Category: Tips & How To…

ID Spam Calls with White Pages Reverse Phone Number Look-Up Right After You Block Them

In February we told you "We Love Our Spam, Scam & Robo Call Blocker." The names and phone numbers of most people from whom we actually want to receive calls are already built into our phone system and they pop up on the screen with proper identification. We block all other calls and then check them out over on, White Pages Reverse Phone Number look-up.

Yes you can put the number into a Google search box and get a list of links to pages that might or might not be safe to visit. White Pages is a site that has been around for years with a history of legitimate service.

When the identification of your caller pops up on White Pages, you get a spam level report and other users who have been harassed by this phone number supply information about the calls they've received. One benefit to immediate blocking is that many users say they get constant calls from the same numbers. We don't. Once they're blocked, we don't hear from them again.

Should we discover that a call is legit, like a recent one from a mail order pharmacy, you can unblock the number, add it to your system, and contact the caller.

Since we purchased our CPR Call Blocker V202 in February, we have blocked 95 specific phone numbers. In addition to spam, scams, marketing, charity, and political calls, this includes phone numbers from a parking lot system that kept printing our number as one of theirs in the directory they distributed to parking attendants and in other print material. Now all those numbers seem to reach a dead or non-working phone line. We have also blocked all private numbers, unknown callers, international and out of the area callers, and unavailable callers.

We have most certainly seen a drastic decline in unwanted phone calls since we began using the blocker. Most of the real calls we receive come in on our cell phones. The constant ringing of our land line was from spam, scams, and other annoying calls.

During election season, we plan to block any and all political and polling calls.

We love the sound of silence from our phones!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 29, 2016
ID Spam Calls with White Pages Reverse Phone Number Look-Up Right After You Block Them

In February we told you "We Love Our Spam, Scam & Robo Call Blocker." The names and phone numbers of most people from whom we actually want to receive calls are already built into our phone system and they pop up on the screen with proper identification. We block all other calls and then check them out over on, White Pages Reverse Phone Number look-up.

Yes you can put the number into a Google search box and get a list of links to pages that might or might not be safe to visit. White Pages is a site that has been around for years with a history of legitimate service.

When the identification of your caller pops up on White Pages, you get a spam level report and other users who have been harassed by this phone number supply information about the calls they've received. One benefit to immediate blocking is that many users say they get constant calls from the same numbers. We don't. Once they're blocked, we don't hear from them again.

Should we discover that a call is legit, like a recent one from a mail order pharmacy, you can unblock the number, add it to your system, and contact the caller.

Since we purchased our CPR Call Blocker V202 in February, we have blocked 95 specific phone numbers. In addition to spam, scams, marketing, charity, and political calls, this includes phone numbers from a parking lot system that kept printing our number as one of theirs in the directory they distributed to parking attendants and in other print material. Now all those numbers seem to reach a dead or non-working phone line. We have also blocked all private numbers, unknown callers, international and out of the area callers, and unavailable callers.

We have most certainly seen a drastic decline in unwanted phone calls since we began using the blocker. Most of the real calls we receive come in on our cell phones. The constant ringing of our land line was from spam, scams, and other annoying calls.

During election season, we plan to block any and all political and polling calls.

We love the sound of silence from our phones!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 29, 2016
Tips to Protect Your Dog on Hot Days

We've had a few hot days and seen lots of people taking great care of their dogs. As we chat with friends, all of us share tips on how we're rearranging our routines to make things safer for our canine companions. Here are a few of those ideas.

Arrange your walk schedule so that longer treks are in the cooler parts of the day. Slow down and let your dog take more breaks and maybe even a short snooze, if that's what works for him or her. Offer drinks of water often.

If you use dog walkers, ask them to adjust how long your dog is out in the heat.

This is especially important if your dog is in fragile health, elderly, or one of the flat-faced breeds that are susceptible to brachycephalic syndrome, a condition that makes breathing more difficult.

Carry water for your dog. Most pet supply shops sell water bottles with attached caps or covers that serve as a dog cup. There are collapsible water dishes that you can fill from a water fountain or your own bottle of water.

Check the Heat of the Pavement

Press your hand on the blacktop for 10 seconds as a way to determine if it will be uncomfortable or dangerous for your dog.

On hot days, let your dog walk on grass or dirt as much as possible to give those paws a break.

