What to Do With All The Harvest...

Gathering the last of the harvest in the fall months leaves windowsills, tables and baskets full of tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, peppers, beets, apples and sweet potatoes. These yummy foods sit waiting to be used up. You’re left with so much fresh, precious food and so little time. The neighbors get to share in the excess and you send it home with anyone who darkens your door. All your labor of the spring and long hot summer has finally paid off, in rich dividends.  Now, what do you do with everything you have left?

Now is the time to save some money. So many dishes can be made from these wonderful veggies and fruits. Here are some ideas for your next meal or two, or three or more.

Fresh Salsa

Fresh salsa is a big hit for fall. You can use the yellow, red or green peppers finely sliced along with some fresh onion and garlic to create your own salsa. Depending on the peppers you have planted you can make a Mexican salsa as well as a simple tomato salsa. If you have harvested peaches or apple, you can even make a salsa with these items. If you choose to can salsa make sure you follow a recipe that is tried and sure to keep the acid out of your salsa.

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Inexpensive Halloween Party Ideas...

Halloween is a fun time of year! It’s a time to think about costumes, carving pumpkins and just plain fun. A Halloween party is an alternative to the normal trick or treat. You can plan an inexpensive party for your child. From the invitation to saying your goodbyes at the end of a fun filled night.

The Internet has some inexpensive invitations that you can download for the price of the ink and paper. Choose a color that would fit the season or theme of your party. I would deliver or mail these invitations to arrive three weeks prior to the date of the party.

Costumes are a huge part of a successful party. If you choose a theme, such as Star Wars or Character theme, you want to put that on the invitation so people can dress accordingly. Choosing a comfortable costume is in your best interest. You can often find what you’re looking for at thrift stores. Throughout the year I look for white sheets, full skirts, old vests, boots, scarves and other things that I can put together to make easy outfits. Colored hair sprays, wigs and gloves are some things you will want to look for. With some planning you can easily make a costume that will be comfortable and cute.

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Carving Your 1st Pumpkin...

So you’re ready to carve your first pumpkin? Congratulations in joining the ranks of many who rank pumpkin carving as one of their favorite Halloween activities. To avoid a huge mess you’ll have to clean up later, the first thing you’ll need to do is prepare your workspace.

• Choose Your Pumpkin Carving Space
• Select a flat work area. Lay down several layers of newspaper being sure to overlap them.
• Gather Your Supplies

Pumpkin

• Pumpkin Carving Kit or Butcher Knife & Serrated Paring Knife
• Semi-Permanent Marker or Pencil
• Container lined with a garbage bag to deposit your waste
• Lighting Source of Your Choice (Candle, glow sticks, etc.)

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7 Healthy Comfort Foods...

Image by Jing a Ling via Flickr

We’ve all been there; it’s been a whole week and we’ve been great about sticking to our diets.  Then we get stressed out, maybe over work, or the kids, or an issue with a friend, and we turn to our comfort foods.  Sure, we probably feel a bit better, but in the long run we’re adding lots of unneeded calories and even adding to our stress.

Instead of chewing down on needless sugar and fat calories, why not try one of these healthy comfort food alternatives instead?  Making small adjustments to your already satisfying foods will help you cut the calories without cutting the taste.

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