What to do with the leftover Halloween candy?

If you’re like me you have leftover Halloween candy. What to do? Yes, I want to eat it all but that means more exercise!  You could save it to decorate gingerbread houses for the holidays.

Growing up this was my favorite family tradition. Several families would get together and decorate all day and enjoy a bowl of chilli or soup afterwards. It really did represent what the Holidays were about–spending time with those you loved.

A few years ago, we started up the tradition with my nieces and nephew. My father and I make the houses the week of Thanksgiving and the day of my mom makes icing. We use candy left over from Haloween. We create lots of new memories  with the kids and I look forward to seeing what they will be creating at the end of the month.

Not only is decorating fun, but the gingerbread houses make great gifts and/or decorations. Instead of buying a bunch of decorations, the gingerbread houses are unique and just as festive. They are also great to take to nursing homes or to elderly relatives. The kids are also so proud that people express how much they love the houses.

Consider a new tradition this year of making the houses and enjoying time with family and friends!

Getting it Out

I am pretty well known among my friends that if I eat mustard (the old school plain yellow kind) it will end up on me!  With Halloween around the corner, chocolate stains might be an issue!  Have some of these items together to tackle some common stains:

For washable fabrics:

Chocolate: Combination solvent for grease & rinse. If needed, a digestant for protein.

Coffee: White vinegar till gone. Has sugar: follow up flush with water; milk follow up with combination solvent.

Berry sauces: Dab with denatured alcohol. Flush with white vinegar for remaining color then dab with dish detergent for remaining residue.

Gravy: Combination solvent for grease then flush with white vinegar.

Grease: Cover with absorbent to draw out stain.  Dab with combination solvent & flush with water. If necessary, flush with mineral spirits.

Sap: Dab with mineral spirits & let air dry.  Rub with detergent before washing.

Tea: Flush with lemon juice to remove color then diluted bleach if necessary; Contains sugar follow up with water; milk follow up with combination solvent.

Wax: Freeze by running an ice cube over. Scrape as much off as possible.  Iron on low setting with a towel placed over & beneath stain. Use mineral spirits to remove residue.

Red wine: On delicate cloth soak spot with denatured alcohol. Flush with white vinegar to remove residual stain. On sturdy fabrics, coat with salt and leave for 5 minutes. Stretch stain over heat proof bowl; secure with rubber band. Place in sink & carefully pour boiling water over stain from a height of at least a foot.

White wine: Flush with cool water.

It’s the little things that count

Looking to save space and organize your beauty products?  Her are magnetic cosmetic organizers that you can attach to the inside of your medicine cabinet.  Check out:

http://www.magnapods.com/

If you want to DIY, see what small plastic containers you have lying around the house and put a magnet on back of them.  I had a case from my i pod shuffle which was the perfect size for holding lip gloss.

Loving Leftovers!

First, some statistics:

Green Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday!  I love to dress up and see all the trick or treaters.    When I was little my dad made an Indian princess costume for me out of a burlap sack.  Many times I have been “static cling” where I take a blanket and pin socks, t-shirts, underwear, or whatever else is in my drawer.

Here are some suggestions on ways to bring some green along with the orange and black this Halloween!

Costumes

Check out Consignment and Thrift shops and garage sales.

Raid your own closets: what can you make with what you have?

Old costumes are often donated to Goodwill, Salvation Army.  Also look on E bay and Craigs List.

Remember, it is doubtful that that plastic costume can be recycled.  What can you make out of cardboard which can be recycled?

Candy

Buy organic apples

Check out your local health food store for organic chocolates; on line:  http://www.worldwidechocolate.com/organic_chocolate.html

Roast pumpkin seeds

Decorations

What in nature can you find to inspire you?  Leaves, pumpkins, pine cones…

Eco Friendly Trick or Treat Bags

Reuse a paper sack

Use a reusable cloth sack

Have your child decorate a reusable tote bag

Here’s a great site to check out for even more ideas:  http://www.greenhalloween.org/

What creative things are you doing to make your Halloween more green this year?

Healthy Tips Organizing Fridge & Freezer

Some suggestions to get your food organized for optimum health!

Put fresh food snacks (washed, cut & dried veggies & fruit; hard boiled eggs)  at eye level so that is the first thing you see! Eat stuff here within a few days.

Second shelf: Yogurt, cheese, hummus, nuts for grab & go fuel.

Middle drawer: Meats & cheeses for snacks & add on to salads.

Left Bottom Shelf: Hydration: Water, all natural juices, skim milk, seltzer water.

Right Bottom 2 Shelves: Herbs, cooked rice & quinoa for quick fiber rich meals.

Bottom Drawers: Veggies, veggies, veggies.  Fruits separately as they can increase decaying process.

The Door: Condiments like salsa & miso to add flavor to meal instead of fat!

Freezer: Store veggie & fruit at top for smoothies; meal size containers of soups, etc.; lean cuts of beef, chicken, fish.

Here’s to organizing for good health!

Organize Your Fridge!

Pantry Expiration Dates

Many times our pantries get overwhelmed and people are hesitant to throw anything out.  Decluttering as much as possible is always a good idea when getting organized.  I have kept a guide from Martha Stewart’s magazine with expiration date suggestions from years ago!

Oils: Cool, dark place up to 6 months.  refrigerate nut oils and use within 3 months.

Vinegars: Up to one year in a cool spot.

Grains, Dried Beans: Up to one year.  To discourage pests, keep cornmeal in the freezer.

Dried Pasta & Rice: Transfer to air tight containers after opening.  Use within 1 year.

Baking needs: Extracts last several years; leaveners lose potency after 1 year and should be discarded after expiration date.

Sugars:  Double wrap to keep moist.  Syrups at room temp original container up to a year.

Flours: Wheat up to a year. Freeze almond flour up to 6 months.

Nuts & Dried Fruits: Nuts in freezer up to 6 months; fruits 6 months to a year well-sealed.

Canned & Bottled: Head expiration dates; otherwise most to one year.

Spices: Most lose potency after one year; keep in airtight containers away from light.

Less Stuff, More Happiness?

Organizing Your Recipes

Many of my clients need a system when it comes to organizing their recipes.

Scanning is a good way and eChef recipe software is a good option.  It also allows you to save recipes you have found on line and an easy to use search function.

Like the feel of the recipe in your hand?  Check out The Recipe Organizer by Cath Kidson.  It’s a binder organized by course that has pages for notes, grocery lists and measurement conversions.

Create your own filing system. Sort recipes in labeled folders and keep them in a file drawer or in an open-sided magazine storage box . Or set up a three-ring binder with tab dividers and plastic page protectors for both full sheets (pages from a magazine) and divided sheets (recipe cards).  Every time you add a recipe, eliminate one you have yet to try.

Make an index. On an index card, write the title (or name you’re likely to remember), the book/magazine it’s in, and the page number. File the cards alphabetically in a recipe box, dividing it into sections like Desserts.

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