Buddy Friday - a Before and After; and a recipe

Finally the fireplace is finished. I have a couple of little jobs to do on it, they are cosmetic things, otherwise its a job completed. Here it is before we started on it, mind you we had cleaned it up at this point, as the stone was all black.

Here is the after.

Now for the recipe. I saw something similar in a magazine and did my version of it. As usual though my quantities are very vague, sorry.

Lentil and Cheese Salad.

Ingredients:
1 can Lentils (19 oz) or prepare your own
A block of cheese cubed, I would use around 6oz, and I used cheddar
2 - 3 Spring/salad onions sliced
Tomato diced, I used half a large one, grape tomatoes would work well
1 cup of frozen sweetcorn, or 1 can of sweetcorn

Dressing:
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
Dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Mix first five ingredients together. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over the first five ingredients and refrigerate for a couple of hours. We had ours with pita bread and it was good.

Here is what it looks like:

For more Buddy Friday posts, pop over to Margaret's Ramblings.

Buddy Friday 50 + 1 uses for Lemon Juice

There are all sorts of things you can use lemon juice for, here are some:

1. Mix up a tough solution of lemon juice and tap water, and your stove, countertops and appliances will be shining like new. Pour a quarter of a cup of lemon juice in a spray bottle, then fill it up with tap water. Shake it a few times to mix the solution, then use it to remove stubborn grease.

2. To give your hair a healthy shine, mix up a quarter cup of lemon juice in a cup of water and rinse your hair with it.

3. Disinfect Your Kitchen Cutting Board . You diced up some onion, and then some poultry for tonight's dinner on your cutting board. Once you were done, you washed it in hot, sudsy water, but is your cutting board really clean? If you spray it lightly with pure lemon juice, then rinse it well. Allow the cutting board to dry thoroughly before you put it away, the bacteria- as well as the onion odors- should be gone.

4. Remove Tarnish From Copper and Brass mix up a quarter cup of table salt and just enough lemon juice to make a paste. Then, apply a coating of this onto any tarnished copper or brass pots, pans and other items you may have. Leave the lemon juice/salt paste set for five to ten minutes. Next, wash the item in warm tap water and then rinse it well. Use a soft, clean cloth to buff it dry. If any tarnish remains, repeat the process again.

5. Write with invisible ink. Use a Q-tip as a pen to write in lemon juice on a piece of white paper. Once it dries, hold the paper near a hot light bulb. The writing will turn brown.

6. To remove fruit or berry stains from your hands, rinse hands with lemon juice.

7. Anytime someone in your household gets constipated, just pour two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into an eight-ounce glass of warm water. Drink it in the morning when you first get up. The citrus juice will help regulate your digestive system.

8. Silence a Hacking Cough and Heal a Sore. Simply mix up two teaspoons of lemon juice and a half teaspoon of honey together. Swallow the mixture and you should feel better soon. Repeat the process, if need be, in thirty minutes.

9. Eliminate blackheads, rub lemon juice over blackheads before going to bed. Wait until morning to wash off the juice with cool water. Repeat for several nights until you see a big improvement in the skin.

10. Remove rust and mineral discolorations on cotton t-shirts and briefs, use one cup of lemon juice in the washer.

11. Remove ink spots from clothing, while ink is wet, apply lemon juice liberally to the spot, and then wash the garment in normal cycle with regular detergent in cold water.

12. Remove Sticky Pine Tar From Your Hands with a mixture of lemon juice and table salt. The pine tar come right off!

13. Get rid of dandruff. Apply one tablespoon of lemon juice to your hair. Shampoo, then rinse with water. Rinse again with a mixture of two tablespoons lemon juice and two cups water. Repeat every other day until dandruff disappears.

14. Whiten, brighten, and strengthen fingernails, soak fingernails in lemon juice for ten minutes, then brush with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and warm water. Rinse well.

15. Relieve poison ivy by applying lemon juice over the affected areas should soothe itching and alleviate the rash.

16. Clean a microwave oven by adding four tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup water in a microwave-safe, four-cup bowl. Boil for five minutes in the microwave, allowing the steam to condense on the inside walls of the oven. Then wipe clean.

17. Clear up facial blemishes, dab lemon juice on the blemish a few times a day.

18. Poached fish will be firmer and whiter if you add lemon juice to the cooking liquid.

19. Relieve rough hands or sore feet by applying lemon juice, rinse, then massage with olive oil.

20. Stop bleeding and disinfect minor wounds. Pour lemon juice on a cut or apply with a cotton ball.

21. Eliminate odors in your humidifier by pouring three or four teaspoons of lemon juice into the water

22. Train a dog to stop barking, by squirting some lemon juice in the dog's mouth and say "Quiet."

23. Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup of fresh, sweet milk when you need a substitute for sour cream or buttermilk.

24. Discolored socks will look white again if you boil them for a few minutes in a pan of water with a slice of lemon in it.

25. To shine smooth aluminum, rub it with the cut side of a lemon.

26. Rub a lemon wedge over your teeth and tongue to get rid of bad breath.

27. Sip hot water and lemon after a night of drinking to help cleanse the liver and get a boost of Vitamin C.

28. Mix 1 cup hydrogen peroxide, 1 ¼ cup lemon juice and 12 cups water to create your own eco-friendly bleach.

29. Easily remove food residue from copper pans with a combination of salt and lemon

30. To freshen a stinky garbage disposal, slice a medium sized lemon into the disposal and turn on the disposal with running water until the lemon is gone.

