Thursday, April 30, 2009

Are There Any Acai Berry Side Effects?

By Carter Sinclair

The Acai berry gives those who drink it a long lasting energy boost, cancer fighting abilities, more youthfulness and better feeling, and helps to lower your cholesterol. The Acai berry does it all. But does the Acai berry have side effects because all this seems way too good to be true.

There has been no researched Acai berry side effects to date. There have been no reports of people having any bad reactions with prescription drugs or anything else. It is a natural fruit just like that of oranges, bananas, and apples. You do not have to worry about any negative side effects from this fruit. It is possible to be allergic but it is highly unlikely.

The only thing I would be worried about is if I purchased an Acai supplement in pill form. There could be additional ingredients, besides Acai that might have side effects. Many of the Acai pills you see advertised are produced by companies with shady business practices, so be sure to read and research all the ingredients before you buy an Acai product.

In order to get the most nutrients out of Acai berry you need to drink Acai berry juice. It is 100% natural Acai berry juice and absorbs better into your system than any other form like powders or supplements.

Plus, Acai juice tastes amazing so you are missing out on that delicious taste if you do not drink the juice. With Acai juice you will easily be able to see all the ingredients (which should pretty much be all Acai) and will be able to avoid any side effects from anything else they put in.

Acai berry contains vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and a long lasting energy boost. It is a very good tasting fruit that has no side effects on your body.

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Crafting as a Business

By Sive Iver

When we love what we are doing we start to think if creating a business from our hobby will be beneficial. A business or work is more fun and profitable when we enjoy and love what we are doing.

Knowing that we love what we are doing will help us decide that we can make a profit from it. Then we start asking a lot of questions like how much will it cost. How do I go about it? Where do I apply? These are some questions that we might ask.

When you are just starting your business it is advisable to have lesser investment costs. That is why it is better to search for craft show in you local area. Moving within you area will lessen your gas and time cost.

Once you get the schedule of craft shows and fair in you area, it would be good to distribute your goods to different location or show. Having different locations will hit more customers than just one show.

Knowing that spending less when you are starting a business will help you create a budget that you can work around. Fit your booth rent, application fees, gas and other expenses within the budget that you have set. Less cost in the beginning will make it easier to break even in the end.

We plan to go to as much location and shows around our area to hit more customers. When we do this we have to keep in mind to have uniform prices from one show to another. Having uniform prices makes us trust worthy and shows our customers that we are the ones making our products.

Do research and more research about the business that you will start up. Having as much information that you can gather can give you more guidelines to making your business successful. Gather data not only about the financial benefits or needs of your business but also who your potential customers will be.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Use These Simple SEO Tricks

By Hass67

Search engine optimization (SEO) is usually portrayed as technical and complex by most internet marketing gurus. There are many very simple SEO tricks that can help you get good ranking for a blog post.

Google gets a lot of daily searches and if that keyword has around 50+ searches daily that means traffic to your blog as long as your post has the ranking. You can get a lot of traffic to your blog if you use these tricks to rank a number of blog posts.

These tricks will only work if your blog has more than 50 posts. Post at least once on your blog. Once your blog has more than 50 posts, Google will start considering you a serious blog. Always try to post interesting and entertaining stuff on your blog.

Google is in love with blogs. Blogs give Google lots of fresh content. Blog posts get indexed on Google much faster than webpages. I have seen that Google indexes my blog post within five minutes. The reason, I post at least once every day.

Choose a keyword that you want to get your blog post ranked before writing the post. It is very important that you use that keyword in the title of that post.

You should use that keyword within the first 25 words in the first sentence. Use the keyword as close to the beginning in the post as possible. Use the keyword in a natural manner in the content of the post but not more than 4%.

Try to include three or four links in the post containing the keyword solely. Give emphasis by bolding the link. The URL of that post should also contain the keyword as an extension like http:// www.Yourdomain.com/keyword. Both wordpress and blogger allow you to do this.

In Blogger, you should know that once you have published the post, you cannot change the URL. Blogger chooses the first few sentences from the title to include in the URL. So you should publish the post with only the keyword in the title. Afterwards you can always change the title again if you want but it should still contain the keyword.

If you do all these things that dont take more than ten minutes of your time you are telling Google; hey, this is the keyword for this particular post. You can use these very simple tactics to get your blog posts top ranking for keywords having 100,000 to 1000,000 competing webpages.

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Monday, April 27, 2009

I Just Want Know How To Speed Up My Metabolism...

By Dan Beckwith

Great news! If you've been scouring the internet looking for articles on, "how to speed up my metabolism" you found the right place. Let's face it, for weight loss the metabolism is where it's at. And speeding it up isn't as hard as you might think.

For starters, here is a brief description of what I mean when I talk about metabolism... Your body must do something with the food you give it, either use it or store it, and that's your metabolism. "How to speed up my metabolism?", could actually be rephrased as, "How can I get my body to better use the food I give it?"

When you eat, you take in calories. Your body must do something with those calories. If you need some energy, they are converted into energy and burned away. If all of your energy needs are handled, the calories are converted into fat and stored for a "rainy day".

It's a scientific given, if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. You must. The terrific part is, anyone can lose weight. Just burn more calories than you eat, that way you are taking away from your stored up fat rather than adding to it.

That's all that is meant by metabolism. You could think of it like that fairytale, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" - you have three choices. If you use more calories than you take in, you'll lose weight. (We think of that as a fast metabolism.) If you take in more calories than you use, you will gain weight. (We think of that as a slow metabolism.) And obviously, if you eat just right you won't gain or lose anything.

In answer to the question, "How to speed up my metabolism?", we just need to start burning more calories. Easy enough, there's a couple basic ways to do this. One way, would be to burn off calories by exercising more. The other is to start eating less or, getting our calories from more "usable" sources.

In the eating less category, we have to be very careful. It seems counterintuitive, but by eating less we could actually be setting ourselves up for more weight gain. If you start to eat too little, your body thinks it is starving and will cut back on the energy you consume. Thus, slowing down your metabolism.

Want to get ramped up into high gear, and kick start your metabolism? Here is a way to take in fewer calories while making your body believe you are getting enough.

My all time favorite way to accomplish this miracle, is to make sure that I eat a lot of negative calorie foods.

When you eat, you take in a certain number of calories. But you also use a certain number of calories in digestion. When the number of calories used in digestion is larger than the number of calories you get by eating, that is a negative calorie food. Here's an example, 100 g of broccoli is about 25 calories. However, digesting it uses about 80 calories. So, every time you eat broccoli you have a net loss of 55 calories! Plus, your body is tricked into thinking you're getting enough calories so it doesn't slow down your metabolism. Pretty cool, eh?

You won't be able to avoid losing weight if you work negative calorie foods into your diet program. Pay attention to the portion sizes on your other foods, and start a basic exercise program and it will work! In the area of fruits and vegetables there are quite a few negative calorie options.

On my website, there are a lot of interesting articles and more information on negative calorie foods. Check it out, you'll be glad you did.

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Build Massive Back Links To Your Site (Part II)

By Hass67

Getting lots of back links to your site is highly important in order to rank well with the search engines. Back Linking is also known as Off Page Optimization in SEO.

Websites that link back to your site and the page rank of those websites are important. Linking with irrelevant websites dont count with the search engines and is a wasted effort. How do search engines decide about the relevance of the website linking back to your website?

Search engines consider the keywords used in the anchor text in linking back to your site. If your website is about money making than the anchor text: money making tips may be given more importance than the anchor text: recommended website.

