Do you ever wonder how long your bottle of mayo or ketchup is good for in your fridge before it goes bad?
I found an awesome website that is filled with the answers to these questions and lots of other tough food questions. I love the articles and information from the site, and I think you will probably find it useful too. And the website lists all kinds of food and how to keep them fresh longer as well as when you should toss them out.

Check out Still Tasty.

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When I first saw the Keurig coffee maker, I thought it was totally not for me – I was in love with my current coffee maker and had no need for a new one. And with as much coffee as I drink in a day it seemed that a single cup coffee maker would not work in my household. It took me months after I first discovered it, to even see one in person and even then, while I was impressed, I still couldn’t see how it would fit into my lifestyle.

A couple of months later, my favorite coffee maker decided to take a break on me. It just died. Not even a year old, over $100 retail and there was no logical reason that it quit working, it just did. The grinder worked on it, but it wouldn’t transfer the water. I tried to make it work but to no avail, and I was annoyed. I knew I would have to do something soon, because using a borrowed coffee pot from your best friend is not the way to make a good pot of coffee.

A few nights later I was at the store with the kids and we were looking at the newer George Foreman grills because I am wanting one for Christmas. We decided to wander into the coffee machine aisle and immediately I feasted my eyes on the Keurig again. The machine truly had me intrigued by its design, shape and concept and it was on clearance for a substantial discount, since they had just come out with a new model. I won’t lie, I bought it on a whim. Even as I set it up when I got home, I started to think – seriously, my frugal mind has gone out the window. Why would this coffee maker work for me?

I loved the large reservoir for the water, I could fill it each morning, and I have yet to need to refill it before the days end, which is nice. When you first turn the machine on, it takes a moment or two to get the heat element hot, so your first cup of the day probably takes about 2 minutes total to brew from start to finish including dropping in the k-cup and filling the water reservoir. After that? Every cup of coffee takes about 30 seconds until you turn the machine off for the day.

As soon as one cup is brewed, provided you don’t turn off the machine, it immediately sucks water out of the reservoir and holds it on the heating element until the next cup, which means that as soon as you are ready for a new cup of coffee, the water is already hot. The brewing takes about 30 seconds to fill your cup and voila! Very cool.

At first, I loved popping the little K-cups in and having a fresh brewed cup of coffee less than 30 seconds later. Actually, I said at first, but I still love that – those little K Cups are ingenious and the flavors are awesome. But after a week, I was out of the starter set of K-cups they give you (a box of 40 that are a mix of coffee, tea and hot chocolate) and it was time to get some new ones. So we headed out to the store to purchase them. I was a bit surprised at the cost for a box of them. Maybe to others that is a great deal, but since I buy my Folgers in bulk, and when I do buy gourmet it is only when it is drastically discounted or I have a coupon, it was alarming. I would be spending over $10 a week on coffee, when right now I spend less than $7 a month on coffee.

Deflated and discouraged, I decided I would stick the Keurig in my garage sale in the Spring with a $20 tag and a note that said “only used 7 times”. I decided to browse the other, less expensive coffee makers that brew an entire pot. I had chosen one, and was ready to spend another $50 on a coffee maker that made more sense, when something caught my eye.

I found this beautiful little piece of equipment. Suddenly I saw my frugal dreams coming true. This little reusable coffee filter fits right inside where the K-Cups go and you can use any ground coffee you want. Awesome.

It has now been about 2 months since I started using the Keurig Single-Cup Home-Brewing System, and honestly I think I am saving more money now than I was on coffee before. Here’s why.

I am used to drinking about a pot of coffee or more a day. When the coffee pot would get low, often I would fill my cup with the last bit of coffee and brew another pot. When that was fresh and hot, I’d throw out what I was drinking and pour myself another cup. One cup wasted. Then, if I got tired of coffee, however much was left in the pot, got wasted too. Now, I make exactly how much coffee I need in a day and I never waste a single cup.

Also, when I would need to get up in the morning and leave immediately, I really only needed one or two cups, there was no real way to do that. I would brew a pot of coffee, pour myself one when I was getting ready, drink that and then grab a travel mug and fill it. All the rest of the coffee in the pot got wasted. That doesn’t happen anymore.

With the additional reusable filter, I can buy any coffee I want. If I want to make it flavored or gourmet, I can do that too. I can add a little bit of spice to the coffee grounds, and when that cup is freshly brewed, I have gourmet coffee. Delicious, hot and fresh.

