Astrology - Planetary Guide Home & Garden Tips

[CourtsInSession]

I have read several places that when you put sugar, flour, macaroni, etc. in large jars for storing, to put a few leaves of bay on top to keep bugs out. Do you use fresh bay leaves or dried, does anyone here know?? Also, does it leave any taste or odor in the food that you have stored?

 

[RhythmicSun]

The little metal gadget had cork around it to hold it in the pop bottle and the the head had little tiny holes in it that the water sprinkled out of onto the clothes. I wonder if my mom still has hers somewhere? I must say the steam iron was a great invention. I'll see if I can find a graphic of one somewhere on the net.

Looks familiar! Seems like my mother stopped doing that in the early 60's. Guess that's when spray starch and other items came on the market.

 

[CourtsInSession]

Here's a link for other helpful uses for Fels Naptha (sp?)soap.

http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=D1001&Show=ExtInfo

 

[the by and by]

Reading these posts has brought back so many memories such as sprinkling the clothes rolling them up and put in plastic and put in the fridge, learned from my mother and did it myself until perma-press came into our lives. Washing, whitening and starching curtains and husbands shirts(collars and cuffs). It seems like another world sometimes. I always had a garden and canned when I married. My dad always planted by the Farmer's Almanac and would remind me when the 'times' for doing certain things for the garden were. I haven't planted anything for several years now except for a few tomato and pepper plants but reading this has renewed my interest and may venture into planting a few more things. Thank you for the many links, memories and this thread.

 

[housemouse]

Today the Moon is waning, and in Libra. So, I am baking bread today. It is supposed to take a bit longer to rise, but will bake more successfully, and keep better.

When the moon moves into Scorpio, I will be doing a major washing of the bedding, towels, stained articles, etc.

Today is a good day for airing out the comforters, quilts, and anything else that would benefit from some fresh air and sunshine.

 

[housemouse]

From a Minnesota newspaper, and rest of the story is at the link below the "snip". The bolding is mine.


I would say vegetable sales are up 20 percent from last year," said Renee Shepherd of Renee's Garden, a seed company specializing in gourmet vegetables, kitchen herbs and cottage garden flowers.

"In the past, we've sold more flowers than vegetables, but that has sharply reversed itself. It's the economy, simplifying lives, food safety, a healthy way to spend quality family time together."

George Ball, chairman of the W. Atlee Burpee & Co., said his company's vegetable seed sales are also up 20 percent as of January. He pins it all on the economy.

"Forget about the perfect storm — this has created the perfect hurricane in terms of sales for our business," Ball said. "Trends like locavores (people who eat food grown or produced locally), that's what I call a fashion. But this recession is a structural trend. When you take away or reduce people's income, or reduce their nest egg by 40 or 50 percent, you have almost a depression mentality. People are quite anxious."

Ball said he noticed the cost of fruits and vegetables at grocery stores remained high even after fuel prices had dropped. So his company did a cost-analysis study, and concluded that people who invest $50 in the vegetable garden on seeds and fertilizer can harvest the equivalent of $1,250 worth of groceries from a store. As a result, the company introduced "Burpee's Money Garden," a $10 seed purchase that Burpee estimates will produce more than $650 worth of vegetables.

"People talk about replacing a light bulb, insulating their window sills or wearing a sweater — these efforts save a few dollars here and there — but for a family of four with a good-sized vegetable garden, we're talking about saving a couple of thousand dollars," Ball said.

It's sometimes called "survival gardening." In this economy, this mind-set has made media sensations out of people like Clara Cannucciari, a 93-year-old great-grandmother from New York who remembers her own Great Depression garden as she cooks meals from the era and whose work can be seen on YouTube. (Check out her Poorman's Meal of potatoes, onions and hot dogs via her Web site, greatdepressioncooking.com.)


http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_11874788?source=rss

 

[CourtsInSession]

Housemouse, would you and others be so kind to look back at my Post #61 about bay leaves. Thank you, I hope someone has the answer.

 

[Zoe Bogart]

I love this post. All that and so much more. One of my clearest memories is my mother sprinkling clothing, rolling it up, putting it in the fridge, bringing it out later and ironing it. Sounds crazy but back then it was totally normal!

