Fun Facts and Stories to Share For Thanksgiving

In 1620 Pilgrims fled the Church of England in search of religious freedom. Little did they know when this journey would bring America a traditional holiday just over 200 years later celebrated every last Thursday of the month.

When the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock they had no idea what the new world would offer them. Unfortunately they suffered from the harsh winter and failed crops resulting in many settlers perishing.

If it were not for an American Indian, Squanto and his people coming to the rescue many more may have not survived. The Indian’s taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn, squash and beans. By 1621 their crops were abundant and they shared their wealth with the Indians for a Harvest Celebration today known as Thanksgiving.

This harvest celebration was not for only one day, these people knew how to throw a party. The celebration went on for 3 days of feasting and games. Did they have Turkey? Yes, Wild Turkey and more than likely their feast consisted of Goose, Rabbit, Lobster and Codfish.. For the Pilgrims Wild Turkey was easy to hunt because they were in abundance and large in size. Even though they could fly, they could not fly very far.

They would have cooked their meat on over an open fire with a spit, a rod that would rotate on a frame with the help of someone turning the meat until cooked. They also had pots that could hang from the frame to simmer and cook the side dishes.

Over the years the other meats they had at their feast became scarce or very expensive. The Turkey remained the ideal meat to serve at Thanksgiving because not only is it affordable but low in calories, highly nutritious and delicious.

While we set out out best Chinaware for our table, the pilgrims ate from wooden plates, with spoons, knives and their fingers. Forks were not in Plymouth until the 18th century. As for the napkin, it was not placed on the lap, it was placed over your left hand shoulder hanging down the front so you could take a piece of meat with your right hand and wipe off your hand on the napkin.

It was not until over 200 years later that Thanksgiving Day was made an official holiday.

Sarah Josepha Buell Hale an American writer, influential editor and author of Mary Had a Little Lamb” spent 40 years campaigning for a national day of giving. She got her wish in 1863 when President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.

I know in my house Football is a big part of our Thanksgiving celebration. Since 1934 the Detroit Lions have brought the tradition of a game on Thanksgiving Day. They have played every year with the exception of WWII between 1939 and 1944. The Dallas Cowboys also picked up on this tradition giving us even more enjoyable football since 1966.Bringing on this football tradition also brought on the snacks before the big meal.

Thanksgiving Facts:

An estimated 375 Million pounds of Turkey are eaten every Thanksgiving,

65 million Sweet Potato’s are consumed

80 million pounds of Cranberry’s are eaten

55 million Pumpkin Pies are consumed

In 1955 fully stuffed, frozen and ready to cook Turkeys were introduced to the public.

For 50 years the President of the United States has pardoned a Turkey from Thanksgiving day doom, starting with Harry Truman.

Breaking the wishbone started with the Greek and Roman Empire who brought the tradition to Europe and the English brought it to America.

Stuffing recipes were also brought from Europe. In the first Thanksgiving it was possible that the birds and fish were stuffed with herbs, onions and oats. The most popular stuffing today is breadcrumb, cornbread and oyster.

Corn on the Cob was given to the settlers by the American Indians which was a part of the first feast.

Mashed Potato’s were not likely a part of the celebration as they had not been a part of the settlers diet in 1620.

Sweet Potato’s were a Native American vegetable and were most likely at the first Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin and Apple Pie are the most popular desserts at Thanksgiving. (Also enjoyed is Sweet Potato Pie)

1969 Astronauts enjoyed food packets of roasted Turkey and the trimmings in space.

The popular TV show Friends had a Thanksgiving episode in everyone of the their 10 years on the air.

The 3 most popular way to eat Thanksgiving left overs is sandwiches, soups and casseroles.

Make Turkey Pies! They are so delicious and really help with the left overs.

Get Idea’s and Recipes over at Taste of Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Becris at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Renting House or Apartment Tips – What you should know

If you are considering renting an apartment or home, it can be more affordable then making an investment that well, could take a lot longer to fulfill. When purchasing versus renting there are thousands of dollars for closing, inspections, an appraisal and more. When renting you only have to come up with firsts months’ rent, last month’s rent and a security deposit and in some cases just first month’s rent and security deposit.

Be prepared for a credit and background check. Your credit more than likely be checked depending on the landlord and a call to your job. Of course the owner of the rental is looking for dependable renters that will fulfill a contract.

You also should consider doing a background check on your landlord or rental company. Here is a link with some helpful tips and how to go about that.

If you are looking to rent, check over your lease and the property you are considering carefully. Get everything in writing, from repairs that may need to be done, to how long your lease is for and other restrictions you will be complying to.

Once you have decided on the place and signed the contract, take photos of the home before you get all your stuff in and are settled. Look for any holes, water marks in the walls, the grounds outside, things that need repair, a broken screen, window and anything that you may be held liable for it not notated from the beginning. Put every repair in writing (email) and keep those pictures on a separate stick or disk in case you need them later. You may want to ask the landlord if they want copies. As you are settling in for the first month you may see things that you missed when you first moved in. Put that in writing or take photos.

Check the lease if there is a cost for pets. Do they allow a relative or friend to visit for more than a week? If you have someone stay with you, some contracts have stipulations on how long they can stay before being considered a renter themselves on your property and could cost you more money. For pets, a separate deposit is usually required and cost extra a month for little fido or kitty.

There are many benefits to renting when it comes to repairs. The air conditioner goes out, need a new fridge or the roof needs repair. It is your landlord’s responsibility and while you may be inconvenienced for a short time, you are not putting out the money for these repairs.

