Perhaps this is why they call them “Blender Jars” — the thread on the bottom of the jar is the same as a mason jar. That means you can remove the blade assembly from your large blender jar and attach it to a mason jar for small recipes, quick smoothies, baby food, etc.

If you’ve already got a blender, that’s just a few dollars in mason jars. Otherwise, you could shell out $50 for a magic bullet:

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Last year, President Obama introduced the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is part of the health care reform of 2010.

Although we hear a lot about the controversial parts of this reform, there are variety of lesser known, albeit interesting, changes that will be phased in through 2018.

Some restaurants have already complied with one new regulation that requires them to show caloric values next to items on their menu. I noticed that Panera is already on board and my wife reminded me that Olive Garden has done the same. This is a bold move and it confirms that anything Alfredo is both the best and worst thing that Olive Garden serves.

There are some other interesting changes too; here’s an abbreviated timeline:

2012

• Employers will have to disclose the value of the benefits they provide to their employees.
• Tighter restrictions on corporate payments to individuals and other corporations, designed to prevent tax evasion and raise an estimated $17 billion over 10 years.

2013

• Individual salaries over $200,000 and families with income over $250,000 will see a tax increase of 0.5%.

2014

• Insurers can’t discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions.
• Insurers can’t set annual spending caps.
• Chain restaurants and vendors with 20 or more locations are required to show calorie count on menus and displays (additional nutritional info must also be available upon request).
• Expand eligibility for Medicaid.
• Changes to tax-free contribution limit on flex spending accounts.
• Require that everyone has health insurance.
• Penalize companies with more 50 full time employees if they do not provide insurance to those employees.

2017

• States can apply to waive certain sections of the law if they mandate coverage that is as comprehensive and affordable.

2018

• Existing health insurance plans must cover approved preventive care without co-payment.
• Individuals who spend more than $10,200 ($27,500 for families) annually on health insurance will see an additional tax on those “Cadillac” plans.

This list was by no means comprehensive, although I did try to include the most notable changes. The details of these changes have been abbreviated and you should see the sources for additional reading on the provisions that may affect you.

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Image: kobo4lila (cc)

Sources: The Bill Itself (PDF), Wikipedia (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), Library of Congress