1/3" thick.  You want it thick enough that the shape will hold and it will be easy to pick up.

Using cookie cutters, cut shapes into the dough.  Larger more simple shapes work the best.  We tried a reindeer and smaller gingerbread man and their arms, necks and antlers were just too thin.  You can also use a simple shape and then use a smaller cutter to cut in the middle of it for a window look.

Carefully peel dough away from the cut shape and using the plastic wrap flip the shapes into your hand.  You can use a drinking straw or skewer to poke hanging holes in the ornaments.  This can be done in your hand or while still on the counter.  Then carefully place them onto a baking sheet.

Next you can air dry them for 2-4 days, flipping every so often.  But I don't have that kind of patience so I dried them out in a 200F oven for 2-2 1/2 hours.  You still may need to flip them if they are not drying out on the bottom but be careful they can become fragile.  I used a metal sheet pan and a Pampered Chef baking stone and noticed that the stone was much more efficient at drying them out, probably due to the natural pores in the stone letting air and heat in from top and bottom.

Your house will smell amazing as these dry out, and for some time after.  Once dry, place on a cooling rack to further dry and cool off.  Once finished choose any ribbon or string of your liking, and tie loops in the ornaments so that you can hang them.

A Christmas tree with some homemade touches is much more special and representative of the season than any store bought ornaments or decorations.  Enjoy this project with your family and friends.   Crank up some holiday music while you are making these and then watch a festive holiday movie as you wait for them to dry.  These can be saved year after year if carefully packaged.  But they are also so easy to make and fun so why not make it a yearly tradition.  And I hope I don't really need to say this but, just in case, these are NOT to eat and will not taste good, no matter how wonderful they smell! ;-)  Happy Holidays!

Uses for Common Household Items: Part 1

Here is the first part of a series of posts that will give you some great tips for using common household items, in new ways.  They range from cleaning to organizing and even health/beauty uses.  Feel free to leave comments with your own tips as well for others to see!

LEMONS:

- Grate the pith/flesh side of a half lemon on a cheese grater after using to help remove cheese or other residue.

- Rub the cut side of a lemon half over a wooden or plastic cutting board to whiten and refresh.  Rinse thoroughly after.

- Squeeze a lemon wedge into a bowl of just cut pears or apples to prevent browning.  This can also help to keep your guacamole green if done right after mixing.  Limes also add a nice flavor to guacamole.

- Roast a lemon half until the skin is bright golden yellow.  This helps to bring out the essential oils and cut the sour-ness of the fruit.  Then squeeze the juice out and mix with a teaspoon of honey.  Drink for a healthy and natural sore throat remedy.

- Adding 1/4-1/2 cup of lemon juice to your laundry's wash cycle will brighten whites.

- Lemons are a beautiful and simple table centerpiece when placed in a nice vase or bowl.

- When done juicing a lemon half stick it down your garbage disposal instead of throwing it away.  Simply turn on your disposal and run hot water to naturally clean and deodorize your disposal.

- Simmer sliced lemons in water for at least an hour and then place in a spray bottle.  This will add gentle highlights to blond hair.

VINEGAR:

- Use as a natural rinse agent by pouring it into the Rinse Aid container in your dishwasher.

- Splash some vinegar on your hands after cutting onions or garlic to help remove the smell.

- When making hard boiled eggs add a few drops of balsamic vinegar to the water just to slightly dye the egg shells.  This way you can place them back in the container and help to distinguish which ones are hard-boiled.

- Instead of buying Goo-Gone or other toxic residue removers let the area soak for a few minutes in vinegar then rub off.

- Vinegar makes a great natural fabric softener when added to your wash cycle and will not make your clothes smell.

- Adding vinegar to your bat will help to soothe dry itchy skin.

- Run 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water through your coffee machine to remove buildup and odor.

- As mentioned on this blog before you can mix it with equal parts dish soap for an amazing soap scum remover/bathroom cleaner.

- There are numerous household cleaning uses for vinegar, it is a wonder product!  I am sure I will be writing, at some point in the future, an entire post dedicated to vinegar.

DRYER SHEETS:

- Hang or place dryer sheets in your closets and dressers to keep your clothes smelling nice.

- Lightly dampen a sheet and use to clean the scum and buildup off glass shower doors.

- Leave one sheet in a especially dirty casserole dish or pan overnight and by morning the tough food will be much easier to remove.

- Place sheets in your shoes to help keep odor under wraps.

- Blot a sheet on your clothes when experiencing static cling.

- Stick a sheet in older books to help curb that musty smell.

