Lavender

Well lavender is one of the most beautiful flowers with a very delightful smell. I have found this article. Hope you learn a lot from the article

Lavender garden beds not only smell gorgeous, the herb helps repel mosquitoes. Learn how to propagate lavender in your garden…
Propagating lavender plants from one lavender bush is a great way to start a lavender line pathway or full garden bed of lavender without spending a cent!
Simply snip a few green lavender cuttings and either plant the cuttings in a pot of potting soil, watering daily for two weeks, or pop the cuttings ins glasses of water and wait for roots to sprout.
If you decide to place lavender cuttings in water, avoid bunching too many cuttings into one glass as they may become tangled when the roots grow. Place the glasses of cuttings on a sunny windowsill, top up with water whenever necessary and change the water before it becomes murky.
Each cutting should start sprouting roots in a few weeks. Once the cuttings have established root networks, plant the cuttings in pots and allow them to grow for a few more weeks before planting them in the garden.
Once a lavender plant is established, water once or twice a week. Lavender plants enjoy the sun and don't like to be over-watered, making them the ideal addition to a eco-friendly, water-wise garden!

Cupcake

So the weekend that passed I did a cupcake design class. Was so fun and learned a lot on cupcake decorating. I have thought long about giving out my cupcake recipe and well here it is =) hope you enjoy moist cupcakes as much as I do.

Ingredients:
125g unsalted white butter, softened
1 cup castor sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and a half cups of flour (plain)
1 teaspoon baking powder
185ml Milk (full cream)

Icing:
50g unsalted white butter
3-4 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk
colouring if you like.

Method:
Preheat oven: 180 degrees
Place muffin papers in muffin tray
In an electric mixer (hand mixer) beat butter, sugar and eggs together
Add vanilla extract and beat untill combined
Sift flour and baking powder and add half of the butter mix, mix untill well combined.
Repeat with remaining flour and butter

Fill cupcake papers 3/4 full
Bake for 20-25 min
Transfer to wire rack and then let it cool

Icing cream:
Cream butter until pale and smooth
Add the milk and half the sifted icing sugar
Beat untill well combined
add the remaining icing sugar and beat untill mixture is light and fluffy
If it is to dry add milk, if to wet add more icing sugar

By Using a piping pag and icing nozzle you can decorate your cupcakes when they have cooled down
and decorate
Enjoy :)

Onion: True or False

As I read my emails today I was sent this email from my brother and I have heard that onions do help cure sickness.

Enjoy reading this.



-Believe it or not!

ONIONS! I had never heard this!!! PLEASE READ TO THE END: IMPORTANT In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu... Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died. The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was veryhealthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was differentthe wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in therooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn'tbelieve it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it underthe microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the fluvirus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy. Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser. She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so weremany of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onionsaround in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It mustwork. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu. Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions: Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill... I cameacross an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough it happenedjust like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better. Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties. This is the other note. Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is thereason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and isthe very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a timeafter it has been cut open. LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to sharewhat I learned from a chemist. Ed, who was our tour guide, is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someoneasked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are alwaysworried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed saidthat all commercially-made Mayo is completely safe. "It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the summer picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting onthe table, and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick. Ed says that, when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES. He explained onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator. It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!). Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down. Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions. Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning. Please pass this on to all you love and care about.

Wine: Good for you

While reading my normal daily emails I came across this article. So many people believe that wine will help you live longer and have a better sex life but does it really works, drinking one or two glasses a day.

All4woman.
According to leading global health and research institutions, drinking a glass or two of wine every day will improve your physical and mental health, help you lose weight and contribute greatly to an enhanced sex life.
“People who have a glass or two of wine per day are likely to live longer, and have better sex lives”
This is according to Ryan Sowray, owner of internet based wine and gourmet retailer Salewine.co.za, who has collected data supporting the merits of drinking wine for over four years.

“Ever so often, we read about the negative effects of drinking. Not all alcohol is the same so, in order to dispel rumours and myths about wine once and for all, I went on a journey to find evidence that shows that wine has strong medicinal and lifestyle benefits when consumed in the right quantities,” says Sowray.

Women who drink one or two glasses of wine per day have a better sex life
One such study, conducted on 800 women between the ages of 18 and 50 by researchers from the University of Florence in Italy, claim that women who drink one or two glasses of wine per day have a better sex life than those who don’t drink at all.

The results of the survey, called the Female Sexual Function Index, are used by doctors to assess women’s sexual health. What’s more, according to the survey, women who drank two glasses of wine per day achieved the highest score on the overall sexual satisfaction scale; proof that drinking a couple of glasses of wine every day can impact favourably on relationships and marriage.

“The global research shows clearly that people who have a glass or two of wine per day are likely to live longer and have better sex lives. While there are hundreds of reasons why South Africans should be able to enjoy a glass of wine daily, those, for me, top the list,” he says.

Women who drink wine are less likely to gain weight
In addition to benefits found in between the sheets, results of a study by Brigham Women’s Hospital in Boston, on 19 000 respondents over 13 years, found that women who drink wine are less likely to gain weight than those who don’t. According to the report, calories from alcohol are broken down by the liver using a different metabolic pathway that creates heat rather than fat.
Ability to reduce breast cancer
“Research also shows that wine has the ability to reduce breast cancer,” says Sowray.

