10 Foods to Keep in your Freezer

Keeping your freezer stocked is easy, but knowing the right foods to freeze can get a bit tricky. Did you know you can’t freeze certain foods like lettuce, citrus fruits and whole eggs?

What should you keep in your freezer and how do you freeze them the correct way to maximize freshness?

frozen1-2

In this post, I will share with you 10 foods that you can freeze that may help you save money in the long run.

1. Cheese. You can freeze hard cheese like cheddar, Parmesan and mozzarella. If you find a good deal on a large hunk of cheese, take it home and shred it. Place it in individual, meal size bags. It should keep fresh for 1-2 months depending on the type of cheese and save you money from buying pre-shredded cheeses.

2. Potatoes. Do you like hash browns but hate to spend the money on the already frozen packs? Just shred fresh potatoes and immediately freeze in meal size portions. Pull out and use as you would packages.

3. Onions. If you cook with onions a lot, but hate to dice them for every meal, dice a bunch one day (to save your tears, consider wearing a pair of goggles, like the ones used for swimming.) and place in small bags. They will stay fresh enough to use in dishes for 2-3 weeks.

4. Eggs. While you cannot freeze whole eggs, as they will expand and explode, you can break them open and freeze in ice cube trays. Use them for quick eggs you may need for recipes. They will stay fresh for about 2 weeks.

5. Peppers. Slice or dice green or red peppers (or yellow!) and freeze for quick use in recipes. What a fast way to top pizzas or make omelets! They will stay fresh for up to a month.

6. Sauces and soups. Make a large portion of your favorite sauce such as marinara sauce, and portion them out for meals. Soups can even be frozen in individual portions for quick lunches.

7. Stocks. Do you make your own stock? After it cools, fill a 1 gallon freeze bag halfway and lay flat in the freezer. When they are solid, you can stack them on their side for storage. They will take up less room this way.

8. Quick dishes such as homemade breakfast burritos and waffles are great for on the go breakfasts.

9. Bread. If you buy bread at day-old bakeries, you can freeze the loafs for thawing later. The bread will stay fresh for about 3-4 weeks.

10. Yogurt. Mix fruit and yogurt together and freeze in large ice cubes. Pull a few out and add some ice for a quick morning smoothie. You can also cut up fruit such as bananas, berries and peaches in your freezer for this as well.

9 Fun Things You Can Do With Kool-Aid

Kool-Aid is a kid’s staple. Not only is it fun to make and drink, but there are so many things you can do with it! Check out this list of 10 things to do with this cheap pantry staple.

koolaid1-2

1. Make play-dough and color your recipe with it. It smells fun and fruity and the color stays put!

2. Temporarily color your hair with it. This would be great for Halloween or your tween/teen who wants to add a bit of daring colored highlights to their tresses. Just Gather water, Kool-aid packs and conditioner. Put on disposable gloves. Start by adding 3-5 packs of kool-aid to a glass bowl. Add enough conditioner to make a paste. Add a small amount of water to make the paste slightly thinner. Apply to the head, making sure not to get any on the face, ears or neck. You may even want to cover your clothing with a plastic bag or wear an old t-shirt. Work the paste in until all section you want died are done. For highlights, just do small sections. Leave on overnight for a very deep color. Rinse out, but do not wash out. Will wash out with 1-2 washings.

3. Dye Easter eggs. Just add a packet to 1 cup of vinegar and leave each egg in for 1-2 minutes.

4. Clean your dishwasher! It has been said that a packet of lemon flavored Kool-Aid put in your dishwasher’s soap section and ran on a hot cycle can clear out rust deposits.

5. Mix Kool-Aid with 3 tablespoons petroleum jelly like Vaseline. Microwave and stick it in the fridge overnight. Beware though, it will dye your lips whatever color you choose, but it tastes delicious!

6. Winter is coming and that means snowmen! Put Kool-Aid in water with spray bottles. “Paint” the snow!

7. Make Kool-Aid watercolor pictures. Just add a small amount of water to Kool-Aid powder. Paint freely on thicker paper.

8. Add Kool-Aid to shaving cream for a fun bath time foam to paint with.

9. Make frosting! Just add a packet to vanilla frosting and you have a great flavored topping for your child’s next birthday cake.