31. Combine apple cider vinegar and lemon juice to heal scorched skin. The lemon acts as a disinfectant to help heal the sunburn.

32. To clean grout around tiles, apply lemon juice and water with a toothbrush and scrub.

33. To clean glass shower doors, apply lemon juice with a sponge. Dry with newspapers for a sparkling shine

34. To freshen the air, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the vacuum cleaner bag before vacuuming.

35. To freshen the air, place a teaspoon of cinnamon over lemon slices and cover with water. Simmer in a saucepan for 15 minutes on medium heat.

36. To make your own furniture polish that is much better for the wood than what you can buy, prepare enough for a single preparation (make fresh each time you use it.) Mix the juice of one lemon, one teaspoon olive oil and a teaspoon of water. Apply a thin coat to furniture and buff to a deep shine.

37. Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater by rubbing both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.

38. Add half a lemon to the dishwasher load for sparkling spot-free clean smelling dishes.

39. Sliced apples and pears that come into contact with air for too long tend to brown on the outside. To prevent the discolor, sprinkle some lemon juice over the fruit.

40. Fade tea stains on cloth by diluting lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Use an eyedropper or a Q-tip to make sure the juice targets the stain. Thoroughly flush with cool water.

41. Create a wonderful natural air freshener by mixing lemon juice and water in a spray bottle. Also, just placing a half a lemon in a dish can help freshen a room.

42. Remove mildew with lemon Juice - Pour lemon juice on the affected area, and then rub table salt on it. Place the garment in the sun for a couple of hours, and then launder it as usual.

43. Make your own all-purpose cleaning solution. Combine lemon juice, vinegar and water in a spray bottle.

44. To clean drains, mix hot lemon juice and baking soda to clean out and freshen drains. Safe for septic systems.

45. Eliminating stains with Lemon Juice - Soak a sponge in lemon juice and sponge the stain. Rinse the clothing in water, then blot out excess moisture and let the clothing air-dry. Finally, apply a laundry pre-treat solution and wash the garment in warm water. For very stubborn stains, soak the clothing in detergent, for about 45 minutes, and then wash it again.

46. Lemon juice can dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits

47. For chapped lips create a mixture of 1 teaspoon lemon juice and honey and then rub it onto your lips several times a day.

48. When you skin feels dry and it needs rejuvenating or you just want to give it that smooth, clean feeling use a natural skin lotion made from lemon juice. Mix equal amounts of honey, vegetable oil and lemon juice and massage this into and areas that feel dry, especially your hands, face, elbows and feet. Leave the mixture on for 10 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water.

49. Create your own natural face scrub using lemon juice, cold milk and either ground up orange peel or oatmeal. Mix these ingredients together to form a paste and then rub it onto your face, carefully avoiding your eyes. Rinse it off with warm water and then pat dry. This natural face scrub will unclog your pores and leave your skin feeling smooth and fresh.

50. After washing glassware rinse them in water that has a few lemon skins in it. The acid from the lemons will make the glasses sparkle.

51. Create you own hand lotion which you can use as often as you want to need to. Combine 2 parts fresh lemon juice with 3 parts honey and 4 parts almond oil. Massage the mixture into hands and leave it for 10 minutes before rinsing it off with vinegar and water. This completely natural & inexpensive hand lotion will leave your hands feeling silky smooth and can also be stored in a container for up to 3 weeks.

There are a couple of things I wouldn't mind trying. Hope there are a few useful things in there for you to try?

For more Buddy Friday posts, please check out Margaret's Ramblings.

Buddy Friday - 50 + 1 different uses for Vinegar

First let me say there are hundred's of different uses for plain old vinegar, here are some I thought we worth mentioning.

1. To freshen up a washing machine, clean the hoses and unclog the soap scum, once a month pour one cup of vinegar in the machine and run it through a normal cycle without the clothes in it.

2. If a sponge, flannel or dishcloth becomes slimy or smelly, soak overnight in a solution of half vinegar/half water. Rinse in clear water and leave to dry.

3. Remove cooking smells from hands by rinsing them with vinegar and then wash thoroughly with soap and water.

4. Collars and cuffs can be cleaned by rubbing a thick paste of baking soda and vinegar onto the stains before washing in the usual way.

5. Perspiration marks can be eliminated by soaking them with vinegar before laundering in the usual way.

6. If you are baking and find you are short of an egg, as long as the recipe contains another rising agent (e.g. baking powder or self raising flour) the egg can be replaced with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar. (THIS IS A NEW ONE FOR ME, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS)

7. To prevent the white of an egg spreading during poaching add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a shallow pan of boiling water.

8. To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

9. Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.

10. Get rid of lime deposits in a tea kettle by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water and letting it sit overnight. If more drastic action is needed, boil full-strength white distilled vinegar in the kettle a few minutes, let cool and rinse with plain water.

11. Remove stains from coffee and teacups by scrubbing them gently with equal parts of salt (or baking soda) and white distilled vinegar. Rinse clean.

12. Polish brass and copper with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of ketchup and 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar. Rub it on with a clean cloth until dry and shiny. (I HAVE SOME BRASS THAT NEEDS CLEANING SO WILL GIVE THIS A TRY)

13. Clean grout by letting full-strength white distilled vinegar sit on it for a few minutes and scrubbing it with an old toothbrush.

