I Believe ...

Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation!

Dorothy Law Neite once said ... If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight. If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.If a child learns to feel shame, he learns to feel guilty.If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement he learns confidence. If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice. If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world. 

Beautiful and very wise words!

Sandy Friend

The Way To A Happy New Year!

To leave the old with a burst of song, to recall the right and forgive the wrong, to forget the things that bind you fast, to the vain regrets of the year that's past. To have the strength to let go your hold of the not worthwhile of the days grown old, to dare go forth with a purpose true, to the unknown task of the year that's new. To help your brother along the road, to do his work and lift his load, to add your gift to the world's good cheer is to have and to give a Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you all a blessed and prosperous 2016!

Sandy Friend

Hot Water Bottles and Wheat Bags

With the approach of colder days, many of you will be thinking about ways of reducing your heating bills, while at the same time remaining comfortable during the winter months.
One useful and fun way to cut costs is to consider alternative ways of keeping warm at bedtime.
Many of us are used to snuggling down between flannelette sheets, with an electric blanket below and a cuddly duvet above. This has been my preferred winter bedtime habit for many years now. But, electricity costs money, something many of us have less of now.
Trying to go to sleep when you’re feeling cold is almost impossible, as the body tenses up to try and create its own warmth. Before electric blankets became so popular, families still knew how to warm a bed, making falling asleep a more pleasant process. If we want to reduce our electricity bill, here are two ways of warming the bed and ourselves at bedtime.
Hot Water Bottle
The most popular way of warming a cold bed in the past was to use a hot water bottle, or hottie as they were sometimes called. The original hot water bottles were invented back in the 16th century and were made of metal or other hard materials. Eventually the hot water bottle as we know it today replaced the hard objects. These are made of rubber or similar substances and continue to be an economical way of warming the bed.
Instead of using electricity, often for longer than is needed, a hot water bottle is filled with hot or near boiling water and placed in the bed. This can warm the bed before getting in, then refilled at bedtime to continue the warmth a while longer.
Not only are hot water bottles more economical, they are also safer. Electric blankets can over heat and cause a fire. Falling asleep with the electric blanket still on is a dangerous practice. The only risk with hot water bottles is the possibility of an old one bursting and spilling water. There is also that discomfort of waking up with a cold hot water bottle beside you if you forget to discard it before you fall asleep. These are small disadvantages compared to soaring electricity costs and the risk of fire.
Wheat Bags
A more modern version of the hot water bottle is using wheat bags. These are soft cloth shapes filled with wheat, that can be heated in a microwave. They serve the same purpose as an electric blanket, so if you worry about a hot water bottle bursting, wheat bags could be the answer for you.
Once purchased and like the hot water bottle, the cost of using a wheat bag is minimal. It takes little time to heat a wheat bag and the benefits last for some time.
Wheat bags are also great when used to soothe tired or strained muscles.
None of us enjoy getting into a cold bed. Rather than worry about electrical costs this coming winter, why not stay safe and consider one of these economical ways of warming your bed, ensuring you have a pleasant night’s sleep.

Beauty Tips for Winter

When the temperature changes, so should your beauty routine. Your hair and skin react differently to cooler climates, so you need to redefine your regimen to get the results you want to see. If you want to adapt when the weather gets colder, take note of these fall and winter beauty tips to keep your skin healthy and your hair looking beautiful.
Cold weather means indoor heating which will have an adverse affect on your skin. To combat the drying affects, switch to a heavier moisturizing cream to add much-needed hydration. Lock in moisture by doing this while your face is still wet.
Avoid baths and showers that are too hot, and cool the water before you get out. Your skin will retain more moisture this way and you won't go through the temperature shock so much when you get out. Rub in body lotion on your arms and legs and feet, particularly on your elbows and knees.
Use eye cream at night to combat dryness. If you do this on a regular basis, you'll probably notice a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. Get your beauty sleep to lower stress and put your best face forward.
Hands
As you do your face and they'll look soft and young for years to come. If your hands, feet and elbows are dry, this homemade body scrub will get them back in shape and give soothing relief: Mix a half cup of Epsom salts, one tablespoon olive or canola oil and a few drops of lemon, lime, grapefruit, or orange juice. Apply to the dry areas of your skin, rub gently in a circular motion, and then rinse off.
Lips
Many women only experience chapped lips in the Winter months. Avoid licking your lips and use a moisturizing lipstick in the daytime hours and apply lip balm before you go to bed. If you're a teen, enjoy the many lip products on the market for your age group and dazzle your smile.
To remove any unwanted dry skin off of your lips, you can exfoliate them with your toothbrush when you brush your teeth. In a pinch, add a dab of Vaseline to protect them.
Hair
Not only does your skin dry out when the weather turns cold, so does your hair. Pay special attention to your hair needs do some damage control with a deep conditioner if you notice it drying out. It only needs to be washed twice a week, but it's important to wash out any styling products that weigh down your hair. For a quick fix, apply a leave-in conditioner for extra moisture and shine.

My Brother Miguel (1972 - 2004)

I remember Christmas with you right by my side.
The fun we had while waiting for Santa to arrive...
We never did quite make it, never saw him land...
Not many gifts were given, the joy of only two gave us so much happiness and brought us closer too.
For me you were my Christmas, I still can feel your hand holding on with so much love.
This touch of joy expands, for heaven has an Angel who lives within my heart , although you are not with me now our spirits never part and yes I shall remember, the treasures that you gave, your heart and gentle spirit are memories I save.
Dreams of life were shattered but still I feel you near, within the joy of Christmas, your precious gifts are here!

I will always love you, I will never forget you.

My heart ~ My Love ~ My brother and my best friend.

175 Romantic Ideas

The strength of your marriage depends on the choices you make to improve it. Unfortunately, many couples have lost the spark they shared before they married and have replaced it with a humdrum routine. Dating and romancing your spouse can change those patterns, and can be a lot of fun, but will require some hard work. Planning and energy are imperative for making good times happen.
Is it worth the trouble? I’m convinced that the lack of dating and romance in marriage is one of the major causes of broken relationships. Marriages usually don’t collapse overnight. They become bankrupt gradually because they lack daily deposits of love, communication and affirmation.
[Below are a number of ideas that could help you in your romantic expression with each other.] A few of these ideas may be too outrageous for your style. That’s okay. Read the ideas, shake your head in wonder, and mutter, “Some people are really bizarre.” I developed this list with the hope that each couple would add to or subtract from it in order to meet their individual ideas. You may find the outrageous ideas are helpful in stretching your imagination and pushing you toward becoming more creative.
Now—for the ideas! Here they are:
1. Sketch your dream-house floor plan and talk about the possibilities for each room.
2. Take a bath or shower together.
3. Write the love story of how you met. Get it printed and bound.
4. List your spouse’s best qualities in alphabetical order.
5. Tour a museum or an art gallery.
6. Park in a secluded area and kiss in your car.
7. Make your own movie scene—stop and kiss on a bridge as the sun is setting.
8. Place great emphasis on the little changes she makes concerning her appearance.
9. Give your husband a bath and wash his hair.
10. Float on a raft together.
11. Take a stroll around the block.
12. Take your husband away from the kitchen while he’s cooking, and “sauté” him with kisses.
13. Bring home foods he loves to eat but won’t buy for himself. (Don’t do this if he’s dieting!)
14. Give each other a back rub.
15. Rent a classic love-story and watch it while cuddling under blankets.
16. Give your spouse a body massage.
17. Walk through model homes and dream about your next house. Steal a kiss in a closet.
18. Stroll around a nearby lake.
19. Sit in front of the fireplace and talk.
20. Read to one another in bed.
21. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride.
22. Turn the lights down during dinner.
23. Make a surprise call to your spouse while you’re out of town (in addition to your scheduled calls).
24. Play music in your bedroom.
25. Go swimming in the middle of the night.
26. Shave your wife’s legs.
27. Shave your husband’s face.
28. Write a poem for your spouse.
29. Run through the sprinklers on a hot day.
30. Remember to look into your spouse’s eyes while she tells you about his day.
31. Make up nicknames for each other.
32. Go the extra mile to please your mate.
33. When you’re the one who’s correct during a discussion, give your spouse a kiss. Focus on your love rather than who’s right.
34. Tell your spouse, “I’m glad I married you!”
35. Fulfill one of your spouse’s fantasies.
36. Hug your husband from behind and give him a kiss on the back of the neck.
37. Stop in the middle of your busy day and talk to your spouse for 15 minutes.
38. Create your own special holiday.
39. Place your hand on your spouse’s leg when you’re riding in the car.
40. Send your husband a compliment through one of her friends or colleagues.
41. Ask for an isolated booth in a restaurant.
42. Become your spouse’s cheerleader when he’s had a terrible day.
43. Tell your husband, “I love you because…” (Finish the sentence.)
44. Show your husband affection while he’s talking to one of his friends.
45. Sleep in a sleeping bag together.
46. Do something your spouse loves to do, even though it doesn’t interest you personally.
47. Go horseback riding on the same horse.
48. Photocopy a newspaper cartoon and write your own romantic caption.
49. Write out romantic notes and leave them in places your spouse will find them.
50. Cut out romantic photos from magazines and write your own messages on them.
51. While driving, pull over for scenic sights and get out of the car to enjoy God’s creation.
52. Write your spouse affirming love letters.
53. Mail your spouse love letters instead of leaving them in the house.
54. Feed ducks together (you can feed any type of animal as long as it’s not a house pet—the idea is to get outside together).
55. Build a snowman together.
56. Watch the sun come up or go down.
57. Go fishing together with only one pole.
58. Sit on the same side of a restaurant booth.
59. Spontaneously spend the entire day together away from the house.
60. Picnic by a pond.
61. Give your mate a foot massage.
62. Put on perfume or after-shave before going out.
63. Go Skinny-dipping.
64. Develop a code word for sex that you can use when you’re a part of a crowd.
65. Buy your husband or wife a new outfit.
66. Sing a song to your spouse.
67. Let go of helium balloons and watch them race each other out of sight.
68. Buy him a stuffed animal.
69. Write “I love you” in the dust around the house instead of complaining about it.
70. Set up a surprise manicure, hairstyling, or mud bath appointment for your spouse.
71. Put together a puzzle on a rainy night.
72. Read a romance novel together.
73. Rent a boat.
74. Take a train ride.
75. Ride bikes in the rain.
76. Read poetry to one another.
77. Build sand castles on the beach
78. Take a moonlight canoe ride.
79. Make your spouse a greeting card.
80. Swing together on a playground.
81. Go for a midnight dip in a hot tub.
82. Give your wife a balloon bouquet.
83. Plant a tree together in honor of your marriage.
84. Make heart-shaped pancakes and serve them to your wife in bed.
85. Bring home flowers.
86. Surprise your husband when he’s busy by saying, “What can I do to help?”
87. Take a hot-air balloon ride.
88. Walk through a housing construction site and kiss each other in each of the houses.
89. Count the stars.
90. Prior to a “work day” at home, hide gifts for your spouse in places where they’ll find them.
91. Bring a late-night snack and drink to bed.
92. Order different kinds of food at a restaurant.
93. Whisper something romantic to your spouse in a crowded room.
94. Have a candlelight picnic in the backyard.
95. Play tennis at night under a full moon using no lights.
96. Develop a weekly dining spot to meet for lunch.
97. Share a long piece of liquorice without using your hands.
98. Make cookies by candlelight.
99. Unscrew the table-light bulb at your restaurant booth to dim the lights.
100. Put perfume on your bed sheets.
101. Leave encouraging notes for your spouse that he will find at different times through the week.
102. Put on old clothes and go out and play in the mud together and then shower together.
103. Hold hands while roller skating.
104. Write out 50 reasons you’re glad to be married to your spouse.
105. Tickle-wrestle in bed.
106. Go on a walk together and pick flowers.
107. Put an “I Love You!” message in her lunch.
108. Place a rose on her pillow.
109. Set candles above the bed (carefully!).
110. Serve breakfast in bed.
111. Hide small gifts that your spouse will find throughout the week.
112. Sit and listen carefully to one another.
113. Tuck your husband into bed, read him a goodnight story (or scripture) and kiss her on the forehead.
114. Remember how you used to laugh at things he thought were funny? Do it again.
115. Write a song for your spouse.
116. Go for a walk barefoot.
117. Go kite flying.
118. Splash each other.
119. Spend an entire day in the “middle of nowhere”.
120. Dance in your candlelit living room.
121. Walk on the beach.
122. Play a board game by the fire.
123. Reminisce through old photo albums.
124. Go away for the weekend.
125. Go for a moonlit walk down a street of beautiful homes.
126. Rub feet under the table.
127. Kiss in crowded area.
128. Sit on his lap even when there’s sitting room elsewhere.
129. Surprise your spouse with an ice-cold drink while he/she is working on a hot day.
130. Kiss in the rain.
131. Join him, unexpectedly, in the shower.
132. Mail a love letter to your spouse’s place of work.
133. Create a trail through your home with a string leading your mate to a gift you have for them.
134. Buy your husband a negligee that you know you’ll look great in.
135. Brush her hair.
136. Ride a carousel or a merry-go-round.
137. Take a bike ride—on the same bike.
138. Hug while you roll down a hill (if you want to do this again you’d better choose a grassy hill).
139. Leave teasing notes around the house to create an atmosphere of anticipation.
140. Use a tender-touch as you pass one another around the house.
141. Share a milk shake with two straws.
142. Take the phone off the hook, turn off the TV, turn down the lights and kiss on the floor.
143. Put fresh flowers in front of her bathroom sink and write a love note with lipstick on the mirror.
144. Dedicate a song to her over the radio.
145. Break away from the chaos of the family long enough to share an intimate conversation.
146. Wink and smile at your spouse from across the room.
147. Kiss your spouse’s fingers.
148. Celebrate for no reason.
149. Leave a photo of yourself on his dashboard.
150. Give your husband a manicure.
151. Using plastic cups, create your own miniature golf course by placing the cups in different locations around the house and have fun creatively playing the game together.
152. Fill your bed with rose petals.
153. Play strip canasta.
154. Remember something she thinks you’ve forgotten.
155. Stand together in front of a lake and watch your reflections.
156. Hug for an extended period of time.
157. Leave your lip-prints on a note.
158. Sit in front of the window during a rainstorm.
159. Do something together to help someone else.
160. Take a fun class together.
161. Go rock-skipping.
162. Ride a bicycle-built-for-two.
163. Fall asleep holding each other.
164. Draw your spouse a stick figure picture of something romantic.
165. Tell your wife you will take her anywhere she wants to go.
166. Call your husband during the day and remind him of your love for him.
167. Get up some morning and head out in the car together without planning one single thing.
168. Have a hot bubble-bath ready for her when she comes home from a hard day.
169. Ask your spouse, “What can I do to make you happier?”
170. Buy new satin sheets.
171. Try to go away for the weekend and spend only R100.
172. Break your after-dinner routine and go sightseeing.
173. Mail a love letter to your spouse’s place of work.
174. Reminisce about your first kiss or your first date.
175. Drop everything and do something for the one you love—right now!

