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LIVING QUARTERS
Restore Your Living Room’s Luster
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Trini living room is a high traffic area used to facilitate limes and endless viewings of Crime Watch, the 7PM News or whatever else floats your boat. However, all this action can lead to the room becoming dirty. Here are some cleaning tips to revamp your living room. Clear the floor clutter. Start by removing and recycling or discarding anything that is plainly trash. This gives you a visible start, and it gets the first part done quickly. Once this is done, you can sweep and mop or vacuum if you have carpet. Freshen Up Fabrics – Get pet hair off of upholstery with your favorite pet hair remover. Vacuum upholstered surfaces, then spot clean and use a fabric freshener where needed. Add a few seasonal pillows or throws for a fresh look guests will love. Make It Shine – Dust can
build up on your most valuable electronics including computers, televisions and other items in your living room. Whether it's electronics Spray, dry cloths, or wipes, these formulas remove dust, dirt and grime from household electronics, leaving behind only a streak-free shine. If you have a great collection of knickknacks that you love to display, but hate to clean, here's
some good news: there's a quick and easy way to clean your figurines. Simply place your knickknacks inside the kitchen sink and spray them with window cleaner. Move them to a paper towel to air dry. This works for glass, china, and glazed figurines. The next job is to get rid of smudges. Doorknobs, light switches, phones and more can get smudges and fingerprints.
Give them a good cleaning with a glass and surface wipe -- this is a great job for the kids to tackle. Finally, straighten anything on tables and shelves. Also reposition sofa cushions, throw pillows, and scatter rugs that have slid out of position. Re-fold any blankets that hang over the back of sofas or chairs. Now, your living room is good to be lived in once more. Just remember to live cleanly.
Home Moss Removal
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ossy driveways, walkways and walls are not only unsightly but may cause a threat to your safety. Almost everyone can relate to the banana peel effect of a mossy pavement. However,
moss does not have to get the upper hand in your home. Moss removal is simple. It just takes a little time, very little money and some effort. The first option to remove moss is simply power washing it away. High powered streams of water will uproot moss and wash your problem away. The problem is, not many people have their own power washers and some older folk may find it difficult to lug around and maneuver such a device. Powdered laundry detergent has also been used successfully in some situations to kill moss. By mixing a cup of powdered detergent with 10 gallons of water you can apply this solution to areas such as patios and kill some of the moss growing on them. In areas where bleach is not likely to damage property or vegetation, you can combine it with the de-
tergent-water mixture, or dilute the bleach and apply it alone to mossy area. To kill moss on roofs, placing a zinc strip along the peak of your roof will help to kill and prevent moss for many years. You can also use other products made to kill moss that contain zinc sulfate that you apply to your roof in granular or liquid form. Overall, it should be noted that the best way to deal with moss is to remove the elements it thrives under. Moisture and shade from the sun encourage moss growth. By removing or inhibiting one or both these natural influences, you can affect the growth of moss in areas where you'd like to see it removed. You are not likely to control nature's moisture, but guttering and proper drainage can help to reduce the prevalence of water over extended periods. In
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terms of dealing with too much sunlight, you can remove the things which provide cover for the moss. For example, you can sometimes remove or trim trees or vegetation that produce the shade the moss craves. These easy tips can help to rid your home of its moss problem and provide a safer, aesthetically sweeter environment for your family. MAY 2013
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LIVING QUARTERS
11 Furniture Buying Mistakes
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emodeling is complete, the walls look perfect and the tiles are just as heavenly as they looked in that magazine, now for the furniture! Do you grab your checkbook and sunglasses and hit the town? Hopefully not. Furniture buying is no cheap trick and there are classic mistakes encountered by shoppers time and again.
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Constraints No one likes the word very much but there are constraints when it comes to furnishing either related to your space, budget or any other special consideration such as mobility and safety. But when you know both your furniture needs and constraints, you can begin to explore your furnishing possibilities better.
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Forgetting to Measure Your Furniture Remember to measure the room ahead of buying to see if your new furniture will fit, often times the furniture purchased simply cannot make it into a room because no took into account hallways, doors, elevators and stairway to the final resting place.
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Ignoring Scale Yes it looks wonderful in the showcase, the lighting and layout were designed to achieve just this. But a sofa that looks just right in the store, might be too big in your room: it can dominate and dwarf or conversely be too small. It is hard to judge when you’re looking at a picture or seeing it in a showroom. Also measure to make sure
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that your new piece matches the scale of the furniture you already own. Not Paying Enough Attention to Color You know you want ‘offwhite’ but exactly how off? A color that seems to the exact shade you want in the showroom can look drastically different when actually placed amongst its cohorts in your home. You should bring home a color swatch or a pillow to see how it would look in your own home. Also, when buying on the Internet remember that the color on a monitor looks different on a real sofa.
with a delicate finish will not last too long when you have people continuously putting their feet on it. Before you buy furniture, make sure that you know how it will be used, and who will be using it and buy accordingly.
Not Asking the Salesperson for Help Normally when you go shopping you try to avoid the sales person like the plague. In furniture buying this should not be so. The salespeople are often able to offer advice and suggestions which ultimately help you make a better buying decision. While the ultimate buying decision will be yours, by not consulting them you might not even get a good idea of all the options you have. Try to go shopping on a weekday if you can, as it’s less hectic than weekends so it’s a bit easier to get a salesperson’s full attention.