14. Spray shower doors with full-strength white distilled vinegar after you’ve squeegeed the glass, or before you step in and turn on the water. It will help release the hard water deposits so they don’t remain on the glass.

15. To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.

16. Clean up pet accidents by first blotting up the area and then adding a white distilled vinegar-and-water solution. Blot until it is almost dry. Then sprinkle baking soda over the area and let it dry. Vacuum up the residue the next day.

17. Remove fireplace soot and grime with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Use a brush to scrub and a towel to blot up the wetness and dirt.

18. Clean fireplace glass doors with a solution of 1 part white distilled vinegar to 2 parts water. Spray or wipe on, then wipe clean with a dry cloth.

19. To clean and disinfect baby toys add a good-sized splash of white distilled vinegar to soapy water.

20. Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.

21. Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

22. Get stained white socks and dingy dishcloths white again. Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring it to a rolling boil and drop in the articles. Let soak overnight.

23. Get water and salt stains off shoes and boots by wiping them down with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and water.

24. Get rid of the tiny holes left along the hemline when you take out the hem of any garment by moistening a cloth with white distilled vinegar, placing it under the fabric and ironing.

25. Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

26. Remove scorch marks from an iron by rubbing it with a warmed-up solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and salt. If that doesn’t work, use a cloth dampened with full-strength white distilled vinegar.

27. Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

28. Kill weeds and grass growing in unwanted places by pouring full-strength white distilled vinegar on them. This works especially well in crevices and cracks of walkways and driveways.

29. Increase the acidity of soil by adding white distilled vinegar to your watering can.

30. Keep rabbits from eating your plants. Put cotton balls soaked in white distilled vinegar in a 35mm film container. Poke a hole in the top and place in the garden.

31. Clean a hummingbird feeder with white distilled vinegar—soap or detergent can leave behind harmful residue.

32. Get rid of rust on spigots, tools, screws or bolts by soaking the items overnight or for several days in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

33. Preserve cut flowers and liven droopy ones by adding 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar to a quart of water in a vase.

34. Keep car windows frost-free overnight in winter by coating them with a solution of 3 parts white distilled vinegar to 1 part water.

35. Remove the leftover odor after a rider has been carsick by leaving a bowl of white distilled vinegar overnight on the floor.

36. Give leather upholstery an extra shine by cleaning it with hot white distilled vinegar and rinsing with soapy water.

37. Remove winter road salt residue on car carpeting by spraying with a mixture of equal parts white distilled vinegar and water, then blot with a soft towel.

38. Freshen wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water containing a spoonful or two of white distilled vinegar.

39. Add moistness and taste to any chocolate cake—homemade or from a box—with a spoonful of white distilled vinegar.

40. Clean a hairbrush by soaking in a white distilled vinegar solution.

41. Make nail polish last longer. Wipe fingernails with cotton balls dipped in white distilled vinegar before putting on nail polish.

42. Keep a dog from scratching its ears by wiping them out regularly with a soft cloth dipped in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

43. Kill fleas by adding a little white distilled vinegar to your dog or cat’s drinking water.

44. Cats hate the smell of vinegar. If you have a cat that is marking its territory around your house, spray the area with white distilled vinegar then rinse with a hose.

45. Remove skunk odors by wiping down the animal with a 50-50 solution of white distilled vinegar and water, followed by a plain-water rinse. Repeat if necessary.

46. Clean your window blinds. You can make the job of cleaning mini-blinds or venetians considerably less torturous by giving them "the white glove treatment." Just put on a white cotton glove -- the kind sold for gardening is perfect -- and moisten the fingers in a solution made of equal parts white vinegar and hot tap water. Now simply slide your fingers across both sides of each slat and prepare to be amazed. Use a container of clean water to periodically wash off the glove.

47. Clean your computer mouse. If you have a mouse with a removable tracking ball, use a 50/50 vinegar-water solution to clean it. First, remove the ball from underneath the mouse by twisting off the cover over it. Use a cloth, dampened with the solution and wrung out, to wipe the ball clean and to remove fingerprints and dirt from the mouse itself. Then use a moistened cotton swab to clean out the gunk and debris from inside the ball chamber (let it dry a couple of hours before reinserting the ball).

48. To clear clogs in sink and tub drains, use a funnel to pour in 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup vinegar. When the foaming subsides, flush with hot tap water. Wait five minutes, and then flush again with cold water. Besides clearing blockages, this technique also washes away odor-causing bacteria.

49. To speed up a slow drain, pour in 1/2 cup salt followed by 2 cups boiling vinegar, then flush with hot and cold tap water.

50. Make your silverware -- as well as your pure silver bracelets, rings, and other jewelry -- shine like new by soaking them in a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons baking soda for two to three hours. Rinse them under cold water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.

51. When your windshield actually gets blurrier after you turn on your wipers during a rainstorm, it usually means that your wiper blades are dirty. To make them as good as new, dampen a cloth or rag with some full-strength white vinegar and run it down the full length of each blade once or twice.

There are hundred's more tips out there, these are ones I thought were useful.


F0r more Buddy Friday posts, pop by Margaret's Ramblings.

Buddy Friday - 50 + 1 uses for Baking Soda/Bicarbonate of Soda

Thought this might be of use, as I am using a lot around the house now.

