Published by PTK Corp. To place an Ad, call: (334) 202-7285 [email protected]August 7, 2012 OVER 4 MILLION Readers Weekly Nationwide! The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read Just as “Popeye” from the cartoon of days gone by ate his spinach for strength, we should eat plenty of leafy green vegetables as part of our everyday diet. This Tidbits look at leafy greens that are good for you, just as your mother said! • The National Cancer Institute reports, “foods rich in vitamins A and C have been associated with the reduced risk of certain cancers.” Many leafy green vegetables are excellent sources of these two vitamins as well as vitamins K and B, calcium, iron, fiber and more. • Greens are naturally low in sodium and calories. For example: a cup (0.2 l) of raw spinach has only 14 calories and a _ cup (0.1 l) serving of cooked collards has only 38 calories. All greens are fat and cholesterol free. • According to Jill Nussinow, registered dietician, culinary educator in Northern California and author of a very informative book, “The Veggie Queen,” “Greens are the No. 1 food you can eat regularly to improve your health.” • Keep these in mind when eating greens: “Green is good. Dark green is better. Organic dark leafy green is best.” If you grow your own — and they are easy to grow — you know how your vegetables have been treated. turn the page for more! Vol 1 Issue 30 of the River Region TIDBITS® SUGGEST YOU EAT YOUR GREENS! by Patricia L. Cook HOLLIS LASIK $595. 00 Per Eye • Over 115,000 Done • Financing Available • You Will NOT Be Charged More Expires 9/28/12 www.hollislasik.com (334) 826-8778 1100 S. College St. Ste. 108 • Auburn, AL
Transcript
Published by PTK Corp. To place an Ad, call: (334) 202-7285 [email protected]
Just as “Popeye” from the cartoon of days gone by ate his spinach for strength, we should eat plenty of leafy green vegetables as part of our everyday diet. This Tidbits look at leafy greens that are good for you, just as your mother said!
• The National Cancer Institute reports, “foods rich in vitamins A and C have been associated with the reduced risk of certain cancers.” Many leafy green vegetables are excellent sources of these two vitamins as well as vitamins K and B, calcium, iron, fiber and more.
• Greens are naturally low in sodium and calories. For example: a cup (0.2 l) of raw spinach has only 14 calories and a _ cup (0.1 l) serving of cooked collards has only 38 calories. All greens are fat and cholesterol free.
• According to Jill Nussinow, registered dietician, culinary educator in Northern California and author of a very informative book, “The Veggie Queen,” “Greens are the No. 1 food you can eat regularly to improve your health.”
• Keep these in mind when eating greens: “Green is good. Dark green is better. Organic dark leafy green is best.” If you grow your own — and they are easy to grow — you know how your vegetables have been treated.
turn the page for more!
Vol 1 Issue 30of the River Region
TIDBITS® SUGGEST YOUEAT YOUR GREENS!
by Patricia L. Cook
Hollis lasik$595.00 Per Eye
• Over 115,000 Done• Financing Available• You Will NOT Be Charged More
Expires 9/28/12www.hollislasik.com
(334) 826-87781100 S. College St. Ste. 108 • Auburn, AL
EAT YOUR GREENS! (continued):• Nussinow, in a webMD article, ranked the nutrition of the most widely eaten greens in the United States. The top 10 are: kale, collards, turnip greens, Swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, red and green leaf and romaine lettuces (altogether), cabbage, and iceberg lettuce.
• There are other nutritional greens not listed above that are widely available in North America. The information available for all greens is immense. We’ll look at some interesting Tidbits for both highly and less popular greens.
• Even though it may sound incorrect, all greens are not green! Leafy green vegetables have much color variety, from the bluish-green of kale to the bright “Kelly” green of spinach, to the light, somewhat white of cabbage.
• There is even a black cabbage (Cavalo Nero), which is actually a very dark green that is also called Tuscan kale. It originated from the Tuscany region of Italy where it is grown in most vegetable gardens. Cavalo Nero is an essential ingredient in the very healthy signature soup of the region, ribollita.