BAKING SODA:

- Place a box of open baking soda in your fridge or closet to help prevent mustiness and tame odors. Change once a month for best results.

- Mix 3 parts baking soda and one part water for a natural and gentle face scrub.  This will leave your face with a nice healthy glow and smooth skin.

- Pour a baking soda and vinegar down your drains and let them work their magic.  Once the foaming subsides run hot water down the drain.

- If you run out of toothpaste you can always mix water and baking soda to a paste.  It is non-abrasive and helps whiten.

- Use baking soda as a gentle scouring agent on delicate surfaces.  Such as crayon and pencil marks on walls or furniture.

- A water and baking soda paste will remove stains from coffee and tea cups, shine your stainless steel sink, and remove greasy film from dishes.

Money Saving Vegetable Tips

Produce is not the cheapest thing to buy.  However, it seems to be one of the things people end up throwing away the most of, due to spoilage.  Fresh vegetables are one of the healthiest things you can eat and are great to cook with.  They contain more nutrients and flavor than their commercially canned or frozen varieties.  Here are a few money saving tips to help you get the most out of your vegetables.

- Buy as fresh as possible.  Something that is already starting to look bad is not going to magically improve in your refrigerator or on your counter.  Only purchase what you know for sure you are going to use in a reasonable amount of time.  Once one veg molds it will spread to the rest, so be careful.

- Store onions and potatoes in dry, dark areas.  This can be a pantry, under a counter, or in a cupboard.  This helps to prevent early rotting, mold, and inhibits them from growing more.  You can always cut off the growing parts, which are not unsafe.  But if you do have a lot of little green stems sprouting out it is probably a sign that you are not using your veggies fast enough and should buy less next time.

-  Do not cut, portion, trim, or peel until you are ready to use it.  This will minimize shelf life and will just make your produce go bad even faster.

-  Tomatoes, eggplant, squash, peppers, beans, and avocados are best left at room temperature.  The cool climate of the fridge can actually cause browning and texture loss.

- Leafy greens and celery benefit from being stored in plastic produce bags, and sometimes wrapped very loosely in a slightly damp paper towel.  This prevents the dry air of the refrigerator from wilting these items.

- Lettuce and greens will last longer, even weeks, if washed in cold water and dried using a salad spinner.  Make sure all dirt and water are spun from the leaves and then store a plastic bag.

- Fresh herbs are one of my favorite things to cook with.  They blow away the flavor of the dried tasteless flakes you get in jars.  However many people buy them and leave them in the bag or container they come in which leads to a very short shelf life.  Leafy herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro, and dill are stored best by placing them in a container with a little water.  Similar to putting flowers in a vase.  This will help to keep the stems and leaves hydrated and last longer.  Parsley can last for a week or more, while more delicate herbs such as basil will turn brown after 4-5 days.  Heartier herbs such as rosemary and thyme are best store wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel for a few days.

- If you are thinking the fresh herbs you bought are not going to make it then you can salvage them in other ways.  Before they are too far gone you can either chop and freeze them in little bags to later add to soups or other dishes, however the longer they are frozen they will lose their flavor.  You can also pour olive oil into an ice cube tray and place a small amount of chopped herbs into each cup.  Then simply freeze and take a cube as needed to melt into a saute pan and voila you have oil and herbs ready to go!

- Bananas are a fruit that gives off ethylene gas.  This can cause other produce around it to ripen quickly.  So unless you are trying to ripen a tomato or avocado quickly it is best to store all things separate from bananas.

- Tomatoes should never be stored in the fridge.  It causes them to become mealy and flavorless.

And finally here is a great trick that I learned to lengthen the life of scallions.  I was skeptical but happily surprised when it worked!  When you are using scallions cut away the green portions and leave the white bottom part whole.  It works best to have a good 2-3 inches left.  Then simply place the stalk root end in a little bit of water and in just a few days you will have a re-grown scallion.  Talk about getting the most bang for your buck!  The picture below is how much growth after one week.  The green part is what was grown from the original stump.  It has been about two weeks now and is pretty much as long as a scallion you would purchase in the store now.  I can't wait to do this with the rest that I have left now that I know it works!

Enjoy these tips and please leave comments and share any you may have as well!

Roasted Banana Oatmeal Pecan Muffins

I love banana muffins.  It is one of those things that just smells amazing when it is baking and then taste even better warm and slathered with butter.  There are always bananas at my house so inevitably there are also some that get a little over-ripe.  Some people throw them away, which is a waste of money, when instead you can make delicious banana bread or muffins.  This recipe is inspired by Chiquita's Oatmeal Raisin Banana Muffins, which are also delicious, but I decided to change a few steps.  It uses things most people have in their kitchen already so it really is a very cost effective recipe.  These are a little more dense than regular muffins because of the larger quantity of oats.  But this makes them a very hearty and filling addition to breakfast or any meal.

