The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Leftovers have really gotten a bad rap over the years, but using leftovers is a great way to save money and it can make your life easier by providing food for a second or third meal.  So how can you use leftovers in a way that you and your family will enjoy them?

1.  Lunch:  For those on a gluten-free diet, lunch can be a challenge.  If you make a gluten-free dinner, why not save some for lunch the next day.  My husband is not gluten-free, but he likes to take leftovers for lunch because he’s not fond of sandwiches.  At work he has access to a microwave which he uses to reheat the food.  I bought these oval CorningWare dishes with plastic lids  to use for his lunches.  The oblong shape allows me to place different parts of the meal in an appetizing way.  For example, he can have meat, potatoes, and a vegetable side by side and not piled on top of each other.

2.  Repurpose:  Use your leftovers in a different way than you used them the first night.  This is easy to do with meals that have separate parts.  The first night, eat them separate (i.e. chicken, rice, veggies) then another night use them in a different way such as fried rice, soup, or a casserole.  Intentionally cooking more than you need the first night so that you can use it for a different meal is also a great idea.

3.  Freeze:  If you don’t like having for lunch the same thing you had for dinner the evening before, you can freeze lunch size portions for another day when you will be in the mood for it.  You can also freeze leftover food to be repurposed later.  Many people keep small amounts of leftovers in the freezer until they have enough to make a great soup.

4.  Buffet:  My kids actually enjoy leftover night.  When I have leftovers from two or three meals, and for some reason they haven’t gotten used up for lunches, I have a leftover night.  I heat up all the food and put it out buffet style for the kids to pick and choose what they want.  I only require that they do have some vegetables.  They love being able to choose what they want and to combine the foods in a different way than they were originally combined.      Image via Wikipedia—not one of our buffets!

How do you use leftovers?

For more money saving ideas visit some Frugal Friday links.

Labels: frugal tips

I love the library.  I even know my 14-digit library card number by heart.  I am very grateful that I happen to live in an area that has a great library system.  No matter where you live, I’m sure your library has at least a few cookbooks, and these days it probably has some gluten-free cookbooks.  When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease over nine years ago, I didn’t know how to cook anymore.  Then a friend who had recently put her son on a gluten-free diet told me she found gluten-free cookbooks at the library.  I rushed off as soon as a I could and sure enough, there were several cookbooks by Bette Hagman.  It was a life saver.

Today, finding recipes isn’t so hard.  There are many great recipes on blogs and other web sites, and there are many more gluten-free cookbooks available than when I started out.  If you are new to the gluten-free diet, the library can be a good place to start.  Since there are so many cookbooks to choose from out there, the library lets you try them out and see which ones you like best.  Gluten-free cookbooks are usually filled with useful information as well as recipes, and borrowing a book from the library is free!

If you’ve been gluten-free for a while, you might be like me and just want to look for some new ideas.  Many times I’ll find a cookbook that has only a few recipes I like.  There’s no sense wasting my shelf space on the whole book.  I write down the recipes and make note of the source, and the book goes back to the library.

Once you are comfortable with the requirements of a gluten-free diet, don’t limit yourself to gluten-free cookbooks.  A book filled with baking recipes won’t be helpful, but there are many cookbooks with great meal recipes that are naturally gluten free or can easily be made so.  If you are looking to expand your repertoire, you’ll find many more choices at the library if you consider all the cookbooks.

Many libraries also have a store where they sell used books.  My library has a very small one, but I always take a look.  I recently found this book for $0.50. 



With all the zucchini I’m getting from my garden, I was thrilled.  I have marked numerous pages in the book.  Even if I don’t follow a recipe exactly, it gives me a starting point and ideas to try.

If you haven’t been to the library in a while, give it a try.  You will find the cookbooks in the 641 section.
 
For more money saving ideas visit Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom.

Labels: books, frugal tips

While it isn’t officially summer yet, here in Maryland we’ve had some hot days.  And when the weather turns hot, I change the way I cook.  Casseroles are put on hold for cooler days.  Soups are saved for days when we need to be warmed.  The grill is fired up and the oven is used much less.  I try to keep the kitchen as cool as possible to save on the cost of air conditioning.   Here are some appliances I use to help me with that.