• The Tuscan region of Italy is famous for many culinary things including the cooking term, “Florentine.” This term can be interpreted as the cooking style used in Florence, Italy, but has also come to describe the cuisine that includes spinach as an ingredient. Florentine cooking also uses fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, parsley and thyme. Since Tuscany is close to the coast, Florentine cooking features seafood dishes as well as local boar, rabbit and beef from the regions’ white Chianina cattle. According to folklore, the association of spinach with Florence may have been because of Catherine de Medici, the Italian wife of King Henry II, who reigned in France from 1560-1563.
• Supposedly to honor her Italian roots, Queen Catherine introduced spinach to the Court of France and dubbed any dish containing spinach to be “Florentine.” Whether the story is true or not, Florentine is now synonymous with spinach in dishes such as Eggs Florentine, Oysters Florentine and more.
• To make for some confusing terminology, “Florentines” refer to a sweet, baked confection that contains no spinach! These Florentines are a European sweet served as a cake, bar or cookie. Sweet Florentines are a mixture of candied fruit, toasted nuts, honey and/or sugar and topped with
a layer of melted chocolate. • Moving away from sweets and back to greens, a green that has many names around the world is rapini or what is more commonly known as broccoli raab. This green is unrelated to broccoli even though broccoli is in its name. It is a close relative to turnips, and the greens look very similar to turnip greens. Other names linked to this green are rapa, rapine, raab, rappi, rappone, fall and spring raab, turnip broccoli, broccoli rape, broccoli de rabe, Italian turnip and turnip broccoli.
• As more greens are available in North America, an old favorite has decreased in popularity. Iceberg lettuce was an overwhelming success for years because of its ability to remain crunchy even after days and sometimes weeks of shipping. Up until the 1930s, iceberg was known as “Crisphead” lettuce.
• Bruce Church, from Salinas, California, the founder of Fresh Express, is given credit for popularizing iceberg lettuce. Along with three partners, he formed an ice company in the 1930s that shipped fresh heads of lettuce across the country in rail cars. “Crisphead” lettuce became more commonly known as “iceberg” when folks would meet the train cars of ice-packed lettuce with calls of “The icebergs are coming!” The name change stuck, and Americans’ love of fresh salads grew with the fresh availability.
• Up until the mid-1970s, more than 95 percent of all lettuce grown in the United States was iceberg. Even though leaf lettuces have surged in popularity in the last 30-40 years, iceberg still remains a big seller. So, the next time you are eating out, check to see if a “wedge” salad is offered. It will be the familiar iceberg we grew up with.
• Another popular salad that some think started with Julius Caesar is the Caesar Salad. It actually had its start in Tijuana, Mexico, with Cesare Cardini, who immigrated to the San Diego area with his brother, Alex, from Italy after World War I. The brothers opened Caesar’s Restaurant in Tijuana instead of San Diego because of alcohol prohibition in the United States. Invented in the 1920s, the Caesar Salad was mostly just a California specialty for years, with romaine lettuce being the green. The popularity of Caesar salads soared in the 1970s, and the romaine crop grew from a few California acres (ha) to 16,000 acres (6,475 ha) in the 1990s and more than 80,000 acres (32,370 ha) today.
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When you are trying to choose just the right gift for your grandchildren, you can have a tough time sifting through the newest trends and fads. Last week it was this pop star, next week it may be a new cartoon char-acter. On top of that, you don’t want to get something that won’t last 10 minutes out of the package.One gift that will last for many years is a life insurance policy. There are many reasons why it can be an excel-lent gift for your grandchild.
Affordability – The younger the child’s age, the lower the premiums.Protection – Illness or injury may affect a child’s abil-ity to purchase life insurance coverage later in life. Coverage purchased now will continue to provide protection, even if a child’s health changes, provided premiums are paid as required by the policy.Financial Security – Life insurance can be the founda-tion for a strong financial plan. The child may be able to borrow against the accumulated cash value (with in-terest charged) to pay for future expenses. While loans decrease death benefits and cash surrender values, the proceeds can be used for important expenses such as a college education or the purchase of a home
Giving a gift of life insurance to your grandchild can be one of the most significant things you do during your lifetime. He or she may not understand at the time how important the gift is, but should grow to appreciate it in the future. Take the guesswork out of your gift shopping. Life insurance is a gift that will last a lifetime.
