Wednesday 30 September 2015

Start the New Year's Cooking Off Right

Most people will make a New Year's resolution each year. Most of those will also break that resolution before the year gets too far underway. In fact, most people who are going to break their resolutions do so within the first day at some point or another. There is hope however if you are planning to eat healthier throughout the New Year. The trick is to immediately begin rather than putting it off until tomorrow or until you have emptied the Christmas goodies from your pantry.

If you are among the many people around the world who resolves that this next year is going to be the year that you take positive steps to reducing your weight and improving your overall health the way to begin isn't by loading up on carbohydrates and champagne. So out go the peas and in goes the cabbage and corned beef (in small proportions however).





Begin the year by understanding portion size, the value of fresh vegetables, the idea that the meat isn't supposed to take up most of your plate, and the notion that dessert is a rare treat not the anticipated ending of an ordinary meal.

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These are outstanding beginnings. Not only do you need to rethink the way you eat for your New Year's Day festivities but also the way you prepare the foods you love. High fat preparation methods are out. In is the idea of using seasonings that contain no or very few calories and leave little fat behind as evidence of their participation in the savory flavor of your meals. Herbs and seasonings are a healthy cooks best friend because they help eliminate visions of blandness invading every meal to come until your fitness goals are met and you've reached a state of maintenance in which a few more calorific luxuries are allowed.

Stop frying. The frying process adds simple carbohydrates and fat to your cooking. These are two things you want to try to eliminate from your diet all together. While I am not personally an advocate of removing all carbohydrates from any diet I do believe it is a good idea to switch, whenever possible and tolerable to more complex carbohydrates that are healthier to consume.



Fats should always be in moderation however, it is best to save their use for those times when it is a real treat rather than wasting them on well, dinner. Reserve the fats for fun food and rewards rather than squandering them on fuel that is meant to merely get you through the day.

Another thing you need to learn when cooking for the New Year's Holiday and trying to keep things on a more healthy note is that bigger isn't necessarily better. This means that by sticking to the proper portion size you may avoid over eating and filling up. You do not want to leave the table full you want to leave the table wanting a little bit more (not hungry but definitely not full). Eating the proper portions reduces the risk of overeating and feeling bloated or stuffed later on. It also helps you understand what your limits are better and where you need to make cuts in your dietary habits.

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Prepare for smaller meals rather than cooking one huge meal for New Year's Day and carry that eating ethic through the rest of the year with you in order to achieve optimal results. Food is the fuel your body needs to carry out its duties properly. The bad news is that far too many of us really enjoy food to the extent that we overindulge, which also prevents the body from working properly.



You will need to work to discover what the optimal amount of food and calories is for your dietary needs but it starts by eating healthy one day and following up the next. New Year's Day is a great day to begin a new way of eating. Are you ready?



Traditional Christmas Cooking


Christmas is a time of year when different families around the world will get together and observe traditions that are the same for them year after year and yet vastly different from those that other families share around the block. There are very few universal Christmas traditions anymore and there is nothing wrong with that.




In America however, there are some items that many people consider traditional holiday cooking and there is little that will be done to dissuade these opinions. The truth is that many of these traditional holiday foods are largely traditional in specific regions rather than the United States having one nations wide traditional Christmas dinner.

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Turkey or ham? For some families the answer is both while others answer quite quickly that it is neither. One of the best all-American Christmas cooking ideas I've ever seen was lasagna. It was a Christmas Eve tradition but a delicious tradition just the same. There are no right or wrong traditions only those traditions that work well for you and your family. If you feel the need to change a long-standing tradition for a large extended family by all means discuss it with everyone involved. Otherwise it is your tradition and you should feel free to make it your own.

At the same time, there is something comforting and reminiscent of home to have those traditions to come home to year after year. I can't help but think of the movie Christmas with the Kranks. The entire movie was spent in an attempt to break with the traditional Christmas trappings and trimmings only to make a mad dash to return to them in the end. That is often the way things go when attempting to break with tradition.


If you are considering this for the first time this Christmas be sure to hang on to some of your old traditions in case you find that it just doesn't feel like Christmas without them. You certainly don't want it to be too late and miss out on the spirit of Christmas in your home.

Other great traditional favorites for many Americans as far as Christmas cooking goes are: sweet potato casseroles, devilled eggs, dressing or stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, apple pie, mince meat pie, and pecan pie. Of course there are regional favorites that are often highly dependent upon where you live such as key lime pie, lemon icebox pie, oyster dressing, deep fried turkey. If one of these is a Christmas tradition for you, no matter where you are in the world you will think of home or Christmas whenever you come across them. It's really amazing how that happens and quite nice too when family and friends seem far away to have something as simple as a dish of food make them seem that much closer.

