I like yogurt. Well, I sorta like yogurt. I've found that the types of yogurt I tend to prefer contain so much sugar that I think they are desserts masquerading as a healthy dairy snack. With this in mind, I'd like to purchase more plain yogurt.
My problem is that no one in my family likes plain yogurt. It tastes totally awful and I can only think of two things to do with plain yogurt: make tzatziki sauce or make a homemade treatment to handle a yeast infection. I know it sounds like I'm kidding about that last bit, but it apparently is a handy way to take control when yeasty nasties are overrunning your hoo-haw. As a side note, I hope that my computer search history is never made public because I'll feel like a real weirdo when "yogurt tampon" shows up.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I don't often serve Mediterranean cuisine and I never get yeast infections, so I really have no idea what to do with plain yogurt. What can I do with plain yogurt that doesn't involve kebabs or vaginas? As I have in the past, I'm soliciting tips from my readership. What do you do to make plain yogurt more palatable?
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Ways to Beat the Heat
It has been in the triple digits all week where I live. I prefer warm weather to cold, which is why I will never move to a place that sees snow, but I don't like when it's HOT. And, oh man, has it been HOT! How hot has it been? Hot enough that my AC kicked on before 8:00 this morning. Hot enough that my AC kicked on again at around 10:00 last night. Hot enough that my AC ran at least six hours yesterday. It was on when I returned home and I have no idea how long it actually ran.
Given the painful heat that my area is suffering with, I thought I'd write a post on ways to beat the heat. I've split these tips into three sections. Enjoy!
AT HOME
- Keep the sun out of your house by hanging blackout curtains or tinting your windows. I recently did the white-trash move of sticking giant pieces of cardboard in our bedroom windows because the blinds and blackout curtains we have hung just weren't doing enough to stop the sun & heat. It's actually worked really well, but it is pretty tacky looking. Thankfully, those windows are only visible from our own backyard.
- You can also hang awnings outside to keep the sun & heat from streaming in your windows. They make both fixed and retractable awnings and they don't look too bad. Some actually look really good.
- Double-paned windows help to keep the heat out during the Summer and keep the heat in during the Winter. It is also a home improvement that immediately adds value to your home and that value doesn't really diminish over time.
- Keep your AC set to a certain temperature all the time. Do not make the mistake in thinking that it's cheaper to turn off the AC while you're at work because, by the time you arrive home, your house is uncomfortably hot and it will take HOURS to cool down.
- You might consider installing a setback thermostat so that it automatically kicks on to have your house cooled to a certain temperature by the time you arrive home.
- A decidedly more sophisticated approach is to use an adaptive thermostat. These utilize outdoor sensors in order accurately calculate exactly when to turn on in order to cool your home to the correct temperature by the time you arrive home.
- The time to have AC installed or serviced is prior to the blazing hot days of Summer. If at possible, hire HVAC contractors when it's their slow times - meaning that it's not too hot & not too cold. A bonus to investing in your indoor air comfort when the weather is mild is that you should save a lot money as well as get quicker service.
- If you do purchase a new system, be sure to invest in new ductwork rather than a super-high-tech system. Your ductwork is what moves the "cool" air throughout your home and that has a greater effect on the air comfort in your home and energy efficiency than having a more expensive system.
- You can save a lot of money by servicing your AC all by yourself. All you have to do is change the filter (make sure you install it properly & that it is the correct size!) and clean the outdoor coils with a garden hose. Google it for more details.
- Check with your local electrical and gas companies to see if any rebates are being offered for things such as dual-pane windows, high efficiency HVAC systems, and the like. Between the federal government, state governments, utility companies, and manufacturer rebates, you might be pleasantly surprised at how much money you can get back via a rebate.
- Use ceiling, oscillating, and box fans to maximize your AC's effort. This is a very under-utilized technique and it really has a profound impact on the air comfort of your home.
- Remember that most ACs just aren't going to be that great when it's over 95 degrees. No matter how much money you spend, the AC is only going to be sized to be effective up to 95 degrees. If you live in the desert, know that your HVAC contractor has had to do all kinds of hinky shenanigans to keep you cool when the outside temps are above 95 degrees.