 
Grill. That’s a pretty obvious one for most of us.  A grill keeps the heat outside.  Many gas grills also have side burners allowing you to prepare multiple parts of the meal outside.  All kinds of meat, poultry, and fish can be cooked on the grill, as well as many vegetables.


Slow Cooker.  I plan on buying a new one soon and hope to use it frequently this summer.  Since crock pots run hotter than they used to, you might find it heats up the kitchen more than you would like.  For that reason, many people put theirs outside or in the garage.  I hope to try that too.


Pressure Cooker.  I love pressure cooking.  If you haven’t bought a pressure cooker yet, the summer is a great time to give it a try.  I highly recommend Kuhn Rikon, though it is costly.  I bought a second one on eBay and I often use both my pressure cookers for one meal.  A pressure cooker has several advantages, but the biggest one is that it cooks faster than regular methods.  Faster equals less heat and energy used.


Turbo Oven.  The Turbo Oven is a countertop convection oven.  This is another appliance I use all the time.  In the summer it allows me to cook things like roast chicken or oven fries without heating up my big oven.  I actually use it for those items year round because it cooks them faster and uses less energy than my conventional oven.

If you are considering buying a turbo oven, I have Aroma brand.  I have been happy with the way it cooks, but was very unhappy that the handle broke.  It is much more difficult to handle the hot lid with a broken handle.  I would not buy that brand again unless they redesign the handle.  There are other brandsto choose from though.

What do you do to keep your kitchen cool in the summer?

For other frugal ideas, visit Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom.

Labels: frugal tips

Being on a gluten-free diet, there are many convenience foods I can’t eat.  That’s a good thing because many of them are unhealthy anyway.  There are healthy convenience foods, though.  Consider the produce isle.  You can buy bag salad, pre-cut broccoli, containers of pre-cut fruit and vegetables, and more.


Convenience costs.  You know that right?  In any area of life, convenience costs.

Convenience can be worth the cost.  If you don’t have time or energy to fix yourself a salad, buying premade salad can be the right choice.  It’s better than a fast food meal.  It’s better than many other options.  It’s  a price you are willing to pay to eat healthy.

Convenience can be too convenient.  This is where I get into trouble.  I choose that convenient option one busy week, and it was so easy that I buy it the next week when I don’t really need it.  It's just so......convenient.


Doing a little extra work saves money.  Washing, cutting, and peeling fruits or vegetables isn’t that hard.  It isn’t that time consuming. It’s healthier, too, because foods can begin to lose nutrients once that work is done.  A little work can mean significant savings.

Make a conscious decision.  This is what I’m working on.  When I reach for that bag of salad or pre-cut broccoli (my two biggest temptations), I want to stop and make a conscious decision.  I want to ask myself if I have a few minutes to do the work myself.  Am I only reaching for it because it is convenient?  On the other hand, if it is a particularly busy time or I’m sick, and buying that item will mean that we eat healthier, then fine.  I am willing to pay for that convenience.  Most of the time, though, I can do the work, and I want to consciously choose to eat healthy and save money.

What produce isle convenience foods do you reach for most often?


For other money saving ideas, visit Life as Mom which hosts Frugal Fridays.

Labels: frugal tips

I shop at numerous grocery stores, but not every week.  Therefore, if I get home and find I bought something that is bad or damaged, I’m not likely to return it.  The hassle of going back to a store that is not “on the way” is just not worth it to me.  The result is wasted money.

Since I dislike returning items, and I dislike wasting money, I try to avoid the situation altogether by making sure I buy what I want.  Here’s what I mean:

• Check packages of cheese, grapes, berries, or bread for signs of mold.
• Take the lid off a coffee can, yogurt container, spice jar or other similar item to make sure the seal is intact.
• Look carefully at the bag of potatoes to make sure they are not green.
• Move the baby carrots around in the bag to make sure they are wet, but not slimy.
• Check cans for dents.
• Make sure you are buying the right item and not a different variety your family doesn’t like.
• Check  jars of pickles or fruit to make sure they are sealed.
• Look over all produce well.
• Check expiration dates, particularly on dairy products.

