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Essential Fatty Acids for Parrots

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You may be hearing more talk these days about “Essential Fatty Acids” (E.F.A.s) and our birds need for them in the diet. (That word “essential” is the giveaway, right?”) So, what are they and how to we supply them?

We all hear a lot about “good” fat and “bad” fat – basically, the bad stuff comes from animal sources, is saturated, and hard on arteries and cholesterol levels, while the good stuff comes from plant sources, is unsaturated, actually GOOD for cardiovascular health and lowers cholesterol. Well, Essential Fatty Acids are the best of the good!

So, let’s get technical for a minute – fats (chemically known as lipids) are the most concentrated source of energy found in the diet. I won’t go into the classification of fats here, but only cover the Essential Fatty Acids that wd are concerned with our parrots at the moment.

Basically, fatty acids differ in saturation and chain length. “Essential” fatty acids are those not synthesized by the body, so must be supplied, therefore, by the diet. There are three – Linoleic, Linolenic, and Arachidonic (are you board yet?).

Because these must be fed, they are “Essential” – for growth, for the health of nerves, arteries, blood, for visual function, and suppleness of the skin and healthy feathers. The “Queen” of these are the Omega 3 Fatty Acids (linolenic) abundant in flax seed oil and fish. Omega 6 acids (linoleic) are important for transportation and processing cholesterol and are found in corn, safflower, and soybeans. Both Omega 3 and 6 should be supplied, of which the best combined source is canola oil. Mixtures of flax seed oil with the other oils helps keep a balance of the Omegas for good health. Arachidonic acid is synthesized by linoleic acid when fed in the diet.

African Greys have been found to have a higher need for E.F.A.s than other species and I always recommend supplementing their diet with flax seed oil 3 or 4 times a week. Molting and feather plucking also increase the need, as does breeding and raising babies. Macaws also have a higher need for fat and I recommend mixed nuts 3 to 4 a day which are high in unsaturated fats and actually lower the saturated fat in the body. Vitamin E is needed for E.F.A.s to be absorbed and nuts provide the proper balance. Additional sources of E.F.A.s are many seeds and legumes (including peanuts).

It is worth noting that oils can become rancid very quickly when exposed to air, heat and light. All oils should be refrigerated after opening. Freezing or refrigerating before opening will also help extend the shelf life.

Always check nuts and seeds for freshness, and examine peanuts for aflatoxins (toss any that look moldy or otherwise suspicious).

Watch the fat intake for Amazons, Budgies, Cockatiels or any overweight birds, but be sure to include some E.F.A.s regularly for ALL birds – just use moderation if need be. Better feathering, immunity, and overall health and vitality will be the payoff for including these vital nutrients in the daily diet.

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Source by Marilu Anderson

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Washing Machines and Principles of Operation

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Soil removal in a modern washing machine is a combination of chemical and mechanical processes.

1. Chemical action. The detergent or soap solution dissolves and loosens the soil in the fabric.

2. Mechanical action. Flexing the clothes and forcing the detergent or soap through removes the soil. The functioning of the washer is aided by the heat and softness of the water, which increases the chemical action of the detergent or soap used.

Almost all modern automatic washers employ one of two types of mechanical action, tumbler or agitator. The latter is by far the more popular and more commonly used. But all automatic washers, regardless of type, model, or make, have only four basic functions of operation: (1) fill, (2) wash, (3) pump out, and (4) extraction (spin).

The heart of the agitator-type washing machine is the agitator, which usually consists of vanes or blades on a cone that fits over a central shaft in the washer tub. As the agitator turns back and forth, the blades or vanes catches clothes and move them about. This movement also creates currents in the water, which contribute to the cleaning action.

There are almost as many agitator designs as there are washers that use agitators. Agitators have vanes or blades of various numbers, designs, and sizes, which are arranged in a vertical or spiral position. Agitators may be of solid or perforated plastic or metal (usually aluminum).

Most agitator-type washing machines employ an oscillating (back-and-forth) action during the wash cycle. To produce this oscillating action, the arm is generally connected off-center to a low-speed gear wheel. As this gear wheel turns, it imparts a back-and-forth motion to the arm. This motion, in turn, is transmitted to a pinion gear which drives the agitator.