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Asking for Too Many Opinions: Leave the entourage of friends and well wishers at home when shopping for furniture. When you consult too many people, you make it harder to narrow down your choices and it also drives the salespeople crazy. If you don’t want to go alone, go with your significant other, or just one other person whose judgment you trust since you won’t benefit from five different people offering wildly divergent views.
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Ignoring Who Will Really Be Using Your Furniture Younger children, pets, and snacking while watching TV, are often the real use of furniture and if you fail to take this into consideration you could be in for years of screaming and cleaning. That fabulous cream-colored sofa will succumb to dirty hands, spilled soda and muddy paws. An absolutely gorgeous coffee table
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Not Testing Your Furniture Before You Buy This is especially for the culprit sofa, you should always test it, and judge for quality. That very stylish sofa can turn out to be so uncomfortable, too soft, too lumpy that you never want to sit on it. Try out your sofa in the store the way you would use it at home, and yes, that means lying down on it too. If you are buying furniture on the Internet, go to a store and try it out first. Also, open and close drawers and doors on casegoods to ensure they function properly.
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Buying Furniture on Impulse You might be in a hurry to make your place look good in time for the impending arrival of guests or holiday season but resist the impulse to make hasty decisions, you know it only comes back to haunt you. Sometimes the price seems irresistible, other times the item looks just too good to pass up, resist.
Paying Too Much for Your Furniture When buying furniture, there are plenty of ways for you to save. For instance, you always have the choice of waiting for special sales. You can inquire if the store would offer any special discounts, especially if you are buying several pieces. Avoid “Buy now, pay later and Zero Down” sales pitches as you will end up paying very high interest rates later.
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Paying too Much Attention to Fads It is best to buy a piece of furniture that you will feel comfortable with for years to come. That goes for color as well as style. Fads can come and go very quickly, so look beyond a few months of excitement; can you even stand to look at that brass set with the aluminum lining? Instead, buy furniture that truly appeals to you and will look good even years later.
LIVING QUARTERS
Get The Most Out Of Your Garden
With Good Vine Removal
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ine weeds pose a major problem to landscapes by competing with your ornamental plants for the soil's nutrients. In addition, invasive vines crowd out native plants and can spread over the yard. Many fruit bearing trees are severely affected by vines and the amount and quality of fruit suffers drastically due to it. Therefore removal of these vines is imperative to keeping your garden in optimal condition.
Preparation Vines can be killed by herbicide spray. However, spraying vines willy-nilly can damage nearby vegetation. Dry, wind-free days are the best time to spray vines. Surrounding plants should be covered with a piece of plastic. If you have ornamental vines next
to your weedy vines, drape plastic over the trellis or supportive structure. You can also use cardboard to shield the plants from the herbicide. Avoid watering after spraying to reduce the risk of the chemicals touching other plants.
Herbicide Herbicides that contain glysophate are optimal choices for spraying unwanted weedy vines, because they leave little residue on the soil. It is important to use a herbicide that will not remain in the soil, especially if you want to plant in the area after spraying. In fact, replanting in areas that had vines is a good way to prevent the vines from growing back. Vine seeds can germinate when left in bare areas, and you are back to square one.
base of the vine at the soil line. Digging up the root system will help prevent the plant from growing back. Make sure that you remove all the debris. Also, burn or throw away the vine debris instead of placing it in your compost, which can spread the invasive vine seeds over the yard.
Removing the Vines Using a ladder will help you reach up to large supportive structures to remove dead vines safely. Use bypass shears to cut vines off the growing structure and work your way down. Gardeners should try to find the
Replanting Tilling the first 6 inches of soil will aid in preparing the area for additional plants. Check your weed killer's label to find out when you can replant in the area again. You should monitor the area after replanting to ensure that the weed hasn't grown back. Hand pulling small weedy sprouts is best when removing its growth. If you use the herbicide again, you can kill off your new ornamental plant.
2013 Custom Home Building Trends
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e know how hard it is to get a government home. So chances are designing and building a custom home is the option you chose. If you are considering building, here are some of the most recent building trends to consider.
Throughout the whole home • Environmentally friendly. Nearly all newly built homes are incorporating several “green” features. New trends for 2013 include tankless water heaters, solar panels, and ENERGY STAR-qualified windows and doors. • Open floor plans. This trend has been popular for several years, but it continues to be the preferred kind of interior for homeowners building custom homes. Great rooms are replacing separate living rooms and dining rooms to 4
bring everyone together and make entertaining easier. In the Bathroom • Air jetted tubs. Unlike water jetted tubs, air jets allow you to use oils and bath salts in the tub. There is also no opportunity for bath product build-up in the jets because only air travels through the jets. • Large showers with spa shower-
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heads. The bathroom is your space of rejuvenation. A 2013 trend is to give yourself plenty of room to move under a rain showerhead, body sprayer, or other spa showerhead in your spacious, custom shower. In The Kitchen • Custom islands. An island is the hub of any kitchen and the main location where pre-
cooking preparations take place. Standard-sized islands can be replaced by longer, thinner islands that come with one or more levels. The surface of the island can match the other countertops in the kitchen, or you can make it stand out with a surface of a different material. • Showcase. Cupboards are not just for storing your cooking equipment in custom kitchens. Decorative, glass cabinets can be used to showcase fine china, antique tools, and other trinkets that serve as conversation pieces. • Decorative wood oven hoods. Oven hoods are a functional piece of your kitchen, but that doesn’t mean they have to look utilitarian! Oven hoods can match your cabinets and trim so they become a part of the kitchen décor, instead of fighting it.
