One to go! Spiced Apple Cider

winter...
Yes! it is fast approaching but to me it is already here and with it the smells, sights, feel and taste I always associate with it... Of cinammon and pies, warm drinks and soups, socks and plush bath robes... Of everything warm and cozy. As the winters come and go, I have learnt, created and adapted different recipes of soups and drinks I love to enjoy during the cold days. As time permits, I will be posting some every now and agian. This One to go is on Apple Cider!

I am convinced that winter will just not be right without it! The first time I had apple cider, I wasn't sure if I would like the taste and was afraid of getting scalded but my... It seems like a hundred years ago now. I have tried and enjoyed serving my little family every winter some good Cider. My favorite spiced recipe is actually what I want to share in this posting.

ingredients for a quart

• Apple Cider (brand of your choice); a quart
• A couple of peeled sliced ginger (about the size of your pinkie; fresh ones are great, otherwise a good sprinkling of ginger powder should do the trick)
• About 6 whole cloves (in this case whole and dried are recommended, powder may give too strong a flavor)
• A whole cardamom (also dried, health food stores usually carry this aromatic spice)

ways and means

Pour out your desired amount of Apple Cider into a cooking pot add all spices (increase or reduce the quantities based on how much cider you use. Cover and heat on medium-high till it starts "whistling"(a term I use for just before it boils when the pot seems to be making a sound). Take it off the heat and allow to sit for a couple of minutes. Scoop or strain out the spices and pour into mugs. Enjoy!

... so you know

• The longer you let the cider sit after taking it off the heat with the spices in it, the spicier it will get (not hot spicy but stronger flavored).
• If you allow the apple cider to boil before you take it off the heat, it undergoes some kind of transformation (I will simply call it curding which is not so nice).
• Whatever you do, have fun and increase or reduce the spices with use to get your perfect customised blend!

nao

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

~the good book~

forum

open by all means! Feel free to post your comments and specialized cider recipes if you please.

Can't go?... Can go!

from without

Many factors other than taking a shower, putting on creams and lotions (in a bid to hydrate and protect the skin from harm), putting on clothes and preventing over-exposure to the sun affect the general well being of the skin.

within
All of the above listed factors are implemented outside of the body but inside it, the body also works to protect the skin and to give it the "youthful appearance" that we keep wanting our skin to have for life. The body's ability to digest and egest food is one important factor that affects the general outlook of the skin. We know that what we eat affects the general workings of the body and therefore the importance of eating balanced diets.

a balance?
A balanced diet will be one with sufficient quantities of fruit and vegetables, fiber, proteins, carbohydrates, some fats and oils, and the essential minerals. It's been estimated that our body handles about 65,000 kgs of food and fluids (essentially water) in an average lifetime. When our diet does not measure up to being balanced, one of the problems it encounters is an inability to go... Egestion of the metabolic waste from the digestion process (constipation).

Supporting the lack of a balanced diet to cause the "Can't go" symptom are:

• Not eating a balanced diet as stated above. This essentially means inadequate servings of fruit and vegetables as we do so well with protein(meat) and carbohydrates. Also, a lack of fiber in our food choice.
• Not drinking enough water. The general recommendation is at least 8 glasses per day (about 2 liters), and more for very active people who sweat a lot.
• A general lack of exercise, and or stress.
• Eating quickly and swallowing air (this will also cause bloating).

From the ongoing, it becomes obvious that some of the aids to digestion will be the opposite of the above-stated points.

Of great benefit is knowing the amount and combinations of food from all the food groups that your body requires to keep healthy. Want to know the amount of each food group you need daily? The Department of Agriculture provides this easy guide .

all said...
Proper eating habits make for a healthier body and clearer skin - with less break outs. It also reduces the unpleasant effects like elevated temperatures and headaches, nausea, bloating, bad smelly gas... Oops! And the general feeling of unwellness that usually accompanies constipation. If other symptoms not stated here accompany constipation, it could indicate an underlying more serious medical condition in which case... I am no doctor. Eating well, exercising, sufficient resting times and stressing less make for a healthy body and subsequent beautiful skin.

nao

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"

~the good book~

forum

Do you have any "grandma's recipe" for avoiding or alleviating the "Can't go" symptoms? Would you want to share?

