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Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet Recipe – Hearty Winter Fare

February 9, 2012 By 10 Comments

Bobbie SezBobbie says:

Winter was almost ignoring us here in south central Pennsylvantia:  not too frigid and hardly any snow, and heck, I even wore shorts last week. Well, indoors, at least.  Then that stupid groundhog saw his shadow on February 2, signalling six more weeks of winter. And then, someone must have passed the message along to Winter,  because it started paying attention again. Now everything’s completely white, and it got cold. I hate groundhogs and I hate cold weather and snow, but hey, at least the food’s good. Perfect for a cold winter’s day, Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet is hearty and filling, but still budget friendly.  Oh, and delicious.

To be honest, the first time I cooked this combination of ingredients, I was being kind of selfish: I love cooked cabbage, and I thought I was kind of alone in that. At least, I knew my husband hated cabbage rolls, and although this has no rice or tomato, and is almost completely unlike cabbage rolls in any way, aside from the cabbage and meat, I still felt as if I was throwing caution to the wind.  I was amazed. My husband kept saying how much he liked it, so he could be sure I’ make it again. Talk about win-win. And cheap-cheap, too. Cabbage was recently as low as 49 cents per pound at my favorite store, and even when it’s not “on sale” it’s still one of the best deals in the produce department. Learn to love cabbage  and your budget will love you.

Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet Recipe

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large onion
  • an approximately 2 pound head of green cabbage
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  •  2 bay leaves

Choose a large, heavy skillet or pot with a lid with a capacity of at least 6 quarts. I used my 8 quart stock pot, which gave me plenty of stirring about room. Set it over medium heat, and add the ground beef.

Peel and coarsely chop the onion, and add it to the meat, stirring it up a bit with a sturdy spoon. Stir the meat and onions occasionally while you prepare the cabbage and carrots.

Using a large chef’s knife, cut the head of cabbage in half from the top, through the core, then cut each half again, so you have 4 pieces approximately equal in size. Carefully slice away the core and discard. (If you don’t get all of it, don’t worry. It’s perfectly safe to eat – it’s just a bit tough sometimes.) Roughly chop the cabbage – neatness doesn’t count, cleanliness does, so keep it off the floor. I usually cut the cabbage into approximately one-inch chunks, which works pretty well.

If you have a box grater or other tool for shredding foods, use that for the carrots. Otherwise, just use the chef’s knife and finely chop them. Sometimes, I leave them out if I’m in a huge hurry, or just don’t have carrots.

Once the meat is browned, stir in the salt, pepper, and bay leaves (these are NOT optional – their flavor is essential to the results),  then add the carrots and cabbage. Stir to mix well. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook until

cabbage and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You shouldn’t need to add any liquid – the juices that cook out of the meat and vegetables should be sufficient, but if it seems dry, add up to 1/4 cup of water. ) Remove bay leaves and discard.

Makes 4 generous servings.

 

Serve Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet with mashed potatoes or some crusty rolls and butter for a simple, comforting meal.

 

Bobbie Laughman is an elder caregiver, writer and Generally Shy Person, Except On The Internet. She lives and breathes and tries to keep warm and sane in Gettysburg, PA. If you’ve a mind to, contact her at Bobbie@Home-Ec101.com

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Get Clothing Clutter Under Control

August 4, 2011 By 18 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I have a dilemma. I find my bedroom becoming cluttered very quickly with clothes that are “too clean to wash” yet “not clean enough to put away”. I was a single mom for many years, going to school or working, sometimes more than one job, and as a result, I didn’t want to spend more time on laundry than I had to. I’d wear clothes until they were visibly dirty, overly wrinkled, or they became… umm… odiferous.

When I was a single parent, that didn’t take as long as it does now! Now, I’m married and have one teen at home (who is responsible for his own laundry). I work at home caring for my elderly parents, and the piles of “not clean, not dirty” clothes are overwhelming. In our bedroom and my parents’! Sometimes, items in the pile have to be washed simply because they have been there so long, they’ve become wrinkled.

