I never really understood the use of Evernote until now. Occasionally I would be at my computer and find a recipe that I want to use, so I'd paste it into Evernote and open it on the iPad to take to the kitchen. (20% of my iPad use is as a recipe book in the kitchen)
Recently, things changed. I'm in the process of opening a shop and have found the reason for Evernote. I can do research at home, purchasing, license information, etc. paste it into Evernote and have it available anywhere. When I finally had the computer set up, it was great to have all my info right there. The only thing Evernote doesn't do well is maintaining files.
Dropbox is a program I've been using for a long time as an online backup. Now I find it invaluable to hold files like ordering forms and spreadsheets that I can work on anywhere.
It took a while to learn how Evernote is set up bu it is worth the learning curve.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Frugal Food: 5 things to do with a bag of potatoes
I saw a 10 lb bag of potatoes on sale for 1.99 how much cheaper can it get? I know that potatoes can have a bad rap for being carb loaded but if you keep the skin on and don’t go too crazy with the toppings you can have a nutritious and filling meal for very little money.
1. Potato salad:
4 potatoes boiled for 15 to 20 minutes and cut into cubes
4 hardboiled eggs peeled and chopped
1/2 cup of mayo, light mayo or similar substitute
1/4 cup sweet relish (optional)
2 tbsp of mustard
Garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste
Mix all together and serve warm or chill potatoes and eggs first then mix for cold potato salad
2. Oven fried potato wedges:
Heat oven to 400
5 medium potatoes cut into wedges the long way (about 8 cuts per potato)
1/4 cup olive oil or any oil you like
Garlic, salt or other spices. You can get really creative using curry powder, or herbs de province etc.
Mix all in a bowl
Spread out on a cookie sheet topped with tin foil or use non stick sheet
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, use a spatula to turn them over and bake 10 more minutes
3. Good old fashioned baked:
In the chilly season, what better excuse to warm up the kitchen?
Heat oven to 350
Rinse potatoes and poke a fork in the side a couple of times.
Bake till soft in the middle.
Top with anything! Leftover veggies, cheese, chili, black beans or whatever you have on hand. Try something new or unusual besides sour cream and bacon bits. Kids love it when you put out several options and let the family “build their own”
4. Mashed potatoes:
I know, this is obvious but it’s so easy.
6 medium potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick of butter
Salt, pepper, garlic to taste
Boil potatoes in a large pot of water until soft. If potatoes are large, cut in half and they will cook faster.
Drain and return to pot. Mash with milk, butter, garlic, salt and pepper.
You can add other things like chives or rosemary or other spices if you like.
Note: the vegan version is pretty good. Substitute plain soy or almond milk and substitute vegan butter, a bit of olive oil or coconut milk. Just don’t use vanilla soy milk, yuck!
5. Potato skins:
4 potatoes
Olive oil
8 slices of cooked bacon cut in half the short way
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded.
Preheat oven to 350
Rinse and dry potatoes poke with a fork
Coat skin with olive oil and bake until soft
Remove from oven and cut in half lengthwise – leave oven on
Scoop out potato halves leaving a little bit attached to the skin
(save the excess potato and use for mashed potatoes)
Place potatoes, skin side down on a baking sheet
Distribute cheese into each potato half
Place two slices of bacon halves on top and bake until cheese is melted.
You can use imitation bacon bits, or soy cheese for a vegan version.
Potatoes are versatile, forgiving and easy to make. They are a great food for the budget challenged. Get creative!
1. Potato salad:
4 potatoes boiled for 15 to 20 minutes and cut into cubes
4 hardboiled eggs peeled and chopped
1/2 cup of mayo, light mayo or similar substitute
1/4 cup sweet relish (optional)
2 tbsp of mustard
Garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste
Mix all together and serve warm or chill potatoes and eggs first then mix for cold potato salad
2. Oven fried potato wedges:
Heat oven to 400
5 medium potatoes cut into wedges the long way (about 8 cuts per potato)
1/4 cup olive oil or any oil you like
Garlic, salt or other spices. You can get really creative using curry powder, or herbs de province etc.
