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Show It Makes Cents BY VI JUDGE Dear Sweet Readers: While we were in the Dominican Republic, we could buy a huge, juicy pineapple for about 50c. Sometimes three for a dollar! Naturally, we enjoyed this delicious tropical fruit often. I had a problem, though. My thrifty nature wouldn't let me cut away the outer shell deeply enough to get out the eyes. That meant diggin' them out one by one. I'm so-o smart. It only took me nine months' to think of an easier way that would satisfy my thrift complex and also save time: Quarter the pineapple lengthwise. Cut away the core, then cut the juicy center part of each quarter away from the shell in one large piece. There'll be a lot of fruit left in the shell. Simply scrape this out with a spoon. The woody eyes will stay in the shell and you'll have a nice dish of -juicy crushed pineapple as a bonus. Ummm. I wish I had some right now. The cores, by the way, can be eaten, although they're a bit tough. They're juicy, though, and sweet. Or, you can simmer them with the shells for a few mintues and get a nice fruit-drink base to use with lemon or orange juice. Use enough water to cover them and boil gently. Even at the higher prices we have to pay here, fresh pineapple is worth it provided you can get a nice ripe one. Because there a,re different varieties, you can't always tell by the color. The best test is to pull out a few petals. If they come out easily, the fruit is ready to eat. Dear Vi: Whenever I serve roast chicken, which is quite often, I bake another one without stuffing at the same time. I use the meat from the second one for two more meals for the four of us. I may make chicken enchiladas, chicken a la king, chicken salad, or a creamy chicken noodle casserole. This' surely "saves time and makes for delicious but truly economical meals. Oh yes, before roasting the birds, I cut off the wings and save them until I have enough for a meal of mini drumsticks. And, of course, there's a big pot of soup coming up with rich broth from the wing tips, necks, gizzards, and bones of both chickens. These two ideas I got from IT MAKES CENTS, Vi, and they've really helped me stretch the food budget. My family is crazy about the wing sections. I coat them with seasoned flour and fry them crisp. And to think I used to buy only chicken parts. Ruth Baker, Provo, Utah Hurrah for you, Ruth. And a big hand to the producers who get chickens to us at such a reasonable price. I remember when chicken was a luxury instead of one of the most economical meats we can buy. Dear Vi: When I hang my wash i I - ' i on the line, I loop a rubber jar ring over the line and then hook a clothes-hanger in the ring. Even a stiff wind doesn't blow clothes off the line when hung this way. IvyG. I'm glad you sent this hint, Ivy, because it reminds me to talk about drying clothes outside or inside, either, to save energy, which, in turn, gives us more money to spend on something else. It's so easy to pop everything in the dryer, we tend to forget that many of our wash arid wear garments dry quickly and"wrinkle-free on hangers. Large articles, such as sheets, take very little time to hang outside, when the breeze can shake out and wrinkles and the fresh air can give them a clean sweet odor no commercial product can match. Bath towels, too, are easy to hang, and they take so long to dry in a dryer. I like to hang ours out until they're almost dry, then give them a quick fluff-up in the dryer. It costs from 25c to 50c a load to use the dryer. If, then, you could save 3 or 4 loads a week, your savings in a year would be $50 to $100. Remember: You can now send your suggestions directly to me. Simply address them to: IT MAKES CENTS, P.O. Box 122, St. George, Utah 84770. |