There are also other methods of driving the agitator. For instance, a few models provide a slow-speed, off center, wobbling motion to the agitator, while some others impart an up-and-down, pulsating motion to it. While the oscillating action is the one most commonly used for the washing operation, some machines of this type employ a rotating or revolving motion to spin the tub or basket for the extraction operation. To accomplish this, a clutch action of some type is used to disengage one set of gears and engage the other. One such clutch used in washers consists of a pin dropping in place in a hole in the drive gear to engage it or it may be a friction type, as is frequently found in automobiles. Incidentally, agitator-type washing machines are top loading, meaning that the clothes are placed in the washer through a door or lid that opens on the top of the unit.

The front-load type of automatic washer has gained in popularity in recent years. The tumbler mechanism is a perforated cylinder, usually aluminum or porcelain-enameled steel, which holds the clothes; it revolves in a larger tub that holds the water. Within the cylinder are baffles, which are projections designed to carry the clothes along, through, and out of the water, until the position of the clothes causes them to fall downward again, and the process is repeated.

The axis of rotation of the washing cylinder usually is either parallel to the floor or inclined upward from the floor at approximately a 30 degree angle. A few have a vertical cylinder. Most tumbler-type washers are loaded from the front, but some can be loaded from the top or at an angle. During the washing cycle, the cylinder revolves slowly, tumbling the clothes about in soapy water. During the damp-dry cycle, the cylinder revolves rapidly, and centrifugal action helps to throw the water out of the clothes. The low speed for washing and the high speed for damp-drying are provided by the gears in a transmission as in an automobile. In a similar manner, there is a gear-shifting arrangement and a clutch to engage the gears.

The needs and components of both tumbler and agitator washers are about the same. For example, both require hot and cold water. This water is fed into valves in the washer which turn on and off the hot and cold water and mix them at appropriate times. While a few washers control water temperature with a thermostat, most operate on a simple on-off principle. When the hot water is on and cold is off, the water in the washer is hot-whatever temperature the water-heater tank provides. When the cold water is on and whatever temperature the cold-water tap provides. When both hot and cold are on, they are evenly mixed to provide warm water; with average cold water temperatures out of the tap (about 50F), the mixture comes out at about 100F.

All automatic washers have an electric motor as well as a pump. The motor on most models, in driving the washer through the wash and rinse cycles, operates in both the counterclockwise and clockwise directions when viewed from the top of the machine. It operates counterclockwise during the wash cycles and agitate-rinse operation and clockwise during the pump out and spin operations. The motor turns the pump and drive pulleys through a belt or motor-coupler arrangement. After the completion of the agitation or rinse, the water is pumped from the washer before the start of the rinse cycle. In this operation the motor is operating in the clockwise direction as it is in the spin; however, and overriding clutch disengages the transmission spin tube so the basket will not spin. At the end of the pump out period a solenoid releases the clutch spring and the spin basket rotates to extract the water from the clothes. The pump is usually in operation continuously. When the agitator is in operation, power is transferred directly into the transmission from the drive pulley through the transmission drive shat and clutch spring located inside the transmission case. During the pump out and spin periods the clockwise rotation of the motor releases the clutch.

Solenoids play a very important part in the operation of an automatic washer. In addition to operating the clutch and gearshift arrangements, they control water flow, detergent application and the like. Of course, the overall control of the automatic washer is left to the timer or the electronic control. While part of the control is selected by the user – for instance, washing time and water temperature-most of the automatic action is performed at certain preselected time intervals by the timer/control.

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Source by Rich Caldwell

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Fifteen Secrets to Protecting Your Home From a Flood

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Depending on where you are, floods are a threat to you and your property. Along with the changing of the seasons and climate change, floods are even more of a threat now. Even flood zones are changing. While your home wasn’t in a flood zone last year, your home may be in a flood zone this year.

While you can’t stop the water from rising, you can help minimize the damage of the water by being prepared. The following are fifteen secrets for protecting your home a flood:

  1. Understand the risk – By reviewing your home or property, you will not be surprised when the flood does hit. Check to see if your home is in the flood zone. Ask the following question: Where can water get in our home? This applies to both what can be seen and unseen. Many times, it is the unseen damage, like what is in your crawl space, that we don’t think about.

