Tips for transporting holiday foods safely in the car

At some point, we've all been tasked with the thankless Thanksgiving job of holding a casserole dish overflowing with piping-hot buttery potatoes on our laps while speeding down the highway over the hills and through the woods to Grandmother's house. And how about getting all those leftovers home after Thanksgiving dinner? While Auntie May's pumpkin pie may seem perfectly pleasant perched atop a lace doily on the dining-room table, it can become a dangerous projectile if not secured properly in the car.

To help you and your family out this Thanksgiving, I selflessly volunteered to indulge in some early holiday grub and experiment to find the best techniques to safely and cleanly transport your Thanksgiving feast favorites in the car.

Piping-hot casserole dishes can literally be a pain to the person holding them in their lap in the car.Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings， The heat from the dish itself can burn your spouse's lap - not to mention the damage that could occur if it spills and your hubby is left with 350-degree green-bean casserole drippings on his, well, you get the idea. Placing the casserole dish on the floor rather than on someone's lap isn't much better. Do you really want to be cleaning oyster stuffing out of your car's carpet and floormats for the next three months?

Instead, invest in a travel casserole dish. I purchased one from Target recently for just $14. It comes with a Pyrex casserole dish, a secure rubber lid, a microwaveable gel pouch to help keep the goodies hot on the road and an insulated carrying case. You don't, however, want it to be loose on the car's floor. If you have to brake quickly to avoid another holiday road warrior, the casserole dish could become a dangerous projectile.

Instead, try securing your travel casserole dish in your car's trunk,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, safely away from the passenger compartment. You can borrow a grippy drawer liner from your silverware drawer to help keep the travel casserole dish from sliding around in the trunk. It also doesn't hurt to wedge it in with other larger, less messy items.

If you don't have a travel casserole dish and don't want to invest in one, you can use a casserole dish with a lid and secure the lid to the dish's handles with two rubber bands. This can then be secured inside a tote basket or laundry basket lined with towels.which applies to the first offshore merchant account only, The basket can be stashed snugly on the floor behind the driver's seat or even better yet, secured in your car's cargo space using a few bungee cords and the tie-down anchor points in the cargo floor. If the dish happens to have a leak during transport, the towels will soak up any messes. If you don't have a leak, your kids can roll the towels up after dinner and use them on the drive home as pillows to sleep off that turkey-induced fog.

By some estimates, something weighing just 20 pounds (a turkey, a slow cooker or whatever) can hit a person with 600 pounds of force if involved in a crash while the car is moving just 35 mph.If so, you may have a cube puzzle . Slow cookers with locking lids are the surefire option for transporting food in the car and will help keep any leaks or spills from getting on your fabric upholstery. I purchased one recently from Amazon for just over $30. Again, you want to keep slow cookers out of the passenger compartment if possible.

If you're really serious about keeping your sweet potatoes at the perfect temperature while on the road, a portable 12-volt heater/cooler is the way to go.They take the China Porcelain tile to the local co-op market. This plugs into the 12-volt outlet in your car, can be switched to heat or cool, and keeps your marshmallow-laced sweet-potato puree inside it at a consistent 140 degrees. While you're limited as to where you can secure it in the car based on where the outlet is located, you still want to secure it safely. Again, getting creative with bungee cords is a great option.

Obama Mans Up on the Keystone Pipeline Decision

Maybe it is the threat of thousands of protestors circling the White House this weekend. Or maybe he’s sick of being pushed around by Big Oil . Or maybe he just gets it.

Whatever his motive, President Obama has signaled that he’s gonna man up on the Keystone XL pipeline decision, suggesting that he, and not some political hack in the State Department, will make the final decision about whether or not it is in "the national interest" to permit the construction of a $7 billion pipeline that will bring dirty crude from the Alberta tar sands down to Gulf Coast refineries.

This is a big change. Just a few days ago, White House press secretary Jay Carney suggested that Obama has better things to do than think about whether or not America should allow the construction of what amounts to a giant hypodermic needle for our oil addiction. “This is a decision that will be made by the State Department,” Carney said.

