Friday 30 January 2009

Valentine’s Day Recipes



For most couples, it has always been a habit to go out for dinner when Valentine’s Day comes. However, this practice can be very expensive too, especially when you already have a family to take with you. This is why dinner preparations are also viable options for those who want to save money this Valentine’s Day, and this article can get you started with easy recipes to prepare for your family.

Crock pots are great tools for you to use in preparing Valentine’s food. We often use them when we want to make sure that dinner will be ready after coming home late in busy days. But they are great assets for Valentine’s also since many times, slow cookers have removable inner pots too that can be served on the table as a stylish dinnerware.

Cooking with a crock pot will also free you up with some quality time with your loved ones during Valentine’s Day rather than you spending all your time slaving in the kitchen. There’s a vast array of meal ideas for the crock pot too, like roasted chicken or beef roast with vegetables. And the best option of it all is how you can set it to cook slowly or a bit faster depending on the time you have set aside for cooking.

I know that Valentine’s Day dinner preparations can be very painful since you ought to spend more time loving than cooking during this day anyways. But for those who are still determined, there’s a definite way for you to enjoy more, and that is to make a dish that can be prepared ahead of time or something that just needs to be baked on Valentine’s.

With this Valentine’s Day idea, it’s easy to think about making casseroles since they are hands-down the easiest make-ahead food. They can be made using various kinds of meat like pork, beef or chicken, and even your choice of tasty fish, marinated, dressed and wrapped in foil, ready to be baked as a delicious Valentine’s food. Just remember though that you are not to add milk or eggs before being ready to cook the casserole, and if you’re using cooked meat, cook and slice the meat at February 13 and combine the ingredients by the 14th, which would be the day you’ll pop the dish in the oven.

If you’re still in a pinch in making a Valentine’s Day food, not wanting to follow the previous two ideas, this one trick I bet will win you over. The trick is to prepare dishes that use only up to five ingredients to make. I know ideas for this one can be quite challenging, but the advantage to this is that you’ll save some serious time in food preparation if you have fewer ingredients to think of. Try to make baked foods too. That way, cooking time can be converted to family time when the meal sits quietly inside the oven.

Another advantage to this is because of its simplicity, some old enough family members can also help during Valentine’s dinner preparation. This again cuts preparation time, and can be a very fun activity involving family members too. And again, doing prep work the day before can free you up a lot more than you expect.

Read full article: Valentine’s Day Recipes



Thursday 29 January 2009

Your Last Resort: Surgery to Stop Snoring



Snoring is a nuisance to your partner, but did you know that it can also be the result of many serious health problems? It is not uncommon to snore; however an estimated 59 per cent of adults snore three or more times per week! Snoring can be treated in several ways, but some are more effective than others. Many times, a simple lifestyle change can help to reduce the severity and frequency of snoring. Other times, stop-snoring products can be used to accomplish this. However, if you have tried all of these methods with little or no success, then perhaps it is time to consider another alternative. You might benefit from surgery to stop snoring. There are three main types of surgery to stop snoring: Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Radio-Frequency Ablation (Somnoplasty) and Palatal Stiffening (CAPSO). Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) The first type of surgery to stop snoring is Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). The goal of this surgical procedure is to increase the width of the oropharynx. When UPPP is performed, the uvula and pharyngeal arches are removed, as are part of the soft palette and, on occasion, the tonsils. It is performed under a general anesthetic and is known for the potential to cause long-term complications, such as severe pain after operation, nasopharyngeal regurgitation,

a partial loss of taste, permanent voice changes, and palatal dryness. Short and Sweet: Somnoplasty or Radio-Frequency Ablation Somnoplasty is another type of surgery to stop snoring, and it aims to shrink the redundant tissue of the soft palette and can be performed in a mere 20 minutes.
Read full article: Surgery to Stop Snoring

From the dreamland.start4all.com articles

Monday 26 January 2009

Mortgage Banking



Do you want a rewarding career that will make some descent money? Are you good with numbers? Are you good with paperwork? Do you like anything that has to do with money? If you answered yes, you may be interested in a career in mortgage banking. The best place to get an education on mortgage banking is at The American School of Mortgage Banking. They guarantee success to all of there students.

