Happy Home

Archive for the ‘Design Interior’ Category

Article by Cheryl Joseph

Background: The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years. Many different cultures have used flowers in their traditional foods. The Chinese have been using daylilies, lotus & chrysanthemums for centuries. Italian & Hispanic cultures use stuffed squash blossoms. American colonists made violet vinegar & mutton broth with marigolds. Odysseus encountered the lotus-eating Sybarites on his way home from Troy. Dandelions were one of the bitter herbs referred to in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Flowers can be consumed raw, cooked, or infused in sauce. All edible flowers can be used as a decoration to a dish or on a tray. They add a distinctive color and taste to cakes, pastries & salads. Vinegar changes the color of the flowers, so it is best to serve the salad dressing on the side. Flowers add elegance to beverages when floating in a punch bowl or frozen in ice cubes. Edible flowers can also be used in teas.

Tips for Beginners:

Do not eat flowers if you have hay fever, asthma or allergies. Do not eat flowers obtained from a florist, nursery or garden center. Do not eat flowers growing on the side of the road. With the widespread use of pesticides by commercial growers, purchase edible flowers from a supplier who grows them specifically for consumption. Due to their popularity, many grocery stores & gourmet markets now sell edible flowers. It is most ideal to grow them yourself, so you know they are completely pesticide-free. If you decide to grow your own flowers to eat, be certain you know your flowers since not all are edible. Some are poisonous. Pick flowers on the day you are planning to use them. It is best to pick them in the morning or late afternoon when the water content is high. Select flowers that are freshly-opened; avoid flowers that are not fully open (unless buds are desired) or those starting to wilt. Select flowers free of diseased spots or insect damage. Normally, the petals are the only parts to be eaten. To maintain maximum freshness, keep flowers cool after harvest. Store your flowers, whole, in a container of water and place them in the refrigerator until you need to use them. Blooms and short-stemmed flowers can be kept fresh by laying them between layers of dampened paper-towel. Before use, wash flowers thoroughly in salt water. Perk them up by dropping them into a bowl of ice water for 30-60 seconds; then drain on paper towels. Remove all the green parts, stems and leaves, and any white ‘heels’ on petals since these parts can often be bitter. Petals can be stored for a day in a plastic bag in the refrigerator – but, ideally, you should use them within a few hours. Introduce flowers into your diet one at a time in small quantities.

How to Crystallize Flowers to Decorate Cakes & Candies: Combine one extra-large egg white (at room temperature) with a few drops of water and beat lightly until the white shows a few bubbles. Using a small paint brush, paint a thin layer of egg white onto both sides of a clean, dry petal. Gently place the petal into a shallow bowl of superfine sugar to coat the bottom of the petal; sprinkle sugar on top to cover the top of the petal. Gently shake off any excess sugar. Lay the petal on waxed paper to dry. Let the flowers dry completely; they should be free of any moisture. This could take 8 to 36 hours.

A Partial Listing of Edible Flowers:

Anise Hyssop Apple Bee Balm tea Bergamot Borage Calendula Chive Chrysanthemum Cornflower Day Lily Dianthus English Daisy Fuschia Hollyhock Johnny Jump-Ups Lavender Lilac Mint Nasturtium Pansy Peach Plum Prickly Pear Rose Rosemary Sage Signet Marigold Squash Blossom Violet Yucca

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The bathroom is not just a utility but also a lovely room where you should enjoy spending most of your free time. That is why bathroom decorations must be put in place to make this your best room. A well-decorated bathroom will be a wonderful start to a morning as you take that shower to start your day. It will help in setting the mood to provide you with the much-needed beautiful start to a busy day. These days, bathrooms are designed to appear like any other important room you have in your home. A bathroom decorating idea that works all the time is the introduction of bathroom cabinets. These cabinets shouldn’t only be elegant but functional as well to ensure that they provide what you need.

To create these cabinets stand out, it is important to settle for frames that are made of stainless-steel and frosted glass among other contemporary designs. The next thing is to arrange your towels, cosmetics and cleaning accessories and your bathroom will definitely look magnificent. Color is another bathroom decoration that makes it look exotic, warm, and inviting. Settling on the right colors will definitely give your bathroom a luxurious finish that will make it your favorite room. When settling for bathroom colors, it is very important pick on a theme that will be present on all the bathroom pieces. These include the napkins, towels, tiles, the wall, faucets, and the potted plants. If you have a small bathroom, it is a great idea to add mirrors that give an illusion of space thus making your bathroom look bigger.

