Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.

To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.

How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)

Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)

Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)

Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)

40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)

Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)

5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)

* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance

12 Quick Tips For The Home: Tipnut’s Mailbag

Posted By TipNut On July 31, 2009 @ 6:22 am In Household, Tipnut Mailbag | No Comments

Handy Tips For The Home

Here is the latest batch of helpful quick tips sent in by Tipnut readers:

1. Keep bread fresh by sticking a piece of celery in the bread bag before closing. (Tracey)
2. Use wooden pants hangers to hang rugs on the clothesline, regular clothespins don’t work because they can’t hold the weight. (Dale)
3. Having done the flowers and foods for many weddings. My favorite trick to keep my flowers looking fresh is: instead of using the packets that come with the flowers to preserve them use clear soda, like a ginger-ale, 7 up type soda, without any water added. This will keep rose buds closed for a week or more here in Florida’s heat. Mums last about 3 weeks. Just give them a fresh cut and drop them in. (Tina). Also see Old-Time Tips For Flowers & Plants: Timeless Wisdom [1].
4. Clean out the gunk in a can opener by feeding a sheet of paper towel through it. (Laurel)
5. Rub Vaseline along the hairline before dying your hair to protect skin from getting stained by the dye. (Shelley)
6. I installed a small towel bar on the inside of the cabinet door underneath the kitchen sink. I use this to hang spray bottles by their handles as I find it frees up the space and I can find what bottle I need with no trouble. I also installed a towel bar in the spare closet to hang scarves and belts (Eva).
7. I’m in the throes of menopause and one problem I have is waking up in the middle of the night in a full sweat. I found a trick that’s helped me: I spray vinegar all over my arms, across the top of my chest and the top of my back and around my neck and rub it in. I let this air dry before putting on my nightgown. For some reason this makes a difference and I don’t have that many night sweats now. (Lorna).
8. If you sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on icy patches on walkways, it’s much easier on the cement than salt and makes a slip free zone. (Rhea).
9. My kitchen blender has a glass jar with measurements that are hard to read so I marked off every 1/2 cup with a bright red nail polish on the outside, works like a charm! (Alice)
10. I just wanted to send you a tip that I found extremely helpful late last night. My dog got sprayed in the face around 11 pm last night – no tomato juice in the house. I had heard a long time ago that the Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario use toothpaste to rid their dogs of skunk smell. Used a whole tube of toothpaste, but it worked like a charm. Only an “essence” of skunk today. (Carmen). Also see Rid Your Pet of Skunk Spray Smell [2].
11. Replace paper towels with cheap facecloths. I often find them in packages of a dozen white cloths. As facecloths, they are terrible, rough and thin, but those qualities make them great for paper towel replacements. They are easily washed, and you can stash the clean ones in a little container under the sink. When you think they are finally too grubby to use anymore, you can throw them out without guilt ~~~ they’ll have paid for themselves over and over again. (Mary)
12. Removing skin from garlic: If you have one of those rubber gripper squares or circles for opening jars, you can use them to peel garlic cloves too. Put the clove of garlic at one edge, roll it into a tube, and then with a bit of pressure, roll the tube back and forth a few times. When you open it, the clove will be peeled, without being crushed! (Mary)

Thanks so much to everyone for sharing these with Tipnut readers! If you’d like to share your favorite tips, please send it in by using the contact form [3].

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Tipnut Mailbag: Crush Herbs Fast & Easy [4]
* Tipnut Mailbag: Remove Microwave Scorch Marks [5]
* Tipnut Mailbag – Traveling With Children Tip [6]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/tips-for-home/

URLs in this post:

[1] Old-Time Tips For Flowers & Plants: Timeless Wisdom: http://tipnut.com/tips-plants/

[2] Rid Your Pet of Skunk Spray Smell: http://tipnut.com/rid-your-pet-of-skunk-spray-smell/

[3] contact form: http://tipnut.com/contact/

[4] Tipnut Mailbag: Crush Herbs Fast & Easy: http://tipnut.com/crush-herbs-fast/

[5] Tipnut Mailbag: Remove Microwave Scorch Marks: http://tipnut.com/tipnut-mailbag-remove-microwave-scorch-marks/

[6] Tipnut Mailbag – Traveling With Children Tip: http://tipnut.com/tipnut-mailbag-traveling-with-children-tip/

Homemade Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe

Posted By TipNut On June 6, 2007 @ 7:36 am In Beauty & Health, Food, Recipes | 1 Comment

Uses for Rose Petal Vinegar:

* Salad dressing or vinaigrette*
* Facial splash and skin freshener (dilute with water)
* Headache soother (soak cloth with vinegar, squeeze out, then place on forehead)
* Shampoo rinse
* Bath soak (approx 1 cup per full bath)

Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups white wine vinegar (heat to near boil)
1 cup rose petals
3 or 4 whole cloves

Directions:

* Gently wash and drain rose petals thoroughly. Carefully remove the white/yellow part of the petals (just snip with scissors). Gently crush the petals to bruise a bit.
* In a sterilized jar, place the rose petals and cloves. Pour hot vinegar over top, roughly mash the petals a bit with a wooden spoon and seal immediately.
* Set aside for 10 days (room temperature and dark). Shake occasionally.
* Strain vinegar and discard the cloves and rose petals.
* Using small decorative jars (sterilized), pour the vinegar and seal.

Tip: If possible, use the freshest petals you can by picking the flowers on the day you’ll be making this recipe.

*Do not consume if chemicals or pesticides were used on the rose bush

Make sure to check out the big bunch of Lavender Vinegar Recipes [1] and the Multipurpose Herb Vinegar Recipe [2] as well.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Raspberry Thyme Vinegar Recipe [3]
* Homemade Rose Bath Oil [4]
* How To Make Rose Water: Recipes & Tips [5]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-petal-vinegar-recipe/

URLs in this post:

[1] Lavender Vinegar Recipes: http://tipnut.com/lavender-vinegar-recipes/

[2] Multipurpose Herb Vinegar Recipe: http://tipnut.com/multipurpose-herb-vinegar/

[3] Raspberry Thyme Vinegar Recipe: http://tipnut.com/raspberry-thyme-vinegar-recipe/

[4] Homemade Rose Bath Oil: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-bath-oil/

[5] How To Make Rose Water: Recipes & Tips: http://tipnut.com/how-to-make-rose-water-4-recipes/

Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe

Posted By TipNut On June 1, 2009 @ 8:39 am In Beauty & Health | No Comments

How To Make Homemade Floral Bath Splash & Spritzer
Ingredients:

Cider Vinegar
Distilled Water
Fresh flowers, herbs, aromatic leaves (pesticide free)

Directions:

* Fill a sterilized mason jar with assorted fresh flowers and leaves, filling jar at least half full.
* Pour cider vinegar over all, filling the jar to the top. Cover with lid, seal and shake well.
* Place jar in sunny location. Shake or swirl contents daily.
* After 10 days, strain the vinegar then bottle a 50/50 mix of distilled water and the batch of floral vinegar. Refrigerate.