The American School of Mortgage Banking can teach you all there is to know about mortgage banking. They have several courses that teach you all aspects of mortgage banking. The American School of Mortgage Banking offers a variety of courses at varying times. Some are as short as a few hours, and some are as long as a few days. Upon completion of their courses, The American School of Mortgage Banking also offers job placement and job assistance for as long as you need it. They will also write you a letter of recommendation for future possible employers. Lastly, you are offered free re-attendance to any courses you have completed, for those of you who would like a refresher to any courses you have completed

One of the first mortgage banking courses you should take is in loan origination and loan processing. The first part of this course is an introduction to mortgage banking. It then moves to how to figure the total loan amount and loan payment. Next is buyer approval and qualifications. Finally, this course goes over the different types of loans available and how to do the paper work for them. At the end of the course you will receive a loan origination and loan processing certificate of completion.

The next mortgage banking course you should take is conventional underwriting. This mortgage banking course will teach you the art of underwriting a conventional loan, appraisals, loan approval, liabilities, loan approval amount based on income, and the figuring of a down payment. Upon completion of this course you will receive a conventional underwriting certificate of completion.
Read full article: Career in Mortgage Banking

From the atnews.07x.net blog

Saturday 17 January 2009

Acetaminophen vs. Your Cat: How a Common Medicine Can Seriously Harm Your Cat



Acetaminophen is one of the most stock ingredients in most household medicines. This aspirin-free ingredient is more commonly found in: Tylenol, Excedrin, Midol, Pamprin or Nyquil, to name a few.
It may seem a accepted thought to administer the same pain medicines that work on you when you have a sick cat but such action could seriously harm or even kill your cat. Due to the cats bulk size and the lower enzyme levels in their liver, cats cannot metabolize this medicine like humans or even like other animals such as dogs.

Some signs that you cat may have ingested and been poisoned by acetaminophen are: labored breathing, discolored (brownish-gray) gums, low viscosity temperature, uncoordinated when trying to walk, jaundice, swelling, unconsciousness or coma. If your cat shows these signs, take your cat and the physic that may have been ingested to the vet immediately. More than likely, the vet will, as with most poisons, try to flush it out of the body as fast as possible to prevent further damage.
Read this full article - Acetaminophen vs. Your Cat: How a Common Medicine Can Seriously Harm Your Cat

From the Acetaminophen vs. Your Cat articles site

Friday 16 January 2009

Sanyo RL4930 (Sprint) Review



Now that Sprint has absorbed Nextel, the carrier’s Ready Link phones seem to be suffering from an identity crisis. Before the merger, the handsets were sort of Nextel-lite. You could get push-to-talk service and a rugged handset, but you didn’t have to lug around a brick, totally devoid of style, and you didn’t have to be chained to Nextel’s businesscentric services. But now that Nextel and Sprint have joined forces, and Nextel is putting out smaller, more attractive phones, Sprint’s Ready Link handsets just look a little ridiculous. Take the new Sanyo RL4930: Although it is on the bulky side, as well as sports rubber edges and PTT capability, we’d rather go with the real thing and just get a Nextel phone, such as the i355. The RL4930 is $189, but it’s cheaper with a service plan.

To be perfectly frank, the Sanyo RL4930 is not a looker. A dull candy bar shape, along with a basic-gray color scheme and a protruding antenna, makes it more like a cordless phone than a mobile device. Also, considering it measures 4.5 by 2 by 1 inches and weighs 4.4 ounces, it’s not compact by any means. On the upside, a rubber coating on either spine adds a touch of durability, but the extendable antenna is rather flimsy.

The Sanyo RL4930’s 65,000-color display measures 1.6 inches (128×112 pixels) and is the best thing about the handset’s design. Although its overall resolution is a bit washed out, it’s nonetheless fine for viewing the user-friendly menus. You can adjust the contrast, the font size, and the backlighting time, but you can’t alter the brightness.

