Queso Blanco

 

Flicr photo by: Sergis Blog

Ingredients


1 gallon whole milk
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar


Steps


In a large pot, directly heat the milk to between 185 – 190 degrees, stirring often to prevent scorching.


Slowly add the vinegar, a little at a time, until the curds sperate from the whey.


Pour the curds and whey into a colander lined with butter muslin. Tie the corners and hang for several hours or until desired consistency,


Remove the cheese from the muslin. Store in covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks


Yield is about 1 1/2 – 2 pounds

Planning An Herb Garden With Culinary Herbs, Medicinal Herbs and Aromatic Herbs

By: Mary Hanna


Planning an herb garden can be fun and rewarding. Herbs have been in use for centuries for culinary, medicinal and aromatic reasons. For generations tribal leaders and healers passed down the herbal secrets. Many modern medicines have an herb base. Modern herbalist mix medicinal herb for their clients. Many herbalists also mix aromatic herbs for beauty purposes. But, of course, the culinary herb is still the most widely used. You can become a kitchen gardener by growing an herb garden right in your kitchen on a sunny windowsill.


For the discussion of herbal gardening today we will plant the herbs found in the Elizabethan Era and so often mentioned in William Shakespeare's works. The plants selected will be culinary herbs, medicinal herbs and aromatic herbs, all to experience the aromas and flavors of that time.


Herbal gardening is wonderful since the herbs can be grown in a variety of ways. Plant a container garden for you deck or patio for great colors, different textures and super aromas. Planning an herb garden in the ground will allow you to cultivate a traditional kitchen herb garden outside. Or if you have limited space, become an inside kitchen gardener and plant your herbs on a windowsill or in a window box.


When planning your herb garden remember that the herbs need well drained soil, they hate wet feet. Test your soil for the herb garden and make sure it is alkaline. All Herbs need at least six hours of sunlight.


When Elizabethans planted aromatic herbs, culinary herbs and medicinal herbs they used either a symmetrical rectangular or square patterns. The Elizabethans were very formal and felt their herb gardens should be too. Their herbal gardens had walkways, as strolling through the garden was a popular pastime. They had no TV'S! If you are planting your herbal garden near a patio, think about adding a strolling path for yourself. The paths will add character to you herbal garden.


In planning an herb garden be sure to take in to consideration the growing habits of each herb. Plant the taller busier herbs in the back of the garden, the small, compact ones in the front. Most herbs are perennials meaning they will grow back each year. Any of the herbs that need to be planted annually should go in a spot in the herb garden that is easy to get to. Give each herb plenty of room to grow. The herbs need air circulation to prevent mold. This stage of planning an herb garden is essential since once the plants become mature they do not like to be moved.
When you plant an herb garden, you can either start from seeds or get small plants from your garden center. The garden center plants will give a better chance of achieving success in the herb garden. When using seeds, plan ahead because the seeds may need to grow for several months before they are ready to plant into the herb garden. Especially if you are a beginner, I would recommend using the small plants from the garden center.


Go to a reputable garden center to purchase you herbs. Inspect your herbs closely to make sure they are healthy. One infected plant can ruin your whole herbal garden. When using the small herbs from the garden center you will be able to harvest your herbs much sooner. When you take the herbs out to be planted in the herbal garden, gently remove the plant from the pot and loosen the soil around the roots. Place the herb in the spot you have chosen or the container that you have prepared. Cover all of the roots with soil and gently tamp down. Give your new herbs plenty of water checking the moisture each day. Never let the soil dry out but don't make your herbs roots too wet. If you are planting a container garden remember that the dirt in a container will dry out more quickly then the ground. You might find that the herbs will droop for a couple of days. Don't fret that is shock but they will recover.


Once you have learned the herbs growth patterns you can start pinching off to get a bushier herb. When you first start out, keep a journal for your herb garden to keep track of each herbs strengths and weaknesses. After you get to know your herb garden you will be able to tell when the plants need attention.


Over the centuries herbs have evolved into very hardy plants. Once you herbal garden is established it will need very little care. To hold moisture for the herb longer, mulch around the plants. This is a good garden tip whether you plant the herbs in container gardens or in the ground.


Herbs are natural insect repellents but if you have to treat for pests be sure you use a non toxic treatment since you will be eating your harvest. Marigolds are a natural repellent so you may want to plant of few of these flowers. Planting companion plants is how most Shakespearian gardens were done.


Harvest can begin as soon as you have several leaves on the herb. It is best to cut your herbs before they begin to flower for the best flavor. This is when the most oils are stored in the leaves. Wait until any morning dew has dissipated before cutting but harvest before the full sun is out. You can cut your herbs right before you wish to use them. If the stems are tender these too can be used in your recipes.