According to researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in California, women who drank a glass of red wine or chardonnay daily found that their estrogen levels decreased while the testosterone levels increased. This, according to Dr Chrisandra Shufelt, the study’s author, impacts the risk factors for breast cancer.
Benefits of wine are not limited to women
“The benefits of wine are not limited to women,” says Sowray. According to the Harvard Men’s Health Watch, researchers found that men who drink an average of four to seven glasses of red wine per week are only 52% as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer as those who do not drink red wine. In addition, red wine appears particularly protective against advanced or aggressive cancers.

“Doctors believe that compounds found in wine, specifically flavonoids and resveratrol, have antioxidant properties which appear to counterbalance androgens, the male hormones that stimulate the prostate,” says Sowray.
And finally, one for the festive table...
Health experts have long known that drinking red wine can have a positive impact on reducing blood vessel damage, lowering the risk of heart attack, and preventing harmful LDL cholesterol from forming.

According to researchers at the Northwestern University Department of Preventive Medicine in Chicago, people who consume four to six glasses of red wine were more likely to be honest with friends and family.

During routine trials, subjects who consumed five glasses or more of wine showed a remarkable increase in specific mental functions, such as the ability to recall every time their mothers had been unsupportive of their boyfriends or husbands.

Hope you enjoy this little bit of wondering. I know I did ;)

Bruschetta

Well a week ago I found out I have passed my honors. It was time to celebrate. my man and I decided to invite his parents over for dinner on the Saturday. We had a braai with potato bake, strawberry salad and meat. for starters I made a really nice Bruchetta. Below is the recipe. Please tell me if you tried the recipes and if you liked it.

Makes 8

Ingredients:
4 plum tomatoes chopped
80 ml olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped basil
8 slices Italian bread
1 garlic glove peeled (or I used crushed garlic with little bit of olive oil, soaking)
chopped basil

Method

Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and chopped basil. Season well
Toast the bread on one side (sliced).
Rub the toasted side slightly with a peeled clove of garlic.
Top with the tomato mixture and garnish with the extra basil.
Serve immediately.

Stretch Marks

The owefull word that most woman fear, the lovely stretch marks. They happen to the most of us and what makes it so dreadfull is the fact that it stays there for everyone to see. I have found that there is  no cure for strech marks only prevention. But unfortunatly tehy appear without warning anf we have to live with the marks for life.

Here are some helpfull tips on how to make the marks lighter. I found this on All4woman.co.za.

Stretch marks are caused when skin changes shape too quickly - mostly during weight gain, weight loss, or pregnancy. This sudden change causes a tear in the middle layer of your skin, the dermis. The collagen and elastin fibres in the dermis rupture, and you end up with 'underground' stretch mark scars that look like stripes on the affected area. The sooner you treat them, the better your chances of removing them will be. However, even if you've had your stretch marks for years, it doesn’t mean you're out of options.

Start early to treat stretch marks. Once they pass the initial stage (when they are red, purple, pink, or brown) and become white or silver, it's far more difficult to minimize them.

Massage the stretch mark area three or four times a day with moisturizers that contain cocoa butter as a prime ingredient. This hydrates the skin, making it more pliant.

Apply a natural self-tanner. This will help minimize the appearance of stretch marks. Exfoliate beforehand for best results.

Educate yourself about topical treatments for stretch marks. Many are advertised to "repair" stretch marks, but few have actually been proven to be effective. Here's the scoop on what's available:

• Wheat germ oil - may help improve stretch marks in their early phase.
• Glycolic acid - increases collagen production.
• Vitamin C - certain formulations might increase collagen production.
• Relastin - the effectiveness of this product in treating stretch marks is unknown and unverified.
• Peptide-containing products - these "repair" creams are ineffective.
• Retinoids - they're fairly effective in increasing collagen and elastic production in the early stages, but they should be avoided if you're pregnant or nursing.
• Topical tretinoin can lighten stretch marks and reduce their size if applied in the earlier stages.
• Consider laser treatment. It's used to treat both red/purple and white stretch marks, and generally it works by promoting the formation of collagen. It can be expensive, with limited effectiveness.
• Vascular lasers - won't remove superficial skin, but are effective against redness by treating blood vessels.
• Fractionated laser - minimizes older, more entrenched stretch marks.
• Pulsed dye laser therapy - "remodels" the underlying layers of skin and triggers the production of collagen and elastin.
• Fractional photothermolysis also targets the underlying layers of skin.
• The excimer laser triggers melanin production so that stretch marks take on the same colour as the surrounding skin.

Furthermore

• Stretch mark removal is usually not covered by insurance because it's a cosmetic procedure.
• Other alternative therapies do exist (castor or olive oil, seaweed wraps, or combinations of botanicals, vitamins and fruit acids) but have not been proven effective.
• Surgical procedures that involve the removal of skin (e.g. a tummy tuck) can result in the removal of stretch marks.
• Without surgical procedures, it is virtually impossible to fully remove stretch marks, as they are actually tears/scars in the dermis (middle layer) of skin and the stretch marks are the results of the healing.
• When attempting to reduce the appearance of stretchmarks, always try first to use pure natural ingredients, free of harmful chemicals. Some of the key ingredients often used in natural solutions are: vitamin E, emu oil, glycolic acid, aloe vera, grape seed oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter.

