This is a good tip. We do change the water but have slipped on doing it daily as the package states.

I'm sure this is a dumb question but here it goes. Is it edible straight out of the package? I assumed it was a raw product and needed cooking first.

You can freeze it?!? That will be SO helpful. Otherwise, DD needs to eat it every day to consume it within the suggested timeframe once open.

The tofu has been a big hit not only with the DD I had in mind, but also my meat-loving, don't-like-trying-new-things DD! I'm stunned! So, we went with the extra firm tofu recommendation and followed the tips about having to dry/press it first. The first time, just experimenting, we didn't flavor it. Ummm. . .it was consumed but not enjoyed. ha! Since then, we've been trying different marinades - whatever we find that sounds good. What a difference. Still trying recipes but here's the current favorite: 1/4 cup orange juice 1 clove or 1/8 t powdered garlic 1 T soy sauce 1 t sesame oil 1 T rice vinegar 1 T brown sugar 1/8 t orange extract a little fresh ginger orange/clementine zest Caution: with the juice, zest, and extract, this results in a powerful orange flavor. Marinated, dried, and dusted with a little corn meal then sauteed in some olive oil. How long do YOU keep open tofu in the fridge? The package says to use within 4 days but we've stretched that by a few days without repercussions.

Gargle, do not swallow, with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda fully dissolved.in 8 ounces of warm water, several times a day. Love the variety of answers!

DH and I have volunteered to drive a family member to a week-long event near Kansas City this summer (Olathe). We hope to spend the week doing fun vacation-type things, just the two of us. The current plan is to stay in one location/hotel and venture out for day activities but if there is something super awesome that we could drive to and have to stay a night in another location before driving back to Kansas City, that would be ok too. We know nothing about the area except that it will be HOT in June so plan mostly indoor activities. Would love to hear some tips/suggestions from folks who know the area. Thanks! Peggy

So I had to re-fill another prescription today (first time this calendar year). When I arrived at the pharmacy, I asked them what the cost would be before they rang me up: $1,250 for 90 days. I asked if they could fill just 30 days, as I have a discount co-pay card for 30-day refill co-pays of only $10. The drug manufacturer would cover the rest. I even offered to get a new 30-day script from the doctor if needed since the current one is for 90 day refills. The pharmacist didn't think that would work since many insurance programs require long-term drugs to be filled for 90 days but she was willing to try. It worked! So, I paid $10 for 30 days rather than $1,250 for 90 days. *whew* If you are on an expensive drug, don't forget to check for manufacturer coupons/discount cards.

I wish you luck. I gave up trying to sell or even give away my homeschool materials to individuals. One time, more than half of the people who emailed that they really wanted an item (offered for free) never bothered to come get it. I was DONE. Instead, I recently contacted a counselor through my umbrella school and offered boxes of materials that they could pass along to families who could use it. So much easier.

Definitely have him start inquiring if you haven't heard by early April. DD applied to a couple honors programs at different schools. She has heard back from one of them but not the other at this point.

I'm frustrated but understanding of the decision to postpone the Honors Program preview day for prospective students at my local university. DD is really struggling to make the school choice decision and I thought this event could help clarify if this school and program would be appealing to her. Still, with the staged hate group event and planned counter-protests, I don't really want DD on campus today!

Oh, just saw this part. I would wait to accept the Stafford loans. Definitely ask about that. Those should be available to the student even well into the semester.

I sincerely ask why? DD has accepted scholarship offers at three different universities and is pursuing the requirements to be eligible for a full-tuition scholarship at the community college. She hasn't decided where to attend and has until May 1 to make that decision and notify the schools. If they choose to have scholarship/financial aid acceptance deadlines before May 1, they know there will be students who accept and then go elsewhere. We actually had to really hustle to accept one scholarship that gave her only a few days after notification to accept, the acceptance couldn't not be done online (U.S. postal mail or fax only!), and we were about to head out of town on vacation. This was in early December, when the APPLICATION dates for this scholarship were still open. If schools are going to be this big of a pain, I have no qualms about accepting the offers and then making the final decision by May 1.

Well, back in the day, my parents gave each child a set of luggage as their graduation gift. Perhaps a not so subtle hint that it was time to get out!