Search engines also take into account the page title of the website linking to you. The website should be considered to be an authority site by a search engine like Google for the back link to get more importance.

In short, you should try to get quality back links from those websites that are related to your sites niche. Those websites should be considered as authority sites by the search engines. The anchor text used to link back to your site should contain your site niche related keyword.

Getting back links from authority sites is what counts with the search engines. But it is not easy to get links from authority sites. How to go about it?

You must have heard about social book marking sites and how they work. Social book marking sites like digg, stumbleupon, furl, del.icio.us, propeller etc are considered as authority sites by search engines especially Google. Most of these social sites have a page rank of 6+.

If you can bookmark your website on these sites, you can get lots of quality one way links. Dont forget, many people visit these social bookmarking sites, so you can get many visitors in addition to back links as well.

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

The beauty of chocolate cakes

By Jenna

For the longest time ever, chocolate cakes has been the favorite desserts amongst a lot of people especially chocolate-lovers. So, if you ever do a search on Google, you will find thousands of chocolate cake recipes to suit your every need for a nice home made chocolate cake.

The reason chocolate cakes are so favored is mainly it is a combination of fluffy cake and the rich aroma and flavors of cocoa. Even when we talk about chocolate cakes, there are a lot of different chocolate cakes one could make. There are several types of flourless chocolate cakes and maybe even hundreds of moist dark chocolate cakes. If you are on a diet, you can even indulge in some healthy version chocolate cakes that are low in calories and low fat.

Chocolate cakes are the best choice for any special occasion, be it a wedding, an anniversary or simply a gathering of friends. Nothing can go wrong with a nice, delicious slice of rich, tasty chocolate cake. Of course some people will say that cheese cakes are just as good but then this article is about chocolate cakes, so cheese cakes will be discussed in another article. To bake a chocolate cake is pretty simple because its recipe only contains chocolate, sugar, flour, eggs and butter. If you crave for thicker cakes, then leave out the flour and it will result in a dense and rich chocolate cake.

One of the best treat for a birthday celebration will have to be a chocolate cake made with Belgian chocolate and covered in rich chocolate frosting. However, as popular as chocolate cakes are, not everyone likes chocolates. Some people will avoid chocolate because they don't like the taste and some will avoid it because they thought it will ruin a strict diet and could cause one to put on weight.

Many people are not aware that chocolate cakes baked with high quality dark chocolate are quite good for health and not as bad as perceived. Dark chocolate, consumed moderately, is proven to have beneficial benefits such as for cardiovascular health. Granted, many chocolate cakes aren't exactly healthy because of the high sugar content but dark chocolate with less sugar are good for you.

If you want to have a piece of chocolate cake but are worried about the calorie-count or its healthiness, then make your own healthy low calorie cake. There are quite a lot of healthy and low calorie chocolate cake recipes, including from Weight Watchers, to try out as it contains less sugar or even sugar substitute and has more dark cocoa which is good for health. The advantage of these types of cakes is that it is healthy while at the same time, it tastes great!

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Friday, April 24, 2009

Buying a stockpot? Here are 10 top tips

By Stephen Kember

One of the most important and most frequently used items of all your outdoor cooking equipment is your stockpot. It therefore really makes good sense to buy a good one and to see it as an important investment in your outdoor kitchen.

Stockpots vary hugely in size and in quality and come in both stainless steel and aluminum. Deciding which to go for and what sizes you're going to need are the two big questions needing answering at the outset.

You are going to need a few stockpots so buy with that in mind. Don't go with the idea that one size fits all. If a set of 2 or 3 stockpots is going to be too expensive today buy the size that you think that you are going to use the most and then buy more when funds permit.

For inside the house stockpots start at 8 quarts, which is okay for small scale cooking and most buy the 12 quarts for everyday bigger scale cooking. However if want to cook outdoors for family & friends then youre going to need larger pots.

And if a big stockpot is what you are after then youll find stockpots ranging in size, for example in the Bayou Classic range, from: 24 to 36 to 44 to 62 to 82 quarts going right up to a 162 quart stainless steel stock pot. The choice is up to you.. But remember, the larger the pot the more powerful the burner that is needed to heat it up with.

So when buying a stockpot what should you think about? Here are 10 important guidelines:

1. Aluminum is lighter in weight; it provides even heating without heat spots; it costs less size for size than stainless steel but it easily dents, is harder to clean, doesn't last as long, and certainly doesn't look as good as stainless steel;

2. By contrast stainless steel is going to be easy to clean; it lasts longer; it, doesn't dent so easily, and it looks nicer as a piece of cookware. But it does suffer from heat spots, it is heavier and it is more its more expensive;

3. Its essential to go for 'quality' whether going for aluminum or stainless steel. Do take seriously the fact that there is a lot of cheap 'rubbish' in the marketplace at the present. I warn you, if you buy cheap then you'll soon come to regret it!

4. When selecting a stockpot, particularly if buying a large one, ensure that its made from the highest standard of commercial grade stainless steel or aluminum appropriate for that size of pot; also make sure the same applies to the basket you buy to go with it;

5. Check your stock pot has an indention just below the top of the pot; this holds the basket off the bottom of the pot for when steaming;

6. Make sure you select a pot with a thick base; this is where you'll get wear, especially with poorer grade aluminum pots;

7. Make sure the lid fits well, which means snugly and tightly; and make sure the pot has a tidy rim that makes pouring easy;

8. Chose a stockpot with well designed, secure, good quality, spacious handles. Poor quality rivets & small handles are no good as you'll be lifting some very hot liquids bearing considerable weight!

9. Don't get hung up about the width versus height argument. Some say the height has to be greater than the width but, in all my outdoor cooking, with every conceivable size of stockpot, including the very largest of pots, which typically have a wider base than depth, I don't find any difference whatsoever in respect of the taste of the food that is served up. Indeed I would go for the counter argument for practical reasons. If you have a wider base, especially when you're cooking over a big flame outdoors you'll find it far easier to brown and to stir in a wider pot rather than in an overly tall pot;

10. Finally you won't find a good quality range of stockpots in the local hardware store. You might find one or two pots from one or two good brands but you're much better off going online and investigating the many great offers across the whole range of sizes that you'll find there. And whilst you might find some great brands and a good selection from each at a cookware specialty store you're likely to be paying far more than if you buy online.

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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Peanuts

By Ian Kleine

The other side of the economy of Georgia lies in the humble root crop that is the common peanut. Peanuts seem to be the most popular underground crop anywhere around the world. And there is no reason to doubt this information, as almost anyone in the world would have eaten at least a peanut during their lifetime, directly or indirectly. Peanuts have been making an impact in our lives ever since the industrial age.

Peanuts are said to have had the most uses for a plant, and the most number of dishes to be in. Peanuts, generally, are grown for consumption, but they can also be used for other non-food related industries.

In general, peanuts have made into peanut butter (which is the most popular of the bunch), salted peanuts (a good treat for movie-goers), peanut brittle (for those lonely, sad nights) and nuts that have been shelled.

Peanut butter is usually packaged off for general consumption with bread, whilst others would use it for general cuisine or some other uses (some of which are not for the edible reason). Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Quebec was the first to have a patent developed for this nutty butter that developed from heating peanuts until it has achieved a "fluid or semi-fluid state". Kellogg was the second one who achieved a patent for a variation of peanut butter, more commonly known as "nut-butter".

