(NewsUSA) - As the holiday season approaches, the revival of in-person events, celebrations, and activities leaves many excited, yet overwhelmed, but the right holiday helpers can make this busy season pleasant. Finding products that can serve double (or triple) duty is the key to success by saving time, money, and energy. One kitchen staple that may surprise you with its versatility is citric acid powder.   

Move over, vinegar -- there’s a new, natural product workhorse in town that’s about to become your go-to pantry essential and serve as the surprise of the season, helping you through the holidays with everything from cooking to ‘do it yourself’ (DIY) gifting and pampering.     

“Knowing that budgets are tight this year, consumers can afford to be resourceful with the superhero pantry staple that is citric acid powder,” says Curtis Eggemeyer, CEO of Lemi Shine, known for their 100% food-grade citric acid powder. “You’d be surprised how many ingredients you use every day that have citric acid in them -- take a look around -- it’s in everything from snacks to moisturizer.”   

Cooking made smart. Whether you’re the host or a guest, holiday meals are rarely prepared without leftovers in mind. Commonly used as a preservative to prevent spoilage, Lemi Shine’s 100% Food Grade Citric Acid Powder can increase the shelf life of cooked food and will help to keep holiday snacks, sweets, and beverages fresh. Two tips for packing up your party: soak sliced fruit in a citric-acid-and-water solution for minutes to prevent discoloration or sprinkle citric acid over your fresh guacamole to keep it looking delicious throughout the event.     

Citric acid powder is also the key ingredient in some of your favorite recipes. Chocolate Bundt Cake is a tried-and-true crowd pleaser that always has guests coming back for a second slice. You can also create deliciously easy Apple Chips using just three ingredients.       

Gifting made savvy. Budgets are tighter this holiday season. Low-cost gift ideas that anyone can use and appreciate include DIY Bath Bombs and aromatherapy mixes featuring citric acid powder. Combine the powder with some essential oils for aromatherapy – whether it’s lavender to create a calming atmosphere, mood-boosting peppermint to fight fatigue, or fruity and floral bergamot to help relieve stress. These are gifts any host would appreciate receiving.     

Self-care made special. Don’t neglect your own self-care during the holidays. Whether prepping for a big night out or recovering from a family game night in, pampering yourself helps recharge for the holiday season. Try a DIY face mask before or after a holiday event, or anytime you need a little extra TLC. Not to mention, these self-care hacks also double as great gifts.     

Cleaning made simple. Make life easier and opt for cleaning products with a citric acid base when tidying up your home. Citric acid-based products, like Lemi Shine’s, are bleach-free and family-safe, so everyone can chip in on housework.     

To learn more about how citric acid can help you through this holiday season, check out lemishine.com/purecitric.

(NewsUSA) - Underage drinking levels are at historic lows, and one way to continue this trend is to prevent teens’ access to alcohol. The We Don’t Serve Teens campaign, first developed in 2006, is a community-level collaboration of alcohol suppliers, retailers and distributors working with parents and prevention groups to curb underage drinking.     

Today, participating groups and organizations are voicing their commitment to the campaign and its important message that debuts a refreshed look and feel that is digitally modern, culturally inclusive and demographically diverse.     

The We Don’t Serve Teens campaign takes a united stance throughout communities nationwide: “Don’t serve alcohol to teens. It’s unsafe. It’s illegal. It’s irresponsible.” Partners are encouraged to post messages against underage drinking in stores and restaurants, engage with the campaign online, hear messages on the radio and even include information on food and beverage delivery receipts. The materials will also serve as a reminder for families to have conversations at home about expectations, values and practice saying NO to underage drinking.     

“Underage drinking has declined dramatically but remains a safety issue for teens that is often overlooked, disregarded, or takes a backseat to more pressing concerns,” says Chris Swonger, President and CEO of Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and Responsibility.org. “The We Don’t Serve Teens campaign brings a critical mass of public and private entities together to spotlight underage drinking prevention. We have made a lot of progress over the years and fewer teens are drinking alcohol. By working together, we hope to make even more progress on this important issue.”     

In 1991, 80% of American teens had consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime, but today, more than three out of five teens (64%) have never consumed alcohol (Monitoring the Future, 2021). Although this trend is positive, challenges to ending underage drinking remain. The availability of alcohol to those under the legal drinking age remains high with eight out of 10 high-school seniors reporting that it is easy for them to access alcohol. Working together, significant strides have been made in reducing underage drinking, but until it is eliminated, there is still work to be done, according to Responsibility.org.     

“No retailer wants to sell alcohol to someone who is underage,” says John Bodnovich, Executive Director, American Beverage Licensees. “Retailers are on the front lines in communities across the country -- we are proud to once again lead the effort to prevent underage drinking. We look forward to working with community partners as well as industry partners to keep alcohol out of teens’ hands and stop underage drinking. Responsibility starts with us.”      

