My life without Oreo's

I'm in bread baking overdrive today for some reason....plus making pizza dough. Unfortunately I ran out of flour so I have to run to the store a little later. I am "working" on 3 different bread recipes right now, 2 of which I've previously enjoyed immensely.

One is a no-knead bread in which you just basically whip up the dough and let it sit 12 hrs b4 baking. This bread is one of those that has lots of holes in it and is a bit chewy. I think it's the kind of bread you'd use as a side to soup.

The second bread is a multi-grain bread loaf that I've found works pretty good for sandwiches. I still haven't found an awesome sandwich loaf recipe but this is the closest so far. I find this bread to be really yummy and the longer it sits (in the fridge) the better as it tends to dry out a bit and being a chilled makes it easier to slice.

The third bread is a new recipe that I'm hoping will work out as it's pretty easy to prepare. I made it with whole wheat and white flour since I ran out of my white...hopefully it will still work okay. I love wheat bread but since I've never made this recipe before I'm a little worried. The dough for this one was so moist and actually fun to knead! I think it will be good.

Now, if anyone has a favorite bread recipe I'd love to try it!

As for pizza dough, I've tried several different ones and they are all pretty good, though not necessarily like a pizzeria crust. I HATE store-bought pizza dough and I've pretty much tried them all....making your own is pretty quick and way cheaper than purchasing a pizza from a pizzeria (though sometimes you just have to have a yummy pizzeria pizza!)

I made a quick dough yesterday that only took about 10 min to prepare and 30 min to rise...it was pretty good. I have a cornmeal/flour recipe which I like and also a recipe for a dough that has to rise for about 2 hrs before using. I really like to make a bunch of dough and put it in the freezer for use later. It usually will stay good...

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these tips are from Dollar Stretcher Newsletter

Sugar scrub (for your face) - Simply take a little bit of regular white sugar in the palm of your hand and squeeze a little bit of honey onto this pile of sugar. Mix together as best you can, and gently scrub on your face in a gentle, circular motion. The sugar exfoliates while the honey acts as a moisturizer and its antibacterial properties help clear up your skin. Your skin feels great afterwards and it looks amazing! I do this about twice a month at the most. Over-scrubbing can potentially over-stimulate your oil glands and cause more blemishes.

I tried the sugar scrub today and it was AWESOME -- the skin on my face feels great.

Salt Scrub (for your body) - Take regular table salt and mix in a small jar with the body oil or cooking oil of your choice. I suggest olive oil or Vaseline for its moisturizing properties. Mix together and scrub all over your body. The result is clean, refreshed skin that is already moisturized. No need to use lotion afterwards either. Don't do this right after shaving as it may irritate the pores and watch out for slickness in the tub.

I have this weird allergy to pretty much every toothpaste. I have tried LOTS of different ones and so far I've only found 1 that seemed to work (recently tried it). I will stick to it for obvious reasons but I just wanted to share this info for anyone else suffering from this icky and annoying problem!

How did I discover I was allergic to pretty much every toothpaste?

Well, I have always been unable to eat mints or chew gum that has a minty or cinnamon flavor as it feels like my tongue is being burned off. I also cannot handle mouthwash as it does the same thing....I am not being a baby....it really burns.

I have also had an increasing problem with my toothpaste burning my mouth and slimy icky stuff coating my mouth after I brush. Yes, yucky I KNOW!!!! It is disgusting.

I asked my dentist about it and he didn't seem to know and said he had no clue.
So, I asked my dad, who is also a dentist but is unable to practice on civilians (yes, even me) since he works for the military. He knew right away after I told him about the slimy stuff and told me it was my toothpaste. He said it's not a very common ailment but the cases are rising.

It turns out that I'm allergic to any toothpaste with fluoride and any whitening components. You might think this is not a big deal-- just go buy a plain toothpaste dummy. Yeah well, if only I should be so lucky. I also have a sensitivity to cinnamon or other spices that are similar. Pretty much ANY toothpaste, even good old less than $1 per tube Crest or Aim or Colgate is a problem, though not as bad as those fancy mixtures.

So, in my aim to find a toothpaste worthy of my pearly whites, I tried Sensodyne. I'd tried it years before and thought it was okay but didn't have as much of an issue and was at the mercy of the toothpaste Gods (aka parents) as to their choice of what to buy...."stop being so picky!"

Anyway, I bought some Sensodyne (5.99 per tube!!!!!!!!) and the plain jane one worked GREAT!!! I was...

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Article from Dollar Stretcher

Free (And Legal!) Software Tools
by Jonathan Moeller
Function in the modern world without having to spend a dime on software

Let's be brutally honest here; to succeed in modern society, you need a computer, and computers cost a bundle. Sure, computers are cheaper now than ever before, but $500 for a laptop is still a sharp pain in the wallet. And that doesn't even include the cost of software. That $500 laptop probably comes with trial versions of Microsoft Office and Norton Antivirus. Once the trial period runs out, you'll need to shell out the bucks to get the full versions of your software.
That can cost almost as much as a new computer; the cheapest version of Microsoft Office costs $149, and a year's subscription to Norton Antivirus will set you back $40. That's practically a month's worth of groceries.

Fortunately, there's a way to keep your money that doesn't involve committing software piracy. Free software applications now have features and usability rivaling their commercial counterparts, and are widely available across the Internet. If the thought of spending $300 on software makes you flinch, you might want to check out these free alternatives.

OpenOffice.org has evolved into an effective challenger to Microsoft's Office monopoly. Originally derived from Sun Microsystems's StarOffice suite, OpenOffice.org provides a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a presentation program (like PowerPoint), along with database and graphics applications. OpenOffice.org can save files in pre-2007 Microsoft Office formats, making it easy to share documents with Microsoft Office users. And as an added bonus, OpenOffice.org's word processor can save documents as PDF files, an ability Microsoft Word lacks. You can find it at http://www.openoffice.org.

While OpenOffice.org is a good office suite, it lacks an e-mail client like Microsoft Outlook. Fortunately,...

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Some cool tips from The Dollar Stretcher Newsletter ... for and by cheapo's like me!


Jewelry Care

I have two uses for those little Silica Gel packages that come inside new shoes and other things you buy. Place them in with your jewelry. They keep moisture out and keep the metals from turning. Also, use these Silica Packets in your toolbox and you will never have to buy replacement tools because of rust. Just make sure that you keep them out of reach of children and
pets.
G. L. in Siloam Springs, AR


Free Anti-Static Sheets

Wad up some tinfoil and use it in your dryer instead of chemical coated sheets to get rid of static cling. It works! S.

(hm...not sure about this one...I guess it wouldn't hurt to try with some towels or something)


Storing Wrapping Paper

Protect leftover gift-wrap by slipping the roll into an old pantyhose leg and tying it closed at the top. Kimberly H.


Just a Touch

I am growing my hair out, but I cannot stand all the static it gets when longer. I don't care for conditioners as I think they add to my grocery tab, but I found a way to keep the static at bay without extra cost. After I shower, I use lotion
on my skin. When I'm done, I run my hands through my hair to get off the slight excess that is always there, and it keeps the static at bay all day! It works well for me, and it doesn't make my hair look or feel greasy!
Vicki, loyal reader from WI


my hair always seems to have static and so I must use conditioner daily (which doesn't always keep static at bay)....maybe I'll give this tip a try for a few days and see how it goes. I wonder how this will influence the staying power of your styling products?

Whiter Clothes...

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