Give your grandchildren the gift of Life
* It’s not known who made the following sage observa-tion: “Arguing about whether the glass is half-full or half-empty misses the point, which is this: The bartender cheated you.”
* The longest war in history lasted 335 years and resulted in exactly zero casualties. In 1651, the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly off Great Britain declared war upon each other, but nothing ever came of the conflict and it was soon forgotten. Finally, in 1986, the two combatants agreed to a peace treaty.
* Do you suffer from cacodemonomania? If you believe that you are possessed by an evil spirit, you do.
* The world’s smallest mammal can be found only in Thailand and Myanmar. Weighing about as much as a dime, Kitti’s hog-nosed bat is sometimes called the bumblebee bat due to its diminutive size.
* You might be surprised to learn that an eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.
* The Beatles was not the first band in which John Lennon played. Those previous groups obviously didn’t work out, though; in fact, at one point Lennon broke a washboard over a bandmate’s head during a dispute. After the Beatles’ success, though, Lennon apologized in style: He bought the poor guy a supermarket.
* Those who study such things say that armadillos can be housebroken.
* At sea level, water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. At the top of Mount Everest, though, the lower air pressure reduces the boiling point to 156 degrees.
* If you recycle one glass jar, you’ll save enough energy to power a TV for three hours.***Thought for the Day: “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” -- G.K. Chesterton
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: This will be my first year as an assistant football coach at the high-school level. The head coach has given me the task of preparing for heat-related injuries. It stays hot here way into October. I’d appreciate any tips you can give me. -- G.O.
ANSWER: The best prevention for heat injuries is calling off practice on hot, humid days. What exactly is a hot, humid day? If your school has a wet-bulb globe thermometer, on days when it registers 82 or higher, either call off practice or limit the work done. This reading incorporates heat and humidity. It takes two weeks for the body to acclimatize to heat. In the first few days, drills should not be demanding. Once acclimatized, the body sweats earlier and the sodium content of sweat lessens. Encourage players to stay hydrated. They should drink 16 to 20 ounces of water or a sports drink two hours before and again half an hour before practice. Players should continue to drink 8 ounces every 20 minutes. Sports drinks provide sodium.Heat cramps are the first sign of trouble. Muscles of the arms, legs or abdomen cramp. Cramping players should be taken out of practice, sit in a cool, shaded place and drink sodium-containing fluids. Heat fainting is a more serious sign of heat trouble. Such a player should be taken to an air-conditioned room, hydrated and carefully watched. This player ought not
How to Prevent Heat Injuries
to practice the following day.Heat exhaustion is the next and is a quite serious sign of heat injury. The player sweats heavily, might be nauseated, breathes rapidly and has a fast pulse and low blood pressure. He’s apt to be confused. The player is dehydrated and sodium-depleted. He must be quickly taken to an air-conditioned room, have his clothes removed and his legs elevated. Cold fluids containing sodium are essential. If he’s not responding to this treatment shortly, he ought to be taken to a hospital emergency department.Heatstroke is the most serious heat injury. All the signs mentioned above are present, but the skin can be dry. The player is groggy or unresponsive. He needs to be taken to an emergency room by ambulance. Clothes are removed. During transport, ice-water-soaked towels are placed under his arms, in his groin and around his neck. Immersion in an ice-water bath will be accomplished at the hospital.***DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What can you tell me about hypothyroidism? Does taking iodine help? I hear that taking thyroid hormone is a lifetime commitment. -- C.N.
