The Urban Homemaker Blog

Category: General

  • Save money by Cooking at Home

    Sometimes tremendous savings in the food budget can be made by cooking from scratch, compared to using pre-packaged, pre-processed convenience foods. In some cases, though, you may need to invest in suitable equipment such as bread baking equipment, quality stainless steel cookware and bakeware, water purification product, etc.

    Duromatic pressure pans by Kuhn Rikon are one way I believe I really save time and money with my food and energy bill. In Europe, I’m told, most households have up to three pressure cookers to save energy as energy is more costly in Europe than America.

    With ever increasing energy costs, homemakers are looking for ways to save energy and be “green” even in their cooking. A pressure cooker will save considerable cooking time for typical everyday cooking. For example, I cook broccoli for two minutes at full pressure. I cook quartered potatoes in five minutes.

    Brown rice takes in 20 minutes. Pot roasts and meat loaves take about 15 minutes per pound to cook. Dry beans such as kidney beans and limas are done in 8-10 minutes when soaked ahead.

    Pressure cooking enables you to cook less expensive foods like beans, grains, and legumes, as well as less tender cuts of meats very quickly with better taste and concentrated flavors.

    Usually each spring we offer a special 5 liter Duromatic for a bargain price. My allotment of the special pans are usually sold in a few days or even less.

    This year, Kuhn Rikon has discontinued this promotion. Instead they are raising prices April 1 an average of 10% or about $20.00 per pan.

    So this year, what I am offering is the old (current) pricing for Duromatics while my supplies last.

    Please read excerpts below from a recent issue of New Harvest Homestead Newsletter. Several homemakers shared their thoughts on the versatile pressure cooker.

  • Easy Economical Vegetarian Main Dishes

    Last week I printed the testimonial about a “poor” woman raised in a large family of 12 children who were fed beans, cornbread, and greens two meals a day most of the year. In her adult life, the doctors, and particularly the dentist, pronounced her extremely healthy.

    I’ll admit it; at times I hesitate to serve beans and legumes as often as I could for fear I’m serving poor man’s food, and not pleasing the family. I need to remember, I’m the mom and I do know what’s best for the family’s nourishment and finances.

    I hope you were encouraged to learn that this “poor” woman enjoyed vibrant health as an adult. I thought we could all be inspired if we shared with one another family favorite, tried and true recipes for beans and legumes.

    New Blog Contest:
    To get started I will publish one of my tastiest lentil recipes, Curried Lentils. It goes together quickly and easily, especially if you pressure cook the lentils first, which takes just 15 minutes.

    Several months ago I asked readers to share their family friendly recipes that rely mostly on beans or legumes to encourage struggling homemakers who are trying to stretch their paychecks while adopting a healthier lifestyle.

    My husband Duane passed away shortly thereafter and I am now, just geting to award  the best recipes/creative/versatile recipes with a complimentary bottle of safe and effective Norwex Fresh Wash for cleaning fruits and veggies ($26.99 value), or Norwex Carpet Stain Buster ($26.99), a complete carpet cleaning solution used for shampooing, spot cleaning, and deodorizing effectively without harmful residues.

    The winners  have been notified by email and will receive their prizes shortly.  The winners are:

    Jenny, Amy, Jackie, and Hope.  I hope you will read their winning recipes and try them out soon.
    I liked Jenny’s idea for adapting basic bean recipes to Italian, Chinese, Indian, and Mexican seasonings.  I loved Amy’s recipe for snack sprouts made with lentils dried in a dehydrator -this is a very unique idea.  Hope gets  the award for the most complete and extensive recipe collection of main dish legume recipes, and Jackie posted a recipe for Lebanese Vegetable Salad

  • Compare Top Drinking Water Contaminants

    Last week I talked about the best way to address emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, in drinking water.

    Many people wrote to me asking me to clarify what the benefit of an R/O (Reverse Osmosis) Drinking Water System is, and how they can know which type of system is best for their family.

    Today, I want to clarify the pros and cons of Reverse Osmosis water purification technology.