Doing these things does add time to your shopping trip, but not that much.   It only takes seconds to check most items and usually the total time you spend checking will be significantly less than the time it would take to return something.

I’m sure there is something I missed in the above list.  What would you add to it?

For more frugal ideas visit Life as Mom.

Labels: frugal tips

My husband is a real handyman. Even he will admit that he’s terribly slow, but he does a good job and saves us lots of money. Since last spring he has been working on replacing our windows as well as adding insulation and siding to the house. The windows are done and only of portion of the back of the house still needs siding.

I won’t bore you with the details, but the difference these changes made in heating and cooling our house was obvious. Of course, we did numerous things at once which contributed to better energy efficiency, but I thought I would single out the windows today.

We had old single-pane windows previously. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to now have windows that I can actually open and that tilt out for easy cleaning. However, the best benefits (though less exciting) are the energy efficiency benefits. Several things combine to make new energy star windows better than old ones. Things like double panes with a special gas in between and the low-e invisible films.

If you have inefficient windows and plan on staying in your home for a while, you might want to consider replacing your windows. Sometimes a large initial cost must be paid to reap long term benefits. If you have a handyman around like I do, the cost will be lower. I would like to note that if you have a do-it-yourself wannabe husband, windows might not be the best place to start. If the windows are installed improperly, you could end up losing the benefits you thought you were gaining.

If you can’t afford new windows, there are still things you can do to help make them more efficient. Replace broken glass, use storm windows, install weather stripping and draft-blocking devices, and repair any cracked or broken wood. More ideas can probably be found online.

For more money-saving ideas check out Frugal Fridays.

You might also want to visit my gluten-free giveaway which ends Friday night!

Labels: frugal tips

We all know that lowering the thermostat in the winter saves money. The problem is staying warm while still being able to function around the house. Here are some ways I have found to keep warm without bulk. I don’t use all of these ideas at once. Since I live in Maryland where winters are not too harsh, one or two of them is often enough.

• Long underwear. It comes in different thicknesses and material. I find Duofolds to be too warm for indoors. I like Cuddl Duds brand. They have a thin polyester blend that goes a long way towards keeping me warm, and I forget they are there. They can be found at many department stores.



• Tank tops. I don’t like long sleeved underclothing, but tank tops work great for me. I have a Cuddl Duds top that is very warm, but I also like using cotton tanks under things. A little bit of clothing can make a significant difference.



• Neck wear. Keeping the blood flowing through your jugular vein warm helps to warm the rest of your body. A thick turtleneck sweater will do the job, but that’s not usually my preference. Even a thin turtleneck shirt helps, but you can boost the warmth with a neck gator (a fabric tube the fits over your head and sits around your neck) or a scarf. I have a thick fleece scarf that only gets in my way and in the toilet! What I like using instead is a thin knit scarf I found at the dollar store. I can wrap it around several times and it stays where I want it. A neck gator is more annoying to put on and take off, but it doesn't have loose ends.



• Vests. Fleece vests were very popular a few years ago and you can still find them. They help keep your body warm (and your neck if you zip it all the way up), but allow your arms to have lots of freedom. Keeping your torso with all its vital organs warm allows your body to work on keeping the extremities warm.



• Blankets. These I use when I’m sitting for a while. I keep throws handy near the computer and places where I read.

If you want to save money, try turning back the thermostat a couple of degrees and using some alternative ways to stay warm. What are your stay-warm ideas?

For more money saving ideas check out Frugal Fridays.

Labels: frugal tips

Labels: frugal tips

Labels: frugal tips

Labels: frugal tips

I'm not good a decorating. I don't have a natural talent for it, and I hate spending lots of money on something that just hangs on the wall. However, I do want our home to look nice, and I prefer to not have totally bare walls. As a result, I have come up with a few inexpensive decorations over the years.

