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What would you make of you have a bunch of blood oranges? They are a rare treat up here, and I can get them 10 for a dollar this weekend...
 
Notbutanapron, please share you mixture for the pickle and syrup for preserving the scraps? I'd love to try it! I'm the kids of person who will toss it out of fear its already spoiled. I know I waste food:(
 
Trying for a queen-sized quilt. My squares are 7.5" (hence the ADULT jeans, so I can get that big a square out of the legs) and I figure I need 224 for the quilt. 14 squares across, 16 squares tall. I may need to go 18 squares tall, but I have a hard time imagining things I can't see - will make it up and add if needed.

Here's the chart I have if you're interested:

Twin-69"x90"-4" squares (2016), 6" squares (600), 10" squares (176)
Full-84"x90"-4" (2448), 6" (760), 10" (220)
Queen-90"x95"-4" (2736), 6" (840), 10" (242)
King-108"x108"-4" (3872), 6" (1152), 10" (338)

I know this doesn't have the 7 or 7 1/2 but it does give other ideas. :)
 
beaglebiz, I got blood oranges in part of my co-op basket two weeks ago, so I juiced them and added it to my orange juice in the fridge when I realized we were almost out and not enough for Mom and dh for breakfast. They were small ones, but made enough for the two of them. Just squeezed them by hand.

Notbutanapron, do you leave the oil out on the counter when veggies are in it? Thanks again for all your great tips. Because of you, MTM and some of the others on this site, we all can save money and make better use of our resources and income! I'm so envious of your lemon tree! Have you ever tried dehydrating the lemons?

I'm having dh help me build some great shelves like I saw on here for storage of my canned goods in the basement, and also a tall rack to put flat trays on so that I can dry the veggies and fruits that aren't suitable for any human food, and keep that for raising pigs later in the year if we decide to do that again. Won't cost me anything to dry the food that way.
 
A pound of butter up here has reached the $7 mark (and our exchange rate is pretty much par so that would be about the same in US dollars.) I dug out my Laurels Kitchen cookbook and have started making BETTER BUTTER. I used to make this all the time. I often wonder why I stop doing stuff? Anyways it extends the butter and tastes very good - better than margerine. I can buy this at the store but it costs $5 for a little tub.

1 cup safflower, soy or corn oil
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons dried milk powder
1/4 teaspoon lecithin
1/2 teaspoon salt.

Dissolve salt in water in blender. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into containers and store in refrigerator.

This can also be made by simply blending the oil and butter but it does not stay solid at room temperature for very long. I use this in baking.
Is this like using something like Country Crock? My youngest loves the spreadable stuff- but I don't buy it- I would love to find a replacement!
 
Is this like using something like Country Crock? My youngest loves the spreadable stuff- but I don't buy it- I would love to find a replacement!
I have never tried Country Crock. I have used a butter/oil spread by Lactancia that was very good and buttery but extremely expensive. This is a homemade version and all my family really likes it - because it is spreadable. All I can suggest is that you give it a try. If it does not work as a spread for you (and I honestly think that it will!) you can use the mixture in baking muffins or cookies and thus not waste it.
 
I got this off here somewhere.
I use one stick of butter, 1/4 c. olive oil & 1/4 water. All room temperature. I mix it with a mixer until well blended & refrigerate. I put it in a 1/2 pt wide mouth jar. It is really spreadable even when cold.
 
Dh and I went thrift shopping this a.m. I found "So Easy to Preserve" which is the ultimate canning cookbook. I've checked it out from the library a million times so am thrilled to have my own copy for $5. Found a few other things at fair prices so nothing special on them. I also got 6 linen napkins for 25¢ which was a real find. I have a drawer full of napkins and have not purchased paper napkins in 10 years.
 
^ Did you know I found that recipe for 'butter spread' once in a cookbook from 1880! It was used way back when to extend butter! Brilliant!

I leave my oil in a crock on a cool shelf so it's not near heat or sunlight. Use it regularly and you're good.

I just use basic simple syrup/simple pickles. I just boil up 1c water with 1c sugar or more if it's summer and put a bottle of that in the fridge and 2c vinegar, 1c water, 1 1/2c sugar (depending on my mood for sweetness that week] and a good fat pinch of flaked salt. So if I have some, say...plums. I'll dip them in boiling water to peel them [then turn the water itself into a simple plum syrup for tea], stone them and pack them in a simple syrup then use my cheatsheet of how long to water bath for or I'll just keep them in the fridge until I can pack them in a lunch later in the week. Or I'll chop veggies, whatever, beans caulis, broccoli... I'll put spices on the bottom of the jar, some garlic, some dill seed maybe, some juniper if I'm in the mood, some thyme... pack with veggies, top with your premade mix and either refrigerate for a few days for it to brine or water bath using the densest ingredient for time and it'll soften in the bath and be ready to eat within a day! Having a mandolin makes these jobs WAY easier.