Salted peanuts are the more commonly seen variant than of peanut butter. Salted nuts are usually found in sidewalks, off in the movies or just plain hanging out. It has convenience and mobility (unlike the sticky peanut butter) so it sees more of the market than peanut butter. Salted peanuts are served in either plastic or paper bags, or for commercial exportation; in hermetically sealed cans. Dried peanuts are those that are usually sold and marketed in significant quantities.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Skinny On The Vegetable Diet Weight Loss Program

By Harriette Jenkins

If you've been trying to lose weight for some time then I'm sure you've fallen for some of the latest fad diets that have been saturating the market lately. Luckily, the vegetable diet weight loss program is not one of them - you will lose weight with this diet if you have the stomach to keep it up.

If you've been burned by all the crappy weight loss diets that are beamed through to you on your TV then I'm sure you're sceptical - don't be, you will see results.

Be warned though, unlike the vegetable diet weight loss program, most other diets that promise results without exercise will be a scam.

You know the ones I mean, those beautiful models on TV trying to sell you some weight loss equipment that will make you look gorgeous after only 10 minutes - don't you dare fall for it.

Far from a flash in the pan fad diet, the vegetable diet weight loss program will give you great weight loss results. If you can stomach just eating vegetables for a few days then you will lose some weight.

Of course, before starting any drastic diet like the vegetable diet weight loss program you simply must check in with your family doctor first. This is because your family doctor will be able to look into your medical history to make sure that there are no certain diets that you should be avoiding.

Your doctor will be able to guide you in the right direction as far as how many vegetables you should be eating and with what concoction of supplements and vitamins you should be taking them with to make sure your body gets the appropriate nutrients.

Listening to your doctor and following the advice is the only way to lose weight safely with your vegetable diet.

Need Some Extra Help?

Your doctor may be able to send you off in the right direction when starting your vegetable diet weight loss program, but nice times out of ten, he or she is not going to be around to hold your hand through the whole vegetable diet weight loss program adventure your beginning.

If you are one of the few who have great will power and can stick to just eating boring vegetables for a few days, then OK, but most of us need some external support.

If you feel that you are one of those people who need that extra concern and push throughout your weight loss diet, then seek that help.

There are plenty of weight loss diet programs and centers out there that you can sign up for that will advise on other foods you should be eating once you come off your strict vegetable diet weight loss program.

Weight loss centers like this will help you on your vegetable weight loss diet program as you can tell them what you are doing and they can help.

While this may seem like an embarrassing thing, it is really a motivator for some people to do their very best when on diets such as the vegetable diet weight loss program.

In short, the vegetable diet weight loss program will make you lose weight very fast indeed. But you can't keep an extreme diet like this up for very long. So check out your local weight loss meetings to keep the weight loss up for longer periods - good luck.

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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Setting the record straight - Coffee is Good for you!

By Brian Bainscott

Was your wrong? A Plethora of new medical studies shows Coffee may be a miracle beverage.

Did your mom tell you Coffee would stunt your growth? Mine did. I'm 6' 5" now. Maybe I didn't drink enough.

Generations of doctors and supposed health experts have been warning us of the evils of coffee. Coffee has been accused of slowing children's growth, causing cancer, and other maladies.

However, several recent studies have determined that coffee is good for you. Medical authorities like JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, have produced detailed studies showing coffee to be highly beneficial to your health.

Several studies have shown:

Drinking 6 to 8 cups of coffee each day can help protect you from Multiple Sclerosis.

* Drinking coffee every day helps to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

* Men who drink coffee lower their risk of Gallstone disease.

* Parkinson's Disease has a significantly lower occurrence in men who drink coffee.

* Abstinence from coffee leads to "a compression of mortality rather than an increase in lifespan." I.e., if you don't drink coffee you're likely to die sooner!

Is coffee bad for your health? Drinking a lot of coffee can be bad for you, but, drinking a lot of soda or fruit juice can be bad for you too. Coffee is acidic, and drinking too much can hurt your teeth. But, it's slightly more acidic than water, and not as acidic as fruit juice or milk. People who are pregnant, or have some specific medical problems may be advised to abstain from coffee, but for most people, a reasonable amount of approximately 300 mg, about 6 cups of coffee, is perfectly fine.

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Monday, April 20, 2009

Fast Diet

By Josh Dibbs

Almost everyone has tried a fast diet before.

Diets have been around forever and there are millions of them out there. The known best way to lose weight and prevent it from coming back is to do so naturally.

You might be tempted by surgery, weight loss pill and crazy supplements but those are temporary fixes to a permanent problem. To get the weight off and keep it off for good you need to do so by changing your lifestyle.

This isnt an overnight process but it is also not as long as some would like to believe. There are (2) two main ways to lose weight effectively, permanently, and naturally.

First is maintain a healthy diet and second is to form a properly organized exercise routine.

First we will start with how to eat healthy to lose weight. Water is more important than you might think in controlling weight gain. Water should be drunk regularly which helps hydrate your body while also keeping the stomach full to control appetite.

Also smaller meals must be eaten throughout the day especially if someone is trying to fast diet. Soda, fast foods, or anything that is high in calories or fat should be avoided.

Think of what you have eaten in the past 2 days, if you haven't had at least a serving of fruits and vegetable you are not eating a healthy diet. Also, make sure not to starve yourself because this will slow down your metabolism.

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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Green tea weight loss and health

By Foong

One of the healthiest drinks you should have at home is green tea. Although it may seem that all this hype about the benefits of green tea may seem to be just hype only, it is not because green tea is really healthy. There is a reason why this ancient Japanese tea has survived for centuries especially when it is one of the best kept health secrets of the Japanese. It seems that in recent times, research has shown that green tea is also good for weight loss, not only for health.

Green tea and weight loss are now synonymous. This miracle drink's weight loss benefits have been touted so much as being effective and good. So, anyone who is on a diet will surely add green tea into their list of drinks. That's not all, a lot of weight loss programs and diet plans have also incorporated green tea as one of the major beverage in the programs. It is better for you to be drinking green tea for weight loss than merely guzzling down plain water.

Green tea has become so popular in recent times because of its wonderful nutrients consisting of anti-oxidants and fat fighting agents. One of the easier and better ways to lose weight is to drink green tea daily. For those who balk at drinking the plain green tea, day in day out, be assured that there are now plenty of different flavored green tea to try out. Here are some of the benefits of green tea and why you should add it to your daily diet:

1.Green tea revs up your metabolic rate studies conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have shown that green tea extract could increase your metabolic rate by 4%. This is attributable to the catechin polyphenols found in the green tea.

2.Green tea blocks fat by regulating your blood glucose level. The same catechin also work to stop fat being absorbed by your body by slowing down the increase in blood sugar level after a meal, reduce insulin spikes and this work to reduce fat absorption.

3. Green tea also works to suppress your appetite just because it keeps your sugar level steady. With it regulating your sugar level, your sugar cravings are less and thus, you won't feel the urge to eat high fat and sweet food. You will also have less appetite which will result in you eating less. When you eat less, that means, less calories and ultimately, you lose weight.

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

My Favorite Cocktail

By Lisa Condrey

Everybody loves a good martini, they are cute and colorful yet pack a lot of punch. But what about creating the perfect martini, for yourself or party guest? Not everybody can afford a great bartender, so why not learn it yourself and impress your friends & family while you are at it?

No need to go to the bar, once you learn how to make them and for cheaper. And perhaps you could even start selling your recipes and make a side income with your new knowledge.