Remember to

• Check carefully with your health practitioner when applying any of the above procedures - especially if you are breast-feeding or pregnant.
• Research the internet, and remember that most treatments are partially effective, at best. Keep your expectations realistic.

Lasagne with a twist

I found this recipe on the internet, tried it and love it. Taste very Yummy and very easy to make. Hope you enjoy =)

Serves: 4-6 people
Time: 10 Minute
Cooking time: 90 min (I used 60 Minute)

Ingredients: 
500g beef mince
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic crushed ( or you can use 2 table spoon already crushed garlic)
2 tablespoon robertsons Thyme ( or fresh thyme works very well)
1 large carrot grated
400g tin chopped peeled tomatoes ( or you can use the onion and tomato mix can)
1 KNORR spaghetti Bologanise Dry cook-in-sauce
2 KNORR classic white sauce
4 potatoes thinly sliced
2 tablespoon parmesan cheese

Instructions:
cook in preheated 160 celcius oven for 60-90 minutes
heat oil in pan and fry mince
add onions, garlic, thyme and carrots, cook until soft
add tomatoes and KNORR fresh ideas spaghetti bolognaise
prepare the KNORR classic white sauce following packet instructions
in an oven dish layer potatoes, mince and white sauce
repeat 3 times and sprinkle sauce. 

Bizarre Mental Conditions

This is kind of ineressting.

Normal is a relative measure, but people exhibiting symptoms indicative of the followings conditions, syndromes and disorders will likely stand out in any crowd.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
The Dunning–Kruger effect is a form of cognitive bias that renders certain individuals incapable of perceiving their true competency in respects to a certain ability or vocation.
These individuals mistakenly believe themselves to be far better at a given task than they truly are. The bias has been attributed to a metacognitive deficiency that prevents unskilled people from becoming aware of their own shortcomings.
Paradoxically, people with real ability often suffer from low self-esteem, as their insight into the dimensions of a given task or skill allows them to appreciate how much they still have to learn.

Jerusalem Syndrome
Individuals visiting the holy city of Jerusalem are often possesed by thoughts of a religious nature. The great city occupies an important place in several world religions, and its architecture and history is suffused with human conceptions of the almighty.

When these religious thoughts become obsessive, delusional, or psychotic in their dimensions, the person involved may be experienceing Jerusalem syndrome. The syndrome has thus far been experienced almost exclusively by individuals with a history of mental illness.

Exploding Head Syndrome
A form of hypnagogic auditory hallucination, Exploding head syndrome causes the sufferer to ‘hear’ a loud and abrupt noise, seemingly originating from within the cranium itself. The sound is typically likened to a gunshot, an explosion, a screaming voice or an electrical buzzing akin to the sound made by an electric saw.

Making things even harder for sufferers, the noise typically occurs when one is either close to sleeping, or actually asleep. Following an attack, many sufferers report feelings of anxiety or fear, and an elevated heart rate is common. As of now, scientists and doctors are unsure as to what causes the syndrome

Capgras Delusion
Classified as a delusional misidentification syndrome, the Capgras delusion entails the mistaken belief, on the part of the sufferer, that a friend, lover, parent or other close acquaintance has been replaced by an impostor.

The delusion is often experienced by individuals affected by a neurological disorder such as schizophrenia. Injuries to the brain can also result in the appearance of symptoms indicative of the delusion.

William Hirstein and Vilayanur S. Ramachandran have proposed that the delusion occurs as a result of an interruption of the neurological connection between the temporal cortex (which is responsible for facial recognition) and the limbic system (the seat of the emotions).

Freudian theory suggests that an internal conflict, experienced as a result of sexual feelings felt by the sufferer towards one of his/her parents, are resolved by the assumption that the object of desire is not in fact the parent at all.

Fregoli Delusion
The belief that several different people are in fact the same person dressed in different disguises is characteristic of the Fregoli delusion.The condition takes its name from the Italian actor Leopoldo Fregoli, who was renowned for the speed at which he could change his costumes and his appearance on stage.

It was first reported in 1927 by two psychiatrists who discussed the case of a woman who believed that she was being victimised by a pair of actors from her local theatre. The young lady came to believe that the two thespians would take the form of people she knew, or encountered, in order to persecute her still further.

Body Integrity Identity Disorder
People suffering from Body integrity Identity Disorder are convinced that they would feel happier, and more complete, if they could amputate one or more of their limbs. Despite being related, it should not be confused with apotemnophillia, or sexual arousal stemming from the idea of one’s self as an amputee.

One theory as to the origin of the disorder describes it as resulting from a dysfunctional brain mapping function, whereby the brain fails to include the affected limb in its conception of the body.

Although it sounds extremely bizarre to the average human being, the disorder affects otherwise entirely sane people, who sometimes even go as far as injuring their own limbs so as to force their amputation.

Diogenes Syndrome
Diogenes syndrome takes its name from the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, who made his home in an empty wine barrel and put forward a philosophy of extreme nihilism. The story goes that when the slumbering Diogenes was asked by Alexander the Great what it was he most desired from the world, the grumpy philosopher responded: “For you to stop blocking my sunshine!”

People suffering from Diogenes syndrome show symptoms of extreme self-neglect, social isolation and compulsive hoarding – often of animals. It is mostly experienced by elderly people, and has been strongly associated with the onset of senility.

