CORRECT YOUR RECIPE MISTAKES, HELPFUL ADVICE, TIPS, HINTS, OR FRUGAL SUBSTITUTES

Be sure to check my Miscellaneous Recipes website for lots of recipes you can make at home. You can find it on my main Recipes Index. Also check my Southern Recipes and Frugal Recipes for great recipes on same index. I have thousands of free recipes you can use for just about any occasion, or to make as a gift to give anyone for any occasion.

When a cup of coffee tastes bitter, just add a pinch of salt to it, or a pinch of ground nutmeg and stir it into the coffee. It will remove the bitterness. You can't taste the salt or the nutmeg. I have added both and could not taste either of them. I am a big fan of Taster's Choice Instant Hazelnut Coffee Sticks, but the last batch I bought in a case tasted bitter. All I do is what I said, and the coffee tastes wonderful again.

You can substitute cornstarch or arrowroot powder for xanthan gum in recipes. Xanthan gum is bacterial feces that has been dried and pulverized into a white powder to thicken products. Read your labels BEFORE you put a product in your cart.

A huge waste of money is when people throw food away because of freezer burn. Did you know that freezer burn is actually nothing but ice crystals forming on foods? You can still use them. All you need to do is rinse off the ice crystals, and add seasonings or spices to perk up the flavors again when you cook them. This tip alone can save you a lot of money. Meats and poultry, as well as bland foods like couscous, can greatly benefit in flavor by using stock or broths to cook them in, instead of water. Also, be sure to taste your expired foods before you throw them away, as many last for years beyond their expiration dates. If any food does not taste right to you, regardless whether its expiration date is up or not, then by all means, throw it away.

Have you ever tried using leftover mashed potatoes as a filling between two slices of bread to make a sandwich? It's delicious! In times of great financial difficulty, use mayonnaise between two slices of bread to make a Mayonnaise Sandwich, or try using ketchup spread between two slices of bread for a Ketchup Sandwich. I have used raw sliced sweet onions between two slices of bread with mayonnaise spread on one slice and mustard on the other to make a Sweet Onion Sandwich. Peanut Butter and Jelly or Nutella and Marshmallow Fluff spread on bread are frugal sandwich classics, as is the Toasted Cheese Sandwich with a mug of Tomato Soup.

When you buy tomatoes at the grocery store, buy the ones still attached to the vine. Don't remove that vine even when you put them in the refrigerator because the tomatoes will continue to grow and get juicier as they ripen on it. Your tomatoes will last much longer if you keep them attached to the vine until you want to use them.

PEANUT BUTTER SPREADS SMOOTHLY
Place an uncapped jar of peanut butter or almond butter in your microwave on high for one minute, and it will spread so easily onto your bread slices.

Did you know that 50% of the world's population is now single and living alone?
Here's a tip for anyone who lives alone, and needs to save money on groceries: Buy your groceries with this in mind, that 4 ounces is usually considered one serving, so a pound of anything would make four servings for one person. Prepare, then store the other three servings in Hefty quart freezer bags that zip closed (easy to open and close for older people) in your freezer. Label them so you will know what it is in your packages. A $1. Dollar General Sharpie marker writes well on freezer bags. You will have cooked four meals for yourself, one for today, and another three that you can enjoy anytime you don't feel like cooking. Leftovers are not nearly so bad, if you freeze them in single servings. Microwaving them is all that is needed to reheat them in the bag, with the zipper opened a couple inches to allow steam to escape so the bag won't burst when reheating. You can save money by not having to purchase single serving foods. Most people are used to cooking for more than one person at a time, so these tips will also help you to still be able to cook more, and use it later. I find that whenever I cook more meals than just one, it's comforting to know that I have also put away three more for a time I might not feel well enough to cook for myself, or when it's just too hot to cook.

When canned products have water in them, you are paying for about half the product in water. Be sure to remember this when buying canned products whose first ingredient is water on the label.

Any products you buy that are injected usually have water in them which makes them weigh more.

If you are taking care of an elderly person, use Hefty Zippered Bags to store snacks in the same place every time, so that person can access them easily if they get hungry between meals. Having a wooden rolling cart with two shelves on it that you store snacks on works well for people in wheelchairs to access. Those Hefty zippered plastic bags makes it easier for children to access snacks as well.

A toaster oven comes in very handy, living alone. But there are some tips to making them work for you. They heat up with two rods down the center of the top and bottom, so if you are baking something the toaster oven needs to be preheated BEFORE you add anything to it. Some of the heat will be lost when the door is opened so remember to allow for that when you set the temperature. You need to reposition the food so that it doesn't burn. A good tip is to remove the food with an oven mitt whenever the rods begin heating again, then putting the food back in once it's up to the temperature needed. There are bakeware sets you can purchase made just for a toaster oven. Walmart.com sells them. You will find yourself using it more often if you have the correct bakeware made for a toaster oven. Keep an eye on whatever you are baking so it doesn't burn. Foods can burn very easily in toaster ovens. Toaster ovens come in very handy on hot summer days when you don't want to heat up your house by using your stove oven.

Did you know that you can use your crockpot to make a rotisserie whole chicken? Just tear off some aluminum foil, and wrap it tightly to make a rope out of it and form it into a round coil shape to place in the bottom of your crockpot. Wash your chicken, season it as you want it to suit your taste, and place it in your crockpot, without any liquid being put in it, placing the breast area over the foil coil. Put the lid on it. Turn it on for 4 to 6 hours on high or low for 8 hours to cook.

You can do a similar thing to bake biscuits in your electric skillet with a lid on it. Place a coil of aluminum foil in it then place your pan of biscuits on top of the foil coil. Place the lid on the skillet. Turn your electric skillet on the same degree you would turn your stove oven on to bake biscuits, and cook your biscuits until done.

Living on the northern side, I get that very cold north Arctic wind that seems to come pouring right through my walls, windows, and doors. My totally electric apartment was always cold every winter using a heat pump that I keep set on 70 degrees year round. I bought three small, but efficient, electric fireplace heaters this past winter to supplement the extra warmth I badly needed, and they worked great. At first, I was afraid they might increase my power bill, but they didn't. I stayed warm and cozy for the first time in this apartment this past winter. I even found a cd at amazon.com for 99 cents that plays ambient sounds of a crackling fireplace. I also bought an electric blanket for my bed, which is so warm and cozy. A single person using a full or queen-sized bed can get by using a twin-sized electric blanket because it is much lower in price than a queen-sized blanket. Every year that I get older, I find each winter getting colder for me to deal with. Wearing long fleece pajamas and socks also help me stay warmer. I now can understand why my Mother who lived to be 94-1/2 years of age wanted to wear fleece pajamas even in the hot summer months.

Speaking of living on the north side, did you know that unless you live on the south side of an apartment complex with clear access to the southern sky, you won't be able to use a satellite dish to get good tv reception? No one ever seems to want you to know that. I gave up cable tv trying to adjust my budget for rising cost of living prices. Cable tv was my only luxury, and I haven't missed giving it up. Hulu.com lets you watch some tv shows free. If you go to networks' websites, they also allow you to watch some free shows they have previously aired.

Do you know how to select a ripe pineapple? Pluck out the center leaf in a fresh pineapple. If the leaf comes out easily, it should be a ripe pineapple.

To save money on white paper towels, buy some basic white cotton hand towels to use in your kitchen instead of paper towels. Sure, there will always be some things that you need to use white paper towels for, but by using hand towels to dry your hands on, you will be surprised at how much less of them you use. You can keep the towels laundered and reuse them repeatedly. This will work for napkins if you buy cotton/polyester napkins and keep them laundered to use with your meals. How many you need is determined by how many are in your family eating 3 meals per day or however many meals you eat at home each day, counting snacks, and how often you do your laundry.

Want a frugal alternative to grilling meats? Buy a fresh whole pineapple, slice off the top, then slice off "pineapple steaks" in one or two inch thick slices across the entire pineapple. Grill them with cayenne pepper sprinkled lightly over the top of each for 5 to 10 minutes per side. When done, it turns a bright yellow, and has grill marks on it. The core softens up when grilled. Serve with a bag of coleslaw mix that has drained pineapple tidbits added to it with some True Lime added to the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper dressing. If you don't need to grill all of them at one time, save what you need for later in your freezer in individual quart-sized Hefty Freezer bags, so they won't be stuck together when you want to grill more. You can make a sauce, if desired, to use over the grilled "steaks" when served or as a marinade by mixing 1 can coconut milk, 1 Tbsp. coconut extract, and 1/2 cup light brown sugar, cooked until thickened.

Here's another frugal grilling alternative. Wash and dry one whole eggplant, then cut it into lengthwise strips about 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Make a marinade of 4 Tbsp. Bragg's Amino Acids, 4 Tbsp. honey BBQ sauce, 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, 1 or 2 tsp. minced garlic, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp. cayenne, and 3 Tbsp. lime juice and marinate the eggplant "steaks" in it in a plastic bag for 24 hours. Remove and grill them for 10 minutes per side. You can eat the skin and seeds once grilled because that is where a lot of the nutrition is found. Cook the marinade until it is thickened to use as a sauce to pour over the "steaks" when served. You will know the eggplant is done when it becomes tender and turns a golden brown. Place any leftovers in plastic quart-sized Hefty Freezer bags in your freezer in individual portions.

Eggplant Parmesan can be made by washing and drying one whole eggplant. Slice it crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Dip each slice in a beaten egg, then in cornmeal or flour. You can add any seasonings you like to the flour or cornmeal. Fry in hot oil until browned on both sides. In a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish, place some marinara sauce to cover the bottom of the dish generously. Add the fried eggplant slices. Top with additional marinara sauce. Sprinkle on Parmesan-Romano cheese. Bake at 350 degrees in the oven for 20 minutes.