Below the Sanyo RL4930’s display are the main navigation controls with a standard Sanyo design. There’s a five-way toggle that acts as a shortcut to messaging, and the phone book has a menu where you can program more shortcuts, as well as a My Content folder for storing games and other downloaded files. The toggle is large enough, but the other navigation controls may trouble users with larger fingers. Two soft keys, dedicated Web and Back buttons, and the Talk and End/power keys are all much too small. However, we liked the fact that the Back buttons double as a key lock if held down and that there’s a dedicated speakerphone button below the keypad. Speaking of the keypad, the buttons are raised just above the surface of the phone, which made it easy to dial by feel. They’re also decently sized and lit by a green backlighting. The only controls on the outside of the phone are the Ready Link button and a wide volume rocker on the left spine.

Permanent link to this post: http://blog.reviews-cell-phones.com/2009/01/sanyo-rl4930-sprint-review/

From the chocola.freehostia.com blogs

Classic cars worth $106,000 stolen in Loudon County



Three vintage cars with a combined value of more than $106,000 were stolen early Thursday morning from a classic car lot in Loudon County, authorities said.

The break-in at Smoky Mountain Traders, 11840 U.S. Highway 321, took place about 5 a.m. when a group of thieves disabled the gate and drove the vehicles off the lot, according to Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Detective Charlie Cosner.

“It took about a minute or less,” Cosner said.

The cars were described as an orange and white 1972 Pontiac GTO Judge convertible, a red and black 1971 Chevelle Super Sport convertible, and a red and white 1972 Super Sport Chevelle, said business owner Keith Bledsoe.

“I’m sure they loaded them into an enclosed car trailer after they drove them off,” Bledsoe said. “I’m hoping that someone was on U.S. 321 (Thursday) morning and saw something.”

Bledsoe said he used to build houses for a living but decided to open the car lot in May when the construction industry slowed. “I put my life savings into these old cars,” he said.

Bledsoe said he was able to determine the time of the break-in using a security camera but it was too early to say whether the camera’s images will be useful in identifying the three suspects.

He is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the cars and the convictions of those responsible for the thefts.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to the Sheriff’s Office at 865-986-4823 or the business at 865-988-8088.

J.J. Stambaugh may be reached at 865-342-6307.
Permanent link to this post: http://blog.automoton.info/2009/01/classic-cars-worth-106000-stolen-in-loudon-county/

From the gotoread.freehostia.com blogs



Monday 12 January 2009

Five Simple Steps To Weight Loss Success



If you are like most people, you have probably started numerous weight loss programs. You were serious. You were determined. You pushed through the pain. That is, until a couple weeks later when you just up and quit. It’s the standard operating procedure of millions of people.

The problem is most people dive in head first without putting enough thought and planning into their personal program. You see, there is no single “Perfect Plan” that will work for everyone. Nor is there a magic formula that will work for every person every time. The ideal weight loss program for you is one designed for you by you. You need to develop a program around your likes, wants and needs.

The following are five simple steps to take when developing a weight loss program for yourself. By taking a couple of hours to pre-plan your program, you can drastically increase your chances of decreasing your waistline.

Step One – Taking Stock

The first thing you need to do is ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. Only then can you plan an appropriate program. Are you looking to lose fat? Maybe you want to concentrate of building some muscle. Quite possibly, you want to do both.

Determine what it is you want to accomplish and plan a program around activities that will work toward this new goal. However, only choose activities that you like to do. For example, running is probably the best exercise to help you burn fat. Even so, if you abhor the concept of jogging, do not make running the cornerstone of your weight loss program as you won’t do it.

Remember – your objective is to develop a program of activities you enjoy that will move you toward your goal. This is not about what is “best” or “most effective.” What is best and most effective are the activities you will do on a consistent basis. You can work in the other activities later when your new routine becomes habit.

Step Two – Setting Realistic Goals

Now that you have taken stock and picked your activities, set up a plan that you will stick to. If you have decided to run, but have not jogged around the block since middle school, do not start out trying to run twenty miles a week. You need to start slow. Your goal in the early stage is to set the habit, to make your new plan part of your everyday routine. Your subconscious will shut you down and turn you away from your goal if you try to do too much too soon.

