Plastic Shopping Bags Uses and Storage

I know many of you have already started using those wonderful reusable "green bags" when you go shopping.  But, if you are like me, sometimes I get to the store and realize I forgot them.  Or, you are just running in for a couple items and you forget them in the car or don't want to bother for such a small order.  You opt for plastic over paper and now you have some of those plastic shopping bags.  Most would maybe reuse it in it's original form to carry things once or twice, recycle it, or toss it, but I have found some great additional uses for these bags that save me money.  I also found a great way to store them so they don't take up too much room either.

1. Free trash liners for your bathroom trash cans.
2. If you have cats, they are perfect little trash bags for scooping the litter clumps.
3. If you are already recycling or composting, you probably don't have half as much kitchen trash as you used to.  Why do you still need the industrial size trash can in your kitchen?  Downsize to a 3 gallon/11 liter waste basket, roughly the size you might use under a desk.  The plastic bags fit perfectly so you don't need to purchase kitchen trash bags anymore, either. Just make sure the bag doesn't have a hole in the bottom or you might end up with a mess if you put wet stuff in the trash.  Mine fits perfectly under my sink, so its out of sight and the pets can't get into it.  With these smaller size trash cans, you might even have room under your sink for a separate trash and recycle waste basket.  This will make it more convenient to recycle, so you will be more likely to do it.  With a smaller trash container, obviously, it will fill up a little quicker than a big one, but you will be able to keep smells to a minimum inside your home since you will be taking the trash out more frequently.



Upcycled plastic baskets by bagsagain.etsy.com

4. This one might be a stretch for some of you to make yourself, but I have actually seen people cut these into long strips like yarn and knit, crochet, or weave them into rugs, beach bags, purses, place mats, baskets, accessories, and other amazing creations.  Check out some some of these very affordable items others have made out of plastic shopping bags that are for sale on etsy.com  They will blow your mind!!  Some Etsy sellers even sell patterns for those of you who might want to try to make some of these, and "yarn" that is already pre-made for these creations, if you don't want to take the time to cut it up yourself.

Now that I have you thinking a little differently about these plastic shopping bags, here's my trick to making them compact for easy storage.  

1. Stick a couple fingers of your right hand through the handles of the bag.  Keep your fingers in these holes the whole time until right at the end at step #4.
2. Using your left hand, starting near the handles, smooth and pull the bag into a long plastic strip.
3. Grasp the "bottom" of the bag with your left hand and with a twisting wrist action, roll the bottom of the bag up around two fingers on your left hand all the way up to the handles creating a little "ball" around your left hand fingers and twisting the bag around your right fingers creating a small "loop"
4. Flip the "loop" from the handles around your right hand fingers over the "ball" wrapped around your left hand fingers.  This will keep this tight little ball secured and compact for easy storage.  
5. A small box, basket, or drawer will hold a ton of them in this compact form until you are ready to use them.  Simply unhook the loop, unwind, and they are ready to use again.

Microwave Potato Chips

You read the title correctly.  Yes, you can actually make crunchy chips in the microwave.  I was watching a Dr. Oz episode and was inspired by one of the kitchen gadgets he was showcasing.  Being the frugal person I am, I thought, "Why spend the money on the gadget?"  Who needs another gadget cluttering up their kitchen, anyway?

Slice the potatoes paper thin.  If you have a mandolin slicer already, that is the perfect tool used on the thinnest slice setting.  Place a reusable non-stick silicone baking sheet in your microwave and turn off the turn table to keep it from spinning.  Place your potato slices on the sheet making sure to not over lap.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt, then nuke on high for 2-3 minutes.  The time will vary based on how thin your slices are and the power of your microwave.  If they turn out a little chewy and not crunchy, your chips are either cut too thick or it needs to cook a little longer.  If they are cooked a little too long, they will taste a bit burned.  Play around with a few small batches until you get it just right.  They are delicious, light & airy, and much healthier than any fried chip.

You can also try this trick with a variety of veggies & fruits like sweet potatoes, apples, pears, or other root veggies like parsnips, beets, etc.  Check out some of the variations you see in the snack aisle for inspiration. You will probably have to play around a little to find the perfect cook times for each type.  I found with apples, and other items that have a higher sugar content, the sweeter they were, the more likely they had a tendency to be a bit more chewy than crunchy, but they are still delicious.  With the apples, I found putting them in for 1 minute and 50 seconds, flipping them, then putting them in for another 30 seconds came out the best.

It's much quicker than a dehydrator, so you can make them fresh whenever you get the craving.  I haven't tried it yet, but I would think they would store for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container or baggie. I'm sure you could also do the same thing in the oven on a low bake setting, but when you don't want to wait or heat up your kitchen, try this instead.  Imagine the possibilities!

