Tag Archives: keepers at home

Saturday Bake!  Perfect bread for gravy!

The classic comfort combination of bread with gravy is global. Biscuits with gravy are served all over America now. In our home, the post – Thanksgiving hot turkey sandwich is an institution!  For many years I have strived to make the perfect bread.  One that is soft and absorbent, yet stands up to piles of turkey and gravy.

Here it is! 

I simply call it “Hot sandwich bread.”

Bread machine friendly!

In the baking pan of your bread machine:

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup regular olive oil

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 & 3/4 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon bread machine yeast (make a well in the flour for your yeast)

Set the machine to 1 & 1/2 pound loaf. Light crust! 

This makes a very soft loaf of bread, with a velvety texture. It holds up to gravy without disintegrating. 

Happy, happy home-making! 

sage

Sage’s Kitchen – Pizza!!!!

Here is my super thrifty pizza procedure! 

For the crust, I use my bread machine. It saves me time, and makes a wonderful pizza dough. 🍕

In the baking pan of your bread machine:

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (NOT bread flour!)

1 & 1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast

Set the machine to dough cycle. When it is complete, dump the dough in the center of your pizza pan. I use a 16″ perforated pizza pan to achieve super crispy crust.

Oil your hands with olive oil, and spread, press, and stretch the dough to fit the pan. You can use two smaller pizza pans. 

IF you like a softer crust, skip this part and go straight to the toppings.

IF you like a super crusty crust, place the pan on the lowest rack in your cold oven. Close the door and set oven to 425 degrees. Leave the pan in the oven until the preheat  is complete, and take it out. This “pre-bake” makes for a crusty crust and prevents the sauce from soaking into the crust. My husband loves this. Leave the oven on while you top the pizza.

Topping the pizza!

The best, cheapest sauce is homemade. I use a a pizza seasoning blend from http://www.atlanticspice.com.

Many other companies sell this blend. In a small sauce pan: one 6 ounce can tomato paste, one tablespoon pizza seasoning, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Heat the sauce for a few minutes till it smells like pizza! 

Next, generously sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella  (about 2 cups)

Pepperoni or whatever you like. About 1 cup.

Place the pizza back into your still hot oven (425 degrees) and bake for 20-25 minutes.

sage

Saturday Bake!  Cottage Cheese Dill Bread!

I usually alternate between sweet and savory. Today’s daily bread is savory.   It is bread machine friendly,  complete protein, and makes a great accompaniment to soup, salad, and is splendid for grilled sandwiches. I like it for cheese toast made in the toaster oven.

3/4 cup warm water

2/3 cup cottage cheese

1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 & 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 cups bread flour (if you make it by hand use all purpose flour)

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

1/2 teaspoon dill seeds

1 teaspoon yeast. I have been getting good results using bread machine yeast.

Add all ingredients ingredients to baking  pan in order listed. I ALWAYS spray the inside of the baking pan first.  

Be sure to make a well with the back of a spoon to put the yeast into. You do not want the yeast sinking into the wet ingredients! 

Place the baking pan into the machine, and set it to basic bread, 1.5 lb. loaf, regular crust, and turn the machine on. You will want to check after about 10 minutes to see if you need to add water or flour. Even with the add-ins, the dough should be smooth and rounded. If your dough is too wet, add flour, one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too dry, add warm water one tablespoon at a time. Smooth dough makes a better loaf.

Here is the beautiful cottage cheese dill bread, still slightly warm.  The aroma is mouth watering.

You can see my crumb saving bread cutting board. Homemade bread has a wonderful crust, which makes a lot of crumbs. I save these crumbs in the freezer to top casseroles of all kinds. And as a wonderful addition to meat loaf 

sage

Saturday Supper!  Crock pot Kraut and Apples!

This thrifty meal is perfect for busy, chilly, days. Many of us will have the ingredients on hand. I always keep apple juice and sausage in the freezer. And Granny Smith apples in the fridge.

