To commemorate National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 13, readers share their stories of what makes our linemen great.   The lineman I appreciate the most is my grandpa, Maurice (Bud) Hooven who started at Miami County REMC (now Miami-Cass REMC) in 1945. He shared stories with me about how they ran lines by hand… Continue reading.

After brewing a pot of coffee, don’t pitch the spent grounds. Did you know they have several uses once your cup of joe is ready? • Place a small amount on a dish cloth to scour away grease and grime from skillets and saucepans. It also works as an exfoliant for hands and can help… Continue reading.

Our reader-submitted recipes in our April 2015 issue (Tofu Scrambler Wrap and Chocolate Banana Coconut Cream Pie) embrace the vegan diet. The recipes we’ve featured provide options for those who simply want to cook a few meatless meals every now and then, or provide those living the vegan lifestyle a few new recipes to try out. Vegetarian vs. vegan Vegetarians… Continue reading.

“Old Ironsides” might be the nickname the USS Constitution was dubbed 200 years ago during the War of 1812. And though British cannonballs bounced off the ship’s hull, it’s no secret that its sides were never made of iron. Old Ironsides had — still has — oaken sides. The ship is built with massive white… Continue reading.

If you cut into a cake at a birthday party or other celebration and didn’t finish the whole thing, here’s a tip to keep it from drying out: Using toothpicks, secure a slice of bread to the exposed portion. The bread holds in the cake’s moisture.

Soak a sponge in water, then microwave for one minute. The moisture will loosen bits of food suck to the inside of the microwave and make it easier to wipe down for a quick cleaning. Be careful handling the hot sponge!  

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain fits into the grains food group. Grains can be whole or refined. The Whole Grains Council recommends that half of the grains we eat should be whole grains. This means the grain contains all three… Continue reading.

Why is the marriage of salt and sugar so tasty? It might be due to a layering effect — combining one flavor of delight with another yields a delight two times greater. According to Barb Stuckey, a professional food developer, tasting something salty produces a pleasurable experience because it is a necessary nutrient. We have… Continue reading.

January is National Soup Month. Nothing tastes better on a cold winter day than a bowl of soup. Find hearty soup and stew recipes on Electric Consumer’s Pinterest page. Featured reader-submitted recipes include Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream, Winter Chowder and Avocado Soup. Many of the recipes we’ve published can be found at www.pinterest.com/electriconsumer/food/.

Each summer, Ann Arbor, Mich., is host to Camp Bacon, four days of eating, learning, and a pork-centric party, complete with pigs and poetry. The event, bringing together cooks, pork producers, poets, historians and musicians, is a fundraiser for Southern Foodways Alliance. If you love bacon, mark your calendars! The 2015 event is June 4-7…. Continue reading.

“Whenever a recipe calls for bacon bits, instead of frying the slices of bacon whole and then crumbling, I take several slices together and slice them into small pieces with scissors, and then fry. The pieces will separate when stirring and will be nice and crispy. Doesn’t take long this way to get a lot… Continue reading.