Try this – for the first month do just one third of what you think you can do or twenty minutes, which ever is less. Do this no more than three times per week. This goes for cardio and weight lifting. Keep everything easy and light for the first month. After that, start inching up the length and intensity at intervals you find comfortable, yet challenging. Remember, you are not looking for some magic, quick loss plan to “lose thirty pounds in a month.” You have tried and failed at these “plans.” You are throwing the gimmicks out the window and setting out to slowly establish positive habits which you can build on as time goes by. There is no rush.

Step Three – Planning Ahead

Now that you have taken stock and set realistic goals, you need to plan. Literally write your workout into your day planner. Do the same with meals. If you are going to eat five meals a day, make time for those meals in your schedule. You won’t find the time unless you schedule it.

This is a must - Prepare your meals ahead of time. If you do not prepare your meals in advance you are setting yourself up for failure. If you take one thing away from this article, this is it. By not planning and preparing healthy meals in advance, you are planning for bad meals instead. You either plan for success or you plan for failure. It is that simple. Nothing will help your weight loss plan more than this simple “trick.”

Step Four – Tracking Your Work

So, you took stock, you set realistic goals and you planned ahead. You are now ready to begin your new weight loss journey in a successful manner. However, you are not done yet. The only way to fully prepare for the future is to understand the past.

Make sure you log every workout and every meal (Yes, I’m serious) in a daily planner of some sort. You should also note your mood before and after each work out and each meal. This way, whenever you have a very successful week or month, you can look back over that time period to see just what made it such a success. This is very powerful information to have because it isn’t second hand information, it is a recored history of what worked for you! Conversely, you can also use your written records to find out why a period was not successful.

Step Five – Revising and Re-Energizing!

Every month or two months, start back at step one to readdress the direction of your weight loss program. Use your written information to improve upon your success, limit your failures and to set more challenging goals for yourself.

These five steps are everything you need to create your own personalized weigh loss program. While it is outside the scope of this article to discuss specific exercises and diets, your success can be boiled down to how effectively you implement these five steps.
Source
Permanent link to this post: http://blog.homyhealth.net/2009/01/five-simple-steps-to-weight-loss-success/

From the minella.web44.net weblogs

Wednesday 7 January 2009

How To Lose 60 Pounds in 3 Months



In order to lose 60 pounds in 3 months you will need to shock your body into losing a lot of weight fast. Just so you know, to lose 60 pounds in 3 months isn’t the easiest thing in the world and will require you to commit to this process heart and soul. However, with the right will and determination, it can be done.

In order to lose 60 pounds in 3 months, I suggest that you begin by cleansing your body. What this does is get rid of a lot of undigested pounds which have accumulated inside your body and which are weighing it down and damaging your health. Each person carries around some undigested weight. By using a detox diet, you can quickly flush out of your system all those pounds, lose a lot of weight fast and be ready for the next step of the process. This detox phase takes 10 days tops and you will see a great reduction in your weight. I suggest using the Master Cleanse detox diet (I provide a link to a review of this diet at the end of this article so read the whole thing through).

After you finish with the detox diet, you should take a few days to a week off any dieting and eat regularly (but healthy). Then the next phase of your process to lose 60 lbs in 3 months will commence. In this phase you will choose one of 2 courses:

1. Follow a Calorie Shifting diet (namely the Fat Loss 4 Idiots diet)
2. Follow a fitness oriented fat loss program (I suggest the Turbulence Training program)

Again, I provide a link to a review of all these 3 programs at the end of the article so you can read more about each of them.

You should follow either of these 2 programs for 2 months. These will provide a slower weight loss rate than the Master Cleanse, but they’re more healthy to use for a long time straight. They should bring you closer to achieving your goal of losing 60 pounds in 3 months.

About 10 days before your 3 months are over, you should go on the Master Cleanse again to give your body the final push it needs to shed the last of those 60 pounds. If you do everything right, you have a good chance to lose 60 pounds in 3 months.
Read full article: How To Lose 60 Pounds in 3 Months

From the finance-aid.net76.net blog