Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Meal Delivery Services - Provide healthy food cooked at home at your feet

With our lives more and more popular every day there is hardly time in the kitchen and cook some good meals. The only time we can squeeze out of our packed schedule to make short stops for snacks readily available. But then, this fast food with their health. So even if eating is a rapid response to the hungry stomach is not really a healthy choice.

Yes, these days, meal delivery providers to adopt allovermake healthy homemade meals at your feet. Most of these companies also offer their services online. You can easily place an ad on television to the Internet, or listen to the radio.

While some programs are national meal delivery, there are some that are strictly regional. Most of these operate in a similar manner in which the customer only needed to heat the food before eating. Some also offer fresh produce, gourmet meals, and frozen products.

These servicesstrictly meet the homes and offices. However, there are some that have windows where you can actually go browse through the entries and pick your choice. The rates for these services are very different and most of these companies offer packages for regular meals, such as weekly and monthly plans.

What makes these services other than meals from restaurants or fast food stop:


They provide nutritious meals prepared in the style of the house.
The food is prepared and packagedhygienic.
They allow you to store different choices and meal of your choice for a number of occasions.
They also offer a special catering service for diabetics, weight-conscious customers, health and elderly patients.
Most services offer discounts, coupons, and various other promotions for repeat customers.
You can not only deliver food to your door, but you can also 'good meals wishes to friends, family and relatives.
Meal Delivery Servicesbe done, to send delicious gourmet meals created for other special occasions such as birthday, anniversary, thank you, sympathy, housewarming, holidays and so on.
Some meal delivery service companies also offer free shipping within the same country.

Whether for breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner, these sites are ready for fresh and frozen foods home cooked food delivery 24x7. Yes, you can dial up to the nearest food delivery service and order something from steaks, vegetables,chocolate cakes and wine, coffee and lobsters.

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Secure Online Backup storage plan

Data backup, data backup, blah, blah, blah ...

I know you feel sick, but everybody needs to take medicine.

There are many great ways to get copies of important data to store, archive, but only once a part of a truly ideal solution.

To ensure a real plan to back up your data, you must have at least 2 backups in different locations to have. Depending on how important your data is to maintain your lifestyle, you may need to go beyondthat.

If your first line of defense, must rely on online backup storage.

To complete your plan you also need a copy also to store redundant data in at least one other place.

What I mean is that having one of the following methods duplication of data to add to your strategy for sealing:

1. Store your data on an external hard drive or jump

Why is one thing to remember and do, it's hard enough to weave into your routine. But for little money you can jump in and drive a backup of critical data there.

You can do the same with a plug and play external hard drive, Seagate as a replica or something similar.

To work as a strategy redundant, you still jump or somewhere remote from you to the store - the home of a friend or neighbor, or at work.

2. Use two business online backup storage

Sign up online for 2Companies like Mozy and Carbonite example.

In this way you have remote copies of files, etc., are stored in two different places.

3. If you use Outlook, save the email in Gmail, your photos in iPhoto

If your e-mail is the most important thing you have is a piece of cake to synchronize Outlook with Gmail and automatic backup of all emails in the cloud.

You can also back up your photos in iPhoto for free, with an Apple account.

Back up your data in 2 waysis the ultimate backup plan. With the most points at various locations will earn almost certain that your data is available to you, whatever happens.

A redundant backup strategy does not cost much at all, but gives you peace of mind that your data will be there when you need it.

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Monday, September 27, 2010

Holiday Birthday Party Bouncer for the perfect birthday

Planning a birthday party for children means things that will be present to have fun and keep them busy between gifts, cakes, ice cream and the activities of a party.

One is that a shot is a perfect bounce birthday party rental, this is a house, a castle, slide or jump house is made of colored vinyl and nylon. The sections of these structures are air-filled rooms, no bumps bruises, cuts, abrasions or sharp edges, or any other meansother parts of the conventional type of game construction sets.

This is fun for children, adults and children, because they are not only big, but they are also long enough for the big guy. The hardest part about a birthday party bounce rental of fun filled the air, the children get out of it when it's time for cake and ice because of the fun they have won.

This is a way for each party or event is a success if there is one of the bouncersRentals can be set up and removal is easily done. This means that it will not take weeks of programming for the enjoyment of the right. It 'hard to get something for children who are interested in birthday party and that means it will be a perfect birthday. Any other form of entertainment at a birthday party, it would be nice, but there is no guarantee that children like it or be concerned for the duration of the festival.

After a birthdayparty bouncer rentals, every child's birthday, the main issue for them and their friends for a day of fun and have a big party. What makes it even better is the vinyl and nylon air-filled chambers, which means that none of the children injured during the game. There is nothing to zero, bumped, bruised or cut, because there are no sharp edges, no metal, no screws or nails, only the air-filled rooms of fun. The colors, shapes and activities to attractchildren immediately when they see a bouncy castle hire in the garden. After that security is a relief for parents hosting the party and the parents whose children will attend the party.

The other thing that makes it a perfect day is when the party over the yard can go back to his usual clean look and birthday party for the rental of chairs and no storage is needed. Fun, excitement, easy installation and removal are the the best of the lotparents, the birthday child and their friends.

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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Planning a Baby Shower

Planning a baby shower can be quite a process, so it can be a good idea for a list of what you have to do. Here are some ideas for planning a baby shower:

Theme: If the sex of the child is known, you can use the right color, or if unknown, neutral colors such as yellow, purple, green, etc., can be used. There are many other creative themes can be used as well.

For example, Ice Cream and Pickles a fun and creative themes. Serves a varietyflavors of ice cream and offer small cups for taste testing. Serving a pickle tray, and / or pickled choose favors and decorations. You can also decorate a cake with frosting made drawings brine. Guests can also play with her mother to give their passions strange food, that they experienced during pregnancy. Have you any other guests or mother-to-be, trying to match the food with guests.

Another creative idea is April Showers. String clothesline around the linesroom hung with clothespins and small gifts. Use artificial flowers for centerpieces and favors, and you can use an inverted umbrella to open the presents and cards to collect.

Some other issues of gender-neutral decoration can be used as Noah's Ark, Disney characters, zoo animals, teddy bears, Care Bears, Rubber Ducky, circus, nursery rhymes, and many, many others.

Guests: Guests for showers for children are relatives, friends and colleagues. While most showers are "girls only"There is a growing trend for showers that women and men to take. You can also decide if the children are allowed to attend the event.

Location: Make sure use choose a place for you. Make sure there is enough space for everyone, or that sufficient air conditioning or heating. If children are invited with their parents, make sure the area is child friendly. Furthermore, we want to be sure of your position all you need to offerfood, including refrigerators, taken to conserve electricity and heating, tools, trays, coffee maker, sink, oven, microwave, etc.

Date: The baby shower is usually about six weeks before the date of birth. Most showers are held on weekends and about 2-3 hours.

Games: Try to get an idea of a shower room toys are played during. You need a good idea of how many awards you need, plus any specialinstructions must be sent with the invitations.

Invitations: Invitations will be sent well in advance of the event. Give your guests a date to RSVP, and you should include all instructions for games. Many games require guests to bring items or information which will be much easier to obtain and prepare before coming to the shower. Make sure your invitations are very specific, especially if there are special circumstances relating toposition, such as parking. If children are allowed to attend the event, you need an invitation letter.

Food: Many showers are buffet includes various types of finger food for easy access and cleaning. Food can also connect to any theme you can use the shower.

Baby Shower Favors Favors often contain items such as baby bottles, diaper pins, teddy bears, etc. candles, flowers, bells, and puzzles are also good ideas forfavors.

Prices: Prices vary depending on whether the games are played, but also candles, lotions, bath soaps, decorations, crafts prizes and favors are a great way to show appreciation to your guests for their gifts and frequency.

Thank You Cards: Although this is generally the responsibility of the mother-to-be, the organizer may be a hand stabbing with thank you cards. Asking each guest to bring an index card with their name and address printed onshe, the mother-to-be is a handy tool for writing your thank you cards. (Tickets can also be selected at random for prizes during the shower)

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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Increase cheese

If you decide to take a very elegant dessert cheesecake by adding some of his views of the plate is as elegant as sweet as the same bite. A meal, especially at the end, it should also appeal to visual perception. Here are some suggestions, but of course, you can create your own accents.