LIVING QUARTERS
Tips On Keeping Glasses Clean
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owadays, more and more houses are being made of glass. Not just sliding doors or mirrors, but also the walls and surrounding areas are being made of this substance. Though it adds sophistication and elegance to any design it dirties easily and requires constant cleaning. For the beauty of the glass to shine through, careful cleaning methods must be employed. See below for tips that can be used to ensure clean glass at all times; whether they are wares, doors, mirrors or crystals. Windows Online cleaning Guru, Mrs. Clean House Cleaning Specialist, says that hot, soapy water should be used to wash down windows on a cloudy, mild temperature day, ensuring that all the dirt and debris is removed first. Once this is done, use a
ing drinking glasses and cookware then rinse them off in hot water. Mrs. Clean House Cleaning Specialist suggests that a dish detergent that is mild be used. To get the sparkling effect that is seen in many dishwashing liquid commercials, a hint of vinegar in the washing solution helps. For harder stains, Mrs. Clean suggests a scouring pad that will be tough on stains but gentle on the glass.
cotton cloth to dry the window quickly to prevent streaks. A chemical cleaner is suggested but is not necessary since soap water often does the trick. Glass (cookware, drinking glasses, glass tables) Use hot soapy water when wash-
Glass (doors or mirrors) Because they are not used for consumption, rubbing alcohol can be added to a solution of water and vinegar when cleaning sliding doors or mirrors. The alcohol allows for quick evaporation and ensures a streak-free glass all the time. Mrs. Clean suggests that this solution also be used on chrome, hard tiles and other surfaces for a great clean.
Crystal Crystal deserves a special kind of care to prevent them from breaking. To clean crystal, Ms. Clean suggests that you follow these steps: 1) Use rubber or cotton gloves when handling them. 2) Do not place fine crystal in dishwasher; hand wash. 3) Use a mild detergent when washing crystal and use low water pressure when rinsing them. Be wary of the material used to wash the glasses with; if it’s too rough it may scratch the surface. 4) Wash and rinse with the same water temperature. Going from hot to cold can cause the crystal to shatter or crack. 5) Invert the crystal on a dry thick cloth. Allow them to air-dry before using a terry cloth to shine them later.
Washing Machine Maintenance
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ong gone are the days of ‘jooking board’ and ‘river stone’ washes. Now, pretty much every home has a washing machine. This device is not as cherished as it should be until it stops working of course. Trust when we say you don’t want it to stop working. To keep your machine it tip-top shape, follow these regular maintenance tips. The Exterior Rust and other forms of deterioration can become an issue if your washer has either a painted steel or porcelain-coated steel cabinet. It's perfectly safe to use a little dish detergent and a damp rag to clean all of its surfaces. If the surface is porcelain, you can even use a little nonabrasive cleanser for stubborn stains. Clean the knobs and dials as well and make sure you can 6
read all the dials well. It's a good preventive maintenance practice to check these hoses from time to time for any sign of wear or weakness. Often there's a small blister in the rubber of the hose, which could rupture. Most manufacturers recommend replacing the hoses every 5 years. The Interior To clean the washing machine yourself, add two cups of white vinegar to an empty hot water cycle. Soak the bleach and fabric softener containers in hot water, replace them, then run another hot water cycle to rinse. Be sure to remove lint from the machine as well. Most washing machines collect lint during the wash cycle and send it down the drain during the drain cycle. However, certain brands collect lint in the center tube of the agi-
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tator. You need to lift out that tube and clean it periodically. Other machines have a lint filter near the top of the tub, which you need to slide out, clean off, and reinsert. Bonus Maintenance Tips Avoid overloading a washing machine. Too much weight disturbs its balance, which can lead
to costly repairs. Instead, try washing a load more frequently to avoid pileups. Monitor how you add your laundry detergent amounts. Too much causes buildup and odors, plus excess soap won’t rinse out thoroughly. It is advised to dissolve detergent in warm water, then switch to cold water if a cold cycle is preferred.
home office
Untruths About Home Businesses
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t seems so easy: you get an idea, a couple of your friends like it and they decide to invest, you approach maybe one or two companies for sponsorship so they too invest; a close friend does your website and you begin your business at home. But soon you find that instead of making money, you’re spending much more on expenses and share-holders payout. You’re at home so you become easily distracted and sooner or later tasks cease to be completed; before you know it your business falls apart. Situations like these can cause a home business to become an instant failure. Because it’s a business operated from home, people often think that it’s a simple job but try to avoid these myths if you want to maintain a successful business.
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Anyone can do it. False. Even the very dedicated and determined can fall short when running a homebased business as the natural drive to work that is present at the office is absent at home. Plus, it’s your business; you need to do your own research and take in a lot of information that may have been given to you from your superiors at work.
