Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Three, Number 121, September 6, 2004
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
Happy Labor Day to all the US readers. Hope you all are enjoying the holiday.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
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Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Tips:
- Grenadine Fruit Cup
- Make Your Own Coffee Filter
- To Help With Sore Gums
- Homemade Dry Shampoo
- Help Prevent Check Theft: Use Gel Ink Pen When Writing Checks
- Cleaning Meat Pieces Out of a Meat Grinder
- Cure for Hiccups
- Peanut Butter for Hiccups
- Treating a Fire Ant Sting
- Add Prunes to Ground Beef to Fight E-Coli
- Maintaining Your Mattress
- Cleaning Stuck Food off Cookware
- Feedback: RE: Uses for clothes pins?
- Feedback: Fly Repellant for Porch Area
- Feedback: Easy Cake Mix Cookies
- Feedback: Looking for Meatloaf Advice
- Feedback: Creamiest Homemade Yogurt
- Today's Recipe: Zucchini and Cheese Bread
New Requests:
- Odor in the Drying Machine
- Ink on Clothes that Have Dried
- Scratched Plastic Bath Tub
- Deodorize Musty Couch?
- Removing Nail Glue from Hands and Clothing
- Cat Pee On Rucksack
More Reading:
- Saving Money on Hair Care
- Homemade Pizza For Your Family
- Baby Pictures - Learn from my mistakes and save money
- Tips for Energizing Your Air Conditioner
- How To Find a Lost Cat
- How to Properly Maintain Your Septic System
- Convenience Mixes
- Stop! Don't give your cat that chocolate!
- 9 Traits of Organized Kitchens
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Today's Tips
Grenadine Fruit Cup
To make a fresh fruit cup taste and look somewhat special add a little grenadine syrup to your cut up fresh fruit and toss lightly. Sprinkle the top with some toasted coconut. Enjoy. This is good for breakfast or even as a snack or an evening dessert.. It's so simple yet so pretty and tasty. Happy eating. By joesgirl
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To Help With Sore Gums
To help with sore gums, use a soft toothbrush and brush your teeth with salt, they will feel better. rinse with warm water and salt and use as a gargle. By Diamondee
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Homemade Dry Shampoo
1 tablespoon cornstarch or finely ground oatmeal
This is an effective dry shampoo for when you can't use water. It comes in handy on camping trips. Just apply the cornmeal or oatmeal to your hair and scalp and then brush it out. Depending on how long your hair is it could take 5 to 10 minutes to brush it all out but it will remove a lot of dirt and oil from your hair.
View Article: Click Here
Help Prevent Check Theft: Use Gel Ink Pen When Writing Checks
I used to work at a bank and once during our monthly meeting a couple of investigators from the DA's office came to talk to us about different scams; identity theft, etc. They told us to NEVER use a regular ball point pen to write a check as the ink could be "washed" and the check could be re-used. They said to always use a gel ink pen, that the gel ink wouldn't wash off. They demonstrated by putting some regular nail polish remover in a small bowl and dipping the check and using a cotton ball to wipe until all the ink was off. Some crooks are very meticulous and leave the signature intact; but that's not really necessary since banks clear clecks electronically and only spot check signatures. If there is such a problem, though, your bank will refund the monies lost after filing a police report. By Margaret
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Cleaning Meat Pieces Out of a Meat Grinder
If your meat grinder has pieces of meat stuck in it, run a piece of bread through it to remove the pieces before you wash it. By Lisa Trudeau
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A Cure for Hiccups?
Cure for Hiccups
I have tried this many time and it has worked every time. Take a large zip of water bend over forward (your forehead facing the front on your knees/legs, or if you are sitting down head between your legs) and swallow, repeat a couple of times if needed.
By LB
Peanut Butter for Hiccups
I am 55 years old and have always had hiccups quite often. My mom also used to have them when she was younger. She's had them so bad that she actually had to be sedated once when she had them for several days. We both have tried every remedy we had ever heard of; head between our legs, breathing into a paper bag, taking sips from the outer edge of a glass, a spoonful of sugar, etc. but all to no avail.
I once hiccuped as I was taking in a bit of sugar and it went down the wrong way. Another problem and it still didn't help with the hiccups, until I heard of the peanut butter cure. All you have to do is eat a heaping spoonful of peanut butter; creamy works better than smooth. It will stop a hiccup midway. I have a separate jar of peanut butter in the pantry that my husband knows better than to touch, if he values his life. Ha! It is my "medicinal purpose" jar of Peanut Butter and it has never failed me, or anyone else that I've told about the "cure". When I worked, I kept a jar in my desk drawer. Hope this helps.