Visit WeDontServeTeens.org for more information or to participate in the campaign.

(NewsUSA) - Financial inflation, whether you have experienced it before or this is your  first time, can seem frightening, and the rapid rise in prices of gas, groceries and consumer goods in the past year threatens to throw off the best-planned budgets.     

The inflation currently affecting the United States and elsewhere is caused by many factors, including government stimulus, increased consumer demand, COVID-19 and supply chain issues.     

Although you may feel that inflation is spiraling your personal finances out of control, keep in mind that this period will pass. You can weather the storm with some smart money management strategies.     

The first rule of surviving inflation is not to panic, says Joseph Kelly, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM professional. In fact, the best strategy to combat inflation is to focus on financial basics. “Know what you’re spending your money on, have a long-term investment plan and consider ways to reduce your debt,” he explains.     

Try these tips to make the most of your money during tight times:     

• Spend less. It seems obvious, but small savings add up. Some easy ways to get more money back in your budget include seeking less- expensive options for internet and phone service, as well as for homeowners and car insurance. Cut gym memberships, and look for free exercise classes online, at least for now. Look for deals on groceries, and choose store brands or generics. If you drive to work, ask for more opportunities to work from home, or consider public transportation or carpooling.     

• Earn more. Depending on the nature of your job, the current environment of remote work makes it possible for many people to add a side business, such as freelance consulting in your area of expertise, or selling things on eBay, Craigslist, Etsy or other online venues. Other options include seasonal or part-time in-person work. Choose somewhere you like to shop, and you may get an employee discount, too.       

• Curb debt. Don’t let inflation lure you into the trap of putting more on credit cards. Instead, try to reduce your debt by consolidating any current credit card debt on one card; this can reduce your overall interest rate while you make payments. Other debt-reduction strategies include paying the card with the highest interest rate first, or the account with the smallest balance first.     

No matter what strategies you use to save money, remember that periods of inflation are temporary. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM professional can provide additional guidance and help you stay on track with your short-term and long-term financial goals.

Visit LetsMakeAPlan.org for more information.

(NewsUSA) - Over the last decade, America has been fortunate to avoid major conflict overseas. However, thousands of American military troops are currently deployed around the world, on active-duty service in more than 100 countries. These troops, though not in the public eye, perform missions that are critical to protecting our way of life and making the world a safer place.     

American troops often need support in the form of critical supplies to stay safe and perform at their best. In some cases, troops lack new equipment to update obsolete models, or they can’t get what they need because of contract issues, supply chain glitches, or other administrative hurdles.     

Troops Direct fills the gaps, with a team organized to respond to the requests of our military and provide an ongoing supply of hygiene products, nutrition, medical supplies and operational gear necessary for troops to perform their duties and save lives.     

Troops Direct has no political agenda. Instead, the organization’s goal is to empower and protect the heroes who make the world a safer place for all every day.     Unlike other charities that supply care packages and comforts from home, the Troops Direct unique ‘on demand’ model delivers U.S. service members exactly what they need in the areas of medical, tactical, communications, K9 or disaster response, shipped to wherever they require it in a matter of days, which can make a dramatic impact on the lives and successes of soldiers in the field.     

Items sent by Troops Direct include replacement uniforms and footwear, land mine threat mitigation, medical kits, K-9 care, parachute rigging equipment, sleeping systems, tactical belts, nutritional staples, tourniquets and stretchers.     

“This model has a near-real-time response rate to troop requests, and the feedback from our troops conveys the saving of lives and limbs and the success of missions,” says Aaron Negherbon, Founder and Executive Director of Troops Direct. “Troops Direct has helped save lives across the country and throughout the world due to generous support of public and private donations,” he emphasizes.     

Troops Direct is funded entirely by donations, with no charge to the troops, and provides supplies to members of any and all branches of military service, anywhere in the world.     

Visit www.troopsdirect.org for more information.

(NewsUSA) -  

“The Music We Make”
by Michelle Rene DeBellis         

“An electric whirlwind of every type of emotion.”-Reedsy.com    

Grieving an accident that takes his mother’s life, Santiago DeAngelo succumbs to opiates and receives inspiration from his late mother for a song to heal him. As he struggles to write it, he falls into a love triangle with two women who inspire the music, one of which seduces him into a shot at fame.  

But when both relationships suffer betrayal, DeAngelo must decide the value of his life in a moment that may end it. “The Music We Make” explores the power of love and music to overcome our demons and live from our hearts.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3gKhYaO.

“Death March Escape – Author Pays Tribute to Dad, 25,000 Prisoners”  

In “Death March Escape,” author Jack Hersch tells the incredible story of his father’s two escapes from Nazi death marches in the final months of the Second World War. His father’s feat was so remarkable that Jack recently traveled to Enns, Austria -- the site of the escapes near Mauthausen Concentration Camp -- to speak at the dedication of a memorial commemorating them, as well as memorializing the 25,000 emaciated prisoners who passed through Enns on those marches.   In an emotionally riveting story, Jack’s book details his father’s year in Mauthausen and both escapes. Jack digs deeply into his father’s life and his own, revisiting and reflecting on his father’s time at the hands of the Nazis, when even mere survival was an impossible challenge.

