It's time to hear from YOU! We want to know what you want to know! What kinds of meals would you like to see? What are your favorites that you'd like to see us feature? Anything you've been dying to learn to make that you'd love to see? Is there a meal or ingredient that you've had a problem with that you'd like help with? Ask us anything you like -- we'd love to answer-- even if it's not food-related!
Also, as some of you have noticed, we have the "Attending Dinner" section on the left hand side of our blog now. Only 4 of you have become "followers", and I know there are a lot more of you reading based on the stat counter statistics. So, if you're reading, let us know you're there! The readers are what makes this blog so much fun for us to do!
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Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Road to Riches Explained
It's an old saying: Life wasn't meant to be easy. You have to work hard if you want money, they say. You don't get something for nothing.
The last statement is the only one that is true.
There's no doubt in the mind of any person of reasonable intelligence that in order to get money �" or anything else for that matter �" you have to do something first. That's why we talk about money being earned. It's the act of doing something, being of some benefit or service, that allows us to earn money. So does that mean that the harder we work, the more money we earn?
That's where some people make a mistake. There's a notion that was particularly widespread in the past (yet many still carry this notion even today) that working hard is the only way to make money.
But is that really the case? If it isn't, then what is the answer? And if it is, then why is it that so many people who work hard make little money?
It's really quite simple to understand why working harder isn't the solution to making more money. Let's take the example of a factory worker. Let's say this person makes $700 a week working full-time. Now this person wants to make more money. So he decides to work harder. He manages to get more work done every day than the rest of the employees because of the extra amount of work he does.
What do you expect will happen to this employee? If he's lucky, his boss might give him a raise. Most of the time, nothing would change. But let's say this is a good boss that rewards his employees.
So after working harder for a few weeks, the boss notices the extra effort made by this man, and now he gets $800 a week. So there's a hundred dollars extra every week that shows up in his bank account. Is he now rich?
You can be the judge of that. But taking the best-case scenario, let's say this guy gets promoted into a managerial position, and makes $1000 every week. We all know this doesn't always happen, but knowing that this is an ideal boss, he gets this promotion. So now �" let's say it's been a few months �" this guy is seeing three hundred extra dollars a week because of his hard work.
Is there any chance of another pay rise? Probably not, taking into consideration the fact that this is a regular factory worker with no special skills or experience in any other industry. So now we can quite safely say that this guy will be making a thousand dollars a week for a while to come.
Did this man get rich? Depending on where you live, a thousand dollars a week is quite an average income. You won't go through life struggling to buy necessities, but you won't be swimming in riches either.
So much for working hard!
So what is the solution, you ask? Now that you've seen what happens when you work harder, let's see what happens when you work smarter.
Let's use another example. We have a lady who is working as a sales assistant in a retail store. She also makes around $700 a week. She wants to get rich, but she already knows that working harder is not the answer.
Instead, she realizes that she could make good use of her spare time after work and on the weekends. She doesn't have any professional qualifications, but she has a fine imagination and a lot of ideas.
She's always enjoyed reading, for information as well as for pleasure, so she decides that it would be a great idea to write a novel. So every day after work �" instead of watching TV or reading the newspaper �" she spends a couple of hours writing down ideas for this new project.
Now after several months, her project is just about completed. She hires an editor to read through the novel, give his advice and thoughts on it, then goes out looking for a publisher. Within another few months the novel hits the bookshelves.
Because of her incredible imagination and captivating style, the novel sells in huge quantities. By the end of the year, she finds herself with a nice profit of $100,000 from the sales of her book. Not to mention the money that could result from future sales.
Is the picture becoming clearer now? Here we have two people, of average status, with similar incomes, who both would like to make more money. One of them adopted the idea or 'work harder', and after a few months, ended up with an extra few hundred dollars a week
While the other decided to use the philosophy 'work smarter' and after several months, ended up with a six-digit number in her bank account.
Such is the power of imagination.
Drea Mer is an observer and researcher on the hidden meanings of life. He is constantly looking for ways to get the most out of life, and assists others in reaching their full potential. You can find ideas, tips and advice that could transform your life forever at Drea Mer's blog: http://transform-yourlife.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Kettle Corn
I love kettle corn! I always love going to the fair, just for the kettle corn. Making your own popcorn is a super easy way to save some money. If you're anything like me, you cannot watch a movie without a bowl full of popcorn (or kettle corn, depending on my mood). And we love to watch movies at our house, so we go through a lot of popcorn. Our kids would each eat an entire bag if we'd let them.
We were having a fun movie night at home a few months ago, and I decided to browse around online to find a yummy kettle corn recipe. I came across this one on Food Network, courtesy of Rachael Ray.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unpopped corn kernels
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
Place oil, sugar and kernels in a LARGE pot with a tight fitting lid over medium heat.
When kernels begin to pop, shake the pot constantly (it will burn FAST if you stop shaking it, even for a second!). Transfer to a bowl, allow to cool for about 3 minutes, then enjoy!!
