Be Gourmet With Less: 12 Ingredients that Add Zest to any Meal

From Wisebread.com, 

My personal favorite:

"Toasted nuts – Just about any nut can add some crunch and depth to your recipes. Julie Languille, of Dinners in a Flash, favors toasted hazelnuts, pinenuts, and almonds. She suggests adding a few tablespoons to salad and pasta for an extra special treat! "

Check out the rest of the article here.

Watch All Your Favorite TV Shows On Demand Using An EEE PC

I recently bought an Asus EEE netbook (4 G version) and it's great! Here's what CNet had to say:

For less than $400, the Asus Eee PC 4G offers an impressive package for portable Web surfing and basic productivity, as long as you keep expectations tempered. The incredibly approachable price outweighs any shortcomings; it's a near perfect choice for a highly portable second or backup laptop.

I bought mine for less than $300 and I use it not only as a laptop, but I've connected it to my kitchen flat panel television for use as a streaming media device. It's great! I can go to YouTube, Hulu.com or any of the major broadcasters and get virtually every television show on broadcast or cable - for free and on demand.

Hulu especially has thousands of episodes of the latest shows , and the average episode contains less than two minutes of commercials. Why pay for cable tv?

Comed (Exelon) Customers: Save an Easy $40! Off Your Utility Bill

Sign up for Comed's air conditioner cycling program and save $10 off your electricity bill every month from June - September.  The catch?  On the absolute hottest days, Comed might turn off your air conditioner for up to 3 hours on weekdays between 11am and 8pm.

Hot tip: this summer, my air conditioner never shut down - it simply didn't get hot enough to drive electricity prices that high.

A chance to reduce energy, reduce pollution (because it prevents backline, dirty coal-fired plants from starting up) and save money!

Interested in other ways to cut your electricity bill?  Check out Comed's Smart Ideas page for more tips and resources!

Skype and Virgin Mobile: Save 20% On Phone Bills!

Two years ago, I dropped my landline in favor of Skype ($.02 / minute) and a pay as you go cellphone through Virgin Mobile USA ($.25 / minute - no monthly charges).

In the last 12 months, I've spent $125.45 on phone bills. Reviewing VMUsa for some options, I noticed that they had adjusted one of the tiers: $.20 per minute with no fixed monthly fees. Moving to the new plan will save me 20% off the top!

Virgin Mobile also has a program where you can watch and rate web ads to "earn airtime in your spare time". And since I've been earning about 25 minutes of free airtime a week, I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to cut my overall expenses in half over the next 12 months.

Check out their website - Virgin Mobile has several different plan options.  If you do decide to get a phone, enter code X6MVqMNp when you activate it online. We'll both get a free $20 in airtime.  You can also pick up Virgin Mobile phones at Best Buy or Walmart, I think.