Almanac for Homemakers

Transporting Pets  "Even the most stay-at-home pets must travel occasionally, though the trip may be no more than an annual visit to the vet." Traveling with your pet! Are you prepared? I've traveled across the country with my two dogs. When we packed up and moved from Texas to Washington state, we had to bring out dogs with us. The first thing I had to do is plan out our hotels around pet friendly places. For this trip we also had to pack blankets, food, and water for them. We bought new leashes and they had their collars the entire time. We are lucky that our pets travel well. They don't run off and they are really great at going potty outside. They also don't get car sick! I never really thought about pets getting car sick but it happens! Unfortunately, the only way to tell if your pet is car sick is to get them in the car and drive. If you take your pet for a ride but you let them ride in the truck bed, you migh...

Hey everyone! Guess what? We made it to another month! Every month in our Almanac begins with a neat illustrated cover. Let's put a fresh coat of paint on this day and see what our Almanac has for us today. Think of Safety When Using an Electric Toaster  "Electric toasters have come a long way since they first became common in the 1920's but they still can be unsafe if improperly used."   Before the invention of the electric toaster, the most popular way of toasting your bread was with a toasting fork. You would slice bread, place a slice on the fork, and in front of the open fire till it was toasted on each side to your liking. Then came the invention of the "Toast Plate". This was a plate that you could fit over your stove top to toast bread over your gas or wood burning stove. The first successfully electric toaster was introduced in 1909 by General Electric. The automatic pop up toaster was first patented in the 1920's. ...

Keeping Child Safe While Traveling by Car "You know that the use of seat belts is specified at certain times when you travel by plane, and constantly in a car. But have you heard that ordinary seat belts in a car are often bad for children?" It's 2018. Let me just preface this blog post with this: We have come a long way in child safety seating. In the 1930's, child booster seats were being made but not for safety reasons. They were made so that the adult could see the child easier while driving. It looked a little horrifyingly like this. And also if you ever needed to fly with your baby, they made some great ways for you to store your baby with your overhead luggage. It wasn't until 1962 that child seats were being made with the purpose of protecting children in a car. Models like those were not mandatory though. So you could still find boosters similar to those in the 30's for you kiddos to sit in. Seat belts ...

Does Your Kitchen Have Two Cutting Boards? "There's a very good reason for having two cutting boards in a kitchen. That reason is one that can't be emphasized too often - the matter of cleanliness." Contamination This is a serious issue. It can happen in more ways than one. Biological Contamination This is when bacteria contaminates food. It can happen from improper hand washing or in our topic today, using a dirty cutting board. This is a good reason to have more than just one cutting board. If you cut raw chicken on a board and not property sanitize it before cutting fresh veggies, you have just contaminated your food. Chemical Contamination Kitchen cleaners are usually the culprit in the case. This is why it is very important to store all cleaning products in their own space away from any thing you may use for food. That includes pots and pans, cutting boards, plastic storage bins, etc.   Cross Contamination Let's say yo...

Guard Your Family from Electric Shock "Do you get a tingling sensation when you touch a lamp or other piece of electrical equipment?" Today's Almanac post is about being aware of electrical hazards and removing defective equipment. We should also be aware of where outlets are and covering ones that are not in use. Doing this will protect small children in your home. Take care of your cords that plug into an outlet. Make sure they are out of the way and protected from getting damaged. You should always be aware of how you are using your outlets. I still remember that scene in "A Christmas Story" when the dad was plugging in the leg lamp into the outlet with like twenty other things plugged in. Or even the scene from "Christmas Vacation" where the electrical outlet is a jigsaw puzzle. It's funny right?! Because it is so dangerous. We have space heaters and one of the most important all caps phrases in the...

Good Rules for Storing Food Do you know the proper ways to store food? What temperatures should your fridge or freezer be on? How long should you keep leftovers? Do you think expiration dates are just guidelines? ... Today's Almanac post is all about knowing how to store your food to keep your family safe and also to help save on your grocery budget! Let's start with the fridge! Temperature should be at 40 degrees fahrenheit or lower. Freezer temps should actually start at 0 degrees fahrenheit. ... Now there is some dated information here. "Wrapped poultry should be unwrapped, placed on a platter, and covered for refrigeration." Now let's start by saying this: I am a germ nut when it comes to food. Culinary Degree...remember? If you ever have raw uncooked meat in the fridge, yeah it can be unwrapped but there is more to this. You really want to prevent cross contamination by: 1. Placing raw uncooked meat at the very bottom ...