Cooking Smart

Electricity is not cheap, neither is gas. So, whichever you use to cook with, use your head. Be smart and efficient.

My Mom, was not the finest cook, but she was smart about it. She never turned on the oven for just one item. Once a week, she would cook a roast, come chicken, maybe a meatloaf, and baked beans, macaroni and cheese and a bake a pie or a cake. At the same time, on the stove top, she would cook a pot of greens, some chili or spaghetti sauce and maybe a beef stew.

Then, during the week, we just warmed up what we wanted. Now, you may ask, why was that smart and efficient? Simple. It takes time and power to heat an oven, Once its hot, it doesn't take that much to keep it hot. In fact, if you heat an oven to 350, you can turn it off for the last fifteen minutes or so that you have food in it and it will keep cooking just fine.

In addition, using an oven, really heats the kitchen a lot and that, in turn, spreads heat to the whole house. In the winter, that's a good thing. In the summer, it is not. The more you heat the kitchen, the more your air conditioning will run and the electric bill goes up. By cooking so much at once, you are only heating things up a lot, that one time. Warming food doesn't take that much energy and you don't have to turn the oven, or burners up a lot, so less heat is created. In fact, heat things in a microwave and you create no heat and use little power.

We all need to save money and, more and more it is a good idea to not use so much electricity (every year, power companies, in the summer, threaten and sometimes implement, rolling brownouts). Gas, is not cheap either, especially if you are heating your home with it, so why use more than you must. Cook smart and be efficient.

Emergency Preparedness

Hurricane season is here, California is having earth tremors and before you know it, snow and blizzards will set in. It is simple to be ready for any emergency. I, having grown up in S. Florida, hurricane zone, have a bit of practice at this, so let me give a few pointers.

Loss of electricity is likely. It may be a few hours, or days.  After Hurricane Andrew, power was out in some areas for a couple of weeks. Generators are great but, if things are bad, you may have trouble getting gasoline. If you use a generator, use it sparingly. Propane grills are excellent, but, you better have extra tanks. A plain old charcoal grill is a great idea and charcoal is cheap and easy to store.
Make sure you only use grills outdoors, away from buildings. I have heard of people setting them up inside and dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. I have known people who set them up on their porch and burned their house down.

Water is vital and you do not want to be one of those people standing in line for hours to get a case of bottled water. I do not approve of using bottled  water for every day use, the disposal of all that plastic is a n awful problem. However, having 2 or 3 cases around for emergencies only, is a fine idea. Or, you can buy hard plastic or glass jugs, like you would use for tea or juice, and just fill them with water from the tap. You cannot have enough water on hand and you must drink water.

Toilets can be a problem if the water is shut off (this sometimes happens during severe hurricanes). If you have room, fill a few 5 gallon buckets and keep them handy. Just pour water into your tank, from the top, and you will be able to flush. Note: when the danger is past, empty those buckets, unless you want to breed mosquitoes.

Food may not be available as grocery stores may be damaged. Keep some canned food around. Tuna, salmon, chicken, and ham are good as are beans. You do not want to have to heat up the grill every time you're hungry so stay away from canned chili, spaghetti and soups unless you like to eat them cold. Crackers keep better than bread (if it's hot and humid, it will mold). Dry foods, such as nuts and fruits are a great idea. Remember, you are not eating for pleasure. These are emergencies and you are in survival mode. You see advertised, dry meals; just add boiling water and eat. That is great, but again, if you have no power and no grill, they are useless.

If you are on any medications, try to have some in stock. Keep a well stocked, reasonably extensive first aid kit. Make sure you have a good fire extinguisher; the fire department may have trouble getting to you. If you live in hurricane zones, the winds will stir up rotting vegetation and you will want something on hand to deal with allergies and sinus issues. Also, at certain times of year, you will be advised to keep something like Off away. There will be no air conditioning and with the windows open, mosquitoes will be ready to feast on you.

Make sure you have a basic, minimal tool kit handy, just because you never know what you might need

If you have advanced warning, fill your car's gas tank, and, if possible, fill a couple of 5 gallon cans with gas( store them safely, in a fairly well ventilated area). You do not want to be sitting in 2 mile long lines at the gas station. Also, keep some cash on hand as ATMs and banks may be shut down for awhile.

One last thing. You will do yourself know good if you sit and brood. Keep some non electronic pastimes on hand. A few books and a deck of cards will do.

I sincerely hope you never go through an extreme emergency, but they do happen. A little planning, and you'll come through just fine.

Electrical Repairs - When In Doubt, Don't

I would like to offer a bit of advice about electrical repair. Do Not attempt electrical work unless you are sure, absolutely sure, you know what you are doing. I can do simple things like putting in a toggle switch or a light fixture, even a simple motor or lamp ballast. But, I know when I am at my limit. Then, I call a professional. As a rule of thumb, if you see a lot of wires and have no idea what some of them are, stop,  and pick up the phone. Yes, electricians are expensive but not nearly as costly as a trip to the emergency room,

If you see that you can do the job, follow basic common sense. Turn Off the appropriate circuit breaker. Then, use a tester and make sure the power is off. You would be surprised how many times circuit breakers are mis-labeled. Use rubber handled tools and wear rubber soled shoes, just to be extra cautious. Use wire nuts and/or electricians tape on all connections. Make sure that any connections you make are secure. Loose connections get hot and you do not need electrical fires. Make all your connections before you turn the power back on and do not touch anything while you flip that breaker back on. If the device you have wired does not work, immediately, turn the power off again before you try to fix it. Better still, if you don't get it right the first time, shut that breaker off and call an electrician.

Do Not, under any circumstances, work on live circuits. I have know folks who did, as some sort of weird display of manliness and it never ended well. Also, Do Not ever, ever attempt to repair a 220 volt circuit. The wiring is often more complex and you will likely make a mess of it, a potentially dangerous mess. I have been shocked by 110 volts and, trust me, it is really unpleasant. I have seen someone literally knocked across the room by 220 and they had to be rushed to the hospital.

Anything complicated, and by that I mean anything using more than 3 wires, hot, neutral, and ground, should be left to professionals. If your Uncle Fred or Cousin Jimmy tell you , 'Don't worry. This is easy. I can do it,' chase them off because, guess what? Not only are you likely to see a relative injured, you are liable for both their health and any damages to your house. If you are in an apartment, why are you messing with the wiring? They have maintenance. If you are that maintenance person and you don't know what you are doing, please just tell your boss that so they can call a professional. I was head of maintenance at a condo for years and I cannot tell you how much grief is caused by people who will not admit they don't know what they are doing.

If it seems that I am overly concerned about this, believe me, I am not. Electricity is dangerous. Even at sub-lethal doses, it really hurts to get zapped. In addition, if you botch the work, it will cost you a lot more in the long run than the cost of calling an electrician before you messed things up.

Be careful with electricity and Never over estimate your abilities.