Toyota Recall Information

By now, you've probably heard about the Toyota recall in response to sticky accelerator pedals. According to Toyota, the accelerator pedal mechanisms on the affected vehicles may mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position. Toyota’s recall and subsequent suspension of sales is confined to the following vehicles:

• Certain 2009-2010 RAV4
• Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• Certain 2007-2010 Camry
• Certain 2010 Highlander
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with vehicle identification numbers that begin with "J" are not affected by the sticky accelerator pedal recall.

A spokesperson for Toyota says they will begin telling millions of customers how they will repair their sticky gas pedal systems next week, and repairs will be finished in less than a month.

Meanwhile, if you should experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving, Toyota recommends the following:

If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal, as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist. Then, shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road, and turn off the engine.

If you're unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine off. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost. If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do not tap the Engine Start/Stop button. If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do not remove the key from the ignition, as this will lock the steering wheel. Immediately contact your nearest Toyota Dealer for assistance.

If you have any questions regarding the recall, contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Kale Soup

Kale soup is an economical and nutritious meal. Kale contains large amounts of vitamin A, which promotes lung health, vitamin C, an antioxidant, which also protects against rheumatoid arthritis, and vitamin E, which slows loss of mental function. Kale is also high in calcium, manganese and fiber.

Many recipes I have seen for kale soup use linguica. However, when I make it, I substitute the linguica with 3 slices of turkey bacon. It's a little healthier and just as tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen, chopped kale
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 2 cans beef broth
• 6 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
  

Directions:

1. Spray the crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine all the ingredients in the crock pot.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours; reduce heat to low and continue cooking for an additional 2 hours.
4. Serve hot with cornbread.
   

Enjoy!

Thanks to Michael Lee, of Designs by Gollum, for hosting Foodie Friday. Be sure to visit Michael's blog for more tasty recipes.

Nutritious Zucchini Parmesan

Zucchini squash is one of my favorite vegetables. I always have a few plants growing in our garden during the summer. Not only is it delicious, it is good for you, too. Low in calories and high in fiber, zucchini is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin C. It is also a very good source of magnesium, vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, copper, folate, and phosphorus. In addition, zucchini is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, calcium, zinc, niacin, and protein.

Here's a delicious zucchini dish perfect as the main course or served as a side dish:

Zucchini Parmesan

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 3 eggs
• 3 small tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
• 2-3 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion

Directions:

1. Coat a small skillet with olive oil and place it over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic; sauté until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Slice zucchin and layer half of the slices in a baking dish coated with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese and sautéed mixture.
   
3. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients. Arrange the sliced tomatoes around the edge of the dish. Combine the eggs, milk and herbs, stirring until blended and pour evenly over the top of the vegetables; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
   

This can also be made in the crock pot. Just cook on high for 3 hours, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 2 hours.

Enjoy!

Shopping Smart Online

I am an avid online shopper and am always looking for bargains. I have found many websites dedicated to finding the best online deals. Pricegrabber.com is one site that makes it easy to compare product prices. Unlike similar sites, it will help you calculate the total cost of an item, including shipping and tax, both of which can dramatically affect the final price of online purchases.

Speaking of shipping costs, many retailers offer free shipping deals. Freeshipping.org is a site dedicated to helping you find these deals. The easiest way to use this website is to choose the website or store you are shopping at on the dropdown menu. Once you choose, it will list coupon codes necessary to take advantage of free shipping deals. If a retailer offers flat-rate shipping, it will also give you that information.

There are also great discounts readily available when you buy items and services online. During the checkout process, many online stores will have a field to enter a coupon code. Retailmenot.com is my favorite site for finding up-to-date online coupon codes. You can search through 150,000 coupon codes by entering the website name in the search box.

Shopittome.com is another good resource for saving online. Sign up on the website is free. You’ll be asked to select your favorite apparel brands and sizes. They will search leading retailer websites and will send you a daily or weekly email summary of which new items go on sale in your size.

Finally, there is nothing more aggravating than buying an item online, only to have it fall apart or stop working. Quality is the key to product longevity, so visit buzzillions.com before you purchase online. With product reviews from customers like you, this site will help you find the best products and avoid the worst.

Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli cheddar soup is a family favorite at our house. It taste great served with calzone (pictured) or in a bread bowl, like they do at Panera Bread. This particular recipe is lower in fat and calories than traditional broccoli cheddar soup recipes but is just as tasty!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Promise Lite margarine
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon flakes or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
• 8 ounces Sargento reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Add water to a medium saucepan; add chicken bouillon. Add chopped broccoli and cover; cook according to the package directions. Reduce heat to low.
2. In a stockpot, make a roux by melting margarine over medium heat, then whisking the flour into the melted margarine until it has dissolved.
   
3. Add milk to the roux and whisk. Continue heating on medium, stirring frequently until mixture has thickened. Add cumin and pepper. Reduce heat to low; stir until cheese until melted. Remove the stockpot from heat.
   
4. Stir broccoli and chicken broth mixture into stockpot. Serve immediately.

Servings : 4

Enjoy!

Thanks to Michael Lee, of Designs by Gollum, for hosting Foodie Friday. Be sure to visit Michael's blog for more tasty recipes.

Save on Your Cell Phone Bill

I was recently looking for ways to save money on our cell phone bill. I found there are many websites dedicated to helping with this. First, there’s billshrink.com, where you can analyze your monthly statement. Billshrink.com matches your cell phone habits with the most affordable calling plan. At letstalk.com you can compare the cost of different plans. There is also a nice feature that allows you to compare cell phones when you're ready to upgrade. Rateplan.com is another site that will help you shop around for the best plan.

Do you go over your minutes each month? Then, sign up with overmyminutes.com, a free service that sends you an e-mail or text message to let you know when you’re about to run out of minutes.

Texting can really affect your cell phone bill, so it is helpful to know how many text messages you send per month. Unlimited texting plans are a deal, especially if you have kids. However, for those that rarely text, they’re just a waste of money.

Move all of your services, such as cell phone, cable/ satellite, Internet and home phone to one provider, and you may be eligible for a bundled service discount.

Many cell phone service providers offer free in-network calls or allow you to choose a small group of in-network friends and family that you can call for free. So, if most of your most-called people are on one plan, you’ll save a considerable amount of money.

Avoid making 411 calls, which can cost you between $1.00-$2.00 per call. Use free services like 1-800-FREE411 in order to cut down on costs.

Finally, when choosing a phone plan, be realistic about how often you’ll use your phone. You’ll avoid paying more than you need to for service.

Thanks for stopping by!

Buying a Used Car

It was time to replace my aging, compact SUV. This time, we decided to buy a used vehicle, rather than a new one. Also, at this stage of our lives, we would rather have a sedan than an SUV, as the vehicle will also function as the family car on weekends. I did my homework by researching online, and after much prayer, I came up with a plan.

After completing my online research, I decided the car I was interested in purchasing was a Toyota Camry LE. I wanted one that was a between 2007-2009 model year, with low mileage in metallic silver. I began searching on vehix.com for cars that fit this criteria. I found several. When we were ready to go out looking, I called on one I saw, which was located at a Toyota dealership 5 miles away. It was a 2008 Camry LE with 16,509 miles. I spoke with the Internet Sales Manager. He told me the car I was looking at online was still in stock. I explained to him exactly what I was looking for and the price I expected to pay, which was not negotiable. He said they could probably negotiate the list price, so that we could stay within our budget.

When my husband and I arrived at the dealership, we were greeted by a salesman named Bob. We immediately noticed the dealership was not busy, and there were 10-12 salesmen just standing around. Bob brought us back to the Internet Sales Manager. After greeting us, he then referred us back to Bob. Bob stated the Internet Sales Manager spoke with him regarding our needs.

We told Bob our non-negotiable price and the car we had planned to use for a trade-in. Instead of showing us the car I found on vehix.com, he wanted to show us two 2007 Camrys; one was black, and the other was white. I told him I was not interested in those cars; I wanted a metallic silver one. He said they did not have any silver Camrys in stock, so we said goodbye and left. As we were leaving, he came out to meet us to tell us he had found one. It was the same car I had originally seen on vehix.com and had called about.