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I don’t have to spend money to market my business. False. Yes there are free social networking sites such Facebook that can assist you with marketing your product or service, but depending on what you are selling, you may need to spend money on several advertising media (radio, television, newspapers) so that your business can reach a wider market.
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I can get wealthy overnight. False. Remember ‘everything has been done under the sun’, so you need to find your own ways of presenting a product or service so that customers can be persuaded to buy your product. This takes time and is done by careful market research; only when you know your market, will you be able to penetrate it, gaining market share which ultimately leads to sales and profit.
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I can do everything online. False. Customers like to feel loved and appreciated, as if you are depending on them to make a sale. And, they are right! You are depending on their purchases to make money. For this reason, you need to remind them that
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they are appreciated. Communicate via phone or pay them a visit one day. E-mails are the easiest way to communicate but they are very impersonal and can hurt a relationship if a miscommunication ever occurs.
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I can do what I want. False. Although you are operating from home, it doesn’t mean that you can get up at 9:00a.m and leave at mid-day. Depending on your business, customers can send requests as early as 5:00a.m and demanding customers expect a response within minutes. This is especially important when servicing clients who live in different time-zones. Your midnight might be a customer’s mid-day.
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I can spend more time with Family. Not necessarily, especially in the
start-up-stages of your business. This new business becomes your baby and, just as you spent all of your time with your child as a baby, helping to nurture and support him/her, you would need to spend a lot of time with your new business, helping it to penetrate the market and to gain product awareness.
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I can have private time to concentrate. False. Your home is the most distracting place to run a business as it can seem very inviting on those frustrating days when things aren’t going your way. Plus, with the television within reach and a warm, comfortable bed not too far off, you will need a lot of discipline to prevent yourself from falling asleep or watching television.
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I can work from home. It is advised that you find an office space away from your home for the same reasons that were mentioned above. Also, having a separate building for your home-business would mean that your bills would be separate from your living expenses at home.
elegant ideas
A Place To Rest Your Head
Adorn your pedestal bed with flowing fabric to add a soft touch w w w . a b s tr a c th o m e . c o m
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elegant ideas
These textural touches are the future of bed-dressing 12
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elegant ideas
Artificial butterflies provide the perfect backdrop for the young nature lover
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elegant ideas
Earthy and ultimately homey is this rich master bedroom 14
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elegant ideas
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KITCHEN
Fast Cooking Tips F
ew people have the time, passion or energy to slave over a pot all day. Leave that to the witches with their cauldrons. In the modern kitchen, we need to be fast without sacrificing our health or taste buds. Here is how to do just that. Use Fewer Ingredients Recipes that use fewer ingredients are automatically going to be faster to make. You can vary these recipes by adding more ingredients if you'd like, depending on what you have on hand, what your family likes, and what looks good in the market. Be Microwave Friendly Your microwave isn’t just for reheating a cup of coffee. It’s a tool for cooking, and it can be pretty efficient. For example, potatoes take 45 minutes to 1 hour to cook in the oven, but in the
microwave they take only about 20 minutes. Not everything is suitable for the microwave, but vegetables in particular lend themselves well to being nuked. So next time you need to pull together a vegetable side dish, or a stuffed potato, consider saving time by using your microwave instead of your stove or oven.
Make It Vegetarian One way to save time cooking the meat portion of your meal is to skip the meat. Some easy vegetarian entrees include bean and cheese burritos, vegetarian burgers (they take about four minutes to brown in a nonstick frying pan), egg-based entrees like omelets, and vegetarian sandwiches featuring cheese and/or roasted vegetables. Use Frozen Vegetables Instead of being tied to your
cutting board all night, stock up on frozen vegetables that I can add to my creation quickly. The beauty of frozen vegetables is that they’re usually all chopped up and ready to go. Plus, you can buy mixed bags of the stuff– broccoli and cauliflower, for example, or a stir-fry mix with peppers and onions–so you can get the variety you’re looking for without stuffing your freezer to the brim. Learn to Love Pre-Prepared Time is money, so take help where you can get it. Sometimes it's worth the added cents to choose raw deveined shrimp over shrimp you have to clean, or chicken cutlets over the breasts you would have to trim and split. Go with precooked foods and canned foods such as beans, tomatoes and stocks, because of the time savings.
Proper Vegetable Storage
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roper storage of produce and vegetables is integral to their longevity and overall freshness levels. Improperly stored food can end up spoiling quickly, causing you extra hassle and also money as these products need to be replaced at a cost. It is important to store your vegetables the right way o keep them and you healthy. Here are some guidelines to assist you. Before storing, remove ties and rubber bands and trim any leafy ends. Leave an inch to keep the vegetable from drying out. Make sure the bag you store the veggies in has some holes punctured to allow for good air flow. Pack vegetables loosely in the refrigerator. The closer they are, the quicker they will rot. Leafy greens can be washed before storing by soaking them in a sink 16
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ylene gas when they are ripening which stimulates ripening (and over ripening) in anything they snuggle up to. So if you want your avocado to ripen more quickly, let it shack up in a paper bag with a banana. But if you don’t want it to over ripen keep them in separate spaces.
full of water, while soft herbs and mushrooms should not be washed until right before they are used. Additional Tips Watch The Company They Keep Bananas produce heaps of eth-
Monitor The Light Sunlight can promote sprouting in things like potatoes; so unless you’re trying to encourage ripening in your veggies, best to store them in the dark. Avoid Cutting or Trimming A whole pumpkin or squash will keep for much longer than a cut piece. This is all about exposure to the air and to microbes. It is best to leave trimming and chopping until the last minute.
