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Archive for November, 2013

Small Business Saturday is November 30 and Giving Tuesday is December 3! Take Part!

After the flurry and credit card chaos of giant retail shopping sprees on Black Friday, consider shopping small.

Saturday, November 30 is a day to support local and smaller businesses on Small Business Saturday. Founded by American Express in 2010, this day has come to be celebrated each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. When you decide to shop small and keep your money locally, you help save your local economy.

According to the 3/50 Project, for every $100 that is spent locally in independent stores, $68 returns to the community through payroll, taxes, and other expenditures. When you spend $100 at a retail chain, only $43 stays within the community. When you buy online, nothing stays in your hometown.

If you have an American Express card, you can sign up on the Small Business Saturday web site to get a $10 statement credit when you make a purchase of $10 or more at a qualifying small business on November 30. Register your American Express Card HERE.

For more information, visit the Small Business Saturday web site HERE.

And LIKE Small Business Saturday on Facebook HERE.

Please consider shopping at all the local businesses in Plain City this coming Saturday. Here in the drugstore, we’ll be giving a ten percent discount on all purchases of $15 or more, excluding prescription medications (which we cannot discount due to rules with insurance companies). But you can still buy gift items and over-the-counter necessities.

And if you do buy gift items, we’ll have someone in the store from 10 am to noon wrapping presents for a donation to Black and Orange Cat Foundation. Bring as many boxes as you want us to wrap and we’ll provide the paper, bows, tape, and gift wrapping expertise for a donation that will help support spay and neuter efforts for stray and homeless cats in the Plain City area.

That brings us to Giving Tuesday. After days of crazy shopping (remember Cyber Monday comes shortly after Black Friday!), Tuesday, December 3 is a day to give back to local charitable organizations who need your help to continue doing good within your community. A group that is near and dear to our heart is, of course, Black and Orange Cat Foundation.

You can make a donation on Giving Tuesday to help Black and Orange with their spay and neuter efforts by visiting their Giving Tuesday donation page HERE.

For more information on Giving Tuesday, go HERE.

To LIKE Giving Tuesday on Facebook, go HERE.

Peace and Blessings on This Thanksgiving!

Joe and I want to wish everyone a very peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving.

Please note that Plain City Druggist will be closed on Thursday, November 28, in observance of the holiday. We will re-open on Friday, November 29, at 9 am. If you have an emergency or need anything while we are closed, please call the after hours number: 614-240-8421. If Joe does not call you back within an hour, call again and leave another message with your phone number.

Here are the top six things we are most thankful for this year, spelled out with the letters PC OHIO (because we are so thankful to live in Plain City, Ohio):

1. P–People–We are so grateful for all the wonderful people we know–friends, family, customers, business colleagues–each and every one of you add something to our lives and we are thankful that our paths crossed.

2. C–Community Support–we could not still be in business after 14 years without the support of those in Plain City and neighboring areas who choose to walk through our doors and support a local business!

3. O–Ongoing Good Health–Because we see people every day in the pharmacy who are much worse off than we are, Joe and I are so glad to be blessed with good health. We wish for good health for all of our patients and hope we have contributed in some small way to making your lives better.

4. H–Hope–Joe and I are so fortunate and have been blessed with so many wonderful things in our lives. We hope that everyone reading these words will also be richly blessed.

5. I–Independent Pharmacy–we love small businesses and believe in the mission and philosophy of independent pharmacies and all local stores. These are places that focus first and foremost on serving their customers, because they are serving friends, family, and neighbors.

6. O–Outrageous Passion–If any of you have ever talked to Joe, you know how passionate he is about pharmacy! Joe and I are both so lucky to be involved in things that give us great joy and make us feel that we are making a difference in our small corner of the world.

Thank you to everyone reading this blog posting. We appreciate your continued support of us and the pharmacy!

i Shop Local Union County Encourages Residents to Support Local Businesses!

To prepare for Small Business Saturday this coming Saturday, November 30, we wanted to tell you about “i Shop Local.”

The Union County Chamber of Commerce recently launched a program to encourage Union County residents to shop locally and support businesses in their communities. The i Shop Local Union County program pairs shoppers with participating county businesses. The Chamber gives residents cards that can be presented for special offers at participating Union County businesses that display the i Shop Local logo in their windows.

As Tina Knotts, Chamber and Tourism Director noted, “For every $100 we spend at locally-owned businesses, $68 stays right here in Union County, helping businesses grow, purchase services, pay their employees and add jobs so local residents have more money to spend and recirculate through our economy. It’s that easy–just shop local.”

Plain City Druggist is participating in the program. We are not yet listed on the web site, but we will give 5 percent off any gift or over-the-counter item when you present your i Shop Local card. This discount excludes prescription medications, as we cannot discount those due to legal reasons involving insurance company policies.