I dehydrated a lot of my lemons. Turned some into 'lemon spice dust' which is great on cakes with sugar. The flesh and skin separate when dehydrated so you can keep or candy the skin for treats or scents or soap [note: blended and crushed lemon/citrus peel makes a GREAT citrus scrub in homemade soap - it's like a tangy refreshing pick me up exfoliant!]

I actually have two lemon trees but they're only new and this was their first big year. Sadly, I lose them in the move, but I gain a whole veggie patch and 200 dairy cattle in it too!

My favourite thing to do with blood oranges is marmalade. I don't even like marmalade [but my friends say they LOVE mine] but blood orange or cumquat or nectarine marmalades are SO GOOD. I put a little but of rosewater with my blood orange because it's just a really nice combo.

I really like these threads a lot too. I feel like it's somewhere I actually belong! My friends think I'm nuts when I get excited over discovering paperback books from over 60 years ago on frugalness. I ADORE and collect frugalness/household/cookery books that are 60+ years old.
 
I have an old Australian bush outback book that describes and pictures a way to build a bush dehydrator out of old feed sacks, some leftover timber and some rusty tins and shelves. I'll scan it in!!
 
I use small hotel size shampoo & conditioners to shave my legs with - works great and you don't need much for each leg.
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We flew out of town last week for a combo vacation/business trip and, of course, now you have to put everything in clear plastic for Security at the airports. I have a plastic zippered bag that pillowcases came in and another plastic bag that contained a bunch of ponytail bands & hair scrunchies I bought for a $1 at Big Lots.
I used both of those bags to put my small bottles and toiletries in, it was so easy to pop them in and out of my backpack at the airport.
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My DGD wants a tea party for her birthday, but my daughter doesn't want all those little girls using her fancy heirloom china. She found some china cups and I found saucers at the Thrift Store, along with a cute tea pot.
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DH baked some frozen chicken nuggets the other night for dinner, but they had been in the freezer too long so they weren't too tasty. I used them as dog treats this week for our cow dog. He loved them. He gets all the leftovers that aren't quite edible anymore, but he's in doggy heaven since they're all special treats to him.
 
notbutanapron: I just noticed your signature. I feel we are kindred spirits, as I was JUST thinking about that episode the other day. Greatest show ever.

Even if you are not a hardcore couponner, be an opportunistic one. Food Lion has really good ones in the coupon machine at the front of the store. Today there was a $1 off $5 of beef, and they had London Broil marked down, so I found one that was juuuust over $5 and used the coupon. Another week I got $2 off $10 in produce (I don't buy much produce due to our garden, so I gave mine to a lady buying potatoes) My MIL got a $3 off $30 spent coupon last week. Several times I have got 75 cents of any FL brand rice, and their small bag is 77 cents...rice for 2 cents? Yes thank you! It takes two seconds to scan your card, and you can save a lot! Today I saved six dollars jUST from the coupon machine (saved more with other coupons)
 
Oh and don't forgeet about Family Dollar or Dollar General! They accept coupons and put out their own store coupons. I ran in FD today and they had the medium (11 oz) bags of MnMs for $2, which is a good deal, but I used a coupon for 1.50 off two and got them both for 2.50. I brought them home and tossed them in the freezer for baking projects (and so I don't eat them.)

On my receipt, I got a coupon for 4 Burger King chicken nuggets for 50 cents. Though I'm not a huge fan of processed chicken, Stepdaughter loves them so that would be a cheap treat.
 
my advice today is to try a different store. i noticed that a local store had a decent sale on cantaloupes, so i went. i bought tons of produce, some meat to supplement what we already have in the freezer, expensive eggs (egglands best), plus stocked up on canned green beans and some moore's marinade. i spent $64, and have nearly enough for at least a week's worth of suppers and breakfasts for me and dh and leftover lunches for myself.

i normally don't go in this store. it used to be dark and drab looking. just didn't feel "clean". but yesterday, i was truly impressed by the prices and how pretty the produce section was - everything in baskets and. . .just aesthetically pleasing. i will definitely go back quite often.
 
I'be been going into more smaller stores instead of all of the chains, they often have good meat and produce sales as well as clearance, also check out clearance sales, went to insert one day and got 4 bottles of pantene conditioner for free with coupons, the conditioner was meant for women of color, but who cares, free conditioner, can use it for shaving
 
Here's an oldy but goody that I posted five years ago that is still very relevant today.

