Daily Thrifty Tips - October 17, 2006

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Here's an easy and fun way to serve dip at your Halloween party.

Ingredients:

• 1 Round bread loaf (Sourdough works well)
• Another loaf of bread for dipping
• Your Favorite Dip (I made artichoke dip)
• Extra Bread for dipping

Directions:

Cut out a circle in the top of the bread for the dip. Cut a jack-o-lantern face out of the side of the bread bowl, making sure not to cut all the way through unless you want dip coming out of the holes.

Fill the top with dip. You can cut up the top you cut out of the bread and use it for dipping bread. I used another loaf of french bread cut into pieces for additional pieces for dipping.

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(For children over three years of age)

Makes a great Big Sister/Big Brother gift what the new baby arrives or a nice stocking stuffer.

Materials

• 1 Value-Sized bag of assorted LARGE wooden beads, natural or colored ones. (Holes in beads must be large enough for shoe lace to pass through).
• 1 package of colorful shoe laces.

Instructions

Select only the largest beads which will be easy for small hands to work with. Place beads and laces in zipper-style bag, small plastic container or gift bag. Decorate with stickers, if desired.

Or, for a little girl, place bead kit in beaded purse or small clutch bag which you can often find in perfect condition for pennies at yard sales and thrift stores.

By Cindy Bailey from Waynesburg, PA

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Chesty is 6 months and is an American Pit Bull Terrier. I met my puppy on July 16, 2006 from the breeder.

He likes to run, retrieve balls, chew on sticks. cuddle, play with his Rottweiler brother Max, go to PETCO, and the park, dog beach and run with and chase other dogs.

Just because he is a "pit bull" doesn't mean he is mean. He loves to give kisses, he will shake your hand if you ask him to. He is GREAT around children and elderly people. He has absolutely been a BLESSING in my life!

By Paula from Fallbrook, CA

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Spider Crackers are a fun and easy appetizer for your party. This is one the kids can help with making and they are a healthy snack.

Ingredients:

• Ritz Crackers
• Creamy peanut butter
• Stick pretzels
• Raisins

Directions:

Spread peanut butter on a Ritz cracker and place eight stick pretzels, four on each side, to create the spiders legs. Then place a cracker on top. Put a little peanut butter on the bottom of two raisins and place them on top of the cracker to create the eyes of the spider.

Kids love these!

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Wood grain contact paper has taken a bad rap - and it can look tacky - but applied discretely it still works. I put it on the fiberboard shelves of a light natural wicker bookcase we got at an estate sale and the color is just right.

By Pam from Los Angeles

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My all time favorite advice that's thrifty and healthier: Make your own microwave popcorn. Stop spending oodles of money on prepackaged microwave popcorn that is loaded with salt and transfats, and just too darned expensive to boot. Make it at home, and know exactly what goes into it.

There are a couple of options for this, you can buy a microwave popcorn bowl, or even cheaper, use a paper lunch sack. The microwave popcorn bowls will come with instructions on them. Here is how I make popcorn in a paper bag- Put about 3 tbsp of kernels into a paper lunch bag, fold the top over by 1/4 of an inch 2 times, then fold the corners over about an inch, crease really tight to hold. Lay the bag flat on the turntable of your microwave (Don't do this if you have no turntable, it will burn, and maybe even catch fire) Set the timer for what you would normally set pop corn for, and then STAY AND WATCH IT. Look at it, listen to it and smell it. All microwaves are different, so you'll have to figure out what the timing is, and never leave it unattended. And that's it.

The really fun part is what you put on it. I like mixing some olive oil and curry powder for spicy popcorn, or try cocoa powder for chocolatey pop corn, or cinnamon and a little sugar, the possibilities are endless.

By Celeste from Florida

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There are many inexpensive, easy-to-use natural alternatives which can safely be used in place of commercial household products. Here is a list of nine ordinary, environmentally safe products which can be used alone or in combination for a wealth of household applications.

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm#substitutions

By imaqt1962 from Illinois

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Enter contests, especially LOCAL ones! I just won 2 tickets to a classical music concert through my local classical station! (at a $50-60 value). Years ago I read some article that said that local contests had better ODDS than national ones, so always enter them. It's true, by following that advice I have for the first time WON things.