As a meat substitute for grilling, try using any long vegetables, sliced in half or in one-half to one-inch thick slices lengthwise "steaks" then marinating them in your favorite marinade. Grill them on both sides until tender. Large Portabello Mushroom caps can be used as a meat substitute and grilled, too. If the vegetables are too thin and might fall through the grates, just soak some bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes, then thread your vegetables onto the skewers to keep all the pieces together while grilling. Also makes it easy for turning over to grill the other side.

Fried Green Tomatoes can be made by washing and drying green tomatoes, then slicing each one into 5 slices for one person as a serving. Dip each slice in flour then in one beaten egg, then in cornmeal seasoned however you want it. Fry each slice in a skillet in hot vegetable oil on both sides until golden brown. Drain on white paper towels. Use a small container of peach yogurt as a dip for one serving.

After you grind spices in your coffee grinder, put in small pieces of loaf bread afterwards and run them through the grinder to get rid of the oils left from the spices, so that the next time you grind coffee beans they won't have a spicy taste to them. You can buy a nice long bristle brush to clean the coffee grinder at most department stores now priced reasonably.

If you use a lot of paper towels in your kitchen, switch to Viva or Bounty white paper towels for draining foods on or to reheat foods in the microwave, and purchase some white hand towels from your local dollar store or Walmart to use to dry your hands on when you wash them at your kitchen sink. You can cut your paper towels cost drastically just by using washable hand towels, especially if you wash your hands a lot. You should ALWAYS wash your hands before preparing any foods, and again after touching any kind of raw meats, poultry, seafood, or eggs. It is also wise to wash all foods before eating them, and to make sure all foods are cooked until done. Many bacteria strains can be killed if foods are prepared, handled, and cooked properly.

Did you know that by using cloth napkins, you can save a lot of money over using paper napkins long term?

You can make your own oat flour by grinding dry oatmeal to a fine powder in a food processor or blender. Or air dry some flaked coconut then run it through your food processor or blender until it becomes a fine powder. All nuts and seeds can be ground to a fine powder to use as a flour.

Air-dried flaked coconut that has been processed into a fine powder or flour can be used as a light sweetener.

Keep your flour and cornmeal stored in the freezer in Hefty large plastic zippered freezer bags. Ziploc also makes large plastic two gallon bags you can use.

One ounce equals two tablespoons or six teaspoons, so one cup which is eight ounces would equal sixteen tablespoons. Two cups equals one pint. Two pints equals one quart. Four quarts equals one gallon. One pinch equals 1/8 teaspoon or the normal amount a person can hold between your thumb and index finger. 750 ml equals 3-1/4 cups.

You know how in large crowds of people at public festivals, homecomings, funeral wakes, picnics, family get-togethers, family reunions, etc. where you can eat a large variety of foods that must sit out for long periods of time? Take 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar before you eat any of it to offset any bacteria that might get in the foods. It could save your life to remember this tip.

If you even suspect you have food poisoning, take 3 Tbsp. apple cider immediately. If no better in 15 minutes, repeat the dose. If that doesn't work, head for the Emergency Room of your nearest hospital to get your stomach pumped. If you are just having cramps, you can sometimes get by with drinking a hot cup of double-strength peppermint tea. My husband once ate a hamburger from a well-known drive-thru one day. That night he was cramping something awful, which was only getting worse by the hour. I inquired as to what he had eaten that day. He said he ate a hamburger that wasn't cooked well enough earlier for lunch. The center of it was still pink, but he ate it anyway. I fixed him a hot cup of double-strength peppermint tea and the cramping subsided immediately, and he was fine again. I had him drink another cup just to be on the safe side. By double-strength, I mean using two peppermint tea bags instead of one per one cup of hot water. Let it steep for six minutes, then drink it. Use those same two teabags and make one more cup and drink it. If the cramping doesn't stop immediately, try the 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar mentioned above then. Peppermint tea is a lot easier to drink than apple cider vinegar is.

Some grocery stores now offer discounts if you buy their own generic brands. Call them and ask if they participate in such a program. Maybe it will spark a new idea for them if they don't?

For any recipe that calls for greens or cream in it, try grating a little bit of whole nutmeg into it as well. Use a whole nutmeg scraped over a very fine grater such as a microplane or the finest section of a box grater about five or six times. Replace the leftover nutmeg into its capped jar for using again later in more recipes. A jar of whole nutmegs last a very long time since you should always use nutmeg sparingly as too much could be fatal. Grating a small amount of a whole nutmeg tastes much better than using the pre-ground nutmeg you can buy in spices.

Try adding hot sauce to cooked greens of any type for added flavor. Hot sauce is just a mixture of vinegar and cayenne pepper. How much cayenne pepper you use is dependant upon how much heat you want in yours. Adding hot sauce to recipes will always kick them up a notch or more in heat value.

If you run out of True Lemon Powder, you can use powdered Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C powder) as a substitute.

Try adding a teaspoon of citrus zest to your recipes for baked goods to add additional flavor. Just be sure when you zest lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruits to only use the colored part of the outside peel of a whole fruit without zesting into the white pithy part because it will taste very bitter. Be sure to rinse well and dry them off with a paper towel before you zest them to minimize any pesticide residue on them.

Did you know that SPAM now makes an oven-roasted turkey meat that comes in a can? It makes good sandwiches when sliced.

Agar powder, a sea vegetable, can be substituted for an egg in a recipe, or used to make fruit juice gelatins or puddings. Kuzu is a health food that soothes your stomach and strengthens intestines and can be used as a thickener in recipes. You can buy egg substitutes at VitaCost.com. To replace one egg in a recipe, use 1/4 cup whipped tofu or 1 Tablespoon pulverized flaxseed mixed with 3 Tablespoons water. You can use 1 Tbsp. soy flour mixed with 1 Tbsp. cold water as a substitute for one egg. You can add 1 tsp. liquid lecithin in a recipe or 1/2 mashed banana for one whole egg substitute in baking recipes, or use 2 Tbsp. real mayonnaise substituted for one whole egg in baking recipes.

Agar comes in tiny, hard particles in a package. Kuzu comes in small, hard chunks that you will need to pulverize into a powder before using. You can use a spice grinder, blender, food processor, or the back of a spoon to crush them into a powder. Crush either of them before you measure them for a recipe. Always mix it with an equal amount of cold water, then let it sit for about ten minutes, before proceeding with your gelatin or pudding recipes. After you put it in a saucepan to heat it, make sure you keep stirring it constantly to completely dissolve it before adding it to your gelatin or pudding recipes. Keep it stored in a sealed glass jar. I have some free recipes for use with either on my Miscellaneous Recipes website for anyone who does not prefer to use packaged gelatin anymore, since you found out it is made from the hooves of cattle. You can still make homemade gelatin using the above products and fruit juices.

Need Pumpkin Pie Spice or Apple Pie Spice? To make one teaspoon use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, and 1/8 tsp. each of allspice and nutmeg.

Don't like dairy milk? Make your own delicious nut milk with 1/2 cup any pulverized, skinless white nuts, and 2 cups water placed into a blender on high for one minute. Add 1 tsp. sweetener or flavoring, if desired. Filter the mixture through a fine sieve or strainer into a pitcher, mashing it with the back of a large spoon to get all the liquid out, and keep it chilled in the refrigerator to use to drink, or in recipes. The pulverized dry nut residue can be used in baking homemade breads or muffins, for making homemade nut butters, put into smoothies, making sauces, or nut burgers. Nuts make an excellent substitute for meats. Nuts.com sells whole blanched almonds that work great for making homemade almond milk, then use the leftover pulverized almonds for making almond butter by just adding 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil and salt to suit your own taste preferences.

Do your recipes call for white wine or red wine and you don't drink alcohol or use it in cooking? You can substitute the same amount called for in your recipe with chicken broth and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice for white wine. For red wine you can substitute the same amount of beef broth and 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar that your recipe needs.

Nut burgers always need something like an egg and some flour or cornmeal added to the pulverized nuts to bind them together to form patties so they can be grilled, fried, or baked like a meatloaf. They fry up just like a hamburger would, and you can put them on buns with condiments, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and onions in the same way.

Dried beans, split peas, lentils, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, nuts, mushrooms, and peanut butter are all sources of protein you can use if you can't afford meats or don't choose to eat them.

Drinking a large glassful of orange juice each day can help you to stay healthier. You can stretch orange juice by adding an equal amount of water to it, which could then be compared to using low-acid orange juice.

It takes 4 whole oranges cut in half and squeezed in a juicer to get 5 ounces, or a small juice glass full of pure orange juice. If you want to make freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast, buy at least 28 oranges per week for one person.

Want to cook fish but don't like the stinky smell in your home afterwards? All you need do is add a couple tablespoons lemon juice to your oil before heating it, and the odor goes away after cooking fish. It also helps to take out any fishy smelling garbage immediately.

When you are making tuna croquettes, tuna salad, any seafood salad, salmon patties, or crabcakes, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to your recipe so the fish won't smell so much. Add diced fresh apples as well to make your recipe taste completely different. Even people who don't like seafood recipes will usually eat it when diced apples are added.

Diced apples can be added to a baked beans recipe to give it a new flavor. If you don't want to buy fresh apples and dice them, use the individual containers of Dole diced apples you can now purchase. You can find them in the canned fruit section of your supermarket. You might need to request your supermarket stock these, or you can buy them online at www.BuyTheCase.net.

More companies are making a nice variety of fruit cups now. They are convenient four-ounce cup servings. Buy them to make sure you get enough fruit in your daily meals. Tropical fruit cups and pineapple cups serve as a digestive aid to help digest proteins eaten. BuyTheCase.net sells them online.