The Goodness of Papaya Enzyme

The papaya has been studied and long used for its many benefits for our health. It is packed full of vitamins and beneficial enzymes that can be very helpful with certain diseases and disorders today. The papaya contains the enzyme papain as do pineapples, figs and kiwi fruit. This enzyme has been extracted and used commercially for years as meat tenderizer. The enzyme that is extracted and utilized for meat tenderizer is obtained from the leaves of the papaya. The fruit itself has as many if not more vitamins and enzymes that can be utilized when it is eaten or the enzymes are extracted for use.
Papain has been used for years by those who endorse natural healing
methods. Many European countries use the papaya between courses of gourmet meals to cleanse the palate and to help the digestion of heavy meals. The enzyme papain has been extracted and has proven beneficial in the digestion of proteins. Proteins are much harder to digest than any other food by the body. Papain has been used for many years by holistic healers as an aid in digestion. It has also been used to help with problems such as indigestion, acid reflux, heartburn, and irritable bowel syndrome.

A Fake Tan

A healthy glow is a great confidence booster but with many of us keen to avoid those sun-inducing lines and wrinkles, the best way to achieve a great looking tan is to fake it!
The lowdown on fake tan
Fake tan has been around for years and there are now stacks of options for bronzing our pins - from quick tanning towels and lotions you use at home to the more, pricier options of spray booths and hour-long treatments at your local salon. Whichever method you decide to go for, it's important to a) select the correct product for your skin type and b) get the application right! Even the most expensive fake tan will end up looking shoddy if the application process is more along the lines of 'slap it on and go' so it's essential to take your time and apply it carefully for optimum results.
It's also important to think about the 'type' of tan that will suit your skin. Tanning towels are great for fairer skins for example, as the colour is quite light and natural-looking, whilst olive skin tones can carry a much darker, more intense lotion like those offered by St. Tropez. Alternatively you could play it a bit safer with one of the many tan-infused moisturisers. These are basically a 50/50 blend of tanning lotion and body cream and can be applied each day to build up a natural looking tan. They come in different 'shades' to suit different skin tones and are much lighter on the purse strings compared to many other self-tan products. Johnson's Holiday Skin and Dove Summer Glow Body Lotion are both pretty fool-proof and are excellent products to try if you're trying fake tan for the first time.
Getting a good result
Naturally some fake tans are better than others but the final look is really down to the application process and how good you are at acquiring an 'even' result. Although this might take practice, there are a few simple rules you can follow to increase your chances of a natural-looking, streak-free tan.
1. Shave your legs and exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Dry, rough patches of skin are a major no-no as the fake tan will cling to the surface of the skin resulting in unsightly orange patches. Use a body brush or exfoliator if you have one, or go for a DIY skin booster with a rough cloth all over the body. If your skin has been fairly neglected over the past few months, try exfoliating a few times before to apply the tan to give your skin a chance to soften.
2. Use moisturiser. Apply cream to your exfoliated skin and let it dry completely. You can add extra cream to dry areas to speed up the healing process but it's best to do this a few hours before so it doesn't prevent the tan from working properly.
3. Use Vaseline on your nails, hairline and any rough patches to avoid staining and keep the colour even.
4. Take your time! Rubbing the tanner into your skin like a woman possessed will only result in that orange WAG look. The best way to achieve a natural looking tan is to rub the lotion in gently and attempt each limb one at a time, only moving onto the next section when you're satisfied that the skin is evenly covered.
5. To avoid streaky clothes and skin, wait around 5-10 minutes before putting your clothes back on, likewise avoid any strenuous activity immediately after application!

Ideas for Children Lunch Boxes

While cooked school meals are getting healthier, and have to conform to government guidelines, children taking packed lunches to school, may not be getting the same nutritional benefits.
Some children are still taking a lunchbox full of processed and junk food to school, and are missing out on the vital vitamins and minerals which are contained in fresh foods. In fact the FSA have stated that 92% of lunchboxes they surveyed contained food that is too high in fat, salt and sugar.
Tummy fillers
Growing kids need plenty of starchy foods to fill them up and give them energy. Nutritious meals packed with fiber, protein, carbohydrate and vitamins will also help your child's growing bones and give them a healthy does of brain power for the afternoon ahead.
These along with fruit and/or vegetables should form the main part of your child's lunch. Try some of these ideas:-
Sandwiches and wraps
Sliced or homemade bread - vary between multi-grain and white.
Bread roll, pitta bread, bagel, tortilla/wrap, oatcakes, crepe/pancakes, potato cake, hot cross bun, scone.
Fillings/toppings
Meat - wafer thin cooked meats, cubed chicken/turkey breast with tomato and lettuce, ham and cheese, roast chicken & hummus, leftover cold meats (chicken, turkey, meatloaf, sausages etc) with salad, chicken and mashed avocado, cold BLT.
Fish - tuna mayo & sweet corn, tuna salad, sardine and tomato, fish paste and cucumber.
Veggie - grated cheese, cheese spread, cream cheese and salad, cottage cheese with pineapple, cheese and grated carrot with a little mayo, veggie sausages, vegetarian pate with cucumber, cheese and coleslaw, egg salad/egg mayo, cheese and pickle, Marmite.
Sweet - High-fruit jam/fruit spread, nut-free chocolate spread*, honey, treacle, lemon curd.
Other ideas
Carbohydrate based salads such as pasta salad, rice salad, cous cous, potato salad etc.
Egg based foods such asmini quiche or frittata.
Baked items such as savoury muffins, pizza slice, croissant, samosa, spring roll etc.
(These items can be high in saturated fat, so just opt for them occasionally).