  2. Be prepared – Take the time to prepare as much as possible ahead of the rising waters. Is your flood insurance up to date? Do you have flood vents and have you checked them to see if they are working correctly? Many times, you can save a substantial amount of money on your flood insurance if you have flood vents in your foundation.

  3. Understand the power of water – If the water is imminent and could be fast-moving, leave your home now and get to high ground! When it comes to fast-moving water versus humans, water will win every time. Get to high ground as fast as possible.

  4. Think about Your pets – Pets are like your family. And just like your family, you need to protect them also. Make sure to bring your pet’s food, bedding, and medicine to the new location. Put them in a pet hotel that you know will not be affected by the flood. Possibly leave them with relatives or friends that will be far away from the flood area. If you need to, take them with you to high ground and away from the flood. Remember, do not allow your pets to walk through or drink the water. There are many contaminants in the water that can make your pet sick or possibly kill your pet.

  5. Build your sandbags before you need them – If you have the resources to do so, sandbags are a great tool for holding back the waters.

  6. Backup your data – Backup your computer data as soon as possible. You can use a variety of resources to back up your data to a free or low-fee backup service far away from water damage. Services like Dropbox, Box, Microsoft Drive, Google Drive, and many other services allow for you to never lose your data due to flooding.

  7. Turn off your electricity and gas – Turn off all utilities to stop possible explosions or electrical shock or damage.

  8. Move your valuables upstairs or raise them off the floor – By simply raising your valuables (this includes computer systems) off the floor can save you thousands of dollars in damage and heartache. If you can take them to the second floor, that is even better.

  9. Charge your phone ahead of time – You don’t know how long the flood will last and when power will return. Make sure you charge your cell phone so that you can still have an open line of communication.

  10. Keep a radio and flashlight close – Your radio may be your only source of communication for what is happening during this challenging situation. Since power may be off, a solar-powered radio would be great. Also, have enough batteries for your flashlight(s).

  11. Move out of the way of fast-moving water – As much as you are tempted, do not wade into the fast-moving water. Many a person has lost their life going through fast-moving water.

  12. Avoid contact with the water – Do not go through the high water during and after the flood with protective clothing. The water is contaminated with sewage, chemicals, and other waste that can make you sick. Also, under the flood water may be sharp objects that can harm you.

  13. Get professional help to dry out any flooded areas – Don’t do it alone. Get the professionals to dry out any areas and access the damages.

  14. Immediately contact your insurance company – Call your insurance company and give them the details of your situation ASAP so that you can get on their list to give you the help you needed. Make sure you get your flood insurance discount for installing your flood vents.

  15. Take photos of the damage – Make sure to take pictures of the damaged items to help the insurance company quickly process your claim. As an extra tip, take pictures of items of your items before the water damage. Why? So that you can prove to the insurance company the condition of the items before the flood.

While you can stop a flood from happening, you can minimize the damage done to your home and save you thousands of dollars in damage. Implement these fifteen techniques and you will better protect your home from the water damage of a flood.

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Source by William Sykes

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The Functions of Tractor Radiators

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The most efficient tractor engine will utilize approximately 35% of its energy into useful actions of driving, plowing, pulling, transporting and other farm duties. The excess 65% of energy produced will be lost in the form of sound energy, heat energy, radiant energy, vibrations, and friction.

A sufficiently cooled engine, and its counterpart, a sufficiently hot engine, are both necessary for optimum tractor engine performance. An over cooled engine can cause excessive damage to the engine components. Pistons and liners are designed to maintain very specific and minute clearances.

An over cooled engine will have its liners cooler than the hot pistons. The aluminum pistons typically expand faster than the steel based liners, and therefore, there will be scarring between the two surfaces. This damages the pistons, piston rings, and liner surface.

An excessively hot engine will cause all internal components to expand beyond normal tolerances, producing loose components, and burnt tractor engine parts. This is a phenomenon that is referred to as a “shot” engine or “seized” engine by mechanics. The tractor radiator removes excessive heat from the engine. The coolant that is circulating through the engine is allowed to be cooled via the tractor radiator.

