Momo

I've been using stevia for years for my hot tea in the am. It is a little bitter to me but I got used to it. Now they have a new product that is a mix of stevia and regular sugar. It is called Sun Crystals and I love it. It is about 4 or 5 calories in a packet that is enough to sweeten a beverage. Of course you probably can't make it at home. It is a little pricey, but I had a good coupon for it since it is a new product.

I saw this one advertised yesterday. Pancake batter in a pressurized can (like whipped topping comes in). Just spray the pancake on your griddle and cook.

I am making darn sure that my Princesses will NEVER forget me! We drive to town for every recital, ball game, awards ceremony etc. We also have them spend the weekend with us as much as possible. My DH tells them that "There are no rules in the country". They just love that. We do so much with them. I guess DH and I do everything that we wish we had done growing up. Neither one of us had grandparents around.

Yeah..the post that says Homesteader is really me. One of the many posts that got messed up during the change!!

What a Sweetie!

This one bugs my Dh but I do it anyway. Whenever we go fishing we buy worms. If we use them all up, I bring the peat moss home and add it to my compost pile or an indoor plant. If we still have some worms left, and will be fishing again in the next few days, just put the covered container in your fridge until needed. They little darlins will take a nap until you use them up. If you still have worms left and won't be using them in a few days, just add worms and the peat to your garden or compost.

We were at DS's house. They are redoing their den. It was 70's style with heavy paneling, wood trim and beams. He was getting ready to put all the old wood in the trash. Oh no...not with frugal Momo around. We came home with a minivan loaded with high quality wood. We have plenty of space to save it here, until we need it for some future project. DH said it was worth several hundred dollars today and it was better quality than what you get at the big box centers.

DH is building a greenhouse for me. He was trying to buy some clear panels and needed them to be 8 ft. long. They only had 2 of them in stock, and he needed about 12 altogether. The store had a bunch of 12 foot ones in stock though. They sold him all of the 12 footers at the 8 ft price. He will be able to use the extra 4 foot sections for alot of other projects. We are always doing something around here. I have noticed alot of the stores (even the big box ones) are going out of their way to make the customer happy.

Today DH and I took some old 55 gallon barrels we had left from Y2K. We set them up in a series of four connected barrels on a movable stand, to collect rainwater from our barn. We'll use the water to water our veggie garden this year. City water is so expensive and rainwater is better for your plants anyway. We are using the barn water since it has a metal roof and won't have asphalt chunks in it.

In my opinion the AARP card is mostly good for motels or car rentals. Since we seldom travel, we haven't used it since DH retired. McDonalds, stores and other restaurants normally take your word on whether you are eligible or not. No one has ever asked DH for an ID.

Yesterday I got 10 pounds of ground round for $1.48 a pound. Today I made a huge batch of meatballs and froze them in small dinner size packets. I love to have nice meatballs ready for nights when I don't feel like cooking alot. Great for spaghetti or hot meatball & cheese sandwiches.

Dora you reminded me of something Dh did. When we were building this house, DH saw an old toilet in front of a house for the city to pick up. He picked it up and brought it home. He cleaned it up for "his bathroom". He wanted 1 old fashioned toilet that used more water for when he did his business. He didn't want one of those low water ones that he would have to flush more than once.

DH and I had lunch at our local chinese buffet. The owner was sitting at a table stringing green beans. I asked her if we could have the trimmings for our chickens. She said sure, and went into the kitchen and brought out a big bag of veggie scraps her hubby had just prepped in the kitchen. Great free food for our girls. Next time we go there I am going to give her some eggs to repay her.

Proper diagnosis is the toughest part Homemaker! You go girl!

I bought 20 pounds of fresh pecans today, for only 1$ a pound. I usually freeze them in the shell and take them out as needed.

Yep...slices of pb&j!!!!

Who stays up nights inventing these products? I saw an ad today for PB&J slices. It is pb&j in a slice like American cheese. They even commented it is such a neat way to keep your jelly from being contaminated from a knife with pb on it!!!

One of the worst problems of cooking has been solved!! Dixie Crystals has invented pre-measured brown sugar packages. The box contains twelve 1/4 cup individual packs of non-clumping brown sugar. I wonder how much extra this costs to avoid the horrors of not having to measure or declump your sugar? With all the talk lately of being frugal and economizing on family budgets, it will be interesting to see how this one sells.

If you are anything like me you have a ton of extra shiny silver cd's around. For a Christmas decorating idea set several cd's on your dining room table. Use small or tealight candles and set them in the center of the cd. Make sure the cd is shiny side up. The lights from the candles will reflect off the cd's and it looks really cool. You can also use a cd or an old lp album and buy a clockworks set at a hobby store or Wal-mart. Install the works in the center of the lp/cd.

I personally never charge anything unless I know I can pay it off when the bill comes in. You got me thinking though..what if someone had no preps(or money)right now. Should they charge some immediately just in case TSHTF? It's kind of a chicken or egg question. Hmmm

I don't know about mixing it ahead. I'm just gonna mix up a handful when I do my hair. It should be easy..just water and b. soda in the palm of my hand. I think the adjustment means getting all the chemical buildup out of your hair. I'm sure it's loaded from years of all those unpronouncable things in shampoo.

If you want to save money and avoid all those nasty chemicals try cleaning your hair this way. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Massage into your scalp. Rinse with apple cider vinegar and water. It takes a while for your hair to adjust to being chem free, so give it some time. I haven't tried this yet but I'm going to start tomorrow morning!

We've never had a roll call as such. Just posts with requests. I think you have a good idea so I'll make this a sticky post.

Recycle worms.. If you have worms left after fishing, don't toss them out. You can put them in your fridge and they kind of "sleep". You can save them for 7-10 days. If you won't be fishing again soon, put them(and the dirt with them) in your compost bin or feed to your chickens.

My Aunt gave me her door knob remover when I was in my 20's. I wasn't even fat then and I tore the knob off. Today I could probably tear the whole door down.LOL