If you have an abundant harvest you can freeze or dry the herbs. Dry them by hanging them upside down, in a bunch tied together, in a warm and dark place. You can microwave them by placing them between two paper towels and microwaving for 2 minutes. Put them in an air tight container, they will last up to 1 year.


Freezing the bounty of your herb garden will let them last a little longer, a year to year and a half. Chop up the herbs and place on a sheet of wax paper. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Another method is to put the herbs in ice cube trays with water. Freeze until firm, pop them out and put them in to zip lock bags. When ever you need the herbs for soups, stews or sauces, just throw in an herb ice cube.


Now, here is the list of Shakespearian Herbs to plant in your Elizabethan herb garden including culinary herbs, aromatic herbs and medicinal herbs. It will truly make you a kitchen gardener.
Bay, box, Broom, Calendula, Chamomile, Chives, Heartsease, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Parsley, Peppermint, Rosemary, Rue, Salad Burnet, Summer Savory, Bachelors Buttons and Thyme. For more information on each herb, email me or search on the internet.
Happy Gardening!


Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.


This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.


About the Author


Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com, http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com, and http://www.GardeningHerb.com

(ArticlesBase SC #47142)

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Type 2 Diabetes Diet You Can Live With

By Stephen Choy




A type 2 diabetes diet should always be followed according to doctor's instructions for anyone who has been diagnosed with type II diabetes. There are many diets geared towards those with diabetes, so which one is the right one?


All type 2 diabetes diets should include plenty of vegetables, fruits and lean proteins. They should also stress healthy carbohydrates such as stone cut oatmeal, brown and wild rice varieties, and whole grains. It is important when following type 2 diabetes diet plans, to avoid processed carbohydrates like white bread and rice. Processed carbs are notorious for causing spikes in blood sugar, which in turn, cause type 2 diabetes symptoms to become worse. Carbohydrates are a tricky food category since the body needs carbs to provide fuel to the body. Carbohydrates are also what produce glucose, which is the primary carrier of energy to the body's cells. However, too much glucose is what causes spikes in blood sugar. Therefore, a type 2 diabetes plan should carefully pair the right amount of the right kinds of carbs with both protein and a small amount of fat.


Many dieters trying to control type 2 diabetes symptoms find success in carbohydrate counting. This way of meal planning is an easy way to keep track of the total amount of carbohydrates that a person eats every day. By distributing the number of grams of carbs that the dieter is allowed each day throughout several small meals, a diabetes sufferer can help to control their blood sugar while still eating what they want to eat at each meal.


Since diabetes can lead to heart disease, it is important for a person with diabetes to cut most fat from their diet, especially saturated and trans fats, which clog arteries. In general, type 2 diabetes diet plans should allow the dieter to eat a variety of low-fat diabetes foods without several restrictions. Lean meats including lean red meat (which includes pork), poultry, and fish should be eaten in small portions and prepared by baking, grilling, roasting, or broiling instead of frying in large amounts of oil. Also, low-fat dairy products should be used whenever possible. Of course, learning to cook vegetables without drowning them in high-fat flavorings such as butter, oil and full-fat dairy products will also help keep type 2 diabetes symptoms in check.


By following a low-fat, low-carbohydrate type 2 diabetes diet full of healthy fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fiber, a diabetes patient can help control their type 2 diabetes symptoms and maybe even slow the development of the disease. Maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise and a healthy eating lifestyle are very important to helping a diabetic live as normal of a lifestyle as possible.


Are you struggling with your weight with fear of developing diabetes? Our newsletter and eBook can give you the guidance you need to get healthy and stay that way through diet and exercise. Click lose weight quickly to find out more!


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Choy

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Look At MIss Ohio

This is from a performance at St Luke's in London in 2004 recorded for broadcast on BBC4.

3 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Growing Grapes

By Matt Granger


Growing Grapes is one the few overlooked yet most promising and exciting outdoor hobbies one can become involved in. It is fun, challenging, and best of all rewarding in the sense that once you have a fully grown grape farm or grape garden, you will enjoy the benefits of having fresh wine grapes to eat at your convenience. Plus, since growing grapes is an outdoor hobby, it will force you to get out of the lazy chair and out into the open and truly become one with nature.


Growing Grapes while appealing to most because of the delicious home grown wine grapes can be quite challenging at times. There are a few common mistakes that many new grape growers commit. I would like to cover them briefly with you now.


