Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Adventure of the Seas - Quebec City, Quebec CA Day 3

Started our day with a yummy breakfast at Hotel Le Dauphin and then jumped in the rental car to drive the 150 miles to Quebec City to get on the ship, Adventure of the Seas. The ship was going to be in port overnight and departing the next day so there was no rush to get on. It was a beautiful drive up to Quebec City, as the leaves were turning. The landscape was on fire.
 On the way up we decided to visit Montmorency Falls, just outside of Quebec City while we still had a vehicle. It was a cold and blustery day. We didn't have a lot of time before the car rental was due so we didn't go to the top and walk across the falls, but you can. There is also a gondola you can ride to the top for a nominal fee. These falls were beautiful. They are higher than Niagra Falls at 270 feet.



 After visiting the Falls we drove back to Quebec City and returned the car, which was an adventure in itself. There was a long line of people waiting outside the Avis office for someone to return a car, so they were glad to see us! We had dropped our big bags at the ship earlier, so we just had backpacks to walk back the kilometer back to the ship. We wondered around and took some pictures of town.




 When we got on the ship we dropped our stuff and wandered around. We checked out our dinner table and of course it was not a large table, only a 4 top for us and our friends. We got that straightened out and got a 8 top where we met two sisters Kathy and Chrissy, and there husbands Mark and Joel. They hailed from California and Alabama. We all connected and enjoyed our dinners every night in the main dining room until they turned the lights on to kick us out. It was a great experience, and is exactly the reason we always request a large table in the dining room. The great connection finally happened, and it probably won't again for ten years.

We unpacked our folding bicycles in the room for ride around the port the next day. We didn't get off that ship in the evening because it started to rain. We enjoyed our first night in the Diamond Lounge even though it was super crowded. There were over 1000 diamond members trying to get drinks in a small room with 60 chairs. Staff soon set up an extra bar in the Blue Moon to serve drinks and that helped. They served potstickers and chicken wings for appetizers. Yum!






Kanes Strikeout Promo #RAYS 2018-2019 Season

 
Batter Up! If the Tampa Bay Rays get 10 strikeouts, you'll get 2 FREE tacos & a side of chips from a participating TIJUANA FLATS. Participating locations: Tampa, St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers, Naples, Orlando, Daytona, Gainsville & Ocala Florida Markets. 
No purchase necessary. 

Within 7 days of the 10 strikeout home game, bring in one of these qualifying items to any Kane's Showroom and get a coupon for FREE TIJUANA FLATS:
Ticket Stub
Seat Locator Receipt (for Flex Pack Cardholders)
Web Voucher (printed or on phone)

For More Information

PLEASE NOTE: Limit one FREE coupon per person per ticket stub/receipt/web voucher, per game. No purchase necessary.
You must be 18 years of age & you must redeem your ticket stub/receipt at Kane's within 7 days of the 10 strikeout home game date.
Meal consists of 2 FREE tacos & side of chips. Restrictions may apply. See coupon for details.



Tampa Bay Rays 2017 Promotion

Batter Up! If the Tampa Bay Rays get 10 strikeouts, you'll get a FREE WHOPPER Sandwich Combo Meal of your choice from a participating Burger King. 

Within 7 days of the 10 strikeout home game, bring in one of these qualifying items to any Kane's Showroom and get a coupon for a FREE WHOPPER Sandwich Combo Meal from Burger King:
Ticket Stub
Seat Locator Receipt (for Flex Pack Cardholders)
Web Voucher (printed or on phone)
http://www.kanesstrikeout.com/

PLEASE NOTE: Limit one FREE WHOPPER Sandwich Combo Meal coupon per person per ticket stub/receipt/web voucher, per game. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years of age & you must redeem your ticket stub/receipt at Kane's within 7 days of the 10 strikeout home game date.
Click Here To View The Strikeout Contest Rules

The Kanes stores usually let you redeem several printouts at one time so if the RAYS do 10 strikeouts in successive games, just bring the vouchers in at the same time. Bring your spouse too.

