So you planted a garden, lucked out when your property included fruit trees, stumbled upon a produce sale you just couldn’t pass up, or joined a Community Supported Agriculture group. Good for you! Now what? What will you do with all that bounty? Your choices are 1) quickly consume your harvest before it spoils, 2)…

Using aluminum foil to line cookie sheets or to keep a steak hot while you finish getting everything ready to eat are nothing new when it comes to useful household tips. But there are many other ways to use aluminum foil you haven’t heard of — ways that can save you time, money and effort….

Shopping is my thing. I love the thrill of the hunt, that feeling of discovery and the joy of a bargain. I find it satisfying in ways I cannot fully describe. I want to experience the feeling as often as possible. Shopper’s high is no joke. It’s real; it’s palpable; and it’s addictive. Shopping got…

I love a beautiful yard, but I hate spending a lot of money to get it that way, which explains why I am always looking for do-it-yourself, cheap ways to kill weeds, grow flowers and feed lawns. I have come across some very clever tips and tricks, not the least of which is to reclassify…

Longtime readers of this column may remember the reader who wanted to know where she could donate her fabric scraps. I offered details on a small organization in Texas that turns new fabric scraps into quilts for shelters, churches, and other charities. Apparently, reader G.W. was not the only reader with fabric scraps too good…

If I were keeping track of the number of responses from my readers that are filled with praise and gratitude, there would be thousands of hash marks next to Tub and Shower Soap Scum Cleaner. And the word used most often to describe it? “Magical”! But now and then, a response will report problems having…

If you are generally wary of free stuff, I’m right there with you. Most of the time, I’ve found that free stuff is like bait. It’s a tasty morsel, a big tease with the clear intent of getting us to part with money we have no intention of parting with to get whatever it is…

I love simple DIY household cleaners, not only because they’re so much cheaper than their commercial cousins but because they work better. I’m certain that over the years I’ve tried hundreds of recipes and formulas. Let’s just say that some work well; others, not so much. Recently, I’ve been researching and testing the wonders of…

I’m not certain about when a subject becomes a saga, but I think sure we’ve crossed over into saga territory on the subject of terrific ways to use Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid that have nothing to do with washing dishes. Seriously, these days, I can’t wait to open my inbox to see if there could…

I don’t really have a mailbag, but it would be fun if I did. What I do have is a file named “EC Mailbag.” That’s where I save all of the questions and letters that you, my dear readers, send to me. I just don’t have the time to respond personally, so I love it…