The appearance of the plate affects the presentation so much as what you post. Of course, daily meals do the job. But the storage areas of large Modern dispensations to allow special plates for many of us keep. Many people have unique sauce and server chips, unlike the typical bowling. Why not choose dishes that you use for dessert spectacular celebrations?

Berry cheesecakes come in a variety of alternatives Berry. My favorite is actually the relatively unknown Mario Berry, found only in Oregon but available online. The obvious choice would be to add beauty to the dish fresh berries to add flavor to matchCake>. But I prefer a variety of my favorite add berries - raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.

Pumpkin Cheesecake: This is a favorite vacation and other times. Shake nutmeg sprinkled throughout - but not on the same dessert. You can also consider shake a bit 'of both the scope and cinnamon cake.

New York Cheesecake: This is what most people that if the "cheesecake plain or unflavored. Frankly, it's somethingbut unflavored! However, taste is one that fits in almost all additions. Well, maybe not the asparagus! I suggest you consider to take the richness of the cheesecake versatile drizzling a generous amount of hot fudge around the dish.

Key Lime Cheesecake: We want to compliment the tone of the desserts. Sprinkle mint leaves on top of cheesecake and a dish. I have often made about six or seven leaves per serving.

Sugarfree cheesecakes - noadded sugar: No matter what flavor of cake, a sprig of mint on top of the widest part of the dessert will dress nice without adding additional, unwanted sugar.

There are many possibilities, ranging from correspondence, flat, white, square plates intentionally false antiquities that can be both fun to locate and collect. Another option to consider is the dessert to serve on boards made of hardwood a good grain. Contrary to what one might think, the wood canactually very easy to clean, though, if just that, a dessert under the carpet for easy cleaning. A friend of my old license plates from various states gathered to care for them, and sometimes dessert served on the boards and traveled. Makes an unusual and carefree environment for any occasion!

A gourmet cheesecake is worth the cost, although it can not be a part of your daily diet. Sometimes when you want to spend, to celebrateyour vision and your sense of taste!

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Friday, September 24, 2010

The health benefits of seaweed

Of all the starters on the shelf of junk food section in a supermarket, a special package just seemed to have grabbed my attention more. The label said: "Crispy Japanese algae. There is also a description that indicates that the product is" good with good nutrients from the sea. "

Seaweeds consumed in Asia since a long time ago. Here are some of the health benefits that have been proven by science and technology of our age.

We can allvitamins and minerals we need for our body. These minerals include calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, iron and zinc and vitamins like A, B1, B2, B6 and B12. We can barely reach the ground from vegetables vitamin Q12.

The consumption of algae leads to the removal of toxins from our body. Algae contain alginic acid which binds with heavy metals in our intestines to digest powder. This material then leaves the body with allother indigestible things we consume.

Algae also promotes healthy hair growth. Note that most Japanese have pretty long hair. The mineral content of seaweed helps to transform the existing hair in a hair more often and shiny.

Besides all the points mentioned above, the consumption of seaweed could help to enrich our blood, the younger the mind and body to maintain.

With all these health benefits, no wonder the Japanese eat algae as part oftheir daily diet and nutrition. Maybe we can follow to create a healthier life.

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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Wedding Cake Box - Everything you need to know about them

It may seem trivial, but many thought process is to choose the perfect wedding cake box for your cake. You have to save and transport a cake and present as representative slices of the pie safe like a wedding before, and even freeze a cake as part of a memory of that special day. wedding cake boxes, all the roles mentioned above. It is not an envious job, for sure!

Of course, your wedding cake should beadorn the center stage. After all, this is where all eyes will move when the guests enter the reception. But if you plan to use the cake as more than a (big) Stationery, you must seriously think about checking the boxes of wedding cake.

1. As a personal gift
You can make your guests with a piece of wedding cake saved in individual boxes with the name of the guest at the top. Uselesssay that these boxes must be of high quality which complements the decor of your wedding.

2. If a storage box
Wedding cakes should be transported from the place of cake manufacturer and kept at the head of the wedding. Imagine the horror if you were to discover that because of some accident, the cake was ruined! So always buy high quality wedding cake boxes for storage and transportation of biscuits, especially since these cakesdays come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

3. As a souvenir
So you want to keep a slice of cake in the freezer as a souvenir? In this case, a particular type of window that was made for the long-term conservation and prevents freezer burn. An ideal investment to do if you're going to take a piece of cake as a souvenir.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Baking - 101

Does taking a bite of your favorite cake gives you the desire to bake your own? Many think that baking is a hard task to do. The fact is, you can learn to bake on your own without going to any culinary schools. One way to learn is through the internet. There are a lot of tutorial and tips available online. Some websites even provide video and voice recordings.

Baking can be fun and the best part is afterwards, tasting and sharing the finished pastry with family and friends. All you really need are the right tools, a good recipe book and a patient and hard working self. So, before you start baking, here are a few important things that I consider the must-haves in baking:

Baking Tools

Measuring Spoons. Measuring spoons are used to measure ingredients, usually leavening agents and flavorings, in small amounts. They come in different measurements: 1 tablespoon, ½ tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, ¼ teaspoon, and 1/8 teaspoon. There are spoons made out of plastic and metal, I recommend buying plastic-made since they are not hard to clean and maintain, and do not rust. Buy two sets because a recipe often calls for measuring two kinds of ingredients, wet and dry. It would allow you to measure quickly without having to clean the spoon.

Measuring Cups. There are two kinds of measuring cups: dry measuring cups and a liquid measuring cup. You would need to buy the two kinds since dry measuring cups do not measure liquid accurately, and in baking accuracy is most important.

A liquid measuring cup is shaped like a pitcher with an easy-grip handle. It has measurement labels on the side, usually in ounces and cups, and is transparent so you can see the liquid through. It is either made out of glass or plastic, I recommend buying plastic since it will not break.

Dry measuring cups come in different measurements: 1 cup, ½ cup, 1/3 cup, ¼ cup and 1/8 cup. Buy only a set of plastic measuring cups, for the same reason of easy maintenance.

A wire whisk will be used to mix your batter. When buying a wire whisk, look for one with sturdy wires and with a handle that you can easily grip.

When I started baking, I only bought one small-handled wire whisk. One time, I was mixing a batter for two cake recipes, the wire whisk would not reach the bottom of the mixing bowl without my hand dipping into the batter. So buy a long-handled and short-handled wire whisk.

I also consider an electric mixer an important baking equipment. However, if this is your first time in baking, I would not recommend buying an electric mixer for two reasons. First, it is expensive and you might not want to continue baking. It would just add up to the kitchen appliances that you do not use and need. Second, mixing by hand would allow you to observe what happens to your batter as you add ingredient after the next.

Spatula. A rubber spatula can be very handy to have around. I use mine when I cream my butter and sugar, and in scraping batter from the mixing bowl.

Sifter. A recipe would either ask for pre-sifted flour or ask you to sift dry ingredients together. There are other sifting methods you can use, but as a beginner, a sifter is a good tool to have.

You may already have mixing bowls in your kitchen but if you don't, I recommend buying stainless and smooth surfaced, in three different sizes.

You can't bake without baking pans. If you are a beginner, I recommend buying only two kinds, a 9" round and a 9" square pan. Buy two of each since it would allow you to make layer cakes. When you decide to continue baking, here are other kinds you should have: cookie sheet, 8' x 12" pan, a bundt pan with a flute tube and muffin trays. Again buy two sets of each.

Baking Ingredients

Since most ingredients are perishable, I usually buy ingredients enough for a certain recipe I would be baking. I always have enough on hand though, to make a cake for emergencies. So, before I give you a list of the ingredients that you will need, below is a sample recipe that I'll go through with you to decode, so you'll know what ingredients are commonly used and why a certain ingredient is used.

Ingredients:

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, softened, 1/2 cups sugar, 3 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 3 1/4 cups cake flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 1/4 cups milk

Butter is either salted or unsalted. If a recipe does not stipulate what kind to use, assume unsalted.

