What I Am Reading Right Now - Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It

I forgot that I had this book until my son started asking me about the FLU pandemicthat happened in 1918. I am going to read it again with him.
                  
Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It is a A national bestseller, the fast-paced and gripping account of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918 from acclaimed science journalist Gina Kolata, now featuring a new epilogue about avian flu.

When we think of plagues, we think of AIDS, Ebola, anthrax spores, and, of course, the Black Death. But in 1918 the Great Flu Epidemic killed an estimated forty million people virtually overnight. If such a plague returned today, taking a comparable percentage of the US population with it, 1.5 million Americans would die.

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Finding out that it is getting to be in low supply, but you can easily make your own hand sanitizer.

Food Storage Recipe - Loaded Potatoes

I make this so much. It is so easy, fills you up , and great leftovers.

NEED :

10 - 12 red potatoes , thinly sliced.

salt and pepper to taste

about a tsp of garlic salt

1/2 pound of bacon strips that have been cooked and crumbled.

1 onion , finely chopped

1 8 ounce package of shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup of butter, cut into small pieces

Line you slow cooker with foil and spray that with cooking spray.

Arrange about half of the potatoes in the slow cooker and sprinkle with the salt , pepper, and garlic salt.

Put half of the bacon, onion, cheese, and butter .

Repeat the layer.

Cover and cook on low for about 7 hours. or until the potatoes are tender.

Serve.

Keep Drafts Out Of Your House...

I live in a little house that has a back room that is not too sealed. It actually has the back door in that room. Always cold. MY desk had to go by the door to that room because I had no room to put it any where else.
Sitting there the last 2 days I actually felt like my toes had frost bite. So I went to dollar general and got a 3.00 curtain rod, I got one that sticks out from the wall a bit so I can move the curtain easily whenever I need to open the door. I had 1 curtain panel that is a heavy one to put up there. Sitting here at my desk I already notice a huge difference.

You could even hang a thick blanket if you have one. Anything to cut down on drafts getting into your house and save on your power (heat) bill. I might keep it up all year and see if it helps with the power bill in the summer also.

As soon as I can I will be working on sealing that back room up and getting a new back door.

Food Storage Recipe - Ravioli Lasagna

Things get tight sometimes - a lot here lately- BUT, we still want to eat different things. I pick these frozen ravioli up at the Dollar Store and we love them. This easy recipe is also frugal.

2 jars of marinara sauce

2-3 packages of frozen ravioli , thawed

1 jar of roasted red peppers , drained and chopped

1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan  cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 13X9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread about half of one of the jars of marinara sauce in the pan.

Arrange a layer of about half of the raviolis onto the sauce and top with about half of the peppers.  Then spread the rest of the sauce over that.

Sprinkle with about half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Repeat the layer.

Cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.

Serve with garlic bread.