RECIPES
Scintillating Soul Food
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he North American soul food experience is quite unforgettable. The dishes are simple and far from what we know as gourmet, but they provide a taste landscape that is seldom matched. Try these recipes with close friends and family and live the southern soul food experience in your home.
Banging Biscuits Ingredients 2 cups all purpose flour, unbleached 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Pinch of garlic 3 tablespoons grated or shredded cheese, cheddar 2 tablespoons shortening 3/4 cup butter milk Directions Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Start by mixing and then shifting the dry ingredients. Mix in the cheese. Rub the shortening into the mixture using your fingertips. Next gradually add milk while stirring the mixture with a knife. A soft dough will form. Turn dough onto a floured cutting or pastry board. Work dough to one-half inch thickness and cut using biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on baking sheet, not allowing the dough to touch. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
1 egg 1 cup milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 9 inch round cake pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and oil until well combined. Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Fine Fried Catfish Ingredients 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground red pepper 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, to taste 6 (4 ounce) farm-raised catfish fillets 1/4 teaspoon salt Vegetable oil Directions Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large shallow dish. Sprinkle the fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt; dredge in cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. POUR oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a deep cast-iron skillet and heat to 350 degrees. Next, fry the fish, in batches, 5 to 6 minutes or until golden; drain on paper towels.
Country Corn Bread
Black eyed Peas n Bacon
Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 2/3 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Ingredients 4 cups fresh or frozen black-eyed peas 4 -5 slices bacon 1 large onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, diced
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4 garlic cloves, minced 6 cups chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Directions In a 5 quart Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp; set aside to drain on paper towels. Cook onion, celery and garlic in bacon drippings until tender; add broth, salt, pepper and peas. Bring to a boil and skim top if necessary. Lower heat to a simmer; then crumble bacon and add to peas. Adjust seasonings to taste, cover and simmer until peas are tender (30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how tender you like them).
French Garlic Mashed Potatoes Ingredients 1 teaspoon salt 4 cups water, or as needed to cover 3 baking potatoes 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup French onion dip 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon milk, or to taste Salt and ground black pepper to taste (optional) Directions Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in water in a saucepan and add potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to saucepan. Mash butter, French onion dip, and garlic into potatoes, using a potato masher or fork. Mix milk into potatoes, 1 teaspoon at a time, until potatoes are your desired consistency. Season with salt and black pepper.
Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredients 6 large bell peppers (green, orange, red or yellow) 1 pound ground beef 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 small can sweet corn, drained (8 ounce) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon thyme 3 cups long-grain cooked rice 2 cups tomato juice Shredded cheese Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare bell peppers for baking by cutting off the tops and removing the spines and seeds. To soften the peppers, cover them with water and boil for 3 minutes. Set aside. In a large skillet over mediumhigh heat, stir and cook ground beef until it is browned. Be sure to separate beef into small pieces while stirring. Next add onions and garlic cloves, stir and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in sweet corn, salt, pepper, thyme, cooked rice and 1 cup tomato juice. Mix all ingredients well, then stuff mixture into peppers. Place stuffed bell peppers upright into shallow baking dish and add the remaining tomato juice. Cover with aluminum foil and bake stuffed bell peppers at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes. Remove foil, add cheese topping and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese melts. Spoon the remaining tomato juice from the baking dish over the stuffed bell peppers and serve hot.
BRIDAL
Honeymoon Mistakes To Avoid
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veryone equates the honeymoon experience to an easy-going period of bliss for newlyweds. This can prove to be a false reality for some of you if you don’t pay attention to the likelihood of these mistakes. Not using a travel agent to help you plan your honeymoon. Travel agents are your advocates: They offer personalized service, travel knowledge, and can be someone to lend a hand or ear when you’re looking for the perfect place to begin your life together. Travel agents don’t work for an airline, cruise or tour company – they work for you. Let the experts find you the best values, industry deals and discounts that only they have access to. Let them do the many hours of research for you; they understand you’re a little busy right now. Taking Too Little or Too Much Time Off Yes, there really is such a thing as a too-long honeymoon, especially in a destination where there 20
isn’t much to do. And of course, spending just a few days in a locale that took you a couple days to fly to isn’t worth your time or money.
do and it’s actually way colder than you expected.
Not considering “off season” travel Go where you’ve always wanted, but go when everyone else goes and you’ll not only pay “premium” rates, but you’ll deal with crowds, booked up spas and tours, longer waits at the restaurants, etc. Try going when it’s less crowded for a truly relaxing and romantic experience. Plus, when there are fewer tourists, you’ll get more attentive service!
Starting Your Honeymoon too Quickly If you’re having a late afternoon or evening reception, it’s a good bet that you won’t be feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next morning when it’s time to go to the airport! While your honeymoon normally begins after the wedding, give yourself some time to recharge after the stressful day. Keep in mind what time you’ll need to be at the airport, and be realistic about what time you’ll be able to get up in the morning.