#Rays Got 10 Strikeouts! 2016 Free Wawa Sub Sandwich



It's back again this year, when the Tampa bay #Rays get 10 strikeouts against the other team, Kanes and Wawa will give you a free sub! You don't even have to attend the game, just print this voucher from your printer and bring it to Kanes within 7 days of the game with ten strikeouts. They will exchange your voucher for a coupon to Wawa to get a free short hoagie.

Tampa Bay Rays Promotion
Batter Up! If the Tampa Bay Rays get 10 strikeouts, you'll get a FREE Shorti Hoagie of your choice from a participating Wawa. 

Within 7 days of the 10 strikeout home game, bring in one of these qualifying items to any Kane's Showroom and get a coupon for a Shorti Hoagie from Wawa:
Ticket Stub
Seat Locator Receipt (for Flex Pack Cardholders)
Web Voucher (printed or on phone)


http://www.kanesstrikeout.com/

PLEASE NOTE: Limit one FREE hoagie coupon per person per ticket stub/receipt/web voucher, per game. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years of age & you must redeem your ticket stub/receipt at Kane's within 7 days of the 10 strikeout home game date.
To find out if the Rays got 10 strikeouts you can check your newspaper and look under the other team they played and if the number of strikeouts is 10 or greater you can get the promotion. If you're not sure, you could just go to http://www.kanesstrikeout.com/ to see if the voucher shows a game date within the past 7 days.

The Rays got 10 strikeouts on 6/14/16 and the voucher must be redeemed by Tuesday 06/21/16 at Kanes.


Another Tampa Bay Rays Promotion
Papa John's Pizza - get 50% with code RAYS6 the day after they get 6 runs in a game, which they did on the 14th. So today the 15th you can get a Large Pizza for $7.49

How to Get A Free Moe's Burrito

 

1. Download the Moe’s Rockin’ Rewards app on iTunes or Google Play.
2. Create an account with your email address or Facebook account. (Using Facebook will earn you an extra 50 points.)
3. Click on “Offers” in the bottom right-hand corner of the app, and you’ll see your coupon for a FREE burrito, which you can redeem at the Moe’s nearest you.
4. You can also enter another user’s referral code (mine is MARIE39) to get an additional 500 points — which I’d say is worth it, because 1,000 points will get you $10 in store credit. 

To rack up the other 500 points, you can either spend $50 (you earn 10 points for every dollar spent), or refer friends. For everyone who signs up through your link, and then uses the app in-store, you get 100 points. So get five friends to join, and you’ll have $10 in Moe’s credit!
The promo runs from now until August 14, 2016.
Once you sign up, you must redeem the offer in-store within seven days… But I doubt you’ll wait that long when a free burrito is calling your name!

#ChexPartyMix Holiday Snack #Recipe @PlatefullCoOp


No holiday party would be complete without a delicious party mix to munch on while sharing laughs and fun. Fortunately, Chex makes it easy with over 100 Chex Party Mix recipes, including 50 gluten free recipes, with ingredients available at Publix. Visit http://chexpartymix.com/recipes to see all the recipes.

The recipe I made was the Mexican Hot Chocolate Chex Party Mix with cinnamon, chocolate, marshmallow and coconut, takes only 15 minutes to make and is sure to be a hit. Just measure the cereal, then melt the butter, chocolate chips in a separate bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk. Pour the chocolate sauce on the Chex mix while stirring and heating in the microwave. It is a crispy, sweet delicious snack.
 
Be on the lookout for in-store savings and digital coupons on the www.ReadyPlanSave.com website, and share the following sales info with your fellow Publix shoppers!

In-Store Savings
  • Chex Cereal $3.79 on BOGO from 11/20 – 11/26*, no coupon required for savings, available at Publix. *Dates might vary in certain markets.
Printable Coupons
  • Visit www.ReadyPlanSave.com to clip and print your coupons. Available while supplies last.
  • Save $1 when you buy 2 Chex cereals
 #ChexPartyMix and #paid
@PlatefullCoOp

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.

Green Bean Casserole with Outback Fried Bloomin Onions


Green Bean Casserole is everyone's favorite #recipe, whether its for a holiday meal or just as a vegetable side dish. I tried a new twist with my green bean casserole this time by making it using our left over Outback Fried Bloomin' Onion we got free from the recent Flugtag "The Onion Flew" promotion. And this isn't the first free Outback Bloomin' Onion we've gotten this summer, since Ryan Newman has Outback for a sponsor they've been giving away free onions every Monday after Ryan comes in the top ten finishes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. It's actually very frugal to prepare since you can always get canned vegetables and soup very cheap with coupons, especially now in the fall.

