Posted on 07/24/2009 3:37:21 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)
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.
The Frugal Roundup
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)
A Few Others I Enjoyed
* 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
Thanks for keeping us on your list to share with others.
Mom4kittys, welcome to the thread, feel to join in and share with the group or ask for information.
There are 2 other threads before this one, links are in the first post of this thread.
Beans and Your Blood<<<
Over the years, I have noticed that when I want beans, is when I am doing heavy work, then these modern meals do not do the job for me.
Maybe the simple diet of beans and cornbread, is what prevented some of these modern diseases that we have today.
>>>Prefer cooking them in cast iron on a wood fire, as I think that the cooking on high heat and then cooling down, until the next batch of wood is added plays a part in how they taste, it works on a wood cookstove, or the campfire.<<<
Mmmm, I particularly like them cooked in an open pot on a fire... That smoke flavor just adds that extra touch... Yes, I’m sure there is a bit of wood ash in there too - Hey, wood ash = alkali... Maybe that helps make them cook so well... LOL
1st wife had an uncle in Oklahoma who ate pinto beans three meals a day... Fried eggs with beans for breakfast, beans and corn bread for lunch and beans with pork steak and fried potatoes for dinner EVERY DAY. Wouldn’t even consider trying anything else. Definitely not a balanced diet, but he was in his 60’s then and still going strong last I heard. (30 years later).
eeeeK!
>>>> "Note: Hard water is one of the main causes of beans not softening during cooking. Since I have hard water, I do use a bit of baking soda which overcomes that problem. [DW]"
I felt that tossing in the baking soda did change the final taste of the beans; however - I cannot believe that the addition of baking sodium destroys all the nutrients of the beans. I have no idea if we have hard water here.
>>>I cannot believe that the addition of baking sodium destroys all the nutrients of the beans.<<<
Nope... Just reduces the total a bit of a couple of the B vitamins... Not a biggie...
>>>I have no idea if we have hard water here.<<<
Well, if you put a pot of water on and boil it down to nothing and you have white residue, you probably have hard water. Also, if you take bottle about half full of water and add a couple of drops of liquid dish soap - shake it up and if it suds up and the suds last a while, it is soft - if the suds hardly exists or does not last but a few seconds, it is hard. Water softeners work by replacing the calcium in the hard water with sodium - (although there is a newer type that doesn’t use sodium replacement) The sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in small quantities does the same thing as the water softener.
Relax - your body will tell you if it is good for you or if you need some nutrient... Hence cravings... Usually they are your body telling you that you need some component of that craving... (NO, that does not apply to fudge! LOL - but sometimes I have a hard time remembering that.)
Thanks for the tips on easy ways to test for hard water - MAYBE that's the reason some people always seem to have difficulty cooking up a pot of beans, hey??
thanks for the bean recipes!
How did you know I went out and bought more today? This storing stuff is complementing my OCD very well. ;)
I hope that the Freepers will Freep this meeting:
Saturday, Nov. 21, 10am - 5pm
Los Angeles City College
855 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles
Chemistry Building, Room 3
(Just off Vermont & Willow Brook Ave)
Map & Directions Public Transportation
Metro Stop: Vermont/Santa Monica
* Doors open at 9am
Socialism Conference hosted by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The keynote speaker will be ANSWER Coalition’s National Coordinator and PSL member Brian Becker.
Above snipped from the offer to join socialism.......
Stumbled on this meeting by accident,
granny......
http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2/1469463170?page=NewsArticle&id=12971&news_iv_ctrl=1501
Mmmm, I particularly like them cooked in an open pot on a fire... That smoke flavor just adds that extra touch... Yes, I’m sure there is a bit of wood ash in there too - Hey, wood ash = alkali... Maybe that helps make them cook so well... LOL<<<
For years, I had Bill convinced that I could not cook on a campfire, then when he was sick, it was up to me.
I still have a fire pit here in the yard, there was a time when as I picked up this and that, I made a cup of coffee with it on the grill.
I have never used charcoal, more than a couple times, there is too much wood to be had, scraps and fallen branches.
The ash should make the beans tender, for they can be boiled down and make lye for soap making.
One of my Great Uncles, was the cook wagon cook for the
King Ranch in Texas, the was a write up on him in a magazine about 1945.
When he came home for a rest/time off, he slept outdoors in a bed, for he could not bear to sleep in a house....I assume his wife joined him outdoors.
I know he ate beans 3 times a day, for we did.
http://media-newswire.com/release_1105527.html
Chairman Rockefeller Requests Information from Web Retailers in “Mystery Charges” Investigation
WASHINGTON, D.C.-John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, continued the Committee’s investigation into controversial “post-transaction” online business practices by sending letters yesterday to 16 e-retailers that appear to be involved in these practices.