Sugar. Buy white sugar that has fine granules. When a recipe asks for brown sugar, use brown and do not substitute with white. White and brown sugar have different glucose content.

Eggs. Practically, every recipe has egg in it. However, there are recipes that would ask for yolk only or both yolk and white but separately. So, follow what is asked. Here's a tip on how to easily separate the yolk from the white: refrigerate the egg for at least thirty minutes.

Vanilla is a kind of flavoring in liquid form. There are also other flavorings that are commonly used. They are: cinnamon, nutmeg and almond extract.

Flour. In this recipe cake flour is used. However, all-purpose flour is commonly used in recipes. There is a difference between the two, so be sure to use what is asked. If a recipe does not stipulate what kind to use, assume it calls for all-purpose flour.

Baking powder is a kind of leavening agent and is commonly used in recipes. There are two others that are commonly used: baking soda and cream of tartar. A recipe may also call for two kinds of leavening agent.

Salt is used in a small quantity only, I do not know the exact explanation why it is used. I only know that it is important. The sweetness of the pastry doesn't come out quite right without it. I use salt that has fine granules.

Milk. Always assume that recipes call for milk in liquid form unless it says so otherwise.

Baking Jargon

Now that you know what to buy, you can now start making your own cake. But before that, you would need to know the meaning of a few confusing words that you might come across in the "procedure" section of a recipe. So, below is the procedure part that goes with the above list of ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350°

1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Add eggs, then yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

2. In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir about a third of the flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in half the milk just until blended. Stir in another third of the flour mixture, then remaining milk, followed by remaining flour. Scrape batter equally into two 9-inch round cake pans lined with wax paper and spread level.

3. Bake in oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on racks in pans for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks and remove pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Preheat. Preheating is important to attain the needed cooking temperature of a recipe. Baking is all about accurate measurements and the right heat. So, follow the temperature called for unless you want under or over-cooked cake.

Cream. Creaming is a procedure done to food to obtain a smooth and creamy consistency, like cream. I do mine with a rubber spatula or a plastic ladle in a back and forth motion, rubbing and scraping butter against the side of the bowl.

Stir. Stir the batter in one direction only, either clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Other miscellaneous items

There are other things that you would need while baking. A skewer-a toothpick would do but there are cake testers available also, towels, aluminum foil, waxed papers, cake holders, cooling racks and plastic storage containers-for storing your ingredients.

Now you are ready to embark on your first baking experience. The only thing missing is a good recipe book and of course your oven. Luckily there are a lot of websites that will give you helpful tips and recipes. Just look up Baking, and you will be provided with a list of websites. So, start exploring the fun world of baking the e-way!

Note: The above copy is written for those who are acquainted with their own ovens, the hazards and such.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

How to Choose Toy Storage Bins

Toy storage bins make tidying up fun and easy. Create a system early so your kids can find their toys and learn to put them away readily. There are four important rules when selecting a storage system for toys and other essentials inside a child's bedroom or toy room:

All items must be properly sorted and stored in an orderly manner.
Everything must be childproof.
Height must be reasonable so children can reach to put things away.
The size must be suited to the child as well as the room.

If you spend some time browsing the market online you will come up with many different options for storing toys and other items for your child, but let us spare you some time and make the only reasonable and affordable suggestion: toy storage bins! They are cheap enough to use all throughout the house yet fall into line with all four of these rules.

Neat & Orderly

You can find some variation in design when it comes to toy storage bins, but many are positioned on wooden frames. The bins are cloth and point outward so they are easy for children to reach into them. Small children love the colors!

It doesn't matter how adorable a toy box is because in very little time it will be overflowing with toys in a rather unattractive manner. Toy storage bins are different because they keep everything perfectly ordered. Make sure you have enough bins to accommodate the toys without overflowing and then teach children to put different types of toys in different colored bins. See how order will returns to the room!

Safe & Secure

Toy storage bins are also much safer than the heavy wooden toy boxes that were used in years past. Many children have had their tiny fingers pinched and many arms and legs have been slammed by a heavy toy box lid crashing down unexpectedly. Heads have even been bumped and some smaller children can topple head first into larger sized toy boxes.

By contrast, cloth storage bins are lightweight and harm-free even if they do come toppling over. They don't have lids and the corners are round so they won't poke or jab. Fingers, toes, arms and legs are all safe when there are no lids or hinges to pinch and smash.

Make sure to place heavy toys in bottom storage bins so they can't topple over onto a child's head. Lightweight and small toys can easily fill the higher bins.

Accessible & Easy to Reach

Most toy storage bins will come on frames that arrange the bins into different levels. Most will have just two rows, one close to the ground and one a bit higher. You can find other designs that may incorporate higher rows of bins perfect for hiding toys you don't want your children accessing without your presence. Look around and find something perfectly sized to the height of your children so they can get their favorite toys when they want them and put them away again!

Sized & Portioned

If you select storage bins on a frame designed just for children it is likely to be longer than it is tall. Keep this in mind as you determine where it might fit into your home. If you have a specific space that it must fit into, take the measurements and don't make a purchase unless you are sure it will fit nicely.

What if you have a lot of toys collecting or expect that after the first Christmas there won't be room for the child in the room? You can place kid's storage bins in several areas of the room, using them as a decorative feature.

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Monday, September 20, 2010

Learning to Bake

Baking - a lot of people understand what it is, but it is becoming less popular as our lives get increasingly fast-paced and geared towards convenience. Many people simply do not have the time to bake in their own homes anymore. Having said that, if you are looking at rekindling your passion for this lost tradition it is important to realize what baking covers.

At one end of the spectrum, we have bread as our most basic staple, and at the other we have cake as the ultimate celebratory food employed to mark our most important occasions. There can be no questioning that baked foods are important to us and, while baking every day is a lavishness many of us cannot afford time-wise, maybe by baking our own goods every now and again we can better treasure those simple meals and special occasions by adding to them more directly.

You might be stunned to know that these tasty little dishes have been around since the early 1800s and were originally baked in individual clayware cups or ramekin cake pans. Here is a bit of trivia for you: they are called fairy cakes in the UK and Ireland, probably because you can easily imagine one feeding a whole party of thumb-sized sprites. Anyway, cup cakes have a long pedigree, but they have also evolved over the years.

Once you have got your baking bearings, piping bags, syringes, stencils and other such tools and bakeware will really elevate your efforts and will make things look impressive. They give you much more control over things. Putting your loved ones name on cup cakes or the like is certain to pluck the heartstrings, and doing that will require a piping bag. The great thing is that they are inexpensive and using them is fairly intuitive. Also, living in the Information Age has a big benefit here: you can be sure something like YouTube is going to have a few clips on how to properly handle such instruments.

In addition to basic lettering, borders, stars, rosettes and other such effects can be easily achieved with the piping bag (also called a pastry bag). You simply cannot create the appealing uniformity or tidiness of professional baked goods with a knife or spatula. Filling cupcakes or embellishing them with a simple rosette is downright basic with a piping bag: simply insert the desired tip, fill the bag with icing and squeeze in the right direction! After you have got the piping bag mastered and it will not take too long you will pretty much own cupcakes. You might look around for some different recipes and experiment with flavours and fillings, but you will be ready for new challenges.

At that point, no one can take it away from you: you are a baker.

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Sunday, September 19, 2010

Shelf Life of Eggs

Have you ever thought about the shelf life of eggs? Well, I have, and I'm still thinking about it. More specifically, I'm still experimenting. I've eaten eggs that were fully seven months old, and they were perfectly good for making fried or scrambled eggs, or anything else for that matter.

The key to long-term storage of eggs is how they are harvested, cleaned, boxed and refrigerated.

If you're into food storage, or you just want to stock up on eggs in the summer and fall for when your flock of hens starts to reduce its egg production in the cooler and shorter days of the year, you'll be happy to know that several months of storage is easy. And, six to seven months is entirely possible.

Getting eggs to last a long time isn't just luck. You have to take care to do the following:

Harvest the day they're laid.

Clean and dry them the same day as the harvest.

Don't store soiled or cracked eggs.

Store them in foam egg cartons.

Refrigerate them soon after cleaning.

