Packets of homemade seasonings mixes in your cupboard, instant and expert seasoning is at your fingertips.
The easy way to package a mix is to spread the desired number of aluminum foil squares on the kitchen counter. Place the measurements of each ingredient on all the squares, then add the others in turn.
These favour packets will keep several months in the kitchen, but, as with spices and dried herbs, it is advisable to keep them in a dry place away from the heat of the range to reduce chances of flavour loss.
I have about 16 recipes for great flavour packets… so be sure to look them all up.
Here is a my families fav

Homemade sloppy joe seasoning mix

1 tbsp instant minced onion
1 tsp green pepper flakes (or black pepper works)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp instant minced garlic
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp chili powder.

Combin all ingredients. Place on 6″ square of aluminum foil and seal air tight. Repeat recipe to make as many packages as desired. Make 1 package.

Tags: homemade sloppy joe seasoning mix, loose meat sandwich seasoning mix

Seems never enough time in the day. Well past midnight an I’m just finishing up for the day. But before I hit the hay.

While driving on my way home from work I have come up with a few ways to save money the costly gas in your vehicle.

1. Travelling just 5 kms over the speed limit will save you one extra day in drive before you have to gas up. Use your cruise control when ever possible, help keep you at the 5 km over the speed limit
2. Unheavy foot - Take your foot off the gas at least 300 feet before you get a stop sign. It will not only save you gas. You will save your brake shoes on your vehicle. Gravity will come into play and the vehicle will slow down.
3. Slow down - save gas and lessen the chances of getting a ticket from our friendly neighbourhood police man.
4. Coast - just like when you were a kid on your bike. Foot off the gas on the down side of the hill. And, you have gravity on your side adding momentum to the vehicle. I once coasted for an amazing 4.7km…my kids thought is was great and now we always take that way home to see if we can beat our record.
5. Not off to the races - If you slowly excelerate away from a stop the gas is slowly fired into the fuel injectors and you burn less fuel at take off…
6. Lighten the load - Removing any extra ’stuff’ from your vehicle can save a lot. The vehicle is now lighter and requires less gas to get going and getting you there.

Tags: driving to save money, fuel saving tips, getting the most out of gasoline in your car

If you are ever short one small item in a recipe this is my solution…one ingredient for another. I will add more to this list at a later date. Here is a start

Tags: One ingredient for another, substituting recipe ingredients

1/2 c all-purpose flour or 1 c all-purpose if you don’t have whole wheat
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 c milk, any kind
2 tsp oil or marg or butter.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. In a small bowl or 2 cup measure, whisk together milk, egg and oil. Add mixture to flour mixture. Mix gently until just combined (a few lumps are OK). Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, spray with oil. 2 tsp of batter make a the perfect small pancake. Makes 6 to 7 small pancakes. Double recipe for more.

Tags: homemade pancake mix, simple pancake recipe, whole wheat pancake mix, wholesome pancake mix

Fancy (mild) molasses    1/3 cup
Low-sodium soy sauce    1/3 cup
Garlic cloves, minced     3
(or 3/4 tsp., 4 mL, powder)
Dried crushed chilies    1/4 tsp.

Sweet-and-sour-cut pork ribs, trimmed    3 1/2 lbs.
of fat and cut into 1 bone portions

Combine first 4 ingredients in 3 1/2 to 4 quart (3.5 to 4 L) slow cooker.

Add ribs. Stir until coated. Cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours or on High for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Serves 6.

1 serving: 527 Calories; 38.8 g Total Fat (16.8 g Mono, 3.6 g Poly, 14.7 g Sat); 128 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrate; trace Fibre; 29 g Protein; 561 mg Sodium

Tags: crock pot ribs, easy slow cooker recipe

saving money and time are two very important things today...and here we help you simplfy

As the world economy turns and causes turmoil. For my family I’m always seeking ways make things easier and simpler in my life. Here are a few cooking and money saving tips.