So enter every little contest you see, (especially since now they don't cost even postage if you do it on the internet!)

By Pam from Los Angeles

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I know a lot of people are thinking that this is going to be like the Y2K Scare a couple of years ago but with the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the miserable way our government handled it, I feel it would be prudent and smart to be prepared just in case. We have all heard the dire predictions and it can be scary I agree but with a little thought we can all be prepared to survive. Flu can cause fever, chills, headache, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and muscle aches. Unlike other common respiratory infections such as the common cold, influenza can cause extreme fatigue lasting several days to more than a week. Although nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can sometimes accompany influenza infection, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent. The illness that people often call "stomach flu" is not influenza.

In doing some research I have found a website called http://www.PandemicFlu.gov which gives a lot of information on stocking up on things that will be needed like water and food and medicines like Tylenol. The Red Cross has a good PDF about how to care for some one or a whole family with the Flu. Kudos to the Red Cross for putting out practical medical information. So I am not going to list these things here as these resources can give you the best information on what to stock up on.

But here are some practical things you might have not thought of that should be necessary if we do have a flu outbreak and we find ourselves caring for many sick family members.

Where are you going to isolated sick family members? The CDC recommends that all members with the flu be isolated to one room. This makes sense in that you have all sick people together and can isolate germs. They also recommend these precautions for caring for sick people Wear gloves if hand contact with respiratory secretions or potentially contaminated surfaces is anticipated. Wear a gown if soiling of clothes with a patient's respiratory secretions is anticipated. Change gloves and gowns after each patient encounter and perform hand hygiene. Decontaminate hands before and after touching the patient and after touching the patient's environment or the patient's respiratory secretions, whether or not gloves are worn. When hands are visibly soiled or contaminated with respiratory secretions, wash hands with soap (either plain or antimicrobial) and water. If hands are not visibly soiled, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

In addition to Standard Precautions, health-care workers should adhere to Droplet Precautions during the care of a patient with suspected or confirmed influenza for 5 days after the onset of illness: Place patient in a private room. If a private room is not available, place (cohort) suspected influenza patients with other patients suspected of having influenza. Wear a surgical or procedure mask when entering the patient's room or when working within 3 feet of the patient. Remove the mask when leaving the patient's room and dispose of the mask in a waste container. If patient movement or transport is necessary, have the patient wear a surgical or procedure mask, if possible.

Are you going to have enough beds for sick family members? Cots and Camping bunkbeds can be found rather cheaply online or at your local sporting goods store. Plus these are easier to sanitize than a mattress or boxspring. You are going to need extra blankets and pillows and sheets for these beds. It is recommended that all these things be washable in hot water. MAKE YOUR OWN. The Good will and Salvation Army sell blankets cheaply. Two sewn together or Crocheted together make a nice warm blanket for that patient with the chills. Make your own pillows out of cotton fabric that can be pre shrunk or out of some old clothes. Large Skirts work well for this. Realize you will be having patients with muscle aches and pains. Extra Pillows will be a god send.

Do you have enough bathrooms? There is no delicate way to put this you are going to have several people with the runs. If you don't have enough bathrooms a Portable toilet can be made with a five gallon bucket and a toilet seat attached. These will need to be emptied and cleaned with a strong bleach solution. You are going to need extra water to flush your toilet and you don't want to have to use your drinking water. So this summer set up a garbage can so that you can collect rain water for flushing the waste down the toilet. You can do this with out having to worry about breeding mosquitoes if you just squirt a little dish soap in the water every couple of weeks which will kill the larvae. Remember when summer is over to move this into a indoor space to avoid freezing. A Privacy screen can be made from a couple of bi fold doors hinged together. Remember to stock up on toilet paper and Clorox wipes or make your own out of paper towels and 1/4 cup bleach to a gallon of water.

How about a generator? This is not an luxury item when you are wanting to keep your frozen food frozen when the power is out. For about $300 dollars you can save your food in your freezer. It can also be used to run a Tv or a radio or a computer. These can be bought at any hardware or online also. Some Companies offer free shipping and summer time is the best time to find these on sale. Get a couple of gas cans and stock up on gas when the price is low. These can be stored safely in a garage or shed until needed. Remember metal cans are safer that the cheap plastic. You can run your freezer for two weeks on 4 gallons of gas. Plus you don't have to run your freezer 24-7 you can run it for a couple hours at a time on and off to keep the food frozen. This would maximize your gasoline consumption.