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That, of course, is the great, and almost perfect things about Christmas traditions. We pass them along to our children who one day will find that they are a little less alone because someone in an airport is eating a slice of key lime pie or having a dish or macaroni and cheese. If you don't have Christmas traditions it is time to develop a few just so that you can share something special and almost sacred with your friends and family.



Making Jewelry Wholesale - How to Find Birthstones


Many of the jewelry wholesale pieces that you make will include birthstones, and purchasing birthstones is not always cheap. Therefore, you will need to find jewelry wholesale sources for birthstones that you can afford.

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Everyone loves jewelry with their birthstones in it. This type of jewelry makes perfect birthday gifts, as well as Christmas gifts. Some birthstones, such as opals, are quite inexpensive, while others, such as emeralds, rubies, and diamonds are very expensive.

One option is to purchase simulated stones. These stones are not real, and it is important that your
customer be made aware of this. However, some customers will want the real deal! Again, you need a source for real birthstones.

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The Internet is the perfect place to find birthstones. There are numerous jewelry wholesale outlets that do business online. Because there are so many, prices are usually rock bottom. Make sure that you make sure any company that you do business with is legitimate, and that the gems you buy are quality birthstones!

Also make sure that you know exactly which stone is required in the piece that you are making.

Each month actually has different gems that represent it, depending on which tradition you are following. Verify the exact stone that is wished for with the client before making a purchase!

Tuesday 29 September 2015

10 Great Winter Fashion Trends This Season

It's that time of the year again with snowflakes falling, yuletide cheer and Christmas shopping, hot cups of coco and cozy warm fireplace with sizzling embers of coal crackling away. But what's heating up the fashion scene this winter, a closer look reveals some interesting insights on the latest winter fashions.


This season winter colours

True to the season, soft snowy white shades seem to be a good choice for clothes that blend in with the winter theme. Another popular colour to helps produce a sharp contrast is Black and various shades of bright black; while dull and muted greys give a nice warm and fuzzy touch and hues of rich red right through to mellow maroon are reflective of the season.

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For women, earthy colours ranging from the deep shades of olive, maroon, brown, deep blue's to chocolate brown are colours set to form the trend. While for men, muted shades of pink, lavender, brick red, grey, deep shades of purple and black are what’s going to be setting the stage for fashion.

Hair

Choosing the right hair style to go with the fashion and season can be a daunting task. You don't want to be seen in last year's styles and certainly not something that’s not the hottest rage at the moment. So if you're trying to figure out the hairdo that's the pick of the season by stylists and fashion models;  it's time to let you in on that little secret, apparently for women wearing your hair in the all so classic 'Bob Cut' seems to be the favoured trend this season.

Men on the other to make the cut will have to aim to get their hair into the bushy straight yet carefully dishevelled look that gets tucked away into the tops of their mufflers.

Hats

If you like hats you're in luck, this season hoods, hats and caps are the rage. Large knitted beanies or those furry oversized Moroccan hats all in this winter. The styles in vogue are hats that are either huge and puffy or tiny and pointed. Fur lined hoods blended into the garment are also turning heads this winter.

Coats

This season coats come with a nice thick mantle like look that feature tousled sleeves and funnelled collars. Other patterns included coats with widely placed collars and a rich furry texture.

Fabrics

The prevailing tendencies for fabrics this season are fabrics that are over-worked with several different effects across their surfaces. The fabrics are very solid or concrete with a sort of untamed natural feel blended with soft lustres. Prints around the winter theme are almost subtle while the focus in on rich exterior of the fabric.

Lightweight wool or reworked cottons are the base for designs that will debut this winter.

Effects

Complementing the feel and textures of fabrics the designs around these effects that are set to make the stage this winter, range from, long pleats, to subtle wrinkles and clearly visible overstitches, to the blistered and tangled effects.

Cashmere worked in with regular wool and mohair is blended to give the fabrics a light yet visibly textured look. While some of the other fabrics are roughly cut to give a thatched heavily threaded effect. Most knits are made with heavily emphasised gages to draw out the raw protective feel against the winter chill.

Denim is one of those fabrics that will probably be around forever, this winter, the theme is a slight gleam in the denim with an oxidised look. In fact, this seasons going to have you seeing a lot of ultra cool effects.

Scarves 

This season, trade in your old winter muffler for those large woollen scarves that can be draped over your shoulders like a stole. Embodied with various prints on dulled wool the scarf lends a casual yet protective look to the wearer be it a man or a woman.

Footwear

Ankle length shoes in shades of silver and grey are this winters winner. They shriek elegance and comfort in a very casual sort of way. For women transparent slippers laced with silver give an almost Cinderella effect.