Not considering the Climate Not keeping an idea of the climate of the place you are visiting in mind can surely make the trip a nightmare for you and your partner. Imagine travelling without an umbrella or a raincoat to a place where it rains a lot. Further to that, picture an Alaskan cruise where you go to watch majestic icebergs and wonderful whales only to realize that the thick sweaters you packed just won’t
Scheduling all of your time around activities With all the excitement you’ve been through (or will be going through) in the weeks and days leading up to your Big Day, you may not realize just how truly exhausting it can all be, but it will certainly hit you a day or so after the wedding. Be sure to leave yourselves enough “relaxation” time, for at least the first couple of days of your honeymoon va-
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cation, to keep the potential for crankiness at bay. After all, you’ll have many more trips with your new spouse, but only one honeymoon, so relax and enjoy it! Skimping on your accommodations Maybe you can do this on other trips, but not a honeymoon. Even if you think you won't spend much time in your room, you'll be sorry if your accommodations are not special. Worse yet, if something happens that forces you to stay in your room for an entire day or more. Probably the most common honeymoon lament is, "I wish we'd spent just a little more and stayed in a deluxe room." Keeping mum about being honeymooners Don't be bashful...especially with hotels, cruise lines, restaurants...Tell them when you make your reservations and you're likely to enjoy special treatment. You might even get bumped up to a suite or get to use of many amenities that you hadn’t previously paid for.
FAMILY
Facilitating Family Prayer
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raying as a family is a wonderful, rewarding activity. Finding the opportunity, time, and courage however, is not always so easy. That’s the thing about prayer. It rarely comes easily, especially in front of others. In fact, most would rather give a speech before 100 than pray before 10. There is so much insecurity about opening up to God among others (especially people you know). This article shares tips, and prayer opportunities to help bring your family together in prayer. Start by choosing natural times of the day to pray. Stick with the basics and make it a part of your family’s routine before adding anything else. Grace before meals and bedtime prayers are usual opportunities. Saying grace is both an act of gratitude and an acknowledgment of our dependence on forces that are greater than we are. While it may be logical or comfortable for a parent to say the grace, we believe that children ought to be
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given regular opportunities to pray in their own voices and in their own words. While you may have a routine of fixed prayers you know, sometimes time may still be an issue. One of the biggest hindrances to family prayer time is simply finding the time when you can all be together to pray. If your family is constantly on the go, hold quick prayer sessions before someone leaves or when someone gets home. For longer or regular prayer times; simply mark it on the schedule at a time when everyone can be present. Don't feel silly or weird about scheduling a prayer. What is important is that you get together with your family to share this time, and scheduling it does not minimize its importance or value. Support is another factor that is needed for family prayer to flourish. It's natural for some family members to be uncomfortable praying in front of others. Be sensitive to this and avoid becoming agitated or judgmen-
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tal if a family member is scared to pray out loud. At the same time, offer encouragement and advice for getting over the fear of prayer. Remind your child that prayer is an important part of developing a stronger faith. Advise your child to try praying just a short, simple prayer and gradually work her way up to a longer prayer. Another tip for family prayer is to visit a prayer room together. Many churches and ministries offer prayer rooms—sacred spaces where you can experience different aspects of praying. These are often are highly creative, allowing for musical expression, artistic response, a global view of the church, and ways to repent and intercede. It is important to be prepared for challenges. The single most challenging thing about petitionary prayer is not the asking, but the more complicated process of waiting for an answer. A child does not come equipped with explanations
about why God might not give him or her what was asked for. Summon your courage and venture out into the realm of Ad Hoc Theology. Though we may feel uncomfortable offering answers that sound hollow in our ears, it is important that we be willing to think out loud about these matters. The simplest explanation we can think of is that God's responses to our prayers are like the colors of a stoplight: Sometimes God replies with green for "Yes," sometimes with red for "No," and often with yellow, which means that we have to slow down and wait for the answer. Finally, learn to embrace technology. In this digital age, maximize the value of technology in praying with, and for, one another—using e-mail, text messaging, and even social networking sites. Choose specific prayers for various members of your family and encourage each other to reply and create their own.
WARDROBE
POWDER ROOM
Four Fashion Tips For Moms
Three Tips To Better Your Breath
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ental visits are costly and sometimes painful, so no one wants to visit the dentist more than they have to (especially to deal with an embarrassing problem like halitosis). If your general health is good and you take care of your mouth halitosis doesn’t have to bother you. If you think you may be getting a tinge of the bad breath blues, here are three tips you may not have tried. Aromatic Spices: Chewing on the seeds of aromatic spices such as clove, cardamom, or fennel after meals is a common practice in South Asia and the Middle East. The seeds of these spices contain antimicrobial properties that can help halt bad breath. Chlorophyll: Chewing a small sprig of parsley can freshen your breath. That is because parsley is rich in the natural deodorizer chlorophyll, which also sweetens the digestive tract. It also reportedly has antibacterial and antifungal
properties. Celery also works like parsley in this regard. You can also take chlorophyll supplements which are easily accessible over the counter. Take a chlorophyll supplement, as directed on the product label, after each meal and again at bedtime. Chlorophyll tablets help freshen the breath because they have a cleansing effect in the intestines. Eat Yogurt: Yogurt replenishes the good bacteria in the gut and promotes a healthier mouth. This may come as a surprise to some since people are generally advised to stay away from dairy consumption in the midst of halitosis as dairy can make it worse.