It’s interesting to note that the name is actually somewhat unfair on poor old Diogenes, who was, though undoubtedly reclusive, never described in historical accounts as being neglectful of his personal hygiene.

Cotard’s Syndrome
Individuals suffering the Cotard delusion (also known as the Walking Corpse Syndrome) maintain an irrational suspicion that they are in fact already dead, do not exist or are in the process of decomposing. Other strange beliefs associated with the condition include the conviction that one has been drained of blood, or that one’s internal organs have been extracted. In a few cases, the sufferer comes to believe that they have attained immortality.

The syndrome was first described in 1880 by the French neurologist Jules Cotard, who called it le délire de négation ('negation delirium'). Those experiencing a mild case of the condition report feelings of despair and self-loathing, while severe cases are characterised by chronic depression and vivid delusional states.

Cotard described the case of one woman, who he called Mademoiselle X, who was convinced that certain parts of her body were not actually existent. She also denied that there was any reason for her to eat. She later came to assume that she was suffering eternal damnation and would not be able to die a natural death. Sadly for Mademoiselle X, her mistaken beliefs led to her eventual death by starvation.

Folie à deux
Folie a deux (from the French for “madness experienced by two”) is a form of shared psychosis in which two people experience the same or similar delusions. Should the shared psychosis involve more than two people, it will be classified accordingly. Thus we have folie à trois, folie à quatre, folie en famille or even folie à plusieurs ('madness of many').

In one case, detailed in Enoch and Ball's 'Uncommon Psychiatric Syndromes', a couple in their thirties experienced similar persecutory delusions. Both of them had come to believe that a third party was entering their house covertly and spreading debris on the floor and furniture. They were also under the impression that this mysterious intruder was “wearing down their shoes.”

Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Classified as a somatoform disorder, Body Dysmorphic disorder involves an excessive pre-occupation with appearance. Sufferers obsess about what they perceive to be a specific physical defect or find themselves overwhelmed by the belief that they are generally unattractive. The disorder often gives rise to feelings of depression and anxiety, and sufferers are often unwilling to leave their homes.

The disorder usually results form a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors, with the onset typically in adolescence or early adulthood. Sadly, between 1 and 2 per cent of the world’s population meet the dignostic criteria for Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Depersonalisation
An anomaly of self-perception, depersonalization consists of the sense that the individual exists outside of their physical self, engaged in the act of witnessing their own behavior and emotions from a third-person perspective. The sufferer feels they have no power over their actions; the world is experienced as indefinite, illusory and lacking in substance.

In some cases, the subject reports experiencing life as a “dream”. Classified as a dissociative disorder, chronic depersonalisation is often the result of a severely traumatic incident or protracted feelings of anxiety. Interestingly, the experience is often the desired outcome of people ingesting certain recreational drugs, such as marijuana or other hallucinogens.

Stockholm Syndrome
Stockholm syndrome involves feelings of sympathy or even loyalty on the part of the victims of kidnapping towards their abductors. It takes its name from an incident in Stockholm, Sweden, in which hostages taken in the course of a bank robbery felt compelled to defend their kidnappers after they had been freed (even refusing to testify against them in court). One of the victims even went on to marry a member of the gang involved, after he had been found guilty and sentenced for the crime. The syndrome is also often referenced in cases of spousal abuse, rape and child molestation.

Perhaps the most famous example of Stockholm syndrome is the case of Patty Hearst (pictured above), the grand-daughter of millionaire Press baron William Randolph Hearst. Kidnapped in 1974 by the Symbionese Liberation Army, she developed so great a bond with her captors that she would ultimately join them in robbing a bank in San Francisco. Hearst later claimed that her former loyalty to the organisation had been the result of a concerted brainwashing program.

Paris Syndrome
Paris Syndrome is brought about by the disconnect between the expectations of visitors to the French capital, and the reality they encounter upon arrival. It is experienced for the most part by Japanese tourists, with about 12 of the millions who visit Paris every year showing symptoms of the syndrome. These symptoms include delusional states, persecution complexes, anxiety, dizziness, tachycardia and excessive sweating.

Psychologists speculate that the syndrome results from an extreme form of ‘culture shock’, wherein the often congested and modern metropolis fails to conform with the idyllic expectations that tourists have of the city, encouraged as they are by a media obsessed with the notion of Paris as the ever romantic “City of Light”.

Stendhal Syndrome
In his book, 'Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio', the 19^th Century French author Marie-Henri Beyle (better known as Stendhal [pictured above]) described a peculiar phenomenon he experienced while touring through Italy in 1817.

Confronted by the surfeit of high art in the country, he found himself struck by a range of discomforting symptoms, including a quickened pulse, disorientation, confusion and even a loss of vitality.

“As I emerged from the porch of Santa Croce, I was seized with a fierce palpitation of the heart (that same symptom which, in Berlin, is referred to as an attack of the nerves); the well-spring of life was dried up within me, and I walked in constant fear of falling to the ground.”

Today, individuals experiencing these and similar symptoms during or after the experience of high art on a grand scale, are said to be suffering from Stendhal Syndrome. The term sometimes also refers to a similar reaction when confronted by an excess of choice in different circumstances.

A similar, but more specific condition, termed Lisztomania by the poet Heinriche Heine, described the delirious frenzy entered into by some fans upon witnessing a live recital by the famous pianist and composer Franz Liszt.

http://lifestyle.howzit.msn.com/men/men-gallery?cp-documentid=251740900#image=15

Apple pie made easy

I made an apple pie about three days ago. very easy and very delicious.

