AIR QUALITY ALERT for the Quad Cities through Monday evening

5 Foods You Should Never Wash Before Cooking, According to USDA

Washing food usually sounds like a sensible safety step. But when certain raw foods are placed under a running faucet, that rinse can make your kitchen less safe -- not more. Water does not reliably remove the harmful bacteria that may be present on raw animal products. Instead, droplets can carry those germs into the sink, onto countertops and utensils, and even onto nearby food.

Thomas Smith

America's "Doomsday Plane" Was Seen Flying Again This Week

Military aircraft built to keep America's nuclear command system connected during a catastrophe were reportedly spotted flying over the United States this week. The nickname alone is enough to get people's attention: "doomsday planes."

16d

ChefManiac

Mama’s American Goulash Is the Kind of One-Pot Supper That Makes the Whole House Smell Like Home

Savory ground beef, tender macaroni, tomatoes, and simple pantry seasonings come together in the kind of old-fashioned goulash that feels familiar from the very first spoonful. The beef cooks down rich and hearty, the pasta soaks up the tomatoey sauce, and everything simmers together until the whole pot turns thick, saucy, and deeply comforting. A little garlic, onion, and seasoning bring that classic family-dinner flavor, while the soft macaroni keeps every bite satisfying without making the dish complicated. It is practical, budget-friendly, and exactly the kind of meal that feels like something Mama could stretch to feed everybody at the table and still have enough left for tomorrow.

19d

Thomas Smith

Mailing These 7 Surprising Things Could Get You Arrested

Mailing a package feels about as risky as licking a stamp—but federal law treats the mail stream as sacred ground, and a surprising number of everyday items can turn a friendly care package into a federal offense. Here are seven that trip up well-meaning people all the time.

19d

Greg Wilson, CFA

29 Things You Should (Probably) Stop Buying After Turning 60

This article was originally published on ChaChingQueen.com, a site my wife and I own. AI was used for light editing, formatting, and readability. But a human (me!) wrote and edited this.

29d

Thomas Smith

5 Things You Should Never Do During a Thunderstorm -- Even Indoors

5 Things You Should Never Do During a Thunderstorm -- Even Indoors. Getting inside is the most important thing you can do when thunder starts rumbling. But being inside a house does not eliminate every danger from lightning.

11d

David Heitz

user · 31.4K followers

Cops do more harm than good busting drug dealers, doctor tells Denver council

Yes, Dr. Sarah Axelrath of Colorado Coalition for the Homeless told the Denver City Council Monday. Axelrath, an addiction medicine specialist, said going after drug traffickers doesn’t make people stop using substances. In fact, she said it disrupts “an already potent and unpredictable drug supply.” Demand doesn’t go down after a bust. New players come to market who could be peddling an even more toxic product.

Denver, CO · 11d

Greg Wilson, CFA

20 Things the Middle Class Enjoys, That the Poor Can’t Afford

This article was originally published on ChaChingQueen.com, a site my wife and I own. AI was used for light editing, formatting, and readability. But a human (me!) wrote and edited this.

10d

intentionalhospitality

user · 13.6K followers

The Egg Storage Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes Without Realizing

There's a good chance you're storing your eggs wrong right now, and it has nothing to do with how fresh they were when you bought them. Most people focus on picking good eggs at the store and stop there. But a few small habits at home, ones almost nobody thinks twice about, can quietly cut down how long those eggs actually stay good.

23d

ChefManiac

The Microwave Baked Potato Trick That Gets Dinner on the Table Before the Oven Even Heats Up

A fluffy baked potato does not have to mean waiting nearly an hour for the oven. With the microwave, a humble russet can turn soft, steamy, and fork-tender in minutes, ready to split open and soak up melting butter. The inside stays light and fluffy, while salt, cheese, sour cream, bacon, or whatever toppings are hiding in the refrigerator turn it into something far more satisfying than its short cooking time suggests. It is simple pantry cooking at its most useful—the kind of kitchen trick worth knowing when everyone is hungry and dinner needs to happen now.

21d

Dianna Carney

user · 43.4K followers

Tiny 9-Week-Old Chihuahua Mix Puppy Looking For Love After Being Dumped

A sweet little puppy named Heath is searching for the family who will give him a place in this world. Great Dog Rescue New England (GDRNE), a dedicated foster-based dog rescue in Massachusetts, recently introduced Heath Candy after he came into their care alongside several siblings. According to the rescue, “The CANDY litter are a mix of adorable pups who were dumped at a ferry landing in Tennessee. They're excited to leave the stray life behind and find their way to candy land!”

Massachusetts · 13d

Thomas Smith

Dog Food Sold Nationwide Recalled Over Possible Metal Contamination, FDA Warns

Thousands of cases of canned dog food sold across the United States are being recalled because the products may contain metal. Wisconsin-based Fromm Family Foods is recalling 3,852 cases of Fromm Turkey Pate Wet Dog Food and 1,973 cases of Fromm Diner Classics Milo's Meatloaf Pate Wet Dog Food. The company announced the recall on August 21, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published the alert the same day.

