Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Three, Number 125, September 10, 2004
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
Tomorrow's TF News will be about homemade cleaning products. If you have any homemade cleaning recipes that you use, feel free to submit them on the contest form:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/contest.ldml
Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend,
Susan
Submit a tip and enter our contest: Click Here
If you are looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem,
submit it here: Click Here
Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Turn T-Shirts Inside Out
- Jello Cookies
- Make Your Own Swiffer Pads
- Make Your Own Dog Biscuits
- Macaroni and Cheese Pizza
- Remove Pet Hair From Furniture
- Save Money on Freezer Bags
- Cleaning a Turkey Pan Easily
- Pickled Baby Corn
- Making Your Own Brown Sugar
- Install a Versatile Shower Head
- Feedback: Freezer Meal Recipes
- Feedback: Homemade Pizza For Your Family
- Feedback: Looking for Camping Tips and Recipes
- Feedback: Uses for Plastic Bottle and Pop Can Rings
- Feedback: Vinegar for Fleas?
- Today's Recipe: Convenience Mix Muffins
New Requests:
- Suede Stain Removal
- My Fake Leather Couch Leaves stains on Clothes!
- Need Help With a Birthday Party With an Asian Theme
- Removing Latex Paint from Copper and Cement
- Decorating Old Furniture
- Need Recipe for "Nutrigrain Bars"
- Gnats In My Home! How do I get them to leave?
- Recipes for Sports Drinks?
More Reading:
- How Do You Know If You're Using The Right Thread?
- Container Gardens
- Drip Irrigation for Home Gardens
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Today's Tips
Turn T-Shirts Inside Out
All those expensive T-Shirts need to be turned inside out when you wash them so the design continues to look like new. Jeans look great for a long time if you turn them inside out also. Clothes are expensive and it is worth taking a couple of minutes to keep them in good shape.
By Bev Sobkowich
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Jello Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Wesson Oil
- 1 Cup granulated Sugar
- 1 small pkg. of Jello (any flavor, this determines what color your cookies will be)
- 2 eggs
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 Cups Self Rising Flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Mix all ingredients together. Roll dough into small balls and flatten with a glass dipped lightly in oil and then in sugar. Bake 6-8 minutes.
By Terri H.
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Make Your Own Swiffer Pads
I got a Swiffer Wet Jet Mop a few years ago. But I hated buying those new pads all the time. So I found several wool sweaters I was no longer wearing, shrunk them (also known as felting), then I measured the last Swiffer pad that was in the box, made a quick pattern from newspaper. Then I cut out about 10 pads from the 2 shrunken sweaters and "wah-lah!". Reuseable swiffer pads. The wool sticks right to the velcro on the bottom of the swiffer. And the wool makes a nice cleaning tool. When they are dirty, I just toss them in the washer. Now if I can just find a way to refill the cleaner, I'd really be saving some money!
By Cassie Stevens
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Make Your Own Dog Biscuits
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon iodized salt
1 teaspoon bonemeal
2 tablespoons corn oil or soy oil
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Directions:
Beat eggs and milk in a small mixing bowl.
Then in a large mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients and mix.
Then add oil, malasses and all but 1 tablespoon of the milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients.
Knead until you have a firm dough, add a little more milk if needed. Let the dough sit for 30 minutes or more.
Roll out dough 1/2 inch thick and brush with the remaining egg/milk. Cut into biscuit sized pieces.
Bake on a cookie sheet at 350F for 30 minutes for soft biscuits. For harder biscuits, turn off the oven and let the them sit for another hour in the hot oven.
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Macaroni and Cheese Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1 box of velveeta macaroni and cheese
- 1 lb. hamburger
- 12-14 oz bag of cheddar cheese
- 14 oz pizza sauce
- pepperoni slices
- onions
- peppers
- 12-14 oz bag of mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Cook macaroni and cheese according to box. Brown hamburger. Drain.
Mix hamburger, macaroni and cheese, cheddar cheese, and pizza sauce all together. Place in 13x9 ungreased pan. Top with mozzarella cheese and place pepperoni on top
By Lisa Trudeau
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Remove Pet Hair From Furniture
To quickly remove pet hair from your upholstered furniture. Slip on a surgical glove (you can find them at the dollar store) and rub the hair briskly in a circular motion. It will gather up and you can remove it by picking it up or take a piece of wide shipping tape, and use that to pick it up once you have gathered it together with the glove.