 

 

 

 

10 Uses for Plain White Vinegar

It’s amazing what you can do with simple ingredients. Vinegar is a household product that most people have in their kitchens. Vinegar is cheap. It makes awesome salad dressing, but did you know vinegar is so versatile it can be used in so many more ways? Take a peek at my list for 10 ways you can use plain everyday white vinegar.

spray1

1. Have you ever forgotten a load of laundry in the washer and gotten that musty smell? Don’t re-start the whole cycle wasting time and laundry soap. Just put 1/4 of a cup in and run it on rinse. The smell will be gone in a flash!

2. Mix it with equal parts vinegar and water and you have an odor neutralizing all purpose cleaner. If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, try adding a citrus peel to the mix.

3. Clean your windows and mirrors with it. It is much cheaper than window cleaner and it will leave it streak fee just as well.

4. Clean that mess in your microwave with it. Just put a bowl of equal parts water and vinegar in the microwave and warm it up for 30 seconds. Let it sit for a minute and take a cloth and wipe clean. The vinegar will loosen all the stuck on grease and grime.

5. Soothe a bee sting or a mosquito bite with it. Just dampen a cotton ball and dab it on. (for more mosquito bite fixes, see this post)

6. Run a cycle of vinegar through your coffee pot. This will get rid of any built up hard water spots and refresh your coffee maker to like new condition. Don’t forget to run a cycle of water after or you may be in for a nasty cup of coffee!

7. Use it to tone your face. For most people a 1:1 ratio of water to vinegar will work. Adjust if you have more oily or dry skin.

8. Looking to make your locks shine? Rise your hair with vinegar (either plain white or apple cider) and you will see it improve!

9. Clean stuck on foods with it. Just fill the container with water and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of vinegar and let soak over night.

10. Weeds got ya down in the garden? Spray undiluted vinegar on them.

4 Ways to Save Money on Your Next Move

 

 

 

box

Whether you are moving down the street or across the country it can be expensive. Since you can’t avoid moving, you can take several precautions to ensure you don’t go broke during the process. Here are a few tips to make your moving life that much easier:

#1. Plan Ahead

This may sound like the simplest tip, but it’s the one that people forget the most. When moving, you need to plan ahead from every angle. Canceling the Internet on time can keep you from having extra charges.

Even the time of month you choose to move can save you a lot of time and money. Also, make sure you get your mailing address changed and even your electric, gas, and water transferred. All of these accounts may not seem urgent, but if you miss an important bill, you can receive large late fees!

#2. Ask Friends and Family

It seems as though when it’s time to move, everyone disappears. However, do not be afraid to pick up the phone and ask for help from friends and family. Hiring movers is not only expensive, but almost unnecessary if you can find enough people to help you. Keep in mind that you will need help packing and moving, so recruit as many warm bodies as you can. Don’t forget to pay them in food and drink currency though.

#3. Part with Items

No one likes to part with items that they love. However, moving usually means getting rid of things you haven’t used in a while. That old chair sitting in the corner that no one as sat in for 15 years can probably go. Also, grandma’s old tapestries that are just taking up storage can probably go to.

Although the parting will cause sorrow, it will limit the amount of unnecessary items you need to take with you on your move. Have the kids get rid of some of their toys. Maybe it’s time that mom and dad part with some of their toys as well. You know that elliptical that’s been sitting in the corner for 15 months? Time to go!

#4. Sell Those Items

Maybe you are moving across country and need to make some quick cash. You remember all of those items you can’t use anymore? Sell them for dirt cheap, to someone who will use them. At the end of the day, if no one buys the items, you can simply donate them. Moving is the perfect time to dig through your storage items and sell items that you no longer need.

Are you ready to move? Thankfully these tips will help you save some money and your sanity. What are you waiting for? You’ve got packing to do!

 

Thanks to Jess Weaver for this wonderful post!

8 Natural Mosquito Bite Remedies

mosquito

 

Summer’s in full swing and so are the bugs. If you live anywhere near water like we do, (we live a couple blocks from a river) you know all too well that these little buggers show up out of no where and ruin your day. While the best way to not deal with bites from them is to prevent them with sprays or citronella candles, that is not always something you think of when sitting outside to take in the cooler evenings in your backyard and once the bug bites are there, they itch enough to drive a person crazy!

You can try just taking some allergy medication or using an anti-itch cream from the store, but if you don’t have any of that on hand or prefer to go a more natural route, try the following ways to solve that annoying urge to scratch.