Growing Grapes Common Mistake #1:
One of the most common grape growing mistake new grape gardeners commit involves purchasing already grown grapevines and planting them in their garden. Here is the problem that lies with this situation. Your local nursery will buy grapevines in bulk for a low price and will put them on sale. They will look all nice and pretty at the nursery since they just brought them in. However, what you the customer doesn't know is that these grapevines have come from different parts of the country, places where in fact the grapevines were growing really healthy and strong.


You see, climate and atmosphere plays a key role in successful grape growing. When growing grapes in different parts of the country, you can expect totally different results with your grapevines. Different in climate alone will affect the types of disease your grapevines might get plagued with or when they will fruit better, if at all. Therefore, do not be fooled by what is being sold to you at the nursery. It is best to verse yourself on how to grow grapes from an expert and understand how the climate in your area will affect your vines.


Growing Grapes Common Mistake #2:
The second most common mistake committed when growing grapes is the eagerness for spraying.
I understand it is frustrating to see a few insects on your vines and can become quite irresistible to hold back from spraying your grapevines clean. Well, don't go too trigger happy. There are plenty of other procedures that you can use to keep your grapevines under pest control. Spraying should only be used when it is truly needed because you can risk killing off everything else in the area that normally would've controlled those pesky pests.


Growing Grapes Common Mistake #3:
Finally we come to the third most common mistake of growing grapes. This one involves planting grapevines without learning how to train grapevines first. That's like buying a car without knowing how to drive. Grapevines require proper training and pruning in order for them to grow successfully and most rookie grape gardeners just do not understand that growing grapes takes more than just planting a few grapevine seeds and watering them everyday.


Growing grapes can start from a fun hobby to ultimately becoming a full time career. However, it takes some skill and knowledge to fully succeed in growing grapes. Otherwise you will probably commit some of the costly, rookie mistakes covered above.


Visit this link to begin learning the skills necessary for growing grapes . Matt Granger has been growing grapes for over 30 years and is an expert in backyard grape growing and grapevine farming. Visit his personal grape growing website here: http://www.grapegrowingsecrets.com


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Krausening Home Brewed Beer

In a brewery, krausening would be done with fresh wort taken from the most recent batch made. For the homebrewer, Krausening is most often done with a small amount of wort made from dry malt extract. Alternately you can use a fresh batch of wort or keep some wort in a sterile container in the refrigerator from your last batch.


A key question is how much wort to use for proper carbonation? A good rule of thumb is that you should add enough wort to raise the gravity of the beer three points. For simplicty you can try the following formula from the Home Brewing Wiki:


Quarts_of_wort = (12 x Gallons_of_beer) / ((Specific_gravity_wort – 1.0) * 1000)


For example, if the krausening addition of wort (also called gyle) has a specific gravity of 1.060, and we’re krausening 5 gallons of beer, the result would be (12 x 5)/((1.060-1)*1000) which works out to exactly one quart of wort we add at bottling.


Read the whole article: Krausening Home Brewed Beer | Home Brewing Beer Blog by BeerSmith

Zucchini Wine

• 4 pounds zucchini
• 3 campden tablets 
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons 
• 7 cups sugar
• pectic enzyme 
• nutrients 
• 1 package wine yeast 
•  water 

1. Wash zucchini. Leave skin on. Chop zucchini and place in primary fermentor.
2. Wash oranges and lemons. Slice thinly and add to zucchini. 
3. Stir in sugar and nutrients. 
4. Pour 16 cups boiling water over mixture. Stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. 
5. Add pectic enzyme. 
6. The next day, check specific gravity -- it should be between 1.090 and 1.100.
7. Add yeast. 
8. Stir daily for five days, until frothing stops. Strain. Siphon into secondary fermentor and attach airlock. 

 For a dry wine, rack in three weeks, and every three months for one year. Bottle. 


 For a sweet wine, rack at three weeks. Add 1/2 cup corn syrup dissolved in 1 cup wine. Stir gently, and place back into secondary fermentor. Repeat process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of syrup. Rack every three months until one year old. Bottle. 


Variations:


1. Instead of granulated sugar, try honey or brown sugar.  
2. For a spiced wine, add 1 ounce fresh ginger root, sliced thin, to the water before boiling it. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes before pouring it over the cucumbers. 


NOTE: This recipe makes 1 gallon of wine. To make a larger batch of wine, just multiply all ingredients by the number of gallons you want except the yeast. One packet of wine yeast is sufficient for up to 5 gallons of wine.


photo by: Jeremy Keith 

Drinking Red Wine Is Healthy

Photo by:http://www.flickr.com/photos/von_hedwig/

Wine can offer some good health benefits when taken in moderation. Drinking red wine is healthy due to the flavonoids it contains. Red wine has higher amounts of flavonoids than white wine because the red wine is produced by fermentation in the presence of the grape skins.