Use in baths and as a skin spritz refresher on hot summer days.

Floral Ideas: Fresh geranium leaves, rosemary, lemon balm, rose petals, lavender

Need more ideas to make pretty bath spa items with your garden flowers? See Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid [1], Homemade Rose Bath Oil [2], Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe [3], How To Make Rose Water [4] and How To Make Lavender Water [5].

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid [1]
* Homemade Honey Bath Recipes [6]
* Homemade Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe [3]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/floral-splash/

URLs in this post:

[1] Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid: http://tipnut.com/floral-olive-oil/

[2] Homemade Rose Bath Oil: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-bath-oil/

[3] Rose Petal Vinegar Recipe: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-petal-vinegar-recipe/

[4] How To Make Rose Water: http://tipnut.com/how-to-make-rose-water-4-recipes/

[5] How To Make Lavender Water: http://tipnut.com/homemade-lavender-water-recipes/

[6] Homemade Honey Bath Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-honey-bath-recipes/

Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid

Posted By TipNut On February 24, 2009 @ 10:50 am In Beauty & Health | 2 Comments

Flowers & Olive Oil - Tipnut.com
Did you know olive oil is a lovely (and natural) skin moisturizer? Here’s a way to make it more special…infuse it with flowers picked fresh from your garden!

Floral Infused Olive Oil Recipe

Ingredients:

Glass jar (pint)
Flower petals (1 1/2 cups)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 3/4 cups)
6 Vitamin E Capsules (400 IU)

Directions:

* Fill a clean jar with your choice of fresh flower petals or buds. Pierce the vitamin capsules and squeeze the oil into the jar on top of the petals.
* Heat olive oil over medium heat then pour over petals. Seal and shake jar gently to mix.
* Place the jar in a sunny location and turn it over daily for 2 weeks.
* After 2 weeks, strain the oil to remove all petals then bottle in a sterilized container.

Tips For Use

* Use as a bath oil (2 to 3 TBS) or apply on skin after bathing/showering and use as a body moisturizer.
* Apply to dry patches of skin on hands, elbows [1], knees, feet.
* Can be used as a facial moisturizer, be careful not to get the infused oil in your eyes.
* Some believe that eczema, rosesca and stretch marks benefit from applications of olive oil, try a regular treatment to see if it helps.

Flower Choices With Reported Skin Healing & Therapeutic Qualities

* Echinacea, Lavender, Marigolds, Rose Petals, Pansies, Calendula
* Herbs can also be used

Note:

* Do not use petals that have been sprayed with chemicals, they’ll transfer to the oil and then be absorbed by your skin.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe [2]
* How To Make An Olive Oil Lamp [3]
* 12 Simple Beauty Hacks From The Kitchen [4]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/floral-olive-oil/

URLs in this post:

[1] elbows: http://tipnut.com/dry-elbow-home-remedies-treatments/

[2] Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe: http://tipnut.com/floral-splash/

[3] How To Make An Olive Oil Lamp: http://tipnut.com/olive-oil-lamp/

[4] 12 Simple Beauty Hacks From The Kitchen: http://tipnut.com/simple-beauty-hacks/

Homemade Weed Killer Recipes & Tips

Posted By TipNut On June 9, 2009 @ 6:04 am In Garden & Plants | 1 Comment

Pulling Weeds & Dandelions

Pulling weeds by hand is not always easy or practical, they’re pesky and determined to pop back up and spread in no time. If you’re looking for more natural ways to control weeds that don’t include harsh chemicals and are safer for children and pets (bonus: most are pretty frugal too), here is a list of homemade weed killer recipes and solutions from my collection. I’ve also included a few tips at the bottom.
Homemade Weed Killer Recipes & Methods

* Vinegar: Kill weeds dead with a good shot of vinegar. For best results, don’t dilute with water and choose a time to spray weeds when there’s no sign of rain. Household vinegar is around 5% acetic acid concentration which will do the trick for baby weeds. If you can find a stronger vinegar (like pickling which is about 9%), that will give better results for more mature (and stubborn) weeds (previously mentioned in Quick Tips For Plants & Garden [1]).
* Salt: This is an effective weed killer, but keep in mind that significant amounts will cause damage to surrounding soil as well. Salt should only be used in places where you want no plant growth (like driveways, sidewalk cracks, underneath decks and patio blocks, around the foundation of the house, etc.). To use, a ratio of 1 part salt to 2 parts water should do it. You can also drizzle salt directly over weeds.
* Salt & Vinegar Recipe: (read note above first). Combine 1 1/4 cups of table salt with 1 gallon of household vinegar. Spray where needed.
* Vinegar & Dish Detergent: Fill a spray bottle with pickling vinegar and add a squirt or two of liquid dish detergent. Spray on weeds during the hottest part of the day.
* Liquid Dish Detergent: Make a soap solution of 1 part liquid dish detergent to 10 parts water. Soak weeds with this mix.
* Boiling Water: Plug in the kettle, bring it to a boil then pour the hot water over weeds (you’re basically cooking the weed to death).
* Lemon Juice: Either use straight lemon juice or try 1/2 cup lemon juice mixed with 1 quart household vinegar. This works much the same way as straight vinegar, but lemon juice is more expensive. I would only use this if I had more lemon juice on hand than I knew what to do with.
* Common Weed Killer Recipe: 1 quart household vinegar, 1/4 cup salt, 2 teaspoons liquid dish detergent (only use a detergent that contains no bleach). Mix together and spray on weeds.
* Corn Gluten Meal (this is different than corn meal): This is an all natural weed and feed product that deters weeds spreading by seed, a great source of info regarding this method can be found here: City Of Ottawa: Weed Control Using Corn Gluten Meal [2] (how and when to apply it, etc.). Effective on crabgrass, dandelions, curly dock, knotweed, lambs quarters, pigweed, plantain and other weeds. Can be used on lawns, flowerbeds, bulb beds and vegetable gardens. Make sure to use CGM that is labeled as “pre-emergent herbicide“, stuff from the feedstore doesn’t have enough protein to work. Keep in mind that using CGM affects seed growth for all plants, not just weeds.

Tips For Weed Control:

* Many natural remedies and weed killer products will not only kill weeds dead, but they may also kill surrounding grass, plants and flowers. When using a recipe, make sure to apply to the weed only (keep in mind that liquids will saturate and seep into the ground where roots from favored plants may be able to reach).
* Use weed killers when there’s no sign of rain for at least a day or two, hot sunny weather will give you best results.
* For weed control in gardens and flower beds, consider laying newspapers and mulch in and around your plants–the weeds will have a difficult time rooting and spreading (see tip #9: 12 Ways To Reuse Newspaper Around The House [3]).
* Weed growth is greatly reduced when using the “No Dig” method of gardening (see Diggin It: No Dig Gardening [4]). The idea is to make a foundation of compost/mulch then only use soil where you plant (make a hole in the mulch, stick a handful or two of dirt inside then plant the seedling).