You can buy the shaker and glasses from most stores that sell house hold items. Make sure you keep a good stock for flavors, ice and alcohol. That way you don?t have to worry about not having the ingredients when you want to make them

These are a few of the items you will need. A Martini shaker and martini glasses are in order for you to make them. Don?t forget to keep them locked away from kids and pets

Don?t forget to ask your guest if they want it Shaken or Stirred? Some like it have it stirred instead of shaken, as they feel that shaken makes it bruised. So be sure to keep that in mind, as you make them.

Try out different types of alcohol and see which ones you prefer. With so many options out their, you may find a brand you like better than the others. Also try to mix flavors together and see where they leads you.

Put the ice in the martini shaker and pour some type vermouth in it. Shake well with ice and pour it into the glass and roll in it the glass to coat the inside well.

Pour gin and whatever you use to flavor them into martini shaker and shake hard to get it mixed and cooled. Pour all of it in martini shaker into the martini glass, including the ice and whatever else you put in it.

If you want to make a fun martini, you can find plenty of recipes online. Or perhaps you want to stick with the same classic martini that everybody loves and that is simple enough to make. Just look up or come up with your dream martini recipe and have fun.

Keep a record of all of your martini recipes and keep them jotted down in a notebook that you can keep in the kitchen. So when you have a party, you have your list right there.

Please drink responsibly when drinking any type of alcohol drinks.

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Friday, April 17, 2009

Bread Machine Mixes For Bread Making Machines.

By Marion Jones

Are bread machine mixes any good? Yes, some of them are, but the snag with all bread machine mixes is that they limit your choice and discourage your creative talents. That may sound a little harsh, but think about it for a while. If you depend on bread machine mixes you can only make the bread for which you can find a bread machine mix and you can only put the bread machine mix into the bowl and switch the bread making machine on. You are not encouraged to alter the bread machine mix for fear that it won't work.

OK, what is the alternative? Well, the old-fashioned cookbook, of course! Not any old recipe book, but a special bread making machine cookbook. Bread making is a very easy, but rather tedious process. The ingredients are ubiquitous, household items: water, flour, yeast, salt, sugar and oil. You already have those items in your kitchen|cupboard| with the probable exception of the yeast, which can be bought almost anywhere at minimal cost.

And you know what happens when you follow a recipe, don't you? You've read the recipe through and you know you have everything in the kitchen, but when the recipe calls for, say, currants, you open the cupboard door and see that you don't have any currants - they were sultanas! Oh, well you think, they'll do. You make do. You experiment. You are developing your skills and creativity. Bread making mixes cannot do that for you.

A good bread making machine cookbook will have well over 100 recipes originating from several countries and you will get really enthusiastic about trying the different ones out. Have you eaten Welsh bread - Bara Brith? Or Amish bread? Cajun bread or onion bread? Banana bread is lovely too, but one of my favourites is Brazil Nut Bread - absolutely scrumptious.

The fact is that you may not find recipes for all these breads in one recipe book, but if you have a safe starting point, like a bread recipe cookbook, you can begin by using previously tried and tested gourmet bread recipes and gradually develop your own - oftentimes because you have to.

I once made a fantastic loaf by adding all the left-over vegetables from my Sunday lunch. It was lovely, but I could never quite reproduce it, because I did not write down the weights and measures. I could only remember that it had green beans, potatoes and sweet corn in it!

Bread machine mixes will never in a million years give you that, will they? Furthermore bread machine mixes are fairly expensive compared to the cost of ten pounds. I usually vary the ingredients too: honey instead of sugar, milk instead of water, olive oil or butter instead of just corn oil. Rock salt instead of sea salt or visa versa. You get the picture.

Bread machine mixes are limited and limiting. A bread making machine is a great way to use up leftovers. I have even put meat and fruit in my gourmet bread. My principle is: if it'll go in a sandwich it'll go in the dough - like an Indian stuffed paratha or stuffed naan bread.

Save your money by not buying bread machine mixes and be creative with a bread machine recipes cookbook.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Home made dog food

By Jeff Dunham

How can you ensure that the dog food you feed your pet is safe? The best way is to consider making homemade dog food. Do not worry about recalls on spoiled dog food. Instead, you can know exactly what goes into your dogs food by mixing foods on your own.

When you make homemade dog food for your pet, you will need to add meat, starchy foods and vegetable into the mix. The most basic meals have meat, rice and carrots or other vegetables. If your dog deserves a gourmet treat, use tasty meats and a variety of vegetables along with potatoes and rice. Just be certain that every meal contains starches, vegetables and a meat product.

Dogs love kidney and liver meats as well as turkey, chicken and beef. Rice, pasta, potatoes and other carbohydrates are the tastiest for your pooch. Carrots, celery and any number of vegetables will work well in the homemade dog good you make for your pet. Just do not forget to have starches, meat and veggies in every homemade dog food mix.

You will want to cook meat products before you mix them with other ingredients to make your homemade dog food. Many recipes call for you to mix all ingredients together and then cook or bake them for awhile. Think of it as making a casserole for supper, the only difference is this meal is for your pooch not your family.

Homemade dog food can be made by purchasing a book with recipes for homemade pet foods. You can also use the internet in order to locate an assortment of recipes so that you can prepare safe and healthy meals for your pet from home.

Your dog can gain many healthful benefits from homemade dog food. You can protect your dog from chemicals used to process dog food that is available in stores. In addition, you can help to avoid bacteria and other dangers that can find their way to dog food in stores. You should talk to your dogs veterinarian before you start to make their homemade dog food.

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Make your Own Pancake Mix

By James S. Garret

These days everyone is busy. Most people have to wake up early for work or school and have barely any time, if any at all to have any kind of breakfast, let alone a big fancy breakfast. We just don't have time for it.

What if you would love to wake up one morning to a huge, delicious breakfast? Maybe some warm, delicious pancakes? Can you really have these delicious pancakes when you are so press for time?

If you don't have much time to cook in the morning, you can cut back on the time it takes to make pancakes by using pancake mix. It cuts out an entire step of measuring out all the dry ingredients and you don't even have to mix them together.

You can also give pancake mix as a gift. It is perfect for when you have to get a gift for someone and you don't know what to get. Sometimes you need to get a gift for someone that you barely know or for someone that has everything already and you don't know what possibly they would like.

Food makes a great gift for when you don't know what to get because you just can't go wrong with food. Everybody has to eat and once the food is eaten, it is gone. They don't have to find a place to put it.

If you are going to use pancake mix or want to give it as a gift, you have two options. You can either go to the store and pick it up, or you can make your own. Making your own can be fun, but it defeats the purpose if you make your own and then use it 5 minutes later. Make it beforehand and have it ready for when you need it.

How do you make pancake mix? It's very simple. You could find a recipe for pancake mix, or you could just use a regular basic pancake recipe. Just measure out all the dry ingredients and that becomes your mix.

Put the mix into a jar and then attach a recipe card to the jar with the rest of the instructions. Give it as a gift, or store it in the cupboard for later use. You can even add nuts or chocolate chips to the mix, if you'd like.

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

You Can't Screw Things Up As Fast As Your Company Does

By Mike Satterwaitte

I do sometimes worry about the state of restaurant leadership these days I do believe, a substantial number of restaurant managers and employees that take pride in their work, excel at service and believe that they serve the best damn fajitas this side of de Nile. Some do it because they have a great work ethic, some because of their innate sense of competition with each other, and still others, of a desire to just make people happy.