Was she an undergrad in the spring of 2017 and a grad student in fall of 2017? In that case, I believe that you (the parent) can use all of your 2017 expenses towards the AOTC tax credit. However, if she wasn't an undergrad at all in 2017, then I think SHE (not the parents) is limited to using the Lifetime Learning tax credit or tuition and fees deduction.

DD transferred from CC to state uni in a spring semester. A couple issues that she ran into that I haven't seen voiced yet is: 1. School scholarships. These are usually doled out in the fall so there was nothing left for DD for the spring semester despite her perfect grades and high test scores. She did get a great one for the following year though by applying as a continuing student once at that school. 2. Internships for the following summer. The application systems couldn't grasp that she was attending school 2 but only had a transcript for school 1 since she had just started at school 2. They would weed her out as having an incomplete application without that second transcript. She did end up in a research internship through her uni so it worked out in the end.

Rats of unusual size? I don't think they exist. Oh wait, that would be RUSs. (Sorry, couldn't help myself. Every tax thread needs a little levity and what is better than a reference to The Princess Bride?)

DH often calls my way of eating "no carbs" but I eat plenty of vegetables and a few fruits (berries) so I am eating carbs. The only way to eat no carb is to eat only plain meat and fat. I don't recommend that approach although some people do. I highly recommend taking a look at the Diet Doctor website. He has some very nice graphics that show basic foods with LESS CARB on one side up to MORE CARBS on the other. He has one for vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. He also has information for beginners on this way of eating. I lost about 70 pounds over a few years with this way of eating. It works for me. I'm on a medication that causes weight gain so now I am doing intermittent fasting in addition to my low carb eating. That's an option worth exploring as well. Dr. Jason Fung is my go to source for information on fasting. Good luck on finding something that works for you.

I did a combination. Start with the Good RX website as it will give you a good overview of cash costs of different pharmacies. I also went in person to talk to the pharmacist at CVS. I like her and she was able to tell me exactly what I would be paying going through my insurance. Even with insurance, high deductibles and co-pays can make it cheaper to pay out of pocket somewhere else. My insurance requires that I use CVS. . .but I'm saving $$$ by going somewhere else and just paying cash.

It is well known that prescription prices can vary wildly between different pharmacies but I wanted to throw out a reminder to go ahead and shop your existing prescriptions as well, because the prices can change over time. For late 2017, the pharmacy that my insurance mandates was the best cost value for one of my prescriptions. However, with the new year and the re-setting of my high deductible, I decided to shop for a better price (numbers below are rounded). Cash price at CVS - $980 Using a GoodRX coupon code at CVS - $55 Looks like a great discount, right? But I kept shopping: Cash price at Costco (don't need to be a member) - $20 I actually ended up doing a little better than even that by signing up for their pharmacy member program (have to be a member of Costco for this program). I paid $16. So happy!

Awesome! Love it when a subject sparks a genuine good-natured debate. Sincerely appreciate everyone's input and guidance.

Thank you for the link. I've been able to find similar guidance but they all seem to be referring to collections/anthologies. I'd be all set if the poem was in a collection of poems and short stories. My situation is a poem that appears within a short story of a different author.

1. Mainly needing the in-text (parenthetical) citation unless I'm mistaken about simply including only the short story in the Works Cited. 2&3. The poem is "There will come soft rains" by Sara Teasdale which appears in full in Ray Bradbury's short story by the same name. Several lines of the poem are being quoted in an essay using a blocked quote format in a paragraph discussing the similarities and differences between the poem's meaning and the short story itself. 4. The essay is on the short story but at this point in the paper, it is focused on the poem. Thank you!

Not finding a good description online how to cite a real poem by a different author that is used in a fictional short story. Supposed to follow MLA format. Any ideas or sources for clear directions? Thanks!

Appreciating the ideas offered so far. Keep them coming! Thanks.

Mostly looking for new recipes. DD can definitely try making the dishes herself. She'd like some more variety in her diet than just eating our "sides" when our entrees have meat. :closedeyes: She will eat a few bites of chicken and enjoys salmon but no beef or pork. She's getting bored eating the same things over and over.