Did you know: Many weeds are used in home remedies for all sorts of things and some are even edible and tasty! For example, dandelions can be used to make a delicious syrup [5] or jelly [6], while plantains can be crushed and used to reduce itching from mosquito bites [7] or relieve pain from bee stings [8]. Take some time to research the weeds in your area and you may find some pretty clever ways to make them useful–you may just decide to let a few weeds live and flourish in certain parts of your yard .

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Homemade Window Cleaner Recipes & Tips [9]
* Natural Pesticides: Recipes & Tips [10]
* Quick Tips For Plants & Garden [1]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/weed-killers/

URLs in this post:

[1] Quick Tips For Plants & Garden: http://tipnut.com/tips-plants-garden/

[2] City Of Ottawa: Weed Control Using Corn Gluten Meal: http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/healthy_lawns/lawns/maintain/corn_en.html

[3] 12 Ways To Reuse Newspaper Around The House: http://tipnut.com/12-ways-to-reuse-newspaper-around-the-house/

[4] Diggin It: No Dig Gardening: http://tipnut.com/no-dig-garden/

[5] delicious syrup: http://tipnut.com/dandelion-syrup/

[6] jelly: http://tipnut.com/homemade-recipes/

[7] reduce itching from mosquito bites: http://tipnut.com/over-40-mosquito-bite-itch-relief-tips/

[8] relieve pain from bee stings: http://tipnut.com/quick-tip-bee-sting-relief/

[9] Homemade Window Cleaner Recipes & Tips: http://tipnut.com/more-homemade-window-cleaner-recipes-to-try/

[10] Natural Pesticides: Recipes & Tips: http://tipnut.com/natural-pesticides/

How To Make An Olive Oil Lamp

Posted By TipNut On July 29, 2009 @ 1:06 pm In Crafts, DIY Projects | No Comments

Today’s feature is from Down To Earth with this tutorial for How To Make An Oil Lamp [1]:

Olive Oil Lamp Project By down-—to-—earth.blogspot.com

Well, I fiddled with it for a few days, tested wicks and oil levels, I now have a perfectly serviceable oil lamp that burns clean for hours, with no smell. I was looking for a replacement for paraffin candles and saw a photo of a small oil lamp on a website somewhere but when I made my own version of it, it burned for a minute and went out. I never give up on these things so it was a battle between me and the lamp for a day or two. Let me tell you we both won. I won because the lamp burns as I want it to, the lamp wins because it looks good and gives a lovely mellow yellow glow, just like a candle.

This oil lamp is a little different since it’s filled half with water and half with olive oil (you can use other oils too). Great project for emergency lighting!

Here’s what you need to get started:

* Small canning jar with lid
* Olive oil
* Water
* Wick (you can use a strip of pure cotton or pure linen fabric, kitchen string or twine, cotton yarn or a purchased wick)

Please visit the site listed above for all the project details, nice job! The writer also mentions this helpful article on Mother Earth News: Make Your Own Olive Oil Lamp [2] which has more how-to help along with this tip:

Want to get fancy with your olive oil lamp? You can infuse your olive oil with herbs, spices or essential oils for a more scented experience.

You can make your own floral infused olive oil, instructions are here: Floral Infused Olive Oil [3].

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Floral Infused Olive Oil: Rich Beauty Aid [3]
* How To Make A Teapot Lamp [4]
* Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe [5]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/olive-oil-lamp/

URLs in this post:

[1] How To Make An Oil Lamp: http://down-—to-—earth.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-oil-lamp.html

[2] Make Your Own Olive Oil Lamp: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Make-Olive-Oil-Lamp.aspx

[3] Floral Infused Olive Oil: http://tipnut.com/floral-olive-oil/

[4] How To Make A Teapot Lamp: http://tipnut.com/teapot-lamp/

[5] Summer Floral Bath Splash: Recipe: http://tipnut.com/floral-splash/

20 Canning Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection

Posted By TipNut On August 22, 2008 @ 6:29 am In Food Tips | 2 Comments

These tips for canning are collected from the 1940s and 1950s, most are quite practical but one is truly a piece of old-timer wisdom that I couldn’t resist including (you’ll know which one when you see it!). I’ve also included a section “Canning Arithmetic” from that time period, it provides a guideline for what canned quantities to expect from several different types of fruits.
20 Timeless Canning Tips

1. When canning catsup, pour off the watery liquid on top of tomatoes after running through sieve. Your catsup will have a bright red appearance and cooking time will be cut in half.
2. If your water bath canner does not have a rack, stretch an old rubber ring round the middle of each jar. This prevents the jars from bumping together and breaking while they are being processed in the canner.
3. If you don’t have a rack, set extra jar rings on the bottom of the pot to keep your jars off the bottom.
4. For foods which have been blanched for freezing, add ice cubes to the water in which they are to be chilled to hasten the chilling and retain the full flavor.
5. To label jars of food, write on the jar while it is still hot with a bright colored crayon.
6. Flaps cut from old unsealed envelopes can be used to label jars of fruit or preserves.
7. When canning, select only the perfect and fresh products. Imperfect and irregular shaped fruits and vegetables may be used in jams and preserves.
8. One tablespoon vinegar to each quart beets will help retain their color.
9. Use soft water for blanching and precooking peas; it helps to prevent cloudiness.
10. Make sauerkraut when the moon is new until the first quarter, and the juice will stay on until it is used.
11. That teaspoon off your metal measuring spoons makes a handy gadget for coring fresh pears for canning, salads or desserts. Cut pears in half and then run metal teaspoon around the core. Presto, out it comes in a jiffy.
12. When canning corn, place cob in angel food tube and cut off the corn. The corn will fall into pan.
13. To keep pickles from shriveling, add one heaping tablespoon of alum to first salt water.
14. Use only sack salt for pickles and kraut because other salt has been treated, thus will soften, discolor, and give unpleasant taste.
15. When canning tomatoes, put onions and peppers in with them, this is grand with rice or macaroni and it is all ready to use.
16. When canning pears, add a few drops of food coloring to a jar or two. The colored pears will provide that extra touch in holiday desserts or salads.
17. To clean can lids, put lids in a pan. Cover with sweet milk, let stand till clabbered, then take out and wash. They are like new.
18. Soak jars overnight in a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of water, this will remove scale and hard water film.
19. A little lime kept on shelves where jellies or preserves are stored, will usually prevent formation of mold.
20. A little borax sprinkled in empty jars will keep them sweet and fresh until needed again.