Sweet onions taste better than other onions when you eat them raw with cooked Pinto or Great Nothern Beans and cornbread for a meal.

For a picnic meal you can eat cold, try preparing ahead of time, barbequed chicken breasts, potato salad, baked beans with Dole diced apples, rolls, iced tea, and apple pie for dessert. If you are short on time for preparing these foods, buy them already cooked from your grocery store, and keep them in the refrigerator until time to pack them for your picnic. Don't forget to pack napkins, dinnerware, cups, silverware, and some wet wipes to clean up. When the weather doesn't cooperate with your plans, spread a blanket on the floor in your living room or den, and still enjoy a picnic at home.

When you make cornbread dressing always use several days old cornbread, not freshly made cornbread. If you need poultry seasoning make it with 3/4 tsp. sage and 1/4 tsp. thyme. I only use sage, not thyme, in my cornbread dressing.

No oil? Use plain applesauce or pearsauce in your recipe as an oil substitute. Can't find any pearsauce? Make your own by simply pulverizing a can of drained pears in your blender on high. Same could be done with sliced apples or peaches to make fruit butters.

Make your own fast quesadillas out of 2 flour tortillas and spread any shredded cheese you like over one of them on a plate. Top with the other tortilla, and microwave it for a minute. Slice and enjoy! Or try spreading cinnamon flavored applesauce over a tortilla, then topping it with another tortilla, and microwaving it for a minute, then slice and enjoy! Or spread peanut butter on one tortilla, and apple butter on the other, then put them together and microwave for one minute, slice and enjoy! Or spread Nutella on one flour tortilla, top it with any flavored marshmallows you enjoy, and top it with another flour tortilla, microwave for one minute, slice and enjoy! Or use Cheeze Whiz spread over a flour tortilla, then top it with another flour tortilla, microwave it for one minute, slice it and enjoy!

Do you always need more Duck Sauce than comes with your Egg Rolls? Just use apricot or peach jelly, jam, or preserves.

Run out of butter spray? Make your own by using 1 cup water, minus 2 Tbsp. removed, then mix in 2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil, and pour mixture into a clean spray bottle. If you want it to have a buttery flavor, add 1/2 tsp. butter extract. Remember to shake it well before using it each time.

There is a product called Mister Sprayer which is just an empty spray bottle that you pump up by hand each time you use it, that you fill to the line on the bottle with Vegetable or Olive Oil and use it as a cooking spray. You can purchase one at www.KitchenCollection.com for $9.99.

Need to color rice yellow? Add 1/2 tsp. turmeric to your water and mix before adding your rice. Result will be a beautiful yellow rice and you can't taste the turmeric which has a lot of health benefits.

Leftover cooked rice? Add some frozen green peas, sliced mushrooms, and diced purple onions for a rice pilaf. Or add some scrambled eggs and diced green onions for fried rice.

Don't care for soy sauce? Try Bragg's Amino Acids. You can buy it online at www.Vitacost.com. They sell it by the bottle or in a smaller spray bottle. It can be used to flavor a lot of foods. Bragg's also makes a 24 items shaker seasoning to use on foods to give them more flavor.

You can make cooked scrambled eggs go much further when you need to feed a lot of people by making them into a fried rice recipe using 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 cups or more of cooked rice, frozen green peas, diced cooked carrots, diced purple onions, sliced mushrooms, and salt and pepper to suit tastes. Serve with toast and sliced fresh fruit, coffee, tea, or orange juice, and you have a lovely brunch.

Adding 2 Tbsp. Half and Half to two cracked whole eggs, mixing them well, then cooking them in a butter sprayed skillet will make scrambled eggs go further and be fluffier. When I make scrambled eggs, I preheat my skillet with some butter spray in it. Then when the eggs are ready to go in the skillet to cook, I watch them for bubbles appearing all over them. At that point, I turn off the heat, and continue cooking them, using a silicone spatula to keep moving them around the skillet. They come out perfect every time.

Try purchasing dried fruits and vegetables to keep on hand for recipes. They are shelf stable and will last a very long time. You are not paying for any water added to your fruits and vegetables when you buy dried ones. Honeyville Store sells a large variety of them online with prices that can't be beat anywhere else for such high quality products as they sell. 1/2 cup dried fruits or vegetables are equal to 1 cup once they are hydrated again. They hydrate in just a few minutes. Honeyville runs great sales every few months, so be sure to sign up for their free newsletters so you will have the promo codes to use.

Use instant freeze-dried cooked pinto beans to reconstitute them quickly in hot water in just 5 minutes to make your dried bean soup thicker, make bean and cheese burritos in flour tortillas, just to eat as a quick pinto bean dish, or for a bean dip. You can buy them at Honeyville Store online. Consider buying a case of six #10 cans because they are so delicious and quick to eat.

Need some more snack or bag clips? Use wooden clothes pins. Fold the bags down so they are tight, then just clip the clothes pin over the fold. Works great every time.

Always remember when cooking anything, you can always add more to suit your taste, but once you add too much, it is going in the garbage can.

By adding some ground ginger to a recipe, it can cover up any chemical aftertaste in your finished product.

Did you know that tomatoes can cause a recipe to taste bitter? If that happens, next time you add tomatoes to any recipe just offset the bitterness with 1 tsp. sugar or more.

Juice too bitter? Add some salt to it to bring out the sweetness as in watermelon or to cancel the bitterness as in orange juice. The amount to be used varies according to your taste preferences. Start with a small amount, since you can always add more if needed.

Recipe too sweet? Add 1 tsp. either vinegar, lemon, or lime juice, and mix well. Taste to find the right amount needed, after each teaspoonful is added and mixed.

Recipe too salty? Add 1 tsp. either sugar or light agave nectar and vinegar and mix well. Taste to find the right amount needed, after each teaspoonful is added and mixed.

Soup too salty? Add a raw potato and let it cook to absorb excess saltiness. Or add some shredded cabbage like what is in a bag of coleslaw mix to the pot and cook for a few more minutes.

Too much grease in a recipe? Add a whole lettuce leaf to absorb the grease or add a whole slice of bread, then remove either before serving.

When you have pancakes, and have syrup left on your plate, simply toast two slices bread and place in the syrup and enjoy them. The bread will absorb the syrup so you don't have to waste it. Toasted bread slices can substitute for pancakes, waffles, or French Toast in a frugal pinch. To save on butter and calories, simply spray the toasted bread with butter spray. Cinnamon-Raisin Bread is good used this way, too.

Got the urge for a Pecan-Caramel Roll, but are out of them? Toast 2 slices Cinnamon Bread in your toaster. Lay both slices on a plate. Use Smucker's sugar-free Caramel Sauce spread over each piece. Then sprinkle on chopped pecans or walnuts, and enjoy.

Did you know you can use pizza dough to make Cinnamon Rolls? Roll the dough out into a rectangle. Spread softened butter or margarine all over it. Then sprinkle on cinnamon-sugar heavily over the butter all over it. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll in plastic wrap and chill it for 30 minutes in the refrigerator so it will cut easily into one-inch slices. Lay each cinnamon roll on a parchment lined baking sheet without any touching each other. They will expand somewhat. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. When browned, remove from the oven, and top each one with a glaze made by mixing together 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. Half and Half milk, (lemon, lime, or orange juice could also be used for different flavors of glaze.) Or top each one with Smucker's sugar-free Caramel Sauce with chopped pecans or walnuts sprinkled over each one. Enjoy with a hot mug of Taster's Choice Instant Hazelnut Coffee and creamer!

Like your toast with butter on it? Try using butter spray after the bread is toasted instead of margarine or butter. You can save a lot of calories with this tip.

Or use coconut oil spread over your toasted bread as a substitute for butter or margarine. www.VitaCost.com sells a very good brand of their own.

Did you ever notice that cinnamon bread doesn't mold? Mold won't grow on food when cinnamon is used.

Here's a secret tip for you to remember when creating baked goods. Use 1/2 cup mashed potatoes added in the recipe. It can be a real potato mashed, or you can use instant dried mashed potatoes. It gives results of a light texture.

Here's a secret to making a moistier cake. Use a box of instant pudding mix added to your cake mix recipe and one extra egg. Or try using a box of cake mix with a can of pumpkin puree added to it, nothing else.

Need syrup, but don't have any? Make your own by using 1 cup any sugar and 1/2 cup water, boiled for 5 minutes. Then add 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring or 1 Tbsp. butter for flavoring. The darker the sugar you use, the more molasses will be in it. For sugar-free syrup, use Splenda instead of sugar. Always use twice as much sugar or Splenda as you do water. Any extracts can be used to flavor the syrup. My Mother used to make butter syrup in the same way, only adding one or two Tablespoons of butter into the sugar and water, then boiling it for five minutes to thicken it. It tasted great on pancakes or waffles.

Make your own coconut syrup by mixing in one ounce of coconut extract to a bottle of clear corn syrup. Or buy a product called Coco Real Cream of Coconut Syrup at www.BuyTheCase.net, or purchase Torani sugar-free Coconut Syrup online at www.store.Torani.com.

One pack of Kool-Aid make 8/8 oz. glasses, but if you double the amount, it tastes like a soft drink beverage.

To make your own concentrated beverage syrups, in a measuring cup, mix 2 packs Kool-Aid in the flavor you choose, 2 cups Splenda to make it sugar-free and calorie free, and 3-1/4 cups water. Pour it into a clean 750 ml bottle. Keep it stored in the refrigerator. To make an 8 oz. beverage, use 2 Tbsp. of the syrup mixed with 8 oz. chilled water. You could also use it to make snow cones at home by crushing ice cubes in your blender on the highest speed, then use an ice cream scoop to put it into a cone-shaped holder made from parchment paper and taped on the seam and bottom so it doesn't leak, and topping it off with a bit of the concentrated beverage syrup.