Double it Up to Save Time and Energy

When you do take the time to cook dinner, why not make a batch twice as large as you actually need for that day?  This way you only really cook once and can heat up left overs on a night when you are too tired or pressed for time to cook.  You only need to turn your oven or stove on once instead of twice.  Your microwave uses much less power to reheat your meal.

Package your left overs in convenient sizes that serve one person.  I recommend the low cost stackable containers so many companies sell now.  Why invest in expensive ones when the cheapies last quite a long time and if you want to send home leftovers with a friend, they don't have to worry about returning your container.  Many containers that you might normally toss in the recycle bin will work also, think sliced lunch meat.  I personally like ones that are somewhat see through so you can see how large the portion is without opening it and you remember that it's not something else when you go back to find your leftovers later without having to notice the label.  Label them with a piece of scotch tape and a sharpie, so you know what it is, and don't forget the date you made it.  The labels will peel off easily later and they are super inexpensive.  If you don't eat your leftovers in a day or two, pop it in the freezer.  On those busier days, open up the freezer and you have a smorgasbord of healthy options to pick from with a delicious homemade taste, which are ready in minutes.  Just like a restaurant, each person can pick their favorite because you thought ahead and froze them in individual serving sizes. They heat up quicker in the microwave this way, too.  Pop them onto a plate or in a bowl.  Never heat your leftovers in plastic containers or use plastic wrap in the microwave because harmful chemicals, like BPA, leach from the plastic into your food when heated.  Cover with a paper towel if it will have a tendency to splatter.  Prevent the mess now and you have less to clean up later.  Your personalized healthy meals will be ready in minutes.

Pre-made store bought microwave meals are expensive, even with coupons, and typically don't include too many veggies or contain very small portions of protein.  Overall, most are lacking in the nutrition department.  They are usually carbohydrate heavy, since carbs are cheaper for companies to produce and they help fill you up, so you think you had a good size portion for your money. Unfortunately, these simple carbs, like white rice, regular white flour pasta, or breads like in a pizza crust, cause your blood sugar to spike shortly after eating them.  In an hour or two your blood sugar will crash causing you to feel hungry again.  Then you start craving the stuff you probably shouldn't be eating and start packing on the pounds.  When you do the cooking, if you go a little heavier on the veggies, add complex carbs like brown rice, whole grain flour items, or add a normal size protein portion, the meals are much healthier for you and will fill you up just as well, or even better, but keep also your blood sugar normalized without the crash and subsequent cravings later.

Painting Tip

When you are working on a painting job, and it time to quit for the day, but you are far from finished, DON'T rinse out your paint brush.  WHAT?!!  You heard me right.

When you are using a latex or oil based paint, you can simply wrap up the bristles in plastic wrap and pop them in the fridge.  The moist, cold environment will prevent the paint from curing.  Have you ever noticed most paint cans will tell you not to paint when the temperature is too cold?  That's why.  You can even keep them in the fridge for a few days, if you need to, and they will not dry up on you.  I've even done it for up to a week with no problems.  When you are ready to get back to your project, unwrap and you are ready to go.  This way you waste less paint, too.

This tip is a great one for those weekend warriors out there.  Have you ever noticed when you did wash out your brush the night before and it wasn't dry the next time you picked it up, it causes all kinds of annoying problems.  For instance, the water remaining in the brush waters down your latex paint, so your coverage is not consistent.  It also causes messy drips running down the handle of your brush if you are painting above shoulder level.  Don't rinse out your brush each time, and these problems are eliminated.

This tip also works for rollers, too!

Impromptu Oriental Stir-Fry

Got some odds and ends veggies you don't know what to do with?  Maybe some left over meat, noodles or rice?  It's Oriental night!  Why do take-out if you probably have everything you need already?  You can make the dish as simple or as complicated as you like, depending on what you have available and your taste.

Even if you don't have the left over noodles or rice, in the time it takes to cook up a batch, you can have them ready by the time you get your veggies all chopped up and ready to throw in the wok.  If you don't have left over meat that you could dice up, it would be nice if you had a little plan earlier in the day to marinate some raw meat in soy sauce or something similar, but it is not a must.  Any kind will do, chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, even diced canned spam.  Yes, I said the "S" word.  American's typically turn up their noses, and it probably isn't the healthiest thing I will ever suggest, but it is packed with flavor and very reasonably priced.  Did you know spam is one of the most popular meat products world wide?  It is especially popular in Oriental dishes.  Once in a blue moon won't kill you.  Just don't make it a regular staple in your diet and you will likely be just fine. Even if you don't have meat, you can just do vegetarian or scramble up a few eggs, pour them into a fry pan, without stirring, let them cook up into a flat sheet, then dice up and set to the side until you are ready to add later.  You could also do some form of tofu.  Personally, I don't like that stuff, so I couldn't tell you what to do with it. :o)

