Energy Saving Tips

Save Money with Energy Saving Tips

•Lower your thermostat at night and when you’re not home. Use a programmable thermostat so it’s automatic. Every degree lower can take 2 percent off your power bill.

•Make it a habit to shut off lights, computers and other appliances when you’re not using them.

•Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. They use a fourth of the energy used by regular bulbs.

•Replace halogen lamps in torchieres with compact fluorescent torchieres. They use about 70 percent less energy and produce more light.

•Use motion detectors to turn on outdoor lights rather than leaving them on all night.

•Close your fireplace damper when there’s no fire. Leaving it open is like having a 48-inch-square hole in your house.

•Close off and don’t heat unoccupied rooms.

•Take showers with low-flow showerheads (they use 50 percent less hot water) instead of baths.

•Set your water heater at 115 degrees (F), which is comfortable for most uses. Turn your water heater off when you go on vacation.

•Wrap your water heater in R11 insulated wrap but don’t cover the thermostat.

•Run only full loads in your dishwashers and clothes washers - and wash in warm or cold water.

•Wash and dry clothes on week-ends when energy use isn’t as high.

•Air dry your dishes. In nicer weather or in a warm basement, air dry your clothes.

•Clean your furnace and heat pump filters to keep them operating efficiently.

•Limit use of kitchen and bathroom fans since they pull heat out of the house.

•Open south-facing drapes and blinds during the day to let heat in.

Feed a family of 4 on $5

Feed a family of 4 on $5

Three meals from one rotisserie chicken (you can also use leftover turkey with any of these recipes!) A rotisserie chicken is so cheap and versatile, you can either roast your own or grab one from the deli for around $5, the beauty is you can make three meals for less than $5 out of a whole chicken. Take the chicken and shred the whole thing, do NOT throw out the bones they are great to make chicken stock!

Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole

1 ½ cups shredded chicken

1 cup of broccoli (chopped or frozen)

1 can cream of chicken soup

¼ onion sautéed in one pat of butter (add mushrooms, optional)

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 cup shredded cheese.

1 ½ cups dry rice

Spray a 8X10 casserole dish (or even a cast-iron skillet will do).

Cook rice according to directions on package. 3 cups of boiling water with one bouillon cube, add rice, cook for about 20 minutes.

Sautee onion in butter, add broccoli, add more butter if you want or just a bit of water to heat the vegetables. Mix soup with ½ can of water and ½ can of milk. Pour into the skillet with vegetables, add shredded chicken, mix it all up put some cheese on top and pop in a 350 degree, preheated oven for about 20 minutes. (Takes 1/2 breast, thigh and leg)



Spinach & Chicken Pizza

2 cups of shredded chicken

1 Pizza Crust (you can also use flour tortillas for a thin crust)

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/2 cup Grape Tomatoes (or any tomatoes you have handy)

1 cup Spinach Leaves

2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Brush prepared pizza crust or dough with olive oil and sprinkle Italian seasoning on top. Distribute half cup of shredded chicken evenly on top of the dough. Cut grape tomatoes in half, then place them and the spinach leaves evenly on top of the dough.Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pizza and bake according to your chosen crust directions. (Takes: One thigh, ½ breast and leg).

Crock Pot Chicken Stock:

Bones, giblets, skin (the rest of the chicken)

1 -2 stalk celery & leaves

1 onion, quartered

1 carrot, in chunks

1 garlic clove (optional)

Cover with cold water

Directions:

After eating the cooked chickens for the original chicken dinners pick all meat from bones and reserve for other purposes.Break the bones apart so that they’ll fit better into the crock pot.

Put bones, skin, and fat from the chickens and the giblets, if available, into a 6qt crock pot.

Add vegetables.

Add cold water until crock pot is full to 1 1/2 inches below the rim.

Cook on high 4 hours and then on low for another 6-8 hours.

Strain the stock through a colander or cheesecloth and chill to solidify the fat for easy removal.

Portion out and freeze stock in whatever quantities suit your needs.

Easy and Quick Chicken and Dumplings

Nothin’ spells comfort like chicken and dumplin’s

left-over shredded chicken

2 cans of cream of celery soup

2 cans of homemade chicken stock

1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough (or two cans if you want more dumplings)

Mix the two cans of celery and two cans of chicken stock in a 6 quart soup pot, add shredded chicken or any left over chicken. heat to almost boil and drop in biscuit dough Cut your biscuit dough in half or quarters depending on how big you like your dumplings. (Takes wings and the rest).