A 750 ml bottle holds 3-1/4 cups liquid. Torani syrups come in 750 ml bottles. So does wine. You can wash them once they are empty, and reuse the bottles to make your own homemade concentrated syrups.

Ever hear of Coffee Milk from New Jersey? Try making your own coffee syrup that same way. Use 8 sticks Taster's Choice Hazelnut Instant Coffee sticks, mixed with 2 cups Splenda, and 3-1/4 cups water in a measuring cup, then pour it into a clean 750 ml bottle. To make coffee milk, use 2 Tbsp. concentrated coffee syrup mixed into 8 oz. cold milk. Any instant coffee could be used. It's like drinking chocolate milk but instead of chocolate syrup you use concentrated coffee syrup.

Drink VitaCoco Coconut Water to stay hydrated during the hot summer months. It only contains pure coconut water from young green coconuts. Pure Coconut Water was used as plasma substitute during World War II. It helps to eliminate toxins from your body and helps to reduce a fever. Keep it chilled, and drink it daily. It does not taste like coconuts though, so be forewarned. Pure Coconut Water contains many nutrients that are beneficial to the body.

Drinking Hibiscus Tea kept chilled in the refrigerator will help keep your body temperature cooler in the hot summer months. It can be used to reduce a fever.

Need brown sugar? Make your own at home with 1 cup white sugar and 1 Tbsp. molasses, mixed together for light brown sugar. For dark brown sugar, you will need to use 2 Tbsp. molasses mixed into 1 cup white sugar.

Need some powdered sugar but don't have any? Make it by pulverizing 1 cup regular white sugar in your blender on high until it becomes a fine powder. Not necessary to add any cornstarch unless you want it.

Need to make some taco seasoning at home? This will make 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning. Mix together 1 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. each sea salt and black pepper, 1-1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. each garlic and onion powders, and 1/2 tsp. of paprika. For tacos, add a mixture of 2 tsp. cornstarch or flour and 2/3 cup cold water, stirring until dissolved, then added to your cooked ground meat of choice, and the above taco seasoning mixture. Heat while stirring until it is thickened. You can make your own Taco Seasoning and keep it stored in a capped spice jar to use as desired.

The most frugal breakfast food you can eat is oatmeal. One large box of quick oats will feed one person for a month. Scrambled Eggs and Toast would probably come in as the next cheapest breakfast. I make perfect scrambled eggs by cracking two large eggs into a bowl and beating them with a fork, then adding 4 Tbsp. Half and Half and mixing with the fork again. I generously butter spray one 8-inch skillet and preheat it on my stovetop. I pour the egg mixture into my hot skillet. I carefully watch the eggs. Once they start to bubble up underneath, I use a silicone spatula to move them around the skillet and turn off the heat. I continue to move them around the skillet until they are done. Serve with two slices of toasted bread.

The most frugal lunch you can eat is Ramen Noodles. Buy a case of 24 packs of Ramen Noodles and add another six-pack of them, plus one extra individual pack to feed one person for a month. Just in case any type food emergency ever happened, it could be worthwhile for us all to keep oatmeal and Ramen Noodles in our food pantry, plus cases of bottled water. You can only go a few days without water.

The most frugal dinner you can eat is cooked Pinto Beans, Cornbread, and a raw sweet onion. Many Southerners have this once a week it is so good, whether they are poor or not.

Make quick Garlic Noodles for one person by using a brick of Ramen Noodles cooked in water, then drained. Add the seasoning packet, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and 1 Tbsp. margarine or butter, then mixing well. It tastes as good as Chinese takeout.

Make a quick toasted cheese sandwich by putting a slice of cheese between two slices of toasted bread, then pressing them together while the toast is still warm, and enjoy. Goes great with a mugful of tomato soup.

Try having a 5-inch Red Baron deep-dish cheese pizza with a mugful of tomato soup for lunch. Or microwave a 5-inch cheese pizza in 2-1/2 minutes, then add a sliced avocado, and a sliced boiled egg on top, and enjoy. Could use for a breakfast, lunch, or dinner to make a fast meal.

No tomato soup? Make your own quickly by using a can of tomato sauce and a can of water or milk. Heat it and enjoy. Try adding a pinch of dried basil for flavor variety. In a frugal pinch you can use tomato ketchup if you don't have tomato sauce to make the soup. Just add an equal amount of boiling water and stir well.

Need tomato paste but don't have any? Put double the amount you need of tomato sauce in a saucepan, and cook it to reduce it by half the amount to have tomato paste.

Make tomato juice out of 1 can tomato sauce and an equal amount of water mixed together.

Campbell's Soups now makes canned Tomato Soup with a choice of red, yellow, or orange tomatoes. I hope this variety will not be something they are just trying out to see if customers will buy different types of tomato soups because people who eat a lot of tomato soup will appreciate having a variety of choices so they don't get bored eating the same kind each time.

Fried foods should always be drained on white paper towels to absorb grease before serving. Replate the foods on a nice platter, just before serving them to your guests.

Some frugal people use their brown paper grocery bags to drain greasy foods on, then replate them to serve them.

Remember people always eat with their eyes first. Actually, they smell the fragrance of the food first of all. Make your meals smell as delicious as they look when you plate them. Burned foods are a real turn-off. Try using vivid colors of fruits and vegetables to make your recipes more eye appealing. Matchstick cuts of carrots or red, orange, and yellow bell peppers can work wonders.

You can use jars of diced pimentos as a substitutue for roasted red bell peppers.

Need coleslaw but don't have any cabbage? Make a quick faux coleslaw from frozen California Blend Vegetables. Put as much of the broccoli florets, cauliflower, and carrots still frozen into your food processor and let it chop them as finely as you want. No cooking needed. All you have to do is add mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to suit your tastes and mix well. This makes a dish as good as coleslaw, that looks and tastes like coleslaw. You can store frozen blends like this one in your freezer, and always be able to prepare as much coleslaw as you need. Schwans.com sells California Blend Vegetables.

Can you give me a list of energy foods? Oatmeal, barley, whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, squash, zucchini, carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, leafy greens, apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, acai, goji berries, seedless green grapes, avocadoes, almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, beans, lentils, eggs, whole wheat bread and crackers, raw honey, orange juice, grape juice, pineapple juice, dried fruits, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, trout, salmon, 1 oz. dark chocolate, black or green olives, whole grain pastas, live cultured yogurt, cultured buttermilk, green tea, cantaloupe, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, whole green beans, peppers, cabbage, artichokes, asparagus, cucumbers, radishes, eggplant, pears, turnips, cheese, chickpeas, low-fat granola

Here's an energy meal you can eat as a substitute for your normal breakfast or lunch, if you are lacking energy. Eat 10 almonds, 1 hard-boiled peeled egg, 1/2 a peeled avocado, and 8 oz. orange juice. I tried this for several days, and it really works.

Need to save as much money on your food budget as you can and live single without having to cook much? Try Michelina's dollar frozen entrees. They have a lot of choices, but I especially enjoy their Fettuccine Alfredo, 5-Cheese Lasagna, (which is the best frozen I have found for both), and Stir-fried Rice with Vegetables (Chinese restaurant taste quality.) I also enjoy Stouffer's Vegetable Lasagna which has an alfredo sauce instead of marinara. El Charrito Queso Enchiladas is another frugal frozen dinner you can buy. It has Spanish Rice, Pinto Beans, and two Queso Enchiladas. Patio Bean/Cheese Burritos make another frugal meal. Try serving Mexican meals with an ice cold Watermelon Drink. Fantastic! You can buy a 750 ml bottle of Torani sugar-free Watermelon Syrup online, that has no calories, and make it to suit your tastes, or their regular Watermelon Syrup that has 80 calories per serving at www.store.Torani.com. It is the best I have ever tasted, except for making your own watermelon drink out of real watermelon pieces placed in a blender and liquified. Canned soups and saltine crackers also make good frugal meals. Try Chicken Noodle, Lentils, Chunky Vegetables, Tomato, and be sure to check out my recipe for Mother's Magic Potatoes, which is excellent to help you feel better. Pinto Beans also are a frugal product to use for making bean soup. Serve with cornbread and a Vidalia Onion for a frugal meal. Luck's Pinto Beans Fat-Free are the best tasting beans you will ever find. They are just as good as homemade. Luck's has a lot of different types of beans in cans to choose from as well. For a frugal breakfast, use oatmeal. Instant oatmeal comes in a large variety of flavors, or you can make it from scratch and add your own freeze-dried fruits and nuts. Dollar General sells the least expensive instant oatmeal I have found, but, to me, Quaker makes the best tasting. The most frugal meal I know of is Ramen Noodles. They come in many varieties. One pack will feed one person for a meal. It only takes 5 minutes to cook them in a pan of water, then drain. Add the seasoning packet that is included, and enjoy. You can leave the water in them, and add 1/2 cup mixed vegetables to make a frugal soup. I have an entire website that features recipes for Ramen Noodles. Look for it on my Recipes Index page. Make frugal Garlic Buttered Noodles by cooking one pack of Ramen Noodles, then drain them. Mix in some garlic and onion powders to suit your tastes, and 1 Tbsp. margarine. Eggs are another frugal product. You can serve them scrambled, fried, poached, boiled, baked, shirred, or in an omelette. You can use them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner meals. Add some toasted bread to make a frugal meal. Try Red Baron's 5-inch deep cheese pizza, which come two to a box individually wrapped, topped with a sliced boiled egg, and a sliced avocado. Chung's Vegetable Egg Rolls come four per box, wrapped two each, which will make two meals. Add some Rice-A-Roni Fried Rice, green tea, and fortune cookies for a frugal meal that tastes as good as Chinese take-out. Boston Market and Stouffer's brands makes some really tasty frozen tv dinners. A great frugal recipe for Chicken and Dumplings is to use one can Cream of Chicken soup, 1/2 stick margarine, and 1 can milk, heated in a pan. Then take one whole can of biscuit dough, and pinch each biscuit into a dozen bite-sized pieces and add to the hot soup. Don't stir yet. Cover the pan, and let it simmer for ten minutes. Stir, and let it simmer for another ten minutes, and enjoy. Frozen green peas and diced carrots make a great frugal side dish. Kroger sells its own brand of cheeseburgers and spicy chicken sandwiches that microwave. Add some dill pickle slices and mustard from Dollar General. Serve with Lay's Potato Chips for a frugal meal. Ore-Ida makes good microwavable frozen French fries for a single person. Look for Green Giant brand of single serving frozen vegetables that you microwave. Walmart carries generic individual portions of vegetables in the canned foods section that are already cooked, just heat them up. Want a frozen tv dinner that looks as good on the inside as it does on the exterior box? Try Lean Cuisine's Butternut Squash Ravioli dinner. It cooks in the microwave in a few minutes, is delicious, and calorie conscious. They use those vivid colors I mentioned above. Marie Callender makes delicious frozen meals and desserts for singles. Be sure to check out the Key Lime Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Apple Pot Pie, and Chocolate Silk Pie. Kroger sells single servings of Apple Blossoms. Buy individual vanilla ice cream cups instead of larger boxes of ice cream.

