Cut Up Old Clothes for Rags

Don't throw out old clothes that can no longer be worn. Repurpose them into rags that can be used a variety of ways.

I try to wear things as long as I can. I mend tears and remove or cover stains. I make alterations or turn them into something else. But the day will come when they are just too far gone to be wearable, even for dirty chores.

You may be tempted to throw them out, but don't! There is one more thing you can do with them - cut them up and use them as rags. Use them to wipe up messy spills, to wipe dirty hands, and to clean with.

Here is how I cut up an old sleeveless t-shirt and an old pair of shorts.

*Bonus - be sure and save any trim and fastenings you can. If there are buttons or metal zippers, cut them out and save with your sewing supplies.

Cut Up an Old T Shirt

Before cutting, decide how large you want your pieces to be. Maybe you want a really large piece and cut down one side to open it up. Maybe, like me, you like smaller pieces, so you cut more. 

Watch the video to see how I cut up one shirt (and see how I can repurpose the banding around the neckline and sleeves).

Cup Up Old Shorts

This also works for jeans or trousers, as well as shorts. Decide how large you want your rags to be before you begin cutting.

Remove any fastenings or trim you want to keep. Buttons and metal zippers can be reused on another sewing project.

This video shows you how I did mine.

Using The Rags

Anytime you think of reaching for a paper towel, consider if one of your rags would work. I keep a large stack in the kitchen for wiping up spills, and I find them a great way to clean grease and oil from cast iron pans. When the rags get dirty, they are easy to wash and reuse until they completely fall apart.

Orange Peel Tea - Cooking With Scraps

Don't throw out orange peels. Chop them up and make a tea that is filled with Vitamin C and is thought to be good for your digestion.

When you peel an orange, what happens to the peel? Maybe you make orange marmalade or candied orange peel, but how much of those do you use?

Perhaps you put the in your compost pile. That is great, but I have something you can do with them before composting.

Make orange peel tea.

Easy to do and requires little hands-on time.

There is more vitamin C in orange peel than the fruit. The tea is also thought to benefit your digestive system.

You can also use tangerine/mandarin orange peel.

Here's how I do it.

To make orange peel tea:

1. Chop orange peel into 1/4 inch pieces. You can use fresh peel or dried.
2. Put peel in a pan. For each 2 tablespoons of fresh / 1 tablespoon of dried peel, add 1 cup water.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat.
4. Let steep one hour.
5. Strain out peel.
6. Drink warm or at room temperature.
7. You can refrigerate the leftovers for a few days, or freeze for later use.

Enjoy!

Fall 2022 Seed Order

I placed seed orders with four different seed companies. Here's what I received.

November may seem an odd time to talk about new seeds, but where I garden, zone 9b on the Atlantic coast of Florida, we are in a cooler season to grow things others grow during the summer.

For this order, I have some herbs and vegetables I'll plant now, and others that I will start as we near our last average frost date in February.

Even if you won't be able to plant for months, it is always fun to look through seeds and think about what you want to plant when you can. 

Watch the video below to see what I received.

The seed companies I ordered from were:

Baker Creek

Botanical Interests

Seed Savers

Working Food

Shrimp and Spaghetti - Quick and Easy Recipe

This shrimp and spaghetti meal is quick and easy to pull together. With only a handful of ingredients, you can have it ready to go in no time.

Last week my husband and I were trying to come up with something to have for dinner. We both wanted something "different", meaning, we hadn't eaten it in the last week or so. We each made suggestions when he said "why not do the shrimp and spaghetti thing you do with the Italian dressing."

Sounded good to me, and we were soon eating and enjoying it.

Note: I don't measure when I prepare this, so my amounts are estimates. If you are using leftovers, take what you have and go from there. Experiment and play around with it.

Ingredients

• Shrimp - I used frozen, raw shrimp; you can also use cook shrimp and this would be a great way to use up leftover shrimp
• Spaghetti or other pasta your family enjoys - if you have leftover pasta, start with that!
• Green onion, chopped - regular onion bothers both our stomachs, but green onion makes a good substitute for us
• Bottled Italian salad dressing - I have never found a homemade version I like better, but if you have one, please send it to me!
• Butter or oil to cook the shrimp in
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder (again, garlic bothers both our stomachs, but garlic powder does not so we use it instead)

Instructions

Put the water on to boil to cook the spaghetti. 

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet then add shrimp. Season with pepper and garlic and cook.

When water comes to a boil, add salt and return to a boil. Add pasta and stir in well so it cooks evenly. 

When shrimp are almost done, stir in the green onion and cook them.

When pasta is cooked, drain well and return to pan. Stir in the shrimp, then pour in some Italian dressing. Do NOT add too much to begin with - add some, stir in well, then add more if needed.

Spoon onto a plate or bowl and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Serving note - I often serve peas or green beans with this, and I usually just mix them in with the pasta, coating the vegetable with the dressing as well. This would be another way to use up leftover vegetables.

Try It Yourself

That's all there is to it! If you have already cooked food, you only need a few minutes to warm things up and put them on a plate. If you cook everything from scratch, as I did, within 45 minutes you can be eating a homecooked meal. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think.