What do other people do with their clothes? Do they wash every item, every time they wear it? Do they wear the same thing until it needs to be washed? Do they hang up or fold and put away slacks and jeans and tops that have been worn but aren’t dirty?

Help me get out from under this heap! If you need something cleaned, I’m your girl. I’m not a very physically organized person, and “stuff” is my great foe.

Signed,
Clothes Horse

Heather says:

I’ll let you in on a secret, I’m a bit disorganized, too. Ok I struggle a lot with organization, but I do try.  I tend to be a perfectionist control freak -no comments from the peanut gallery, thank you very much- about my own space, which in a weird cruel twist of fate means stuff often piles up as I wait for the “right” time to take of something. It takes a huge amount of -wait for it, I’m about to say a dirty word- self-discipline for me to do the daily upkeep that  organization requires.

When I read your dilemma my first thought is that perhaps you have too much clothing.

Generally speaking those of us who live in relatively affluent Western cultures have too much stuff and that stuff causes misery. If we aren’t careful we tend to enter a cycle where we work to buy things and then work to take care of our things and then work to buy more things to replace the things that fell apart due to neglect. I’m tired just thinking about it.  (You all know that this is where some people are going to tell me that they live with exactly 3 pieces of clothing not including their underwear and that they have no idea what I’m talking about, right?)

So outside of those people who claim to have 3 items of clothing, what are you to do?

Don’t pile your clothing. 

Piles are the enemy.

Hang everything you possibly can, ESPECIALLY the items that have been worn but aren’t ready for washing. If you can’t hang everything, then you must find storage for out of season clothing and I don’t mean a pile in the corner of your room. Space saver bags, a box under the bed, a box in the attic, anywhere except a pile that’s going to get knocked over and them trampled on.

Hanging allows clothing to dry thoroughly, preventing that musty now I have to wash it condition.

Go into your closet(s) right now and hang everything backwards on the bar.

As you wear items and wash them, hang them the normal way on the leftmost side of the bar. Just keep shoving the stuff hanging backwards toward the right. Over six months or a year (depending on your climate) you’re going to get a better idea of the clothing you actually wear. Donate or consign the rest and do not feel guilty about it.

Just let it go. Someone else needs that item much more than you.

Don’t hang onto items for “when I lose ten pounds” and certainly don’t hang onto items “in case I gain ten pounds.”

Just let it go.

While you’re undergoing the great clothing weed out, do not buy more clothing. If there is an item you cannot pass up, something in your closet has to leave the house before that item can be introduced to your wardrobe.

This isn’t an overnight fix, but  over time you will notice a significant reduction in the amount of laundry done in your home.

Good luck!

 Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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How to Use Rubbing Alcohol Safely

April 13, 2011 By 5 Comments

Heather says:

This is another post in the series on household chemicals. Rubbing alcohol is frequently recommended by frugal and green bloggers for use as household cleaner.

Rubbing alcohol a general term that most often refers to isopropanol, but can also refer to ethanol. It is very important to understand that there is a difference between ethanol and isoproponal. Ethanol is the same type of alcohol you’ll find in your liquor cabinet while isopropanol is the alcohol we’re familiar with in medical applications – the pads used to wipe your skin before receiving a shot as an example. Both can be used as a topical disinfectant -think back to all the movies where nothing but a bottle of liquor was available- and this is how the term came about (the topical application, not the movie scenes).

To keep things simple, from this point forward the rubbing alcohol referenced is the white bottle of 60% – 90% isopropanol most of us are familiar with from the pharmacy department.

Rubbing alcohol should always be used in a well ventilated area.

Isopropanol is volatile which means that it evaporates quickly, creating flammable fumes. Never use rubbing alcohol near open flames or while smoking.

Ispropanol is converted to acetone in the human body. Do not drink it, do not use in an unventilated area, do not use over large areas of skin.

To understand why rubbing alcohol is so often recommended as a household cleaning solvent, let’s dive back into high school chemistry for a moment.