Mix all in a bowl
Spread out on a cookie sheet topped with tin foil or use non stick sheet
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, use a spatula to turn them over and bake 10 more minutes
3. Good old fashioned baked:
In the chilly season, what better excuse to warm up the kitchen?
Heat oven to 350
Rinse potatoes and poke a fork in the side a couple of times.
Bake till soft in the middle.
Top with anything! Leftover veggies, cheese, chili, black beans or whatever you have on hand. Try something new or unusual besides sour cream and bacon bits. Kids love it when you put out several options and let the family “build their own”
4. Mashed potatoes:
I know, this is obvious but it’s so easy.
6 medium potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick of butter
Salt, pepper, garlic to taste
Boil potatoes in a large pot of water until soft. If potatoes are large, cut in half and they will cook faster.
Drain and return to pot. Mash with milk, butter, garlic, salt and pepper.
You can add other things like chives or rosemary or other spices if you like.
Note: the vegan version is pretty good. Substitute plain soy or almond milk and substitute vegan butter, a bit of olive oil or coconut milk. Just don’t use vanilla soy milk, yuck!
5. Potato skins:
4 potatoes
Olive oil
8 slices of cooked bacon cut in half the short way
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded.
Preheat oven to 350
Rinse and dry potatoes poke with a fork
Coat skin with olive oil and bake until soft
Remove from oven and cut in half lengthwise – leave oven on
Scoop out potato halves leaving a little bit attached to the skin
(save the excess potato and use for mashed potatoes)
Place potatoes, skin side down on a baking sheet
Distribute cheese into each potato half
Place two slices of bacon halves on top and bake until cheese is melted.
You can use imitation bacon bits, or soy cheese for a vegan version.
Potatoes are versatile, forgiving and easy to make. They are a great food for the budget challenged. Get creative!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
It’s like a restaurant but without the tip
I love to eat at restaurants. Rather, I used to love restaurants. With the exception of some sushi places, and a few small chef-owned jaunts, it’s just not worth it. I’m especially tired of eating at the chain restaurants. The quality of the food, and often the service, has declined while the prices have gone up! Everything looks good on the menu but the real dish never measures up. Don’t even think about the ridiculous amounts of fat and calories. Then there is the sticker shock of the bill and you still feel obligated to tip a less than attentive waiter. Lately, I’m just finding restaurants to be disappointing and expensive.
There are lots of ways to save on eating out. Order water instead of soda or pricey drinks, skip dessert and stop for ice scream on the way home etc. Many blogs and articles have been written on early bird and coupon dining. Instead, I’ve been looking at recipes for my favorite dishes and stepping up my cooking skills as a way to enjoy good food without the cost of a night out. So far I have found allrecipes.com to be the best recipe site. The instructions are generally easy to follow and the reviews are really helpful. I also love thekitchn.com. Faith has a great writing style and interesting recipes.
I’m a huge fan of ethnic food. Italian is really easy to make. In the summer, tomatoes, peppers and squash are easily found at farmers markets and local stands. In the winter, you can pick up canned tomato on sale and still reap the benefits. Ratatouille and great sauces are not difficult. Make a big pot of really good tomato sauce on the weekend and you have a couple of dinners for the week. You can have spaghetti with sauce one night, then make an easy eggplant or chicken parmesan another. Pan fry thin slices of eggplant or chicken thighs till they are cooked through. Then then place them on a sprayed baking sheet. Top with mozzarella or provolone cheese and bake at 350 till the cheese melts. Top with some warmed up sauce and shredded parmesan and your done. Actually, most leftovers topped with cheese and a good tomato sauce are tasty.
Asian and Indian are two of my favorite restaurant standards. I’m working on gaining some skill at these. I found a fabulously easy recipe for Chana masala, a chick pea based Indian dish that is easily made spicy or mild. There are, as with any Indian dish, some spices you don’t have in your pantry, but if you like Indian food, you should invest in them. Get familiar with small ethnic grocery stores. Many “exotic” ingredients or spices can be found really cheap there.