Here are 8 natural Mosquito Bite Remedies:

1. Mix baking soda and water to make a paste and apply this to the bite.

2. Try using the inside of a banana peel to get some itch relief.

3. If you have a huge spot with a lot of bites, or one that is particularly big and swollen, try ice.

4. Apply essential oils. Lavender and Tea Tree seem to work the best. You can find these at most health food stores.

5. Although smelly, onions are said to relieve itching and burning associated with bites. Just rub a freshly cut one on the affected area.

6. Clean the bite as soon as you notice it with soap. A clean bite is less likely to itch as bad in the long run.

7. Soak a cotton ball on vinegar and apply it to the bite.

8. Make a tea compress by using a tea bag that was just used and applying it to the skin. I find that camomile works wonders.

 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Concentrate

One of my most popular posts here on Saved By Grace has been my tutorial on how to make powdered laundry detergent. I promised a while back that I would follow up with a liquid laundry soap version and I finally was able to do it.

Liquid laundry soap

This recipe is for the concentrated version of liquid laundry soap. There are many recipes out there for liquid laundry soap, but most of them are not concentrates. I made this one because I don’t have room for a large tub in my home as I do not even have a washer and dryer set and must utilize the laundry mat. Besides, who wants to haul a huge tub with them every time they need to do laundry at the Mat?

I love the concentrate because you use less of it. Only 1/4 of a cup per load.

The savings? Just like with the powdered version, its just pennies per load. I made this for less than $1.00 and it will give me about 40 loads.

You will need the following to make liquid laundry soap concentrate:

  • 1/2 cup Washing soda
  • 1/2 cup Borax
  • 10 cups of Water
  • 1/4 bar Zote soap

soap1

All of these, besides the water obviously can be found in the laundry department. A word about Zote: I prefer it over Fels Naptha for this recipe because it melts better and faster and does not separate after it cools.

1. Start by simmering 6 cups of water in a pot.

2. Using a grater, grate a 1/4 of a bar of Zote soap.

soap2

3. Add the Zote to the simmering water and give it a stir until it melts.

soap3

4. Add the washing soda and borax and mix until dissolved. Remove from heat.

soap4

5. Add 4 cups hot water to your container. I use a 2.5 quart bottle from a bulk container of hand soap. It works great because this recipe fits perfectly and it has a pour spout.

6. Pour the Zote mixture into the container with water.

7. Allow to sit overnight, until cool. Use 1/4 cup per load.

Please note, you may not get a lot of sudsing with this and that is fine. It is still doing it’s job! Also, don’t worry if it looks strange the next day, just give it a shake or stir and it will be fine. Since this is a concentrate, I recommend adding it to the water before you put the clothes in so it can “melt”.

 

 

Do you plan on making this or the powdered version and giving it a try?

buttonliquidsoap

June 2013 Biannual Blogathon Bash!

computer-keyboard-1_l

Today, I start the June 2013 Biannual Blogathon Bash! (June 21-24) I am super stoked, as I have been in the past when I did the bash that I will get a ton done this weekend! I will be missing 4 hours today when I have to go to work outside the home at my serving job at a local dining spot, but I am surer a break will be much needed before I dive into blogging mania!

I have so much to do and catch up on now that I have a couple VA jobs as well as 2 other blogs I manage, but I am so excited!

The Biannual Blogathon Bash is free for any blogger to join and it is not too late!

What I love most about the bash is the mini-challenges. I am hosting one right here, on Saved By Grace and I think I learn several new things each time I do the Bash. This is my 3rd time doing it and I did the Mini-Bash a couple months ago. The Bash that happens twice a year, (in the summer and in the Winter) is 3 days long and the mini-Bash was 24 hours.

So if you are a blogger and you need to catch up and want to win prizes, Join me this weekend!

 

Biannual Blogathon Bash

Double Duty Household Items

tooth

 

Plastic wrap, paper clips, cotton balls, toothbrushes..we all have these in our home. But other than the use we usually use them for, they seem to only serve one purpose. Until now! Let me show you my favorite ways to use these common household products!

 

sun dazed / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Cotton Balls:

What you usually use them for: Cleaning your nails from nail polish, applying makeup and using in first aid.

New Use: Slip one into a rubber glove to protect your gloves from getting snagged on your nails, doing fine detail cleaning in hard to read areas and even for play with kids with crafts or games.