Roasted Banana Oatmeal Pecan Muffins

1/4      Cup, Oats (old-fashion or quick cooking)

1/4      teaspoon, Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon

1         Tablespoon, Brown Sugar (Packed)

1         Tablespoon, Butter (Melted)

2         Whole, Bananas (Leave in peel at first)

1         Each, Large Egg (Beaten)

3/4      Cup, Milk or Buttermilk

1         Cup, Flour

1         Cup, Oats

3/4      Cup, Brown Sugar (Packed)

1         teaspoon, Baking Soda

2         teaspoon, Baking Powder

1/2      teaspoon, Salt

1/4      Cup, Pecans (Chopped and can substitute with your favorite nut)

1/2      teaspoon, Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a muffin pan with paper cups.

2. When oven is preheated place the two bananas on a sheet pan and roast until peel is completely brown and you can smell bananas in your kitchen.  Using a fork scrape out inside of banana into a medium bowl. Place bowl into fridge so that roasted banana can cool.

3. For the topping combine 1/4 Oats, 1/4 tsp. pumpkin spice or cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, and 1 Tbsp. melted butter.  Set aside.

4. I toasted my pecans in a small saute pan for a few minutes to help bring out the flavor.  I also toast nuts for this reason, but it is not a necessary step.  Afterward, chop the nuts using a food chopper, rolling pin or meat tenderizer.

5. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, oats, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and nuts.

6. Once banana is cool, add milk and egg to the medium bowl.  Mix together and then pour into the larger bowl of dry ingredients.  Mix until combined, batter will be lumpy.

7.  Divide batter evenly into the muffin cups.  An ice cream scoop works great for this.  Sprinkle the reserved topping over each muffin.

8.  Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, or with only dry crumbs on it.

Try to resist not cutting one in half right out of the oven and spreading butter on it.  Enjoy!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I recently borrowed the book "Make the bread, buy the butter" by Jennifer Reese.  It is an entertaining cookbook/short story collection about her way to discover if homemade is better than commercially made.  This book is not necessarily about saving money, going organic, or down playing commercial food.  It is however very entertaining and easy to read.  She breaks down each recipe by "Make it or buy it?", "Hassle", and "Cost Comparison."  Some of her attempts are funny, to the point I laughed out loud.  There are many recipes I bookmarked to try and the first one was homemade flour tortillas.  Now as she states commercially made ones are convenient and work just fine, however they are actually really easy to make at home.  I did find them a little more dense and floury tasting that I am used to, but they also are not slick and packed with preservatives and other chemicals to make them shelf stable and uniform.  They do not last long for this reason but for how easy they are to make and yummy you won't have many leftovers.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

3      Cups, All-Purpose Flour
3/4   Teaspoon, Kosher Salt (any salt will work, I like kosher flavor better)
5      Tablespoons, Vegetable oil, lard, or shortening (I used vegetable oil)
3/4   Cup, Water

1. Combine flour and salt.  Add the fat, mixing until the flour forms clumps.  It will look like loose pie dough.  Add 3/4 cup water and mix until ingredients come together and form a dough.  I had to add a tablespoon or so more of water to help my dough come together.  It should not be sticky at all and comes together quite easily.  I used my hands to mix it up.

2. Knead until smooth and tender.  Do not over knead it.  Divide into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls.  They should be a little larger than a golf ball.  Cover with a clean/damp dish towel, and let rest on the counter for 20 minutes.

3. Heat an un-greased skillet until very hot.  I used a 10" skillet so that I had space.  With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6-8" circle.  You don't have to get them paper thin or perfect, this is part of the homemade charm.  Roll them as thin as you are comfortable with and so you can still lift them up.  You should not need to add flour to your mat or counter to roll these out.

4. Place one tortilla at a time on the skillet and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  You will see it start to puff.  Turn it over and cook the other side for the same amount of time.  You should have a nice white tortilla with some brown patches.  Stack on a plate with a clean towel or napkin between each one.  Finish cooking all the tortillas and serve immediately.

I made The Pampered Chef's 10 minute microwave chicken fajitas to go along with it.  And along with some cheese and salsa these were delicious soft shell tacos.  I urge you to at least try it once.  They were honestly so much easier than I imagined and you don't need any special tools.  Enjoy!

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