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Jewellery

Jewellery designs highlighting the winter season are marvellous add ons’ silver snowflake pendants and large broaches like a sprig of holly or mistletoe make some really eye catching accessories. Chunky silver bracelets and large but light earrings that dangle add to the effect.

So, make sure you watch out for these lovely trends that are bound to take the country by storm. And honestly, you really do not have to own expensive designer wear to make a statement. Even your local stores will stock up on some of these new designs. This winter season ensure you treat yourself to some of these trendy fashions and go paint the town red!


Decorating Your Workplace for Christmas


When it comes to Christmas decorations, there are many who only decorate their homes, but there are others who wish to do more.  If you are one of those individuals, there is a good chance that you may be interested in decorating your workplace for Christmas.  If you are interested in decorating your workplace or even just your workspace, you will find that there are a number of different ways that you can go about doing so; ways that can help you find affordable Christmas decorations or the ones that look the best.

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Before you can begin to familiarize yourself with easy and low-cost ways to decorate your workplace for Christmas, you may want to keep a number of important things in mind. One of those things is the fact that not everyone celebrates Christmas as a holiday.  There are some individuals who choose not to celebrate Christmas on their own, but there are others who are following the views and beliefs of their religion.  Since there is a good chance that you may be working with someone who does not celebrate Christmas, you may want to ask your supervisors or your other employees before you begin decorating, even if you are only decorating your own personal workspace.

Once you have determined that it is okay for you to decorate your workplace for Christmas, you may want to start searching for Christmas decorations.  As nice as it is to decorate your office, not everyone treats it the same as their home.  That is why there is a good chance that you may be looking for low-cost Christmas decorations.  If you are looking for low-cost Christmas decorations, you are advised to examine your local dollars stores.

Depending on the dollar store in question, you should be able to find a fairly large selection of low-cost Christmas decorations.  These low-cost Christmas decorations may include small strands of Christmas lights, Christmas pictures, Christmas signs, as well as small Christmas cardboard cutouts.  Many of these low-cost items would look great in your office space.

Although there is a good chance that you may be shopping for Christmas decorations on a budget, there is also a chance that cost may not be a concern of yours.  If you are looking to have the best decorated workspace in your building, you may be shopping for beautiful, elegant, or trendy Christmas decorations. If that is the case, you may want to think about shopping at a local specialty Christmas shop or online.  These shopping methods will likely give you the biggest selection of Christmas decorations to choose from.  They may cost a little bit more, but they are almost always worth the price. Whether you are looking for porcelain or ceramic Christmas figurines, tabletop fiber optic Christmas decorations, or small Christmas trees that you could decorate, you should be able to find what you are looking for online or at a specialty Christmas shop.

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As mentioned above, it was advised that you speak to your coworkers and supervisors before you decorate for Christmas.  Even if you know of someone in your workplace who does not celebrate Christmas you can still decorate your workspace for Christmas; however, you will need to take a little bit different of an approach.




Instead of decorating your workspace or workplace with Christmas decorations that symbolize Christmas, such as decorations that have Christmas trees, Santa, or reindeers on them, you could take a more simple approach.  Simply by purchasing a red and green tablecloth for your desk or an artificial bouquet of red and green flowers, you could still bring the holiday spirit into your workplace, without having to worry about offending one of your coworkers.

By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should easily be able to decorate your workplace or workspace for Christmas, no matter what you had in mind.  Christmas season is all about sharing, giving, and spreading the holiday joy, so, if you want, start spreading that joy to your coworkers today!

Having a Christmas Party? Why You Should Decorate Your Home

Have you recently made the decision to host a Christmas party this year or even next?  If so, it is likely that you have your party all planned out or, at least, you should be looking to develop a plan soon.  Regardless of whether you have already started planning your Christmas party yet, have you thought about decorations?  Christmas decorations are an important party of the holiday season, but they are an even bigger party of a Christmas party. That is one of the many reasons why you should want to decorate your home for Christmas.


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As previously mentioned, Christmas decorations are an important part of Christmas, as well any type of party.  There is just something about Christmas that makes everyone want to celebrate it, particularly with Christmas decorations. The same can be said for a party.  Party decorations, even Christmas party decorations, makes a party, well, seem more like a party.  Having Christmas decorations at your Christmas party will likely make your party more enjoyable.  There is just something about Christmas decorations that brings out the Christmas spirit.  Therefore, if you are looking to make your Christmas party a festive one, one that your guests will never want to forget, you are advised to decorate your home for your Christmas party.

