Prudent Projects & Smart Solutions Link Up {PP&SS} - (3/30)


Welcome to the very first Prudent Projects and Smart Solutions link up!

If you have a great idea that will save money, save time, or is a smart solution to a common problem, this is the place to link up.

Every Friday, you will have the chance to share your awesome ideas and possibly be featured here on The Prudent Pantry during the week.


Let's see your great ideas!


When Bananas are Past Their Prime


I love bananas.

But I'm very picky about how ripe they should be for eating. So when bananas get to be too ripe to peel and eat, I freeze them for other uses.

To use the banana for baking, just throw it in the freezer. Put the whole banana, peel and all, right into the freezer. When you are ready to make banana bread or banana muffins, simply take the bananas out of the freezer and pop them in the microwave to defrost.

Now here comes the fun part. With a kitchen scissors, snip off one end of the banana. You are then able to slide the entire insides of the banana out and into your bowl. The banana is extremely mushy and perfect for use in a recipe. No more mashing bananas before making bread!

The second way to freeze bananas is for use in smoothies. I peel and slice the banana, place it on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or plastic wrap, and place the baking sheet in the freezer. When the banana slices are frozen, I then remove them from the baking sheet and store in freezer bags until ready to use in a smoothie.


Do you have any other uses for overripe bananas? Let me know!


Wise Words

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The Best Way to Clean the Bathtub


I don't know how my kids' bathtub gets so dirty--it's a combination of dirt and soap scum I guess. This photo is not my bathtub, but mine was just as bad.

Photo Credit: Finely Ground


Thanks to Marissa at Finely Ground, I now know how to clean a mess like this. The secret is Borax.

I've tried all sorts of different ways to clean my kids' bathtub. I found a few commercial cleaners that seemed to do a fair job (with a lot of scrubbing), but not like Borax!

I ran the shower just to get the tub wet, sprinkled on the Borax, then went at it with a stiff scrub brush. That grime was no match for the Borax and a brush.

At less than $5.00 for a five pound box, this is my frugal solution for cleaning the bathtub. Thanks, Marissa!

Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

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I never use packaged taco seasoning because it usually contains msg. Instead, I make my own using this recipe. It is an adaptation of a recipe found at allrecipes.com. It's less expensive than those little seasoning packets and much healthier.

Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

I use this recipe wherever a recipe calls for taco seasoning. It's a family favorite!

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. It has been adapted from a recipe found at allrecipes.com. Although it may seem strange to put beer in the soup, it really does add a unique flavor. I have made the soup without the beer (substituting chicken broth) and it's good that way as well. It's just a matter of taste.



Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can chili beans
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fl. oz.) can or bottle of beer
2 (10 oz.) cans dices tomatoes with green chilis, undrained
1 (1.25 oz.) package taco seasoning--or make your own using this recipe
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

This recipe freezes really well. It's one of those recipes that is almost better after being refrigerated or frozen.



Do you know what's in your freezer? Get ideas on how to organize your freezer here.

Wise Words

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Storing Food Purchased From the Bulk Bins


If you save money by purchasing dry goods from the bulk bins, you will want an effective way to store and organize these items once you get them home. 

My favorite containers for this purpose are glass jars. Glass canning jars can be purchased in a variety of sizes. They are air-tight and provide an attractive display of your dry goods. Glass has none of the BPA and chemical leaching concerns of plastic, and may be reused again and again and still look great.

Of course you don't have to use canning jars. Any recycled glass jar with a screw-top lid will work. The trick is removing the old labels. Some labels come off easily with olive oil and a small amount of rubbing. Some labels, unfortunately, are just more trouble than the jar is worth.

You will probably want to label the jars so there is no question as to the contents. I prefer to use a label maker to keep the labels neat and uniform. Other options are chalkboard labels or dry erase labels.

Looking for an easy way to fill the jars? Use the corner of an envelope as a funnel.
MarthaStewart.com



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Planning for Higher Gas Prices



With many in the media predicting higher gas prices in the near future, is there anything you can do now to prepare?

Improve Your Gas Mileage

We have all read the usual advice regarding how to increase gas mileage: maintain proper air pressure in your tires, shop for the lowest gas price, do not drive aggressively. If you aren't already doing these things, now is the time to start.