1. Put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors.

2. Improve the smell of dish clothes by soaking them in baking soda and water.

3. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor.

4. Sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin.

5. Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in water in a microwave safe bowl, then bring to the boil in your microwave. Allow to sit for a minute or two, then you should easily be able to wipe out any baked on stains, plus your oven will microwave will smell fresher too.

6. Wash chemicals and pesticides off fruits and vegetables in a pot filled with water and 3 - 4 tablespoons of baking soda added.

7. Stains on porcelain sinks, toilets and plastics can be removed by applying a layer of baking soda and then using a damp sponge . I found this to work particularly well on a water stain in a sink that couldn't be shifted otherwise without the use of heavy duty chemicals and scratching the surface.

8. As an alternative to caustic soda for clearing blocked drains, throw a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a couple of jugs of boiling water.

9. Wash garbage cans with baking soda.

10. Wash out thermos bottles and cooling containers with baking soda and water to get rid of stale smells.

11. Run your coffee maker through its cycle with a baking soda solution. Rinse.

12. Polish silverware with dry baking soda on a damp cloth. Rub, rinse and dry.

13. For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of baking soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten the baking soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean next day.

14. Soak your shower curtains in water and baking soda to clean them.

15. Sprinkle baking soda on your wet toothbrush and brush your teeth and dentures with it.

16. Apply baking soda directly to insect bites, rashes and poison ivy to relieve discomfort. Make a paste with water.

17. Take 1/2-teaspoon of baking soda in one-half glass of water to relieve acid indigestion or heartburn.

18. To relieve sunburn: use a paste of baking soda and water.

19. Reduce odor build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some baking soda on the bottom.

20. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with baking soda in it instead of soap to give it a good cleaning.

21.Making Play Clay with baking soda: combine 1 1/4 cups water, 2 cups soda, 1 cup cornstarch/cornflour.

22. Oil and grease -- stained clothing washes out better with baking soda added to the washing water.

23. Keep your drains clean and free-flowing by putting 4 tablespoons of soda in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water.

24. To remove burned-on food from a pan: let the pan soak in baking soda and water for 10 minutes before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad.

25. Add baking soda to water to soak dried beans to make them more digestible.

26. Oven Cleaner Dampen the floor of the oven, sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda and dampen again. Leave the mixture overnight and then remove with a cloth. Rinse with hot water.

27. Fabric Conditioner To make your own fabric conditioner, mix equal quantities of water, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar in a storage bottle, take care as the vinegar & soda will fizz up. Add ¼ cup of conditioner to your wash.

28. To remove the odour of onion and garlic from wooden or other porous surfaces, sprinkle some bicarb on to a damp cloth and rub into the surface. Rinse with water.

29. Air Freshener Mix 8 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda with 3- 4 drops of essential oil and place in a bowl.

30. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with baking soda.

31. Cleaning Sinks Either place bicarbonate of soda directly onto a damp cloth or make up a paste of soda with a little water. Wipe around the sink & rinse well.

32. Cooker Tops As above, make a paste of soda & water and apply with a cloth. Wipe over well and rinse with cold water.

33. Clean formica counter tops with bicarbonate of soda on a damp sponge

34. Wash a cup of baking soda down a toilet or drain once a week to help maintain or restore the pH of a septic tank. The regular addition of baking soda helps prevent corrosion of concrete as well as metal septic tanks.

35. White sport socks cleaner - rub a paste of soda and water into the socks before normal washing. It will bring back the whiteness and get rid of the nasty smells too

36. Remove wine or grease stains from carpet by lightly sprinkling area with baking soda. Dab it up and add a little more if necessary. Leave on until the wine is absorbed, then vacuum up any residue left.

37. Use a paste of baking soda to remove tea & coffee stains from cups

38. To eliminate dog odors or just freshen up the air, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on your carpet where your dog lies and vacuum up. Leave the bicarbonate of soda on the carpet for half an hour. It also eliminates odor in your vacuum after it has been vacuumed up. A great way to freshen up your home air during the winter when everything is closed up.

39. To clean oily stains from your concrete paths and driveways just sprinkle baking soda over the area and scrub it with a wet brush or stiff broom.

40. Use bicarbonate of soda as an underarm deodorant

41. To remove strong odors from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda, then rinse

42. Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with bicarbonate of soda.

43. Clean the oil and dirt from your hair brushes and combs by soaking them in a mixture of warm water and 2 teaspoons of baking soda.

44. De-grease and clean barbecue grills, make a paste by mixing equal parts Bicarbonate of Soda and water, apply with a wire brush, wipe clean, and dry with a cloth.

45. Clean the acid build on the battery terminals of your car or truck with a foam made up of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Make sure also to dry the battery terminals afterwards before starting the vehicle.

46. For silver pieces without raised patterns or cemented-on handles: place the silver on aluminum foil in an enamel pot. Add boiling water and 4 tbsp. baking soda. Let stand, rinse and dry.

47. Soothe tired feet, add three tablespoons Bicarbonate of Soda to a basin of warm water and soak feet in the solution.

48. To make your own baking powder, stir and sift together 2 parts of Cream of Tartar to 1 part baking soda and 1 part cornstarch.

49. Deodorize cloth diapers, mix one-half cup Bicarbonate of Soda in two quarts of water, and soak diapers in the solution.