The only thing I can honestly say that I don’t like about the coffee pot, is that I have to constantly refill the reusable filter. I clean it out between each use and fill it again just to get a cup. It’s a bit annoying, but its not a huge deal. I give the coffee pot FOUR stars. The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is due to the price of the K-Cups and the suggested retail price of the actual coffee maker. They are a bit high in my opinion, since many of the cheaper models still make delicious coffee. Yes, I recommend it to others, but only if you can justify spending the money on the coffee maker, and are willing to spend the extra $10 on the reusable filter.

Do you have this coffee maker? What do you think?

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Handmade Recipe Cookbook

Holy cow I cannot believe that Christmas is just over a month away! I feel like just yesterday we were swimming and running through the sprinklers – how did Christmas get here so fast!?!?!

Want a great frugal Christmas Gift Idea? Try one of these!

Personalized Cookbook

You’ll need:

• A large, white, 3-ring binder with a clear front covering (one in which you can slip a cover in)

• A package of white printer paper

• Clear sleeves you can put in the binder

• Markers, scissors, glitter, glue, and any other craft items along that line

• Your Chef’s favorite recipes! (or just some family favorites)

All you have to do is write down, or type, the gift-receiver’s favorite recipes on the printer paper. Then you can decorate the paper by hand or print some images and paste them onto the paper, and slip the paper into the clear sleeves when it’s all dry.

This is a great gift because not only is it completely personalized and it protects the recipes from damage while in use, but you can keep adding to it and it keeps all the recipes together- you don’t have to go to a bunch of different cookbooks for one meal!

It’s also a good idea to add dividers and mark them ‘Poultry’, ‘Desserts’, ‘Salads’, etc.

Happy gift-giving!

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I absolutely love making these little wonders, and they are perfect for stirring coffee, hot chocolate or even steamed milk.

They are super simple to make, and are the perfect gift for that coffee drinker in your life.

What you need:

• Plastic Spoons (if you are trying to “go green” then purchase inexpensive silverware (try Deals, garage sales or Walmart) and do it that way.

• A bag of milk chocolate chips (or white chocolate chips, butterscotch, peanut butter, dark chocolate, whatever)

• Variety of toppings – peppermints, vanilla candies, powdered cinnamon or crushed cinnamon candies, decorators sugar or coarse sugar, mini marshmallows, nuts, powdered sugar, anything you can think of.

Melt the chocolate on the stove top stirring constantly. Watch carefully so that the chocolate doesn’t begin to burn. As soon as its soft enough, dip the spoons into the chocolate and then place them on wax paper.
Immediately sprinkle them with your various toppings. Do one with crushed peppermint candy, crushed almonds or another nut, sprinkle cinnamon or find different flavors of hard candy – I found vanilla and raspberry last year and they were AWESOME on the spoons.

After they air dry (I recommend letting them sit for at least 12 hours at room temp), wrap them in cellophane and tie with a festive ribbon.

Put a few spoons in a coffee mug along with some individual hot cocoa or coffee packets and you have a great gift for those chilly nights!

Cheap, easy and thoughtful for anyone who loves coffee or loves a hot cocoa! Pair with a book, or movie for a nice night in.

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With the Thanksgiving holidays quickly approaching, it’s time to stock your freezer. The month of November is a great time to find amazing deals on frozen whole Turkey’s. Stock up now, and you will have turkey for all sorts of meals well beyond Thanksgiving and Christmas.

During the months of November and December I will provide a post that deals with using leftover turkey, turkey recipes and more. I’m calling it Turkey Tuesday, because well, I like how it sounds.

If you have anything to share, please feel free to leave a comment in the comments below.

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Looking for some good pumpkin recipes? Check out my other blog: Daily Dish Recipes and get all kinds of recipes using pumpkin.Your house will smell great and your happy taste buds will thank you.

Let me know if you try any of them!

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Trying to find an easy, quick meal for dinner tonight? Look no further, because this recipes is not only super easy to prepare, its fast too. And delicious and even your picky kids will eat it. Add chicken or shrimp for a twist.

Garlic Angel Hair Pasta Recipe

8 oz. angel hair pasta, uncooked
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved (you can use garlic salt or powder if you’d like to even further simplify… add about 1 to 2 tsp. – add more if desired)
1/4 c. butter, cubed
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. chives
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the angel hair pasta according to the package directions, adding garlic cloves to the water. If you don’t want to use the garlic cloves, don’t add anything to the water. Drain; discard garlic cloves if used.

Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl; add butter. Toss gently until butter is melted. Add the Parmesan, chives and garlic salt if desired; toss to coat. Makes about 6-8 servings.

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I am an avid coffee drinker, yes, I drink like a pot a day. I really wish I didn’t do that, but recently I read an article about the good properties of coffee, and that it has been proven to actually contain anti-oxidants and other things that ward off all kinds of problems. I’ll take that. At any rate, I have dozens of lbs of coffee grounds at the end of a week or two, and sometimes even leftover coffee, so what can I do with all these extra’s and exactly how do I make the perfect, hot cup of coffee? Read on to find out.