If you suffer from digestion problems, try eating a 4 oz. cup of diced tropical fruit or pineapple after a meal. The papaya and pineapple both contain enzymes that will help your digestive process.

www.store.Torani.com now sells Lavender Syrup, Rose Syrup, Passionfruit Syrup, and Lemon Syrup from which you can make a calming, relaxing hot tea to drink.

When I serve a grilled steak and baked potato for a meal, I eat 8 oz. of diced tropical fruit as a salad, which serves a dual purpose as an aid to digesting the steak, and a dessert.

Sticky rice? Rinse with warm water and add some lemon juice to it, mixing well. Then fluff the cooked rice with a fork.

Bored with rice or potatoes? Try using couscous instead. Couscous taste better when cooked in chicken stock instead of water. They cook in five minutes. Just heat the chicken stock to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in your couscous. Cover pan. In five minutes, they are ready to enjoy. Just fluff with a fork and add any vegetables you enjoy to make a pilaf, or eat them plain. Try cooking quinoa, but unless it states on the package it has been pre-rinsed, you must rinse it before cooking it, or else it will taste bitter.

What else can be served as a main side dish? Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato salad, mashed sweet potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes with pineapple chunks, brown rice, white rice, cheesy rice, rice pilaf, macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, couscous, quinoa, barley, polenta, pasta.

What are some all-purpose vegetables that can be used as general side dishes? Mixed Vegetables, California Blend Vegetables, Spring Blend Vegetables, Key Largo Blend Vegetables, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple Chunks, Whole Green Beans, Carrots, Green Peas, Broccoli Florets, Corn Niblets, Okra Balls, Creamed Corn, Speckled Butter Beans, Butter Peas, Fordhook Lima Beans, Pinto Beans, Great Northern Beans, Baked Beans, Spinach, Asparagus, Artichokes, Beets, Squash, Rutabagas.

What are some fresh vegetables that can be used as raw side dishes? Sliced Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Vidalia Onions, Sweet Onions, Radishes, Cantaloupe.

Sweet Vidalia Onions are only available in grocery stores beginning the first week of May of each year until they are sold out. You can order them online and have them shipped to your home if you get your name put on their list. I have kept them for a whole year in my vegetable bin inside my refrigerator. You should line the drawer with white paper towels, then lay each onion on it with some space around them. Don't let them get damp or they will begin to sprout and rot quickly. It helps to always pray over your foods as well. Be genuinely grateful and thankful to God for all the blessings He sends to you every day.

Another way to store onions is to use a clean pair of women's pantyhose to hang on a nail or hook someplace where it is dark and dry. Use each leg part to put one whole onion in, then use some string to tie it in a knot, and place another whole onion in it and use some string to tie a knot in it, until each leg is full of whole onions spaced apart with a tied knot of string. When you want to use one, just take a pair of scissors, and cut that section off.

Do you run out of loaf bread way too often? Schwans.com sells frozen baguettes you can bake in your oven. They also sell multi-grain loaves that are baked already. All that is needed is to reheat them in your microwave. They also sell Southern Biscuits and Cheese Herb Biscuits that you can cook in your oven.

Several of these websites are well worth checking out because you can find things at them that you cannot find in your local grocery stores unless you live in a very large city. Here are several sites online at which you can purchase groceries and supplies online and have them shipped to your door. preparedpantry.com, walmart.com, hometownfavorites.com, buythecase.net, kmart.com, netgrocer.com, nuts.com, worldpantry.com, kmart.com, target.com, vitacost.com, drugstore.com, walgreens.com, beprepared.com, store.honeyvillegrain.com and dollargeneral.com, adagio.com, bigelowtea.com, celestialseasonings.com.

You can purchase long fleece pajamas, slacks, and tops at www.haband.com or www.blair.com. Underwear and socks can be purchased at www.walmart.com. Bras and shapers can be purchased at www.barenecessities.com.

How do I make meals plans and a grocery list for a month? Or a week? I suggest you use a steno pad and ink pen and make a list of the foods you enjoy eating because it is a fact that people tend to eat only the things which we really like. Then create another list of meals you enjoy eating that contain those foods. You just need seven breakfasts, seven lunches, and seven dinners to make your Meals Plans for a month, because you can repeat those every seven days, no matter how many days are in the current month. To buy foods for a whole month, you need to find shelf-stable foods that won't go bad on you. That means your fresh produce would need to be eaten that first week. I recommend buying frozen or canned foods to stock in your freezer and food pantry. It helps a lot if you buy an extra freezer or two. In your grocery list for a month, you need to make a note of EVERYTHING you will need for that time period, including supplies, not just food and drinks. If you do it for a week, then just adjust your list to be long enough for a week, instead of a month. You would need to shop locally, and could buy fresh fruits and produce for a week. For a month, you can shop online, and have your orders delivered to your home. For either of these to work, it is necessary that you make a list of everything you will use or need for that time period. To make your Meals Plan work, you will have to make sure it contains meals that you will actually eat and be satisfied with, which should include a couple snacks per day as well, if you require them. Shopping a month at a time can be done, you just have to learn how much you need to buy at one time. When you make your shopping list for groceries, go through your meals plan and make a list of all you will need to make your recipes, then go through your freezer, refrigerator, and food pantry and mark off the products you have on hand. What is left would make up your shopping list. You need to vary the seven days meals so that you don't repeat them more than once per each seven days, because when this is done over a long term, it could get boring to eat the same things too often. Having different foods for seven days should be long enough for you not to get bored eating them as long as you only choose foods you know you will eat.

You can cook as much as you want and store your leftovers in Hefty quart freezer bags in individual portions, then label and freeze them to be reheated later. It always pays to have some extra food that is pre-cooked to keep on hand in case you have extra company to feed at a moment's notice.

Eat a 4 oz. cup of applesauce with your breakfast, to make sure you get some healthy benefits from the fruit. It goes great with scrambled eggs and toast. It also makes a great dessert with Chicken Noodle soup and crackers for a lunch or whenever you don't feel well.

When you eat a fruit with your meals as your dessert, it will take away a lot of the cravings you now have for sweets. The most convenient way to eat fruits is to buy those 4 oz. fruit cups which come in a variety of fruits. They stock well in your food pantry.

Did you know that children of alcoholics will either crave alcohol or sweets. The chemical composition is almost identical in both. Sometimes that gene will skip a generation.

I recently found sugar-free cake mixes and frostings at the grocery store. So glad someone finally decided to make them to use.

Ever wonder why older people always eat their desserts? It's because the taste for sweets is the last thing to go as we get older.

You can stock Parmalat whole milk in your food pantry as it is shelf-stable for several months as long as it is not opened. Once it is opened you need to store it in your refrigerator. It will last at least seven days after it is opened and refrigerated. You can buy it online at www.buythecase.net. You never have to worry about running out of milk again.

BuyTheCase.net sells Luck's Pinto Beans by the case if you can't find them locally. You can contact them by phone or email if you can't find products, and they will try to help you.

Need some heavy cream but don't have any? Make your own by the cup by heating 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/3 cup real butter that is melted together in the milk in the microwave, then stirred to mix well.

Need some sweetened condensed milk but don't have any? Make your own by pouring 1 cup boiling water carefully into your blender. Add 1/2 stick margarine and 2 cups sugar (or Splenda) and blending on high until combined. Add 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder, one cup at a time, to the mixture, and blend each time until it is smooth, before you add the second cup. This makes the equivalent to two 14 oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk. Keep it stored in your refrigerator until you use it in a recipe.

Need coconut milk but don't have any? Use 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 tsp. coconut extract, mixed together.

Want to bake some bread but have no yeast? Try using equal parts of baking soda and lemon juice for the total amount of yeast needed in your recipe.

Need cream of tartar but don't have any? For a substitute when beating eggwhites, use an equal amount called for in your recipe of lemon juice or white vinegar. For use as a leavening agent in baked goods, use 1 tsp. baking powder to replace 1/3 tsp. baking soda and 2/3 tsp. cream of tartar in your recipe.