50. Freshen your laundry by adding half a cup Bi-carb soda to the laundry rinse cycle to give towels and linens a breezy freshness.

51. An easy and highly effective way of clarifying your hair after you have been swimming in the pool or ocean is to mix 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda with your shampoo. Then massage into your hair and let the mixture sit on your head for two minutes before rinsing it out and repeating. This cheap and easy way of clarifying your hair can be used as often as necessary, but do not try it on colored hair as it can fade the color a bit.

For more Buddy Friday posts pop by Margaret's Ramblings.

I will be posting photos of some views from my drive to work starting tomorrow. I love Sunday's Today's Flower post.......

Buddy's Friday - Let's talk Christmas......

I know it's not even August yet, but do you realize that it is only 147 days until Christmas, or 21 weeks? That's not long when you think about it, so it's now time to start and think about it.

I put $20 a week away, every week for Christmas, so my pot is looking quite healthy. For those of you who have not started, why not start and put a little money aside every week. $10 a week will give you $200 saved, by the week before Christmas. If you could put it up to $20 a week, that would be $400, think what you can buy with that $400?

Since moving I haven't really been shopping, so haven't been picking bits and bobs up. We are cutting back drastically this year, the kids are no longer kids, and they have as much money as we have. Infact dd and her boyfriend have already told me what they want a large suitcase each. I of course get a pile of other stuff, but that will be their main gift.

So how are your Christmas preparations going? Are you planning on making anything, or are you buying everything?

For more Buddy Friday posts, pop by Margaret's Rambling's blog

Buddy Friday - Sharing

I have an over abundance of raspberries and due to my allergies, and the rotten weather I haven't wanted to spend every waking moment out there picking them. So rather than the birds have them, I decided to share with family, friends and neighbours. It has proved to have given me more than I had ever expected.

I have made a number of new friends and acquaintances; one lady in particular will become a firm and close friend I am sure as we "clicked" right away. One neighbour came over with a dozen brown farm eggs........yum, yum in exchange for some raspberries. Another neighbour brought me some seeds from her poppies. One couple will be making raspberry jam for the first time in years, as they find it too expensive to buy raspberries from the store. I could go on and on, but you get the gist. These raspberries have proved to be a blessing.

So if you have an over abundance of something share with others, as sharing pays you back ten fold. I for one get more please out of giving than receiving. How about you?

I made this cake on Thursday with some raspberries, Very Berry Summer Cake

For more Buddy Friday posts pop over the Margaret's Ramblings

Buddy Friday - make friends with the locals!!!

At the Acreage we have a number of problems with the house we have affectionately named "The House of Horrors." Including needing two new sets of patio doors and an attic window. So we get the guy to come out from the local Home Hardware to give us a quote, and it turns out he is a wealth of info.

We have been having gale force winds here on "Windy Hill," which has caused some shingles (roof tiles) to fall off, and some are flapping in the wind. Well "K" knows a guy who will come in to fix them.......Yeah for "K" Must say I could cry, as its a new roof with wind resistant shingles on it, so this shouldn't have happened??

We have plumbing issues, "K" has given us the name of a guy, who turns out to be the son of the guy dh just adores in Home Hardware!!!

We have a pile of junk beside the garage. "K" has a side business for scrap metal, so he is coming on the weekend, to take all the metal away, and any wood we have on the pile, as his buddy will burn that......again Yeah for "K"

We want to move the stairs in the attic and of course "K" can also do that and design new ones.....again Yeah for "K"

Told us the big farm opposite us is a big beef operation and twice a year they clean out the liquid manure pits, and fingers crossed the wind isn't blowing in our direction.......don't think that should be a Yeah for "K" do you?

When I was in the garage yesterday I was commenting to one of the guys about how everyone who lives around here, takes no notice what so ever of the speed limits. He agreed but did warn me of an area where everyone does slow down as its a notorious speed trap area, so this is a Yeah for "C"

Anyhow, the gist of this post is that you can learn a lot from people who live locally, and support the local economy at the same time.

For more Buddy Friday posts, pop over to Margaret's Ramblings.

Buddy Friday - a couple of recipes....sort of!!

Now why I say sort of, is there is no actual recipe.

Egg Pie:

Ingredients:

Hard Boiled Eggs
Mashed Potatoes
Cheese Sauce

Cheese Sauce Recipe:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup marg
2 cups milk
2 cups grated cheese
1 tbsp mustard
salt and pepper

Melt marg, whisk in flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in milk and mustard, and whisk until thickened. Add grated cheese, and salt and pepper, stir until melted.



Cut hard boiled eggs in half, and place in casserole dish with yolk side up. Pour cheese sauce on top, and place mashed potatoes on top. Place in an oven for half an hour until all heated through. Or if its all hot, place under grill to brown the top of the potatoes. I have frozen this casserole with no problems.

Apple Berry Sauce.

Pack of reduced apples, peeled, cored and sliced. Pop into a saucepan with a little water and some frozen berries, mine were mixed berries. Cook on stove until the apples are soft, five to ten minutes. Place in a blender and puree to the consistency that you like. I personally don't add any sugar but you can if you want.

The reason I decided to post these recipes as both are super cheap to make and can be doubled, trebled or whatever. You can't go wrong with either, and in the case of the egg pie, if you have leftover mashed potatoes, this is a way of using them up.