Got Kids? Stock up on board games, card games and coloring books. Older kids might like puzzles. Extra Batteries for the game boy and maybe some new games stockpiled would be a good idea also. Stockpiling some extra books would be good too.

If the electricity goes out besides your freezer you might want to invest in some old fashioned oil Lamps to light your home. They provide more light than a candle and can be bought new for as little as four dollars at Walmart. You will probably need one for every family member and a couple extra just to provide additional light.

You also may want to hit the local farms market to get fresh vegetables to make homemade soups this summer that you can freeze for your sick ones this winter. Chicken Noodle Soup and a mild vegetable will be soothing and quick when you have hungry people to feed.

I truly don't think that we need to go into Panic Mode about this flu pandemic thing. I just believe if we are prepared more people will survive and that's what we all want.

By Debra from Colorado Springs, CO

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Fall has arrived and so have a selection of good pie apples. Thru experimentation I have found these three tips to help make your warm Apple Pie delicious and almost perfect every time!

1. Use a variety of apples, like a tart Granny Smith or Pippin with a sweet Golden Delicious or Jonagold.

2. The secret to a crispy pie crust? Place the pie on a preheated cookie sheet and bake in the lower third of your oven.

3. For best results, cut the fruit uniformly in size - I get perfect wedges with Oxo's Corer/Wedger ($11.50; oxo.com), or if you have a Linen's and Things store, they usually offer a 20% off coupon in the Sunday morning ads. Use it and save more on the Corer/Wedger.

Now go bake a great apple pie. I can smell it baking now. YUM!

By Bobbie G from Rockwall, TX

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I just recently started working again after a 5 year break of not being able to get a job. During that time I was on $70 of food benefits from the state as required by my disability thru Social Security a federal agency. I now get $35 for food benefits as I am still on most disability income except that $77 was cut from my disability check that I still get most of due to an overpayment this month for next month.

What I do is now is go to the food bank 3 times a month instead of 1 time. It is for anyone who can't afford to eat three meals a day and their standards have increased as all the grocery store owners now donate more food when collection at their store site doesn't get full.

What I do with the money I get for food benefits is get the stuff like milk and hamburger which isn't included when you go to the food bank for free food. I also get pasta and Kool-aid and butter and cheese. This takes most of it up.

I then go to the bread store and get four loaves of bread for a couple dollars which is usually gone by the time I get there to the food pantry. If you need to go to the food bank, chose one that you can go to more than once a year. I cook and eat for a week with what I get from the food bank.

The government also sends Army and USDA food to banks all over the world. I eat three times a day with the help of the food bank and going to a couple of soup kitchens for lunch. You also meet people and date more men that way too. I met a single father and daughter at a soup kitchen. We had a lovely lunch and family date, so to speak. Just eating food is what matters without it you die. I would rather shove my pride down and take free food that is offered than starve.

I think that this is an excellent motto that I want everyone to copy if they need it. This is my tip: Use the food banks and soup kitchen if you need them. That is what they are there for, you.

By Tanya from Moorhead, MN

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Dear Webby's Humor Letter

Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.

More Information:
http://webby.com/humor

Does anyone know how to remove the faded area from linoleum after being covered with a rubber backed rug? Please help me.

Thank you,
Fay from Alberta, Canada

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How do you get ballpoint ink stains off clothes that have already been laundered? The items are cotton/polyester. I washed my husband's lab coat (he is a pharmacist) and his shirts and ruined everything because he had left several ballpoint pens in the pockets.

Junebug from Long Beach, MS

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How do I clean badly stained aluminum?

Phil from New Zealand

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How do you care for fish?

Thanks,
Albert from Munoz

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Where can I find a pattern for a child's scarf that has a small face on one end. I saw it on television.

Banana Nana from La Verne, CA

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I have a Hitachi HB-B101 bread machine and I have lost my recipe book and all I need is the one recipe that makes the white bread. I also need the ingredients and how they are listed.

Thank You,
Sherry from Wasilla, AK

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How do you make bingo cards at home?