To find out which other businesses in Union County are participating and get discounts, go HERE.

 

Turkey Tips. By Our Thankful November Student Pharmacist, Melissa Carlone.

Thanksgiving is a special holiday that brings family and friends together to give thanks. There is one thing that everyone is thankful for on Thanksgiving day… Turkey! Here are a few tips on how to safely prepare your turkey and store your leftovers.

Safe Thawing:

Once you arrive home with your frozen turkey, immediately store it in the freezer until you are ready to use it. Frozen turkey is preserved indefinitely, but is best used within 12 months. When it comes time to thaw it, use one of the three safe methods recommended by the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Refrigerator Thawing:

This is the best way to thaw your turkey. This requires planning ahead. Allow 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lbs. Place the turkey on a pan on the lowest shelf to prevent juices from contaminating other foods. After thawing, it is good for 1 to 2 days before cooking.

  • 4 to 12 pounds………Thaw for 1 to 3 days.
  • 12 to 16 pounds…… Thaw for 3 to 4 days.
  • 16 to 20 pounds…….Thaw for 4 to 5 days.
  • 20 to 24 pounds…….Thaw for 5 to 6 days.

Cold Water Thawing:

Allow 30 minutes for every pound. Keep the turkey in original packaging to prevent contamination with bacteria and absorption of water. Change the water every 30 minutes to aid in thawing. Cook immediately after thawing.

  • 4 to 12 pounds……..Thaw 2 to 6 hours.
  • 12 to 16 pounds……Thaw 6 to 8 hours.
  • 16 to 20 pounds……Thaw 8 to 10 hours.
  • 20 to 24 pounds……Thaw 10 to 12 hours.

*View the Turkey Thawing Chart.

Microwave Thawing:

Refer to the instructions provided by your microwave’s manufacturer. This is the least preferred method, since some parts of the turkey may actually be cooked during the thawing process. Cook immediately after thawing.

Safe Cooking:

Use a food thermometer to ensure that the turkey reaches at least 165°F to prevent foodborne illness. Check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

Once the food is cooked or reheated, it should be held hot, at or above 140°F.

For more information on safely preparing your Thanksgiving meal, visit: Safe Cooking.

Storage and Leftovers:

Refrigeration (40°F or below):

Cooked turkey, other cooked dishes, and gravy are good for up to 4 days.

Freezer (0°F or below):

Plain turkey meat is good for 4 months.

If the turkey is covered with broth or gravy, it is good for 6 months.

Other cooked dishes are best if used within 6 months.

*Foods are good indefinitely in the freezer, but these guidelines are recommended to preserve quality.

If food is not going to be used within 4 days, freeze it! Once it is in the refrigerator, you can reheat the leftovers to 165 °F, but return any unused portion to the refrigerator within two hours. Bacteria rapidly multiply between 40-140°F, which is why it is important to avoid thawing frozen food on the counter and leaving leftovers out longer than 2 hours.

Hopefully, you find these turkey tips helpful when it comes to preparing your Thanksgiving meal and deciding when to freeze or abandon your leftovers. Now go out and be thankful for the many blessings in your life and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

For more information, visit:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/featured-campaign

 

The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA) is Looking for a Union County Representative for their Advisory Council.

The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA) is currently accepting volunteer applications from residents of Union County to fill vacancies on the COAAA Advisory Council. Council members represent the interests of older adults in their specific communities and advise COAAA on services, policies, and programs.

The Council meets eight (8) times a year at 10:30 am on the first Thursday of March, April. May, June, and September, October, November, and December. Meetings are held at the agency’s office on the edge of downtown Columbus with free on-site parking provided.

The deadline for application is December 18, 2013.

Additional information: The Advisory Council functions as a forum for the views of older consumers and fosters a partnership of older adults, community agencies, and local governments. The Council is comprised of 32 members from eight central Ohio counties–Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union.

To be eligible, an individual must be a resident of the county with a vacancy and have an interest in the needs and problems of older adults in their communities. Membership is a volunteer position with a three-year term and a limit of two terms.

Council members are invited (but not required) to participate in meetings with legislators, legislative breakfasts, public hearings and focus groups, as well as attend COAAA’s professional workshops at no charge.

Each year, COAAA honors Council Members in the December meeting with an annual recognition luncheon and keynote speaker at a holiday venue.

COAAA is responsible for administering the Older Americans Act and other funds that promote the independence of older adults. The Agency assists communities with the development and coordination of services, as well as advocacy and planning efforts.

For more information or to request an application, please email or call Bonnie Ackerman, Advisory Council Coordinator: backerman@coaaa.org, 614-645-6149 or 1-800-589-7277.