By Harlean from Arkansas
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Save Money on Freezer Bags
To save money on freezer bags, put food (fruit, cookies, whatever you are freezing) in sandwich bags, then put several sandwich bags in one large freezer bag. That way you get the foods separated but don't need a freezer bag for each food item.
Peggy
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Cleaning a Turkey Pan Easily
With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner (It really will come fast!) I want to share a tip for cleaning the turkey pan. I don't use aluminum unless I have to; and I do have a stainless steel pan. Either one will benefit from this tip. After the turkey, etc. are removed from the pan, put hot water and about 1 cup baking soda and a small amount of dish detergent in the pan and fill it to the top. Let it soak while you are eating and it will be a breeze to clean. I have done this for years and it has always worked. (I have been married 42 years)
By Sshep
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Pickled Baby Corn
I reminisced at our local farmers market when I saw cutesy little 5 ounce jars of pickled corn selling for $4 to $5. My mouth watered. Returning home I searched out Grandma's handwritten recipe card which chronicled:
- 2 quarts immature field corn ears, picked when only 2-3 inches long
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp pickling spice tied in a bag.
Husk and boil the corn for 4 minutes, no longer. Pack it into hot sterilized jars and cover with syrup made by boiling the other ingredients for 5 minutes.
Seal and store in your basement and bring them out when you want to intrigue your most interesting guests. Delicious.
A gallon tin of baby corn ($4.00 from local supermarket) produced 20 - 8 oz jars of this delicacy.
By Sean C
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Making Your Own Brown Sugar
Making your own brown sugar is easy and cheaper than buying it at the supermarket; it tastes great on cooked oatmeal in the morning or used in any recipe calling for brown sugar.
To 1 cup granulated sugar, add 2 Tablespoons molasses. Stir together until evenly mixed with a fork. After trying it once, vary it by using 1 Tablespoon molasses, using the dark molasses or the light molasses. We prefer 1 cup sugar to 1 Tablespoon light molasses, but I have made all the other variations. I make a double batch every time.
By Betty
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Install a Versatile Shower Head
When it's time to replace your shower head, consider buying one that has a hose on it. It can be detached from the fixture and used to clean a lot of household items. I use ours to wash off baskets, silk flowers, wreaths, lamp shades, etc. Some things fade a little bit, but it has never made a difference if you let it dry in the tub. Also if something is delicate and probably not really supposed to be washed with water, you can give it a quick spray and set it right down to dry without handling it very much.
By Jayne
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Feedback: Freezer Meal Recipes
Make a normal batch of lasagna or double the recipe and divide them into small aluminum pans that come with lids. They are fairly cheap and you can buy them at almost any grocery store. You can even reuse them after. My friend and I have done this on several occasions (great way to visit :) ) Use your own favourite lasagna recipe. You might spend a few hours making it, but then you will have ready made dinners in freezer. Definitely cheaper than buying premade lasagnas!
By Colleen
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Feedback: Homemade Pizza For Your Family
Regarding the french or italian bread pizza, we use a piece of aluminum foil on the gas grill and make them outside in during the hot months. Only takes a few minutes and doesn't make the house any hotter.
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Feedback: Looking for Camping Tips and Recipes
I have spent a lot of time camping and of course there are many ways to help your stay be enjoyable. The tips about prep with food are some of the best ideas. What we do is buy everything at your local stores, it will be more expensive to run to a store while camping. I them separate all the meats into meal size baggies and freeze them separately. Aluminum foil can be your best friend. You can make meal packets, and just throw them onto the fire. I always bring some type of grill rack, to cook over the fire pit. I used to take my oven rack, as I used to be really broke. Cook with charcoal and then have your bonfire started over the hot coals. Also keep meals simple, you are camping after all. And as always, enjoy yourselves, and be careful.
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Feedback: Uses for Plastic Bottle and Pop Can Rings
If your are talking about those plastic rings that hold all the soda bottles together - you can save a bunch, tie them all together with kite string and make a volleyball net that will stand the test of time
By Owenmohrbucks
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Feedback: Vinegar for Fleas?
I read a tip the other day that I thought was pretty good--Keep your lawn mowed short--the fleas do not live in sunlight places and prefer dark places and by keeping your lawn mowed you might elimate many of these pests.
By Diana
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Other Active Topics
Be sure to check out our active topics page to follow the discussion.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/board.html
Today's Recipe: Convenience Mix Muffins
Here are some simple recipes for making muffins with the All-Purpose Convenience Mix we published last weekend. You can find the recipe for the All-Purpose Convenience Mix here:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf759421.tip.html
Convenience Mix Muffins
Ingredients
Directions
Combine mix and sugar. Beat egg and add water. Add to dry ingredients. Stir just enough to mix in dry ingredients. Fill greased muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.