Here's the Recipe for Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions:

2 cans green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 - 1/3 leftover bloomin fried onion from Outback (Or Frenches Fried Onions like the real recipe)
Sprinkle of black pepper

Instructions: Mix the soup and the milk in a container. Take half of your fried onions and mix with the green beans in a 1 1/2 quart glass pan. Pour the mushroom soup mixture over the beans and sprinkle with black pepper to taste. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Add the remainder of the fried onions on top of the casserole and continue baking a couple more minutes. Serves 4

Disclosure: this is NOT a sponsored post, I just like this recipe.


My Weight Loss July Update

Well, its been a month since I posted about our weight loss since our cruise in May. If you remember, both DH and I had gained some weight and were determined to lose it. It's not necessarily a goal to lose weight fast, but by slightly modifying our diet and and increasing our exercise we did manage to lose five pounds in June.

July has been a little tougher because of the wonderful free sweet and salty snack deal at Busch Gardens this past month. We've been walking there several times a week and of course we have to get the free snack. Popcorn is the healthiest snack they offer, and then the frozen fruit bar could be considered healthy too. But, we've splurged a couple times for the dippin dots cookies and cream ice cream treat, and the snickers ice cream bar. So, there's that. Plus the fact that Ryan Newman won the NASCAR race at Indianapolis this past week and his sponsor gave away a free Bloomin Onion at Outback on Monday. I know all these excuses are lame, but that's the way life is. So, we only lost 3 more pounds.

The good thing is we've been eating healthy recipes and lots of fresh produce. Our daily healthy snack is some fruit. DH learned this cool way to cut melons on the cruise ship. The chefs just cut off the top and the bottom of the each round melon and then it sits nice on your cutting board so you can just slice off the rind, without wasting any fruity flesh. Then he just grinds up the rinds in the food processor with our other compost items and pours the whole mess into the garden composter outside.

So we've lost eight pounds in 8 weeks, for an average 1 pound a week. I would like to lose about eight or ten more pounds so I'll continue to eat healthy foods, drink plenty of water and exercise daily. These 3 diet tips are all you need to know.

Weight Loss Breakfast: Zucchini Patties #Recipe



This is one of my favorite diet foods since it is quick and easy to reheat premade patties for  breakfast. They are filling and healthy. You will love them too! Serve as a breakfast item with some bacon or sausage, or serve as a vegetable side dish for lunch or dinner.
 
Nutrition Info: 95 calories for 3 patties (14 gm protein, 6 gm carb, 2 gm fat) 
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
 
Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, shredded by hand or in food processor (top blade only)
1 T. green onions, chopped
2 T. parmesan cheese, ground
1 egg, or 2 T. of egg beaters
Spray Pam or Olive oil for skillet lubrication
 
Instructions:
1. Shred zucchini and place in a mixing bowl.
2. Add onions, parmesan cheese and egg.
3. Stir mixture until well mixed.
4. Put skillet on medium heat stove top burner, add lubricant, warm up the pan.
5. Place spoonful of zucchini mixure into pan, flatten and shape as desired. About six or seven spoonfuls will fill a skillet.
6. Cook zucchini patties until brown on bottom, then flip with spatula and cook other side too.
7. Place 3 or 4 patties on plate to serve, or cool for eating later.
 
Serves 2

Saving At the Store Starts At Home

When looking at the family budget, we usually try to trim down on groceries and household goods.  This is all good in theory, but we've all had moments of grief at the checkout line when the cashier gives the total. There is a vast array of articles and advice columns on smart shopping and couponing, most of which can be very insightful.  However, they glaze over some of the more "obvious" ways to reduce grocery spending.  I tried to find a few simple ways to save that often get overlooked. Not only are these tips fairly easy to do, they can make a dramatic difference on how much you spend on food each month.
Clean out your pantry.  Americans waste about 25% of the food they buy. So if you spend $200 on groceries, chances are you'll end up tossing $50 worth of it, by letting things spoil. It's a cruel cycle.  Before you make your next trip, go through your cupboards and see what can be used up. Create a list of meals you can potentially cook with your findings. This can help you trim down your shopping list, as well as help you clear out your cabinets and fridge.  Be sure to make special note of products your family didn't eat and avoid making the same purchases in the future.

