photo by nicubuno

The first tip is a good reminder of how easy it is to do some things yourself. The same concept of adding your own mix-ins holds true for foods such as flavored yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, salad dressings, soups, snacks, etc. You know what you’re adding to your food, so you have control over salt, sugar, additives and preservatives.

MIX YOUR OWN CEREAL: I just bought a box of cereal and was dismayed to find it has sugar, brown sugar, malt syrup, corn syrup, TSP and the usual chemical preservatives in it. I think I’m perfectly capable of buying organic corn flakes and adding my own puffed rice, sliced almonds, raisins or dried cranberries. — Judi, New Hampshire
NOTE FROM SARA: You can make your own cereal flakes, too. Visit http://mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=1439

CLEANING SESSIONS: I do what we call the three-minute drill in our house! On nights when I really need to get cleaning done, but there is a show I want to watch, I clean during commercial breaks. I’m always surprised at how much I can actually get done during one commercial break as opposed to sitting and watching the mind-numbing commercials! –Sarah, Illinois

MILK JUG CAPS: My daughter works at an Aveda Salon in Wisconsin. Aveda is collecting all types of plastic covers. They recycle the old caps to make new caps for their products. –Sandy G., e-mail
NOTE FROM SARA: According to their Web site (http://aveda.aveda.com/aboutaveda/caps.asp), they accept rigid polypropylene plastic, such as caps from shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles, flip-top caps on tubes and food-product bottles, laundry detergents and some jar lids.

HOMEMADE FRUIT/VEGETABLE WASH: I have five washes that I use, depending on what I already have at home. I use them to clean my kitchen counters or to presoak my dirty dishes, too.
1. Squeeze some dish liquid (some have added bleach) into a spray bottle. Add water. Shake to combine. Spray fruit, use a vegetable brush to scrub and rinse produce well. You can let produce soak in it, too.
2. Use a solution of vinegar and water to create a wash for produce to soak in. Rinse after letting soak for 10 minutes.
3. Use two spray bottles — one filled with vinegar and the other filled with hydrogen peroxide. Spray the produce with vinegar and then with hydrogen peroxide. Then rinse thoroughly.
4. Put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray fruit or vegetables and rinse well.
5. Add 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 cup water to a spray bottle and spritz produce and rinse. — Annie G., California

MILK SUBSTITUTE: I use a less expensive powdered whey-based milk substitute (Morning Moo’s www.moosmilk.com) rather than commercial milk, which I’ve done for 28 years now with one brand or another. I use powdered eggs (whole, whites and yolks) when they are less expensive per egg than shell eggs, too. I also save rainwater (1,000-gallon capacity) to use for outdoor use in the garden and landscaping. We’ve reduced the lawn to the size of a postage stamp incorporating Xeriscape landscaping methods. We also have a battery-powered Neuton lawn mower — no gas and maintenance expenses — and it’s only pennies to recharge the battery. — Karen, Kansas

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