As far as a recipe, you have my permission to a JUST WING IT!  If you like the veggie, you will likely like it in your dish.  The tricks to getting it to taste right are:

• Cut the pieces small enough to cook quickly and evenly.  Cutting thin and on a diagonal works well.
• Use an oil that can tolerate higher heat such as peanut oil or coconut oil
• Cook with high to medium-high heat and keep things moving
• Add the ingredients in the order from "takes longer to cook" to "takes just a minute to cook"
• Don't overcook and make your veggies mushy, a little crunch in some of the them is always more interesting in the overall texture of the dish
• Except for the meat, don't season until its just about ready to serve to avoid burning

Start with heating up your wok or large skillet. You could probably even get away with a large stock pot, but it would not be ideal.  Add a tablespoon or two of oil.  When it starts to run around the pan easily, you are ready to go.  A good basic start is some carrots, celery, broccoli or other veggies that take a little longer to cook - cook a minute or two, stirring frequently.  Then add ingredients that take a less time to cook, such as cabbage, meat, mushrooms, pea pods, peppers, onions, scallions, fresh ginger, minced garlic - cook a few minutes longer, don't forget to keep stirring.  Then add the last ingredients that cook quickly or just need to be heated such as shrimp, zucchini, yellow squash, bean sprouts, diced fried scrambled egg, etc.  Stir around another couple minutes till cooked through, but veggies still have a little crunch to them.  Turn down heat to keep warm, but not burn or over cook.

Now you are ready to add your cooked noodles, or rice, and seasonings.  Any kind of noodles will do, from the everyday spaghetti, or linguini noodles, to something a little more exotic, like rice noodles, soba noodles, etc.  You could even use the noodles in the little cheap ramen packs.  If you choose rice instead of noodles, a less sticky rice is better, but any variety will do.  Just cook your choice, per the package directions, before adding to your veggie/meat mixture.

The seasonings are all a matter of what you like, also.  If you didn't have fresh ginger or garlic earlier, you could add some powdered ginger or garlic, or any combination of the following: soy sauce or tamari, or sesame seeds.  For a more authentic flavor, try some seasonings that may not be as familiar such as: sesame seed oil (just a tad since the flavor is quite strong), mirin (sweet cooking seasoning), rice vinegar, or ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce).  If you like your dish to have a little kick, try adding some crushed red pepper, Chinese mustard, sriracha hot chili sauce, or a chili paste such as sambal oelek.  The latter of the two have quite a potent kick, so use very sparingly until you get a feel for the heat they have.  You can always add more, but its not so easy to take out.  Once you think you have a good bit of flavor in it, taste it and adjust as needed.  If you want to thicken the sauce a bit, dissolve a teaspoon or so of corn starch in a tablespoon of cool water in a separate container.  With the seasoned veggie mixture over medium heat, slowly add the corn starch water mixture to the sauce in the bottom of the pan, while stirring constantly.  As sauce heats up it will thicken.  Don't add all the corn starch mixture at one time.  Put in a little bit, wait till it starts to thicken, then add a little more if it needs it to get it just right.


Once you try this a time or two, you will get a feel for what you like.  You might even feel a little adventurous and try some veggies next time that you have maybe seen before, but didn't know what to do with, like napa cabbage, bok choy, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, baby corn, and so many other oriental veggies you might find in a specialty store.   Your dish will be ready before you could have picked up the phone and waited for the delivery man.  You used up odd and ends instead of maybe throwing them out in a few days, and no tipping required.  Remember, to follow the basic rules, have fun, and add a pinch of love and it always turns out tasty!  Just like take-out, it makes great leftovers, too.

Removing Red Wine Stains

Aw, Man!  You just dripped red wine on your shirt, or worse yet, on your friend's light colored carpet.  Don't panic, but don't let it sit there too long, either.  First try to dab up the excess with something absorbent, like a white paper towel, or a clean rag.  Don't rub, Dab.  Also, try not to spread the stain over a larger area in the process.  Now you need two basic things you will likely find in any household:

• a bottle of dish soap, the kind with the squirty pop top, 
• and a bottle of plain old cheap hydrogen peroxide

Did you know that the size opening and threading on most dish soap bottles is exactly the same as the ones used on pretty much every hydrogen peroxide bottle?  Divine intervention?  Maybe?  Here's the trick....  Unscrew the pop top from the soap bottle, don't rinse the soap off of it, then screw it right onto the hydrogen peroxide bottle.  You now have the perfect tool for your wine removal.  The little bit of dish soap remaining on the pop top works with the hydrogen peroxide so you can apply it exactly where it needs to go.  Use the tip of the bottle to gently massage the fabric or carpet to get between the fibers and remove the stain.  If on a carpet, use a clean white paper towel or clean rag to soak up the excess liquid as you go, so the carpet doesn't get too soaked.  Like magic, the soap and peroxide mixture makes the stain almost vanish before your eyes.  After the stain has disappeared, rinse with cool, clean water and dab up the excess with a different clean white paper towel or clean rag.