Canning Arithmetic

If the jars and fruit don’t come out even when you are canning, better sit down and do some figuring before you start to can. Here are some tips to help you…

* Apples: 1 bushel (50 pounds) cans 17 to 20 quarts
* Apricots: 4 baskets or crates (1 bushel) cans 20 to 25 quarts
* Berries: 24 quart crate cans 15 to 24 quarts
* Grapes: 1 bushel (48 pounds) cans 16 to 20 quarts
* Pears: 1 bushel (58 pounds) cans 20 to 24 quarts
* Peaches: 1 bushel (50 pounds) cans 18 to 20 quarts
* Pineapples: 15 pineapples yields 30 pints
* Plums: 1 bushel (56 pounds) cans 24 to 30 quarts
* Tomatoes: 1 bushel (56 pounds) cans 15 to 20 quarts

More Tips:

* Common Causes Of Poor Quality Pickles: Tip Sheet [1]
* Pickles And Relishes: Points On Pickling [2]

And you don’t want to miss these free canning jar label printables [3]!

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* 26 Kitchen Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection [4]
* 20 Freezing Quick Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection [5]
* 25 Cooking & Baking Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection [6]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/canning-tips/

URLs in this post:

[1] Common Causes Of Poor Quality Pickles: Tip Sheet: http://tipnut.com/common-causes-of-poor-quality-pickles/

[2] Pickles And Relishes: Points On Pickling: http://tipnut.com/pickles-and-relishes-points-on-pickling/

[3] these free canning jar label printables: http://tipnut.com/canning-jar-labels/

[4] 26 Kitchen Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection: http://tipnut.com/kitchen-tips-timeless/

[5] 20 Freezing Quick Tips: Timeless Wisdom Collection: http://tipnut.com/freezing-quick-tips/

[6] 25 Cooking & Baking Tips – Timeless Wisdom Collection: http://tipnut.com/25-cooking-baking-tips/

Sunburn Relief Home Remedies – Over 50 Soothing Treatments

Posted By TipNut On July 17, 2007 @ 8:19 am In Beauty & Health, Popular Tips | 91 Comments

This is a large collection of home remedies and treatments I’ve compiled to help with sunburn relief, there are over 50 soothing treatments to review.

At the bottom of this post you’ll find some information about signs to watch for when determining if medical attention is needed as well as blister care and signs of infection.

Melanoma [1] (skin cancer) has grown to be a serious concern in our time. It’s so important to protect our children (and ourselves) as much as we can from getting sunburned.

Please keep the kiddos lathered up in sunscreen, hats and sunglasses too (helps limit the chances of future cataracts [2]). Each sunburn a child experiences can increase their chance of future problems.
Sunburn Relief Home Remedies

Vinegar: Can use white household vinegar or apple cider vinegar

* Spray vinegar all over burn or soak small towels in vinegar and apply to skin
* Bathe in a cool bath with 2 – 3 cups of vinegar
* Rose Petal Vinegar [3] (skip the cloves in the recipe when using for sunburn care) – Spray on skin
* Lavender Vinegar [4] – Spray on skin

Tea: The tannic acid from tea is soothing for sunburns

* Steep a large pot of very strong tea using 4 – 6 tea bags. Refrigerate the tea until it’s cold then soak small towels in the tea and apply to burn area. Can also spray the cold tea on burn. The tea could stain the towels, you may not want to use your best.
* Save used tea bags and apply to burn area (make sure to have bags at room temperature first).
* Bathe in a cool bath with several tea bags in the water.

Dairy:

* Soak small towels in milk and apply to burn area.
* Soak in a bath with cool water and a gallon of milk.
* Plain Yogurt – apply directly to burn area.

Aloe Vera:

* Aloe Vera Gel, either purchased or taken fresh from an aloe leaf.
* Lotions that include Aloe Vera.

Oatmeal:

* Fill a bath with cool water and add 2 cups oatmeal. Soak in bath for about 30 minutes.
* Mix oatmeal with raw egg whites and apply to sunburn.

Baking Soda:

* Fill bath with cool water and add 1 – 2 cups baking soda, dissolve. Soak in tub for 30 minutes.
* Fill a spray bottle with cool water and dissolve 1/4 cup baking soda. Spritz on burned skin.

Essential Oils: Caution when applying on children. Keep out of eyes and mouth.

* Fill a spray bottle with cool water and add a few drops of choice, or add 10 to 12 drops essential oils to a bath full of cool water and soak. Lavender Oil or Chamomile Oil.

Cornstarch:

* Make a paste of cornstarch and water, apply to skin and allow to dry.
* Fill a spray bottle with cool water and add some cornstarch, mix to dissolve. Spray on burn.
* Fill a bath with cool water and add 1 cup cornstarch, dissolve. Soak in tub for 30 minutes.
* Soak in tub or shower with cool water. Pat dry. Lightly dust burn area with cornstarch.
* 1/2 cup cornstarch + 1/2 cup baking soda added to bath of cool water, dissolve. Soak for 30 minutes.

Cucumbers:

* Slices added directly to burn or mash first then apply to burn.
* Grate cucumbers and mix with milk. Apply directly to sunburn.

Potatoes:

* Grate potatoes and apply directly to burn–include as much of the potato juice as possible.

Egg Whites:

* Apply raw egg whites to skin.
* Mix 2 egg whites, 1 TBS honey, 1 TBS witch hazel and apply to burn.

Witch Hazel:

* Spray directly on burn area.

Honey:

* Smooth honey over the burn or slather honey on a strip of gauze and apply to skin.
* Mix honey with lime or lemon juice (80/20) and apply to burn.
* Mix honey 50/50 with milk, stir well, then apply to skin.

Tomatoes:

* 1/4 cup tomato juice or tomato paste mixed with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. Apply to burn area.
* Slice or mash tomatoes and apply to burn.
* Mash tomatoes and mix with an equal amount of buttermilk. Apply to burned skin.
* Add 2 cups tomato juice to bath of cool water, soak.

More Pantry Fixins:

* Smear mustard on burned skin.
* Soak cloth in pickle juice and apply to burned skin. Or spray pickle juice directly on burn.
* Puree strawberries and apply directly to skin.

Burned Skin Soothers

Water & Ice:

* Spritz chilled water on burn.
* Soak in a cool bath or take a cool shower.
* Wrap ice packs, ice cubes or bags of frozen vegetables in a towel and then apply to burn area to sooth.
* Drink lots of water to keep hydrated and help the healing process.
* Mix 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice in a spray bottle filled with cool water. Shake and spritz body as needed.

More Skin Soothers: Apply directly to sunburn

* Cocoa Butter
* Shaving Cream
* Vitamin E Cream or Oil (open capsules & apply oil)
* Diaper Rash Ointment

More Bath Soaks:

* 2 cups oatmeal, 2 cups milk, 1/4 cup honey
* Epsom salt bath
* 1 cup Epsom salts, 1 cup Baking soda

Cooling Spray Infusions

Lettuce: Quarter the head of lettuce and boil (moderate) in a pot of water for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot and allow to steep. Strain water and chill. Spray lettuce water directly on burn area. Can also chill cooked leaves and apply directly to burn area.

