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WELCOME TO
HOMEBODIES
October 10, 2006
Volume 7, Issue
39
Weekly
encouragement and empowerment e-zine
for stay-at-home
parents and working parents
considering the
at-home lifestyle
Your Hostess -
Cheryl Gochnauer, author of
"Stay-at-Home
Handbook", "So You Want to Be a
Stay-at-Home
Mom", "Mom to Mom" and founder of
http://www.homebodies.org
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THIS WEEK'S
ARTICLES:
"Garage Sale
Blues", a Classic Homebodies Column by Homebodies founder Cheryl Gochnauer
"To Roast or
Not to Roast" by Homebodies columnist Tawra Kellam, co-founder of Living
on a Dime (http://www.livingonadime.com)
"Crafty
Storage Solutions" by Homebodies columnist Debbie Williams, founder of Organized
Times (http://www.organizedtimes.com)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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GARAGE SALE BLUES
A Classic Homebodies
Column
By Cheryl
Gochnauer
Copyright 2000
The year is
winding down. Chilly morning air nips as I scour neighborhoods in search of
that elusive primo garage sale. A faded poster hangs haphazardly from a
telephone pole, forgotten by the entrepreneur who tacked it up. The signature
handmade signs are harder to spot now; it's been a good month since
treasure-hunting season was in high gear.
As a stay-at-home
mom, I manage a tight budget. I can't tell you how many times a garage sale
translated into a godsend. What happened to the banner on every corner,
promising the "HUGE SALE!" or "BEST BARGAINS!"? Where are
the caravans of mothers roaming yard to yard, greeting fellow shoppers they'd
already seen at three other sales today?
My second grader
needs a nice winter coat. Groaning, I remember the pristine parka I passed up
this summer. Its $8 price tag
seemed
ridiculously high when the thermometer was spiking at 95. Now I realize I will
probably pay many times that amount to keep her warm this winter.
I spot an arrow
up ahead. Encouraged, I signal and turn the indicated direction. Three more signs
wind me through a
subdivision, then
disappear. Stranded, I drive up and down several streets, hoping to pick up the
scent. Nothing.
Looks like I
blinked and missed my last chance this season to cut costs by sifting through
my neighbors' stuff. The good-buy
waterholes have
dried up.
I've got the
Garage Sale Blues.
Chiding myself
for being such a miser, I head for the local discount store. Their prices
really are quite reasonable,
although it's
hard to beat four shirts for a dollar.
I remember
spring, its warm breezes ushering in another era of raised doors and card
tables on the driveway. Balloons, streamers and posters promised the
"lowest prices, best deals." Sometimes, the bold boasts were genuine,
and I splashed through piles of nearly-new clothes that fit my children to a
tee. We cheerfully haggled - I know it's a great deal at 50 cents, but will she
take a quarter? Cast-offs became keepsakes.
It's all just a
memory now.
Until the birds
fly north, I'll have to console myself with Sunday fliers and holiday sales. Coupons
in hand, I'll forge
through clearance
aisles. Occasionally, I may even pay - ouch - full price.
Hold me back
before I cross the line from conscientious shopper to penny-pinching cheapskate!
I know I'm spoiled. Besides,
although I missed
the parka, I was smart enough to stock up on boots and sweaters last July. Like
a chipmunk, I hoarded away
clothes
calculated to fit when my daughters hit those mid-winter growth spurts.
We're pretty much
prepared. Still, I'll miss digging for those elusive gems buried in all the
junk.
Until spring
hatches another bargain-hunting season, I'll be singing the Garage
*****
If you enjoyed my
Stay-at-Home Handbook: Advice on Parenting, Finances, Career, Surviving Each
Day & More (InterVarsity
Press, 2002),
here's a way you can help get it into the hands of other present and prospective
at-home parents.
The next time you
visit your local library, check to see if Stay-at-Home Handbook is on the
shelves. If not, simply ask the
librarian to
order a copy. Librarians love buying books their patrons like, and there are
lots of moms who can't afford to buy
their own copy,
but who would appreciate being able to check it out. It's a win-win situation
for everyone.
Here's the ISBN,
or order number, the librarian will need:
0-8308-2336-0. Got
other favorite parenting books you'd like
to see on the
shelves? Bring those to your librarian's attention, too!
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TO ROAST OR NOT TO ROAST
Living on a Dime
By Tawra Kellam
Copyright 2006
Peter Piper Picked a Profoundly Plump Pumpkin -- Now what does he
do with it?
Every fall I get many questions about what to do with pumpkins.
Many people find curious fascination in imagining what it would be like to grow
these versatile little gems, as if growing something that produces a large
fruit is somehow more respectable than growing, say, a serrano pepper. Many
people eventually venture into pumpkin experimentation. Some succeed and many
fail. Much like a dog that chases a car, many people never give thought to what
they would do if they actually succeeded in successfully raising a patch of
these fall favorites. Whether you have found yourself with more pumpkins than
you know what to do with or you are one of the people who had to buy pumpkins
and duct tape them to the vine, these tips for roasting and using pumpkins are
sure to help you make the most out of them (no matter how you acquired them)!
