Thrifty Tip : 15 Ways to Save Money on Fuel

Depending on your vehicle, in order to save a gallon of gas (3.785 litres) you need to reduce your driving by about 22-25 miles (35-42 km).  Based on current gas prices, every time you do that you're keeping $5-7 in your pocket!

Here are some tips to help you achieve that:

1. Let the kids take the car to work or school.  This is my current accidental strategy, originally borne of not wanting to leave the house early to drop them off, and which has actually cut down a lot on both driving and extra spending.  Rather than dropping them off then going to do my own thing, I have one of them drop off the other, and occasionally I'll text them with an errand to do on the way home. 
2. Take it easy. The faster and more aggressively you drive, the more gas you use.  Look for tips from "hypermiling" pros to shave off a few miles here and there.  Use cruise control where appropriate and safe.
   
3. Minimize idling.  If you are parked, waiting for someone, or in a long traffic jam, shut your vehicle off.  (Many newer cars now do this automatically.)
4. Practice "trip-chaining", aka planning your errands and doing them all in one trip, in a logical order.  Make a list, group similar stops, plan your route, and where possible park centrally so you can walk to more than one stop.  
5. "Drive a sipper, not a guzzler," says Mary Hunt of Debt-Proof Living.  "If you own vehicles of differing size, take the smaller, more fuel-efficient one on any long trips that you can."
6. Explore public transit options.  Apps like Transit can help you plan ahead and find alternate routes if there are detours or delays - we have this one for our college kids and it is one app I do consider worth paying for!  During the academic year, some students are eligible for discounted bus passes, making this an economical choice.  
7. Consider ridesharing or carpooling one or more days per week. Check out RideSharing.com, Carpool.ca, ShareYourRide, RideShark, or CarpoolWorld.
8. Shop online.  Consider using more online shops and services to reduce the number of errands you need to do, especially if the cost for the convenience is less than the cost of your gas and time to go there in person.
9. Take a hike (or ride a bike) if the distance is reasonable.  This was something we learned last summer while on a trip to the UK.  If you don't have the option of driving, suddenly you realize you really can walk to a lot of places.  Since then, I have done many more short errands on foot.  (Yes it takes longer than driving, but it checks off the box of getting exercise at the same time!)
10. Work from home. If you have a job where it would be possible, inquire about working remotely for one day per week.
11. Build community. So often we are driving our kids to the same schools, events, and extracurriculars as our friends and neighbors are.  Find like-minded parents who are interested in carpooling or taking turns doing drop-off and pick-up.  If you live in a neighborhood where it would work, explore starting a "walking school bus" or a "bike train" during warmer months!
12. Lighten the load. The heavier the load your car has to carry, the more gas it uses. Keep your car cleaned out and don't use your trunk for long-term storage.  Avoid leaving a rooftop carrier on your vehicle full-time to reduce extra drag.
13. Maintain your vehicle.  Good maintenance helps optimize your vehicle's gas mileage. Keep your tires properly inflated and aligned, keep up with oil and filter changes, and make sure your brakes work and aren't sticking. 
14. Stay on top of gas prices.  Use the GasBuddy app to find the best-priced stations near you or along your route.  I rarely buy gas near home anymore as the stations here are often 20 cents more per litre.  Instead, I stop at the small, slightly out-of-the-way stations in the city which use more aggressive pricing to attract people.  They are usually not far from where we are already going for classes or events.
15. Look for apps, cards, and memberships that give rewards, points, or discounts, especially the ones that stack!  Don't get a credit card just for the points if you can't manage to keep it paid off, though - the points are not worth it if you're paying interest every month!  Here are a few - check out what your stations have available:

Esso/Mobil - earn PC Optimum points which you can redeem for car washes or $4.00 off a gas purchase, or collect to redeem at Loblaws grocery stores or Shoppers Drug Mart.  Get more points if you pay with a PC Mastercard. Install the Esso/Mobil app for promotional offers. 

Shell - Get a 3-cents-per-litre discount if you have a CAA/AMA card, plus get Scene+ points.  Install the Shell app for promotional offers. 

Petro-Canada - Earn points on your Triangle Rewards card, and get extra savings if you use an RBC card to pay.  You can also convert your Triangle Rewards points into Canadian Tire money.

Vintage Cookbooks: The No Fad Good Food $5 a Week Cookbook (1974)

"Eating in North America is far too complicated."

Caroline Ackerman (The No Fad Good Food $5 a Week Cookbook. 1974)

(Available for free from the Internet Archive)

Boston Baked Beans

Yield: 6 Servings

Soak overnight in a large pot:

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups small white beans

The next day, bring the beans and soaking water to a boil.

Add 1/2 tsp baking soda. Boil 10 minutes, then drain. Rinse very well with fresh water. (This step softens the bean skins without making everything soft.)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

In the bottom of a bean pot, place 1 onion (chopped if you want to include it in the dish, or whole if you just want it included for flavouring) and 2 tbs bacon bits. Cover with the drained & rinsed beans.

Mix together in a bowl:

• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp salt
• dash black pepper
• 3-4 tbsp molasses (to neutralize the soda)
• a little hot water

Pour the sauce mixture over the beans, then add hot water (just enough to cover).

Cover and bake for about 4 hours, until beans are tender.  Check occasionally and if the water has boiled down, add just enough hot water to cover the beans, but not enough to flood them.

Car Emergency Kits

Do you have an emergency kit in your car?  And do you reset it for the seasons?