The thermostats aids in this cooling process by preventing heated coolant from leaving the engine during the start-up phase when the engine is cold, and allowing coolant to flow through the radiator when the engine temperature is above design temperature limits. The tractor radiator can be manufactured from aluminum or copper or alloys of aluminum or copper. Aluminum or copper is used as both have a high heat capacity, which is the capability to absorb and release a large amount of heat very easily.

The tractor radiator basically has rows of tubes, and onto these tubes are attached thin strips of metal. The coolant is forced through the tubes the water pump. Typically, the coolant flows from the top of the radiator, downwards through the tubes, and back into the engine block. Specially designed radiator hoses perform these high temperature connections between the engine and the radiator.

Onto these rows of metal tubes, are fitted thin strips of identical or similar metal. This effectively increases the surface area of the tubes, allowing the heat form the coolant to travel by conduction to the fins. The fins are typically designed as fins per inch. The 8N Ford tractor radiator and the David Brown radiator model 990 has eight (8) fins per inch, the Allis Chalmers radiator for the D17 has seven (7) fins per inch, the John Deere radiator for model 3020 has ten (10) fins per inch.

The other main component of the cooling system is the radiator cap. This serves to maintain a high pressure in the radiator, thus preventing the coolant from boiling, and it acts like a pressure relieve valve releasing coolant to the reservoir when hot, and pulling coolant into the engine when cold.

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Source by Marlon Khan

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Civil War Food – What Union and Confederate Soldiers Ate

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The modern U.S. army has a wide array of food products available to them in base camps and in the field. There are a large number of MREs (which are actually quite tasty) and other portable foods available to them when on missions and when stationed in hostile terrain. And when posted at an established base camp, the food that is prepared is also quite good. A large part of this is of course the ready availability of large quantities of any sort of food imaginable in today’s modern environment. In fact, today’s soldiers have the best food ever made available to a fighting force.

But it wasn’t always that way.

Take the Civil War. Civil War food kept the soldiers fed and not much else. Lets take a look at the diet that comprised the typical Civil War food ration. There were several issues that affected the food that was supplied to the Civil War soldiers. These include the organization of the Commissary Department – which was tasked with the acquisition and distribution of food to the soldiers in the field, the season which determined if fresh food was available or if it was preserved in some way and the ability of the food to stay good for long term storage and transportation.

Prior to the war, the concentration of Commissaries was in the North so when the Civil War began, the North had a great advantage as they already had an existing Commissary Department that was already trained in how to acquire and transport food to soldiers in the field. Their job was to work with the troop numbers and schedules and keep a constant supply of foods going to each area where troops were stationed so that the soldiers could keep on fighting without worrying about where their next meal would be coming from. It took the Confederacy several years to develop a working Commissary so being a soldier of the South was more difficult. It required real dedication to be fighting when you didn’t know where your next meal was coming from. Because of this lack of infrastructure, the South had to do a lot of foraging for food between battles until the supply lines were up and operational.

Civil War soldier food was typically very simple fare – often consisting of meat, coffee, sugar and hardtack – a type of dried biscuit. The meat was often salted or dried so it would last a bit longer and fruits and vegetables were rarities on the battlefield. Because the soldiers were often in the field, they needed to carry rations with them. They had a special bag – called a haversack – which was made of canvas with an inner cloth bag that could be washed to get food debris cleaned out once in a while. But even with this design, the bags were often quite contaminated and foul smelling. Cleanliness was typically not high on the Civil War soldiers priority list.

Union soldiers and Confederate soldiers typically had a different mix of rations. A Union soldier might have salt pork, fresh or salted beef, coffee, sugar, salt, vinegar, dried fruit and vegetables. And if it was in season, they might have fresh carrots, onions, turnips and potatoes. A Confederate soldier typically had bacon, corn meal, tea, sugar, molasses and the very occasional fresh vegetable.

The other difference in Civil War food between the Union and Confederate armies was the type of bread product they had available to them. Confederate soldiers had something called “Johnnie Cake” that they made in the field from cornmeal, milk and a few other ingredients. The Union soldiers had hardtack, also referred to as “tooth dullers” or “sheet iron crackers”. Hardtack was manufactured in large factories in the North and was a staple food for the Union soldiers. Hardtack got its name because it was often not used until months after it was made and during that time, it hardened rock solid which is how it got its nicknames.