Family Meals

According to research, children that have meals with their family rather than sitting round the TV are more likely to succeed in life. They are healthier, do better at school, have higher self esteem and are less likely to develop eating disorders.
But even putting that research aside, sitting down together gives you a chance to catch up on the day's events, share worries, solve problems and have a laugh together. If anything is going to bring a family together having a meal will.
Tips for good conversations
Take turns in talking but try not to let anyone dominate the conversation (including the adults).
To make sure everyone gets involved in chatting and that one person doesn't monopolize the conversation, try asking a question and going round the table letting everyone answer in turn. Reminisce about things you have done recently, or plan things you will do together in the future. Or just use the obvious..."What was the best thing that happened to you today". For some children this may be too broad - so try ‘what did you play at break time today' ‘tell daddy who you played with at nursery or what happened at the supermarket'
Your might find it helpful to have a special object that you hand around to show who's turn it is to talk
Talk about the food you are eating. Ask them where it comes from, how it is made, where it grows, why it is good for them. If they have been allowed to help with the preparation they'll be delighted with themselves to know the answers.
Really enjoy the time together - try not to think of the 100 things you have to do - even if you all only sit together for ten minutes, make it a nice ten minutes.
Special meal day
If you don't normally have meals round a table, maybe because everyone gets in at different times, then designate a particular day each week as Special Meal Day. Choose a day of the week when you can regularly eat together - Special Meal Day. It's often good to choose the weekend when most of us have more time, but you might want to choose a Friday evening when everyone is chilled out after a week's work... whatever suits you and your family.

Roasted Vegetable and Feta

½ a butternut squash - peeled & cubed
2-3 assorted peppers - cut into chunks
2 medium onions - peeled and quartered
Splash of olive oil - to taste
½ pack feta cheese, crumbled
Wild rocket
Prepare veggies and place in large roasting tin.
Drizzle with a little oil.
Bake in moderate to high oven, 190-200C/Gas 5-6, (turning veggies occasionally) for approximately 30-45 minutes or until almost done.
Take out of oven and crumble feta cheese over top of dish. Put back in oven for 10 minutes.
Serve on a bed of wild rocket.
Variations:
Add some diced courgettes and sliced mushrooms instead of (or in addition to) the peppers and onions.
Use diced mozzarella or halloumi or instead of the feta if preferred.

Barbecues

Gone are the days when you spend hours over charcoal trying desperately to light it while everyone is getting hungry.
You can now buy bags of 'instant lighting' charcoal or even use a gas barbecue to speed things up. If you don't have a barbecue, you can buy one of those handy disposable ones which are just as quick to light.
Barbecues are such good news for parents: children love the eating outside because of the novelty of it all and there's less clearing up. If you really feel like treating yourself you could use paper plates and get the children to throw them in the recycling bin at the end of the meal.
Barbecue cooking tips
Home-made burgers taste so much better than shop bought ones, and tend to be much healthier, as they are generally lower in fat. One thing to remember though is that this means they are more likely to stick to the BBQ grill. Simply brush them with vegetable oil and cook them on a barbecue foil tray to avoid them sticking.
Marinate meat and fish for at least 30 minutes before cooking, to give them extra flavour and make them more tender. Here are a few simple marinade ideas:
• 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, some chopped fresh herbs.
• 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice and a little crushed garlic.
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp wine vinegar, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.
Experiment with your marinades by adding different flavours and oils e.g. fresh ginger, five spice, herbs, curry paste, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce etc.
Cook larger items of meat at the edge of the barbecue, where it is cooler, for longer. This prevents the perennial barbecue problem of food becoming burnt on the outside before being cooked through.
Food safety
Lovely as they are, barbecues can be the cause of serious food poisoning if you're not careful: undercooked meat or food hanging around in the sun, both offer a breeding ground for some pretty nasty bugs. Follow these food rules and you'll be fine!
Whether you are cooking raw meat or re-heating, always make sure that it is cooked properly; it should be piping hot all the way through, none of the meat should be pink and the juices should run clear. Even if it's charred on the outside it may be uncooked on the inside so have a peep in the middle of the burgers before you serve up.
Make sure an over hungry chef doesn't whack the food on too soon before the barbecue is hot enough - the charcoal should be glowing with a powdery grey surface.
Thaw all frozen food completely before cooking it. Cooking frozen food will lead to it being uncooked on the inside and burnt on the outside.
Keep your raw meat completely separate from your ready to eat food. Raw meat may well have bugs in - which get destroyed when the meat is cooked - but if raw meat touches other food (or if meat juices drip onto other food) the bugs can pass to the food that is ready to eat.
Bugs can also be transferred onto food from your hands or cooking implements so always wash your hands after handling raw food and keep your chopping boards and knives separate for raw and cooked meat.
And what if it rains...
All the above recipes can be cooked under the grill instead...not as fun, but almost as tasty!

Teach Toddlers to Pray at Night

Teaching young children bedtime prayers is one of the best ways to in still the value of family prayer in the home. The quiet and relaxed atmosphere at bedtime is one that will help reduce fidgeting, encourage children to relax into praying and emphasize the daily ritual of communication with God.

Helping Toddlers Sleep

Bath-Time, Warm Milk and Digestives

There is plenty of evidence available which proves that drinking warm milk before bed helps to get both children and adults off to sleep. Rather than offering toddlers a hot chocolate, coke or any other sugary drink, a simple glass of milk will be much better, as this does not contain any caffeine. As a bedtime snack, instead of a chocolate cookie, which will likely have the undesired effect of a sugar rush, try a plain digestive biscuit. Another alternative is to offer a small piece of fruit, such as apple slices or perhaps some grapes.
Making a bath part of the bedtime routine, is likely to prove very helpful, as it relaxes the child's muscles and gets him ready to wind down for going to sleep. Remember to only use baby oil or a form of baby-sensitive bath oil, as this will be unlikely to irritate the skin.
Toddler Bedtime Routine – Short Car Ride, Warm Sheets and Bedtime Story
As most parents will know, it is amazing how a short car ride can help get toddlers to relax and feel sleepy. Especially as the daylight begins to fade, being able to see the darkness, reminds the child that it is nearly bedtime again.
In Baby & Toddler Sleep Solutions for Dummies, Arthur Lavin and Susan Glaser (John Wiley & Sons, 2007) recommend on cold nights, placing a warm towel over the sheet before the child is due to get all tucked-in. They also recommend putting a child's blanket in the tumble dryer for a couple of minutes before bedtime, or even wrapping a teddy or favourite cuddly toy in a pillow case before putting it in the dryer.
The ideal end to a toddler's bedtime routine is having a story either made up or read from a chosen book. This is a great time to bond and will also provide much benefit in terms of promoting a child's development of language and reading skills.
As highlighted above, a toddler's bedtime routine, may include a milky drink, relaxing bath-time, short car ride, warm sheets (on cold nights) and a bedtime story. The key is to establish such a routine, as early on as possible, which helps children to feel safe and secure!

A Healthy Brain

Keeping a healthy brain isn't difficult. All it requires is a little common sense, effort, and a few tips to get started!
Most people know that getting the right amount of sleep is essential for good health. People trying to solve difficult problems or struggling to develop a creative solution often find that a good night's sleep is the key to finding the answer. During sleep, the brain continues to work, making sense of the events of the day and finding patterns in order to categorize them. In short, sleeping gives the brain time to process what people learn each day and categorize it into patterns they already understand.
Eat Healthy Foods and Get Rid of Toxins
Brain-enhancing foods are actually body-enhancing foods. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, proteins, and water keeps people's bodies healthy and since the brain is part of the body, it stands to reason that what keeps the body healthy will keep the brain healthy. Just remember that what makes people's bodies sluggish will make their brain sluggish.
It's not rocket science. Exercise is good for the body and, therefore, good for the brain. But make sure the exercise is physical enough that a good sweat ensues. Sweating rids the body of toxins and given the amount of toxins in the environment, a good sweat each day goes a long way toward keeping people and their brains healthy.
Limit Alcohol and Say No to Drugs
Anyone who has had too much to drink knows that alcohol impairs brain function and if that is the case, it must be harming the brain in some way. Alcohol doesn't actually destroy brain cells, it damages the dendrites – the branched end of nerve cells that bring messages into the cells. While the damage can be reversible (the brain is able to repair itself) over time, it can cause the brain to work differently, to slow communications to, from, and within cells. Bottom line – alcohol should be viewed as a once in a while treat, not as a daily necessity.
All things in moderation, as the saying goes, except when it comes to drugs and cigarettes. Basically, drugs are going to do the same type of damage as alcohol, but the damage might be more intense, severe, and long-lasting. Depending on the drug of choice, it might even be permanent. For people who value their brains and their bodies, drugs are definitely taboo.
Meet New People, Read More, Watch Less TV
Life is meant to be lived. Too often, people merely go through the motions and forget that being active, interested, and interesting makes life richer and the brain stronger.
There is something rejuvenating about getting out and meeting new people. Perhaps it's the different conversation tracks. Maybe it's the process of seeing new faces and remembering new names. Meeting and talking to new people stimulates the brain in different ways and it's not bad for the social life either.
Bottom line – reading is active; watching TV is passive. TV watching tends to make people more sluggish and uninterested in the world around them. Reading has the opposite effect, giving people time to pause, reflect, think, as well as use their intellect and emotion. Sir Richard Steele said, "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." Overall, reading makes the brain active and even helps people develop a longer attention span. Something to keep in mind for children as well as adults!
It's not difficult for people to keep their brain healthy as they age. All it requires is a little common sense and intentional effort: sleep well, eat the right things, keep learning, exercise, limit alcohol, don't bother with drugs, be social, and read. While no one knows what the future holds, keeping a healthy brain is something that can be achieved well into old age.
Source:
Change Your Brain. Change Your Life. Daniel G. Amen, M.D.

Fruit Seeds

Fruit seeds are harmless when eaten in moderate quantities, despite admonitions to the contrary. Apple seeds are said to contain lethal amounts of cyanide. Grape seeds purportedly grow vines in your stomach. These claims are not true.
Definition
Fruit is the fleshy--sometimes sweet--part of the plant that disseminates the seeds. Fruit is a plant ovary, part of the plant's reproductive system.
Function
Nature intends fruit seeds to be eaten; they have evolved to survive the journey through the digestive system.
When eliminated, seeds are scattered away from the parent plant to sprout without competing for resources.
Commonly Eaten Seeds
Many fruit seeds are eaten without a second thought, including the tiny seeds in strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. They also include the soft seeds in fruits often referred to as "vegetables"--zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber, okra and eggplant.
Benefits
Seeds are an excellent source of fibre. Many fruit seeds are high in vitamins, including B-17. Apple and apricot seeds may have cancer-fighting properties.
Caution
Unripe fruit may contain small amounts of toxic substances that can cause digestive upset; these disappear as the fruit ripens. Plants discourage unripe fruit from being eaten because the seeds are immature.