ANSWER: Hypothyroidism is a thyroid gland that’s putting out way too little thyroid hormone. All body processes slow. People become weak and are exhausted. They’re cold when others are pleasantly warm. They gain weight without overeating. Their skin dries. The face becomes puffy. The heart beats slowly.Worldwide, iodine deficiency is the main cause of a sluggish thyroid gland. It is not in North America. Here, the main cause is an attack on the gland by the immune system.The appropriate treatment is supplying the hormone in pill form. It usually is a lifelong treatment, but it’s not an onerous one. It’s taking only one pill a day.***
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I started my own fit-ness training about four months ago, and have done pretty well with daily runs. Now that my dog “Spirit” is out of puppyhood -- he’s about 9 months old -- I’ve tried to take him along. But he didn’t seem too excited the first time we went running together. He stopped running and tugged on his leash back toward home after just half a mile. How can I get Spirit into running? -- Curt C., Boulder, Colo.
DEAR CURT: You’ve got to work Spirit up to it, just as you had to work your fitness upward. He gave a really clear signal that a half mile was his initial maximum distance; at that point it was time to take him home. Spirit is still very young to be out running, so don’t get discouraged by that first-day showing; just gradually increase the distance each day in small increments, take Spirit home, and finish your own run.
Running with your dog can be rewarding, provid-ing companionship and even a measure of security. But keep your dog’s welfare in mind throughout the exercise. Heidi Ganahl of Camp Bow Wow offered some important tips for keeping your dog safe while running:--Don’t feed your dog less than 1 hour before or after running, to avoid the possibility of bloat.--Put sunblock on your dog’s nose on sunny days.--Make sure he drinks plenty of water before and after the run.--Check your dog’s feet after each run for injuries.--Avoid running in very hot, humid weather, as dogs can overheat quickly.--Place reflective gear on your dog and yourself if running in the evening or early morning.
Send your questions or comments to [email protected], or write to Paw’s Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. For more pet care-relat-ed advice and information, visit www.pawscorner.com.
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Register to win at www.riverregiontidbits.com and click on “Tommy Tidbits”. Fill out the registration information and tell us how many times Tommy ap-pears in ads in the paper for this week. From the cor-rect entries, a winner will be selected. You must be 18 years of age to qualify. The gift certificates will range in value from $25 to $50 each week. Entries must be received at the website by midnight each Saturday evening or at PTK Corp, PO Box 264, Wetumpka, AL 36092.
This week’s winner receives a $25.00 Gift Certificate from Acapulco Grill
1. Is the book of Nebuchadnezzar in the Old or New Testament or neither?2. From 1 Kings 9, who built the walls of Jerusalem? David, Solomon, Belshazzar, Nimrod3. Which biblical name means “Worshiper of the Lord”? Malachi, Lazarus, Obadiah, Jonah4. 2 Kings and which other book mention cannibalism? Proverbs, Titus, Lamenta-tions, Judges5. What angel appeared to Mary and Zach-arias? Haniel, Paschar, Sofiel, Gabriel6. From Genesis 4, who invented tents? Cain, Jabal, Abel, Adam
1. Who was the last Detroit Tigers pitcher before Justin Verlander (24 in 2011) to win at least 20 games in a season?2. In 2011, Johnny Damon became the ninth player in baseball history to have 200 homers and 400 stolen bases for a career. Name four of the first eight.3. In 2011, Carolina rookie Cam Newton passed for 854 yards in his first two NFL games, setting a record. Who had held the passing-yardage mark?4. Who is the only men’s col-lege basketball player to start in four Final Fours? 5. Only two NHL defensemen since 2000 have averaged a point per game for a season. Name them.6. Name three of the top five bowlers in career victories on the PBA Tour.7. How many horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown since the last Triple Crown winner in 1978?
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1. Bill Gullickson won 20 games in 1991.2. Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Roberto Alomar, Marquis Grissom, Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan, Paul Molitor and Craig Biggio.3. Todd Marinovich had 638 yards passing in his first two regular-season games for the Raiders in 1991-92.4. Christian Laettner of Duke (1989-92).5. Mike Green (2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons) and Nicklas Lidstrom (2005-06 season).6. Walter Ray Williams (47 victories), Earl Anthony (43), Norm Duke (37), Pete Weber (36) and Mark Roth (34).7. Twelve.
