Quick and Easy Alfredo

...and other ramblings.

The menu said we were going to have Garlic Chicken and Noodles with Broccoli for tonight. (That is basically chicken, noodles, and broccoli tossed with olive oil, butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese.) Anyways, I didn't feel like cooking any chicken since it was just my daughter and I for dinner. But I did have half a package of cream cheese. So I spiced up our noodles and broccoli a little more by making a half order of this Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce. It was indeed quick and easy, but also rich and good. I figure a block of cream cheese for about $1 from Aldi to make this sauce is cheaper than buying the 1/2 and 1/2 or cream that are often used for other versions of Alfredo sauce.

On another note, I finally made the Zucchini Bars last week. Hmm. They did not turn out nearly as cake-like as the ones my mother-in-law brought us. Maybe my zucchini had too much liquid, I don't know. But my husband would not eat them, even with the cream cheese frosting - his favorite. Thankfully my sister visited this past weekend and liked them. Otherwise I would have been eating the whole pan by myself. The cream cheese frosting saved them.

We all really enjoyed the Cheesy Potato Soup and will be saving that recipe.

I did a cool project recently that I want to share... hopefully in the next week or so.

Check out the Mei Tai baby carrier that my cousin Mandy made! Didn't she do an awesome job?

I need to get going on Christmas shopping. I'd like to finish it in the next month and a half. Yikes!

Menu Plan 9/29/08

Not a bunch of new recipes this week. It is supposed to turn cooler mid-week, so I am looking forward to making the first batch of chili this fall. Also, I also bought 15 lbs of apples yesterday. We love apples. They were 60 cents a pound and I don't know if we will see them less than that. I don't currently can, so I will be using my apple peeler/corer/slicer and freezing some for crisps and pies this winter, making some into applesauce to eat and freeze, and of course we will just eat a bunch fresh, too! Please share if you have any other great ideas for what to do with them!

Breakfasts:

Smoothies*

Frosted Mini-Wheats

Oatmeal

Homemade Applesauce

Lunches:

PB&J Sandwiches

Cottage Cheese

Carrots

Apples

Dinners:

Monday - Garlic Chicken and Noodles with Broccoli

Tuesday - Thin Crust Hamburger Pizza

Wednesday - Chili, Cornbread

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Beef & Bean Burritos, Salad

Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Church Dinner

Dessert: Apple Crisp (recipe to come)

*Smoothies

(My favorite easy way to make them.)

1 small container blueberry yogurt

1 handful frozen strawberries

1/2 -1 frozen banana

little bit of water or juice or ice cubes (until desired consistency)

Blend together in a blender.

Visit the Organizing Junkie for more menu plan ideas. Have a great week!

Teacher Gifts

Visit the Family Bliss channel today (at Blissfully Domestic) and read my post titled Creative & Thrifty Teacher Gifts.

Are teacher gifts necessary? I think so. BUT, they don't necessarily need to break the bank or stress you out. I wrote from my perspective as a former teacher on what we appreciated... just because I can't stand for people to spend money on "stuff". There are also directions for a really easy and inexpesive craft you (or your child) could make for their teacher... or anyone for that matter.

Check it out. Feel free to leave some feedback over there, too!

Note: I am bummed that the pictures aren't working! My editor - sweet Amy - is going to do her best to fix them since I can't access the post once it is published.

Convenience Foods

Hey, Foody Friday is a comment festival this week. So head on over there and leave a comment telling your favorite convenience food. Super easy. Come on - confession time! :)

Calling All Wanna-be Eco Mamas

Free, green living tips tailored especially for mamas? Sign me up!

I love the Daily Tips that get delivered to my inbox each day from the folks at Ideal Bite. They are free, funny, and useful. Read here about why they are my favorite resource for eco-conscious living.

So... I am especially pumped for the Mama Bite tips that are starting in November! I am excited to see what they are going to cover. Maybe I'll even submit a tip or two of my own...