There is an adage like dissolves like, this refers to two types of compounds polar and non-polar. Water is a polar compound, each V shaped H20 molecule has an area with a slightly positive charge and an area with a slightly negative charge. Compounds such as fats are non-polar and do not have these charged areas. In most cases, at least without playing chemist, you won’t get a non-polar solution to mix with a polar solution. If you want to visualize this, head into the kitchen put some water a jar and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Close the lid and shake the heck out of it. You’ll see tiny droplets of oil suspended in the water (until they eventually float to the top) but these droplets are not part of the solution.

Alcohols, like rubbing alcohol are also polar molecules, but they are organic compounds, this means they have at least one carbon atom, the longer the carbon chain, the less likely the molecules are soluble in water.  The carbon chain helps the compound bring non-polar compounds into solution. So alcohols like isopropanol (which pretty much makes up rubbing alcohol) can act as a solvent for non-polar compounds like dyes and fats.

This is why you see both rubbing alcohol and hairspray recommended to remove ink from fabric. The alcohol brings the ink into solution where it can be wicked away with a paper towel or cloth.

Rubbing alcohol, can strip the fats and oils that protect your skin.

If this is allowed to happen for a long time, this can lead to cracking which can set you up for dermatitis and other even less fun infections.  Use gloves or limit the contact with your skin.

When used properly rubbing alcohol is a fairly safe cleaning agent. The main problem is its effectiveness as a solvent, sometimes it will destroy the item you’re trying to clean. You must use care and understand that alcohols are not always a safe choice for some surfaces and finishes.

Keep rubbing alcohol away from many painted surfaces, shellac, lacquer, and some man-made fabrics.

In some cases denatured alcohol -ethanol alcohol with bittering agents to make it unpalatable- may be a better choice. Don’t worry, I’ll get to denatured alcohol in a future article.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

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Can You Make Your Own Powdered Sugar?

March 18, 2011 By 7 Comments

Heather says:

Yesterday a reader commented on Beet Sugar vs Cane Sugar:

Where do you purchase organic beet sugar? Have you found it in powdered form? I have only found it on an Austrian site so far and would prefer to buy US grown if it exists.

As I am not, nor was I ever, a pastry chef, I began to research.

It turns out the only difference between granulated sugar and powdered sugar is the size and shape of the grains. Commercial powdered sugar often contains corn starch, to prevent clumping.

Twitter user @MadatMama was quick to point out that you can make your powdered sugar by running it through the food processor. This morning I’ve done a little more research and it appears as though people have the best luck making small batches of powdered sugar in their blenders.

There is a caveat: I have the feeling that unless you are especially careful to blend each batch very thoroughly, there may be an inconsistency of texture¹. Any frosting made from homemade powdered sugar may have a slightly grainy texture. However I believe that slightly grainy frosting is superior to no frosting.

¹Well that is unless you have a Blendtec. You have seen the Will it blend videos, right?  Enjoy.

 

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Have you checked out the new forums?

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Chicken Thighs and the Reduced Budget

February 8, 2011 By 11 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,

My husband was recently laid off -sound familiar?- and we really need to cut our food budget while he looks for a new job. In your opinion, what’s the most economical cut of meat or poultry I can get to feed our family? I pretty much stuck to boneless skinless chicken breasts before, but right now they don’t seem to be such a good deal.

Signed,

Stretching in Stratton

Heather says:

First of all, I feel for you guys. I hope he finds something soon.

When budgets are tight, it’s really hard to beat chicken thighs as an economical cut of poultry. I’m not a huge fan of dark meat, but I’ve matured enough to know that sometimes my preferences just don’t matter that much.

Some people will try to argue that the thigh bone makes the difference in cost between BSCBs and chicken thighs acceptable. I completely disagree. Whether you first remove the thigh before cooking or separate them after cooking, those chicken thigh bones are valuable. Save the bones in a freezer bag and use them to make chicken stock.

If you’ve never made chicken stock before, here are two ways to make chicken stock, and Eugene in the comments offers his method for making stock in his slow cooker. Homemade chicken stock sounds like a luxury, but using it to make rice or vegetables can significantly improve their flavor and boost the nutritional value without adding a ton of sodium.

