10/25/12

Recent health reports have shown that reusable grocery shopping bags can be a breeding ground for illness-causing bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. It's easy to understand why: Drippings from meat or seafood can leak onto the bags and cause mold, mildew and bacteria to grow. The healthy solution is to invest in machine washable bags -- like those made of nylon -- that can be washed and disinfected. Also, designate different bags for meat and produce. This will reduce cross contamination.

10/24/12

One way to help extend the life of food is to freeze perishables and leftovers to defrost and eat later. But how do you know if your freezer is actually cold enough to preserve food? Do the ice cream test: If a container of ice cream is soft when you take it out of the freezer, your freezer is too warm. Turn down the temperature until your ice cream is solid, and you'll know everything else is at the optimum temperature to stay preserved.

10/23/12

Decorating your home with string lights can be a festive way to bring joy to your home and neighborhood. When shopping for new lights, consider ones that are LED and Energy Star qualified. They use a fraction of the energy of traditional lights and can last up to 10 times longer. So while the investment up front may be a little more, over time you'll save money and energy. If every string of lights sold in the U.S. were Energy Star qualified, our country would save $80 million on electricity in one year.