The Garage Plan Shop Blog

Summer is finally here! Changes are you just might be taking a road trip this summer. Whether you are heading to the beach the mountains or Grandma’s house somewhere in between it is important to practice safe driving and travel habits. The Garage Plan Shop recommends following this helpful tips from a traffic safety researcher.

1.    Get your car in shape – Before you set out on your road trip, make sure your car is in tip-top shape. Have your oil changed, check your tire pressure and make sure your radiator is working.

2.    Map your route – Map your route before you leave. Know which highways and roads you’ll be taking. Check traffic websites and other sites like Google Maps to help you plan your route and navigate construction zones. If your road trip is going to take more than a day’s travel time, check travel websites and book hotel rooms along your route. Don’t forget to pack your maps and any hotel confirmation numbers.

3.    Know the safe times to travel – Studies show roadways are most dangerous late and night and early in the morning when drivers are more likely to be intoxicated or tired. Plan to depart around 7:00 AM and arrive at your hotel or destination no later than 10:00 PM.

4.    Plan for kids and pets – If you’ll be brining your kids or your pets on your road trip, it takes a little extra planning. Pack a cooler with snack and drinks for the little ones. Also bring card games, books, handheld games, favorite music CDs, books on CD or a few small toys to entertain the kids. Plan on playing travel games in the car to pass the time. Do not for get to bring food and water for your pets.

5.    Plan to take breaks – Plan to pull over every 2-3 hours to stretch your legs, give your eyes a quick break and recharge. Take a restroom break. Let the kids run around for a couple minutes and walk the dog. Everyone will feel better about getting back in the car again. If you are traveling with another driver, take turns driving in shifts so no one experiences fatigue.

6.    Do not drink – It is illegal and it is not safe to drink and drive. Research indicates just one alcoholic drink may cause important changes in cognition affecting your ability to drive and make good judgments. Avoid any alcoholic drinks while your road trip is in progress. Wait until you get to the beach or the mountains and enjoy your favorite adult drink with dinner.

7.    Wake up or catch up on sleep – According to statistics, in 2009 over 100,000 car crashes resulted due to drowsy driving. If you are driving in shifts with another driver, take a nap while the other person is behind the wheel. If not, pull over in a safe well-lit place and take a quick power nap. Better yet, plan to check into your hotel early in the evening so you can go to bed early and be refreshed for the next day’s drive.

We all look forward to summer vacations and perhaps road trips make for the best memories. Take these precautions to make sure this summer’s road trip is safe and memorable.

Tags: car safety tips, road trips, summer vacation, travel, travel safety, travel tips, vacation travel

The holidays are here. Amid the hustle and bustle of the season, we are often asked to bring a dish, snack or appetizer to a holiday gathering. These recipes are simple to make and tasty to eat. Try one of these the next time you’re asked to bring something to a gathering.

Ranch Salsa Dip

Ingredients:

1 16 oz carton of sour cream

¾  cup thick and chunky salsa

1 packet of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dip Mix

1 bag of nacho chips

1.    Mix sour cream, salsa and ranch dip mix in a medium bowl.

2.    Chill or serve immediately with nacho chips.

Hummus

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed

1 cup roasted red peppers drained and rinsed

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves minced

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Crackers, veggies or pita chips

1.    Add chickpeas to food processor and puree.

2.    Add roasted red peppers and remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.

3.    Refrigerate.

4.    Serve with crackers, veggies or pita chips

Tags: recipes

While the kids are off school for the holidays, serve this breakfast favorite. Everyone at The Garage Plan Shop has been enjoying this tasty breakfast treat for years.

Monkey Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 (7.5 oz) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine, melted

1.    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a plastic food-storage bag.

2.    Separate dough into 30 biscuits and cut each one into quarters. Shake in bag to coat and arrange in pan.

3.    Mix brown sugar and melted butter and pour over biscuits.

4.    Bake 28-32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.

5.    Cool in pan 10 minutes.

6.    Turn upside down onto serving plate. Pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Makes approximately 12 servings.

Visit our blog next week for more holiday recipes.

Tags: Christmas, recipes

Everyone enjoys holiday treats. Here are a couple of The Garage Plan Shop’s favorite chocolate treats. They are quick and easy to make.

Pretzel Turtles

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 4-5 minutes

Ingredients:

20 mini pretzels

20 Rolo candies (unwrapped)

20 pecan halves

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.    Arrange pretzels in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

3.    Place 1 rolo on top of each pretzel.

4.    Bake for 4-5 minutes or until rolo candies begin to melt.

5.    Remove from oven. While candy is still warm press 1 pecan half into each candy.

6.    Cool and serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Fudgies

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 8-9 minutes

Ingredients:

1 stick real butter

12 oz. Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 14 oz. can Borden sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ cups chopped walnuts

1 cup flour

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.    Melt butter and chocolate chips in sauce pan over low heat stirring until silky smooth.

