Warm Springs, Oregon October 19, 1990 PAGE 7 Beware of new marketing schemes SpilyayTymoo Attorney general Dave Frohn maycr recently warned consumers to be on the lookout for scams and rip-offs that take advantage of con sumers' concerns about supplies of petroleum following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Frohnmaycr's action is part of a national effort, in cooper ation with the Federal Trade Commission and the National Association of Attorneys General. These fradulcnt schemes may range from phony gas-saving devices or other energy-saving devices that don't work as advertised, to oil and gas investment frauds. "Oregon's consumers should be wary of fast-buck artists who would try to profit from this international crisis," Frohnmaycr said. "Watch out for exaggerated claims of energy savings and shop around." "Consumers should be especially cautious at this time about pro ducts sold as energy-savers or good .investment opportunities," said Janet D. Steigcr, Chairman of the FTC. "Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals often attempt to exploit situations like the present one by taking advantage of consumers." Consumers who have been vic timized by energy-related scams, or have a complaint, should con tact the FTC or the Attorney General's office. "Historic" stain permanent Does your favorite family heir loom have rusty yellow-orange stains? If so, it's just showing its age. Over time, stains on historic textiles that didn't show when the item was stored away may myste riously appear. They might be food or fruit stians incompletely removed a long time ago. Usually these old stains are permanent. They can't be removed with chemical treatments, bleaches or by dyeing. However, these discoloration; need not interfere with your enjoy Keep personal papers organized Someone estimated eight months of one's live is spent looking for things. Who knows if it is really eight months, but at some time, we all have had the experience of look ing for an important paper some thing that's "got to be here some where." Lose anything? If any of the following "camp leftovers" are yours, call the Warm Springs OSU Extension office as soon as .possible. If they are not claimed, they will go to the $'N' Sense Thrift Store November I. 1 yellow wash cloth 1 salmon colored wash cloth 1 blue cap with a "B" on it, size large 1 blue tank top, size large 1 red jacket, size large 1 blue jacket with COCC Rodeo Team on it 1 belt with silver buckle, size 29 inch 1 pair white socks with WSJ (who could this be?) 1 black sleeping bag Supply items "I'm bored. ""There's nothing to do." Sound familiar? That familiar end-of-summer complaint can continue into fall as children adjust to shorter days and rainy weather. However, there are some things you can do besides responding with a scream. There is a variety of inexpensive and creative activities that are easy to pull together at the last minute. Many use items available at no cost, such as egg cartons, foam packing chips, cardboard rolls and old magazines. Other common inexpensive household items may also be used including toothpicks, marsh mallows, cereal, rice, salt, maca roni, plastic dish pans, paper clips, straws, glue and scissors. By now you're probably wonder ing what your child will do with these treasures, many of which most people toss out with yester day's oatmeal. The best way to find out is to put a few items on the table or floor and see what happens. In order to encourage creativity in children, it is important not to model the "right" way all the time. You may want to give a few guide lines, such as "build something three feet high" or "keep the water in the plastic dishpan." Make the guidelines more com plicated as your child masters each activity. For example, a three year old may be able to stack five egg cartons or build a road. By age ten, he or she may be making castles complete with turrets. The following is a brief list of ways children have used these and other items in play: Paper bags Make creature masks, clown faces, costumes and To be better prepared for possi ble scams, stick to the folowing helpful hints and guidelines. Telemarketers Telemarketers are those people who call you at home, offering to sell you goods and services over the phone, or send you postcards tell ing you to call them right away. Beware of those who offer you "great bargains" out of the blue. Unscrupulous telemarketers find it easy to offer whatever products or service is "hot" at any given mo ment. If they are offering water purifiers today, they can easily switch to gas-saving devices tomor row. You can protect yourself by: Never giving your credit card number over the phone, if you didn't initiate the call. Asking questions. Get it in writ ing. Being suspicious. Why would someone you don't know offer you an investment opportunity that they claim could triple your money? Finding out all costs involved before making a commitment. Being cautious of high-pressure tactics. Do you really believe that this is a limited-time offer? Just hanging up the phone if in doubt! ment of the item. You can still use the old cut embroidery table cloth on the table at a family celebration. Friends and relatives can speculate uduui nuw inc Main came 10 DC there. Was it Grandpa who spilled the gravy? Or, did Junior drip the jelly? You'll never know, but just remembering all those folks can help create the continuity that an heirloom is supposed to give. One caution. The more a herit age textile is used, the less likely it will be to survive. L I .L. . ' . 