Leader Enterprise - July 17, 2013 - Laundry Tips and Cooling Treats

Photo: Water Sponge Toys

Hope you're enjoying the glorious sunshine. With all the rain we've had, the crops look extra good this year. Summer goes quickly, so be sure to enjoy every single day.

Whewie! I can finally breathe normally again. My second cookbook is now going through the printing process and I hope to have it in my hands by the end of August. It's chocked full of simple and easy family-friendly recipes and I'm beside myself thinking of getting to share "Love at First Bite" with you soon.

                                                                     

Photo: Frozen Chocolate Nutty Banana Pops

                              Photo: Watergate Salad (made with yogurt)

From Better Homes & Gardens: Here are a few ways to make your laundry day(s)  easier.

Customize Your Laundry Schedule: Carve out the best time for you to do the laundry. Unless you live in a small household, you probably don't have enough time to do it all from start to finish in a single sitting.

Schedule by Laundry Type: Break your laundry chores into smaller tasks. Schedule loads of laundry-by type-throughout the week. You might want to wash sheets on Monday so you can freshen bedrooms. Then do the towels on Tuesday, darks on Wednesday, and so on. This system works well for allowing you to be completely done with laundry by the weekend.
 

Sort Carefully: Avoid ruining clothing through careless sorting. New garments can bleed and stain other clothing. Wash color clothing, especially red, by itself the first time; use cold or cool water with detergent. For stains, use a bleach alternative formulated for colorfastness.(Laundry "Trick": It's like cooking-for clothes. The first time you wash something red or dark colored, pour 1/2 c. salt into wash cycle to prevent dyes in fabrics from bleeding. Do not mix colors.)

Delegate Laundry Chores: Delegate chores to children based on their ages. Most preschoolers can put away clothes that have been washed, dried, and folded. Grade-schoolers can fold and put away their own clean clothes. Middle-school and high-school kids can handle all the responsibilities related to their own laundry. (So can significant others.) For older children and all adults living in the household, divide laundry by person. Simply assign each person his or her own hamper. When the hamper is full, or that person is out of clean clothes, a load is washed, dried, folded and put away.

Avoid Laundry Mishaps: Empty pockets before washing garments to save items and prevent damage to your washer, dryer, and laundry items. Check children's clothing for crayons and small items. Reduce fading in dark clothing by turning shirts, tops, sweat suits, slacks and jeans inside out before washing in cool water. Read clothing labels. Use mesh garment bags for fragile items such as lingerie, hose and tights. The garment bag cuts down on the abrasion with other garments in the washing machine.
 After the kids have helped with laundry, they could make these fun summertime toys. Very simple to put together.And we all need time for fun. WATER SPONGE TOYS 
Purchase kitchen sponges from any grocery or dollar store. They come in packs of 4 or 6 and in all colors. (Don't buy the kind with the scouring pad). They come in  3" × 5" and or 5" × 7". I prefer the smaller size. They are easier to tie together and better for little fingers to hold. Also buy “zip ties",sold at a hardware store. Cut each sponge length - wise in thirds. Then group together 8-9 cut pieces for each sponge. Or make them smaller. Mix and match colors of the sponges.Now center a zip tie around the middle of the sponges; pull the tie through the hole, pulling tightly. Cut off excess zip tie as close as possible. Dip in bucket,or the pool and get each other wet. These are also fun in the bathtub. 
Here's a couple of simple salads kids can make themselves too. Don't miss opportunities to teach them how to mix and measure while they're home from school this summer. They can learn to clean up their own messes too.

WATERGATE SALAD

1 sm. pkg. (4-serv.) pistachio (sugar free) instant pudding mix

1 (8 ozs) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 (8 ozs) container vanilla lowfat yogurt

2 c. Cool Whip (Fat Free)

2 c. mini marshmallows, optional

In large bowl, combine pudding mix with pineapple; stir until smooth. Add yogurt; blend.Gently stir in Cool Whip and marshmallows. Chill until ready to serve.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE FLUFF

1 sm. pkg. (4-serv.) (sugar free) instant chocolate pudding mix

1 sm. pkg. (4-serv.) (sugar free) instant white chocolate pudding mix

2-1/2 c. skim milk

1 - 12 ozs. tub Cool Whip Free

1/2 c. coconut

1/2 c. chopped pecans

In large bowl, add both boxes of pudding, then add milk and whisk until thick. Fold in Cool Whip, then blend in coconut and pecans. Chill - or eat immediately - but be sure to save some for the rest of the family.