As with any alcoholic beverage there is the danger of overindulging. Please keep in mind that the health benefits are only helpful when red wine is consumed in moderation. Drinking in excessive amounts you risk undermining the health benefits you might receive if you simply drank in moderation. Experts recommend that men should consume no more than two alcoholic beverages per day and women should have no more than one per day to achieve the health benefits and avoid the risks of overindulgence.

Drinking Red Wine is Healthy Due to Flavonoids

Read More: Methds of Healing

Home Brewing At Its Best: Save Money and Still Have Alcohol

Home Brewing At Its Best: Save Money and Still Have Alcohol


With the prices of nearly everything increasing, you may be looking for ways to save some money. If you like to drink beer every night or throw parties every Friday and/or Saturday night, you know it can get costly to buy your alcohol. Why not save money by doing some home brewing? You don’t have to limit yourself to just alcoholic beverages like beer and wine. If you want, you can make non-alcoholic drinks as well such as cider.


Home brewing is as it states… it’s nothing more than a small-scale fermentation alcohol-making process for your own consumption (although you can make additional beverages for parties). Home brewing may be considered a hobby now but it’s got a history… one that includes an era of illegal activity. If you want to save money and have patience, creativity and like it when things are clean, then you can turn this hobby into a rewarding experience that ensures you admiration from both family and friends.


From The Past To The Present – How Home Brewing Changed Through The Times


Home brewing alcohol drinks is certainly not a new conception. It, in fact, is over 7,000 years old; it began with the Egyptians, Chinese and Mesopotamians. Their brewing beer and wine formulas and procedures were passed on to the Greeks and onto the Romans. It wasn’t until the Sumerian civilization that these brewing methods were written down. When the Sumerians prayed, they would have to sing the recipe to honor the goddess of beer for giving them the best beer. After all, very few Sumerians could read and write.


Bear in mind that whole civilizations came and went and the laws of those remaining civilizations changed. When the Pilgrims first came to North America, landing at Plymouth Rock, they made the decision to include a brewery so they can replenish their beer supply when it got low.


When the Industrial Revolution took off (in the 1700s), beer, wines and other alcoholic beverages were mass produced. However, home brewers could use the hydrometers and thermometers to continue making the product; yet with more precision and reliability. French microbiologist Louis Pasteur discovered and shared his thoughts on the fermentation process while brewing. His thought yielded a whole new way people could brew, which gave their beers and wines some complexities.


The Prohibition Era – How Home Brewers Got Their Alcohol


There have been many dark points in United States history including two World Wars, the Vietnam War, September 11, Civil War, slavery, assassinations, the Great Depression, etc. In 1920, the U.S. had another dark point and it was called Prohibition, which outlawed any and all home brewing activities. Although it was outlawed, lots of people did not obey and continued to make their alcoholic beverages. Some people believe that the law did nothing more but encourage people to make them.


Since people were not able to purchase alcohol in public, they choose to discretely make their own. Two homemade answers to skirting around the law came about. First, there is moonshine, which was alcohol distilled by the moonlight. Second, there was bathtub gun.


Grape Growers and Prohibition


Although people were hiding their alcohol-making habits, grape growers saw an increase in demand, which meant they needed to increase their land space to grow more grapes. These farmers ended up acquiring 700 percent more land to meet the demands. When they sent orders to their customers, they usually came with warning labels, letting them know how to make alcoholic drinks in their advertising without coming out and directly saying.


13 years after it was first passed, the Prohibition Act was repealed but there was a catch. The document that repealed the act did not legalize home brewing of beer; it would stay this way until 46 years later when then-President Jimmy Carter signed a bill into law on February 1. Although there is no federal home brewing restriction, individual states could pass whatever laws they want against it. Today, just three states ban the practice:


- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Mississippi


Home Brewing Equipment Must-Haves


Are you ready to make your home brews? Does the idea appeal to you to try your hand at making your own beer? If so, then you need to know the home brewing equipment you need. If you want to try and make your own brew, then you can purchase kits that contain the liquid malt extract and no-boil wort.


So what do you need?


1 - You need a plastic carboy, large glass or food-grade bucket. You want something that will tightly seal.
2 - You’ll need a fermentation lock to place at the top; this will allow the carbon dioxide gas in the fermentation process to escape.
3 - You’ll need hydrometers and thermometers so that the ingredients and the process is consistent, which lessen the chance for errors in the brewing process.
4 - You’ll want another carboy if you plan on enhancing the flavor of your beer, wine, etc. With a second carboy you further age your beverage, giving it its final taste.
5 – You’re also going to need some capped or corked bottles once the fermentation process is complete. These will also help in the aging process of your beverage. Now, if you don’t want a bottle capper for your locking mechanism then you can buy flip-top bottles with rubber stoppers.