When I wanted something to decorate a long stretch of soffit in our kitchen eating area, I decided to go with a bird theme. I bought a box of note cards. Each card has a different bird on the front. I then bought some inexpensive frames at Ross or somewhere similar. If you look closely, you can see that the card is a little smaller than the frame on the sides. I suppose some matting would take care of that, but like I said, I'm not a decorator, and it's hardly noticeable when they are high up on the wall. I don't remember how much I paid for the cards and the frames, but it was relatively inexpensive.



Here is a picture I bought years ago at a yard sale for a few dollars. I did replace the frame at some point.

Here is a picture I got from my local freecycle group. It was free!



These wall plaques I bought at Kohl's when there was a good sale and I had a coupon. They were pretty inexpensive. They are small so they look nice in bathrooms or other small areas.



I have a fruit theme in the cooking area of my kitchen. Inexpensive plates like this can be found at thrift stores, dollar stores, and yard sales. Maybe you'll even find a plate hanger to go with it. While this one isn't anything fancy, it helps fill in some space.

A few other ideas:

• Frame a child's artwork.


• Frame a poster.


• Hang homemade/crafted items


• My son took it down so I can't get a picture, but at one time he had a deck of cards placed randomly and overlapping in a circle on his wall. The face cards were facing out and the rest of them were facing the wall so you saw the design on the back of the card.
  

For more Frugal Friday ideas visit Biblical Womanhood.

Labels: frugal tips, homemaking tips

Labels: frugal tips

With the Christmas season approaching I'm especially thankful for my credit card. Yes, you heard me right, but I'm not thankful for it so that I can charge a bunch of stuff I can't afford. I'm thankful, because our credit card gives us money back that I can use to buy gifts.

There are a number of credit cards that offer rewards. For years, we have used the Toys R Us card. There is no annual fee, and we receive 1% back in Toys R Us gift cards. We use this one card to pay for everything. The bill provides us with a record of purchases, and it can be downloaded into financial programs. We pay the bill off without paying interest, and receive money back. One percent doesn't seem like a lot, but that's $10 for every $1000 spent. They give 4% back on purchases made at Toys R Us.

When our kids were little it was easy to use that money. As they got older, I thought we would outgrow it, but we haven't. One year each of the boys got a new bike. I think that was the year we moved and did a lot of remodeling. Another year they got a Game Cube. Last Christmas there wasn't anything we wanted to get the boys there, but my husband got a GPS! Yes, Toys R Us sells them in the electronics department. They sell cameras too. Also, I can use the money to buy baby shower gifts and gifts for younger nieces and nephews. Over the years we've made a lot of money off that credit card.

As much as we have liked the TRU rewards program, we have decide to move on to another. We just started using a BJ's Visa card. They also have no annual fee and offer 2% back on BJ's purchases and 1% on all other purchases. Since I regularly shop at BJ's, this will give us a higher return, and we won't ever wonder whether we will find something to use the reward money on. If neither of those cards works for you, there are others to be found with a little searching.

I will finish by saying that this idea is for those who are able to use a credit card and pay it off each month. The amount of money you pay in interest is way more than the amount of rewards you earn. I think my husband and I have only paid interest once in our 19 years of marriage, and that was when we accidentally forgot to pay the bill.

For more frugal ideas visit Crystal's blog.

Labels: frugal tips

Last week I wrote a post about making cloth napkins. I mentioned a tip I had picked up from another site about using different napkin rings for each member of the family. Used, but not too dirty napkins can then be saved and identified for later use by putting them in the napkin rings.


This week my 12-year-old son and I made some clay napkin rings. My son made most of the ones shown including the pretty purple flower for me and the hammer and saw for his dad.

Here are a few tips for making clay napkin rings and working with clay in general.

1)Buy a single ceramic tile from a home improvement store. Look for one that has a smooth surface. Use this to work with the clay and roll it out. When the piece is ready for baking, leave it on the tile and put it in the oven.