Cabbage: Same procedure as Lettuce.

Mint: Handful of fresh mint and proceed as above.

Plantain: Handful of fresh mint and proceed as above.

Strawberry Leaves: Save strawberry leaves and trimmings until you have a generous handful. Boil in 2 cups of water and proceed as above.
Commercial Products

*Apply directly to burn area

* Noxema
* Maalox (Milk of Magnesia)
* Gold Bond Medicated Lotion
* Lanacane Anti-Bacterial First Aid Spray Anesthetic
* Pepto-Bismol
* Preparation H
* Calamine Lotion

Sunburn Medical Issues

Sunburn Blisters: If blisters are present, don’t open or burst them. This will help avoid infection as well as speed the skin healing process, a blister is the body’s way of protecting and healing the damaged skin. Keep the blisters uncovered if possible.

The vinegar & honey remedies as well as antibacterial products are preferable when blisters are involved since they are antibacterial, helps prevent infection.

Some Signs of Infection: Swelling, painful, fever, swollen glands

For Pain Relief: Aspirin or ibuprofen or acetaminophen as directed.

See A Doctor:

* Sunburn is severe
* Purple patches, discolored blotches, or a rash appears
* Eyelids are burned or sore eyes
* Nauseous or vomiting
* Fever
* Faint or dizzy
* Excessive pain
* Chills
* Large amount of blisters
* Headaches
* Swelling

These are simply suggestions and a collection of home remedies for sunburn pain relief and treatment–not professional medical advice. Please seek a doctor’s opinion when unsure or to confirm appropriate sunburn treatment.

Have I missed your favorite tried & true remedy? Feel free to add it below .

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Dry Elbow Home Remedies & Treatments [5]
* 50 Wart Home Remedies & Treatments [6]
* Wasp Stings: Treatments & Home Remedies [7]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/sunburn-relief-home-remedies-over-50-soothing-treatments/

URLs in this post:

[1] Melanoma: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanoma

[2] cataracts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataract

[3] Rose Petal Vinegar: http://tipnut.com/homemade-rose-petal-vinegar-recipe/

[4] Lavender Vinegar: http://tipnut.com/lavender-vinegar-recipes/

[5] Dry Elbow Home Remedies & Treatments: http://tipnut.com/dry-elbow-home-remedies-treatments/

[6] 50 Wart Home Remedies & Treatments: http://tipnut.com/wart-remedies/

[7] Wasp Stings: Treatments & Home Remedies: http://tipnut.com/wasp-stings/

Over 40 Mosquito Bite Itch Relief Tips

Posted By TipNut On June 14, 2007 @ 6:39 am In Beauty & Health, Popular Tips | 343 Comments

It’s mosquito season and I have buffalo sized ones zipping around the backyard as I type this.

Thanks to their first feast on my ankles tonight and an earlier comment from Kim [1], I was inspired to dig through every tip I had regarding mosquito bites and relief from the itching. Scritch Scratch.

I haven’t tried most of the suggestions below, but I’ll note which ones have worked for me.

Here are more than 40 mosquito bite itch relief tips organized in one neat file, each bullet tip is a single method:
Household Items To Relieve Itching

1. Rub a bar of soap over the itch. I just tried this (Ivory soap) and the relief was near instant. I used a dry bar of soap directly on the skin, but I also have notes that you can spritz bite with water and then run bar of soap over area–or use a wet bar of soap.
2. Place a piece of scotch tape on the bite; or dab rubbing alcohol or ammonia on the bite first then stick on a piece of tape.
3. Hot water: Take a hot shower, or a hot bath, or apply a hot compress. As hot as you can stand it without burning you.
4. Ice cube, ice pack or very cold water

Dabbers For Itch Relief

The quicker you can apply one of the remedies below, the faster the relief. These are topical suggestions, apply directly to the bite area.

1. Nail Polish
2. Strong tea mixed with rubbing alcohol
3. Toothpaste (works for me)
4. Mouthwash
5. Vinegar (apply directly to bite or take a hot bath with 2 cups of vinegar in the water)
6. Honey
7. Underarm deodorant (solid or roll-on) – apply directly to bite area
8. Rubbing Alcohol
9. Ammonia
10. Bleach
11. Tea: Use a hot tea bag or a cotton ball soaked in hot tea to dab on bite area

Paste Applications

Mix these fresh then apply to bite as soon as possible. The consistency should be nice and thick so it won’t run, yet will still stay in place on the affected area. You could also spritz bite with water then apply grains/powders directly (generously) and rub them in.

1. Baking Soda & Water (works for me)
2. Meat Tenderizer & Water
3. Salt & Water (works for me)
4. Epsom Salt & Water (could also do this as a foot soak if it’s the ankle/foot area affected)
5. Tums Tablets: crush and add a few drops of water
6. Aspirin: crush then add a few drops of water
7. Aspirin – crush then apply a few drops of rubbing alcohol

Commercial Product Lotions, Creams & Applications

*Apply directly to mosquito bite area.

1. Calamine Lotion
2. Benadryl Cream
3. Orajel
4. Anbesol
5. Caladryl
6. Vicks VapoRub (works for me)
7. Preparation H (works for me)
8. Lucas Papaw Ointment
9. Tiger Balm
10. Bag Balm
11. Gold Bond Medicated Cream (or the Gold Bond Medicated Powder)
12. Mylanta (heartburn relief product)
13. After Bite

Essential Oils For Itch Relief

Apply full strength directly to bite area. Edit: There are concerns about using essential oils on children and pre-teens, especially repeated use.

1. Tea Tree Oil
2. Lavender Oil
3. Witch Hazel (astringent)
4. Cedar Oil

Leaf Applications

*Crush the fresh leaves roughly then apply to bite area

1. Basil
2. Plantains (Plantago)

Fruity Applications

*Use fresh fruit & apply directly to bite

1. Lemon Juice
2. Lemon Slice
3. Lime Juice
4. Lime Slice
5. Banana Peel (rub inside of peel on bite)

Whew! Big List! If I’ve missed your favorite remedy for mosquito bites, please add them below.
Notes

* If a remedy doesn’t provide fast relief, don’t despair. Give it another try, sometimes it will take 2 or 3 applications before it kicks in.
* The itch from mosquito bites comes from the saliva of the mosquito that it injects into you as it feasts on your blood. There are several dozen different species of mosquitoes and you may react to some species bites more than others.
* If large swelling occurs (like welts), contact a doctor or pharmacist for suggestions (especially if it’s a child with a strong reaction). It could be an allergy to the bite. It’s important to watch the throat for swelling and get treatment asap.

Update: You’ll find tips on preventing mosquito bites here [2].