As you can see, food has come a long way due to the advent of technologies that allow for better preservation of a wide variety of foods. Gone are the days of weevil infested hardtack. They have been replaced with modern vacuum seal technologies that allow foods to stay fresh and tasty years after they have been packages. And since they say an army is run by its stomach, it is no surprise that the modern soldier is the best the world has ever seen.

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Source by Steven Chabotte

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5 Types of Kitchen Tools You Cannot Do Without

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A kitchen is an area where you strengthen the bond of relationship with the aroma of food. Every kitchen looks different depending on its owner. But it has few essentials that can be seen in every household kitchen. If you are a creative home keeper, you would like to keep your kitchen in the best way.

When it comes to tools, kitchen has an amalgam of various types of equipment that support everyday functionality. No matter, how big or how small kitchen you have, you cannot do without these tools:

Cutting Tools

The cooking job is not easy but cutting tools ease it off. Various types of cutting tools make chopping easy and fun for you. No matter how much food you have to prepare, cutting items make it easy and reduce your time and efforts.

  • Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Peelers
  • Potato Masher
  • Graters
  • Shears

Food Preparing Tools

When it comes to preparing food, it involves various steps like washing, chopping, freezing, and cooking. To prepare the food, you need to take care of different steps carefully. Food preparing is an everyday job. So the more tools you have, the easier it will be. Why not having a set of ideal food preparing tools to get the work done smoothly and efficiently? The list may vary depending on your kitchen but few items are a must like:

  • Measuring Cups
  • Sauté Pan
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Spatula
  • Ladle
  • Food Storage Containers

Garnishing Tools

Well, when it comes to garnishing, it adds to the taste of cuisine. Nowadays, food presentation really matters. Whenever you host a party or you have guests around, you want to present everything that looks perfect. Garnishing tools include these items:

  • Slicer
  • Skewers and Picks
  • Covers
  • Wedges
  • Mandolins
  • Chop Frills

Pie & Cake Tools

You may or may not love desserts but if you have kids, they love pie and cake. Preparing cakes requires skills and accurate knowledge of using ingredients as well as tools. These tools not only help you make delicious desserts but help you present them in an attractive way. Following are the pie and cake tools to add to your kitchen:

  • Over Mitts
  • Saucepan
  • Blender
  • Tongs
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Splatter Guard
  • Whisk
  • Grill Pan
  • Baking Sheet Pan

Cleaning Tools

When it comes to hygiene, cleaning tools are a must. No kitchen can look perfect without them. Who does not like to see spick and span kitchen? It boosts up your mood and makes you feel energetic to cook in a neat and clean kitchen. Whosoever wants to cook with love, must use cleaning tools to serve the perfectly cooked food for a healthy family.

  • Scrub Brush
  • Dish Cloth
  • Scrubbing Pads
  • Steel Wool
  • Cloth Towels
  • Plastic Scraper
  • Rubber Gloves

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Source by Uma M Singh

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Applicable Chillers – The Right Choice!

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If you live in the 21st century and enjoy all the advantages that it offers, I am sure every day you will encounter products that require the work of refrigeration devices in order to service a need. They are everywhere, in every sphere, in every building serving us faithfully. Just look around, nowadays chillers are used almost in all industries, plants, mills, factories and public building. Some of them make our life more comfortable but the presence of the others is a must. The average person knows only superficial things about how and where these machines for cooling are used and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

In spite of the fact that chillers are invented to service a similar need and have basically the same principle of operation they can vary considerably in size and design. Thus, when choosing one of these refrigeration devices it is paramount to get to know how its process and what functionality it will favor with regard to your objectives and goals. In order not to make unsubstantiated statements let us tease out an example:If you have an office or dwelling of a large area and want to install an appropriate device that needs and is supposed to provide fresh air supply and process it; (cleaning, heating and moistening during a winter period plus cooling in summer) you have to choose a good central conditioning system, where the chiller is adequate to support the climatic parameters for the premises in question. The fresh air consumption is estimated and set up due to the environmental health and safety code requirements. Thus, ventilation with fresh air creates a comfortable atmosphere in the building without any draught and stuffy heat.