While Christmas parties come in all different forms, popular Christmas party forms includes parties that are for children or parties that are for family.  Regardless of whether or not you have adults and children present at your Christmas party or just children, one thing is for sure; children love the Christmas season.  One of the reasons for that is because of the pretty decorations.



If you are a parent, yourself, you likely already know first hand how much children enjoy looking at Christmas decorations.  In fact, the decorations are sometimes the first thing that children notice.  Therefore, if there will be children that will be attending your Christmas party, it may be a good idea to decorate your home for the event.

As previously mentioned, Christmas parities are often associated with friends and family.  That is why there is a good chance that you or your guests would want to document the holidays. This documentation is often done with a video camera or a picture camera.  Regardless of which is being used, you will find that Christmas decorations make the perfect backdrop for video footage or pictures.  In fact, it may also be a good idea to decorate and designate an area of your home for pictures. This may not only put your decorations to good use, but it will also encourage your guests to document the holiday with pictures.

Another reason why you should decorate your home, for your Christmas party, is because, in most cases, you will find that your guests expect your home to be decorated.  A Christmas party really isn't a Christmas party without Christmas decorations. In fact, the decorations are often what sets a Christmas party apart from any other party.



Since parties, especially Christmas parties, are often associated with decorations, you will find that your guests expect to see them.  Perhaps, that is one of the most important reasons why you should decorate your home for your Christmas party; you don't want to let your guests down do you?

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As you can easily see, there are a number of different reasons why you should decorate your home for your Christmas party.  If you are looking to find the largest selection of Christmas decorations or a particular type, you are advised to start your shopping early, preferably in late October or early December. As Christmas approaches, you will find that many retail stores sell out of their Christmas decorations and very few replenish their stock. Therefore, if you are planning on decorating your home for your Christmas party, you will want to get started soon.  In fact, as soon as the Christmas decorations hit the store shelves, it may be a good idea to, at least, start purchasing your decorations.


Monday 28 September 2015

Low-Cost Christmas Decorations

Are you planning on decorating your home for Christmas this year?  If so, have you completed the first step?  When it comes to decorating for Christmas, the first step is getting the decorations.  Unfortunately, in today's world, many families are finding it difficult to afford "extras," including Christmas decorations. However, there is good news.  If you are on a budget, there are still a number of different ways that you can get your home decorated for Christmas. You can do so with low-cost Christmas decorations.

When it comes to low-cost Christmas decorations, it is important to remember that different people associate low-cost with different things.  Just because you think a particular Christmas decoration is low-cost doesn't necessarily mean that someone else will. For some individuals, a low-cost Christmas decoration is an item that only costs one dollar, for others it is five, and for others it can be fifty dollars.


That is why it is important, when looking for low-cost Christmas decorations, that you keep this in mind.  However, no matter what your view of low-cost is, there are still a number of different ways that you can go about decorating for Christmas.

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Perhaps, the easiest way to save money while decorating for Christmas is to not buy any Christmas decorations.  If you decorated your home for Christmas last year or in recent years, did you save your old Christmas decorations?  If you did save your old Christmas decorations, you may want to think about using them again this year. Although it may be nice to have brand new Christmas decorations, they are not required.  Not only can you save money by using your old Christmas decorations, but you might not have to spend any extra money at all!

In addition to using your own used Christmas decorations, you may want to think about using other people's old Christmas decorations. During the summer and sometimes during the early fall, you may be able find local yard sales.  Yard sales are a great place to get used Christmas decorations for an affordable price.  If you are unable to find a yard sale, you can also purchase used Christmas decorations online.

You can easily find a collection of used and sometimes even deeply discounted new Christmas decorations by doing your shopping on an online auction website.

Although you can save a fairly large amount of money by buying used Christmas decorations, as previously mentioned, there is a good chance that you want new ones.  If this is the case, you still have a number of different options.  You should check your local dollar stores, discount stores, and even department stores. Many of these stores, around Christmas time, have a large selection of Christmas decorations, at an affordable price.

If you are looking to save the most money, it may be a good idea to visit your local dollar stores. Some dollar stores sell really nice Christmas decorations for a dollar and sometimes even less.

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It might even be possible for you to make your own Christmas decorations, with items that you already have inside your house. In fact, this is how you can turn your old Christmas decorations into new ones.  Simply by altering your existing decorations in one way or another, for instance by adding a bow, you could make your old Christmas decorations like new.  You can also take a simple candleholder and turn it into a Christmas candleholder with a little bit of creativity.  The same can be said for a number of other items that you likely already have inside your home.  This is another way that you could avoid spending any money on Christmas decorations.


As you can easily see, there are a number of different ways that you can go about finding or making your own low-cost Christmas directions. Although you may be worried about the quality of those decorations, you shouldn't be.  Most times, it isn't necessarily about the Christmas decorations themselves, but they way that they are presented or arranged.