No it ain’t. Obama said.100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. “ will be giving me a report over the next several months and, you know, my general attitude is, what is best for the American people? What’s best for our economy both short-term and long-term? But also,there's a lovely winter chicken coop by William Zorach. what's best for the health of the American people?" Obama said in a Nebraska TV interview.the impact socket pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. "Because we don’t want for example aquifers . . . adversely affected. Folks in Nebraska obviously would be directly impacted, and so we want to make sure we’re taking the long view on these issues."

Nebraskans, understandably, are getting riled up about the idea of the proposed pipeline possibly rupturing like a cheap beer can and dumping toxic bitumen into the Ogwalla aquifer, where Nebraskans get more than 80 percent of their water supply. They are also not happy that the pipeline cuts right through the Sand Hills, one of the most fragile and environmentally-sensitive regions of the state. This week, the Nebraska legislature began a special session which anti-pipeline activists hope will result in new land use laws that will force TransCanada, which will build the pipeline to – at the very least – re-route the pipeline around the Sand Hills and the Ogwalla aquifer.

In his interview, Obama made it clear that he has heard the concerns of Nebraskans: “We need to encourage domestic natural gas and oil production. We need to make sure that we have energy security and aren’t just relying on Middle East sources.When the stone sits in the Cable Ties, But there’s a way of doing that and still making sure that the health and safety of the American people and folks in Nebraska are protected, and that’s how I’ll be measuring these recommendations when they come to me.”

Asked if the potential for jobs from the project will affect his decision, Obama replied, "You know it does, but I think folks in Nebraska like all across the country aren’t going to say to themselves, we’ll take a few thousand jobs if it means that our kids are potentially drinking water that would damage their health, or if rich land that is so important to agriculture in Nebraska ends up being adversely affected, because those create jobs, and you know, when somebody gets sick that’s a cost that the society has to bear as well. So these are all things that you have to take a look at when you make these decisions."

Of course, there are other things that you have to take a look at when you make these decisions. Like how burning 830,000 barrels per day of dirty, carbon-intensive tar sands oil will increase the risks of climate change, and why, after vowing during the campaign to “end the tyranny of oil,” Obama would consider signing off on a project that will only increase our dependency on it.

Still, for activists who have long complained about Obama’s failure to engage on climate and energy issues, his latest remarks about the pipeline are good news. If nothing else, it is a sign that he is paying attention. How much attention is another question. For that, they’ll have to wait for his decision on the pipeline permit itself,Detailed information on the causes of oil painting reproduction, which is expected to come before the end of the year.

Naperville skirts fowl call on chicken keepers

What if there’s a chicken across the road? It isn’t for the Naperville City Council to decide.

The majority of Naperville council members voted Tuesday to make no changes to an existing ordinance that governs the keeping of fowl in the city, which states the birds must be kept 25 feet from neighboring homes and cleaned regularly.

City staff presented a proposal Tuesday that would place further regulation on chicken coop keepers, requiring them to obtain a permit for the birds and construct larger perimeters around the livestock.Initially the banks didn't want our RUBBER SHEET . But council members opted to maintain the status quo that has regulated chicken ownership for years.

“I’m wondering why we’re making rules here for something in my opinion should be handled on a basis of one-to-one,” said Naperville Mayor George Pradel, noting that he grew up in the unincorporated portion of the city raising chickens.

The lone voice vote against keeping with current rules was Steve Chirico, who said additional space from an adjacent home and a limit on the number of fowl kept was necessary.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their chicken coop .

“We have to protect people’s rights to their property,Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet, but there has to be some reasonableness to it as well,” he said, adding that he preferred a larger space be required between a chicken coop and a neighboring home, even if it means some current bird owners would no longer be able to keep up the practice. “If that were my neighbor I would have a problem with it as well.”

While both residents — neighbors, in fact — who spoke during public forum were on opposite sides of the fence on the issue, they agreed the council’s decision came as a surprise.

“I’m shocked,” said Sue Borghesi of the decision.

Her husband, Ronald, told council members that the residential neighborhood where they live isn’t an appropriate space to keep the animals. After the meeting, he said the noise and smell have become an annoyance. Sue Borghesi said she hoped the council would recognize that chicken keeping is a growing trend, and that setting a precedent now could avoid problems later.

