Heather's Bytes

Everyone has tips and ideas that they like to use and share on how to save money around the house. One of my favorite places to see if I can save a few bucks is in the kitchen. There are the old standbys, like using coupons or reusing disposable containers, and I’ve got a few that I’ve done for a few years that I’ve found help us out when times are lean.

Invest in a kitchen scale. We buy our ground beef and ground turkey in bulk, in packages of five or so pounds each. A kitchen scale lets me get exactly the amount I need when I separate the ground meats into bags to freeze, instead of just guessing or eyeballing. Which brings me to: Read More

I almost didn’t try these. I found them while perusing Tasty Kitchen (click for recipe) and though they sounded really good I doubted that I would have the stuff on hand for them (why do I always think that?). It was a really nice surprise to find that not only did I have the two somewhat non-standard ingredients (instant coffee and almond extract), I had everything else as well!

I decided to use mini chocolate chips on top instead of the regular-sized ones because I wanted more of an even distribution (read: more chocolate).

Oddly enough, the kids weren’t that crazy about them at first bite, and cited the almond extract as the reason why. I love almond extract (the smell takes me back to my childhood and some of my mom’s beauty products) and I make sure I always have some on hand (it’s excellent in sugar cookies). Anyway, as of this evening they seem to have gotten over it and asked for more as their after-school snack.

The bars have a have a shortbread-like texture, and the combination of coffee (which is very light) and the almond extract are divine (in my opinion).

Greek yogurt is thick, creamy and surprisingly easy to make. It’s also called for in many frozen yogurt recipes because there is less water in the mixture, making for less ice crystals and a thicker final product.

You can actually use regular yogurt to make Greek-style yogurt, and depending on what you want it for you can use just plain or vanilla, or even the fruit varieties. Sugar- and fat-free work too. Here’s what you do:

Get your strainer and a bowl big enough that the strainer can fit into it with a bit of space space between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the strainer.

Line the inside of the strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth (you can find cheesecloth in the baking aisle at the grocery store). Empty a container of yogurt onto the cheesecloth, and depending on how much you’re using you can even use a smaller strainer and bowl, etc.

You’ll immediately start to see some of the liquid from the yogurt. Gently cover the top of the yogurt with plastic wrap and place the whole thing in the fridge.

Depending on how thick you want your yogurt will determine how long it should stay in the fridge and drain. For a creamy, sour-cream textured Greek yogurt, keep it in for 4-6 hours. A more authentic Greek yogurt needs 8-12 hours, and 24 hours will give you something close to cream cheese.

When you’re done, gently lift the strainer from the drain bowl. The liquid that’s left is whey, and actually contains any bitterness from the yogurt. Scoop your Greek yogurt into an airtight container and keep stored in the fridge, or:

Make frozen yogurt!

Did you know there are things you can do with flour that don’t involve baking or cooking? Woman’s Day magazine recently ran a short article about five unorthodox uses for white flour. I’d never heard of the first three, though I think a lot of moms have definitely done the last two! Other than baking and cooking, what else have you used flour for?

1. Clean a deck of playing cards. Simply place a cup or so of flour into a large zip-top bag with a deck or dingy playing cards and shake for a minute. Remove the cards from the bag and shuffle over the garbage can to shake off the excess flour.

2. Unstick a pesky lid. If you’ve got a plastic screw-on lid that gives you a tough time whenever you try to open it, dip the edge of the container in some flour before screwing the lid back on.

3. Clean white fabrics. Apparently rubbing just a bit of flour into the dirt lines on white canvas, leather, faux leather, vinyl and curtains will scrub out the dirt that gets into textured materials. Simply brush the flour off when you’re done.

4. Make your own craft glue. By mixing and bringing to a boil 1 part flour with 3 parts of water, you can create your own paste that’s perfectly safe for kids of any age to use. Store unused glue in an airtight container in the fridge.

5. Make play dough. I think every mom knows this one! Mix together 1 cup of water, 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp of vegetable oil for a non-toxic toy that kids will play with for hours. Add food coloring to kick things up. Store in plastic wrap in the fridge.

[image: flickr]