FOOD:
ok, yesterday i mentioned this website, and today i got this great recipe for GNOCCHI. i can't believe that there may be people who don't know what gnocchi is, but it's an italian pasta made with potatoes. and it is delicious!! if you don't feel like making it, look for it at the store to try it. these little dumplings are heavy, so eat them when you are starving! I found this photo on www.fotostock.com. great with sauce on them (my favorite), or butter.
DRINK:
and i've mentioned THIS website, too, and what a good eHOW we have today! cider!
SAVE:
i've posted this before. (wow! today must be reruns) BUT, here is a way to save some $$$. gas prices are ridiculous, i'm not telling you anything new. are you getting the BEST gas mileage you can??? i've done these 3 things and i've seen a 17% increase in the gas mileage i was getting before i made these changes. i thought of this today because it's SOOOO cold out, and this will negatively effect your tire pressure - a factor that has a HUGE impact on your mileage. so here are the 3 things that you can do to improve your gas mileage!
1 - make sure your car is tuned up. and the next time you let your gas get down to 1/4 tank, pour in a bottle of fuel injector cleaner. (this one from STP is available everywhere, and it's the one in the black bottle). and check your oil! (ok, that's technically more than one thing, but it's all about the same idea) Note: cleaning your fuel injectors is as easy as putting gas in your car. just wait until your tank is 1/4 full, open your gas tank, and pour the cleaner in... then drive a little more - then fill up as usual. that's it!
2 - CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURE - this is big, especially going into winter when it's cold. make sure your tires are properly inflated... you can safely add 2-3 pounds of pressure more than the pressure stamped on your tires, but that's all. (this is how i inflate mine- just a couple pounds over) i cannot tell you how many cars i see with low tires - it makes me sooooo sad. you will waste so much gas riding on low tires!!!!!! the proper tire pressure is printed right on your tires!!! if you are unsure, take your car to a service station and have them check it - but it's so easy - if you are driving a car you should be able to do this yourself. it's soooooooooooo worth it, you should have your own tire gage. but, if you don't they are sometimes built right into the air pump machine. i usually stop at BP, and they all seem to have these machines. it might cost a quarter, but $0.25 is nothing compared to what you will save. i promise! i know it's crappy-cold outside, but fill those tires!!!
3 - SLOW DOWN! and don't gun your engine!! watch the RPM (revolutions per minute) that your engine runs at. each car is a little different, but i know if i stay under 2500 RPM when i'm on the highway, i see a HUGE difference. for me that's 63 MPH. if i go 65 MPH, my car sucks the gas down. but if i go 60 MPH, there's no huge benefit. you will need to experiment, but slowing down will save you a lot. in traffic, no rabbit starts! i do a LOT of highway driving, so the speed i travel at is key. 63 for me! (i use this speed for both the honda and the benz - they are both 4 cylinder engines, if that helps you determine your best speed). 6 cylinder cars will use more gas, but the 'native speed' (my term for the most efficient speed your car will drive at) will be faster, too. BOTTOM LINE... slow down. 3-5 miles per hour will make a difference. try it! and really, 3 miles in an hour isn't going to get you there THAT much faster.
~ciao for now!
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