Frugal Sunday - Frugal Microwave Cooking

This week's entry is about microwave cooking. You can cook dinner and save energy! Who doesn't want that?

Frugal Microwave Cooking
Written by Cyndi Roberts

Microwave cooking can save you time and energy all year long. But it is especially nice in summer because it enables you to cook hot meals without heating up your home.

Microwave heat is produced only within the food, so the microwave oven stays cool and your house does, too, saving you money on your air conditioning bill!

In general, the microwave oven uses only one-fourth of the energy used by a conventional oven.

In order to get the most from using your microwave oven, remember these tips:

1. Covering most foods will speed up cooking.

2. Use round or oval dishes, instead of square or rectangle, for more even cooking.

3. If you are cooking two foods at the same time, choose foods that take about the same amount of time to cook.

4. Heating continues after food is removed from the microwave oven, so allow time for this additional cooking.

5. Arrange chicken pieces so that the thicker, meatier portions are toward the outside of the dish and the thin, bony parts are toward the center.

6. Foods containing sugar and fats cook faster.

Many of your family's favorite recipes can be converted to a microwave recipe.

To figure microwave cooking time, start with one-fourth of the conventional time.

Always undercook--if more time is needed, you can always add another minute or two.

Use less liquid because there is not as much evaporation.

It may help to find a recipe that is similar to yours that is written especially for microwave ovens and use it as a guide.


SWISS STEAK

3 tbsp. flour
1 lb. beef round steak, 3/4 inch thick
3 tbsp. dry onion soup mix - shake mix before measuring
1 tbsp. brown sugar
3 tbsp. water
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

Sprinkle half of flour on one side of meat; pound in with rolling pin or meat mallet. Turn meat and sprinkle with remaining flour; pound with rolling pin. Cut into 4 serving size pieces.

Arrange in 8 inch round microwave baking dish.

In small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, blend well. Pour over meat. Cover tightly with microwave safe plastic wrap. Microwave on medium for 12 to 17 minutes or until meat is almost tender. Let stand tightly covered for 10 minutes.
Serves 4
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Steamed Veggies

Vegetable (green beans,carrots, broccoli, whatever)
Small amount of water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Put veggies and water in a microwave-safe container and cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap,loosely, so steam can escape.

Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute at time, until done to desired tenderness.

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Microwave Raspberry Cake

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Mix in preserves. Blend well. Add sour cream and eggs. Beat well. Blend together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add gradually to first mixture, beating well.

Pour batter into greased 8-inch round microwave-safe dish. Microwave on full power for 4 to 5 minutes or until top springs back when pressed with finger.

Cool. Frost with Raspberry Frosting.

Raspberry Frosting

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Combine butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract and preserves. Blend well. Add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Spread on cake.
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Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com
About The Author:

Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" bi-weekly newsletter and founder of the website of the same name.

Visit http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the free e-course "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".

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Frugal Sunday - 40 Frugal Ways To Get Fit!

This week's frugal article is about getting fit. Enjoy learning how to get fit and save some dough!