Many online cleaning tips tell you to mix up a batch of this and that, using up a bulk of the hydrogen peroxide solution, and getting out more mixing stuff than what you actually need.  Don't waste time or more supplies than you really need.  The pop top allows for precision placement of your cleaning solution with little to no waste.

I used this trick for one of my parent's friends over the holidays.  They were shocked at how simple and quick it worked.  This trick will work on colored fabrics as well, but make sure you rinse it afterwards.  It will also work on many more organic type stains that are typically tough to get out.  Hydrogen peroxide is very similar to the active ingredient in cleaners like Clorox 2, so it will also be safe on most color fabrics.  On your fancier fabrics, you might want to spot test on a hidden area, just to make sure, but I've never found a problem when I have used it... knock on wood!

Repairing a Frozen or Sticking Deadbolt

My husband went to open the back door last week.  The deadbolt turned a little bit, then completely froze up.  We couldn't turn it either way without feeling like we were going to break the key off in the lock.  Yours might not be that stuck, maybe its just sticking or not too easy to turn.  Don't call the repair man, grab a philips screwdriver, the one with the X on the top, and a can of WD-40 spray lubricant.

Most deadbolts have two screws on the inside of the deadbolt, the side facing the inside of the door.  Loosen those screws and put them in a safe place close by so you don't loose them.  Righty-Tighty, Lefty-Loosey is how you can remember which way to turn.  As you open up the lock, pay attention to how all the parts fit together and where they are located to help you know where they need to go back in just a minute.  There will likely be two parts, the decorative cover and the round part the key fits into, if you have that type.  Or if you have the kind that has a knob that turns, it might be all one piece.  There will be a long stick part coming off of this piece that fits into a squarish opening in the part that stays in the door.  Set those pieces to the side.

Grab your can of WD-40 and spray all inside the lock mechanism over any part that looks like it will move.  Point the can inside the opening at a few different angles, to make sure you get everything.  Using your screwdriver, place the tip into the squarish opening that the stick like part had fit into.  Turn to the right and to the left to see if you can get the lock parts to move again.  They should start to move now.  You should be able to open the door now.  Spray a little more lubricant into the lock and add some more on the deadbolt on the side of the door.  Continue to turn the deadbolt locked and unlocked with your screwdriver until the mechanisms move freely.  Now it's time to reassemble.

On my particular model lock, the squarish stick part has one slightly rounded side.  The opening in the door will have the same.  You will need to line up the sides of the square so they fit properly, but don't forget the decorative cover, if your model has the two pieces.  Now reinsert the piece.  This might be a little easier if the lock is either in the completely locked position, or completely unlocked position, instead of somewhere in between.  You might not get it lined up exactly the first time, but be patient, you can do it.  Fit the pieces back in place.  Reinsert the screws and tighten them up.


You did it!  The lock likely just needed a little lubricant or there was dirt and dust in the moving parts making it stick.  Congratulations! You just saved yourself some money and a call to the repair man.  Now that was easy, wasn't it?!

Slay Soap Scum

A wet sponge and the good old fashioned 20 Mule Team Borax blasts through soap scum and hard water spots better than any spray I've used.  Even better than other powder cleaners I've used.  With little to no elbow grease, soap scum is history.  Give a little rinse and your shower doors and tiles are nice shiny.  It's cheap and found in the laundry aisle of your local supermarket or big box store.  I've tried other "green" cleaning concoctions of baking soda with vinegar and water, but those still required quite a bit of elbow grease and I wasn't completely satisfied with the results.  Borax works so much better.

Trying to Get Organized?

Have you pledged to try and get your life organized for your New Year's Resolution?  Here's a FREE resource you can download that contains lots of tips and tricks to get you well on your way.  This book normally retails for $14.99, but is available for Free right now in the downloadable Kindle format.  Organize for a Fresh Start: Embrace Your Next Chapter in Life  by Susan Fay West.


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Free Kindle Software/App Info

While you are off in Amazon land, browse the hundreds of other books you can also download for free. Free Kindle Books on Amazon.com