Time Magazine reported, in a cover story on the 1984 Olympics, that on the night before the finals in womens’s gymnastics Mary Lou Retton, then age 16, lay in bed at Olympic Village mentally rehearsing her performance ritual. She had done the same on hundreds of previous nights, visual-izing (self-hypnosis) performing all her routines perfectly--imaging in her mind all the moves and rehearsing them again and again. The result, of course, was a performance of perfection, presented with charm, poise and confidence, culminating in a gold medal.
Call for a free screening for weight loss, stop smok-ing, stress and pain management. See online video at hypnosisworksnow.com We also do couple asses-ments 334-213-0054
Satisfy vegetarians and meat-eaters alike with these healthful, Middle Eastern-style Bulgur Bean Burgers. No one will miss the beef when black beans and spices are providing first-class flavor.
1 cup waterSalt and ground black pepper1/2 cup bulgur1 can (15 to 19 ounces) reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained1 container (6 ounces) plain low-fat yogurt1/4 teaspoon ground allspice1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground cumin1/4 cup (packed) mint leaves, choppedNonstick cooking spray1 small shredded Kirby (pickling) cucumber4 whole-wheat hamburger buns4 lettuce leaves1 medium tomato, sliced
1. In 1-quart saucepan, heat water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boiling over high heat. Stir in bulgur. Reduce heat to
Bulgur Bean Burgers
low; cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until water is absorbed.2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, with potato masher or fork, mash beans with 2 tablespoons yogurt until almost smooth. Stir in bulgur, allspice, cinnamon, cumin and half of mint until combined. With lightly floured hands, shape bean mixture into four 3-inch-round patties. Spray both sides of each patty lightly with nonstick cooking spray.3. Heat nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Add burgers and cook 8 minutes or until lightly browned and heated through, turning over once.4. While burgers are cooking, prepare yogurt sauce: In small bowl, combine cucumber, remaining yogurt and mint, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.5. To serve, divide lettuce, tomato and burgers among buns; top with some yogurt sauce. Serve with remaining yogurt sauce. Serves 4.
„ Each serving: About 295 calories, 3g total fat (1g satu-rated), 3mg cholesterol, 960mg sodium, 58g total carbs, 13g dietary fiber, 16g protein.
For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/.
(c) 2012 Hearst Communications, Inc.All rights reserved
The most historically and culturally significant piece of land in New Orleans is the French Quarter. The famous area was mostly spared in the ravaging destruction and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. • When French Canadian naval officer Jean Baptiste Bienville founded New Orleans in 1718, en-gineers developed a formal city plan for Nouvelle Or-leans, the area that is now known as the French Quarter. The city grew out of the original borders to become an important American port city. As people arrived from all over the world, a distinct culture rich in music, food and tradition began to develop. • The “Quarter” is also known as Vieux Carré, which means “Old Square” in French. The area is lo-cated in downtown New Orleans, on some of the high-est ground in the city on a crescent of the Mississippi River. Besides the river, the borders are roughly Canal Street, Rampart Street and Esplanade Avenue. The area today still occupies the same 6-by-13-block area that was laid out in 1722. One of the best-preserved histori-cal neighborhoods in America, the Quarter actually feels like a foreign country. The lasting influence of the French and Spanish settlers and planners is still present. • The architecture of the Quarter is a mix of mostly French and Spanish styles. The Spanish rule of New Orleans was short, from 1762 to 1800, but during that time there were two fires that virtually destroyed the French Quarter. In 1788, 850 structures were lost, and then another 200 were lost in 1794. A lot of what had been French architecture was replaced with Span-ish-style wrought iron balconies and central courtyards• The city was under French rule first, then Spanish and back to French before being sold to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase agreement in 1803. The Cabildo, built in 1799, is where the Louisi-ana Purchase signing took place and is now the main building of the Louisiana State Museum historical complex.• Over 35,000 buildings in New Orleans, many in the French Quarter, are listed on the National Regis-ter of Historic Places. The Cabildo is sometimes called the second most important building in America, after Independence Hall in Philadelphia. • The Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral and the Pres-bytere (also part of the museum complex) all surround Jackson Square. Originally called “Place d’Armes,” the Square is named after Andrew Jackson, a hero of the Battle of New Orleans. The Square is one of the most visited areas in the Quarter, where local artists paint, draw and display their works. St. Louis Cathedral is the oldest continuously active cathedral in the United States. • Another old establishment of the Quarter is the French Market, the oldest farmer’s market in the United States. Dating back to 1791, it also includes a flea market. The French Market is “three centuries of history, six blocks of shopping, open seven days a week!” • Any New Orleans visit should include the Original Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stand, established in 1862. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it closes only on Christmas Day and whenever a hurricane passes through. The coffee with chicory, served black or “au lait” (poured half and half with hot milk), and beignets, square French doughnuts, are definitely worth the wait. Yes, there is just about always a crowd!
