Category Archives: Home, Car, Yard, and Pets

Winter Storm & Extreme Cold: Preparation For Disaster

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Before Winter Storms and Extreme Cold

Add the following supplies to your disaster supplies kit:

  • Rock salt to melt ice on walkways
  • Sand to improve traction
  • Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.

Prepare your home and family

  • Prepare for possible isolation in your home by having sufficient heating fuel; regular fuel sources may be cut off. For example, store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
  • Winterize your home to extend the life of your fuel supply by insulating walls and attics, caulking and weather-stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows or covering windows with plastic.
  • Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock or equipment. Clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on a house or other structure during a storm.
  • Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.
  • Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
  • Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
  • Know ahead of time what you should do to help elderly or disabled friends, neighbors or employees.
  • Hire a contractor to check the structural ability of the roof to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow – or water, if drains on flat roofs do not work.

Prepare your car

  • Check or have a mechanic check the following items on your car:
    • Antifreeze levels – ensure they are sufficient to avoid freezing.
    • Battery and ignition system – should be in top condition and battery terminals should be clean.
    • Brakes – check for wear and fluid levels.
    • Exhaust system – check for leaks and crimped pipes andrepair or replace as necessary. Carbon monoxide is deadly and usually gives no warning.
    • Fuel and air filters – replace and keep water out of the system by using additives and maintaining a full tank of gas.
    • Heater and defroster – ensure they work properly.
    • Lights and flashing hazard lights – check for serviceability.
    • Oil – check for level and weight. Heavier oils congeal more at low temperatures and do not lubricate as well.
    • Thermostat – ensure it works properly.
    • Windshield wiper equipment – repair any problems and maintain proper washer fluid level.
  • Install good winter tires. Make sure the tires have adequate tread. All-weather radials are usually adequate for most winter conditions. However, some jurisdictions require that to drive on their roads, vehicles must be equipped with chains or snow tires with studs.
  • Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter season.
  • Place a winter emergency kit in each car that includes:
    • a shovel
    • windshield scraper and small broom
    • flashlight
    • battery powered radio
    • extra batteries
    • water
    • snack food
    • matches
    • extra hats, socks and mittens
    • First aid kit with pocket knife
    • Necessary medications
    • blanket(s)
    • tow chain or rope
    • road salt and sand
    • booster cables
    • emergency flares
    • fluorescent distress flag

Dress for the Weather

  • Wear several layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent.
  • Wear mittens, which are warmer than gloves.
  • Wear a hat.
  • Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.

Making A Herb & Floral Wreath For Any Occasion

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Fragrant wreaths of lavender, eucalpytus, summer savory, and thyme disappear from our stand at the Saturday Farmers Market  almost as quickly as we can make them. And when we are surrounded by crowds and our adrenaline is up, that’s darn fast—less than five minutes per wreath. What many of our customers really covet, however, is the neat little gizmo we use to make them. “Boy, could I use one of those,” said one gardener, with undis­guised envy. “At the end of the season, I have all these herbs that need to be pruned, and it just kills me to toss them. With this, I could make wreaths for all my friends.”

We are an organic herb and flower grower and we understand that point of view. A desire not to let any harvest go to waste is what led us to design this tool, which is a simplified version of a commercial jig. So we are shar­ing instructions for making one, as well as providing suggestions for how to use the jig to create simple wreaths from end-of-the-season garden clippings.

Our jig, which is nothing more than a ring of evenly spaced dowels se­cured in a plywood base, frees our hands. The dowels hold the herb cuttings in place as we assemble them, then guide the twine when we are ready to bundle the lot together into a wreath. The directions are for a jig to make a wreath that is 10 inches in di­ameter. Our most popular size, but you can make a larger or smaller jig. Enjoy your wreath while the herbs re­tain their savor and color. Then toss it into the compost and make another.

How to make a wreath jig
You can make your own jig following the directions below.
TIME: 1/2 hours to make, plus several hours to dry
COST: $10 to $15
MATERIALS
•Two squares of 3/4-inch-thick plywood a few inches larger than the desired diam­eter of your wreath. For example, cut two 13-inch squares for a 10-inch wreath.