My experience shows that cardboard egg cartons can wick away moisture from inside the egg shell over time. When moisture is wicked away, an air pocket starts to form within the shell. Use foam egg cartons if you want to super extend the shelf life of eggs in the refrigerator.

Even though you've treated your eggs well right from the point of harvest (or from the point of sale), some can still go bad after a while. Rotten eggs are never welcome in the kitchen, and much less welcome in whatever you're cooking, so take care when cracking open your old eggs so you don't put a spoiled egg into what you're preparing.

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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Home Based Baking Business - Make Money Baking

If you like working in the kitchen and are good at creating baked goods, then why don't you turn your hobby into something that you can earn a handsome amount of money from? A home based baking business offers the perfect opportunity for moms to stay at home and earn cash while dishing out those perfect cupcakes and cookies.

You don't need much startup capital to set up your new enterprise. However, before you take the plunge, be sure to write down a small business plan for yourself that includes your targets and potential expenditures. If there are some legalities or licensing requirements involved, then inquire about them with your local authorities and make sure you comply.

This type of enterprise is very easy to start as it only requires a kitchen, a small storage facility, and ingredients for your baked goods. You can bake cakes, pastries, cookies, pancakes, candies, etc. Also, be on the lookout for special occasions like birthday parties, family get-togethers, Valentine's Day, New Year and Christmas, which allow you to come up with new innovative shapes and sizes for your baked products.

For the promotion of your business, the Internet is the best tool. Setting up your own website will allow you to receive orders around the clock through a secure online order form. Provide occasional discounts without compromising on the quality of your goods. Your clients will spread the name of your home based baking company by word of mouth if your baked goods are exceptional.

Your baking enterprise is a perfect opportunity to earn some extra money, or even more than you were earning at your regular job. What are you waiting for? Get started today.

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Friday, September 17, 2010

Comparing Rental Storage Options - Self Storage Or Storage Pods?

We have more options for self storage than ever before. Sure we still have many of the same public storage companies today to choose from as we did maybe a decade ago, but the big difference now is not necessarily the structure in which it is stored, but how we get our belongings to and from the warehouse.

So the question really comes down to this: do we hunt for a public storage locations or do we consider a storage pods company? Below we compare the options:

Self Storage Units

It comes in many forms and has many names: storage units, public storage, mini storage, etc and it typically works like this:


You pay a monthly or yearly fee to rent a said amount of space.
You need to do all the moving yourself, using something like a u haul moving truck rental or some other vehicle to move in (and out) all your belongings
Certain self storage units can be quite cost-effective, while others, such as those in cities, tend to be quite expensive
Finding companies that offer such services close by can be quite challenging, especially if you are in more rural areas

Storage Pods

In recent years moving and storage pods have gained in popularity. Why?


You contact a storage pods company and tell them approximately how much space you need based on the amount of personal belongings you have
They will recommend a said number of storage pods. IMPORTANT: these pods can and most likely will, vary from company to company. Some are much larger than others
The company drops off the pods at your desired location
You pack the pods on your own schedule, typically within a week, sometimes up to a month
Once done, the pods company picks them up and brings them back to their storage warehouse OR you can actually leave the pod at your location
Now we know the main differences between the two options. Which one is right for you? More often than not folks will jump on renting a self storage unit and perform the move themselves (with the help of friends and lots of beer), typically because it's all they know and believe it's the cheapest option. The fact of the matter is though, this may not be the best, nor cheapest, idea, for numerous reasons.

Why storage pods make storage easier:


Storage pods are often cheaper month-to-month than similar sized self storage units. Yes you have to pay pick-up and drop-off fees, but when you consider the costs of renting a truck, gas, YOUR TIME,  you really aren't saving much and more often than not the costs over the long run are still going to be cheaper
You only pay for what you use. Basically there is no more wasted space self storage, a huge problem and inefficiency with renting a unit. You can have the pods company drop off three pods but if you only end up needing two, they won't charge you for the extra one
You don't have to worry about renting a truck. Finding a compatible storage unit is hard enough, but having to dig up a truck nearby, pick it up, drop it off can be a real pain. In this case, the portable storage containers will be dropped off right at your front door, literally, EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY
Loading and unloading these pods is pretty much a piece of cake. They're set at ground level
You can still access your belongings whenever you want. Contact the warehouse and let them know 24 hours in advance if you want access to your pod
As unexciting as storage is, the options for making it easier do exist nowadays. Regardless of which method you use, get quotes from all companies and check ratings only at sites such as city-data.com and movingscams.com.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

How to Make a Traditional Holiday Fruit Cake

During the holiday season, I like to spend an afternoon making some delicious homemade mini fruit cakes. Making and serving these delectable goodies has been around for centuries. You will usually see them served around the holiday season or at wedding celebrations.

You will find that various cultures will have a different twist on the traditional recipe, however, the following recipe is done in the American tradition. When I make this fruit cake, I bake them in a muffin tin or in mini loaf pans. If desired, you can certainly bake them in a regular loaf pan or round cake pan.

Fruit Cake Recipe

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups eggnog

1 1/2 cups mixed candied fruits

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

additional eggnog

(optional) candied cherry halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the granulated sugar with the softened butter until it's light and creamy. Beat in both eggs until combined. In another bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture and then beat in the eggnog until all ingredients are well combined. Fold in the chopped candied fruits. If the mixture is stiff, stir by hand.

Lightly spray your muffin or mini loaf pans with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Spoon the batter into your desired pans. Place pans into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until they are done and the centers test clean with a toothpick. Remove from the pans and let cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar, nutmeg and ground cinnamon. Add in enough eggnog to make the mixture of drizzling consistency. Drizzle the glazed over the cooled fruit cakes.

If desired, top the fruit cakes with candied cherry halves for garnishing and store them in an airtight storage container. 

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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Simple Ideas to Organize Your Kitchen

The kitchen is often known as the heart of the home. It is the place where we gather to eat, cook, entertain, and spend time with friends and family. As a result, the kitchen can become one of the most difficult rooms to organize and keep clean. Try some of these tips and time savers to organize your kitchen and simplify your life.

Countertops:

o Clean your countertops and remove any item or appliance you do not use at least once a week.

o Keep cookbooks to a minimum and store away the ones you don't use on a regular basis.

Pots/Pans/Containers:

o Store pots and pans in a cabinet beneath or next to the stove for easy access.

o Place baking sheets, cake pans, pizza pans, etc. in a cabinet beneath or next to the oven. You can use a rack to help arrange baking sheets by size and those used most often.

o Consider suspending pots and pans on a wall or from a ceiling mounted rack to maximize cabinet and storage space.

o Store microwave safe containers in a cabinet near the microwave. Arrange containers by size and stack one inside of the other if possible. Throw away plastic containers that are no longer used.

Pantry:

o Store each item so that it is easily handy and visible.

o Group canned goods together and stack so that their labels can easily be seen. Discard canned goods and jars that have passed their expiration dates or are more than a year old.

o Place pasta, cereal, rice, and other dried foods in labeled plastic storage containers.

o Store gravy packets, seasoning packets, etc. in a small, clear plastic tub for easy access.

o Line up boxes with their 'spines' facing front (like library books).

o If possible, store the most often used items at eye level.

o Choose a lower shelf for paper storage and place all napkins, towels and plates together.

o Store heavy items, such as boxes of soda and juice, on the floor or on a lower shelf.

o If you have extra wall space, consider hanging up storage hooks, a hand vacuum, a bulletin board or other helpful organizing items.

o Purchase handy space saving products such as stacking containers, caddies to store foil and wax paper, and sturdy baskets for onions, garlic and potatoes.

o If you have school-age children, create a snack shelf of parent-approved treats.

Refrigerator:

o Designate certain shelves in your refrigerator for specific items. For example, use your top shelf for beverages, your bottom shelf for leftovers, place produce in its drawer, and place condiments in the door of the refrigerator.

o Delegate one day of the week to tossing out old foods. Consider cleaning out your refrigerator on the same day you go to the grocery store. Since you will be adding new items in your refrigerator it is a great time to toss out old food to make space.