You can go here or to the banner on my sidebar to sign up. Don't worry, they allow absolutely no spamming nor selling of your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

If they are anything like the Daily Tips, the Mama Bites are sure to be fabulous... So don't miss out.

Visit the Green Baby Guide for more thrifty, green ideas!
Visit Crystal for Frugal Friday!

Frozen Onions and Bell Peppers

I made the Pioneer Woman's Basic Breakfast Potatoes to go with our dinner Monday night. My husband really liked them.

Do you know what made them quite tasty? Some chopped onion and red and green peppers. Do you know what made them quite simple to make? The fact that the onion and peppers were already chopped and ready to go.

I picked up this bag of them from the frozen vegetable section for 78 cents. I just sprinkled them in the pan while I was frying the potatoes. Then I twisted the bag closed and saved the rest for next time.

Cheaper than buying them fresh, easier, quicker, and nearly as healthy... that certainly works for me!

A Gift for a Friend

I figured these two items fit together: a cookbook and the star ingredient. I know she'll like them - and her husband will, too!

Visit Tammy's Recipes to explore "Kitchen Tip Tuesdays"!

Menu Plan 9/22/08

Here's what we will be eating at our house this week...

Breakfasts:

Vanilla Scented Granola or Frosted Mini-Wheats w/ Milk

Bananas

Lunches:

PB&J or Bologna & Cheese (for my husband) Sandwiches

Leftover Vegetable-Beef Soup

Carrots

Grapes/Strawberries

Dessert

Dinners:

M - Omlettes, Seasoned Potatoes, Fruit

T - Pizza

W - Orange Chicken, Rice, Green Beans

Th - leftovers

F - Cheesy Potato Soup & Homemade Bread

S - leftovers

S - Baked Chicken Sandwich - a new family favorite!, Veggies

Dessert:

Zucchini Bars

We didn't eat everything on the menu from last week because we ended up having 2 nights of dinner with friends. So there are a few repeats. I wasn't impressed with the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from last week, so I won't bother sharing that recipe.

We will be trying some new recipes this week. I am going to try a thin crust homemade pizza, some kind of orangey stir fry, and the cheesy pototato soup. I hope most of it turns out edible! :)

For more menus with tried-and-true family favorites, visit the Organizing Junkie!

Vanilla Scented Granola

I made this Vanilla Scented Granola last night and we ate some for breakfast this morning. It was a pleasant change from our old standby granola recipe. I really liked it. The vanilla and almonds were a nice touch. My husband says he prefers the brown sugar flavor of our other recipe better, though. So I will still be making that one. It is a little simpler, and cheaper without the almonds, anyways.

Chicken Dishes

Chicken... hmm... we eat a lot of chicken. Our "meats" mostly consist of chicken or ground beef. My favorite chicken recipe might very well be Pineapple-Pepperjack Chicken. But since I've posted that on Foody Friday before, I'll have to come up with something new.

How about Stephanie's Chicken Pasta Primavera with Sauce?

It requires a few "special" ingredients (those ones you have to make sure you have on hand before you make the recipe), but not too many. We like it because it is healthy and tasty. I like that it is pretty balanced, so I don't have to make a lot of sides to go with it. Then again, I hardly ever make a lot of sides.

We also really enjoy Chicken Salad on sandwiches, as well as the casserole Baked Chicken Sandwich. Oh, and also just some chicken breasts baked in the oven with Italian dressing poured over them and parmesan cheese sprinkled on them while they cook are good, too. And don't forget Mandy's Grilled Chicken Wraps! My sister in law made these for us and they are delish.

Ok, I think that is enough chicken linkage from me for awhile.

Visit Jenny's Foody Friday for more ways to fix you-know-what.

Reusable Produce Bags

I didn't know these mesh produce bags existed until Amy pointed them out! (Thanks!) Pretty cool.

I could use these because I buy a lot of my produce from the grocery store. See, I didn't sign up in time for the CSA this past summer and I live kind of far from the farmer's market. However, I do buy peaches from a local orchard, and beside that, our local grocery stores actually carry a lot of local produce when in season and at good prices. So anyways, there's my justification for those of you who never buy produce from the supermarket! :)

And also, don't forget...