If not, here is a really thorough list to help you make one up.  Do your best to make one for every car that you and/or your kids drive regularly.  

In your dash or center console, keep a seatbelt cutter/window breaker tool.  This tool won't help you if it is in your trunk or under your seat!

Emergency Car Kit

• A sturdy box to hold everything, with a latching lid.
• Bottled water, at least one for each passenger that could be in the car
• High-energy non-perishable snacks
• Flashlight & batteries (separate)
• Battery operated or windup radio
• Chunky glow sticks
• Individually wrapped wet wipes
• Roll of toilet paper 
• Basic first aid kit
• A loud whistle or siren
• One or two blankets if you have space, or foil emergency blankets
• Compressed towels (the dollar stores sell these and they are so handy)
• Rain ponchos in bright colors
• Diapers and/or or a change of clothes (if you have children)
• Collapsible umbrella
• Scriptures, book, coloring book, puzzle book (and pencils/colored pencils, not crayons)
• Hand sanitizer
• Pocket knife or a small multi-tool
• $5-$20 cash (and change)
• Jumper cables
• Collapsible reflective pylons, a warning light, and/or flares.
• Reflective vest (wear this if you need to change a tire!)
• 1-2 garbage bags

If you are able, it is also a good idea to have a tire repair kit in your trunk as well as a small fire extinguisher, suitable for electrical or gasoline fires.

For the summer, add electrolyte packets, insect repellent, and a battery-powered fan & batteries (separate).

In the winter, make sure you have an ice scraper/snow brush and if possible a collapsible shovel in your trunk as well.  (I have one like this)  Adding a bag of traction sand doesn't hurt!  Consider also having an emergency candle in a metal tin as a heat source, or emergency heat packs.

If you're commuting or traveling regularly in the winter, it's a good idea to keep a set of winter clothing in the car, including a spare pair of boots, a warm jacket, snow pants, hat, and mittens.  (If you have gone to work in office shoes but end up stuck in the snow, you'll be thankful for those boots!)

Also, in case no one ever told you this:  If you do hit the ditch and need to keep your car running for heat, make sure the tailpipe of your vehicle is completely clear of snow!

A quick note about the photo in this post - at one time I also kept a hatchet in our kit, as well as some bungee cords and a mini camp stove. These aren't something I'd recommend if you don't live well outside a city - but if you spend most of your time driving in very rural areas where emergency services may take a while to reach you, then think about what kind of situations you might encounter and adjust your emergency kit accordingly.

Copycat Wendy's Frosty

There are a few versions out there - pick the one that fits with what you have on hand!

If you have powdered milk on hand but no ice cream, this version is the one I saved back in 2009, from "Simply Sandra" (no longer online).

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c ice water
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1 1/2 c non fat dry milk powder
• 1/4 c cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp oil
• 5 second spray of Pam (cooking spray)
• 4-5 c ice cubes

Put the first 6 ingredients in your blender and then spray with Pam. Add the ice and blend on high for 2 minutes. 

Dear Younger Me: Words of encouragement for a new week

 

How to Maintain Your Bathroom

My daughter commented the other day that she's really good at academics and at music, but she doesn't feel like she knows how to do anything really useful yet.  After reminding her that she's 18 and that her job has literally been to do well academically and to work on her music and theatre training, I also told her that we can start working through rooms and showing her what she needs to know.  

Then a friend told me that she had grown up not knowing anything beyond the basics of cleaning her home.  She'd always had a handyman available (her dad) and found living on her own to be an entirely new challenge. 

If you're feeling the same way, you are welcome to join us on our journey through the house, one room at a time.  Here is the exhaustive (an exhausting) first installment: "How to Maintain Your Bathroom".  

This post does contain external links which were functional and free at the time that I posted this, and it does contain a few Amazon product links which you are under no obligation to use, but if you do it will help support this blog a tiny bit.

Toilet

• A quick inside scrub with a toilet brush every few days and a wipe of the outside once a week with disinfecting cleaner or wipes.  
• If you have boys in the house, also wipe around the base of the toilet with a disinfecting wipe frequently, or spray with hydrogen peroxide and wipe up with a paper towel.
• Tighten the toilet seat if it's wobbly.
• Keep an eye out for leaks around the base of the toilet - that's probably a call to a plumber.
• Pay attention to whether the toilet is frequently running.  (You may need to replace the flapper valve, or adjust its chain.)
• Learn where the water shutoff for your toilet is, and how to use it in case your toilet is starting to overflow.  
• I am a big fan of Lysol's Click Gel Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner, especially for the bathroom that is often visited by students.

Sink & Vanity

• Wipe down the sink and counter daily using an all-purpose cleaner. 
• Polish the faucet with a product appropriate to their finish.  Use a small brush to clean around the base of the fixture.
• If you have hard water and your faucets are getting a hard white buildup, get some CLR and soak them.  About once a year I'll take a small glass jar of CLR, prop it up so that it covers the end of the faucet, and let it set for an hour or two.  You also might have success with cleaning vinegar.
• Every so often you may want or need to clean out the drain using a small drain snake and a narrow scrub brush, to eliminate odors or to speed up draining.  Learning how to unclog your own sink can save you from calling a plumber.
• Clean the mirror frequently with glass cleaner to remove toothpaste spatters or water spots.  Using paper towel or a dust-free cloth will help you avoid streaks. If your mirror isn't mounted directly on the wall, check the back of it for dust accumulation, too.
• Wipe down the outside of your vanity/cabinet once every week or two, to remove accumulated dust or water spots. 
• Check under the sink frequently to look for leaks.  
• Learn how to empty the trap of your sink drain.
• Learn where the water shutoff is for your faucet or your whole bathroom, and occasionally check that it works. It should be under your sink, but if you live in an older home you might have to go hunting for some of your shutoff valves.