Espetada

The Espetada is a typical Portuguese dish made of large chunks of beef rubbed in garlic and salt, skewered onto a bay leaf stick. Alas, we don’t have branches of bay leaves to thread through the meat so presoaked wooden skewers will have to do.
Simply marinated and grilled it needs very little to accompany it.
2 teaspoons coarse salt or to taste
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 bay leaves plus extra for grilling
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef sirloin, rib-eye, or beef tenderloin, cut in 2 inch cubes
Wooden skewers soaked in water for ½ hour1. Using a mortar and pestle, combine the salt and garlic, mashing the two until the garlic becomes a paste. Mix in the bay leaves, pepper, wine vinegar and lastly, the olive oil.
2. Put the meat cubes in a shallow non-reactive bowl and dump the seasoning paste over the meat. With clean hands, turn the meat to coat thoroughly on all sides. Let stand for 2 to 4 hours or even overnight in the refrigerator.
3. While the meat is marinating, soak the wooden skewers in warm water for at least ½ hour.
4. When ready to cook, thread the cubes of meat alternating with a bay leaf, onto the skewers. Grill over medium-heat (for beef tenderloin which requires less cooking, 5-6 minutes for medium-rare ) approximately 5 inches above the flames. Adjust cooking time to your desired doneness.
Enjoy!

What Makes A Marriage Last...

It's the everyday choices that you make:
To do what is best for your partner in life…
To respect the commitment of being husband and wife!
To be still and just listen —not have to be heard…
To forgive and forget and not need “the last word”…
To admit you’re not perfect —you’ll both make mistakes…
To support the decisions that each of you makes…
To be willing to laugh when a day has been rough…
To divide up the burdens when life becomes tough…
To support one another when things are too hurried…
To comfort each other when stress keeps you worried…
To be willing to cherish your true love and friend with a joy and compassion that will never end.
As You celebrate each year together:
May you always have Understanding to make your marriage work, Commitment to make your marriage grow and Love to make your marriage happy!

Love And Affection Are Different

I repeatedly referred to love and affection separately whenever I speak. That’s intentional—because love and affection are not the same thing.
Love is a biblical mandate and is foundational to a successful marriage. I’m convinced every reasonably healthy person is equipped to love others the way God designed. You choose to love someone else by putting their needs above your own. It’s a commitment of your will.
Affection, however, is a step beyond love. Affection takes the loving relationship between a man and woman in marriage into the deeper realm of tender expressions that result in feelings of closeness, passion, and security. Affection takes work because it requires knowledge of what makes the other person tick.
You show affection when you perceive and appreciate what your spouse needs and meet those needs in a way he or she can understand. Affection results in marital contentment, intimacy, satisfaction, anticipation, and joy all wrapped into one package.
• Affection isn’t sexual, but it naturally leads to sexual satisfaction.
• Affection isn’t time, but it requires time to accomplish.
• Affection isn’t communication, but without communication there can be no affection.
• Affection isn’t romance, but it typically involves romantic spontaneity, creativity, and fun.
Moreover, when affection is present in your relationship, you just know it. If you don’t feel it, you probably don’t have it. Here’s my definition of affection:
Affection is the kind of love that leaves you feeling close, safe, and cared for. In marriage, you feel the passion, and the loving acts become person specific. Affection is also important between parent and child. An affectionate family makes a child feel close, safe, and cared for as well. Affection must be an ingredient in all healthy personal relationships, including those with friends and extended family.
The Bible describes love in terms of action, not feelings. Look at the familiar description of love from 1 Corinthians 13, and notice all of the actions required:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV).
I like to say (though it may be grammatically flawed) that affection is “love as actions” —actions that leave your spouse feeling really good about you and your marriage. Affection is one of the out-workings of love: Love is the commitment and the action, and affection is the safe, secure feeling that results. Strong marriages thrive when both the behavior of love and the feelings of affection are present. This “love as actions” is what moves you the eighteen inches from your head to your heart:
• Love is patient. Affection is empathetic.
• Love is kind. Affection is tender.
• Love is not rude. Affection thoughtfully apologizes for its words.
• Love is not self-seeking. Affection rubs the back of a discouraged spouse.
• Love does not delight in evil. Affection carefully and privately uncovers sin and helps the person back onto his feet.
• Love never fails. Affection under-girds and confirms your unfailing love for your spouse.
The above article comes from the book, Starved for Affection by Dr Randy Carlson, published by Tyndale House Publishers. In this book you’ll find practical help and encouragement to strengthen your connection with your mate in all aspects of your relationship. And in doing so you’ll find the table spread with a banquet of blessings that God as prepared just for you.

Best Lemon Meringue Pie

It is absolutely divine!
CRUST
1 x 200 g pkt tennis biscuits
¼ cup (60 ml) real butter, melted
FILLING
2 x 397 g tins of full cream sweetened condensed milk
½ cup (125 ml) boiling water
1 T (15 ml) grated lemon rind
½ cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 egg yolks
pinch of salt
2 t (10 ml) corn-flour
MERINGUE LAYER
4 egg whites
2 t (10 ml) lemon juice
¼ cup (60 ml) castor sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Use a non-stick spray (this is one of the very few times that I use it) to spray the inside of a 22cm pie dish. Crush the biscuits or whiz them in a food processor until broken. Add the melted butter and blend very briefly until just mixed through.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and spread out. Work the crumbs up the sides of the dish and flatten with the back of a tablespoon. Put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm while you prepare the filling.
Beat the condensed milk (use the boiling water to get every bit out of the tins), lemon rind, lemon juice, egg yolks and salt together until thoroughly mixed.
Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling gently over the back of a spoon so as not to disturb the crumbs of the pie crust.
Bake the pie (without the meringue for 20 minutes). To make the meringue beat the egg whites in a spotless glass or stainless steel bowl until just beginning to foam. Add the lemon juice and beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Add the castor sugar, a spoonful at a time, while beating hard. Sift the icing sugar over in 3 batches and also beat it in hard.
The meringue mixture must now be stiff and shiny and be able to hold its shape. Remove the pie from the oven - sift the 2 t of corn-flour over the filling (this acts as glue to hold the filling and the meringue together). Spoon the meringue over the hot filling in great big blobs - working right up and over the edge of the crust. Fluff the meringue up with a spatula and return the pie to the oven. Bake for another 25 minutes. Open the oven door 1cm, switch off the oven and leave the pie in the oven to cool down.
When the pie is cool transfer it to the fridge to store - this will prevent 'tears' forming on the meringue - the air in the fridge is much drier than the regular atmosphere outside.
Makes 1 x 24cm pie Serves 12

Women are enigma of beauty — beauty that is not restricted to her skin, but lies deep into her mind. Every year Women’s Day is celebrated to respect impeccable beauty, devotion and immense power of women. Be a mother or a sister or a wife — woman is the root of a family.
Happy Women’s Day! Wishing you a day as beautiful as you are!

Las mujeres son el enigma de la belleza — belleza que no es restringida a su piel, pero está profundamente en su mente. Cada año el Día Femenino es celebrado para respetar la belleza impecable, el lealtad y el poder inmenso de mujeres. Esté una madre o una hermana o una esposa — la mujer es la raíz de una familia.
¡Día Femenino Feliz! ¡El deseo de usted un día tan hermoso como usted es!

Pregnancy

Congratulations on being pregnant and having a baby!
Now it's time to start planning, since having a baby can be a fun, yet stressful time. Being pregnant can be one of the best times of your life, so make sure you're prepared!
Pregnancy and Having a Baby
When a woman is having a baby, conception is just the start of something amazing and wonderful. Being pregnant will affect you and your body for 9 months, so it is important to understand the importance of taking care of your pregnant body while having a baby.
Pregnancy and Your Pregnant Body
While having a baby, your pregnant body will undergo many incredible changes, over the course of the 9 months of your pregnancy. Having a baby does not mean you have to give you up your life and daily activities. With a little help and guidance with having a baby, you can maintain your everyday tasks, and ensure the protection of your little one while being pregnant. After all, having a baby should be something you enjoy!
Prenatal Care While Having a Baby
Being pregnant and having a baby is a time where you will be closely monitored by your healthcare provider. Your baby is important, so you will be having schedule prenatal visits to ensure that your pregnancy is going as it should. Prenatal care is vital to having a baby, and the information and reassurance you will receive during these visits will make you comfortable while being pregnant. Having your baby will be the end result of 9 months of hard work!
Being Pregnant and Healthy Eating for 9 Months
It is important when having a baby that you eat a well balanced and varied diet while being pregnant. This will give you the energy and nutrients essential during your pregnancy when having a baby. Having a well balanced diet will give your baby a firm foundation for his health and well-being in the future. You will want to make sure that being pregnant doesn't affect your lifestyle, yet having a baby means some changes that may require planning.
Keeping Fit When Having a Baby
For 9 months, your pregnancy will make demands on your pregnant body that you are not used to. Exercising and staying fit during your pregnancy will make having a baby much easier. Relaxation techniques will allow you to prepare for the 9 months of being pregnant and for labour and beyond. When having a baby, these techniques will allow a smoother and easier childbirth experience.
Looking Great While Being Pregnant
Your pregnancy is a great excuse to spoil yourself and lavish yourself with attention. It is important for your partner to understand the demands that being pregnant puts on your body when having a baby. Once your baby arrives, having the time to put yourself first is tough. Take care of yourself, from maternity clothes to paying special attention to your hair, skin, breasts and feet. Having a baby doesn't mean you need to stop all of that!
Your Emotions and Having a Baby
You may find yourself having mixed emotions while being pregnant - pregnancy causes changes in your body, outside as well as inside. The emotions that take place when having a baby are completely natural. The overwhelming feeling of having a baby and being a parent will be felt throughout the 9 months of your pregnancy. Ask any person going through this, and they will tell you that they experience the same things when having a baby.
A Dad's Reaction to Being Pregnant and Having a Baby
Although a father does not physically experience the same joys and pains of pregnancy and having a baby, he may relate emotionally to some things the mother feels. When being pregnant, a mother needs emotional, physical and financial support, and this can be very helpful to her during the process of having a baby. Remember, a happy mom, is a happy baby.
Childbirth Choices While Having a Baby
Attending childbirth classes and having a birth plan is very important while being pregnant and having a baby. Consideration of where to have a baby, and who will delivery your baby is just as important as taking care of other aspects of being pregnant during the 9 months of your pregnancy. Will you have pain relief when having a baby? You will need to figure out a birth plan, to ensure the safety and best possible birth when having your baby.
Preparation for Labour and Having Your Baby
As you experience the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and being pregnant, you will be overwhelmed with the excitement of having your baby. You will want to prepare your baby's nursery, your home and yourselves for the changes that will take place once your baby is born. Being pregnant means your life will be different, and you will want to make sure that they day you will be having your baby will be as easy as possible. The last few weeks of your pregnancy is a crucial time for planning and organization, but having a baby is worth it.
The End of Being Pregnant - Having a Baby!
As your pregnancy draws near, labour is approaching and soon you will be having your baby. Being pregnant has been a tiring time of your life, and you are now in labour and heading to the hospital. You will soon be having the chance to meet your precious baby and a whole new world will begin for you and your family. At last you have gone through the agonizing hours of labour and delivery, and now the hard work and preparations of being pregnant and having a baby have paid off! You are now holding your baby, and your partner and you have made it through your pregnancy.
Time will go quickly, so enjoy each and every day with your baby!