1 packet of puff pastry.
3 green apples
1 small lemon
1 teaspoon cinnimon
3 table spoons appricot jam
1 8cm deep tart pan
1 egg

Method:

Oven on 180 degrees
Peel the apples and slice in thin slices
Soak the apples in warm water, 2 teaspoons of castor sugar
Roll out the puff pastry on little bit of icing sugar. Then line the pan with the puff pastry
place the apples on the puff pastry.
Squeeze the lemon on the apples
Place the in the oven for 20 min
Take out and cool down for 10 min.
while cooling down, mix the cinnimon and the jam together with little bit of water
top the apples with the cinnimon and jam mixture evenly
Use the left over puff pastry to cover and brush one egg over the puff pastry
Place back in the oven for 25-30 min

Take out and enjoy with cream or ice cream.

Very easy to follow and remember to not use to much water as this could make the pie fall apart. If not sure dont add the water.

Hope you enjoy the recipe =)

How to......

Today while sitting and reading the news like I do everyday, I came accross a very interessting article. From Woman on MSN. How to. There are alot of obsticles in the kitchen and I have found this article very interessting. Hope you enjoy it as well.

1. How to make fridge cold butter spreadable.
You know how it is. You're in a rush, you're trying to make a sandwich or a packed lunch and the butter's straight out of the fridge. There's a simple solution: reach for the cheese grater. If you grate your fridge-cold butter, it will be spreadable within a minute.

2. How to make perfect bacon
Prepping a lot of bacon? There's a very easy way to make sure it's cooked consistently and have it all ready at the same time. Forget the pan, forget the grill: line a baking tray with foil and bake it at 190C for about 20 minutes for perfectly crispy bacon in large volumes.

3. How to save money on fresh herbs ( and this I know is true, grow your own)
Limited for space? Don't have a garden? Or just bored with paying lots of money for bunches of fresh herbs when you just need a couple of sprigs? Plant a herb window box - or a hanging basket. They smell delicious, give you a handy source of herbs and save money.

4. How to core and chop a pepper quickly
There's a very easy way get all the flesh off a pepper and remove the core whole. Slice off the top and the stalk. Slice off the bottom. Then spiral cut the rest of the pepper around the core. It's also a great way to remove the seeds from chillies - which, of course, is where the heat is.

5. How to chop onions easily
Onions are great at this time of year but it's amazing how few of us know how to slice them easily. Cut your onion in half through the root. Place the flat side down, root-end away from you and slice vertically from tip to almost the root. Then hold the root and chop across. Result: Diced onion, no slippage and, because the root bulb is the bit that makes you cry, fewer tears.

6. How to remove garlic and onion smells from your hands
After chopping onions or garlic, your hands will smell of, well, onions or garlic. One of the most efficient ways to remove the smell is stainless steel. Be it kitchen sink or a handy spoon, 'wash' your hands with it for 30 seconds. No, we don't know why it works but it does.

7. How to peel ginger
You can, of course, slice away at your ginger with a sharp knife but that wastes a lot of the good stuff. That's where a teaspoon comes in. The skin of the ginger might look gnarled but it's actually surprisingly soft and very thin and the edge of a spoon takes it off cleanly with no waste.

8. How to remove a broken egg shell from a bowl
When breaking eggs into a bowl, little bits of shell often fall in. If you've ever tried removing them with a finger, you'll know how you end up chasing them around the bowl. Next time, use another piece of broken shell and they'll stick right on and lift out easily - according to @1accidnetalchef, you can use the same trick to remove specks of yolk from egg whites. Alternatively, to reduce the problem do what @lauraroweeats suggests and break eggs on a flat surface rather than an edge.

9. How to make your own sundried tomatoes
It's the end of tomato season. If you've got a glut and fancy a change from frozen portions of tomato sauce, why not make your own sundried tomatoes? 'Sun', however, is something of a misnomer: it's actually done in the oven. Set the oven to the lowest possible temperature, halve your tomatoes, lay them on a cake rack and leave them in there for 10-20 hours.

10. How to squeeze more juice from a lemon
Or a lime, or an orange. Any citrus fruit as it happens. Simply apply a reasonable amount of pressure and roll it on the counter before you juice it. Result, an increase in the amount of juice it produces.

11. How to salvage old fruit
We all do it. Buy fruit and then just leave it turning wizened and overripe in the bowl. But you can salvage most of it. Peel overripe bananas and freeze the flesh to add to smoothies and milkshakes. If you've got shrivelled looking lemons or limes, a five- to-10 second blast in the microwave makes it easy to juice them still.

12. How to fry things properly
When using a frying pan, don't overcrowd the pan. Doing so makes the temperature fall rapidly and the contents will steam rather than fry. That means less caramelisation, less flavour and a longer cooking time. And if you need to add more oil, add it steadily at the side of the pan - by the time it reaches what you're cooking, it'll be hot.

13. How to store fruit for longer
A wet summer with a little sunshine at the end has meant two things: lots of slugs but also lots of glorious blackberries. If you've ever picked such fruit, you'll know how quickly it can go off so wash it straight away, dry it and store it on kitchen roll in the fridge for an extra three or four days of edible life.