40 Frugal Ways To Get Fit!

Written by Ashlynn Donaldson

Friday, 07 April 2006

"I can't get fit because I can't afford [pick one] the equipment, a trainer, a gym membership." "Can't afford to get fit" is one of the top excuses people give when asked why they don't exercise. That's about as logical as saying, "I can't drive because I can't afford a Mercedes." Here are 40 penny-wise ways to get fit: Walk. The benefits of walking are underrated. Almost everybody can do it. Most people walk 4,000 to 5,000 steps per day anyway. Aim to add more steps in your daily activities. Make sure to walk briskly to raise your heart rate to get the most benefit. But even a stroll through a shopping mall is better than shopping online. Buy a pedometer to help keep track of your steps. You can get one for about $10, but they come free in some breakfast cereal boxes. Take the stairs every chance you get, even if it's only one flight. Park farther away from work or from the front door wherever you go. Jog or run. Don't use your children as an excuse not to exercise. Take them along for a walk or run in a stroller, wagon, or on a bike. Buy a dog from the pound or borrow the neighbor's pooch. People who walk with dogs walk longer and more often than those who don't. Turn on your radio, CD player or MP3 and dance up a storm for 20 to 30 minutes in the privacy of your own home. Use your library card to check out all sorts of exercise videos or DVDs. Use the lowest stair or stairs in your home or outside and create your own step workout. A foot stool works too. Turn your canned goods into weights. A 5-pound bag of sugar weighs as much as a 5-pound weight. For a more challenging strength workout, pour sand or water into empty milk or bleach bottles to create weights. Grab a chair or the kitchen counter and do some push-ups, squats and leg lifts. Pair a favorite TV show with some sit-ups. Just hook your toes under the sofa. Take the treadmill/rowing machine/exercise bike hidden away in the basement or under a pile of laundry and move it in front of the TV. Thinking of buying a piece of equipment to work out on at home? Check the want ads and garage sales for a good deal. Pick up a ball or play tag with your kids. Clean your own house. Do your own yardwork. Wash the car. Call some friends for a pickup game of basketball. Throw a Frisbee. Pick up cheap, used sports equipment at second-hand sports and discount stores. Check with your community league or local rec center for any exercise classes, walking clubs or team sports you can join. Got rope? Jump it for a total body workout. Exercise with a friend. It will increase the chances you'll stick with your new activity. Dust off the bicycle. Swim. Laugh. Great big belly laughs. Every day. It's good for the soul as well as your abs. Carry around a computer bag or backpack weighted with 5 or 10 pounds of stuff for exercises like one-armed rows or squats you can do throughout the day. Buy a stability ball. They can cost as little as $10. Use it as an office chair at work. Balancing on a ball works your core muscles. Go for a walk or just stand by your workstation and stretch for 5 to 10 minutes every hour. Check out the company gym if you have one. There's a treadmill just waiting for you. Ask your employer for some free space. Send out an email to see if others are interested and bring in someone to teach a yoga or Pilates class on site once or twice a week. Split the cost. Organize a hockey, basketball or baseball game with the people you work with. Check with your boss or HR department to see if there's a program that will help pay for all or part of a gym membership. Find out if your local gym offers discounts. Go to open houses. That way you can try out classes at various fitness places before you join or sign up for a class. Sign up for a gym during peak sale periods, which usually occur after the holidays or just before summer. Paying $40 or $50 for a monthly gym membership may seem like a lot. But if you thrive in such a high-energy setting and actually do work out regularly, it "works out" to about $2 to $4 a visit if you go 3 to 6 days a week. Check if your health insurance company offers lower premiums to people who work out regularly or have a club membership. Call a trainer, tell him or her you're on a budget. See what they can provide for what you have to spend. Call a trainer and arrange a session for you and a couple of friends to split the cost. There are lots of sport drinks on the market. Water is still cheaper and will quench your thirst better. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com

About The Author:
DoctorSolve Healthcare Solutions Inc. is a service company that provides health administrative services, access to prescription pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (OTC) products predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase pharmaceuticals on-line. The company also sells pet medications to pet owners.

Frugal Sunday - Rainy Day Activity Box

Since the kiddoes are out of school for summer, I thought this would be a good article to share.

Rainy Day Activity Box
By Sara Noel

If you have young children, creating an activity box is a creative way to keep them from becoming bored during rainy days or times they can’t get outside to play. The box can contain items that you don’t use often, so the activity box creates extra excitement when it’s brought out and becomes a special part of building fun memories.

Starting the Fun

You can purchase a plastic container or you can custom decorate your own cardboard box. The size of it is entirely up to you, based on the amount of activity items you plan to store inside of it. Some fun ways of decorating your box can be up to your child, but some suggestions are sequins, stickers, markers/crayons, glitter, ribbon, and contact paper.

Activity Items

Choosing what your box will contain is the best part. Keeping in mind that your child shouldn’t be unattended.

The following is a starter list:

• Magazines
• Puzzles
• Crayons
• Glue
• Scissors
• Board game
• Music cd
• Brown paper lunch and grocery bags
• Pompoms
• Buttons
• Tape
• Stapler
• Paint
• Paper towel rolls
• Matchbox cars
• Construction paper
• Rubber stamps
• Paper airplane instructions
• Cookie cutters
• Popsicle sticks

A few items you can make yourself:

Play dough

• 2 Tablespoon cream of tartar
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons food coloring
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup salt
• Cook on stove top over medium heat for four minutes.

I-Spy treasure bottle

Use a 2-liter pop bottle, insert small items like a paper clip, coins, foam shapes, beads, jingle bells, and buttons and then add birdseed. Some people use rice or sunflower seeds. Tilt the bottle and search for the little treasures.

Coloring books or printable pages http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/weather/coloringpage.php

Besides the above craft supply and game items, you can also use this time as a “teachable moment".

