5 Holiday Traveling Tips!

1. Travel on off-peak days. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year. A better option is to leave early on Thanksgiving Day and avoid the record traffic the night before. Same goes with flying: if you fly on the actual holiday itself you’ll be avoiding the long lines and hoards of travelers.

2. Ship gifts ahead of time or don't wrap them. TSA suggests to ship wrapped gifts or wait until you reach your destination to wrap them, as they might have to unwrap a present to inspect it.

3. Travel early or late in the day. Flight statistics show that planes traveling earlier in the day have a better on-time performance. And if your flight is cancelled, you will have the option of taking a flight later in the day. Also, there will be fewer lines at security. Best time to hit the road? When every one else is asleep -- early morning or late at night.

4. Don't drive yourself to the airport. Airport parking prices rise around the holiday. Have a friend or family member drive you instead. Less money, less stress!

5. Always have snacks available. When it's a long day of traveling and waiting in lines or sitting in a car, snacks will help diffuse a meltdown! You may be tired, but you won't be hungry.

Car Myth: Exploding Gas Tank

We all know Hollywood likes to exaggerate. How many times have you seen a movie where someone shoots at a car and all of a sudden it bursts into flames? Well, turns out that doesn't really happen.

Discovery's "Mythbusters" proved that in real life, bullets go right through the tank — without fire. But however unrealistic it may be, exploding cars still look pretty awesome.

Spooky Strawberry Cheesecake!

Get into the Halloween spirit with this delicious, spooky treat! 

Spooky Strawberry Halloween Cheesecake Treats

Serves: 20 squares

Finished in: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Ingredients

• For the crust
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1-cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1-cup flour
• For the Cheesecake
• (2) 8 oz. packages of light cream cheese at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbls cornstarch
• Toppings
• ½ tub of Litehouse Strawberry Glaze
• edible candy eyeballs
• 
  

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. To make the crust, first beat the butter and sugars together. Slowly add the cracker crumbs and flour. Press the crust mixture evenly in a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 10 minutes and cool.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the cheesecake mixture. First, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients.

4. Pour mixture over the slightly cooled crust and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

5. Cool for a few minutes then refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

6. When ready to serve, drizzle the Litehouse Strawberry Glaze and top with eyeball candy.

Fall Maintenance Tips!

Fall is here and winter is coming! Here are some maintenance tips to keep your car looking good and running smoothly: 

• Wax your car
• Replace carpeted mats with rubber or waterproof mats
• Replace your windshield wipers if they are more than six months old
• Top off your windshield wiper fluid (if it’s especially cold, use fluid with de-icer)
• Check your radiator coolant level when your car has been idle for a while (never open the cap when the car is hot)
• Check all hoses for wear or leaks
• Make sure all your lights (headlamps, brake lights, tail lights, signals) are working

What the heck are big blocks and small blocks?

When hearing people discuss older engines, you'll often hear them talking about a "400 big block" or "350 small block." The block is the main, bulky part of the engine (the cylinders are part of it). The adjectives "big" or "small" just refer to the size of the block. The number refers to of the volume (in cubic inches) of the cylinders. An engine can have the same horsepower and be big or small block (however, big blocks are heavier and small blocks are more limited in high horsepower).

The Difference Between a Turbocharger and a Supercharger Simplified.

A turbocharger is simply an engine component that uses a turbine that powers a compressor that blows more air into your engine. A supercharger is directly driven by your engine. They both allow engines to consume more fuel to deliver more power. Also, turbochargers provide more power over a period after accelerating, while superchargers provide more boost immediately when you start to accelerate.

3 Gas Money-Saving Tips!

1. Fill up your tank all the way! The more you don't, the more times you will have to make a trip to the pump. It costs gas as well as time.    

2.  Don't top off. You waste money while hurting the environment!

3. Don't let your tank drop below a quarter. Running it on less can shorten the life of the electric fuel pump and eventually destroy it.