How To Do Home Brewing – It’s Easier Than It Sounds


When you start home brewing, you have to understand that this is not an overnight process; it’s going to take several weeks of your attention to get done and get done right. The first step you need to take is to make sure everything you’ll be using is free of bacteria, microbes, dirt and more. Unclean tools, bottles, containers and surfaces can make for ruined alcoholic drinks.


Don’t forget the primary ingredient in your recipe, which is wort. You can find it in kits or by cooking and boiling dried or liquid malt extracts. You’re also going to need bittering hops and flavoring hops. Bittering hops needs to be added at the beginning while flavoring hops needs to be added near the ending of the process. This will also depend on what beer style you’re going for.


The actual fun of the process is the experimentation, as you can come up with a wide range of beverages.


After you’ve created the wort, you’ll need to add it to your sterilized food-grade plastic bucket or carboy with water and yeast to begin the first fermentation process. This part of the process can take nearly two weeks, sometimes longer. If you’re doing a second fermentation, you’ll need another clean bucket. Be sure you leave behind some sediment in the first fermentation process.


Once your beverages have fermented, your beer will have to be primed and bottled. Priming is what creates the carbonation in the beer you drink. It’s done by adding tiny amounts of sugar into the bottles or beer before you cap them. If you want this carbonation in your beer, you’ll need to leave the bottles alone an additional four weeks… at least. After you’ve done this, put them in ice or in the refrigerator and then serve them.


The Benefits To Home Brewing As Opposed To Buying Alcoholic Drinks


All persons want to be praised for a job well done and this holds true when it comes to home brewing products. Home brewers are often dedicated to their work and put in long hours to ensure they get a quality batch of beer or whatever concoction they want to have.


Besides getting praise, there are other reasons to make your own batch of beer brew. If you’re the type of person who enjoys saving the environment, you can do so by making your own beer. You don’t use near as many packaging materials and you don’t need to do much transporting of your brew. On top of that, you use those jugs and bottles again and again..


Remember that the price for nearly everything is increasing; this includes liquor. If you want to save money, this is the way to do so without giving up your pleasure of alcohol. The ingredients for your homemade brew can cost anywhere from $25 to $45 per a five-gallon batch. Keep in mind that a five-gallon batch is equal to 24, 12-ounce bottles per case. Initially, the equipment can cost you $80 but in time, it’ll pay for itself.


It’s not that difficult to make your own batch of beer. You can make some today and before you know it, you can sit back in your American Heritage collection furniture and enjoy what you made with family and friends. If you want to, you can always store the extras in your Home Styles bar wine cabinet until you’re ready to drink it. With a little creativity and time, you can have the best beer you’ve ever tasted… made right in your own home.


Article Author Tidbit


Former bar/restaurant owner and HomeBarReviews.com publisher Tom Holmes became highly interested in the home brewing process when he received a wine-making kit from his six children as Christmas present a few years ago. Since then, he kept his eyes and ears open for anything regarding the newest fashions in bar designs and anything related to wine and beer brewing.


Today, he not only shares information regarding beer and wine making, but he’s also keen on sharing information about home bar furniture and tools. You can check out his website HomeBarReviews.com for all in home bars to see what would look best for your home today.

Planting Garlic

Garlic can be planted from fall to early spring, although hardneck varieties prefer to be in the ground during a cold winter.


Garlic grows best in deep, fertile well-drained soil. To plant, separate the cloves from each bulb and place pointy end up 1-2 inches below the surface of the soil and about 3-4 inches apart. Mulch the area and keep the garlic moist.


Garlic will be ready to harvest in summer when the flower stalks of hardneck garlic stand up straight or when the leaves of softneck garlic begin to turn yellow. Allow garlic to dry for several weeks before storing or using in your cooking.

Read More: Celebrate National Garlic Month - Vegetable Gardener

Rocky Top

The Osborne Brothers perform "Rocky Top."

Growing Cabbage

Get an early crop started by setting out seedlings 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost. Space seedlings about 2-3 feet apart. A second crop can be planted in July. Even watering is the key to preventing cabbages from splitting.

Cabbage worms are the main pest threat. They don’t do a great deal of damage and can be hand picked easily, if you can see them. Their coloring allows them t blend in with the cabbage.