Try shredding green or purple cabbage or chopping bok choy in your salads or slaws instead of using lettuce. Both can be eaten raw. Or use avocadoes or artichokes. Artichokes must be cooked first. Fresh parsley or mint leaves can be used instead of lettuce. Cooked mixed vegetables and pastas or steamed vegetable blends and cooked pastas can be easily made into a salad by adding some mayonnaise or Ranch dressing. Serve them hot or cold. Always keep anything you use mayonnaise with in the refrigerator until it is served. What can you use instead of a green salad? Serve creamed spinach, potato salad, sweet potato salad, succotash, diced fruit cups mixed with yogurt, pear halves with shredded cheese sprinkled over them with a dollop of mayonnaise in the center indentation and a maraschino cherry in the center, whole green beans, steamed broccoli florets with a squeeze of lemon over them, or serve grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil leaves. Serve cubed seedless watermelon and sliced cucumbers with spearmint leaves as a salad.

Eggs curdling in your recipe? Temper them before adding them to a recipe by adding a small amount of the hot liquid to the eggs and whisking them until well blended, then cooking them.

Want a shiny finish for your pies, biscuits, or pastry? Beat an egg with 1 Tbsp. water, then brush over the top before baking. Sprinkle with some sugar if desired.

To make your pie crusts roll out easier and be smoother, use vodka instead of water when you make your pie dough. The pie crust will not taste like vodka at all as the alcohol will burn off when the crust is baking in the oven.

What wines go with what foods? An easy way to remember is white wine goes with all white foods, and red wine goes with all red foods.

Make a great tasting faux champagne by mixing 2 cups chilled club soda, 2 cups cold ginger ale, and 1-1/2 cups chilled white grape juice together. No hangover! Keep chilled until served.

Drink a large glassful of ice water with your meals and stir in 1 or 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar to help you lose weight. If you can't stand vinegar, try using the same amount of either lemon or lime juice in your glass of water. Eating half a grapefruit or drinking a glass of unsweetened pure grapefruit juice after a meal will help you lose weight. After a meal, to jump-start your metabolism, run, while standing in place inside your home, as fast as you can for 60 seconds or two minutes if you can.

If portion control is causing your weight problem, buy those individual servings grocery stores offer. That way you won't be tempted to eat more than you should. Most Americans do not eat the 4 oz. size most portions allow when we cook it at home. So having it portioned out for you in advance will help you know more of how much an actual portion is. When weight control becomes a problem, those individual portions could definitely be worth the price you have to pay for them. How much is a 4 oz. portion of meat? A fist size is about 4 oz.

Need some caramel quick? To an empty skillet, add 1 or 2 cups white sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar melts and turns amber while stirring well. Do not let it burn! Add 1 Tbsp. milk and butter per cup sugar used and whisk.

You can also make a quick caramel sauce by simply adding light brown sugar to a Teflon coated skillet and stirring it until melted over low heat.

Smucker's makes a sugar-free caramel sauce that comes in a squeeze bottle. Hershey's now makes a sugar-free chocolate sauce and strawberry sauce.

Keep a couple bags of Caramel Bits in your food pantry. You can buy them online at www.nuts.com or at www.preparedpantry.com.

Marshmallows now come in a variety of flavors.

Lumpy gravy or sauce? Use an immersion blender, regular blender on high speed, food processor, or simply strain through a sieve or colander to get rid of any lumps.

Soup, sauce, gravy too thin? Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water. Add while boiling and stirring. Repeat if necessary until you get the desired thickness you want.
Cornstarch cannot be added directly to anything hot or it will just make a globbed mess. Always dissolve cornstarch completely in cold water before adding to anything. It makes a wonderful thickener when added to any boiling liquids. Arrowroot Powder, an herb, and Agar, a sea vegetable can also be used as thickeners in recipes by dissolving them first in cold water then mixing them into your boiling liquid.

Never boil milk or cream. Just heat it until the edges begin to form bubbles.

Need Half & Half but don't have any, substitute 4-1/2 teaspoons melted butter plus enough whole milk to equal 1 cup. One cup of canned evaporated milk can also be substituted for each cup of Half & Half needed.

Sprinkle in some instant mashed potatoes to a sauce that is too thin to thicken it to the right consistency.

Add 1/2 cup instant dry mashed potato flakes to any homemade bread recipe and see how much difference it will make in your baked loaves of bread.

Add 1 tsp. liquid lecithin to your homemade bread recipe for better texture in the bread and to make it last longer. It adds a nice yellow color to your bread or cakes. Add cinnamon to homemade bread to make it last longer, too.

Are your mashed potatoes lumpy? Never use cold milk or butter. Heat both before adding to your potatoes and mashing them.

Need a tea bag for all that loose tea you bought? Make your own using a coffee filter, fold down, then staple it closed. Adagio Teas at www.adagio.com sells empty teabags in packs of 100 that you can fill with your own concoction to make a customized tea. They will blend your customized tea concoction for you if you want to buy it from them. They also sell those lovely clear glass teapots.

Breath smells like garlic or onion? Chew on a coffee bean or sprig of parsley. Take some chlorophyll or activated charcoal tablets after eating. Use a mouthwash called Smart Mouthwash or Thera Breath.

Hands smell like fish, garlic, or onions? Rinse hands under cold tapwater while rubbing them with a large stainless steel spoon. You can also purchase a peanut shaped, soap-sized piece of stainless steel that was created just for this purpose at www.kitchencollection.com and in some department stores.

Make a roux by combining 2 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. flour, and cooking it for a minute. Add 1 cup water or broth, and whisk well until your recipe is thickened.

Making a gravy is easy. Add equal parts of butter and flour to form a roux in a skillet over medium heat. Then add one liquid of your choice, usually cream, milk, broth, stock, juice, water, or wine. Keep stirring constantly until the gravy is as thick as you want.

Hard brown sugar? Place in paper bag and microwave for a few seconds. To keep brown sugar from getting hard, add a piece of white bread or a slice of apple to the box after opening.

Extremely hard brown sugar? Place chunks in food processor and process on high. Or melt it with hot water poured over it in a bowl.

Need to reduce calories in a recipe? Save by using cooking oil sprays. One second of spray equals seven calories.

Canola oil is derived from a poisonous plant called rapeseed, which is used in pesticides. I won't use it. Be very careful because a lot of companies use it in their products. Be sure to read those labels BEFORE you put their products into your cart.

Want flavored coffees or teas? Use extracts in your regular coffee or teas. One capful per cup is usually plenty. Adjust according to your taste preferences or the strength of the extracts, i.e. peppermint, clove, nutmeg, lavender, or cinnamon being very powerful so that only a drop might be needed.

Enjoy flavored dairy products but find them too expensive? Make your own by adding extracts to milk. Just remember lemon juice or any citrus juice will curdle milk.

Want to make cappucino or lattes? Froth the heated milk with an immersion blender.

Need buttermilk? Add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to 1 cup milk. Stir. Within minutes you will have buttermilk.

Need a lighter flour or cornmeal? Add 1 tsp. baking powder for each cup flour or cornmeal in your recipe. Mix this together before adding to your recipe.

Batter your fish filets in self-rising cornmeal before frying them for a real taste treat. Dip them first in either buttermilk or a beaten egg, then in the cornmeal, and fry in hot oil until done on both sides. Serve with lemon wedges.

Has your flour or cornmeal passed its expiration date? Just add more baking powder and baking soda when you use it. Add 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. baking soda per cup flour or cornmeal used in your recipe.

No baking powder? Make your own by combining equal parts of baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch.

Is your juice too sour? Add a bit of salt to make it taste sweeter.

To bring out the sweetness of watermelon or cantaloupe, sprinkle on some salt.

Salt enhances the flavors of foods, but use Celtic Sea Salt for its nutritional values. Fleur de Sel Sea Salt is the finest gourmet salt you can buy.

Freshly cracked black peppercorns from a peppermill will not make a person sneeze like the pre-packaged powdered black pepper will.

Need to make your milk stay fresh longer? Add a pinch of salt or baking soda to make it last longer.

No milk? Mix same amount nonfat dry milk powder or canned evaporated milk into your recipe. Honeyville Store sells nonfat dry milk and buttermilk powders that have high reviews. www.beprepared.com also sells it. Walmart.com sells Augason Farms Morning Moos milk alternative which tastes great if you mix it according to directions. Use warm water to dissolve powdered milk, stirring until dissolved completely, then chill it in your refrigerator, for best results. It does not taste bad at all. One #10 can makes five gallons and 3-1/4 quarts of milk. Augason Farms also has a website, but be prepared to wait awhile to get your order from them.

Cheese turns moldy? You can make cheese last a lot longer by rubbing it with butter and placing it in a zippered plastic bag, squeezing out all the air.

Have to use tougher, cheaper cuts of meats because you cannot afford better cuts? It's ok, just add a couple tablespoons of vinegar to the water you boil the meat in to make them fork tender. Or you can boil the meat in black tea which will also make your meat fork tender.

Crockpots are an excellent way to cook cheaper cuts of meat to make them tender.

Tired of onions making you cry when you chop them? Put them in the freezer 30 minutes before you chop them, and no more tears. It also works by storing onions in the refrigerator in plastic bags.

Limp lettuce or vegetables? Soak them in ice water for about 15 minutes and they should be crisp again.

No honey? Substitute 1-1/4 cups sugar dissolved in 1 cup water.

Need to stop eating sugar, but don't want to use Splenda? Use Stevia, honey, light agave nectar, or coconut flour.

Recipe calls for alcohol, and you don't drink? Just add an appropriate color grape juice instead, i.e., red grape juice for red wine, or white grape juice for white wine. Or you can use an extract such as brandy or rum, or vanilla.

You can make the finest homemade vanilla extract by soaking two whole split vanilla beans in a pint of vodka for about six weeks.

