Weevils

One bad grocery shopping trip can lead to months, even years, of weevil problems. Just one doggone box of infested macaroni, and it feels like you'll never be able to eat cleanly again.

Here are a few things you can do to help.

1. Get large buckets with lids, food grade. You can buy them at your local discount or hardware store (look for clear or white, HDPE label. No colors, because the dyes may not be food grade.) Or you can go to the bakery department, local fast food places, and so on, and ask if they have any they are getting rid of. Did you know that commercial frosting comes in food grade buckets, and they get lots of it? If you buy rice or flour in large quantities, keep them in buckets with the lids sealed tight. It's not a bad idea, anyway, even if you don't have bug problems.

2. Small, family sized boxes of dry goods can be packed into the pantry inside gallon sized zip lock bags. It will protect them from becoming infested, and if they are already infested it will be much easier to see at a glance, because the bag will hold the casings. It also keeps them from letting those bugs out to infest your other food.

3. Shop carefully. Avoid boxed pasta products that do not come with an inner plastic bag. Not only do those pastas stay less fresh, but bugs can easily get into them through the seams long before you even buy the boxes. If you must buy such items, buy them at a store known for moving their products quickly and not selling expired or old products.

4. Clean your pantry carefully, regularly. Go shelf by shelf with Lysol or another such product. Wash your shelves using a disposable product like a baby wipe or a paper towel, as it may well be picking up invisible eggs.

5. FIFO. Or, as it's known to the rest of us, First In, First Out. Try to use the oldest stuff in your pantry first, so that you don't have old things lurking in the back of your pantry. When you do your clean up, look at dates and toss what needs tossing. It will not only get rid of old buggy things, it will also free up a lot of space that's been storing things that will never get used.

6. Canisters. Use them liberally for open items, such as cereal, half bags of pasta, and smaller bags of flour. (Even if it's unopened, if it has a paper bag it will eventually get buggy if not properly stored.) Make sure that your canisters close well, and either have a rubber or airtight seal, or a lid that screws on securely. If your canisters are plastic, do not wash them on the bottom rack of the dishwasher, and you might want to avoid the dishwasher altogether, as the high temperature may warp their shape just enough to make them no longer air tight. When you find a brand of canister that works well for keeping your food protected, buy a lot. Such things can go out of production and then you will have to start your trial and error process all over again.

Things to do with soap remnants

You know, what's left over when the bar is too small to use...

1. Stick them together when damp. If damp enough, they are moldable. Or you can heat and mold.
2. Shred them for bubble bath.
3. Make shower soap - Put slivers and pieces into the toe of some old pantyhose. Tie a knot in the nylon just above the toe, and another at about the knee. Hang in the shower. (hat tip to http://www.make-stuff.com/formulas/soap.html)
4. Make homemade laundry detergent.
5. Soften with hot water, then blend into liquid soap.

Save on Medicines

For anyone who doesn't already know, if you have regular prescriptions it is worth looking at Wal-Mart's list of discount medicines. For a list of common generics, they offer $4 pricing (or in many cases, $10 for three months), because they buy in such huge bulk. This is great for those who are uninsured or have unaffordable co-pays.

I have two regular medicines, which until now I have bought at the pharmacy down the street. But then we had a glitch with my insurance, and I had to either put off buying my medicines or pay for them myself. One was $92, and the other was $14. At Wal-Mart I can get three months of both for just $20, and not have to worry about running out. At my regular pharmacy that same three months would cost $318 if I paid cash, or $60 in co-pays.