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* Lunchbox tip: Assemble your sandwich the night before (without veggies). Wrap in waxed paper and freeze. Add veggies and a condiment packet in a separate bag. Your sandwich will thaw by lunch-time and will stay cold!
* “Plant banana skins in your garden, just below the surface. They rot quickly and provide nutrients for growing plants.” -- A.R. in Ohio
* “My girls get a little crazy with back-to-school clothes shopping -- they want ev-erything! Before we go, we pull out all the clothes they have and assess their needs. We keep a count of shirts, skirts, shorts and pants so we don’t overbuy and have too many. They also make outfits out of what they have, so we can see if anything
needs to be bought for that purpose. And undergarments and socks are re-plenished first, so they get included in the budget!” -- S.S. in South Carolina
* “Always keep two needles threaded, one with black and one with white. When you have a rip, a button comes off or a hem comes out of your clothes, and you are in a hurry, you can use one of these for a quick repair.” -- J.R. in Virginia
* “This is a great tip for the upcoming school year. It’s hard to keep track of names of classmates anyway, but try-ing to remember who’s who from last year or the year before can be impos-sible. When class pictures come out, I make a photocopy and write the names of the children on the copy, right next to the child in the photo. I keep the photo-copy handy throughout the school year and then file it away later with the actual photo. Our family has been doing this for almost 10 years, and it makes for great recall when looking back.” -- Y.O. in Utah
In one sense, it was a great weekend for Sam Horn-ish Jr. Returning to the scene of his greatest triumph, the 2006 Indianapolis 500, Hornish bookended a Dodge sweep by finishing second to teammate Brad Keselowski in the Indiana 250 on July 28, the Na-tionwide Series’ first-ever visit to famed Indianapolis 500. The Sprint Cup race on the next day, however, brought frustration. Hornish has, for now, replaced the suspended A.J. Allmendinger as driver of Roger Penske’s No. 22 Dodge in the Sprint Cup Series. Pen-ske hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Allmendinger’s eventual return, though it seems unlikely. He would like to see Hornish establish himself as a Cup driver worthy of support. The Crown Royal Curtiss Shaver 400 (formerly known as the Brickyard and Allstate 400s) was frus-trating for the 33-year-old Hornish, whose NASCAR career has been a disappointment. Though he won a Nationwide Series race in 2011 at Phoenix, he has never finished better than fourth (Pocono, 2009) in 113 Cup races. Hornish’s best Cup finish was at a flat track. His lone Nationwide victory was at a flat track. Indy is a flat track. “It’s a little bit of the mentality of what I grew up racing,” Hornish, from Defiance, Ohio, said. “I did mostly road courses, so, I mean, that’s generally pretty flat. I like tracks like Phoenix, that are different from end to end, because they’re what I call compro-mise race tracks. “You’re never going to get your car perfect at both ends, so you try to work on one end where you think it’s going to be more beneficial for you to get passes done, and then you kind of try to maintain on the other end. Pocono is another place that’s like that.”Hornish finished 16th in Indy’s Sprint Cup race on July 29. He’ll continue in Cup, where possible, though his first priority is winning the Nationwide championship. He currently ranks fourth in the stand-ings, 28 points off Elliott Sadler’s pace. The Nation-wide Series has no Chase, so Hornish has 14 races to catch and pass the three drivers -- Sadler, Austin Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -- ahead of him.A Nationwide championship might provide Hornish with the spark he needs to return to NASCAR’s top series full-time.***
Q: I have one of those flexible sprayer shower heads that you can lift from its holder and use. Whenever I turn on the shower, water squirts from the part where the holder attaches to the water pipe, and also runs from the end of the hose where it attaches to the shower head. Do I need to replace it or can I fix this? -- Lorelei D., Atlanta