Eating healthy may save you money.  Contrary to popular belief, healthier meal options can actually be less expensive in many cases. For example, people that do eat breakfast usually have a sugary, carb-based one.  Although having a big breakfast is good and can give you more energy in the morning, a bowl full of sugar-frosted cereal in a bowl of whole milk may not be the best way to start your day.  Oatmeal is a great alternative to cold cereal; not only is it much better for you, but it's super inexpensive! High-fiber fruits and vegetables are a filling, healthy alternative to typical snack foods.  I promise you that a bag of baby carrots is much cheaper than a pack of potato chips, and it's much better for your family. 
Shop less frequently.  This one is sort of a no brainer, and yet people rarely mention it.  Sit down and plan your meals for 1-2 weeks; this way you'll have an accurate shopping list.  You definitely need to be realistic about your family's eating habits. I'm definitely a grazer, so I try to factor in small snacks when I create my list. Your personal schedule is also a very important factor. If you always have busy Wednesdays, pick up a couple of for those nights.  Meal planning is a great tool help reduce your grocery trips, just be sure to stick to the list!
Limit your takeout intake.  Ordering out can be super convenient when you're tired, or have guests (extra people at the dining table). But whether you're getting pizza for the kids or Chinese for yourself, avoid it at all costs.  Takeout adds up quickly, so avoid making it a habit.  If you already find that you eat out frequently, try slowly reducing the number of meals you purchase and cooking instead.  I've actually done this, and it makes all the difference.  Not just in your wallet, but your health.  People tend to eat a little healthier when they prepare the foods themselves.  And trust me, a homemade lunch can be just as delicious as a $7 sandwich.
Only buy in bulk when it makes sense! Ten pounds of potatoes for 4 bucks is a sweet deal, but you probably won't get through that bag before the potatoes start sprouting.  Remember, just because something is on sale, doesn't mean that you should purchase it.  Evaluate the need and practicality of bulk purchases.  Is the item even on your grocery list? If so, what's the shelf life? Stocking up is a great way to save money, but you may end up throwing money away if you aren't smart about it.
Author Bio: Brittany writes about frugal living, , and on behalf of Marie Callender's.  For more fun tips and dinner ideas.
 

How We Spent Our Money in 2012


One of my favorite websites, Mint.com makes evaluating your expenses much simpler at the end of the year. They actually have a pretty good app for smartphones too which I check everyday to make sure no one stole my identity, or money. One of my other favorite websites, Mr Money Mustache has posted his yearly spending so I feel compelled to also drop our drawers and lay it all out there.
 
I thought it would be interesting to see where all our money went last year and what opportunities there are for improvement this coming year. You might not really care what we spend, but you're probably nosy and will continue to read and see how you compare to us, a couple of cheap asses who recycle plastic baggies (not really). I think this may be a useful exercise to see where our money goes and to try to manage it so that when we retire we'll be able to fully enjoy ourselves on a limited budget. We learned a long time ago how fun it is to not have a car payment. And we learned a few years ago how fun it is to not have a house payment. And we learned last year how fun it is to not have to pay for food, gas or household products. So, just there we have three categories of expenses that have just went poooffff! up the air, gone to heaven and hopefully, never be seen again.
 
As you recall, we did a pretty extensive remodel of our home including all three bedrooms, dining room, living room and office. This ended up being our largest expense of the year and its worth every dime. Now our home is totally renovated and modern, and we're on our way to a clean, uncluttered existence as we sort through the outcast stuff we still have in our "green" room or the stockpile room.
 
Anyway, listed here are our largest expense categories of the year.
 
