Considering a Vegetarian (or Vegan) Diet?

Save money and improve your health by going vegetarian!

There are plenty of reasons one might consider a vegetarian or vegan diet. For many, it is a matter of conscientious objection to the way the meat industry is handled. For instance many people who have chosen a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle feel that practices that produce meat for mass consumption, especially factory farms, are unsustainable in the long run, and negatively impact the environment. In addition to environmental factors, there are concerns about the treatment of animals raised in these conditions and the overuse of hormones and antibiotics, which are then in the meat sold in grocery stores across the country. While there are movements that encourage people to buy their meat from local farmers who employ more ethical and sustainable methods in raising livestock for meat consumption, these meats are often more expensive.

For others, the concerns are related to issues of health. There are a number of diseases that can come from improperly cooked or stored meats. A healthy, balanced vegetarian diet is generally going to be lower in cholesterol and saturated fats, which are associated with a number of health problems such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other problems. In the long term, vegetarians may end up spending a lot less money on healthcare. This is not to say that meat-eaters are always going to be less healthy; vegetarians and meat-eaters alike who eat balanced meals prepared with nutritious ingredients and exercise regularly are likely to enjoy the benefits of good health. Continue reading

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Organizing your home

Save yourself time, stress, and even money by keeping your home organized.

Keeping your counters as clutter-free as possible will make for a more usable cooking space.

Few people really enjoy living in a cluttered environment. Having little heaps of stuff all over the place can make it difficult to clean your home and keep track of your things. A lot of times we hold onto things we don’t really need in hopes that we’ll find a use for them someday. These things tend to build up over time, taking up valuable space that could otherwise be occupied by something more useful.

The best way to keep your home organized is to make sure everything has a proper place that it goes in. Every time you get something new, create a space for it. If you don’t have enough space to create a place for whatever you’ve brought in, it’s time to let something go. Don’t keep buying new things if you aren’t going to be able to create a space for them. If you are in a cramped space, look into storage solutions; there are a lot of creative ways to make smaller living spaces work better. Continue reading

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Using up Leftovers

Reduce your grocery bills by turning leftovers into tasty new meals!

All too often, people let their leftover food get pushed to the back of the refrigerator and forgotten until it starts sprouting nasties and oozing strange goo. I admit to letting this happen myself. It’s difficult to cook for just one or two people, as many of my favorite recipes make six or eight servings, and you can only force yourself to eat leftovers so many meals in a row before you get so sick of whatever it is you’re eating that you never want to see it again. Continue reading

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Bakeware: Basic Guide to Cookware Materials Part 2

Save money on baked goods by baking at home!

Baking at home is usually a lot less expensive than buying baked goods from grocery stores, and can be a lot more fun. Fresh, homemade baked goods have fewer additives, taste better, and fill your home with wonderful smells. This article will serve as a guide to purchasing the right bakeware for the baking projects you have planned. We’ll start out with some general tips for buying bakeware before moving on to specifics. While it may seem easiest to buy a bakeware set all together, it’s generally much better to buy individual pieces. Certain materials are better for different baking projects, and buying in a set doesn’t allow you to examine each piece and ensure that it will function as you need it too.
Another good general tip is to purchase pieces that are heavy for their size, as they heat and bake at a more even temperature, are more durable, and won’t warp as quickly. A lot of bakeware comes with non-stick coating. This makes for a much easier cleanup, but limits the utensils you can use with them to soft materials such as silicone and rubber. Pieces with nonstick coating will need to be replaced frequently, as the coating will begin to flake after a year or so, and is unsafe to consume. Continue reading

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Basic Guide to Cookware Materials, Part 1

Learn about the materials best suited to your cookware needs.

When making any cookware purchase, it is important not only to consider what your needs are, but also exactly what advantages any given product has to offer. Your best cookware options will be determined by what food you wish to prepare, what type of range you have in your kitchen, and how much time you plan to dedicate to preparing and cleaning up after meals. This article will serve as a guide to choosing the best cookware for your needs, and explaining the advantages and disadvantages associated with each type of cookware.

Cast Iron:
I’ll start with my personal favorite, the most durable cookware that money can buy. If you care for your cast iron cookware as you should, you will never have to replace it. Properly seasoned cast iron will create a non-stick cooking surface, and cast iron can go straight from the stove-top into the oven, and safely heated up to higher temperatures. It heats very evenly and retains heat better than anything else. The disadvantages to cast iron are that many find it more difficult to clean and find seasoning the pan regularly to be a hassle. It heats slowly, and it shouldn’t be used on ceramic glass-top ranges as it will cause damage to the range. It is also reactive with foods high in acid, such as tomatoes, citrus juices, and wine. Continue reading

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Public Libraries: The Best Free Resource

Make the most out of visits to your public library!

Public libraries are among the most valuable resources available for free and unlimited use in this country. One of the best ways that you can enrich your own education at any age without having to pay a bunch of money is to make a habit of visiting libraries and finding reading material that interests you. Not only can avid readers can save a lot of money and space by checking books out rather than purchasing them, but most libraries today have a variety of other resources and media available.

Many libraries will now lend audio books, CDs and DVDs, and provide online access to newspaper archives, and access to subscription electronic databases. These databases provide access to peer-reviewed journals and articles covering highly specialized content. Electronic databases are a wonderful resource for students who wish to find reliable, accurate sources for essays and other assignments. Continue reading

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7 Things to Do With Your Kids During Bad Weather Spells

Rainy weekends trapped indoors with young kids and no possibility for releasing all that pent-up energy can try the sanity of any parent. Kids who are cooped up inside move rapidly from boredom to fidgety behavior to creating all-out anarchy in what you only wish could be your quiet, peaceful home. With the imminent onset of autumn weather approaching, I’ve come up with a list inexpensive ways to keep your children occupied when the weather isn’t nice enough to play outside.

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