Chips, Peels, Polish Perfect!

Wednesday
The two girlfriends I spent the day with both had similar worries, their nail polish will not stay on without beginning to chip or peel off in a couple of days. As their beautician friend, the conversation suddenly turned to what could be done to prevent this so at least the polish stays on for longer. I gladly referred them to the "Perfect Hands" article but had a few more things to add...

chips
Several factors may contribute to nail polish chipping off the nails. Chief among them, the following:

• Insufficient nail preparation (i.e. before applying polish)
• No base-coat application
• Using nails as tools
• Drying polish too quickly using artifical means

peels
Some contributing factors to peeling nail polish will be:

• Insufficient nail preparation before polish application
• No top-coat application
• Using the nails as tools
• Not allowing polish to dry in between application
• Using thickened (due to being old) nail polish

polish perfect?
Sufficient preparation of the nail plate before polish application will include removing old nail polish with a nourishing nail polish remover, pushing back the cuticles(after softening) and removing any excess cuticles left on the nail plate then a good buffing to smoothen the nail plate... Other small things may be involved (depending on the condition your nails are in). The time and effort I guess will warrant a visit to the salon. Ensure the nail plate is free of debris and or oil before starting out with the polish. The importance of the base and top coat applications cannot be over-emphasized; one ensures your polish stays on, the other that it is sealed in. Usually 2-3 minutes for drying in between applications is recommended. I recommend allowing about 30minutes after polishing for your polish to be perfectly dry before submitting your nails to any tasks.Throwing away your old nail polish gives you a chance to experiment with new colors and also to prevent re-infecting your nails if you catch any nail disorder.

in conclusion...
It is possible to get the nail polish to stay on perfect, free of chips and peels. Requires some work maybe... But what doesn't? Get your polish staying on and shining for the perfect weekend!

nao

" The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."

~the good book~

forum

Got your own tips for preventing peels and chips?... Want to share those?...

Wigs... A Break!

I just couldn't resist the temptation to put this link here. What wouldn't we do for man's best friend? ;-)

Try this if you need to smile, giggle or laugh into the weekend... And I hope the weekend is good and relaxing. Y'all take a break!

http://ilikedirt.googlepages.com/dogswithwigs


"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

~the good book~

A Bit of This, and That

Is that it?
My attention was drawn yesterday to the fact that today is "Underwear Day". I just asked 'what does it mean?' Can I wear only my underwear and parade around in it? Or maybe everyone should go to the beach since most swimming costumes look as good as my underwear... In any case I thought it interesting. I will be glad to know what one is supposed to do on the world's underwear day.

Still on the underwear stuff, I had a discussion with some of my girlfriends sometime ago and it was interesting to discover that most of us get a "little" (relative) confidence boost when we left our homes for work in nice underwear. We felt pretty and good, all day. It has not stopped for me even after these years... It's interesting how little things give us a perk.

Our Perks
Someone whose hair I cut the other day was all excited after the hair cut. Apparently she had seen the style on another lady and thought how pretty it made her look. She tried it too and it worked well for her (possibly because her facial shape and bone structure were similar to that of the lady she had seen the style on). I found myself smiling and having a good time too because she was so happy. She had had her confidence boost for the day.

This morning, a cup of warm milk has done it for me and of course in honor of the underwear, my best set yet... I hope yours makes you feel great too.

nao.

"Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord."

~the good book~

forum

Do men get that good feeling when they have 'neat underwear' on? Can someone tell me?

And ladies, does it carry through our entire lives or do we drop the 'underwear perk' after we hit a certain age? I need to know.

