{"HeadlineLight14"/}Best by ...
When you shop for groceries, everything has an expiration date. But it really isn't all that simple. Dates don't mean you can't use the products after the particular date has passed. Some common phrases and what they mean are:
Use by: The food should be fresh, tasty and at its peak until the date given.
Best if used by: Nearly the same as "use by," it refers to the quality and flavor of the food, not the safety. You can still use the product after this date.
Sell by: An indication to stores as to when they should pull the item off the shelf. Food purchased should be edible for up to a week after the sell by date.
Pull by: Same as "sell by."
Expiration or expires: Item is probably not safe after this date, and your best bet is to throw it away. Particularly true with medicines.
Guaranteed fresh: Commonly used for baked goods. It is recommended you buy it before this date for the freshest taste.
Packed on: When the food was packaged, most often seen on canned goods. Sometimes these dates are coded and consumers are not able to decipher the date.
What's really interesting is that there are no federal mandates to date foods except for baby formula and baby food. The rest is voluntary, but ever so helpful to shoppers.
{"HeadlineLight14"/}New Arrivals
There are many new nonfiction books at the library to help you in many ways.
"100 Words Almost Everyone Mispronounces" contains words that people often say wrong. It doesn't take long to read this book, and you'll quickly learn how to pronounce these words correctly. Some words have two possible pronunciations, both of which are correct. If you have any remaining doubts, you can even listen to a podcast to hear them spoken.
Two books parents will find useful are "When Your Child Has Asperger's Syndrome" by William Stillman and "When Your Child Has ADD/ADHD" by Rebecca Rutledge. These books will show you how to get the right diagnosis, understand treatment options and help your child focus. Options for education, medication guidelines and emotional/sensory triggers are just a few of the items discussed.
"Using Natural Finishes" by Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce is a step-by-step guide to lime- and earth-based plasters, renders and paints. If you are concerned about the environment and don't want to use harsh materials in building or remodeling your home, this book will get you started. Photographs and drawings illustrate the procedures and finishes.
Stephen and Rebekah Hren show you how to become carbon-free as you remodel your home. "The Carbon-Free Home" covers renewable electrical systems, appliances, lighting, cooking, refrigeration, heating and cooling, waste, landscaping, transportation and more. There are many good ideas in here to use and adapt for your own situation.
"How to Cook Everything" has held classic status in the cookbook field for over a decade. Author Mark Bittman has now completely revised his work, and it will appeal to beginning and experienced cooks alike. Basic instructions on cooking different foods are thorough and specific. For example, when you look at the entry on rice, you learn about the numerous kinds and the basic principles for cooking them. Tips and recipes using different rices are also included, making this entry alone multiple pages long. Thoroughness is the name of the game in this book.
There are many things you can do to improve your health without taking prescription drugs. In "Prescription for Drug Alternatives" by James Balch, Mark Stengler and Robin Balch, you'll find information about different health conditions and the pros and cons of prescription, over-the-counter and natural remedies. Learn about dietary changes, healing foods and nutritional supplements as well.
Library Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Marie Bruni is director of Huntington Memorial Library in Oneonta. Her column appears in the community section of The Daily Star every Thursday.
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