Home Remedies for Dark Circles Under the Eyes

1. Drink at least ten glasses of water everyday.
2. Eight hours of sleep is a must for all of us, especially for people having dark circles under their eyes.
3. Close your eyes and cover your eyelids with slices of raw potato or cucumber for 15-20 minutes. Wash with warm water and apply a cream.
4. Grate a cucumber, squeeze to take out its juice and refrigerate. Make a mixture of lemon juice, lanolin cream and cucumber juice and apply around the eye for 10-15 minutes.
5. Apply lemon juice on the black circles 2 times a day.
6. Apply a paste of turmeric powder with pineapple juice for dark circles under the eyes.
7. Apply crushed mint around the eye.
8. Apply almond oil under eyes.
9. Reduce your intake of vitamin A. Over dose of medications such as Retin A produces "excessive" vascularisation.

Sandy's Peri-Peri Seasoning

Piri-piri is the hot seasoning oil of Portugal, with as many variations as there are housewives. It is added to all manner of meat and fish dishes, soups, sauces, marinades, and stews, but it is fiery and to be used with caution. Prepared in advance, piri-piri will keep under refrigeration for months.
1/4 cup fresh hot chili peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
Coarsely chop the peppers, discarding the tops. Thoroughly wash hands, knife and cutting board afterwards.
Combine peppers, salt, garlic, and oil in a glass bottle. Cover tightly, refrigerate. Use as needed.
1/4 cup fresh hot chili peppers
1 cup olive oil
1 slice of lemon, quartered
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of brandy or whiskey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Coarsely chop the peppers, discarding the tops. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Cool and pour everything into a glass container. Cap and refrigerate. Use as needed.
Enjoy!

Sandy's Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
13 ounces Cadbury’s Albany chocolate (dark bitter)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and the butter. Heat in the microwave until melted, about 35 seconds depending on your microwave, and stir to melt completely. Whisk in the egg yolks and set aside to cool.
2. Pour the cream into the chilled bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until it starts to thicken.
3. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until the cream starts to form stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Enjoy!

8 Ways To Show Your Husband You Love Him

1. Respect Him
The most effective way to make a man feel unloved is to disrespect him, especially in front of others. If you have any desire at all to take good care of your husband, and make him feel loved, do not ridicule him, overrule him, or dismiss him in front of someone else. It’s bad enough to do it in private (you really do NOT need to use these methods…find another way to convey your message), but in public you might as well slap his face.
2. Admire Him
This is related to the first, but from the other side. Respecting him is more about avoiding disrespect than in overt display of respect. Admiring him, on the other hand is explicitly about conveying to him, by words or gestures, what it is that you like about him. This can be body language, like giving him “elevator eyes” when he’s watching, if you like his body, or it can be words, like telling him that you love his sense of humour. You should always make sure that you use something appropriate to the circumstances, however… telling him you love his sense of humour while you’re at his father’s funeral together might not be a good idea.
You also need to vary this, finding new (or infrequently used) little things to tell him you like on a fairly regular basis. If you have trouble coming up with stuff on your own (are you sure you’re with the right guy for you?), then just instantly tell him when he takes an action you like… if he comes around and opens you car door for you, and you like it, tell him so. Always hearing the same thing, like “I love your sense of humour”, makes it lose its power for this. It gets to the point where he won’t really believe you, thinking you’re just saying it to manipulate him.
3. Let Him “Overhear” You Praise Him
This works wonders, but has to be used infrequently, and with caution. It doesn’t work, and can feel manipulative, if you pretend like you don’t know he’s there, but he can tell that you do. It’s much better, and safer, to ACTUALLY praise him to others, and occasionally he’ll be nearby when you do so, and overhear it. This technique actually works if you do it outright, too, as long as you don’t over do it. That is, you can flat out say to someone “My husband is great, he does X for me”, with him sitting beside you, and it will make him feel like you respect and admire him (see above).
4. Drop Everything
This is a little thing that has major effects. One of the most effective ways of showing someone you love them is to make them top priority, to the point where you stop everything you’re doing, whatever it is, to focus on them. That is, you step away from the computer, let the baby play by herself, turn off the TV, stop cooking dinner, whatever it is you’re doing, and go to that person and specifically show them that they are your central focus RIGHT THEN. This is particularly effective when you first see them after a separation (ie when you or they get home from work, etc.).
5. Notice His Strengths
This is similar to admiring him, but specific to his strengths. That is, if it’s hard for you to get the lid off the jar, and you know he can, go ask him, telling him something like “I’m not strong enough to open this. Can you do it for me?”. If his strength is math, ask him to calculate the price per ounce of something (or a similar feat of arithmetic), telling him it’s too hard for you. Don’t lie in this… he’ll know. Just make a point of asking him to help anywhere that you know is a strength of his that complements a weakness of yours. As noted, this can be physical or mental… “Can you move this for me, I can’t do it?” or “Can you help me figure out how to word this?”. Just like admiring him, though, overuse of this in one area tends to lower its effectiveness, eventually becoming more annoying than complementary.
6. Forgive His Weaknesses
Your husband has his weaknesses. All men do, and all women, too, for that matter. Do NOT use his weaknesses against him. If you use them to try to manipulate him, if you bring them up any time it’s not absolutely necessary, he will start feeling like you don’t respect him in that area. This applies to showing off areas where you are noticeably stronger than him, too, unless it’s somewhere he feels he doesn’t need to (or can’t) compete, which is generally areas that are not considered masculine, or areas where it is widely acknowledged that special talent is required, like singing.
7. No Comparisons
One of the worst things a wife can do is compare her husband to an ex, whether husband or boyfriend. Doing so is bad even if you are saying that your husband is better in some way. Men understand that they were not necessarily the first person you were with, the first person you loved, but that doesn’t mean they want it brought into their conscious awareness. And if you compare your husband poorly, as in he’s not as good at this or that, then this is multiplied. You are disrespecting him, pointing out his weaknesses, AND reminding him that you were with other men before him. That’s just asking to bring up negative emotions and associate them with you.
8. No Guilt Trips
It’s a classic, portrayed in uncountable movies and television shows… the wife gives her husband a guilt trip until he does what she wants. Manipulating someone is a bad idea. Clumsily manipulating them is even worse, but manipulating them at all is bad. This has two sides, in that it’s bad for both the person being manipulated and the one doing it.
The person being manipulated, by definition, feels like he is having his power of choice taken from him. If you feel that it’s still completely your choice, then you are not being manipulated. That doesn’t mean that someone isn’t TRYING to do so, but if you still feel like it’s entirely your choice, then they are not succeeding. Now, for someone who DOES feel like their choice is being taken from them, they will resent this strongly. One of the most powerful motivating factors in a human life is the desire to be free, to prove that you can make your own decisions, and that those decisions matter. Messing with this desire is playing with fire… if the person you are manipulating notices it, even later on, after the fact, they will resent it. Since, in this case, we are talking about your spouse, that means that resentment is likely to be there, even if it eventually fades, as a factor when he thinks about you for the rest of your lives together. It may be small, maybe even so small that he’s not consciously aware of it, but it will, none the less, be there.
Manipulating someone is bad for the person doing the manipulation, also. When you attempt to manipulate someone, you attempt to take some of their humanity from them. They will, as mentioned above, resent this, generally resenting even an unsuccessful attempt. But it’s just as bad for the person doing it, especially if they are doing it to their spouse, because it takes away from your concept of the person you’re trying to manipulate as a person, an individual, and instead turns them into more of an object. Objects can be generally counted on to have the same output when given the same input. Thinking of people in this way robs them of their humanity, their power of individual choice, making you respect, and love, them less. Presumably, if you’re reading this article, that’s not exactly what you have in mind.
So there you have it, 8 ways to show your husband that you love him. Some are things to actively do, some are things to actively make sure you DON’T do, but when they are all put together, and included with the things that all people need to feel loved, your husband will know, and feel, that you love him.

By Jason Ivers

Salsa

Salsa is a treat served and enjoyed at Mexican cuisines all around the nation. While the arrangement of ingredients vary slightly, most salsas have onions, tomatoes, and cilantro, and often also have some variety of pepper (usually jalapeno or cayenne) added in for heat. You can make your own salsa, too! Making your own has the benefit of allowing you to tweak the recipe to your liking and to experiment when you feel like trying something new.
Salsa has a lot of benefits that many other toppings fail at: it is largely fat free (except for an optional ingredient and whatever you may dip into it), and it is a great and tasty source of vegetables and especially the lycopene in tomatoes. Watch out, though, because salsa is often a large source of sodium, especially if you, the chef, like salty salsa. Salsa typically comes in two forms: its normal thin liquid, and its chunkier cousin, which is typically called pico de gallo. What form it takes is up to you and whether you blend or chop the vegetables. Salsa is good for dipping, while pico de gallo is good for adding to tacos or other dishes.
Choose Your Ingredients
Other than the three typical ingredients, there are a number of options which can alter the content and flavour of your salsa. A common ingredient is the avocado, which takes in other flavours there. Avocado is not unhealthy, but it does have a high amount of fat in it. Avocadoes can also be expensive, and they are notorious for being brought into grocery stores more than two weeks before they are ready to be consumed. Jalapeno peppers are a good standby pepper that is moderately hot with good flavour, but bell peppers can also be selected if pepper flavour without the heat is desired. If you are really adventurous, you can buy habanero peppers; these typically have 10-30 times the heat of a jalapeno. Some unconventional ingredients include peaches, mangoes, other fruit, and even tomatillos. You can also add complementary spices and flavours such as garlic salt and lime juice, which does better than lemon.
Chop…Chop…Chop
A typical recipe will appear something like this. Tomatoes do not differ greatly in flavour, but many use Roma or Plum tomatoes because of their low price. Onions have distinctive flavours, but purple, white, and Spanish onions can all fit nicely into a salsa. Be sure not to get Italian Parsley! It looks almost identical to cilantro, but it has no scent or flavour.
Tomatoes 5-8
Onion 1
Cilantro 1 bunch
Pepper 1-2
Avocado 1-2
To prepare, simply chop the ingredients on a cutting board and dump them into a bowl. If you want a red salsa, then use mostly tomatoes and less cilantro. If green is your goal, then add another bunch of cilantro. If you like cilantro, save the end of the bunch and blend it up with a tomato. Most people throw it away, but it can add some flavour. Cut everything up and mix it together. Add some garlic salt or lime juice to taste, and your salsa is complete! Enjoy it with some baked tortilla chips to avoid as much fat as possible.