Make Your Own Shampoo and Conditioner

Make your own home-made shampoo and conditioner

Have you ever wondered what’s in your shampoo? Here is a short list of basic ingredients in most shampoos:

Water (aqua), sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamide mea, polysorbate 20, peg-150 distearate, oleth-3, propylene glycol, cinnamidopropyltrimonium chloride, glycol stearate, fragrance (parfum), disodium edta, panthenol, allantoin, sodium pca, benzophenone-4, hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, peg-120 methyl glucose dioleate, phospholipids, hydrolyzed oat protein, phosphorus, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, calcium pantothenate, magnesium salicylate, zinc gluconate, saccharomyces/zinc ferment, saccharomyces/copper ferment, saccharomyces/magnesium ferment, saccharomyces/iron ferment, saccharomyces/silicon ferment, methylparaben, propylparaben, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone.


Did you know that you only need two basic ingredients to wash and condition your hair? Baking soda and apple cider vinegar!

Create a paste with baking soda and water and wash the grit, grease and dirt out of your hair, rinse thoroughly then, rinse with vinegar, then rinse again. This ancient recipe is great and leaves hair clean and silky, the only problem with this old recipe is that a person ends up smelling like a salad. Therefore, you may want to consider using the following recipe to make a natural shampoo that leaves your hair silky and smooth and lathers up a bit.

(If camping, in cold or hot weather, you can always use baking soda as a dry shampoo, just pour some into your hair, and brush out all the filth, no muss, no fuss, no stink).

Homemade shampoos are easy to make and results are sometimes better than with expensive commerical shampoo and you can actually pronounce the ingredients in the bottle. Here are some homemade shampo ditioner recipes:

Soap flakes

Time required: Less than 30 minutes (a bar of pure soap or ivory soap) if you’ve purchased homemade soaps at fairs these could work well for shampoos

Here’s how:

1. Place a cheese grater over a few paper towels or paper plate (something bendable to catch the shavings).

2. Grate soap on a medium size so that the shavings are about the size of a grain of rice.

3. Pour shavings into the container you wish to store them in.

4. Store in a cool dry place in an air tight container until you are ready to use.

When ready, pour a quart of hot water to 4 oz of soap flakes, into a bowl. Add scents or herbal teas to it if you want. Let the mixture cool completely before putting into a bottle. It may be thicker than regular shampoo and has a rich lather.

Shampoo made from liquid Castile soap

For normal hair, or as a base to add your own scents, use

• 1/4 cup distilled water

• 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap - I use unscented, but you can choose your favorite

• 1/2 teaspoon jojoba, grapeseed, or other light vegetable oil

Mix together all the ingredients. Store in a bottle. Shake before use.

This mixture isn’t as thick as commercial shampoos - you’ll need to just tilt the bottle over your head.

I am really impressed with how much lather I get from it though!

Egg Hair Conditioner

This is an old fashioned home remedy which really works, although a little smelly.

• 2 eggs which have been beaten.

After shampooing your hair take the eggs and massage into your scalp and hair making sure the roots are covered. Leave the eggs on for half an hour then shampoo using warm water. Don’t be tempted to use hot water to rinse the eggs out otherwise they may cook!

Beer Recipe

This is another old-fashioned homemade hair conditioner which we still use today because it really works

• 1 cup of beer, which has been warmed slightly.

• 2 teaspoons of olive oil

Mix the above together the best you can. Massage into your hair and scalp and leave for 30 minutes before washing out.

Coconut Conditioner Recipe

This hair conditioner has the nicest smell of all and is my favorite. Take a book and relax while you wait for it to work. Dream you are on a tropical beach!

Massage half a cup of coconut oil into your hair and scalp and leave for at least 30 minutes or overnight if preferred. Rinse out with warm water.

Banana Homemade Hair Conditioner Recipe

• 1 banana

• 2 tablespoons of runny honey

Mash the banana up before adding the honey. Massage the mixture into your hair covering from the scalp to the roots. Leave on for 30 minutes before washing off with warm water.

Avocado

Take an avocado and mash it to a pulp. Massage the pulp into your hair. Take a comb and comb through to the roots. Wrap a towel round your hair and relax for 30 minutes before washing off with warm water.