Those that exemplify the highest ideals, elevate their performance because they have to, or its simply how they pay the bills, maintain friends and customers- and keep their job. but, as often happens in the corporate world, the economy takes a turn for the worse, some bad deals are done, prices skyrocket, leadership changes, competition gets tougher or the Vice President of Operations French Fry rebate check bounces. For whatever reason, companies decide to, or are put into a position to, run the prices up/cut corners, and raise additional funds from one area, in order to funnel into another. When this happens, it usually comes from the biggest operations costs: utilities, food and beverages, and the payroll. These areas affect us - the restaurant managers and employees.

Why mess with our world? Small increases in price or pocket change saved here or there, multiplied times many customers, and again by many units, result in piles of money. Did you really think that the chain restaurant upper management was going to give up their spa memberships? stock options? Tee times at the times in preparation for the fall charity fundraiser especially you need them most? A good sign that youre in this savings vortex is a company-wide, new-found awareness of utility waste. The temperature is warmer/cooler than it used to be, managers are bugging everybody about lighting and equipment turn on schedules, manager bonuses are impacted based upon the increase in rolls of toilet paper used this year to date verses last. Not to worry. These symptoms only last about a month or two at tops.

You may notice menu or portion resizing tricks, garnishes no longer being necessary, (I heard parsley futures will be hit hard this season) changes from linens and glassware to paper products, cleaning and armored car services - even doing away with those mints at the front desk that you swore that youd stop eating in this New Years Resolution. A big labor crunch, cutting service levels to the bone (my favorite increasing restaurant managers hours to work in an hourly position) and pushing heart-of-the-house crews to the limit, mean theres not much imagination behind this drive for the dollars. Shortcuts in cleaning regimen and training standards show that restaurant business principles arent cost effective anymore, and the leadership is willing to sacrifice the future business for quick results. All of these measures lead to a lowering of standards once preached by the very same entities that now fear for their own personal money and continued employment. If they visit your locale, be very afraid. Theyre dangerous when its their own club membership on the butchers block.

So, when your guests start to complain, a cook, dishwasher or bartender walks out because of the increased workload, the climate control is whacked out and the boss has eaten all of the good painkillers from the first aid kit, (I recommend pain-aid it is loaded with caffeine) and you are suffering withdrawal symptoms due to an absence of reasonable standards. The companys current fear crisis is deemed more important than its once lofty mission and vision statement (because it is only for a short time until the economy bounces back).

A chain restaurant focused purely on cost cutting measure to please the investors for this quarter (Typically the path of least resistance) causes the restaurant employees and managers to bend, break or reinterpret the rules gradually, over a longer period of time. The companys money crunch then becomes much more rapid, and therefore, much more noticeable. Replacing quality experienced trained staff with cheaper becomes acceptable, accelerating the guests perception and reality of the lowered standards.

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Disney Princess Baby Shower Themes For the New Little Princess

By Edie Mindell

If you are having a baby girl, what better theme is there for your baby shower than throwing a Disney Princess themed baby shower! Every baby girl is a little princess in mommy and daddys eyes; therefore, a Disney Princess baby shower will be perfect for any baby girl shower! This theme is most suitable for an all girls baby shower because of its ultra feminine essence. Both delicate and girly, a Disney Princess baby will be a hit with all your friends.

Decorations will not be hard to find at all; you should be able to get a hold of infinite Disney decorations. From balloons to banners, party dcor stores always carry a variety of Disney items. Tiaras and wands are cute party favors that youll be sure to find in most stores. These will make all your girlfriends feel like princesses! For prizes, you can purchase sashes and crowns, and crown the winners of the game as queens. Pink and light purple tablecloths are ideal for this theme, and make sure to have wonderful, magical centerpieces in the middle of each table.

Pink is the color of femininity and purple is symbolic for royalty; these colors together make the perfect Disney princess combination! For centerpieces, a great choice is to go to the Disney store and buy different types of large snow globes featuring the various Disney princesses. These also make fabulous prizes that everyone would love to take home. For less expensive centerpieces, you can make princess baskets. You can do this by purchasing pretty baskets and filling them with Disney princess items and candy.

Adorn the party space with Disney princess balloons and streamers. If you can find one, a castle background or mural that you can post up on a wall would be a great addition to the dcor; it would also be a great place to take pictures in. You might be able to find one in party dcor stores or toy stores, but your best bet might be to look for one online.

For food choices, you can do many things. One of them is to set up a variety of tea party style of foods. Tea sandwiches, mini quiches, pastries, clairs, and other delicacies would work for this option. You can also serve a variety of fine appetizer and entree foods like caviar and shrimp, to create a more restaurant style catering. The food choices are really up to you, and of course, it also depends on the number of guests that will be attending your baby shower, and on the type of atmosphere you want to create.

It is also important to set the atmosphere with music. Disney sells a variety of movie soundtracks that will make your guests feel like they are actually in a Disney movie. Music is an essential element for creating a desired atmosphere, and Disney has some great tunes that are fun and uplifting. A Disney Princess baby shower will be fun and exciting for you and all your guests!

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Sunday, April 12, 2009

How to Protect Your Corn Against Insects

By Matthew James

Insects pose the number one threat to your corn. After you have done all that work to plant your corn, once it starts growing, it will attract insects who will eat it and lay eggs inside it. This will ruin your crop. You want to make sure you follow these tips so that you safeguard your corn against insects and don't lose one husk to these predators.

The three primary pests that threaten to destroy your crop are animals, insects and diseases. Make sure you examine your corn plants at regular intervals for danger of infestation. Corn earworms are also pests that you need to watch out for and they usually have an affinity for sweet corn that they attack consistently every year. Moths deposit eggs on the leaves near the ear that grow into tiny caterpillars. The worms tend to feed on the tip of the ear. Nothing can be controlled once the worm enters the inside of the protective husk covering and the damage is inflicted.

To keep the earworms from entering the trip of the husk, you can wrap a rubber band around the tip of the ear or attach a clothespin after the corn silk appears. This won't harm your plant and will also keep the earworms out so that you don't lose your crop. Earworms can spread rapidly and we want to minimize their harm.

Next, make sure you spray an insecticide over your crop. The one that is used the most is called BT or Bacilulus Thuringiensis. This attacks and kills the larva of the insects before they mature. Like all chemical sprays, get all the safety information before you use it at your local shop. If you use too much, the corn will be too poisonous and not safe for human consumption. If you use too little, you won't kill the insect.

While planting corn seeds, a seed insecticide must be sprayed that will provide moderate protection against infestations of black cutworms, by undertaking all the necessary measures to protect your corn from the attack of any insects will result in more corn yields with less loss due to feeding damage by insects. Once the insects have infected the ear of the corn, the damage has been done and at that junction there is no reverse route. Your corn is destroyed and cannot be picked for eating purposes. This leads to loss and low corn yields thus spoiling the harvest for that year. A collaborative effort with innovative solutions to keep insects at bay will protect your corn not only form insects but allow it to thrive as well.

There are many ways to protect your corn against insects. Careful use of natural and chemical deterrents will keep your crop safe from insects and pest so that it grows to maturity and harvested in its entirety. Be vigilant and watch your crop carefully so you can get pest before they spread to any corn. Careful watching will ensure your crop stays safe.

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Saturday, April 11, 2009

Simple Dinner Menus With Meatless Options

By Meshel Nosak

With the best of resources and a good idea of what for Veggie lover likes to eat, creating one family meal for everyone in the household is now an option. Using meat free substitutions when preparing your dinner menu's has never been easier.

