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Chocolate-y Cake pops

Posted by on 8-30-12

Oreo Cookie Cake – More like Oreo cheesecake

Posted by on 1-10-12

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Steamed Tilapia

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Grilled Salmon in Soy-Butter

Posted by on 4-20-12

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Hampers and Tricolor Pasta with White Sauce

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Fitting and Cleaning the Kitchen plus a Hearty Meal

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Most Recent Articles

Get Started with Organic Tomato Gardening with These Tips

Posted by on May 17, 2013 in Plants | 0 comments

 

Many people have discovered a backyard hobby that is fast becoming a favorite – organic tomato gardening. Supermarkets, groceries, and most farmers’ markets sell these for a higher price because it is grown slowly, naturally and without fertilizers and pesticides.

organic tomatoes

image via http://tomatoesgardeningtips.com/

Below are six tips to get you started with organic tomato gardening:

1. Find a location that is conducive for growing the organic tomatoes. Organic tomatoes thrive on sunlight. At the most, these need around 8 to 12 hours of sunlight each day. Plenty of sun is needed not only to ensure the growth of the tomatoes but also for the soil and roots to keep warm. Now supposing you’re trying to grow your organic tomatoes indoors, it would be a good idea to take these outside during the day since this would allow the plant to soak up sunshine and heat.

2. Even if organic tomatoes like soaking up the sun, you need to remember that the soil needs to have a temperature that is favorable for the plant. The ideal daytime soil temperature for organic tomatoes is at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

If temperature drops or gets cooler at nighttime, you may need to shield your tomatoes overnight with buckets or perhaps sheets that would keep the cool air from seeping through.

During summertime, when temperatures could soar to over 90 degrees, it is imperative that you provide a shade over your organic tomatoes. Direct exposure to the scorching rays of the sun could kill your plant. Therefore, make sure there is enough shade to block off the sun’s rays.

3. Inasmuch as organic tomatoes thrive from the warmth of the sun, these also need regular watering. Failure to water the organic tomatoes regularly can make the fruits grow sporadically. Moreover, irregularly watered tomatoes are more susceptible to rot diseases. You need to water the tomato plants twice a week, making sure that the water soaks the soil around 6 to 8 inches deep. If the temperature is extremely hot, you need to water the plants more.

4. The idea behind organic gardening is to grow crops, fruits, plants, and vegetables using all-natural fertilizers. With this said, use only natural organic fertilizers when growing organic tomatoes as these are free from harmful synthetic ingredients that prove to be toxic for plants. The ideal organic fertilizers for organic tomatoes are manure, fish emulsion, seaweed, and composted grass or weed clippings since these are rich in micronutrients and have high nitrogen content.

5. Because you want to preserve your organic tomatoes and keep them free from toxic chemicals, use of pesticides for pest control is a big no-no. Instead of using chemical-laden pesticides, use animals and insects as “natural pest controllers.” Aphids and caterpillars are known to eat and pester the leaves and fruits of tomatoes. To drive these away, make sure birds, lizards, frogs, and ladybugs are nearby.

If you don’t want to use these natural pest controllers, it is best to stake the plants so that these are kept off the ground.

6. When it comes to mulching, you can use black plastic around the tomato plants to prevent weed growth and to keep the soil warm. This also helps direct the water to the roots.

Indeed, organic tomato gardening can be a great hobby. However, more than that, it can also be a great source of income. Once you have it in your own backyard, there’s no need to pay the high price for the much-coveted fruit.

 

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Enjoy a Meal with the Family on Your Cozy Breakfast Nook

Posted by on May 8, 2013 in Kitchen corner | 2 comments

 

If you’re building a home or planning to remodel one, you might want to include a breakfast nook in the plan. It’s a smart and multi-functional space-saver that every kitchen should have. Most homes with limited floor space incorporate breakfast nooks, as these not only serve as a cozy eating space but it can also be used as a workstation. A breakfast nook is often positioned near the window, usually in an alcove or bay. The purpose is for the nook to catch the morning light.

breakfast nook

cozy and inviting

However, it’s no longer surprising to see a variety of breakfast nooks these days. Some nooks are elaborate while others are very simple. Some are elevated with high chairs or stools and this style is perfect for smaller kitchens. On the other hand, large families prefer L-shaped nooks as it can accommodate many people in one sitting.