We buy several gallons of apple cider when it is available in the fall, and store it. But apple juice works just fine.

1 lb. Sauerkraut (I only use ALDI German kraut in the glass jar)  If you use the ALDI kraut, it does not need rinsing, but rinse and squeeze out other kinds of kraut.

1 lb. Smoked Polish sausage

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 c. Packed brown sugar

3/4 t. Sea salt

1/8 t. Black pepper

1/2 t. Caraway seeds (necessary IMO)

3/4 c. Apple juice or cider

Spray the inside of crock, and place half the kraut in the bottom, spreading it evenly.

Cut sausage into 2 in. pieces and place in crock. Add the rest of the ingredients, then cover everything with the rest of the kraut.

Do not stir!

Cook on high for 3 to 3 & 1/2 hours, or low, for 6-7 hours.

Normally, I serve rye bread with this savory dish. But since I had the cider…

If you have apple cider, serve your kraut dish with apple cider bread …

This yummy recipe came directly from

breadmachinediva.com

sage

Growing Radishes At Home: Step-by-Step Guide to Grow It Yourself

Find out how to successfully grow radishes at home and discover the essential tips that will ensure a thriving garden.

Growing Radishes At Home: Step-by-Step Guide to Grow It Yourself

Good Stewardship – Cheap Thrills

John 6:12

 When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

Proverbs 18:9

He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.





  • 4-6 parts Sphagnum Peat Moss or Coir
    1 part Perlite
    1 part Vermiculite

Keeping heat in can reduce the heating bill, so I line everything with towels or insulating materials. It especially helps around the bases of the windows!


Cat Mahm:

Yes it does.

Need to kill the weeds in the driveway? Don’t buy all of that expensive weed killer.

During the spring/summer/fall months, I get a tea kettle to boil. Shortly after it has boiled, I pour it on the dandelions or persistent grass growing up through concrete. I go out the next morning and the weeds have completely withered and are easy to pull up. My driveway is weed free all year long.


Cat Mahm:

I never go out to eat. I never do take out. It’s never healthier, it’s addictive, and it’s way more expensive.

I buy my ground beef in bulk and chop it up into individual pounds, and store them in the freezer. You can do this with so many things. I would love to get a chest freezer someday. Buy everything on sale, freeze it. So many things can go in a chest freezer.


Please share your thrifty secrets with us!


Hints for Homeschoolers – She’s Called Homemaker for a Reason

“She’s called “homemaker” for a reason…she isn’t someone who keeps the basics of house upkeep. She isn’t a maid; she doesn’t just attend to the logistics. She keeps a HOME and all of the aesthetic, comfort-giving, sanctuary-like properties involved. This is one reason I think that so many Americans are unhappy. They focus on the prestige, the money-making, the status. For their obsession to be “equal” with men (they are in value, but not the same), women have pressured and have been pressured into a worldly system that says they have no value outside the world’s perception. Women are afraid to admit that they love home because they are belittled for it. All women are intended to be helpers. Helpers aren’t “the scene” themselves, but the pillars of support for the structure. Our human pride revolts at this, but when this vision is understood in increasing sanctification, it is beautified. When I was a girl, I loved being home, but did not realize the value of it as I do today—increasingly. I used to watch my mama dart like a bee from one end of the house to the other, nourishing us physically, emotionally, spiritually. I always admired it, but never applied it to myself specifically. But now, thanks to God, there is nothing I love more. I am so content—-dare I say, giddy?—over my divinely-intended role. I find myself pouring over cookbooks, homeschooling books in my free-time. It is SUCH an ART that so many people are unaware of. Mamas, don’t be ashamed to teach your daughters this. Papas, I urge you to commend the value of your wives and daughters, and to instill it in your sons. We are a society that only sees production and success in income and exterior. We need revival, and it begins in the home. Turn a deaf ear to the world and seek true joy.” ~Whitney Ann Dotson

http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/biblical-womanhood/shes-called-homemaker-for-a-reason/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Ladiesagainstfeminismcom+%28LadiesAgainstFeminism.com%29