A: Check the shower head attachment points for any visible damage first. A visibly cracked hose or plastic attachment piece often means the entire unit needs to be replaced. However, if you can’t see any damage, you may be able to fix this with just the twist of an adjustable wrench.To avoid damaging or scratching the connector nut -- which attaches the shower unit to the inlet pipe (sometimes called a goose-neck pipe) -- wrap a soft rag around the nut. Use an adjustable wrench that can fit comfortably around the connector nut, and gently turn the nut clockwise just slightly -- one-quarter turn at most. Unwrap the rag from around the connector nut and turn on the shower to see if the leak has diminished or stopped. If it needs more adjustment, replace the rag and gently turn the connector nut another quarter-turn. Keep in mind that turning the connector too tight may make the leak worse; that’s one reason to make such small incremental adjustments. An-other reason is to avoid damaging the connector nut or the seal. If you notice cracks or other damage to the shower unit, in most cases you’ll need to replace the en-tire unit (except for some more expensive shower heads, which often offer replacement parts from
Shower Head a Leaky Mess
By Samantha Mazzotta
the manufacturer). To replace the unit, head to the home-improvement store and pick out a shower head of your choice, along with some Teflon tape.Back home, turn off the water feed to the shower. If you can’t find the nearest shutoff valve, turn off water to the house. Unscrew the old shower sprayer unit from the inlet pipe, using your pliers and turning counterclock-wise to loosen and remove it. Clean away any old sealant, tape or gunky buildup from the threads of the inlet pipe.Unwrap the new shower unit and take a look at the connection and accompanying hardware. Connec-tors that come with a rubber washer generally need to be tightly screwed on using your pliers; con-nectors that don’t generally just need to be hand-tightened.Now, take your new Teflon tape. Wrap it care-fully around the threads of the inlet pipe, creating a single layer around the threads from the end of the pipe to just below the end of the threads. (The tape will push upward when you screw on the new shower head, so leave a bit of space.) Press the tape into the threads with your fingers.Carefully line up the connector of the new shower unit with the pipe and screw on, turning clockwise. Use your hand to tighten the connection; if you need to tighten more, protect the finish of the con-nector by wrapping a rag around it and tighten in small increments using pliers. Turn on water to the shower to test the connection, adjusting slightly if needed until the connection no longer leaks.
HOME TIP: Don’t have a set of pliers that fit your pipes? Look for channel locking pliers, which can open to a range of widths to fit varying widths of pipe.
Send your questions or tips to [email protected], or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Local strawberries are so sweet, juicy and lus-cious right now that I have to remind myself that summer’s strawberry fields don’t last forever. I savor the plump, red berries and love showing them off in new ways with my family. While they taste great au naturel for a grab-and-go snack, there are endless ways to incorporate them with other healthy ingredi-ents day in and day out. Here are sweet ideas we are enjoying this year:
Spinach and Strawberry SaladKids won’t eat their spinach? Make a tasty salad with a light vinaigrette your kids make. Get started by letting them grate the rind of a clean lemon into a small bowl, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze out all of the juice. Add 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar. As one child drizzles 1/4 cup olive oil into the mixture, another child may whisk briskly. Drizzle over a bowl of spinach, cubed fresh mango and strawberry slices. Add toasted almond slices, if you wish.