Spices:

o Organize spices on a spice rack and place the ones used most often in the front row.

o If you have a shallow drawer near your stove, consider laying all of your small spice jars in there. Place them label side up so it is easy to view them all at once.

o Most dried spices lose their flavor in six months. Discard any spices that are older than six months or you no longer use. To keep track of the freshness of spices, write the purchase date or throw away date on the bottle with a black marker.

Misc.

o Consider recycling products to help organize your kitchen. You can label shoe boxes and use them to store items such as cookie cutters, candles, appliance accessories, etc. You can also use checkbook boxes to store items such as matches, batteries, and smaller items.

o Square containers take up less space and fit more efficiently on shelves than round ones.

o Place hooks inside a cabinet door to hang cooking utensils on. This will help to clear drawer space.

o If you have school age kids or someone who carries their lunch to work, create an area in your kitchen for lunch-making. Stock it with lunch boxes and/or brown bags, plastic wraps/bags, thermos, quarters and small containers.

o Utilize bins and baskets to keep "like items" together.

o Store trash bags near or in the bottom of trash can for easy changing.

By using some or all of these tips, you can be well on your way to a more organized kitchen.

Happy Organizing!

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Monday, September 13, 2010

Ten Easy Steps to Great Kids Party Pictures

Kids parties and pictures go together like cake and ice cream. If you're the designated shutterbug for a kids party, be sure you're up to the task. A quick study of these valuable picture-taking tips shows you how to become a first rate kid party photographer.

1. PREPARE

If you're going digital, make sure your memory stick has enough space to accommodate the pictures you intend to take. Delete or download as necessary. Check and charge the battery too.

If you're using film, be sure you have more than enough so you don't have to run out to the store in the middle of the action. Check and replace batteries if necessary. If your camera requires it, set it to match the ISO on the film.

2. TELL THE STORY OF THE EVENT

Approach your next kids party as if it were an adventure which you are going to record for posterity from beginning to end. This will mean capturing the significant high points of the party such as the guests arriving, playing party games, opening presents, and of course the cake and ice cream "Happy Birthday to You" part.

When you download your pictures to share with relatives and friends, organize them in chronological order to tell the complete party story. This is just as easy to do if you scrapbook your party showing just how the day evolved from start to finish.

3. CANDIDS OVER "CHEESE"

Candids are simply more fun than posed pictures. Scope out party guests doing cute, interesting or outrageous things. Look for different expressions on their faces, capture them with a bow on their head or trying to pop a balloon with their bottom (a popular kids party game!) Those spontaneous moments are a photographer's dream!

Candids give you many more opportunities for those silly snapshots that put a smile on people's faces.

4. KEEP IT AT EYE LEVEL

For a more intimate and involved-in-the-moment picture, get down to the level of your subjects. Make sure your lens is at the same height as the children's eyes.

5. ZOOM IN

This is the number one mistake most amateur photographers make when snapping pictures. Too much headroom, too much background, and not enough of your subject make for boring images. Pictures are so much more engaging when you can actually see who's in them! Make a conscious effort to get up close and personal before you click the shutter.

6. BACKGROUND AND COMPOSITION

How you position and frame your subject adds to the appeal of the picture. To do this successfully you must be aware of the "bigger picture" in the viewfinder. First, make sure there are no trees or poles growing out of kids heads.

No decapitations either, please. By taking a breath and holding it, you are better able to hold the camera steady while pressing on the shutter. This prevents the camera from moving downward and cutting off your subjects' heads.

Make your picture more dynamic and balanced by utilizing the "rule of thirds". Mentally divide your picture into a 9 box tic-tac-toe grid. Now align your vertical subject 1/3 of the way over from the left or right. Then align your horizonal matter 1/3 of the way from the top or bottom. Practice a bit on this before the party to see how different subject placements effect the resulting photo.

7. BE QUICK

Kids are usually on the move, especially when the sugar from the cake and ice cream kick in. Be prepared to capture the moment quickly. Waiting too long to get the shot will ruin a good candid and can even make antsy kids run when they see you coming!

8. ONE POSE FOR POSTERITY

Take one group shot of the party child and guests for your
scrapbook. This is also a wonderful little remembrance to send along with thank-you notes. To make it more interesting, pose kids with costumes or props which relate to the party theme.

For example, guests at a pirate theme party can pose with their bandannas and eyepatches, looking like fierce buccaneers. Guests at a princess party could pose in their pretty dress-up clothes. Guests at a construction party can pose with their trucks in the sandbox.

9. DON'T LEAVE IT IN THE CAMERA

Due to busy lifestyles, the tendency to leave cherished photos in the digital camera for weeks or months is great. Don't wait until your important pictures are accidentally deleted or lost. Download them to your computer as soon as possible after the event. Similarly, make an effort to finish the film in your still camera and develop the pictures
right away.

10. FILE OR SCRAPBOOK

This is an often neglected step in the picture-taking process, but it's important to have a safe method of filing and storing your pictures. There are many software programs available to help you sort and store digital pictures on your hard drive. They usually have a free trial period to see if you like working with the program. Non-digital pictures can be scanned onto your computer, placed in a scrapbook, or stored in special photo storage boxes.

When all is said and done, you'll have captured the special moments of joy and excitement at your child's birthday party or other special occasion. A truly memorable collection that will entertain and make you smile for years to come.

Copyright 2005 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved

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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Celebration Cakes - Celebrating Life

It would not be a misnomer to state that life without any celebration would be a boring, insipid affair. Such a lifestyle would reduce human beings to the level of mechanical beings, of robots. Celebrations bring colour and enthusiasm to one's life. The value of celebration, therefore, can be understood. Now the question that arises is what it is that can add sheen to any occasion. Well, one answer to it is cakes. No wonder then that celebration cakes are in great demand in UK. Such is their importance that no celebration is complete without what seems their customary presence.

A little bit of imagination in the preparation of celebration cakes can lead to adding immeasurable amount of joy to the occasion. Certain ways by which the value of celebration cakes can be enhanced is by adding lots of cream and sweetener, and decking the cake up with different coloured and shaped cherries. Adding the name of the person in whose honour the party is being celebrated is also a very good idea.

Another way of preparing nice celebration cakes is by getting them prepared in different shapes. For example, it would be a very good idea to get the birthday cake of a football enthusiast prepared in the shape of a football. Similarly, the birthday cake of a piano fan can be prepared in the shape of a piano. Getting the cakes prepared in the shape of a heart can be the best bet for your girlfriend, whereas cakes with the bride in the arms of the groom can be a very good thought for a marriage celebration.

With people becoming more and more demanding, one can be rest assured that there would be lots of new variations coming up for celebration cakes, which would continue to enliven the occasions further.

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Saturday, September 11, 2010

Low-Carb: The Role of Insulin

There are three basic units the body uses for energy:

1. Fats

2. Proteins

3. Carbohydrates

All three can be converted to blood glucose. However, while fats and proteins are converted slowly, carbohydrates are converted quickly causing quick spikes in the body's blood sugar levels. These spikes in blood sugar levels cause the pancreas to create and release insulin until the blood sugar level returns to normal.

Meanwhile, insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that lowers our blood's glucose levels is released into the blood as soon as the body detects that blood sugar levels have risen above its optimal level.

Insulin is a very efficient hormone that runs the body's fuel storage systems. If there is excess sugar or fat in the blood insulin will signal the body to store it in the body's fat cells. Insulin also tells these cells not to release their stored fat, making that fat unavailable for use by the body as energy.

Since this stored fat cannot be released for use as energy, insulin very effectively prevents weight loss. The higher the body's insulin levels, the more effectively it prevents fat cells from releasing their stores, and the harder it becomes to lose weight. According to many authorities, over the long term, high insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance and cause serious health problems like the ones listed below:

1. Raised insulin levels and insulin resistance

2. Lower metabolism leading to weight gain

3. An increase in fatty tissue and reduction in muscle tissue

4. Accelerated aging

5. Increased food allergies and intolerances

6. Overworked immune system

7. Increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer

Carbohydrates, especially simple carbs like sugar and starch, are quickly turned into sucrose by the body entering the blood stream quicker thereby causing the release of large amounts of insulin. The fewer carbs are eaten, the less insulin is produced by the body, and the fewer calories are stored as fat. Less fat storage equals less weight gain and fewer carbs eaten equals less insulin in the blood and the body using its fat stores for fuel.

