RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—With the Nickel Pincher on vacation this week, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite bits of advice from her column over the last few months. Like Jean herself, we hope you find these nuggets of wisdom both entertaining and edifying. –Rodale.com editors.
#1: Clean without paper towels. In the kitchen, the humble cellulose sponge is tops for wiping up splatters, soaking up spills, and even scrubbing the occasional dish. I like cellulose sponges with a scrubby fiber pad on one side (very useful for loosening dried-on spills). Skip the soft synthetic foam sponges—they don’t hold up. And be sure you avoid any with label claims such as “kills germs,” “antibacterial,” or “antimicrobial.” Hot, soapy water kills germs just fine, and doesn’t add dangerous poisons into the environment. As paper towel marketers are fond of pointing out, sponges can become breeding grounds for bacteria. So at least once a day, or whenever you finish mopping up something particularly nasty, drop the sponge into the top rack of the dishwasher so it will get sterilized the next time the machine runs. Or if you can’t wait, put the rinsed, moist sponge into the microwave and zap it on high for 3 minutes (be careful, it will be really hot when the oven beeps, so let it sit for a few minutes or grab it with tongs).
#2: Make pizza on the grill. Cooking pizza on a grill is easy. First, sear the bare crust on the hot grill, then flip it over and add sauce and other cooked toppings (not too much, or they won’t melt/heat through) while the second side sears. Finish cooking by moving the completed masterpiece to a cooler section of the grill, and close the cover to wrap the heat around it. Use tongs to rotate the cooking pizza frequently and to lift up and check the bottom of the pie for doneness. You are aiming for an even light brown with darker grill lines, as little black as possible, and nicely melted cheese with piping-hot toppings. Slide the finished pie off the grill onto a cutting board, drizzle with a little olive oil, if you like, slice, and serve. Shortcut: Instead of using raw dough, use split whole wheat pitas, whole wheat tortillas, or a prepared commercial pizza crust or flatbread. My favorite toppings are a thin spread of spaghetti sauce (or ricotta, for white pizza), fresh basil leaves, and roasted red peppers, topped with thin shreds of a local smoked mozzarella and a bit of roasted garlic. (I buy both cheeses, made with 100 percent grass-fed milk, at a local farm.)
#3: Clean almost anything. This spray cuts through even the greasiest grime, and the essential oils help chase away germs and odors while leaving behind a delightful (and healthy) fragrance. The ingredients will cost you a bit more up front than buying a bottle of ready-made cleaner would, but in the long run they will make dozens of bottles of cleaner, costing far less per bottle.
Almost Everything Cleaner
2 teaspoons borax
1 teaspoon washing soda (not baking soda)
Hot water
4 Tablespoons vinegar
½ teaspoon natural liquid soap (I use natural dish liquid or Dr. Bronner’s)
¼ teaspoon tea tree oil
8 drops rosemary oil
8 drops tangerine oil
8 drops lavender oil
Dissolve borax and washing soda (you’ll find both in the laundry boosters section of the supermarket) into 2 cups very hot water, strain the mixture through a very fine sieve, and funnel into a 1-quart spray bottle (or pour in slowly, leaving behind any undissolved powder). Add the rest of the ingredients (you can find essential oils at a health-food store) and shake to blend. Top off with more hot water and shake again.
#4: Make microwave popcorn for pennies a bag. When microwave ovens invaded most of the kitchens in America, the food industry pulled one of their greatest boondoggles ever and convinced us that: 1. Popcorn is too complicated and messy to make the old-fashioned way and 2. You can ONLY make it in a microwave oven if you use the special bags that microwave popcorn comes packaged in (with way too much salt, chemically altered oils, artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, and some weird chemical coating on the inside of the bag). Popcorn pops because its seed coat is strong and watertight. When the insides—mostly water and starch—are heated, they expand until the pressure is enough to pop the coat. All you need to make this happen are intact kernels and heat:
1. Put ¼ cup of unpopped organic popcorn kernels into a clean brown paper lunch sack, fold the top over a few times, and stand it in the center of the microwave oven. (You can also make it in a microwave-safe bowl loosely covered by a lid or towel.)
2. Microwave on high until the popping slows to about one pop every two seconds. In my microwave this takes about 5 minutes—yours may take more or less time.
3. Remove the bag and eat. Or pour the popcorn into a bowl and flavor as desired.
#5: Shop smart at a thrift store. The best stores and sales tend to be located in or near prosperous areas or corporate office parks. As a rule, these places offer a tradeoff between cost and convenience. Stores that sort by size and offer dressing rooms are the easiest to shop at, but venues lacking one or both of those conveniences tend to have lower prices. There is a huge thrift store near my home that usually has very nice items and great bargains, but it has no dressing rooms. So when I shop there I wear leggings and a close-fitting T-shirt so I can try things on over them. Some used-clothing stores do take credit and debit cards, but not all do. So call in advance or bring some cash. However you pay, returning your purchase for a refund is generally not an option, so be sure to carefully inspect every garment before you buy. Also check the care label, keeping in mind that there may be some latitude: If the price is right, I have been know to buy “dry clean only” clothing, wear it a few times, and then give it a trip through the washer’s gentle cycle in cold water, and hang it out to dry. Nine times out of 10, it comes out fine. Bringing a friend to help you look through sizes and hold items is helpful—and lots more fun than thrifting alone. Leave bulky coats and purses at home or in the car; some stores are small or have tight aisles. Bring a cloth tape measure to help determine sizes when tags have been cut out.
#6: Make your own baby food. You can buy instant, organic baby cereal, but it is much less expensive and almost as easy to whir uncooked organic rolled oats (five-minute type), barley flakes, or brown rice in a blender or food processor until it’s at the desired texture (floury for beginning eaters, then more like cornmeal, then a little larger, and so forth, until your toddler is ready for the same grind you eat). Combine 1 part ground-up cereal and 3 to 4 parts water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Thin more as desired. Cook enough for a week or two and freeze individual portions to save time and cleanup.
#7: Tumble your line-dried towels. Clothesline-dried clothes and towels don’t feel the same as those that have been tumbled dry in a dryer. I grew up without a dryer and much prefer the feel of a line-dried towel on my bare back when stepping out of the shower. But you or your family members may find crunchy towels or stiff jeans a turnoff. Hanging out wash on a windy day can reduce stiffness, and so can filling the fabric softener dispenser in your washer with white vinegar. If those measures aren’t enough, dry everything on the line and then toss problem items into the dryer for a few minutes—set on air fluff—with a couple of clean tennis balls or sneakers to soften them.
Farm gal, library worker, and all-around money-pincher Jean Nick shares advice for green thrifty living every Thursday on Rodale.com.