My mom did that, too. Can't tell you how many times she's put the clothing in the refrigerator and it stayed a few days! I'd forgotten that until you mentioned it. Thanks. :smile:

 

[Zoe Bogart]

Did your mother use a pop bottle with a gadget that you put in the bottle opening that had little holes in it in order to sprinkle the clothes? OM, I remember so well my mother doing this and then rolling them up in a plastic bag and putting in the fridge. Wasn't life beautiful and so much simplier???

Oh, yes, my mother had that, too. The top with the holes was red in hers! I haven't seen that in YEARS!!!!

Housemouse, while I don't remember much about the starch being put into those slips, I do remember wearing one of them, which I absolutely hated. They'd pop up in the front when you sat down, so sitting like a lady with hands folded in the lap was a necessity, something I hated doing. I remember that from the late-1950s, about 1957 or 1958. I'm wearing a poofy skirted dress in my communion picture.

Cutting fingernails on Friday evenings strengthens the nails and the teeth? I supposed this doesn't mean one should cut their fingernails with the teeth, right?

 

[Zoe Bogart]

Yep, that's what they looked like, although my mom's was red instead of silver-colored. The top was dark red, the stem was white, and there was a cork. Mom's was plastic!

Look, this one is on ebay for $9.99 but if you look closely at the sticker, you can see the original price was 19 cents!

And check out this link for the laundry sprinkler and other nostalgic items.

http://www.jackandfriends.com/store/catalog/product_823_White_Sails_Laundry_Sprinkler.html



CourtsInSession, I have no idea about the bay leaves. Someone told me years ago to put a few pieces of dried, uncooked rice into salt shakers to keep the salt from lumping due to moisture, but I've never done it and never had a problem with my salt.

If you pour hot boiling water into a glass container (such as when making iced tea), always put a metal spoon or knife into the glass pitcher to conduct heat, preventing the glass from cracking from the sudden heat of the water.

housemouse, thanks for the article on gardening and food savings. It mentions Clara, the lady I posted links about early in this thread. She's getting to be a popular gal at 93.

 

[CourtsInSession]

Thanks for your reply Aksleuth. I know to put a metal knife in anything glass before pouring boiling water in, but did not know about the rice in the salt shaker. Every summer I have the same problem with the salt getting clogged in the shaker. I prefer the doors open instead of running the air conditioner, and every year a lot of salt gets dumped out of shakers. I'm anxious to try this tip.

A site was suggested on here about a family that raises/grows 90% of their food. I was reading her site like crazy and ready to ask her a million questions. Her husband is very close to dying right now, and I will not bother her. I did notice that she had bay leaves in her sugar, flour, rice, etc. jars. Eventually I will ask her questions and get the answers, but I thought someone on this thread might know about the bay leaves. My heart goes out to her and her family.

By the way, does anyone have a good recipe for ham and bean soup. I've never made it and my husband loves it. I thought if I knew what I was doing, I'd make some and either freeze or can it for him while I'm putting my emergency food together. I'm akin to a squirrel gathering acorns at this point.

I get some rather strange looks checking out at the grocery store because I have been buying like 6 of everything. Six jars of coffee, six bags of rice, six boxes of tea bags, six of everything to start.

 

[CourtsInSession]

I found an interesting site that gives you helpful/cheap hints at:

http://www.everydaycheapskate.com/

Also, I wanted to mention that I have been everywhere trying to find bars of Fels Naptha soap. Every store is out of it here, or doesn't carry it. The stores that usually carry it told me it runs $1.75 per bar. So I went serching on the computer and found a site, www.soapsgonebuy.com

Right now soapsgonebuy is having a .99 cent sale on Fels Naptha, among other items. If you purchase 7 bars, it can be shipped USPS Priority envelope for $4.95. The total is $11.88. If I were to purchase the same 7 bars in the store (if I could even find it) would run $12.25. I've already saved .37 cents and didn't have to use the gas to go buy it.

 

[Zoe Bogart]

Thanks for the info about the soap, CourtsInSession. I looked for that soap and Zote soap in two stores but didn't see either one. Online ordering is getting easier and cheaper. I order lots of stuff online and have rarely been disappointed.