Shower & Tub

• Be sure that you know what your surfaces are made of, and use a cleaner appropriate to those surfaces.  (Don't be the one who accidentally cleans marble or stone with an acidic cleaner, or an abrasive cleaner on acrylic!)
• Spray and wipe down weekly to prevent buildup of soap scum. Use a daily shower spray to reduce buildup if you have hard water.
• There is an airborne bacteria called Serratia marcescens that loves soap and oily residues, and that is where the pink "mold" in the corners of your shower and around the drain comes from.  Prevent it by frequent cleaning and by reducing humidity in the bathroom, and clean it with a bleach cleaner, hydrogen peroxide, or a cleaner that removes mildew stains.  Scrub Free Mold & Mildew does an amazing job, but smells rather strong.
• If your drain starts running slow, clean it out with a drain snake.  You can use these to clean out non-removable pop-up drains by inching it down under the cover when it's popped up. Flush it with hot water after clearing.  You may need to use a chemical clog remover, but doing it manually is safer.  If you intend to do both, DON'T do the chemical treatment first.  Use the drain snake and THEN use the drain cleaner. 
• If you have hard water and your tub spout is getting a hard white buildup, get some CLR and soak it.  About once a year I'll take a small glass jar of CLR, prop it up so that it covers the end of the faucet, and let it set for an hour or two.  You also might have success with cleaning vinegar.
• If your showerhead is getting hard water buildup, see if you can take it off and soak it in some CLR.  If not, put CLR in a baggie and tie it up to the showerhead to soak it as best you can, then use a brush to scrub it gently.
• Keep an eye on the condition of your caulk and replace it if needed to prevent water damage inside your walls.
• Don't forget to get up high once in a while with a cloth and wipe the upper edge of your shower stall, tub surround, curtain rod, or shelves.
• Launder your shower curtain at least monthly, appropriate to the material it is made of. 
• If you have a bathtub mat, lay it in the tub with the suction cups facing up, spray it with a bleach or peroxide cleaner, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing well.  After baths, putting it upside down to dry out will help prevent mildew.

Window 

• Clean the glass with a glass cleaner and paper towel or dust-free cloth.  
• Clean the window tracks.
• Launder the curtains if you have them.
• To help prevent mildew, spray the corners and window ledge with a cleaner that contains bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or thyme oil, let set for 10 minutes and then wipe off.
• If your window frame is wood, check occasionally for cracks or signs of water damage.
• Make a habit of opening your bathroom window regularly for air flow.

Light Fixtures, Switches, & Outlets

• Once a month or so, wipe your light fixtures with a soft cloth to remove dust.  You may occasionally want to take the covers off the lights, wash them, and put them back up. 
• Check whether you have spare bulbs to fix your fixture, and that you know how to change them if they're not standard bulbs. 
• Wipe your light switches with a disinfecting cleaner every day during cold & flu season, but doing it semi-regularly all year long is never a bad idea!
• Take note if any of your light switches or outlets are loose, or if their covers are loose.  Tightening it up is something you can easily do yourself and save calling an electrician!  If you notice that there's a cold draft around your outlet, you can take the cover off, add a foam layer, and put the cover back on.
• Did you know?  If your outlet has a reset button in the middle of it, that's a safety feature.  It's called a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet. This kind of outlet monitors electricity flow and cuts the power instantly if a fault is detected, like a water hazard or a short circuit. That's why they are installed near sinks, and often also outside. If your outlet isn't working, try pressing that button and then try it again before calling someone to look at it. 

Ceiling Exhaust Fan

• Make a habit of running your exhaust fan every time you take a shower, and leave it running for 15-20 minutes after your shower to help keep humidity down.
• Your exhaust fan accumulates a lot of dust, and needs to be cleaned in order to stay working well.  Most of the time if you pull straight down on the cover, there will be metal clips that you squeeze to take the cover fully off for cleaning.  Give it a wash in your sink and don't lose those clips!
• I use a vacuum cleaner and a small paintbrush to remove dust from the fan itself, starting from the bottom and working around the fixture, around the wires carefully, and up around the fan blades.   Some sites recommend using a soft toothbrush to clean the fan blades.  (Some newer models are designed to be easier to clean, so you might find that you're lucky.)
• While you're up there, take a look for any signs of humidity damage like peeling paint or water stains.

Walls and Surfaces

• Starting from the top of the room and working to the bottom, occasionally go over your entire bathroom with a dusting brush or a microfiber mop to remove the fine later of dust that steadily accumulates. Follow up with a damp microfiber cloth.
• Wipe the walls and cabinets nearest the toilet with a disinfecting cleaner or wipe.
• Check your walls, ceilings, corners, and cabinets often for signs of mildew, water damage, or spider webs.

Floors

• Make sure you know what your flooring surface is made of, and use an appropriate cleaning product. 
• My bathrooms are small, so my usual method for cleaning the floors is to vacuum them well and then to clean them by hand with disinfectant cleaning wipes, changing out a couple of times as I back out of the room.  If you have a larger bathroom, you may prefer to use a Swiffer mop with disposable pads, a steam mop, or a mop and bucket.  Use whatever method you prefer and whatever method you will realistically use regularly.
• Wash your bath mat weekly to cut down on bacterial growth.