So what can you make with these budget friendly chicken thighs?

Any recipe calling for boneless skinless chicken breasts can be made with skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Debone the thighs yourself.

Any recipe calling for a whole, cut up chicken.

Examples:

Any recipe calling for leg quarters.

Examples:

And if you don’t want to bother with the bones, there are still plenty of ways to cook chicken thighs. I wrote a post sharing ten easy chicken thigh recipes over on Blissfully Domestic, a few months ago.

If you find a recipe for chicken and want to alter it for chicken thighs, here is a guide to altering chicken recipes based on cut.

Additionally:

Whole chickens are economical in their own right. Here’s how to cut up a whole chicken. With a little practice, this takes about five minutes and gives you a break from only dark meat.

Don’t forget your side dishes.

When you are trying to reduce your overall food budget side dishes become extremely important. Ounce per consumable ounce, vegetables, grains, and legumes are often significantly cheaper than meat.

When planning your meals allot your 10 – 35% of the calories to come from protein. That leaves a LOT of room for vegetables and whole grains. Treat your protein source as the after thought and focus on filling your dinner plates with other lower cost items. This doesn’t mean only empty calories, sides like: lentil pilaf, rice and peas, roasted broccoli, collard greens with northern beans, and roasted vegetables all are filling, but not terribly expensive. -With the broccoli, peel and slice the stems so they don’t go to waste). And don’t forget the poor maligned potato, just keep them out of the fryer. Try your hand at roasted potatoes or ranch potato wedges. Don’t be scared to get creative.

Good luck.

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How to Use Vinegar and Borax in the Laundry

January 21, 2011 By 19 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101

You mentioned using vinegar or borax to remove detergent build-up from towels.  We have hard water in our area and I believe this could be a problem for us, even though I haven’t had a problem with odor.  I have few questions:

  • How much vinegar or borax should I use in my clothes washer?
  • Can the vinegar or borax be used on all washable fabrics?
  • If so, which do you think would be better for fabrics that can’t be washed in hot water?
  • Should the amount of vinegar or borax be increased in cooler wash water?

Signed,
Washer Warrior

Heather says:

This is an excellent question, thank you so much for submitting it.

Vinegar

Vinegar is an acid. It can be used in a clothes washer as a laundry booster / fabric softener / water conditioner by lowering the pH of the water which increases the solubility of other compounds. In the case of laundry you’re hoping to increase the solubility of detergent, the minerals in hard water, and dirt.

As vinegar is an acid, it can weaken the fibers of some fabrics. Do not use full strength on:

  • cotton
  • rayon
  • acetate
  • triacetate
  • silk fibers.

For what it’s worth, I use vinegar with cotton all the time. Cotton is a heavy duty fabric and the vinegar is quite dilute. I do understand that I may be shortening the lifespan of the clothing article, but I find it to be a worthwhile trade off. My jeans still last much longer than fashion trends and my kids grow out of them long before they wear out. I do NOT use vinegar on silk.

When using vinegar to strip excess detergent you’re going to use more than when you use vinegar as a fabric softener in the final rinse. For loads where stripping excess detergent is the goal, use 1 cup of white vinegar for every gallon of water. You will need to consult your owner’s manual for specific capacities as they relate to your washing machine. When stripping detergent build up, be sure the laundry gets a plain water rinse to help bring the pH back up toward neutral -that’s 7 if you’re curious. If you’re breaking out the meter, you already knew that.

When using vinegar as a fabric softener to increase the efficacy of the rinse cycle, use 1 – 2 cups for top loading washers and just fill the fabric softener cup in high efficiency washers.

Borax

Borax acts as a buffer and raises the pH of water to a slightly basic solution, right around a pH of 8. Don’t use borax at the same time as vinegar or you’ll just create a nice little acid base reaction and make salt.

