Expect to wait about 5 years to harvest your first truffles. Some truffles may be ready for harvest as early as 3 years after planting or not until 10 years after planting, but 5 years is the average. Avoid digging into the base of your trees before the truffles are ready. You may end up damaging the growing truffles and losing profit as a result. Your truffles should be ready to harvest at the beginning of winter. Wait for the temperatures to drop and then check to see if any truffles are ready for harvest. Plan to harvest in early winter before the ground starts to freeze. If you wait too long it may be difficult to dig up the truffles. The grass will look like it has been burnt right around the base of a tree that has truffles growing underneath it. This is because the fungus is killing off the other plants in the area around the tree. The dead grass around the base of the tree is called the “brulee.” A well-trained dog can make harvesting truffles much easier for you. You can train the dog to find, dig up, and bring you the truffles. Use positive reinforcement to teach your dog to find truffles and bring them to you. For example, every time your dog retrieves a truffle, make sure to offer lots of praise and a treat. You can also use a female pig to find truffles for you, but you have to watch the pig closely when they find a truffle because they will eat it.

Summary: Wait to harvest until the trees are at least 5 years old. Plan to harvest in the winter. Watch for dead grass at the base of the tree as a sign of growth. Consider training a dog to find truffles.


To give the brisket a delicious smoky flavor, you need to barbecue it with wood chips. Take 6 cups of hickory or mesquite chips, and soak them for an hour in enough cold water to cover the wood. When the hour is up, drain the water from the chips so they’re ready for the grill. If you’re using wood chunks in your grill, it isn’t necessary to soak them beforehand. In fact, soaking wood chunks can actually make it take longer to get them burning. When you’re ready to start your grill, place your charcoal in a chimney starter. Use an electric starter or lighter fluid to ignite the coal and allow the pieces to burn until they are red. Once the charcoal pieces are hot and red, add them to the bottom of the grill. However, make sure to create two piles, one on each side of the grill with the center area free of coal. Some grills have special baskets that are designed for holding the charcoal in piles on either side of the grill. If your model has them, you can place the coals in the baskets. Fat may cook off the brisket as you barbecue it, and you don’t want it to reach the charcoal. To catch any fat or other debris that may fall off the meat, place a drip pan between the two piles of coal in the center of the grill. An inexpensive foil pan works well as a drip pan for your grill. When the charcoal and drip pan are in place, toss ¾-cup (177 g) of the wood chips on each of the piles of coal, for a total of 1 ½ cups (354 g). Next, place the grate over the charcoal and wood chips to prepare for barbecuing.

Summary: Soak your wood chips. Light the charcoal in a chimney starter. Place the hot coals on either side of the grill. Set up a drip pan between the piles of coals. Add the wood chips and insert the grate.


With a common cold, your fever should go away quickly. However, a lingering fever can be a sign that your infection is worsening. Your doctor can find out why your fever is getting worse and prescribe a treatment that can help.  For children under the age of 12, see a doctor if their fever lasts longer than 2 days. Babies under the age of 12 weeks need medical care for a fever of 100.4 °F (38.0 °C) or greater. A common cold typically starts to improve within a week. If your symptoms don’t seem to be going away, then your infection could be worsening, or you may have a different respiratory infection. It’s best to see your doctor to make sure you’re getting the proper treatment. You might experience the following symptoms:  Fever Severe sore throat Persistent cough, either dry or with phlegm Headache Sinus pain Severe body aches and pains Runny nose Sneezing Shortness of breath or wheezing The common cold shares symptoms with other respiratory infections, including the flu. If your symptoms are severe or don’t go away after a week, then your doctor might want to make sure you don’t have a more severe infection. They might want to do diagnostic tests, like the following:  Complete blood count (CBC) to look for an infection Chest X-rays to check your lungs for congestion or pneumonia Rapid flu test using a nasal or throat swab

Summary: Visit your doctor for a fever above 101.3 °F (38.5 °C) or lasting 5 days. Seek care for symptoms that are severe or don't improve in 7 days. Undergo diagnostic tests to rule out other illnesses, if necessary.


Do each of the following for 5-10 seconds as you get ready for bed:  Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth, then open your mouth as wide as you can without pain. Keep your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then slide your lower jaw as far out as you can. After that, slide it in as far as you can. Open your mouth as wide as you comfortably can, with your tongue in a neutral position. Then, close your mouth and reopen it slightly, slide your jaw to the left for 5-10 seconds, then slide it to the right for 5-10 seconds. Clamp a pencil, paintbrush, or similar object between your front teeth, securely but not forcefully. Slowly glide your lower jaw forward as far as you comfortably can, without letting the object fall out of your mouth. Hold the position for 20 seconds.  Try doing this 2-3 times nightly before bedtime. Over time, you may be able to do this exercise with a thicker object, like a child’s easy-grip pencil. Hold your thumb firmly against the underside of your chin. Press your thumb up with moderate force and open your mouth until it is comfortably wide, against the resistance of your thumb. Hold the position for 5-10 seconds.  The resistance provided by your thumb makes this a jaw strengthening exercise. Try doing this exercise 2-3 times each morning. Touch your index finger between your lower lip and your chin, then open your mouth comfortably wide. Press your finger against the front of your jaw with moderate force, and slowly close your mouth against this resistance.  This strengthening exercise targets different areas of your jaw muscles than the thumb exercise. Repeat this exercise 2-3 times each morning.
Summary: Repeat a series of 3 simple jaw stretches every evening. Add a jaw stretch using a pencil to your nightly routine. Press your thumb to your chin as a wake-up exercise. Follow up with a second jaw exercise using your index finger each morning.