1. Home (Insurance, taxes, remodel, furnishings, appliances) $13,291
This was by far our biggest expense even though we have no mortgage or loans. The taxes $1000 and insurance $2500 are pretty much out of our control so that is a fixed expense. The remodel and new furnishings were a one time expense we  don't anticipate this again, although there are other projects on the horizon in years to come such as a new roof, fenced yard and we expect a new A/C unit will be needed someday since ours is over fifteen years old. However, we paid for everything and expect next years home expenses to be less than a third of what they were. There are opportunities to repair rather than replace, and preserve what we have so it lasts longer. My goal for 2013 is to spend less than $5000 for the year on this category.
 
2. Utilities (mobile phones, internet, TV, electric, water, garbage) $6,056
We are generally frugal in our use of utilities such as water, electricity and try to recycle to minimize garbage. I've unplugged one dorm size refrigerator and hope to empty our small freezer so we can unplug that as well. That leaves two full size refrigerators and a kegerator sucking down electricity at a high rate. In the warm weather, I unplug and drain the hot tub since we use the pool. Likewise in the cool weather I run the pool filter pump less hours per day since we don't swim in it for half the year (although the dog does - every day!) I was hoping to decrease our TV/Internet expense when our contract was up, but that didn't turn out and I feel fortunate to pay the same rate for another two years. Maybe by then DH can be weaned off cable and we can subsist on online streaming of sports events and TV programs. I'm looking to cutting our cell phone costs in half this year as I combine my smartphone with DH's account at only $40 a line unlimited everything. We are both eligible to upgrade our phones, but the frugal thing is to just keep them both as is. So there is definitely opportunity to cut expenses in this category, so my goal this year is to spend less than $5000 in this category as well.
 
3. Allowances $6000
DH and I each get an allowance monthly to pay for stuff that is not a household expense.This category would also include going out to restaurants which we only do a couple times a year - except for the Firehouse where we go regularly for wings and beer. These optional expenses like beer, cigarettes, going out to eat, massages, extravagent unnecessary expenses (Ipad, extra computers, music) are paid for with cash from our allowance. We both save a significant portion of our allowance being the frugal spenders we are. DH used to spend a good portion of his allowance on driving a race car and I purchased computers and photography equipment. If we decide to do something extravagent that the house "can't afford" we both chip in from our allowance. This category will stay the same next year.
 
4. Auto & Motorcycle (insurance, maintenance, gasoline) $4,126
Our two old cars and two newer motorcycles are very expensive to insure in this state of Florida where almost half the drivers do not carry insurance, and I'm sure a good portion of them are driving on suspended licenses as well. It is dangerous and therefore we have probably excessive insurance compared to most people. But after DH was struck by an uninsured driver in 2010 and we received a nice settlement from our own insurance, we feel safer on the roads having sufficient insurance. But this is one area we can still cut back on insurance with the red truck since it sits in the driveway the majority of its life, and its the biggest boxiest safest vehicle we have. Of our auto expenses, over half is insurance $2470, $1657 was maintenance on all four vehicles. I've made a note to mention $1722 for gasoline even though this was paid for with gift cards we got at Publix from overage, and yard sale proceeds. So the opportunity here is to cut insurance a little and to ride my bike more this year, so this year we can spend less than $4000 in this category.
 
5. Travel $3,384
This category has suffered since we have been remodeling. Now that our home is updated, we plan to resume frequent travel. We already have booked a nice seven day cruise to the Virgin Islands this spring, and plan to book another for Fall 2013, in addition to our annual trip up North to visit our families. We have let all our season tickets to NASCAR races go unrenewed and we may attend these types of events at most once a year. I actually desire to travel to places I haven't been to before, or places I traveled to as a child. I would love to visit San Francisco, Hawaii, Yellowstone National Park, Colorado and Canada. We're actually in a holding pattern for extended long trips as long as we have our old dog. When she passes in a few years, we'll be able to take longer trips overseas without having to worry about finding a caretaker for her. So this year, I would expect this category to at least double, if not approach $10,000.
 
6. Shopping $2,793
Amazon is the death of me. It is way to easy to shop online and it shows up here in this category. We have way to many clothes and shoes and could easily go years without purchasing anything to wear. I see this category as an opportunity to cut in half to about $1400.
 
7. Health (Rx, copays, insurance) $1,722
This category just increased this year because of our Governor, for the first time in ten years we were required to pay health insurance premiums. I hope to just maintain the cost of this category in the future, not much hope of decreasing it until I hit menopause or quit having sex, and can quit going to the doctor for those little pills.
 