To view more Buddy Friday posts, pop over to Margaret's Ramblings

Buddy Friday - fruits and veggies

Well as you read this we will be moving house. As I have been busy these past few days/weeks I thought today I would remind you all of the list of the 50 + 1 recipes I have on my left sidebar and to remind you to take advantage of them.

One of the best ways to shop is to buy what is in season, and nine times out of ten it will be cheaper than the imported out of season items. However sometimes you just run into a mental block on how you are going to prepare what you have bought, and how many times can you eat boiled cabbage? So check out the recipes for different ways of preparing various fruits and veggies.

Sorry this is such a short post, service should be back to normal next week!!! WE HOPE!!

For more Buddy Friday posts, pop over to Margaret's Ramblings.

Buddy Friday - Different uses for Dryer Sheets

1. All this time you've just been putting dryer sheets in the dryer! It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.
2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.
3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.
4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.
6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.
7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.
8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.
9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.
10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.
11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.
12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.
13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.
14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket. 15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.
17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.
18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.
19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.
20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet! In their back pocket to keep the bees away.
21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

For more Buddy Friday posts pop over to Margaret's Ramblings.

Buddy Friday - My weakness..

First an update on the water barrel situation, that I talked about on this post last week. Dh is getting us the water container below for free, they throw them out, so that should work a treat once we get the attachments, and is a lot bigger than the 50 gallon barrels, so that's good news. It also comes with the metal cage around it, making it more stable.

Now for my weakness, I am a magazine junkie, I adore magazines, I can't get enough of them. I would rather read a magazine over a book. I just did the change of addresses for my magazine's and I subscribe to 10 magazines!! Now before you all fall over and say that must be costing you a small fortune it isn't. Some of the subscriptions I get free. I have just started to get Canadian Gardening, and I got that free when I purchased some pasta. Sent in the UPC codes and for some strange reason, instead of getting it for one year I am getting it for two years???

When we went to the Women's Show last fall I filled out a form and now I get Viva magazine free for a year......I actually don't like it, so am glad I am getting it for nothing.

I just signed up for Mother Earth News for a year, for $15.50 USD. I just paid $7.99 CDN in the store for it, so I am getting six issues for just over the price of two. If I have to pay for a subscription, I try and get a better deal by subscribing for two or more years. I know with the Country Woman magazine my subscription is good until 2012!!!

One magazine I can't get a deal on is the Prima magazine, which really sucks. I had wanted to get a subscription for it, but as I can't save any money by doing that, I may as well keep that money in the bank and just buy it monthly. Plus all the freebies you guys get in the UK with the magazine, well they don't make it over here for us :0(

So what is your weakness, and how do you make it affordable for you to submit to it?

For more Buddy Friday posts, pop over to Margaret's Ramblings

Buddy Friday - Water Barrels.......

Where we live at the moment, we have to pay for all water used. Now when we move to the new house we have a well so won't have to pay for the water. However, regardless of whether you pay for your water or not, using what comes down from the sky for free is a good way to go if you ask me...........

One way of "harvesting" the rain is by having a rain or water barrel attached to your down spout off your house.

There are different ways of going about this, you can buy one like this: http://www.ne-design.net/ or you could make one yourself.

Here are a few links on how to build a rain barrel:

This is a You Tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGFDlkJOdaM

http://www.naturalrainwater.com/make_rainbarrel.htm

http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/adams/audrey/water_barrel.htm

http://www.townofcary.org/depts/pwdept/water/waterconservation/rainbarrelinstructions.pdf

Personally though I think we are going to buy ours from our local council, as we cannot get the barrels for free, so this is a cheaper alternative.

For more Buddy Friday posts, please visit Margaret's Ramblings

Buddy Friday - Writing Lists....

The older I get I find I forget things more, so making lists and having those handy dandy sticky notes plastered everywhere helps.

I can't live without my calendar that I have hung in the kitchen. This year's model is the Coronation Street version, however I am not fussed what it looks like, what is more important is having the squares where I can write notes on the certain days. I put all the birthday and anniversaries on there so I know when they all are.

With us moving, I have a notebook where we write down anything to do with the move, plus we have a binder where we put everything to do with the move. That way if in doubt look in the book. I saw on one of the British moving shows, I think it was "Moving To The Country," one of the people had numbered all her moving boxes and did an Excel spreadsheet that told her what was in each box. I wish I could be that organized. I have written on the outside of each box what is in it and what room each box has to go into. I have bought bright coloured post-it notes to stick on the outside of each box so easily identify which box goes into each room.

I like to write a list when I go grocery shopping, as although I generally know what I want when I get there I always forget and and up buying things I don't need, or forgetting things I wanted!!!

I keep a small note pad and pens in my handbag as well, so I can write notes when I am out.

Writing lists not only saves time, it also saves money. Do you write lists and if so what for?

For more Buddy Friday posts, why not pop over to Margaret's Ramblings.......

Buddy Friday - Spring has sprung so lets talk laundry......

and lets take advantage of the nice weather, and why not take advantage of what nature gives us and hang out the laundry to dry, rather than use the dryer and have the extra charge on your electricity bill!!! I managed to get my first load of laundry out to dry on March 6th, this year, and since then have been hanging out my laundry.


I just love the smell of sheets when they have been dried on the line. No amount of fabric softener can replace that fresh smell. Of course I will be taking my rotary dryer/whirly gig with me when we move. However I also know we have room for actual washing lines, so may get dh to hang one up for me.