1. A leaf of lettuce dropped into the pot absorbs the grease from the top of soup. Remove the lettuce and compost
2. Prick the end of an egg before boiling, the egg will nto creak when boiled.
3. If a cracked dish is bolied for 45 minutes in sweet milk, the cack will be so welded together that it will hardly be visible, and will be so strong it will stand the same usage as before.
4. Chill cheese to great it more easily.
5. Cut drinking straws into short lenghts and insert through slits in pie crusts to prevent juice from running over in the oven, permits steam to escape.
6. To remove burned frood from oven, place a cloth saturated with ammonia in over over-night, and food can be easily wiped up.
7. To remove baked on, sticky food from pots and pans. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Make cleaning half the time.
8. A tablespoon of vinegar added to the water when poaching eggs will help se the whites so they will not spread.
9. Sweet potatoes will not turn dark if put in salted water (5 teaspoons to 1 quart of water) immediatley after peeling.
10. Bread crumbs added to scrambled eggs will improve the flavour and make larger helping possible.
11. Brake up all stale bread/buns and dry it a bowl in the cupboard, then a blender/small chopper to grind up the pieces. Storage in glass jar.
12. Try poaching eggs in maple syrup.
13. Try warming a lemon before use to give double the juice.
14. To keep coffee or coffee beans fresh, store in glass jars upside down in a cool, dark place. If you freeze the coffee, it requires time to return to room temperature before use or the coffee is much bitter as the oil needs to release from the grounds.
15. Add pieces of apples in your spaghetti sauce. This will remove the acid from the tomato.
16. To make fish firm and white add a little lemon to water while boiling.
17. To keep salmon and other fragile food from breaking while being boiling, place food on a plate, tie in a square of cheesecloth and lower all into water.
18. To keep lemons fresh place in glass jar, fill with water and cover tightly.
19. To extract juice from lemone with a small amount is needed puncture the skin with a fork and gently squeeze out the amount required.
20. To remove pits from cherries easily, insert a new pen point into a penholder, pointed and in, and take out pits with the rounded end, or with the hump of unused hairpin.
21. To avoid wrinkled skin on baked apples, slit in a few places before backing.
22. To cut fresh bread easily cut with a hot knife.
23. Grease potato skins before baking to keep them soft and tender.
24. To give doughnuts added flavour place a few whole cloves or stick of cinnamon in oil while frying.
25. Add a generous pinch of soda to the egg whites before they are beaten. They’ll stand up better when beaten for a meringue
26. To remove any yolk which gets into the white when you are breaking an egg, take a piece of shell and lightly touch the yolk with it. The yolk will adhere and can be easily removed.
27. If you add a little milk to water in which cauliflower is cooking, the cauliflower will remain attractively white.
28. To preserve left-over egg yolks for futur use, place them into a small bowl and add two tablespoons of salad oil. Then put into refrigerator. The egg yolks will remain soft and fresh, and egg yolks kept in this way ca be used in many ways.
29. When cooking cabbage, place a small tin cup or can half full of vinegar on the stove near the cabbage, and it will absorb all odor from it.
30. To keep egg youls from crumbling when slicing hard-cooke eggs, wet the knife before each cut.
31. To prevent splashing when frying meat, sprinkle a little salt into the pan before putting the fat in.
32. A potaot peeler makes paring a lemon easy.
33. Add lemon juice to water in which rice is to be boiled. The whiteness will be increased and the grains will remain whole.
34. Before handling berries put lemon juice on your hands and let it dry. The hands will not stain as much.
35. Pastry crumbles caused by over mixing flout and fat.
36. To keep crisp cookies crips, and soft cookies soft, place only one kind in a cookie jar.
37. To keep scalding milk from scorching rinse pan with hot water before using.
38. Milk can be freeze up to two months and defrozed and remains fresh after de-frosting, so buying more than one bag when it is on sale and store the rest.
39. Processed sliced cheese stores will in the freezer and remains fresh after de-frosting (buy more on sale day and save the rest).
40. Storing leftovers in large labeled mason jars. They don’t take up as much room in the fridge. Spagetti sauce and tomatoe based food will not stain the jar. And excellent for reheating food in the microwave.

Tags: cooking tips, food basics, kitchen aids, kitchen time saving tips, kitchen tips

Canadians have been know for how polite we can be…and I’m very proud to be Canadian and sport my red and white here at home and country I my be visiting.

This article has taken put a smile on my face and ONLY IN Canada. We love the maritimes..

Asked nicely, robber leaves store

Thanks to CBC.ca

Tags: Canada, Canadians are polite, good manners

Thanks to Aaron a friend of my I have decided to start this blog…

I hope that anyone who finds it helpful. And welcome topics that you would like to have some info on.

Simple ideas to clean without costly and not environmentally friendly cleansers.

• Wax the legs of your chairs and they will not mark the floors when moved about. Use leftover small bits of candle wax.
• Waxing wooden drawers will help to prevent from sticking.
• To remove ink stains: place garment on a towel and spray hair spray on the ink stain, dab the ink stain with a clean cloth. Ink will transfer onto towel.
• To remove odors from jars and bottle our a solution of water and dry mustard into them and let stand for a few hours, then rinse in hot water.
• Before emptying the bag of your vacuum cleaner, sprinkle water on a newspaper and put it into the garbage bag, there will be no scattering of dust.
• To whiten shoe laces, wash them in sour milk.
• Dip a new straw broom in salt water before using. This will toughen the bristles and make it last longer.
• Clean a rusty sink stain by using cream of tartar and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide.
• Clean a stuck sink drain. Pour half a cup of baking soda in first then add half a cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water. Repeat if necessary.
• Water and vinegar in a mist bottle works great as glass cleaner.
• Clean your kitchen sink like new with just a dab of baking soda on the end of a cloth and rub the surface with just one finger in small circles. Rinse with warm water.
• The best ever stain remover. Save pieces of your old hand soap (I use Ivory Soap), chop into small pieces, place into a bottle with a pump add hot water and let stand. This works awesome on organic
  stains…grass, blood, oil!! I just refill with more soap as I have it and more water.

Tags: cleaning without chemicals, environmentally friend cleansers, house cleaning tips, old fashion home remedies