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Garbage Day: Reusing produce containers

March 13, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

We eat lots of produce in this household and I always feel bad throwing out the plastic containers that everything comes in. So lately I’ve made it my mission to try to repurpose things when I can. Keep in mind…that somewhere I do have a line of decorum, lol. Yes, I want to reuse things and repurpose and recycle………but NO, I do not want my house to look like I’m just a phone call away from being on Extreme Hoarders-Buried Alive. I try to keep my ideas and tips practical and so that my home won’t look like a junk store.

So anyway, since berries are coming into season, I always have several of these berry containers. And here is what I am using them for so far:

kitchen storage ideas
Perfect size for storing toddler flatware.

I have one in my cabinet where I keep the boys’ feeding things. It’s the perfect size for storing their flatware. Plus, then I can grab the whole little container and have my 2-year-old pick out what color he wants to use, since apparently that is important.

This one is in my bathroom drawer.

This one is in my bathroom drawer. It was already sort of a junk drawer, but now it’s better organized.

I have several of these in my kitchen storage areas.

This one is in my Lazy Susan, where I keep oils, vinegars, spices, etc. Instead of just having a stack of spice packets that would fall out all the time, now I have several of these lined up next to each other. It makes them easier to see, I know what I have, and they are no longer falling on the floor when I spin the Lazy Susan (why are they called that anyway?) It would be good for seed packets too, if you keep them. Or yeast packets or similar items in your fridge.

This one is in my pantry. I find that I can keep about 2-2.5 boxes’ worth of granola or cereal bars in one plastic container. So it saves me space, makes it easier to see and access. Much easier when packing lunches in the morning to just reach in and grab them.

Helps make healthier snack options more visible.

The possibilities are endless-

  • crayons & markers
  • little beads and stuff
  • keep the lid on, cut a slit in it, use it to collect Box Tops in your kitchen
  • receipt holder, again keep the lid on
  • I cut my dryer sheets in half (get twice as many uses!) and have them stored in one of these in my basement laundry area
  • dishwasher ‘pacs’ or tablets
  • cat & dog treats (those resealable bags never reseal for me!)

What ideas do you have?

 

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Garbage Day~freezing and storing herbs

March 6, 2012 by · 3 Comments

It’s another garbage day, I haven’t posted about it in a while. For newer readers, I try to do a post every Tuesday called the “garbage day” post because that is my garbage day. We try to eliminate how much foodstuffs we are throwing out, because that is the same as throwing away money! How is everyone doing with eliminating how much food you throw out? I was doing really well, then I did a big clean out of fridge, and I bet I tossed $40 worth of stuff. Boo! Hopefully I can get back on track. It seems I do well, then every few months I have a big correction.

We grow our own herbs in the summer, I’ve never gotten the plants to survive over the winter. We buy fresh herbs in the winter months. But with warmer days and daylight savings this weekend, I have gardening on the brain. It’s not that herbs are even super expensive. I mean, cilantro here is $0.99-$1.49 per bunch. It’s just that every time I buy it, I never use more than half of it and toss the other half. It just seems so wasteful. And sometimes you just need fresh, not dried.

I read an idea online recently. I think it was Food Network, but I can’t find it. Chop up your herbs and put them in measured amounts, either a teaspoon or tablespoon. Mix with a teeny, tiny bit of olive oil or other light oil, and freeze in snack-sized freezer bags. Use just enough oil to make a very thick paste.

Another idea, now this would be just for cooking with the herbs, not for garnishing. But it came from a reader. First, again, clean and prepare your herbs in measured amounts. Then put them in ice cube trays, fill with water and freeze. When they are frozen, toss the “ice cubes” into a freezer storage bag. You know that each cube is a teaspoon of whatever herb.

I’ve tried drying herbs, but not with much success. I don’t think my climate is right. But I had my own stevia plant and was going to try using it. Big fail on that one, but stay tuned because I’m going to try again.

We’ve had some readers submit tips, I’d love to hear yours!

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Garbage Day tips-protect yourself against ID fraud!

February 28, 2012 by · 1 Comment

Instead of doing a recycling/repurposing food post for garbage day, thought I’d remind everyone of this safety tip. It’s tax time and everyone is going through their office/desk drawers and digging up all sorts of financial and personal paperwork. If ID thieves do get your information, it can take years to recover, so take all precautions.

Going through your garbage is one way that Identity Thieves get information. Do not put out your garbage the night before garbage day, unless it’s unavoidable. Use a shredder for important papers, or depending on where you live, burn them. Don’t throw away anything unshredded that contains your personal information. I don’t have a shredder (I’m too afraid of the boys getting their fingers in it!) so here is my funny tip–I keep personal papers in a small pile in our office. When I am ready to throw them out, I tear them up into tiny pieces, and I throw them into the diaper pail bag! That way, if an identity thief wants my info, he’s going to have to piece together shredded papers that have been fermenting in the diaper pail.

Make sure that whatever online filing programs you are using are secure, as well as your wireless internet connection.

If you are a military family, particularly if your military person is deployed, take extra precautions. A new trend in ID fraud is to target deployed military personnel, mainly because if you are overseas, you can’t see what is happening and respond in a timely manner. Sad, but true!

Be very careful on the phone and avoid phishers. No company that you do business with should be calling you and asking you for personal information. Ask to call them back.

Make sure you set very strong passwords online. Use lower case, uppercase, capitals and numbers. Always know what your kids are doing online. Keep your kids included in these conversations, as is age appropriate, so that they have the knowledge as they get older.

Pay attention to incoming mail. If your newborn baby is getting credit card offers, you may have a problem. Pay attention to what junk mail is appearing, because it may be triggered by something identity thieves are doing. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT and opt out of pre-approved credit card offers. That way they won’t show up in your mailbox for someone to steal.

Keep only what is absolutely necessary in your purse or wallet. Consider a safe deposit box or home safe for important documents.

Monitor your credit report. At minimum, you should check it once every 6-12 months.

 

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How to freeze milk

February 7, 2012 by · 2 Comments

I dug out this post, read it, dusted it off and am reposting it. If you ever want to stock up on milk for a great sale, or have a bunch of free milk catalinas because you got a bunch of cereal….here you go. You can freeze it! So if recent concerns about rising milk prices have you worried, here is a way you can stock up on some.

  • First, of course, you need the storage space in your freezer.
  • Open the container and pour out about 1″-2″ of milk so it has space to expand when it freezes.
  • Then put whatever gallons you have extra in the freezer and well, freeze them.
  • When you need them, you need about 24-48 hours planning time.
  • You defrost it in the refrigerator and that is how long it takes to defrost.
  • When you defrost it, write the current date on the jug with a sharpie.
  • Of course the dates that are printed on them will have no value, so you want to know when you defrosted & opened it. Opened gallons of milk should be fine for 5-7 days past the defrost date.

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