    First of all, it is a HUGE misconception to think any R/O system will remove all known contaminants. R/O technology does not even remove chlorine nor most chemicals in water.

    R/O systems are best known for removing minerals and were developed for desalination of seawater aboard Naval vessels. R/O technology will also remove cysts and bacteria.

    Most R/O systems are combined with other technologies, that is, they include another filtering medium such as a solid carbon filter to remove the chemicals as well as chlorine, chlorine disinfection by-products, etc.

    A two-page brochure called, The Challenge compares all the major drinking water technologies and shows which contaminant groups each is able to remove. This flier also shows you where to get more information about addressing the water purification problems unique to your home.

    The cost of maintaining an R/O system is higher because you have to replace sediment filters, solid carbon filters and the R/O membrane on a regular basis to make sure it is working properly.

    Most homeowners on city water do not need an R/O system because they usually
    do not have bacteria or harmful minerals in their water that only R/O
    will address. In general, the only time an R/O system is needed is
    when the water is high in harmful minerals such as sodium or nitrates.

    R/O systems, because they remove all the minerals from the water, create an acidic water which, as it goes through the body, tends to make the body more acidic. Some health researchers believe this acidic condition may be a precursor to degenerative disease.

    Also, as this water goes through the body, it has been demonstrated on laboratory animals to pull minerals from the body.

    We could sell hundreds of Multi-Pure R/O systems but we don’t believe in over – selling or selling a product that is more expensive than is necessary or that is not needed.

    A solid carbon filter is more than sufficient for most drinking water issues and shows the most hope of addressing emerging contaminants, according to The Water Quality Association.

    The Multi-Pure Solid Carbon Drinking Water System is a superior choice at a better price, in my opinion, because it has been certified to remove more contaminants of health concern than any other solid carbon system on the market according to third party, not-for-profit testing done by NSF, Intl. (nsf.org)

    There is NO ONE BEST system for all circumstances. As a general rule, solid carbon technology is the best choice if you are on city water, however.

    What Are the Questions Your Should Ask When Buying a Drinking Water System?

    Choose your FREE GIFT!

    With every Multi-Pure Drinking Water System Purchase, we are offering a choice of one of a choice of two free gifts.

    Option 1:
    New! – H20 On the Go Bottles – Receive two of these attractive new insulated 17 oz stainless steel bottles to transport hot or cold liquids. A $39.00 value

    OR

    Option 2:
    Multi-Pure Shower Filter
    The Multi-Pure shower filter is an indispensable part of reducing exposure to chlorine in showers.
    A $49.95 value.

    Promotion ends – May 31, 2008

    All Multi-Pure Products SHIP FREE! This special promotion is also good in conjunction with Filtermania. (Pre-pay for 10 filters and you will receive the stainless steel

    Sincerely,

    Marilyn and Duane Moll

  • Living on a Dime

    If you listen or read news headlines in the last few weeks, you have been hearing  all  about higher food prices, sharply higher gas prices, mortgage banking crises, wheat shortages, economic woes and so forth.

    Many of you are familiar with Living On A Dime and with Tawra and Jill’s money saving, get-out-of-debt, frugal living and homemaking tips.

    Well, Tawra has let me know that Living On A Dime is extending a very special offer to you, my readers. This offer includes all of the Living On A Dime e-books in one package along with free bonus downloads.

    The “Savin’ O’ The Green” e-book package will help you learn new strategies to stretch your paycheck and fight high prices!

    The great news is that Tawra is offering this package to you at $17, a substantial discount off of the regular price for all of these e-books. With the rising price of gas and groceries, it’s good to know that some prices are actually going down!

    This collection of ebooks is a $119.00 value,  for just $17.00!

    I just had to share it with you! Check it out!

  • Resources and Recipes to Celebrate St Patrick’s Day

    My family and I traditionally observe  St. Patrick’s Day with traditional Irish food.

    Having read biographies of St Patrick with my children when they were younger, I wish there was more known about the man.  We know that he was  the son of a Roman nobleman, and he was born in Scotland. He was kidnapped from his hometown and taken as a slave into Ireland around the age of 16. He escaped to Gaul, at the age of 22, and returned to Scotland.