Reduce the Number of Miles You Drive

Plan your errands, combine trips, carpool when you can, perhaps walk or take a bike. These are all great ways to reduce the number of miles you drive. 

Rethink your commute. Could you work from home one day per week? Could you change your schedule so that you aren't traveling during rush hour?

Change Your Budget Now

Take a look at your current budget and increase your gas category by 25% (or more if you feel gas prices may rise even more). What happens to your overall budget? Do you need to cut back in other areas?

You will probably need to make some changes if gas prices rise. Wouldn't it be better to make those changes now rather than when you're scrambling for extra cash? In the meantime, you can save that extra gas money in case prices rise more than you anticipated.

We have no control over the price at the pump. But we can take measures now to reduce our gas consumption and adjust our budget.

Wise Words

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Great Reads: All the Money in the World


After reading 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam, I knew I had to read her latest book, All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending.

In this book, Laura Vanderkam encourages us to figure out how to use what we have to create the life we want.

One eye-opening chapter involves retirement. Beyond the fact that many people these days will be unable to retire, Vanderkam asks the broader question, why would you want to? If you are involved in work you love and you feel you are making a difference in the world, why would you want to stop? Of course this opens a whole new area of self-examination: do you love what you do? is it making a difference?

Another very useful exercise is contemplating how we could create our "best weekend ever". When you really reflect on this, you will likely realize that your "best weekend ever" requires no more resources than you already have, you just need to reorganize and implement the plan.

My favorite chapter is on giving, where Vanderkam shows us that we can make a difference with what we have, no matter the size of our bank account. There are so many ways to make a difference--some involve money, some involve time. But if you are giving to a cause that is meaningful to you, it will make a huge difference in how you view your life.

All the Money in the World will change the way you think about money, both how you spend it and how you earn it. The book will make you think about what you have and how you can best use it to create a life that is meaningful to you.

Update: I just came across a great review of this book that I think summed it up much better than I did. Check it out!

Removing Dark Scratch Marks from Dinnerware

My inexpensive white dinnerware plates were covered with dark scratch marks from flatware. Check out these before shots:



Bar Keepers Friend is great for removing these scratches! I happened upon some at my local grocer today for $1.59.

I simply rinsed the plate to get it wet, and sprinkled the plate with Bar Keepers Friend. I took a damp cloth and rubbed the scratches away. It really was that easy!

Here's what that plate looks like now.



Be sure to clean thoroughly to get any residue from the Bar Keepers Friend off of your dinnerware. I ran mine through the dishwasher to be sure.

It really was that simple and the plates look good as new!




This post was shared at The Purposeful MomThe Stuff of Success, The Morris Tribe and The Frugal Girls.

Wise Words

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Freezing Cooked Food for Future Meals


I have been trying to plan ahead and cook ahead so that we have meals and snacks in the freezer. Whenever I make something, I try to make extra to freeze for later.

That got me to thinking about the proper way to freeze food, so I did some research. If you freeze food for future meals, you'll want to follow these steps to be sure your food is safe to eat. You may even want to do some further research at some of the links listed at the bottom.

Step 1: Cool the food slightly at room temperature before refrigeration

  • Place food on a cooling rack for approximately 30 minutes.
  • Limit the depth of the food to 2 inches
  • It's okay to refrigerate food while it's still warm (but slightly cooled)


Step 2: Complete cooling in the refrigerator
  • Cool food in refrigerator before transferring to the freezer.
  • Food cooling in the refrigerator should be loosely covered to allow heat to escape.


Step 3: Pack foods into bags
  • Use freezer bags, not storage bags. Freezer bags are thicker and will keep your food fresh longer.
  • Food in bags should be "flattened" prior to freezing. A rounded shape will take longer to thaw, and flattened bags will be easier to stack in the freezer.


Step 4: Label foods and keep track of what you have
  • Use permanent marker.
  • Label with name of food, packaging date, number of servings and any additional information you will find helpful when it comes time to prepare the food.
  • Keep a list of what is in your freezer.


Step 5: Thaw and cook frozen foods
  • Plan ahead for a slow, safe thaw in the refrigerator.
  • If you thaw in the microwave or in cold water, cook the food immediately after thawing.

For more information on safe freezing and thawing of food, visit the following sites:

Dilly Lemon Rice Blend

I wrote about how we use and store rice blends at our house here.