19d

Greg Wilson, CFA

30 Things Likely To Vanish With Baby Boomers: A Farewell to What Was Normal

This article was originally published on ChaChingQueen.com, a site my wife and I own. AI was used for light editing, formatting, and readability. But a human (me!) wrote and edited th.

24d

realbalanced

user · 1.0K followers

7 Woolworth's Lunch Counter Dishes From the 1950s and 1960s

F.W. Woolworth ran lunch counters inside its five-and-dime stores for decades, and by the mid-1950s those counters were a fixture of downtown shopping in cities and small towns across the country. You sat on a round spinning stool, ordered off a laminated card clipped above the counter, and got a full hot plate for right around fifty cents. The food came fast because the cooks had made it a hundred times that week, and the chain was still running close to two thousand of these counters as late as 1964.

24d

Thomas Smith

Never Pack These 7 Things in a Checked Bag, FAA Warns

Packing for a flight seems straightforward until an overlooked item in your suitcase triggers a security problem or, worse, creates a fire hazard in the cargo hold. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) enforces strict safety rules restricting specific hazardous items in checked luggage to protect aircraft, passengers, and crews in transit.

27d

ChefManiac

Dolly Parton’s 5-Ingredient Casserole Is the Kind of Southern Supper That Knows How to Feed a Hungry

A short ingredient list can still deliver the kind of bubbling, cheesy comfort that makes everyone wander into the kitchen before dinner is called. This casserole keeps things wonderfully simple, layering familiar pantry staples into a hot, hearty bake with tender textures, savory flavor, and plenty of old-fashioned appeal. The top gets golden around the edges, the middle stays creamy and satisfying, and every scoop feels like the sort of covered-dish supper that belonged at family gatherings long before complicated recipes took over. It is practical, cozy, and exactly the kind of meal that proves five ingredients can still make dinner feel generous.

27d

CJ Coombs

user · 44.0K followers

Missing since 2012 from Tupper Lake, New York: Pre-med student Colin Gillis vanished when he was 18

Colin W. Gillis has been missing from Tupper Lake, New York (Franklin County), since March 11, 2012, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). His photo above (right) is an age-progressed likeness of how he might have looked at 21, though he would now be 32.

Tupper Lake, NY · 5d

CJ Coombs

user · 44.0K followers

Missing since 2019 from New Orleans, Louisiana: Eriel Mack-Mariscal vanished when she was an infant

Eriel Lynette Mack-Mariscal has been missing from New Orleans, Louisiana, since July 27, 2019, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). She would now be seven years old.

New Orleans, LA · 17h

Thomas Smith

Never Charge Your Phone in These 5 Places, Experts Warn

Charging a phone may feel completely routine, but the place where you plug it in can affect the device's temperature, battery health and even your personal data. Modern phones include safeguards designed to manage heat and stop charging under dangerous conditions. Those protections, however, cannot compensate for every risky location, damaged accessory or compromised charging port.

29d

Thomas Smith

Never Pour These 7 Common Things Down the Drain, Experts Warn

Pouring the wrong items down the sink can trigger expensive plumbing repairs, environmental contamination, and municipal sewer backups. Plumbing professionals and wastewater experts warn against letting these seven everyday substances anywhere near your drain.

28d

Kateable

user · 8.3K followers

This Eases Headaches Almost Instantly—No Advil Needed

Headaches always seem to hit at the worst possible moment, usually mid chaos with the kids, so I keep this roll-on in my bag and by my bed at all times. Peppermint has a cooling effect that kicks in almost the second you apply it, and it's become my first move before I ever reach for a pill. 😊

24d

Greg Wilson, CFA

Want to Save Thousands? Eliminate These 13 Monthly Expenses Immediately

This article was originally published on ChaChingQueen.com, a site my wife and I own. AI was used for light editing, formatting, and readability. But a human (me!) wrote and edited this.

ChefManiac

The Scrambled Eggs Trick That Turns an Everyday Breakfast Into Something Worth Sitting Down For

Soft, buttery scrambled eggs sound simple, but getting them tender, creamy, and perfectly cooked is what makes all the difference. These eggs stay fluffy without turning dry, with a rich, velvety texture that feels far more luxurious than a rushed weekday breakfast. A little butter, gentle heat, and the right timing help create soft curds that stay moist and savory all the way through. They are the kind of eggs that make toast feel more important, bacon taste even better, and an ordinary morning suddenly feel like you had time to do breakfast properly.

29d

Dianna Carney

user · 43.4K followers

He Lost the Only Life He Knew: Now Red Just Wants Someone to Choose Him

PAWS New England is searching for a home for Red, a “handsome 75-pound country boy” who they say is ready to become “a best friend for all of life’s adventures.” The rescue describes Red as “friendly, affectionate, smart, and active,” and emphasizes that the roughly 5-year-old dog thrives when included in daily life, noting he loves “walks, outdoor adventures, and—most importantly—being included in whatever his people are doing.”

Massachusetts · 6d

Thomas Smith