 This is the start of our two-part series we've given the highly technical title...
Cool Stuff to Know...
This week, about food:
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| If you want bananas to ripen faster, leave them connected at the stem. If you want to keep them from ripening as quickly, pull them apart from the stem. Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold. Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic, and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic. To heat up leftover pizza, don't use the microwave - you know it will just make the pizza soggy. Instead, put the slices in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. Love deviled eggs but think they're a total pain to make? Not anymore! Here's the easy prep: - Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag
- Seal, mash till they are broken up
- Add remainder of ingredients & reseal
- Keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly
- Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.
- Just throw bag away when done - easy clean up!
And finally, for dessert... For a cool brownie treat Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting Get More for Less FrostingWhen you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. This almost doubles it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount, while eating less sugar and calories per serving. Next week....Cool Stuff To Know for Around the House | You have been officially alerted.
| | So...you say you're an animal lover. Gotta love you for that!
And....you love going to the circus...I mean, who doesn't love "The Greatest Show on Earth"?!
Unfortunately, you can't be both a lover of animals and go to the circus.
Here's why.
In 2009, PETA secretly taped extensive abuse of the elephants at Ringling Bros. circus. The heart wrenching video footage reveals these gentle and very intelligent creatures enduring beatings almost daily, after long cross-country hauls in cramped box cars.
| Ringling Bros. has a long and documented history of cruelty to animals, accused often by the circus' own employees. And, this behavior directly violates the Animal Welfare Act, which gives the USDA the power to seize these elephants and retire them to a better life. OK, now that you're totally depressed....don't be. You can do something about this. Sign the petition to end this abysmal treatment in the name of "entertainment" and urge a full investigation into the inhumane practices of what is, as it turns out, "the saddest show on Earth". With your help, these elephants can be released from the circus and retired to sanctuaries with hundreds of acres of natural habitat. You have been officially alerted.
Now that tax season is behind us (well...at least most of us...), we want you to know exactly....
Where Your Federal Tax Dollars Are Going.
 Here is your....Taxpayer receipt
Below is the itemization of 2011 federal budget expenditures*
Next to each figure is what you paid toward each expenditure using a sample household income $46,605
| Social Security
Defense
Medicare
Low-income assistance
Medicaid
Net interest payments
Veterans Affairs
Unemployment compensation
Law enforcement and homeland security
Transportation
Education
Health (not Medicare and Medicaid)
Environmental protection and natural resources
Managing federal employees and buildings
Agriculture
Space and science
Foreign aid
Social services
Housing and community planning
Workplace safety and rights
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Diplomacy and embassies
Energy
Trade and economic development
Telecommunications
Native Americans
Statistics and weather
Congress
Arts and culture
District of Columbia
Post Office
White House
Bailouts, currency & financial regulation
| | 20.3%
20.2%
13.5%
9.2%
7.6%
7.4%
3.5%
3.4%
2.4%
2.1%
2.0%
2.0%
1.0%
0.9%
0.7%
0.7%
0.6%
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%
0.4%
0.4%
0.4%
0.3%
0.3%
0.2%
0.2%
0.1%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
-1.4%
| 1,521.91
$1,512.98
$1,011.56
$686.63
$572.58
$554.49
$264.29
$253.01
$177.02
$161.22
$152.13
$147.57
$71.46
$70.24
$54.23
$51.57
$45.11
$39.45
$39.41
$36.20
$32.93
$28.54
$28.21
$23.04
$22.45
$16.99
$15.43
$9.54
$5.20
$2.54
$1.89
$0.86
-$107.67
| | Your Total: $7,503.00 *Note: Dollar figures break down the family's total bill according to the percentage that each item takes up in the federal budget.The total national debt (as of January 1, 2012):$15,222,940,045,451Your share of the national debt (all legal residents):$50,958Change in your share of the national debt in 2011:+$2,576Now, want to calculate your actual expenditures based on the taxes you've just paid?
Go! You have been officially alerted...
 LIFE IS SHORT, but you can S-T-R-E-T-C-H IT.
That's because 75% of life-expectancy is determined by lifestyle factors, not the biological aging process.
So...how can you know what to do, or stop doing, to have a longer, better life?
Take THE LIFE-STRETCHER QUIZ!
Let's get started!
Begin with a score of 79 years, the average life-expectancy, then ADD or SUBTRACT years as you read each statement and respond YES or NO.
YES NO | I get annual exams that monitor my inherited health risks.
