Saving on air conditioning cost can cut your electric bill by twenty percent or more. These small changes can help in that endeavor.
[1] Save on your power bill by placing a fan in a window after sundown to circulate cooler night air into your house, then trap it there in the morning by closing all windows, pulling your blinds shut or draw the curtains to keep there sun out. In some cases you may not have to turn on your AC until afternoon.
[2] If each room has it's own thermostat, set the rooms you are not using to a higher temperature than the one you are working in.
[3] Keep cooler by wearing natural fabric clothing. Things made with cotton, silk or linen will let air pass through, thus feeling cooler.
[4] Wear less clothing when indoors. Take off hats, shoes and tight fitting clothing when coming home from work. You will find you will not need your air conditioner set lower to feel cooler.
[5] Keep a small spray bottle filled with water and occasionally spray your face and arms with a mist of water. You will feel cooler instantly.
[6] For food prep, use crock pots or an out door grill to cut down on the need for the oven and long cooking times that will heat up your home.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Something to Add a Smile to Your Day
This applesauce oatmeal muffin recipe is great for breakfast or a snack on-the-go. For added variety, you can substitute the applesauce with ripe bananas, prunes, pears or peaches. Place your fruit in a food processor and pulse to the size you like, then add to the mixture.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cup applesauce
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, prepare muffin pans by spraying cooking spray on them or use cup cake paper holders.
Mix dry ingredients well with a fork. Beat egg, then add oil and milk, stir in applesauce. Add the dry mix to the wet mix until just combined.
Spoon into pans and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffin top springs back after a light touch.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cup applesauce
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, prepare muffin pans by spraying cooking spray on them or use cup cake paper holders.
Mix dry ingredients well with a fork. Beat egg, then add oil and milk, stir in applesauce. Add the dry mix to the wet mix until just combined.
Spoon into pans and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffin top springs back after a light touch.
Tips and Ideas On Shortcut Cooking
If you are like me, you are always looking for cooking shortcuts or ways to "fix" a little mistake you have made while cooking. Here are two that I have used many times over my 50 years of cooking.
[1] To cut hours of cooking time off your dried beans, microwave them for 14-15 minutes. Place the beans, peas, lentils, etc, in a microwave safe bowl, large enough to cover them with water about 2 inches higher than they are. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl. Make a small slit in the middle to allow steam to escape. Put into your microwave set on high for 8 minutes. When it stops, check water level, add more water if needed. Replace plastic film and heat for 6-7 minutes more. Let the bowl cool before removing. Rinse, place beans into your cooking pot, add fresh water and seasoning. Cook as usual but for half the time.
[2] If you have used to much Mayonnaise in your Tuna or Chicken salad mixture. Place 6-8 plain or saltine crackers in a plastic bag and crush them into small pieces, with your dough roller. Then add as much as you need to help soak up the extra mayonnaise. Don't add too much or you will have the opposite problem. Taste your mixture before adding more salt.
Never give up on something as you will find a way to save or improve 99.9% of them.
[1] To cut hours of cooking time off your dried beans, microwave them for 14-15 minutes. Place the beans, peas, lentils, etc, in a microwave safe bowl, large enough to cover them with water about 2 inches higher than they are. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl. Make a small slit in the middle to allow steam to escape. Put into your microwave set on high for 8 minutes. When it stops, check water level, add more water if needed. Replace plastic film and heat for 6-7 minutes more. Let the bowl cool before removing. Rinse, place beans into your cooking pot, add fresh water and seasoning. Cook as usual but for half the time.
[2] If you have used to much Mayonnaise in your Tuna or Chicken salad mixture. Place 6-8 plain or saltine crackers in a plastic bag and crush them into small pieces, with your dough roller. Then add as much as you need to help soak up the extra mayonnaise. Don't add too much or you will have the opposite problem. Taste your mixture before adding more salt.
Never give up on something as you will find a way to save or improve 99.9% of them.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Small Tips to Make Your Diet Healthier
Oat meal isn't just for breakfast. Add uncooked oats to your meat loafs, sloppy joes, or any other ground meat recipe. Mix a couple teaspoons of brown sugar with 1/4cup of oats then sprinkle the mixture over your fresh fruit. You can replace up to half of the regular flour, in most bread recipes, with oat flour, thus increasing the fiber intake in your daily diet.
Brown rice is more nutritious than the white rice. Adding brown rice to a stir fry, or grown meat recipe will make it more filling and better for you.
Using the right oil will also help keep you healthy. Always read the labels when buying food.
Trans fat is found in many foods but mainly in commercial baked goods, french fries, fried chicken and snack food crackers. If the label says the food is made with hydrogenated vegetable oils, shortening or hard margarine, it will contain trans fat.
Saturated fat occurs naturally in many foods. It primarily comes from animal sources, including beef, lamb, pork, lard, real butter and cheese.
The better fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive, canola and peanut oils. Many nuts, seeds and avocados contain these good fats, also.
Reading and understanding labels will help all of us live better.
Brown rice is more nutritious than the white rice. Adding brown rice to a stir fry, or grown meat recipe will make it more filling and better for you.
Using the right oil will also help keep you healthy. Always read the labels when buying food.
Trans fat is found in many foods but mainly in commercial baked goods, french fries, fried chicken and snack food crackers. If the label says the food is made with hydrogenated vegetable oils, shortening or hard margarine, it will contain trans fat.