I take my ideas for a simple dinner meal and give it some meat free appeal. There are so many meatless products on the market today that can give you the texture and taste of meat without the animal by-product.

When I grocery shop for 1 lb of meat the list will also include a meatless product like tofu. If I'm making hamburgers for dinner then I also purchase a package of veggie burgers.

Adjusting your meal planning for dinner to include meat free options can now be easy. If your looking for a new way to get your family to try new veggies then let me suggest preparing a meatless main dish for dinner and simply serve meat on the side if necessary. This is a great way to start eating healthier for everyone in the household not just the vegetarian.

This list gives you some simple meatless substitutions to use in some of the most popular traditional dinner meals:

BBQ Sandwiches - yep good 'old BBQ sandwiches are easy, cheap and can feed both kinds of eaters

*Meatless option - tofu fried

*Meat options - shredded chicken or beef

Homemade Pizza - I just love meal idea without meat but I'll include my families favorite toppings

*Veggie eater - mushrooms, green pepper, onions, olives and the list goes on and on

*Traditional Version - all the yummy veggies and ham, pepperoni and sausage

Family Spaghetti - a quick dinner idea for any household

*Meatless options - tons of veggies, a favorite sauce and don't skimp on the cheese

*Meat Options - add homemade meatballs to the meatless option

Hamburgers - the most popular all American dinner idea

*Meat free version - veggie burger from the store or a recipe using lentils instead of meat

*Meat eater - a regular hamburger patty cooked to perfection

A Pasta Dinner - a simple traditional family favorite meal and it's inexpensive

*Meat free version - choose your favorite noodle and sauce and load on the cheese

*Meat options - add some sausage and red sauce or chicken and white sauce to the noodle of your choice

These are just a few of the ideas you can use when creating one meal for 2 types of eaters. Don't be afraid to experiment with those family favorite meals, you never know it just might become the next great meals.

You have access to more meatless meal ideas that you know. The internet is a great place for vegetarian food tips. Read those cookbooks in the cupboard, see how simple it can be to create meat free versions of favorite recipes and finally Visit your local health food store for more meal ideas you can create without using meat.

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Fitness Tips - Weight Loss Pills: Should You Use Them

By Gregor Mahrer

Have you been trying to lose weight with the use of exercise and healthy eating? If you have, have you still been coming up short on your weight loss goal? If you have, you may be interested in seeking help through the use of weight loss products, videlicet weight loss pills. Although you may be thinking about giving weight loss pills a chance, you may be wondering if you should.

These questions can help you truly determine if weight loss pills are right for you. A few of the many questions that you may want to ask yourself, concerning weight loss pills, are outlined below.

One of the many questions that you will want to ask yourself is if you have really tired losing weight. Losing weight ?naturally,? often involves exercise and healthy eating. Have you been exercising? Exercising can involve visiting your local fitness center, putting an exercise video in your DVD player, or something as simple as taking a nightly walk. Eating healthy involves cutting all sweets from your diet or at least significantly reducing them. If you haven?t taken these steps yet, you may want to first try losing weight naturally. If that doesn?t work, weight loss diet pills may be something for you to consider.

Although there are a number of reasons for weight gain, one of the most common reasons involves eating too much food. If you regularly find yourself eating more food than you should or more food than you need to, why do you think that you do so? Are you just eating because you are bored or does your body sense that you are hungry? This is important question that you need to answer, as many weight loss pills are designed to suppress your hunger. While this can help many individuals reduce the amount of food that they eat and the number of calories they take in, it will only help you if you think that your body is telling you that you are still hungry. If you are what is commonly referred to as a ?bored eater,? there is a good chance that you will still continue to eat.

When examining the cost of weight loss pills, you will find that they are sold for a wide range of prices. Although it is important to make sure that you can afford the cost of weight loss pills, it is important that you do not comprise quality for costs. If you cannot afford the weight loss pills that come highly rated and recommend, you may just end up wasting your money on weight loss pills that may not necessarily work. That is why it is advised that you consult with your doctor or search for weight loss diet pill reviews online, before making any purchases.

The above mentioned questions are just a few of the many that you may want to ask yourself, before you automatically go out and buy weight loss pills for yourself. As a reminder, it is important that you do the proper amount of research before you buy weight loss pills, should you decide to do so. Weight loss diet pills are not all created equally; therefore, they have varying results.

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Thursday, April 9, 2009

How To Make Good Coffee

By Corey Dell

I'm sure that you've had good coffee and bad coffee and maybe you haven't even had a good cup of coffee because you are so used to the bad stuff you do not know the difference. Let's just say that when you finally have that good cup of coffee, you will be amazed.

A lot of people who are looking to create the best cup of coffee first look at the actual blend and brand that they are using. This may be a good thing to look at but really the first thing that you should analyze is the water that you are using to brew the coffee. Good clean water, even bottled, makes all the difference. After all, a cup of coffee is made up mostly of water.

If you do not want to use bottled water, there are good water filters available now that will make the water completely perfect for brewing coffee. The most important thing is that you have to have the water free of any minerals, impurities and other things that would affect the coffee. Also, the fresher the water is, the better the coffee.

The coffee machine that you decide on should be as clean as possible. Any old coffee grounds and other things from prior uses will harm the taste. A dirty coffee maker will make a dirty coffee.

The next thing to look at is the coffee itself. Always choose the best coffee that you can afford in whole bean form and keep them in an airtight container or bag.

Using whole bean and grinding it yourself is better because the coffee oils in the bean are releases just before brewing. Pre-gound coffees have had a chance to sit in its ground state and the oils tend to dry up this way. If you must use preground, which I admit is more convenient, make sure it is stored in an air tight container as well. Whole coffee beans will also stay fresher a lot longer as long as they are stored properly. Never store coffee in a fridge or freezer.

When grinding the beans, only grind what you need for that time. Always ensure that you maintain and clean your coffee grinder as well.

Different types of coffee machines perform best with the specific sizes of grinds that they need. Make sure to adhere to instructions on coffee machines that you use and pay attention to what they say. This will make a big difference in the taste of your brew.

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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

What is in a Typical Mexican Meal?

By KC Kudra

Mexican cuisine is known for its colorful presentation and healthy qualities. Home to the Aztecs, Mayans and Zapotecs, Mexico developed a strong agricultural civilization early. They grew many foods like avocados, peppers, beans, corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. They hunted for deer, turkey, rabbit, and quail. Chocolate is grown in Mexico, and was originally served as a drink to Aztec royalty.

When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they brought their favorite foods with them. Pork, beef, cheese, and cream were added and combined with the native foods. The Spanish brought sheep, chickens, wheat, and sugar. Three hundred years later when Spain finally gave up control of Mexico, their influence on Mexican food was well established.

A major component of the typical Mexican meal is corn. Masa, or cornmeal, is made into dough that is then used for empanadas, tamales, and tortillas. Corn is also used in stews, soups, and other traditional foods. In northern Mexico, tortillas are usually made of flour instead of corn. Chili peppers also are an important staple in the Mexican diet. They frequently choose jalapeno, Serrano and poblano chilies.

Beans are an important part of Mexican cuisine and it provides a lot of protein. Each region has their own favorite bean. For instance, pinto beans are favored in the north, while black beans are the bean of choice on the Yucatan. Beans are used in soups, as side dishes like frijoles, and as filling.