*Edit: Changed picture

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Homemade Mosquito Repellent: Recipe [3]
* How to Prevent Mosquito Bites [2]
* Poison Ivy Home Remedy For Itch Relief [4]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/over-40-mosquito-bite-itch-relief-tips/

URLs in this post:

[1] comment from Kim: http://tipnut.com/quick-tip-bee-sting-relief/

[2] preventing mosquito bites here: http://tipnut.com/how-to-prevent-mosquito-bites/

[3] Homemade Mosquito Repellent: Recipe: http://tipnut.com/homemade-mosquito-repellent/

[4] Poison Ivy Home Remedy For Itch Relief: http://tipnut.com/poison-ivy-home-remedy/

Homemade Vanilla Extract: Recipes & Tips

Posted By TipNut On October 23, 2006 @ 3:27 pm In Food Tips, Recipes, Tipnut’s Picks | 24 Comments

Homemade vanilla is very easy to make, try experimenting with different vanilla beans to find the one you like best.

First, three quick & easy methods for making homemade vanilla extract:

1. Place one vanilla bean into a pint of vodka. Shake daily for two weeks.
2. Scrape the seeds from three vanilla beans and place them into a bottle of dark rum. Place the pods in the rum as well. Let sit for three weeks, shaking occasionally.
3. Place 1/2 cup vodka or white tequila into small saucepan, and heat until it smokes but isn’t boiling. Break 2 vanilla beans into pieces and place into bottle or jar. Pour the alcohol into the bottle and cover tightly. Let sit for a week, shaking frequently.

Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipes

Vanilla Extract Recipe #1

* Split 7 vanilla beans end-to-end with a sharp knife. Add these to a .750 liter (1/5) bottle of rum, vodka, everclear, scotch, brandy, or alcohol of your choice.
* Let stand for three to four weeks before using.
* When bottle is 1/4 full add three to four more beans and more alcohol.
* Let stand for another week before using.
* Seeds may float in the syrupy liquid but unless you are giving the finished product as a gift, don’t remove them–they only add to the flavor.
* Use one-forth to one-third the amount called for in most recipes as this has a very strong vanilla flavor.
* The vanilla beans are good as long as they have a vanilla scent.
* When they have lost their scent, discard and replace with fresh beans.
* You may remove the beans from the alcohol base and either scrape or chop and use them in recipes in place of the extract if you want a strong vanilla flavor.

If you choose to remove the vanilla beans from the alcohol, dry them thoroughly and place them in a canister of sugar to make vanilla sugar.

Traditional Vanilla Recipe
(Makes 8-ounces)

1/2-pint Vodka
4 Vanilla beans
Seal tight bottle or container
Decorative bottle

* Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut a lengthwise slit down the middle of each vanilla bean.
* Cut vanilla beans into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces.
* Pour vodka into your container.
* Add vanilla beans to container and shake.
* Wait and shake. It will take 30-days for the vanilla extract to mature. Once each day, vigorously shake the container for 30-seconds.
* Once the 30-day cycle has finished, strain the liquid through a colander or coffee filter and place in decorative bottle.

Brandy Vanilla
(Makes 8-ounces)

1 cup Brandy
1 whole vanilla bean

* Place Brandy into seal-tight container.
* Add one vanilla bean.
* Wait. It will take 3-weeks for vanilla to cure properly.
* Pour into decorator bottle.

Another Recipe:

* Start with 1 cup of vodka, brandy, or real vanilla extract.
* Add 2-3 Tablespoons of corn syrup, stir or shake to dissolve.
* Finely chop 3 or more (depending on strength of flavor desired) vanilla pods; add to bottle.
* Store the bottle in a cool place; stir or shake occasionally to mix ingredients.
* As the contents of the brew bottle are poured out, top it up occasionally with additional liquid (vodka, brandy, or extract) and a bit more corn syrup; about once a year add a couple more finely chopped vanilla pods.

Tips For Making Homemade Vanilla

* Stronger Extract: Use a high proof of alcohol and scrape the seeds from the bean.
* Weaker Extract: Use a lesser proof of alcohol and soak beans intact.
* To strain and bottle for storage: Use a very fine strainer, coffee filter, or paper towel to strain.
* Vodka usually gives the highest alcohol content. Brandy adds additional flavor which some folks may or may not prefer.
* Corn syrup or sugar helps extract and develop the flavor from the vanilla pods (corn syrup dissolves more easily).
* Using a variety of vanilla pods (Madagascar, Indonesia, Tahitian, Mexican) will produce a vanilla extract with a much more complex flavor and aroma. Try using Madagascar pods as a base, adding Tahitian and Mexican pods for additional flavor/fragrance notes.
* Shake vanilla bottle before each use. Small flecks of the vanilla pods will be in the vanilla extract – they provide additional flavor. They also appear as dark flecks in light-colored food, don’t shake the bottle if you don’t want the flecks to appear.
* Occasionally spoon out some of the mass of vanilla pods that settle to the bottom of the jar for when you want a very intense vanilla flavor (such as homemade vanilla ice cream or butter/vanilla pretzel cookies).
* Have a brew bottle always on the go and every summer make sure it’s topped up so you’ll have enough vanilla extract on hand for holiday baking.

Storing Vanilla

* Keep vanilla extract in a cool, dark place, with the bottle tightly closed, to prevent evaporation and loss of flavor. Vanilla extract will stay fresh for two years unopened and for one year after being opened.

Starter brew bottles make great gifts for friends who bake. Include the basic instructions and a few extra vanilla pods in case they want to make an even stronger extract or wish to make some vanilla sugar [1] on the side.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Homemade Vanilla Sugar Recipes [1]
* Homemade Lemon Extract Recipes [2]
* Homemade Orange Extract Recipe [3]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/homemade-vanilla-extract/

URLs in this post:

[1] make some vanilla sugar: http://tipnut.com/homemade-vanilla-sugar-recipes/

[2] Homemade Lemon Extract Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-lemon-extract-recipes/

[3] Homemade Orange Extract Recipe: http://tipnut.com/homemade-orange-extract-recipe/

Homemade Potpourri 101

Posted By TipNut On August 8, 2007 @ 6:16 am In Crafty Ideas, Garden & Plants, Tipnut’s Picks | 3 Comments

The Three Components of Potpourri

Fixative:

* These do the best job of absorbing the different fragrances so things keep smelling nice for a longer period of time. Potpourri fixatives are things like oak moss and orris root.

Fragrance:

* Essential oils, fragrance oils. These are applied to the Fixatives so they’ll retain the fragrance for a longer period of time. When the potpourri needs to be freshened up because its losing its fragrance, just add more Fragrance to the Fixatives.

Filler:

* The dried flowers, herbs, leaves, wood shavings, wood chips and spices (both fragrant and non-fragrant).
* If you’re using fresh items that need to be dried first, plan on four times the amount that you are needing. For example: if you want 1 cup of potpourri, prepare 4 cups of fresh items to be dried to account for the shrinkage.