Thanks, Katerina.

T & G Kitchen Decorations

Here are some thrifty and green (some literally, ha!) ways I have decorated in the kitchen. I am not a fan of clutter, so these are pretty basic.


Used my own servingware (that we got as wedding gifts) on the shelves. I love white dishes. Cost: $0


Reused an old bottle with some dried prairie grasses cut from the landscaping. Cost: $0.

Wooden candlesticks (that were a Christmas present) with white candles as a centerpiece. Cost: $4

The only plant I can't kill: a gift from a friend. Cost: $0

These ideas are nothing earth shattering. But I like these items because they are meaningful, while not costly. Rather than buying more stuff, I am a fan of rearranging and reusing items in new ways!

Visit the Green Baby Guide for more Thrifty Green Thursday thoughts!

Recycling, Solved!

At least for now. If you read about when I asked help with some solutions to our recycling dilemma, then you might be interested in what I decided to do...

I really appreciated everyone's input and the ideas that were shared. They helped me realized the options and inspired me to come up with a solution that worked for us.

I decided that for now, my husband was only going to "allow" :) me to continue recycling if it was a small container and totally out of the way. So here's my temporary, rather primitive, fix: A brown bag in the garage, right by the door that leads to the kitchen. It is in some dead space under the shoe rack and in between the steps and the wall so it is not in anyone's way. (We used to have a plastic trash can here, but it cracked and broke. I think that sort of container might work well for the recycling, too.) I am not sorting anything. When the bag is full, I know that I have to make a trip to the recycling center or it gets put out with the trash. Simple as that. Even if that means making a trip once a week.

We'll see how long it lasts. I'm not sure if my husband has noticed what I've done, yet...

Using Quicken

It seems the financial gurus say that one of the the most important steps in managing your finances is to know where your money is going. Quicken Online makes it easy! Now, my husband set it up for us, so I don't know how hard that was, but using it sure is easy.

Here are just a few things that I like about it:

• You can use it to create a budget.
• It connects to you bank account so any transactions (withdrawals, deposits, debit card purchases, automatic bill payments, etc.) show up and you can label them according to the budget category (groceries, fuel, medical, utilities, etc.).
• It shows a pie chart of your budget categories, so you have a good visual of where you are spending the most money.
• It tracks your spending from month to month so you can compare your spending to previous months. It also makes monthly averages.
• It is only $2.99 a month.

I am not usually one to like computer programs a whole lot... But, $36 a year for money managing software that is easy and fun to use, saves you a ton of pencil/paper time, and will very likely help you to save more money? That Works for Me!

Recuperating, Hopefully

I will post again as soon as I recover from this plague also known as strep throat. Thanks! :)

Menu Plan 9/15/08

Breakfasts:

Homemade Granola w/ Milk

Bananas

Orange Juice

Lunches:

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Carrots

Strawberries

Dessert

Dinners:

M - BBQ Meatballs, Green Beans, Oven Baked Seasoned Potatoes

T - leftovers

W - Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas, Veggies

Th - leftovers

F - Vegetable-Beef Soup with Homemade Bread

S - leftovers

S - Homemade Pizza... Anyone have a good THIN crust recipe to try?

Dessert:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe to come)

Zucchini Bars aka Zucchini Cake

That's the plan for what to eat this week! I need to do a couple stops at the stores in the next day or so. For more menus, go see the Organizing Junkie!

PB&J Anyone?

Foody Friday is all about lunches this week!

I am not the person to ask for lunch ideas. Have you seen my menu plans? Our lunches are almost always PB&J sandwiches. That is because we pack our lunches a lot, we like them, and they are just easy. One less meal to have to think about.

Well, let me say I do use whole-wheat bread and organic, sugar-free peanut butter. And the sides usually include a combo of fruit/veggie/yogurt, too. That is pretty balanced, right? Oh, yeah, they usually include jelly on the sandwich and dessert, too. :) But atleast not for my daughter. Yet.

