Health Department Offers Tips For Safe And Healthy Holiday Season
December 25, 2018
This Christmas, the Florida Department of Health would like to remind everyone to stay safe, prepared and aware. With the excitement of the holidays in the air, it can be easy to forget about safety precautions and careful behavior.
“The Department of Health encourages everyone to put safety into practice, particularly during the holidays,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of State Dr. John Armstrong. “We want all Floridians and visitors to have memories of a joyous holiday season.”
The Department of Health offers the following tips to ensure a safe and healthy holiday season:
- Handle and Prepare Food Safely. As you prepare holiday meals, keep yourself and your family safe from food-related illness. Always wash your hands before preparing foods and after handling raw meat. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs (including their juices) away from ready-to-eat foods and eating surfaces. Cook foods to the proper temperature and refrigerate promptly. Do not leave perishable foods out for more than two hours. Also, be aware of ingredients that may cause allergic reactions.
- Practice Fire Safety. Use flame-resistant, flame-retardant and non-combustible materials and keep candles away from Christmas trees, decorations and combustible materials. Before you string lights on your house or trees, inspect the strands, to make sure there aren’t any frayed cords or cracked bulbs. Also, don’t use indoor lights outside and vice versa. Check the tag on the string of lights to be sure. Be sure to install or check smoke alarms, and unplug your Christmas tree during sleeping hours.
- Travel Safely. When traveling, have a trusted friend or neighbor keep an eye on your home and avoid speaking to strangers about your travel plans. Avoid driving alone or at night and always be aware of your surroundings. Text messaging can wait until you safely arrive at your destination. Always park in well-lit areas and do not leave the car unoccupied with the motor running or with children inside.
- Prevent Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning: As temperatures drop, the potential for CO poisonings rise. CO is a highly poisonous gas produced by burning fuels such as gasoline, natural gas, propane, kerosene, charcoal, and wood. The Department discourages citizens from burning charcoal inside a house, garage, vehicle, or tent, including in a fireplace.
- Watch the Kids. Children need to be watched closely, especially when they’re eating and playing. Keep potentially-dangerous toys, food, drinks, household items, choking hazards (like coins and hard candy) and other objects out of kids’ reach. Do not leave children unattended around space heaters or the fireplace.
‘Shop With A Cop’ Makes Christmas Brighter
December 25, 2018
Christmas is a little brighter in Escambia County thanks to Shop With a Cop.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County School District partnered to help 69 children-in-need shop for their families this Christmas.
Children were identified by the Escambia County School District and their School Resource Officers to participate in the program. Each child was given a Walmart gift card that allowed them to purchase Christmas gifts for themselves and/or their family. Escambia County Deputies, volunteered their time, and picked-up each child up in a patrol vehicle and received a police escort to the Walmart. Once at the Walmart, their deputy helped them with their shopping.
Christmas Recipes: Rice Krispie Treats, Oatmeal Cookies, Hot Chocolate
December 25, 2018
We are continuing our Christmas recipe series today with some family time favorites.
Today’s recipes include Traditional Oatmeal Cookies, Crockpot Candy and Rice Krispie Treats — perfect recipes for the family to make together. And what would Christmas be without Hot Chocolate? Our quick and easy recipe can easily be increased to make enough for everyone, plus it’s easy to include some extra cocoa powder for a deeper, darker treat.
Crock Pot Candy
- 16 oz Salted Peanuts
- 16 oz UnSalted Peanuts
- 4 oz German Chocolate Bark
- 1 pkg Almond Chocolate Bark
- 1 pkg Butterscotch Morsels
Put all ingredients into crock pot. Cook on low for 2 hours. Do not stir or open lid. After 2 hours, turn off crock pot, stir candy and drop in clusters onto wax paper. Let cool and enjoy. This recipe will make 70-90 pieces of candy, depending on the size.
Traditional Oatmeal Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 3 cups of Quaker Oats (Quick)
- 1 cup raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Slowly stir in oats. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on sheet, remove to wire rack.
Rice Krispie Treats
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 (10 oz., about 40) pkg. regular marshmallows or 3 cups miniature marshmallows
- 6 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and continue to stir until the marshmallows have completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal coating them well with the melted marshmallow mixture. Using a buttered or silicone spatula, press the mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan which has been buttered or sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with wax paper. Cut into squares when the mixture cools. Makes 24 squares.
MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
Microwave butter with marshmallows on high setting for 2 minutes in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir together when melted. Microwave again on high for 1 additional minute. Stir in cereal, mixing until well coated. Press into pan as above.
Hot Chocolate
- 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 c. milk
- a bit of vanilla, if desired
Combine cocoa, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk and vanilla. Mix it all together until it reaches your preferred temperature.
NorthEscambia.com Teams With NORAD To Track Santa Live
December 24, 2018
NorthEscambia.com is teaming up with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to track the progress of Santa Claus around the world.
Merry Christmas from NorthEscambia.com to you and your entire family.
Christmas Gas Prices Are The Lowest In Two Years
December 24, 2018
Christmas came early for millions of Americans hitting the road for the holidays with gas prices at a two-year low.
Gas prices are 10 cents less than the average on Christmas Day 2017. The statewide average was $2.26 per gallon, but many Florida locations are at or near the $2 mark.
On average, Florida drivers are paying nearly $10 less for a full tank of gas, compared to when prices peaked last summer. During the past 10 weeks, pump prices plunged an average total of 56 cents.
In Escambia County, the average price was $2.19 per gallon, down from $2.56 a month ago and $2.33 one year ago. In the North Escambia area, prices ranged from $2.02 at several stations in Cantonment to $2.29 in Century.
Santa Claus Visits Cantonment Senior Dining Site
December 24, 2018
Santa Claus recently stopped by the Council of Aging of West Florida’s senior dining site in Cantonment. He visited and distributed Christmas gifts. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Pine Forest Road Rollover Crash
December 24, 2018
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Sunday night on Pine Forest Road near Wilde Lake Boulevard.
The victim was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS.
The collision is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Bellview and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Videos: Twas The Night Before Christmas From Escambia County Employees
December 24, 2018
Twas The Night Before Christmas, as told by Escambia County employees.
Increasing Clouds Tonight, Partly Sunny For Christmas Day
December 24, 2018
Merry Christmas from NorthEscambia.com! Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 42. Calm wind.
Christmas Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 65. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 69. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Thursday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 64. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Friday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 71. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 59. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 67. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 63.
ECUA Holiday Garbage Collection Schedule
December 24, 2018
For the holiday season, ECUA collections will be as follows:
Escambia County
All of the ECUA sanitation collections in Escambia County (garbage, recycling an yard trash) will be made one day later than normally scheduled during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s.
Santa Rosa County
There will be no collections on Tuesday, December 25 or Tuesday, January 1. Tuesday recycling collections for our Santa Rosa County customers will be made on Wednesday, December 26 and January 2, 2019, respectively for each holiday week.
Christmas tree Collections in Escambia and Santa Rosa
ECUA customers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties may place real wreaths and Christmas trees at the curb with their regular yard waste collection. Customers are asked to remove all tinsel and decorations from their trees before placing them at the curb, and to ensure that trees, or portions thereof, are no more than 6 feet in length. Trees can be placed at the curb with other yard trash and should not be placed in the recycling cans or green garbage containers.
For more information, call ECUA Customer Service at (850) 476-0480.