The premise behind every low-carb diet plan is that a body that produces less insulin burns more fat than a body that produces lots of insulin. Some plans encourage a period of extremely low carbohydrate intake so that the body will enter a state of ketosis and more quickly burn fat stores - These are usually called induction periods.

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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Perfect Holiday Food Gifts - Christmas Gift Baskets, Stockings and a Holiday Sleigh

Do you want to send your holiday food gifts with a smile? Do you want your recipients to enjoy every bit and bite of your creative Christmas gifts? Well, you can have your cake and eat it to!

Holiday food gifts show your recipients you have the best thoughtful gift ideas of all! Creative Christmas gifts in baskets, gift boxes and towering treats convey your grandest wishes for an extra special 'holiday smile.' Sending messages to those you care about is a cakewalk!

Those heartwarming feelings you have are deliverable! The holiday food gifts are not just beautiful arrangements of edible delights, making the creative Christmas gifts special. But it is you, the person who is having the food gifts delivered, that make the memories sweet!

Examples of the creative Christmas gifts vary. However, the individual creative baskets are utilized after the edible delights have deliciously disappeared. The reusable containers are fantastic storage bins and decor.
If you have access to pine cones, spray paint them with different colors to suit your décor. Let them dry. Apply a second coat of paint. When completely dry, place in the basket with petals facing upward. You will have a beautiful bouquet of what appears to be zinnias.

The creative Christmas gifts can be selected by their sweet and savory nature. Online gift basket shops carry an array of festive colors, tastes, and designs, providing easy shopping and fast delivery. As an example:

Christmas stockings and gift bags filled with Christmas cookies, gourmet chocolate cherry delights, spice drops, cappuccino, cocoa and more gives one that old time Christmas feeling of holiday cheer. Gift bags filled with gourmet treats for your children, grandparents or those who are away from home would send your heartfelt message with a smile.
a holiday leigh can be filled with chocolate covered almonds, bon bons, butter cookies, cranberry tail mix and other holiday food gifts. This type of a Christmas present would be nice sent by grandparents to their grandchildren. They would also be nice for your associates to find sitting on their desks as a token of your appreciation for a productive and prosperous year.
towering treats are filled to the brim with creative Christmas gifts such as butter toffee, nuts and caramel corn. These stackable gifts send plenty of smiles to any recipient.
Christmas gift baskets filled to overflowing with summer sausages, salami, brie cheese, vegetable spreads, sweet treats and more are perfect gifts for a family or the office.
gift boxes filled with sweet treats and nuts are perfect Christmas gifts to send those who have provided services throughout the year or any person who is dear to your heart

Show your friends how special you think they are, with several thoughtful gift ideas rolled into one. Recipients accept the basketfuls of holiday food gifts with festivity and delectable anticipation. Your smiles and thoughtful gift ideas are more than welcomed; they are thrilling for some and just plain fun for others.

Send quality and beautiful holiday food gifts for an extra special 'holiday smile!' Let your recipients have a piece of the cake!

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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Affordable Elegant Wedding Reception Table Decoration Ideas

Is that special day just around the corner for you and your sweetheart? Well, then boy do you have a lot to do! As exciting as it is, it can be a real headache. After all, this is your wedding day that we are talking about. You are probably so busy thinking about your better half, the cake, the food, the brides maids, the flower girl, where you are going to have the wedding, and the honey moon, that you feel as if you barely have time to think about the reception. That is a lot of things to have to think about, but it has got to be done, especially for an event as special as this. This will indeed be a very wonderful time, and there is nothing wrong with trying to make everything perfect when it comes to your wedding day.

Listed below are some of the most elegant and simple wedding reception table decoration ideas that you will ever find:

1. Decorate your tables in small, white tea light candles and white rose petals. This will definitely give your table a very elegant, and almost angelic look. For a center piece, shape your candles into a heart that surrounds a beautiful vase of white roses.

2. You should always decorate your reception tables with beautiful linen table clothes. For a much more formal look, make sure that you decorate them with the table clothes that reach down to the floor. You do not have to worry about the table clothes being expensive, as you can find them most anywhere at very affordable prices, and you can even order them online.

3. Decorate your table to match the theme of the wedding. For example, if your them is summertime at the beach or something else that has to do with water and seashells, all you have to do is place tiny seashells on the tables, along with a few nice candles and flowers, and you will find that you have a very eye catching reception table decoration.

4. Another idea would be to take a large, decorative glass bowl, fill it up with water, and place floating candles inside of it. Place this bowl in the middle of your table as the centerpiece and surround it with something that represents your theme.

5. Decorate you tables with fruit bowls and food. You can definitely not go wrong with this one. When people think of a reception, they think of good food, dance, music, and fun. Food will definitely be on the table. All you have to do is take a large bowl, fill it up with some nice apples, pears, oranges, and bananas. Then, add some small bowls with small pieces of fudge and cherries. Tell your guests to enjoy! Also tell them that they can take with them what is left over, which will save you from having to clean up a large mess!

So you see, you can have a great wedding reception without going all out. There is no need to spend money on things that are out of reach when you could be saving up for other aspects of the wedding, like the honey moon. Not all of us have money to spare, and let's not even mention how bad of a shape that the economy is in! Save your money buy going to dollar stores to find nice decorations for your tables. You can also find some very nice things inside of thrift stores as well. Just keep your eyes open and shop around. Make sure that what you decide on is exactly what you want. Once you have decided on something that you like, you can be sure that everything will be just right for this spectacular, and very special event.

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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Toy Boxes As the Perfect Baby Shower Gifts

Do you want to give truly unique baby shower gifts? Then veer away from the usual diaper cakes, baby clothes and baby accessories and think months ahead into the baby's future with fully accessorized toy boxes! But first, learn what it takes to select the best toy box for your godchild, grandchild, niece and nephew and little family friend.

Style and Storage

Your choice of toy box as gift largely depends on the style preference and the storage requirements of the baby's parents. You can do research by asking them regarding the nursery's theme and colors, assuming that you have close relations with them. Otherwise, you can inquire from family members about the parents' style preferences. From there, you can look into the various styles of toy boxes - with or without bench-type features, plain and solid colors or decorated and ornate panels, for boys or girls or unisex, personalized or non-personalized, and with or without cushions.

As to storage capacity, you have to remember that babies accumulate toys as they grow. Thus, your gift of a small toy box is perfect for infants with a few stuffed toys but not so for toddlers with a smorgasbord of toys. Again, you can ask the parents regarding the space constraints they might have in their home. Barring that, you can always opt for a medium-size toy box to be on the safe side.

Safety and Security

As much as you should consider the safety of the toys you will be stuffing inside toy boxes as your baby shower gifts, you also have to ensure that these boxes are safe for children. You can look out for these safety features:

- The paint used should be lead-free. You can ask the store regarding the origins of their toy chests - if these are from European countries and the US, you have the assurance of lead-free paint due to the strict standards imposed on their products.

- The lid should have a slow-closing metal safety hinge to prevent little fingers from injury caused by slamming lids. Also, you should avoid buying toy boxes with locks since children use them as hiding places. Better yet, look for a toy box with ventilation holes and handle cutouts that allow the free flow of oxygen in the event that the box does close accidentally with a child in it.

- Look for rounded edges and cushioned pads in toy boxes for added safety. You have to remember that sharp edges and hard surfaces cause more injury to children than they do for adults.

The baby's parents will definitely appreciate the care and patience you put into selecting the perfect toy box that will suit their baby's needs. Just imagine their happiness as your own when you receive this kind of gift on your own baby shower!

Now that you have chosen the perfect toy box to give, the next step is to actually put toys in it. You need not pack it to overflowing. Just a few stuffed toys, baby picture books, and age-appropriate educational toys will do perfectly so long as these are safe to use, too.

Just be prepared that with fully-accessorized and fully-stuffed toy boxes as gifts, you might not receive heartfelt thanks until the baby is about a year old! Then again, it will be one of the best appreciations you will ever receive for a baby shower gift.