These frozen treats are simple to make and great for cooling off with in the heat.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE NUTTY BANANA POPS 

2 Tb. toasted sliced almonds

1 medium banana

2 Tb. lite chocolate syrup

Coarsely chop the almonds; set aside. Peel banana, cut in half widthwise. Place a popsicle stick into the cut sides of each half of banana. Place on waxed paper -lined plate. Evenly drizzle banana halves with chocolate syrup and sprinkle with chopped almonds. (Using both sides of a spoon helped me) Gently roll banana halves in any excess syrup/nuts on the plate. Freeze for at least 1 hour. Enjoy! Yield: 2 servings   

Leader Enterprise - July 3, 2013 - Laundry Tips & Frozen Desserts

Summer has definitely arrived. Trust you have been enjoying the sunshine and warmer temps we've waited for. Hope you're getting outside and soaking in some Vitamin D, being careful to wear sunscreen if you're out for long. Hubby and I are enjoying many evenings on our deck, along with a cooling breeze. Enjoy this lovely weather while it lasts. And have a safe holiday weekend too.

I do enjoy doing laundry. It's a little embarrassing to admit this, but when we were first married, if I didn't have enough dirty clothes for a load, I would pull clean ones out of the drawer to add to the washer. (RED face-I know!) That crazy habit stopped once children joined our family.

Maybe you have a clothesline and enjoy hanging clothes out in the summer time. If so,KUDOS to you! There are definitely benefits to line - drying, but if you use your dryer year around, I wanted to share some easy and helpful hints to help you with the process of drying your laundry. Look for more laundry tips in my next column also.

• Be sure to shake and untwist items before tossing in the dryer. This not only reduces wrinkling, but allows the clothes to dry a bit faster, and this saves energy.
• Cleaning your lint filter before drying every load reduces drying time significantly - a money saving idea.
• Dry loads back to back so the dryer doesn't have time to cool down, then heat up again. Do lightweight, quick-drying items first in a separate load. Placing these in a cold dryer to start reduces shrinkage risk while preheating the dryer for later, heavier loads. Avoid wrinkling by doing several small loads rather than one large, crammed load. You’ll save energy with the shorter drying times and make use of the residual heat.
• A general rule for drying: If clothes were washed in hot water, most likely they can be dried on high, but if they were washed on permanent press/cooler water cycle, they should be dried at 'medium' or 'permanent press' setting also.
• I believe one of the most important things to remember when drying clothes, is removing them from the dryer promptly so they don't have time to get wrinkled. Keep clothes hangers handy and don't ball everything into the basket when removing, as that can add a lot of wrinkles too.
• When I don't get right to the dryer when it stops, I turn it on to reheat the clothes a little bit before I remove them. Makes the task of folding the clothes a little nicer when they are warm.

Using common sense will save you and your clothes wear and tear. If your clothes haven't gotten dirty, or you haven't worn them long, or you've not been sweaty,hang it back up and wear it again. Why not reuse your towels after showering - after all - we ARE clean when we get out of the shower. If everyone in the family has their own towel, washing them once a week could have your towels lasting longer. It's something to consider.

I love this adorable poem.

A clothesline was a news forecast, To neighbors passing by,
There were no secrets you could keep, When clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link, For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by, To spend a night or two.
For then you'd see the"fancy sheets", And towels upon the line;
You'd see the "company table cloths", With intricate designs.
The line announced a baby's birth, From folks who lived inside,
As brand new infant clothes were hung, So carefully with pride!
The ages of the children could, So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed, You'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when illness struck, As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes,and a bathrobe too, Haphazardly were strung.
It also said, "On vacation now", When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!"when full lines sagged, With not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon, If wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows, And looked the other way.
But clotheslines now are of the past, For dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home, Is anybody's guess!
I really miss that way of life, It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best... By what hung out on that line.