Cabinets

• Pull everything out from the cabinets and shelves, wipe down the shelves and the sides and back of the cabinets
• While you're at it, take this opportunity to declutter!  Instead of putting everything back, only put back the things you actually need and use. Dispose of the rest appropriately.
• Use under-sink shelving or bins to help keep your space tidy!  I saw a tip for using a tension rod under the sink to hang cleaning supplies on, and I have to say it's a little bit brilliant.

Decor and Accessories

• Wipe the dust from any pictures and decorative items, and put them back if you will love them - or replace them if you don't.
• Give your plants their own shower.
• Check your linens for stains, wear, or damage. If they're getting grungy, consider stripping them for your next project.

In addition... 

• Learn where your whole-house water shutoff is and how to shut it off for maintenance or an emergency.
• Learn where your water heater/hot water tank is, how to adjust the temperature on it, and the process for restarting it if it goes out.  Also, learn how to shut off the gas or power to it, and to shut off the water coming into the tank in case of emergency - they can fail quite dramatically and if you can get shut off quickly you might save yourself thousands of dollars in damage.  (This happened to me once and the plumber who came said it was surprisingly uncommon for homeowners to know how to shut off all of these.)

In Praise of Dishwashers

If you love handwashing your dishes where your sink looks out over your back yard and you do it together with your kids, you'll probably want to skip this one.  Go ahead and choose joy here.

For me, handwashing dishes does not bring me joy - it's one of those tasks that I always want to put off.  For a long time, though, I did it anyway as I thought it was probably better for water and energy usage.  Especially at times when we have been on a well rather than city water, I thought I should do my best to use less water.  For a long time, I used it only as a convenient drying rack, or occasional extra help when we had big meals with extra dishes.

Imagine my jubilation when I learned that - with some exceptions - using a dishwasher in fact uses LESS water and energy!  Huzzah!

2006 study by Waterwise found that while the average dishwasher uses between 12 and 16 litres (3-4.25 gallons) of water, washing dishes by hand uses as much as 63 litres (16.5 gallons)!  

Need more?

The University of Bonn did a more detailed study and found that hand washing used as much as 103 liters (27 gallons) of water, 2.5 kWh of water-heating energy, and approximately 80 minutes of time (washing, drying, putting away).  The dishwasher, on the other hand, used approximately 15 liters (4 gallons) of water, consumed 1-2 kWh of total energy, and required just 15 minutes of human time (loading, unloading, putting away).

These numbers are going vary depending on your usual dishwashing method, but here's my takeaway - just go ahead and use your dishwasher!  (Science says so!)

Homemade Pretzel Bites

Because of the boiling step, this is a bit more time-consuming than some recipes, but so good!  Sprinkle with salt and serve with a honey-mustard dipping sauce, coat with cinnamon & sugar for a sweet treat, or try sprinkling with Everything Bagel Seasoning!  Maybe try adding some Pizza Seasoning to the dough and serve with marinara dipping sauce?

Homemade Pretzel Bites

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups warm water

• 2 tsp honey

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast

• 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 4 tbsp melted butter

• 2/3 cup baking soda

• 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)

In a large bowl, mix water, honey, and yeast.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until foamy.  Add flour and melted butter.  Knead 5–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Bring 10 cups water + 2/3 cup baking soda to a boil.

Divide dough into about 6 pieces. Roll into ropes about 1 inch diameter, and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Boil the dough pieces in batches for 20–30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and place on baking sheets.

Brush with egg wash, then bake 10–12 minutes until golden brown.

Optional:  after the egg wash and before baking, sprinkle with kosher salt, "everything" bagel seasoning, or pizza seasoning, or roll in a cinnamon-sugar mixture

My Favourite Cinnamon Roll Recipe

This is my favourite cinnamon roll recipe, and is my go-to at Christmas or if I'm bringing a dessert to a pot luck dinner. They are really good when they're fresh and gooey, they are still really good when they're cold and the frosting is hardened up, and they are STILL really good two days later, microwaved and served with ice cream.

One variation I have made is to swap the maple flavouring for vanilla, and to make the coffee double strength - that was also really good.  

I do find that they are always done baking before the time stated in the recipe, so keep an eye on them.  (Ovens vary and altitude affects baking.)  They're perfectly done when they're a nice golden brown. It also wouldn't hurt to have some tinfoil to keep the edges from over-browning. 

Go here for the recipe, Ree's comments, and photo instructions:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

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Ingredients

For the Dough and Filling:

• 1 qt. whole milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 (0.25-oz.) packets active dry yeast
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (additional) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. (heaping) baking powder
• 1 tsp. (scant) baking soda
• 1 Tbsp. (heaping) iodized table salt
• 1 1/2 cups melted salted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon (plus more to taste)

For the Maple Frosting:

• 2 lb. powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp. maple flavoring, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup whole milk, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup melted salted butter
• 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee or cold brew concentrate
• 1/8 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

Directions:

1. For the dough: Heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to between 105 and 115 degrees. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
2. Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined (it will be very sticky), then cover and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour it should be puffy and risen. Add the remaining 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir/fold gently until just combined. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: The dough is easier to work with if it has been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
3. To assemble the rolls, remove the dough from the bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 50-55 inches inches by 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.
4. To make the filling, pour 1 1/2 cups of melted butter all over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly, covering every bit of dough. Generously sprinkle 1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar over the butter, evenly distributing it. Sprinkle with the cinnamon. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.
5. Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you, going back and forth down the length of the roll. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don't worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, bring up the end and fold it on top of the roll. Pinch the seam closed to seal and flip the roll so that the seam is face down on the countertop. When you're finished, you'll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamon-y, sugary, gooey log.
6. Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 3/4 inch to 1 inch slices. One log will produce 40 to 50 rolls. Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter into each of the 7 disposable foil cake pans (or regular 9-inch round cake pans) and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 rolls: 1 in the middle and 6 surrounding.)
7. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 45 minutes before baking.
8. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
9. Remove the towel after 45 minutes and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don't allow the rolls to become overly brown on top, but you want them to be golden and not pale.
10. While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients, as needed, until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.
11. Remove the pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. They should be swimming in the icing! As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing's moisture and flavor. Serve warm or allow to cool and package for friends and family.
12. Finished/iced rolls can be wrapped and frozen.

You can also find Ree's cookbooks on Amazon.  "Food from My Frontier" is probably still my personal favorite, but I'll be gifting "The Essential Recipes" and "Super Easy" to my girls when they first move out on their own.  I love her style of writing and how well she explains her recipe steps, and so far I have not had any of her recipes fail me.  Not to mention, have you met Walter? 

 

"Anymore" by Jamie C. Martin

"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time."
~ Abraham Lincoln

The following was written by blogger and author Jamie C. Martin back in 2013, and made it into my file of things to save for the future when my kids were bigger. Well, that future is here. I thought there might be someone else out there who'd appreciate these words, too.

Jamie's website, "Steady Mom" is no longer online, but you can still read most of it at the Internet Archive. This particular post is here.

You can, however, follow her current online writing, and I 100% encourage you to! You'll find her at Simple Homeschool.




He used to wake me, oh so often. He'd had a bad dream, or a cough, or something felt funny inside.

I would grumble, or be patient, depending on the night and how tired I was.

Back to his room and tuck him in.

Rinse and repeat, through many moons.

But he doesn't do that anymore.

******

He used to be our pickiest eater. Though we'd always fed all three the same, he turned up his nose more frequently.

I would grumble about this, or be patient, depending on the day and all that had happened up until this point in it.

Trying not to make it a big deal, we encouraged him to try things. We also honored his preferences and didn't force it.

A few nights ago I made a steaming pot of chili (one of his not-favorites). I set a small bowl in front of him and watched wide-eyed as he gobbled it all down.

He just doesn't do that anymore.

******

Her hugs were stiff, like she didn't understand how to give them.

Like she wasn't used to receiving them.

I would grumble about this, or be patient, depending on the state of my heart that moment.

These days she says "You know something, Mommy? I love you." She throws little arms around me like a girl who has met love.

She doesn't do that anymore.

******

The tantrums, oh dear Lord, the tantrums.

"Don't give in and they'll soon learn that tantruming doesn't work."

Ha. I never gave in, but that didn't stop these daily occurrences that pushed me to my limits and beyond. For years.

I would grumble about this, or be patient, depending on how many times this had already happened within a 24 hour period.

Not able to leave him alone, I found myself sitting with him through the screaming, sometimes with earplugs, often with tears of helplessness running like rivers.

Too drained to even wipe them away. Convinced I must be doing everything wrong.

But he doesn't do it anymore.

******

Some mamas are reading this after multiple times up in the night. Or you've stumbled across these words soon after (or perhaps even during?) another tantrum.

Or perhaps the dinner you poured weary energy into met with a resounding lack of applause.

I don't want to minimize the stage you're in. I don't want to tell you "Enjoy these days, they go by so fast." I don't want to patronize you.

Instead let me pour a little encouragement your way:

Go ahead and grumble, or be patient. You don't have to handle all the issues perfectly.

Go ahead and cry, and wonder if it's all worth it.

Go ahead and pray, for strength to make it through the next five minutes.

Because one day--often when you least expect it--often when you've come to peace with the imperfections and decided to be happy anyway--you'll wake up, look around and realize:

They just don't do that anymore.

"Stuff"

This was a photocopied article that I found among my grandmother's various clippings and odd things that she had saved.  Now it's among my "stuff"... 

Every Fall I start stirring in my stuff. There is closet stuff, drawer stuff, attic stuff and basement stuff. I separate the good stuff from the bad stuff then I stuff the bad stuff anywhere the stuff is not too crowded until I decide if I will need the bad stuff.

When the Lord calls me home, my children will want the good stuff, but the bad stuff, stuffed wherever there is room among all the other stuff, will be stuffed in bags and taken to the dump where all the other people's stuff has been taken.

Whenever we have company they always bring bags and bags of stuff. When I visit my son, he always moves his stuff so I will have room for my stuff. My daughter-in-law always clears a drawer of her stuff so I will have room for my stuff. Their stuff and my stuff... it would be so much easier to use their stuff and leave my stuff at home with the rest of my stuff.

This Fall I had an extra closet built so I could have a place for all the stuff too good to throw away and too bad to keep with my good stuff. You may not have this problem, but I seem to spend a lot of time with stuff... food stuff, cleaning stuff, medicine stuff, clothes stuff and outside stuff. Whatever would life be like if we didn't have all this stuff?

