| RE: Rehydrating Beans in Hard Water |
A spoonful of baking soda should help to soften the water, but salt should be avoided as it toughens the beans. Age affects them too, so if they're older than six months you might consider buying some new as the older ones are harder. If it's still a problem you might use filtered water to soak. Good luck!
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| RE: Paper Or Plastic Bags? |
Paper vs. plastic isn't an issue for me; I can't remember the last time I even saw paper bags available in the supermarket!
I've been using cloth bags for years now. Plastic is a waste, especially when the cashiers do the bagging. They seem to aim for about 1 item per bag. It's not just for the environment, the cloth bags are sturdier and easier to carry than plastic. No more rips in the bottom or raw hands from carrying heavy bags. I don't have piles of plastic bags taking up drawer space in the house anymore. The plastic bags I do get I use to line waste baskets. Remembering to bring the cloth bags shopping can be a problem at first but once you start it's easy to remember as your purse. ... View related article. |
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| RE: Breaking a Lease |
Breaking a lease is tricky; you're legally obligated to pay the rent for the full term. I think your best bet is to have an honest talk with your landlord. Tell them your situation and they might be willing to work out some flexible rent payment terms. A lot of people are having financial problems now, so hopefully they'll be understanding. I think landlords are happier working with tenants rather than runnning the risk of having them default completely.
If you really decide you can't afford the rent see if they might be willing to advertise the place (or you advertise), with you agreeing to pay rent until they can find another tenant. In effect the new tenant would be taking over your lease. I've done this before when I had to move mid-lease, so it might be an option.
Good luck, hope you get things sorted! ... View related article. |
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| RE: Finding Non Toxic Cleaning Products |
I'll repeat the old mantra here: Baking soda! Bicarbonate of soda is great for cleaning all kinds of surfaces. Sprinkle some in a bowl and mix with a dollop of liquid dish detergent to make a non-scratching soft scrub that deals with greasy messes no problem. Plain soap and water works great, too.
Somewhere along the way companies convinced us that we weren't really cleaning unless we piled on enough chemicals to disinfect an operating theatre. I used to get headaches all the time from cleaning products (especially bathroom cleaners) but since I went 'natural' I haven't had any problems. If you do want store-bought products you might look into what eco-friendly cleaners are available at your supermarket. They generally have less irritating ingredients than standard cleaners. ... View related article. |
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| RE: Eating a Healthy Vegetarian Diet |
You say 'get healthy' so I'm not sure if you're having any medical problems, but in general a vegetarian diet can be perfectly healthy and isn't too different from a healthy meat-eating diet.
A few servings of legumes like beans & lentils or tofu a day provides protein. Combine those with grains (preferably whole grains) like rice, pasta or bread, plus your daily supply of fruits and vegetables. Cheese and dairy should be eaten sparingly as it tends to be high in fat. Eggs are another good source of protein but should also be eaten sparingly.
There's hundreds of vegetarian cookbooks and websites to give you more detailed info. Here's one from the USDA:
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_displa ... evel=2&tax_subject=257&topic_id=1359 ... View related article. |
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| RE: Propagating Ivy |
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Ivy is a root plant and I don't think it comes from bulbs. Propagating ivy is easy though, just take some cuttings and keep in a glass of water until roots form. ... View related article. |
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| RE: What Do You Use to Clean Windows? |
Straight club soda in a spritzer bottle works well for windows and glass too, and its a good alternative if the smell of vinegar is too overpowering. For windows I use a squeegee and wipe up any excess with a microfiber cloth. It makes the job go a lot faster!
If your windows are really dirty I'd use a dish soap and water solution first as plain vinegar might streak. ... View related article. |
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| RE: Tips For Living Green |
Think simple! It's amazing how much you can save (in $ too) by just easing consumption. Don't waste money on a hundred different cleaning products when they're all basically detergent anyway. Vinegar and baking soda cost next to nothing and are very green! I buy big bottles of eco-friendly dish washing liquid and use that as a general cleaning soap. A little in a bucket of hot water goes a long way.
Reuse as much as possible. Coffee cans, glass jars, etc. can be used for storage. Worn-out clothes and towels make good rags and replace paper towels. ... View related article. |
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| RE: Treating Fleas with WD-40 |
WD-40 is toxic! It's flammable and can cause lung damage and skin irritation in humans. The effects on smaller animals like dogs would probably be worse. Prolonged exposure might actually kill your pet. It's made from chemical ingredients, not fish oil. Please don't use it on pets!
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| RE: Cleaning and Organizing My House |
Sit down with your husband and have a good talk with him. I'm guessing that clutter isn't all yours! Try and get him to help one afternoon a week for starters, between the two of you it's surprising how fast jobs can go.
For organizing the stuff you want to keep buy some of those stackable plastic storage tubs. They last forever and they're easier to move than boxes, and they keep out bugs and moisture. You can stick a label on the outside so you have a general idea of what's in them. Good luck!
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