In today’s economy, renting is a popular option but as convenient as it is you should know your rights and make sure your personal belongings are covered. It is not the landlord’s responsibility if something happens to your personal possessions. Hurricane, theft, fire etc. the responsibility is yours for replacement or cash value. Click Here for more information on the importance of Rental Insurance.

Call us today to get your questions answered. 863-453-3903 or visit our website BudgetBiRite.com fill out the form and we will have an agent contact you within 24 hours.

We find insurance that meets every budget!

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of ErikaWittlieb at Pixabay.com

Helpful Tips for What To Do If Your In An Auto Accident

Your fault not your fault, accidents happen. As much as we prepare, getting auto insurance, wearing our seat belt, taking a defensive driving course, we also need to be prepared for what to do on the scene when an accident happens to you.

Immediately stop your vehicle or do not move it from the place it has stopped.

As hard as it may be at this time, keep calm. The leg work you do at the scene will help you later in case of any disputes.

Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. Call the police immediately.

Check the other vehicle for injuries to report them as well if they have not or are unable to call.

Use a camera or your cell phone to take different angles of the accident with all the cars involved, damage to your vehicle, the accident scene for traffic lights, signs, etc.

Notify your insurance agent and/or your insurance company right away.

You should also be aware of things NOT TO DO

Do Not – Argue with other drivers and passengers. Give your statement to the police and your insurance company.

Do Not – Sign statements regarding fault or promises to pay for damage.

Do Not – Sign anything releasing the other party from further responsibility. Example: If another party offers to pay your deductible.

By releasing the other party, you jeopardize your insurance company’s right, which may lead to the company refusing to pay for damage to your car.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Naypong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How To Protect Your Self From Rental Scams

Renting a home, condo or apartment for a large family get away or just for two is a nice way to spend a vacation. Love a home on the water, or hiking from a cabin in the woods, beware of scammers who want to build up your hopes and take your money.

Scammers are using fake photos and descriptions they have stolen from real estate websites to promote their fake listings on places like Craigslist. They put up a lovely photo, bring you in with a winning description and better yet a low price you may not be able to resist. Remember the saying” If it sounds too good to be true it probably isn’t”.

Once communication starts with a place you are inquiring to rent, keep an eye on the reply’s you receive and how they want to be paid.

Example: An email with misspelled words, or does it address you as sir or madam, is it redirected to another person. Do they provide a phone number that is local for you to talk with someone?

Want you to pay with a money order or wire money to them. Are they out of the country and want you to send the money to say Europe or Nigeria? This is big for wired money scams and guess what, you just gave your money away.

Are they supposedly from an organization or charity? Using this they hope to make you feel more comfortable and trusting of them.

You cannot see the property you want to rent unless you give them a deposit. They may tell you that they do not want anyone to know that the house is empty, and it is for their protection. You should be able to see what you are going to pay for let alone live in for a vacation. Nobody should ask you for a deposit on a rental property before you see it. If you are out of the state you want to rent from it may not be easy for you to take a trip to see the property, hire a real estate agent from a well know company.

Let’s say you do send a deposit; in return some scammers may even go as far as to send you the keys or tell you where the keys are to get access to the property. Either you will receive a set of fake keys, or the place where they said the keys would be, shows up no keys. Be smart, research any deal you come across. Make sure you get a lease agreement and deposit receipt when paying. There are legitimate companies out there, but better to be safe and check with the real estate office in the area you are looking to rent out a vacation spot from.

 

 

Photo Courtesy of freedooom at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fun Game To Teach Your Dog To Sit Stay and Retrieve

Playing games helps your dog release energy, feel useful, bond with you (the best part) and learn commands like sit, stay and retrieve. Teaching your dogs tricks is great but when they run around happy because they just accomplished a goal in a game even better!

Indoor games are great anytime and when the weather is too hot, too cold or stormy. Be careful to not let your dog overheat if playing outside, make sure they have plenty of water and if you notice glassy eyes or a lot of panting, take a break and let them cool down. Start out slow when it comes to running and jumping for your dog, so they can gradually work into a routine of exercise.

Now onto the fun!

Hide The Treat: This game is good for teaching your dog to sit, stay and retrieve.

Break up a large treat into 4 pieces or use small treats. Place them in your hand and close it up leaving an opening by your thumb for your dog to smell the treat. Ask the dog to sit, then smell the treat and tell the dog to stay. Walk into another room and hide the treat behind the door, a chair or someplace on the floor to start so your dog will get an understanding of the game. You can move onto other hiding places like in a couch or a little higher on a chair (if they can reach) as you go on. Then call the dog to come into the room and encourage them to find the treat. Once the dog does a bunch of sniffing around and accomplishes the goal your dog will be happy for the treat and you letting them know they just did a good thing. This builds up confidence in the dog and a bond between you both.

Go back to the same spot you started at and ask the dog to sit, smell and stay. Walk into another room they cannot see you in and hide another treat and repeat until all 4 treats are gone and then let them know they are great and the game is over by moving on to something else.

You could also put the dog in a room while you hide the treats then bring the dog out and let him or her smell your hand with one treat in it. Take the dog from one room to another for the treats, giving a hug, pet, telling them “Good Dog” or all three each time they accomplish the goal of finding the treat. You can make the first room easy and make it more challenging for the next three rooms. Try not to hide the treats in the same places, as your dog is smart and will keep going back to those places from memory.

Enjoy!

 

Photo Courtesy of Witthaya Phonsawat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net