Bl2—lmcartar Faming, Saturday, NavoMbar 19,1983
Beware of Catalog
Catastrophies
Catalog catastrophies can
happen in the best of homes and
they seem to happen most often
during the rush of holiday buying.
Those who are caught have to pay
and pay and pay.
What’s a catalog catastrophy?
Simple. It’s what happens when
you buy by mail and by plume
without a unified, well thought out
spending plan. One of the saddest
parts of holiday giving is the
anguish it can bring to those who
find they have seriously overex
tended themselves. Some spend
the rest of the winter in financial
difficulty.
Using catalogs for holiday
shopping has many advantages.
Those who have limited shopping
time or opportunities have access
to a much wider selection shopping
by mail. Those who need to mail
packages and haven’t time or
transportation to get to the post
office, can order by mail and have
gifts sent directly.
Ordering by mail also offers the
advantage of extending payment
periods since there is usually a lag
of at least a month from purchase
to billing. Those who have charge
accounts with a mail order com
pany may be able to extend full
payment even further by paying in
installments. To many buyers
these are among the most im-
Ladies
Have You
Heard?
By Doris Thomas
Lancaster Extension
Home Economist
portant - and the most dangerous -
aspects of shopping by mail or
phone.
However, it’s not just payment
extensions that get catalog
shoppers into difficulty. Catalog
shopping is easy - sometimes too
easy.
Here are a few tips on how to
avoid catalog catastrophies and
help you begin the new year in
financial health.
—Make a list and check it twice.
First check your bank balance,
income and expenses so you know
what you can afford. Then check
the names on your list so you know
how far the amount you have has to
go.
—Once you know how much you
have to spend and how many gifts
you plan to give, then, and only
then, make realistic estimates of
the price range you can afford for
each.
—Most major mail order
companies give customers op
portunities to buy sale mer
chandise. Most of these are
genuine sales, but to be sure check
prices against those in local stores
for the same type of merchandise.
You may be paying a premium for
the convenience of easy shopping.
—lt’s not always easy to check
on the quality of merchandise
when you order by catalog since
you can’t see it. Buying known
brands reduces your risk.
—Before you order anything,
know the policy on returns and
exchanges. Even with the best
intentions, it is easy to get the
wrong size or simply miss
altogether.
—Keep track of what you’ve
ordered from whom, and how
much you are spending. Keep a
running total and constantly check
this figure against your spending
plan.
—lf you run out of money and
still have gifts to buy, don’t just
say, “Oh well, it’s the holidays,”
and keep on buying. Your friends
and family would rather have
something you’ve made yourself or
even nothing at all, than be the
cause of your debt.
Microwaving
Your Turkey
If you own a microwave oven you
may be wondering if you should
use it to cook your Thanksgiving
turkey. The microwave oven can
considerably reduce cooking time.
Your turkey will also be very juicy
and tender. It will brown naturally
because of the long cooking time.
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On the other hand, it will not have
the crisp skin that many people
associate with turkey.
For successful microwaving,
you have to give the bird a fair
amount of attention and handling,
and you may find conventional
oven roasting more suited to your
needs.
The largest turkey you should
cook in the microwave oven is 12-14
pounds. To be sure your turkey
isn’t too big for your oven, place it
in the oven cavity and turn it on all
sides. You need 3 inches of space
between the turkey and all oven
walls, and should have a minimum
of 2 inches between the top of the
turkey and roof of the oven.
—Estimate the cooking time at
about 12-15 minutes per pound at 50
percent of full power (medium on
some ovens, simmer or defrost on
others.) Divide the cooking time by
four.
—Place the turkey breast-side
down in a glass or other
microwave ovensafe baking dish.
—Tie legs and wings to the body
with string. Shield protruding
It didn’t come easy.
Protect it
with the best.
parts with foil.
—Cook for V* of estimated time,
turn turkey on its side and
microwave another V* of the time.
Turn on other side and cook v«
time. Baste as needed. If some
parts are browning too fast, shield
these parts with foil. Leave foil in
place when you turn the turkey.
—For the last V* of cooking time
turn the turkey breast-side-up.
Using a microwave oven ther
mometer, check internal tem
perature. It should read 185*P
after one minute. Other tests for
doneness are: the leg moves freely
at the joint, or juices run clear
yellow when breast meat under the
wing is pierced with a fork or
skewer.
—Let turkey stand about 20
minutes under a foil tent before
carving.
It’s a good idea to remove pan
drippings as they accumulate.
Fatty drippings absorb microwave
energy and can increase cooking
time. This job is easiest done with
abulbbaster.
Never use a temperature probe
when roasting a turkey. Juices can
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(Turn to Page B 13)
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