While Thanksgiving represents a time of tradition and family, it can also spell S-T-R-E-S-S for those planning a big feast. From figuring out how long to cook the turkey to putting together the perfect table setting, getting it all right can be really hard! To help you celebrate and prepare for your Thanksgiving feast, entertaining expert and cookbook author, Brooke Parkhurst has some great ideas and tips for a trouble-free turkey day. That way, when guests arrive - everyone will be able to relax, gobble, and enjoy!
Some of Brooke’s tips include:
• THANKS-GRIA- A delicious glass or two of wine is welcomed at any holiday gathering! Even easier? Put it in a pitcher so everyone can serve themselves. Lightly chill red wine and add a few spices and seasonal fruit to make a soon-to-be favorite holiday libation-- Thanks-gria!
• FORGET ABOUT FLOWERS, BUT DON’T FORGET YOUR HOSTS- Unless you have your own garden, decorating with fresh flowers can cost more than your meal. Instead, create centerpieces from seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh greenery and berries. After the party’s over, make a meal from your centerpiece! And don’t forget about gift baskets for the hosts.
• JUICY WHITE MEAT- Who needs to roast the whole turkey when you can just bake the best part? The turkey breasts and legs cook at very different rates, which means that one will not be properly cooked. Instead, focus on cooking the turkey breast perfectly, roasting it at just the right temperature and saving a lot of time in the process.
• FRESH & FAST- It’s chilly out which makes us gravitate towards creamy, cheesy, heavy dishes. Want a little balance? Make your favorite potato casserole but off-set it with a delicious & easy arugula-pomegranate salad or butternut squash and ricotta crostini. Fresh dishes are usually the fastest to prepare!
The nation’s largest provider of senior living solutions is offering tips for those who are concerned about showing signs of memory loss. These guidelines come along with Alzheimer’s Awareness month, celebrated each year in November.
“Here at Brookdale, we have a simple formula for people who may be worried about memory loss as it relates to Alzheimer’s and dementia, whether for themselves or for a loved one,” said Kelly Scott Lindstrom, Vice President of Dementia Care for Brookdale.
According to Lindstrom, three steps can help a person prepare for a potential Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
First, know the signs of Alzheimer’s disease. There are 10 common signs, and just because an individual may exhibit a couple of them doesn’t mean he or she has developed dementia.
Next, talk with your doctor, and he or she can help decipher a potential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or if it is something unrelated.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7646052-brookdale-senior-living-alzheimer-s-facts/
In an effort to inform children and their families about the importance of food safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Ad Council are joining 20th Century Fox to launch a series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring footage from the upcoming film Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.
An estimated 1 in 6 (48 million) Americans get sick from foodborne illness each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children are among the most vulnerable to food poisoning because their immune systems are still developing, so parents and caregivers need to take extra precautions when preparing food for children under five.
The new PSAs, featuring everyone’s favorite Chipmunks – Alvin, Simon, and Theodore – highlight the four food safety steps consumers can use to prevent foodborne illness. The Chipmunks’ antics and hilarious situations in which they find themselves provide a perfect platform to illustrate these four steps: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. The PSAs help explain actions anyone can take to safely prepare their food, using the Chipmunks as the tool to bring fun and relevancy to a serious topic. The partnership includes TV, radio, out-of-home and web advertising, and parents and children can also find kid-friendly activities that further reinforce the food safety steps by visiting FoodSafety.gov.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7652251-ad-council-food-safety/
XQ Institute is launching XQ: The Super School Project, a challenge to reimagine and design the next American high school. Harnessing the best of American ingenuity in cities and towns across the country, XQ aims to help spark a movement to rethink the American high school—an institution that was designed to meet the needs of the Industrial Revolution and hasn’t changed in more than a century.
“Our nation is radically different than it was 100 years ago. Nearly every aspect of our daily lives—from how we communicate to how we work and play—has changed dramatically,” said Laurene Powell Jobs, Chair of the board of XQ Institute. “But our high schools have stayed frozen in time. Together, we have an opportunity to help fuel a movement for students, to inspire great high schools, and even to rethink school itself. Our passion at XQ is to help educators everywhere foster students who are curious, engaged, and creative—armed with the new literacies, knowledge, and skills needed to thrive,” she added. “To do that, we must use our collective imagination.”