8. Entertainment (Busch Gardens, Concerts) $1,656
This category is actually not very much of our budget and I hope to be able to maintain that amount this year. We do go to a lot of free festivals and inexpensive concerts to keep this cost down. Actually, since we used to work concert events we have seen almost every performer we care to see and the cost is often not worth it if we've seen it. We did splurge and buy good tickets for an upcoming Lady Gaga concert this spring.
 
9. Pet $695
The love, companionship and protection we receive in exchange for vet bills and medications is worth the cost for our dog. Dog food and treats are paid for with overage at Publix so this is actually less than most pay for a pet. If we keep this expense under $1000, that would be good. In the future this expense will go away when the dog dies.
 
10. Personal Care $249
This category is probably low since DH pays for his haircuts with cash and takes out the money when he gets his allowance. So it really should be double, closed to $500 for hair cuts and perms. It helps being low maintenance people - no manicures, hair color, no pedicures or expensive massages. All that individual stuff comes out of allowance anyway, it is not considered a household expense.
 
The missing category -  Food & Beer
This category is one where we have eliminated the expense by using coupons and shopping the sales. We buy stuff we don't need, to use the overage to get what we need. We actually made $803 last year, spending $2951 in cash and gift cards to purchase $32,729 worth of products (including $3755 in gift cards and gas cards). The cash used in shops was proceeds from yard sales selling our stockpile from couponing. We also use the cash to pay for our beer kegs, and extra spending money when we travel.
 
So, in summary our goal for the upcoming year is to cut our spending by 10% overall.
 
How did you do?

 

5 Money Saving Ideas for Long-Term Food Storage Shopping

While many of us are thinking about saving money by buying in bulk and storing the goods for a few weeks or months, there is another type of food storage we should also consider. Storing the right foods in case of an emergency can ensure the survival of your family. Many pre-packed kits can feed a family for 1, 3 or even 12 months, but they are outside the price range of many families. You can shop for food long term, however, without it costing a fortune.
1. Pay attention to calorie counts, servings and nutrition on prepackaged meals.
It may seem that the meal plan which offers the most calories per dollar is the best money-saving choice, but this isn't always the case. Nutritious calories are much more satisfying, in addition to supplying you and your family with much-needed vitamins and nutrients. For example, 100 calories of butter is much less filling than a large apple, which is also around 100 calories. The apple is also much healthier.
2. Packaging matters in prepackaged meals.
Where you store the meals where they are not exposed to excess heat, but it is up to the packaging to protect the food from spoiling due to exposure to moisture or air. The common ways that long-term emergency meals are packaged include Mylar bags, pails and tin cans. In each of these packaging techniques, the air is removed through the process of nitrogen flushing, or an oxygen absorbing pellet is inserted in the package. Pails are not airtight, so are usually used in combination with Mylar bag and cans. Mylar packaging lasts 7 to 10 years. If you plan to keep your emergency rations longer than this time, it may be necessary to replace the meals. Some meals packed in oxygen-free tin cans can last up to 25 years.
3. Find a balance between dehydrated and freeze-dried foods.
Some foods are best preserved through dehydrating, while others can only remain nutritious long term when freeze-dried. Freeze-dried foods may store a few years longer, but dehydrated foods are much less expensive. In order to freeze-dry foods, the food must be flash frozen. The frozen food is then put into a vacuum chamber where the ice is removed by turning it into a gas. This is a complicated process requiring very specific technology and tools. Dehydrated foods simply have had the water removed through heating.
Dehydrated food also shrinks significantly from its original size while freeze-drying does not. This means dehydrated food requires less storage space than an equal amount of freeze-dried food.
Some companies that sell prepackaged meals already offer a combination of the two, but if not do not be afraid to purchase your meals from more than one source. Buying items such as fruits and vegetables that have been dehydrated in addition to freeze-dried meals can help to bring down the total cost of emergency food storage. 
4. Know what kitchen basics have a long shelf life, and buy them in bulk.
When considering emergency food options, it is easy to get sidetracked by all of the companies who sell ready-to-eat Mylar packed meals, tins of freeze-dried foods and other prepackaged supplies. There are some items in your kitchen right now, however, that have a shelf-life longer than many of these purpose-designed meals. These products include wheat, rice, corn, sugar, beans, oats, pasta, potato flakes and non-fat powdered milk. While they will not sustain your family on their own, ensuring you have enough of these basics for several months of regular use can help save money when you are stockpiling your rations. Purchase these items in bulk from a local restaurant supply, warehouse store or even your local supermarket. They can be stored in food grade 5-gallon buckets with rubber seals, which are available at most hardware stores.
5. Shop around, just like you would for your weekly groceries.
The most simplistic way to create an emergency food supply is to in pre-packed, storage ready containers. There are many companies who offer these foods, as well as associated items such as first aid kits. Not all of these deals are created equal, however. Many online stores offer coupon codes for free shipping or special gifts with purchase as well. Look for these specials to get more for your money. 
Ensuring there is nutritious food during an emergency is an important consideration for any family today. While stockpiling and storing several months' worth of food can be expensive, you can reduce the costs by following these tips.
 