(Author Unknown)

The kids can help put together this easy and tasty ice cream dessert that everyone will love. It keeps nicely in the freezer for up to a month.

ICE CREAM SANDWICH DESSERT

11 regular sized, or 17 mini ice cream sandwiches

1 jar (12 ozs) caramel ice cream topping

1 (12 ozs) tub frozen whipped topping,thawed

1/4 c. (lite) chocolate syrup

1 lg. (7 ozs) symphony candy bar, chopped

Arrange ice cream sandwiches in an ungreased 9" X13" X 2"dish. Cut a sandwich, or two, in half length-wise; fill in the spaces in the dish. Spread with caramel sauce and then whipped topping. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar. Cover and freeze for atleast 45 minutes. Cut into squares when serving. Makes 15 - 18 servings.

My variation of this dish is simple: I don't use the syrups, but stir into the whipped topping - 1-1/2-2 cups chopped candies-malted milk balls, peanut butter cups, toffee pieces, (your favorite) and spread over the sandwiches. Cover and freeze.

This is a simple 2-ingredient recipe that can easily be made sugar free. Very refreshing.

COOL PEACH JELLO DESSERT

1 sm. (4-serv.size) box of cherry (or lemon or peach) jello (regular or sugar free)

1-16 ounce container (sugar free or lite) cool whip, thawed

Mix together. Stir it well so the jello dissolves; freeze. Scoop it out with an ice cream scoop and enjoy! 

Leader Enterprise - Nov. 7, 2012 - Couponing & Homemade Cleaners

photo credit: The Country Cook 

Using coupons is a great way to stretch your family’s budget.There are available coupons for things other than groceries too, like restaurants, toys,and even vacations. Experiment using coupons to help you save up to 90% to try new products you wouldn’t normally buy but will practically put to use.

Buying one or more Sunday papers that include coupon books, is a great way to get stocked up on savings. Check out websites, like www.thecouponclippers.com that offer coupons for cents on the dollar or www.coupondivas.com that offer tutorials to help you get started in the couponing game. Maybe you have a friend who will give you their coupons?  It never hurts to ask especially if those savings are being tossed in the trash.

Make it a goal to only buy grocery items on sale and with a coupon. Plan meals around those purchases.

Whether you are new to couponing or a seasoned saver, one of the first steps you need to consider is how to store and organize your coupons. I would suggest you always carry your coupons with you. Even though you think you’re just running into the store for one item, you might see something on sale or on the clearance rack that you have a coupon for, so you do want to keep it handy.

It might work for you to tuck your clipped coupons into a simple envelope. Or mark several envelopes with categories. Or store them according to expiration dates. Do what works best for you.

Maybe you’d prefer, as I do, an expanding file that is wallet size and easy to carry in your purse. Make sure it has tabs on top of the dividers. Mark each with the product category so you can find what you're looking for at a glance. I normally add my most recent coupons to the back of each divider, so that the oldest ones(most likely to expire first) are in the front.

Did you realize that whether you like or dislike a product, if you write to the company, they likely will send you coupons?  I've done it myself and was thrilled for what I have received. Free items even! It's worth some time and being able to email a company makes things quicker than ever before.

And did you know that expired coupons can be mailed to military families? They're able to use them in their base stores up to six months after expiration. One site to check out for details is www.coupsfortroops.com.

Thought I'd share a few Do-It-Yourself recipes to help stretch that budget.

NATURAL STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER

Wipe off any major caked on grime using a rag. Pour about a tablespoon or so of olive oil on a folded paper towel. You don’t want too much oil or you’ll leave streaks of oil on the fridge, but you want enough that it does the job. You may have to experiment a bit.

Wipe the fridge or appliance “with the grain” of the steel. Look for what direction the metal seems to naturally go. This stroking method worked better than using a circular motion, which left some streaks. You may have to reload your paper towel once or twice with more oil to cover the whole surface. Wipe off any excess oil using a dry paper towel.

HOMEMADE LIQUID FABRIC SOFTENER

6 c. hot water

3 c. white distilled vinegar

2 c. hair conditioner (any brand)

1 empty gallon container

In large (microwave safe) bowl, mix vinegar and hair conditioner together it will look a tad clumpy). Place bowl in microwave and heat for a minute or two. This will ensure the ingredients will blend together. Remove from microwave and stir. Add hot water and mix to blend. Pour mixture into a one gallon container and store in laundry room. 