These colors will go with personal preference and some people may opt for white, gold, black and white or aqua among others. However, you should keep away from colors such as peach, lime green and some yellow shades as they may not be very pleasant in the morning. Bathroom decorations will also include lighting which if properly done will give your bathroom a new lease of life. The lighting must be clear since other shades may play effects that are not ideal. You do not want to look into a mirror and see a green face! A bathroom lighting tip is that you must stay away from fluorescents since they have a paling effect. It is important to ensure that the lights are facing you and reflectors must be avoided.

Bathroom decorations will not be complete without a rug since they accentuate its look. Bathroom rugs are available in different sizes, textures and colors and the designs range from seaside to floral. The use of wall hangings makes ideal bathroom decorations and picking on one that matches the other pieces present will bring out a beautiful finish. Bathroom vanities are another way to decorate your bathroom as they act as centerpieces. It should match with the dcor in place and should be clutter free at all times. Bathroom decorations also include furniture such as towel racks, chairs, medicine chests, and settees as well. These must coordinate with the bathrooms theme to enhance the serenity and glamour.

To produce cocktails used in almost all types of alcoholic drinks: brandy, vodka, whiskey, gin, brandy, rum, tequila, balms, liqueurs, various wines, champagne, beer.

From the soft drinks used:

- Fruit juices, especially citrus fruits (lemon, lime , orange, grapefruit),

- Ready mix “Sauer” (in the form of liquid or dry concentrate), which includes lime or lemon juice and sugar,

- Soda water or mineral water, lemonade, tonic, cola, etc.

Often used ice cream milk, liquid or whipped cream, coffee, hot chocolate. The structure of cocktails such as flip, ego-feet and includes some of the other eggs.

To prepare the majority of chilled cocktails need food in the form of ice cubes or balls weighing 6-8 g, chipped or sliced. As additives for cocktails using aromatic components: nutmeg cinnamon, cloves, ginger, etc.

When making cocktails in a bowl of maraschino cherries drink invest – cherries in syrup, flavored liqueur, maraschino, green olives, cocktail onions – tiny white pickled onions certain type, a sprig of mint. In some cocktails put various fruits, small – intact, large – in the form of lobules. Garnishes are often used to decorate the glass and as a flavoring component in a cocktail. The main types of side dishes:

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- Circle of lime, lemon or orange, cut along the radius and fitted on the edge of a glass,

- Circle of lime, lemon or orange, put on a glass horizontally slice of pineapple, put on a glass horizontally. It is used for cocktails such as “Colada”;

- Peeled orange, divided into slices and served separately on a platter;

- Nuts, are served separately,

- The twist (peel (zest) of citrus), coiled coil;

- “Horse’s neck” – kind of twist, long narrow ribbon of peel, convoluted and hung on the edge of the glass so that the coil was inside,

- Frosting sugar, called frost or icing sugar. To get its edge of a glass is smeared with slice of lime or lemon and dipped in powdered sugar,

- Frosting salt. It is used for cocktails such as “Margarita” (from tequila). Edge of a glass greased slice of lime or lemon and dip into a large sea salt.

For puncturing slices of fruit used fruit skewer, a sharp stick of wood or plastic. She put in a glass with a cocktail, so that its upper end remained outside.

The main methods of cocktail preparation: mixing in a bar glass, knocking down a shaker or blender. Separately it is necessary to note the way “on the rocks”, when the strong drink poured over ice cubes in a glass in the ancient style or in engraved martini glass.

Cocktails are divided into basic types on various grounds:

Long drinks are prepared in relatively large quantities, contain a lot of ice. This, for example, daiquiri, Jogger, Julep, cobbler, colada, Collins, punch, coolers, Ricky, sling, physical, fix, highball, etc. Short drinks stronger and cooked in small quantities. This Digue krusta, smash, flip, frappe, shooter, ego-foot and other.

Cold drinks contain large amounts of ice. Hot drinks such as mulled wine prepared by boiling or by adding a mixture of hot water. Some drink cocktails at room temperature.

Layered cocktails are made from components of different density, which is poured into the tall transparent glass, starting with the most dense and heavy. As a result, they form a multi-colored layers. This is a short drinks, such as shooters.

Article by Christian Goodman

Though there are people who fight against the effects of growing an own garden, it’s not very easy to do so. Many people in fact try it out.

Many will not be having the right space, water and air to grow a garden. People find it very tough to spend hour’s together gardening and might not find it realistic. It’s a very nice task to grow own vegetables.

Green beans are the easiest to grow. It just needs a room’s area of around 12 inches by 12 inches and this yield lot of beans. Watering has to be done in the beginning and finally produces lot of plantations.

The bowl of green beans has so many nutrients namely beta carotene, lutein, vitamin K, choline, vitamin c and potassium. When it is being canned it loses all the nutritive values. When it is frozen then it can be used in future.

There are so many herbs that can be easily grown. They might not be very costly. Those are chives, parsley, kale, mint, and tarragon. Parsley and beans have the same quantity of lutein and vitaminK. Chives have beta carotene, folate, and vitamin K.