Here's a hint: I use nail polish remover on glue residue left by labels on bottles, or by price tags, or if glue gets on other things where it shouldn't be. Be careful though, you don't want to use it on fabric and certain types of plastic. It works wonders on glass.

That same polish remover can be used to eliminate marks make by permanent ink pens. Last week, I somehow managed put a long black mark on my white kitchen counter top. I swiped it with polish remover on a cotton ball and it disappeared.

You can kill red ants by pouring boiling water on their mounds. Be careful, they sometimes run out like crazy, so watch where you stand. I usually have to pour several pots of boiling water if the mounds are large or wide. My dad always used gasoline on them. I'm not comfortable pouring gasoline around my house, but he always swore by it, and said it drove the ants away better than the water. Well, duh! Who wouldn't run far, far away from gasoline? Except Casey Anthony, who collected it regularly. :wink:

If you have grass or weeds growing in the cracks or seams in the walkways or driveway, pour salt on top of them and it will kill the weeds. Regular table salt is cheap. Someone else said sugar kills weeds, too, but I tried it last week and the weeds are still there. Maybe I didn't put enough.

 

[housemouse]

For those of you in warmer zones than I am (5), the Moon will move into Capricorn shortly.

Moon in Capricorn is supposed to be a good sign for planting potatoes. So, if you plan on planting some, tomorrow and the next day are the days to do it!

I will be starting my tomato and pepper seeds next Tuesday, the 24th. The Moon will be in Pisces, and just before the new moon in Aries.

By the way, lore has it that the new moon's entry into Aries is a very good date for giving up any bad habits you want to eliminate. Make a list, and be sure it comes from your heart. You won't be as successful if you are doing it to please someone else.

 

[RhythmicSun]

Thank you housemouse! I have some potato sprouts (russet and red) ready to go, think I will plant them on Friday in celebration of the Equinox!

Also I have green and red pepper seeds ready to go, and will plant Tuesday according to the Farmer's Almanac tips.

 

[CourtsInSession]

HOLY COW, AMAZING...removing stains!!

I grated up 6 of the bars of Fels Naptha to make detergent and put the extra one I bought aside. I was reading the label and it states to remove stains from clothing to wet the stain and rub the bar of FN on the stain.

Last Sunday I was making an over full electric roaster of hot sausage. I cook mine in spaghetti sauce. When I tried to stir it up a bit, I ended up with the sauce all over my peach colored top. Since the top was rather old, I just let it go until today when I had time to get to it. Instead of wetting the top, I dipped the end of the FN soap bar in water and rubbed it on the stains. (Believe me, the stains were practically covering the front of the top.) I couldn't believe when I took the top out of the washer. There was absolutely no stains to be found.

Needless to say, I am done buying laundry stain sticks at the store that cost around $3/$4 each. Try the FN, I am amazed!

 

[butterfly1978]

HEy housemouse, I know this is probably not the place for this, I tried PMing you but apparently I dont know how to do that. I have not seen you around the last few days and just hope that everything is okay, I know your hubby is sick and you take care of him, just wanted you to know your in my prayers and I hope everything is okay with you.

 

[housemouse]

Thanks, Butterfly. His neurologist wants him to have some intensive physical therapy, and I have been busy taking him to and from the sessions. They are working hard with exercises to try to improve his sense of balance.

Falls are the biggest problem we face. He has the "rigid" kind of Parkinson's, meaning he can't get up from a sitting position or lying down position. His legs are strong, but the muscles don't get the right message from the brain. Everyday activities take forever to complete, and I must be careful to let him do as much as he can, but also keep him from falling.

Some weeks are harder than others. The physical therapy sessions really eat into the day. It is hard to see my strong, vital, and energetic husband being taken down like this.

 

[butterfly1978]

God Bless you housemouse. I am praying for you.:blowkiss:

 

[Kat]

I have another tip to share with those that have skin sensitivities as my children do.

I make my own colloidal oatmeal. You take regular or quick oats and grind them until fine powdery like consistancy in food processor. It works just as well as buying name brand products.

Plus the savings:

Without coupon you can get a 18 oz. container of oats for around about 2-3 bucks. Cheaper if you shop on sale or have a coupon.

To purchase the equivalent ounces of Aveeno in the individual 1.5 oz packages, it would cost around and about 12.00-15.00.

Big savings if you use this type of soak often.