There’s nothing quite as warm and wonderful as having the people you love gathered in the kitchen, talking, laughing, and enjoying a healthy meal. But if you’re a serial entertainer like I am, you quickly realize that making meals for a crowd can be a budget-buster. If you love the…
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written by Kathy Kristof If you followed the previous pizza-making episode (making veggie pizza), you were probably struck by a conundrum. You made enough dough to make two pizzas, but you only put toppings on one. What shall we put on the other pizza? The simple answer is almost anything…
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I stopped buying salad dressings ages ago in favor of dressing salads with flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The only catch was the price. Each little 12 ounce bottle sets me back about $25. Then, I realized I could make them myself. Easily. Quickly. For about one-third the price.…
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Growing food is one of America’s favorite pastimes, with roughly one in every three households either growing fruit and vegetables at home or in a community garden. If you’re among the green-thumbed masses and want to make your garden pay, it may be worth taking a look at crops that…
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When I asked Tony Kienitz, author of The Year I Ate My Yard, how I could keep birds from boldly poaching my blueberries, he calmly opined: “You need a snake.” I started to stammer something about liking my family more than my blueberries when he clarified: “A plastic snake.” Among…
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Going drought-tolerant to save money (and the planet) Frank McDonough, a botanist with the Los Angeles County Arboretum, readily admits that estimating what families might save on water bills by putting in a drought tolerant garden is almost impossible. To be sure, drought-tolerant plants can thrive on a fraction of…
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The most maligned and under-utilized of the power pack is the budget KATHY GETTING STARTED If you’ve ever watched a home-improvement show, you’ve likely got at least a passing familiarity with a wide range of tools, from wrenches and bolts to hammers and levels that can fix the myriad…
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At one time or another, almost everyone has been approached by an employer or financial advisor, who has suggested that they buy life insurance. Do you need it? The answer depends on whether you have dependents — children, a spouse or other people who rely on you for financial support.…
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written by Kathy Kristof Everywhere you turn, it seems that somebody is telling you about your horrible retirement prospects. Expert after expert warns that Social Security won’t be around as long as you are; that your company pension — if you have one — will prove inadequate; and that Americans,…
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You’ve gotta have a goal. Is your goal to retire comfortably at age 55? A new home or car? A big college fund for the kids? Each of your financial goals are attainable — honest. The catch is that getting these things may require some trade-offs and sacrifices, so you…