Stacy from Bloomington, IL

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I sent in a request several weeks ago and haven't had an answer. I've gotten several large roaches in my house (which I have since killed) and I have gotten feces all over the muslin bag I have in my closet. I got it 6 months ago from Bed Bath and Beyond. I want to wash it but I don't know what to use to get the mess out.

jio525

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How can I clean a brick wall in my family room?

Louise from Murrysville, PA

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I either have lime or calcium deposits in my toilet and I need a cheap way to soften them or just remove them. We switched to city water and it's been driving me crazy. They look like brown rings, please help.

Rhonda from Michigan

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A few days ago one of my dogs began to not eat her food. She coughs and acts like she needs to throw up but doesn't and she is constantly whining and wanting to play all the time with my other dog. What's wrong with her?

Daisy from Fargo, ND

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I have a toronto maple leafs jersey and when it was washed the blue in the leaf changed the lettering toronto maple leafs that is originally white baby blue (the dark blue has bleed into the lettering). How can I make the stitch lettering white again?

Ernestina from Toronto, ON

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How do you remove make up stains from the collar of a white blouse without taking it to the dry cleaners?

JoAnn from Chicago, IL

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I have a Moroccan style belt (studded leather discs) with a metal piece that sticks through one of the holes to fasten. The problem I have is that the metal piece slips out of the hole. Any ideas what I could use to secure it? I hope I've described the belt sufficiently.

Thanks,
Delisha from London, UK

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Is there a website that has a pattern or information on how to make toddler pajama pants?

Patricia from Alabama

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I am looking for free pattern of mittens with knifty knitter.

Judy from MI

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What can you do with magazines besides crafts? I don't do arts and crafts. Can they be donated to any organizations? Shame to throw them away. Some I don't even get a chance to read.

Joan from NJ

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How clean dried blood from inside a shoe?

Miriamne from Southbury, CT

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Does anyone have a good diaper bag pattern? I've looked at a few sites on the internet but nothing impresses me.

Thanks,
Milena from Ontario, Canada

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I burnt mac and cheese on my new frugal stainless steel pot and I can't for the love of god get this thing to come clean, please help. It's been soaking for 3 days and still nothing. I tried to scrub it, baking soda, boil soap, nothing works, HELP.

Kimberly from Akron, Ohio

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How can I grow moss? Without having to use my wife's blender...

Thanks,
Theuns from MPU RSA

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I'm doing a science project for school and I need your help! Is generic bleach really not as good as name brand bleach? To give you a little background info I will be trying to remove these stains: tomato soup, black sharpie, and mustard.

So if you've dealt with this dilemma please tell me the results you got back. And if you have any ideas for a witty project name for it I'd love to hear them.

Greatly Appreciated,
Ale from LA, CA

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How do you remove gun from WOOL slacks?

Judy from PA

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My nephew is having a pirate birthday party and the guests are to dress up like pirates. I want to make a peg leg for my son (he's 3). I found a roll of wood printed contact paper at Walmart and want to know if anyone has any ideas or suggestions on how to go about fashioning this peg leg. Thanks!

Amanda from Niles, OH

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I am looking for directions for crocheted plastic bag purse.

Bev from Garrett, IN

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I need e-mail addresses of any dog breeders in South Africa.

Jonathan from Kenya, Nairobi

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When should I lay new sod grass, fall or spring?

Hardiness Zone: 8a

Bucchieri from Salem, Oregon

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Has anyone had the primer peel off with the wallpaper leaving spots of bare sheetrock? How do you get it smooth again in order to paint? Is it safe to sand and risk ripping the sheetrock paper? I really don't want to use wallpaper again but I think thats the only way to get a smooth look otherwise. Re-sheetrock...help?

Tina from New City, NY

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Can I use laundry detergent for my dishwasher?

Carissa from Ft Bragg, NC

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Many years ago I had a very simple recipe for Lasagna which ended with cheese squares on top and had tomato paste in the filling. I was wondering if anyone has a copy like this recipe?

Corri from Middle, TN

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Get "The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer" Free

When you subscribe to my newsletter "The Budget Stretcher" you will receive this easy guide to effectively organizing and managing your money absolutely free. Get all of the Budget Forms and Worksheets you need to make it work for you. Click the below link to learn more:

More Information:
http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/confirmsubs.html

It is very close to the old fashioned pound cakes, but doesn't take as long. Stays moist for several days, if it's not eaten before then.

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