(Media-Newswire.com) - WASHINGTON, D.C.—John D. ( Jay ) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, continued the Committee’s investigation into controversial “post-transaction” online business practices by sending letters yesterday to 16 e-retailers that appear to be involved in these practices.
Since May 2009, the Committee has been investigating three e-commerce companies—Affinion, Vertrue, and Webloyalty—to better understand their business practices on the Internet, which have been the focus of criticism by consumer advocates and have generated thousands of complaints by individual consumers. Chairman Rockefeller continued this investigation yesterday by sending information request letters to sixteen companies that have apparently allowed Affinion, Vertrue, and Webloyalty to present membership club enrollment offers to their online customers and have agreed to pass their customers’ credit card or debit card numbers to Affinion, Vertrue, and Webloyalty.
A list of the companies that received a request for information is included below:
1-800-FLOWERS.com, Inc.
AirTran Holdings, Inc.
Classmates.com, Inc.
Continental Airlines, Inc.
FTD, Inc.
Fandango, Inc.
Hotwire, Inc.
Intelius, Inc.
Movietickets.com, Inc.
Orbitz Worldwide, Inc.
Pizza Hut, Inc.
Priceline.com, Inc.
Redcats USA, Inc.
Shutterfly, Inc.
US Airways Group, Inc.
Vistaprint USA, Inc.
>>>This storing stuff is complementing my OCD very well. ;)<<<
But it is so much harder to decide what to have for dinner... Let’s see, should we have - maybe - how about - even - oh, there’s - gee, life was so much simpler when you just had to eat what you had in the fridge...
LOL!
But it is really nice to have a jar of already cooked meat handy (once I decide which jar to use!) - makes cooking dinner so much faster.
OK, I know everyone knows how to cook a turkey, but thought that just in case someone had some questions:
Butterball’s Top 10 Turkey Questions
The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is available to smooth ruffled feathers by providing one-on-one turkey advice. Every November and December, the Talk-Line’s 48 professionally trained home economists respond to nearly 170,000 inquiries on virtually every turkey topic, from thawing to carving. Below are the ten most commonly asked questions from 1998.
1. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO THAW A TURKEY? (13,276 questions)
Refrigerator thawing is recommended. However, if short on time, submerge the turkey in cold water. Thawing turkey at room temperature allows bacterial growth and is not recommended.
Refrigerator Thawing:
Thaw breast side up in its unopened wrapper on a tray in the refrigerator. Allow at least one day of thawing for every four pounds of turkey.
Cold Water Thawing:
Place breast down in its unopened wrapper in cold water to cover. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep surface cold. Estimate minimum thawing time to be 30 minutes per pound for whole turkey.
2.HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND HANDLING A TURKEY SO IT’S SAFE TO EAT? (12,929 questions)
Follow these food safety guidelines. Refer to specific categories for additional directions.
* Thaw frozen turkey in the refrigerator or cold water.
* Keep thawed or fresh turkey in a refrigerator.
* Prevent juices from dripping onto other foods in the refrigerator by placing wrapped turkey on a tray.
* Thawed turkey may be kept in a refrigerator up to four days before cooking.
* Roast fresh turkey as soon as possible, but no later than the use by date on the package.
* Place raw poultry on non-porous surfaces; these are easy to clean. It is recommended that two cutting boards are used: one strictly to cut raw meats; and the other for ready-to-eat foods, such as breads, fruits, and vegetables. If using one cutting board, be sure it is used for raw meats only. Cutting boards should be washed thoroughly in hot, soapy water before and after each use, and allowed to air dry or patted dry with fresh paper towels.
* Use paper towels, not cloth, to dry off turkey and wipe up juices.
* Combine stuffing ingredients and stuff turkey just before roasting, not the night before.
* Wash hands, work surfaces and utensils touched by raw poultry and its juices with hot, soapy water.
* Use cooking methods that allow turkey to reach an internal temperature of 140°F in less than four hours. Avoid using low roasting temperatures or partial cooking methods.
* Use a meat thermometer to determine turkey’s doneness.
* Store turkey, stuffing, gravy, broth and other cooked foods properly within two hours after cooking.
3. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO ROAST A TURKEY? (10,735 questions)
The Butterball Open Pan Roasting Method will consistently create a juicy, tender, golden brown, picture-perfect turkey.
* Place thawed or fresh turkey, breast up, on a flat rack in a shallow pan, 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep.
* Insert oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh.
* Brush or rub skin with oil to prevent drying of the skin and to enhance the golden color.
* Place in a preheated 325°F oven.
* When the skin is a light golden color and the turkey is about two-thirds done, shield the breast loosely with a tent of lightweight foil to prevent overcooking of the breast.