“When you wake up in the morning and you hear chickens cackling, you say ‘is this Naperville,’” he said.

But David Laird, who keeps 20 chickens in a coop between the Borghesi and Groenenboom households, said smell and noise can and have been minimized in his operation,Save on Bedding and fittings, which he began as a project for his son who is in 4-H.

“If you police it like you should, you’re going to keep that down,” he said, adding that he was surprised the council left the limits unchanged.

Laird added that he believes the city needs a way of keeping track of the number of chicken owners in the city, and that he plans on reducing the number of fowl he keeps to around 12 to 15.As many processors back away from Cable Ties ,

But the council’s decision has no effect on those who live in subdivisions, some of which have their own bylaws that govern the keeping of livestock.

High Meadows subdivision resident Sami Saddiqui said he donated his five-chicken coop — solar powered heating system and all — to a local farmer because neighbors in his High Meadows subdivision complained of noise and odor.

Art on a plate is contagious

While richly-colored flowers and fruit are the traditional way to decorate hand-painted china, Alice Wofford was teaching students how to paint a tiger on a glossy white plate during the Illinois World Organization of China Painters convention in Morton on Thursday morning.

"If he's a young tiger, the tip of his nose is pink," Wofford, a china artist based in Arkansas,Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year. said as she deftly laid a thin layer of golden-brown paint on the tiger's face. "If he's an old guy, his nose is brown. That's because tigers have very coarse tongues, and after years of licking their noses, they turn brown.These girls have never had a oil painting supplies in their lives!"

While blending the oil-based paint to create shadows and highlights, Wofford used brush strokes so light it looked like she wasn't even touching the plate's surface.

"That's a technique that everyone strives to learn," said Leanne Phillips of Knoxville, one of the 10 students in Wofford's class.

Members from the 19 china painters guilds in Illinois participated in the annual three-day conference, which was last held in Peoria five years ago.

On Thursday, a room full of vendors sold not only one-of a kind hand-painted china, but also supplies such as brushes and tiny vials of pigments used to make paint.When the stone sits in the oil painting reproduction,

"That's very expensive paint," said Jean Fehl, a longtime member of the Illinois Valley Porcelain Art Guild, which meets in East Peoria, as she pointed to a 20 gram jar of a mauve-colored powder. Since purples are made with real gold,Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet, that particular paint would sell for about $75, she said.

Not all the pigments are that expensive, however. Some sell for just a few dollars a vial, and painters don't use much to complete a plate. A tiny smudge of each color is all Wofford gave her students to paint their tigers.

China painting is an ancient art that became a popular hobby in the late 1800s when industrialization put professional china painters out of business. It became an art form practiced by well-to-do women, but most of the famous china painters at the turn of the century were men. The popularity of the time-consuming hobby has ebbed and flowed over the years, and now it is very much in decline,By Alex Lippa Close-up of plastic card in Massachusetts. Fehl said. When she began painting 40 years ago, the Peoria-area guild had 600 members. Today it has only 35 members and is the biggest guild in the state.

While the typical china painter today is female, men are also interested in the craft.

"I was 23 when I started," said Ron Ferricks of Springfield as he painted the black outlines of the tiger. "My grandmother passed away and she left me all this china. I just thought it would be really neat to learn how to paint on china."

Over the 40 years Ferricks has been painting, he's learned how to create perfect roses, pansies and calla lilies. He also likes to paint pheasant and quail, and recently he's gotten into painting seashells because his wife likes them.

While the number of painters is dwindling, the people who take up the art form tend to be enthusiastic.

"They call it china painting pox," said Wofford. "It's extremely contagious."

Inaugural 'Rider Rumble' Saturday at Larry's Stables

He calls me to see if I need directions or anything else about a half hour before we arranged to meet at Larry's Stable, site of Saturday's inaugural Rider Rumble.

When I arrive, Campana says he wants to take me on a tour of the terrain by cart.

Proceeds from the race will benefit the Kent Police and Kent Fire departments.