Tools Needed for Making Potpourri

* Use plastic, wood, ceramic or glass bowls and plastic or wooden spoons when preparing.
* Do not use metal items.
* A mortar and pestle will also come in handy when crushing the items.
* If recipe calls for salt, use Kosher salt because it has no additives.

Potpourri Storage

* Seal the potpourri in a jar, crock, airtight container or ziploc baggies and store in a cool, dark place until it’s ready to use.
* For freshly made potpourri, allow it to cure for about six weeks before using. The longer the potpourri is allowed to cure, the stronger and longer lasting the fragrance will be. Shake the container or bag regularly during this stage to blend the ingredients (about every other day).

Two Types of Potpourri

Dry Potpourri:

* Is made by combining dried flowers and ingredients in an airtight container and allowing to cure over time.

Moist Potpourri:

* Is made with partially dried flowers, leaves and herbs that are layered with salt (use Kosher salt).
* The potpourri should be made in a large crock or bowl that is made airtight by covering with a tight fitting lid.
* Layer flowers about 2 inches, then salt about 1/8 inch.
* Place a plate on the top layer to cover and weigh down the ingredients. Place a weight on top of the plate with something heavy (like a bowl or rock).
* Cover the container so it’s airtight.
* Stir daily and allow to ferment for 14 days.
* After 14 days, stir the mixture well then re-seal tightly.
* Allow the potpourri to “brew” untouched for four weeks. Do not peek or allow any air in the crock. After four weeks the potpourri can be removed from the crock and used.

Ingredient Ideas for Potpourri

Flowers & Filler Suggestions:

* Lavender
* Roses (petals and buds)
* Pine cones
* Cedar tips
* Eucalyptus

Herbs:

* Mint
* Lemon Balm
* Thyme
* Rosemary

Spices:

* Cinnamon Sticks
* Cloves
* Nutmeg
* Vanilla Beans
* Anise

Dried Fruits:

* Orange peels
* Lemon peels
* Apple slices

Fixatives:

* Orris root
* Oak moss
* Calamus root
* Sandalwood chips
* Wood shavings
* Tonka beans
* Ground cinnamon

General Rule of Thumb Potpourri Ratio

* 2 parts dried flowers, 1 part dried herbs and leaves, .5 part spices, Fixative (1 TBS per 1 cup dried flowers), Fragrance (2 drops per 1 TBS of Fixative). This isn’t a hard and fast rule, mix as you prefer.

How to Pronounce “Potpourri”

* Some say “Pot–Poor–EE” but it’s actually “Poe–Poo–Ree” and it’s a french word that means “Rotten Pot” (if you try the Moist Method of making potpourri, you’ll know why rotten pot applies). See below for more info on the Moist Method.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* How To Make Winter Citrus Potpourri [1]
* Homemade Herbal Carpet Freshener Recipe [2]
* Homemade Lavender Sugar Recipes [3]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/homemade-potpourri-101/

URLs in this post:

[1] How To Make Winter Citrus Potpourri: http://tipnut.com/citrus-potpourri/

[2] Homemade Herbal Carpet Freshener Recipe: http://tipnut.com/homemade-herbal-carpet-freshener-recipe/

[3] Homemade Lavender Sugar Recipes: http://tipnut.com/homemade-lavender-sugar-recipes/

How To Ripen Tomatoes: Tips & Tricks

Posted By TipNut On July 28, 2009 @ 10:10 am In Garden & Plants | 1 Comment

Green Tomatoes On The Vine
Ripening Tomatoes On The Vine

Here are a few tips to help speed up and encourage tomatoes to ripen on the vine close to the end of growing season:

* Keep plants free of diseased leaves and pinch off new flowers so all the plant’s energy can go into ripening the fruit.
* Watch plants daily and pick off the tomatoes just as they become ripe, more of the plant’s energy will go to the fruit left on the vine. Tomatoes should be nice and red but not turning soft yet.
* Reducing water slightly can help speed up the ripening process.
* Shortly before it’s time to harvest tomatoes, boost the plant’s energy by giving it a last feeding of compost tea (see How To Make Compost Tea [1].)

If a hard frost is looming, it’s time to get the tomatoes inside. You can still ripen the green tomatoes on the vine by the following method:

* Pull up the plants then brush off the dirt from the roots and hang the plants upside down in your garage or basement. Watch the tomatoes daily and remove them from the plant as they become ripe. Keep plants out of direct sunlight but not in total darkness. Position the plants so there is good air circulation between them.

Ripening Tomatoes Off The Vine

When a heavy frost is looming, pick all the tomatoes from the plant (including the green ones). Sort them according to size and level of maturity, set aside those that are bruised or damaged. Remove stems and wipe off the dirt with a dry cloth. Save the small tomatoes for cooking in a variety of green tomato recipes. For those that are larger (about 3/4 the size of a ripe tomato), here are a couple different ways you can ripen them off the vine:

* Wrap the green tomatoes individually in newspaper and lay them in shallow cardboard boxes. You can also lay them in bunches between sheets of newspaper, just make sure none of the tomatoes are touching each other. Store them in a dark and dry location. Check the tomatoes regularly and quickly remove those that have ripened. Watch for any rotting fruit, they must be removed from the batch immediately to prevent the others from rotting.
* You can also try layering the tomatoes in a shallow box of styrofoam peanuts, leave enough room between the tomatoes for good air circulation and remember to check the box daily for ripe tomatoes to be removed.

Be gentle when handling and arranging the tomatoes to prevent damaging them. Tip: If you arrange the tomatoes stem side up they won’t take to rot as quickly.
Ethylene Gas Fruit Ripening Boosters

Fruit naturally produces ethylene gas which helps stimulate ripening. No real need to do this unless you’re out of tomatoes and want some quickly. Here are a few different methods you can try:

* Place green tomatoes in a paper bag then add a ripe apple, fold bag closed. This will help speed up tomato ripening since the apple will add to the ethylene gas the tomatoes themselves produce.
* Ripen tomatoes in a brown paper lunch bag and fold over the top to close, this will help keep the ethylene gas the tomatoes produce inside the bag to speed up ripening.
* Place green tomatoes in a plastic bag that has several toothpick sized holes punched through. Seal the bag closed.
* Place green tomatoes in a container with a banana that still has a bit of green on the peel, seal the container closed. This will help trap the ethylene gas inside the container to help the green tomatoes ripen faster.