Making Your Own Christmas Decorations versus Buying Them


If you are like many other individuals, you enjoy Christmas.  With Christmas comes gifts, spending time with family, and Christmas decorations.  While everyone loves to get Christmas gifts and spend time with their family, there are others who are most excited about decorating for Christmas.  In a way, putting up Christmas decorations symbolizes the upcoming Christmas holiday.  Perhaps, that is one of the reasons why decorating for Christmas is enjoyed by so many.

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When it comes to decorating for Christmas, different individuals use different methods.  Perhaps, the most popular method is buying Christmas decorations from the store and then hanging them or displaying them in the home.  In addition to buying store bought decorations, there are other individuals who make their own Christmas decorations and then hang or display them. If you are preparing to decorate your home for Christmas, you may be wondering which decorating method you should use. Honestly, the decision is yours to make; however, you will find that each method has a number of advantages and disadvantages.

As previously mentioned, one of the most popular ways that most individuals choose to decorate their homes for Christmas is by purchasing store bought decorations. These store bought decorations can include items such as a Christmas tree, Christmas lights, Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas lawn decorations, and Christmas kitchenware.




Perhaps, the wide variety of different decorations that can be purchased online or from a storefront retail location is the greatest benefit to buying your decorations. While it is possible to make your own Christmas lights or Christmas kitchenware, it is time consuming and you need to have special skills to do so.

In addition to the selection of Christmas decorations that you have to choose form, when buying store bought Christmas decorations, you will also find that buying pre-made Christmas decorations saves time.  Shopping online is the best way to save time, when buying Christmas decorations, but you can also save time by buying your Christmas decorations from one of your local retail stores. As nice as it may be to make your own Christmas decorations, it is a time consuming task, especially if you have never made your own Christmas decorations before.

So far, it may seem as if you can benefit the most from buying store bought Christmas decorations, but it is important to note that you can also benefit from making your own decorations.  Perhaps, the greatest advantage to making your own Christmas decorations is that you can make what you want.  Since you know every inch of your home, you likely know what will look good in one area and what will look good in another.




If you are looking for a particular Christmas decoration, such as a Christmas painting, and you are unable to find it, you may be able to make your own. While it will take some skill and time, it is almost always worth it to get exactly what you want.

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Another advantage to making your own Christmas decorations is that, as previously mentioned, you can make whatever you want, however you want to.  When most of us think of homemade Christmas decorations, we tend to think of decorations that were created from scratch. The reality is that you can make your own decorations with existing Christmas decorations or traditional craft items, if you want to.

For instance, you can easily make your own Christmas table centerpiece by using a glass bowl or large candleholder, artificial flowers, sand, or even Christmas lights.  Despite the fact that you did not make each piece of the decoration yourself, you altered it enough whereas it can be considered a homemade Christmas decoration.

The overall goal of decorating for Christmas is to bring the Christmas spirit into your home.  In all reality, that is the most important thing.  It really shouldn't matter whether you choose to make your own Christmas decorations or buy them; the same goal will be accomplished.

What to Consider Before Decorating Your Lawn for Christmas


Each year, millions of Americans choose to decorate their homes for Christmas. While many individuals keep the Christmas decorations on the inside of their homes, not all do.  There are a fairly large number of individuals who also choose to decorate the outside of their homes, namely their lawns. If you are interested in decorating your front yard for Christmas, there are a number of important factors that you may first want to keep in mind. These factors may reaffirm your decision to decorate your lawn for Christmas, but they may also want to make you change your mind.

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Perhaps, the most important thing to think about is what type of decorations you want in your front yard.  In the United States, as previously mentioned, a large number of individuals decorate their front yards with Christmas decorations. These yard decorations come in a number of different formats. There are some homeowners who simply place a Santa yardstick in their yard or add lights to the outside of their home.


But, other homeowners go all out, some with huge inflatable Santa dolls and other colorful decorations.  The type of Christmas decorations that you plan on using, as well as how many will make it easier to determine whether or not you should decorate your lawn for Christmas.

Unfortunately, there are many homeowners who feel that they can do whatever they want to their property because it is their right to do so. While it is your right to decorate your home, as well as your front yard, you will want to take your neighbors into consideration. If you live in a highly populated community, there is a good chance that large lawn decorations, especially those with bright lights, may cause some discomfort among your neighbors.  You will not want to create a Christmas lawn display that has your neighbors up all night because your Christmas lights are shining into their bedroom. That is why it may be a good idea to speak to your neighbors before decorating your lawn, especially if you plan on creating a large display.  You may find that your neighbors do not even care.  