W
hether you have a new-born, a toddler, or older children; the one common element that all moms share is an overwhelming lack of time. If on top of raising children you're juggling a career, chances are you barely have time to breathe and fashion/style can very easily fall by the wayside. Who has time to think about fashion you might ask? The good news is that looking great is possible despite the draining schedule and numerous demands on your time. Follow these 5 easy tips to look and feel great, and free yourself up to be a beautiful, happy mom! 1. Fit is still important! Even if you are carrying some postpregnancy weight that you plan to lose soon, don't let drowning yourself in clothes that are too large be the solution. Too much fabric can actually make you look heavier. Instead, opt for clothes that skim your shape without being too form-fitting. 2. Buy/wear fabrics that breathe well, are comfortable and most importantly, are washable. Cotton tunics, straight or boot cut jeans, light dresses and cardigans are excellent choices for stylist mom's wardrobe. Mattew w w . a b s tr a c th o m e . c o m
jersey, particularly a heavierweight jersey, is a fantastic choice for both at home and going out. A jersey dress for example, is easy to dress up, layer over and easy to move around in. It's also relative inexpensive! 3. Choose comfortable but stylish footwear. Avoid plain, ratty sneakers and go for chic ballet flats, trendy sneakers, and gladiator flats if you're in warm weather. Look for brands which offer fashionable shoes with comfort soles. If you're uncomfortable giving up heels altogether, go with a one or two-inch platform slide or low pumps, but be sure that the heel height is no more than 2" to avoid giving yourself lower-back pain. 4. Use accessories to create unique and stylish looks without investing in a lot of money. Scarves, belts, handbags, hats and of course, jewelry are all great ways to keep your look trendy without spending too much money. And this year's bold jewelry and bright colors will make it easy to mix up your look with minimal effort. Loosely drape a thin bright scarf over a neutral t-shirt and dark jeans and you'll get through the day in style! MAY 2013
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MEDICINE CABINET
home gym
Safe Medicine Storage
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any people store their medications in the bathroom. But this popular spot is actually one of the worst places to keep medicine. Bathroom cabinets tend to be warm and humid, an environment that speeds up a drug's break down process. This is especially true for tablets and capsules. Unnecessary exposure to heat and moisture can cause them to lose their potency prior to their labeled expiration date. For example, a warm, muggy environment can cause aspirin tablets to break down into acetic acid (vinegar) and salicylic acid, both of which are potential stomach irritants. Instead, keep medicines in a cool, dry place and out of a child's reach. If you must keep them in the bathroom, always keep the containers tightly closed. Never repackage them. If medicines are to be stored in a kitchen, store them away from the stove, sink, and any heat-releasing appliances. In rare cases, medicine that is improperly stored can actually become toxic. To prevent danger, follow these tips:
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How To Boost Your Endurance
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revor Sayers is the selfprofessed Stamina Man, but he doesn’t have to be the only endurance king. Find your place on the fitness throne with these wonderful endurance boosting measures.
• Always store drugs out of the reach of children. • Don't leave the cotton plug in a medication bottle. Doing so can draw moisture into the container. • Check the expiration date each time you take a drug. Throw out and replace any medications that are out of date. • Never use a medication that has changed color, consistency, or odor, regardless of the expiration date. Throw away capsules or tablets that stick together, are harder or softer than normal, or cracked or chipped. • Ask your pharmacist about any specific storage instructions.
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Drink more Water Less fluid is the cause of fatigue. If the body lacks of fluid, the results can be blood curdling. As a result the blood flow is slow and it took more time for your cells to obtain oxygen. Do High Intensity, Fast Paced Workouts When you use weights at a quick pace, it will not only improve your strength, but also improve your endurance and stamina activity. It’s one of the best ways to fire up your metabolism. When people do an excessive amount of endurance-only training, they can actually slow down their metabolism because it starts to eat away at your muscle tissue. Sleep If you want to increase stami-
na, you need to make sure you get enough rest each night. During adolescence, eight and a half to nine and a half hours of sleep are recommended. Adults should get between seven and nine hours of shuteye each night. Routine is the enemy Mixing up your workout is essential to building endurance and stamina. The human body gets used to a workout after a couple of weeks. If you’re always running, start doing Boxing instead. Or if you’re an avid cyclist, switch it up by running stairs. You need to move the muscles in a different way so that you don’t develop overuse. Challenge Yourself Keep challenging yourself to do more to improve your strength and endurance. Once you can complete three sets of 12 repetitions of an exercise, try one of the more advanced techniques or increase the resistance you are lifting and drop back to three sets of eight repetitions.
