Monday, May 19, 2008
Freeze Ground Meat in Small Portions with a Chopstick
8:15AM Gina Trapani | Food blog Lunch in a Box has a brilliant, simple tip for freezing meat in small portions easily and without wasting too much plastic wrap. First put the food into a large freezer bag and press it out as flat as possible, eliminating air pockets. (Making it thin speeds up defrost time due to the increased surface area, and pressing out excess air guards against freezer burn.) Use a long chopstick or ruler to create divisions within the food, forming individual portions. This way when you freeze the entire bag, you’ll be able to quickly break off just as much as you want to use, no more. If you don’t have chopsticks handy, any straight edge will work, like a ruler. Speed tip: Make individual portions in freezer bags [Lunch in a Box] More »
Make Your Budget Easier to Grasp with Targeted Accounts
8:00AM Kevin Purdy | Personal Finance blog Funny About Money tweaks the concept of a “freedom account”—a single stash for irregular-but-common expenses like car repair and clothing—and comes up with targeted accounts. That means opening up a money market or similar small account for each kind of expense, based on how often it occurs, rather than track a bunch of expenses from a big fund. For example, I look to the irregular little surprises that can happen at any time (plumbing or car repairs, vet bills, etc.), annual expenses (car and home owner’s insurance, property tax, income tax), and long-term expenses (purchase of a new car, about once every ten years; major repairs or renovations on the house, which I hope don’t happen more often than about once every eight or ten years). That way, the author states, big walloping expenses like car repair don’t throw off your budget and give you a clearer view at what you’re spending. Targeting your emergency savings [Funny About Money] More »
Turn a Hallmark Music Card into a Cereal Box Speaker
7:50AM Kevin Purdy | Instructables poster Justin Seiter didn’t let a slightly cheesey but expensive Hallmark card with audio go to waste. Using a glue gun, a junky set of old headphones, electrical tape, a utility knife and a mini-cereal box, he created a speaker for his iPod (or any stereo-jack-accepting device). It might not power your home theatre, but it gets stereo sound from the headphone wires and might make for a geek-pride spare speaker in a bedroom or bathroom. Hit the link for full instructions on piecing your childhood breakfast favourites and throwaway electronics into modern audio accessories. Make an iPod Speaker from a Hallmark Music Card [Instructables] More »
Healthy Eating for Under a Dollar
7:45AM Adam Pash | Petrol isn’t the only thing getting more expensive, so— in the face of rising food costs—health web site WebMD sets out to highlight 10 healthy foods you can buy for under a dollar. Granted, most of the foods listed are pretty standard for any healthy eater—fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, and baby carrots—but it’s a good reminder that despite the high prices, there are still plenty of healthy and cheap foods available. But to add a little more to where Web MD left off, why don’t you share your favourite low-cost and healthy foods in the comments. 10 Healthy Foods Under $1 [WebMD via DIY Life] More »
The S-Biner Double Carabiner
7:30AM Gina Trapani | Carabiners—D-shaped rings with spring-loaded clips that climbers use—have become more popular for everyday use, like clipping keys, water bottles, or even USB drives to your backpack or gear. The Cool Tools blog features an S-Biner, a modified carabiner that has dual clips so you can attach items on either side. The S-Biner will set you back 5 bucks, and is available at Amazon. Nite Ize S-Biner [Cool Tools] More »
