Anyone else discover far more efficient ways to live life since this pause?

last bought gas on March 15th, was supposed to be my last week of working in the office (35 min commute each way) before retiring. not down to 1/2 tank yet, drive the car once a week just to run it or do curbside grocery pick up. Probably won't need gas until sometime in June. Here is MA I think regular is just below $2/gal
 
I grew up with nothing disposable except for toilet paper. My parents did not even buy tissues. We used "old" cloths to clean everything, including the floor, because they did not want to buy a mop. No way in heck am I going back to that. I love my paper towels and clorox wipes.
 
I grew up with nothing disposable except for toilet paper. My parents did not even buy tissues. We used "old" cloths to clean everything, including the floor, because they did not want to buy a mop. No way in heck am I going back to that. I love my paper towels and clorox wipes.

Ugh, my mom used to use these blue things called "handi wipes" and they grossed me out so bad. It would just sit there, damp, by the sink and she would wipe EVERYTHING with them. She would use the same one for a couple months. They always smelled mildewy. I just picture the germs being spread all around every surface. She never used disinfecting spray or anything, just rinsed with water. Gross. It traumatized me and I basically only reuse sponges and even then, toss it the second it starts to smell.
 


Ugh, my mom used to use these blue things called "handi wipes" and they grossed me out so bad. It would just sit there, damp, by the sink and she would wipe EVERYTHING with them. She would use the same one for a couple months. They always smelled mildewy. I just picture the germs being spread all around every surface. She never used disinfecting spray or anything, just rinsed with water. Gross. It traumatized me and I basically only reuse sponges and even then, toss it the second it starts to smell.
You can disinfect/clean sponges, Handiwipes, micropads, and rags/washcloths. Just leave in your favorite disinfectant and water to soak, rinse, and hang up to dry for fast re-use. Any sponges I use in the kitchen are disinfected in the microwave with vinegar water. The steam from the process also loosen any greasy food particles in the nuker and makes it smell clean.
 
You can disinfect/clean sponges, Handiwipes, micropads, and rags/washcloths. Just leave in your favorite disinfectant and water to soak, rinse, and hang up to dry for fast re-use. Any sponges I use in the kitchen are disinfected in the microwave with vinegar water. The steam from the process also loosen any greasy food particles in the nuker and makes it smell clean.

I know you can do this, but my mom never did.
 
We have found that some gadgets we rarely use during in the past are really appreciated now.
Bread machine - bakes wonderful bread for about 5 cents per loaf (using coconut oil is the key to great bread) (bought 50 lbs of bread flour and yeast from Gordon Foods)
Soda Stream - husband loves his soda water
Air fryer - restaurant quality food super fast
Vitamix - mix frozen berries from Costco with yogurt, spinach, banana and apple is a real treat (makes great java chip frappachinos also)
Waterpik style water flosser - keeps our gums super clean so we don’t have to worry about going to the dentist
Fireplace - getting rid of downed wood from our forest and saving on heating bills
Ice cream maker - our dole whip mix just arrived from Amazon
Bidet - the Luxe Neo bidet we bought for about $60 from Amazon saves us a bundle on TP
Garden supplies - have over a thousand little vegetable plants that are an inch tall so far. This new hobby will replace traveling as a hobby for us this summer.

Our new motto is “Embrace the change!”


I have been making sandwich bread in our breadmaker (well the dough, anyway, I bake it in the oven) using butter (2 or 3 tbsp, I think). I have a jar of coconut oil in the cupboard that I got for free and have never used. Do you think I could just sub it for the butter in the bread recipe?
 


Ugh, my mom used to use these blue things called "handi wipes" and they grossed me out so bad. It would just sit there, damp, by the sink and she would wipe EVERYTHING with them. She would use the same one for a couple months. They always smelled mildewy. I just picture the germs being spread all around every surface. She never used disinfecting spray or anything, just rinsed with water. Gross. It traumatized me and I basically only reuse sponges and even then, toss it the second it starts to smell.
My mom used handi wipes too. Now she uses sponges to wipe up the counter. Seriously makes me want to throw up. Plus her sponges smell so bad and when I try to do dishes at her house they make my hands smell. I prefer the sponge/wand thing for dishes.

In her defense, I think I can credit her form my healthy immune system.
 
I have been making sandwich bread in our breadmaker (well the dough, anyway, I bake it in the oven) using butter (2 or 3 tbsp, I think). I have a jar of coconut oil in the cupboard that I got for free and have never used. Do you think I could just sub it for the butter in the bread recipe?
yes you can! I sub out 1/2 and 1/2 for all recipes lately (it's easier to store coconut oil on the shelf)
 
I have found that using wax paper work super great for bacon instead of foil. My uncle worked for a foil company many years ago and said he knew things that I don't want to know.. If you let it cool down it is very easy to throw away.

I have a kitchen aid mixer with the grinder attachment for meat. I LOVE that thing. I work in the industry and do not like ground anything from the store. I also have the cheese grater attachment and I use it so much that I need another because there is a crack!

I garden so I save all my coffee grounds.
I used to give food scraps to my chickens until something killed all of them a month ago :(

I grind my own wheat. Wheat berries are good until they are ground if you store them correctly. It really is a great idea for times like this.

My biggest thing I started and love is the "homemade" lysol wipes. They are easy and great!

You really need good tools and investing in a few is well worth it!
 
How do you grind your wheat berries? How do you store the wheat berries?

T&M, I have a Nutrimill grinder. I shopped around and decided on this brand but some people like others. I did use the grain grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid for a while! It is a lot for the motor though!

I store the wheat in a 6 gallon bucket with a twist lid. You can buy the oxygen asorbers if you want it to stay extra fresh .

Fresh ground wheat creates a more hearty bread. Sometimes it takes a family a little while to get used to it since we are so used to soft white!

Also green coffee beans store forever. I order mine from Sweet Maria's and roast them in a popcorn air popper.
 
I had NO idea you could put wax paper innthe oven!
When I make a cake I use wax paper in the cake pan. Think of it as a giant cupcake wrapper. The cakes come out of the pan super easy and there is almost no clean up. I do trim the wax paper around the top edge of the pan.
 
Speaking of grinding I use a dedicated electric coffee grinder for whole spices. They (the spices) last longer and are more potent than the preground versions which I don't buy if whole is available. I also keep all my types of paprika in the fridge or freezer instead of the spice shelf. This way they actually have taste as well as colour. Works for anise star too.

Best 20 bucks I ever spent for an electric appliance. To clean the bowl of the grinder I run some uncooked rice through it as it absorbs the oils of the spices and no water needed that can pit the metal of the bowl and blades.
 
When I make a cake I use wax paper in the cake pan. Think of it as a giant cupcake wrapper. The cakes come out of the pan super easy and there is almost no clean up. I do trim the wax paper around the top edge of the pan.
I do that with parchment, i thought wax paper would melt under the heat. Yay for the Dis, learn something new every day
 
When I make a cake I use wax paper in the cake pan. Think of it as a giant cupcake wrapper. The cakes come out of the pan super easy and there is almost no clean up. I do trim the wax paper around the top edge of the pan.
does it work similiar to parchment paper?
 
You want to use parchment paper, not wax paper. I think many people use the term interchangeably, but they are different. You really do not want to use wax paper with heat.
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DON'T use wax paper it can catch fire in the oven. Wax paper has a thin coating of wax on each side, which prevents food from sticking to it and makes it moisture-resistant. But wax paper is not heat-resistant; the wax will melt at high temperatures and the paper itself can catch on fire. Don't use wax paper to line baking sheets or cake pans or put it in a hot oven.
 

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