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Dear Dave, My wife and I made a resolution this year to pay off $20,000 in credit card debt we've accumulated. I want us to follow your plan, and live on a really tight budget. She wants us to use a debt consolidation company, like some of her friends have done. I'm really against her idea, but how can I change her mind? Dear Blake, I'm glad you two have made the decision to get out of debt, and gain control of your finances. When it comes to this sort of thing, it's wise to...
Dear Dave: My wife and I will both turn 30 next month. We have two young children, and we make a little over $85,000 combined. The problem is we have about $70,000 in debt. Some of it is credit card debt, but nearly $50,000 is in two car loans. Her mom and dad have offered to let us move in with them, so we can save up money and start getting a better handle on our finances, but we’re not sure how we feel about this. What’s your advice? — Justin Dear Justin: You’ve got a r...
So many people think of sourdough as an all-American - or at least North American - phenomenon. Credit that to the fact that sourdough starters (wild yeast cultures regularly fed and nurtured to keep available for leavening bread) were mainstays not only of pioneering life but also among the miners who made sourdough the reliable daily bread in San Francisco during the 1849 California Gold Rush era; plus, other miners came to be known as "sourdoughs" during the Klondike Gold R...
Nighttime's the right time - and reservations are smart any time - when it comes to seeing the great sights in Northern Italy. With all the crowds heading for the same few attractions, popular sights and destinations are packed, and ticket lines are long. For 2020, officials thankfully have promised longer hours and easier opportunities to book entries in advance. Here's the latest: At Venice's St. Mark's Basilica, it is now easy to reserve an entry time online, even for...
Dear Cathy, We've always had multiple dogs and now own a black lab who is 9 months old. She is the easiest puppy in the world to potty train, but I have never had a dog chew so much. We have toys and chewies all over the floor and in a toy box, and yet I have lost three pairs of shoes, Christmas decorations, gloves, plants and baskets. I have a spray that is supposed to taste awful that I am spraying on things and also in her mouth, so she realizes it is nasty. I don't want...
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: At her most recent well-child checkup, my 13-year-old daughter was given a questionnaire about depression, even though she doesn't have any symptoms of depression. Is screening for depression typical at her age? If so, how are the answers used? ANSWER: Major depression is common. It's estimated that up to 8 percent of teens have experienced depression in the past year. Untreated depression may place a teen at risk for recurrent depressive episodes or increase...
Dear Dave, My wife and I have our budget ready for next month, and we'll be following your plan in 2020 to pay off debt and get our finances in order. Do you have any tips for setting and sticking to goals in general? Rick Dear Rick, That's a fantastic goal. Living on a monthly budget, and telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went, is an important step toward gaining control of your finances. Combine that with getting out of debt, and you'll be in...
It seems to me that people who love to cook at home often have two separate styles of recipes that they rely on. First come the everyday dishes that they make week after week for their family and any close friends who might drop by - simple, straightforward, delicious food they can cook quickly and easily with minimal fuss. And then there are more elaborate, special-occasion dishes that they only make to impress their guests at special dinner parties. I think, however, that th...
Though visiting Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral won't be possible for the foreseeable future following a devastating fire, there are plenty of fine examples of Gothic cathedrals - and other Notre-Dames even - that you can see in France. When traveling in France, I can't help but marvel at the towering Gothic cathedrals that mark the centers of many towns. I like to imagine what it was like to be a pilgrim 600 years ago, hiking for days to a particular church on a particular holy...
I took in a 10-year old indoor/outdoor cat who needed a home. I am a senior and she is the only pet, but I have had cats before. After about a week, she started becoming acclimated to me and the condo. I was told she could not be picked up and held. She allows quick head and belly rubs and has become a lap and bed cat at her discretion. The problem is, she attacks me mostly on the arms by leaping at me without warning. She has drawn blood several times. I know not to provoke...
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is it common to only have a partial thyroidectomy to remove Hurthle cells? My doctor is recommending this procedure, but I wonder if I should have my entire thyroid removed instead to eliminate the risk of the cancer coming back. Would it be better to have a total thyroidectomy? ANSWER: A partial thyroidectomy can be an appropriate treatment for Hurthle cell thyroid cancer in some cases. The decision to undertake partial versus total thyroid removal depends...
Dear Dave, I've never heard you talk about store layaway programs. With Christmas coming, I wanted to ask your opinion of using layaway for buying gifts. Meg Dear Meg, If you know me, you probably have a good idea what's coming next. I'm not a huge fan of layaway programs, because they're not the answer to a problem. I mean, Christmas comes at the same time every year. It's not like it snuck up on you. What's wrong with just saving up money for Christmas ahead of time? Here's...