- Keep cool in the kitchen by avoiding your oven and minimizing stove-top cooking. The grill, crock-pot, and microwave are perfect for hot-weather cooking.
- I'm intrigued by solar cookers that you can make on your own, but not intrigued enough to attempt to construct one & use it for my family's supper. It just seems like a microbial disaster and I'd rather not risk my family in my effort to keep cool. If you use one, I'd love to know how it works for you!
- You can also keep cool(er) in the kitchen by preparing your dinner in the morning when it's hopefully not too hot yet and reheat in the microwave when it's suppertime. Be sure to refrigerate until you're ready to reheat it though!
AWAY FROM HOME
- Utilize someone else's utilities. The library, the mall, the movies, restaurants (even fast food ones) are all great places to go to hang out when it's hot. Heck, even the grocery store has the AC jammin' in the Summertime.
- I like to let my son play in the Children's section at big bookstores (Borders is the one I like best) because they have toys that the kids can play with, puppets for sale (that I tease him with!), and he seems to really like it. The downside is that I usually end up buying more books and he already could open a library with the books he currently owns.
- I don't particularly like to eat at places like these, but Chuck E. Cheese's and John's Incredible Pizza are air conditioned places that you can use to wear out your kiddos. I suppose that you technically don't even have to order anything at Chuck E. Cheese's, but I think that's kinda rude. Am I totally off-base on this?
- Go to indoor playgrounds to keep cool & let your little monkeys run wild. In my area we have a ton of places that the kiddos love and that are nice & cool: Hullabaloo's Playhouse, Scooter's Jungle, Pump it Up, and more! My son is guaranteed to nap at least three hours after 90 minutes at an indoor playground.
GENERAL
- Stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids (water in particular) and eating watery foods. Watermelon and grapes are my current favorite. Did you know that you can freeze whole grapes and they make a tasty cool treat? Do remember though that whole grapes are a choking hazard to young children and they can be even more dangerous if they are hard & frozen.
- Don't forget to make sure your children keep cool & well-hydrated.
- Keep cool by eating cold soups and crisp green salads. Vichyssoise and gazpacho are my favorite cold soups when the heat is on and a big salad for dinner is always refreshing.
- Other tasty eats when the heat is on are: cold pasta salads, chicken or tuna salad sandwiches, and cold soba noodles with cold tofu with ginger, green onions, & soy sauce.
- This is probably a big "duh," but plan to stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day and familiarize yourself with the signs of heat related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
- If you absolutely must go out at the hottest part of the day, try your best to remain in shady areas away from the sun's rays.
- If you have elderly relatives, neighbors, or friends, do be sure to check in on them when the heat is on. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat related illnesses and your call or visit might just save their life.
What are your tips to keep cool? I'd love to hear from you!
Given the painful heat that my area is suffering with, I thought I'd write a post on ways to beat the heat. I've split these tips into three sections. Enjoy!
AT HOME
- Keep the sun out of your house by hanging blackout curtains or tinting your windows. I recently did the white-trash move of sticking giant pieces of cardboard in our bedroom windows because the blinds and blackout curtains we have hung just weren't doing enough to stop the sun & heat. It's actually worked really well, but it is pretty tacky looking. Thankfully, those windows are only visible from our own backyard.
- You can also hang awnings outside to keep the sun & heat from streaming in your windows. They make both fixed and retractable awnings and they don't look too bad. Some actually look really good.
- Double-paned windows help to keep the heat out during the Summer and keep the heat in during the Winter. It is also a home improvement that immediately adds value to your home and that value doesn't really diminish over time.
- Keep your AC set to a certain temperature all the time. Do not make the mistake in thinking that it's cheaper to turn off the AC while you're at work because, by the time you arrive home, your house is uncomfortably hot and it will take HOURS to cool down.
- You might consider installing a setback thermostat so that it automatically kicks on to have your house cooled to a certain temperature by the time you arrive home.