Here's the recipe for another favorite rice blend recipe that we often use when we have fish for dinner.

Dilly Lemon Rice Blend

4 cups uncooked long grain rice
5 tsp. lemon peel, dried and grated
4 tsp. dill
2 tsp. chives
2 tsp. salt
8 tsp. instant chicken flavored base (this is a powder, not granules)*

*I use Vogue Cuisine Instant Chicken flavored base which I found at my local health food store.

Prepare as you would plain rice. I use one cup of mix and 2 cups of water.

This is a great speedy side dish when you are having fish for dinner and it's so handy having it all mixed and stored in the pantry.

Wise Words

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10 Goals for this Week {3/11}

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These were ten of my goals for last week:

Personal
  1. 8 hours of sleep per night. Not always, but getting better. It makes a huge difference!
  2. Establish an evening routine. Done. Here it is.
  3. Exercise on the treadmill three times this week. Done. This is a great time to listen to audio books.
  4. Read All the Money in the World by Laura Vanderkam  Almost done. Love it!
  5. Plan five work outfits for the week. Done.
Home Management
  1. Try a new soup recipe. New recipe coming soon.
  2. Make lunches to take to work. Well, yes. But I need some new ideas.
  3. Declutter the cutlery drawer. Didn't get to this.
  4. Finish organizing recipes. Still in progress.
  5. Organize "pantry armoir". Started this.
And here are ten goals for this coming week:

Personal
  1. 8 hours of sleep per night.
  2. Establish an evening routine.
  3. Exercise on the treadmill three times this week.
  4. Finish All the Money in the World by Laura Vanderkam
  5. Implement the Pomodoro Technique. (Using a timer to get things done)
Home Management
  1. Try a new salad recipe.
  2. Make lunches to take to work.
  3. Compile a price book.
  4. Finish recipe binders.
  5. Finish organizing "pantry armoir".
Check back next week to see how it went. Writing down goals makes it so much more likely you will get them done. Try it!

Use Rice Blends for a Speedy Side Dish


Anything that can be mixed ahead of time will speed up your dinner preparations. I use rice blends whenever I am in need of a speedy side dish to complete a meal.

I prepare the entire recipe (4 cups of rice) and store in the pantry. When I'm in need of a side dish, I simply measure one cup of the mix and prepare as I would plain rice (using 2 cups of water).

The blends are stored in these plastic containers. The containers have a wide mouth and screw-top lid. I use my label maker to clearly label each container.

I have several rice blends in my pantry but this one probably gets the most use. I make this when we have tacos or quesadillas to round out the meal.

Spanish Kick Rice Blend
  • 4 cups uncooked long grain rice
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt


    For another side dish option, check out my recipe for Dilly Lemon Rice Blend.

Getting Things Done (With the Help of a Tomato)



I have always been good about making lists--to do lists, especially. I'm not so great, however, at actually getting anything on the list done.

Until I learned the Pomodoro Technique

Pomodoro is Italian for tomato.

The technique is so-named because it uses a kitchen timer (a cute tomato-shaped timer, if you can find one) to keep you on track.

The technique is pretty simple. Here it is in a nutshell:

  • You need a timer. A cute kitchen timer is fun. A program on your computer or an app on your phone may be more practical, depending on where you tend to work.
  • Choose one task on your to-do list.
  • Set the timer for 25 minutes. (25 minutes is a pomodoro)
  • Work only on that one task until your timer goes off. That means no answering the phone, no checking email, no getting a drink of water. Focus on that one task until the timer goes off.
  • When the 25 minutes is up, take a five minute break. Use this break for something unrelated to what you were doing. Do some stretches, get a drink of water, use the bathroom. You have five minutes to do whatever you like until the next pomodoro begins.
  • When you have completed four pomodoros, take a 30 minute break (for lunch or a walk perhaps?).

If you would like to learn more about the technique, head on over to the Pomodoro Technique website where you will find some history and practical applications. You can even download a free book with tips to help you implement the system.

This simple technique really helps me stay focused on what I need to get done. All the distractions that would otherwise pull me from my work need to wait for the timer to go off. No more getting pulled off course!

No matter what type of work you need to accomplish (writing, cleaning, or studying for an exam), the pomodoro technique will help you stay focused and get more done.

Give it a try!

