14 Ways to Save Money on Groceries

Just information I wanted to pass on - good stuff! (I'm always a sucker for list!)

1. Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causes vegetables to rot.

2. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot pan.

3. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs.

4. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.

5. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes.

6. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in a bunch.

7. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps.

8. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale – you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.

9. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.

10. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increments, to make honey clear again.

11. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture.

12. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread – or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.

13. If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze out exactly what you require.

14. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

BLIZZARD 2011

What's all the hype? SNOWNAMI or SNOWMAGEDON!!!

So we got a lot of snow... Am I under estimating this? Of course the 'white out' was impressive Tuesday late afternoon on the drive home. And this last storm I refused to go out and shovel. Although I feel awful Brian fell on his back and hurt himself pretty bad.

The snow drifts are sure pretty to look at. I like the fact Brian drove in this morning so it gave me a chance to look at all them on the way to work. I find them fascinating...the way the wind blows the snow around some obstacles and makes works of art!

Ultimate Cinnamon Buns

They came to my rescue! While watching PBS at my 91 yr old gpa's house a couple of weeks ago we caught Cook's Country. (Without cable you learn to appreciate PBS.)They were making the Ultimate Cinnamon Buns. Ooo, Ahhh...

As you may know, I like to be in the kitchen and wanted to get that recipe. Well my A.D.D. is so bad that I tend to forget what I wanted to do 2 seconds ago and had forgotten until they repeated the show again this last Sat and happened to catch it again! Oh yea - note to self, look up recipe on line. And well here it is almost a week later and guess what I FINALLY remembered to do!? Search for the recipe!

So I get online and Cook's wants you to pay for their recipes. I just wanted this ONE lone recipe... :( With all the free recipes and blogs out there today I was shocked. So I searched on... and there it was on a blog - the recipe! (Insert golden harps and a choir of HALLELUJAH) Yippee!!! Thank you "the 12 Year Plan" you made this girl happy today!

I looked around the blog, looks like a keeper so I've added it to my list - check it out!

So Long Jack

I recently read Jack Lalanne (96) died on Sunday. While reading the article it made me chuckle as he said this, "I can't afford to die. It would wreck my image." - God love him.

Well is hasn't been a quite year -

But it sure feels like it. Thinking about coming back to blogging and maybe devoting a particular theme to it too. Or just shoot from the hip - I think that's what I'm best at anyways... Do you have any suggestions? Themes could be cooking (which I haven't done in a long while.) Or movies - state my take on them. Exercise and how its completely diminished from my life all together... Well see. Maybe I'll just check in weekly and see how that goes for now... See you around.