Muffin Variations
- Raisin Muffins Add 1/2 cup raisins
- Date Muffins Add 1/3 cup chopped dates.
- Blueberry Muffins Add 1/2 cup blueberries.
- Pineapple Add 1/2 cup well-drained, crushed pineapple.
Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients
Directions
Measure all dry ingredients, put into mixing bowl and stir well. Mix egg and water together in another bowl, then add the dry mixture all at once. Stir slightly. The mixture should be left lumpy. Fill oiled muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 425 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Oatmeal Muffin Variations
- Raisin Oatmeal Muffins Add 1/2 cup raisins.
- Date Nut Oatmeal Muffins Add 1/4 cup chopped dates and 1/4 cup chopped nuts to the basic recipe.
Bran Muffins
Ingredients
Directions
Place egg in a bowl and beat. Add sugar and water. Continue beating. Blend in whole bran cereal. Add Convenience Mix. Stir quickly and vigorously until just mixed. Batter will look lumpy. Rub muffin pans lightly with oil. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes. Serve hot with jam or jelly.
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Tip Contest
New Contest! Submit a tip and you could win:
Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month
By Deborah Taylor-Hough
Frozen Assets is small in stature, but jam-packed with meal-planning advice. It contains recipe ideas, plus detailed instructions on how to get the maximum value from your food dollar, while also slashing meal preparation times.
Enter the contest!
New Requests:
Suede Stain Removal
I have a light coloured suede jacket that got a few drops of beer spilled on it. Does anyone know how I can get rid of these stains?
Thanks,
Celine from Victoria
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My Fake Leather Couch Leaves stains on Clothes!
I've got an amazing fake leather couch set that has reclining chairs and a foldaway bed that's been sitting around unused for awhile in a storage warehouse. The problem is that the couch every so often will leave stains on the backs of shirts and sometimes pants. I've tried all-purpose cleaner and leather cleaner to minimal effect. Please help me with ideas!
Greg
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Need Help With a Birthday Party With an Asian Theme
I am looking for some tips for my sons 16th Birthday Party. He really likes the Asian decor, he collects dragons, so I have decided to give him a Asian style party. I have found some sites online but would appreciate any ideas given, Thanks,
Judy in Oklahoma
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Removing Latex Paint from Copper and Cement
How do you get latex paint off of copper door knobs and off of cement?
Thank you,
Maurice
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Decorating Old Furniture
We had our living room furniture recovered in 1986. It is wearing in some places now and probably would not have lasted this long if it was not for the fact that the material was top of the line. We are having our house renovated so cannot see our way clear to recover the furniture right now. Any tips for temporary fussing up of the furniture without just throwing a blanket over it?
Bev Sobkowich
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Need Recipe for "Nutrigrain Bars"
Does anyone have a recipe for "Nutrigrain" type bars?
Thanks a bunch,
Lee-Ann from Canada
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Gnats In My Home! How do I get them to leave?
I need these gnats gone! They are driving me crazy and they are nasty! We left for a few days and when we came back they were everywhere and they only thing i can think of where they came from is we left a tomato sitting out while we were gone and it split open. I have gotten rid of all the fresh fruits and vegetables in the house and I have cleaned everything! But they are still here! Please any idea would be great! How do I get rid of them?
Erricka
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Recipes for Sports Drinks?
We are doing a school project and we have to make our own sports drink. Can anyone help us out? Does anyone have any recipes?
Josh & Danny
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Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit
your request here: Click Here
More Reading
How Do You Know If You're Using The Right Thread?
By Sarah J. Doyle
Excerpt from "Basic Clothing Construction"... Thread type is chosen for its compatibility with the fabric's
structure and fiber content as well as the type of project being
worked on.
Read More: Click Here
Container Gardens
"Container gardens are one of the fastest growing segments of gardening. Containers can be grown where traditional gardens are not possible including apartment balconies, small courtyards, decks, patios, and areas with poor soil. They are an ideal solution for people in rental situations, with limited mobility, or with limited time to care for a large landscape."
View Article: Click Here
Drip Irrigation for Home Gardens
"Drip irrigation is popular because it can increase yields and decrease both water requirements and labor. The concept behind drip irrigation is to provide the plant with continuous, near-optimal soil moisture. This is accomplished by conducting water directly to individual plants instead of providing water to the entire Garden area, as with flood or sprinkler irrigation."
View Article: Click Here
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Thanks
Susan
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