Volume 5 March 2005

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Welcome to TAKE-A-MOMENT!

The Take-A-Moment newsletters strive to provide quick-to-read content to improve and enhance the quality of life at home and in the work place...for when you can "take-a-moment" from your hectic schedule. Take-a-Moment is provided by the Louisville Area Cooperative Extension Agents. When you have "more-than-a-moment" visit our web site for expanded articles, article archives, sign-up and contact information, and links to other web sites of interest.

("Netiquette" statement is at the end of this email, see below.)

Email subscribers@take-a-moment.com and request the PLAIN TEXT VERSION of the newsletter.

Did You Know...?

C O N T E N T S

Stain Removal -- Yellow Or Brown Spots (Rust)
Financial Fitness -- Smart Uses for Your Tax Refund
Family Life -- Friendship: The Core Of All Healthy Relationships
Nutrition & What's Cooking -- Put Your Slow Cooker to Work
Home Tips -- Poison Prevention Now!
Ways to Wellness -- March is National Nutrition Month!
In The Work Place -- List Priorities Daily

STAIN REMOVAL
YELLOW OR BROWN SPOTS-RUST
stainremoval@take-a-moment.com

Use rust remover, following manufacturer’s directions. Do not use chlorine bleach on rust stain or in water that contains larger amounts of iron. Rust removers are available for white and colored fabrics. They can be found in local supermarkets, drug stores and hardware stores. Also at some appliance stores. Examples are Whink and RoVer (Maytag). Rust discoloration on entire wash load: launder using a phosphate detergent and an oxygen bleach or launder with a commercial rust remover available at some appliance service companies.

No endorsement of companies or products mentioned is intended nor criticism of companies or products not mentioned implied.

FINANCIAL FITNESS
SMART USES FOR YOUR TAX REFUND
finances@take-a-moment.com

A tax refund is always a welcome bonus. Whether its $300 or $3,000, the way you use that money can have a real impact on your personal and financial well-being.

Follow 3 general rules:

1. DO plan ahead before spending your refund. Without a plan, you may use the money on the first thing that comes to mind, and then later realize that it was not the best choice.
2. DO devote a portion of your tax refund to build long-term financial security.
3. DON’T throw away part of your refund on loan fees. Did you know that those companies that offer “quick refunds” are just giving you a loan? For more information on refund anticipation loans, see www.consumerlaw.org, and follow the logical links.

3 Smart Uses for Your Tax Refund:

1. Pay off bills: First priority is your regular bills if you have gotten behind. Most other debts should be prioritized with highest-interest rates paid off first. For example suppose you have a credit card balance of $2,000 at an interest rate of 18%, and you are making payments of $50/month. At that rate it will be 62 months before the bill is paid off, and it will cost you $1,077 in interest. If you used your tax refund to pay off $1,000 on that bill and then continue to pay $50/month, the bill will be paid off in just 24 months, at an interest cost of only $198. You saved $800 interest by paying $1,000 toward the debt now!
2. Save for needs in the coming Year: Save your refund for those emergencies that always pop up, like a car repair bill or unexpected medical expenses, or for those big bills like your property taxes.
3. Long-term savings: Adding just $500 a year into a retirement account can make a difference over a period of decades. Earning an average annual return of 9%, a contribution of $500/year would yield $68,100 after 30 years. Moderate-income workers who contribute to their retirement accounts may qualify for a tax credit! For example, a married couple filing jointly with earnings of $32,000 would qualify for a 20% credit. That means that if they contribute $2,000 to retirement accounts, they will receive a direct tax credit of $400! Consult with the IRS or your tax preparer for details!

FAMILY LIFE
FRIENDSHIP: THE CORE OF ALL HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
familylife@take-a-moment.com

Friendship is the basis of all meaningful relationships. To befriend another means to see worth and beauty in that person. In friendship we nourish and in turn are nourished. In a very real way, the kindness we give to our friends we also give to ourselves.

Friendship thrives on respect, heartfelt caring, and open, honest sharing of dreams, concerns and values. With a trustworthy friend, there's no need to hide any part of who you are. You can say what's on your mind and what's in your heart. You are free to share happy times as well as moments of sadness and confusion.

Friendship is always an adventure, for every person is an unfolding mystery. Even in the closest of relationships, respect the mystery and maintain a degree of reverence. And give your friends space to breathe . . . and to change . . . and to make mistakes.

Source: Sam Quick

NUTRITION & WHAT'S COOKING
PUT YOUR SLOW COOKER TO WORK
whatscooking@take-a-moment.com

Imagine the tantalizing aroma of chili or chicken coup greeting you as you return home after a hard day’s work. A slow cooker and a little advance preparation will make this image a reality.

A slow cooker is best used for foods with a high moisture content such as chili, stew, spaghetti sauce or soup.

