I have a friend who is thinking of making and publishing a new type of address book. She needs to know:

Do you store your addresses and phone numbers in the computer or in an address book or some sort of paper form.

If you wouldn’t mind emailing me with the answer it would help a LOT! Just put computer or paper in the subject if it’s easiest.

Thanks!!
Tawra

editor@livingonadime.com

I had a loaf of rye bread that I got for dh on clearance for .50. He never got around to eating and it was going to go bad.
I decided to cut it up into very thin slices and make my own rye crisps.

I sliced them as thin as I could then brushed them with olive oil that had some garlic and onion powder and salt mixed in.
I then dried them in the oven for about 30-45 minutes at 200.

They turned out great! The only thing I would do differently is sprinkle the spices on instead of put it in the oil. I liked the spicier taste so more would have been better.

You could do this with any type of bread. I got about $8 worth of boxed crisps for .50!
Yum!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

I figured out what I did wrong on the dresser.
I put kilz on it for primer but it was latex and not oil based. I may try sanding it down and putting oil based on and see if that works. I am almost postive that’s what I did wrong. I thought primer, was primer but I guess not!
Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

Tawra,
I noticed that you said on your website that you always keep a papertowel in your shortening, I used to do this as well but now I use an open plastic sandwich bag. I reach into the opening of the bag (which keeps my hands clean) and then use the bag to grease my pans. The plastic bag holds up better than the papertowel, and I’ve never had to put more than one baggie in the shortening. When I am done greasing my pans, and I still have my hand in the baggie, I sort of spread out my fingers into a claw and then put the baggie back into the shortening, which keeps the top of the baggie open for next time. I love your website BTW- great tips, and it is really making me examine some things in my life.

Kathryn

Great Idea! Thanks!
TJ
www.LivingOnADime.com

Can I cry please?

Today I decided to paint my furniture all the same color. I have the “garage sale” decor. We weren’t planning on staying in this house so I didn’t paint everything to match like I usually do.

Well, the TV station is coming to interview us next week and so I wanted it to look really good. It doesn’t look horrible I just wanted it to look “better”.

Anyway, I start painting on one dresser ( a cheap Wal-Mart type that I got at a thrift store for $20) that I have in my kitchen to store stuff like the phone book, bags etc.

I get it all sanded and then started to prime. I discovered a drawer wasn’t working so I tried to fix it and broke it into pieces.

Undaunted I finally figured out how to get the pieces glued back together.

I go out to the garage and get several cans of paint. I was going to mix and match from the freebies that I had gotten from the recycling center.

As I’m walking up through house one can drops and the lid comes open and paint dumps all over the carpet!

(Please note I am doing all this with a 2 year old running behind me yacking the entire time!)

I franticly go get the shop vac and some water. I turn on the vac and dirt “poofs” EVERYWHERE! I don’t know what I did wrong but something wasn’t right. I finally get it fixed and get the paint out of the carpet.

(Note I am doing all this in the middle of my kitchen/living room with about 6 inches to walk and a 2 year old following me.

Still undaunted I go and try mixing the colors. I painted one drawer and didn’t like the color so I keep experimenting. Nothing was coming out right. I was thinking about it for a while and let the paint dry.

Well, I went to add another color on top and accidentally scratch the surface with my fingernail. The paint didn’t even come close to sticking! Augh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I barely touched my nail on it and it the paint came right off!

So I just gave up. I put white primer all over the paint areas and will just leave it like it is.

I feel like I went around in a huge circle and did nothing but make a mess! LOL

Tawra (who is going to go clean up the mess and try again later!)

www.LivingOnADime.com

I got this from the Creative Homemaking Newsletter.
http://www.creativehomemaking.com

They are SUPER yummy! They are wonderful fresh but not as good the next day, although the kids still loved them.
Enjoy! Tawra

Cinnamon Roll Muffins
by LeAnn Ralph

If you love cinnamon rolls but do not have the time or the
inclination to make traditional cinnamon rolls with dough that
has to raise twice before the cinnamon rolls are baked, try this
easy variation.

1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar added to it
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
soft butter
sugar
cinnamon

Pour milk into a measuring cup and add the lemon juice or
vinegar.

Measure the brown sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla and egg into
a mixing bowl. Add the milk. Add the flour. Stir until thoroughly
combined.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a
minute or two.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch by 24-inch rectangle. Spread with
butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Roll the dough into a log beginning at the wide side. Stretch the
log slightly. Cut into two-inch pieces and put the pieces into
greased muffin tins or muffin tins lined with cupcake papers. (I
like to use the cupcake papers because the papers make cleaning
the muffin tin that much easier!)

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until golden
brown.

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes and then remove them from
the muffin tins.

Recipe makes 1 dozen cinnamon roll muffins.

LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of books about life in the country:
“Cream of the Crop (More True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)” –
“Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam” — “Christmas in
Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm).” You are invited
to read sample chapters about life in the country, to order books
and to sign up for the free newsletter from Rural Route 2, which
always contains a couple of country recipes –
http://ruralroute2.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=LeAnn_Ralph

My mom painted her ugly bathroom tile about 5 months ago. It looks great and hasn’t come off.

I got some colored grout sealer for our white bathroom tile floor. I was thinking that I probably could have saved a bunch of money and just painted the grout instead. I paid $18 for the sealer and could have got a paint to match at the hazardous Waste Facility for free.

Oh well, live and learn!

I am going to paint all my furniture to match this week. The TV station is coming to do a story on us so I want it to match. I have been meaning to do it for awhile anyway so this will give me a reason to get it done. I am going to paint 2 dressers and a pantry cabinet that are in my kitchen/dining room and my kitchen chairs.

This way my “cheap” furniture can all be coordinated.

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

Well our washer was dead. We had to get a new one. The good news is I think this one washes better. I got a Whirlpool this time. My last one was only 5 years old, a GE. Why don’t they make stuff to last anymore? Ok, I know why they do it but it’s just disgusting to put a washer that isn’t that old in the dump.

The good news is my brother was hauling some stuff and we were able to use his truck and save $40 on delivery! Yeah!

Tawra Jean
www.LivingOnADime.com

I do this all the time. We ran out of vinyl tableclothes so I put a trash sack under the sheet. Even though they are older my kids still wet the bed when they get sick so I try to stay prepared now!
Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

Tawra
I still have small children that wet the bed. Those pads for the beds are EXPENSIVE! One that does not even cover the entire bed costs $12.00 here. So, I improvised. I put a plastic table cloth over the mattress before I put the sheets, etc., on. This only costs $3.00 from the dollar store and covers an entire full-sized mattress. The felt lined backing they have keep it from slipping all over the place. Some of those expensive pads don’t even have that.

So all you mom’s going through the potty-training ordeal, save your mattresses for $3.00!!!

CAROL ANN K.

I admit, Martha was right!

She did a show on loose tea and how much better it was than the bagged stuff. For years I thought, yeah right, tea is tea.

Well, I got a sample of loose tea and Wow! It’s wonderful! The tea bags taste like dirt now! Well, I got a cute little tea pot and strainer for Christmas from mom so I have been trying all kinds of loose tea.

The first place I tried it was $3 an oz. OUCH!

The 2nd place it was $1. Better

But then I went and looked at my favorite spice place sfherb.com and they have bulk tea. I have to buy it by the pound but it was only .50/oz. including shipping! There is a $30 mininum so I will have tea for two years LOL but I love it and do drink it a lot.

I will just put the extra in the freezer until I need it.

By the way the Celestiral Seasonings is $1/oz. on sale with a coupon. So I got a great deal!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com