5 Surprising Microwave Dangers And How To Avoid Them

The easiest way to secure your Wi-Fi network, a simple cooking tip for quick and easy meals, and more. October 19, 2021 [View Online]( TOGETHER WITH [The Farmer's Dog]( Good morning! We like to give my youngest son Sten grief about the time he forgot to put water in his Cup Noodles before microwaving it—the smell of burnt noodles and styrofoam lingered for days. But some microwave mishaps have more dire consequences, including the 5 featured in Today’s Good Thing. (On the bright side, they’re all easily avoidable!) Also in today’s newsletter, we’re talking about the security of your Wi-Fi network in a new Tech Tip Tuesday. The tip itself may or may not sound simple depending on your level of computer literacy, but it’s sound advice either way! Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 5 Surprising Microwave Dangers And How To Avoid Them [Photos of frozen meat, eggs, potatoes, and ceramics.]( From shattered dishes to food explosions, doing any of these in your microwave can have unfortunate consequences. 1. Defrosting Meat. The main risk with defrosting meat in your microwave is uneven heat distribution. The edges of your meat are likely to start cooking before the center thaws, which can lead to the growth of bacteria that can make people sick. Instead, thaw food overnight in your refrigerator or cook it directly from frozen. 2. Cooking Eggs In Their Shells. Microwaving anything with a tight skin or shell is risky, because as the moisture inside them heats up, the steam will create pressure, which can build to the point where the food “explodes”—not a mess you want to clean up. Instead, cook whole eggs on your stove or in your Instant Pot. 3. Warming Up Breast Milk. Warming breast milk in a microwave can also lead to uneven heating. If hot spots are present after the milk has been microwaved, they could burn the baby’s mouth. Instead, either run the bottle under warm water, or heat water in a pan, remove the pan from heat, then place the bottle inside. 4. Heating Leftovers In Carryout Containers. Certain plastics contain chemicals like BPA that can leach into food when heated, so tossing your takeout container in your microwave may not be the best idea. Instead, check whether the container says “microwave-safe” on it—if not, put the food in another container. 5. Using Ceramic Dishes. While many ceramic dishes are safe to use in your microwave, “low fired” ceramics are not because they can still absorb water. That’s a problem in a microwave, where the moisture can heat up and shatter the ceramic. Instead, if you’re not sure if a ceramic dish is microwave-safe, use a different dish. [10 More Surprising Microwave Dangers ➜]( Related • [11 Surprising Ways Your Microwave Is More Useful Than You Think]( • [How To Clean A Microwave: With AND Without Vinegar]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Not only can you use mayonnaise to erase crayon from walls, but you can use it to do 16 more unexpected things too. [Read more ➜]( • Feeling overworked or rundown? A little self-care can go a long way—find out how to do it the right way here. [Read more ➜]( • New to Amazon Prime or thinking about signing up? Check out my overview of Amazon Prime membership benefits. [Read more ➜]( TECH TIP TUESDAY The Simplest Way To Secure Your Wi-Fi Network [A photo of a Wi-Fi router.]( If you’re still using the default Wi-Fi password printed on your router, it’s time to change it. If you access the internet via Wi-Fi, it’s important that your Wi-Fi network is secure so your data doesn't fall into the hands of hackers, nosy neighbors, or anyone else. The absolute bare minimum you can (and should) do to secure your network is change your wireless password—especially if you’re still using a default password. In order to make setup easier, many Wi-Fi routers come with a default network name and password displayed somewhere on the router itself. You’re supposed to change the default password once you’ve gotten your network up and running, because default passwords can be looked up online or even guessed fairly easily. As for how to change your network password, it varies from router to router. I recommend looking in your router's user manual for instructions, or you can try Googling the make and model of your router along with “change network password” to find more detailed instructions. Finally, once you’re ready to choose a new network password, be sure to make it a strong one. Avoid easy-to-guess passwords containing personal information, and instead pick something long and specific, such as a sentence with personal meaning or a series of random but memorable words. TOGETHER WITH THE FARMER'S DOG Don’t Be Fooled By These Dog Food Label Tricks Kibble marketing may have improved, but kibble mostly hasn’t. Pet food brands