When using borax to help soften or condition your water, for both high efficiency and most top loading washing machines add 1/2 cup of borax per load. If you have a large capacity machine bump up the amount to 3/4 cup of borax per load. Borax is added to the actual wash cycle, not the rinse cycle when used in your washing machine.

If you’re using borax as a stain treatment, use 1 TBSP per gallon of water.

Temperature considerations:

Both vinegar and borax increase your detergents effectiveness by changing the pH of the water. This is independent of the temperature setting. I wouldn’t alter the amount of vinegar or borax added the wash when using cold or hot water. None of the research I did mentioned the temperature of your wash water, except to note that using cold water saves energy. This is a variable I would run a few home experiments on. After you try the vinegar and borax as recommended you can try increasing their amounts slightly when washing on cold water to see if there is a noticeable difference. If not, try backing off until you do not receive the results you want. In this manner, you can find the most conservative amount of additive for your specific water hardness.

Regarding delicates, borax is the way to go. Borax is recommended for fabrics that must be hand washed.

Good luck!

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

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Cast Iron, Enameled Cast Iron, and Stainless Steel Oh My!

January 5, 2011 By 21 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

If you were going to replace some of your cookware with cast iron or enameled cast iron, including a large dutch oven, would you purchase enameled cast iron, plain cast iron, or stainless steel? I do cook a lot of acidic foods, is this a concern?

Signed,

Pot Likker¹

PS. I have a gas stove, I’m not sure this matters.

Heather says:

I have a smooth top electric range so I, like many others,  am limited to enameled cast iron and stainless steel. (I personally do not use non-stick pans, except for the electric griddle we own -it’s too easy to accidentally overheat an empty pan.)

Cast iron, enameled cast iron, and stainless steel each have unique characteristics, make your decision based on what best fits your needs based what fits your needs and appliances.

Stainless Steel Cookware

This is the set of stainless steel cookware I’ve been using for the past 6 years.

For the record, in this conversation stainless steel cookware refers to plain stainless cookware, as well as the cookware with an aluminum or copper core. Please do not tell me that the aluminum core of stainless steel will cause Alzheimer’s. Your food does not come into contact with the aluminum.

Pros:

Stainless is versatile, it can be used on both electric and gas ranges. Usually the pots and pans are rated safe to 550°F, although the glass lids will have a lower rating. If a recipe needs to be cooked covered in the oven over the rated temperature, you simply use aluminum foil instead of the lid. Also keep in mind if the handles have any of that fancy polymer grip stuff, the rating will be lower.

Stainless steel heat does not heat evenly, but this is why good quality cookware will have an aluminum or copper base to aid in even heating which prevents hot spots and scorching. Since stainless steel is comparatively thin, it heats relatively faster than thick cast iron cookware despite having a lower thermal conductivity.

For the most part, stainless steel cookware does not react to acidic foods and is excellent for making pan sauces and won’t discolor white sauces.

Cons:

Stainless is more expensive than most aluminum, cast iron, or nonstick cookware. However the lifetime warranties that often accompany stainless steel cookware mitigates this factor. (Typically I recommend purchasing from a company that manufactures in the US when possible, but I hear good things about some brands made in France and Brazil, too.)

Stainless steel cookware is comparatively heavier than aluminum or most nonstick. Most adults (excluding those with health issues) get used to the weight over time.

What to look for / be aware of:

When choosing stainless cookware look for riveted handles, avoid any cookware attached with screws. Stainless steel can warp and scratch if not used properly. Never use metal utensils with stainless steel cookware as this can scratch the pan making food more likely to stick and making clean up more difficult. Do not use Brillo or copper scouring pads and never place a hot pan in tepid, cool, or cold water, as this can warp even sturdy cookware.

Bar Keeper’s Friend is quite inexpensive and makes cleaning stainless cookware a cinch.

Never purchase a set of stainless steel cookware without handling it. Visit a department store, open a box, check it out. Does the shape / angle of the handle make the pan easy to lift and pour from? Take a look at the lids, do they fit snugly? If not, the pot will not be good for making rice, unless of course you cook rice using the gentle boil method.

