I love cooking. And over the years I’ve noticed that I’m always cooking more or less the same way.

Granted, I’m not a gourmet cook but I never had any difficulty fixing up a delicious hot plate for myself and family within 20 minutes. You can do it too.

Here is how to do it:

First of all, you have to look at a dish as a unit composed of Three Components:

1) The TOP Stuff.

2) The MIDDLE Stuff.

3) The BOTTOM Stuff.

Let’s start in reverse order.

The BOTTOM Stuff is what you cook first before you add anything else into the pot.

My universal Bottom Stuff consists of oil to taste (believe it or not, I always use Extra Light Olive Oil) warmed up in medium heat.

NOTE: If you’re going to use olive oil like I do, make sure you’re not using Extra Virgin oil, which is great for salads but will leave a fragrance too heavy for comfort in a regular dish. It has to be Extra Light.

Once the oil is warmed up I usually add TWO more items: Diced onions to taste and tomato sauce or diced tomatoes. Stir while continuing to simmer. If you feel like adding sliced garlic (yummy!) always do it towards the end because garlic browns and burns up much more easily than onion.

One other thing you may want to add at this stage is ground beef (or meat in general). Keep stirring until the beef turns dark brown and mixes thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.

To add volume add water as required. Some people even add and stir flour at this stage to give a gooey consistency to the Bottom Stuff.

Now it’s time for the MIDDLE Stuff which is for me usually nothing more than steamed vegetables, or rice or canned anything. I just add it onto the Bottom Stuff and add water, spices, salt and pepper to taste. Chopped parsley is usually appropriate at this stage as well.

If I have grilled or stewed meat before hand, I mix it in also at this stage of my 20-minute formula. I sometimes also mix in some cold cuts or hot dogs. They work fine with me.

If you are cooking rice, add two cups of water for every cup of rice at this stage. Cover and simmer on low heat until rice absorbs all the water.

After the Middle Stuff is also cooked it’s time for the TOP Stuff. And this is really any SAUCE that you’d like to add on top of your dish. I’ve tried ready off the shelf Salad Dressings in the past and especially the Italian style dressings worked pretty good. But I wouldn’t recommend those with a distinct taste of their own like the French or Russian dressings.

And voila! Your food is ready. Enjoy!

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When it’s cold and frosty outside, there’s nothing better than
curling up with a nice big mug of homemade hot chocolate. Why
pay several dollars for a cup of gourmet hot chocolate when you
can easily learn how to make your own delicious hot chocolate
drink?

You can make the classic creamy hot chocolate, or get a little
adventurous and try the white chocolate or Mexican hot chocolate
recipe. If you enjoy giving hot chocolate as a gift, then you
may wish to make your own hot chocolate mix and put it in
decorative glass jars.

The following hot chocolate recipes can be made the old
fashioned way, using a pan and a stovetop. Or, you may wish to
purchase a hot chocolate maker to speed things up.

However you decide to make it, you’ll definitely enjoy the aroma
and flavors of a delicious hot chocolate drink tickling your
taste buds, and warming your tummy during the long winter days
and nights.

Creamy Hot Chocolate

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon
salt 6 cups hot water Marshmallows (optional)

Directions

In large saucepan over medium heat, combine sweetened condensed
milk, cocoa, vanilla, and salt; mix well. Slowly stir in water.
Heat through, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Top with
marshmallows. Store covered in refrigerator. *Will last up to 5
days.

Makes 8 servings.

Easy Mexican Hot Chocolate

3 tablespoons instant hot chocolate mix 1 tablespoon chocolate
syrup teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pinch chili powder cup milk
cup boiling water

Directions

In a large mug, mix the hot chocolate mix, chocolate syrup,
cinnamon, and chili powder. Pour in the milk. Add the boiling
water and stir.

Makes 2 servings.

Spicy White Hot Chocolate

3 cups 2% fat milk 6 oz. white chocolate, chopped 1 egg,
beaten teaspoon cayenne pepper teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Place the white chocolate in a medium metal bowl over a pan of
barely simmering water, or in the top half of a double boiler.
Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Stir in cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Whisk in the egg until
smooth.

Gradually whisk in one cup of the milk until completely
incorporated, about 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk in remaining milk, and heat until hot, but not
simmering. (You don’t want a skin to form on top of the milk).
Chocolate will be ready to drink when either the taste of the
cayenne is masked by the temperature of the milk (the spiciness
of the pepper will remain), or when the hot chocolate is at your
desired temperature.

Ladle the hot chocolate into mugs and garnish with a sprinkle of
cinnamon.

Makes 4 servings.

Zingy Mocha Hot Chocolate

cup semisweet chocolate chips cup milk teaspoon ground
cinnamon 1 dash hot chili powder 1 teaspoon instant coffee
granules cup cold milk Marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles
(optional)

Directions

Combine the chocolate chips and milk in a glass or plastic dish,
microwave on high, stirring every 20 - 30 seconds, until melted
and smooth. Mix in the coffee, cinnamon, and hot chili powder
until the instant coffee has dissolved. Stir in the cold milk.

Strain into 2 mugs. Thin with additional milk, if desired.
Garnish with marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles. Makes 2
servings.

Peanut Buttercup Hot Chocolate

1 (1 oz.) envelope instant hot chocolate mix 2 teaspoons creamy
peanut butter

Directions

In a mug, prepare chocolate mix as directed on package. Stir in
1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut butter. Enjoy.

Makes 1 serving.

Russian Hot Chocolate

1 oz. vanilla flavored vodka oz. amaretto liqueur 1 tablespoon
instant hot chocolate mix 4 oz. hot milk

Directions

In a coffee mug, pour in the vanilla vodka, amaretto, and add
the hot chocolate mix. Pour in the hot milk and stir to blend
well.