By Margaret
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Treating a Fire Ant Sting
If you are ever stung by a fire ant, use vinegar to stop the itch.. Being new to Florida I have found this really works. By Patty
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Add Prunes to Ground Beef to Fight E-Coli
This is a thrifty tip because it saves on medication or doctor visit(s) if you are sick. The tip is to puree prunes with just enough water to make a thick paste. Mix 1 tablespoon of this paste to each pound of hamburger. This kills bacteria. When mixed thoroughly you cannot see the prunes and you cannot taste the prunes. In fact it makes the burgers very nice and juicy.
I tried this over a year ago on my family and they never knew the difference and they loved them. While this tip is not mine originally; I have a medical background and got it off one of my sites that I go to. I like my burgers medium and now I feel safe eating them that way. I buy the hamburger, mix it with prune paste and then use or freeze.
By Sshep
Editor's Note: I had not heard of this before but here is a press release from Kansas State University reporting the benefits of Prunes in fighting E-Coli.
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2001/prunes_bacteria.htm
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Maintaining Your Mattress
Anyone who has purchased a mattress lately knows how much they cost. You can save money by getting more life out of the mattress you have. Here are some mattress tips.
Musty Mattress
To help refresh a musty mattress sprinkle baking soda on it. Let it sit for a day and then vacuum up the baking soda.
Protect It
Put a protective cover over your mattresses. If you have kids that are prone to accidents, a vinyl cover works the best.
Flip It
Get into the habit of flipping and rotating your mattress once a month. This will prevent one side from being worn down more than another.
Do you have any more mattress maintenance ideas?
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Cleaning Stuck Food off Cookware
Clean stuck-on food from cookware by soaking it in baking soda and water for 10 minutes. After soaking, wash as normal. Baking soda can also be used as a scouring powder on the cookware. By Lisa Trudeau
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Feedback: RE: Uses for clothes pins?
I use the pins to secure the plastic garbage bag in my trash can. I hate it when the bag falls into the trash can and I have to pull it up over and over again (I don't like to keep a lid on the can because I think lids are a nuissance). The clothes pins do a great job of securing the trash bag so when your teenagers throw something heavy into the can, the bag will stay secure to the edges of the trash can.
By Jonid
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Feedback: Fly Repellant for Porch Area
Fill small Ziplock Bags with water and hang them above the entrance to the porch, and perhaps also above the door to the house. I don't really know why this works, but it does. I think I read somewhere it has to do with how the eye of the fly reacts to the reflection from the water...but not sure. Just try it!
By Harlean from Arkansas
I have had Luck with Avon's Skin so Soft, I pour a bit on a paper towel and rub it on the screen door. It worked on the hubby and kids so I thought it would work on the door and it did! Hope it works for you too
By Terry R
Hang dried tansy in attractive bunches the way flowers and herbs are hung to dry. Or you can plant tansy and hang the plants in baskets along your porch. This repels flies.
By Rabbithorns
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Feedback: Easy Cake Mix Cookies
These cookies are fantastic! I used a devils food cake mix with powdered sugar on top. My husband and kids are "sweet-aholics" and seem to need their "fix" every evening after supper. This a very easy way to make a fantastic cookie in just a few minutes. After working all day, quick recipes like this one are very much appreciated. I am anxious to try different flavors! Joni ... View related article.
By Jonid
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Feedback: Looking for Meatloaf Advice
Easy & Moist Meatloaf:
2 lbs ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup (divided)
1 envelope onion soup mix
Mix beef, 3/4 can of soup, and onion soup mix well and shape into loaf. For topping either smear the top with remaining mushroom soup, OR for sweeter taste: Mix ketchup with some brown sugar (to taste) and smear on top.. bake as usual.
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Feedback: Creamiest Homemade Yogurt
I am sorry for the mix up. You will need one 1/2 pint box of heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. I usually fill the container half way with water first, then stir in 1 tablespoon plain yogurt (you can use your own homemade yogurt as a starter for your next batch), then stir in the cream and then add the remaining water and stir one more time. Then put in the homemade yogurt maker I described before.