In addition to what your neighbors think, you may also want to be concerned with what your town, city, or county officials think. While you might not necessarily know this, there are some cities, towns, and counties that have strict regulations on what can or cannot be placed on a lawn. This is most commonly seen with business signs or election signs. While your local community may not have these restrictions, it is important that you check ahead of time.

If you do set up a large Christmas display and you are legally prohibited from doing so, you will likely just receive a warning the first time, but action may be taken later. That is why it is important that you know what you are getting yourself into ahead of time.

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Before deciding to decorate your lawn for Christmas, it might be a good idea to examine the cost of doing so.  While it is possible to find a number of low-cost Christmas decorations for the lawn, such as small lawn signs and outdoor Christmas lights, the larger you want your display to be the more you will have to pay.  If you are looking for large decorations, such as an inflatable Santa and reindeer set, you will need to pay quite a bit more money.  These decorations may cost fifty dollars or more.  If you are decorating for Christmas on a budget, it may be difficult or impossible for you to find large, affordable Christmas decorations, unless you are willing to buy used decorations.  It may also be a good idea to examine the cost of extra cost of electricity, especially if you are using a large number of Christmas lights.


When it comes to decorating your lawn, as mentioned above, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages.  By keeping the above-mentioned points in mind, you should be able to decide for your own whether or not it is a good idea for you to decorate the outside of your home for Christmas.

Sunday 27 September 2015

St. Patrick's Day Brings Out the Irish Cooking

There is something about St. Patrick's Day that brings out the Iris cook in all of us. At least it seems to have this effect on the women in my family. If you are not of Irish decent it may not have quite this profound effect upon you. If you are, then I'm quite certain you will understand what I mean by this. There's something about revisiting traditions that may have been lost in the fog of coming to a new world and adopting a new way of life that is lifted on this one day of the year. As a result old favorite recipes handed down from mother to daughter over the centuries come out and grand meals are prepared.



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If your mother wasn't of Irish decent and you do not have a stockpile of wonderful Irish recipes in your inventory there are a few great websites on the Internet that offer excellent recipes that have already been converted to standard American measurements that will have Irish eyes and any eyes that think they might wish to be Irish smiling once again.

Corned beef and cabbage is a favorite. In our house, we add great things like potatoes and carrots to the recipe. This is a great meal because it can be put in the crock pot before the work of the day begins and with very little effort is simply waiting on you to be ready for dinner time. No real effort is necessary in creating an outstanding feast that many will think you've had to miss a parade or two in order to prepare.


Just make sure you hide any throws you might have caught and they will never know that you were out having fun and drinking green beer along with everyone else in the neighborhood.

Lamb stew is another great dish to put on your St. Patrick's Day table. There are also slow cooker or crock pot recipes available for this family favorite if you take the time to search them out. This is a stick to your ribs kind of meal that is very popular in cooler climates for the St. Patrick's Day festivities. This makes a great lunch or dinner for this great day and goes quite well with Irish Soda Bread.

Shepherd's pie is another hale and hearty meal that is a wonderful addition to the St. Patrick's Day festivities. This dish is a favorite among those who have tried it and might just become a staple recipe in your kitchen if you haven't managed to prepare it before. There are many recipes online though I recommend going the path of least resistance and finding the simplest recipe possible.



No Irish meal is really complete without potatoes of some kind on the table. Keep this in mind no matter which meal you cook. There must be potatoes in order to complete the meal or it simply cannot be authentically Irish. This may be a slight exaggeration but you should take a moment to make sure that there are potatoes for this particular event because it's just a very Irish thing to do.

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Of course Irish coffee and green beer are quite often the drink choices for St. Patties day celebrations and they are never a bad choice, provided someone not drinking those drinks is doing the driving. If alcohol isn't your beverage of choice it is definitely not a requirement. However, if you are feeling particularly in line with the green theme of St. Patrick's Day you could make a green milk shake, a green smoothie, green powdered drink mix, or any other green drink that comes to mind. The drinks and even the colors aren't really all that important in the end. It is all in good fun at this point even if it isn't Irish in nature. There are some days when it just pays to be green despite the fact that Kermit still claims, "it ain't easy being green."


Start the New Year's Cooking Off Right

Most people will make a New Year's resolution each year. Most of those will also break that resolution before the year gets too far underway. In fact, most people who are going to break their resolutions do so within the first day at some point or another. There is hope however if you are planning to eat healthier throughout the New Year. The trick is to immediately begin rather than putting it off until tomorrow or until you have emptied the Christmas goodies from your pantry.