1 Every family has many impor tant papers relating to personal finances, property ownership and other business affairs. Good man aeement includes organizing these records and valuable papers. Examples ot important papers are wills, insurance policies, bank accounts, mortgages, birth and marriage certificates, medical records and employment records. The OSU Extension Service has two publications to assist families in organizing their records. "Organ izing Your Family Records" will help you know which of your records are important and how to arrange a storage system for easy access. "Do You Know Your Valuable Papers?" is an inventory form, used to record where records are stored. Organizing your records will help you avoid the frustration of hunt ing for papers and might eliminate or reduce confusion during a crisis. Remember, during a crisis some one else may have to step in and manage your personal financial affairs; an organized system for your records will be extremely helpful. to help kids play creatively puppets. Collages Paste any or all of the following on paper: leaves, seeds, beans, macaroni (color it with food coloring mixed with rubbing alco hol), pictures cut from magazines (give older children a theme to create around such as "junk food," "family,""Christmas wish list") egg shells, buttons, cotton balls or yarn. Texture Activities (The more senses a child uses in the activity, the greater the learning) Finger paint with shaving cream, pudding or cornstarch and water (makes a great, washable goo!) Fill a plastic dishpan with water, rice, sand, macaroni, beans, cornmeal, mud or snow and add small toys. Make marshamallow toothpick structures. Woodland Management Tour Hosted by Prineville Sawmill Company Saturday, October 20 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Meet behind Crook group will carpool to the field. Bring a sack lunch (beverage will be pro vided); field clothing gear (just in case); Tour Is co-sponsored and Central Oregon Association infomerclali Infomercials are comm. tals that look like TV shows. They are usually about 30 minutes long and resemble a talk show, like Oprah or Donahue, or an investigative show, like 60 Minutes. Many infomer cials are upfront about being an ad they say so, frequently. But unfortunately, many don't do that. Be suspicious if one product is the only topic of discussion on the "show" and also the only item advertised, especially if they offer a number to call to place an order. "900" Numbers Unlike toll-free "800" numbers, the consumer is billed for the rates. The seller sets the price of these calls, which can run from $2 to $45 a minute or higher! If you arc call ing a "900" number, find out first how much the call will cost, and remember to add that to the cost of the product. It might be a lot more expensive than you think. Some companies also use "976" numbers. These are local calls, but they carry the same charges as "900"numbers. It might bechcaper to look in the telephone book and see if they have a regular number. Home Improvements There are a great many products on the market that will help con serve energy, reduce your fuel bills and are economical purchases. These range in cost from very lit tle likecaulkingand weathcrstrip ping to to very expensive instal ling attic and wall insulation, buying storm windows or purchasing a new and more efficient furnace. The energy savings you might obtain, however, are hiehlv varia- O J ble. It depends on the climate in your part of the country, how well your house is already insulated, how it is heated or cooled, and your individual comfort level. In the past, marketers may have exaggerated energy savings claims for insulation products, storm win dows, room heaters, residential sid ing and solar heating systems. Be "Curative" Don't believe everything you read about nutrition. Many so-called "experts" are giving misleading advice about what you should eat to stay healthy. In recent weeks, new books promoting curative effects of foods have appeared in local bookstores. Don't assume that the information is accurate just because it's in print. There is nothing magical about eating for good health. Healthy eating means including a variety of Meat preservation methods have Before the advent of refrigera tion, various methods of preserv ing meat were practiced. Drying, smoking and salting of meat to prevent spoilage were common by 1000 BC. The Spaniards who came to North America following Co lumbus found dried meat (jerky) in use by the Indians. Meat was cut into thin strips and often dried without seasoning. The strips of meat were hung in trees, on poles, Games Chinese jump rope, bowling (use egg cartons for pins), cotton ball races, blanket tents, obstacle courses, bean bag toss (make a clown with a big mouth out of a cardboard box), tin can stilts, balloon toss. Of course, on those "nothing to do" days, you might also take the advice of the grandmother who says that her grandchildren never dare to complain about the lack of entertaining things to do because she hands them the mop or the toilet brush and puts them to work. This idea has definite possibilties. Just think, you might find that your children like to clean and you'll have time to work on the meaning of the word "bored. "(Well, parents can dream, can't they?) County Courthouse; and footwear; rain- 4-wheel drive vehicle. by OSU Extension Small Woodland careful in assessing advertising claims so that you understand the basis for such claims and how they may apply to your specific situa tion. If the savings claimed appear unrealistic, they probably arc. And remember, if you add insu lation or take other energy conser vation measures in your home, your total monthly utility bill may not go down if the price of fuel is rising. But it still may cost you less than you would have paid, because you've made your home more efficient. 