Nature, and... a Tub?

I woke up and for the first 15 or so minutes just kept staring out my bedroom window at the trees. The occasional sound of a vehicle passing by, and the dull hum of the telecommunication company's equipment (which at this time is like a constant background to my everyday life). "How beautiful nature is, and how awesome ..." I thought to myself.

Nature intrigues me, the trees, the fruits they bear, shrubs, with all the flowers, the gentle lakes and rivers, the sometimes calm or very boisterous sea... Beautiful hills and mountains, sometimes peaked with snow even in summer... The beauty of sea creatures, at home, free and wild in their habitat... All of these make me think what a great designer He is, who put it all together...

job well done?
We seek satisfaction in the works of our own hands and beam on with great pride and contentment when we see for ourselves what a good job we did. Sometimes a reward is due us, by us, when we think it was a particularly great achievement. Did you achieve something this week that makes you feel like a reward is due? What are you thinking for a reward?

my weekend retreat
In my mind, I'm thinking a good soak in the tub with bathing salt and bubbles, lighted scented candles to help me relax and soothe my tired "little muscles". To end it, I'll give me a good body buff with a polisher. Moisturizing will be the next step and I think this will be a good reward for having made someone over with "delightful results" (her words).

the science
Polishing (aka scrubbing) is used in beauty treatments to get rid of (dead) dull looking skin to expose fresher, smoother, younger looking and feeling skin. This is the underlying principle for "facial peels", manicure and pedicure (save for the benefits to the nails and cuticles during both) and all other beauty treatments that make use scrubs, loofahs, sponges,enzymes, acids and others to exfoliate. Moisturizing after exfoliating provides nourishment and a balance for the skin, soothing and protecting it.

If you are wondering what to fill your weekend with, you might want to consider nature(sightseeing) and then if I have tempted you enough... A soak in the tub and maybe... A little science?...

nao.

"Many, o Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

~the good book~

forum

Why don't you share your great achievement for the week and possibly, what you hope to reward yourself with. Post a comment.

The perfect hands...

today...
I found myself constantly trying to hide my nails this Tuesday morning (at Bible class). See, I usually get my manicures on Friday or Saturday so I have pretty nails to show Kwame over the weekend. Because I cook a lot and my hands are almost always in water, it ends up not looking as good by Tuesday... With a few chips here and there sometimes. I pride myself in my skills as a Beauty Therapist and therefore like to show "my works" wherever I go. Because the ladies are likely to want a manicure, waxing, make-up or any other beauty treatment on them if they see how good it looks on you and how well kept you are, I want to always go out with the "perfectly manicured hands". Sometimes I am successful. At other times like this morning, success does not come as easily.

fresher for longer...
If you are like me who is always cooking or cleaning and have your hands in water for most times other than having a shower/bath, you may very well understand what I am talking about. I have found I keep my "perfect manicure" fresher for longer if I make the time to observe these few tips. They might help you too...

• Avoid using your finger nails as tools (when cooking, or trying to pry a can or bottle open)
• Buy yourself a box of disposable latex gloves (no powder brand) and use a pair every time you have to cook or do a chore that will have your hands in water. (Except of course after using the loo... Your hands will need the wash :-) )
• Seal in your polish with a clear top coat three days after the manicure
• A good brand of hand cream is always an asset, one with an emollient (like lanolin or glycerin) and skin nourishing properties will help keep the skin of your hands looking soft and supple (making for a good handshake)
• If you do use sunblock, never forget to give your hands a good covering too. If you don't, when are you going to start?... The skin needs protection, you know?

A beautiful ring may draw attention to your hands but if they are not so well manicured... ? I don't know...

All you may need to seal a business deal this week is good handshake with the "perfect hands". Keep the manicure looking perfect and hopes of a good working week high up!

nao.

"There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God."

~The good book~

forum

Do you have some other tips you use to keep your manicure fresh? Why don't you share it by posting a comment.