If you are visiting an even hotter climate than ours this summer, consider putting boots on your dog, if that’s the only way to protect bare paws from the hot pavement.

We've also discovered that the white lines painted as crosswalks are much cooler than the blacktop, so we direct Poppy's paws along that path as we cross streets.

At the beach, sand can be as hot as pavement, check it with your own bare feet. Walking along the wave line or in shallow water can give your dog a break from the hot sand.

It should go without saying that you should never leave your dog in a car in hot weather. The American Veterinary Medical Association warns, “The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes.” They also say, “We've heard the excuses: ‘Oh, it will just be a few minutes while I go into the store,’ or ‘But I cracked the windows …’ These excuses don't amount to much if your pet becomes seriously ill or dies from being left in a vehicle.”

Here's a post we did on that topic complete with a video by a veterinarian who stayed in a hot car to show what happens.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino (edited for BostonZest from one of our City Paw newspaper columns)
Photos: ©2014-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 24, 2016
Tips to Protect Your Dog on Hot Days

We've had a few hot days and seen lots of people taking great care of their dogs. As we chat with friends, all of us share tips on how we're rearranging our routines to make things safer for our canine companions. Here are a few of those ideas.

Arrange your walk schedule so that longer treks are in the cooler parts of the day. Slow down and let your dog take more breaks and maybe even a short snooze, if that's what works for him or her. Offer drinks of water often.

If you use dog walkers, ask them to adjust how long your dog is out in the heat.

This is especially important if your dog is in fragile health, elderly, or one of the flat-faced breeds that are susceptible to brachycephalic syndrome, a condition that makes breathing more difficult.

Carry water for your dog. Most pet supply shops sell water bottles with attached caps or covers that serve as a dog cup. There are collapsible water dishes that you can fill from a water fountain or your own bottle of water.

Check the Heat of the Pavement

Press your hand on the blacktop for 10 seconds as a way to determine if it will be uncomfortable or dangerous for your dog.

On hot days, let your dog walk on grass or dirt as much as possible to give those paws a break.

If you are visiting an even hotter climate than ours this summer, consider putting boots on your dog, if that’s the only way to protect bare paws from the hot pavement.

We've also discovered that the white lines painted as crosswalks are much cooler than the blacktop, so we direct Poppy's paws along that path as we cross streets.

At the beach, sand can be as hot as pavement, check it with your own bare feet. Walking along the wave line or in shallow water can give your dog a break from the hot sand.

It should go without saying that you should never leave your dog in a car in hot weather. The American Veterinary Medical Association warns, “The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes.” They also say, “We've heard the excuses: ‘Oh, it will just be a few minutes while I go into the store,’ or ‘But I cracked the windows …’ These excuses don't amount to much if your pet becomes seriously ill or dies from being left in a vehicle.”

Here's a post we did on that topic complete with a video by a veterinarian who stayed in a hot car to show what happens.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino (edited for BostonZest from one of our City Paw newspaper columns)
Photos: ©2014-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Give Your Sunday Dog a Drink on a Hot Summer Walk – BostonZest

July 24, 2016
Set Up A “Ripe & Ready” Fruit Bowl To Prevent Wasted Food

In our home, we have reduced wasted food by setting up a “Ripe and Ready” fruit bowl. When we began doing this, we added the ripe & ready sign to remind us to empty the bowl and then refill it. While we are scoping out the fruit supply, one of us will grab a colander and wash a supply of berries for the day.

The first one of us who checks out the fruit supply in the morning sets those pieces that are ready to eat that day in a bowl on the kitchen counter.

We eat a lot of fruit around here. Our breakfast oatmeal may have pears, bananas, and blueberries added. Our afternoon snack plate might be a bowl of cherries and a sliced apple. A suppertime cheese tray could have a pear or some berries as an accompaniment.

We have our main supply on the baker’s rack in our dining area. In stone fruit season, we may have an auxiliary bowl on the dining table just for ripening pieces. (The apple was added to remind us to use up the supply in the refrigerator.)

This time of year, we are all tempted to buy more of the delicious local fruit and berries than we can use between market visits. The ripe and ready fruit bowl keeps us from discovering a moldy peach or mushy plum because they are usually eaten before it’s too late.

