10 uses

Ten Uses for Vinegar

November 8, 2011

Vinegar has been used for centuries to clean house, preserve food and fight infections. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, is said to have used it for curing persistent coughs and infections.

My daughter used to think that vinegar was good in everything, even cookies.

Well, not quite, but it has many uses. Plus, it’s cheap and natural and unlike many household cleaners, your toddler won’t end up the hospital if he accidentally tastes some. The acid in vinegar helps break down stains and it is a strong anti-bacterial (though not as strong as chemical household cleaners.)

I keep vinegar in a spray bottle under the kitchen sink and generally pull it out at least once daily. Here are ten of my favorite ways to use vinegar.

Use it in place of commercial conditioners. If your hair is oily and you can’t use regular conditioner, you can still use vinegar. It nourishes the hair, but leaves it clean and silky. Or you could make your own shampoo.
Clean fresh fruits and vegetables with vinegar. Simply spray, let sit a few minutes and rinse (or soak in a diluted solution.)
Make your own glass and mirror cleaner.
Add 1/2 cup to your load of laundry. It helps clean and deodorize, but isn’t strong enough to break down the fibers (in most clothes. I wouldn’t recommend it on your great-grandma’s heirloom lace!) The acid in the vinegar also helps soften the clothes and remove hard water residue.
Deter bugs with vinegar. Having an ant problem? Sprinkle vinegar around the base of doors and the back of your counters.
Use vinegar as an all-purpose house cleaner. Wipe down counters and showers. It works well to help fight mold and is full of anti-bacterial goodness.
Make your own healthy salad dressings. Basic formula is 1 part vinegar to 4 parts oil plus desired herbs/spices.
Soak your grains and beans in water and vinegar to help break down difficult to digest phytic acid.
Make a rich broth. After deboning your chicken, through the bones back in a pot. Add cold water and a tablespoon or two of vinegar. The vinegar helps draw the calcium out of the bones and into the broth.
(I haven’t actually used vinegar for this one, but it was too interesting not to include!) Vinegar has been shown to curb appetite and reduce obesity, though long term use of large doses may carry adverse side effects. As with all remedies, natural or not, it is important to remember the words of Paracelsus (the annoying father of toxicology) ”All things are poison, and nothing is without poison.” i.e. Please don’t overdo it!

Vinegar has been used for thousands of years, and I’m sure it has at least a thousand uses. These are some ways that vinegar works for me. What are your favorite uses for vinegar?

More depth: An interesting and in depth look at vinegar and its health claims.

Ten Tips to Stay Away from Walmart Longer

November 2, 2011

photo by Cindy Kalamajka

Shopping with three little ones. It’s doable. You can make it fun.

If you’re like me though, you would much rather take them to the park or sit on the couch together with a stack of books.

Unless you live on a self-sustainable farm or can afford a personal shopper (wouldn’t that be nice?!) trips to the store are a necessity. My goal is to make them as rare as possible. Even if you don’t have little ones, spreading out the shopping trips saves money by avoiding impulse purchase. Here are ten tips for lengthening the time between treks.

Keep your pantry stocked: Instead of waiting ’til you’re scraping out the last bit of peanut butter, keep several jars on hand and rotate them. Don’t have a pantry? There are many other creative ways to store food.
Make a menu using common ingredients you keep on hand: find your family’s favorite meals and keep the staples for fixing them well stocked.
Plan ahead: Do you entertain often? Pick a few meals that you like serving to guests and keep the pantry or freezer stocked with ingredients to make them. Will you need to bring food to a baby or wedding shower? Pick out a few recipes that you enjoy bringing to events and (you guessed it!) keep the ingredients on hand.
Keep a running list: As soon as you start to run low on an item, add it to the list. Before heading to the store, make sure your husband isn’t almost out of shaving cream.
Substitute: Out of eggs? A tablespoon of flax or soy flour mixed with a tablespoon of water works in baked goods. No oil? Try substituting applesauce or yogurt. Here’s a detailed list.
Check expiration dates in the store: The difference between one dozen eggs’ expiration date and the next can be weeks.
Keep the expiration date in mind at home: Some foods spoil quickly. Some don’t. Eggs, potatoes, apples, Romaine lettuce, citrus fruits, etc. can keep for at least two weeks properly stored. Eat the fresh food that spoils more quickly first and then rotate to longer keeping foods.
Utilize your freezer: Many perishable foods can be frozen, including milk. We don’t like thawed milk as much as fresh, but I’ll use it to make yogurt for breakfast smoothies or to serve with granola. If you run out of fresh fruits and veggies use frozen.
Be creative: Out of numerous basics? Search for recipes using what you do have.
Share the load: Have a friend or neighbor that also has small kids (or just doesn’t *love* shopping)? On their shopping day see if they could pick up a gallon of milk or other item you need to prolong your trip and then return the favor when you’re shopping.