So, ANYWAYS, I am going to take the easy way out and tell you to look at this list of ideas (with pictures!) for fresh, balanced, wholesome lunches. (I shared this before.) The article is geared towards kid lunches, but the ideas would really be great for adult lunches, too.

The first page takes a second to load, but be patient and then click through them all. The article really helped spark some new ideas for me. Now I just need to act on actually trying them. (The article is from Oprah's website. I am not a regular fan or watcher of the show, but now and then I find that she shares some fun and practical information.) Hope this helps you, too!

Visit Jenny at A Latte Talk and join in on Foody Friday!

Christmas Cards

This blog has me already thinking about getting ready for Christmas.

Preparations include Christmas cards. Do you love them or hate them? I am on the love side. I don't love getting them ready, but I do love the actual sending and receiving of them. Maybe it is because my side of the family lives out-of-town, and we have several out-of-town friends that we keep in touch with.

Here are some ways that I simplify Christmas card giving:

1. Find some cards that you like for cheap. Last year, I found some on the dollar aisle at Michael's (8 cards for $1). They were small and blank inside - nothing fancy. But I liked the simple Scandinavian looking Christmas design. And, I was putting my daughter's photo inside, so that added more to the card. Another year, I got some from Target on the day-after-Thanksgiving sale.

2. I don't write a long update or send a lengthy letter. That's what a blog is for.

3. I usually only send cards to out-of-town friends and family that we won't see over the course of the holiday season. We do a lot of visiting and so we end up seeing a lot of my husband's extended family in person. My list still ends up being quite long even when I only send cards to those far-off. If I included everyone else that we visit, too, that would add like 30 more cards to my list!

Is sending Christmas cards easy on the environment? Probably not, when you think of the paper, the ink, and the fossil fuel for shipping. But I hardly ever mail anything anymore, so this is an exception.

Will I always mail Christmas cards? Maybe not. There might come a day when I just send e-cards or do something else. But right now, for this, year, I plan to mail our cards.

In the past, I also have purchased my Christmas cards from Pier 1 Imports, where they offered ones on recycled paper with a portion of the purchase going to benefit UNICEF. If you are interested, explore options to find cards that are environmentally-friendly. The folks at Ideal Bite usually offer some great tips in this area around the holidays.

Please don't call me a scrooge just because I don't buy expensive cards and give them out to every single person I know. I just try to simplify by buying cards that I like and that are a good price, and sending them to our far-off friends and family that we won't get to see.

I do it all because Christmas cards are a tradition that I enjoy!

Find more frugal tips here. Also, check out my "Home Haircuts" post if you haven't, yet. That's something I never thought I would write about!

Photo courtesy of stockvault.net

Adventures in Haircuts

Ever thought about cutting your own hair? Here's our story.

My husband likes his hair really short, like military short. When we first got married, he'd get his haircut every 2-3 weeks. Then he thought, "This is ridiculous." He had me use the clippers and cut his hair. I took a long time to do it and was very cautious, out of fear that I would make a huge dent it it somewhere.

He has been cutting his own hair by himself ever since. Every summer he shaves it. He swears by his Wahl clippers. I just do the neckline for him. Even though shaggy is somewhat the "look" now, I don't think he'll ever let his grow out - his hair is so straight and thick that he says he'd look like a Chia Pet.

Growing up, I loved getting my haircut at the hairdresser. It made me feel like a new person. I would still like it just as much, except that I haven't found the right stylist. Ever since I moved here after college, I have tried many different stylists in the area, costing anywhere from $8 to $60. None have been disasters, but none were great. Most I have come home from and trimmed things up some more myself. (Well, there was one haircut that was $50 I feel like I got my money's worth out of. But I have short hair, and I just cannot bring myself to pay $50 + tip every 6-8 weeks for a haircut!)