**To make it more "grown up", Rachael says you can adjust the sugar to 1/4 cup and then throw 1 teaspoon chipotle powder in. I haven't tried doing it this way yet, but it sounds really interesting!**
Is there anyone out there? Tell us, do you prefer regular popcorn or kettle corn? Light or extra butter? Any particular brand you prefer when you buy it?
We were having a fun movie night at home a few months ago, and I decided to browse around online to find a yummy kettle corn recipe. I came across this one on Food Network, courtesy of Rachael Ray.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unpopped corn kernels
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
Place oil, sugar and kernels in a LARGE pot with a tight fitting lid over medium heat.
When kernels begin to pop, shake the pot constantly (it will burn FAST if you stop shaking it, even for a second!). Transfer to a bowl, allow to cool for about 3 minutes, then enjoy!!
**To make it more "grown up", Rachael says you can adjust the sugar to 1/4 cup and then throw 1 teaspoon chipotle powder in. I haven't tried doing it this way yet, but it sounds really interesting!**
Is there anyone out there? Tell us, do you prefer regular popcorn or kettle corn? Light or extra butter? Any particular brand you prefer when you buy it?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Perfecting Self Hypnosis for Goal Achievement
Self Hypnosis For Anxiety And Stress
It is well established, within medical circles, that stress is the biggest cause of illness in the body. Since the dawn of the technological age stress has become more and more of a concern as regards our health. In fact most research suggests that the great majority of adults feel stressed in their life with no idea of how to deal with it never mind eliminate it. Is there a way to deal with stress to make it more manageable? Is there a way to eliminate it completely? Have you ever considered self hypnosis?
It is believed that up to 90 percent of healthcare-professional visits are stress related. At best we can expect to be given pills or potions to alleviate the symptoms with little hope of actually eliminating the root cause. So, if professionals armed with their arsenal of 21st century cures cannot do how can self hypnosis?
Self hypnosis is natural stress relief. In order to enter a state of trance it is necessary to remove immediate stresses from the mind and body.
For this reason alone self hypnosis is extremely valuable as a stress reduction tool. The relaxation felt in trance, while under the influence of self hypnosis, has been likened to things like a drug-induced state or a state of complete emotional and mental freedom!
It only takes a few minutes to experience the stress-relief effects of self hypnosis. However there is much more benefit that can be gained from using self hypnosis than just momentary stress relief! A well chosen self hypnosis program can access the mind in ways that cannot be done in a conscious state to eliminate the stress completely.
The root cause of any and all stress is based in your emotional responses. It is not the physical subject of the stress that causes the problems but your reaction to it. This is why self hypnosis is such a powerful tool for dealing with. Through self hypnosis you can access the emotional root cause of your stress and eliminate it entirely.
The trance state, induced by self hypnosis, is a state of deep relaxation and heightened concentration. It is an Alpha state of consciousness that allows you to easily access past and experiences and how you are emotionally connected to them.
By using self hypnosis you can break the emotional connection with any situation, person, event or belief and replace it with tranquillity, peace of mind and even new more positive emotions.
Self hypnosis is used to gain communication with the subconscious mind directly. Once this connection is established it is relatively simple to reprogram your mind with new beliefs, thought-process and emotional responses.
With a well chosen self hypnosis program you can "anchor" positive feelings to any event, person, situation, circumstance, memory or activity. Usually through the use of some NLP techniques that are employed in all good self hypnosis products you can transform the way you view, act and react to anything.
So not only can self hypnosis be used to create immediate relief from stress but it can also be used to eliminate it completely.
If you wish to find out more about self hypnosis and how it can be used to eliminate stress just follow the links below.
Hypnosis explained.
Self Hypnosis has free reviews of the best self hypnosis products found after testing.
It is well established, within medical circles, that stress is the biggest cause of illness in the body. Since the dawn of the technological age stress has become more and more of a concern as regards our health. In fact most research suggests that the great majority of adults feel stressed in their life with no idea of how to deal with it never mind eliminate it. Is there a way to deal with stress to make it more manageable? Is there a way to eliminate it completely? Have you ever considered self hypnosis?
It is believed that up to 90 percent of healthcare-professional visits are stress related. At best we can expect to be given pills or potions to alleviate the symptoms with little hope of actually eliminating the root cause. So, if professionals armed with their arsenal of 21st century cures cannot do how can self hypnosis?
Self hypnosis is natural stress relief. In order to enter a state of trance it is necessary to remove immediate stresses from the mind and body.
For this reason alone self hypnosis is extremely valuable as a stress reduction tool. The relaxation felt in trance, while under the influence of self hypnosis, has been likened to things like a drug-induced state or a state of complete emotional and mental freedom!
It only takes a few minutes to experience the stress-relief effects of self hypnosis. However there is much more benefit that can be gained from using self hypnosis than just momentary stress relief! A well chosen self hypnosis program can access the mind in ways that cannot be done in a conscious state to eliminate the stress completely.
The root cause of any and all stress is based in your emotional responses. It is not the physical subject of the stress that causes the problems but your reaction to it. This is why self hypnosis is such a powerful tool for dealing with. Through self hypnosis you can access the emotional root cause of your stress and eliminate it entirely.