Cast Iron Cookware

Pros:

Cheap.

Cast iron is the original nonstick when properly seasoned.

It is probably the best cookware for blackening and searing. I’d recommend everyone have one cast iron skillet, even if it’s only for use under the broiler.

Cons:

Cast iron must be seasoned. It’s also quite heavy and you shouldn’t use it to cook acidic foods.

Now before someone goes nuts. Yes, it’s POSSIBLE to cook acidic foods in a well seasoned cast iron pot or pan. However, if the acidic food eats away enough of the seasoning it can come into contact with bare iron, which will cause a reaction. This will ruin your dish (the food) will be ruined with a metallic taste.

Cast iron can shatter if it is treated incorrectly. Never place a hot pan in water. Don’t place any hot pan in water

Cast iron should not be used on a smooth top range, it may scratch the surface making it very difficult to clean.

Cast iron has low thermal conductivity and it takes a relatively long time to bring a pan up to cooking temperatures.

If not taken care of properly, cast iron can rust and that’s a pain.

What to look for when buying cast iron:

Is the handle usable? Don’t waste your time buying a big pan with a stubby handle; you’ll be miserable. For dutch ovens, can you grip them? New cast iron often comes pre-seasoned. That stuff skeeves me out, majorly. Strip off the old seasoning and start over. Need advice? Read:  How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet.

Enameled Cast Iron

Pros:

Enameled cast iron is equivalent to stainless steel when it comes to relative non-stick. It is safe for acidic foods, and due to its thickness it has a high heat retention. Additionally, enameled cast iron is also oven safe (except for some knobs, we’ll talk about that in moment).

Enameled cast iron is usable on all stoves, in the oven, and on the grill.

Have I mentioned it’s gorgeous? Umm ’cause it’s friggin’ gorgeous.

Cons:

Enameled cast iron is heavy. It’s just as heavy as cast iron.

Enameled cast iron has lower thermal conductivity than its plain cast iron counterpart. I love my dutch oven, but I generally surf the web waiting for it to get hot enough to use.

Cost. Enameled cast iron is significantly more expensive than regular cast iron, especially when you consider some well known brand names. (I love my Le Crueset, but in the future I may be willing to try off- brands). In most cases, enameled cast iron is enameled cast iron. The pots and pans vary in their shape, the handles, and the knobs. Order replacement knobs for just a few dollars and your off-brand pot is now oven-safe.

Don’t use metal utensils in enameled cast iron, as it is possible to chip the coating, but in that case, you just need to season it. It’s only exposing cast iron and the pot or pan is still usable.

Hopefully this information will help you choose which cookware is right for your needs. I personally have a mix of stainless and enameled cast iron (I love my dutch oven and would really like a larger one) and I’m looking to pick up a new cast iron skillet for use on my grill and in the oven the next time I see one. Good luck in your purchasing decision!

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

¹Definition: Pot likker is the liquid left behind after boiling greens, like collard greens and contains many vitamins. Also? Yum.

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How to Use Powdered Milk to Save Money

November 17, 2010 By 33 Comments

Heather says:

The ideas in this post may not be of immediate use for you. Many of you will say, it would take more time than the savings provide. That may be true for where you are today, but you never know what information you may need in the future. Just mentally file it away for reference.

Regardless of cost, powdered milk should be a part of your emergency pantry. It really doesn’t matter whether the emergency is caused by a personal crisis like a job loss or a national disaster. There might be zombies wreaking havoc outside, but by golly no one is getting rickets on my watch.

There is a big difference between nonfat instant dry milk and whole dry milk. The fat in whole dry milk can go rancid quickly, making storage impractical.

Nonfat instant dry milk has a shelf life of approximately one year, there will be a slight degradation in taste and nutrition after this time, but it’s not dangerous to consume. Dry milk should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Both vitamins A & D break down with exposure to light, keep this in mind if you choose to divide a large box of dry milk into smaller quantities.

How much money can you save using powdered milk?

It depends. Just like regular milk, the price of dry milk fluctuates, but having several boxes in the pantry can offset the occasional, temporary price spike.