Need chicken stock? Use 1 or 2 chicken bouillion cubes dissolved in one cup hot water.

Need beef stock? Use 1 or 2 beef bouillion cubes dissolved in one cup hot water.

Anytime you use a broth, stock, or bouillion cube or powder, be careful of adding any salt because they are usually very salty. This can even apply to low sodium labels. Taste your recipe to determine if any salt is needed.

Search the ethnic aisles in your supermarket to find lots of spices to try. Look for Knorr Seasoning Cubes in the flavors of Garlic, Onion, Cilantro, or Chipotle. Or try Tajin Seasoning for fruits.

No tomato juice or tomato sauce? Combine 1/2 cup ketchup in 1/2 cup water and mix well for a substitute. You can make tomato soup easily this way.

Need a darker gravy? Add 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce. Use a product called Gravy Master. Or simply add some brown food coloring.

No chocolate? Use cocoa powder or carob powder.

Want chocolate to taste much richer? Add 1 tsp. instant coffee to your recipe.

Add a teaspoon each of chocolate and instant coffee granules to your next batch of homemade chili, and taste the richness in flavor difference.

Add some lemon, lime, or orange zest to your pudding recipes to get more flavor.

Did your melted chocolate seize up? Add 1 or 2 Tbsp. oil, stirring well. Never put any water into melting chocolate.

Burned a recipe? Scoop out the top part into another dish, without getting any of the burned part, and it should be okay to eat.

You can disguise a burned flavor in foods with peanut butter. Just mix a couple tablespoons peanut butter into the dish, and see if it helps.

Cooked beets, red onions, red cabbage or any purple colored vegetables seem to be fading in color when you cook them? Just add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar to the cooking pan and watch them come back to life again.

To perk up canned vegetables flavor, just add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to them while heating them. The lemon juice makes them taste fresher.

Does your brocolli taste too bland? Add 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds to the cooking water. Or try cooking it in orange or pineapple juice.

Do your cooked greens taste too bland? Add 1 tsp. minced garlic to the cooking water to perk them up. Just before eating, add some hot sauce to them, and they will taste better than you have ever eaten them.

Try adding some culinary lavender sprinkled into your foods for added flavor. Especially good in cooked spinach, or mixed into applesauce.

Do your artichokes taste too bland? Add 1/3 tsp. fennel seeds to your cooking water before you cook the artichokes, and the taste should be much better. Fennel seeds have a licorice taste.
Always add some lemon juice to your water before cooking the artichokes, even if you don't like fennel seeds.

Buy an air popper for organic popcorn kernels to reduce calories consumed for snacks.

Are your cauliflower florets or potatoes turning dark? Add 1 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice to the cooking water to turn them white again.

Asparagus spears tends to lose their sweetness the older they get. Add 1 Tbsp. sugar to the water with 1/4 tsp. salt to retain their color while cooking. Asparagus has very few calories. It is also a diuretic food.

Try cooking beets in pomegranate juice or grenadine syrup for a wonderful flavor.

Try adding cooked turkey bacon to your halved Brussel Sprouts and sauteeing them together in some butter for added flavor.

Try drinking more water each day, and see if you do not feel better. Divide your weight by two and that is the number ounces water your body needs daily as a minimum. For every 8 oz. caffeine drink you consume you should add another 12 oz. of water to offset the harm the caffeine is doing to your body.

Use pure cold-pressed sesame oil internally and externally to keep healthy.

Use extra virgin coconut oil in your cooking and baking. Use it on your bread instead of butter. Tastes great and will help you lose weight and aches and pains go away. Take just 4 Tbsp. per day and see and feel the difference in your body fast. Try frying your eggs in coconut oil for a taste treat. VitaCost.com sells it in 54 oz. jars and smaller sizes, too.

Instead of using butter to pop your popcorn, try using extra virgin coconut oil. It makes popcorn taste amazing.

If your eggplant begins to discolor while it is cooking, just add a small amount of salt to the water.

Popcorn kernels won't pop? Soak them in warm water for 3 or 4 minutes before trying to pop them again. Store your popcorn in the freezer and every kernel should pop.

PopWeaver brand microwavable popcorn is the same as gourmet popcorn, just a lot less expensive. You can buy it at Walmart 20 bags for $5.

Too salty soup? You can either add a potato, some tomatoes, or some brown sugar to soak up the excess salt.

Burned the stew? Remove the unburned part to another pot with a wooden spoon. Add some onions or peanut butter to remove any burned flavor that remains.

Tired of serving plain mashed potatoes or rice? Try mashing cooked carrots, rutabagas, or sweet potatoes instead. You can add ginger to carrots and cinnamon to sweet potatoes to create additional flavors. Try mixing your regular mashed potatoes with cooked mashed celery root, or make them Faux Peruvian Blue Mashed Potatoes by adding some red and blue food coloring gel to get a purple color, or mash cooked cauliflower for other recipe varieties.

Uncle Ben's Ready Rice is microwavable in its pouch and comes in a variety of flavors you can have ready for the table in just 90 seconds. My favorite is the Brown and Wild Ready Rice.

If your children won't eat broccoli florets, call them little green trees, and they will love them. Call cauliflower florets little albino trees. Just using a different name that appeals to kids can make a big difference in what they will eat.

Burned your rice? Carefully remove the unburned rice from the pot to another pot. Add more water and lay on top of the rice a piece of white loaf bread. Continue cooking on low heat for another 15 minutes, then discard the bread. The rice should be okay now.

Want your cooked veal to be nice and white? Soak it in whole milk in the refrigerator overnight before cooking it.

Want easy-to-peel tomatoes? Soak them in boiling water for 5 minutes and the skins will just peel right off.

If your cakes have all the ingredients sunk to the bottom of the pan, all you need to do, is coat all the ingredients with flour before adding them to the cake mix ingredients.

If your breading does not want to stick to fried foods, try dredging them with dry flour first, then dipping them into your wet mixture, then into either flour, cornmeal, or panko breadcrumbs. Your breading should adhere well for fried or baked foods.

Did you know you can substitute nectar or fruit juices for the water in cake mixes to make them taste much richer?

Soggy crackers or chips? Reheat them for 3 minutes at 350 degrees on a shiny piece of aluminum foil on a cookie sheet to crisp them again.

Need some crackers for soup and don't have any? Use Rice Krispies. They work great for Sizzling Rice Soup.

Are your nuts turning rancid? Toast them in a skillet for a few minutes, and they should taste okay again. You need to store nuts in a plastic freezer bag in the freezer, and use as needed, to keep the oils in them from turning rancid.

Milk or cream getting sour? Add a pinch of baking soda to it and it should last another couple days.

Need some Marshmallow Fluff for a recipe, but don't have any? Two cups of miniature marshmallows equals one 7 oz. jar of Marshmallow Fluff. Don't have any mini marshmallows? Use the regular sized marshmallows, filling two cups.

Bananas ripening too fast? Make sure you don't keep them near apples or tomatoes because they give off ethylene gas which makes the bananas ripen much faster. Regardless how well you wrap bananas, if you place them in the refrigerator, they will turn black. Some say they are good for a month this way, but the taste is definitely not as good.

To ripen a green banana fast, place it in a brown paper bag with an apple or tomato and close the bag.

You can substitute a cup of plain yogurt for eggs and milk in any recipe.

Extra virgin coconut oil can be substituted for butter on toast or in baking or cooking. Only Lor-Ann brand does not taste like coconut.

For one onion in a recipe, you can substitute 1-1/2 Tbsp. onion powder or 1/4 cup dehydrated minced onions.

Sometimes onion powder and garlic powder works better in recipes where the mixture needs to be blended very smooth.

For one clove garlic in a recipe, you can substitute 1 tsp. minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder.

For one bell pepper in a recipe, you can substitute 1/4 cup diced dehydrated bell peppers.

For one cup carrots in a recipe, you can substitute 1/2 cup dehydrated diced carrots.

For one cup spinach in a recipe, you can substitute 3 Tbsp. spinach powder.

For one tomato in a recipe, you can substitute 1 Tbsp. tomato powder.

For sliced water chestnuts, substitute sliced celery.

If you don't have any celery stalks, you can substitute 1 tsp. celery seeds for 2 or 3 stalks in a recipe.

If you don't have any peanut butter, make your own with 1 cup raw or roasted peanuts, and 1 Tbsp. oil and a dash of sea salt in a blender on high for a minute. Any nut butter can be made this way.

Make your own nut milk by using 1 cup any white blanched nuts (skins removed) placed in a blender on high with 3 cups water. Then strain out the sediments through a fine meshed sieve and push with a spoon to make sure all the liquid is removed. These pulverized nuts can be used to make a nut butter, nutloaf, or nut burgers, and the milk can be drank chilled. Very delicious!

You can make a delicious pudding by using those leftover pulverized nuts, a large brick of Neuchatel Cream Cheese, and a bottle of thoroughly drained cherries placed in a food processor on high. Chill in dessert dishes, then serve.

Like to spread flavored cream cheese onto toasted split thin bagels? Make your own preference of it by using a brick of Neuchatel Cream Cheese and any extracts, coffee syrups, or Sweet Leaf liquid stevias you enjoy to suit your taste preferences. Mix well. Keep it stored in a covered plastic container in your refrigerator.

Try using light agave nectar as a sugar substitute and as a syrup for pancakes or waffles. The glycemic index is much lower. VitaCost.com sells it online. It tastes wonderful in hot teas!

Did you know that pure raw honey contains natural hydrogen peroxide which keeps our cells healthy?

Did you know that honey will not spoil ever? It might crystalize but it won't spoil. You can put it in your microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds to melt the crystals, and it's fine again. Or you can set it in a bowl of very hot water to melt the crystals slowly.