* Use this roasting schedule as a guideline; start checking for doneness 1/2 hour before recommended end times:
Net Weight (in pounds) (in hours)
10 to 18 lbs.: 3 to 3-1/2 hours, unstuffed; 3-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours, stuffed
18 to 22 lbs.: 3-1/2 to 4 4-1/2 hours, unstuffed; to 4-1/2 to 5 hours, stuffed
22 to 24 lbs.: 4 to 4-1/2 hours, unstuffed; 5 to 5-1/2 hours, stuffed
24 to 30 lbs.: 4-1/2 to 5 hours, unstuffed; 5-1/2 to 6-1/4 hours, stuffed
* Turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
o 180 to 185°F deep in the thigh; also, juices should be clear, not pink when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
o 170 to 175°F in the thickest part of the breast, just above the rib bones.
o 160 to 165°F in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.
* Let turkey stand for 15-20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set.
4. WHERE DOES THE MEAT THERMOMETER GO? (10,228questions)
* If stuffed, the tip of the meat thermometer should be placed inside the stuffed cavity of the turkey. If unstuffed, the tip of the meat thermometer should be placed in the thigh muscle just above and beyond the lower part of the thigh bone, but not touching the bone, and pointing toward the body.
* If using an oven-safe meat thermometer, insert the thermometer prior to placing the turkey in the oven and leave in while the turkey is roasting. Turn the thermometer so it can be read while the turkey is in the oven.
* If using an instant-read meat thermometer, do not leave the thermometer in the turkey during roasting.
5. HOW CAN LEFTOVER TURKEY BE STORED SAFELY? (8,207questions)
Within two hours after roasting, remove stuffing from turkey and carve the meat off the bones, then store in refrigerator or freezer.
Refrigerator Storage:
* Wrap turkey slices and stuffing separately and use within three days.
Frozen Storage:
* Wrap in heavy foil, freezer wrap or place in freezer container; for optimum flavor, use stuffing within one month and turkey within two months.
6. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE TURKEY IS DONE? (6,086 questions)
Turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
* 180 to 185°F deep in the thigh; also, juices should be clear, not pink when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
* 160 °F in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.
7. WHAT’S THE PROPER WAY TO STUFF A TURKEY? (5405 questions)
Generations of Americans have been enjoying turkeys — stuffed and unstuffed. Whether you choose to stuff your turkey or cook stuffing in a casserole dish is a matter of personal preference. As with any preparation involving raw food ingredients, it’s important to carefully follow proper food safety and handling procedures to ensure a safe turkey every time. For consumers who choose to stuff their turkey, we recommend the following four guidelines.
* Prepare stuffing just before placing in turkey. Use only cooked ingredients in stuffing — saute vegetables, use only cooked meats and seafood (oysters) and use pasteurized egg products instead of raw eggs. Place prepared stuffing in turkey just before roasting. Do not stuff the turkey the night before roasting.
* Stuff both neck and body cavities of completely thawed turkey, allowing 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Do not pack stuffing tightly in turkey.
* Always use a meat thermometer. The turkey is done when the thigh temperature reaches 180°F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh next to body, not touching bone. Move the meat thermometer to the center of stuffing; temperature should be 160°F. When the stuffed turkey is done, remove turkey from oven and let turkey with stuffing stand 15 minutes. This stand time allows the stuffing temperature to reach 165°F.for an added measure of safety
* If you have additional questions call the experts at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line at 1-800-323-4848. Specially trained home economists will be ready and waiting to take America’s calls beginning November 1 at 8 a.m. CST.
* When the turkey is cooked on an outdoor grill, water smoker or by fast cook methods where the turkey typically gets done faster than the stuffing, it is recommended that the turkey not be stuffed.
8. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO A TURKEY JUST BEFORE ROASTING IT? (6069 questions)
* Remove original plastic wrapper from thawed or fresh turkey.
* Remove the neck and giblets from the body and neck cavities.
* Drain juices and blot turkey dry with paper towels.
* Stuff the turkey (optional) just before roasting; ingredients may be prepared earlier, but keep moist and dry ingredients separate and combine just before stuffing.
* Return legs to tucked position, if untucked for cleaning or stuffing.
* Insert oven-safe meat thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh.
* Brush with oil to prevent drying of the skin.
* Follow roasting directions that come with every Butterball turkey.
9. SHOULD I BUY A FRESH OR FROZEN TURKEY? (4,971 questions)
* Selecting a fresh or frozen turkey is your choice.
* Fresh turkeys need no thawing and are ready to cook.
* Frozen turkeys can be purchased months in advance, but plan enough thawing time before roasting.
* Fresh, non-basted Butterball Turkeys are all-natural.
* The breast meat of frozen Butterball Turkeys has been deep-basted for juiciness.
