Hey, Let's All Join BC Bloggers 4

PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS: Hey, Let's All Join BC Bloggers 4

      This blog is 7 months old and I need to get it earning for me already. But one thing's for sure, I need to get more inbound links and traffic, so I've decided to join BC Bloggers 4. I kept seeing that badge in other blogs and now I understand why--bloggers help fellow-bloggers. 


       BC Bloggers is the brainchild of Paula of Paula's Place. With the success of BC Bloggers 1 to 3, many former BC Bloggers are joining again this time around. Well, come and join us! Click on the badge below to know the mechanics. 

Recycling Left-Over Food

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING/PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS: Recycling Left-Over Food

     With all the hunger in the world, it's almost a crime to throw away left-over food. That is why when we eat in restaurants, left-over food goes into "doggie" bags which, in the Philippines, are mostly intended for the pet dog at home. Just curious--I know that we also give our dogs dog food, why not give the "doggie" bags to those poor beggars and street kids begging near the restaurant, if you don't want to eat the left-over yourself? Just asking.

     Anyway, what I'd like to discuss here is the left-over food after your meals or after a party in your home. I have a friend who could whip up a great meal from the left-overs and from whatever is in your fridge. Do you have left-over roast chicken? She could make a great chicken salad out of it if you have the mayo, the celery sticks, white onions, and if you have apples, she'd put that too. Or, she could make a hearty macaroni soup with that, too. If you have left-over steaks, she'd whip up stir-fry veggies in olive oil with it or make great "salpicao" (a Spanish dish with cubed steaks sauteed in chopped garlic and olive oil) pasta. She could also make great baked macaroni into left-over corned beef and turn sardines into a great pasta sauce. However, I think you cannot whip up something else from left-over Chinese food. What I do is cook something else Chinese to accompany the heated left-over Chinese food so that my husband can eat it again. With my almost expiring bread, I could also make into bread pudding for snacks and dessert.

     Well, I know many good housewives can whip up magically something great from left-over food. Always remember that you need to do something with that left-over food  as soon as possible until the very next day so it won't spoil. Always transfer left-overs from the "doggie" bag into separate food containers and put them in the fridge the minute you get home. 

      I found this photo in Photobucket, village kids scavenging for left-over food at a village wedding.

     But, if you and your family are not into eating left-over food and you're in the Philippines, don't just throw them away to rot and become compost; give them to the hungry, the needy and to the "basurero" (garbage truck people). Or simply, don't cook beyond what you need so as not to waste food. But again, if you are generous and kind, you could cook more and give these people a taste of your great home-cooked meal. And what a blessing you will be!

Women Drivers' Dilemma--Car Trouble

Women Drivers' Dilemma---Car Trouble

    
     I learned how to drive more than twenty years ago using a stick-shift (manual transmission) car, if I still remember right, a Gemini car. Nowadays, I drive automatic transmission cars because they're much easier to drive especially when there's too much traffic. I believe automatic cars are easier to drive especially for women. Although, they are much more expensive than stick-shift, there are second-hand automatic transmission cars for sale out there in the net, in newspapers and buy and sell magazines which are in good condition. Here are those which I found under 'Used Cars, Philippines' in the internet-- Honda Accord, Civic and CRV, Ford Escape, Everest, and Focus, Isuzu Crosswind, Nissan Serena Van for families, Chrysler Grand Caravan, etc. Prices range from Php139,000 to Php685,000 and some even want to swap for certain cars. 

     Okay, now you have a stylish and easy-to-drive car, but then what happens to a woman driver who gets car trouble in the middle of the highway? Oh, my! It happened to me once coming from Makati when my tire blew as it hit something spiky in the street and of course, I was in business attire, in skirts. So how could I possibly change tires just like that? Good thing, I was near a vulcanizing shop and they did everything for me. Well, this is a car trouble that sometimes cannot be avoided. But we can prevent other car troubles by simply having the regular check-up. For automatic transmission cars, you need to check regularly your oil and automatic transmission fluid and have your timing belt, fan belt, water pump, etc. checked by accredited auto repair shops or 'casa'. Together with these, one more thing you have to have regularly checked is your brakes or brake pads. Why? Because with automatic transmissions, the tendency is to use the brakes more often and drivers tend to step on it far too long, especially going down a steep road. But the technique in driving an automatic car down a steep road is to alternately use the 'Low' gear and the brakes until you reach the flat surface. When stepped on for long periods, the brakes tend to heat up and the brake pads tend to wear off or fade.

     Learning how to take care of your car and learning the techniques of driving safely and wisely prevent car troubles. When  my family and I go to Baguio City, we have to have the car checked before we go, even the brakes. When you live in a mountainous or hilly area, you have to take the necessary precautions so you won't end up in the middle of the road with your car smoking hot, especially if you're a woman who drives alone. In the U.S., San Francisco is a California city which is hilly so that their roads are like a roller coasters. Since 99% of  the cars in the U.S. are automatic, I believe San Francisco auto repair shops are making good business there. My husband lived there for a while way in the 1980's and he also had a car there. He said that driving in San Francisco is like a roller coaster ride, only not as fast, otherwise you will be apprehended by the police or your car may bog down. 
    Well, driving is a wonderful thing for women because you can go anywhere you need to go without asking your husband or brother or friend to drive for you. But driving has responsibilities attached to it and we need to know them.