The above short essay is a great reminder of what a true woman’s role is.  It is certainly not to get into the “rat race” and compete against men.  That whole procedure is satanic, and demeaning to both men and women, and destructive to families.  My own mother was a stay at home mom, and she did not even have a car until I was in my early teens.  She was happy to stay home, and cook.  She was also a talented artist, and being home gave her ample opportunity to fulfill those creative urges.  She looked for the approval of her family – not the approval of the world.  Many of my “friends” made underhanded remarks about the fact that my mom was always home.  Their moms had “careers.”  But, those same friends, always showed up for my mother’s cookies and pies!  While they ate those homemade treats, they often would longingly state that they wished their moms baked like that.  How little the world understands the beauty  of traditional family life.

Two new cars in the driveway is the signifier of the successful family nowadays.  Frequent and lavish vacations are the norm, as well as eating out several times a week.  Even daily in some circumstances.  Instead of cleaning and gardening (which is excellent exercise) mom goes to a gym to stay in shape.  Money is regularly paid out to nannies, housekeepers, health clubs, restaurants, and even to someone else to sew on buttons or repair a fallen hem.  Dads are so tired they can’t take care of the yard, so lawn service is paid.   What’s going on here?  The answer  is simple.  Covetousness. 

Always needing and wanting more.  More house, more bedrooms, more bathrooms, more kitchen, better neighborhood, better schools, better clothing, more clothing,  it goes on and on and on.  When does satisfaction ever come?  At what cost?  Your kids?  Your marriage?  The world says – you can have it all!  Drop your kids at daycare, drive in rush hour traffic.  Work eight or more hours a day.  Come home tired and order take-out.  Why?  Why would you do that?  For money?  What an awful statement of the world we find ourselves in.  One young woman said to me -“I want to live in a better neighborhood.”  I asked her what kind of neighborhood she thought Jesus lived in.  No answer.  And there usually isn’t.  Christians are every bit as guilty of materialism as their worldly counterparts. 

The fact is, that everything you are working for outside the home, will not be coming with you in the next life.  The only thing in this short life we have, that we can possibly take with us into eternity – is our children.  Your mission is not to have a spectacular home, and many possessions – your true mission as a woman is to be a “keeper at home.”  It has more responsibility than any job in the outside world.  and its rewards are far reaching.  Way farther than the amount you have in the bank.  Your greatest responsibility is to lead your children to a saving knowledge of Christ, and guide them on the path of righteousness. 

Proverbs 14:1

Sage’s Sewing Space – Bounty of Buttons

I suppose most homemakers don’t have the amount of buttons I have – accumulated through inheritance and every other avenue possible.  For quite some time, my buttons were kept in the giant glass salad dressing jar that held my mother’s buttons.  It held a respectable amount of buttons – all akimbo! 

buttons

My mother felt this was a good system, even though it required a tedious hunting and pecking effort to locate a single button, let alone several matching buttons.  I, however, am not my mother.  And I confess to being a tad, OK, a LOT more needy of organization than she was.  While I won’t go so far as to say my “buttons were being pushed”  – I admit to feeling anxious about them. 

I was compelled to troll Pinterest in search of ideas.  Alas, nothing was presented that would organize the gigantic amount and variety of buttons I had.  The ideas ranged from spice racks to customized shelving.  My penury nature resisted the idea of spending any money whatsoever. 