Now I have talked about making your own laundry detergent in this post, and fabric softener in this post. To save you searching through my old posts, here are the recipes for the laundry detergent and the fabric softener. I use them and they do work. I used them on my front loading machine without any problems.

Here is the recipe for the liquid detergent:

Ingredients :
1½ litres water
1 bar Sunlight or generic laundry soap or any similar pure laundry soap, grated on a cheese grater
½ cup washing soda – NOT baking or bicarb soda
½ cup borax

Method:
Into a medium sized saucepan add 1½ litres of water and the soap. Over a medium heat, stir this until it is completely dissolved. Make sure the soap dissolves properly or the mixture will separate when cold.Add the washing soda and borax. Stir until thickened, and remove from heat. It sort of resembles a very thin lemon pudding mix now.

Pour this mixture into your 9-10 litre bucket then fill the bucket with hot water from the tap. Stir to combine all the ingredients.The laundry liquid will thicken up more as it cools. When cool, store in a plastic container.

Use 1/4 cup of mixture per load or monitor to see what works well for you.

Here is the recipe for the dry mix:

CONCENTRATED LAUNDRY POWDER

4 cups grated laundry soap
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and store in a plastic container with a lid. Use 2 tablespoons per wash. This powder will not make suds and this is perfectly okay.

Fabric Softener Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup baking soda
6 cups distilled white vinegar
8 cups water
10-15 drops orange essential oils (optional) or lemon essential oils (optional) or essential oils, of choice (optional)

Directions:

1.You will need a one gallon container.
2.First add the baking soda to the plastic container.
3.Next add 1 cup of water to start with.
4.Slowly add the vinegar to the bottle as the vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz.
5.Then add the rest of the water swirling around & cover venting the top a few times.
6.Last add the essential oil.
7.Add 1 cup in your final rinse cycle for each load but give the bottle a good shake to stir up the essential oil if using.

***IT SAYS USE 1 CUP BUT IF USING A DOWNY BALL YOU ONLY USE 1/4 CUP***

I hope you try to make your own laundry detergent, as you will save money and it does work.

For more Buddy's Friday post, please pop over to Margaret's Rambling's.

Buddy Friday - Cheap and Cheerful Meals.........

I put "Cheap and Cheerful Meals," into google and came up with some really interesting sites.

This is a Vegetarian site with a lot of yummy looking meals. I am not big on eating a lot of meat, so we try and have a vegetarian meal at least once a week.

Here is a yummy recipe for Cheap and Cheerful Chicken Pot Pie - uses chicken thighs which are a lot cheaper than chicken breast.

Students know how to stretch their money for meals and here is a neat site called Student Recipes I am sure there are ideas on there that we can all use.

Cheap and Cheerful Easy Dishes is a variety of dishes, the soup sounds good.

One thing that is super cheap is Ramen Noodles, here are some great sites/recipes.

http://www.mattfischer.com/ramen/

http://www.ramenlicious.com/

http://www.nissinfoods.com/

I have made this before and it is yummy: http://www.thestar.com/article/573514

I hope there may be a recipe or two you would like to make.

For more Buddy Friday posts, pop over to Margaret's Ramblings.

Buddy's Friday..........What a waste...........

I bought the February issue of the Prima Magazine and on the back page there is a full page ad that says:

"A THIRD OF THE FOOD WE BUY IN THE UK ENDS UP BEING THROWN AWAY"

That is just crazy, when you think of all the starving people in the world. I am quite sure this not only happens in the UK but a lot of the countries around the world. That line certainly caught my attention and basically it directed you to visit http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ to learn how to reduce your food waste.

The basic concepts are simple. Only buy what you are going to use. Check expiry dates when buying things, so you can make sure you have enough time to use the product. Freeze leftovers or take them for lunch the next day. Plan your menu before you go shopping, so that way you only buy what you need. It's not really rocket science, all it requires from you is to be organized and plan ahead of the game.

For more Buddy's post's pop over to Margaret's Rambling.

Buddy Friday - Starting seeds in eggshells...........

(photo courtesy of http://www.ehow.com/how_3438_grow-seedlings-eggshells.html)

I bought a magazine called Back Home the other day and it had an article in it called "Egging on the Garden." It basically said you can start growing seeds in empty eggshells filled with soil. I thought that was a neat idea. The writer also said that you can put the soil filled eggshells into a bread bag and then you have a mini greenhouse, to encourage the seeds to grow.

I googled this and was surprised on how many links there were. Here are a couple of them for you to check out:

http://www.ehow.com/how_3438_grow-seedlings-eggshells.html

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/starting-seeds-in-eggshells

http://www.wikihow.com/Root-Garden-Seeds-in-an-Eggshell

http://goorganicgardening.com/seed-starting/10

For more of Buddy Friday posts, please pop over to Margaret's Ramblings.

Buddy's - It's the little things that count.....

Sometimes it's the little things that help you save both money and energy. I am sure you all turn your washing up liquid bottle up side down in a cup, to make sure you get the last drops out of it. I also take off the top as that is usually gooey and add that to the water.I use shower gel, again I turn it up side down , I also take the top off and add a little water to it. I get a couple more showers out of it. The same goes with conditioner and shampoo, liquid soap, and the list goes on. It may not seem like a lot but over time, I may save enough to buy one less bottle of shower gel over a year.

