Of ballroom dancing, & turkey with greens

Volume III, No. 5

Copyright © Deborah Michelle Sanders 2005

The day is Thine, & the night is Thine also,
Thou didst ordain the light of moon & sun;
Thou hast fixed all the regions of the earth;
Summer & winter, Thou didst create them both.

- from Psalm 74






HOUSEHOLD HINTS:

Men who are good ballroom dancers can take a free or low-cost ocean cruise in many instances. The cruise operators often want extra men to be available as dancing partners for the ubiquitous single women.

The best day to buy a new or used car off an auto dealer’s lot is the last Saturday of the month, when the sales force is eager to sell. Their monthly sales quotas generally run until that day.

Here’s a cheap way to correspond for a short message to a person if one of you lacks email. Buy 2 postcards. Write your address on the postage side of one & the recipient’s address on the other. On the postcard addressed to the recipient, write your message. Staple the 2 cards together so that the recipient’s name is on the outside.

Are you ready to purchase a high-ticket item? Go to the negotiation with a check already made out to the seller, for the top price that you are willing to pay. When the seller sees your check on the table, he may well be willing to accept your offer, even if he had been looking to receive a higher price.

Don’t throw away glasses that have small chips. Instead, immerse an emery board in water for about a minute, then use the side of it that is a finer grit to file the rough or chipped surface.

The best time of year to buy perennial plants, as well as trees, is in the fall – the nurseries don’t want them in stock during the wintertime. And for more September buys, see the following:







BEST BUYS FOR SEPTEMBER:

Gardening supplies
Patio equipment & furniture
Bicycles
Fishing equipment & boats
New cars
School supplies

Corn
Apples
Pears
Beets
Peas
Sweet potatoes
Figs
Plums





RECIPE:

Turkey & Greens:

2 T canola oil
2 T water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped

1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp EACH salt & ground ginger
1 lb greens (turnip OR collard OR mustard), sliced thin including any flowers – in the winter, you can use 2 c of thawed frozen chopped greens
1 jalapeno pepper, including the seeds (membranes discarded)
1 c cooked brown rice

In a Dutch oven, sauté garlic & onion in oil & water. Add all other ingredients & stir well. Cook for 25 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Serves 5.

Of paintbrushes & mackeral

Volume III, Issue 3:

© Copyright Deborah Michelle Sanders 2005

Were not the L-rd my help,
I should soon dwell in silence.
When I think my foot has given way,
Your faithfulness, O L-rd, supports me.
When I am filled with cares,
Your assurance soothes my soul.

Psalm 94, verses 17 to 19





HOUSEHOLD HINTS:

Thinking of tossing out that used paintbrush that has seen better days? Think again. You can cut off an inch from the end of the bristles, so that you can use the brush for dusting. Or, cut off almost all of the bristles, leaving only 1/2”, & you’ll have a handy scrub brush.

Gals, multiply your wardrobe of necklaces by twisting a scarf. Just attach one end to a doorknob (tie it around) securely. Twist & twist & hold the scarf taut. When you get to the other end, hold that end tightly in your non-dominant hand. Using both hands, remove the other end from the doorknob. Holding both ends tightly, put the scarf around your neck & tie it. It may look best with the knot behind your neck, in front, or at one side – experiment!

If you are remodeling your house, & wish to use new moldings, opt for the short type instead of the longer ones. You’ll save on a per-foot basis – you are exchanging your labor for a higher price.

Check out the liquid capacity of your ice-cream scoop. Most hold a quarter-cup. The scoop makes a great utensil for measuring solid shortening.

To find out whether your toilet is leaking, first, flush it. Then put a few drops of food coloring or a teaspoon of the spice turmeric into the tank. Give it 10 minutes & then check the bowl. If the water in the bowl is colored now, you’ve got trouble!

If your dish reeks of black pepper, add a little butter or margarine (& here’s a plug for Smart Balance, the most economical healthy spread on the market). The fat addition will work wonders on the taste!

A car battery should be replaced about 6 months BEFORE its warranty date expires, as its charge will probably be low at that point.

You can toast small or short slices of bread by threading a toothpick through them & hanging the toothpick horizontally over the toaster rim.






RECIPE:

Mackeral Loaf:

Canned mackerel is one of the cheapest foods in the world. I subsisted on it & brown rice when I was in college & in between paychecks. But it tastes awful when eaten plain. Here is a recipe that makes it taste VERY good. Remember not to eat mackerel often, as it is one of the fishes that has the highest mercury content.

3 eggs
1 15-oz can mackerel
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper OR freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp paprika
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2T lemon juice
1-1/4 c milk
1-1/4 c uncooked oats

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour into an 8” or 9” square pan that you have sprayed with oil. Cook for 1 hour. Serves 9.

Of shopaholics & Harvest Tofu

Volume III, #2 –
© Copyright Deborah Michelle Sanders 2005

It is good to give thanks to the L-rd,
For His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the G-d of gods;
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the L-rd of lords;
His love endures forever.
Alone he works great marvels;
His love endures forever.

From Psalm 136





HOUSEHOLD HINTS:

If you are a shopaholic, & want to go to a mall, here’s a better way than just driving there by your lonesome. Invite your entire neighborhood or church congregants to charter a bus. Phone the outlet manager in advance, & tell the manager that your group will be there on such-&-such a day. The manager is likely to provide your group members with special vouchers for discounts.

Avoid having to replace your kids’ crayons so often! When they are new, wrap their centers (the middle of their height) with masking tape – they won’t break soon that way. This also works with the chalk that seamstresses use to mark fabrics with, & that kids use for play.

When you eat a citrus fruit (like a tangerine) or use one (like a lemon), put the peels in a freezer bag. When you need zest (the colored part of the peel), it is easy to grate the frozen peel. It is even easier if you can find a special tool called a zester at a garage sale or thrift store. It is an implement that has about 5 small holes & 1 triangular, larger hole, all sharp, the better to get a thin layer of the peel off.

Children being toilet-trained need a rubber or plastic bedsheet liner. These are expensive – why not use a shower curtain liner instead?

Another kind of product that you certainly don’t need to buy is the stand-up-by-itself form of kitchen storage bags. Here’s a cheap alternative: Open any sort of plastic bag & ease its edges over a bowl that is somewhat smaller. After filling, bring the edges of the bag back together & seal. There you are!

For cheap lodgings when you travel, check with the tourist bureau in the region where you will be traveling. Lighthouses & religious retreats are off-the-beaten-path & low-priced alternatives to motels.






RECIPE:

Harvest Tofu:

2 T canola oil
2 T water

Place in Dutch oven.

1-1/2 lb mixed fresh vegetables , cut into 1” squares approximately (I used broccoli & summer squash)
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp ready-ground black pepper or freshly-ground black pepper to taste
3 T lemon juice


Saute for 5 minutes over high heat. Cover & reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 more minutes.

1 bunch scallions, green & white parts, sliced thinly
1 bunch parsley, leaves only, cut finely
1 – 14 oz tub extra firm tofu, defrosted (after freezing – this gives the tofu a meaty texture), sliced horizontally & then into 12 pieces vertically

Stir thoroughly. Cook for a final 5 minutes (on low). Serves 5.