Of savings & spaghetti

The You encounters me by grace – it cannot be found by seeking. But that I speak the basic word to it is a deed of my whole being, is my essential deed. (Martin Buber, I AND THOU, translated by Walter Kaufmann, 1970 paperback, page 62)






TECHNIQUES FOR SQUIRRELING-AWAY MONEY:

Savings! Everyone wants to have savings, few have good ideas for how to make savings happen. Here are some suggestions:

(1) Pay for everything with paper currency. Every evening when you get home, dump your pocket change into a special “savings jar.” Once a month, roll up the coins (the bank will give you special paper for rolling) & deposit them in your savings account.
(2) When you redeem grocery coupons, tally up your savings. Take that amount of money, & place IT (paper & coin currency) in your “savings jar.” Once a month, take the paper currency & all of your coin rolls & deposit THEM in your savings account.
(3) Have you just found a deal on anything – clothing, home furnishings, anything from small to large? You can guess what I’m going to tell you! Put the money that you have saved into your savings account (it’s probably too much to put into your “savings jar.”)
(4) Did you just receive an unexpected check or gift of cash? Guess what you should do with it!
(5) Have you spent less in one category of your economic life than your budget calls for? Now I’ll bet you know what my advice is …!






HOUSEHOLD HINTS:

Do you enjoy gardening in containers? This could be inside as well as outside. Take something that has synthetic absorbent material – this could be a sanitary napkin or a disposable diaper. Tear off the cover & place the insides into a container (remember that you need drainage holes.)

And where do you get the plants themselves, at a reasonable price? Of course, you could start with cuttings (perhaps from a neighbor), but what if you want a big plant? Try a rental agency. This could be either a furniture rental center, or a store that specializes in plant rentals.

In order to keep kitchen knives that you use only rarely rust-free, wash & dry them, & then coat them lightly with petroleum jelly. This works well for razor blades, too.

When you want to buy just a very small amount of grated cheese or chopped veggies, it might be cheaper to simply pick it up from the supermarket’s salad bar. But be certain to do the unit pricing math first!

I’ve told you before that, for elective hospital stays, you should avoid being there over the weekend. Another time to avoid – if your hospital is affiliated with a university medical school – is the month of July, when the new crop of house staff comes on board.






RECIPE:

Spaghetti with Turkey:

2 T olive oil
1 T water

1 medium onion, diced
2 large or 3 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1 stalk celery (including leaves), diced
1 carrot, grated

Heat oil & water in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add seasonings as follows:

1 tsp EACH:
Oregano
Thyme
Sage
Parsley
Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste or ¼ tsp ready-ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Stir thoroughly. Continue to sauté for a minute.

Add tomato products & turkey, as follows:

28 oz canned tomatoes, including liquid, diced in can with scissors
6 oz canned tomato paste
a 6-oz can of water
1 c turkey, diced

Stir thoroughly. Reduce heat & cook, uncovered, for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare spaghetti as follows:

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions, drained (I like to break the spaghetti into thirds before cooking it -- makes for easier eating!)

Return spaghetti to cooked pot of sauce, & stir thoroughly. Remove the bay leaf & serve to 6.