Simple Tips

Every now and then I come across a simple solution to a problem I've had. It's funny how hard you can stress out about something, or totally ignore things because you either don't know how to fix it or don't want to bother with it.

The other night my family and I wanted dinner and we had nothing to make (I hadn't gone to the grocery store yet). The only thing I had were random food items. Well, I wanted tuna noodle casserole! I had some tuna and some pasta. I checked dozens of recipes for tuna noodle casserole and turns out I needed more ingredients than what I had. A lot of them called for cream of mushroom. I didn't have that or cream of chicken or anything. I was getting upset and was about to tell Nathan to hop in the car and go to subway but I decided I was going to invent my own tuna noodle casserole. I started boiling my random pasta and in another pot I sauteed some onion and then added chunks of Velveeta with some milk. After that melted down it looked too runny, so I added in some sour cream that was going to expire the next day (which reminds me, I need to throw that out) and it made it a creamy texture. I flaked my tuna then added it to the cheese along with celery salt and pepper. After my pasta was cooked, I threw it into my cheese mixture and mixed it up then I threw it into an 8x8 dish and sprinkled some bread crumbs on top. I popped it into the oven for like 15 minutes. It looked like tuna noodle casserole and smelled like it but the true test was to see if it tasted like it...and it did! I was so proud of myself!

Simple tip #1...Make do with what you got!

So I see a lot of recipes that call for some sort of wine. I stay away from them because I know nothing about cooking with wine and I just am afraid I would mess it up. The recipe might sound delicious but as soon as I see "white wine" in the ingredient list...I freak out and pass it by. Turns out there is an easy solution if you don't have wine or just don't want to use it...try using chicken stock. Apparently it has the same result as using wine...and it's a lot cheaper!

Sometimes my washing machine gets smelly. I'm assuming it's from having water in it all the time and then not being able to air out (I always keep the lid closed). All you need to do to get rid of the smell is fill up the washer with warm water and pour in 2 cups of white vinegar. Let it stand for about an hour and then run the cycle as you would a normal load of laundry.

Simple tip #2...Keep vinegar on hands. It's an amazing cleaning agent, keeps ants out, and can be used to cook!

My mother drinks water like it's going out of style. She complains about hauling the heavy box of plastic water bottles at the store. You have to pick it off the shelf then put it in your cart, then lift it out of the cart so the clerk can scan it...then you put it back in the cart, then put it in your trunk....then haul it inside your house. It's a pain in the butt when you have lots of groceries and water bottles, etc. I know all of you know what I'm talking about...first off, stop buying bottles of water! Go buy a nice reusable bottle...one that matches your personality! Once that happens, you'll save the Earth from plastic bottles and keep more money in your pocket! This tip can be used for coffee drinkers as well. Stop buying coffee on the go, and bring your own in your own reusable mug. They even have these super awesome ones at wal-mart right now. I believe if you bring in your own mug at some coffee shops (Starbucks) they'll give you a discount.

Simple tip #3...Stop destroying the Earth by doing easy, simple things like buying reusable bottles.

If you're counting calories or would like to start, this tip is a must! I'm sure you've read to keep a food journal, well that doesn't work for me. I usually loose the paper that it's on or make so many scratches and marks on that I have no idea what I've written. I use a huge dry erase board and keep it in my dinning room (that's attached to my kitchen). I can write down what I've eaten and how many calories everything is, what time I've eaten, etc. If I need to add or subtract I can easily erase it with my handy dandy cloth. It keeps me motivated...because I don't hide it from company. They think I'm crazy, but I don't care.

Simple tip #4...Invest in a dry erase board. You'll get many uses out of it (counting calories, keeping your daily schedule, playing hangman, art board for the kids).

Shopping is inevitable. You're going to have to buy things...but you should never buy things without planning for them! Always make a list...whether it's for groceries, things you've run out of like shampoo, or an ongoing list of things you'd like to have but are not willing to pay full price (this is a good tip when shopping on ebay or craigslist). After making your lists and knowing what stores to hit...don't forget to print your coupons! I have stores on my facebook just so I know when a sale is going on or I can print a coupon! If you want to buy some cereal, google your favorite brand and see if they have a coupon you can print. Why not take an extra 3 minutes to search for money saved?!? It's a no brainer. Signing up for free rewards isn't a bad idea either. You can make a free email account and use that solely for free rewards.

Simple tip #5...Save money when you can.

If you have any simple tips for any aspect in life...let me know. Never hurts to help out some friends.