House Rules

  1. If you open it, close it.
  2. If you turn it on, turn it off.
  3. If you unlock it, lock it.
  4. If you break it, repai it.
  5. If you can't fix it, call in someone who can.
  6. If you borrow it, return it.
  7. If you use it, take care of it.
  8. If you make a mess, clean it up.
  9. If you move it, put it back.
10. If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it, get permission.
11. If you don't know how to operate it, leave it alone.
12. If it doesn't concern you, don't mess with it.

Every morning, wake with the awe of just being alive.
Each day, discover the magnificent, awesome beauty in the world.
Explore and embrace life in yourself and in everything you see.
Live every day well.
Let a little sunshine out as well as in.
Create your own rainbows.
Be open to possibilities.
Believe in miracles!
~ Vickie M. Worsham ~

How to Steam Broccoli

Broccoli is an extremely nutritious vegetable that can benefit nearly everyone's diet. Extremely versatile, this green cruciferous broccoli can be eaten cooked or raw. However when it is cooked, broccoli should be prepared using a method that preserves the majority of its nutrients. Boiling removes many of the vitamins and minerals from this vegetable, so steaming or sautéing are considered the preferred method for cooking broccoli. Steaming broccoli is fast and simple, so even a novice cook can do it successfully.

Before you cook Before you steam your broccoli, it is important to prepare it properly:
1. Wash the broccoli thoroughly under cool running water.
2. Cut off the thickest portion of the stalks, removing the fibrous, woody bases.
3. Either chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces or cut it into thin stalks with florets at the top so it looks like a group of small trees.

Stovetop steaming
There are various kitchen implements available for stovetop steaming. You may use either a folding metal steaming basket, a hard pan-insert designed for steaming or a steaming basket made of wood. Whichever steaming tool you select, it should be placed in a pan that has a tightly fitting lid.

1. Fill the base of the pan with water so it is up to the level of the steamer, but does not rise up into the steamer.
2. Set the stove burner to high.
3. Once the water is boiling, place the broccoli loosely in the steamer. It is okay to fill the steamer, but it should not be packed with broccoli.
3. Cover the pan.
4. Allow the broccoli to cook three to five minutes. If the pan is really full, you may need additional time.
5. Make sure to remove the pan from the heat source and to remove the lid once the broccoli is done or it will continue to cook.

Microwave steaming
To steam in the microwave, you will need a covered microwave-safe dish or bowl.

1. Place the cut or chopped broccoli in the dish.
2. Add one to two tablespoons of water to the dish, depending on the amount of broccoli.
3. Cover the dish tightly, either with a lid or with microwave-safe plastic wrap.
4. For two cups of broccoli, cook on high for three to five minutes. For a larger amount of broccoli, you will need to increase the cooking time.
5. Remove the lid from the dish once the broccoli is done or it will continue to cook.

Recent studies suggest that stovetop steaming may preserve more of broccoli's nutrients than microwave cooking.

How to tell when broccoli is done Broccoli is done when it is still a little crisp, but the stalks cut easily. It should be a bright green. The best way to test broccoli for doneness is to taste it!

Once the broccoli is cooked, consider serving it with butter or lemon butter and a little salt and pepper to taste. It is often served with cheese sauce or with garlic-based Asian sauces

http://www.essortment.com/health-nutrition-steam-broccoli-48355.html

The Health Benefits of Garlic

In about the last 25 years, well-documented health benefits from garlic are reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood and increasing lipoproteins (good cholesterol), lowering of high blood pressure.

It is said to have positive effects in helping prevent yeast infections, cancers, colds and flu. Garlic has good anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulant properties.

Garlic can be cut and crushed, can be fresh and dried. Today they have capsules that can be purchased at your local supermarket or health store. One fresh garlic clove can be chewed daily or added raw to cooked foods. When adding garlic to cooked foods make sure it is added at the end of cooking because then the food retains the sulfur compounds more efficiently.



Cautions:
Things you need to be aware of in taking garlic: there are possible allergic reactions. It can also cause heartburn and stomach gas in some people.

There were a few drawbacks that the garlic had though. It caused bad breath, dulled eyesight, thirst, harmful to the stomach and causes gas if used in large amounts.


A clove of garlic a day just may keep the doctor away.

http://www.essortment.com/health-benefits-garlic-42064.html

The Health Benefits Of Yogurt

Eating yogurt everday is very healthy for the body. For those looking to supplement their protein, calcium and dairy, yogart is a healthy choice.

Yogurt is not just a delicious snack with fruits on the bottom, it has great health benefits. It is an excellent source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B 12. When yogurt is compared to milk, yogurt contains more calcium and protein because of the added cultures in the yogurt.

It improves natural defense, it contains a good amount of phosphorus and 88% water. People with a risk of osteoporosis should eat at least one serving of yogurt per day.

There are three types of yogurt: regular(whole milk), low-fat and skim. Low-fat and skim yogurt are good for people who are on a cholesterol lowering diet or just simply watching their weights. These types of yogurt does not raise blood cholesterol levels.
 

Some people have trouble digesting lactose, a carbohydrate in milk and milk products, because of the deficiency of enzyme lactase in the body. Live yogurt cultures produce lactase and break down the lactose. Yogurt is a healthy way to get the calcium the body needs, for the people who can not tolerate milk products.

Other benefits of live and active cultures in the yogurt are, they may help to boost the immune system. They encourage the right kind of bacteria to multiply in the gut. These bacteria help to digest food and prevent stomach infections. Also, they help to provide relief from vaginal infections.

http://www.essortment.com/health-benefits-yogurt

The best way to make your dream come true . . . .

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up

~Paul Vale'ry~