And if you do discover that too many pieces of fruit have arrived in your kitchen or that for some reason they have all decided to ripen together, make a Crostata, like the one featured in our post,

Rhubarb, Ginger Crostata Recipe from Leite’s Culinaria.

You can substitute almost any fruit or combo of fruits for the rhubarb. You can also fold fruit into a bread pudding or cut up a selection, add a bit of your favorite liqueur, and refrigerate for a cooling dessert.

What’s on your Food Lover’s shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 13, 2016
Set Up A “Ripe & Ready” Fruit Bowl To Prevent Wasted Food

In our home, we have reduced wasted food by setting up a “Ripe and Ready” fruit bowl. When we began doing this, we added the ripe & ready sign to remind us to empty the bowl and then refill it. While we are scoping out the fruit supply, one of us will grab a colander and wash a supply of berries for the day.

The first one of us who checks out the fruit supply in the morning sets those pieces that are ready to eat that day in a bowl on the kitchen counter.

We eat a lot of fruit around here. Our breakfast oatmeal may have pears, bananas, and blueberries added. Our afternoon snack plate might be a bowl of cherries and a sliced apple. A suppertime cheese tray could have a pear or some berries as an accompaniment.

We have our main supply on the baker’s rack in our dining area. In stone fruit season, we may have an auxiliary bowl on the dining table just for ripening pieces. (The apple was added to remind us to use up the supply in the refrigerator.)

This time of year, we are all tempted to buy more of the delicious local fruit and berries than we can use between market visits. The ripe and ready fruit bowl keeps us from discovering a moldy peach or mushy plum because they are usually eaten before it’s too late.

And if you do discover that too many pieces of fruit have arrived in your kitchen or that for some reason they have all decided to ripen together, make a Crostata, like the one featured in our post,

Rhubarb, Ginger Crostata Recipe from Leite’s Culinaria.

You can substitute almost any fruit or combo of fruits for the rhubarb. You can also fold fruit into a bread pudding or cut up a selection, add a bit of your favorite liqueur, and refrigerate for a cooling dessert.

What’s on your Food Lover’s shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

At the Market: Saturn Peaches and a Lesson in Buying Local Fruit

Blue Tape for Marking First-In First-Out Produce

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July 13, 2016
How to Check Your Dog’s Vital Signs: Great Instructions via Go Pet Friendly

Go Pet Friendly is a wonderful resource for those of us who like to travel with our pets. But whether traveling or not, I always gain valuable information from this great site.

Update: 01/28/17 – With Canine influenza moving slowly towards the Boston area, this seemed like a good time to feature this post on how to check your dog's vital signs.

Here's a related post we wrote about canine flu and the vaccinations for it.

I found myself making a note to reread a post, "How To Check Your Dog’s Pulse, Respiration, and Temperature," that appeared on the site's "Take Paws" blog this past spring, because I wanted to reinforce what I had learned.

While we rely on professionals to diagnose serious illnesses, we all should know how to do a basic assessment of a dog's vital signs. This post does a great job of telling you how to do just that.

You might be able to spare your pup the trauma of a scary visit to the vet if you assure yourself that all his vital signs are normal and that he's just tired from something like an extra long dose of exercise and not sick.

As you can see, some puppies (like our Poppy when she was only a few months old) are not at all upset by vet visits. She has been known to kiss the vet tech and fall asleep on the exam table! But most dogs would rather have you, the human they trust the most, doing things to them than some stranger.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 10, 2016
How to Check Your Dog’s Vital Signs: Great Instructions via Go Pet Friendly

Go Pet Friendly is a wonderful resource for those of us who like to travel with our pets. But whether traveling or not, I always gain valuable information from this great site.

Update: 01/28/17 – With Canine influenza moving slowly towards the Boston area, this seemed like a good time to feature this post on how to check your dog's vital signs.

Here's a related post we wrote about canine flu and the vaccinations for it.

I found myself making a note to reread a post, "How To Check Your Dog’s Pulse, Respiration, and Temperature," that appeared on the site's "Take Paws" blog this past spring, because I wanted to reinforce what I had learned.

While we rely on professionals to diagnose serious illnesses, we all should know how to do a basic assessment of a dog's vital signs. This post does a great job of telling you how to do just that.

You might be able to spare your pup the trauma of a scary visit to the vet if you assure yourself that all his vital signs are normal and that he's just tired from something like an extra long dose of exercise and not sick.

