Calibrating Oven

Believe it or not ovens need to be calibrated periodically. If you don't you may not be setting the oven to the temperature you think you are. For example, if you set the temperature to 350, it may be more like 375 or maybe 325. To calibrate you oven here is what you need to do.

1. Go to someplace like Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens N things and get an oven thermometer.
   
2. Make sure your new thermometer is calibrated and reliable. To check this, boil some water. Water boils at 212 F. Hang the thermometer above the waterline (it is NOT waterproof). The steam will also be 212 F as long as you hang it right above the waterline. The thermometer should read 212 F when the water is boiling. Don't touch the thermometer. It is HOT! Wait for it to cool before trying this.
   
3. Now put the thermometer into the oven and set it to say 350 F (or any temperature you can easily read on the thermometer and oven). Once the oven is heated completely, check your thermometer. It should say the 350 F in this case. If it doesn't it means your oven is out of calibration and might be the reason your cooking times are always off.
   
4. To calibrate your oven varies between ovens so check your manual. Many ovens with the turn knobs can be pulled off (pull straight out), and there is likely an adjustment knob on the back. Each tick may be about 10 degrees. If you have an oven with a digital display, you may need check the owners manual to determine how to calibrate it.
   
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the oven and the thermometer show the same temperature.

Some helpful facts to help you minimize the impact of rising gasoline costs

These tips were submitted by an employee of a major gas company.

Some helpful facts to help you minimize the impact of rising gasoline costs

Actually these gas types have been around for a long time, so I thought I'd share with you.

Gas Tips (Every penny counts).

Here are some tricks from a person who has worked in the petroleum industry for about 31 years to help you get more of your money's worth for every gallon.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY . The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.Another reminder. If there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.