Obviously, waste is a huge topic in these cash strapped times, and should be at all times. Next thing I knew the morning program I always watch was doing a piece on how consumers can do a lot more to lengthen the life span of their foods, and thus cut down on throwing out perfectly good food. Turns out we confuse use by dates with best when used by dates. And if we pay more attention, and get those foods that still have some life left in them to the freezer, we gain even more time to consume them.

I also took away from the information the insight that by purchasing more already frozen foods, specifically vegetables and fruit, I will have these healthy items available when I need them, but will not have to worry about using them quickly. This means I not only do my part to cut back on food waste, but I throw away less money too. All of this has spurred me to confirm that my freezer is functioning at its optimum level, so I can fill it up and know I am acting as a more sensible homemaker on several different levels.

Another helpful hint is to take your laundry out of the dryer prior to it being completely dry, and ironing it then and there. Because they are damp, you can skip using the spray option on the iron, and it will take you less time to complete the work. However, remember to test that the items are just damp, and no longer wet, or this will not be of use.

And also remember that doing these little crafty things does not make you any less of a super homemaker, it just upgrades you to a super smart home maker. Smart and effective is the best of everything.

A regulated tenancy is a tenancy agreement that was initiated prior to 15 January 1989. In order for the tenancy to qualify as such, the tenant cannot reside in the same dwelling as the landlord. Additionally, the tenant must not benefit from any services being offered by the landlord. Some landlords provide cleaning services. Your agreement could be considered a regulated tenancy if you have declined to take advantage of these services. Tenants are provided with more rights when entering into a regulated tenancy in comparison to other sorts of tenancies. For one, there is greater protection against eviction. The establishment of a fair cost of rent is another benefit afforded from a regulated tenancy.

A second type of tenancy is an assured shorthold tenancy (AST). Again, certain criterion must be met in order for a tenancy to be classified as such. The property being rented must be privately owned. The tenancy commencement date must be 15 January 1989 or thereafter. Like a regulated tenancy, the landlord must not live anywhere on the property. As a general rule, all newly drawn up tenancies will usually fall under this category.

A third type of tenancy is simply known as an assured tenancy. An assured tenancy is quite similar to an AST. However, tenants are provided with more rights under an assured tenancy. In order for a tenancy to qualify as an assured tenancy, the rent amount must be within a certain range. For instance, any rent that exceeds £100,000 or is beneath £250 would qualify as an assured tenancy. In the city of London, the rent must fall below £1000 to qualify as an assured tenancy.

The reason for doing the above is to eliminate the extra starch and salt that are put into the liquid. These ingredients can alter the way a dish tastes, or the texture of it. In some instances the beans that are not rinsed can give off a metallic taste, but by simply rinsing them this unwanted flavour can be eliminated. Not to mention the fact that nobody is interested in adding additional salt and starch into their diet, so the drain and rinse method is a winner.

One of the best things we did in implementing such chores was to start the kids off with assigned jobs as early as possible. For instance, once they were old enough, they were responsible for picking up and putting away toys each and every day. They also placed their clothes directly into a hamper, never to leave them strewn on the floor, or furniture.In retrospect, I can whole heartedly say that these simple assignments have instilled some great traits in them. Now, whether they will forget them once they hit Uni remains to be seen. Until then, I will just bask in the glow of how well they participate now. And even if they do loose sight of the worth of the lessons they have been taught regarding home organisation for a while I bet you an ice cream that they will resurface once they have a true place of their own.

To get the ball rolling, I purchased plain round ginger snap cookies, a lovely raspberry preserve, sifted powdered sugar, and a stencil in the shape of a gingerbread man. I had everything waiting for her on the kitchen table when she entered the room first thing this morning.

She was intrigued, and appreciative enough to get started right then and there. She spread the preserve in between two cookies to create a mini sandwich, and sprinkled the sugar over the stencil to create the tiny gingerbread man. They were nothing less than adorable, and more importantly she was proud of them.

First, buy your cotton pillowcases of choice, the lighter colours work best. Other furniture covers also work with this idea so it is good to look around for other options. There are many different types of paint including metallics, oils and acrylics so be sure you understand which work better on fabric and which fabrics will absorb them the most. Couch covers and bean bag covers are a good accompaniment to match the bed cover. Also, pick up the stamp, or stamps that reflect your style, and fabric paint in a coordinating colour to the pillowcases. Then stamp till your hearts content.

Remember to read the directions on the paint for setting and then later washing the pillowcases. You do not want your artwork to get washed away.

Finally, if you like, you can find numerous other projects that will make use of your stamp. Then those items will work to further tie in the theme throughout the room or home.

So far I have attempted the chorizo, pepper and couscous stuffed marrow, and the rosemary roasted marrow. I must say that the later is by far the preference of my family and myself. For me, it was the simple effort required to prepare this dish that won me over.

Simply peel, seed and cut the marrow into wedges. Then season with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, pepper, by placing all in a bowl and mixing. Lay the wedges on a roasting tray in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180C. Cook until golden and meltingly tender. Finally, just remove the wedges from the oven and toss with grated Parmesan. Admittedly, this is becoming somewhat of a fun adventure.

So, I have come to rely upon various courgette recipes for breads, muffins and cakes. These have actually gone over quite well. Except, because of the excessive yield of the plants, we now have marrows. No telling what I can do with those guys. But, I am committed to finding the answer.

As for the tomatoes, I have resorted to making jar after jar of pasta sauces. These I have been giving away like crazy. In fact, the very neighbours who started this whole minor fiasco have been given 3 jars.

Thanks to the readily available recipes on the internet, a little creativity, and quite a bit of work, the tomatoes nor the courgettes have gone to waste. It makes me think back to early farmers and how the women of the house must have gone to great extremes to use every morsel that they grew. Picking and choosing would not have been a luxury they were afforded. Still, we al look forward to planting our own selections next year.