You decide...

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Five Frugal Uses for Ice Cube Trays



One of my favorite frugal kitchen tools is the simple ice cube tray. The small sections are the perfect size for freezing many leftovers so that food doesn't go to waste. Once frozen, the individual sections can be popped out and stored in freezer bags. I like covered trays like these OXO Good Grips Ice Cube Trays


Freeze Leftover Stock and Broth
When I made my Winter Harvest Casserole recently, the recipe called for 1 cup of beef broth. I had 32 ounce cartons of broth in the pantry and wanted to be sure the extra didn't go to waste.

The first time I did this, I took one cup of broth and found that it filled 8 of my ice cube sections. I now know that:

8 cubes = 1 cup
4 cubes = 1/2 cup
2 cubes = 1/4 cup
1 cube = 2 tablespoons

This makes it so easy to use the frozen cubes in recipes.

Freeze Fresh Herbs
Whether you grow your own or purchase them in the produce section, don't let the extra herbs go to waste. Simply chop them up and put them in the ice cube tray with a small amount of water or broth. This is a simple way to add herbs to soup--just drop a cube or two in the pot.

Leftover Coffee
Pour whatever is left in your morning pot in the ice cube tray. Frozen coffee cubes make great iced mochas!

Tomato sauce or Paste
The larger cans of tomato sauce or paste are often a much better value than the tiny ones. Don't put a half-empty can back in the refrigerator, freeze the leftovers using the ice cube tray.

Applesauce
Using applesauce in baking can lower the fat content of many recipes but usually you need only a small amount. Instead of purchasing smaller containers, buy a large jar and freeze the extra to use later.


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(I love the convenience of shopping online and I think you will too. The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Habits: The Evening Routine

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Preparing for tomorrow begins long before bedtime. It actually begins right after dinner. Since the dinner schedule around here is erratic, there is no set time for this process to begin, but is does begin just as soon as we are through in the kitchen.

As with the morning routine, I keep this routine posted on the refrigerator. It's not that I can't remember the steps, but having them posted is a visual reminder of what needs to be done. With posted instructions, I am less likely to get off track.


Here's my evening routine:
  • Kitchen clean-up and quick pick up of clutter (this is when I get the coffee maker set up for the next morning)
  • Review tomorrow's schedule
  • Get clothes ready for tomorrow
  • Wash face (using the oil method--so relaxing) and brush teeth
  • Set alarm clock
  • Reading and prayer
Establish an evening routine and stick to it. The next morning, you will be so glad you did.

10 Goals for this Week

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How did you do on your goals for last week?

Here are my ten from last week. While I didn't get everything done (again!), I am finding that having goals helps me to stay focused on what I want to accomplish during the week.

Personal
  1. Get 8 hours of sleep per night Not quite, but getting better.
  2. Exercise for 30 minutes on a treadmill 3 times this week Yay, I did it!
  3. Finish listening to 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done. Done. Watch for my review, coming soon.
  4. Stick to my morning routine Done. It is so helpful to have this routine.
  5. Wardrobe Update: Create 1 new outfit using pieces I already own (shopping in my closet). Done
Home Management
  1. Freezer cooking: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  2. Try a new soup recipe: Potato Leek Soup Done. Read about it here.
  3. Declutter and organize the cutlery drawer Didn't get to this.
  4. Organize recipes Started but far from finished.
  5. Read The Promodoro Technique (free ebook on using a timer for time management) Done.
 
And here are 10 goals for the coming week:
 
Personal
  1. 8 hours of sleep per night.
  2. Establish an evening routine.
  3. Exercise on the treadmill three times this week.
  4. Read All the Money in the World by Laura Vanderkam
  5. Plan five work outfits for the week.
Home Management
  1. Try a new soup recipe.
  2. Make lunches to take to work.
  3. Declutter the cutlery drawer.
  4. Finish organizing recipes.
  5. Organize "pantry armoir".
Check back next week to see how it went. Writing down goals makes it so much more likely you will get them done. Try it!

Do More...

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Great Reads: Quitter by Jon Acuff


In today's economy, those who are employed are considered lucky. This does not seem like a prudent time to consider quitting a job.

Surprisingly, that's really what Quitter is about--not quitting your job (right now) but working on your dream (or preparing for your dream job) while "falling in like with a job you don't love".