14. How to stop a pot from boiling over
It sounds like an old wives' tale and thinking about it, it probably is. But, somehow, it works. Put a wooden spoon or a spatula across a saucepan and, should the phone ring and you have to wander away, you don't have to worry about what's happening in the kitchen.

15. How to season a dish while cooking
When cooking, add salt and freshly milled pepper by hand from a bowl. Using grinders or mills over steaming saucepans will clog up the mechanism. You''ll probably also add more seasoning this way too - and that's one of the reasons restaurant food generally tastes better than your cooking.

16. How to make perfect pasta
Coming into the autumn - and after THAT summer - minds are on comfort eating. That often means pasta and there are many simple ways to make that better. Boil it for one minute less than the packet dictates and cook it for one minute in the sauce. And before you add sauce, sprinkle the pasta with parmesan - that gives the sauce something to stick to.

17. How to cut a cheese or big cake evenly
Need to cut a big cake evenly? Need to cut cheese - particularly soft cheeses and stilton? Or stuck in a hotel room with lovely local cheese and nothing to cut them with? Go to the toiletry bag and reach for the unscented dental floss.

Hope this helps and learns you more about the kitchen cause I have learned alot.

The well known LOVE HANDLES

Today I read this article in all4woman. I found it very interesting as most of us have them: LOVE HANDLES..... We all dislike them and wish they could go away. So I hope that this article will make all aware on how to get rid off them and why we should. Summer time is coming and so is having fun next to pool and having the awfull LOVE HANDLES won't want you to wear the new swimsuits for the season.

Regardless of what we call them, love handles are not lovable and cuddly. Love handles indicate stubborn fat around the midriff which is not only annoying and unsightly, but dangerous to our health as well.
Interestingly love handles seem to bother slimmer people more than those who are already extremely overweight.
There are only two ways to rid yourself of love handle fat – correct eating and correct exercise.
It’s a good idea to start with an eating plan. Even though you might not have a lot of fat on your body, it is vitally important for your health to deal with the problem that you have on each side of your waist. A sensible diet could be the most vital part of getting you to where you would like to go with your whole abdominal area.
Drink more water to lose love handle fat
You've probably heard it a million times before but if you're like the majority, you’ll probably be tempted to forego the water for carbonated soft drinks. However, if you do not drink at least two litres of plain filtered water per day, the chances of losing your love handles will be minimal.
Water flushes out your system, helps you to feel fuller, and prevents you from eating as much. It is one of the most significant things you can do for your body and your wellbeing.
Eat vegetables and fruits to lose love handle fat
Your body needs nutrients to perform the functions it must in order for you to lose the love handle fat around your midriff. Veggies and fruits, particularly those that are eaten raw, are packed full of a selection of nutrient elements including antioxidants which fight off disease and also strengthen your immune system. They offer you fibre for digestion to help keep your body clean and toxin free at the same time as filling you up.
Ditch the fast food to lose love handle fat
Oily cheeseburgers, French fries and a soft drink isn't going to help you to lose those love handles or burn any fat. It is only going to contribute to the issue. A part time approach will not get the job done. Additionally, when you eat a lot of processed food with trans-fats, salt and sugar, you are putting yourself in danger of diabetes and heart disease.
Get moving to lose love handle fat
You need to raise your level of activity to burn any body fat that you do have in this area but it's also necessary to do some exercises that may strengthen the muscles in your abdominal area. The obliques are the muscles on either side of your abdomen.
Exercises that involve toning your obliques are bicycling (lying on the floor on your back, hands clasped behind head, bringing knee to elbow on opposite sides) is one of the finest examples of oblique exercises for dealing with love handles.
You really can lose your love handles fat by eating right, using up fat, and toning, and by applying dedication and persistence to your diet and exercise plan. It's essential, however, to consult your health practitioner before starting any weight loss or fitness regime.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki building the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to lose love handle fat. Content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons License.

Dealing with past first

I have read this article in the womans health and what tehy say is true.

Hope you enjoy

Deal with past relationship issues before you move on

Deal With The Past First

I see so many relationships that are torn apart because of issues that weren't dealt with in the past. People hold onto resentment, anger and hurt, and it becomes a part of the relationship. Whether the issues are part of a previous relationship, or whether they are part of the new relationship, you will never be able to move on until they are dealt with.
Some of the most common problems include:
• Distrust of the partner due to infidelity in the past (a lot of the time, it was a previous partner that was unfaithful, not the new partner).
• Fear of addressing concerns in the relationship in case they lead to violent outbursts or irrational behaviour.
• The inability to identify a specific issue, but harbouring a feeling of resentment every time your partner does something small to irritate you.
• A history of physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
• A history of failed relationships and choosing inappropriate partners.
• Interfering parents/friends/family members.
• Guilt over something that happened in the past (which might not even have anything to do with the current relationship).
Remember, relationships are not like band aids. You can't just put a new relationship on top of an old wound. You need to heal the wound first before you can move ahead. You may still have some scars, but at least you will have dealt with the issue and you know how to move on from it.
It is not fair to expect a new partner to deal with issues that happened in your past. I see so many couples that suspect infidelity in their new partners because they have been betrayed before. The new partner has to deal with being blamed for something they didn’t even play a part in. If you have experienced deep pain and hurt in a past relationship, I suggest seeking counselling before beginning a new one. That way, you will be able to offer a 'new, whole and confident' person to your new partner.