buttons 1
buttons 2
buttons 3

Garage sales had yielded a bonanza of canning jars the previous summer – and I had my answer.  By sorting the buttons into cute 4 oz. “quilted” jelly jars, I had my favorite things all at once.  Organization – and  thrift.  For someone like me – this is organizing ecstasy.  And since I have a large amount of white and off white buttons, those are divided by size as well.  This solved all at once the huge amount of buttons, which was even greater than my mother’s had been.  And they are easy to locate by color – without labeling.  I love labeling as much as the next “organ-ista” but if I can avoid labels,  I do, because to my way of thinking  –  it’s one less thing to spend money on.    And – these jelly jars are readily available – should I need more (yikes!) or if one should break.  I realize not everyone has this amount of buttons – but this will also work well with large beads and sequins!  I do some sequin work when I make a costume or an evening gown – and they are difficult to store.  They are so light in weight – and easily scatter all over the place.  With the sequins in the jelly jars, I can just dip my beading needle into the jar, and come out with a sequin.  Very smooth!

sequins

In this image you can only see the multi-colored sequins, but in other jars are iridescent, solid  black,  and solid white sequins, as well as specialty sequins shaped like stars and snowflakes.  I do not however – use these jars to store beads – that is another topic entirely. 

basket 1

The next question was – where to put the twenty jelly jars so they would be largely out of the way, but still easily accessible?  A trip to the attic revealed a dusty, black wire, two tiered fruit basket.  I already have a combination wrought iron banana hangar with a fruit basket underneath – so the one from the attic was just taking up space.  Viola!  While the proportions in the picture are deceptive in size, I assure you that there are twenty jelly jars in that fruit basket.  The height of the total basket is 17.5″ and the diameter of the large and deep bottom basket is 13.5.”  More than enough space and easy to see.  This whole thing is set on top of my grandmother’s extremely heavy wrought iron plant stand – which at this time I do not use for plants.  Since buttons are not looked at as often as my other sewing notions – this arrangement keeps them out of they way in my work area, and makes a decorative display for the sewing space.  The faceted “quilting” on the jelly jars makes beautiful buttons even more lovely.  Dusting is easily accomplished with some kind of duster with a handle on it – like a Swiffer or one with lamb’s wool.  

basket 2

It is evident to me, from nature, that our God, is a God of order.  He makes things beautiful and orderly.  What a nice way to emulate our Creator!  Living with order can create harmony and a sense of calmness in our homes.  He is never careless with His creation – we should never be careless with what  He has given us. 

Psalm 40:5

Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Crock Pot Coveting

How, you say.  How could anyone covet something as mundane as a Crock Pot?  Well, when you already own several working Crocks you don’t need another one.  Or do you?  This new Crock takes crockery cooking to the sublime level – and I don’t mind sharing with our readers, that I have already let the interested parties know what they can gift me with should they so desire. . .

smart technology cooker

Oh my – this is right up there with my new sewing machine that I saved and saved for.  You program in what kind of food you are cooking, and when you want it done,  it does the rest.  Gives me goosebumps!

This description comes from the Crock Pot website:

Details & Features

The Crock-Pot® Slow Cooker featuring Smart Cook™ Technology is the ultimate in convenience and style. No longer feel restricted to what days you use your slow cooker or what cook times fit your lifestyle. The Smart Cook™ Technology allows you to select your “Ready At” time and your protein type and then it does all the thinking for you. Food will cook to the optimal temperature to be ready when you want it to be. Recipes that normally call for 6-8 hours can be extended for up to 12 hours, while recipes with 10-12 hour recommendations can be shortened to 6 hours. This slow cooker’s modern design is evident with a polished, stainless steel exterior and stylish metal handles with a silicone wrap. Manual controls include Low, High, and Warm cook settings to adapt to more delicate recipes that require shorter cooking times. When the “Ready At” time has arrived, this slow cooker automatically shifts over to a convenient keep-warm mode. The cooking indicator and keep warm indicator lights offer at-a-glance convenience. Serving your dish is effortless. The 6.5-quart, removable stoneware provides a smooth transition from countertop to tabletop; no other dishes necessary. Plus, the stoneware and glass lid are dishwasher-safe, making clean up quick and easy.