Japanese Soba noodles with peanut sauce is really good, and easy to make. So are stir fried frozen veggies with curry powder and coconut milk.
Check the web. Look for a good recipe book at the library or thrift store, or dust off one of your own. You’ll be surprised at what you can do in the kitchen.
On the subject, some recipe sites have an ingredient search. You enter the ingredients you want or have on hand, and the search will return results based on your entries. This is really helpful when you are on a budget and trying to cook from what you have without an extra trip to the store.
Friday, December 9, 2011
10 Things to do Instead of Shopping
It’s so tempting to shop during the holidays, you are bombarded by media: radio, tv ads, the Internet, even friends. There are sales, events and specials everywhere. The holiday’s are upon us and in much of the country it’s cold and the weather isn’t cooperating, tempting you to go to the mall. DON’T! I’m always barking about the psychology of shopping. This is the time of year that marketing goes into full force. It’s safer to stay away. Here are some alternatives to mall mania.
1. Go to the library. Head straight for the self-help or finance section and look for books that will help save you money. I recommend these. (Your money or your life; Don’t sweat the small stuff; Tightwad Gazette)
2. Clean your house. Whether you have company coming or not, cleaning up will make you feel good about what you have and less likely to want more. Clear the Clutter
3. Take care of those small details. Little things bother us but we don’t realize how much. I was always annoyed that I couldn’t find the cordless phone. The base would ring and all of the handsets were dead or missing. I finally put an old-fashioned wall phone in the kitchen. Now, when the phone rings at least I can answer it. If something is broken, get it fixed or get rid of it. I don’t really need a clock in my office. I have a computer, a watch and my cell phone. Broken clock = gone.
4. Clean up your email, address book or do some computer maintenance or other task you’ve been putting off. Perhaps that half finished craft needs to be done, or pile of Christmas cards.
5. Phone or visit a relative or friend. This could be a nice thing to do for someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, a friend who is ill or an older relative who you would love to hear from you.
6. Get out – anywhere but the mall. If you have nice weather, take a walk, a hike, a picnic or other activity. If the weather is bad, get a group together and do something fun. Bowling and ice skating rinks can be relatively cheap if you have a group. Or just invite a friend to a local independent coffee shop.
7. Do something selfless. Pick a local charity or church group and volunteer. This time of year they need more help than ever. Food banks and other services are swamped. Offer to babysit for a busy mom or do some chores for an elderly neighbor. You’ll feel good about helping others.
8. File that pile of paper you’ve been avoiding and start getting your financial info together for next year. It’s close enough to the end of the year to organize and get ready for your taxes. If you have most of it together, you will be less stressed come tax time. Now is also a good time to start your budget for next year. Review your spending and see where your budget needs revising. Don’t have a budget? You already have most of the year’s receipts, credit card bills etc, so start on the road to living within your means.
9. Try some new recipes. See what you have in your pantry, then come up with new ways to make frugal meals. Need help? Check recipe sites on-line. Avoid the ones with exotic ingredients. Or, you could just organize the pantry or fridge. Clean out the freezer and get ready for the holidays.
10. Take a break. Take a nap, do some yoga, meditate or just read a good book. Find something a bid self-indulgent. Try a home-made facial recipe. There are plenty of recipes on-line with things you already have at home.
If you absolutely have to shop, go online. Look for coupon codes and discounts. You shouldn’t pay anything for shipping this time of year. Make your list, figure out your budget and decide where you are going to shop. Find you must go to the store? Take one day, preferably not the weekend if you can manage and choose one store. Go to the thrift store, local boutiques or discount department store (ie marshalls or tjmax) and get all your shopping done there. Or, choose a local craft fair. Whatever you don’t find at that store, on your list, go home and do the same on-line. Choose a site like Amazon and order whatever gifts you need to. Make sure you stay in your budget and set a time limit.