10. IS IT NECESSARY TO BASTE A TURKEY? (3,391 questions)
No. Basting throughout the roasting process is unnecessary. Pouring juices over a turkey’s surface while it roasts will not make the meat juicier. The liquid penetrates only about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch beneath the skin and most of the juice will run off into the pan. Opening the oven door periodically to baste a turkey can cool the oven and possibly lengthen the roasting time. Before roasting, lightly coat the turkey’s skin with oil, shortening or vegetable cooking spray to prevent the skin from drying.
Source: http://www.Butterball.com
thanks for showing how to diagnose hard water. I have a friend up here who keeps saying our water is hard and complains of white residue in her dishwasher. Mine is fine. So I’ll do the test and see if she’s right.
The following is from http://homerepair.about.com/od/plumbingrepair/ss/testhardwater_2.htm
It is pretty much like the instructions I gave...
How to Test for Hard Water
You can do a fairly reliable unscientific test to see if you have a problematic level of hard water in your home by doing the following test:
* Open your tap water faucet and fill up a bottle having a cap with about a half-cup of water;
* Add 10 drops of dish washing detergent;
* Shake well;
* If the soapy solution foams up quickly you are good and the water is not hard;
* If it does not foam up but instead creates a milk-curd-like or soapy film on the water then the water is likely hard.
* If you have hard water scale build-up on your shower door or white scale on your faucet aerator, this is also another indicator your water is too hard.
(I wanted to double check my instructions)
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2009
Release # 10-033
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (877) 688-2326
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Maclaren USA Recalls to Repair Strollers Following Fingertip Amputations
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Maclaren Strollers
Units: About one million
Distributor: Maclaren USA, Inc., of South Norwalk, Conn.
Hazard: The stroller’s hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 15 reports of children placing their finger in the stroller’s hinge mechanism, resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the United States.
Description: This recall involves all Maclaren single and double umbrella strollers. The word “Maclaren” is printed on the stroller. The affected models included Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.
Sold at: Babies”R”Us, Target and other juvenile product and mass merchandise retailers nationwide from 1999 through November 2009 for between $100 and $360.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled strollers and contact Maclaren USA to receive a free repair kit.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Maclaren USA toll-free at (877) 688-2326 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.maclaren.us/recall
To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10033.html
Thanks for the turkey instructions, I have always needed them to refresh my memory.
A few years ago, I finally wised up and fixed one that I liked.
Instead of stuffing, I put an apple, orange,celery and lots of spices in addition to the poultry seasoning, then used orange juice and butter to baste it and at last had a good tasting meat.
LOL, I consider poultry as a taste less meat.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2382874/posts
Justice Dept. Asked For News Site’s Visitor Lists (Scary)
cbsnews.com ^ | November 10, 2009 12:01 AM | Declan McCullagh
Posted on Tue Nov 10 2009 04:46:25 GMT-0800 (Pacific Standard Time) by rawhide
In a case that raises questions about online journalism and privacy rights, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a formal request to an independent news site ordering it to provide details of all reader visits on a certain day.
The grand jury subpoena also required the Philadelphia-based Indymedia.us Web site “not to disclose the existence of this request” unless authorized by the Justice Department, a gag order that presents an unusual quandary for any news organization.
The subpoena (PDF) from U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison in Indianapolis demanded “all IP traffic to and from www.indymedia.us” on June 25, 2008. It instructed Clair to “include IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information,” including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, registered accounts, and Indymedia readers’ Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on...
(continues)
>>>Instead of stuffing, I put an apple, orange,celery and lots of spices in addition to the poultry seasoning, then used orange juice and butter to baste it and at last had a good tasting meat.<<<
Mmmmm that sounds good... Maybe I will bypass my standard oyster dressing and try that... On second thought - I’d really miss those oysters.... Maybe I’ll try it on the ‘next’ turkey... LOL
Actually, turkey gets all the attention, but on our plates you can hardly find it because of all the other less often made specialties plus all the old favorites... Plus just have to save room for the pies - yep plural - Like pumpkin, pecan, mince meat. Man do I give a lot of thanks on Thanksgiving - with every mouthful.
Actually, we usually make up a number of dinners that we deliver to some lonely elderly of the community who can’t or won’t cook a big meal themselves. Granny, if you weren’t so far away, I’d be loading some up for you too. Even with just the three of us, I usually get a 25-30# turkey and laugh when I see them recommending only getting a 6# at most for our family.
>>>“all IP traffic to and from www.indymedia.us” on June 25, 2008. It instructed Clair to “include IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information,” including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, registered accounts, and Indymedia readers’ Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on..<<<
Maybe we should be signing up with new accounts and using anonymous portals... Mr. Holder is a sorry excuse for an Attorney General! I for one would like to see any communication between Holder and Acorn and SEIU and a few others too.
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