We took the 2008 Camry out for a test drive. It was exactly what I wanted. When we went back inside the dealership, we told him again flat out what we could afford and that we refused to pay a penny more. He brought the sales manager in, who crunched some numbers and offered us the car for $900.00 more than what we could afford, telling us it was his best price. We declined his offer and were ready to leave. He then went to talk to one of the dealership owners and offered us a price that was $400.00 more than what we could afford, telling us again that it was his best price. We said we weren't willing to pay the extra $400.00 and got up again to leave.

As we were back in our car, getting ready to pull out of the parking lot, Bob came out to tell us the owner was willing to give us the car for the price we wanted.

We stood our ground regarding price and what we were looking for, and it paid off! We were able to buy exactly what we wanted for $3,660 less than the Kelly Blue Book value!

The bottom line is when buying a new or used car--just like with real estate, right now, it's a buyer's market. Go in with your wish list and best price. Do not settle for anything less, and you'll get what you want!

Thanks for stopping by!

Avocados

I love avocados! I enjoy them in sandwiches, on salads and mashed up in guacamole. Also known as butter or alligator pears, avocados are dark green, pear-shaped fruits that ripen after harvesting. They grow on trees, which are cultivated in tropical climates throughout the world. Avocados have a decadent, creamy texture that adds a delicate flavor to many foods.

Research has demonstrated that avocados offer powerful health benefits. One cup of avocado has about 23% of the daily value of folate, a nutrient important for heart health. Studies have shown that individuals who consume folate-rich diets have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Avocados are a good source of potassium, containing more than in a medium banana. Potassium intake has been shown to guard against circulatory diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke. They are also a good source of vitamin K, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and copper.

Avocados are a very concentrated dietary source of the carotenoid lutein and also contain measurable amounts of related carotenoids. Consuming avocados will also greatly increase your body’s ability to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids that many vegetables provide.

Although they are fruit, avocados have a high fat content of between 71 to 88% of their total calories - about 20 times the average for other fruits. A typical avocado contains 30 grams of fat, but 20 of these fat grams are health-promoting monounsaturated fats, especially oleic acid. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol.

Guacamole is my favorite super bowl party snack. Here's my no-fuss recipe:

Easy Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tbsp. southwestern-style salsa
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• salt to taste
• juice from 2 lime wedges
  

Directions:

1. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit.
2. Scoop out the inside and mash.
3. Combine mashed avocado with other ingredients.
4. Squeeze lime wedges to add the juice.
   
5. Serve with tortilla chips or sliced vegetables.

Enjoy!

Thanks to Michael Lee, of Designs by Gollum, for hosting Foodie Friday. Be sure to visit Michael's blog for more tasty recipes.

Using the Internet to Save Money

Over time, I have learned to save money by surfing the Internet. There are many great websites that can help you save on just about everything. Many sites offer printable coupons and coupon codes.

Couponmountain.com is a good site that doesn’t require registration in order to access coupons. It is easy to navigate through and features discounts for popular brands and stores such as Dell, Target, Office Depot and Best Buy. The site also offers discount codes for travel on airfare, hotel reservations, and car rentals. And if you’re a fan of a specific store, you can subscribe for e-mail notifications whenever special offers from that particular store are available.

For grocery savings, coupons.com offers printable coupons for major household brands such as Johnson & Johnson, General Mills, and Kraft. You can view available savings by category or by brand, print area-specific coupons by entering your zip code, and get an estimate of how much money they will save you.

Other websites where you can find printable coupons include dealcatcher.com, which also has a forum for users to post promotional codes. In addition to offering printable coupons, fatwallet.com allows you to search for sellers that offer cash back on certain purchases.

A good site for finding discount coupon codes to use when shopping online is retailmenot.com. Using a discount code I found there, I was able to save $5.75 on a skirt I bought online. Currentcodes.com is another good site, where you can browse for savings by merchant as well as alphabetically.

I am sure there are many more sites than those listed above. Try googling “printable coupon sites” or “coupon codes” and see what comes up.

Today I am linking to Shelly's Thrifty Thursday. Be sure to visit her blog for more thrifty ideas.

Thanks for stopping by!