With all the MRSAs that poultry processors have nowadays, it is wise to spray all poultry, meats, or seafood with 3% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide to clean them, then rinse with pure water, and cook them thoroughly. This also helps tenderize them.

Fresh fruits and vegetables can also be cleaned with a 3% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide mixture to remove pathogens, parasites, viruses, bacteria, and germs. Rinse well after soaking them in a mixture of 2 Tbsp. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide to 1 Gallon pure water, and swishing them around in it for 15 minutes. Do not use chlorinated tap water. It messes up the hydrogen peroxide's effectiveness.

Does your gallon of milk spoil before you can drink all of it? Just add 1 teaspoon of 3% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide to the gallon, and it will last at least a month.

Adding 1 Tbsp. white vinegar to the boiling water will keep eggs from cracking when you boil them, or it stabilizes the water if you want to poach them. Poaching an egg requires about five to seven minutes of cooking time in boiling water.

To boil eggs perfectly, without that green ring around the yolks, bring them to a full boil, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot, and let them sit for twenty minutes. Rinse them in cold water, and drain on paper towels. They will be perfectly cooked. To peel them, begin by cracking the shells on the fat end of each egg where there is an air pocket on eggs, and they will peel easier.

To stew meat, add 1 Tbsp. vinegar to the liquid to tenderize cheaper cuts of meat.

Try to eat as many raw, fresh, organic fruits and vegetables each day as you can to enjoy more nutrients in them and maintain better health. Cooking destroys nutrients.

Got some overripe bananas? Don't throw them away. Mash them, and add a teaspoon lemon or lime juice to keep them from turning brown, then store in plastic zippered bags in the freezer in one cup portions. When you want to bake muffins or banana nut bread you will always have ripe mashed bananas on hand. However, frozen bananas are not as tasty as fresh ones are.

Peel a banana and wrap it in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer to make a smoothie. Just pop a whole frozen banana in the blender with some milk, yogurt, and honey, and liquify ingredients. Extra fruit can be added for various flavors. Fruits that are frozen can be substituted for ice cubes in smoothies or quick ice cream recipes.

Make your own pure vanilla extract by soaking several split vanilla pods in a pint of vodka for about six weeks. The more vanilla pods you use the stronger the extract will be, as will the longer you soak them. This can be done with any sized bottle of vodka because the ratio of vanilla pods is up to you and your taste preferences.

Any extract can be made in that same manner by just changing whatever flavor you want to that particular fruit. You should shake it daily, then at the end of the six weeks period, strain out any of the fruit and discard it. Again, the strength depends on how much you use and how long it soaks.

Soaking a box of golden raisins in a pint of gin until all the gin is soaked up, and then eating nine of the raisins each day is said to be a cure for arthritis.

Eating 20 dried cherries every day is said to cure gout, or any problems with the big toe, when nothing else seems to work.

If your celery stalks are starting to look stale, cut off the root ends (the white base sections,) then stand all the stalks in a container of water, and store in the refrigerator for a few hours to make them crunchy again.

Wrap stalks of celery in aluminum foil and store them in the refrigerator, and they will keep for weeks.

When making boiled eggs, to prevent the eggshells from cracking, add a splash of white vinegar to the water before boiling them, or just add a pinch of salt to the water. Bring the water to a full boil with the eggs in it, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Then remove eggs and peel them under cold water for perfectly boiled eggs without a green ring.

If you need to measure syrup, honey, molasses, tomato sauce, or anything that is sticky or clingy, spray the measuring cup or spoon with a neutral cooking spray first so the sticky ingredients will release easily.

Beware of using too much nutmeg in a recipe, as it could do harm to someone. Nutmeg is very powerful. Only 1 teaspoon of the oil can be lethal.

By spraying any plastic container with cooking spray before you add tomato products or spaghetti sauce, it will not stain your plastic ware.

Place an apple in your bag of potatoes to keep the eyes from sprouting.

Make your potatoes and onions or any root-type vegetables last longer and keep them from sprouting by hanging them in a dark place using an old pair of clean pantyhose. Fill the leg parts with the vegetables, then tie a knot in between each. Hang them from a nail or hook at the waist part. When you need to use one, simply use your scissors and cut it off the stocking.

Butter spray your measuring spoons or cups before adding honey, oil, tomato sauce, tomato paste, or anything heavy so it will release quickly.

ADDITIONAL HELPFUL TIPS:

Stinky odors? Dip a hand towel into vinegar and wring it out. Twirl it around over your head to remove stinky odors in your home.

Bathroom odors can be neutralized by simply lighting a match. Just be careful not to burn anything but the match. Once the tip of the match burns, put it out with water to make sure the flame is out completely.

Burn candles to remove stinky tobacco smoke odors.

Freeze candles to make them dripless when used.

Need sharper kitchen scissors? Fold several layers of aluminum foil and cut through them with your dull scissors. It should sharpen them. You can do the same thing using Brillo or SOS soap pads.

Got spiders? Put 2 Tbsp. coconut oil into one cup warm water in a spray bottle, and spray all corners or where they would be to get rid of them.

Got ants? Ants will not cross a white chalk line. They also hate dried cucumber peelings. Wipe down your countertops with equal parts of white vinegar and water to repel ants.

Got mice? Plug up any holes in and around kitchen and bathroom pipes and electrical connections with SOS or Brillo Soap Pads. Mice hate steel wool and won't go near it.

Keep foil wrapped sticks of peppermint gum on your cabinet shelves as mice hate the smell of peppermint and won't go near it. Toss some cottonballs saturated with peppermint essential oil up under the house to keep rats and mice away. Make a peppermint fragrance out of a few drops of peppermint essential oil mixed with water in a spray bottle, and spray it everywhere in your home, and around your home. Empty and cleaned Febreeze bottles make great sprayers for this.

Make your own signature perfume by adding a total of 40 drops essential oils to 8 oz. vodka. Cologne only requires 20 drops total to 8 oz. vodka. Make your own body spritzer by mixing in a spray bottle 16 oz. water and 1 tsp. of your signature perfume or cologne you made. You can make your own bath powder by mixing in 1 tsp. perfume or cologne to a box of cornstarch, and working it through it completely. Put in a Hefty freezer bag, and let it sit for a week, mixing it every day, by squishing the bag, then it's ready to use. Using any type Bath Powder can cause your PAP smear to show up as a false reading, so use it at your own discretion, and it can also cause you to get a Urinary Tract Infection. www.lorannoils.com sells a generic unfragranced body lotion that you can add essential oils to as well. If you have the lotion and body spritzer, that is basically all you need to keep you smelling nice all day when you make your own signature fragrance.

Moth balls are not healthy to inhale their odors. They can make you very sick.

Repel snakes and lizards by sprinkling pure clove essential oil around areas where they might hide. Also keep it sprinkled over thresholds and window sills.

Got roaches? Just put 2 Tbsp. hot sauce in one cup water in a spray bottle and spray wherever they crawl to get rid of them for good.

A pesticide called Ortho Home Defense Max spray can be used inside and outside your home to get rid of any type pests. It is supposed to be safe to use around humans or pets. You can buy it at Home Depot. It is effective for 12 months.

Clean with citrus ammonia spray cleaner from the dollar store, and you won't have to worry about mice, bugs, or spiders since they cannot stand the smell. Do NOT ever mix ammonia and bleach as the fumes can kill you or anyone else who breathes them. Be very careful of mixing any cleaning products nowadays as they can become deadly in the fumes they give off.

Bleach is good to kill mold, mildew, germs, and bacteria around the house. Just never mix it with ammonia or the vapors can be lethal.

3% Hydrogen Peroxide will also kill parasites and pathogens as well as bleach does, but it leaves no harmful fumes. You can use it as a bleach substitute even in your laundry or dishwasher to kill germs. It also kills germs on your countertops and floors, so it would be considered a green cleaner safe for the environment when mixed with water or used straight. I wouldn't recommend using a stronger version, as it could become unstable or corrosive.

Using microfiber cleaning cloths requires nothing but water used with them. One side cleans, the other side polishes. Just remember when laundering them to not use bleach or fabric softener in them in the washer or the dryer, or it will make them much less effective. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide can be used with them for killing pathogens.

Need some fabric softener? Use 1 cup white vinegar in your final rinse. When your clothes come out of the dryer they will be soft and cling-free. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil if you want a lavender fragrance.

Make a homemade flea repellant for your dog by mixing equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray it on his fur, but avoid spraying it near his eyes. Use your hands to work it into his fur. He will love getting a massage. Repeat every two days to repel fleas. Cats hate the smell of vinegar.

If you think bugs are coming from a neighbor's house, just buy several bottles of cayenne pepper from your local dollar store, and sprinkle it between your house and the neighbors on all sides for no more traveling bugs. You can also sprinkle cayenne pepper around your doors to keep bugs, lizards, and other pests away.

You can use pure Essential Oils to fragrance your home by keeping them sprinkled in various places in your home. Not only will they make your home smell fantastic, but they will uplift your spirit as well. You can create your own fragrances to use by mixing a few drops of any essential oil and filling the spray bottle with water. Shake it well, then use it to spray your home with. Orange, lemon, lime, lavender, peppermint, and clove essential oils work great this way. Don't use those synthetic essential oils as they can cause harm to the body.

All flying insects and crawling, creeping things do not like the odors of pure peppermint, clove, or lavender oils. You can buy pure essential oils at VitaCost.com and sprinkle some in your cabinets, drawers, countertops, and corners of all your rooms to repel them. Don't forget your doorways and window sills either. Or you can create a spray by mixing a few drops in a bottle of water and spray it everywhere.

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