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Any day with free stuff is a happy day.
JC Penney: $10/$25 Coupon
JC Penney has released a new coupon for $10 off any purchase of $25 or more. This coupon is valid in-store and online Friday, June 10th and Saturday, June 11th.
Thanks, Cincinnaticents
Starting this Sunday, June 12th, you will be able to score a couple of FREE items after coupons and Extra Care Buck Rewards at CVS.
CVS will have the Zyrtec 5ct on sale for $5.99 with a $5.99 Extra Care Bucks and Bayer Advanced Aspirin on sale for $3.00 with a $2.00 Extra Care Bucks plus use $1.50/1 Bayer Advanced Aspirin coupon which will make it FREE!
Thanks, Sisterly Savings
Below is a great article with information we all need, in light of all the storms and power outages being experienced all over the world. This is need to know information. Food is expensive soit is imperative that we know what actions to take to keep it safe for the longest amount of time during a power failure.
Read this information and keep it handy....lights out no computer. Be like the Scouts. "Be Prepared"
How to Keep Foods Safe During a Power Outage
By Erin Huffstetler, About.com Guide
- Advanced Planning: Place an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer. If you have any additional refrigerators or freezers (in the garage, basement, etc.), stick one in each of those too. This will make it easy to get an accurate temperature reading during and after any power outages.
- Keep your refrigerator and freezer full. A full freezer will maintain a safe temperature twice as long as a half empty freezer.
- During the Power Outage: Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible. If you have food in your pantry that you can eat, use that instead of refrigerated or frozen foods. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods at a safe temperature for around four hours; an unopened freezer will keep foods safe for around 48 hours, if full; 24 hours if half-full.
- If your power is out for an extended period of time (i.e. longer than the times mentioned in step 3), you can keep foods safe longer by adding dry ice or bagged ice to your refrigerator and freezer. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18-cubic foot freezer at a safe temperature for an additional two day.
Use your thermometers to verify that you're maintaining a safe temperature, and add ice as needed. - After a Power Outage: Check the temperature in your refrigerator and freezer. Your refrigerator needs to be at or below 40 degrees F; and your freezer needs to be at or below 0 degrees F.
Any meat, fish or eggs that may have been stored at a temperature higher than 40 degrees for a period of two hours or more needs to be thrown out. Other foods may also need to be thrown out. Refer to the USDA chart, "When to Save and When to Throw It Out" for help in deciding what's safe to keep. *Scroll to the bottom of the USDA webpage for the chart.
Article Source: USDA: Keeping Foods Safe During a Power Outage
What You Need
- Appliance thermometers
Article from USDA "Safe Food Handling"
Power Outage in Freezer
If there is a power outage, the freezer fails, or if the freezer door has been left ajar by mistake, the food may still be safe to use if ice crystals remain. If the freezer has failed and a repairman is on the way, or it appears the power will be on soon, don't open the freezer door. If the freezer door was left ajar and the freezer continued to keep the food cold, the food should stay safe.
A freezer full of food will usually keep about 2 days if the door is kept shut; a half-full freezer will last about a day. The freezing compartment in a refrigerator may not keep foods frozen as long. If the freezer is not full, quickly group packages together so they will retain the cold more effectively. Separate meat and poultry items from other foods so if they begin to thaw, their juices won't drip onto other foods.
When the power is off, you may want to put dry ice, block ice, or bags of ice in the freezer or transfer foods to a friend's freezer until power is restored. Use an appliance thermometer to monitor the temperature.
To determine the safety of foods when the power goes on, check their condition and temperature. If food is partly frozen, still has ice crystals, or is as cold as if it were in a refrigerator (40 °F), it is safe to refreeze or use. It's not necessary to cook raw foods before refreezing. Discard foods that have been warmer than 40 °F for more than 2 hours. Discard any foods that have been contaminated by raw meat juices. Dispose of soft or melted ice cream for quality's sake.
When it is freezing outside and there is snow on the ground, the outdoors seems like a good place to keep food until the power comes on; however, frozen food can thaw if it is exposed to the sun's rays even when the temperature is very cold. Refrigerated food may become too warm and foodborne bacteria could grow. The outside temperature could vary hour by hour and the temperature outside will not protect refrigerated and frozen food. Additionally, perishable items could be exposed to unsanitary conditions or to animals. Animals may harbor bacteria or disease; never consume food that has come in contact with an animal.
Note: Freezer storage is for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely.
| Item | Months |
|---|---|
| Bacon and Sausage | 1 to 2 |
| Casseroles | 2 to 3 |
| Egg whites or egg substitutes | 12 |
| Frozen Dinners and Entrees | 3 to 4 |
| Gravy, meat or poultry | 2 to 3 |
| Ham, Hotdogs and Lunchmeats | 1 to 2 |
| Meat, uncooked roasts | 4 to 12 |
| Meat, uncooked steaks or chops | 4 to 12 |
| Meat, uncooked ground | 3 to 4 |
| Meat, cooked | 2 to 3 |
| Poultry, uncooked whole | 12 |
| Poultry, uncooked parts | 9 |
| Poultry, uncooked giblets | 3 to 4 |
| Poultry, cooked | 4 |
| Soups and Stews | 2 to 3 |
| Wild game, uncooked | 8 to 12 |
Safe Thawing
Never thaw foods in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher or plastic garbage bag; out on the kitchen counter, outdoors or on the porch. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat.
There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Small items may defrost overnight; most foods require a day or two. And large items like turkeys may take longer, approximately one day for each 5 pounds of weight.
For faster thawing, place food in a leak proof plastic bag and immerse it in cold water. (If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Tissues can also absorb water like a sponge, resulting in a watery product.) Check the water frequently to be sure it stays cold. Change the water every 30 minutes. After thawing, cook immediately.
When microwave-defrosting food, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving.
Refreezing
Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90 °F.
If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly.
Blessings,
Jean
Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90 °F.
If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly.
Blessings,
Jean
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