Every 24-hour day, I get 7-8 hours of restful sleep.
I provide weekly volunteer service to people in need.
I am in a long-term relationship of trust and mutual respect.
I incorporate at least 1 mile of walking into my daily routine.
My daily diet includes fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains.
I live with, work with, or have friends who smoke.
I own and provide for the daily care of a pet dog or cat.
I am a spiritual person, and I regularly practice my faith.
I use stress management (such as yoga, meditate, hobby, sauna).
I consume most of my daily meals in less than 30 minutes.
My sense of humor and perspective help me laugh at mistakes.
YOUR TOTAL SCORE is an estimate of life-expectancy. | | + 0
+ 2
+ 2
+ 5
+ 2
+ 2
- 2
+ 2
+ 2
+ 0
- 1
+ 1 | - 3
- 1
- 1
- 0
- 4
- 3
- 0
- 0
- 0
- 3
- 0
- 3 | | Stretch your life-expectancy by incorporating healthy lifestyle habits into your daily routine in consultation with your professional health provider.
You have been officially alerted....
The Life-Stretcher Quiz is created by Dr. David J. Demko, gerontologist and publisher of ZOOMER magazine.
Data used in the quiz is based on health research findings reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals & government-sponsored research projects.
 Boomer family circa 1962 Yep...this is going to be a pondering right up there with one of those "you think you got it tough!?" lectures we had to endure from our parents (you know..."I had to walk 5 miles to school in a blizzard with hot potatoes in my pocket to keep me warm...yada yada....")
The difference is...ours doesn't include wearing warmed root vegetables, and although no doubt quite shocking to anyone under the age of 40, is equally astonishing to us when we think of what we managed to live without as youngsters.
Therefore, my fellow Boomers, feel free to share this with all those "kids" in your life whenever they whine about how tough things are for them...
I remember when:
| - cars had no seat belts, and only a drivers' side sideview mirror; windshield wiper fluid was our garden hose
- there was no velcro
- we had no cell phones, no cordless landlines, no call-waiting/conference calling/etc. - our "conference call" was quaintly (but aptly given what our college days turned into) called a "party-line" - and "voicemail" was a pad and pencil...
- the kids in the family were the dishwasher
- auto gas and house paint was leaded (that explains a lot...)
- families owned one TV and for the longest time it was black & white (who knew Oz was in color?!)
- computers were for big business only and took up entire rooms
- a dime actually bought something worthwhile
- in college we wrote our term papers on typewriters (manual usually, electric if you were lucky); fixing a typo required carefully applied erasure or white-out, or a complete do over...
- you couldn't wear white after Labor Day (actually...is that still true?)
- we got all dressed up to travel by train or plane (and we looked smashing!)
Kids...You have been officially alerted. | (Have an "I remember when" item to add? Email it to terri@boomerradioshow.com and we'll use it on the show!) (oh yeah...here's one more..."I remember when we didn't have email...")
 The cute puppies for sale at your local mall were probably bred in puppy mills, according to the ASPCA. Puppy mill dogs are typically kept in cages with wire flooring that injures their paws and legs—and cages can be stacked up in columns (which means waste falls on the dogs housed below them). Compromised health and conditions like matting, sores, mange, severe dental disease and abscesses are often widespread. Many puppy mill puppies are born with or develop overt physical problems that make them unsalable to pet stores—which means they end up abandoned or just left to die. Many sick puppies do manage to end up at pet stores, though, where the new puppy owner unknowingly purchases the sick dog. Breeding dogs at the mills sometimes spend their entire lives outdoors, exposed to the elements—or crammed inside filthy structures. Female dogs usually have little to no recovery time between bearing litters. When, after a few years, the females can no longer reproduce or when their breed goes out of “style,” the dogs are often abandoned, shot, or starved until they eventually die. Many pet stores with cute puppies for sale will tell you that they don't get their puppies from puppy mills. They'll say their puppies are all from "USDA licensed breeders." If you dig a little deeper into what that actually means, you'll find that it's not worth much! Find out why.... Finally, here's a map of "puppy mill" stores in your area.If you believe yourself to be a true animal lover, do not shop at a pet store that offers puppies for sale. And remember, it's not enough to simply buy no puppies from them; anything you buy there goes to purchasing more puppy mill puppies.
Watch this very funny video created by the ASPCA that makes the point quite clearly...
You have been officially alerted...