From the Model T to the Tesla and the switchboard to the smart phone—everything has changed except for how we prepare our kids for the future. XQ: The Super School Project is a rallying call to America to change the outdated model that has failed to prepare our students for the demands of the global economy, and an open call to every community to rethink high school for today and tomorrow. XQ Institute will provide a fund of $50 million to support at least five selected schools over the next five years. It will also partner with them to provide expert support and guidance to turn their ideas into real Super Schools that can inspire the country.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7611851-xq-institute-super-school-project/
With more than 50 million kids heading back to school this fall, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and Honeywell (NYSE:HON) are urging parents, guardians and educators to start conversations about safety now. The KidSmartz™ program, a joint effort between NCMEC and Honeywell, is making those conversations easier with new animated videos to help elementary school students understand and remember the “Four Rules of Safety”
“A nine-year analysis by NCMEC of more than 9,000 attempted abductions revealed important patterns, including the fact that many attempts happen on the way to and from school,” said Linda Krieg, NCMEC acting CEO. “Safety is a year-round concern, but the analysis tells us that this time of year is a critical time to prepare our kids for potential dangers. KidSmartz equips teachers and parents with tools they need to help kids make smarter and safer decisions.”
NCMEC’s attempted abduction analysis revealed not only the tricks used by people trying to abduct kids but also the ways kids can get away. KidSmartz, which launched last year as part of more than ten years of partnership between NCMEC and Honeywell, uses classroom activities, role-playing, animated videos and a “Safety Dance” song and dance to teach children in grades K-5 the “Four Rules of Safety.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7616251-ncmec-honeywell-kidsmartz-back-to-school/
As part of National Preparedness Month, FEMA will be sending journalists information each week in September to help spread the word about how people and communities can better prepare for specific disasters before they strike.
As we mentioned in the FEMA news release dated September 1, 2015, each week will focus on a different type of disaster. The inaugural week highlights floods and the steps people and communities should take to better weather the storm when it strikes and recover more quickly once it has passed.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607931-fema-national-prepareathon/
Disasters like floods, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and earthquakes are a harsh and frequent reality for much of the country. According to a recent survey conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), progress has been made; however fewer than half of Americans have discussed and developed an emergency plan with their household.
Today, FEMA and the Ad Council launched a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) to encourage families to develop an emergency communication plan before a disaster occurs. An extension of the national Ready campaign, the new PSAs launch in conjunction with the 12th annual National Preparedness Month, serving as a reminder to take action to prepare for the types of hazards that could impact where you live, work, and vacation.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7608151-fema-ad-council-emergency-preparedness/
To help kick off National Emergency Preparedness month, Primrose Schools is teaming up with national partner Save the Children on a nine-week series aimed at equipping families with tools so they can better prepare for the unexpected. The interactive program features engaging resources, activities and videos on Primrose Schools’ 360 Parenting blog that ultimately lead parents through a simple, step-by-step process to create their own family emergency plans.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7437952-primrose-save-the-children-preparedness/
The Ad Council and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the launch of a new public service advertisement (PSA) to raise awareness about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. While the PSA targets all communities, We Prepare Every Day is the first in a series of videos that aim to deliver a strong preparedness message by showing people with disabilities taking charge to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies.
The PSA provides equal access to all viewers and includes open captioning, a certified deaf interpreter, and audio description for viewers who are blind or have low vision.
The launch of the PSA coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 2015. The ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for people with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation and telecommunications. The ADA guarantees the civil rights of more than 56 million Americans.
To view the multimedia news release visit http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7576951-fema-ad-council-emergency-preparedness/
A recent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) survey found that nearly 60 percent of American adults have not practiced what to do in a disaster by participating in a disaster drill or preparedness exercise at work, school, or home in the past year. Further, only 39 percent of respondents have developed an emergency plan and discussed it with their household. This is despite the fact that 80 percent of Americans live in counties that have been hit with a weather-related disaster since 2007, as reported by the Washington Post. With the number and severity of weather-related disasters on the rise, the America’s PrepareAthon! is an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to take action to prepare for specific hazards through group discussions, drills, and exercises.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7500251-fema-national-prepareathon/
Turning your clocks ahead an hour on March 8 for the start of Daylight Savings Time may be known as the unofficial start to spring, but for many, it’s known as the day we lose an hour of sleep. As you prepare to change your clocks on Sunday, take that opportunity to evaluate your sleeping habits. The loss of that hour of sleep can turn minor sleep issues into major ones.
“When we move our clock forward or backward, our internal clock becomes out of sync with the external time,” says Dr. Daniel Shade, Board Certified Sleep Specialist and Director of the AHN Sleep Disorders Center. “The best way to combat this is to expose ourselves to light and let our bodies resynchronize.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7447951-remworks-daylight-savings-sleep-coach/
Wolf Appliance, Inc., the industry leader in premium cooking equipment, announces the launch of its Reclaim the Kitchen initiative. A long-time believer in the richness of people coming together to prepare and enjoy meals, Wolf’s goal is to make the process easy and accessible, enabling anyone who wishes, to experience the benefits of reclaiming the kitchen. Award-winning author and chef Kathleen Flinn is teaming up with Wolf to help motivate families to put down the remote, avoid takeout, and cook at home more often by providing them with simple tools to get started.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7427351-subzero-wolf-reclaim-the-kitchen/