Posts Tagged ‘hobbies’

Enjoying Alcoholic Drinks

Friday, February 5th, 2010

In the West, alcoholic drinks are never far away from the scene at festive times, but do we aways know how to get the most from these costly luxuries? Too many people these days just think its a question of ‘getting as much down as possible in as little time as possible’. This is the wrong approach.

After all, most people realize that a good meal does not consist of eating as many chips as possible in fifteen minutes, so why should that principle not apply to consuming a drink too? You will get far more enjoyment from a bottle of wine, if you spend an extra dollar on it and drink it slowly with a friend and some suitable food than if you swill down a cheap bottle of plonk on your own. It makes obvious sense, but not everyone sees it.

So, with that thought in mind, I have put together a few tips on how to get more enjoyment from your alcoholic drinks, if you are old enough and of that turn of mind.

Gin and Vodka – if these white spirits are your favourite tipple, always keep the bottle in the fridge, not the drinks cupboard. Keep the mixers in the fridge too. That way the ice will last longer and you will not be tempted to have to gulp it down before the ice melts. If you are having friends around, go one step further and put the bottle in the freezer. It will not go solid. You can even cut the top off a plastic lemonade bottle, put the bottle of gin or vodka in that, fill it with water and then freeze it. Remove the plastic bottle and you have an attractive “collar of ice” around your bottle.

The Last Tot – five minutes or so after finishing a bottle of spirits, tip it out one more time and the bottle that you thought was drained will deliver one more tot of contents. It is not a lot, but it is a pleasant free surprise. The same works for many alcohol based items including underarm roll-on and perfume.

White Wine – white wines taste best when they have been gently chilled over a prolonged length of time, but if you get taken by surprise visitors, put the bottle of wine in a container of ice and cold water. Try not to have to put it in the deep freeze, it is too severe, but if you have to, then ten minutes is all that it takes.

Port – it is always better to decant port and older, heavier red wines, because of the sediment that may be in the bottom of the bottle, which tastes horrible and because it aids the aeration of the wine. However, it is not always easy to see when the dregs are coming. The manuals say to use a candle, but they were written a hundred years ago. The concentrated beam from a torch is far better. Try using a Durabeam because its rotateable head allows it to be directed more accurately.

Decanters – sometimes the stopper becomes stuck fast. Tap it with another glass item and it should come free. If not, run the neck of the decanter under hot water for a few seconds and it will come out.

Labels – if you store your wine in a damp place where the labels are likely to rot or fall off, spray them with hair lacquer beforehand.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with researching the programmable crock pot. If you have an interest in cooking or crock pots, please go over to our website now at Large Crock Pots

Renting Movies On The Internet Or Join Movie Download Websites

Friday, February 5th, 2010

With everyone living in a busy world we all are looking for ways to save time, renting dvd’s on the web can be huge time saver and not only time, but renting movies on the web also saves money, so today you should only rent dvd’s online and save yourself time and money if you are renting on a monthly basis.

Online sites offer you everything from fair prices, customer service, location, fairly quick delivery, and much more. Many people prefer to become a paid member of such sites and enjoy their favorite films.

Individuals rent dvd’s for many different reasons. Most of us visit popular departments at your local video rental store or the new movie releases area to find the most current films available. It’s a good way to catch up on all the movies you missed in the theater.

Not only that but it is also one of the best ways to save money. Before going to a movie at the movie theaters, a lot of people decide to wait for it to come out on dvd. Many films are ready to be rented within months of their theatrical debut.

Quite a few people rent movies to preview them for their movie collections. Although the cost of dvd’s has gone down in the last couple of years, quite a few people still don’t want to add a movie to their compilation until they know that they will enjoy the dvd and will watch it again. A movie rental club is often the best decision for movie fans. Ordinarily these membership clubs offer incentives for people who rent dvd’s a few times each month.

whether or not you’re a big cinema fan , or just rent dvd’s from time to time, there are quite a few amazing video stores and sites devoted to serving you. Your corner video store is an excellent option for last minute rentals. The web services are also an easy way of renting movies without the hassles of traveling. They also have very competitive prices if you are renting more than a few movies every month.