Strawberry Faux FondueSummertime is party time. For a simple do-it-yourself dessert at a large gathering, set a big bowl of strawberries in the center of a table, along with bamboo skewers and fondue-style sweets in small bowls for dipping. Before the party, let your kids fill the bowls with caramel, strawberry and fudge sauces, powdered sugar and brown sugar. To serve, tell guests to poke a berry onto a skewer and dip into a treat.
A Bowl of BerriesChop fresh mint and add to a bowl of blueber-ries, raspberries and sliced strawberries as a fruit side dish at lunchtime. The combo also makes a nice dessert served with a favorite cookie.
Grilled Strawberries Cut strawberries in half lengthwise and let your kids poke several onto bamboo skewers lengthwise. An adult should set the cut side of the berries on a grill for a minute, or until grill marks appear. Serve for dessert with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.***Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative fam-ily recipes and activities, visit www.donnas-day.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”
(c) 2012 Donna EricksonDistributed by King Features Synd.
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Far too many of us, women especially, can develop weight problems as we age. We’re less active. Meno-pause doesn’t help. We might have different eating patterns.Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have done a study that looked at self-monitor-ing as a way to reduce weight. The study results show how we can lose weight safely in three steps: 1) Keep a journal that reports every-thing that’s eaten; 2) Don’t skip meals; and 3) Don’t go out to lunch. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it.They divided 123 overweight and obese senior wom-en into two groups for the yearlong study: one group used diet and exercise, and the other only diet. Here’s what they learned:Women who kept journals of what they ate lost six pounds more than those who didn’t keep a journal. This appeared to be the most important of the three
Three Simple Steps to Weight Loss
steps, and it makes sense. If we write down exactly what we eat, it’s easier to identify whether we’re meeting our goals. The trick is to be honest, and being honest means measuring portions and reading labels -- and always keeping your journal with you in case you do eat while away from home.Women who went out for lunch at least once a week lost five pounds less than those who didn’t, or who ate lunch out less frequently. When you eat at a restaurant, you can’t control the size of the portions or how the food is cooked. Women who skipped meals lost eight pounds less than those who didn’t skip meals. Researchers weren’t sure why this was so, but it could be that being hungry leads to overeating or eating out. Eating at regular times gave the best success.
Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
If your high-school junior is top-notch college mate-rial but you fear having him or her apply to the more well-known universities because of the likelihood of being buried in student loans at the end of four years, consider this: Students at Princeton University gradu-ate without a single cent in loans, and have since 2001. The reason is the financial assistance that’s available. For more than 30 years, Princeton’s main goal has been education, and it will cover up to 100 percent of a student’s needs for tuition, room, board and man-
datory fees. Not covered are books and personal ex-penses. Each family’s financial situation is considered and an amount is determined that the parents will pay toward the student’s education. Financial aid from the university will fill in the rest and will include a campus job. For more information, go online to www.princeton.edu and make your way to the Aid Estima-tor.How about Harvard? If your student has the grades, money shouldn’t be a consideration. In one year alone, Harvard will give $166 million in need-based grants. Parents with incomes less than $65,000 aren’t expected to contribute, although in coming years that will change to a small percentage of income being ex-pected as tuition. To calculate the cost of a Harvard education, go online to www.admissions.college.har-vard.edu and look for the Net Price Calculator.Dartmouth has raised its family income level to $100,000. Below that amount, loans are not included in financial-aid packages. Read the fine print, how-ever. Student health insurance and room and board are not necessarily included.The University of Pennsylvania has gone all-grant, no-loan, as have Swathmore, MIT (for parents mak-
ing less than $75,000) and Vanderbilt.Is Yale in your student’s future? Beware, if you want to avoid student loans. While Yale has need-based financial aid, student loans are considered part of that “self-help” extra-fees money that the student is responsible for. Go online to www.yale.edu and look for the Net Price Calculator to determine your con-tribution to your child’s fees.To find more colleges that don’t include loans as part of tuition payments, go online and search for “no loan financial aid” for more colleges with in-house financial aid.Hunt for message boards or blogs that might give a fuller picture of the financial aid that’s offered at a given school.
David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send email to [email protected].
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
College Education With No Loans
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