So with my husband's encouragement, I tried hacking away at my own hair for the first time about 4 years ago. I think what emboldened me was the fact that I have had super short, cropped hair before. I knew that if I really messed things up, I could go to my local hairdresser and just have it all chopped off again. So there was nothing to lose. Well, I am still hacking away at it myself, 4 years later!

It is actually quite fun to be able to cut your hair exactly how you want it, instead of trying to communicate that to the stylist. It is also so convenient to be able to get a haircut whenever you want, instead of having to book and wait for an appointment. I've always half-jokingly/half-seriously told my friends that if I hadn't gone to college, I would have wanted to go to cosmetology school. Maybe I am subconsciously living out that dream :)

P.S. - Of course I am cutting my daughter's hair, too. For her first haircut we put her in her booster seat so I could trim the back (the only part that had grown!) Last time, I actually cut her hair while she was in the bathtub, sitting very still, amazingly. That makes for easy clean-up.

OK, I am going to embarrass myself here with a picture - just to show you how short I have cut my hair before. This is a picture from when I was pregnant... PLEASE try to ignore the stringy piece that refused to stay in the bobby pin and ruined the picture...

Find more money-saving ideas at The Green Baby Guide's Thrifty Green Thursday!

Easy Deviled Eggs

Sweet Katie had an assortment of great Labor Day tips a week or so ago. This one was my favorite.

Easy Deviled Eggs - Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done - easy clean up.

I want to remember it. I might make deviled eggs more often! Visit Tammy for a collection of more kitchen tips!

Chicken Pot Pie

Here is the recipe I am going to try. I like that it is pretty simple! I will very likely have to make some adaptations, though. For example, I am out of potatoes and won't be able to get any before tomorrow night. I have eaten this pot pie before, but never made it myself. My husband usually says my pot pies are too dry, and so I'm hoping this one will turn out different.

2 qt. chicken broth, heated
1 T. Worchestershire sauce
3 T. Cornstarch
1/2 c. water
3 c. chicken
1/2 c. cooked, cubed potatoes
1/2 c. cooked carrots
1/2 c. peas
1/2 c minced onions

Crust topping:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening
2 T. water

Mix cornstarch with water. Stir in heated broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add chicken and vegetables and mix well. Pour into greased 2 and 1/2 to 3 quart casserole dish. For crust, mix ingredients together and roll out dough 1/8 in. thick and top casserole with crust. Bake at 350 degrees until browned. Makes 6 servings.

Updated...
The result: LOTS of liquid before baking. Not enough crust - it was thin and sunk when I put it on! Things got better as it baked (for more than a half hour, I might add). The sauce thickened up considrably and was just right. The crust ended up kind of dumpling-like and soggy. Overall, the pot pie would have been great if it had more crust, and the crust came out dry. It was an easy and healthy recipe, and smelled divine while baking. I might have to find a way to merge it with my old recipe for the crust.

Updated again...
After day #2 of eating this, I've decided I do like it and will just double the crust recipe next time and see if that helps. (The crust sunk because there wasn't enough of it to reach all the way across the dish.)

Menu Plan 9/8/08

Breakfasts:
Leftover Waffles
Homemade Granola w/ Milk

Cantelope/Bananas

Orange Juice*

Lunches:

PB&J Sandwiches

Tortilla Chips & Salsa

Yogurt/Cottage Cheese

Grapes/Pears

Carrots

Dinners:

M - Chicken Pot Pie, Fruit

T - leftovers

W - Spinach Lasagna, Fresh Green Beans

Th - leftovers

F - Cream of Broccoli Soup** & Chicken Sandwiches

S - Frozen Pizza

S - leftovers

Dessert: Creamy Orange Shakes

*I was totally stoked this week to find really good, pulp-free orange juice for 99 cents per half gallon! I bought 4. It doesn't get any better than that price. We love orange juice.

**Also, I should be honest and let you know that the thought and sight of cream of broccoli soup typically repulses me. But I had some a month or two ago and it was suprisingly really good, so I am going to try making it.

Visit Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas!

For the Weekend...

Thanks goes to Michele for sharing this fun and silly quiz!