During the almost 18 years I've had the pleasure of writing my "Wolfgang Puck's Kitchen" column, one theme has recurred again and again, regardless of the ingredients, the preparation, the season or the occasion. What I've always tried to convey through my advice and recipes is the fact that great cooking doesn't necessarily rely on dazzling techniques or expensive products, but rather on understanding and employing the sorts of simple yet profound extra touches that can...
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is transcranial magnetic stimulation, and how does it work? Is it effective for treating depression? ANSWER: Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, is a procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. It's a noninvasive procedure that usually requires about 25 to 30 treatment sessions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown to effectively improve symptoms of depression, particularly in people who haven't seen...
For scenes straight out of a box of old-fashioned Christmas cards, head to England. Many classic Christmas trappings, from caroling to mince pie and wassail, have been part of English tradition for centuries. Other holiday customs have their roots in the 19th century. Queen Victoria's German husband, Prince Albert, popularized the decorating of Christmas trees and the sending of Christmas cards. Around the same time Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol - celebrating the pow...
Dear Cathy, This summer, my family adopted a teacup Shorkiepoo. He was 8 months old when he joined our family, which includes two older dogs. He has mastered peeing on wee-wee pads, but he is inconsistent with his poops on the paper. He is a happy, playful pooch, but scooping up little poops all over my home is not acceptable. Please advise on correcting this situation. - Lisa, Lido Beach, New York Dear Lisa, When you're not home, consider keeping him in an x-pen with his pee...
This may be a silly question, but do you know if nature gives feral cats anything special to keep them from freezing in very cold weather? I know they survive, but how? - Dick, Westbury, New York Dear Dick, It's not a silly question; it's a great question. I'm afraid though, there is nothing in the wild that protects feral cats from the harsh realities of winter. They don't hibernate or store food for the winter. As domesticated animals, they are utterly dependent on humans...
Dear Dave, My wife and I are following your plan, and recently we found some old savings bonds that had been given to her by her grandfather when she was a kid. Do you think we should go ahead and cash these in before they reach their final maturity date in a few months? John Dear John, Absolutely! Every one of those savings bonds is accruing interest at the appropriate rate for the type of bond it is. The problem is every one of those rates stinks. I hate savings bonds. We're...
Anyone who has dined in one of my restaurants, read one of my books or articles, seen me on TV, or cooked or eaten with me personally knows that I think of the whole world as my pantry. I love discovering ingredients and ways of cooking them that are new to me, and then mastering and sharing them with others. In the process, I'll often combine influences from various countries and ethnicities into one dish, creating original recipes in a process sometimes referred to by the co...
With its romantic coastline, inviting beaches, and reliable sunshine, southern France's Riviera region has been a tourist destination since the 1860s. A hundred years ago, aristocrats from London to Moscow flocked here to socialize, gamble, and escape the dreary weather at home. But the area also attracted a who's who of 20th-century artists, who were drawn by the Mediterranean's bohemian atmosphere, luminous light, and contrasting colors of sea, sand, and sky. The legacies...
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I had an extremely painful headache that was diagnosed as a cluster headache in the emergency department. I was treated with oxygen, and the pain disappeared. Is it common to treat headaches with oxygen, or is this a treatment specific to this type of headache? ANSWER: If you have cluster headaches and begin having a painful attack, a common and established therapy is using 100 percent oxygen delivered with a face mask. This often relieves the pain within...
If you've been a reader of my column these past many years, you know you can expect one thing from me as surely as the fact that I love to help people cook and eat the best food possible: When December rolls around, at some point I'm going to turn my attention to Christmas cookies. My love of holiday baking goes back to my earliest childhood memories. Every year, the kitchen of our little home in the southern Austrian town of Sankt Veit an der Glan seemed always full of the ri...
Seeing the top sights in Europe's big cities can be intense. It's hot, it's crowded, and your dream of having a quiet moment with the Mona Lisa is shared by around six million people every year. The mission of my most recent trip to Europe was finding peace and tranquility in big cities that, in many ways, feel overrun with tourists. And it's surprisingly easy to do. Many travelers stick to the most famous sights - and I don't blame them; the sights are famous for a reason....
Dear Cathy, My Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix drinks his water much too quickly. He starts coughing and wheezing as the water goes down the wrong pipe. I hold him on my lap, hold his chest and slap his back. It helps but only after much coughing. Any suggestions that might help the little guy? He drinks from a raised water bowl alongside his food bowl. Water is changed a few times daily. - Larry, Westbury, New York Dear Larry, There are special bowls designed to slow down...
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I keep reading about weight loss and other health benefits from a diet where people eliminate lectins. Is there any truth to the claim that a lectin-free diet can cure autoimmune diseases and other health problems? ANSWER: No scientific evidence exists to show that eliminating dietary lectins will cure any medical disorders or conditions, including autoimmune diseases. But your diet certainly can have an effect on the way you feel, especially if you have a...