A breakfast nook can make mornings better. Imagine yourself rousing from sleep, padding through your kitchen, and settling yourself in your nook with a cup of hot coffee in your hand. As you sit cozily in your nook, you can pore over the morning paper or make a quick scan of your email inbox. It’s a scene typical during the weekends. Yet, if you have a breakfast nook, every morning can give you a warm and cozy weekend feel to it.

The breakfast nook is where a family can gather and comfortably enjoy a home-cooked meal before they start the day. As much as possible, you want the breakfast nook to be just the right size. It shouldn’t be too large; otherwise, you’re bound to lose the intimacy for which breakfast nooks are known to imbue. For a family of four, a good-sized breakfast nook would be around six to eight feet wide and five to seven feet deep. The proportions would give each person ample room for themselves without taking away the cozy feeling.

To make sure that you set the right mood for your breakfast nook, go with hardwood flooring to match the warm hues of your kitchen. Oakwood makes a fine choice as it exudes warmth and comfort. They say that the kitchen is unanimously the most favorite room in the house. You can prove this true by incorporating hardwood floors to go with the warm hues in your kitchen.

Breakfast nooks of old were always built beside windows to let natural light seep through. You can do this with your breakfast nook, too. Make sure you build or place it near big windows to allow for plenty of daylight. Why is this important? Well, natural light coming from the sun will make the room cheery and comfortable. Moreover, it makes the entire kitchen look “livable.” However, more than that, natural light makes any meal you put on the breakfast nook look delicious.

Remember, sharing a meal with the family can strengthen familial bonds. As insignificant as it may seem to some, a breakfast nook can just be the thing to hold a family closer together.

 

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Dukan Diet Phases

Posted by on Feb 28, 2013 in Nutrition | 2 comments

 

Like any diet, the Dukan 100 foods diet has been debated about by critics and scientists, as well as the public and celebrities. For instance, it has been said that there is no solid scientific basis behind it and that although the Duchess of Cambridge herself successfully followed the diet, her mother found it to be inefficient. Of course, it is always difficult to know whether things like these are rumours or not so I always find it best to investigate for myself.

tuna

tuna (best source of protein)

To begin with, I looked into the four Dukan diet phases. After being told your True Weight online, which is calculated with the weight at which you would be most healthy (taking into account age, height, past illnesses, previous weight range and so on) and the weight you would like to be, you are then shown how long you will spend on each phase including when you will reach your True Weight (which is by the end of the second phase).

The first phase is called Attack and it is what it sounds like; a short period of eating high-protein meals combined with rigorous exercise. It can be a shock to the system but at least it is getting the hardest part of the diet out of the way first. The second phase is called Cruise which sees the introduction of vegetables. It is by the end of this phase that you will reach your True Weight which is then consolidated in the aptly named Consolidation phase. This in turn prepares you for the final stage which is called Stabilisation. 95% of people who diet put any weight they lose back on in the following weeks after the diet ends. These final two phases teach you how to avoid this.

It seems to be quite simple learning how to lose weight with Dukan as every step of the journey is guided efficiently and in depth meaning you can successfully track your progress. Of course, it isn’t going to work out for everyone as some people simply aren’t suited to this kind of dieting but if you don’t try you’ll never know.

 

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Five Apps for Interior Designers

Posted by on Jan 31, 2013 in Kitchen corner | 0 comments

 

Interior designers need applications to organize ideas and provide inspiration for client designs. Interior designers need ways to spark creativity and increase productivity. Consider these five apps for interior designers to improve home design.

1. Houzz

Houzz allows interior designers around the world to post their portfolios. With this web-based application, designers can create Ideabooks or photo libraries from bookmarks. Designers create Ideabooks for bedrooms, tile installations, and photo walls. Each designer’s works can be organized, searched and retrieved by city. Houzz has often been compared to Pinterest in its operation, and designers get their inspiration from this application.

There are over 70,000 photos and 150,000 ideas featured in this application from other architects, designers and landscapers. Favorite ideas can be retrieved from the application without a WiFi connection. Houzz is free.

houzz, interior designer app

get this from https://play.google.com/

2. MySurface

Kitchen and bath designers love this application because it aids in the tile selection process. Selecting complementary colors, textures, and counter samples is simplified with MySurface. This application does not contain every surface available, but it does have popular selections from Corian and Zodiaq.

