816-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 12, 1992 TAKING TIME by Rebecca Escott Extension Home Economist It seems like this last month, I have had to put to use a lot of the lessons I constantly am sharing with other families. This past weekend my waffle iron died. I spent $6O on it less than six months ago and maybe used it a half dozen times. I was angry, and I had to think. “Do what you tell others to do.” So I cleaned the appliance. Found the recipe booklet and receipt from the store. (It’s a good thing I’m in the habit of keeping receipts... But I found out later I should have saved the box, too.) I took it back to the store and confi dently asked to speak with a manager. In the back of my mind, I kept repeating the age-old techniques of Berks County Extension Home Economist Faye Strickler Answers Questions I bought self-rising dour by mistake. What other ingredients have been added to all purpose flour to make it self-rising? Exactly 1 14 teaspoons baking powder and 14 teaspoon salt have been pre-blended into each cup of enriched self-rising flour or com meal to save mixing and measur ing steps and prevent mistakes. Why doesn’t my new refriger ator have a molded egg com partment on the door? Home economists have found that, since egg shells are porous, eggs deteriorate much faster when they’re left uncovered in the door. To prevent moisture loss, it’s recommended that eggs be kept in their carton. Consumers also told manufac turers that they wanted to be able to use the door space for other items, since some people don’t use eggs. So they made the inner door panels more flexible and spacious to accommodate 2-liter bottles and gallon milk and juice containers. I recently bought my daught er a microwave which is rated at 800 watts, but it doesn’t cook any faster than my older 650 watt oven. What’s going on? In 1990 the Department of Energy set standards for measur ing microwave power by adopting Battenburg Lace Class WEST CHESTER (Chester Co.) Battenburg lace is a Renaissance lace made with tape and thread. Try your hand at this art on Wednesday, September 30, 1992,9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the Chester County Cooperative Extension office, 235 W. Market Street, West Chester. Registration is due by September 21; the $lO fee includes beginning kit, hand outs, and instructions by Kerry L. Reynold. Make a delicate heart that can be used as an ornament or appliqued to a garment or pillow. For further information contact the Extension office at (215) 696-3500. effective complaints: • Speak calmly and slowly. • State the exact problem. Give as much pertinent information as possible (about when, where you purchased the item; when, how you noticed the problem, etc.) • Do your homework. (Have the receipt or other verifying paper work with you. I strolled around the store, found the exact same model selling for the same price, and read a two-year limited war ranty notice on the box flap.) • Suggest an appropriate action for the other party to take. I asked if it was possible to exchange this damaged appliance for a new one. Fortunately, the store was willing to do this, and I didn’t have to go through the process of contacting an internationally recognized test ing procedure call “lEC-705” which changes the wattage rating. For instance, a microwave made before the new standards might be rated at 650 watts like yours, while the same microwave made after 1990 would read 800 watts like your daughter's. But there is no actual change in power or cooking performance. The new rating method results in designa tions of approximately 50-150 watts higher than the old standards. Just be aware that for some time, microwaves made before and after the new standards will be on store shelves at the same lime. You’ll need to read the serial plate to know when it was manufac tured, and that will help you tell what rating system was used. (6SX) SSI) SGI SSI SSI SSI IJ, time (GSJ) HKhey equipment M ■ COMPANY, INC. SSI the manufacturer. But it was good to get back to practicing a few of the principles I teach on a regular basis. I started wondering how many people would simply have junked the appliance instead of speaking up and getting some satisfaction from the business or company involved. The second area I began to experience the reality of my own principles was family budgeting. For two weeks, I’ve been teaching workshops at an area company about “Balancing the Two-Week Pay Check.” I talked about how to look ahead, discuss expenses, and to regularly save to cover occa sional bills. Well, just to keep me honest, my * f f^^^FSWSWSWS^!WSWSi&^WSW^WSWSWSW2WSi^^WSWSWS!W^WSWSWSWSWSW*!WSi pggass Agriculture - Residential - Commercial invest In Concrete, Quality Work That Will Last A Lifetime >A^A^AyA^A^A<-Ai!A^AT4yA»'A^Ai’A^AyA^A-» > A»A!rA^Af!4!»’A?Af’A»A^A IODUCT PPORT GBI Route 30 West at the Centerville Exit. ssr SSI m SSI