'Gasoline Savings" Devices is prices rise, consumers may want to improve their fuel mileage. Marketers have offered all sorts of automotive gadgets, devices, and , magnets, as well as oil and gasoline additives, intended to enhance fuel mileage. Unfortunately, none of "these products has been found to significantly increase fuel economy. To get better mileage, you may want to check your tire pressure, remove excess weight from your car's trunk and get a tune-up. Investment Schemes . When oil prices rise, oil and gold investment scams appear. When Wall Street is jittery, all kinds of invest ment scams appear. Look out for oil and gas partnerships, gold and silver mining schemes, phony in vestments in oil drilling or bogus pipelines, or any investment scam that promises a significantly higher rate of return than you might expect from more traditional investments. And always be cautious about investing sight unseen in something you're unfamiliar with rare coins, fine art or gemstoncs, for example. One difference consumers might see now from past energy crises is that new marketing techniques are being used, such as telemarketing, "infomercials" and 900 numbers These techniques in themselves are not deceptive indeed, many repu table companies use them but in the hands of unscrupulous indi viduals, they can hurt consumers. foods may not be so foods in your diet. Include fruits and vegetables, breads and cereals, , milk and milk products and meat , or meat substitutes to get the nut rients that you need. Be wary about promises that food is magic. Personal testimonials about food cures give people great hope. However, the claims are usually exaggerated. If eating a food seems to have made a health difference, you may need to credit it to a placebo effect. When some or in the tops of huts or teepees out of the reach of dogs. When the meat became hard, it was pow dered and mixed with dried berries and corn or other dried fruits and vegetables to form pemmican. Animal fat was often added. In this form, the dried meat was trans ported in skins and was the princi pal food whenever tribes were migrating. Pemmican was often soaked four or five hours and boiled into a stew. In recent years, jerky has become a popular item. It can be purchased at the grocery, in sporting goods stores, in bars and even in some gas stations. Meat Preparation While the Indians frequently used the loin or tenderloin, any muscle from any place in the carcass can be used. Muscles from the round or leg are most often used today. It is recommended that muscles be re moved from the carcass and made into jerky the day after the kill to prevent unnecessary bacterial growth. However, aged meat can be used. Meat which has been fro zen and thawed can also be used satisfactorily. Freezing meat for a month before jerky is made insures that it will be free from live para sites which are sometimes found in game meat. In order to have freshly made jerky during the year, many people freeze meat which is to be made into jerky. The meat is then thawed in small quantities and made into jerky as it is needed. Meat should be trimmed of fat and connective tissue and then cut into strips one-fourth inch thick, one inch wide and up to a foot in length. Cut with (not across) the grain. Small muscles, one or two inches in diameter, are often separ ated and made into jerky without being cut into strips. These thicker pieces of meat take longer to absorb the salt and seasonings and longer to dry, but with these exceptions, no changes in the jerky recipes need to be made. Some recipes call fordryingjerkyinthesun. Because of sanitation problems, this method is not recommended. If sun drying is used, the jerky should be cut into strips one-fourth inch thick or less. Color of the finished jerky ranges from a light brown to black. Color variations depend upon the recipe used, the species of animal, and the lip Reduce laundry costs Smart use of laundry appliances not only can save you money but also can shrink energy consump tion. With American Energy Month being observed in October, this is a good time to remember that energy used or wasted is gone forever. 1 he good news is that reducing energy use saves money, which will help offset inevitable increases in energy costs. In the United States, 17 percent of the energy consumed by the residential sector goes for heating water for household use. One way to keep from wasting hot water in the home laundry is to use warm and cool water settings as much as possible. Warm water can be used for lightly soiled items, saving hot water for heavily soiled clothes. Special features on the washer can save you money; for example, soak cycles help to remove stub born stains in one washing. Instruc tions on the detergent box should be followed carefully because over sudsing causes the washing machine motor to work harder than it should. To conserve energy and dollars when drying clothes, don't over load the dryer or overdry the clothes. Your instruction manual will give the proper settings and drying times. On the other hand, don't dry just one or two items at a time. 01 course, line drying, either inside or outside, is the ultimate energy saver. one really believes that something will happen, it may. But, that doesn mean that it will work for the next person. You can waste money by follow ing the advice of an unqualified "nutritionist." Worse yet, you could endanger your health if you fail to seek prompt medical treatment for diseases. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. changed considerably overyears age of the animal. The latter two factors are related to the myoglobin concentration in fresh meat. Myo globin is the pigment in meat re sponsible for color. Higher levels of myoglobin result in darker col ored jerky. Checklist for Making Jerky 1 . Use fresh lean meat free of fat and connective tissue. 2. Slice the meat with the grain, not crosswise. 3. Add the correct amount of seasoning. If you do not have a scale, use approximate equivalent measures for the jerky recipes as follows: Salt... 10.5 oz. I cup;8oz 34 cup; 2 oz. 3 tbsp. Sugar.. .5 oz. 23 cup; 3.5 oz. Vi cup; 1 oz. 2 tbsp. Ground spices.. .0.5 oz. 2 tbsp; .08 oz. 1 tsp. 4. Cure the meat the correct length of time at refrigerator temper atures. Salted meat should be placed in plastic, wooden, stainless steel or stone containers. 5. Keep the dryng or smoking temperature in the smokehouse or oven at 120 degrees F. or below after the first 30 minues. Oven or smokehouse temperatures of 170 to 190 are often recommended for the first 30 minutes. 6. If an oven is used, line the sides and bottom with aluminum foil to catch the drippings. Open the door to the first or second stop to allow moisture to escape and to lower the oven temperature when necessary. 7. Use any hardwood for smok ing. Do not use pine, fir or conifers. 8. Remove the jerky from the smokehouse or oven before it gets too hard for your taste. Five pounds of fresh meat should weigh approx imately 2 pounds after drying or smoking. 9. Store jerky in clean jars or plastic bags, or wrap it in freezer paperand freeze it. Although jerky will last almost indefinitely at any temperature, its quality deteriorates after a few months. 10. Alter seasonings and smok ine or drvine times to suit individ ual tastes. Examples of spices which could be added to five pounds ot meat include: 2 tbsp. chili powder; 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 2 tbsp. onion powder; I tsp. ginger; 2 tbsp. cori ander or I tsp. allspice. Information Provided By: OSU Warm Springs Extension '1134 Palute Street PO Box 430 Warm Springs, OR 97761 (503) 553-32383239 The clothes dryer should be vented and the vent kept free of lint. The lint filter on both washer and dryer should be cleaned after each load to keep appliances run ning efficiently. To eliminate much of your iron ing, remove all garments from the dryer as soon as the cycle is fin ished. Iron largeamounts of clothes at a time to avoid heating the iron ton often. Iron fabrics rcuuirina lower temperatures firt and work up to those needing higher heat. Use the lowest temperature that will do the job. Chose diet consultant carefully Who can you rely on for accu rate nutrition or diet advice? Framed certificates declaring membership in professional nutri tion organizations may look im pressive, but they may be meaning less. Anyone can call themselves a "nutritionist." Some who do so aren't trained in the field. Others have received degrees and certifi cates in nutrition from unaccre dited colleges. Follow these suggestions when finding a qualified nutritionist. Check for membership in a professional organization with strict requirements such as the American Institute of Nutrition, the Ameri can Society of Clinical Nutrition and the American Dietetic Asso ciation. Determine if he or she is a reg istered dietitian (R.D.). To be reg istered, dietitians must pass a com prehensive examination after col lege training. This fall, registered . dietitians will have the opportunity " to become licensed by the state of Oregon. Licensed dictitians(L.D.s) will have to meet criteria set by a special board. Ask someone you can trust if the nutritionist is qualified. Nutri tion professionals working for uni versities and local health depart ments can help you judge this. Simple Dry Cured Jerky 1. Prepare five pounds of meat as described above. 2. Spread out meat and sprinkle on 2 tbsp. salt, 2 tsp. pepper and 2 tbsp. sugar. 3. Put the meat in a pan or dish and let stand 24 hours in refrigera tor. 4. Dip strips of meat in liquid smoke I to 2 seconds for added flavor (optional). 5. Spread out meat in the top half of a kitchen oven on a rack to dry. Open the oven door to the first or second stop. Heat at 1 20 degrees (lowest temperature ) for 48 hours or until the desired dryness is reached. Use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven does not get hotter than 120. Higher tempera ture results in hard, brittle jerky that crumbles when it is eaten. HOW-TO'S Holidays and Everyday Saturday, Oct 27 Madras High School Pre-Registration$3 At the Door $3.50 Lunch $3.50 Free babysitting 2-8 years of age, RSVP by October 24 Learn about foods health, education, sewing, crafts, recycling and voicemusic. There's a children's corner, too. For information call 475-3808