Since powdered milk is cheaper to ship and store, the price difference can really become dramatic when oil prices increase. If however grain has a price spike, both powdered milk and fresh milk will experience an increase due the cost of feeding dairy cattle.

Prices are as of November 16, 2010, they will be updated quarterly.

Currently I can buy a 640z or 4lb box of non-fat dry milk for $15.63. The box of dry milk is the equivalent of 5 gallons of milk after it’s reconstituted effectively costing $3.13 per gallon.  Right now a gallon of milk is currently running between $3.75 and $4.22 a gallon.

At this time, each box of nonfat instant dry milk represents about $3.10 in savings.

Yes Heather, we get that, but powdered milk is disgusting to drink.

I tend to agree, which is why we don’t drink dry milk as part of our daily diet. In an emergency we’d switch.

Do not expect to make an immediate conversion from drinking fresh, whole milk to reconstituted milk overnight without a mutiny. It’s not the same thing.

If your food budget is extremely tight, a gallon of whole milk can be stretched with nonfat instant dry milk. For best results, use a 50:50 ratio of whole milk and reconstituted milk. You’ll need to mix the two in a clean, empty gallon jug. (2 quarts each, shake well, and keep very cold)

But what about right now, how can I save some money with powdered milk?

To save money with instant dry milk, use it for cooking.

It’s a straight substitution with reconstituted dry milk and regular milk in recipes.

When building a food pantry, it often makes more sense to purchase ingredients in bulk rather than single servings of convenience items. Use the following recipes to reduce the variety of items you need to store in your pantry, while saving money.

Examples:

A generic label, 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk is $1.99. You can make your own sweetened condensed milk with $0.59 worth of dry milk and $0.46 of other pantry staples.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

Equivalent to 14oz can, generic label =$1.99

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar  ($0.22)
  • 3 TBSP butter ($0.24)
  • 1 cup nonfat instant dry milk powder ($0.5)
  • dash salt

Briskly whisk the ingredients together and bring to a full boil (start over low heat and gradually increase). Remove from heat and allow to cool before use or storage.

Evaporated Milk Recipe

Equivalent to 12oz can, generic label = $0.84

  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 1 cup nonfat instant dry milk ($0.59)

Place the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously.

Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe

Use 2 – 3 TBSPs in place of a single packet of hot chocolate mix

  • 2 cups nonfat instant dry milk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tsp salt

Mix thoroughly.

If you toss in mini-marshmallows, put it in a cute, glass jar with a label, this makes a great, inexpensive Christmas gift.

Did you know you can also make your own cottage cheese with nonfat instant dry milk? I’m going to experiment with that this week. If it works well, I’ll add the recipe here. Have you tried it?

Do you personally use powdered milk, whether as part of an emergency pantry or to cut costs in the kitchen?

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How to Care for a Leather Couch

October 21, 2010 By 5 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

What is the best way to care for a leather couch?  I have seen several leather conditioners advertised, but do these leave a waxy finish?  I have had my leather couch and loveseat for four years, and they have held up well, but a few scratches are starting to show up.  What can I do to keep them looking good in the long run?  Thanks, and I love your site!

Signed,

Leatherneck

Heather says:

We’ve had our leather couch and loveseat for about eight years, through four children and a total of three large dogs -not all at the same time- and both pieces still look good. For the last five years we’ve also had an upholstered couch and only one dog has ever used it and boy is the wear showing. If I can avoid it, I don’t think I’ll ever buy upholstered furniture again. Leather furniture is amazingly resilient when cared for properly. Is the leather on our eight year old couches pristine? Absolutely not, but the only people who can see the damage that has occurred over time are the people who live here.

Nothing lasts forever and damage happens, but you can minimize the damage of normal use by cleaning and caring for your leather furniture.

Unfortunately there’s no prevention for damage by crazy relatives and inconsiderate guests i.e., gouges from pocket knives or cigarette burns.

Want to hear the best part about caring for leather furniture?