As you can see this type of air conditioning system is not intended to provide very low temperatures, it is ideal for big offices and large area premises. However this kind of cooling system can be useless or less efficient in some industrial spheres where the temperature should be very low and must remain always at a steady constant, otherwise even a slight temperature drop can cause damage to your products and subsequent business. In this case high quality refrigeration devices are obligatory.As you can see looking for a good chiller for your needs you should be guided not only by personal wishes but focus greatly on every detail of its functionality and thus choose the most applicable one for the objectives.

For instance, there are chillers that cool by air and then there are units which refrigerate system by water. It should be observed that these two types are very alike and operate towards a similar task however their functionality often differs with regard to the company’s individual needs and purposes. There is no doubt that a chiller operating by water is the most practical choice, however, water chillers are a good choice if not ideal for installations that have a ready and cheap water source; for example it can be a plant refrigeration water system or a cooling tower near a water source. Whereas if this was in the middle of an arid area where water was more expensive an air system would come into its own. This simple yet important difference usually figures the basis upon which firms choose which sort of air cooled chillers is best for them.

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Source by Travis Olague

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RV Repair – Tips for Inexpensive RV Repairs (Part 1)

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Let me share this tip with you from a local RV dealer. He recommends that you put a single ice cube in a paper cup and leave it in your freezer and check it daily to be sure there had not been a power failure at the campground while you were away for the day, or that nothing else has happened to cause the frozen foods to partially thaw and re-freeze again.

If the freezer has been working well, the ice cube should retain it’s original shape. If it has melted and re-frozen the ice will be puddled in the bottom of the cup and chances are that the quality of your food in the freezer and refrigerator will be comprised.

RV Roof Inspection, Maintenance and Repair

Inspecting the roof sealant on an RV is something you should do twice a year. Why?

Because that is the likely place that a water leak will first develop. Water runs downhill, of course, and a tiny leak on the roof will turn into a major problem within the structure of the RV.

Think about this – one drip per minute (through a pinhole leak) adds up to 1440 drips per day or 10,080 drips in a week.

I don’t have time to figure out how many gallons of water there are in 10,080 drips, but I think you see my point.

Closely inspect the roof sealant condition on every protruding fixture on the roof. Any cracks or thin spots can be touched up with the appropriate material. If the roof sealant is peeling or flaking in any way, then the old coating must be physically removed.

On metal roofs I use a 1′ wide scraper with a firm blade, like the ones used by auto technicians for scraping off old gaskets. For rubber roofs I made a similar sized plastic scraper that won’t cut the rubber membrane.

If you heat the old coating with a hot air gun, it will come off fairly easily.

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Source by Les Doll

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Top 10 Western Themed Party Food Ideas

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Are you hosting a western party and in search of some ideas for easy western party food? Then look no further! Below are some tasty, easy ideas for western themed party food for your upcoming event. Whether you are hosting a denim and diamonds affair or a low-key back yard barbeque, country and western foods are a sure crowd pleaser. Most of these recipes can be made a few days ahead of time to make your western party food planning a cinch!

Top 10 Western Themed Party Food Ideas:

1. BBQ Baby Back Ribs

No western party menu is complete without some great ribs. You can either slow cook these on a very low temperature (275 degrees) for about 4 hours on your grill or in your oven. Use a dry rub and finish with you favorite BBQ sauce for finger licking good western party food!

2. Home-Style Macaroni and Cheese

This mac-n-cheese isn’t just for kids and doesn’t come in the blue box! This is hearty, comfort food that is a crowd pleasure for guests of all ages! Use a generous amount of sharp cheddar and top with some fresh white bread crumbs and a drizzled of melted butter before baking. Country and western foods don’t get much tastier than this!

3. Country Fried Chicken

This is a classic western themed party food menu item and is perfect for guests who like to mingle while they munch. Use strips of white chicken breasts and I love the tasty buttermilk breading recipe in The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond cookbook!.

4. Fancy Baked Beans

Baked beans don’t need to come from a can. Jazz up you own homemade baked bean recipe by using different kinds of beans (navy, lima and kidney) mixed with dark brown sugar, bacon and onions. This makes a wonderful, hearty western party food side dish.

5. Grilled Corn on the Cob

Corn on the Cob is a definite for any country and western food menu. Brush peeled corn with a good grilling sauce like Wegman’s Basting Oil and grill for a few minutes until desired tenderness.