If you are unhappy in your current job and have a dream you would like to pursue, this book provides solid advice about how to make the transition from your day job to your dream job. Acuff cuts through all the excuses people come up with for not pursuing their dream job. If you are a _____________, but want to be a ________________, you need to read this book.

Acuff writes from his own experience. He has walked the road from his day job to his dream job. He has made the tough decisions and lived to tell about it. As a bonus, he is hilarious.

Quitter is an enjoyable book with life-changing implications--an honest, inspiring book that every dreamer should read.

Great Reads: 168 Hours: You Have More TimeThan You Think



168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think is not so much a book on time management as it is an encouragement to really think about how you use each of your 168 Hours.

Using examples of real people who have constructed lives most people only dream about, Vanderkam encourages readers to complete a detailed analysis of how they use their time. I used the printable spreadsheet Vanderkam provides at her website. You can download the spreadsheet here.

Vanderkam explains that "there should be almost nothing during your work hours - whatever you choose those to be - that is not advancing you toward your goals for the career and life you want". She explains how to determine what the "next level" of personal and professional development looks like and how to "seize control" of your schedule while completing a transition to that level.

But this is not just a book about having time for your business or career. The real people whose lives are described in this book are able to carve out more time for family and carefully selected leisure activities than most people who accomplish much less professionally. 

Vanderkam also illustrates how many accomplish extraordinary acts of charity or volunteerism. It's a matter of selecting the causes are important to you and focusing on activities where you can have the greatest impact.

Some of her suggestions about how to "outsource" tasks are extreme. She apparently wrote this book while she lived in Manhattan where I suppose tasks such as laundry and wardrobe management are more easily and economically outsourced than they are in my life.

Still, she makes some very good points. Many of the activities that we assume are necessary, or that we assume that we must accomplish ourselves are either not necessary, or we can find another way to get them done. It's a matter of setting priorities and being creative.

I'm still doing my own laundry and cleaning my own house, but 168 Hours has challenged me to become more disciplined and intentional about how I use my time. I found this to be an enjoyable, thought-provoking book and I highly recommend it.

Why You Need a Weather Radio




With severe weather affecting large areas of the country recently, this is a good time for a reminder about weather radios.

A weather radio will alert you to severe weather as well as many other adverse situations that may be affecting your immediate area.

When an emergency situation is unfolding (such as the recent tornadoes), every second counts. A weather radio will provide you with as much lead time as possible to deal with the oncoming situation.

It is important to understand the features available on weather radios.

I recommend that you choose a weather radio with S.A.M.E. technology (Specific Area Message Encoding) S.A.M.E. will allow you to program the unit so that you are only hearing alerts for the counties that you choose.

In addition, some units will allow you to block alerts that are not of interest to you. For example, if you live on high land and are not particularly interested in hearing about flooding in other parts of the county, you may want to block the flood alerts. If you live near the ocean, but marine warnings are not of interest to you, you are able to block those alerts. A radio that is constantly sounding due to events that are of no concern to you will quickly be shut off or ignored.

A moderately-priced unit that has both S.A.M.E. and event-specific capabilities is the Midland WR-300.

I have owned the Midland WR-300 for over five years and it has proven it's worth over and over. I am immediately alerted to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, as well as the updated status of tropical storms and hurricanes.

I only receive alerts for my immediate area, and I only receive alerts for the situations that I have selected. That way, when my weather radio sounds an alert, I know it is something that may affect my family.

And we pay attention.

(I love the convenience of shopping online and I think you will too. The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Potato Leek Soup

Here's another yummy dairy-free soup made with coconut milk.


 The original recipe called for a can of light coconut milk. I never purchase light coconut milk since it is really only a mixture of regular coconut milk and water. Buy a can of the regular, add your own water, and save.

Potato Leek Soup

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 large or 2 medium leeks (white part), sliced
3 medium organic potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch of sea salt (or to taste)
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

In a soup pot over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and leeks. Cover and cook about five minutes until leeks are soft.

Add potatoes and stir to mix. Add broth and spices. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Puree using immersion blender. If using a regular blender, let mixture cool slightly. Transfer to blender in small quantities so that blender does not overflow. Return to soup pot.

Add coconut milk and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serves 4

Adapted from a recipe found on quantumvegan.com