The following are ideas to teach more about the weather:

1. Books and information on weather, rain, clouds, rainbows, how plants outdoors grow, and storms. http://www.dcrafts.com/weatherbooks.htm

2.You can use an old coffee can, two liter pop bottle, or glass jar to create a rain gauge outside. Just mark off increments. They can measure the amount of rain.

3.You can make a rainmaker craft out of an empty paper towel roll too. Just decorate the outside by rolling a piece of construction paper around the roll and taping it. Then roll up tin foil and place it inside and add loose dried beans and rice. You can seal off the ends by stapling or taping them down flat. When you turn your “stick” it will sound like rain.

4. Discuss the water cycle http://www.first-school.ws/activities/science/drippy.htm

You’ll have a handy box of boredom busters. Many of the items you probably have readily available in your house already and if not, the items are all inexpensive to purchase, so creating the box is frugal fun too. It’s so much fun, the kids won’t mind rainy days.

Sara Noel is a freelance writer and the Editor/Publisher of http://www.FrugalVillage.com http://www.HomesteadGarden.com and http://www.Homekeeping101.com Visit these sites for information on getting back to basics through frugality, gardening, organizing, home keeping, lost arts, simplicity, homesteading, and natural family living.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_Noel

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Frugal Sunday - Seven Household Budgeting Tips

Several weeks ago, I brought you an article on how to set up a budget. This week, the article contains some budgeting tips.

If you have a favorite frugal tip, send it my way! You just might see it end up here!

Seven Household Budgeting Tips
Written by S. L. Simmons

Do you frequently get cash from ATMs and then have no idea where it ends up? Do you end up paying late fees simply because you don't have a good system in place for tracking and paying your bills? If you don't have a good budget system in place, it is easy to lose track of your hard earned money. The tips below can help you to keep your finances under control.

1. Keep your financial records organized and your filing up to date. Have a set of file folders for items such as receipts, bills, canceled checks, checking account statements, etc. Have a designated place where you keep or can easily assemble your master budget, your financial files, checkbook, etc. so it is all in one convenient location.

2. Avoid spending cash, unless you are good at writing down cash expenses in a journal. It is all too easy to get $100 from the ATM and then have no idea where it all went at the end of the week. If you have trouble figuring out where your cash gets spent, keep a small amount of cash on hand for minor purchases. For everything else, try to pay by either a paper check, online checking or through credit cards so you have a record of your purchases. Credit cards are a good way to track purchases unless you have trouble controlling your spending. If this applies to you, then avoid credit card purchases and focus on keeping track of your expenses in a journal or by paying for items by check.

3. Give your children a set allowance for things like movies, CDs, snacks and toys instead of just giving them money on as needed basis. Giving children an allowance teaches them to make wise spending choices at an early age. A twelve year old who spends all of his allowance right away on CDs and then doesn't have enough money to go to the movies with his friends on the weekend has just learned a good lesson on the negative consequences of impulse spending.

4. Have a system in place for handling the mail. If you are not in the habit of misplacing bills or checks, good for you. Keep on using whatever system you have in place now. However, if losing track of bills is an issue at your house, it may help to have a designated mail drop box inside the house. Each family member should be instructed that whoever brings in the mail that day should always put the mail in the designated mail box for later sorting. Then the family member who has responsibility for sorting the mail should do so near the financial folders. That way checks get put right away in the check folder, bills in the bill folder, etc.

5. Avoid going to stores where you have had problems overspending in the past. Our neighbors stopped shopping at warehouse clubs and actually ended up saving money. They found they spent more money by not being able to resist all of the warehouse club bargains on products they really didn't need than they would by just getting their food at the local grocery store.

6. Have written, long term savings goals. Some sample goals might be getting out of debt, saving for a college, or building a retirement fund. It helps to avoid spending money on day to day purchases if you have financial goals in mind. Not having any compelling reasons to save makes it easier to fritter away money on small day to day purchases instead of saving for the long term.

7. Have a set time each week to review and pay the bills. If you have the money to pay your bills, there is no point in getting unneeded late fees due to disorganization or lost bills. If you take home $15 an hour after taxes, then to make up for just one $30 late fee you would have to work an extra two hours to cover the fee.

Getting organized is one of the first steps to getting your budget under control. Avoiding unnecessary late fees, paying bills on time, and having a good system in place for filing and paying your bills can all help to keep your household budget on the right track.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com
About The Author:

Copyright 2006 Always Frugal.

S. L. Simmons is a thrifty mom and editor at Always Frugal. Visit her site at http://www.alwaysfrugal.com/budgeting.html for more tips on household budgeting, a free budget template, and more articles on how to live frugally.