One Chicken, Three Meals

Buying whole chicken on sale is a great way to stretch your grocery budget! I can actually get three meals out of one large chicken. To do this, first I make the roast chicken recipe below. After finishing the meal, I remove the leftover white meat from the bones and place it in a Ziplock bag in the refrigerator for making chicken pot pie. I then place the bones with the remaining chicken in a Ziplock freezer bag in the freezer so I can make chicken soup with it on another day. Here are the recipes for three meals I recently made using one whole chicken, which I bought on special at our local grocery store.

Roast Chicken and Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 4-6 lb. whole roasting chicken
• 1/4 cup Promise Lite margarine
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• prepared stuffing mix
• water (according to stuffing mix package)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. Melt margarine and sauté onion and celery until tender. Stir in stuffing mix and water; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse roasting chicken inside and out. Sprinkle salt and pepper in cavities. Brush the outside with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and sage, then rub with crushed garlic.
3. Place chicken on rack in a large roasting pan. Just before roasting, spoon stuffing into the cavity and secure with a small metal skewer.
4. Add about a cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast at 350°F, until the built-in thermometer pops up, about 1½ hours or so.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• sm. bag peeled baby carrots
• leftover cooked chicken (white meat)
• 1 pkg. refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (dough type)
• 1 envelope chicken gravy mix
• 1 cup water
• nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Spray a casserole dish or pan with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange cooked chicken in the bottom of dish.
2. Precook baby carrots in microwave for 5 minutes and add to casserole dish.
3. Mix turkey gravy mix with 1 cup water and pour over chicken and carrots.
4. Arrange buttermilk biscuits on top and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until biscuit topping is golden brown.

Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• leftover chicken on bones
• 4 carrots
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 large onion, cut in quarters
• 2 tbsp. chicken bouillon flakes
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp. sage
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 pkg. Barilla plus pasta
  

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add leftover chicken on bones, water, bouillon flakes and seasonings.
2. Peel and slice carrots; chop celery and onion. Add all vegetables to pot; cover and cook on high for 1 hour or so, until chicken falls off of bones.
3. Remove all bones from pot.
4. Add noodles and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Serve with warm homemade bread or biscuits.

These are just three recipes you can use to stretch your grocery dollars using whole chicken, but the possibilities are endless. Also, when I find whole chicken on sale, I stock up, storing them in our freezer in the basement.

Enjoy!

Thanks to Lisa of Blessed with Grace for hosting Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, and Cole of All the Small Stuff for hosting Tuesdays at the Table. Be sure to visit their blogs, where you'll find links to some tasty recipes!

The Elliptical Trainer

I love working out on the elliptical trainers at the gym! They may very well be the perfect exercise equipment for all. They provide an excellent cardiovascular workout and allow users to burn as many calories as jogging on a treadmill without putting stress on their joints. Your feet never leave the pedals, which reduces the amount of impact on the body. This makes them a good choice for those of us that are maturing, as well as for those who have arthritis or may be recovering from joint injury.

Elliptical trainers have two large foot pedals that allow the feet to move in an elliptical pattern. It is almost like riding a bike and and cross country skiing at the same time.

The resistance setting on elliptical trainers can be adjusted to what works best for each individual. Raising this setting is ideal for toning the muscles of the lower body. It works the quadraceps and gluteal muscles, as well as the muscles in the lower leg.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of working out on an elliptical trainer:

• Always consult with a physician before beginning any type of exercise program.
• When using an elliptical trainer, proper form is important. Make sure to stand up straight and keep your head up and level. It is best to bear your weight on your heels rather than your toes. This will reduce any chance of knee or shin pain and will really help to work your glueal muscles.
• Pedal forward instead of backward. Backward pedaling tends to put stress on your knees.
• Start out slow. Use the elliptical trainer for 5-10 minutes the first day, then increase your time by 5 minutes each day.
• Begin at a low resistance setting and gradually increase it.
• Gradually increase the incline setting as your body becomes accustomed to using the elliptical trainer.

Thanks for stopping by!

Planning an Inexpensive Warm Weather Getaway

It sure is cold outside! As I trudged through the snow and ice to get the mail this afternoon in the frigid temperature, my mind drifted to thoughts of getting away to someplace warm. I decided it was a good day to book our airfare and accommodations for our spring vacation to Florida...in my typical frugal style. Here's what I did:

Airfare

I usually find great deals on flights on orbitz.com. The trick to finding inexpensive flights is to be flexible about flying during the week or late on a Sunday evening. You may also have to be willing to change planes instead of flying there non-stop. However, today I was able to find a non-stop flight on a Saturday for $99.00 each way! Money-Saving Tip: When you look for flights on Orbitz, search for each leg of the trip separately, instead of doing a round-trip search; you'll get a better deal that way.

