How to Organize Your Kitchen

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Want to know how to organize your kitchen pantry?  It is not really hard to do. There are basically two things you must consider when organizing your kitchen pantry. One, make sure you can easily see what is in the pantry. Two, make sure you have it stocked with the right ingredients. Read on for some very simple ways about how to organize your kitchen pantry.

Throw away anything past its expiration date and consolidate multiple items that are half used.

Transfer dry goods to airtight containers to prolong their shelf life.

Label shelves so that everything has its place. Knowing where to find items makes cooking more efficient.

Group like items together. For example, make sure all your spices are together on one shelf or two if you they won’t all fit. Put all cereals together etc.

Use clear containers whenever possible so you can easily see what is in them.

Stock your pantry with dinner essentials so you will always have something to make a meal with. Here is a very basic list:

DINNER ESSENTIALS

Baking powder
Baking soda
Beans, canned
(black, garbanzo, Mexican-style chili, white)
Bread
Biscuit Mix
Bread crumbs (dry)
Broth or bouillon
(beef, chicken, vegetable)
Catsup
Cornmeal, yellow
Cornstarch
Dressings (honey-mustard, Italian,
vinaigrettes)
Flour (all-purpose white)
Fruit, canned (pears)
Garlic (bulb, bottled)
Graham crackers (crumbs)
Honey
Hot pepper sauce
Milk (evaporated skim, sweetened condensed)
Mustard (Dijon-style, honey, spicy brown, yellow)
Nonstick spray coating
Nuts (almonds, cashews, dry roasted peanuts,
pecans, walnuts)
Oats (quick-cooking, rolled)
Oils (olive, roasted garlic, vegetable, peanut)
Olives (green, kalamata, ripe)
Onions (green, red, yellow)
Pasta, dried (bow tie, orzo-rosamarina, ramen noodles,
shells, tortellini)
Pasta (angel hair, fettuccine, macaroni, spaghetti)
Peanut butter
Potatoes (red, russet, yellow)
Rice (brown, instant, long grain white, pilaf mixes, wild)
Salsa
Soy sauce
Spaghetti sauce
Sugar (brown, granulated, powdered)
Tomatoes, canned (Italian-style stewed,
stewed, tomato sauce)
Tomatoes, fresh (common, roma)
Tortillas (flour)
Tuna, canned
Vinegar (balsamic, cider, distilled white, red wine,
rice wine, white balsamic, white wine)
Worcestershire sauce

Want a great quick easy breakfast recipe? Check out The Frugal Pig for their recipe for homemade kolaches.

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How to Grow a Container Garden

Supplies you will need:

Pots (terra cotta or ceramic are best, plastic gets too hot)

Peat-based potting soil which will drain easily and let roots spread (ex. Miracle Grow)

Raw Eggs, in shells

Seeds - Use herbs such as sage, thyme, basil, and rosemary and vegetables such as lettuce, green beans, peas, eggplants, peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes are good for containers. When buying seeds look for packages labeled “compact” or “space saver”.

Plant markers

Gardening Gloves

Trowel - something you dig with

Screwdriver

Step 1 - BEFORE YOU PLANT

Look for a location for your container garden. You need a place with at least six hours of sunlight. You can’t get by with less. You can group plants in one large pot or use several small ones.

Step 2 - PREPARE THE POT

The size of your pot depends on the size of your plant. 20 inch diameter pots and good for tomatoes and eggplants, 4 inch pots are fine for herbs and 6 to 8 inch for lettuce. Fill the pot with 2 inches of potting soil. Place one uncracked raw egg in the pot - as it decomposes it will serve as a natural fertilizer and cover with soil.

Step 3 - MAKE HOLES

Using a screwdriver or your finger, create five to six holes that are i inch deep. New seeds tend to have more successful germination rates than leftover packets from last year - check for dates on the package. You can purchase seeds at your local nursery or order from a seed catalog. Expect one plant to grow for every five seeds planted.

You need your back for so many things - sitting, standing, lifting and bending. Having a strong back can help prevent back injuries and can improve your posture. Back injuries are painful and the treatment is often lengthy and expensive. So do yourself a big favor and get your back muscles in shape. Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to strengthen your back:

Work your core muscles 3 days a week -

Core muscles are those muscles that stabilize the spine and pelvis and run the entire length of the torso. These muscles stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulder and provide a solid foundation for movement in the extremities. Pilates exercises emphasize core muscle strength. No need to go for expensive classes - get yourself a good DVD (I like Denise Austin’s Pilates) with a 20 minute workout.