2)Having special tools isn't necessary, but if you work with clay much it is very helpful. My son put tools on his birthday list last year. This picture shows a few that he uses often.

3)To bake the napkin rings, I slipped them over the neck of a glass bottle. This helped them hold their shape and not get flat on the bottom.

4)We didn't do this, but putting a piece of wire inside the ring will add strength.

5)Be creative and have fun!

I hope this can count as a Frugal Friday post since it's about making something rather than buying it. For more frugal ideas go here.

Labels: frugal tips, homemaking tips

After reading a number of posts on other blogs about using cloth napkins rather than paper ones, I decided to make the switch at our house.

I started by going to the thrift store to see what I could find. I came home with 8-10 napkins which we tried out as soon as I washed them. I soon learned two things: (1)the size was much bigger than we needed for everyday use, and (2) we were going to need a lot more napkins!

One way to help solve both of those problems was to cut the napkins into quarters, thereby reducing the size and increasing the quantity. I also went to the fabric store and bought two yards of flannel in two different patterns. I then made 12 napkins from each yard. Some of the napkins I bought from the thrift store were red, so I also bought a flannel pattern of the same color red which enabled me to use the same thread. I have also decided that red is a great color for napkins since we eat a lot of meals that have at least some tomato in them (Italian, Mexican, hamburgers with ketchup...). I chose the bee pattern because I thought it was cute, but not so cute it would cause my teenage boys to gag. :)

When I first started out sewing the thrift store napkins I was having trouble with the corners. Even though I clipped the fabric, the corners were still thick and one end of the hem would hang out. Then I noticed that the red napkins had different corners and quickly figured a way to do something similar. Here is what I came up with.

First, cut a triangular piece off each corner.

Then fold the cut corner over and press. I don't have exact measurements for this so you have to do it by trial and error, but I quickly figured out about how much to cut and how much to fold.

I then ironed the first fold of the hem, and finally the second fold.

When you iron the second fold, the corner should line up nicely. If you don't have enough room and the two sides are overlapping, redo that first fold where you brought the corner in. Make the fold a little deeper, but not much. If you find you have too much space, make that fold a little more shallow. This is the part you will get the hang of, or maybe you will figure out exact measurements!

You can buy paper napkins pretty cheaply, and it does cost money to make and wash the napkins, but I still think there is some savings in the long run. According to Melissa Breyer, it is definitely greener to use cloth napkins. Here is a post from Frugal Upstate about using cloth vs. paper. I like the idea of using a different napkin ring for each member of the family so that napkins can be saved and reused if they're not too dirty. One of my kids likes using clay. I think I'll have to talk him into making some napkin rings.

As for those dirty napkins, I recently bought a wicker hamper set that included a waste basked and a couple of fabric lined baskets. The waste basket now sits in a corner of the kitchen and we toss the dirty napkins into it. The lined baskets are used to hold the clean napkins.

Labels: frugal tips, homemaking tips

We go through a lot of hand soap in this house. I'm glad. It means we're washing off dirt and germs. Sometimes my boys don't wash their hands as well as they should (I know this when I see dirt on the towel), but at least they are in the habit of washing.

Here's what I do to make hand washing easy and economical. I bought foaming hand soap for each bathroom and the laundry room. When it was gone, I refilled the bottles using 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap and water, being sure to leave some room at the top of the bottle for inserting the pump. I then tilt it back and forth a few times to mix it up.


The soap lasts quite a while and we don't have trouble with it drying our skin any more than other soaps. I have learned to eyeball it and don't measure the soap anymore, but if you add too much soap, it can cause the pump to not work well. I have also used the larger bottles that have the foaming dish soap in them. They are not as attractive, though.

For more frugal tips visit Frugal Fridays

Labels: frugal tips, homemaking tips

When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease, I was also suffering from a corn allergy. Because of that allergy, I learned that vanilla extract has corn syrup in it (at least the ones I found in the store). That information led me to learn how to make my own vanilla extract. I never went back to store bought vanilla.