Financial planners recommend that people with lower incomes should budget in the following way for budget categories like housing, food, etc..For example, for a couple making 1,500 a month (considered lower income) the following would be the breakdown. But your son and daughter in law are maybe not even making that much.

Housing 35% $525
Utilities 8% $120
Food 10% $150
Transport 15%
Clothing 4% $60
Personal 5% $75
Savings 5% $75
Debt 10% $150
Subtotal $1,380
Medical 8% $120
Total 100% $1,500

I like to read over the tips threads and I'm a big fan of ME!:) That's because I forget half the things I post and they are new all over again:) I'm a big fan of y'all, too!
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Who posted that you can easily start a Meyer lemon tree from cuttings? Can you elaborate?
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Friend has some muscadines for me to get starts from . I can't wait. Any advice?
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My grapes have seeds, Can you cut out the seeds and THEN dehydrate?
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I hope to sew some old towels into homemade swiffer pads.
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For those needing guerilla tips on being frugal: Bubble wrap on your windows insulates, yet lets in the sun.
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I have saved tons of money over the years by just cooking from scratch with everyday ingredients. Cooking show people make money by making new recipes with new, more expensive, hard to find ingredients. Martha S, is like that. I work full time and don't have time to fiddle, either. So instead of lasagna, I make ziti. You get the idea. I cook only two or three times a week and make enough for lunches and frozen future meals. This way there is always a homemade meal, yet I'm not having to cook everyday.
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When I make my bread, I make double the recipe in the breadmaker, let it rise once, punch down and let it rise in bread pans the second time.
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While I am not a vegetarian, I use meat sparingly. When times were tight, I stretched meat by slipping in mashed, cooked beans. I'm starting to do this again for health purposes. I'll be making moussaka today with half beans and half meat. Also need to use up some mixed vegetables today so will be making fried rice with that.
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We have had many conversations about how expensive fruit is. I read something that challenged what I did: You don't need two pieces of fruit a day. You need four-8 one cup servings of Fruit OR Vegetables. I don't need the extra sugar from fruit to have more than one serving a day. I've been trying to take either celery sticks or carrot sticks in my lunch daily. These have lots of fiber and are better for you. Plus, each year I plant more fruit trees, berries, etc..

In fact, half of your plate should be fruits or vegetables. Only one fourth should be starch. That alone has saved us tons of unnecessary calories! AND dollars.
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If you are buying a van because "sometimes" you need more seats or a truck because "sometimes" you might need it, think again. I tell my husband that it would be better to drive two smaller, fuel efficient vehicles to fit the larger crowd once in a while than to pay for the extra expense of a van and the extra gas usage of a van ALL YEAR LONG. One of our cars will be a fuel efficient hatchback with rails on top and a way to haul a trailer on back. If we really need a big bed trailer, we can rent a truck--that only happens once in five years for us.
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I use the cereal and cracker wax inserts for rolling out noodles, tortillas, keeping the counter clean when I knead dough, etc..
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Thank you all for your tips. Notbutanapron and Prov31 wife, if I haven't welcomed you, please consider yourself welcomed by me. Notbutanapron, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by your "Oil" but it reminds me of something called Ajvar which is roasted red peppersand garlic mixed with oil and used as a bread spread. Very delish. Very healthy. Good use for bread ends. I've been using my bread ends toasted for hummis dip.

And you are right, Prov31 woman, most don't want to know what you are doing, or if they do will just think you "cheap." No one called our grand parents and great grandparents "cheap" for supporting their own families themselves. Since when (well I have an idea) does living within your means mean something bad? Or Shameful? As I've said many, many times: People who mock and complain the most are usually people who will later ask for money and are in financial trouble (maybe not at that moment, but wait....) I have a friend I love with grown children who is a lot of fun to share ideas with as she wants her children to be self supporting and thriving. Me too!
 
My 34 yr old daughter and I live on a food budget of just $200 a month..she is unemloyeed an so far has been unable to find work but has been able to help me round the house as well as work for my landlady to help with personal items.I ramped up the canning an dehydrating an that has helped us greatly .as has keepin an eye on utilies useage .we have worked to keep everything down an even lowered the gas an light budgets .it takes constant work but it can be done
 
I made dh waffles with my new thrifted waffle iron. I've been buying him Aldis frozen waffles so the six waffles today paid for the $2 waffle iron. I love snowball purchases especially when from thrift shops.

I also got the book "So Easy To Preserve" for $5. This is a book I have wanted for years. I've checked it out from the library dozens of times, but I wanted the recipes on-hand at all times not just when the library is open.

Made my lunch smoothie in my $5 blender from a garage sale 10 years ago and still going strong.
 
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