Harvest when the head forms and they are firm to the touch. Leave the wide, outer leaves and just cut the head. Cabbages can be stored for months in a root cellar where the temperature is between 45 degrees F. and freezing.

Source: Cabbage - Growing and Caring for Cabbage in the Vegetable Garden

Photo by: La Grande Farmer's Market

Vegetable Gardening Guide - To Help You in Having a Simple But Productive Garden

Author: Clint Sidney

Vegetable gardening can be very stimulating. If you are just
planning to have you own organic garden, here is a vegetable
gardening guide to help you along with the new pastime and get
you started. First you need a space at your disposal, if you are
an apprentice it is advisable not to start with a big space. You
must begin with a single raised bed of 9'x12'. Then as you learn
all about organic gardening, you can add number of beds to dwell
upon.

Prepare the bed early in the season then it is time to sow, you
can first plant the kind of vegetable which your family needs.
This doesn't mean you have to supply vegetable for your family
for the whole year. Be contented with small achievement that you
can little by little increase. You can search the internet, read
gardening books and catalogues to assist you in deciding on what
kind of vegetable to grow in certain time of the year or season.

The next significant step you must do after planting is
uprooting the weeds surrounding your crop. Weeds are obstacle in
making your vegetables grow healthy. You have to hoe on a
regular basis even if you do not see weeds among the plants.
Avoid walking on the beds. Another method to exterminate weeds
is by mulching. Organic mulches like pine needles, grass and
straw are advisable to use, you just apply it when the soil is
wet. You can preserve the dampness of the soil as well as
enhance the temperature through mulching.

Another important aspect in vegetable gardening is watering the
plants. Frequent watering supports root formation, steadiness of
the plants and revival of nutrients. It is best to put in
sprinkles or drip irrigation. It is essential and a must for
seeds and transplants to be watered every day. Water the plants
before it withered.

The last thing to deal with is the problem with pest and
diseases. You should never use pesticides for the basic reason
that they terminate bugs that are useful too along with the
damaging ones. The common strategy to overcome this trouble is
to grow other plants along with your main crop. You can plant
onions and garlic together with carrots. Grow flowering plants
around the beds because it draws beneficial insects.

Hope this vegetable gardening guide will be of great help in
creating your own organic vegetable garden. You can also learn
more from browsing the internet, by reading books on gardening
or talking about it with neighbors. Have fun on building your
own garden.

About the author:
Clint Sidney is a gardening enthusiast and enjoys giving
information about Vegetable Gardening Guide. You can learn more about
gardening at GreatGardener.eHelpshome.com.

How To Grow Your Own Ingredients To Make Your Own Beer

By Graham Williams


There are two main beer-making ingredients that you can grow. Both hops and barley can be grown at home if you want.


Hops are known by the scientific name humulus. It is commonly referred to as hops vines, however the term vine is misleading. The hops plant is actually a bine plant. These plants use stiff stems with hairs to aid in climbing. They will wrap themselves around something in a clockwise fashion to grow. They grow very quickly, growing from 20cm to 50cm per week during peak growth periods.


Hops are perennial plants and are most commonly grown in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are rather easy to grow and can be grown indoors or out. Hops are susceptible to certain types of insects, so caution needs to be taken to prevent insect infestation. Hops flower during summer and the flower seedpod is the actual hops. These can be picked after the seed is formed, usually in August. The hops are then air-dried for several days at which time they are ready for use.


Barley is another main ingredient in beer. Barley is a grain, commonly grown throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It is grown as a major cereal food as well as for animal feed. There are several types of barley. Each type has a different protein and enzyme content and therefore produces different styles of beer. High protein barley is used to produce malt beer. Two-row barley is used in traditional English style ales. Six-row barley is used primarily in lager beer. Four-row barley is not suitable for use in brewing.


It takes a lot of room to produce barley and it cannot be grown well indoors as it needs quite a tall space. Unless you have a large field, you may not be able to grow your own barley. Picking and husking barley can be a tedious process.


While growing your own ingredients for beer can be rewarding and economical, unless you have the time and the space you may want to leave the growing of hops or barley to others.


Graham Williams is the owner of http://www.gw-ebooks.com this site is full of books that are about hobbies such as Brewing your own beer, Camping, Bird watching, Beekeeping. While your there don't forget to sign up to my newsletter and you will receive monthly discounts in any new book that is added each month you can visit my site here http://www.gw-ebooks.com


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Old Time Popcorn Balls

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 quarts popped corn

Butter sides of large saucepan. In it combine the sugar, water, salt, syrup and vinegar. Cook mixture over medium heat to the hard ball stage (250*F / 120*C) or when a small amount is dropped in cold water and forms a ball that holds its shape but is pliable.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Slowly pour over popped corn, stirring just to mix well.