The yogurt is super rich. When you take it out of the refrigerator, you may want to stir it very well before serving. Once it is cold, I sometimes use sugar and different artificial flavoring and even food coloring to make the yogurt taste and look more interesting.
Thank you for your interest and let me know what you think.
-Matinga
Editor's Note: We added the new instructions with (*) Thanks for the clarification Matinga.
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Today's Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup zucchini, grate and squeezed dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture
- 1 tablespoon onion, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F and grease an 8x4 inch bread pan or use muffin tins if you want muffins.
Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then cut in the butter using a pastry blender or using two knives. When the mixture is the consistency of crumbs mix in the cheese.
In another bowl, mix together the eggs and milk. Then stir in the zucchini, onion and mustard. Then add all the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough holds together (don't over-mix) and spoon the dough into your greased pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The bread should be risen and brown when it is done. To test whether the bread is done stick it with a long tooth pick. It should come out clean.
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Tip Contest
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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:
Odor in the Drying Machine
I don't know how it happened but my drying machine just started smelling like dry cooking oil. When I smelled my clothes it made me want to throw up!! Does anyone know how to remove this terrible smell? Thanks in advance.
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Ink on Clothes that Have Dried
A pen exploded in my drier and on several articles of clothing.How do I remove it now that the clothes have dried with the ink on them? Daniela from New York
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Scratched Plastic Bath Tub
Anyone know what to do about a plastic bath tub with surface scratches? The scratches used to show up in white which was not too noticable, but now they have darkened. Thanks, Julia
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Deodorize Musty Couch?
We received a FREE couch today... woo hoo! It fits together with my current set perfectly. I'm so excited. The problem I have is it has a musty odor from sitting in the previous owner's garage for a while. I rubbed it with a dryer sheet, but the odor came back.
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Removing Nail Glue from Hands and Clothing
i spilled some all over my hand and pants. Any ideas for removing it? Jeanette
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Cat Pee On Rucksack
I discovered the cat has sprayed on my rucksack the day before i go on holiday - i need it out tonight - any ideas, could I soak it in vinger and water? Rob
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Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit
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More Reading
Saving Money on Hair Care
By Naomi Knudsen
For the last few weeks, I have been researching ways of saving money on hair care. Here are some tips that could help you stretch your beauty budget. Thanks to all those who contributed.
View Article: Click Here
Homemade Pizza For Your Family
By Brandie Valenzuela
Making homemade pizza can be intimidating to some parents, but it really doesn't have to be. I know, some of you may be saying, "Why bother? Just dial up Pizza Hut and they have it here within the hour!" True, in our family, we do have pizza delivered about once a month, but I like to save money and recently I was pleased when my daughter and I had the following conversation:
View Article: Click Here
Baby Pictures - Learn from my mistakes and save money
By Barbara De Oliveira
As parents, we all know how easy we spend money with our children. In a blink of an eye, a diaper here, a formula bottle there adds up until at the end of the month we realize how much we have spent.
View Article: Click Here
Tips for Energizing Your Air Conditioner
By Naomi Knudsen
As the temperature outside rises, so does our electric bills elevated by all those fans and air-conditioners. To minimize their elevation, prepare your air conditioner for the cooling season.
View Article: Click Here
How To Find a Lost Cat
By Larry Chamberlain
Losing your cat is a worrying experience, use these 'How to find a lost cat' steps, and try to stay calm. Remember that most lost cats have not run away from home, we all know about cats and curiosity.
View Article: Click Here
How to Properly Maintain Your Septic System
"More than 1200 people die each year from contaminated water, and failing septic systems are the leading source of water born disease outbreaks in the country today. Septic system replacement is also extremely expensive, with costs running from $5000 to $20,000 or more. Fortunately, there are some highly effective, inexpensive steps you can take to eliminate this very costly problem."
View Article: Click Here
ThriftyFun News September 4, 2004 - Convenience Mixes
Online version of the ThriftyFun News. Convenience Mixes. Volume Six, Number 34 September 4, 2004
View Article: Click Here
Stop! Don't give your cat that chocolate!
By Larry Chamberlain
"Where's the harm? My cat seems to enjoy chocolate and it's only a small piece."
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9 Traits of Organized Kitchens
By Barbara Myers
The number one rule of an organized kitchen is to store items where you use them. Put your plates near the table, glasses near the fridge and cutting knives and board near island or counter where you cut up produce.
View Article: Click Here
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Thanks
Susan
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