1. Go to the library. Head straight for the self-help or finance section and look for books that will help save you money. I recommend these. (Your money or your life; Don’t sweat the small stuff; Tightwad Gazette)
2. Clean your house. Whether you have company coming or not, cleaning up will make you feel good about what you have and less likely to want more. Clear the Clutter
3. Take care of those small details. Little things bother us but we don’t realize how much. I was always annoyed that I couldn’t find the cordless phone. The base would ring and all of the handsets were dead or missing. I finally put an old-fashioned wall phone in the kitchen. Now, when the phone rings at least I can answer it. If something is broken, get it fixed or get rid of it. I don’t really need a clock in my office. I have a computer, a watch and my cell phone. Broken clock = gone.
4. Clean up your email, address book or do some computer maintenance or other task you’ve been putting off. Perhaps that half finished craft needs to be done, or pile of Christmas cards.
5. Phone or visit a relative or friend. This could be a nice thing to do for someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, a friend who is ill or an older relative who you would love to hear from you.
6. Get out – anywhere but the mall. If you have nice weather, take a walk, a hike, a picnic or other activity. If the weather is bad, get a group together and do something fun. Bowling and ice skating rinks can be relatively cheap if you have a group. Or just invite a friend to a local independent coffee shop.
7. Do something selfless. Pick a local charity or church group and volunteer. This time of year they need more help than ever. Food banks and other services are swamped. Offer to babysit for a busy mom or do some chores for an elderly neighbor. You’ll feel good about helping others.
8. File that pile of paper you’ve been avoiding and start getting your financial info together for next year. It’s close enough to the end of the year to organize and get ready for your taxes. If you have most of it together, you will be less stressed come tax time. Now is also a good time to start your budget for next year. Review your spending and see where your budget needs revising. Don’t have a budget? You already have most of the year’s receipts, credit card bills etc, so start on the road to living within your means.
9. Try some new recipes. See what you have in your pantry, then come up with new ways to make frugal meals. Need help? Check recipe sites on-line. Avoid the ones with exotic ingredients. Or, you could just organize the pantry or fridge. Clean out the freezer and get ready for the holidays.
10. Take a break. Take a nap, do some yoga, meditate or just read a good book. Find something a bid self-indulgent. Try a home-made facial recipe. There are plenty of recipes on-line with things you already have at home.
If you absolutely have to shop, go online. Look for coupon codes and discounts. You shouldn’t pay anything for shipping this time of year. Make your list, figure out your budget and decide where you are going to shop. Find you must go to the store? Take one day, preferably not the weekend if you can manage and choose one store. Go to the thrift store, local boutiques or discount department store (ie marshalls or tjmax) and get all your shopping done there. Or, choose a local craft fair. Whatever you don’t find at that store, on your list, go home and do the same on-line. Choose a site like Amazon and order whatever gifts you need to. Make sure you stay in your budget and set a time limit.
iPad 2 (refurbished) is on the Apple clearance rack!
The online Apple store had lowered it's prices on the iPad 2.
I'm surprised to see a price drop but I have to admit, its a really good deal, for Apple that is. I have an iPad 2 and really love it. If you are looking to buy one, now is the time. These will go fast. As for the refurbished thing, it's a no-brainer. I bought my iMac 3 years ago from the refurbished section and have never had a problem. I bought my first iPad refurbished and it too worked perfectly. I have also bought ipods refurbished and only had good experiences. They come with the same warrantee as the new ones, and are just as good. Ah, but where to find these secret deals?
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad
I'm surprised to see a price drop but I have to admit, its a really good deal, for Apple that is. I have an iPad 2 and really love it. If you are looking to buy one, now is the time. These will go fast. As for the refurbished thing, it's a no-brainer. I bought my iMac 3 years ago from the refurbished section and have never had a problem. I bought my first iPad refurbished and it too worked perfectly. I have also bought ipods refurbished and only had good experiences. They come with the same warrantee as the new ones, and are just as good. Ah, but where to find these secret deals?
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad
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