1. Always use cold water when filling your coffee maker. Do not use hot water. The cold water allows it to work slowly, getting the full effect and allowing you to use less coffee grounds and still make a perfect cup of coffee.

2. To flavor your coffee, just add extracts to the pot. Taste test until desired flavor is sought.

3. For the freshest, fullest flavor, buy whole bean coffee and only grind as much coffee as you plan on using that day. It is less expensive to purchase the whole beans and it keeps your coffee fresher for longer.

4. Not being a big fan of black coffee (a little bit too bitter for me), I tried this tip and actually enjoyed the flavor quite a bit. Make your coffee full strength which is about 2 level Tbs. per 6 oz. of water or 2.5 – 3 level Tbs. per 8 oz. of water, and then mix hot water into the strong coffee. The cup of coffee I enjoyed was quite a bit smoother with no bitterness than my typical “black cup”. While I still wanted my cream and sugar in it because that’s just me, it tasted a LOT better.

5. In the summertime in particular, I really enjoy an iced coffee once in awhile. Now you don’t have to just drop ice cubes into your coffee to turn it into iced coffee. Try this: Brew a fresh pot of coffee, remove it from the warming plate and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Drop these into your coffee and when the “cubes” begin to melt, your iced coffee will not become weaker. They really work and are quite refreshing.

Now to change pace a little and give you some “recycling” methods for your coffee grounds, etc.

6. Use coffee grounds to fertilize your plants or garden. Used coffee grounds are nutrient-rich for flowers and plants that thrive in an acidic soil. Just sprinkle and then mix into the soil. Works especially well for carrots and radishes!

7. Do you fish? Mix the coffee grounds into the soil before dropping your worms in, and they will stay alive longer. I’m not sure why this works but we tried it and it did.

8. Deodorize your refrigerator or freezer. Place coffee grounds in a bowl and place on shelf of either. The smells will go away.

9. Coffee grounds make a fairly abrasive cleaner. Mixed with the acidic nature of the grounds, they are great for removing tough cooked on foods, etc.

10. Believe it or not, coffee grounds are great for your skin and hair. Use as facial mask, and then when removing, use to exfoliate your skin. Be sure and use them to wash your hair as well. Those with brown or darker hair, will find natural shiny streaks and highlights after a quick wash through. We tried this on my daughter’s blond hair, and her hair was very bright and shiny afterward. She loved the result and her hair seemed softer.

Do you have any strange/odd/obscure uses for coffee grounds or know of a terrific tip for getting the best cup of coffee?

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I absolutely adore Starbucks, and quite honestly could be dubbed a Starbucks-aholic. I could grab a cup of Starbucks  coffee every single day, possibly a few times a day, but if I did – my bills would definitely not get paid. Designer / Gourmet coffee might taste pretty and delicious, but it is extremely costly. It really isn’t worth it, especially if you use a little ingenuity and try it at home.  You can purchase a machine if you want, but it can be done without and get a similar taste. Doing it this way will save you  a lot of money and you can still enjoy your delicious coffee too.

This is how I make my special coffee at home, it is definitely the perfect coffee treat.

Pour your coffee into a fun mug or cappuccino mug. Add a little bit of french vanilla coffee creamer – add as much as you like until it tastes the way you like it, if you don’t enjoy really sweet, use less. Now, spray whipped cream all over the top. Taste to be sure it is made the way you like it. You can use flavored coffee’s to get different tastes, or different creamers too.

This might not be as good as real Starbucks gourmet coffee, but it sure tastes AWESOME and certainly cuts back the cost of grabbing that expensive Starbucks coffee when the mood strikes! I do it several times a week, and I change out my coffee creamers and coffee flavors often. Try the pumpkin spice in your coffee that way – in the fall it is simply heavenly. Oh yummy, now I want a cup!

You can also experiment with different flavored extracts, coffee syrups, herbs, spices, etc. Add loads of ice to make any coffee iced.

Do you enjoy gourmet coffee? Do you get out and get them much anymore?

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Guess what my kids are having for snack this afternoon when they get home? I’ll be popping them in the oven in about 15 minutes. Yum!

Spicy Potato Wedges Recipe

1/4 c. canola oil
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3-1/2 lbs. large red potatoes, cut into wedges

In a big bowl, combine everything except the potatoes. After you have cut the potatoes into wedges, add them to the bowl and toss to coat entirely. Arrange in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. You might need two. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning once. Delicious!

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