- A decidedly more sophisticated approach is to use an adaptive thermostat. These utilize outdoor sensors in order accurately calculate exactly when to turn on in order to cool your home to the correct temperature by the time you arrive home.
- The time to have AC installed or serviced is prior to the blazing hot days of Summer. If at possible, hire HVAC contractors when it's their slow times - meaning that it's not too hot & not too cold. A bonus to investing in your indoor air comfort when the weather is mild is that you should save a lot money as well as get quicker service.
- If you do purchase a new system, be sure to invest in new ductwork rather than a super-high-tech system. Your ductwork is what moves the "cool" air throughout your home and that has a greater effect on the air comfort in your home and energy efficiency than having a more expensive system.
- You can save a lot of money by servicing your AC all by yourself. All you have to do is change the filter (make sure you install it properly & that it is the correct size!) and clean the outdoor coils with a garden hose. Google it for more details.
- Check with your local electrical and gas companies to see if any rebates are being offered for things such as dual-pane windows, high efficiency HVAC systems, and the like. Between the federal government, state governments, utility companies, and manufacturer rebates, you might be pleasantly surprised at how much money you can get back via a rebate.
- Use ceiling, oscillating, and box fans to maximize your AC's effort. This is a very under-utilized technique and it really has a profound impact on the air comfort of your home.
- Remember that most ACs just aren't going to be that great when it's over 95 degrees. No matter how much money you spend, the AC is only going to be sized to be effective up to 95 degrees. If you live in the desert, know that your HVAC contractor has had to do all kinds of hinky shenanigans to keep you cool when the outside temps are above 95 degrees.
- Keep cool in the kitchen by avoiding your oven and minimizing stove-top cooking. The grill, crock-pot, and microwave are perfect for hot-weather cooking.
- I'm intrigued by solar cookers that you can make on your own, but not intrigued enough to attempt to construct one & use it for my family's supper. It just seems like a microbial disaster and I'd rather not risk my family in my effort to keep cool. If you use one, I'd love to know how it works for you!
- You can also keep cool(er) in the kitchen by preparing your dinner in the morning when it's hopefully not too hot yet and reheat in the microwave when it's suppertime. Be sure to refrigerate until you're ready to reheat it though!
AWAY FROM HOME
- Utilize someone else's utilities. The library, the mall, the movies, restaurants (even fast food ones) are all great places to go to hang out when it's hot. Heck, even the grocery store has the AC jammin' in the Summertime.
- I like to let my son play in the Children's section at big bookstores (Borders is the one I like best) because they have toys that the kids can play with, puppets for sale (that I tease him with!), and he seems to really like it. The downside is that I usually end up buying more books and he already could open a library with the books he currently owns.
- I don't particularly like to eat at places like these, but Chuck E. Cheese's and John's Incredible Pizza are air conditioned places that you can use to wear out your kiddos. I suppose that you technically don't even have to order anything at Chuck E. Cheese's, but I think that's kinda rude. Am I totally off-base on this?
- Go to indoor playgrounds to keep cool & let your little monkeys run wild. In my area we have a ton of places that the kiddos love and that are nice & cool: Hullabaloo's Playhouse, Scooter's Jungle, Pump it Up, and more! My son is guaranteed to nap at least three hours after 90 minutes at an indoor playground.
GENERAL
- Stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids (water in particular) and eating watery foods. Watermelon and grapes are my current favorite. Did you know that you can freeze whole grapes and they make a tasty cool treat? Do remember though that whole grapes are a choking hazard to young children and they can be even more dangerous if they are hard & frozen.
- Don't forget to make sure your children keep cool & well-hydrated.
- Keep cool by eating cold soups and crisp green salads. Vichyssoise and gazpacho are my favorite cold soups when the heat is on and a big salad for dinner is always refreshing.
- Other tasty eats when the heat is on are: cold pasta salads, chicken or tuna salad sandwiches, and cold soba noodles with cold tofu with ginger, green onions, & soy sauce.