Makes 1 serving.

Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe

11 cups dry milk powder 1 (8 oz.) container powdered non-dairy
creamer 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 (16 oz) container
instant chocolate drink mix

Directions

Sift together the powdered milk, non-dairy creamer, powdered
sugar and instant chocolate drink mix. Store in air tight
containers or glass jars for gift giving

To use: Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of mix to 1 cup of water. Add a
dash of cinnamon, If desired.

Make 80 servings.

Herbs were recorded in use as early as 2500 B.C. Ancient clay tablets reveal that the Sumerians used Herbs. The ancient Assyrians knew about the virtues of 250 herbs. The ancient Egyptians also used herbs as early as 1600 B.C. The Herbs they used included elderberry, pomegranate bark, wild lettuce, wormwood, hemlock and other herbs for health. The Greeks of old used herbs such as mustard, cinnamon, gentian, rhubarb and many others. A pupil of Aristotle wrote ten books on the history of plans and herbs. Alexander the Great made a number of expeditions into Africa, Persia and India and brought back herbs in use in those countries.

A Roman Soldier and writer, Pliny, the Elders did extensive research on herbs and wrote 47 large volumes on natural history, containing information on about 1000 herb plants.

It is important to look at Herbs as being a type of medicine, and with all medicines the important part of the equation is not how great a medicine is. The important part is whether the medicine is right for the patient.

Early herb gardens were the major source for food seasoning. The need for homegrown herbs, however, declined with the advent of modern stores. Today, many gardeners are rediscovering the joy and pleasure of producing their own herbs.

Definition of Herb

From the botanical viewpoint, an herb is a seed plant that does not produce a woody stem like a tree. But an herb will live long enough to develop flowers and seeds.

Number of Herbs Available

A true herb connoisseur can select from a wide variety of common and not-so-common herbs. For example, the E & A Evetts Ashfields Herb Nursery of Shropshire, England, lists 57 herbs, 16 mints, 17 onion-type herbs, 20 sages, and 17 thymes in a recent catalog. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbook on Herbs lists 73 different types of herbs.

Some herbs fit into one or more classifications according to use — culinary, aromatic, ornamental, and medicinal.

About The Author

Jeff Anderson knows his herbs. He knows what to look for and what pitfalls to avoid. Let him guide you to finding out more about herbs. Contact him at Jeff@herb-lunch.com or visit the blog at his site www.herb-lunch.com

Some people are naturally pessimistic and are happy being so. They view themselves as pragmatic and as having a better sense of reality. Then there are those of us who feel weighed down by negativity and wish that we could be more optimistic. This is completely possible. It all lies in the way we perceive things…

1. Stress management

When we conceal our anxieties, they only build. Each concern can snowball into a feeling of being overwhelmed. Each person has their own way of letting off steam. This varies from exercise, to listening to music, to reading a good book. More of us are beginning to realize how important proper stress management is to both our physical and mental health.

2. Constant reality checks

It is sometimes necessary to debate the validity of your concerns to determine whether they are rational or not. This is called self-rationalization and one of the most recognized methods is the worst case scenario. This is when you consider the worst possible situation, then go on to consider whether it is likely to happen. For example, a loved one said they would call once they arrived by subway to a certain destination. They should have reached that destination 15 minutes ago. You may dream up scenarios of there being a train accident or some other frightful incident took place. But after a little thought, you find that it’s more probable that they either have yet to reach their stop or they will simply call you when it is convenient for them. You never want to leap to conclusions and cause yourself unnecessary stress.

3. Support of friends and family

Friends and family are usually more than willing to provide you with a much needed reality check. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have close friends and family members to confide in though. It is detrimental to find some type of support when you are feeling extremely confused or overwhelmed. This support may have to come from a trusted co-worker or a member of a support group. Sometimes all it takes is another person’s point of view to put things into perspective.

4. Own your feelings

Accept that you have complete control over your perceptions and internal responses. You may not have control over what happened on your commute to work that upset you. But you are able to decide whether you become relieved when the day is finally over, or frustrated, claiming you are always being dealt a bad hand.

Denni Gill is an up-and-coming Canadian poet. www.urban-eden.org chronicles her own spiritual growth.

denni@urban-eden.org

The culture of winemaking has been known since Roman times. In the medieval times winemaking has become an important craft.
Products with it’s one and only characteristics and expressed individuality.

It is important for each wine to fit in a specified category. To achieve this, each wine is sent to expert commission for wine grading. Wine is food too because1 bottle of wine has calories as much as 5 eggs but what is important here that, calories form wine cant turn in to reserves in organism. They are just termagant and they totally vanish from your body. Wine contain 34 minerals, 10 vitamins, 6 different kind of sugar, 31 acid,… and some people call that food not just drink.

Acid in the wine is similar to one in our stomach. That is that connection between wine and cooking. It regulates digestion. It is also plus for blood stream, a brain and nerves. It feeds you and makes you stronger but of course moderation is very important too. What that means? Moderation…how much one drinks reasonably?

1dcl / 10kg /day or 20 pounds of his or hers weight/day
If you are a man and your weight is 200 pounds you can drink 10 deciliters per day
Wine culture is measured by knowledge about wine not by tons of consumed alcohol.

Don’t drink tolerant amount of wine on empty stomach or at once.
Enjoy by eye, lips, nose and ear, but don’t touch it until you say cheers and clink the glass of your friends and family because nobody should enjoy wine alone.

Katarina Bader
CEO,http://www.affiliateno1.com/elegantgifts.htm