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TRAVEL
PETS
How To Clean Up After Pets
Three Travel Booking Mistakes
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he travel experience should be ultimately memorable. Don’t let those memories be bad ones. Do what is necessary to ensure you enjoy your holiday time from booking to return fight. Avoiding these three common mistakes will help you on your way to enjoyment. Know the distance When planning your activities, make sure you understand how far away everything is from each other and how you will get there. You don't want to book something only to later learn that you can't make it in time, a road is closed that season of the year, or you've schedule many of your activities far away from your home base. Always do your own comparisons When comparing prices, don't believe any internet service or site that claims they have the lowest or best priced packages until you have visited the competitions sites, and when possible, the ultimate service provider's internet site. 26
Read the fine print Many travelers have lived to rue the day that they booked a trip without first reading the fine print. From rental cars stipulations on mileage, insurance, and interstate travel to airfare ticket changes or cancellations, not knowing the transaction's regulations (both clear-cut and those less so) can cost a lot later. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Break out the magnifying glass and comb over the teeny-tiny text at the bottom of that seemingly great deal. From there, you can determine caveats, regulations, and the actual cost, including taxes, fees, and any "hidden" charges that can drive up the total price.
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P
ets are fun to have around the around the house. Not only do they brighten your mood but if you live alone, who else will get excited when you walk through the door, even at late hours of the night? Probably the only downside to having a pet is to clean up after them. Unlike humans and unless they are trained, pets tend to leave their droppings all over the house. These include urine and feces which depending on the type of pets, gives off an offensive smell. But with a few simple tips, the stains and scent can be removed.
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Prevention. Keep your pets clean with regular baths and checkups, in order to prevent fleas and ticks from roaming freely in the house. Keep a lint brush close so that you can pick up any loose pet hair and dander. To ensure a healthy and shiny coat, spray on a mist of cooking oil onto your pet’s food.
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Removing pet hair. As mentioned above keep a lint brush or damp cloth around to get rid of pet hair that may become loose during playtime. For a thorough cleaning, use a vacuum with a good beater brush or brush roll that will pick up the fine pieces that may be left behind or a pet rake that is specially designed to remove pet hair.
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Removing stains. If it’s a newly formed urine stain, dilute the area with a mixture of one quart water with one teaspoon of vinegar and leave to soak in for approximately 5-10 minutes. Use a cloth and scrub the area, removing the stain. Allow to dry and then apply carpet cleaner or carper deodorizer to the area and the surrounding areas. There are also bacteria/enzyme digesters that can be purchased at any pet stores; these are effective but the process to remove the stain can take longer and need to be used as directed.
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Vomit stains. The best way to treat these is by applying a trusted and professional carpet detergent. Apply it to the area and scrub until the stain is removed. (This is more effective if applied soon after your pet vomits). Rinse away with hot water and continue to scrub until the stain is removed.
Even if the stain has disappeared or our human noses can no longer smell anything, a pet will repeatedly return to the same spot if he can still smell his own odor. For this reason, you need to ensure that a stain is carefully removed and that the area disinfected.
GARAGE
17 Tips To Saving Gas
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as prices in Trinidad and Tobago are pretty good when compared to other countries. Premium gas is starting to rival world prices, but generally we are in good shape. This does not mean drivers would not like to save some extra bucks here and there. In fact, we urge you to save. Here are some tips (seventeen to be exact) to help you conserve gas and save your hard earned dollar bills.
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Keep your car tuned up. Cars in poor running condition use more gasoline.
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Plan trips well to avoid unnecessary driving.
When you run your air conditioner you get much worse gas mileage. Use your air conditioner sparingly. If you have a lower setting, use it. Turn it on until the car gets cool, then turn it off and let the fan circulate the cool air. Never run your air conditioner with your windows open! 28
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Keep your windows closed when traveling at high speeds. Open windows cause additional drag and lower your gas mileage. At high speeds, an open window can use more gas than many air conditioners (especially if they are on a low setting).
spend more on gas.
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.Revving the engine needlessly wastes gas. There is no need to rev before you turn your vehicle off.
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If at all possible, try to arrange car pools with co-workers to share the cost of commuting to work.
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Check your tire pressure. Over-inflated tires can actually reduce your fuel efficiency, so don't overfill.
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If at all possible, change your work start time to avoid gridlock. Stop and go traffic hurts your gas mileage.
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Take unneeded items out of the car. You don't need to carry the heavy power tools from your weekend job with you everywhere you go.
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Try not to idle your engine for long periods of time. If you are stuck in traffic and you don't think you are going to go anywhere in the next five minutes, you may want to turn your car off.
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You no longer need to warm your car up for long periods of time, especially new cars. New cars are made to run when cold.
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Don't travel at fast speeds in low gears unless you need the compression to slow down.
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Try to drive the speed limit.
Try to accelerate slowly when leaving the stop light. It's not a competition with the driver in the lane next to you. The fastest person through the intersection just gets to
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Walk, bike or run to your intended location whenever possible.
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No need to buy the highest priced gasoline. Most cars are built to run on regular or super unleaded. Check your owner’s manual or consult a mechanic. The more expensive gas is a waste of money.
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And last, the biggest and most important step towards saving money on gas is always try to purchase vehicles that get good gas mileage. The difference between 20 miles-per-gallon and 40 milesper-gallon is huge.
Abstract Home Is Published By Abstract Media Group, Premium Commercial Complex, San Juan, Trinidad, W.I. • Tel: (868) 638 1156/9 • Fax: (868) 638 1160. Printed By The Office Authority - Printing Division And Distributed By AMG