Now there is all that stuff we used to make us smell better than we do. There is stuff to make us look younger. Stuff to make us healthier. Stuff to hold us in, stuff to fill us out. There is stuff to read, stuff to play with, stuff to entertain us and stuff to eat. We stuff ourselves with the food stuff.

Our lives are filled with stuff... good stuff, bad stuff, little stuff, big stuff, useful stuff, junky stuff, and everyone's stuff. When we leave all our stuff and go to heaven, whatever happens to our stuff won't matter. We'll still have the good old stuff God has prepared for us in heaven.

"Mile High" Blueberry Muffins

These are fabulous muffins, definitely worth making!  Best served warm.

"Mile High" Blueberry Muffins 

(Makes 12)

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup plain yogurt -- room temperature   (I used strawberry, very good!)
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 425°.

Generously grease or spray a 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners.

In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder & baking soda.  Cut in butter using a pastry blender or a fork, until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

In a small bowl, stir yogurt until creamy, then blend in eggs & vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until mixed and moistened but do not beat it. Gently fold in blueberries.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full.

Place in oven, bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400°.  Bake for about 15 minute more, or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on racks.  

Keep showing up

My youngest daughter is a camp counselor this year. Last week she put in a full week at a drama camp, and this week she is full-time at our church's VBS day camp.  Thanks to the wonder of Facebook memories, I was reminded of the year when my oldest was volunteering for the first time as a junior leader. 

The days ran from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.   It was fun, full of rewarding little moments, and a huge opportunity for personal growth and community connection.  But it was also exhausting.  Many adults backed out of their roles, some at the last minute, and we thought we were facing a crisis that would cancel the whole week's programming.  But instead, our youth rose to the occasion and adults who had planned on giving a few hours put in the equivalent of a full time job.

I looked around my house at the end of that week and felt the weight of all I didn't get done.  I scrubbed the bathroom.  Then I sat down with a crochet project because I was just so.so.so.tired.  

I admit that at the time I felt a lot of resentment toward the volunteers who didn't follow through.  Monday especially, there were tears - and they weren't from the kids.  (The kids attending camp had an amazing week!)  But people showed up.  They did their part and picked up the slack, even when it meant sacrificing other commitments or their own vacation days.  

And 13 kids expressed a desire to know Christ during that week, while we felt like we were drowning in chaos and failing.

Keep showing up, mama.  It is hard, there might be tears, people will let you down, and the job will not always be the one you signed up for.  But one little person at a time, you are quietly changing the world. 

Love you!

Dear Younger Me: Words of encouragement for a new week

Saving money and calories while eating out

It's a simple thing to do, except of course that some restaurants don't allow it.

If you're going through a drive-through or ordering takeout, just order yourself a kid's meal. It costs less, and it has a smaller serving, although what's in a kid's meal today is about the same as what was originally in a regular serving!

The same goes for ice cream shops - even my teens have said that they prefer to get a "snack-sized" ice cream if we go to Dairy Queen or McDonald's.

If you're eating in, this is harder because most place won't let an adult eat from the kid's menu. Some places do offer half-sized servings, but they may not always be a great savings.  Also consider splitting your entree with your dining partner (but find out first whether the venue charges a fee for entree sharing!), or getting a takeout box immediately and packing half of your meal to take home with your for lunch the next day.

Eating out doesn't have to blow your budget - either in cash or calories!

Basic Baked Beans with Pork & Molasses

A good old-fashioned dish, traditionally served on Saturday nights in the Maritimes, but good any time. One definite advantage to beans is, you get a lot of food for a little money.  This recipe fairly closely mimics the flavor and style of canned beans with pork and molasses.

This recipe comes from the More-with-Less Cookbook available from Amazon, with a few modifications of my own.  (ie, Where I have indicated to discard water, the original recipe uses the same water throughout.)  Another ingredient I have seen suggested is a bit of maple syrup, which I think could be quite nice but I don't have any in the house right now.

FYI, here are a handful of interesting tips for reducing the gas in your beans.  For obvious reasons, the first two should not be used simultaneously.  LOL

• add 2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar to the soaking water
• add a bit of baking soda to the soaking water, or no more than 1/8 tsp to the baking dish
• dump out the soaking water, use fresh water for boiling, dump THAT water and use fresh for baking
• add a generous amount of ginger to the baking pan, or a piece of ginger root
• add a whole peeled potato to the baking dish

Basic Baked Beans

Soak one pound of navy beans in water overnight.  (3 parts water to 1 part beans).  Add 2 tbsp vinegar to the soaking water.   In the morning, discard soaking water.   Pour the same amount of fresh water into a large pot with the beans.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1.5 hours until beans are tender.   (Skim off foam as it rises.)   Drain, measuring the liquid before discarding.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Combine:

• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• generous sprinkle of ginger
• (optional) 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• (optional) 2-3 tsp chili flakes or powder
• about eight cups of water

Mix well.  Add beans to a 2-qt casserole.  Add 1 onion, chopped, and (optional) 2 slices bacon, chopped, or 1/4 lb salt pork, cut in small pieces.  Pour liquid mixture into casserole, stirring together, until beans are covered.  Reserve any leftover liquid.  

Bake for approximately six hours until done, adding liquid occasionally if necessary.  Cover during the first three hours of baking, then uncover for the remainder.

Serve hot with a side of homemade brown bread!