Other regional favorites in Mexico include beef in the north, due to the vast grazing lands; coffee and corn stew on the Pacific Coast; and seafood, fish and tropical fruits on the Gulf Coast. Central Mexico has the most Spanish influence due to the fact that this is where most of the Spanish settled. The Yucatan Peninsula is known for its shellfish, seafood, and black beans. Herbs are used all over Mexico.

If you want to try making an authentic Mexican meal at home, there are many recipes online to try. Mexican rice recipe are easy and delicious. They are a good dish to start out with. Once you have tried making rice (arroz in Mexico), you will find yourself adding it to your menu frequently.

Do not be afraid to experiment and try new things. A new variety of bean may add a different texture or flavor to your meal. Serve tortillas and salsa with a meal, or try something completely new like ceviche. Even the kids can get busy in the kitchen and make quesadillas or tacos.

For something different, try a Mexican breakfast. Mix some tropical fruit in a bowl for an easy meal. Scramble some eggs and salsa for heurvos rancheros. Alternatively, you can top a tortilla with an egg and add some bacon or ham, chilies, tomatoes and cheese. Serve it with some refried beans for a traditional breakfast.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Free Rapid Weight Loss Tips - Don't Believe the Hype

By Peggy Armstrong

Have you ever noticed that some of the most popular free rapid weight loss tips are not free at all?

When people are looking for free rapid weight loss tips they will usually look to the things that they refer to most often. For most people this is either the television or the newspaper.

But often times these flashy ads that promise free rapid weight loss tips are not being straight with us. What they are really offering are a bunch of cleverly constructed marketing campaigns dressed up as free weight loss advice.

You have to be sure that even the most seemingly credible testimonials aren't being paid a load of money to promote a certain product. Restaurants are sometimes guilty of this, they pay someone who has lost a lot of weight recently to say that it was their product, food, or service that gave them such spectacular results.

This average Joe then goes on a whirlwind tour telling every form of media that will listen that they lost all their weight just from eating a certain kind of sandwich or something.

But savvy marketers know, more often than not, what is not mentioned is the amount of exercise that person had to also do to get the kind of results being touted all over town.

So despite what you've heard, if you're looking for free rapid weight loss tips then don't be fooled. You will need to do more than just eat a load of fat free sub sandwiches to get the kind of results you're after.

Don't believe that water is your golden ticket to weight loss heaven either I'm afraid.

Free rapid weight loss tips are often provided by companies that are just trying to sell more of their stuff. And the rumour that water will make you lose all the weight you want was of course started by all the bottle water companies trying to sell more.

Drinking water will help you lose the water weight you gain from drinking all that water if that makes any sense at all.

Everyone Wants A Piece Of The Action

In the end when it comes to free rapid weight loss tips you have to do what is best for you.

Sporting goods companies will tell you that more exercise is the way to go because that means you will buy more equipment.

Farmers markets will tell you to eat your 5 a day to lose weight quickly so they can sell you more fruit - it's pretty obvious.

So check with your doctor if someone tries to give you free rapid weight loss tips that you are a little concerned about as they will give you the straight dope.

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Monday, April 6, 2009

Do You Wish Your Kids Would Cook More. Teach Them To Cook Homemade Candy.

By Peter Bertonich

School holidays have arrived, the kids are home. But occasionally mom isn't quite so delighted. What are you going to do with the kids? How will you keep them entertained? Teach them to make homemade candy.

There aren't many people who don't like candy, homemade candy especially. And the kids love making it and eating the results too. It's not that hard to make candy if you choose one of the easier recipes and the kids will enjoy the process.

Last night I spent the evening making candy with my kids. They loved it and you should have seen them lick out the bowl. They could hardly wait till it was ready to eat.

I really think it's important to get the kids cooking early. The earlier the better. They will start to enjoy the results and the process and start learning some skills. And making homemade candy is the very best place to start.

And it seems to me that the art of cooking is slowly declining. I believe that they are even making new homes now with no kitchen. But it's sad to think that so many kids will never learn the joy of a family day spent with everyone in the kitchen.

But there's a few things to remember. Always allow plenty of time because cooking with kids always involves more time than you imagine. And you will always have mess, that comes with the territory. Kids must make mess to cook it seems, so you'll have to clean up later.

And remember the golden rule. Always cook double the recipe, because if it's good then everyone wants some and you run out so fast you'll be cooking some more again tomorrow.

And it's not just the kids that love homemade candy. It makes a fine gift for friends and family, and it's something that the kids can give that they really did make themselves. And grandma will just love getting candy from the grandkids.

So if you've got kids, and you're looking for good ideas for things to do in the school holidays, get them making some homemade candy. It starts them off learning a skill they'll use all their life, the skill of cooking.

So get the kids making candy and into the kitchen. But remember, don't eat all the candy in one go like the kids and I did last night.

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Sunday, April 5, 2009

History of Wisconsin Cheese

By Ian Kleine

A year after, most cheese makers from other states and other countries had adopted Wisconsin as their new home. This continuous supply of man power, both in physical labor, experience and innovation, had kept the Wisconsin cheese industry continuing strong. Most of these men were Europeans, some French and most were cheese makers by trade. Their work ethics, determination, ambition, love for cheese, family secrets and recipes, unique tastes and techniques all fused and combined with those of the Wisconsin cheese makers, making some of the world's finest and celebrated cheeses of our time.

Swiss cheese makers had created the first batches of Swiss cheeses in Wisconsin. Italians made with flavor and depth, bringing in recipes of Gorgonzola, Mozzarella and that of Provolone. The English folks gave Cheddar, a robust flavored cheese. The Dutch contributed the recipes for Edam Cheese and Gouda. The French, Camembert and Brie, equally soft cheeses. Brick cheese and Colby cheese were some of the original cheeses created by the Wisconsin folk.

At present, from the original less than three thousand factories, the number was somewhat fluctuating with the combining and splitting of companies of different cheese makers. The dairy farms, however, was a different story. Milk will always have a strong base in Wisconsin, and thanks to milk, the cheese industry will stay strong.

At least fifteen thousand dairy farms exist today, providing the core ingredient for cheese-making. Dairy farms, maintained with milk by one million two hundred thousand strong cows, produce an average eighteen thousand pounds of quality milk. A lot of these are used for cheese making as well, approximately 90 percent of the value, with over one hundred fifteen plants processing and manufacturing cheese at a commercial level.

Wisconsin also strives to maintain and uphold this tradition, employing universities to teach cheese making courses, as well as cheese making licenses. At least over two billion pounds of cheese are produced per year, supplying America's demand for quality cheese.

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Saturday, April 4, 2009

How to Taste Wine

By Ian Kleine

Wine testing is a very rewarding experience for those who glorify and for those who mine wine their life. However, it is not the simple matter of indulging your thirst and outright chugging the whole thing down like water. Wine should be treated like ambrosia: precious liquid that should be served and drunk sparingly and with utmost responsibility. Wine represents art, represents food and drink, represents happiness and culture. In short, wine represents the good things of life and possibly more.

There are a select number of ways to enjoy wine tasting and to get the best out of your money. But what are these steps? Try and follow these to make sure your wine tasting excursion doesn't end up in a blunder or in a foul setting. Most wine newbies often leave and desist from taking on another wine excursion if they have had bad experiences with the first.

Firstly, observe the wine with a steady and sharp eye. Pour the wine into the glass and observe the coloration. Watch as it morphs and changes its intensity with every gentle swirl of your glass. Contrast the wine with the pure white color of a tablecloth, a napkin, or a piece of paper, to see the true essence of the wine.