- This is probably a big "duh," but plan to stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day and familiarize yourself with the signs of heat related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
- If you absolutely must go out at the hottest part of the day, try your best to remain in shady areas away from the sun's rays.
- If you have elderly relatives, neighbors, or friends, do be sure to check in on them when the heat is on. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat related illnesses and your call or visit might just save their life.
What are your tips to keep cool? I'd love to hear from you!
Monday, May 24, 2010
$lash Your Grocery Bill
If you've been reading this blog, you probably know that I'm not a fan of wasting money. Housing, insurance, and transportation are probably the Big 3 in most people's household budget, but I suspect that the grocery bill is in the top five. Unlike the Big 3, the grocery bill can be lowered fairly easily in most cases. Here are a few things I do to keep our grocery bills low:
Treat your kitchen like a grocery store. I don't mean that you need to hire stockers, but you do need to imitate them and rotate your "stock" whenever you return from shopping. I do this with the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. Sure, it takes a few minutes to move the older items to the front, but I never have to throw away food that has expired or spoiled.
Store your food properly to avoid waste. Keep your flour, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and other grains in airtight packaging (I use Ziplock bags most often) in the fridge or freezer and you won't have to worry about those pesky pantry bugs. Keep your oils and vinegars in a cupboard away from your stove/oven - the exception to this is flax oil, which I keep in the fridge. Keep apples and bananas away from other fresh produce because they promote quick-ripening of other produce. Keep onions and potatoes in a well ventilated area to reduce chance of spoilage. If you wash lettuces prior to storage, be sure to dry the lettuce thoroughly - you can use a salad spinner or a clean & dry dish towel. Wrap celery in aluminum foil to keep it fresh for a loooong time - sounds kooky, but it works. Keep milk and eggs toward the back of the fridge rather than in the door to prevent temperature variations.
Avoid most processed foods. Yeah, I know that they seem to make life easier, but they are incredibly more expensive than using whole foods. You might say, "But Rice-A-Roni is only .99 per box!" I say that you can purchase A POUND of brown rice for the same price and you can control the seasonings/sodium. Same thing applies for any potato-based side dishes. Perhaps you like Lunchables. Okay. You'll save money if you purchase crackers, lunchmeat, and cheese singles to make your own lunchable-style snacks. Maybe you don't know how to cook and you serve Dinty Moore when you want beef stew. The internet is lousy with websites to teach cooking techniques and view tons of recipes. Check it out and, I promise, you won't be sorry. Note that I do purchase a few processed foods.
Focus your shopping on the perimeter of the grocery store. The interior contains most of those processed foods that cost so much money. The perimeter has fresh produce, fresh meat, and dairy items.
When you are in the interior, look up or look down - don't just focus on items at eye level. Need some cold cereal for the kiddos? It's a good bet that the most expensive cereal is found at eye level. Go a step further and eschew the boxed cereals altogether. You can find sacks of knock-off Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, puffed wheat, and more on the bottom shelf in the cereal aisle. I'm a lazy old cow and I do use canned cream soups when making casseroles. The name brands are at eye level and the far less expensive store brands are found above or below.
Consider shopping at "ethnic" markets. We eat a varied diet and our meals often include ethnic cuisine. I buy really cheap dried beans & lentils, seasonings, yogurt, oils, olives, spreads, and certain vegetables at a Middle-Eastern market. I buy really cheap seafood, seasonings, and certain vegetables at an Asian market. I buy really cheap beef, dried beans, certain vegetables, and seasonings at a Hispanic market. I do not drive all over town. I just swing by when I happen to be in the area.
Don't turn up your nose at 99 cent stores. I have found some crazy-awesome bargains at my local 99 cent store. Seasonings and personal care items (dental care, soap, etc.) are a great buy at these places.
Consider limiting the meat in your diet. Even when it's cheap, meat is pretty expensive. If you can't commit to one meat-free dinner each week, at least commit to decreasing the amount of meat in your meal. In a future post, I'll give my recipe for a delicious lentil & brown rice casserole that tastes "meaty" enough that my Mid-Western raised hubby eats it without complaint.