Leg exercises - Exercises such as lunges and squats help your back placing your core on a firmer foundation. Strong legs also mean your heart does not have to work as hard. Strong legs also help you pick up things properly. When you bend your knees to lift an item your legs will take the stress not your back. Squats and lunges can be easily done at home. Look online for the proper technique. A good way to begin is to get one of those big exercise balls and put it between your back and the wall as you squat.

Elevate your feet - I remember reading this tip as advice for pregnant women but it is good advice for anyone. If you have to stand for a long time you can take stress off your lower back by elevating one foot on a step or curb. When sitting, put your knees up highter than your hips

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Small banking fees can cost you a small fortune if you don’t pay close attention. An article in Parade magazine discussed how to avoid bank fees you probably aren’t even aware of:

Transfer fees - When you move money around between linked accounts, watch out! Some banks now charge $3 or $5 for each transfer you make online. Consider making only one transfer a month or redirecting a direct deposit.

Annual fees - If the balances on your checking or savings accounts drop below a required amount, you may be charged a fee. Make sure you know what your balance needs to be. Some banks also require you to make a specific number of transactions during the year. If you fail to do so, you may be charged with an annual “inactivity fee.” Read the fine print on your account terms, and move your money elsewhere if you don’t expect to reach the minimum number of transactions.

Account-maintenance fees - You can get charged as much as $12 a month for simply keeping your checking or savings account open! Unfortunately, it’s become more difficult to avoid these fees, so know the terms of your account and since terms change, call your bank if you see an unusual charge that wasn’t there last month. Bank with the right bank for you - the one that suits the way you use your account.

If you do have a fee on your statement that you feel is unfair, contact your bank. Sometimes just a phone call will get the fee removed.

Having trouble with your credit car company? Check out our sister website Bad Credit Blues and get some tips to help you reduce credit card debt or negotiate with your credit card company.

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Here is what Patricia Weber creator of the website Motherinlawhell.com has to say on the subject. Weber created the site to vent about her own mother in law. The site is interactive so you can post stories and get feedback quickly. The two biggest complaints are: My MIL (mother in law) is interfering with child-rearing and my MIL competes with me for her son’s attention. Patrica says if you can’t get along with your MIL treat her like a colleague. Be amicable but to the point.

Here are some ways to get some perspective on the situation:

You’ve won: Remember that. Her son lives with you.

Good terms: If you cannot be loving, treat her like a co-worker. Be friendly but to the point.

Turnaround: Remember you could be a mother-in-law yourself someday.

A thick skin: Try not to take every comment as a criticism.

Include her: If she offers to help - with cleaning, cooking or her grandkids - let her. You could probably use a break.

Now here is advice for mother in laws

The boss: Remember that she who runs the house sets the rules.

Take a holiday: Don’t get attached to outcomes; just focus on having a good time.

No contest: Remember love is not a competitive sport.

Think back: Remember when you were a daughter in law.

Smile: Speak authentically and kindly; season with humor.

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Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Mike Roizen recently published an article titled “Nature’s Best Stress Busters.” Here are their suggestions on how to relax and reduce stress:

Tighten your muscles: Then let them relax. By doing this muscle by muscle, you can help push the physical stress that is stored in your body out of your body. Start with your feet. Tense the muscles for about ten to fifteen seconds and then relax them. Then move up your body, doing the same with each muscle group (calf muscles, thigh muscles etc.).

Deep breathing: Deep breathing helps modify the messages sent from your body to the brain via the vagus nerve, the longest nerve coming directly from your brain. Relearn how to deep breathe by lying down, putting your finger on your belly button and making it move away from the floor when you inhale. You want to make your stomach rise as you fill it up with air. Deep breathing starts from your stomach not your chest.

Yoga Poses: Try a few yoga poses. Focus your mind on the movement you’re doing or holding. This frees your body and helps you free your mind to allow ideas to pass through it without attachment. Check out this linkBeginner Yoga Poses if you want to learn how to do some of the beginner poses. If you really think yoga is not for you read our post How To Do Yoga Without Having To Turn Yourself into a Pretzel

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Tie dye is always cool and always unique. Tye dye t shirts make great Christmas gifts and are inexpensive to make. It’s a fun activity to do with kids or just get a bunch of your friends together and have a tie dye party. You can serve tequila sunrises a sort of tie dye drink. If the weather is nice you can do them outside and not have worry about the mess.

So here are the materials you need to have on hand to get started tie dying:

Materials

Disposable plastic gloves

3 or 4 plastic buckets, depending on how many colors you are using

Rubber bands

Smocks or clothing you don’t mind getting messy.

Dye - such as RIT Powder, which can be found at craft and some grocery stores.

