Turn the valve to close the drain where the hose is connected. Make sure it’s fully closed. Then, close the pressure relief valve on the water heater and tighten the nut on top if you loosened it. It’s important that the valves are closed tight so they don’t leak when you turn the water heater back on and allow it to fill up. Unscrew the garden hose from where it’s connected to the drain valve. Bring it outside and dump out any water contained inside of it so it doesn’t develop mold or mildew that can damage it. Wrap up the hose and store it when you’re finished using it. If you have an electric water heater, turn the power back on by flipping the breaker that controls the electricity to it. Close the circuit breaker box up when you’re finished. If power isn’t immediately restored to the water heater, try flipping the breaker off and back on again. To turn a gas water heater back on, you need to restore the flow of gas into the water heater. Flip the pilot light switch back into the on position.

Summary: Close the drain valve and pressure relief valve. Disconnect the garden hose from the drain valve. Flip the breaker to turn the electricity back on. Turn the pilot light to the “On” position if it’s a gas water heater.


Open two 15-ounce (425 g) cans of chickpeas. Pour the cans through a strainer to drain off the soaking liquid. Rinse the chickpeas with fresh water and transfer the chickpeas to a serving bowl. Chop 1/4 cup (5 g) of Italian parsley and add it to the bowl. You can also use curly parsley, but it may not have as much flavor. Wash a bell pepper (any color), grape tomatoes, and green onions. Slice the vegetables and add them to the serving bowl. You'll also need to get out 12 kalamata olives and slice them in half. Discard the olive pits and add the olive halves to the serving bowl. Slice and add:  2/3 cup (115 g) chopped bell pepper 3/4 cup (111 g) halved grape tomatoes 3 green onions, sliced Measure all of the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk them until the dressing is combined. Or you can place all of the ingredients into a small blender or jar. Blend or shake the dressing until the oil is emulsified. For the dressing, you'll need to combine:  4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons plain yogurt 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 small garlic clove, minced 1/4 teaspoon cumin Salt and pepper, to taste Pour the yogurt dressing over the chickpea salad in the serving bowl. Add 1/3 cup (50 g) of crumbled feta cheese. Use a large spoon to toss the salad, so it's evenly coated with the dressing and cheese. Serve the salad at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Summary: Prepare the chickpeas and chop the parsley and bell pepper. Slice the tomatoes, green onions, and kalamata olives. Whisk the yogurt dressing. Combine the Mediterranean chickpea salad.


Gift bags or boxes that can be used again and again are a better choice than one-use items. You can either buy them, or make your own. Gift bags are widely available in many styles, and can be used again and again. You could make your own gift bag by decorating an ordinary paper bag. You can use a paper grocery bag, "lunch-sized" bag, or any one at hand. Such a wrapping can be personalized, reuse resources, and ultimately recycled. A simple drawstring bag or "tote" style bag can be used for years. A simple cardboard box, decorated with paint, paper, stickers, or any number of ways, can be a wonderful presentation. A well made box can be a gift in itself, perfect for home décor, "memory boxes", or storage. A simple, elegant natural fiber basket is reusable, compost-able, and often inexpensively found. A little creativity can lead to interesting presentations. How about wrapping your brother's gift with a bandanna? Or "wrap" a gift inside a potholder?
Summary: Use re-usable wrappings. Make and use paper gift bags. Create and use fabric gift bags. Decorate a gift box. Make a gift basket. Try wrapping creatively without paper.