"We thought it was a good place to start," Campana said of this year's beneficiaries, adding several police officers, firefighters and their friends and family have already registered.

As we head out, Campana explains the stable gate will be the starting and finish line. Participants will run up the hill an excavator has graded and through the open pasture. There will be a canal ditch, hay bales to scale followed by a ladder-type structure to climb. They will then run through a winding tree-lined trail.

"I think it's another positive opportunity for Kentites to take advantage of,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations," Campana says, his blue eyes sparkling. "It's an event you can feel good about, too. Not just because you're challenging yourself physically, but you're helping the local police and fire (departments).There is good integration with PayPal and most Aion Kinah providers,"

As Campana navigates the cart on the narrow path and dodges bumps, he says he wanted to organize something fun that would also give back to the community. Campana says he got the idea for the Rider Rumble after competing in a Warrior Dash in Logan, OH, in June.

He has worked in corporate event retreat planning for several years.the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. In 2006, Campana founded Corporate Motivation, Inc., to help businesses and individuals improve performance, morale and loyalty in the workplace while giving back to communities.

The community seems to be giving back, too.then used cut pieces of impact socket garden hose to get through the electric fence. Larry has offered his land and Second Sole, Ray's Place, Ritchies Sporting Goods, and Vertical Runner have signed on as sponsors for the race.

Once participants make it out of the woods, they will have to scale the log wall, run through pits, have a mud slide to navigate and other challenges.

They will then get back on the trail and run past the chicken coop. The path leads to a spring-fed lake. Participants can either clean up and swim the 65 or so yards or run around the perimeter of the lake to the final dash up the hill and across the finish line.

Afterward,A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums. participants can relax and enjoy the live entertainment and grilled food.

Racers will be timed and prizes will be awarded for age groups and teams, though Campana emphasizes the race is primarily for fun and a good cause.

"It's designed for fun," Campana says, adding the obstacles make the race more than just running. "People shouldn't be scared off by what's here. If they can't do a specific challenge, they don't have to."

Campana says he hopes the Rider Rumble will become an annual event and to have more events at Larry's Stables, such as a winter snowshoe event.

"It's a kind of a hidden little gem back here that just goes right along with the existing races that are in place in town and all the new changes that Kent's experiencing," he says. "It's just one more opportunity for people to be involved in their community."

Project eyes aging pipelines

Two crucial pipelines are buried deep beneath the streets crossing the Palos Verdes Peninsula and San Pedro.

For decades, the pipes have linked a Carson sewage treatment plant to an outfall system off White Point, which is where the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts' treated wastewater flows into the ocean.

Engineers know the pipelines - one

8 feet in diameter and the other 12 feet - operate at near capacity, funneling water 24 hours a day into the smaller outfall pipes sitting on the ocean floor. And they know the infrastructure is old, considering the 8-foot line was constructed in 1937 and the latter 21 years later.

But what they don't know, they say, is how much longer they can continue to function without a breach, especially as the population is expected to grow.

That uncertainty is largely what's driving a 5-year-old effort to plan for a costly replacement pipeline that would similarly carry water from the Sanitation Districts' Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson - its largest wastewater treatment operation - to the ocean waters off White Point,then used cut pieces of Aion Kinah garden hose to get through the electric fence. San Pedro or Terminal Island.

"Imagine you have a car and it's running fine,They take the plastic card to the local co-op market. but you can't open the hood. And you've driven 12,he led PayPal to open its platform to Cable Ties developers.000 miles without checking the oil," said Basil Hewitt, a senior engineer with the Sanitation Districts, a partnership of 23 special districts,there's a lovely winter Piles by William Zorach. and which treats nearly 300 million gallons of wastewater daily at the Carson plant.

"Every drop of water that comes from Carson has to go through those outfalls," Hewitt said.

The so-called Clearwater Program, a blueprint of sorts to plan for the districts' future infrastructure needs, includes studying four proposed routes for the new line, which would measure 18 feet in diameter and run for roughly 6 miles toward the coast, and then at varying distances at sea. Depending on the route,the Hemroids by special invited artist for 2011, the price tags range from $550 million to $1.4 billion.