Accommodations
Next, I booked our accommodations. When we went to Florida last year, we stayed in a townhouse at Venetian Bay Villages in Kissimmee, FL. We really enjoyed or stay there. The townhouses at VB are fairly new and come fully furnished. They are close to Disney and all the major area attractions. They have three or four bedrooms, two full baths, a kitchen, dining area, cable television, and a washer and dryer. With a full kitchen and dining area, we saved money by not eating out all the time.

My Favorite Two Handsome Guys, Last Year's Vacation at VB

The complex also has:

• 4 swimming pools, a spa and sundecks.
• a basketball court.
• tennis courts.
• a sand volleyball court.
• 4 children’s playgrounds
• a gated entrance
• gardens and a nature walk.
• a spacious clubhouse.
• a video arcade and game room.
• a computer room with high speed Internet access.
• wireless Internet
  
• video arcade machines / game room
• a full fitness center.
• a conference room.
• a movie theater.

As usual, I found a great deal on a 3-bedroom, 2-bath townhouse rental in Venetian Bay at http://www.callfreevillas.com. We rented through them last year and were quite pleased with how clean our townhouse was, as well as with the professional, courteous service we received. At $75.00 per night, it's the best Orlando area townhouse deal out there!

Attractions

My husband and I can only handle one day at the theme parks, so we usually only do a one-day visit to Disney. Right now, Disney is offering a program called Give a Day, Get a Disney Day. How it works is if you give a day of volunteer service to a participating organization, you’ll get one day of free admission to a Disney Park. I signed us up for the program, and my daughter and I will be volunteering at a local children's museum during school vacation week.

The Family at Epcot Last Year

In addition to Disney, we always enjoy visiting Old Town in Kissimmee at night. If you’re not familiar with Old Town, it is an amusement park reminiscent of parks in the 1950’s. Admission to Old Town is free; you just need to buy tickets for the rides. In addition to the rides, there’s plenty to do at Old Town with all their shops and restaurants. We'll also visit my cousin while we are there.


Now all I have to do is find the best deal on a rental car and use my AAA discount.

Ah, I'm feeling warmer already. Thanks for stopping by!

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle

It's 2010! It's a new decade and a great time to adopt a health lifestyle! You can lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke by making healthy food choices and being physically active on a regular basis. The American Heart Association recommends that you exercise and consume a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, poultry and fish.

If you want to improve your quality of life, increase your energy level and feel better, making a few healthy lifestyle changes can help you reach your goals. Start out slowly by making some small changes. Here are some suggestions:

1. Incorporate nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains into meals and snacks. You don’t have to change your whole diet to eat healthier. Try modifying some of your favorite recipes to include healthy ingredients. These are small steps that can lead to big results, and soon eating healthy will become a way of life.
2. Skip the soft drinks and grab some water instead. Water helps remove toxins from the body, keeping your gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems healthy. When your body is toxin free, you are better able to process the food you eat. Water also carries nutrients to the body’s cells.
3. Exercise. Exercise is another important component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You don’t have to begin a rigorous exercise program; just commit yourself to being more active. Try walking during part of your lunch break. Skip the elevator and take the stairs instead. When you run errands, park the car a little farther away than you normally do. Also, involve yourself more in activities you enjoy, such as biking, skating, and dancing. By just adding small bursts of physical activity throughout your day, you will be well on your way toward a healthier lifestyle.
4. Get plenty of sleep. An adequate amount of sleep is essential to maintaining good physical and mental health. Sleep deprivation can adversely affect the mind and body in many ways, causing memory loss, reduced concentration, anxiety and irritability. It can also weaken your body’s immune system. Try to get eight hours of sleep every night.
   

These are just a few ideas for adopting a healthy lifestyle. If you begin by making these small changes, it won’t be long before healthy living becomes a way of life.

Have a healthy and happy 2010!