If you are among the many people around the world who resolves that this next year is going to be the year that you take positive steps to reducing your weight and improving your overall health the way to begin isn't by loading up on carbohydrates and champagne. So out go the peas and in goes the cabbage and corned beef (in small proportions however). Begin the year by understanding portion size, the value of fresh vegetables, the idea that the meat isn't supposed to take up most of your plate, and the notion that dessert is a rare treat not the anticipated ending of an ordinary meal.

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These are outstanding beginnings. Not only do you need to rethink the way you eat for your New Year's Day festivities but also the way you prepare the foods you love. High-fat preparation methods are out. In is the idea of using seasonings that contain no or very few calories and leave little fat behind as evidence of their participation in the savory flavor of your meals. Herbs and seasonings are a healthy cooks best friend because they help eliminate visions of blandness invading every meal to come until your fitness goals are met and you've reached a state of maintenance in which a few more calorific luxuries are allowed.

Stop frying. The frying process adds simple carbohydrates and fat to your cooking. These are two things you want to try to eliminate from your diet all together. While I am not personally an advocate of removing all carbohydrates from any diet I do believe it is a good idea to switch, whenever possible and tolerable to more complex carbohydrates that are healthier to consume.



Fats should always be in moderation however, it is best to save their use for those times when it is a real treat rather than wasting them on well, dinner. Reserve the fats for fun food and rewards rather than squandering them on fuel that is meant to merely get you through the day.

Another thing you need to learn when cooking for the New Year's Holiday and trying to keep things on a more healthy note is that bigger isn't necessarily better. This means that by sticking to the proper portion size you may avoid over eating and filling up. You do not want to leave the table full you want to leave the table wanting a little bit more (not hungry but definitely not full). Eating the proper portions reduces the risk of overeating and feeling bloated or stuffed later on. It also helps you understand what your limits are better and where you need to make cuts in your dietary habits.

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Prepare for smaller meals rather than cooking one huge meal for New Year's Day and carry that eating ethic through the rest of the year with you in order to achieve optimal results. Food is the fuel your body needs to carry out its duties properly. The bad news is that far too many of us really enjoy food to the extent that we overindulge, which also prevents the body from working properly. You will need to work to discover what the optimal amount of food and calories is for your dietary needs but it starts by eating healthy one day and following up the next. New Year's Day is a great day to begin a new way of eating. Are you ready?


Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Thanksgiving is many things to many different people. In America it is a day we set aside to give thanks for all the things that are important to us and pay homage to an excellent dinner with an afternoon of football watching and yelling at the television screen (at least that is what you do if you live in Detroit). In other areas of the nation people actually do things together such as playing board games, touch football, or any number of other games that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Other traditions are to gather the ladies together to plan the shopping strategy for the next day's shopping. A worthy cause if ever there was one to be sure.


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But, the traditions that go along with Thanksgiving and giving thanks do not solve the dilemma that many face each and every time Thanksgiving is celebrated in their homes faces. That dilemma would be what to prepare for the big meal. There are plenty of options and as hostess and chef extraordinaire it is entirely up to you what the menu will be. The best piece of advice that can be given however, is the less food left to prepare on Thanksgiving day is the less food that has the opportunity for something to go wrong in the preparation process.

Here are a few great menu ideas, tips, and tricks that should help make your Thanksgiving Dinner preparations go a little more smoothly.

First of all, plan ahead and make sure you have all the ingredients you need and any special menu items that may be required well ahead of time but in a manner that allows for maximum freshness. If you must wait until the day before to get some of your shopping done, then do so as early in the day as possible. Otherwise make a point of getting all the non-perishable ingredients that are necessary a week or so ahead of time.

Also if you are going to order a smoked turkey or something along those lines do so far enough in advance that you have no doubt at all that your order will be filled on time.

Second, if you can afford to have something ordered and prepared offsite and it doesn't hurt your sense of pride do so. You do not have to have everything catered but having a few items catered will leave your day much less stressed making the risk of something going wrong a little lower than if you were cramming everything into one morning and doing it all yourself. Bread from the bakery, smoked ham or turkey, and certain favorite side dishes that are complicated and time consuming as well as some pies are a great buy and save a lot of time that would be better spent enjoying the day.

Third, recruit help. There is absolutely nothing wrong with grabbing a passing child or adult and asking for a little help with the chopping, washing, or mixing that must take place in order for the dinner to go off without a hitch. The thing is that while people often don't mind helping they are afraid to offer for fear of seeming to imply that you aren't doing well enough on your own. For this reason there is no harm in recruiting help especially among friends and family.

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Finally, keep the animals outside or locked away from the festivities and, more importantly, the food. Animals are great friends to have but most of your guests do not appreciate them in the kitchen or at the table. You do not want Fluffy or Fido to run off the food you've worked hard to prepare (or purchase whichever the case may be) so remove them from a situation that it might prove tempting.