3. Moodboard

Designers who need to create concept boards will love Moodboard. Designers crop photos and save links to aid in the creation of concept boards. With paint strip, designers can fill the color palette with colors to be used in concept boards. Creations can be emailed, and frames for photos can be created.

4. Room Design for iPad

This floor plan designer is a lifesaver if customized measurements and furniture layouts are needed. According to evaluators, this application is one of the best on the market and has minimal glitches. Though Room Design for iPad does not support three-dimensional images, the application is recommended for basic black and white photographs. The application features customizable elements such as flooring and other architectural elements. There are also 800 different furniture items to select.

Some people find this application somewhat more difficult to navigate, but the functionality is worth the effort of learning the application. Once the application is mastered, it provides maximum flexibility.

5. StonePedia

StonePedia has a vast array of various stone and marble selections. Designers peruse the application for flooring, fireplace slabs and countertops. StonePedia is advanced enough to sort by color. Designers revel in the bevy of stones and slabs offered. Common surfaces found on this website include granite, marble, Caesarstone and Curava.

Designers Benefit From These Applications

Designers benefit from applications. The creativity of designs created in the home are significantly improved. Consider how these applications can be incorporated into home design. When applications are integrated, creativity and productivity improve and unique designs are created. The applications are affordable and user-friendly.

Cameron is a Designer from Queensland, Australia. He has just finished decorating his new house from Metricon Homes at Maddison Estate and found these five to be very helpful and would recommend them to anyone.

 

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Is Beer Made at Home Just as Satisfying as Store Bought Beer?

Posted by on Jan 25, 2013 in Drinks | 3 comments

It goes without saying that companies that manufacture store bought beer generally have more workers, larger pieces of beer brewing equipment and roomfuls of beer brewing supplies so they can mass produce bottled beer. Clearly, when it comes to volume, store bought beer has an advantage over home brewed beer. However, store bought beer might not have an edge over home brewed beer when it comes to flavor and taste, and isn’t that the reason people drink beer to start with, to enjoy the taste.

beer

Homemade Beer Offering Beer Lovers More Options

Home brewed beers come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, tea, mustard, tomato, bacon steak flavored and oyster. Depending on the beer brewing kits home brewers get, they could blend ingredients and develop more unique tasting beers in a matter of weeks. It could take manufacturers of store bought beers months, if not longer, to work through red tape and get approval to start making and marketing new flavored beers.

When made with dependable home beer brewing equipment, homemade beer can also stay fresh. It’s this freshness that beer drinkers appreciate. As Mark Roessler shares in the January 8, 2013 Valley Advocate “No Beer Like Home” article, “The best-tasting beer is the stuff that’s the freshest and travels the least distance to your glass.”

It’s hard to find a more locally made beer than home brewed beer. Stop by the home of a friend or relative who stocks and uses home brewing supplies in their basement, kitchen or garage, and you might get the chance to drink some of the freshest tasting beer around. Unlike some store bought beer, homemade beer can easily be tweaked and refined throughout the year. Home brewers can also create their own recipes, giving drinkers more options.

Homemade beer: Delicious & Fascinating

One thing homemade beer won’t do is bore you. Some homemade beers are made with beer brewing supplies that add loads of foam, color or thickness to the drinks. You can also enjoy the smell of fresh beer, especially if the brew was recently removed from a kettle. Get your homemade beer from a local brewery and you could also save money on price whether you buy one beer or a case of beer, in part, because homemade beer is made in smaller quantities than store bought beer.

But, perhaps it’s the range of flavors, the unique taste of homemade beers that continue to make locally brewed beer popular. After all, imagine that, after walking inside a home brewery and purchasing beer, you walk out with six bottles of different tasting beer, making you feel as if you’d bought highly flavored beer from a shop that offers as many beer options as Starbucks does coffee. If those types of rare beer options, combined with robust flavor, is what you’re looking for, you might find homemade beer unbeatable.

Sources:

http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/beer-homebrewing/2,1104.html

http://www.mint.com/blog/how-to/a-cost-comparison-of-home-brew-vs-store-bought-brew-072012/ (Mint.com: A Cost Comparison of Home Brew Vs. Store-Bought Beer)

http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16113 (Valley Advocate: No Beer Like Home) 

This article was written by Rhonda Campbell  

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