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expired food
How many times have you said, "I'd love to buy more organic food, but I just can't afford the extra money it costs?"

Well, you can.

Just clean out your fridge.

That's what I did recently, and here's what I found: a can of whipped cream that expired 6 months ago; my favorite red pears - rotten because they got 'lost' in the bottom of the fruit bin; expired feta cheese, hummus, and cottage cheese; a leftover bowl of soup that had become a breeding ground for penicillin; moldy cherry tomatoes; a shriveled up stalk of celery; a half-pound of rotten green beans; three separate bottles with different amounts of disgustingly ancient salad dressing; sweet pickle relish that was dipped into maybe once in the past year; four limes that had transformed into solid rock. In all not a pretty picture - not a cheap one, either.

A rough calculation of how much that 'trash' cost me made me groan: close to $30! Unfortunately, I'm not unique. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, consumers on average throw away 30% what they spend on food - simply by forgetting to eat what they buy.

In this economy, that's a lot of money for anyone. But it's especially painful for people who want to buy organic food and feel like they can't afford to pay the premium it costs.

They can - and so can you. Here's how.<

* Shop from a list you make in advance. Think about recipes you're likely to cook during the week. Yes, it takes a few extra minutes of planning before you dash to the store . But you'll buy fewer ingredients overall and actually cook what you buy.

* Avoid impulse buys. That fancy mustard on those cute crackers they're handing out as you shop? If you're like me, you'll get the mustard home, slide it on a shelf, and forget about it until you rediscover it months (years?) from now, looking and tasting far less delectable than when you saw it in the store.

* Keep track of what's in your refrigerator. Put your shopping list (or a list of the week's recipes) on the front of the refrigerator when you get home. It will remind you what you've bought and what's available inside to cook.

* Make a budget. Before you go shopping, figure out how much money you want to spend, and what "extras" you can afford. Note that, in addition to spending the money you've "saved" by throwing away less food, you can shift spending from items like bottled water to organic milk, or throwaway paper towels to a reusable sponge, and realize additional savings.

* Eat leftovers. Invest in a set of reusable containers so you can pack leftovers for work or school. Schedule leftovers for the same night every week so you don't forget about them.
What's the best way to keep your hands clean, especially given concerns about swine flu and other viruses?

Note: I said "clean" and not "disinfected."

What's the diff? You don't need to kill germs (i.e., disinfect) to stay healthy; you just need to get them off your hands (i.e. clean).

That's where simple soap fits in. By rubbing your hands together with soap and water, you break down the tiny bits of grease, fat and dirt that germs cling to so they can slide off your hands.

Why should you care? Many doctors worry that the widespread use of disinfectants that contain antibacterial ingredients is causing antibiotic resistance. In other words, the more antibacterials you use, the more susceptible to disease you may become.

In a March 2004 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers studied 238 households in New York City. Half were given regular hand soap and cleaners and half were given antibacterial soaps and cleaning products. At the end of 48 weeks, there was essentially no difference between the two groups in reported infectious disease symptoms, including runny nose, cough, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea.

Plus, antibacterials like triclosan are believed to be causing deformities in frogs and other wildlife, since they get washed down the drain and out into rivers, lakes and streams where they impact the animals living there.

Make no mistake: if you want to stay healthy, you must wash your hands. Just skip the antibacterials. If you don't have access to plain soap and hot water, choose an alcohol-based gel, which kills germs effectively without the negative side effects.

Here are the Health Agency of Canada's recommendations for effective hand washing.
frigidaire
How do you "test drive" a dishwasher?

I'm about to find out.

Sometime later this month, Frigidaire is going to deliver one of its new energy-saving models to my home so I - and my dishes - can give it a whirl.

Over the next few months, I'll be blogging about the Frigidaire Gallery Built-In Dishwasher as I compare it to my ten-year-old Maytag. I'll be looking at factors like energy efficiency, water conservation, noise, capacity, time savings, ease of maintenance, and any other issues that come up. The Frigidaire dishwasher is supposed to use a lot less water and energy to wash a lot more dishes. I'll let you know how it performs. I'd also like to hear about the dishwasher you have - especially if you're buying a new one and are doing price and performance comparisons. You can make your comments here.

Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter? If so, let's connect. I twitter@DianeMacEachern. I'm on both Facebook and LinkedIn at Diane MacEachern.

By the way, if you want to pass this information along to a friend, just click on the Forward button right below my signature.

Talk to you again soon,

 Diane's Photo
Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse

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