Purchase at  http://jackhersch.com.

“The Ghosts of Lewis Manor”
by Marcia Maidana  

Seraphina must choose the lesser of two evils -- the ghosts that haunt her or the murderer who hunts her. Born with a rare ability -- or curse--Seraphina can see and hear the dead. During the early days of the London Blitz, she is confronted with hundreds of lost souls wandering the streets.  

As the war escalates, her parents send her away to the home of an old friend in the English countryside to preserve her sanity. But there are monsters lurking in the hallways and the surrounding woods of the mansion -- not all of them ghosts.  

Seraphina must use her gift to help solve the gruesome mysteries of Lewis Manor’s past in order to prevent her own murder in the present.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3xifZzW.

“Mrs. Rabbit’s Friendsgiving Dinner”
by Carole P. Roman  

Mrs. Rabbit’s large family is all too busy to come home for their annual holiday dinner. She is feeling a bit lonely and, out of habit, she prepares a large feast. But to her growing dismay, she realizes she has no one to share it with.   Her doorbell rings, and one by one, her furry forest critter friends ask to join her. Soon enough, her holiday table is brimming with tasty dishes. The best part of a holiday dinner, she learns, is not the food but the company that shares it with you. A wonderful holiday tale for children primarily ages four to seven, from noted children’s author Carole P. Roman.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3xpONPX.

NOTE: BookTrib’s Bites is presented by Booktrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - “Over the river and through the woods, to Tim Mulligan’s house we go.” That’s what it will feel like this Thanksgiving for families that tap into the self-taught home cook’s 10 mouth-watering Thanksgiving recipes.

Everything from Hummingbird Cake to Gramma’s Gumdrop Bread to Caramel Apple Salad, they are all part of Mulligan’s ever-popular cookbook, A PERFECT 10: Ten Scrumptious Recipes for Each Part of Every Meal. All told, the book offers 70 tried-and-true recipes, curated over the decades – the “Perfect 10” for each meal category and, of course, Thanksgiving – that could become your new go-to dishes for years to come.

"My goal is to pull from my long-curated treasure chest of recipes, and share the best of the bunch, for each meal period -- making your life easier and eliminating your having to wade through cookbooks and websites when you are in a bind,” says Mulligan.

Mulligan has worked for years in restaurants and has put in more than the 10,000 hours necessary to achieve family cooking expertise. In A PERFECT 10, he provides 10 fail-proof recipes for seven distinct meal periods from breakfast to appetizers and sides, to salads, entrees, desserts and a Thanksgiving menu that will finally win you the respect of your in-laws.

His unique and tempting Thanksgiving menu includes:

• Hummingbird Cake: A banana-pineapple spice cake with origins in Jamaica but upping the ante with “blackened” bananas.

• Stovetop Green Bean Casserole: A classic but slightly updated, with cayenne and fried shallots.

• Tim’s Tried and True Stuffing: A to-die-for Thanksgiving essential with apricots, apples and pecans. Don’t be surprised if it rivals the turkey.

• Not Your Grandmother’s Creamed Corn: Turns creamed corn on its head, with Ritz crackers all over the top.

• Caramel Apple Salad: Cool Whip, pineapple tidbits, mini-marshmallows – kids will go nuts and it will make your grandma proud.

• Orangey-Appley Cranberry Relish: A fresh, vibrant alternative, the perfect side dish and great on sandwiches the next day.

• Grandma’s Gumdrop Bread: When is bread also dessert? When it’s a delightful combination of dinner rolls and candy gumdrops with a boozy eggnog glaze.

• Judy’s Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Just smooth and creamy mashed sweet potatoes with lemon, vanilla, and maple hints, covered in delectable pecan-brown sugar topping.

• Mashed Potatoes with Shallots: A multitude of random ingredients from garlic to Dijon mustard to horseradish to sour cream to kale.

• Best Turkey of All Time: With hints of apple and tarragon, Mulligan takes a totally nontraditional approach to top all the others.

Whether staying at home or looking for the perfect dish to bring to friends for the holidays, A PERFECT 10 will fire up your excitement to get cooking, knowing that Mulligan has handed you the perfect blueprint to a truly great meal.

A PERFECT 10 makes the perfect holiday gift not just for Thanksgiving but for the entire Christmas season. Purchase the book on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3TOC9TP - and other popular retailers where books are sold.

A PERFECT 10 is the debut cookbook for Mulligan, a longtime human resources executive who lives in Los Angeles and Palm Springs with his partner Sean and their two children. To learn more, including details on recipes, visit www.aperfect10cookbook.com.

(Resubmitted 11/16/2022)