Features:

  • Smart Cook™ Technology allows you to select your “Ready At” time and your protein type allowing the slow cooker to do the rest of the work for you
  • 6-8 hour recipes can be extended for up to 12 hours & 10-12 hour recipes can be shortened to 6 hours
  • Slow cooker automatically shifts to convenient keep-warm mode when cooking is complete
  • 6.5 quart capacity, serves 7+ people
  • At-a-glance cooking and keep warm indicator lights included
  • BONUS: Cookbook with over 25 delicious recipes specific for this slow cooker.
  • Polished stainless steel exterior
  • Stylish metal handles with silicone wrap
  • Removable oval stoneware
  • Dishwasher-safe stoneware and glass lid

Please don’t think we get any kind of remuneration for featuring this – I just try however I can to help home school moms in their challenging mission to do it all and not crumble under the stress.  Crockery cooking is one of the best ways to accomplish everything, save money, and reduce stress all around.  The newer crocks have a “keep warm” feature, that stops the cooking process, but will enable any late arrivals at your house for dinner (like husbands that work overtime, or teens that have part-time jobs) to have a really great, hot meal,  rather than microwaved leftovers.  And lets face it – sometimes we are too tired to cook up a fabulous dinner in the late afternoon or early evening after a full day of home schooling and home keeping.  If dinner is already made – you’ve got it made! 

EASY CROCK POT PORK CHOPS

I frequently buy huge packages of pork chops on sale at SAM’s Club.  I repackage it when I get home, putting about 7 chops in each package.  Very often, the packages of chops are so huge – that I can make each of these recipes twice from the one huge purchase.  Uber thrifty!

One of the packs gets breaded and pan fried with this coating:

  • 1/3 cup cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup rye flour
  • 1/3 cup raw wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Mix a couple of eggs with a small amount of milk, dipping each chop into batter and then into wheat germ breading mixture.  Fry until no longer pink inside. 

With one of the packs of chops, I remove any bones, and cook the chops on low in crock pot for about 10 hours with onions and barbecue sauce.  The chops shred effortlessly after this, and are piled onto buns for pulled pork sandwiches.  So easy and good! 

With another of the packs of chops, I place one sliced onion in the bottom of crock, top with chops, and then top with two undiluted cans of tomato soup.  Bake on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 8-10 hours.  Everyone loves this – even people who don’t like pork chops. 

baby birds

PROVERBS 25:24    

 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. . .

Hints for Homeschoolers – Divide and Conquer!

Your housework that is!  

The method I use, will not work for everyone.  The reason being, that everyone has a different home, different family, and even different kinds of dirt.  For example – only some of you need to think about water softeners or septic systems.  My house is on the large size (we are downsizing in the next two years.)  We also have well water, which makes things a little more challenging despite a high-tech water treatment set-up in the basement.  But I digress – here is the daily outline:

