Tuesday, June 11, 2019

A Thing or Two

Today is just a couple of hints and tips.  We all look for new ways or things to simplify our lives and save a little money.  I think we all like using items we have for new ways, and tips just to make life easier.

I love nacho cheese.  Love making nachos and that cheese is also good on baked potatoes, over burgers, with chips, you name it.  I don't make it - that seems time consuming to me.  Those jars of nacho cheese you get at the store are pretty pricey, even at Aldi.
Well I found an inexpensive solution and man oh man is it good.

Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup!  I got this at Kroger and paid $1.57 for the can.  I place in a pan to warm and used 1/4 can of milk stirred in (to keep it a bit thicker than soup).  You could add more milk depending on how thin you want it.  It is so yummy.  I made nachos for dinner one night and kept the extra for a baked potato.
Tasty and cheaper than the actual cheese.  Give it a try!
(not spicy at all)


I do a lot of yard work and our area has a ton of poison ivy growing.  I am very allergic.  I don't like wearing long sleeves or a jacket when working in the yard in the summer.  I go from thing to thing, and long sleeves would be too hot.  I may pull weeds for a while, then mow or trim, then tend the garden plants and then back to weeds - so I need protection, just not long sleeves.
I have my own protection.  I use old tube socks or long socks of any type.  Cut out the toe - and then pull them up over your arms.  I wear gloves as well.  When I want to move on to another project for a while, I roll them down and remove - need them again - roll back out to cover arms.

Super easy and it works!  If so desired you can throw them away after using or simply just wash in cold soapy water for another day.


I saw this idea the other day for repurposing plastic.  Many plastic items are not re-cyclable.  I truly don't understand why that is even allowed.  They want to regulate our use of STRAWS - but can't regulate that ALL plastic be recyclable!!   Sorry, a bit off the subject!  
This idea contains your plastic in one place and makes it useful in another way.  They call them Eco blocks. 

Softer plastic is stuffed and packed tightly into bottles.  Have you ever squished up a plastic grocery bag?  It becomes about the size of a quarter!  A wooden dowel or spoon can be used to pack in the plastic.  All contained into one small bottle!  Pack it tightly!
Folks are cleaning up waterways and roadsides of trash and doing this (you want it to be dry before packing).  These Eco blocks are being used to build whimsical sculptures (with plaster or cement), used in building houses, making furniture, kids play equipment, building compost bins, etc.  There is nothing that these couldn't be used to build - your imagination is the only limit.
I just think this a neat way to contain a lot of trash in a small space.
You can Google Eco bricks and see some of the things they do with them.


Who knew??????  Surely not me.  I just found this so very interesting.  What a neat way to measure something on a camping trip or a picnic.  It is amazing the things we can learn every day!!!

So there you go kids - fun facts to know and tell!!!!!!!!
Have a good day.

18 comments:

  1. Good post. Red plastic cup info is very helpful.

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    1. Thanks. That was sure new to me!!!! Never too old to learn.

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  2. So many interesting facts in this fun filled post! I have never heard of plastic bundles, but it seems like a great idea. There is a company, I think it's called Zero Energy, that creates incinerators that burn garbage for energy leaving "zero" residuals. They even claimed that they could burn hospital waste at such a high burn that it would leave no residuals at all. They were putting in a electrical producing plant near a town we lived in and were contracting with all the garbage pickup companies to receive all the garbage, which they would then burn into electricity and leave no residuals. This would solve the issue of what to do with garbage instead of burying it in dumps and also solve how to produce energy.

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    1. I wonder what type of energy they use to create the fire? I like the idea of no waste garbage and residuals.
      There has to be many good ideas out there to get rid of waste. I think this method would be good for lower economic villages and countries - They could re-use into something useful.
      So many ways - we just need to educate ourselves!

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  3. What an interesting idea with the soup and the plastic bags in a bottle. Love it!

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    1. Oh trust me that soup makes excellent nacho cheese! It is yummy.
      I like the bottle thing too.

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  4. Great tip about the socks. I am super allergic too!

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    1. It used to be I thought I could just look at it and itch!!!! I am very allergic and that itch is intense!
      Hope it helps you.

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  5. Great tips! My fave is the socks...I would not have thought of that.

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    1. It sure has saved me a lot of grief! I have done this for quite a while.

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  6. Shut the front door, I did not know that the solo cup lines were measurements. That is very useful. My aunt used to do the sock trick. I don't like spicy cheese so I am out for the nachos but I am glad you like it.

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    1. I know! I had no idea about the cup either. Sure could be handy.
      You should try the soup with chips and taco cheese - it is not spicy at all. I don't like hot stuff - and that soup is extremely mild - just has the "nacho" cheese taste.

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  7. My boys used to beg me to steam a whole head of cauliflower. Just cut out the stem and middle and steam the head. They called it brains when they were little. Then I would take the nacho cheese soup right out of the can and spread it on the hot head of cauliflower. It was so yummy! Now I'm hungry for that. lol

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    1. Ok, you just made me hungry. I will definitely try that! That sounds so yummy. I can't imagine that it would be bad on anything!

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  8. Oh we love nachos, and I never thought of getting the nacho cheese soup. Thanks for the tip! Didn't know about the markings on the solo cups either. Will defintely help when we are camping as I usually forget to pack measuring cups. Will try the socks too. Hadn't heard of the eco blocks either. You have some good info. Thanks!

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    1. Thanks. I am glad you can use some of it. I think you will love the soup. That cup thing would have saved me a lot of grief when we camped!

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  9. Hi Cheryl, I love your poison ivy protection...makes good sense and necessity is the mother of invention, right? I put the Campbell's soup nacho cheese on my shopping list ;) I read over on Annabel's blog - that is how I found your blog. I've tried many times to comment here, but my posts wouldn't post. So I'm trying it on my iPad to see if that will work. Have a great weekend, Mary in San Diego

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    1. Hello Mary. I love Annabel's blog! I have no idea why some can and some cannot post. It really baffles me. I am glad you figured it out!

      Yes I have come up with a few unusual things that seem to work for another life! Whatever works.
      I hope you enjoy the soup! Look forward to hearing from you again.

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