This guest post provided by Agnes E Jimenez, a professional blogger and writer.

Are You Ready For A Hurricane?

The weather news is starting to feature Tropical Updates since we've turned the corner into a busier time for storms. Isaac is stirring down in the Caribbean now and has Florida solidly in the forecast cone. While this system has only been declared a tropical storm, it is still a good time to get ready for what ever the rest of the season brings us. Are you ready for a hurricane to happen now? Here are some checklist items to help you prepare for a storm -
  •  Do you have plenty of cash in small bills stashed in the event there is no power, or you need to barter to get things you need during a disaster? Most ATM's will run out of cash, businesses may not be open and your best bet to buy stuff will be from people hawking stuff on the corner - for cash.
  • Do you have plenty of dry food (cans, dry mixes, dry milk, beverage mixes, pet food), enough for a weeks worth of meals? Make sure you have an old fashioned manual can opener too, or be sure all your cans are pop tops.
  • Do you have water or drinks enough for 3 days (at least a gallon a day per person)? This doesn't include bathing or cooking water, so a clean source of water for that is important too - fill your tub or sink for cleaning.
  • Do you have a bug out bag in case you need to leave your home - a change of clothes, cash, medications, sturdy shoes (not just sandals), silverware,etc.
  • Do you have a weapon to protect your life and/or property in the event of a disaster and there are no police services?
  • Do you have your automobile's full of gasoline, a spare 5 gallon can of gas, a full canister of propane for your grill?
  • Do you have flashlights and batteries that work? First Aid kit?
  • Do you have some basic tools, keys, portable Radio and Telephones?
  • Are your important documents secured in a waterproof safe or in a safety deposit box at the bank? Can you scan them and take the data device with you?
HERE is an excellent article outlining more detailed preparedness for a disaster.

It's Winter in My Refrigerator

I opened the refrigerator this weekend after shopping for salad stuff only to find that the fresh leafy greens frozen. It's among the more unpleasant of kitchen surprises. I tried to thaw it in the bathtub (we have no sink in the remodel progress) with a vegetable strainer but it was difficult to get the center thawed. Those of you who have had frozen heads of lettuce know that the results are typically soggy and limp.
 
Many factors can lead to frozen vegetables, from setting the refrigerator's temperature too low to storing the produce in the wrong place. This is a relatively new development which has occurred for the second time since we moved out our refrigerator to tile the floor. Ever since we moved it back, our lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes and carrots have froze in the vegetable crisper.
 
The first thing we did was check the temperature setting. We dropped it to the center of the range of temps. We've kept our produce in the crisp drawer all the time but now it freezes. If we take it out and place it on the bottom shelf above the crisper its okay. Manufacturers
recommend keeping produce in the crisper drawer, away from the circulating air. You don't want the moisture to transpire out of the product and make it limp, which can happen with produce on a shelf.
If the crisper is full and some produce has to sit on a shelf, it's better to keep it at the front of the refrigerator, because cold air falls down along the back wall. Along with the area directly beneath the outlet, the back and bottom of the refrigerator tend to be the coldest spots.
So we have some limp soggy lettuce in our salads. Luckily the red leaf didn't freeze, so they are salvageable. But more investigation is needed this week.
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