When I freeze baked goods, I tend to wrap them in cling wrap and then over wrap them with aluminium foil. When I take them our of the freezer, I always use the foil again, generally to line a pan I put in the oven. I do wash all my freezer bags and veggie bags, unless they have had meat in them.I make both my laundry detergent and fabric softener, eventually I will make all my cleaners, however because I use coupons I find that I pay very little for them. For those of you in Canada I have found a great product from Shopper's Drug Mart, called bio-life tub & tile soap scum stain remover. Which is in a Pear Violet scent and is biodegradable and is made with plant derived ingredients. The spray container is also great to reuse, when washed out properly. There are other bio-life products.

We have changed a lot of our light bulbs over to the energy efficient ones. I know in Britain there are different periods of the day/night when electricity is cheaper and more expensive. We don't have that over here in Canada, but I know when we lived in Britain, I used to wash at night and did things when the hydro was cheaper. With that in mind and knowing that eventually we will have the same thing happen over here, I have appliances with delay start, so I too will be able to take advantage of cheap hydro rates. I want to talk about alternative energy in another post.

Luckily I am hot flash Annie, so through the day when I am in the house on our own, I make sure that through the day the heat is down reasonably low, as why keep it up high when it's only me. We do have a programmable thermostat so that too also helps to control the heat and is more accurate.

I am sure you all have little tricks that save you money, care to share?

It's Friday so it is Buddy's, for more Buddy's post's, pop over to Margaret's Ramblings

Buddy's Friday - Some different uses for Coffee Filters.

It's Friday so it's time for Buddy's, pop over to Margaret's to see more of the Buddy's.

Coffee filters are cheap to buy and have a multitude of different uses.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China . Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. Soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

OH YEAH THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS

It's Friday, so it's Buddy's time - freezers

Every Friday over at Margaret's Rambling, she hosts Buddy's, where we all post money saving suggestions.

This week I am going to talk about owning a freezer. We have two freezers at the moment. We have a side by side fridge freezer, like this one, and we have a chest freezer like this one

Now as many of you know there are only two of us in the household, so maybe the one freezer might be a good option for us, but I love the fact we have the two freezers. I buy meat in family packs and split them into portions that suit me and dh. If people come just pull out extra portions. Buying family packs generally saves us a bit of money, as they are cheaper.

I buy bread a few loaves at a time. Infact I go to one store where I know they reduce bread products and this week I was able to buy three packs of bagels and a loaf of bread for super cheap. Popped them straight in to the freezer as we wouldn't have been able to eat all the items before they expired.

Also dh takes sandwiches for lunch, and I buy a dozen bread rolls at a time. If they were left out all week, by the end of the week they would be stale, the way I do it, is pop them in the freezer and just take out what we need each day.

I also still insist on cooking for a family despite the fact there is only me and dh!!! So it is handy to put the leftovers in the freezer for another meal. I also keep a freezer inventory so that way I know what I have in my freezer. I wrote more about that on this post

Some do's and don't on buying a freezer:

1. Capacity Required: Do you buy for 2, or a large family? Are you near shopping areas, or do you have to buy in bulk? Do you have other freezer space available, or will this be your only freezer? Also how much room do you have to place this appliance, as that may limit the size you can buy? The appliance industry recommends 1.5 cubic feet of freezer space for each family member with 1 cubic foot of freezer holding approximately 35 pounds of food. So, the larger your family, the larger freezer you will need.

2. Do you want an upright freezer or a chest freezer?

There are Pro's and Con's to both:

Pros & Cons of a Chest Freezer

More capacity and can accommodate odd sized food items, but foods are difficult to get at, and can be forgotten in the bottom.
Lower profile will not obscure windows, but it has a larger footprint to locate.
More energy efficient - cold doesn't escape easily when lid is opened, and foods keep longer.
Most chest models are manual defrost - using less energy.
Usually more economically priced than uprights.

Pros & Cons of an Upright Freezer

Ease of retrieving, sorting and organizing foods.
Smaller footprint like a refrigerator, but taller profile.
Some models come with automatic defrost for ease of cleaning, but foods can freezer burn more quickly, and energy costs are higher.
Foods are more visible - and not forgotten or lost within.
Easier to relocate; will generally fit through doorways (there are extra wide models).
Usually priced slightly higher than chest models.

There are a number of advantages of having a freezer in your home and they mainly relate to saving time and money:

Shopping can be done in bulk, which will free up time to do other things plus it will reduce money spent on shopping.

Cooking can be done in bulk thus saving time and energy costs.

Items that can be cooked from frozen may be kept for "emergencies" when you don't have time to cook.

You can buy large cuts of meat, joint them at home and freeze them until needed. Larger cuts of meat are much cheaper to buy than already cut and packaged smaller cuts.

If hungry unexpected guests arrive at your house, you will always be able to welcome them and feed them if you have a well-stocked freezer.

Fresh fruit and vegetables may be frozen when in season and consumed all year round.
Food may be frozen until needed and less is thrown out if not consumed by the use-by date, which ultimately save money and time (you would have to go shopping again).

The top of the freezer may be used as an extra work surface if needed.

Consumers Reports says that annualized sales of upright freezers sales jumped 17%, chest freezers 10%.

There is more information in this article, which you may find useful.

I hope this has given you food for thought?