 

Nicole Lee / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Plastic Wrap:

What you usually use it for: Keeping foods fresh in the fridge.

New Use: Wrap your utensils in it when moving to keep them clean and together, make your rake or hoe have a tighter grip by wrapping a few layers around the handle and store a paint roller or paint brush overnight without having to rinse.

 

ccharmon / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Paper Clips:

What you usually use them for: Keeping papers together.

New use: Use as a book mark in a magazine, replace a lost zipper pull and clean under your nails after gardening.

 

Orofacial / Health Photos / CC BY-SA

Tooth Brushes:

What you usually use them for: Keeping those teeth pearly white.

New Use: Detail cleaning on grout, a mini paintbrush for small chipped areas of furniture and to polish your jewelry.

 

What household products do you use in unique ways? Do you use any of the above products in other ways I did not mention? Tell me in the comments!

 

Coastal.com is Style For Your Whole Family

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Coastal.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a person who wears eyeglasses, I have had my fair share of ugly frames. I look at pictures of myself when I was a kid and can’t believe that I once thought the style I was wearing was “cool”. Of course, there wasn’t much t choose from when I was a kid, either.

A lot has changed since I was a kid when it comes to retailers of glasses and contact lenses. Coastal.com is blazing the trail in fashion! Not only do you get awesome glasses delivered right to your door, but you get an amazing selection to choose from for kids, women and men!

I really like the details on the Michelle Lane ML808 Bloom Black Purple frames. I think these are Uber cute!

I also like these frames for my daughter, who is 10. Her favorite color is green and she is obsessed with Hello Kitty! I only hope she doesn’t need glasses yet, as I did when I was her age. She has an appointment in a couple weeks, so we will know then.

I really like that Coastal.com really stands behind their products offering 366 day returns. They give you a whole year + 1 day to return! Now that is a great guarantee!

Coastal.com is the perfect site for busy and budget savvy families. Save time from buying at at traditional store and save a good chunk of cash as well. The frames are very well priced and you even get your first pair free!

I really wish there would have been a coastal.com when I was a kid. I maybe could have saved myself from the hideous frames I had. I am just gonna use the excuse that it was the 80’s. 😉

pssst…You should go “Like” Coastal.com on Facebook as well! They have reached a MILLION FANS and even said “Thank you!”

 

 

 

Visit Sponsor's Site

Design on a Shoestring

homedecor

I spent a good year collecting items for my ultimate design I wanted in my home. It was hugely refreshing when I finally had enough to do it and went through my home and de-cluttered a the beginning of the spring season this year.

The reason it took me so long was I do not have a great budget to work with and since I rent, my limitations on the wall coloring and flooring is something I am stuck with. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t have a beautiful home on a shoestring budget!

100_3664

Eiffel Tower Picture from The local Goodwill. It was $5.00

Here are some of my tips to creating a beautiful space:

  • First, decide on a color scheme you want to have. It is vital to making sure you have a beautiful design. Pick 2-3 colors/shades you want to stick to and stay with them. In my case, I went with warm autumn inspired colors such as olive green, brown and orange. Deciding this first will help you know how to find the right items.
  • Go for simplicity. If you look at home decorating magazines and showrooms, you see one theme: simplicity. There is no clutter, and the colors all go well together. This does not mean there is no place for knicknacks in a well designed home, it just means that the ones you have should fit the theme and be the ones you really like.

100_3665

All pillows from the Goodwill, Down comforter for $7.00, Sign on wall at Ross outlet stores was $5.99

To find items to decorate with:

  • For faux floral arrangements, something I love, I hit up my local Michael’s craft store. Often at the end of the season, they will heavily discount their arrangements that were made by employees during classes. I got this one for a mere $2!

100_3671

  • Don’t forget your local thrift stores. The right pieces may just be there, hiding among the knicknacks. You can also re-purpose what you find. I bought a calendar and placed a favorite picture in it in a thrift store frame.

100_3661

  • Don’t put your nose up at dumpster “diving”. While I have never actually climbed in a dumpster for items, I have found some great pieces of furniture in them.
  • Outlet store like Marshall’s, Ross and T.J. Maxx have amazing deals on indoor decor.

The best tip to remember is you don’t have to pay a lot to have beautiful indoor design. You just need a little creativity and a willingness to do it!