photo by threelayercake
Making rice on the stovetop can be tricky. You have to watch it, or it can boil over, get mushy or burn. You can use the index-finger method of measuring for both rice cookers and traditional rice cooked on the stovetop. You simply add the amount of rice you want to cook, keeping in mind that 1 cup of uncooked rice equals 3 cups cooked rice. Slowly add …

photo by billaday
A day might come when you need money quickly. Not a situation where you’re simply experiencing a tight budget for a day or two, but when your basic necessities are on the line. Maybe you don’t have enough money to put gas in your car or food is running low. What can you do? If you’ve been in this situation before, tell me what you’ve done to get …

photo by iowa spirit walker
Paper is often wasted. Maybe you use both sides of a sheet of paper, use the backs of your mail envelopes for grocery lists or reuse newspaper to wrap gifts. All are good ways to waste less paper. Many households put their mail and paper through a shredder to protect against identity theft or to follow state and federal laws. An average home can accumulate quite …

photo by Andie712b
Once the colder weather hits, the comfort-food cravings start. Soup and pasta dishes fit the bill. The following recipes are easy to make and will be a nice change of pace from your standard meal rotation. They’re familiar home-style meals with a twist. Two are quick recipes you can whip together when you’re short on time. The other two require an hour of cooking time, but you don’t …

photo by robotskirts
DEAR SARA: Do you make your own breadcrumbs? When I was little, my mom always made them. She had this little satchel in which we used to put leftover bread. She kept it in the cupboard, and when it was full, we got out the hand-crank grinder and made our breadcrumbs. Things are made with so many preservatives now. I have been afraid of making my own because …