It’s easy.

Most of the time, as long as it’s surface dirt and dust, vacuuming with the soft bristly attachment or wiping down with a barely damp rag will be all that is needed. Surface dirt needs to be removed often to prevent damage, just work this into your weekly cleaning schedule and you’ll have no problems.

Most leather furniture only needs to be conditioned twice a year.

When conditioning leather, do not apply the product unevenly. This may cause splotching or uneven coloration. If one seat of the couch or loveseat is used significantly more often than others, it may be wise to condition this area more frequently, once a quarter perhaps.

Conditioning leather is not optional.

Without conditioning leather will dry out, become brittle, and crack.

What should you use to condition the leather? Well, it’s going to depend on the type of leather used to make your furniture.  Your best bet is to call the manufacturer. Before balking at their recommended brand and going with the potentially shoddy knock-off think about the amount of money you invested in the set when it was new and the amount it will cost to replace it. Consider it a maintenance cost.

Remember frugality is not about going with the lowest short-term cost, it’s about getting the most value for your money over time.

There are some definite do nots when it comes to leather furniture:

  • Do not use classic Pledge or any other dusting spray on your leather furniture. Over time you will create a build up that will be a nightmare to remove without damaging the leather.
  • Do not use oils or varnishes on leather.
  • Do not use soap on leather. If soap must be used to remove a stain, try a very mild one like castille. Then wipe the area several times with a barely damp rag, dry, and then condition. Soap breaks down the oils that keep the leather supple.
  • Do not use an excessive amount of water on leather furniture. This may create a stain larger than the original problem.
  • Do not use solvents such as rubbing alcohol on leather furniture.
    If rubbing alcohol is applied with a q-tip to remove ball point pen marks, be sure to condition the area properly as soon as possible.
  • Sweat, hair oil, and skin care products like benzoyl peroxide are not good for leather. Use a pillow instead of the arm when lying down to watch tv.
  • Remember sunlight damages leather, think of leather just like your skin, only without the ability to repair itself. Try to keep leather furniture away from direct sunlight or when that isn’t possible, condition exposed areas more often.
Reference: Michigan State University Home Maintenance and Repair.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.


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What Does Thread Count Mean?

October 13, 2010 By 2 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

What exactly does thread count mean? If I’m buying sheets is it true that I should buy the highest thread count I can?

Signed,

Threadhead

Heather says:

This is the non-technical explanation. I could start throwing around words like warp and weft, but there’s no need just to get the general idea. Fabric is made by weaving threads, in the case of sheets usually, cotton or  linen, to create a sheet of material. The thicker and often coarser the thread the fewer are needed per square inch to create the cloth. It is the count of threads per inch that we refer to as the thread count.

If two ply thread is used, that means each thread is made of one two threads, one twisted around the other, the thread count is doubled, even though the actual number of woven threads remains the same.

Higher thread counts, up to the 400 thread count range typically mean a softer and more supple fabric, but it isn’t the only indicator. The type of material and how it is treated can also have an effect, flannel for example has a relatively low thread count, but a very soft feel. When looking for sheets, look for anything in the 180 thread count and your sheets will have a nice feel. Anything over 500 is likely to be a marketing stunt where the company weaving the sheets has used some creative math. That creative math probably extends to the pricing, too.

When you choose your sheets, judge partially on thread count and partially on the feel of the actual sheets. For what’s it worth, I’ve been able to get some wonderful, high thread count sheets from Overstock.com, just keep your eyes open. I know I don’t particularly care that my sheets aren’t in this year’s must have color.

What I would like to know is why they only seem to make the stupid character sheets my kids love with a thread count of oh, about 30? I’m exaggerating, of course, but their sheets feel like burlap. Putting the sheets on their beds gives me that nails on chalkboard feeling. First world problems, right?

Good luck on your sheet buying venture.

P.S. I’m out of town for the BlogWorld Expo conference through Monday. Posting may not be as consistent as usual, but will return to normal.

Send your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Filed Under: All, Wash It Tagged With: , , ,
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