Saturated fat occurs naturally in many foods. It primarily comes from animal sources, including beef, lamb, pork, lard, real butter and cheese.
The better fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive, canola and peanut oils. Many nuts, seeds and avocados contain these good fats, also.
Reading and understanding labels will help all of us live better.
Money Saving and Healthy Grocery Buying Tips
Eating healthy doesn't have to break your food budget. The main ingredient in a food budget is knowledge. Read your weekly newspaper ads, to get the best deals on food products. Clip coupons from magazines, newspapers and online sites, that match the items you have chosen for your weekly menus. Avoid buying items that are advertise as a good deal, unless it's something you are going to eat. Having "good buys" sitting in your pantry will not save on your food budget.
Frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh. The big bonus in using frozen produce is the convenience of always being able to have it on hand, no matter the season. While it may cost a little more, you have no worry about spoilage happening before you can use your food items and loosing the you spent on buying it.
Canned meats or fish are always good to have on hand for quick meals or unexpected company. Can Tuna, Salmon or Sardines offer the same omega-3 fats as fresh seafood. Add some pasta and a mixed green salad for an easy healthy meal.
Frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh. The big bonus in using frozen produce is the convenience of always being able to have it on hand, no matter the season. While it may cost a little more, you have no worry about spoilage happening before you can use your food items and loosing the you spent on buying it.
Canned meats or fish are always good to have on hand for quick meals or unexpected company. Can Tuna, Salmon or Sardines offer the same omega-3 fats as fresh seafood. Add some pasta and a mixed green salad for an easy healthy meal.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Finding Frugal Gifts is in the Planning
Awwww Spring is here, can the wedding shower invitations be far behind? After each holiday, I look for items, such as dish towels, that can be used for gifts, next year. Most sell for 50% to 75% off after the holiday and make excellent gifts for the new brides. She can have a new decorated towel to celebrate New Year's, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, or what ever it might be, in her new marriage and home. Plus you will have saved money!
Another great idea is using a bucket as a container and filling it with small garden hand tools. Starting a new home entails a lot of small expenses. Most we do not think of until the need arises. Giving a 5 pound bag of potting soil, a scoop or hand rake with some clay pots, topped off with a 6 pack of blooming flowers will get any new home owner off to a good start. You can usually find these items, except for the flowers, in the garden department of your local Kmart or Wal-Mart in the fall reduced by 50% to 60%.
Saving money is a matter of timing and thinking ahead. Happy shopping everyone!
Another great idea is using a bucket as a container and filling it with small garden hand tools. Starting a new home entails a lot of small expenses. Most we do not think of until the need arises. Giving a 5 pound bag of potting soil, a scoop or hand rake with some clay pots, topped off with a 6 pack of blooming flowers will get any new home owner off to a good start. You can usually find these items, except for the flowers, in the garden department of your local Kmart or Wal-Mart in the fall reduced by 50% to 60%.
Saving money is a matter of timing and thinking ahead. Happy shopping everyone!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Surprising Everyday Pantry Items That Work Elsewhere
Most of the time when little home accidents happen we can find immediate help in our pantries.
[1] Bee stings can be helped with a paste of baking soda and water. Mix three teaspoons of baking soda and one teaspoon of water and rub it on the sting. Always remove the stinger first. Leave it on for fifteen minutes, then rinse off. Repeat if needed.
[2] If someone in your household shows signs of Athlete's foot, make a mixture of one half cup of white vinegar in a gallon of water and let them soak their feet in it for 5-10 minutes, daily. Within a week, they should see a big difference. Household white vinegar contains a natural anti fungal.
[3] With summer coming and children being prone to swimmers ear, this is a great idea to keep in the back of your mind. Grate two cloves of fresh garlic into a small dish and cover with a layer of olive oil. Cover and leave overnight. In the morning strain the garlic and use the oil that remains in the affected ear. Two or three drops, twice a day can help with the pain. Just remember if the pain continues more than three day or if a fever comes up, you may need to take the child to a doctor.
[4] With all the sunscreens on the market you would think no one would become sun burned anymore, but it still happens. When it does and your need quick relief, go looking for milk. Milk has anti-inflammatory enzymes that will soothe your skin. Wet a cloth in cold milk and cover the abused skin for 15 minutes with the cloth. Repeat as often as you need to relieve pain.
[1] Bee stings can be helped with a paste of baking soda and water. Mix three teaspoons of baking soda and one teaspoon of water and rub it on the sting. Always remove the stinger first. Leave it on for fifteen minutes, then rinse off. Repeat if needed.
[2] If someone in your household shows signs of Athlete's foot, make a mixture of one half cup of white vinegar in a gallon of water and let them soak their feet in it for 5-10 minutes, daily. Within a week, they should see a big difference. Household white vinegar contains a natural anti fungal.
[3] With summer coming and children being prone to swimmers ear, this is a great idea to keep in the back of your mind. Grate two cloves of fresh garlic into a small dish and cover with a layer of olive oil. Cover and leave overnight. In the morning strain the garlic and use the oil that remains in the affected ear. Two or three drops, twice a day can help with the pain. Just remember if the pain continues more than three day or if a fever comes up, you may need to take the child to a doctor.
[4] With all the sunscreens on the market you would think no one would become sun burned anymore, but it still happens. When it does and your need quick relief, go looking for milk. Milk has anti-inflammatory enzymes that will soothe your skin. Wet a cloth in cold milk and cover the abused skin for 15 minutes with the cloth. Repeat as often as you need to relieve pain.
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