We all have relationship problems and addressing the problems and communicating with your partner is the best thing for any relationship to proceed.

Kompos

Ek dink die laaste tyd baie daaraan om my eie kompos hoop te begin. Het vandag die artikel gekry in die beeld oor kompos. Hoop julle geniet.

Kompos, die swart goud van die aarde

2012-09-13 23:00

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Dis nie moeilik om self kompos te maak nie. Foto: Geoff Redman

Foto's · Lesersfoto’s · Nuus in Foto's Stuur vir ons jou foto's · Stuur vir ons jou foto's

Een van die basiese noodsaaklikhede van suksesvolle tuinmaak is brokkelrige, vrugbare grond en dit kan net bewerkstellig word deur voortdurend ’n mildelike vrag kompos by te voeg, skryf Anna Cilliers.

’n Mens hoor dikwels dat tuiniers kla hul grond is kliphard en dat dit uiters moeilik is om ’n plantgat vir ’n boom of struik daarin te maak.
In ’n poging om dit bewerkbaar te probeer maak, spit hulle dit dan vir die vale om.
Die probleem met klipharde grond is die regstreekse gevolg van te min organiese materiaal (kompos) wat teenwoordig is.
Om dit te probeer regstel met ’n gedurige omspittery vererger die swak struktuur daarvan, veroorsaak dat voordelige grondorganismes wat help met deurlugting en die afbreek van voedingstowwe blootgestel word aan die son en dat dormante onkruidsade vinniger ontkiem.
Boonop verloor ’n mens baie grondvog en dan moet die krane weer oopgedraai word.
Met die gereelde toediening van kompos kan jy die meeste van jou tuinmaakkopsere uitskakel.
Dis doodmaklik om kompos self te maak en die bestanddele daarvan is boonop meestal gratis.

Waar moet die hoop kom?
Maak jou kompos uit die oog in ’n sonnige hoekie van die tuin en verkieslik naby ’n kraan.
Span groot houtkratte (soos deur vrugteverpakkers gebruik) in of bou jou eie vierkantige houer.
As jy genoeg plek het, kan jy meer as een houer oorweeg vir kompos in verskillende sta­diums van ontbinding.
Om ’n komposhoop direk op die grond te maak werk ewe goed omdat die grondorganismes soos erdwurms toegang daartoe het en bydra om die plantmateriaal vinniger af te breek.
Moenie die komposhoop groter as sowat 1 m x 1 m maak nie, anders neem dit lank vir die materiaal om af te breek.
Onthou, daar is ook spesiale komposmakers by kwekerye en ysterwarewinkels te koop wat ideaal is vir klein tuine.

Wat kan gebruik word?
- Grassnysels in dun lae
- Ou blare in dun lae
- Snoeisels van heinings, struike en rose – in fyner stukkies gesny
- Enige dooie plantmateriaal, mits dit nie besmet is met fungussiektes nie. Siek takke en blare moet liefs weggegooi of verbrand word.
- Uitgeblomde jaarplante
- Vrugte- en groenteskille
- Dun lagies strooi
- Onbehandelde boombas
- Houtsaagsels
- Natuurlike vesels en klein stukkies koerantpapier
- Kruieknipsels
- Bees-, vark- en hoendermis
- Afval uit voëlhokke
- Teesakkies en koffiemoer
- Fyngedrukte eierdoppe
- Klein hoeveelhede hout-as.

Wat hoort nie gebruik te word nie?
- Plastiek
- Glanspapier soos tydskrifbladsye
- Blikke, glas, ou klere en afvallappe
- Gaar oorskietkos
- Onkruid met saadkoppe aan
- Houtskool- en steenkool-as
- Honde- en katmis.

Maak só
’n Komposhoop word gebou soos wat ’n mens koekstruif sou maak: Alles word in lae gepak.
Gooi eerste ’n laag van sowat 25 cm diep growwe tuinafval soos snoeisels en takkies. Gooi dan 5 cm kraalmis, hoendermis en fyner tuinafval soos grassnysels, blare, dooie eenjariges en kombuisafval by. Gooi volgende ’n 5 cm-laag gewone tuingrond, ou potgrond en ’n bietjie growwe riviersand op die hoop.
Laaste moet jy komposaktiveerder oor die hele oppervlakte van die hoop strooi. ’n Mens kan organiese komposaktiveerders by kwekerye koop of jou eie “aanhits”-konkoksie maak: Kap die blare van nieskruid, brandnetel of smeerwortel fyn en strooi dit tussen elke derde laag. Die opgekapte blare kan ook in ’n emmer water getrek en oor die nuwe komposhoop uitgegooi word.
Kraal- en hoendermis is ook goeie komposaktiveerders wat onverwerkte organiese materiaal vinnig tot ryk humus afbreek. Herhaal al die lae totdat die hoop sowat 1 m hoog is.

