My Great Aunt's used to eat dandilion greens wilted in bacon grease and another used to make dandilion wine. Now adays though you have to be careful about weed killer being on them.
What about eating dandilion greens? I tried this last spring. I had trouble just because I didn't know what I was doing. I don't really think it is overboard.
I think if it fits your life style & doesn't become too much of a burden & it saves you money....then go for it.
MKS....When I lived up North I always cooked dandelion greens. The first ones in the spring are the most tender. It is suppose to be a great health tonic for your body. The best part are the flowers breaded with egg or in an omlet.
Here in florida there is something that looks like dandelion but not the same thing glad I asked before I ate them.
What I like to do now is put stems of kale in the ground and watch them grow. Also buy beets with the tops and plant them to have a continuos supply of beet top greens. Scallions are easy to grow too, last for years.
I feel being frugal for health pays off. Always looking for new ways to be more frugal.
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Sueanne
__________________ *~*~ The secret to happiness is not to get what you want, but to want what you already have.~ *~*
I divert washing machine water to save septic and turn water off during teeth brushing except rinsing. Frugal ? ... not sure more greening it I guess. I wash out plastic zip top bags and aluminum foil for re use though
This may be over the top to some, but my sister saves packet of plasticware from take out food & I use the spoons & forks & knives (of course,) but when I have a bunch together I cut open the little salt & pepper packs & empty them into my salt/pepper shakers. I also do this with ketchup packets. Wait till I get a bunch, then I use it in a recipe that calls for catsup. Make frugality like a game sometimes & that makes it more fun than tedious.
I draw the line at wasting one resource to save another. For example, if a plastic bag was full of something oily, it would be very difficult to wash that out just to save a plastic bag. It would waste more water, time and energy (to heat the hot water) to get that job done.
My Daddy would get the first ones up in the spring. After they have been up for about a month, he wouldn't eat them. He made them like you would for wilted lettuce with vinegar, bacon & a little salad oil.
For me, washing paper towels & reusing them is way too frugal. My cousin used to do this & I thought that was going too far. I have reused zip lock baggies if they just had bread or a cut tomato in it.
I saw on tv once that a couple seperated the sheets of toilet tissue.. to me that was way too frugal. I couldn't see where that saved anything since you would use more to get the job done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MKS
What about eating dandilion greens? I tried this last spring. I had trouble just because I didn't know what I was doing. I don't really think it is overboard.
I think if it fits your life style & doesn't become too much of a burden & it saves you money....then go for it.
I agree that the separating double-ply toilet tissue is over the top.
I also knew a woman who after feeding her cat 1/2 a can of cat food would add the remainder to her stews or sauces. IMHO, it's not fit for human consumption, and I stopped having meals at her home... yuk
Maybe I go over the top when I take extra of those little flavored creamer cups that don't require refrigeration.. I leep them in my car in my "go kit" along with canned foods, water etc... I do the same with the single serve packets of honey, peanut butter, jellies, ketchup, mustard, rellish, mayo, duck sauce and soy sauce.. LOL.. I'm a condiment Kelptomanic. I guess I have been doing it since 9/11.. Some fast food places dole it out from behind the counter, rather than leave it as a self-serve item...
I reuse soda bottles to mix powdered drinks, and I do wash and reuse those insulated paper travel cups with the "cofee-shop" lids. I can usually get three or so uses before I recycle them. I also keep the cardbord sleeves for the same purpose.
I reuse non-food containers for household items. Q-tips that come in those plastic boxes, I just refill the box, or use the box for craft items. Same thing with babywipe and baby food containers.
I use TP tubes for wrapping lengths of lace and yarn for my scrapbook or craft projects. The ends tuck in with a piece of tape, and I can just wrap them up without them getting tangled.
I never buy Tupperware or any such storage items, I reuse plastic Chinese food take-out containers, or the plastic tubs from cool whip, ricotta cheese etc. as leftover storage. The second (non frugal) benefit to that, is when I find some long-forgotten smelly and unidentifiable thing in the back of my fridge.. I can just toss it.. container and all.
I use the Cristal Light containers for storing embellishments for scrapbooking, and I have also sent baby carrots and Cheezits in those for school snacks.
I like the TP idea for storing lace... I'll have to mention that to my friend who makes cloth covered photo albums and puts lace around the edges of the books.
Anna
__________________ We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
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