Homemade Chicken Stock

I buy organic food as much as I can. While the price of organic meat has made me start making more vegetarian meals, I do budget for organic roasting chickens because you can get more than one meal out of them. When our family of four sits down to a roasted chicken for dinner, there’s meat left over that I can use for a chicken stir fry or enchiladas the next day.
But the best way to use a whole chicken is to make stock out of it. Making your own chicken stock is a little time consuming, but worth it because store-bought chicken broth often has unnecessary sugar and sodium. When we make chicken stock, my husband cuts the breast meat off the chicken to sauté or grill for dinner. Then we put the rest of the chicken in a pot with cut up a cut-up onion, a few carrots and stalks of celery. Plus we add thyme, a bay leaf and whole peppercorns for seasoning. Cover the chicken with water and bring to a boil. Let the stock simmer for an hour and then cool. Remove the cooked chicken, dice the meat and save it for a future meal. Strain the stock into a bowl and let cool overnight the refrigerator. The next day, the fat has congealed to the top of the bowl, making it easy to remove. Once the chicken stock is defatted, I pour one cup each into Dixie cups. I usually get about 12 cups of stock, which I store in the freezer.
So my Thrifty Green Thursday Tip is to make the most of your Coleman organic roasting chicken by making chicken stock from it. Click here for more tips.

A Not-So-Simple Cleaning Solution

While I’ve had some successes at making eoc-friendly cleaning products, such as an all-purpose surface cleaner, I’ve also had some failures, like making my own dishwasher detergent.
According to the book, Green Clean, you can make dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent with equal parts washing soda and borax. It sounded simple enough to make, plus I loved the idea of getting two household products from the same ingredients.
I couldn’t find borax or washing soda in any stores, so I ordered some online and gave the recipe a go. Turns out borax and washing soda clean clothes fine, but not dishes. After a few cycles, we started getting a white film on our dishes. We tried adding white vinegar to the dishwasher as a rinse aid, but that didn’t get rid of the film. After a couple of weeks, we went back to commercially made eco-friendly dishwasher detergent.
I’m not sure I’m going to keep making my own laundry detergent, either. As you know, I wash a lot of clothes, and am rapidly going through my two boxes of washing soda. While I eventually found borax at our local Ace Hardware, I can’t find washing soda anywhere but online. When you add $20 shipping costs to the cost of a case of washing soda, it just doesn’t seem worth the money.
My Thrifty Green Thursday tip of the week is make your own laundry detergent if you’re able to buy washing soda locally. Click here for more tips.

Laundry Technicalities

You'd think, after six years of being Chief Laundry Operator, I could fold a fitted sheet. Maybe it's a skill you're born with?





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Why Can't I Get A Break?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, dryers consume 800 kilowatt-hours annually per household, costing almost $70 per year to operate. In fact, if every American air dried his or her laundry for three months each year, the electricity saved could power 1.5 million U.S. households for a year, according to the Energy Information Administration.
That’s why I hang my clothes out to dry as much as possible throughout the year. I still, however, have to wash a lot of clothes, which my washing machine isn’t too happy about. Here’s what she has to say about it.

Cathy: You know I can’t live without you, don’t you?
Washing Machine: If you cared so much, why can’t you treat me better? I hardly ever get a day off, while that good-for-nothing dryer snoozes all spring and summer!
Cathy: I know you work hard—I wish I could keep my kids from getting dirty every day, but that’s really asking too much. And hand washing all these clothes is not an option. Hey, at least I’m using eco-friendly soap now. Doesn’t that make you feel better?
Washing Machine: You know what would make me feel better?
Cathy: What?
Washing Machine: If you’d keep that mangy cat away from me! I’m covered in her fur!
Cathy: I can’t help it that her favorite roost is the water heater, which is right next to you. But I promise to wipe you down more. Anything else?
Washing Machine: Yeah, while you’re at it, will you move the litter box to the other side of the basement?

This Thrifty Green Thursday tip of the week is inspired by Bernthis.com’s hilarious conversation with her car. Click here for some real tips.

Hard Times, They're A Coming

Ok, dishwasher, listen up. I’ve got some tough news for you. But before I share the bad news, let me just thank you upfront for all the hard work you’ve done. When our fancy-schmancy dishwasher died on us after only a year of work, I wasn’t sure that getting a used dishwasher via Craigslist was the right thing to do. After all, we need a dishwasher that is willing to run at least two to three cycles a day. (I bet you’re wondering how a family of four can eat so much food. It freaks me out, too.) I just wasn’t sure you’d be up for it.
Well, you’ve proven me wrong. We’ve worked you hard this past year—loading you up with dishes at least twice a day—and you keep chugging along. There was that time your front door got misaligned and we couldn’t shut you properly. I thought I was going to have a heart attack at the thought of washing all those dishes by hand. But Terry managed to fix you and we haven’t had a problem since.
So now that you know how deeply I appreciate you, let me tell you the bad news. We’re going to have to use you more than ever now. The economy is pretty bad, and while Terry’s work is going well, I need to pay credence the advice I read on those frugality blogs and spend less. One of the easiest expenses to cut is going to restaurants or getting take out. So that means I’m going to be cooking more, and you’ll be washing dishes more. I’m not too happy about it, either, but we need to be adults about it. Whining will get us nowhere.
I know that this is a lot to ask of you, especially since you are in your twilight years. But, I’ll be honest with you. I cannot—I repeat—cannot—do this without you. Let’s keep this awesome partnership going strong!

“Why couldn’t have some never-at-home bachelor bought me?”