You can check out the extensive List of All BlogThings if you seriously have too much time on your hands. (I am trying to tell myself here that I shouldn't be on the computer right now- I don't have time to kill - I have other stuff to do!)

Quick and Healthy Suppers

Foody Friday is back!

Since the school year is now underway, we're talking quick and healthy meals... 20 minutes or less. That's not much time to actually cook or bake anything that requires a recipe, and I don't have any brilliant brand-new ideas, so I am just going to give a quick list of some meals from my stash that I use when needed...

My fav:

• shredded chicken* from the crock-pot to use in quesadillas, tacos, or enchiladas

Others:

• homemade Vegetable-Beef Soup from the crock-pot with garlic toast
• frozen or refrigerated cheese ravioli with spaghetti sauce
• sloppy joes on buns
• stiry fry over rice
• Chinese Chicken Salad (w/ pre-cooked chicken)
• omlettes or toasted bagel/scrambled egg/cheese sandwiches
• a previously made dish or leftovers
• Pizza Pockets (I want to try these - you can freeze them!)

*Here's the easiest way I know to cook chicken for tex-mex recipes:

Place frozen chicken breasts in bottom crock-pot. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes with juice, or some taco seasoning and water, or some onions and water, or just some water, depending on your taste. Does not need to cover the chicken. Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Add corn or beans for the last hour if desired.

Visit Jenny at A Latte Talk on Friday for more quick and healthy ideas for those busy evenings!

Visit Crystal's Frugal Friday to find thrifty and practical tips!

Baked Chicken Sandwich

(It's a casserole!) I received this recipe from a lady that I work with that is an outstanding cook. I adapted it according to what I had on hand to make it simpler. We enjoyed it and will be eating it again!

Ingredients:

16 slices of white bread (I used this recipe.)
1/2 cup butter
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
mayo or miracle whip
chopped onions or onion powder
1 can cream of chicken soup (I omitted and replace with milk, plus a little flour.)
2 T. sherry (I used marsala.)
1 cup dairy sour cream
paprika

Directions:

1. Melt butter. Pour 1/2 into bottom of 9x13 glass dish.
2. Place 8 slices of bread into the dish.
3. Cover with mixture of chicken, miracle whip (or mayo), and onion.
4. Arrange remaining 8 slices of bread on top of mixture.
5. Drizzle remaining butter over bread.
6. Combine soup, sour cream, and sherry, and pour over top.
7. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.
8. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or longer.

More options: add sauteed or canned mushrooms, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and/or olives to the chicken mixture.

Homemade Bread

At last! I think I've found a home-made bread recipe I like.

I tried the artisan bread recipe for our bread during the month of July. We ate it, but I wasn't impressed. It was very crusty and dense. So we moved on.

I decided store bought whole-wheat bread is much better for PB&J sandwiches. I've found some from Costco that is a good deal. But, what about when I want some bread or rolls to go with dinner?

Well, since then, I have made this all-purpose bread dough recipe several times. I've made it for hamburger buns, dinner rolls, and for dinner bread (to make cheesy, garlic toast out of it). Yesterday, I made it into a plain loaf of white bread to use in my new casserole that I was trying called Baked Chicken Sandwich (recipe to come).

I do not have a breadmaker and I don't like to knead bread. I think that is where I always screwed it up before. But, I've successfully made this recipe completely in my mixer, using a dough hook.

Here's what I do...
(original recipe courtesy of Recipezaar)

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups skim milk
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I actually like white flour best in this recipe!)
2 teaspoons yeast

Directions:

1. Warm milk slightly, just past tepid. (Err on the side of too cool, rather than too hot.)
2. Add oil.
3. Add yeast. Wait a few minutes for the yeast to soak.
4. Add sugar and salt. Mix well.
5. Add flour.
6. Turn on mixer and let it blend the ingredients.
7. After a few minutes, scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure well blended, and then let the mixer go a few more minutes.
8. When dough is elastic, remove from bowl.
9. I preheat my oven to 100°F and turn off.
10. Dust hands and dough lightly with flour (just enough to make unsticky enough to handle).
11. Form a loaf and place on pizza stone.
12. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size. Remove from oven.
13. Preheat oven to 400°F and when you put the dough in the oven, reduce temperature immediately to 375° and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until top is browned.
14. Slice using an electric knife for best results.