These ideas work for me. What about you? Do you space your trips out as far as possible?

Tagged with: 10 uses • household tips • kitchen tips

On the Road: Leaving the house

June 24, 2010

Summer is fully here and with summer comes plans of travel.

Joshua winds up his first half of summer clerkship tomorrow and then we’re headed out of state to stay with family for a month and a half while he does legal research.

Extended trips take preparation. Especially if you’ll be gone for weeks.

Even if you’ll just be gone for a few days, a bit of preparation saves money and makes the return more welcoming.

The weekend away to do list:

Do a quick clean: just 15 minutes spent washing the dishes and wiping down the bathroom makes coming home much more pleasant.
Water the garden and indoor plants.
Turn the air conditioning up (or the heat down. ) No need to keep the spiders cool!
Unplug unnecessary appliances. Just having them plugged in takes electricity.
Finish the milk and anything else in the fridge that’s likely to go bad quickly.
Empty all trashes: otherwise the ants might take it as an invitation.
Put dinner in the freezer for the night you get home.
Leave an energy efficient light on and lock the door!

If you’re going to be gone for an extended time, a bit more planning is in order, but definitely worth it!

10 things to do before an extended trip:

Clear out the fridge: for a few weeks before a long planned trip, focus on eating from the fridge and pantry. It uses up food that might otherwise go bad and saves on the grocery bill!
Bug-proof your pantry. Store food in buckets, glass jars or the fridge.
Wash and dry all the laundry. It makes packing easier and avoids moldy stinky clothes. Leave the washing machine lid open. A bit of residue water collects in the machine (at least my model.) Let it air out while you’re gone to avoid mold.
Leave a clean house. An empty house is temptation enough for bugs, unwashed dishes and a dirty bathroom make it even worse! Maybe even set a few bug traps…
Be energy smart: Unplug unused appliances, turn up the A/C and turn the water heater to “vacation.”
Ask a neighbor or friend to keep an eye on things and water the garden or indoor plants.
Make sure valuables are with you or safely stored.
Have your mail held: you can do it easily online at the USPS website.
Plan for your return: have dinner and bread in the freezer to make unpacking easier and last until you restock the fridge!
Don’t forget the kids! in the midst of the packing take a break and relax with the munchkins.

Have you traveled this summer or do you have big plans? What do you do to make the return better?

photo by Nicolas Raymond

Tagged with: 10 uses • works for me

10 Ways to Utilize Canning Jars

April 8, 2010

Yesterday, Rosalind and I finished poking holes in the soil for the summer vegetable seeds and tiny tomato seedlings.

Playing in the dirt is fun, but playing in the dirt with your toddler is even better. As we scrubbed off our hands, I day dreamed about luscious tomato plants heavy with fruit to be canned.

With those canning dreams, my eyes will be pealed for canning jars at garage sales this spring. But while the rows of gleaming jars wait to be filled, there are plenty of ways to put them to good use.

Fill with flowers. They make cute quaint vases, especially with ribbon or raffia tied around the top.
Use as cups for little ones. They are sturdy and don’t tip over easily.
Collect loose change. It’s amazing how quickly it adds up!
Use to hold smaller portions of bulk purchases like beans or barley.
Top the jars full of grains with a bit of material and they can form part of the kitchen décor.
Fill with cookie or brownie mixes for thoughtful inexpensive gifts
Hold drippings from bacon, sausage, chicken, etc (I used to use mugs until we had company over, went to serve coffee and realized the mugs were busy holding grease in the fridge. Oops! Jars are definitely better.)
Use to store leftover soup or other liquids. Not only does the glass not leak chemicals, but you can see what’s stored and use it before it spoils.
I have never made my own candles (yet), but some of the cutest candles are just filled canning jars.
And, of course, fill with fresh fruits and vegetables and line the pantry with home canned goodness.

What is your favorite use for canning jars?

links to Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

photo by Safari 11

Tagged with: 10 uses • gardening • kitchen tips