    One source claims that to learn about the man behind the holiday, one can read Confessio and Epistola, letters he wrote. The first is described as Saint Patrick’s spiritual autobiography. The second is his attempt to right the mistreatment of Irish Christians at the hands of the British. These two works, however, do not teach us enough about the man to know what is true and what is fancy.

    I like to believe the story surrounding Saint Patrick, that after years of slavery and imprisonment,   God enabled him to win pagan Ireland to Christ by his explanation of the Trinity using a shamrock. He taught that God is one being, with three separate personalities – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    As a teaching tool, he plucked a shamrock from the ground and showed the pagans how the shamrock is one plant with three separate leaves.

    If you have younger children you might enjoy downloading St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages a complimentary ebook with pages to color with shamrocks and other traditional Irish lore.  You can use the pages as a jumping off point for a lesson about St Patrick.

    With older children, you might like to talk about the life of St Patrick as well as have them help prepare a traditional meal of Corned Beef, cabbage, Irish Soda Bread, and Irish Cream Cheesecake.  All this information is contained in a complimentary ebook called  St. Patrick’s Day:Not Just for the Irish.

    Other information traditionally associated with  St. Patrick’s Day including the tradition of wearing, green, the shamrock, the Blarney Stone, and Leprechauns are also explained in the ebook  St. Patrick’s Day:Not Just for the Irish .

    Awhile ago, I told you about a great Menu Planning Service that is a Quick and Easy Way To Get Dinner On The Table and Enjoy More Quality Time WithYour Family… I told you about another free report that you can pick up where you’ll find out the details, Plus:

    Pick up your free report and find out more about how Menu Planning Just Got Even Easier.

    Healthy

  • Response to AP article on water contaminated with Pharmaceuticals

    RESPONSE TO AP REPORT ON DRUGS IN WATER

    I received the following information from the leading manufacturer of solid carbon block drinking water filters to the story about Pharmaceuticals in water today.  I hope you will read it, and realize there is no need for alarm or fear.  Prudent homemakers will invest in the most effective drinking water system on the market, which fortunately is very reasonably priced.

    Multi-Pure International is responding to a report by the Associated Press (AP) regarding widespread contamination of public drinking water supplies by pharmaceutical drugs. Multi-Pure has been aware of the issue of these drugs making their way into public water supplies for
    several years.

    However, NSF International, the leading certifying body in the
    industry, does not have established test protocols for
    pharmaceuticals; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
    has not established allowable limits for any over-the-counter or
    prescription drugs found in drinking water supplies. Multi-Pure,
    and all other drinking water treatment manufacturers cannot make
    any NSF certified claims to remove pharmaceuticals from water.

    However, Multi-Pure can assure its customers that they use the
    industry’s most widely certified filter system on the market,
    which outperforms all other NSF Certified drinking water systems
    in terms of contaminant reduction    . Multi-Pure has led the
    industry in introducing new technologies to address emerging
    contaminants found in our nation’s water supplies.

    The AP report also cites bottled water as not being a safe
    alternative, as it is often processed and repackaged tap water.

    The AP report names reverse osmosis as being effective at
    removing “virtually all pharmaceutical contaminants,” but does
    not cite any test data to substantiate this claim.

    Since 1970 Multi-Pure International has been an industry leader
    in high performance drinking water filters for home or office.
    Multi-Pure was the leading developer of carbon block water
    filters and was the first manufacturer to gain NSF Std. 53
    certification for the reduction of many contaminants such as
    Lead, PCBs, Arsenic V, and Toxaphene.

  • We do Spring Cleaning Room by Room

    Fast, Easy, Economical Spring Cleaning
    Room by Room
    by Marilyn Moll and Sandy Tuin


    My daughter Mary has already asked if we can do Spring Cleaning during her break in April. What a blessing to have help, because I don’t love this job! We take it room by room using the time we have and completing each job step by step. Read through the instructions before you get started and outline a plan.

