Save money and trips to the market with these tips and tricks from Rebecca DiLiberto’s Penny Saving Household Helper. You’ll be surprised how simple it is to keep food at its best.
1. Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causes vegetables to rot.
2. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot pan.
3. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs.
4. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.
5. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes.
6. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in a bunch.
7. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps.
8. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale – you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.
9. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.
10. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increments, to make honey clear again.
11. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture.
12. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread – or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.
13. If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze out exactly what you require.
14. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.
source: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/financiallyfit/14-ways-to-save-money-on-groceries-2447559/
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Iron & Wine: Flightless Bird, American Mouth
I was a quick wet boy, diving too deep for coins
All of your street light eyes wide on my plastic toys
Then when the cops closed the fair, I cut my long baby hair
Stole me a dog-eared map and called for you everywhere
Have I found you
Flightless bird, jealous, weeping or lost you, american mouth
Big pill looming
Now I'm a fat house cat
Nursing my sore blunt tongue
Watching the warm poison rats curl through the wide fence cracks
Pissing on magazine photos
Those fishing lures thrown in the cold
And clean blood of Christ mountain stream
Have I found you
Flightless bird, grounded, bleeding or lost you, american mouth
Big pill stuck going down
[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/flightless-bird-american-mouth-lyrics-iron-wine.html ]
message is to follow your OWN dreams and take CHANCES so you'll never have to wonder "what if".
The first verse:
About a man taking the easy way through life. He's "husstling" if you will, for money. Living the fast life, the good life for the time being however he's getting in too deep and getting too greedy "Digging too deep for coins" and when one gets too greedy in the underground, one gets sloppy.
"When the cops closed the fair" Refers to how he gets caught and the cops put an end to his fast life and easy money. He's forced to grow up “I cut my long baby hair”. He can no longer live the life he had and realizes he must change his ways.
“Stole me a dog-eared map and called for you everywhere” Dog eared-map may not make sense at first glace, but dogs ears may be referring to listening which leads to him being humbled and now taking advice. The Map may refer to him finding direction. Stealing a map traditionally means having stolen a path away from someone and in this case, “stealing a dog-eared map” refers to him taking the advice of others, and following a path that others would like him to follow. He “stole” the map; the path was not his own – it belonged to someone else; was the idea of someone else.
first Chorus:
“Have I found you, flightless bird” he’s unsure if he’s found his own path. If he’s found what he wants to do rather than what others want him to do. A bird that cannot fly may be seen by some as ironic. Birds are known to fly – they have wings to fly. If a bird cannot fly, it is not fully realized.
“jealous, weeping or lost you, american mouth” This may refer to those surrounding him as well as his own thoughts. The “jealous” never want another to become a fully realized individual. Always wanting to hold the individual back; as the saying goes, “Misery love company”. “Weeping or lost you” may refer to him realizing this is not his dream. This is not his path, it is another’s path; not what he chose, but what has been chosen for him. “American mouth” is an analogy for the Freedom of speech. Had he spoken up when he had the chance, deciding on his dream rather than pleasing others, he may have been happy and not have had this “big pill looming”, this burden and suppressed misery.
The second verse:
This entire verse speaks about what he has become having followed a path that he believed was the right choice for others’ sake rather than taking a chance, doing something that may have been frightening but in the end cold have been worth it.
“Now I’m a fat house cat” refers to his present state. Unhappy with himself and the outcome of his life. He finds it too late for him to be able to change the past and no matter how much he talks it over, and complains about it, “Nursing my sore, blunt tongue” he will still be in the position he is in. He may as well hold his tongue from now on, keep from complaining about a situation that was of his doing. He is now forced to watch others who were not afraid of taking that chance. Others who pushed through the fear and, even though it may lead to places unknown, or may hurt them in the future, still took the chance “Watching the warm poison rats curl through the wide fence ****s.” There is nothing stopping these young and fearless creatures. These “rats” have such a big future “Wide fence ****s” ahead of them and even though it may be scary and unknown, or may even be the wrong decision “Warm Poison” these rats still took that chance.
He now looks at his mainstream American life and resents it “****ing on magazine photos”. He tried to take the opportunities now, take those chances now, but he feels it is too late. Like “Fishing lures thrown in the cold”. He will not get any bites at this point. He not just throws those “lures” or dreams into the hands of God of “Christ mountain stream” and wait for his days to play out and come to an end.
Last Chorus:
In this chorus he refers to the “flightless bird” as being “grounded, bleeding or lost you”. When something is grounded, it has come to a definite decision. Whether it be in flight context, a “grounded plane” has been grounded due to complications and cannot get into the air, or in a completely difference context, “grounding your kids” meaning they are completely restricted. To add insult to injury, this “flightless bird” is not only grounded, but “bleeding” as well. He is not only “trapped” into his position, but he is injured and unable to recover. Being grounded has injured him, caused him to “bleed”.
He can no longer complete his dream, he feels he has missed his chance. Rather than the “big pill” slowly making it’s way down, the “Big pill stuck going down” is trapped in place
Copied from MetroLyrics.com
PS: Thanks to Ms.RaeLee at metrolyrics.com for her wonderful insight
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