Everyone needs to be told they're special so here's to YOU!

To an exceptionally beautiful woman!
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen within her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole. But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows and the beauty of a woman with passing years-only grows!
You are a beautiful woman!

Vinegar Has Extraordinary Uses

Clean your window blinds.
You can make the job of cleaning mini-blinds or venetians considerably less torturous, by giving them "the white glove treatment."
Just put on a white cotton glove…the kind sold for gardening is perfect and moisten the fingers in a solution made of equal parts white vinegar and hot tap water. Now simply slide your fingers across both sides of each slat and prepare to be amazed. Use a container of clean water to periodically wash off the glove.
Unclog and deodorize drains.
The combination of vinegar and baking soda is one of the most effective ways to unclog and deodorize drains. It's also far gentler on your pipes (and your wallet) than commercial drain cleaners.
To clear clogs in sink and tub drains, use a funnel to pour in 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup vinegar. When the foaming subsides, flush with hot tap water. Wait five minutes, and then flush again with cold water. Besides clearing blockages, this technique also washes away odour-causing bacteria.
To speed up a slow drain, pour in 1/2 cup salt followed by 2 cups boiling vinegar, then flush with hot and cold tap water.
Get rid of smoke odour.
If you've recently burned a steak or if your chain-smoking aunt recently paid you a surprise visit, remove the lingering smoky odour by placing a shallow bowl about three-quarters full of white or cider vinegar in the room where the scent is strongest. Use several bowls if the smell permeates your entire home. The odour should be gone in less than a day. You can also quickly dispense of the smell of fresh cigarette smoke inside a room by moistening a cloth with vinegar and waving it around a bit.
Wipe away mildew.
When you want to remove mildew stains, reach for white vinegar first. It can be safely used without additional ventilation and can be applied to almost any surface. Bathroom fixtures and tile, clothing, furniture, painted surfaces, plastic curtains and more. To eliminate heavy mildew accumulations, use it full strength. For light stains, dilute it with an equal amount of water. You can also prevent mildew from forming on the bottoms of rugs and carpeting by misting the backs with full-strength white vinegar from a spray bottle.
Clean chrome and stainless steel.
To clean chrome and stainless steel fixtures around your home, apply a light misting of undiluted white vinegar from a recycled spray bottle. Buff with a soft cloth to bring out the brightness.
Shine your silver.
Make your silverware -- as well as your pure silver bracelets, rings, and other jewellery -- shine like new by soaking them in a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons baking soda for two to three hours. Rinse them under cold water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.
Polish brass and copper items.
Put the shimmer back in your brass, bronze, and copper objects by making a paste of equal parts white vinegar and salt, or vinegar and baking soda (wait for the fizzing to stop before using). Use a clean, soft cloth or paper towel to rub the paste into the item until the tarnish is gone. Then rinse with cool water and polish with a soft towel until dry.
Erase ballpoint-pen marks.
Has the budding young artist in your home just decorated a painted wall in your home with a ballpoint original? Don't lose your cool. Rather, dab some full-strength white vinegar on the "masterpiece" using a cloth or a sponge. Repeat until the marks are gone. Then go out and buy your child a nice big sketch pad.
Burnish your scissors.
When your scissor blades get sticky or grimy, don't use water to wash them off; you're far more likely to rust the fastener that holds the blades together -- or the blades themselves -- than get them clean. Instead, wipe down the blades with a cloth dipped in full-strength white vinegar, and then dry it off with a rag or dish towel.
Deodorize lunch boxes, footlockers, and car trunks.
Does your old footlocker smell like, well, an old footlocker? Or perhaps your child's lunch box has taken on the bouquet of week-old tuna? What about that musty old car trunk? Quit holding your breath every time you open it. Instead, soak a slice of white bread in white vinegar and leave it in the malodorous space overnight. The smell should be gone by morning.
Freshen a musty closet.
Got a closet that doesn't smell as fresh as you'd like? First, remove the contents, then wash down the walls, ceiling, and floor with a cloth dampened in a solution of 1 cup each of vinegar and ammonia and 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 gallon (3.7 litres) water. Keep the closet door open and let the interior dry before replacing your clothes and other stuff. If the smell persists, place a small pan of cat litter inside. Replenish every few days until the odour is gone.
Brighten up brickwork.
How's this for an effortless way to clean your brick floors without breaking out the polish? Just go over them with a damp mop dipped in 1 cup white vinegar mixed with 1 gallon (3.7 litres) warm water. Your floors will look so good you'll never think about cleaning them with anything else. You can also use this same solution to brighten up the bricks around your fireplace.
Restore your rugs.
If your rugs or carpets are looking worn and dingy from too much foot traffic or an excess of kids' building blocks, toy trucks, and such, bring them back to life by brushing them with a clean push broom dipped in a solution of 1 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon (3.7 litres) water. Your faded threads will perk up, and you don't even need to rinse off the solution.
Remove carpet stains.
You can lift out many stains from your carpet with vinegar:
Rub light carpet stains with a mixture of 2 tablespoons salt dissolved in 1/2 cup white vinegar. Let the solution dry, then vacuum.
For larger or darker stains, add 2 tablespoons borax to the mixture and use in the same way.
For tough, ground-in dirt and other stains, make a paste of 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and rub it into the stain using a dry cloth. Let it set for two days, then vacuum.
To make spray-on spot and stain remover, fill a spray bottle with 5 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Fill a second spray bottle with 1 part ammonia and 5 parts water. Saturate a stain with the vinegar solution. Let it settle for a few minutes, then blot thoroughly with a clean, dry cloth. Then spray and blot using the ammonia solution. Repeat until the stain is gone.
Remove candle wax.
Candles are great for creating a romantic mood, but the mood can quickly sour if you wind up getting melted candle wax on your fine wood furniture. To remove it, first soften the wax using a blow-dryer on its hottest setting and blot up as much as you can with paper towels. Then remove what's left by rubbing with a cloth soaked in a solution made of equal parts white vinegar and water. Wipe clean with a soft, absorbent cloth.
Give grease stains the slip.
Eliminate grease stains from your kitchen table or counter by wiping them down with a cloth dampened in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water. In addition to removing the grease, the vinegar will neutralize any odours on the surface (once its own aroma evaporates, that is).
Get rid of water rings on furniture.
To remove white rings left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil and apply it with a soft cloth while moving with the wood grain. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it up. To get white water rings off leather furniture, dab them with a sponge soaked in full-strength white vinegar.
Wipe off wax or polish build-up.
When furniture polish or wax builds up on wood furniture or leather tabletops, get rid of it with diluted white vinegar. To get built-up polish off a piece of wood furniture, dip a cloth in equal parts vinegar and water and squeeze it out well. Then, moving with the grain, clean away the polish.
Wipe dry with a soft towel or cloth. Most leather tabletops will come clean simply by wiping them down with a soft cloth dipped in 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Use a clean towel to dry off any remaining liquid.
Revitalize leather furniture.
Has your leather sofa or easy chair lost its lustre? To restore it to its former glory, mix equal parts white vinegar and boiled linseed oil in a recycled spray bottle, shake it up well, and spray it on. Spread it evenly over your furniture using a soft cloth, give it a couple of minutes to settle in then rub it off with a clean cloth.
Refresh your refrigerator.
Did you know that vinegar might be an even more effective safe cleanser for your refrigerator than baking soda? Use equal parts white vinegar and water to wash both the interior and exterior of your fridge, including the door gasket and the fronts of the vegetable and fruit bins. To prevent mildew growth, wash the inside walls and bin interiors with some full-strength vinegar on a cloth. Also use undiluted vinegar to wipe off accumulated dust and grime on top of your refrigerator. Of course, you'll still want to put that box of baking soda inside your refrigerator to keep it smelling clean when you're done.
Steam-clean your microwave.
To clean your microwave, place a glass bowl filled with a solution of 1/4 cup vinegar in 1 cup water inside, and zap the mixture for five minutes on the highest setting. Once the bowl cools, dip a cloth or sponge into the liquid and use it to wipe away stains and splatters on the interior.
Disinfect cutting boards.
To disinfect and clean your wood cutting boards or butcher block countertop, wipe them with full-strength white vinegar after each use. The acetic acid in the vinegar is a good disinfectant, effective against such harmful bugs as E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus. Never use water and dishwashing detergent, because it can weaken surface wood fibres. When your wooden cutting surface needs deodorizing as well as disinfecting, spread some baking soda over it and then spray on undiluted white vinegar. Let it foam and bubble for five to ten minutes then rinse with a cloth dipped in clean cold water.
Deodorize your garbage disposal.
Here's an incredibly easy way to keep your garbage disposal unit sanitized and smelling clean: Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a bowl, pour the solution into an ice cube tray, and freeze it. Then simply drop a couple of "vinegar cubes" down your disposal every week or so, followed by a cold-water rinse.
Wash out your dishwasher.
To keep your dishwasher operating at peak performance and remove built-up soap film, pour 1 cup undiluted white vinegar into the bottom of the unit -- or in a bowl on the top rack. Then run the machine through a full cycle without any dishes or detergent. Do this once a month, especially if you have hard water. Note: If there's no mention of vinegar in your dishwasher owner's manual, check with the manufacturer first.
Clean china, crystal, and glassware.
Put the sparkle back in your glassware by adding vinegar to your rinse water or dishwater.
To keep your everyday glassware gleaming, add 1/4 cup vinegar to your dishwasher's rinse cycle.
To rid drinking glasses of cloudiness or spots caused by hard water, heat up a pot of equal parts white vinegar and water (use full-strength vinegar if your glasses are very cloudy), and let them soak in it for 15-30 minutes. Give them a good scrubbing with a bottle brush, then rinse clean.
Add 2 tablespoons vinegar to your dishwater when cleaning your good crystal glasses. Then rinse them in a solution of 3 parts warm water to 1 part vinegar and allow them to air-dry. You can also wash delicate crystal and fine china by adding 1 cup vinegar to a basin of warm water. Gently dunk the glasses in the solution and let dry.
To get coffee stains and other discolorations off china dishes and teacups, try scrubbing them with equal parts vinegar and salt, followed by rinsing them under warm water.
Clean a coffeemaker.