    Note: The only cleaning products needed are micro-fiber and water. No paper towel, or chemicals. You may enjoy using the safe cleaners made from non-toxic ingredients or natural enzymes like the Mattress Cleaner, and Odour Eliminator. The Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent is biodegradable, contains no fillers, and is highly concentrated. As little as ½ tsp per load in a front loader is all it takes.

    Living Room and Dining Room – Start at the room that gets the most use and public exposure. Do all the dusting in both rooms, then windows etc for that economy of scale efficiency.

    Dust and De-clutter– Use the Norwex Microfiber mitt or Enivro cloth dry, to thoroughly dust the entire room. Clear the clutter as you go. Use the 3 box system- give away, throw away, and put-away. Use the Norwex mop system to wipe down walls and remove cobwebs.

    Curtains and Drapes – Curtains can be machine washed with Norwex Ultra Power Plus Detergent. It only takes ½ tsp in a HE machine. Line dry if possible. Dry Clean only drapes can be tumbled in a cool dryer to remove dust. Re-hang.

    Windows – Next wipe down all the windows with a damp Enviro Cloth and then polish with
    the Window Cloth. You won’t believe how quick and easy the window polishing goes with a dry micro-fiber window cloth.

    Upholstery – Spot clean using an Enviro cloth and water. Vacuum cushions, backs, under cushions and apply Mattress Cleaner to cushions and cushion backs.

    Vacuum the room thoroughly including under furniture around the edges.

    Odour Eliminator – Dilute in water 7 parts water to one part Odor Eliminator and spray the room to eliminate off odors and overall freshen up the room. If it is warm enough – open the windows!

    Re-Arrange furniture for a seasonal change if desired. VOILA – you are done!

    Bedrooms – Repeat the same steps above: Dust and De-clutter, Curtains and Drapes, and Windows.

    Beds – Wash mattress pad, blankets, and other bedding in the Ultra Power Plus Detergent. Hang out to dry if possible. Turn mattress. Spray with Mattress Cleaner. Make up bed.

    Vacuum the room thoroughly including under furniture and bed around the edges of the room.

    Kitchen and Pantry – This is probably a big job if it hasn’t been done lately. So allow plenty of time – or take it a few cabinets at a time or use 15-30 minute time segments daily until the job is done. Getting started is the hardest part.

    Cabinets – Clear everything out of the cabinets. Purge unused, and out-of date items. Wipe down the inside and outside cabinet surfaces with a damp Enviro Cloth. Apply lemon oil to wood cabinets if desired.

    Refrigerator – Clear everything out of the refrigerator or do it shelf by shelf, drawer by drawer. Purge unused, moldy, and out of date foods. Wipe shelves and exterior of refrigerator with a wet Enviro Cloth. Polish with dry window cloth. Plastic drawers should be removed, washed and dried. Re-assemble everything neatly and you will be amazed at how much more room you now have!

    Floors – Use the Norwex mop system to get the floor dry mopped, and then wet mop. It only takes water.

    Oven – If you do not have a self-cleaner, water and spirinettes with lots of elbow grease will do the job.

    Cook Top – Smooth top and conventional electric ranges can be maintained and polished with an Enviro Cloth and window cloth. If you have tough burned on food use the cleaning paste with a damp Enviro or the Micro-pad.

    Bathrooms – Surprisingly, you can get most of the bathroom cleaned up very well using an Enviro Cloth and water. Since the Enviro clothes are anti-bacterial no disinfectants are needed.

    Toilet– Sanira Toilet System – Both cleaning solution and brush are produced from environmentally friendly raw materials. The cleaning solution is vegetable based with coconut oil and a naturally- occurring sugar surfactant. The b rush does not contain any metal parts. Using only ¾ tsp a week, this solution will last about a year. Compare to 2 Tbsp of traditional cleaner and save.

    Throw Rugs – Wash with Ultra Detergent and hang out to dry. Replace.

    Mirrors – Wipe with a damp Enviro and polish with dry Window Cloth for a streak free shine in seconds.

    Floors – Use Norwex Mop System to dry and wet mop.

    Shower & Tubs – Maintained weekly with an Enviro cloth and water you won’t have much extra work. Wash out shower curtain liners and shower curtain with Ultra Detergent and rehang after the shower is cleaned up.