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Monday, September 6, 2010

Unique Wedding Photography Shots - Beach Bridal Scenes, Reception Decor & Wedding Cake Topper

Getting the best bang for the buck for your wedding can a tough act to follow. Look at the various expenses involved for planning the most important day in any one person's life and you'll understand. Wedding photographers are a plentiful bunch in today's market. Who to chose? Who has the best quality work? And who has the most referrals among happy satisfied newlyweds that make others want to commission their services? These are just a few questions couples must ask themselves before they spend the hard earned savings. One of the attributes I look for in a wedding photographer is their extensive utility of shooting unique yet formal shots that take the usual out of the unusual photo album. In addition, I would personally feel more satisfaction knowing that I have the most diversified spread of photos to reminisce of most important day of your life. To follow are some of the most unique shots you can commission your photographer to take:

1. Beach Bridal Scenes: Most weddings take place indoors at a church, convention hall, hotels, and homes that most folks don't realize that candid beach photography is a unique visual experience. If you're one of the fortunate few that live close to the beach or lake. Take a day to commission your photographer to take some photos at the beach or lake. The all white or black attire will meld together nicely with nature's ever changing backdrop. Therefore taking light and dark contrasts to the extreme and makes for a pleasant visual experience. Also, the different colors of nature lend a more natural look to your photos.

2. Reception Decor: Most of these shots come naturally with the other photos of the bride and groom that few ever take shots of just the decor. All venues are different, so pictures of the decorations that folks spend the most money on should be worthwhile subjects for your photographer. And lighting is so diverse that photographers can achieve stunning contrasts in everything that is shot. Again, utilizing your photographer's time and less of your money.

3. Wedding Cake Toppers: So many take pictures of just the whole cake or the bride stuffing a wedge into her hubby's face that few take photos of the cake topper. Again, the topper is a symbol used in many weddings to signify the unions of two people, therefore it would make a phenomenal shot. Keep in mind of how many of these toppers get saved, most end up trash or lost after years of moving. Why not keep it in memory with a professionally taken shot into a 4x6 or 8x10.

And so in the ever evolving trade of wedding photography, there are continuous amounts of new and inspiring shots. Recognizing and taking advantage of these unique landscapes can mean the difference in a diverse photo album or one that is like the rest. Explore and be attentive to your surroundings and you can also get your photographer to be more aware of these unique subjects.

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Secrets to Wedding Cake Recipes You Can Make

Every girl dreams of her big day. From the dress to the ceremony to the reception... every bride wants the wedding day to be extra special.

I was recently helping out in a beginner's cake decorating class. Two of the students are young ladies, one recently married and one engaged. While they are practicing how to pipe the frosting, I heard them talking about how easy it is to decorate a cake. They were enjoying their evening together, joking back and forth. The bride-to-be jokingly finally remarked that the whole "wedding cake bought at a bakery" thing was a big scam. This was easy!

Well, it's certainly not a scam. Bakeries can and do produce some beautiful cakes. BUT if you're willing to learn a bit about baking and have the desire to make your own cake, it is certainly something you should consider. It is a great way to personalize your wedding day and it should prove to be a great way to stretch your wedding budget.

There are many alternatives available when it comes to making your own wedding cake. One of the more popular wedding cake trends is to serve wedding cupcakes. You can easily make your own cupcakes and freeze them as you go. And talk about easy to transport! A number of cupcakes placed on an attractive cake plate can even double as your centerpiece!

If you're looking for a more traditional cake, making a layer cake is not beyond the grasp of a home baker. In fact, it is something you should really consider. If you look at some of the cakes you can order, you will find that many just involve a great wedding cake recipe and attractive icing methods. Finding a great recipe is fun and easy. And learning to ice a cake is not nearly as tough as you would think. It just requires the right tools and a proper technique - both of which you can easily learn.

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Saturday, September 4, 2010

Acquiring the Best Baking Supplies For Your Own Bakery

Starting up or maintaining your own bakery business would entail purchasing the right baking supplies needed to keep your business going. These baking supplies are the main components of your baking business which would be used for several purposes to run your bakery accordingly.

In choosing the best supplies for your bakery, you have to consider the quality and the durability of the supplies that you are going to purchase. This is to ensure you that what you will be getting is worth the value of your money. Of course, you would like to be using supplies that would help you enhance your production of baked goods as well as provide good quality food products to your customers.

The usual baking supplies that you may need would include measuring cups, measuring spoons, rolling pins, molds, baking bowls, pans, spatulas, and other major supplies that would help you in producing your own baking products which your customers would love to avail of. 

You may also need the necessary equipment so you can bake your mixed ingredients and turn them into the perfect baking goods that your customers love; more often these would be the ovens and the stoves. These things are needed for your bakery, and if you are starting a new baking business, you would surely like to get access to the best providers of the best baking supplies in town.

One of the best options that you may look into is searching for suppliers who have their own websites online. These suppliers may provide you the best options for your supplies in a very affordable price. These websites usually offer various commercial cookware, restaurant equipment, kitchen supplies as well as supplies needed for your baking needs. They also offer apparels needed for baking such as gloves, the bakers hat and aprons. So, this is almost everything you need for your bakery.

Just to make sure that you will be able to acquire high quality supplies and equipment, you must find a reputable company who can help you draw more customers to your bakeshop by providing you the best and reliable baking supplies that can stand the test of time.

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Friday, September 3, 2010

How to Get Started With Your Food Storage

Food storage is not just tupperware and freezer bags, it is an emergency preparedness concept of putting aside some extra food in case of a natural disaster or time of economic difficulty. Many people understand the concept of storing these life-sustaining foods, but few people know how to actually use them. If you had a time where you needed to depend on your food storage to live, it would be so important to know how to use it and to have your family be used to that type of cooking.

This is the transcript of an interview I conducted with Crystal Godfrey from the blog Everyday Food Storage regarding how to start using your long term food storage in everyday ways. She is an expert at using food storage in her everyday cooking and posts numerous recipe ideas on her blog every week so she was an excellent resource to talk to about it.

Jodi: Hi Crystal, we just have a few questions for you today. To start out, what made you start using your food storage for your everyday cooking?

Crystal: Well, I got my food storage and I didn't want it to just be sitting there on my shelves all the time. So what I did was I thought, well my mom actually, when I grew up, used food storage ... so I knew the basics of it. I knew it could be gross so I was a little timid in trying it. So I just started trying a little bit at a time and I just started using it. And as I started using one thing and being successful at it then it gave me encouragement to try other things. And it just kind of snowballed until I was using it every day. And then I noticed that not only was I prepared in knowing that if there WAS an emergency that my family would eat what I made, but that I was also saving money, saving time, and making fewer messes while I was at it.

Jodi: So kind of the key is starting small? And working your way up?

Crystal: Yes, definitely. Which you guys know all about!

Jodi: Ya ... right. We're at the small part right now. Now where do you buy most of your food storage ingredients?

Crystal: Now when you say food storage ingredients your talking not the three month supply?

Jodi: Yes, like the long term food ... the wheat, stuff like that.

Crystal: I buy most of mine at the LDS cannery. Which if you don't have one just research, I'm sure there's one near you, or you can buy it online. But that's where I buy most of my items.

Jodi: Do you have a website that you would look at maybe?

Crystal: ldsprovidentliving.org

Jodi: And you can order it online from there?

Crystal: Yes, you can order some things online there.

Jodi: Excellent. What is your favorite food storage item to cook with?

Crystal: That one's hard because I have a couple. Can I give you a couple?

Jodi: Ok.

Crystal: Ok. My favorite time saving one is onions, dehydrated onions. Because I hate cutting onions.

Jodi: Are they different from the onion flakes from the store? Or is that what they are?

Crystal: No that's pretty much what they are but they're a lot cheaper because you are going to buy them in bulk. And so no longer do you have to cut them but you just stick them in your spaghetti sauce and then they hydrate in your spaghetti sauce. I mean it saves so much time and I always have onions on hand. And I've even done things where I've hydrated them and grilled them so they've been like In N Out Burger's have animal-style (California is where it's at)

Jodi: They have one in Utah now

Crystal: Yes they do! But I've even done stuff like that where I've used them as an actual onion substitute not in something and they've been delicious as well. And probably my other favorite would be powdered milk because I think that is the one that people are most surprised still taste good even though it has powdered milk in it.