Consider trying frozen vegetables. Not the frozen vegetables with sauces, just the plain veggies. Oftentimes, I have found that the frozen veggies are cheaper per pound (or per ounce) than the fresh veggies. Buying the frozen veggies in bulk at Sam's Club or Costco is generally even cheaper.
Buy block cheese rather than shredded. It's super-easy (and fast!) to shred cheese in the food processor with the shredder attachment. Block cheese tends to keep longer too. Lately I have noticed that shredded cheese is the same price as block cheese so it always pays to compare prices. To avoid spoilage, I store half of the shredded cheese in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. The cheese defrosts perfectly fine in the fridge.
Unless you're brand-loyal, don't bother with coupons. I know that serious couponers will dispute my advice, but I stand by my thoughts. Coupons are generally only for brand-name items and I buy very few brand-name items. Coupons only take a few minutes to look at each week, but they just aren't worth it to me. If you do use coupons, at least use them right. Hoard your coupons for a week or two after they come out in the newspaper and you'll find that the item will generally go on sale in the store. Every now and then I'll use coupons, but I feel they are a waste of time for me for the most part.
Make a list and shop that list. Take a quick inventory of your well-organized kitchen (see first tip!) and develop a list in conjunction with the weekly sales flyers. I'm not store-loyal and I'll shop at whichever store is offering the best prices on what we need. Once in the store, don't deviate from your list. Making impulse purchases, no matter how awesome the price, is a good way to blow your grocery budget.
Don't waste your money on most cleansers or deodorizers. Ammonia is a major component of Windex. Mix water & ammonia in a spray bottle and you have your own window cleaner for just pennies. Multi-purpose cleansers brag that they are made with bleach. Mix water & bleach in a spray bottle and your have your own sanitizing cleanser for just pennies. Deodorizers often just mask odors instead of removing odors. Try a little baking soda or a little plain white vinegar to remove offensive smells - just don't mix them together! The exception to this is the drain. Try this little trick the next time your drain smells a little funky: Pour baking soda down drain, pour white vinegar down drain, let sit for five minutes, pour boiling water down drain. Viola! A fresh-smelling drain for pennies! I must confess that I'm all about the Clorox wipes to deal with my son's potty chair and dribbly messes. Yes, I use a coupon!
There are plenty of other things that I do to save a little here and there, but it's been a long day and I'm beat. I hope these tips help you $ave money on your grocery bill!
Treat your kitchen like a grocery store. I don't mean that you need to hire stockers, but you do need to imitate them and rotate your "stock" whenever you return from shopping. I do this with the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. Sure, it takes a few minutes to move the older items to the front, but I never have to throw away food that has expired or spoiled.
Store your food properly to avoid waste. Keep your flour, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and other grains in airtight packaging (I use Ziplock bags most often) in the fridge or freezer and you won't have to worry about those pesky pantry bugs. Keep your oils and vinegars in a cupboard away from your stove/oven - the exception to this is flax oil, which I keep in the fridge. Keep apples and bananas away from other fresh produce because they promote quick-ripening of other produce. Keep onions and potatoes in a well ventilated area to reduce chance of spoilage. If you wash lettuces prior to storage, be sure to dry the lettuce thoroughly - you can use a salad spinner or a clean & dry dish towel. Wrap celery in aluminum foil to keep it fresh for a loooong time - sounds kooky, but it works. Keep milk and eggs toward the back of the fridge rather than in the door to prevent temperature variations.
Avoid most processed foods. Yeah, I know that they seem to make life easier, but they are incredibly more expensive than using whole foods. You might say, "But Rice-A-Roni is only .99 per box!" I say that you can purchase A POUND of brown rice for the same price and you can control the seasonings/sodium. Same thing applies for any potato-based side dishes. Perhaps you like Lunchables. Okay. You'll save money if you purchase crackers, lunchmeat, and cheese singles to make your own lunchable-style snacks. Maybe you don't know how to cook and you serve Dinty Moore when you want beef stew. The internet is lousy with websites to teach cooking techniques and view tons of recipes. Check it out and, I promise, you won't be sorry. Note that I do purchase a few processed foods.