•Compass, pencil, drill with 1/2-inch bit, wood glue, clamps, mallet

•A dozen 1/2-inch-thick hardwood dow­els, cut to 4 3/4-inch lengths

DIRECTIONS
1.  Using the compass, draw a 10-inch circle in the center of one plywood square.
2. To place dowels, mark 12 equally spaced spots around the circle.
3. At each mark, drill a 1/2-inch-wide hole completely through the plywood.
4. Coat one side of the second plywood square with a generous amount of glue. Affix the first square on top. Use clamps to hold the two squares together while the glue dries (or weight them with heavy books).
5. Drip glue inside each dowel hole and pound dowels into place with a mallet.
Wipe off any excess glue. Allow glue to dry thoroughly—for at least several hours—before using the jig.

How to make a wreath
1.  Use plants with sturdy but still pli­able stems for  your bottom layer. We favor baby blue eucalyptus rosemary, curly willow, cedar, and pine. One stem at a time, place the cuttings inside the dowel cir­cle. Start with stem ends, tucking them under foliage. Alternate starting points on opposite sides of the jig. That way the wreath stays balanced.
2.  Pile on herbs with a light texture— lavender, savory, thyme, and scented geraniums (whatever needs pruning). Save the most fragrant clippings (such as rosemary, right) and those with blossoms for the top layer.
3.  Cut a 5-foot piece of twine (about two  arm’s  lengths).  Starting  at  any point, tie the twine around all layers of the wreath. Hide the knot on the inside of the wreath; don’t trim the ends yet. Working from the inside out, loop the twine around the wreath, using the dowels to help guide the twine. Pull the twine taut with each wrap.
4. Tie the end of the twine to your orig­inal knot. Clip twine ends.

People Food For Your Dog & Cat

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You share a lot with your pet: your home, your affection. To help build strong muscles, bones and a shiny coat, you should also share home-cooked meats, veggies and whole grains. Here’s how to do it right.
1 Work with your vet. Design a home-cooked diet that’s right for your pet’s breed, age and size with advice from your vet. Have your pet’s eating plan reevaluated at annual check-up time, or sooner if you notice health changes like lethargy or a dull coat.
2 Serve a variety of foods. About 30 percent of your pet’s diet should consist of food you make yourself, and should include meat (ask your vet whether meat should be raw or cooked), grains, vegetables and fruit.
3 Don’t overfeed! More than 45 percent of dogs and 55 percent of cats are overweight due to overfeeding. Any homemade food you feed your pet should be part of their normal diet, not in addition to it.
4 Teach good table manners. Incorporating people food into your pal’s diet doesn’t mean you should teach him to beg for table scraps. Serve meals in a bowl he’s used to eating from, away from your table and on a regular schedule— two or three times a day depending on activity level.
5 Avoid these toxic foods. Some human foods contain ingredients that can harm dogs and cats. Never feed them grapes or raisins, choco­late or caffeine, onions or garlic, processed food or raw eggs.

Frozen Turkey??? Here’s A Fix!

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Did you forget to unthaw your turkey?

No problem!

It’s perfectly safe to cook a frozen turkey. Here’s how- Remember it takes about 50% longer to cook a frozen vs. a thawed turkey so make sure you don’t buy one over 18 lbs. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Unwrap the turkey and bake in the oven for one hour.  Remove the turkey and brush with olive oil and season with poultry seasoning.  Place turkey back in the oven for two more hours.  Then remove turkey again and pull out bag of giblets. The bag should be soft at this point and no longer frozen.  This is the hardest part but you have to do it because you don’t want the bag to melt or you won’t be able to eat the turkey.   After you remove the plastic bag of giblets continue roasting the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.  A 12 lb frozen turkey usually takes about 4 ½ – 5 hours to roast. Use an instant read thermometer not the pop up button to determine how done it is.

Your turkey is done and problem solved!

PS: As noted by a comment… this technique should also work with a chicken… and a ham!

Christmas Tree Decorating: A Space Saving Tip

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Branch out of traditional tree trimming mode with some mega paper ornaments that amp up the party spirit.

HERE’S HOW
Buy a selection of paper balls and bells at your local party shop. String lights as usual. Attach the paper  decorations to your tree and finish off with a crepe paper garland.