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Shelf Life Home Baking

If you bake or cook often you probably don’t need to concern yourself with the shelf life of ingredients. Once and awhile though you find items that have been sitting in your pantry for a long time. Here are some tips from a group of experts including the U.S. Department of Agriculture on storing ingredients and determining shelf life.

Butter - Stored in its original container in a freezer-safe sealable plastic bag, butter will keep for as long as four months. For optimum flavor use within two weeks. Store butter in coldest part of the fridge. Keeping the sticks in the original container or sealed bag keeps butter from absorbing food odors.

Peanut Butter Scare

According to the FDA, more than 500 people in the United States have contracted salmonella from products with peanut butter. “The key here, said Dr. Anish Masharani with Texas Children’s Pediatrics Associates, is ‘products’. Packaged food with peanut butter added to it should be avoided for now. The only other thing that’s been found to have issues is the big, institutional size jars of peanut butter. So maybe don’t order it in a restaurant or cafeteria for now.”

Our sister site Natures Way For Pets just published an informative post on Crate Training Your Dog

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The American Animal Hospital Association and other groups recommend brushing your pet’s teeth every day if possible.

1. Introduce a brushing program to pets gradually. Avoid over-restraining your pet and keep brushing sessions short and positive. A cat or small dog can be held in your lap. Praise and reassure your pet throughout the process.

2. At first, dip a finger into beef bouillon for dogs or tuna water for cats. Rub the soaked finger gently over the pet’s mouth and teeth. Make the initial sessions short and positive.

3. Gradually, introduce gauze over the finger and gently scrub the teeth in a circular motion.

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Express your love for the earth in addition to expressing love for your valentine. Here are some “green” gift ideas:

1. Buy your Valentine a piece of estate jewelry, antique jewelry or jewelry from a pawn shop. Antique and used are just other words for recycled.

2. Buy organic chocolate.

3. Toast your love with organic wine. A glass organic wine, a loaf of organic bread and thou.

4. Buy organically grown flowers.

5. Make an organic dinner and use beeswax or soy candles for a romantic atmosphere – saves electricity.

Container Gardening

If you live in an apartment or condo with no gardening space, or you just love gardening and have used up all of your space, a window box could be fun. You can plant all kinds of things in them – flowers, vegetables, fruit (think strawberries) or even a cactus garden is fun. You can even get self watering window boxes consider container gardening to be had. If you don’t want to bother with a window box try container gardeningas an alternative. Today you can get all the supplies you need from specialty online retailers. Windowbox.com is offering a Receive $10 off any order of $100 or more today at WindowBox.com! Just use code WBX1294. Click here!