As you can see, some puppies (like our Poppy when she was only a few months old) are not at all upset by vet visits. She has been known to kiss the vet tech and fall asleep on the exam table! But most dogs would rather have you, the human they trust the most, doing things to them than some stranger.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 10, 2016
Clean Out That Honey Jar by Making Honey Simple Syrup

When you use fresh, local, minimally processed honey, you learn to live with crystallization.

As you come to the end of a honey jar, you don't want to waste a single dab of that natural goodness. My solution is to make a honey simple syrup right in that jar with honey crystals clinging to the sides.

Clearly the larger jar in the rear (above) is not ready for cleaning out. But the smaller jar in the front had lots of honey clinging to its interior before I added a bit of hot water and swished it around.

Safety Note: Be Careful Not to Burn Yourself! The water does not have to be extremely hot to melt the honey. Still I recommend using a pot holder to swish the water around in the jar and I do my dissolving step over the sink, just in case the cover is not on tightly enough.

Now when I want a bit of sweet in my ice tea, I'll just pour in a touch of honey simple syrup from the jar in the refrigerator. (Once you add water to honey, you should refrigerate it.)

Naturally you can make a bigger batch of honey simple syrup to have on hand for the summer drink season or to add a new dimension to your cocktail recipes.

Most recipes from around the Internet are similar to this one from Honey.com.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny Cherubino

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June 22, 2016
Vacation from Cooking (Well Almost) with Tips for Planning Take-Out Meals
In April, we took a two-week vacation to our favorite, little beach house on Provincetown Harbor. The tiny house has a complete kitchen and this particular unit at the Bayshore/Chandler complex is well equipped for a cook with good pans, solid cutting boards, and sharp knives. But this year I decided to take a break from cooking and enjoy the wonderful take-out options that are now available year-round in Ptown.

I did sear off some scallops for Ed on a couple of evenings. Mac's Fish House Provincetown offers pristine seafood in the market adjacent to their restaurant.

They would have been happy to cook a lobster for me, but past experience told me the lobster meat offered by the pound would make an excellent lobster roll without the work of cracking and cleaning the crustacean.

Take-Out options at Far Land Provisions change daily. (Photo courtesy of Far Land Provisions website)

Casual Dining Options

Having a full kitchen and comfortable indoor and outdoor dining areas opens up your food options. You don't have to dine out, but you are also not required to cook. Breakfast is pretty routine for us. We both prefer oatmeal and fruit. Once settled and unpacked, we make a supermarket run and stock up on breakfast food, drinks, salad ingredients, and snacks. After that, we try to add some prepared food each day from local shops like Angel Foods and Far Land Provisions.

Shepherd's pie from Angel Foods with layers of meat, vegetables, and potatoes

Tips For Vacation Take-Out

After years of practice, we've come up with some recommendations for those who may decide to supplement dining out with some take-out food in a vacation rental.
- Early in the vacation, if you have a larger group, a roasted chicken can be a good start on having a protein supply on hand.
- To be sure we would use up our chicken (and because I wasn't planning to cook anything that might use a whole chicken), we opted for grilled chicken breasts. Sliced, they can be used for sandwiches or tossed in salads.
- To ensure we kept up a fairly balanced diet, we tried to have a variety of fruits & vegetables on hand along with dairy, grains, and protein – which in our case meant lots of fresh seafood.
- Prepared meals like the shepherd's pie from Angel Foods (shown in the photo above) offered an easy but healthy, balanced dinner.
- Don't forget the soups. We always pick up a frozen soup from Angel Foods as a part of our first supply run. Then there's something for anyone who wants a lighter meal. And, if you don't use it, it will help keep the cooler chilled on the return trip.
- Grilled salmon from Farland is another wonderful base for a meal. You can warm it, enjoy it cold, add it to salads, or mash it with some sour cream to top toast.
- Farmers markets, when they are open, can be great fun on vacation. In Provincetown, we enjoy seeing old friends like the folks from Silverbrook Farm in a different setting.
- Enjoy favorite foods from favorite places. They were not open for the season during our April trip, but this fall we'll be sure to have the clam chowder (photo below) from The Canteen.
- Remember the full-service restaurants. Some of these will be happy to prepare a take-out meal for your enjoyment.
Clam Chowder from The Canteen in Provincetown.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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