No matter if you're 25 or 55, retirement is something to think about.
Here are four quick suggestions from Yahoo Finance:
1- Don't start Social Security Benefits too early.
2- Know how much retirement savings you'll need.
3- Don't start using your retirement funds now to meet your current needs.
4- Stay in shape (have a BMI of 25 or less).
For more details, go to http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/112591/biggest-retirement-planning-mistakes-moneywatch?mod=fidelity-readytoretire&cat=fidelity_2010_getting_ready_to_retire
Friday, April 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Eventual Millionaire blog
After reading a short yahoo news article on how a family got rid of $70,000 of debt, I noticed that the lady had a website where she talks about things step by step.
The website didn't work, so I searched her name on blogspot and she's here. It is after all, free.
To check out how they did it, go to www.eventualmillionaire.blogspot.com
Have a frugal day!
The website didn't work, so I searched her name on blogspot and she's here. It is after all, free.
To check out how they did it, go to www.eventualmillionaire.blogspot.com
Have a frugal day!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Check this frugal website out
I found a good frugal website by accident. Go to www.simpletonsolutions.com
The newsletters are fun and it looks like the books may be good reads too, although I haven't checked them out from the library yet.
One title intrigued me: The Grocery Garden, How Busy People can grow Cheap Food.
I wonder if there's mention of herbs in there.
I'll check it out next month and let you know.
The newsletters are fun and it looks like the books may be good reads too, although I haven't checked them out from the library yet.
One title intrigued me: The Grocery Garden, How Busy People can grow Cheap Food.
I wonder if there's mention of herbs in there.
I'll check it out next month and let you know.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Final posts on herbs
Just in case I haven't gotten to what you'd like to know on herbs, here is the outline for the rest of the class I taught (and some things I learned that I didn't have time to teach):
- Transplanting
- Harvesting, Storing and Drying herbs
- Lavender - the ultimate herb
- Recipes to use Lavender (skin care, toner, moisturizer, sunburn help, ice cream, butter, tea, and ginger snaps.
- Edible flowers - identification, do & don'ts, other tips
- Recipes for Edible flowers
- The long awaited Pesto recipe
Don't know when I'll get to all these, so I thought I'd let you know what is coming next.
Get outside and enjoy that sunshine!
Easy ways to try flavors
There are four easy ways to try out different herbs: butters or cream cheeses, potatoes, roasted chicken and salad dressings.
Herbal butter or cream cheese: Mix 1 T of finely chopped fresh herbs to 1/2 cup margarine, butter, cottage cheese, low fat yogurt or cream cheese. Let it set for at least an hour to blend the flavor; then taste test on a plain cracker or Melba round.
Roasted Potatoes: Coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Cover the entire bottom of the skillet with a single layer of your chosen herb (sage, rosemary, dill or thyme are good). Sprinkle with sea salt. Place small halved new potatoes, cut side down, over the surface so the pan is crowded but there is only a single layer. Bake at 400-450 until the potatoes are done. The insides of the potatoes turn creamy and the herb fries crisp in the oil.
Use your favorite recipe for roasted chicken and try different herbs on different parts of the bird. When you eat the chicken, overlap some of the herbs in each mouthful to see what you like best for combinations. If you're not the experimental type, Rosemary & Sage work well with lemon.
Salad dressings are a wonderful place to try herbs out on an unsuspecting family. Buttermilk dressings need parsley, onion, garlic, dill - depending on your recipe.
There are many varieties of herb dressings at www.oldfashionedliving.com/hdressings.html
or go to your favorite cookbook - chances there are good recipes there too.
Have fun. It's easy to search for things to do with your herbs.
You'll find these recipes - many of them - on the websites I listed in an earlier post.
I'm really not teasing you about this, but I will post my recipe for pesto VERY soon.
Herbal butter or cream cheese: Mix 1 T of finely chopped fresh herbs to 1/2 cup margarine, butter, cottage cheese, low fat yogurt or cream cheese. Let it set for at least an hour to blend the flavor; then taste test on a plain cracker or Melba round.
Roasted Potatoes: Coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Cover the entire bottom of the skillet with a single layer of your chosen herb (sage, rosemary, dill or thyme are good). Sprinkle with sea salt. Place small halved new potatoes, cut side down, over the surface so the pan is crowded but there is only a single layer. Bake at 400-450 until the potatoes are done. The insides of the potatoes turn creamy and the herb fries crisp in the oil.
Use your favorite recipe for roasted chicken and try different herbs on different parts of the bird. When you eat the chicken, overlap some of the herbs in each mouthful to see what you like best for combinations. If you're not the experimental type, Rosemary & Sage work well with lemon.
Salad dressings are a wonderful place to try herbs out on an unsuspecting family. Buttermilk dressings need parsley, onion, garlic, dill - depending on your recipe.
There are many varieties of herb dressings at www.oldfashionedliving.com/hdressings.html
or go to your favorite cookbook - chances there are good recipes there too.
Have fun. It's easy to search for things to do with your herbs.
You'll find these recipes - many of them - on the websites I listed in an earlier post.
I'm really not teasing you about this, but I will post my recipe for pesto VERY soon.
Basic Hints for Cooking with Herbs
Many people have one thing in mind if they grow herbs - cooking with them. Here are some tips when doing so:
- Use sparingly to enhance flavors.
- Use different parts of the herb in preparation - roots, stems, leaves, flowers - all have different uses.
- Be careful in combining herbs- especially when experimenting. Some flavors do not belong together.
- Recognize there is a distinctive taste with specific relationships to different foods.
- Grind or chop fresh herbs right before using - this releases the flavor.
- Use 3-4 times the amount of fresh herbs to replace dried or powdered herbs in the recipe.
- Use a small amount of strong herbs until you are use to the flavor and how much you like.
- Heat releases the flavors and aromas.
- Extended cooking times reduces the flavoring of herbs, so add fresh herbs to soups and stews about 45 minutes before completing cooking time.
- When using herbs for refrigerated foods (dips, cheese, veggies, dressings) add the fresh herbs several hours or overnight before using. The only exception to this is basil - putting it in overnight or longer will make your dish bitter.
Well-drained soil
When planting herbs, you'll often come to the phrase "well-drained soil."
You need to pay attention to the soil you'll be placing your herbs in - whether transplanting or placing seeds directly in the soil. Be sure that water moves through the soil easily rather than pooling up around the roots of the plants. Pay attention to your soil in wet conditions before you plant there. For example, see if it puddles after a hard rain or drenching. Add more compost and mix well at least 12 inches down and check again or don't plant there.
You need to pay attention to the soil you'll be placing your herbs in - whether transplanting or placing seeds directly in the soil. Be sure that water moves through the soil easily rather than pooling up around the roots of the plants. Pay attention to your soil in wet conditions before you plant there. For example, see if it puddles after a hard rain or drenching. Add more compost and mix well at least 12 inches down and check again or don't plant there.
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