Lutein and beta carotene are Carotenoids. These are antioxidants that help in the absorption of blue and near-ultraviolet rays. It causes destruction to the eyes and causes resilience of the macula lutea. It stops the macular degeneration.

Cholates are necessary for the liver to work and for cholesterol health. Potassium is a hydrating ion. People having the broad-spectrum antibiotics suffer from the lack of vitamin k. Vitamin K are vital for bone, muscle and tissue development and general health.

Comparing a potassium supplement health drink and a cup of green beans, the green bean is a always a step ahead. The health drinks will affect the teeth and cause other related health problems.

Gardening is a very interesting hobby and it needs a lot of creativity. It is both fun and useful. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is to grow a good garden. One can do decorations and also patio gardening.

For more ideas on the healthiest foods to include in your new diet or try out in your new garden, check my Defeat Diabetes or Beat Cholesterol guides.

Stocking fillers are perhaps one of the best bits about Christmas – sure you get all those big fancy gifts all smartly wrapped under the tree too – but there’s something really exciting about those personal and humorous little that turn up in the foot of an old festive sock!

They’ll love the cute little Reindeer Mo-pod, a little tiny reindeer that spins, flashes and dances when your mobile phone rings! It’s a gadget from Japan which won ‘Gift of the Year’ in 2007 for its innovation and general addictiveness! You’ll certainly never miss a call again.

Otherwise parents can have fun with the ‘control-a-kid’ remote control gadget – really fun little stocking fillers which will amuse stressed-out parents everywhere who’ve always wished they could either turn down their teenager’s ‘volume’ or get them to put the kettle on! Probably worth noting that it’s not an actually scientifically-proven tool mind…

Fun loving types – brothers or overgrown students – will probably enjoy stocking fillers like the on a roll ‘crime scene’ toilet paper. Presented in a clear gift box, this printed ‘police style tape’ loo roll helps seal off the bathroom when a emergency has occurred and evacuation may be necessary….Or bring some real aesthetic style and class into your home decor scheme with the ‘splat stan’ silicone rubber coaster. Featuring a ‘splatted’ stan, reminiscent of playdough characters from your youth -Stan protects your Mum’s fancy table, whilst making your cup look, erm, stylish. Stan belongs to the Dead Fred’s series – one to impress your friends with or cause a bit of a stir in the office….

Otherwise why not try some classic comedy stocking fillers – such as the amazing flying monkey! A soft toy with a magical cape and a secret power – flying monkey is like a catapult and he soars through the air for up to fifteen meters! Even better, he makes noisy ape sounds as he flies! House of entertainment guaranteed, for kids aged six to sixty…

Why not show you really care with a loving ‘last Rolo, and not the half-melted hair-covered one in your jeans pocket either, but a beautiful gold plated souvenir one in a gorgeous red box.

Stocking fillers even get green, with funky little seed packs, designed to get even the clumsiest fingers growing away! Try a little gift pack of organic garden mint – a perennially popular herb which brightens up everything from salads to mojitos! The seeds also geminate in just two to three weeks, so impatient folk will be able to harvest their ‘crop’ very quickly! You can get other garden kits too – including tea and coffee growing kits for caffeine addicts, or even a grow-your-own bonsai tree, for those wishing to bring a bit of zen into your life!

Stocking fillers get an extra-special touch when they feature the recipient’s name – such as the personalised film lover’s diary, featuring twelve classic flim images to brighten any cinema buff’s day…All on high quality paper with a glossy luxurious finish – you pick your loved one’s name and our techie experts will do the rest! Similarly, why not try a personalised dressing room sticker – designating the sanctity of your dressing room, and keeping those fans (or demanding family members) out to let you straighten your hair in peace… or present your loved one with a cute little personalised print, with their name spelt out in one of the many images on offer – clouds in the sky, chocolate sweets, flowers, marked into sand etc – these stocking fillers are certainly more stylish and glamourous than your average !

For real retro fun, bring back the old days with a ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ soap on a rope! It’s a fully licensed replica badge from the famous kids’ programme, and comes presented on a red satin ribbon. Going into the shower never was so much fun! For similarly quirky stocking fillers you could also try the wedge of cheese door stop – or encourage your creative kids to write down their pearls of genius with the cute ‘ideas’ notebook – who knows, it may eventually make its way into a museum exhibition one day when they’re rich and famous….

As you can see, have come an awfully long way since the time when all anyone could expect was a sugar mouse, a satsuma and a piece of coal! Online shopping has brought a real wealth of funny, unusual and downright bizarre little stocking fillers right at your fingertips – so get clicking and bring some smiles to your loved ones’ faces this Christmas!