If your coffee consistently comes out weak or bitter, odds are, your coffeemaker needs cleaning. Fill the decanter with 2 cups white vinegar and 1 cup water. Place a filter in the machine, and pour the solution into the coffeemaker's water chamber. Turn on the coffeemaker and let it run through a full brew cycle. Remove the filter and replace it with a fresh one. Then run clean water through the machine for two full cycles, replacing the filter again for the second brew. If you have soft water, clean your coffeemaker after 80 brew cycles -- after 40 cycles if you have hard water.
Clean a teakettle.
To eliminate lime and mineral deposits in a teakettle, bring 3 cups full-strength white vinegar to a full boil for five minutes and leave the vinegar in the kettle overnight. Rinse out with cold water the next day.
Cut the grease.
Every professional cook knows that distilled vinegar is one of the best grease cutters around. It even works on seriously greasy surfaces such as the fry vats used in many food outlets. But you don't need to have a deep fryer to find plenty of ways to put vinegar to good use:
When you're finished frying, clean up grease splatters from your stovetop, walls, range hood, and surrounding countertop by washing them with a sponge dipped in undiluted white vinegar. Use another sponge soaked in cold tap water to rinse, then wipe dry with a soft cloth.
Pour 3-4 tablespoons white vinegar into your favourite brand (especially bargain brands) of liquid dishwashing detergent and give it a few shakes. The added vinegar will not only increase the detergent's grease-fighting capabilities, but also provide you with more dishwashing liquid for the money, because you'll need less soap to clean your dishes.
Boiling 2 cups vinegar in your frying pan for 10 minutes will help keep food from sticking to it for several months at a time.
Remove burned-on grease and food stains from your stainless steel cookware by mixing 1 cup distilled vinegar in enough water to cover the stains (if they're near the top of a large pot, you may need to increase the vinegar). Let it boil for five minutes. The stains should come off with some mild scrubbing when you wash the utensil.
Get that blackened, cooked-on grease off your broiler pan by softening it up with a solution of 1 cup apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar. Apply the mixture while the pan is still hot, and let it sit for an hour or so. Then watch in amazement as the grime slides off with a light scrubbing.
Got a hot plate that looks more like a grease pan? Whip it back into shape by washing it with a sponge dipped in full-strength white vinegar.
Fight grease build-ups in your oven by wiping down the inside with a rag or sponge soaked in full-strength white vinegar once a week. The same treatment gets grease off the grates on gas stoves.
Brush-clean can opener blades.
Does that dirty wheel blade of your electric can opener look like it's seen at least one can too many? To clean and sanitize it, dip an old toothbrush in white vinegar, and then position the bristles of the brush around the side and edge of the wheel. Turn on the appliance, and let the blade scrub itself clean.
Remove stains from pots, pans, and ovenware.
Nothing will do a better job than vinegar when it comes to removing stubborn stains on your cookware. Here's how to put the power of vinegar to use:
Give those dark stains on your aluminium cookware (caused by cooking acidic foods) the heave-ho by mixing in 1 teaspoon white vinegar for every cup of water needed to cover the stains. Let it boil for a couple of minutes, then rinse with cold water.
To remove stains from your stainless steel pots and pans, soak them in 2 cups white vinegar for 30 minutes, then rinse them with hot, soapy water followed by a cold-water rinse.
To get cooked-on food stains off your glass ovenware, fill them with 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water, heat the mixture to a slow boil, and let it boil at a low level for five minutes. The stains should come off with some mild scrubbing once the mixture cools.
They call it non-stick, but no cookware is stain proof. For mineral stains on your non-stick cookware, rub the utensil with a cloth dipped in undiluted distilled vinegar. To loosen up stubborn stains, mix 2 tablespoons baking soda, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 1 cup water and let it boil for 10 minutes.
Clear the air in your kitchen.
If the smell of yesterday's cooked cabbage or fish stew is hanging around your kitchen longer than you'd like, mix a pot of 1/2 cup white vinegar in 1 cup water. Let it boil until the liquid is almost gone. You'll be breathing easier in no time.
Refresh your ice trays.
If your plastic ice trays are covered with hard-water stains -- or if it's been a while since you've cleaned them -- a few cups of white vinegar can help you in either case. To remove the spots or disinfect your trays, let them soak in undiluted vinegar for four to five hours, then rinse well under cold water and let dry.
Sanitize jars, containers, and vases.
Do you cringe at the thought of cleaning out a mayonnaise, peanut butter, or mustard jar to reuse it? Or worse, getting the residue out of a slimy vase, decanter, or container? There is an easy way to handle these jobs. Fill the item with equal parts vinegar and warm, soapy water and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. If you're cleaning a bottle or jar, close it up and give it a few good shakes; otherwise use a bottle brush to scrape off the remains before thoroughly rinsing.
Clean a dirty thermos.
To get a thermos bottle clean, fill it with warm water and 1/4 cup white vinegar. If you see any residue, add some uncooked rice, which will act as an abrasive to scrape it off. Close and shake well. Then rinse and let it air-dry.
Purge bugs from your pantry.
Do you have moths or other insects in your cupboard or pantry? Fill a small bowl with 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar and add a couple of drops of liquid dish detergent. Leave it in there for a week; it will attract the bugs, which will fall into the bowl and drown. Then empty the shelves, and give the interior a thorough washing with dishwashing detergent or 2 cups baking soda in 1 quart (1 litre) water. Discard all wheat products (breads, pasta, flour, and such), and clean off canned goods before putting them back.
Trap fruit flies.
Did you bring home fruit flies from the market? You can make traps for them that can be used anywhere around your house by filling an old jar about halfway with apple cider. Punch a few holes in the lid, screw it back on, and you're good to go.
Tenderize and purify meats and seafood.
Soaking a lean or inexpensive cut of red meat in a couple of cups of vinegar breaks down tough fibres to make it more tender-and in addition, kills off any potentially harmful bacteria. You can also use vinegar to tenderize seafood steaks. Let the meat or fish soak in full -- strength vinegar overnight. Experiment with different vinegar varieties for added flavour, or simply use apple cider or distilled vinegar if you intend to rinse it off before cooking.
Keep corned beef from shrinking.
Ever notice how the corned beef that comes out of the pot is always smaller than the one that went in? Stop your meat from shrinking by adding a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the water when boiling your beef.
Make better boiled or poached eggs.
Vinegar does marvellous things for eggs. Here are the two most useful "egg-samples":
When you are making hard-boiled eggs, adding 2 tablespoons distilled vinegar for every quart (litre) of water will keep the eggs from cracking and make them easier to shell.
When you are poaching eggs, adding a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to the water will keep your eggs in tight shape by preventing the egg whites from spreading.
Wash store-bought produce.
You can't be too careful these days when it comes to handling the foods you eat. Before serving your fruits and vegetables, a great way to eliminate the hidden dirt, pesticides, and even insects, is to rinse them in 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar dissolved in 3.7 litres cold water.
Remove odours from your hands.
It's often difficult to get strong onion, garlic, or fish odours off your hands after preparing a meal. But you'll find these scents are a lot easier to wash off if you rub some distilled vinegar on your hands before and after you slice your vegetables or clean your fish.
Control your dandruff.
To give your dandruff the brush-off, follow up each shampoo with a rinse of 2 cups apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 cups cold water. You can also fight dandruff by applying 3 tablespoons vinegar onto your hair and massaging into your scalp before you shampoo. Wait a few minutes, then rinse it out and wash as usual.
Condition your hair.
Want to put the life back into your limp or damaged hair? You can whip up a terrific hair conditioner by combining 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 egg whites. Rub the mixture into your hair, then keep it covered for 30 minutes using plastic wrap or a shower cap. When time's up, shampoo and rinse as usual.
Protect blond hair from chlorine.
Keep your golden locks from turning green in a chlorinated pool by rubbing 1/4 cup cider vinegar into your hair and letting it set for 15 minutes before diving in.
Apply as antiperspirant.
Why not put the deodorizing power of vinegar to use where it matters most? That's right…you don't need a roll-on or spray to keep your underarms smelling fresh. Instead, splash a little white vinegar under each arm in the morning, and let it dry. In addition to combating perspiration odour, this method also does away with those deodorant stains on your garments.
Soak away aching muscles.
Got a sore back, a strained tendon in your shoulder or calf or maybe you is just feeling generally rundown?
Adding 2 cups apple cider vinegar to your bathwater is a great way to soothe away your aches and pains, or to simply to take the edge off a stressful day. Adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your bath can lend an able assist as well.
Freshen your breath.
After you consume a fair portion of garlic or onions, a quick and easy way to sweeten your breath is to rinse your mouth with a solution made by dissolving 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt in a glass of warm water.
Ease sunburn and itching.
You can cool bad sunburn, by gently dabbing the area with a cotton ball or soft cloth saturated with white or cider vinegar. (This treatment is especially effective if it's applied before the burn starts to sting.) The same technique works to instantly stop the itch of mosquito and other insect bites, as well as the rashes caused by exposure to poison ivy or poison oak.
Banish bruises.
If you or someone you care about has a nasty fall, you can speed healing and prevent black-and-blue marks by soaking a piece of cotton gauze in white or apple cider vinegar and leaving it on the injured area for one hour.
Soothe a sore throat.
Here are three ways that you can make a sore throat feel better:
If your throat is left raw by a bad cough, or even a speaking or singing engagement, you'll find fast relief by gargling with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt dissolved in a glass of warm water; use several times a day if needed.
For sore throats associated with a cold or flu, combine 1/4 cup cider vinegar and 1/4 cup honey and take 1 tablespoon every four hours.
To soothe both a cough and a sore throat, mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 4 teaspoons honey, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Swallow 1 tablespoon four or five times daily, including one before bedtime. Warning: Children under one year old should never be given honey.
Breathe easier.
Adding 1/4 cup white vinegar to the water in your hot-steam vaporizer can help ease congestion caused by a chest cold or sinus infection. It can also be good for your vaporizer: The vinegar will clear away any mineral deposits in the water tubes resulting from the use of hard water. Note: Check with the manufacturer before adding vinegar to a cool-mist vaporizer.
Treat an active cold sore.