  • Sunday is for church.  After church, in general, Sundays are pets and plants day.  The houseplants get undivided attention for one hour per week, including watering, re-potting, pruning, rotating, and fertilizing. I find this activity very relaxing and soothing, even restful.  I can usually take a great nap after the indoor gardening session.   This was also the day I used to clean ears and teeth, and trim nails on my dog – but she left us this past summer. . .
  • Monday is clean the kitchen day because Tuesday is when trash and recycling is picked up.  It’s a good day for me to rummage the fridge for anything that needs to go in the garbage since it will be gone the next morning.  Living in the woods prevents me from putting anything that might interest animals into the outside trash until the last possible moment.  Twenty minutes are spent de-cluttering and organizing, twenty minutes are spent dusting, and twenty minutes are spent on the floor.  I set a timer for each twenty minute block of time.  I also clean the downstairs half bath on Monday.
  • Tuesday is a light cleaning day – just the family room.  There are a lot of book shelves in there, which get swiped  each week with a Swiffer duster.  It’s great for the tops of books – which can be ruined by embedded dust.  A lot of dusting here – twenty minutes dusting, twenty minutes straightening and organizing, and twenty minutes on the floor.  It’s the same amount of time I spend in the kitchen – but not nearly as strenuous.  Tuesday is also the day I take care of any ironing.  The upstairs small bath gets cleaned today too since it is the easiest bath to clean. 
  • Wednesday is devoted to the basement laundry room.  It is huge, because the house was built long before the electric dryer was available.  I also have a recumbent exercise bike, a large wooden potting bench, and two cat trees in the laundry room.  This room can get horribly filthy, because it opens to the wooded back yard, and is on grade level.  Once again, twenty minutes of organizing and de-cluttering, twenty minutes of dusting and scrubbing (there are five windows in just this area!) and twenty minutes on the floor.  If I don’t time myself – I could get carried away here – because the vacuuming is endless.  Especially around the ceiling cobwebs.  There is also a room down here with a fireplace that we used as a bedroom.  It gets tackled along with the laundry room. 
  • Thursday is another light cleaning day, involving only the formal dining room and parlor.  Lots of attention to detail, but it’s never too cluttered or dirty, because it is off limits most of the time.  In general, I am the only one in the parlor on a daily basis because of the piano.  Some people would say that is trending towards fussy and the ridiculous, but as any mom knows, it is nice to have a portion of the house that is always clean and presentable.  This area also holds antiques, which take some attention.  The large cupboard in the dining room gets a good work over inside, (something always needs rearranging in there!) then twenty minutes dusting, and twenty minutes on the floors.  The downstairs half bath gets cleaned again because it gets the most use, and is the bath used by guests.  Since this cleaning is so light – Thursdays are designated for errands like grocery shopping, etc. 
  • Fridays are devoted to the upstairs, which includes three bedrooms, the sewing room, and the family bath.  I change the sheets in the master, and clean the family bath. (This house does not have a master bath.)  The other member of the family are required to change their own linens and clean their own rooms.  Twenty minutes are spent organizing the master bedroom, twenty minutes are spent dusting that room and the hall, and twenty minutes are spent on the floors including the stairs going down.  The sewing room gets a little attention every day.  But that’s for another post! 
  • Saturdays are the most changeable, because of DH.  His office dwells in half of the lower level.  If he is working in there on Saturday – I do not clean it.  It has a full bath, which I also may have to skip because of his schedule.  On those days – I go all the way up, up, up, and work on the attic.  This is a full blown, old fashioned attic that you can walk around in.  Spiders love it.  I could spend hours in here – but once again, I time the twenty minutes organizing, twenty minutes dusting, and twenty minutes on the floor, and staircase leading down.  Saturdays are also my day for baking – usually in the afternoon.  If the weather is nice, (not often) I will go outside instead of the attic, and work on the garage and storage shed. 
ants

I don’t mind telling you, that this monstrous house was much easier to take care of when all of my helpers were available.  But, like I told DH – it’s good exercise, and I feel wonderful after it’s done.  The key to all this clean comfort is not trying to do too much at once – and not procrastinating. 

One technique I’ve adapted is “overlap” vacuuming.  I attach an appliance grade extension cord to my vacuum cleaner’s regular cord.  It gets plugged into an outlet near the entry of the particular area I’m working on that day.  After doing the thorough vacuum of the focus area – I continue vacuuming out as far as I can go with the extension cord.  Not going into corners or anything – just getting the general area done.  This makes everything easier, and prevents tracking into the room that has just been cleaned.  This system allows for the kitchen floor to get a once over three times a week!  And I don’t know about yours – but mine needs that!

cottage in snow

Some day, hopefully sooner rather than later, we will be moving onto our retirement program, but until then, it is my responsibility to keep this home to the best of my ability.  I  know some young moms who think they would be happier if they only had more room – but let me assure you – your kids grow up and leave – and you are then left in a huge, empty house!  But I also know – that if I can keep this place in order – you can do it in your home too. 

Titus 2:3-5

King James Version (KJV)

home keeping

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed.