 I was so proud of myself last January when I became the proud mother to a 2011 Hyundai Elantra with all the features; bluetooth, heated seats (I know...I'm in Florida...but still, they were nifty on the one cold day we had this year!), radio and other controls on the steering wheel, speaking of wheels, those beauties are alloy 17"; sun roof, and the list goes on. Plus the company touts an estimated MPG for this vehicle of 40 highway, 32 city, the biggest factor for me; I want to spew as little fossil fuel carbons into the atmosphere as possible for a non-electric engine (besides...electricity generation still uses fossil fuels, so really, what's the difference?) Boy was I smart! Alas, a little over one year later I have the car at the dealership service center for: - a recall for problems with the computer system (you know....the thing that runs the vehicle)
- the bluetooth punked out
- the transmission has great difficulty....changing gears
- it gets an average of 27 MPG city which I was hoping was a result of the transmission problem
And, to help me feel better, the service personnel explained that lots of folks have been having problems with the factory installed bluetooth...after just 6 months, so I'm doing great given it took over a year for mine to begin failing, and that such low gas mileage is turning out to be typical. Hmmmm....I think next time I'll stick with Honda.You have been officially alerted.
 I’m going to describe a typical experience at a place we all must go at some point in our lives, and you guess the place:
- You call to make an appointment and are kept on hold long enough to have a light meal before you are finally connected to the right person;
- Once you get to the place, they have really uncomfortable seating in the waiting areas, and you have another long wait before your name is finally called;
- When at last it’s your turn, one person asks a series of questions, then you’re handed off to another person who asks you the exact same questions and you’re thinking “don’t you people talk to each other?!”
- Finally, you get to the person who holds your outcome in their hopefully capable hands, and they spend so little time with your case, and seem so annoyed by the fact that you may have questions or need more than 30 seconds of their attention, that you leave feeling more like you bothered them than received a vital service for which you paid dearly…
Sounds like…maybe the DMV…or some other government office we're forced to endure as part of citizenship….right?
But it’s not – well…it is…but what I just described is also the typical experience when visiting…a doctor’s office.
Yes, the profession whose purported goal is to ease our suffering, heal our wounds, and otherwise make us feel better, has deteriorated to the point of such poor practice that, in too many cases, the DMV does a better job.
Look, as I care for my mother, I spend so much time with doctors that I feel like we’re dating, so I’ve done some advance reconnaissance for you, my fellow Boomers, who, if not already will most likely one day be in this same situation, whether for yourself or a loved one.
So, here’s what I do to combat this, and recommend you do as well, because if we all do these 3 simple things, such patient unfriendly practices will improve:
- Tell the staff when you make your appointment that you expect the doctor to be running relatively on time; you don’t mind a short wait but that’s all your schedule can accommodate – you’re busy, too
- Once there, if your wait is more than 15 -20 minutes (and of course if your appointment is not an emergency), tell the receptionist you’re leaving, but you’ll give them one more try - if the wait is longer than 15-20 minutes the next time, you won’t be back – if anyone has a problem with this, find another doctor
- Don’t be shy about voicing your dissatisfaction with your experience, from uncomfortable seating and the need to repeat yourself again and again, to your feeling that you’re being rushed by the doctor; tell the office manager, and the doctor
You have been officially alerted…
 Gift giving as a way to say thank you or celebrate a special occasion for someone is an excellent tradition.
But it can get expensive, or worse than that, we end up spending our dollars on items not made in the US, or in national chain stores rather than supporting our local merchants.
Well, no more. Here’s some nifty gifting ideas so you can give in the best way of all, shopping American and keeping your neighbors in business.
- Gift certificates are an excellent idea for any occasion, but instead of buying one from Target or Home Depot, get them from your local merchants, from the large number of local or family owned restaurants, to that wonderful gift boutique, salon, or hardware store. Here's an idea: Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates. How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle? Get them a certificate for one done at your local auto shop!
- For those more extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Benjamins on a Chinese-made flat-screen TV, perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his/her driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or a few rounds at the local golf course.
- Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
- And, for those recipients who you know to love all things artsy, you can find local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves, or who make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes. Or, how about tickets to a play or ballet at your hometown theatre. Find a venue showcasing local bands, theatre troupes and dance groups.
- And remember to plan your special occasion outings at local, owner operated restaurants and always leave your server a nice tip.
You have been officially alerted.
A sampling of music from Boomer youth with lyrics we get wrong to this day, or that makes no sense whatsoever....
| ...like wow, man...
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