Molasses Brown Bread

Some places refer to whole wheat bread as 'brown bread.'  This is not that.  This is a recipe for REAL brown bread made with molasses and oatmeal and well known in Nova Scotia, New England and I think some of the Southern States.  It is slightly sweet and quite delicious served up warm with butter and molasses, often alongside baked beans.  I know one B&B owner who uses this recipe exclusively for her guests, it's that good!  

This recipe is slightly modified from the version published in the Bluenose Cookbook (Nimbus Publishing).  The book was produced by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Yarmouth Nova Scotia YMCA.  The recipe is found on page 7, is titled "Helen's Brown Bread" and was submitted by Mrs. E. Clarke. 

The cookbook can be ordered from Amazon here, or direct from the publisher here.


Brown Bread


Pour 2 cups hot water over 1 cup rolled oats in a large bowl.

Add:
2/3 cup molasses
1/2 tbsp shortening
1 tbsp salt

Mix well and allow to cool.

Dissolve one packet of yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tsp sugar.  Cool.  Add to above mixture.

Add about 6 cups of flour or enough to handle (I use 2 cups whole wheat and 4 cups white).  Knead well.

Divide dough in half and either make two small loaves or one double loaf.  Let rise in pans once until double in bulk.  (This dough does not have to raise in the bowl first.)

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

21 ideas for saving money on groceries

The stats say that Canadian grocery prices are up 4.3% year from last year, and 30% from 2019. I think those are very low figures for some things.  Ground beef is close to $10/lb, whole chickens are hovering around $17, and canned beans have gone from 87 cents to $1.47 in the last three years.  The hot dogs we used to buy crept up to nearly $8 for a pack of 10, where we quit buying them. Cereal has come back down to under $5 a box, but I'm finding myself spending more time now looking for markdowns and loss leaders. 

I won't claim to show you how to feed your family for $300 a month, but here is a collection of tips and recommendations that may help all of us save a few dollars at the checkout. 

1. Buy things you'll actually USE. It doesn't do you any good to stock up on dried beans and split peas if you are going to let them sit in your cupboard and never use them. Sure, they're cheap. But if you buy them, learn how to cook them. Then do it. Ditto with fresh produce - if you're going to buy it, plan it into your menu and use it before it goes bad. Few things are more disheartening than finding $20 worth of rotted produce in the bottom of your fridge.
   
   
2. Shop close to the source to avoid extra markups. Sometimes you aren't saving money by shopping at the big stores. Especially if you live in a rural area, look for roadside stands and smaller farmer's markets.
   
   
3. Shopping at smaller stores with a smaller selection of just the necessities may help you avoid impulse purchases.  I haven't seen a big difference in price on staple groceries between smaller and larger grocery stores, but I have found that "extras" and convenience foods are more pricey at a smaller store.
   
   
4. Watch out for and stock up on loss leaders. Check the flyer each week from the major stores and look for great deals on things like cereal, pasta and cans (things which won't go bad before you get to them), and meat (which you can freeze for later). Resist picking up other items while you're there!  
   
   
5. Same for BOGO sales - but first make sure they're actually a good deal!  Sometimes the price for one item is inflated compared to buying it elsewhere, making the BOGO more like "buy one, get a little discount on a second".
   
   
6. Plan your shopping, make a list, and stick to it.
   
   
7. Buy fresh produce that is in season, and round it out with frozen veggies that tend to generally be a little cheaper.
   
   
8. Shop alone if you can, unless having a shopping partner actually helps you stick to your list rather than making you spend more.
   
   
9. Eat before you go, especially if you need to bring kids along - if you’re hungry, everything looks good!  Plus your stress level will be higher, making you either rush through your shopping or pick up extra junk food.  Have a meal or good snack before you go to avoid impulse purchases.
   
   
10. Plan your meals from your pantry first. Plan a time each week to go through your cupboards, fridge and freezer, find out what you have, plan your meals, and then go shopping for what you need to fill in the gaps and for staple items.
    
    
11. Shop on the schedule that works best for you, and stick with it.  Try to avoid running to the store for "just one thing" in between planned shops.
    
    
12. Shop the clearance sections.  Most store have racks with markdowns, where you can get cereal, granola bars, etc for 50-75% off as they get closer to their best before date. Check the produce and meat sections as well. A few days before their best before date expires, meat will get marked down dramatically. Bring it home and put it straight into the freezer, or cook it right away and freeze it or use in meal prep.
    
    
13.  Use coupons sparingly: Sure, coupons sometimes offer a great deal, but I have found that most coupons here are for items I don’t really need or use. Resist the urge to think, “Wow, that’s a good deal,” and instead just look for coupons based on items you need to purchase.  
    
    
14. Check retailers' websites or apps to see if they have a loyalty program, a coupon you can use, bonus points, etc.  PC Optimum is one loyalty program that I have found to be worth the effort.  And Scene+, while I don't really use the points, does unlock discounts at Safeway. Use the Flipp app to check flyers and look for coupons.  
    
    
15. Try cashback apps like Save.ca or ReceiptHog.
    
    
16. Build a pantry and a freezer stash. Buy a few extra things each week and don't plan them into your menu. Then if you have a bad couple of weeks, or if someone you know hits on hard times, you've got some stores to rely on.
    
    
17. Cook more from scratch, and make small substitutions in your recipes.  You can stretch out your ingredients or save a trip to the store by looking for easy substitutions, using things you have on hand - see the Ultimate Ingredient Substitutions Guide substitutions  or "In a Pinch Ingredient Substitutions".  I have learned that you can often use water successfully in place of milk in baking, or 50/50 milk & water, and also that most recipes will turn out just fine if you use 3/4 cup sugar instead a full cup. 
    