HOW TO ROAST A PUMPKIN
You can only do this with a freshly carved pumpkin! Do not use on
a pumpkin that has been carved and sitting out for several days.
To bake a fresh 6 to 7 pound pumpkin, halve the pumpkin crosswise
and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place halves, hollow side down, in a large
baking pan covered with aluminum foil and add a little water. Bake, uncovered,
at 375 for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until fork‑tender. Remove. When cool, scrape
pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in food processor or blender. Mix
with a little salt.
To freeze pumpkin puree, put 1‑2 cups in freezer bags along
with spices and use in pies.
To use pumpkin puree for recipes, line a strainer with a double
layer of cheesecloth or a flour sack dish towel and let the pumpkin sit to
drain out the extra moisture BEFORE cooking with it. Pumpkin is very moist, so
in order for your recipe to come out correctly, you MUST strain it.
ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
Boil seeds in water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Sprinkle with salt
or seasoned salt. Place a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 250 . Stir
after 30 minutes. Bake ½‑1 hour more or until crunchy.
*Squash seeds may also be used.
PUMPKIN SMOOTHIES
½ cup pumpkin
¾ cup milk or vanilla yogurt
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. brown sugar
4 ice cubes
whipped cream (optional)
sprinkles (optional)
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into
2-3 glasses. Serve with a small amount of whipped cream on top. You may also
add orange sprinkles if you like. Serves 2-3.
PUMPKIN PANCAKES
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
½ cup nuts, chopped (optional)
½ cup pumpkin
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cups milk
Combine ingredients. Stir just until moistened; batter may be
lumpy. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat; brush lightly with vegetable
oil. Pour ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle; cook until bubbles begin to burst.
Turn and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with Pumpkin Maple Sauce and
nuts.
PUMPKIN MAPLE SAUCE
1 cup maple syrup
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 ¼ cups pumpkin
Mix together until well blended.
*****
In
5 years, Tawra Kellam and her husband paid off $20,000 personal debt on an
average income of $22,000 per year. Tawra is the author of the frugal cookbook
Dining On A Dime. Dining On A Dime has over 1200 recipes and tips to help you
eat better and spend less. For more free tips and recipes visit her web site at
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
CRAFTY STORAGE
SOLUTIONS
Organized Times
By Debbie
Williams
Debbie@organizedtimes.com
Copyright 2006
Creating
storage for craft and hobby items can be quite challenging - what to do with
all those parts and pieces? Here are some of my favorite tips for conquering
craft clutter, and finding a storage solution you can live with.
GENERAL
HOBBY STORAGE: Stash It! Under bed storage
boxes with lids (I recommend plastic since they last longer than cardboard),
tackle boxes and fishing lure boxes for storing small items. Purge! Get rid of
some of the things you've tucked away but are out of style (or your taste has
changed). Donate to church craft groups or senior citizens groups.
BONUS
ROOM: Use business furniture or a double clothes
closet in a bedroom to create a niche for crafting or sewing. The doors can be
closed to hide your work in progress. A folding screen can easily disguise a
work area.
WORKTABLE:
A card table or metal banquet table stores under the bed when not in use. This
is great if your hobby room doubles as a bedroom. My husband has even used a
large piece of plywood over the spare bedroom mattress as a workspace. This can
easily be stored when guests visit.
SPECIAL
NEEDS STORAGE
- - Utilize caddies or totes for tall items.
- - Vertically hung knotted rope or horizontal
dowel rod dispenses spools of ribbon.
- - Use toilet paper rolls (covered in cloth or
contact paper) to organize tall things (paintbrushes, scissors, pencils)
in shallow tubs or totes.
- - For glues and paints, make a 3-sided box with
45 degree slanted sides and notched back for upright bottle storage
(constructed from foam board or cardboard), then tuck into a plastic shoe
box. If you really feel creative, list the contents of each box on an
index card. The card can then be taped to the box, or stored in a card
file or binder. This makes a portable inventory to take to the craft store
when purchasing supplies.
- - Tackle boxes are great for storing needle
work. They are portable, and the small trays are just the right size for
needles, thread and buttons. Film canisters with lids store small buttons,
and empty thermometer cases with lids are ideal for long needles.
- - Beads: For smaller things (beads, for
instance), you can use divided fishing lure boxes (the clear plastic ones
with a hinged lid). It keeps them separated and is portable. There also is
a rolling plastic box that keeps lots of small items intact. I've seen
these at discount stores and in mail order catalogs.
These
are a few tips sent in by readers that are not only useful but very frugal. By
utilizing these simple tools for organizing your hobby materials, you will
spend less time searching and more time crafting.
*****
Debbie
Williams is an author, speaker and radio host who offers tools and training to
help you put your life in order. Learn more tips like these in her book, Common Sense Organizing
(Champion Press Ltd, January 2005)
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PUBLICATION
INFORMATION
Copyright 2006
Cheryl Gochnauer. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint an article,
please write
All articles are
printed with the author's prior consent. It is assumed that any questions, tips
or replies to questions may be reprinted. All letters become the property of
Cheryl Gochnauer.
Cheryl Gochnauer
does not assume responsibility for advice given. All advice should be weighed
against your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up
to the reader to determine if advice is safe and suitable for their own
situation.
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