Observe the lines and the patterns revolving around the glass. White wine becomes deeper, darker with age; while red wines soften, lose their sharp redness and turn a bit more brown. Sediments may develop over time, but these sediments are harmless, and if nothing more but simple nuisances. Swirling the wine could also help with catching preliminary odors that could be tell tale signs for spoiled, or re-corked wine.

You would know what re-corked wines would smell like especially after a good swirling. It has already lost its fruitiness, has an oxidized smell, and oftentimes, feels 'rough' to the tongue.

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Friday, April 3, 2009

How Do Large Companies Make Chocolate

By Colin Joss

Any idea how chocolate is manufactured by large companies? What they require is capital, all the good quality equipment and obviously the ingredients.

As we all know that the there are not many places on the earth where the cocoa tree is being found these companies have to move as far as to South America, the ivory coast and if possible even to deep jungles of Ghana because deep in these jungles is what they want.. "The Cocoa tree"

The Cacao trees grow a fruit that has white pulp and seeds varying from 20-40. The pulp is trashed while the seeds are the cocoa beans.

After the beans are taken out, they are treated in the process of fermentation. This process makes the shells hard, develop the flavor of cocoa and the beans get darken up which over all takes a week. Once its all done they are delivered to the chocolate factory for further manufacturing.

Since companies that import cocoa beans order these in vast quantities, it is more practical to transport these back to the US by ship than by air. Once they reach the dock, it is then transferred to rail road cars on the way to the factory so they can be cleaned and stored.

Chocolates as we know taste different and this is depends on the country of origin of the beans. The first step in converting these into chocolate is to roast these in large revolving roasters at high temperatures.

Then the shell of the cocoa is removed by a specially designed hulling machine. The content inside the bean in called NIB. This is that part of the bean which is required for the making of chocolate.

The next step is to turn the nibs into its liquid form. This process is known as milling and to give you that added taste, other ingredients are added and these include chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and milk.

What really is chocolate liquor? It is a simple combination of milk and sugar. The end product of this coarse brown powder called a chocolate crumb. As for the milk, it is taken from farms where the milk is tested, pasturized, Uht Treated and then this milk is being mixed together with sugar to form a thick liquid material.

Afetr this is done, cocoa butter is thrown into it to bring out the taste and the rich creamy look of the chocolate. After this another machine which is known as steel rollers grind and refine the mixture to make it much more smoother

After all that, the mixture becomes a thick liquid often referred to as chocolate paste. Since there still may be some gritty particles, it is placed inside another machine called the conche for 24 to 72 hours.

When the paste has been smoothened, this is the time that the liquid chocolate is poured into the mold. The process is very fast inside a factory as some produce about a thousand of these a minute that is something that can never be done manually. If the chocolate comes in many varies, this is also the time that almonds and peanuts are added.

In the machine, air bubbles are removed so the chocolate is able to settle evenly. They then make their way through a cooling tunnel so the liquid chocolate is turned into a solid candy bar.

Lastly, it is wrapped up, put in boxes and delivered to the stores. They are available to be sold now.

Customers then buy these off the shelf and then enjoy its yummy taste without ever thinking for one moment how do large companies make chocolate.

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Making Chocolate and the Right Way to Market Your Biz

By Colin Joss

In this whole universe there is a next to impossiblity that there is a person who does not like chocolates as its a sweet that is being liked by each and every person around the globe and that is why its business has got such a boom. If you are known to the ways of making chocolates you can also earn profits.

Well marketing this treat is really very easy as you will find people who oves to have it every where. Now the thing you must emphasis on is how to do marketing that is most beneficial in your regard.

Great 4 Ps of every marketing:

Consider this strategy when you are on the planning stage of your sweets biz. If you are just starting out and just want to make extra income through the product that you will also enjoy, here's a brief explanation of this concept.

Product

Your product is the first P. You need to know all about your product that is your chocolate. So you can explain your targeted market good things about your chocolate and how is it different from others.

It will be a good idea if you spend some time researching about the scientific and historical background of the treat. Focus on what you can and then what are you going to sell. You may focus on a specific type of chocolate.

Place

Where are you located? Who lives in your neighborhood? And how often do you think they will buy? You have to think about those things to be able to plan out accordingly what will be a big hit for these people. You must give them what they are looking for. You must present them with new ideas that you are very sure that they will like.

It is a good thing that you are from the area. You no longer have to resort on hiring people to do a market analysis to know who these people are. Just spread your wings and increase your public relations. This will also increase the probability that these people are going to buy from you.

Price

The price must not be set so high that most people will not buy it. To know the right price for you, you have to know about your competitors. For this you just have to buy their products and know the prices. Your strategies must be close to theirs. People look for products that are of good quality and not too expensive to buy.

Promotion

Whatever your business is small or big, if you dont promote your business, you should not even expect your business will survive for a long time! For a wonderful beginning you can start promoting by the speaking yourself. To avail this, you must start with a good product. In beginning, give those all to the customers for few days. If you are sure and confident that the product what you are going to sell is good, people will also accept it surely. Your customers will be a wonderful source for your free advertising!

Make your name as a well know chocolate maker in the industry by taking interest in your biz and focus on generating reasonable profit by selling quality products. You not only have to stay in the competition but also make a good reputation so people will have trust on you and will look forward to your upcoming products as well. When you have the trust of general public, the market truly belongs to you. Keep coming up with different set of ideas. Give new tastes to the people by using your creativity effectively.

In time, you will find your niche. You never know, your hobby can turn into one money-making road to your own success.

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Removing Red Wine Stains

By Kim Masters

A red wine stain on the brand new carpet? What can be done about this? When this happens, every thought will be running through your head. You see your friends coming in and seeing the big red stain on your carpet. Perhaps a repairer comes in and he can't help but notice it. You don't want people to walk into your house and think that you are clumsy, when it is a known fact that sometimes accidents happen.

Firstly, we have to clear up a rumor. There are much more effectives ways of removing the stain. One of these ways is to put ice on the area immediately after it happens. You should place it on the spill quickly so that the wine doesn't have time to soak in. Wait for the ice to melt about halfway and then clean the area with your standard rug cleaner.

The best solution to clear carpet stains will also work on table cloths, clothing and what ever surface which you might get a red wine stain on. It is easy to do, just take a small amount of hydrogen peroxide and dish soap and pour it or spray it on the stain. You can also substitute the soap for something like Woolite. Please take note that peroxide is a bleaching agent and it can bleach your clothes and carpet, so ensure that you test a small amount of the solution on an area before applying elsewhere.

If you're worried that the peroxide solution will bleach your carpet, then you can still rely on the ice remedy, but it is important that the ice remedy is used immediately after the spill, or the stain removal will not be successful. If it is not successful, make sure you are careful with the peroxide and soap solution.

If you're uncomfortable with a home solution, you may find carpet cleaner liquids that can clean your stains. Some of these liquids can be found at your local supermarket. You may also rent steam cleaning machines to clean the carpet and remove the stains. But if the stains are too severe, you may consider hiring a carpet cleaning service to clean the stains for you.

Carpet cleaning companies employ very effective ways to get rid of wine or any stains in your carpet. That is when you might as well have them do a complete service for all the upholstery in your house. But if you do not want to use these services, then you can clean off the stains yourself with items from your home. Just make sure when that glass is just crashing to the floor, that you have an ice cube and your carpet cleaner ready at hand. In other words, be prepared with ice and cleaner when red wine is being consumed near or on your carpets. Be even more prepared when everyone is situated around the coffee table.

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