Butter hands slightly; shape into balls. Wrap each individually in decorative cellophane paper or plastic wrap and tie with a pretty ribbon, if desired.

Makes 15 to 20 popcorn balls.

Photo by: Brian Omura 

Buckeyes

Ingredients:

* 1/2 stick (4 tbsp) butter, softened to room temperature
* 2.5 cups powdered sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 cup smooth peanut butter
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 cup milk or dark chocolate, your choice

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.

2. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until very smooth and well combined.

3. Using a teaspoon, form mixture into balls the size of a quarter. Place balls on cookie sheet covered with foil and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. While balls are chilling, melt the chocolate. Temper the chocolate if you desire.

5. Once balls are firm, they can be dipped. Using a toothpick, skewer a ball and dip it halfway into the melted chocolate. You want to leave at least a dime-sized circle of undipped candy on top of the ball.

6. Drag it along the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, and place it back on the cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining peanut butter balls.

7. Return balls to fridge to set the chocolate. Serve once candies are firm.

Photo by: CH®iS'

Symptons of Adult Diabetes

Symptoms of Adult Diabetes - All the Signs You Should Be Looking For Before Its Too Late
By Frank D. Miller






Type 2 Diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, is one of the leading causes of deaths affecting more than 5% of world population. These numbers are going to increase further in coming years if the condition is not diagnosed early. Interestingly, it is possible to control the symptoms of adult diabetes in situations where the warning signs diabetes gives are recognized early.




Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that commonly occurs in individuals lacking sufficient amounts of insulin or when the body cells are unable to respond to insulin signals or both. In any case, the amount of glucose present in the blood is abnormally high leading to some severe and life threatening complications. Insulin is the hormone that metabolizes body sugar, starch and other metabolites present in the food into energy that is required for daily life activities.




Symptoms of Adult Diabetes: - Our human body is designed in such a way that it sends warning signals before any disease crops up. The same occurs with diabetes. Warning signs diabetes gives are entirely due to increased blood glucose levels. Some of these signals are listed below:

• Polydypsia - A person with symptoms of adult diabetes suffers with excessive thirst and consumes excessive amounts of water. The reason is blood gets concentrated due to the presence of glucose. This immediately sends signals to the brain due to which cells release their internal water content into the blood. As a result, cells get dehydrated and need water so as to replenish the lost moisture levels.
• Polyphagia - Also referred to as excessive hunger, this is one more warning sign related to diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, insulin is under-utilized. As a result, the hormone remains in the blood, thereby sending a signal to the brain about need of glucose. In normal conditions, pancreas releases insulin only when a person is hungry.
• Polyuria - This is one of the most characteristic warning signs diabetes gives where an individual suffers with the urge to urinate frequently. Kidney or the renal system is the primary excretory organ of our body that removes anything that is present in excess. Presence of glucose continuously stimulates the renal organs to release it from the system. This is the reason why diabetics experience polyuria.
• Fatigue - Since the glucose present inside the blood is not metabolized properly, cells are always devoid of necessary energy levels. As a result of this, diabetics appear tired and fatigued.

Other characteristic symptoms of adult diabetes include unexplained weight gain or loss and blurred vision.




If you want to determine whether or not an individual is prone to diabetes, best method is a diabetes symptoms quiz. Usually, physicians conduct this quiz so as to assess the diabetes risk potential of their patients. A diabetes symptoms quiz involves a series of questions about some commonly observed symptoms of adult diabetes, BMI, familial history and age. Depending on the answers, your risk is assessed.




Adult diabetes is a disease that can lead to extreme health complications if left untreated. Usually, symptoms of adult diabetes appear in individuals aged above 40. Hence, once a person reaches that age, it is better to undergo periodical health checkup, pay attention to warning signs diabetes gives and undergo a diabetes symptoms quiz so as to assess your risk potential. Remember, prevention is always better than cure.




By keeping the different symptoms of adult diabetes in mind, you are far more likely to spot it early and save you or your loved ones a great deal of extra time, energy, and money. In addition, it is very possible that you may have also helped save someone's life.






For more information on to treat the Symptoms Of Adult Diabetes, try visiting http://www.curefordiabetes.org - it is a website offering solid tips and information on different diabetes treatments and diabetes in general.




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5 Successful Ways to Lower Blood Sugar Levels

By Murali V



There are plenty of ways to lower blood sugar; the best way to go about it is to tell yourself first that it is possible to control your blood sugar without being wholly dependent on pharmaceutical remedies. Once we've convinced ourselves that it is possible to take control of our disease with the things that we normally can do alongside our medication, our body's resistance and strength will follow suit.