Wenke
Bedek die komposhoop in koue weer met ’n ou stuk mat of onkruiddoek wat hitte inhou. Dit sal die verrottingsproses verhaas. Lugsirkulasie en suurstof is baie belangrik – gebruik ’n stok en steek gereeld van bo gate in die hoop. ’n Komposhoop moet klam gehou word, maar nie sopnat nie, anders sal dit vrot.
As die hoop vir lange tye te droog raak, stop die verrottingsproses. Sprinkel dus die hoop af en toe liggies nat.
Jy moet ook terwyl jy besig is om die hoop te bou die materiaal effens natmaak met ’n tuinslang.
Keer die hoop elke twee tot drie weke om, of roer die materiaal ’n bietjie vir goeie belugting. Dit behoort ongeveer drie maande te duur voordat die kompos gebruik kan word.
’n Slegte reuk in die omgewing beteken gewoonlik dat die hoop te nat is en dat daar ’n gebrek aan suurstof is. Keer dit om en gooi nog growwe mate­riaal by. As die ontbindingsproses te stadig plaasvind, kan nog kraalmis en aktiveerder bygevoeg word.

Gebruik kompos só
Strooi dik lae van die kompos, wat swart van kleur sal wees en “skoon” ruik, in jou struikbeddings. Dit hoef nie ingespit te word nie; die grondorganismes sal dit mettertyd inwerk.
Met ’n deklaag van kompos bly jou grond nie net langer klam nie, maar word ook sag, brokkelrig en makliker bewerkbaar. Dit help ook om die ontkieming van onkruidsade te onderdruk.
Gooi elke keer wanneer jy nuwe struike plant ’n paar grawe vol kompos in die plantgat en gooi ’n bietjie as deklaag oor die wortelstelsel. Moenie toelaat dat kompos te dik teen die stamme van plante lê nie; dit kan verrotting veroorsaak.

Roos Mites

Ek het toevallig in die nuwe Tuis tydskrif die raak gelees en dit is baie interessant aangesien dit die tyd is vir rose plant. Hoop julle geniet dit net so baie soos ek.

5 roos-mites

Tuinmaak

Die kweek van rose word deur allerhande mites omhul. Dit skep die wanindruk dat dié aktiwiteit net moeite en verdriet is. Bobaas-rooskweker Ludwig Taschner ruim van die gevestigde ouvroustories uit die weg.
MITE 1 Wanneer jy snoei, moet jy altyd aan die buitekant van ’n ogie sny.
Dis nie nodig nie, aangesien die roos self besluit waar en hoe hy ’n botsel wil uitstoot.
MITE 2 Wanneer jy ’n roos pluk of snoei, moet die snit altyd teen ’n hoek en ’n spesifieke afstand van die ogie af wees.
Jy kan reguit óf teen ’n hoek sny. Reguit is beter, want dan word ’n kleiner deel van die stam aan die elemente blootgestel en is die wond kleiner. Sny maar redelik naby die ogie, maar moet jou nie te veel oor die presiese afstand bekommer nie.
MITE 3 Dis absoluut noodsaaklik om rose te snoei.
Ons snoei rose omdat ons wil hê hulle moet ’n mooi, netjiese vorm hê. Daarom verwyder ons ou of dooie hout en enige takkiesrige groeisels. Jou roos sal goed klaarkom sonder ’n snoeiery – trouens, hy snoei homself deur ou en lastige groeisels te laat afsterf. Dit lyk net vir ons onnet.
MITE 4 Nadat jy gesnoei het, moet alle snitte geseël word om te keer dat insekte in die stam boor.
Jy gaan nie noodwendig boor-insekte uithou deur te seël nie; hulle gaan eenvoudig laer af in die stam se sykant boor. Spuit eerder met Ludwig’s Insect Spray of Garden Ripcord onmiddellik nadat jy gesnoei het, en daarna voorkomend deur die loop van die roosseisoen.
MITE 5 Rose wat nie floreer nie, moet teruggesnoei word om nuwe groei aan te wakker.
Die kanse is groter dat jy ’n sukkelende roos sal doodmaak deur dit terug te snoei of ekstra kunsmis te gee. Die doel moet wees om die struik se blare te vermeerder, aangesien dit die wortelstelsel versterk. Die beste manier om dit te doen is om die punte van alle nuwe groei af te knyp. Dit laat druk in die stam opbou, wat dormante ogies aanmoedig om uit te loop en basale lote laat vorm. Jy kan een of twee, selfs drie keer terugknyp, maar as die struik nie na wense reageer nie, is die beste raad om hom uit te haal en met ’n nuwe een te vervang.

Homemade pizza

Last night I made a very tasty pizza. I have decided to share my pizza recipe with everyone.

Firstly I roasted the chicken in a marinade:
1 teaspoon garlic
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
50 ml brandy
4 boneless chicken pieces

Roast in the oven for 30 min at 180 degrees



While the chicken is the oven start with the onions. Carmalize the onions in little bit of oil, sugar and balsamic vinigar. After the onions are done, through mushrooms in a frying pan with some salt pepper and lilttle bit of butter. Fry them till they are brown.

After this you can start with the ready made pizza base.

You can use Tomato and onion mix to cover the base.

After putting tomato and onion mix on start putting on the onions, mushrooms, sundried tomato and the chicken on.

After the chicken add as much cheese as you like. Put in the oven. taake out when cheese has melted and add some avo for finish and serve hot.

Hope this is as delicious as it it was for me. Enjoy =)

House warming ideas

WE have moved into our new home about two weeks ago. Getting friends over for a house warming takes a lot of planning. So this will be my new challenge.

Lemon cupcakes with Fondant icing decoration. This would be lovely for spring. So in the next few weeks, the last few weeks of Winter I will put step by step on how to make these cupcakes.

Hope this will be as fun for you as it will be for me =)