Tips & Troubleshooting

* Prolong The Growing Season: You can still keep your tomatoes in the garden when light frosts are expected but protect them overnight by covering with sheets, tarp or burlap (remove during the day). When freezing or hard frosts are in the forecast, you need to hustle and remove all the tomatoes from the garden before the frost hits.
* Sorting Tomatoes: Keep the green tomatoes showing a bit of pink around the stem area together in a separate box, these will ripen the fastest and will save you digging around for them.
* Boost Flavor: Set tomatoes that are very close to being ripe in a warm window a day or two before you use them, this will help increase the flavor.
* Shriveling Tomatoes: If your green tomatoes tend to shrivel instead of ripen, it’s likely because the storage area isn’t humid enough for them.
* Moldy Tomatoes: If you have a problem with your green tomatoes developing mold or starting to rot before fully ripening, it’s likely because the storage area is too humid for them.
* Tomatoes Have No Flavor: The storage area was too cool, find a location where the temperature is at least 55° F. for best results.
* Tomatoes Won’t Ripen: They were either too small or stored in too cool a location.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks [2]
* 10 Tasty Meatloaf Tips & Tricks [3]
* Storing Garden Crops: Cold Storage Tips [4]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/ripen-tomatoes/

URLs in this post:

[1] How To Make Compost Tea: http://tipnut.com/compost-tea/

[2] 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks: http://tipnut.com/cake-baking-tips/

[3] 10 Tasty Meatloaf Tips & Tricks: http://tipnut.com/tasty-meatloaf-tips-tricks/

[4] Storing Garden Crops: Cold Storage Tips: http://tipnut.com/cold-storage-tips/

The Lost Art Of Self Reliance

Posted: 01 Aug 2009 03:00 AM PDT

I recently read an article on the Legends of Appalachia: The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center. The Foxfire Museum is located in Mountain City, GA, and is home to most of the history collected as part of the Foxfire project conducted back in the 1960’s. As a fan of the Foxfire books, I was interested to learn more about the museum, and would someday like to visit with my kids. Where better to instill in them a spirit of self reliance, something that seems lost on most of us these days.

johnolivercabin080109
Photo by rjones0856

This post has undergone many revisions, mostly because earlier versions were too politically-charged, or too much of a rant against one political party or the other. A dizzying news cycle also kept me from posting, because I wanted to include recent examples of our dependence on government, and that government’s lack of fiscal discipline, which has an affect on all our financial lives.

However, it became clear to me that I was taking the wrong approach. Suffices to say, both political parties are equally guilty of being fiscally irresponsible. Members of Congress have yet to fully recognize a truth many of us have learned the hard way; you can’t spend more than you have coming in without accumulating debt, and you cannot spend your way out of that debt.

While more and more people are clamoring for more protections, more benefits, and more intrusions into their lives, I wondered what the people featured in those Foxfire books would have thought. These were the type of people who didn’t eat if they didn’t work to grow and harvest the food, or raise and kill the hogs. These were the type of people who turned to their neighbors, and their family, and their churches when they needed help. They were off the grid well before, and long after, there even was a grid!

So what changed? Why did this life of simplicity not take hold? The article I mentioned in the opening cites the Foxfire Museum director as saying during tough economic times their attendance tends to increase. Why is that? Are we only concerned with taking care of ourselves in rough times? Should we not also be concerned with it in good times, so we don’t have to be worried about it in the tough times?

I’ve always been a fan of self reliance, and though I am not the most “green” person around, I enjoy finding more and more ways to take care of my family, and myself, without depending on others. But “dependence” is a tough thing to define.

I depend on my employer to provide me with a job so that I can buy food I cannot grow to feed my family. I depend on many of you, my readers, to supplement the salary from my employer so that I can provide shelter, and clothes and a other things for my family. I depend on a fire department to come if I need them to help put out a fire in my home. I don’t grow enough food to live off, and I don’t produce anything to sell for money (other than the lines I write here). I certainly don’t have the ability to stop a raging inferno in my attic. So to say that I do not rely on others is a farce.

Even those living a caveman-like existence, or a life tucked away in a remote stretch of New Zealand, rely on others for their land, food, and basic medical services, should they need them. I am certainly not advocating we all return to a life of such meager existence, though such an existence seems appealing to those of us surrounded by mortgages, car payments and sky-rocketing utility payments.

Soon we will likely see the end of this recession, and along with it, an end to a renewed interest in living a simple, frugal lifestyle. Most in our society will again find “the good times” an opportunity to spend money frivolously today, and be much less concerned with tomorrow. Savings rates will dip. Consumer debt will increase. The price to own a home, go to college, or buy a loaf of bread, will resume its steady upward march.

It is sad, in a way, that we have forgotten the lessons of our founders, and more recently, our grandparents and great-grandparents. They lived by the motto, “cash on the barrel,” avoiding debt, and buying things only if they had the money up front. They took pride in accepting the least amount of help possible, but gave generously to help those in their immediate community who fell on hard times.

My answer to what happened: debt happened. Readily available credit changed the face of our society forever. From the everday consumer to the highest levels of government. The easier it became accumulate debt, the more we sank ourselves into it. And the more we relied on institutions (banks, government, etc.) to provide those things we once took care of ourselves.

Some will argue that debt helped us grow our economy to the size it is today. Others will point out that without debt, few of us could afford to be in a home. Defenders of recent government stimulus plans and bailouts will cite a need to spend and grow deficits to reverse the recessionary trends we saw in 2008 and 2009.

My question is this: What would have happened if we did nothing? Would we be any worse off in ten years? Would we be any worse off today?

Post from: Frugal Dad

http://frugaldad.com

Did you also check this 2008 thread?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1994684/posts

Your link for today:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2305604/posts

On this, I can comment all day, but will stick to a few facts:

We were standing in front of the bank building in downtown Yuma, while Mary Rohrbaugh explained how they couldn’t open the door and then a hand hung a sign in the window that said “This Bank is Closed”.....

During the 1930’s, that is how quick a bank closed.

They had come to Yuma for money to pay the cotton pickers in their fields......and were too late.

They lost one baby, for Mary’s milk was not good enough and the food available did not save the life of a baby.

With 5 children, they were down to the day that Mary cooked the last hen they owned and cooked the last pound of flour.

They asked for help from the gov and were told that first they had to eat the milk cow.

They were not the kind of people who asked the gov for anything, they were farmers who worked the land.

When your kids are hungry, you do what it takes.

The day they cooked the old hen, a rancher came and asked Jay to come and work a day with his caterpillar, paid him one dollar, but it bought food.

She still had the cat and It was a small one from the 1920’s.

That is real life.

Dr. Bill Wattenberg, a nuclear weapons designer and scientist, who does the the science radio program on kgo.com radio, has warned us for years to be prepared.

He has pages at kgo.com and pushback.com, Dr. Bill is also a planner/problem solver for Homeland Security, or was for President Bush. I have not been able to get him on the radio, since all mine went crazy this spring, he is on at 10 pm Saturday and Sunday nights.

Dr. Bill says that the first thing that will go out is electricity if we are attacked.

When that happens, you cannot shop, get gas, use the atm or banks, the world will stop.

Today we know that the terrorists infiltrate the computers of anyone they choose to.

Therefore, the punk with a key board can close the banks, or the electric company, as a lark or as an act of war.

So yes to being prepared, both money and food / medicine supplies.

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