Jodi: So you like to kind of trick people. I've noticed that on your site.

Crystal: I do. I like the wow factor!

Jodi: So what is your very favorite recipe of all time that you've created?

Crystal: Oh that I've created? Probably my Twinkie surprise cupcakes.

Jodi: Oh I love that one. That one was good. That was the one on the Utah's Own ... What's the contest called?

Crystal: Ya it was a runner up for the Utah's Own Downhome Cook-Off.

Jodi: We watched it on tv, she was awesome. At the Utah State Fair. So how do you come up with your recipes? Because this is hard for me, I always like to have a recipe. I can't make them up myself so I'm always impressed with you.

Crystal: Well I actually don't MAKE UP most of my recipes. The way I look at food storage is food storage is basically just basic cooking ingredients that you would use in any recipe. So all I do is I just take my favorite recipes and then start substituting out you know say milk instead of milk put in powdered milk, eggs I put in powdered eggs, and onions I put in my dehydrated onions. So I'm not really always coming up with new recipes but I feel like in my experience people are less likely to try it in their own recipes. They want to see someone who has already tried it and know that it's good.

Jodi: That's how we are.

Crystal: So I just put on the recipes that I try for my own family that I know my family already likes and switch it out for food storage ingredients and then I put it on my blog for people to see look this one DOES work. So hopefully it will builds confidence that then they can try it with their own recipes.

Jodi: That's a really good idea. That's good to know. So I'm going to have to do that with mine now.

Crystal: Ya so don't stress!

Jodi: But I like to use yours better! So how often do you cook with your food storage?

Crystal: Every day!

Jodi: Every single day? Every meal of the day? Or just you try to do something? is it conscious or is it just natural?

Crystal: Now it's natural. But i would say I mean it depends. But I would say every meal. I mean I make my own bread so at lunch we have it, breakfast if we have cereal or something then it has the powdered milk. And then dinner would have usually you know like milk or onions or something. I mean I use it all the time.

Jodi: All the time. I don't yet! So with bread, can you make good sandwiches with your bread?

Crystal: Oh yes! Oh gosh yes!

Jodi: Ok I'll have to get your bread recipe.

Crystal: You need a bread maker.

Jodi: I know! Julie has one but I don't have one yet.

Crystal: You need to look at my tips for making good bread machine bread.

Jodi: Alright we'll check it out. What aspects of food storage would you like to learn more about? Or do you just know everything?

Crystal: No I DON'T know everything! No. I think you can always be learning, so I think the next thing I'm going to try tackling is powdered milk yogurt. Because I received a recipe from one of my blog readers where you can make fat free frosting.

Jodi: Like for cakes?

Crystal: Mm hmm. I think it's supposed to taste kind of like a buttercream or something but then it's fat free.

Jodi: So it's healthy?

Crystal: Well healthier ... I won't necessarily say healthy, but healthier. If you are going to make a cookie anyway you might as well add in extra nutrition with wheat or something like that.

Jodi: This is true. And you kind of said in the beginning that it's really good to start small. But is there any other advice that you'd want to share with beginners? Because a lot of our blog readers tend to be people just getting started and kind of heading into the long term food storage is a hard step. So any other words of wisdom?

Crystal: That's really what I focus on is the beginners. So what I would say is just pick one thing that you're going to start with. And one of the things I think is easiest to start with is powdered milk. Because you don't need to have a grinder and you don't need to have all these special things to use it. You can just start cooking with it right away. And you can start putting it in desserts like sweetened condensed milk or like evaporated milk. And that way you know it's going to taste good because it has the sugar. Your family is going to want to try it because it's a dessert.

Jodi: That's always key in MY family.

Crystal: And then when they see that it's good then they'll say "Oh ok well that's good". So then I can try this and then I can try that. And the more things you try that build your confidence the more you'll be likely to try new things and to keep using what you already know. So my motto is to always start with a dessert. Because your family will try it. And as long as you don't tell them that there's food storage in it until after and get the "wow" factor, then they'll try it and then you'll see that they like it and that it's possible. Once you start seeing that it actually IS possible to cook with your food storage and that your family will eat it then that will give you the confidence you need to cook with it on a daily basis.

Jodi: My kids liked the Cookie Clay Dough.

Crystal: Oh yes.

Jodi: They thought that was fun and I wrote my name and they were eating all the letters thinking it's fun. So if you want to have a look at Crystal's recipes at Everyday Food Storage, check her out at everydayfoodstorage.net Thanks for talking with us today Crystal.

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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Suet Bird Cakes - A Great Winter Treat!

It's that time of year again when the brrrrrr is upon us. Well, you can rest assured that your local birds are aware of that also. One way to really be of help to the birds this winter is to set out some bird suet feeders packed with bird suet cakes. They are nutritious and beneficial for keeping warmth and energy high in your local feathered friends. Here are a few pointers on bird suet.

Suet? Suet is a beef fat-based bird food. If you think it strange that birds enjoy eating animal fat, you must know that suet is not only beef fat but has other ingredients added to it such as: peanuts, fruits, , bread crumbs, sunflower seeds, raisins, nuts and corn. That's a combination that your favorite fast food place can't beat! To top it off, suet is a low-cost food source and thus the ideal main course for your suet bird feeder menu. Birds really love suet cake!

Where in the world can you buy Suet? Suet is typically sold in small blocks, which you simply buy and place in your suet feeder. You can make it at home, but only if you really know what to put in it and in the precise quantities that will ensure a good meal for the feathered birdies in yer neck of the woods. If you buy the suet blocks, you may pay between 3 to 4 dollars per block. And if you can manage the storage space, buy in bulk, which will work out to be even cheaper in the long run.

What in the world should be in the Suet? Remember, for homemade suet, some ingredients such as certain fruits may cause problems during summer because they spoil and mold easily. The last thing your birds want is moldy food. Now, that is not to say that all suet bird food is unsuitable for summer. All you do is leave out the fruit component and concentrate on the dry ingredients such as corn and sunflower seeds.

Finally, suet is an all time favorite to squirrels too, so you have to keep them away using the right squirrel guards and baffles. Hanging your suet bird feeder from an independent, wrought iron hanger away from launch points will serve you best. Now you can kick back and watch as your local chickadees, sparrows, finches, blue jays, wrens, cardinals, woodpeckers, and even robins drop by and partake in a great dining experience that YOU have provided in yer neck of the woods.

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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

You Must Avoid These Foods to Lose Weight Fast!

Have you been trying to lose weight but to no avail? Perhaps you have been eating the wrong types of food! Our diet affects 70% of our body weight! So if you are uncertain what food to avoid, here are some useful and simple guidelines for you to follow! 

Avoid food with high fat content 

This is an obvious answer. However, the problem is many people fail to recognize the hidden fats especially when food companies now love to label their food item as healthier alternatives. For example, nowadays potato chips are mostly labeled as trans fat free. Although this is a better alternative to previous batches of potato chips, it does not mean it will not make you put on the pounds! Being trans fat free will not magically turn potato chips into a healthy snack! They are still laden with loads of saturated and unsaturated fats, which are the major culprits for weight, gain. Other foods that are laden with fats are diary products. Also choose low fat alternatives such as low fat cheese and skim milk. In addition, ALWAYS avoid fried food.

Avoid food with high sugar content 

You must be thinking, well sugars are not fats so why does it contribute to my weight gain. Sugar is high in calorie, and calorie not burned up in our daily activities would just simply be stored as fats by our body. It is a simple equation. Consuming more calories than you burn off would make your gain weight. To get quick weight loss, just ensure that you burn off more calories than you intake. So do give foods that are high in sugar a miss. They are loaded with refined carbohydrates that cause your blood sugar level to spike sharply. This will signal your pancreas to release large amounts of insulin, which will actually make you gain even more weight since insulin plays a fat storage role in our bodies. Foods with high sugar content are concentrated fruit juices, cakes, sweets and cookies. So avoid these foods if you want to get quick weight loss results!

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