Diabetes is not a disease of the old. According to recent statistical data from various medical centers around the world, the incidence of juvenile diabetes is steadily rising due to one factor mainly: environmental. Because the youth in general no longer are encouraged to eat organic food and to exercises to burn off excess calories, the rise of diabetes is exponentially rising. There have even been reported cases of diabetes type two on children as young as four years old. Though this is issue has another cause.


To lower blood sugar, you need to take a few easy steps, and assuredly, you will be able to take control of your blood sugar the natural way:


1. Physical activity- it is a known fact that diminishing physical activity has dire consequences for the body, for the simple reason that the human body cannot in any way handle excessive loads of fat and sugar for prolonged periods of time without the internal systems taking damage.


2. Diet- undoubtedly you have been warned of the dangers of not altering your diet once you have been diagnosed with diabetes. A good diabetic diet should consist not of red meat, but instead, lots of vegetables with fiber and lean meat or what they call white meat.


3. Outlook- having a positive outlook in life would undoubtedly boost your immune system. So if you have been a lifelong cynic, perhaps it is time for you to remove the negative thinking from your own life. It has been proven medically that the body is physically affected by the way we think- and this goes the same about lowering your blood sugar.


4. Food supplements- there are plenty of food supplements out there that you can purchase to get a normal range for blood sugar. The fact remains that these are only supplements and will only be effective If you use them in combination with the right diet and proper exercise.


5. Sufficient rest- because diabetics are always in a state of constant battle for normal blood sugar levels, it is important to note the importance of sufficient rest versus too much sleeping. According to recent studies, too much sleep is harmful for the body. The recommended hours of sleep for individuals is eight hours a night.


Even if you don't have diabetes yet, make sure to educate yourself thoroughly about diabetes signs and symptoms. It is far better to catch it early than when you already have it in your body. There are other ways to lower blood sugar- it's your task to find the ones that would work for you the best.



Controlling blood sugar is an art. If you want to be an expert in it, you should know the full details in foods to eat for diabetes AND foods to avoid for diabetes.


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The Online Diabetic Food Guide

By Lindelwa Laz



Diabetic food is food that is recommended for diabetic people. It can be sweetened, but it is typically sweetened with artificial sweeteners, and the foods are unnecessary and offer no special benefit to people with diabetes.


The Rule of Fruits and Vegetables


Fruits and vegetables are very essential for people with diabetes and are also an integral part of the diabetic food pyramid. Diabetics should eat a little less of meat and beware of foods like potato chips, candy, cookies, which have high levels of sugar and fat.


Fruit, after all, is a simple carbohydrate and many fruits are low on the glycemic index (GI) which is good for diabetic people. Fruit juices and sugar-sweetened beverages are obvious no-no's, and most artificially sweetened beverages just make it harder to kick the sugar habit. Fruits have plenty of fast acting sugars that could bring lows to normal levels. Also, as part of a regular diet, fruit actually help to maintain a healthy life style.


Fruit can also satisfy diabetics' cravings for processed sweets such as dough nuts and cakes. A cupful of grapes or a medium size apple between meals can help diabetics maintain their blood sugar levels without creating sudden spikes that can overwhelm an already overworked insulin-producing pancreas.


Fiber and Diabetics


Fiber-rich foods may protect against colon cancer. A number of population studies have found that people who eat a lot of fiber-rich foods have a lower incidence of colon cancer than those who don't get much fiber in their diet. Fiber is digested very slowly and as a result blood sugar level rises very slowly. A high-fiber diet that includes fiber rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, zucchini, oranges and raisin helps reduce insulin dosage by 25 %. Fiber is not reduced by cooking, so cooking your broccoli is just fine. Spinach, collard greens, kale and other greens do shrink in volume once cooked but make a great meal for people with diabetics and should be eating regularly.


Carbohydrate and Diabetics


Carbohydrate is a nutrient found primarily in plant foods but not in meats or other foods of animal origin except for milk. This means that persons who eat only plant food like strict vegetarians have an extra high intake of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates come from a wide array of foods including fruit, vegetables, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti and corn. The most common and abundant ones refined in are sugars, fibers and starches. Carbohydrates, especially those without fiber, will only satiate you once your tummy starts to stretch. And if you are into yogurts, the best yogurts are those made from good-quality whole milk (from grass-fed cows raised free of hormones and antibiotics) and naturally sweetened which is recommended for people with diabetics.



You welcome to visit: list of foods for diabetic to eat and Diabetic Dessert Recipes for more information.


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