The only thing worse than a bad cold is a bad cold sore. Fortunately, you can usually dry up a cold sore in short order by dabbing it with a cotton ball saturated in white vinegar three times a day. The vinegar will quickly soothe the pain and swelling.
Make a poultice for corns and calluses.
Here's an old-fashioned, time-proven method to treat corns and calluses: Saturate a piece of white or stale bread with 1/4 cup white vinegar. Let the bread soak in the vinegar for 30 minutes, then break off a piece big enough to completely cover the corn. Keep the poultice in place with gauze or adhesive tape, and leave it on overnight. The next morning, the hard, callused skin will be dissolved, and the corn should be easy to remove. Older, thicker calluses may require several treatments.
Get the jump on athlete's foot.
A bad case of athlete's foot can drive you hopping mad. But you can often quell the infection, and quickly ease the itching, by rinsing your feet three or four times a day for a few days with undiluted apple cider vinegar. As an added precaution, soak your socks or stockings in a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water for 30 minutes before laundering them.
Pamper your skin.
Using vinegar as a skin toner dates back to the time of Helen of Troy. And it's just as effective today. After you wash your face, mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 cups water as a finishing rinse to cleanse and tighten your skin. You can also make your own facial treatment by mixing 1/4 cup cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. Gently apply the solution to your face and let it dry.
Say good-bye to age or sun spots.
Before you take any drastic measures to remove or cover up those brown spots on your skin caused by overexposure to the sun or hormonal changes, give vinegar a try. Simply pour some full-strength apple cider vinegar onto a cotton ball and apply it to the spots for 10 minutes at least twice a day. The spots should fade or disappear within a few weeks.
Soften your cuticles.
You can soften the cuticles on your fingers and toes before manicuring them by soaking your digits in a bowl of undiluted white vinegar for five minutes.
Make nail polish last longer.
Your nail polish will have a longer life expectancy if you first dampen your nails with some vinegar on a cotton ball and let it dry before applying your favourite polish.
Clean your eyeglasses.
When it's more difficult to see with your glasses on than it is with them off, it's a clear indication that they're in need of a good cleaning. Applying a few drops of white vinegar to your glass lenses and wiping them with a soft cloth will easily remove dirt, sweat, and fingerprints, and leave them spotless. Don't use vinegar on plastic lenses, however.
Shine ceramic tiles.
If soap scum or water spots have dulled the ceramic tiles around your sink or bath, bring back the brightness by scrubbing them with 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup ammonia, and 1/4 cup borax mixed in 3.7 litres warm water. Rinse well with cool water and let air-dry.
Whiten your grout.
Has the grout between the tiles of your shower or bathtub enclosure become stained or discoloured? Restore it to its original shade of white by using a toothbrush dipped in undiluted white vinegar to scrub away the dinginess.
Clean sinks and bathtubs.
Put the shine back in your porcelain sinks and bathtubs by giving them a good scrubbing with full-strength white vinegar, followed by a rinse of clean cold water. To remove hard-water stains from your tub, pour in 3 cups white vinegar under running hot tap water. Let the tub fill up over the stains and allow it to soak for four hours. When the water drains out, you should be able to easily scrub off the stains.
Shine up your shower doors.
To leave your glass shower doors sparkling clean -- and to remove all of those annoying water spots -- wipe them down with a cloth dipped in a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, and 1/4 cup baking soda mixed in 1 gallon (3.7 litres) warm water.
Disinfect shower door tracks.
Use vinegar to remove accumulated dirt and grime from the tracks of your shower doors. Fill the tracks with about 2 cups full-strength white vinegar and let it sit for three to five hours. (If the tracks are really dirty, heat the vinegar in a glass container for 30 seconds in your microwave first.) Then pour some hot water over the track to flush away the gunk. You may need to use a small scrub brush, or even a recycled toothbrush, to get up tough stains.
Stop reds from running.
Unless you have a fondness for pink-tinted clothing, take one simple precaution to prevent red -- or other brightly dyed -- washable clothes from ruining your wash loads. Soak your new garments in a few cups of undiluted white vinegar for 10-15 minutes before their first washing. You'll never have to worry about running colours again!
Brighten your loads.
Why waste money on that costly all-colour bleach when you can get the same results using vinegar? Just add 1/2 cup white vinegar to your machine's wash cycle to brighten up the colours in each load.
Whiten your dingy crew socks.
If it's getting increasingly difficult to identify the white socks in your sock drawer, here's a simple way to make them so bright you can't miss them. Start by adding 1 cup vinegar to 1 1/2 quarts (1.5 litres) tap water in a large pot. Bring the solution to a boil, then pour it into a bucket and drop in your dingy socks. Let them soak overnight. The next day, wash them as you normally would.
Get the yellow out of clothing.
To restore yellowed clothing, let the garments soak overnight in a solution of 12 parts warm water to 1 part vinegar. Wash them the following morning.
Soften up your blankets.
Add 2 cups white vinegar to your washer's rinse water (or a washtub filled with water) to remove soap residue from both cotton and wool blankets before drying. This will also leave them feeling fresh and soft as new.
Spray away wrinkles.
In a perfect world, laundry would emerge from the dryer freshly pressed. Until that day, you can often get the wrinkles out of clothes after drying by misting them with a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Once you're sure you didn't miss a spot, hang it up and let it air-dry. You may find this approach works better for some clothes than ironing; it's certainly a lot gentler on the material.
Flush your iron's interior.
To eliminate mineral deposits and prevent corrosion on your steam iron, give it an occasional cleaning by filling the reservoir with undiluted white vinegar. Place the iron in an upright position, switch on the steam setting, and let the vinegar steam through it for 5-10 minutes. Then refill the chamber with clean water and repeat. Finally, give the water chamber a good rinsing with cold, clean water.
Clean your iron's soleplate.
To remove scorch marks from the soleplate of your iron, scrub it with a paste made by heating up equal parts vinegar and salt in a small pan. Use a rag dipped in clean water to wipe away the remaining residue.
Sharpen your creases.
You'll find the creases in your freshly ironed clothes coming out a lot neater if you lightly spray them with equal parts water and vinegar before ironing them. For truly sharp creases in slacks and dress shirts, first dampen the garment using a cloth moistened in a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts water. Then place a brown paper bag over the crease and start ironing.
Make old hemlines disappear.
Want to make those needle marks from an old hemline disappear for good? Just moisten the area with a cloth dipped in equal parts vinegar and water, then place it under the garment before you start ironing.
Erase scorch marks.
Did your iron get too hot under the collar or perhaps on a sleeve or pant leg? You can often eliminate slight scorch marks by rubbing the spot with a cloth dampened with white vinegar, then blotting it with a clean towel. Repeat if necessary.
Remove cigarette smell from suits.
If you find yourself in a situation where you wind up heading home with the lingering smell of cigarette smoke on your good suit or dress, you can remove the odour without having to take your clothes to the dry cleaner. Just add 1 cup vinegar to a bathtub filled with the hottest water your tap can muster. Close the door and hang your garments above the steam. The smell should be gone after several hours.
Reshape your woollens.
Shrunken woollen sweaters and other items can usually be stretched back to their former size or shape after boiling them in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water for 25 minutes. Let the garment air-dry after you've finished stretching it.
Brush off suede stains.
To eliminate a fresh grease spot on a suede jacket or skirt, gently brush it with a soft toothbrush dipped in white vinegar. Let the spot air-dry, then brush with a suede brush. Repeat if necessary. You can also generally tone up suede items by lightly wiping them with a sponge dipped in vinegar.
Pat away water-soluble stains.
You can lift out many water-soluble stains -- including beer, orange and other fruit juices, black coffee or tea, and vomit --from your cotton-blend clothing by patting the spot with a cloth or towel moistened with undiluted white vinegar just before placing it in the wash. For large stains, you may want to soak the garment overnight in a solution of 3 parts vinegar to 1 part cold water before washing.
Unset old stains.
Older, set-in stains will often come out in the wash after being pre-treated with a solution of 3 tablespoons white vinegar and 2 tablespoons liquid detergent in 1 quart (1 litre) warm water. Rub the solution into the stain, then blot it dry before washing.
Sponge out serious stains.
Cola, hair dye, ketchup, and wine stains on washable cotton blends should be treated as soon as possible (that is, within 24 hours). Sponge the area with undiluted vinegar and launder immediately afterward. For severe stains, add 1-2 cups vinegar to the wash cycle as well.
Get the rust out.
To remove a rust stain from your cotton work clothes, moisten the spot with some full-strength vinegar and then rub in a bit of salt. If it's warm outdoors, let it dry in the sunlight (otherwise a sunny window will do), then toss it in the wash.
Clear away crayon stains.
Somehow or other, kids often manage to get crayon marks on their clothing. You can easily get these stains off by rubbing them with a recycled toothbrush soaked in undiluted vinegar before washing them.
Remove rings from collars and cuffs.
Are you tired of seeing those old sweat rings around your shirt collars? What about the annoying discoloration along the edges of your cuffs? Give them the boot by scrubbing the material with a paste made from 2 parts white vinegar to 3 parts baking soda. Let the paste set for half an hour before washing. This approach also works to remove light mildew stains from clothing.
Pre-treat perspiration stains.
Want to see those sweat marks disappear from shirts and other garments? Just pour a bit of vinegar directly onto the stain, and rub it into the fabric before placing the item in the wash. You can also remove deodorant stains from your washable shirts and blouses by gently rubbing the spot with undiluted vinegar before laundering.
Make pen ink disappear.
Did someone in your house come home with a leaky pen in his pocket? Treat the stain by first wetting it with some white vinegar, then rub in a paste of 2 parts vinegar to 3 parts cornstarch. Let the paste thoroughly dry before washing the item.
Soak out bloodstains.
Whether you nick yourself while shaving, or receive an unexpected scratch, it's important to treat the stains on your clothing as soon as possible; bloodstains are relatively easy to remove before they set but can be nearly impossible to wash out after 24 hours. If you can get to the stain before it sets, treat it by pouring full-strength white vinegar on the spot. Let it soak in for 5-10 minutes, then blot well with a cloth or towel. Repeat if necessary then wash immediately.
Keep cut flowers fresh.
Everyone likes to keep cut flowers around as long as possible, and there are several good methods. One way is to mix 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar with the vase water before adding the flowers. Be sure to change the water (with more vinegar and sugar, of course) every few days to enhance your flowers' longevity.