Use same amount as you would store-purchased softener. (though I always use about half as much as the label says).

Note: Be sure to shake bottle well before adding to dispenser, downy ball or directly in rinse cycle. (I had an extra large bottle of Downy already, and just added this mixture to it. It works great and I still get the fragrance from the Downy.) 

I have a friend who raves about this DIY recipe for HOMEMADE SPRAY STARCH. She refuses to ever buy it again.

Simply add 2 TB. cornstarch to 2 cups water in a spray bottle.Shake and spray. VOILA!

This dessert would be a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving menu.
It comes from my blogging friend, Brandie, aka The Country Cook. She is well known for her amazing desserts. She gave me permission to use her photo.

PUMPKIN PIE DUMP CAKE

1 (15 ozs) can pumpkin puree (not pie mix)

1 (12 ozs) can evaporated milk

3 lg. eggs

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 (18 ozs) box Spice (or yellow) cake mix

1 c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9" X 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon and blend until smooth. Mixture will be thin. Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix over top of pumpkin mixture. Bake for 55-60 minutes. It might be a bit jiggly in middle when done. It will continue to set up as it cools. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Dollop each serving with whipped cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.
Have you used one to say thank you?" - William Arthur Ward 

Laundry Day

   

OH HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE RIVER TO WASH MY CLOTHES!!

Can I get an "Amen"?

************

I do enjoy doing laundry...with a washer & dryer! 

I love folding warm clothes, and love the fragrance of the soap and the softener...MMM!

It's a little embarrassing to admit this, but when we were first married, if I didn't have enough dirty clothes for a load, I would pull clean ones out of the drawer to add to the washer. (RED face - I know!)

I DON'T DO THAT ANY MORE!

We lived in military housing and they furnished a washer/dryer for us and I didn't work outside the home, so doing laundry was a 'chore' that I really did enjoy doing.

I want to share some easy and helpful hints to help you with the process of drying your laundry.

Be sure to shake and untwist items before tossing in the dryer. This not only reduces wrinkling, but allows the clothes to dry a bit faster, and this saves energy.

 

I love using liquid softener, but just recently began using it in a different way, after my sis-in-love suggested this idea that works well for me. In a plastic container with a lid, I mixed the softener with twice the amount of water, cut a sponge in half and put it in the liquid. When I throw the clothes in the dryer, I lightly wring out one of the sponges and toss it in the dryer. The clothes will not have static, and the product lasts much longer. I think it's a wonderful money-saving tip.

{Caution: Be careful to squeeze the sponge enough when drying white clothes, so you don't get little blue spots on them=}

 

Cleaning your lint filter before drying every load reduces drying time significantly - another money saving idea.

Don't overfill the dryer - it will take much longer to dry and things will be more wrinkled.

 

Dry loads back to back so the dryer doesn't have time to cool down, then heat up again.

A general rule for drying: If clothes were washed in hot water, most likely they can be dried on high, but if they were washed on permanent press/cooler water cycle, they should be dried at 'medium' or 'permanent press' setting also.

 

I believe one of the most important things to remember when drying clothes, is removing them from the dryer right away so they don't have time to get wrinkled.

Keep clothes hangers handy and don't ball everything into the basket when removing, as that can add a lot of wrinkles too. When I don't get right to my dryer when it stops, I turn it on to reheat the clothes a little bit before I remove them. Makes the task of folding the clothes a little nicer when they are warm.

 

HAVE A HAPPY LAUNDRY DAY!!

(Remind yourself of the women at the river, and maybe it won't seem like such a daunting task?=)

LAUNDRY/HOW TO SAVE BIG BUCKS

OH HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE RIVER TO GET OUR CLOTHES WASHED!


I've honestly been thinking of putting together a post to share these very ideas,
so I was really happy to come across this, which explains it all more thoroughly
than I ever could.  Hope you pick up some useful hints to help you save big $$.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON LAUNDRY DETERGENT

picture credit: hoyasmeg Bob