Focus your shopping on the perimeter of the grocery store. The interior contains most of those processed foods that cost so much money. The perimeter has fresh produce, fresh meat, and dairy items.
When you are in the interior, look up or look down - don't just focus on items at eye level. Need some cold cereal for the kiddos? It's a good bet that the most expensive cereal is found at eye level. Go a step further and eschew the boxed cereals altogether. You can find sacks of knock-off Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, puffed wheat, and more on the bottom shelf in the cereal aisle. I'm a lazy old cow and I do use canned cream soups when making casseroles. The name brands are at eye level and the far less expensive store brands are found above or below.
Consider shopping at "ethnic" markets. We eat a varied diet and our meals often include ethnic cuisine. I buy really cheap dried beans & lentils, seasonings, yogurt, oils, olives, spreads, and certain vegetables at a Middle-Eastern market. I buy really cheap seafood, seasonings, and certain vegetables at an Asian market. I buy really cheap beef, dried beans, certain vegetables, and seasonings at a Hispanic market. I do not drive all over town. I just swing by when I happen to be in the area.
Don't turn up your nose at 99 cent stores. I have found some crazy-awesome bargains at my local 99 cent store. Seasonings and personal care items (dental care, soap, etc.) are a great buy at these places.
Consider limiting the meat in your diet. Even when it's cheap, meat is pretty expensive. If you can't commit to one meat-free dinner each week, at least commit to decreasing the amount of meat in your meal. In a future post, I'll give my recipe for a delicious lentil & brown rice casserole that tastes "meaty" enough that my Mid-Western raised hubby eats it without complaint.
Consider trying frozen vegetables. Not the frozen vegetables with sauces, just the plain veggies. Oftentimes, I have found that the frozen veggies are cheaper per pound (or per ounce) than the fresh veggies. Buying the frozen veggies in bulk at Sam's Club or Costco is generally even cheaper.
Buy block cheese rather than shredded. It's super-easy (and fast!) to shred cheese in the food processor with the shredder attachment. Block cheese tends to keep longer too. Lately I have noticed that shredded cheese is the same price as block cheese so it always pays to compare prices. To avoid spoilage, I store half of the shredded cheese in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. The cheese defrosts perfectly fine in the fridge.
Unless you're brand-loyal, don't bother with coupons. I know that serious couponers will dispute my advice, but I stand by my thoughts. Coupons are generally only for brand-name items and I buy very few brand-name items. Coupons only take a few minutes to look at each week, but they just aren't worth it to me. If you do use coupons, at least use them right. Hoard your coupons for a week or two after they come out in the newspaper and you'll find that the item will generally go on sale in the store. Every now and then I'll use coupons, but I feel they are a waste of time for me for the most part.
Make a list and shop that list. Take a quick inventory of your well-organized kitchen (see first tip!) and develop a list in conjunction with the weekly sales flyers. I'm not store-loyal and I'll shop at whichever store is offering the best prices on what we need. Once in the store, don't deviate from your list. Making impulse purchases, no matter how awesome the price, is a good way to blow your grocery budget.
Don't waste your money on most cleansers or deodorizers. Ammonia is a major component of Windex. Mix water & ammonia in a spray bottle and you have your own window cleaner for just pennies. Multi-purpose cleansers brag that they are made with bleach. Mix water & bleach in a spray bottle and your have your own sanitizing cleanser for just pennies. Deodorizers often just mask odors instead of removing odors. Try a little baking soda or a little plain white vinegar to remove offensive smells - just don't mix them together! The exception to this is the drain. Try this little trick the next time your drain smells a little funky: Pour baking soda down drain, pour white vinegar down drain, let sit for five minutes, pour boiling water down drain. Viola! A fresh-smelling drain for pennies! I must confess that I'm all about the Clorox wipes to deal with my son's potty chair and dribbly messes. Yes, I use a coupon!
There are plenty of other things that I do to save a little here and there, but it's been a long day and I'm beat. I hope these tips help you $ave money on your grocery bill!
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