    Shower Doors can be descaled the safe non-toxic way with De-Scaler a wonderful gel that removes lime scale easily. The netted dish cloth can also be used to remove soap scum. Wipe down the shower after each use with a dry microfiber dust mitt to eliminate lime scale and scums.

    Halls and Closets – Apply the above products and principles of de-cluttering, wiping down, mopping and/or vacuuming to closets and hall ways. Wash and dry throw rugs and replace.

  • Top Frugal Tips for Busy Homemakers

    Contest winners are identified below along with over 30 excellent comments from moms like you!

    Here is my top frugal post from contest winner Jill Ferris:

    Dear Marilyn,

    Many years ago when I was worrying about how to eat healthily on a very very limited budget I met ayoung mother who was raised in a poor family (12 children) who told me what they ate growing up.

    Basically, they ate cooked dried beans, cornbread and some sort of cooked greens (like turnip greens) for at least two meals a day all year long. She said they got ice cream once a year for Christmas or Fourth of July. That was it.

    When she married and moved across the country she went to a doctor and dentist for the first time in her life and was told that she was the healthiest person they had ever seen. The dentist had never seen teeth as strong as hers!!

    I thought about her parents and wondered if they worried all those years about not really “providing” for their family and wondered if they realized what wonderful health their children had because of growing up without refined foods!

    Meeting her was reassuring to me. I realized that good nutrition can be very simple and very plain. It can be very very inexpensive. It, of course, must be balanced (the beans and the corn bread compliment each other and the greens are a wonderful food if not overcooked).

    I realized that we could get very, very poor and still afford GOOD nutritious food!

    So that’s my money saving tip! Relax, trust in God to provide what you need, ask Him to teach you simple ways to make nutritious foods (sprouting seeds is one of those ways; they are very cheap but highly nutritious!) and have the confidence to know that you are providing the BEST for your family!

    I wrote a few weeks ago:
    Let’s all share our tips and wisdom with each other so we can learn together to be better wives, mothers, and homemaker’s! This contest will end March 18, 2008.

    Here are a few tips to get your started!

    You can save a lot of money buy making your own easy to make cream soups with four ingredients instead of many unpronounceable ingredients.

    Cream Soup Alternatives

    For one can of cream of “whatever soup” use the following simple, four ingredient recipe:

    Basic Cream Soup
    3 T Butter
    3 T Flour
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 cup chicken stock, water or milk

    Instructions:

    Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Blend flour and salt into saucepan while cooking and stirring until bubbly. using a wire whisk to prevent lumps, stir in liquid ingredient choice slowly. Medium thick sauce is comparable to undiluted condensed soups and makes approximately the same amount as a 10 oz can.

    Variations:
    Cheese Sauce: Add ½ C grated sharp cheese and ¼ tsp mustard

    Tomato Sauce: Use tomato juice as liquid and add a dash each of garlic powder or garlic salt, onion powder or onion salt, basil and oregano.

    Mushroom Sauce: Saute ¼ C finely chopped mushrooms and 1 Tbsp finely chopped onion in the butter before adding the flour.

    Celery Sauce: Saute ½ Cup finely chopped celery and 1 Tbsp finely chopped onion in butter before adding flour

    Chicken Sauce: Use chicken broth or bouillon as half the liquid. Add ¼ tsp poultry seasoning or sage, and diced cooked chicken if available.

    CONTEST WINNERS

    ED NOTE: What a challenge to pick five contest winners from all these great posts! Please read all the comments, but my prize winners of the two ebooks are:

    Jody Courtney, Sharon Clark, Christine Jones, Jill Farris, Carly from AL

    They are each winners of Fast and Healthy Menus for Busy Moms along with my ebook A Beginner’s Guide to Baking Bread. This is a $19.93 retail value! Congratulations to the winners. Your ideas have blessed me immensely.

  • Getting and Staying Organized

    This week, my daughter Mary, AKA The Cleaning Lady, and I are working on cleaning/organizing all the kitchen cupboards and the hall closets while she enjoys her homeschool Winter Break. Mary is the unusual child who actually enjoys the peace and order of a clean and orderly home and eagerly works hard to help me each week with routine cleaning.