6. Grilled Steaks

Western themed party food has to include beef! Tender grilled steaks or London broil is a super-easy way to satisfy your guest. Sprinkle the meat with garlic seasoned sea salt or marinade it in your favorite marinade 3 hours prior to grilling. Simple, easy and delicious!

7. Cornbread and/or Garlic Butter Biscuits

Western themed food is not for the carb conscious but cornbread and biscuits will be irresistible to your guests. Place baskets lined with red and white napkins on tables around your party with some honey butter, and watch these hearty appetizers disappear fast!

8. Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

A fast and easy country and western party food include these super easy chicken and cheese quesadillas. Use burrito sized tortillas. You can use Perdue Shortcuts shredded into smaller pieces to make your job easier, mix equal parts of salsa and sour cream and add your favorite grated cheddar cheese. Grill in a grill pan or frying pan over medium heat until cheese is melted. Cut into thirds and serve with guacamole, salsa or your other favorite Mexican condiment. TIP: Quesadillas are easier to flip if you use one tortilla folded in half for each quesadilla.

9. Beverages with a Western Twist

You can’t go wrong with popular beer and wine, but if you want a true western themed party food menu, use special attention to your beverages by offering margaritas! Mason jars are a great added touch for serving beverages of all kinds.

10. Chili

This may be the easiest of all country and western party foods and can be used as a main course or an appetizer. Use your crock pot to make ahead and to keep warm during the duration of your party. If you are serving hot dogs, this makes a great condiment for the chili dog lovers at your party. Don’t forget the shredded cheddar cheese for serving on top.

Don’t Forget Dessert!

Western party food doesn’t have to end with the main course – your desserts can be western themed too. Choose a western style cake such as a horseshoe or cowboy boot, and wow your guests with your sweet ending! Another dessert option is to fill western themed glasses with an individual dessert like chocolate mousse, pudding or ice cream.

Use your imagination and think Western when planning your western themed party food menu. Accent your menu with western styles table ware and drink ware to accentuate your western theme. Country and western party food can be delicious AND easy, so no need to stress over your menu. Western party food typically appeals to all ages and personal tastes so your guest are sure to find a thing or two on your menu to please their palettes.

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Source by Katie Bierman

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Maytag SOV628ZB American Fridge Freezer – Review

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Recently, my fridge broke down and my freezer is leaking on all sides already. I figured it would be a good idea to replace them both with a genuine American style fridge freezer combination. I wasn’t sure which one I was going to purchase, but after some research online I ended up buying the Maytag SOV628ZB fridge freezer. I received it shortly after buying it and it was delivered to me and installed as well. So far, I am very content with my new fridge because it does a great job of keeping my food and beverages cold.

Maytag SOV628ZB American Fridge Freezer – Review

This integrated fridge freezer is very large. Only buy this if you have the space to place it or it will get in your way. If you have a large family like I do, then you will be more than happy to know that this fridge can store enormous amounts of foods and beverages. Next to having a lot of functionality, it also looks very nice. It has a unique zig-zag design which gives you the most space at the top of the fridge. This is also the place where you need it, because you don’t want to be bending at the knees every single time you want to get something from your fridge. The fully stainless steel body makes it a solid and sturdy American fridge freezer that will last you at least two decades.

There are 4 tempered glass shelves in this fridge. All of them also have spill guards. The door has no less than 5 balconies, an egg tray and a dairy compartment. There are two crisper drawers that are humidity controlled. These drawers will keep your fruit and vegetables in optimum condition. You can also store fish or meat in the chef’s pantry draw. This pantry draw has a zero degree option. Then there is the frost free freezer which has 4 door balconies, 2 of which are tilting. It also has wire baskets so you can freeze your food quicker and more efficient.

This American fridge freezer has an LCD controlled dispenser, which you can use to make chilled, filtered water or cubed ice on tap. My kids love having ice cubes on demand! Other features that are worth mentioning are the auto defrost feature in the freezer and the relatively low energy usage. Naturally, this fridge does an excellent job at preserving food and keeping my favorite beverages cold as ice! I recommend the Maytag SOV628ZB to anyone that has the space to place this.

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Source by Tami Buchanan