Enjoy!

Help me with Some Recycling Solutions

Shannon says that this week's Works for me Wednesday is backwards - we get to solicit advice. So I am asking for help.

Please.

Here's the situation.

The bad news: Our city does not offer curbside recycling. Our city does not even have a recycling drop-off center.

Well, I take that back. They do have newspaper and magazine recycling at the schools. And they are looking into citywide recycling because enough people have petitioned for it (yay!) even though we will probably have to pay extra for the service. But anyways, it is not in the immediate future.

The good news: in another city, where I work, they have an awesome recycling drop-off center. You can take just about anything. I like to take stuff there.

The problem: My husband does not like my recycling bins (cardboard boxes) taking up space in the garage. He sneakily will throw my recycling out with the trash when I am not paying attention. He claims I let it pile up too much. Sometimes I do - because I don't like to make a trip to the recycling center with a measly little box.

What to do? Should I try some more organized-looking plastic containers? Does it get stinky if it is closed up? Should I try to keep the recycling someplace else? Should I give up? Should I limit myself to one bin and go more often? Just writing this has already helped me brainstorm some ideas... but I'm still not sure what to try.

Please help! Tell me what you do with your recycling and what works for you...

Then feel free to go visit Rocks In My Dryer and advise some other folks on their dilemmas, too.

A Sassier Shade of Green...

That's what Ideal Bite is all about. Two years ago, I randomly found them through a Wild Oats Market flyer. I looked up their website and thought, "Hey, this is cool! These guys are into saving the environment while being hip, not hippies. And they are hilarious, to boot!"

What they do: Send daily green-living tips via email. Each day it is different. They include the why's, the how-to's, and lots of other helpful facts. Somtimes there are weekly themes.

Here's a sample of one from last week on using vinegar. I know, it's a pretty well-known idea, but this is too valuable to not share with you. (Usually the tips are more unique, albeit still practical.)

Somedays I read the tips more intently than others. But I almost always read them, just because they are so cleverly written that they are fun to read.

To me, the best part of the Ideal Bite Daily Tips, is that all the research is done for you! Just by receiving these daily tips, I have become more aware of my everyday choices and their impact on the environment. But even more importantly, thanks to the folks at Ideal Bite, I am now more knowledgeable regarding practical alternatives to these choices as well.

I think it is so fabulous that the folks at Ideal Bite are spreading eco-consciousness in an appealing fashion. You may have noticed I've had their link listed under "Resources" ever since I started this blog. I wanted to share them with you so that you could have the chance to enjoy their witty, green-living tips, too. Signing up is FREE! (I guess they make their money on advertising or something. I haven't noticed any increased junk email. I'm pretty positive they have a policy against that. And you can unsubscribe at any time.)

But, guess what, this gets even better... recently I was on their website looking for an Ideal Bite banner - to post on my sidebar, promoting them - and I discovered they have an affiliate program. What that means is that when you click on the box on my sidebar (on the right-hand side of this page) and sign up to receive their daily emails, Little Home benefits. It is nothing much - but hey, it's something for something that I was going to share about anyways.

Even more: If you are cool enough to live in a ultra-eco-hip urban area, Ideal Bite offers specialized local tips for certain metropolitan areas. But what I'm excited about is their Mama Bite tips starting in October. I have signed up for those, too, and will be letting you know when those start rolling out.

But in the meantime, no one should be missing out on the original Daily Tips! They are applicable anywhere. So click here or on the box down on the right-hand side of this page, and it will take you right through to the simple sign-up.

I hope you get as much of a kick out of these as I do. And hopefully our precious Earth will feel the love, as well.
Works for Me!