frequently make their products look and sound more appealing [than they are in reality](. “Natural” can really mean “full of chemicals.” “Made with beef” can really mean as little as 3% beef. And even if beef is the first ingredient, oftentimes you’re getting the same old burnt brown balls, made primarily of unhealthy fillers. Confusing? It’s by design. Many kibble companies prefer you don’t know what’s actually in their food. [The Farmer’s Dog]( takes a fresh approach: what you see is what you get. Their dog food is made with fresh meat and veggies you can see, and even taste if you wanted – their food is all human-grade! Get complete and balanced meals from The Farmer’s Dog delivered to your door, and [get 50% off your first box](. [Learn More ➜]( [Learn More ➜]( Supporting our sponsors makes it possible for me to continue sharing the tips and tricks that make your life easier! [Check out The Farmer's Dog]( for real, fresh dog food made convenient. - Thank you! COOKING This One Simple Habit Will Make Future Meals Easier [A photo of rice in a pressure cooker.]( When you always have cooked grains on hand, salads, bowls, and fried rice come together in a flash. There’s one habit you can adopt in the kitchen that will give you tons of great options for quick lunches and dinners down the road, and it couldn’t be simpler. Whenever you cook grains like rice, quinoa, farro, etc., make twice as much as you need and refrigerate or freeze half of it. This way, you’ll almost always have extra cooked grains on hand. You can use them to whip up a quick and easy fried rice, add veggies and dressing to have a healthy grain bowl for lunch, or to add to a light salad to make it more substantial. However you choose to use your cooked grains, you’ll thank yourself for making extras! JILLEE'S PICK Spend Some Time In The Midnight Library [An image of the front cover of ]( Have you ever wondered what your life might be like if a specific event or choice had played out differently? If so, then you'll find Nora Seed, the central character in [The Midnight Library by Matt Haig]( very relatable. In the opening chapters, Nora's regrets and perceived failures lead her to a very strange library, where she's given the opportunity to visit alternate realities in search of what we're all looking for: a good life. The things Nora experiences in her various realities slowly but surely teach her a fundamental truth of the human experience—that life, imperfect and painful as it can be, is ultimately what we make of it. The author doesn't shy away from heavy subject matter like mental illness, addiction, suicide, and grief, but this is also a story full of exhilaration, love, inspiration, and most poignantly, hope. The Midnight Library is a book that will not only move you, but that could change the way you think about your own life too. [See The Midnight Library by Matt Haig on Amazon ➜]( WHAT IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB Where Art, Baking, And Literature Collide [Images of phone screens displaying the Pie Lady Books Instagram page.]( While I wouldn’t necessarily say that pie is my favorite dessert, I do enjoy pie quite a lot. And you already know that I also enjoy books, so imagine my delight when I discovered an Instagram account that combines both! Pie Lady Books ([@pieladybooks]( is an Instagram account run by baker, reader, and pie artist Stephanie Hockersmith. She’s most well known for sharing photos of intricately detailed pies she's made next to the book that inspired them. I have absolutely no idea how she manages to create these works of art in pie, as I can barely manage to make a no-frills pie at the best of times. But I could scroll through the Pie Lady Books account for hours—I just can’t get enough of these literary-inspired masterpieces. Check them out for yourself below. [See Pie Lady Books on Instagram ➜]( A FEW MORE THINGS... Out Of The Lamp: [Disney Genie launches today]( at Walt Disney World Resort. Guests can use the digital service to plan itineraries, book time slots for popular attractions, purchase access to “Lightning Lane” entrances, and more. Find it in the existing [My Disney Experience app](. (The launch of Disney Genie at Disneyland is still TBD, but should occur sometime this fall.) Color Of The Year: Benjamin Moore recently announced their [2022 Color of the Year]( October Mist 1495, “evoking the silver-green stem of a flower,” according to their website. Personally, I’m not 100% sold—I think I would like it more if it were either more silver or more green. What do you think? What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. Main St. Heber City, UT 84032 If you're not happy please reply to this email to tell me why, or you can [update your preferences]( or break my heart and unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](.