Maxine in Washington writes: I received a tip on heating rolls several years ago from a Deli restaurant that served cinnamon rolls, etc. Her rolls were never tough - so I asked her the secret.
If a roll is frozen - place it in the microwave for anywhere from 35 seconds to 1 minute on Auto Defrost. This way the heat goes on and off and does not make the roll tough, but comes out nice and warm. You can use your own judgment (through trial and error as to the time needed - depending on the size of the roll). You can also heat hot dogs this way and they come out nice and hot, but don't explode.
I also have learned that you can re-heat such foods as shrimp alfredo, etc (foods that do not do well heated normally on high). You might have to go through the process with this type of dish more than once to get it heated up to your taste. The food will come out just like it is freshly cooked.
Diane writes: My daughters husband works on oil rigs. They have their own kind of cleaner you might want to pass on. Try liquid dish detergent and add Epsom Salt (She uses antibacterial Dawn in case he has any small cuts or scratches) -- it cleans great!
Julia from Nineveh, Indiana writes: My daughter is prone to plantar warts on her feet. To have them frozen, it costs $180 a pop with our insurance. Imagine my horror when, before Christmas, I found 4 new ones. I told the doctor that they would have to wait until tax time as cash was tight.
She gave me a tip to rub a fresh cut potato on them every day for 30 days to help her body realize that there was a virus and stimulate her immune system to naturally fight them. We got our tax check last week, so I went to check her feet and presto -- the potato worked! Now I can save that money for something else!
Sue writes: My daughter used to have a baby (doll) that could not run through the washer with bleach. The bleach would have eaten through the material. (Kids babies can get soooo dirty.)
Instead of using bleach, I used to soak it in a pail of water with powdered dishwasher detergent mixed in for about an hour. It removed those hard to get out kid hand stains. Then, I just washed it normally with laundry detergent in the washer. The dishwasher detergent brightened it right up and removed most stains too!
Mike from Manitoba, Canada writes: "Last year I bought a new car. Should I put my savings into investments, or pay off the loan?" more
Lisa from Oklahoma asks: "Do you have any suggestions on how to keep drip
pans on top of the stove clean?"
Tawra: I put mine in the dishwasher once a week. Afterwards I scrub it down with an SOS pad. The trick is to keep them clean on weekly basis so there isn't any build up.
If they are really bad, either buy new ones and start over or cover them with aluminum foil. Wrap the foil around the pan and cut several slits in the center hole. Fold the foil under so the hole is open. If you clean your oven with oven cleaner, you can also try spraying them with oven cleaner and letting them sit overnight.
Connie from Pennsylvania writes: "I have two questions. First, what do you use for a sweater rack when drying your sweaters? I'm trying not to buy one. Second, I found little black bugs in my rice and pasta. Any idea what they are and how to get rid of them?"
Tawra: To dry the sweaters, I lay them on a towel on top of the dryer and let them air dry overnight.
The bugs are weevils. First, you'd want to throw away the affected grains/flours. You can prevent weevils from growing by putting your pasta, rice, flour, etc. in the freezer for a day or two before storing. This will kill any eggs that may be in them. It is also helpful to store these items in airtight plastic containers.
Denise from North Carolina asks: "Do you think it helps to dilute hand soaps and dishwashing detergent to save money? I've read this in several frugal publications and I'm just not sure it will help all that much."
Tawra: No, because you just use more then. If it's really thick, I dilute it a little so the consistency is better, but it is better simply to use less than to dilute it. The best way to do that is to put all hand and dish soaps in pumps. Then you get the right amount each time for the job instead of a big glob.
Kathy from Uxbridge, Massachusetts asks: "I used to make my own laundry detergent (the Fels Naptha/Washing Soda recipe) and was very satisfied with it. We recently bought a brand new washing machine that is a high-efficiency machine. The manufacturer recommends only high efficiency (or "he") detergents. While the machine uses a lot less detergent, it is still expensive to buy. Are there any recipes for homemade high efficiency detergents that would be safe for a high efficiency machine? It was probably the most expensive thing I've ever bought, other than a house or car, and I don't want to do anything to damage or shorten the life of the machine.
