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Archive for October, 2009


How To Reduce The Typical Household Family Budget

 

 

In this day and age the big question on everyone’s lips is how to reduce the typical household family budget.

Cutting down on what you spend has always been an interesting topic of conversation but now it seems that people want to do more than talk about it, they now have to look for ways to save money.

A great place to start is with your utility bills. There are quite a few websites that have been set up which enable you to compare what these large organisations are charging and you may be surprised to know that there can be quite a difference to what you are paying now compared to the cheapest on offer.

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Pumpkin bars recipe

Here is my favourite pumpkin bars recipe another nice treat for thanksgiving.

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting — (recipe follows)
1/2 cup chopped nuts

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese — softened
1/3 cup butter or margarine — softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

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How to eat healthy on a budget

Like a great many people, if you are a little short of money at the moment it does not mean that you cannot eat in a healthy way.

 Sometimes it will take a little more work but nothing out of the ordinary and you will be surprised at how much money it is possible to save.

 One of the first things I advise people to do is to go to the market or fruit shop towards the end of the day and you will be amazed at how much money is knocked off perishable items such as fruit and vegetables.

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Tuna Pasta Bake

If you are looking for something easy to put together that will not cost much to make it doesn’t get any better than this tuna pasta bake. It is also a great way of using up your leftover pasta with some lovely seasoning.

My Tuna Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

30g margarine

4 tbs flour
2 cups milk

½ cup grated cheese

salt & pepper

1 can tuna, drained.
2 cups of pasta shells

Method:

"Tuna pasta bake"Make white sauce with marg, flour, milk, salt & pepper. Add cheese
and tuna. Heat through.

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Powerful Tips to Keeping Fresh Herbs

Harvesting Fresh Herbs: Recap

Let’s take a step back and quickly cover what we learned about harvesting fresh herbs from your home herb garden:

  • Harvest herbs before the hottest part of the day. Preferably morning after dew has dried
  • Harvest no more than 30% of the leaves from a herb plant at a time unless you are harvesting an entire annual herb garden plant like cilantro
  • Rinse leaves in a bowl of cool saltwater to remove insects and dirt

The Best, Little Known Tips to Preserve Fresh Herbs – Tip 1: Herbal Ice Cubes: Little Flavor Bombs

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Blueberry Smoothie

My wife adores blueberries and will often make her very own blueberry smoothie in the kitchen. Therefore as a thank you to me she has put together her favourite blueberry smoothie recipe for my readers.

Ingredients:

300g punnet blueberries
2 bananas, peeled and roughly chopped
500ml pineapple juice
2 tablespoon honey
6 tablespoons natural yogurt

Method:

Place all the ingredients into a blender or smoothie maker. Blend until smooth.  Adjust the sweetness to taste and pour into serving glasses.

 

"Blueberry Smoothie"

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Snack Ideas For Your School Kids

Pre-schoolers and elementary students alike need a little pick-me-up now and then. Whether you need to send in treats on a regular schedule, or you have volunteered to help out with a special event, a special snack from this list is sure to please. Depending on how festive you want the occasion to be, you can package snacks in plain zip top bags, decorate your own bags, or purchase special treat bags that are designed to suit the occasion and then tie them up with pieces of ribbon when you have them filled.

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My Best Ever Garlic Mushroom Recipe

I have always loved garlic mushrooms and this is my best ever garlic mushroom recipe that I regularly make at home for family and friends.

Ingredients

8 oz (225 gm) Mushrooms

1/2 oz (15 gm) Butter

2 Cloves Garlic, crushed

Dash hot pepper sauce

Salt & pepper

Method:

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a small pan then add mushrooms and cook at a medium heat for a couple of minutes stirring constantly. Add the garlic, continue cooking & stirring for another minute or so.

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How to get your children eating healthy

Eating out is one of the most favorite family activities. It improves family bonding and lets parents spend more time with their kids. But have you ever thought of healthy cooking for kids? You can still eat at the dining table and have that same bond, minus the expensive bill and unhealthy food.

Start with the basics. Avoid fried foods. Kids love fried everything. Whether it’s chicken, fries, hotdogs, or burgers- they love it. When cooking these foods, you can either decrease the oil when frying or use healthier alternatives like boiling hotdogs and removing chicken skin. Burgers and fries are to be avoided whenever possible, but if your children crave for it, give them small portions occasionally.

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