There are quite a few different recipes out there for making vanilla extract. For the quantity I am making, some recipes call for six vanilla beans, others call for three. I use four.

To get started you need a pint of vodka, brandy or rum. I have always used rum, but in searching again recently for recipes I have read that vodka is the best. You also need some vanilla beans. You might find some at a health food store, but you will likely find better prices online. I ordered through Amazon and bought a pack of 16 beans for $14.95 with free shipping.

If you've never seen a vanilla bean, the picture above shows several. If you click to enlarge the picture, you can see that the one under the knife has been slit open. This is done to all the beans. They should be slit lengthwise, but not cut all the way through. And that is almost all there is to it. Slit four beans, put them in a pint of vodka, brandy or rum, and close the lid. Now you need to give it time and some shaking. For the first week, shake the bottle a few times a day. Gradually decrease shaking time over the next month. You will be able to see the extract turning darker. It should sit at least a couple of months before using it. Three months is probably better. I leave the beans in the jar until it is empty. You can top off the bottle with fresh liquor occasionally to keep it going, but I have not actually tried this. What I usually do is every time I start using a new bottle of vanilla, I start making another one. Sometimes I use two beans from the old bottle with two new beans. Like I said, I have read a variety of methods for making vanilla, so you can play around with it and decide what you like best.

The picture on the right shows the bottle I am currently using and a bottle I just started. I'm starting four bottles today. One is for me and the rest will be for Christmas gifts. I will probably look for some nice looking bottles to put the extract in before giving it as a gift. I will also probably divide the pints but keep at least one bean in each bottle to continue giving it flavor.

Making your own vanilla extract is certainly cheaper than buying any brand name extracts. I spent total of $10.75 per 16 ounces on the bottles I just made. I did see a store brand today that was pure extract that would cost less than making your own, but I don't know how the quality is. I do know that it was in a plastic bottle, and I prefer glass. Many people say that making your own gives you much better quality. Depending on how strong it is, you may be able to use less than the amount of vanilla called for in recipes. Personally, I have gotten in the habit of doing it, and I really like it, so I will continue to make my own.

For more kitchen tips visit Tammy's Recipes-Kitchen Tip Tuesday.

Labels: frugal tips, homemaking tips, other recipes

After writing the post about milling your own gluten-free flour, I decided that I really should try buying and milling whole grain sorghum. I bought this sorghum from Twin Valley Mills. They only sell 30 pounds, but you can buy smaller quantities of flour. I paid about $15 for the sorghum and $25 for shipping! You couldn't get 30 pounds of sorghum flour for $40 though.


In the picture on the right you see two bowls of flour. The one on the left is Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour and the one on the right is the flour I milled. I couldn't tell any difference by looking at it. When I rubbed the flour between my fingers, mine was slightly courser. I did not have the mill set to the finest setting so I will adjust that next time. I let you know how it does with baking.

Labels: frugal tips, gluten-free diet, homemaking tips

What is Freecycle?

"It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills."

Basically, you join a yahoo freecycle group in your area. When you have something to give away you post an OFFER message. People then email you directly to make arrangements for pick up. Most of the time the item/items are placed on a porch or somewhere similar so people can swing by and pick it up. When it's gone a TAKEN message is posted. Of course, you also get to view the offers. You can do this by individual emails, daily digests, or web only.

I first joined my local freecycle group because I had something to give away. I think is was a piece of furniture that couldn't be easily donated elsewhere. I have given more than I've gotten, but that's fine with me. I only look at offers on the web occasionally. A few times I have happened to look at the right time. Some of the things I have gotten include, pictures that are now hanging on my walls, an Ethan Allen swivel rocker that is stained but works fine in our family room with a blanket on it, a rice cooker, and a cast iron pot.

Everything is always free.

Go to http://www.freecycle.org/ to find a group near you. I bet you'll end up with some great stuff. If you're already part of a freecycle group, leave a comment and let us know what things you have gotten for free.

For more money saving ideas check out Frugal Fridays.

Labels: frugal tips