Thanks!"
Tawra: I used the homemade laundry detergent with Fels Naptha soap. The reason you have to use "he" soap is because the other stuff suds too high. The Fels Naptha doesn't create suds, so it will work just fine.
Mary asks: "Can you tell me the quickest way to remove years of burned on grease on the bottom of my flat pan." more
Tami from Council Bluffs, Iowa asks: "We have a designer consignment store in our area, I was wondering if I should even bother shopping there? Usually I can get by on a lesser store but will need to travel for my employer and want to look a bit more professional."
Tawra: Yes, it is worth it. Another tip is to look at thrift stores in the higher income neighborhoods or in business districts. Our favorite thrift store is in the downtown business district. All the business people bring their donations and we get some VERY NICE items!
Abdeli asks: "I can't help but worry that perhaps giving less to the church might make your budget more lenient, say for emergencies and the such." more
Lisa from Hyde Park, Pennsylvania asks: "Where can I find a bill organizer with 31 slots? I was reading over your previous asked questions and I came across one about managing bills and it was mentioned that Mike and Tawra have a bill organizer with 31 slots and the bills are placed in the slot 10 days before the due date. I think that is a wonderful plan that I would love to implement."
Tawra: I've seen these bill sorters in several mail order catalogs. I know that Collections Etc. sells them on their web site at www.collectionsetc.com. A number of readers have written in to tell us that they have found them at Target stores, too.
You can see the Original message, "How Can I Do A Better Job Managing My Bills?" here
Susan from Texas asks:"As a single mother of two grown daughters, scratching and clawing my way out of substantial credit card and other debt, please give me some ideas about dealing with daughters' emergencies, specifically health issues, not life-threatening but urgent never the less." more
Mollie From Florida asks:"What is the difference in types of powered sugar? Usually the recipes call for powered sugar, but not what type. I bought 4x and someone told me that you should only use 10X."
Tawra: If you are just doing baking at home it doesn't really matter. Where it matters is for professional bakers who do fancy things like wedding cakes. Whatever I find in the store works just fine for me. I have never had any problems with my baking because of it.
Archived Questions:
What can I use to clean wooden kitchen cabinets?
Can you use canned pumpkin to make your pumpkin pancakes?
What is the difference in types of powered sugar?
Is it possible to freeze chili con carne?
How can I tell the difference between different types of flour?
Frugal Victory - How one reader resisted the temptation to use credit and paid cash for her refrigerator.
What do you think about "Netflix"?
More About Paying Cash For Cars
How Can I Spend Less on Presents Without Looking Cheap?
Paying Off Debt From A Failed Home Business
Is It Better To Sell Our Fancy House? We're Tired Of Being Slaves To Bills.
Do You Limit Your Family's Outside Activities?
What Is An Appropriate Food Budget?
Making It Work For You
Tips For Reducing Utility Bills
Cleaning My Textured Shower Floor
Am I Stuck In My Auto Lease?
How Can I Refill My Swiffer Mop
Suggestions for Managing Bills
How did you get out of debt within 5 years being a single parent?
What is washing soda?
What is the difference between all purpose flours, self rising flours and bleached and unbleached flours?
What Can I Do With Old Tea Bags?
Where Do We Begin To Catch Up On Debt?
Can You Save Money Making your Own Laundry Detergent?
When should you get rid of an old car and buy a newer one?
How do I stick to a budget?
Is it wrong to accept free school lunches?
More about free school lunches...
Should we declare bankruptcy?
Budgeting Information and Easy Budget Forms
How can I give my child a great birthday party without spending too much?
Should I keep my credit card or get rid of it?
How can you make your husband a tightwad?
Shop without breaking your budget when you're always tired
Snack ideas for a busy mom for kids' soccer practice
"What exactly are the signs/symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia?"
"Got any inexpensive ideas for Easter gifts?"
"How do you find meat for under $2 a pound?"
"How do I change my thinking...?"
"How Do I get my kids to eat?"