    Not every child or mom, as you know, enjoys cleaning and de-cluttering. In her book, The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized, Karen Ehman talks about how her methods and gentle guidance tranformed her daughter, “the messy”, to appreciate orderliness and take responsibility for the up-keep of her room.

    Regardless of your children’s gifts for orderliness, I believe it is critically important for moms to train ourselves and our children to organize and maintain our homes and bedrooms. Whether or not your home and your children’s rooms are in need of serious de-cluttering and organization, I hope you will join our Continuing Education For MomsSeminar with author and speaker Karen Ehman tomorrow night.

    Karen, homeschool mom of 3, is also a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and has been a guest on the 700 Club. She has written four books that I know of which are: Homespun Gifts From the Heart, Homespun Memories for the Heart, A Life that Says Welcome, and her newest book, The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized, which is our topic on Thursday night.

    Here is the contact information:

    Date: Thursday, February 21, 2008

    Scheduled Start Time: 9:00 PM EST, 8:00 CST, 7:00 PM MST, 6:00 PST (Adjust for your time zone, please.)

    Dial-in Number: 1-605-475-4150

    Participant Access Code: 754074

    If you have never participated in a phone seminar before, here is how it works:

    1. You dial in the phone number below to the seminar. (You pay only for the phone call.)
    2. Key in the seminar access code.
    3. Introduce yourself, it you wish.
    4. Bring a notebook to take notes, a cup of tea, and have your questions ready.
    5.Don’t worry about background noise, we will mute that out.

  • What I Wish I’d Known

    ON MY HEART by Marilyn Moll

    Last week I was the speaker for Cindy Rushton’s Talk-a-Latte discussion program with the ongoing theme of “What I Wish I’d Known” program. Cindy is doing a 12 week series inviting a variety of guests to speak on this subject, including yours truly. (You can join Cindy for this study at this link: http://www.talk-a-latte.com/newstudies.html -Look for JUST WISH I’D KNOWN)

    When Cindy’s first told me what the topic would be, I thought, “What a great topic. This will be easy to talk about!” First I will talk about how to bake bread and why its so great, how to get organized, how to homeschool on a shoestring, what I wish I had known about child training and all the other homemaking skills I have learned over the years.

    Then lots of scripture verses came into my mind that God has used to mold me, direct me, and encourage me over the years. My talk turned out to be more about my spiritual journey and what I wish I’d known spiritually. Possibly many of my newsletter subscribers might be more interested in “What I wished I had known spiritually” rather than what I know about baking bread, menu planning, cooking for wellness, etc.

    For example, I talked about what I wished I’d known about ungodly perfectionism. What I know now, is that allowing perfectionism and comparisons to go on in our mind is quite a prevalent and insidious, maybe even rampant problem among Christian women.

    Regardless of your personal struggles, I believe it is very hard for women to see that an effective tool in the enemy’s arsenal is designed to keep our eyes off of God and on our circumstances.

    This evil attack takes place in our minds and seeks to destroy us, our families, our joy, and our peace just through our thoughts.

    Here is my working definition of Perfectionism:

    • A sense of drivenness
    • Continued feelings of not being good enough.
    • Deep underlying need to control one’s life.
    • Excessive striving after reward and recognition.
    • Perpetual jealousy of others and a making of comparisons. Again, it is the idea that so and so has more money, better husband, nicer house, higher achieving kids, gorgeous clothes, great figure, she’s a great cook and on and on it goes.
    • It robs our peace, It can put us into a depression.

    The thoughts go through our mind over and over, accusing us and discouraging us. These thoughts can literally make us sick. Click here if you are interested in reading the text of my presentation, What I Wish I’d Known, or listening to a complimentary recording of the presentation with follow-up discussion.

    In addition, Cindy has generously offered to share her Mommy Care Package Just for Mom, a complimentary collection of six talks by Cindy designed to pamper and encourage moms. Great listening for your Ipods and MP3 players!