The trance state, induced by self hypnosis, is a state of deep relaxation and heightened concentration. It is an Alpha state of consciousness that allows you to easily access past and experiences and how you are emotionally connected to them.
By using self hypnosis you can break the emotional connection with any situation, person, event or belief and replace it with tranquillity, peace of mind and even new more positive emotions.
Self hypnosis is used to gain communication with the subconscious mind directly. Once this connection is established it is relatively simple to reprogram your mind with new beliefs, thought-process and emotional responses.
With a well chosen self hypnosis program you can "anchor" positive feelings to any event, person, situation, circumstance, memory or activity. Usually through the use of some NLP techniques that are employed in all good self hypnosis products you can transform the way you view, act and react to anything.
So not only can self hypnosis be used to create immediate relief from stress but it can also be used to eliminate it completely.
If you wish to find out more about self hypnosis and how it can be used to eliminate stress just follow the links below.
Hypnosis explained.
Self Hypnosis has free reviews of the best self hypnosis products found after testing.
Michael is a university graduate with over 23 years expereience in personal development and hypnosis.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
I'm not a cookie person. But I seriously love these cookies! That's saying something. Something big. Making cookies is a great excuse to do something fun with your kids, AND it gives you an excuse to eat some delicious cookies at the same time! :)
I've been making this recipe for years! It comes out of my Better Homes and Gardens cook book that my mother-in-law gave to me shortly after I got married. The only thing I've done to tweak this recipe is I'll sometimes add chopped peanuts to the batter. Or you could add chocolate chips. If you like that sort of thing.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer, beat butter and peanut butter on medium speed about 30 seconds, or until combined.
I've been making this recipe for years! It comes out of my Better Homes and Gardens cook book that my mother-in-law gave to me shortly after I got married. The only thing I've done to tweak this recipe is I'll sometimes add chopped peanuts to the batter. Or you could add chocolate chips. If you like that sort of thing.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer, beat butter and peanut butter on medium speed about 30 seconds, or until combined.
Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking power and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add eggs and vanilla.
When that is thoroughly mixed, add flour. If you don't have a stand mixer, you'll probably have to mix in most of the flour by hand, using a wooden spoon.
Stir in the rolled oats (and nuts or chocolate, if you're adding those).
Drop dough by rounded spoon-fulls 2 inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 for about 9 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Hawaiian Haystacks
I was supposed to be posting recipes that would help us all cut grocery costs, and I am still planning on it. But life has gotten in the way and hasn't allowed me to have much baking/cooking time the past few days. But stay tuned, because I've got recipes coming for more breads and homemade noodles!
Hawaiian Haystacks are so delicious and super easy! It's a meal that can feed a crowd with very little effort. My kids eat this dish like it's going out of style, and the adults love it, too. I'd never had it before I met my husband. His mom made it all the time, and it quickly became a fast favorite of mine. Most people put different things on theirs, so change it up to meet your family's tastes.
My mother-in-law always makes it with chicken breasts, and that's the way we always did it as well. Until we discovered chicken thighs. I think every dish tastes better with thighs, but feel free to use whatever kind of chicken floats your boat! On that same note, we also use Jasmine rice instead of regular rice. We much prefer the flavor of that to any other type of rice, and I think it makes this dinner taste even better.
Ingredients:
4-5 chicken breasts or thighs
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can milk
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
cooked rice
Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season chicken with seasoning salt, and cook in a large skillet until done. Stir in soup and milk until well-combined. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions. When rice is done, top with chicken mixture and any toppings you like. The toppings we always use are: shredded cheddar cheese, pineapple tidbits, cashews, black olives, chow mein noodles, peas and green onions. My kids also top theirs with bananas.
Do you already make this dinner and have different toppings you like on it? We'd love to hear about it!
Hawaiian Haystacks are so delicious and super easy! It's a meal that can feed a crowd with very little effort. My kids eat this dish like it's going out of style, and the adults love it, too. I'd never had it before I met my husband. His mom made it all the time, and it quickly became a fast favorite of mine. Most people put different things on theirs, so change it up to meet your family's tastes.
My mother-in-law always makes it with chicken breasts, and that's the way we always did it as well. Until we discovered chicken thighs. I think every dish tastes better with thighs, but feel free to use whatever kind of chicken floats your boat! On that same note, we also use Jasmine rice instead of regular rice. We much prefer the flavor of that to any other type of rice, and I think it makes this dinner taste even better.
Ingredients:
4-5 chicken breasts or thighs
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can milk
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
cooked rice
Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season chicken with seasoning salt, and cook in a large skillet until done. Stir in soup and milk until well-combined. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions. When rice is done, top with chicken mixture and any toppings you like. The toppings we always use are: shredded cheddar cheese, pineapple tidbits, cashews, black olives, chow mein noodles, peas and green onions. My kids also top theirs with bananas.
Do you already make this dinner and have different toppings you like on it? We'd love to hear about it!
Chester Beatty - Sunday 21st
Found it impossible to concentrate yesterday but did a few quick sketches. Lovely security man gave me a chair - which was fantastic!!
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