    
18. If you need a little bit of food assistance, check your local food bank or other community organizations to see if they have a food recovery program separate from their regular hamper programs. These programs are generally not income-based, but are rather designed for keeping unsold food out of the landfill. Our local food bank has a daily drop-in program where residents can come in and pick up baked goods, produce, meat, etc - what is available varies depending on what donations have come in, but it is a helpful supplement between hampers or when there are still a few days left at the end of the paycheque.
    
    
19. Find out if there is a CSA in your area where you can get a work share, where you volunteer a certain number of hours each week in exchange for a discount on a weekly box of produce. 
    
    
20. Utilize apps like Too Good to Go, FlashFood, or Food Hero to find markdowns at local stores.
    
    
21. Learn the difference between "sell by", "use by", "better before", "best before" and "expiry" dates.  Few foods have an actual "expiry date", which means that the nutritional content can't be guaranteed after that.  Most have one of the others listed, and those are related to quality/presentation.  Refer to Food Banks Canada's Guideline for Distributing Food Past the Best Before Date for some eye-opening info on how long food is actually considered safe!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C)

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.  (This takes longer than you think - wait it out a bit!)

Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. 

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, then blend into the creamed mixture. 

Stir in chocolate chips. 

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. (Line with parchment for easy cleanup!)

Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes. Do not over bake - you want these cookies to be a bit on the "soft and chewy" side, not crunchy.

Remove from oven and let cookies rest on pan for 1 minute before transferring them to a cooling rack. 

The cookies will flatten out a bit while cooling, it's okay!

Variations:

• For black-and-whites, swap half or all of the chocolate chips for white chips.
• For mocha cookies, add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder along with the eggs and vanilla.

"Impossible" Pie

I didn't know this pie was uncommon until my daughter made it for a community fair and so many people commented on it!  This separates while baking to form a top crust, a middle custard, and a soft bottom layer.

Some recipes call for 1/2 cup of Bisquick or other baking mix, because this basic recipe originally came from Betty Crocker and Bisquick in the 1970s!  Others use some combination of flour, baking powder, and salt.  The coconut pie is the classic, but I've included two other versions as well.  Enjoy!

Impossible Coconut Pie

• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 to 1-1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• (sprinkle with nutmeg before baking)

Impossible Chocolate Pie

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 ounces unsweetened bar chocolate - Melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup bisquick or baking mix

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

• 1 16-ounce can pumpkin
• 1 13-ounce can evaporated skim milk
• 4 egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 21/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon melted butter

Instructions for all variations:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray and lightly flour. 

Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Blend well, about 1 minute.  Pour into pie pan. Bake about one hour, until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

A "do it scared" rebrand!

Welcome to Auntie Karen’s Corner! 

I first stepped onto this platform back in 2009, with this blog and my more personal diary blogs "Canadian Soldier's Wife" and "Homeschool Days".  While my recipes and money-saving tips aren't going anywhere, this space is growing up right alongside my not-so-little kids.  If you’ve been around for a while (I appreciate all 7 of you!), you might remember when I launched this space as Champagne Taste, Beer Budget - a title inspired by a comment from my mom about my preferences at the time.  

Likewise, this rebrand is inspired by comments from my community.  Lately I have been called "the mom of our mom’s group," and the neighborhood "anti-Karen", and more and more I find myself being a "bonus mom" or "auntie" to my kids' friends and to younger moms just starting out on their parenting and homeschooling journeys.  Late-night rambling thoughts (thank you, perimenopause) brought me to the idea of using a bit of word play and "Anti Karen" became "Auntie Karen", and, well, here we are.

The recipes and money-saving ideas I have shared over the years aren't going anywhere, but you'll see a little more personal content and reflections from 21 years of parenting,16 years of homeschooling, and a 6-year interlude as a military wife.  I hope to share lots of nuggets of encouragement, faith and inspiration, and probably plenty of random thoughts seasoned with a bit of humor from my perspective as a late Gen-Xer (or have we accepted the Xennial label now?)  

Disclosure: There will also still be be occasional affiliate links for books or products that I have found genuinely helpful, or ads, but I will not be spammy.  Just trying to keep the lights on around here!  I hope you'll stick around, and come find me on Instagram, too.

Love you!

Vintage Cookbooks: The No Fad Good Food $5 a Week Cookbook (1974)

"In comparison to what most of the people of the world pay for food, and to what we need to nourish ourselves, we spend a fortune."

Caroline Ackerman (The No Fad Good Food $5 a Week Cookbook, 1974)

(Available for free from the Internet Archive)

Dutch Bean Soup
(made with dried beans)

Yield: 4 Cups

Wash and pick over 1 cup dry beans (pinto, navy, or lima), and place in cooking pot with 6 cups water.  Soak over night.

Add

• 1 tsp salt
• 3 whole cloves
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 bayleaf

Bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours. Rub through a sieve if you have one, or blend until smooth.

Heat 2 tbsp fat in a heavy pan.  Sauté 1/3 cup sliced celery and/or onion and 1/3 cup sliced or shredded carrots. Add to soup. 

Thin with a bit of boiling water if necessary (to taste), and return to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until flavours mix.

Add:

• 1-1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1-1/2 tbsp ketchup

Optional: Add 1/3 cup evaporated milk at the end of cooking.