The most important thing about your Thanksgiving dinner is that you are not so stressed from the preparation that you do not have the time or peace of mind to enjoy it. The advice above should help with that.


Saturday 26 September 2015

Traditional Christmas Cooking

Christmas is a time of year when different families around the world will get together and observe traditions that are the same for them year after year and yet vastly different from those that other families share around the block. There are very few universal Christmas traditions any more and there is nothing wrong with that. In America however, there are some items that many people consider traditional holiday cooking and there is little that will be done to dissuade these opinions. The truth is that many of these traditional holiday foods are largely traditional in specific regions rather than the United States having one nations wide traditional Christmas dinner.


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Turkey or ham? For some families the answer is both while others answer quite quickly that it is neither. One of the best all-American Christmas cooking ideas I've ever seen was lasagna. It was a Christmas Eve tradition but a delicious tradition just the same. There are no right or wrong traditions only those traditions that work well for you and your family. If you feel the need to change a long-standing tradition for a large extended family by all means discuss it with everyone involved. Otherwise it is your tradition and you should feel free to make it your own.

At the same time, there is something comforting and reminiscent of home to have those traditions to come home to year after year. I can't help but think of the movie Christmas with the Kranks. The entire movie was spent in an attempt to break with the traditional Christmas trappings and trimmings only to make a mad dash to return to them in the end. That is often the way things go when attempting to break with tradition.


If you are considering this for the first time this Christmas be sure to hang on to some of your old traditions in case you find that it just doesn't feel like Christmas without them. You certainly don't want it to be too late and miss out on the spirit of Christmas in your home.

Other great traditional favorites for many Americans as far as Christmas cooking goes are: sweet potato casseroles, devilled eggs, dressing or stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, apple pie, mince meat pie, and pecan pie. Of course there are regional favorites that are often highly dependent upon where you live such as key lime pie, lemon icebox pie, oyster dressing, deep fried turkey. If one of these is a Christmas tradition for you, no matter where you are in the world you will think of home or Christmas whenever you come across them. It's really amazing how that happens and quite nice too when family and friends seem far away to have something as simple as a dish of food make them seem that much closer.

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That, of course, is the great, and almost perfect things about Christmas traditions. We pass them along to our children who one day will find that they are a little less alone because someone in an airport is eating a slice of key lime pie or having a dish or macaroni and cheese. If you don't have Christmas traditions it is time to develop a few just so that you can share something special and almost sacred with your friends and family.


Finding Bargains While Christmas Shopping

Everyone knows that the Christmas season is all about giving and that no one should be concerned about how much a particular gift costs but most of us also have to worry about our budgets while we are doing our Christmas shopping. While there are truly some people to which money is no object the reality is that most of us simply cannot afford to purchase everything we want during the Christmas season. We all have to make some concessions while we do our Christmas shopping and keep our eyes open for great deals. Fortunately; there is a great deal of bargains to be found during the Christmas season.


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Finding bargains while Christmas shopping is actually quite easy. In fact, it is so easy that finding items which are not a bargain is considered more of a challenge. Although most stores hold sales throughout the year, just about every retailer offers significant bargains in the weeks just before Christmas. These retailers know shoppers will be out in full force during this time and they offer their best deals hoping to attract a great share of the shoppers.

The best way to ensure you are receiving the best possible deals while you are Christmas shopping is to spend some time window shopping before the Christmas season. This will give you a good idea of what types of items are currently being sold and will also give you a good indication of the prices of these items. This information can be used when Christmas shopping to determine just how much you are saving by purchasing sale items just before Christmas.

When shopping for bargain items at Christmas it is very important to be aware of the return policy on the item. While you might think the gift is a great idea at the time, you may realize it is not such a good idea later or you may find a defect in the product and want to return it. However, if there was a no return policy on the product you will not be able to get your money back for the item.




Even if you decide to keep the item, the recipient of the gift may not like the item and may wish to return it. However, if you bought it in a sale where no returns were allowed, she may not be able to return the gift.


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There is, however, one aspect to shopping for Christmas bargains which all shoppers should understand. It is the simple concept that just because an item is on sale does not mean you should purchase the item. Some Christmas shoppers get caught up in the idea of purchasing a bargain item which has been greatly reduced in price but it may be an item they do not really need. When this is the case it is a better idea to not purchase the item. You will be saving money by doing this. Think of it this way, you may find a warm wool coat which is reduced in price by 75%. This may seem like a bargain that is too good to pass up but if you live in a warm climate and will never wear the coat it is actually a waste of money. You may be only paying 25% of the original price but if you do not buy the coat at all you will not be paying anything.