Hints for Home Schoolers – Helpful Handmaids #2 – Dryer

I know some of the lovely keepers out there are purists, and my admiration of them knows no bounds.  They are those that hang all washing on the line – inside and out. They save tons of money. . . sigh.  I’m not one of those ladies.  I use, and love, an electric dryer.  

dryer

Yes, I even do it in the summer.  For our family and where we live – it could almost qualify as self defense.    The amount of wildlife here would guarantee that some of the laundry would succumb to some beastie activities – not to mention mulberry stained bird droppings!  Another logistical point for our dryer use – pet hair.  Only a dryer will remove cat hair from laundry.

I probably should have covered the washing machine first – but as winter is right at the door, and it will be another week before the next Helpful Handmaids post, I wanted to share how your dryer can do double duty during cold weather.  Let’s first cover the basics, that most of us already know.

  1. Medium sized loads dry faster than small or large loads.
  2. Clean lint filter between loads – and sometimes in the middle of a cycle too!  It will help very linty loads like towels dry much, much faster. 
  3. The dryer exhaust duct must be frequently cleaned – even if you have a flap closure outside – critters can still get in there, in addition to the normal accumulation of lint. 
  4. Wash the lint screen occasionally, to remove any oils or residue from fabric softeners.  I spray mine with the spray cleaner from this Hints for Homeschoolers, scrub with a toothbrush, rinse thoroughly, and allow to air dry. 
  5. Running loads consecutively will be much more economical than doing one load a day.  It takes more energy for the dryer to heat up initially.  If you put one load in after another – the retained heat from the previous load will not only dry the next loads faster – it will reduce the energy required to heat the dryer.
  6. The top of the dryer makes a nice, warm place for yeast raised baked goods to rise.  Just cover with a plastic wrap, or a clean, lint free towel – and your bread or rolls will rise beautifully.
  7. Start with the lower settings loads (synthetics) finishing with the hottest, longest running load (like towels) so that you do not risk putting delicate things into a too hot dryer.
  8. A brush that will reach into the lint trap area is a good investment.   

This next section, will only be helpful to keepers living in cold winter areas.  It involves getting free heat from your dryer!  While it’s true that dryers warm the air in general while running, we’re talking about being more proactive.  By venting the heated air from the dryer to the inside during the winter – you can capture all that warm, moist air for free! In addition – you block cold air from entering the house through the dryer vent when not in use.

conversion kit

The outdoor duct is blocked off and insulated, while the duct work itself is attached to this lint trap.  Mine sits on a shelf above my washer and dryer.  The air from the dryer is vented into the trap, which is filled with water to trap lint.   If you have never seen how this works – you will be completely amazed and how much heat comes into your home from the dryer.  Not only that – in the frigid months – the air in houses can be dryer than the Mojave desert.  The free humidity is another bonus.  

This simple contraption costs less than $20, and is even available on Amazon.  We have used the same one for over fifteen years.  Our house is large, old, and difficult to heat.  With the laundry room under the kitchen – the entire kitchen floor is toasty while the dryer is running.  It takes my husband about 45 minutes to make the change over.  In the fall, he usually does it the last week of October; and in the spring, he changes it back to outside venting in the first week of April. 

Two young couples we know, have started doing this in their tiny houses.  When the dryer is running – their central heating turns off! 

plastic mesh

I do recommend, however, that you use a piece of plastic needlepoint canvas like this, cut to fit the vent, to capture more of the lint.  Very easy to clean, and cheap! 

Happy drying – and I hope  that you may glean something valuable from these hints.  May your precious family bask in the love you have for them, and may your home- keeping reflect the love of Christ to the world.  Having your jewels snuggled into clean and soft clothing and sleep-ware,  is like a tender embrace from you.  What a blessing it is, to have a  family to do laundry for.  While you are folding and handling their clothing, warm from the dryer – pray for each of  those the LORD has entrusted to you. 

cottage in snow

Proverbs 31:21                  

King James Version (KJV)

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.