Heya, I know a lot of you are super stressed right now. (I don’t think that’s going away anytime soon, either.) Since I’ve been spending all my time at home, I’ve been reacquainting myself with what I have on hand and how best to use those items. For example, have a bunch of candles with a tiny bit of wax? Pick up a candle warmer for under $10 and get more mileage out of them.

If you’re cooking at home more often, too, I’m sure you’re also discovering a few awesome ways to cut down on how much time you’re cooking. Here’s a few shortcuts I learned that helps me get back to writing:

1) For cold-brewed tea, I calculate two cups of filtered water per tea bag and let that steep in the fridge for 12 hours.

2) For cold-brewed coffee, I calculate one scoop of coarsely ground coffee beans per two cups of filtered water. The longer you steep the higher the caffeine content. The recommended time is a minimum of 18 hours, but your mileage will vary.

3) Got a bread recipe that calls for buttermilk? One teaspoon vinegar plus any milk–including nut milk–works as a substitute. Just let it curdle for a few minutes and its ready to go!

4) If you’re bored with your diet, check out the recipes on your dry goods. We’ve been experimenting with almond flour, and found a ton of recipes on the bag to try!

5) Out of yeast? Make beer bread instead. We picked up a six-pack of beer just for this purpose! Here’s a good beer bread recipe from King Arthur Flour. (Highly recommend that flour! Woo!)

I’m also upcycling and concentrating on making better use out of my closet. I’ll pop in next time with some highlights! ‘Til then.