There are several advantages to using a slow cooker or crock pot. It can reduce the time you spend in the kitchen by almost half. A slow cooker takes less electricity than an oven, and produces less heat during the warmer months. It also improves the variety and flavor of foods. Since this appliance cooks foods slowly at a low temperature, it tenderizes the less expensive and leaner cuts of meat and reduces shrinkage.

A slow cooker is designed for long hours of unattended cooking so don’t remove the lid until it’s time to check food doneness, unless you need to stir during cooking. This is because heat builds up slowly inside the cooker, and every time you uncover the pot it loses enough heat to slow the cooking process by 30 minutes or more.

It usually takes several hours for food to reach 125 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which heat begins to destroy any bacteria present. Some bacteria can survive at temperatures up to 140 degrees F. A slow cooker should heat to 125 degrees F within three hours and to 140 degrees F within four hours, according to food safety experts. To kill all bacteria, the temperature must stay at 150 degrees F for at least one hour.

• To get off to a safe start, use a clean cooker and utensils. Also, be sure to keep the work area clean and wash your hands before and during food preparation.

• Always defrost meat or poultry before you put it in a slow cooker.

• Keep perishable foods in the refrigerator until it’s time to prepare them. If you cut up meat and vegetables in advance, refrigerate them in separate containers.

• Cut food into small pieces or chunks to ensure even cooking. Don’t use a slow cooker for large pieces of meat like a roast or whole chicken, because these will remain in the bacterial “danger zone” too long due to the slow cooking process.

• Fill the slow cooker no less than half full and no more than two-thirds full.

• Since vegetables cook more slowly than meat and poultry, put vegetables in the slow cooker first, then add the meat and cover the food with a liquid such as broth, water, gravy or barbecue sauce.

• It’s best to turn the cooker to the highest heat setting for the first hour of cooking and then to low or the setting recommended in your recipe.

• Never reheat food in a slow cooker. Instead, bring it to a boil on the stove or in a microwave oven; then, put in a pre-heated slow cooker to remain hot until it’s time to serve the food.

HOME TIPS
POISON PREVENTION NOW!
hometips@take-a-moment.com

Good poison prevention practices help save lives.

Despite our best efforts, sometimes unintentional poisonings happen. In fact, every year in the U.S., nearly 2.5 million poison exposures are reported. And, children and youth under age 19 suffer 66% of these exposures. To help prevent unintentional poisonings, The Soap and Detergent Association offers important tips for using household cleaning products safely.

Use Safely

• Schedule routine cleaning with kids in mind. Choose times when small children aren’t around or when they’re napping.

• Read and follow product label directions. Don’t mix products – harmful gases can be released.

• Never remove product labels. The precautions, first-aid instructions, and ingredients will be important if there’s an emergency.

• Take out only the amount of cleaning product needed. Put the rest away, so nothing’s left out to tempt curious toddlers or pets.

Store Safely

• Lock products up. This location should be away from children, pets, or food.

• Store products in their original containers. If you put products in food or beverage containers, someone might eat or drink them by mistake.

• Close container caps securely. Products with more potential hazard, such as some oven or drain cleaners, come with child-resistant packaging. However, unintentional poisonings can still occur if the package isn’t closed properly.

Dispose Safely

• Carefully dispose of empty cleaning containers. To protect children, pets, and garbage handlers, replace caps first, then discard in a sealed recycling bin or garbage container.

For more about poison prevention or if you think someone has been poisoned from medicine or a household chemical, call the Poison Control Center’s nationwide, toll-free hotline at: 1-800-222-1222.

WAYS TO WELLNESS
MARCH IS NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH!
wellness@take-a-moment.com

To celebrate this special month, why not consider changes you might make in your dietary consumption to have a healthier lifestyle?

Are you getting at least half of your breads and cereals in whole grain form?
This would include such items as oats for breakfast and 100% whole wheat bread for toast and lunch sandwiches.

Are you eating five to nine fruits/vegetables each day?
Consider packing baby carrots, celery, green pepper strips, or other fresh vegetables for lunch. Vegetables and fruits make wonderful pick-me-up snacks when you have a mid-morning or mid-afternoon break.

Are you getting three servings of low-fat (1% or fat-free) milk and milk products?
A cup of hot chocolate on a cold March day tastes great and provides you with needed calcium to help keep bones and teeth strong. A cup of yogurt is easy to store and eat on a busy day.

These are just some of the many dietary changes to consider making this year. For more information on the new 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, go to http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/

IN THE WORK PLACE
LIST PRIORITIES DAILY
workplace@take-a-moment.com

List Priorities daily and you will find that you get the important things accomplished – one day at a time.

Remember:

• Set priorities.
• Allow time for interruptions.
• Be aware of and use your prime time - that time each day when you are most alert, enthusiastic and creative.
• Be good to yourself – set reasonable, realistic goals.
• Set aside time for yourself (ten minutes per day adds up to more than 60 hours per year).
• Limit the amount of time you will spend on the task you hate.
• Delegate.
• Consolidate trips, tasks.
• Cross out completed tasks. This helps you visualize what you have accomplished.

(more in April)