3.    Stir in milk and vanilla.

4.    Remove from heat.

5.    Stir in flour and walnuts. Mix well.

6.    Spoon onto foil-lined cookie sheet.

7.    Bake 8-9 minutes. (Cookies will not look done. Take out before edges look crispy.)

8.    Cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing.

9.    Store at room temperature in airtight container. Cookies will be soft and chewy.

Be sure to check back next week for a few more of our favorite holiday recipes.

Tags: Christmas, cookie recipes

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the holidays. But, slow down for a minute. Have you ever noticed how wasteful we are around the holidays? Recently, it was reported Americans will create an extra 25 million tons of waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. THIS holiday season can be different. Now is the time for YOU to start a new tradition, celebrating the holidays with amazing earth-friendly flair.

Avoid Over-Gifting – Many people don’t think of gifts as garbage, but the packaging it comes in is instant trash. Give one or two good gifts, being sure to recycle the packaging when possible. And with the money you save by cutting out extra gifts, you’ll be able to donate to charities that help those less fortunate.

Give Homemade Gifts – Sometimes the best gifts are homemade. They often hold sentimental value or reflect on a special memory. And better yet, they don’t come with all that fancy packaging that will end up in the trash as mentioned above.

Reduce Greeting Cards – More than 2.6 billing holiday cards are sold each year and most of them end up in the trash. Trim you card list by just a few people. Send an e-card instead saving postage and reducing waste. If you send traditional cards, buy cards made of recycled paper. Recycle the cards you receive. Cut them up and use them for gift tags next year.

Buy Organic – If you prefer to have a real Christmas tree, check with tree farms before you buy. A local tree farmer might not consider himself and organic grower, but ask if he sprays his trees with chemicals. It is healthier for you and the environment if your tree hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals or synthetic fertilizers. 

Dial Down the Amps – Holiday light displays left on 24 hours a day can potentially quadruple your energy bill. Use a timer for your light displays rather than leaving them on all night. Replace old strands of lights with LED lights. They use about 90% less energy than standard mini-lights. Or, you might consider cutting back or trimming your light display a little bit.

Light Up with Candles – The holiday season is the perfect time to illuminate your home with candles. Often it only takes one candle to brighten a bathroom or a centerpiece of short and tall candles to light the dining room. Not only is using candles an easy way to decorate for the holidays, but in many cases, it is a good way to eliminate some or all overhead lighting in a room resulting in energy savings. Furthermore, candle heat paired with your own body heat will warm up a room nicely over the course of an evening allowing you to lower the thermostat a few degrees. The result – a reduced energy bill. Remember to use caution around burning candles.

Ship Light – When shipping gifts, think light weight and small. Fewer and smaller packages take up less room on a mail or delivery truck, using less gas and wasting less petroleum.

Reinvent Gift Wrap – With tons of wrapping paper ending up in the garbage each holiday season, it is time to get creative. Anything that covers and conceals your gift is an acceptable choice for gift wrap. Think outside the box. Try T-shirts, a colorful throw blanket, a decorative pillow case, or a furry scarf. Better yet, reuse gift bags from gifts you’ve received or have the kids paint and decorate used paper grocery bags and tuck your gifts inside. As for the gifts you receive. Open them carefully saving the paper for next year’s wrapping.

Prepare Just Enough – Tons of food are wasted every holiday season due to special dinner parties and holiday get-togethers. If you are hosting a holiday gathering, don’t overdo it. Keep your menu simple. There is no need to have numerous choices of salad or dessert. Prepare only your favorites ensuring you there will be minimal leftovers. And if you don’t plan to eat the leftovers, send a to-go bag home with your guests.

Recycle – Recycle everything you can. Gifts come with lots of wrapping and packaging. As you open gifts, recycle what you can, plastic, paper, cardboard, etc. But don’t stop there. Recycle your tree. Some local governments recycle trees into mulch while others use them for animal habitats in parks and lakes. However you choose to recycle your tree, make sure you do it responsibly. Remove all ornaments, hooks, tinsel and light strands. Artificial trees can be recycled too. If you’re tired of your artificial tree, donate it to a church, community center, shelter or another place that decorates for the holidays.

It is fun and exciting to be part of the holiday festivities, just remember the holidays are waste makers. That is why it is important that you start changing the holidays for the better. These environmentally-friendly holiday tips will get you started.

Tags: Christmas, earth friendly, energy efficient, Living Green