Health, Home & Family
By Blanca Taylor, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist
July 4th brings family and friends together, as well as neighbors, to celebrate that we’re all part of a community. Everyone pitches in, combining their resources — great food, music, and displays — to lift our spirits.
Social Security has been helping people maintain their independence for over 80 years. In that time, we’ve made it even easier for you to access the programs and benefits you might need. Today, applying online is a fast way to get those crucial benefits.
Here are some of the benefits you can apply for:
Retirement or Spouse’s Benefits – You must be at least 61 years and 9 months old and want your benefits to start no more than four months in the future. Apply at www.socialsecurity.gov/retireonline. Continue reading
Some time back a 15 years old school student was told they could not say the Lords Prayer in school. He was inspired to write the following!
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now. Continue reading
By Dr. Matt Leavitt
A trip to the dermatologist has traditionally involved treatment for a specific skin problem like a rash, acne or a wart. Increasingly however patients are seeking care for a much more serious problem: skin cancer, which will affect one in five Americans in their lifetime.
This alarming increase in skin cancer incidence is leading board-certified dermatologists to take a proactive approach – urging patients to get full body examinations to identify potential skin cancers anywhere on the body, including areas where patients might not think skin cancer could occur.
The exam is simple, quick, and painless – but priceless for the early detection it offers.
More than 3 million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, including nearly 200,000 Americans diagnosed with the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma.
When melanoma is detected early through exams like the Total-Body Skin Cancer Exam℠ offered at Advanced Dermatology, survival rates approach 99 percent. When detected at advanced stages, survival rates plummet to just 15 percent.
Because of the importance of early detection, health officials join together to mark Skin Cancer Awareness Month each year.
Who is at risk for skin cancer? Continue reading
Following four simple steps at home — Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill — can help protect you and your loved ones from food poisoning.
Clean:
Wash your hands and surfaces often
Germs that cause food poisoning can survive in many places and spread around your kitchen.
Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before, during, and after preparing food and before eating.
Wash your utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water.
Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water. Continue reading
Ingredients
1 c. frozen pineapple
1 c. lemonade
1/2 c. coconut milk
Pineapple wedges, for garnish
Maraschino cherries, for garnish
Directions
Blend frozen pineapple, lemonade, and coconut milk in a blender.
Pour into glasses and garnish each with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry.
(NAPSI)—If you’re traveling, expecting an important letter, worried about mail theft or just too curious to wait until the mail arrives, this can be your red-letter day, thanks to a free feature from the United States Postal Service.
Informed Delivery lets you know what is coming anytime, anywhere on your computer, smartphone or tablet.
Informed Delivery allows you to see digital images of incoming mail. It lets you automatically track packages you are expecting through email and text alerts so you don’t need to enter any tracking numbers. The feature allows you to enter delivery instructions for your mail carrier as well.
How It Works Continue reading
(NAPSI)—Summer is here and everyone is diving into the season by beating the heat at the pool. Whether you’re planning a pool party at home or attending a friend’s, it’s time to gather all the essentials for a day of fun, starting with staples like your favorite swimsuit, a towel and your go-to sunglasses. Beyond these everyday necessities, add a refreshing snack to your checklist that all your family and friends will enjoy, such as HI-CHEW™, the immensely fruity, intensely chewy candy.
HI-CHEW™ provides a bright burst of vibrant, real-fruit flavor packed into each chewy bite. Made with concentrated fruit juices and purees and 100 percent free of gluten, cholesterol and artificial colors, there’s a chew for any flavor preference. The candy is available in a variety of flavors and convenient formats.
For an assortment that will please everyone at the party, pick up the HI-CHEW™ Sweet & Sour Mix including fresh and zesty Grapefruit and Lemon flavors alongside HI-CHEW™ Watermelon, a tangy and tart take on the classic, thirst-quenching fruit that is a staple at pool parties across the country. Each refreshing, juicy chewlet in this mix brings the taste of summer with a slight puckering effect, a touch of sweetness, and the perfect balance of true-to-life fruit flavors. Continue reading
Congressional and Public Affairs
Felicia Thompson
(202) 720-9113
Press@fsis.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2019 – Santa Fe Importers, Inc., a Long Beach, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,589 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken meatball products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products contain soy, a known allergen, which is not declared on the products label.
The frozen, RTE chicken Thai-style meatballs were produced and packaged on April 24, 2019. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF only)]
- 226 cases containing “lemonade CHICKEN THAI STYLE MEATBALL” with packaging date “04/24/2019” and case code “114-102130” on the labels.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-4118” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to a distribution center in California and packed for Lemonade restaurants as indicated on the label.
Santa Fe Importers, Inc. notified FSIS of the problem after the company learned that the bread crumbs used to make the meatballs contained soy lecithin.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
FSIS is concerned that some products may be in restaurant freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that recalling firms are notifying their customers of the recall and that actions are being taken to make certain that the products are no longer available to consumers.
Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Jorge Endara, General Manager of Santa Fe Importers, Inc., at (562) 437-7775 or at Jorge@SanteFeImporters.com.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.
Christy Jergens, APR
There has been an outbreak of hepatitis A in our state, and Marion County has now seen 54 cases of the virus just this year. This makes us fifth in the state for the number of hepatitis A cases that we have seen.
Vaccination is the best form of prevention for this virus, so to help fight the spread of hepatitis A, we are encouraging people who are at risk and anyone who would want to be protected from hepatitis A to get the hepatitis A vaccination. Attached please find several promotional materials for the free hepatitis A vaccination event we are holding on Saturday, April 27, along with a general social media graphic promoting hepatitis A vaccination. I’ve also included a press release we sent out on April 1 for reference/background.
We are asking our community and media partners to share some of this content if possible in hopes to increase the overall vaccination rate of people in our community to ultimately help turn the tide in the local number of hepatitis A cases. Please let me know if you are able to share any of this content with your staff, clients/audiences, or social media followers. You can find additional information about hepatitis A in Florida by visiting FloridaHealth.gov/HepA.
Christy Jergens, APR
Public Information Officer
Florida Department of Health in Marion County
(NAPSI)—Here’s a delicious twist on an old favorite: creamy, cheesy, scalloped sweet potatoes, an easy-to-make casserole that will wow everyone at the table. High in fiber and loaded with vitamins and minerals, California sweet potatoes add just a hint of sweetness to this rich and savory dish. Serve it next to your Easter ham, your Thanksgiving turkey or with a store-bought roasted chicken on a regular old Wednesday night. Deliciously indulgent, it’ll be your new favorite side dish.
Creamy, Cheesy, Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
Serves 8 to 10
1½ pounds each orange-fleshed and yellow/white-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices, divided
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
2½ cups heavy cream Continue reading