T-shirts or other items you want to dye

Instructions:

1. Wash an old t-shirt or soak a new one, and leave wet.

2. Twist t-shirt or tie knots, securing with rubber bands.

3. Mix 1 package powdered dye with 1 quart hot water and 5 tablespoons salt.

4. Let water cool to room temperature, then soak the t-shirt in each color for 20 minutes.

5. Rinse shirt in cool water until water runs clear. Undo knots, then rinse again. Hang shirt to dry.

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Foundation - 1 year

Powder eyeshadow - 1 year

Mascara - 3 months

Blush or bronzer - 2 years

Lipstick - 1 year

Nail polish - 1 year

Use a label maker to make a label of the date purchased and put it on your makeup. You only need look at label to see when you should throw it away.

According to the The Complete Book of Insurance - The Consumer’s Guide to Insuring Your Life, Health, Property, and Income by Ben G. Baldwin, knowing what your auto insurance is going to cost you before you purchase your car is one of the best ways to save money on your auto insurance premium. The make and model of the car you choose has major influence on the cost of your auto insurance premiums.

Plus, if you choose your car partly based on the cost of car insurance, there is a strong possibility you will save on other costs associated with high insurance cost cars - such as high purchase price, expensive repair bills, low gas mileage etc.

The United Services Automobile Association reports gives these average cost of car insurance for annual cost of car insurance for drivers with clean driving records in medium-size metropolitan areas with liability limits at state-required maximums:

Under 20 and Male - $2,000
Under 20 and Female - $1,500

30 and older Male - $800
30 and older Female - $800

Other factors that will influence your cost of car insurance:

Marital Status - Cheaper for marrieds

Driving Record - Accidents and moving violations increase costs, usually for three years.

Type and Amount of Driving - Work-related driving versus personal driving affects cost, as does the number of miles driven per year.

Discounts offered by most companies -

Good Student - B average students under age 25

Driver training and defensive driving courses

Good Record - no accidents or convictions for three years or more.

Mature driver - Ages 50 to 65

Multi-car Coverage - insure all vehicles with one insurer if possible.

Restricted Mileage - less than 75,000 mile driven per year.

Carpooling

Anti-Lock Brakes

Seat Belts and Air Bags

Anti-theft Systems

Car Out of Service

Not a “Muscle Car”

Not a “Theft Likely” Car

For more information on cost of car insurance visit our site Free Insurance Policy Quotes

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One of the best ways to save money on insurance is to get a auto insurance policy free online quote but it helps to understand when you get that quote what sort of coverage you are getting. Here is a list of typical coverage options that you will get on your car insurance policy free online quote:

Liability Coverage:

There are different types of liability when it comes to your auto insurance policy:

Bodily injury liability - covers medical costs, loss of income, and compensation for pain and suffering of those to whom you have hurt with your car. Bodily injury liability will also cover for your legal defense related to the accident.

Property damage liability - pays for the insurance claim and legal defense the accident is your fault and you have caused damage to property with your auto.

Liability insurance is usually what is quoted in your mandatory auto insurance coverage by state tables. It is usually written like this: 20/50/15 and here is what that means

20 - $20,000 of protection for any one person you are at fault for injuring.

50 - $50,000 of protection for the total number of people you have injured. So if you injure 3 people and together they have more than $50,000 worth of injuries your policy will not cover the amount over the $50,000 limit.

15 - $15,000 for all the property damage you have caused.

Medical Payment - This is a special form of accident insurance that provides will pay for medical expenses and funeral expenses for you and your passengers injured in an accident regardless of who is at fault. The standard limit for most policies is $1,000 per person.

The medical payment provision is for reasonable expenses for necessary medical and funeral costs because of bodily injury caused by accident and sustained by someone who is covered by the policy. The medical payments coverage applies to you and your family members who suffer bodily injury while occupying any of the vehicles covered by the policy.

The medical payment coverage also covers other passengers who are riding in your car at the time of the accident.

Additionally, the medical payment provision covers you and your family members if you are hit by a car when you are a walking.

If you want more than $1,000 worth of coverage you can get it for only a small increase in the premium.

Collision Coverage and Comprehensive Coverage:

Collision Coverage - This insurance coverage pays for harm to your car is involved in a collision with another car or an object or in a rollover, regardless of who is responsible.

Comprehensive Physical Damage - This insurance coverage pays for losses if your vehicle suffers damages other than colliding with another auto i.e. theft, fire, hail, wind, flood,vandalism etc.

Uninsured/Under-insured Motorist:

Insurance coverage that pays for any expense if an uninsured, under-insured, or hit-and-run driver causes property damage or injuries to you or family members and other passengers in your vehicle.

Again you will numbers quoted like “15/30″ which means $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.

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For information on how to save money on car insurance see our sister site Free Insurance Policy Quotes