The only issue with internet rental sites is if you are expecting to watch the rental tonight, that is just not going to happen. You will have to to wait for the movies to be delivered to your mailbox. While this is a good way to rent dvd’s, there is a better way to watch movies when you decide to watch them.

You should join a legal internet instant movie download site, you can watch movies when you choose to watch them, and not when they finally get delivered to your home.

In summary. if you are a dvd fan like I am, then you want to watch the movies when you decide to watch the movies, and you wont be able to do that with the online movie rental programs. You can, on the other hand, watch movies whenever you want, if you have the time to download them on to your computer.

Some of the movie download websites even provide legal programs that will allow you to transfer the movies on to your own dvd, if your computer has the capability to burn it, using a dvd burner.

Find out more about: movie download websites at our website about movie download.

Training Online for Cisco Support In Detail

Friday, February 5th, 2010

If it’s Cisco training you’re after, but you’re new to working with switches and routers, you most probably should start with the Cisco CCNA qualification. This will provide you with the knowledge you need to understand routers. The internet is constructed from huge numbers of routers, and large companies with several locations also utilise routers to allow their networks to talk to each other.

Usual roles with this qualification could be with an internet service provider or possibly a large or international company which is spread out over several locations but still needs contact. Both types of jobs command good salaries.

You should get a tailored course that takes you on a progressive path to make sure you’ve got the appropriate skills and abilities prior to commencing your Cisco training.

The right sort of training program will undoubtedly also include wholly authorised exam preparation systems.

Don’t fall foul of relying on unauthorised exam preparation systems. Their phraseology can be completely unlike authorised versions – and often this creates real issues when the proper exam time arrives.

Mock exams will prove very useful for confidence building – so that when you come to take the real thing, you will be much more relaxed.

It would be wonderful to believe that our careers are secure and the future is protected, however, the truth for the majority of jobs in England currently seems to be that security just isn’t there anymore.

We’re able though to reveal security at the market sector level, by searching for areas that have high demand, together with a shortage of skilled staff.

A rather worrying British e-Skills study demonstrated that twenty six percent of all IT positions available are unfilled due to a huge deficit of appropriately certified professionals. This shows that for each 4 job positions existing across IT, there are barely three qualified workers to fulfil that role.

Well trained and commercially certified new staff are correspondingly at a resounding premium, and it looks like they will be for much longer.

For sure, this really is a critical time to consider retraining into Information Technology (IT).

Being at the forefront of the cutting-edge of new technology is as thrilling as it comes. You personally play your part in shaping the next few decades.

We’ve barely started to get a feel for how technology will influence everything we do. Computers and the Internet will profoundly revolutionise how we view and interact with the world around us over the coming years.

A standard IT man or woman in Great Britain will also get noticeably more money than equivalent professionals in much of the rest of the economy. Average remuneration packages are amongst the highest in the country.

With the IT marketplace emerging with no sign of a slow-down, it’s likely that the need for professionally qualified and skilled IT workers will remain buoyant for quite some time to come.

Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. How many parts is the training broken down into? And in what order and do you have a say in when you’ll get each part?

You may think that it makes sense (with training often lasting 2 or 3 years to gain full certified status,) that a training provider will issue one section at a time, as you achieve each exam pass. But:

Students often discover that their providers usual training route isn’t the easiest way for them. You may find that a slightly different order suits them better. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done within their exact timetable?

To be in the best situation you would have every piece of your study pack sent to your home before you even start; the whole caboodle! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede your capability of finishing.

Copyright Scott Edwards. Check out www.OnlineCareerAdvice.co.uk/loncaad.html or Graphic Design Course.

categories: computer,education,self improvement,advice,web,career,home,work,money,technology,software,games,hobbies,shop

Putting Food Onto Film – Some Tips

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Were ever your focus you will see food photography. We are fenced in a sea of it. Open a magazine or paper and it will be there squeezing its mouth watering images out at you stimulating your taste buds into action.

If you think that food photography is very difficult and that you could never snap like the professionals you could surprise yourself. Like most types of other picture taking, a lot of the effects come from technique which can be learned.

As we all know – light is King in the world of photography. Getting the lighting right is always the number one concern. Take time to make sure your have plenty of light.

One of the best places to photograph food is by a window where there is a lot of natural light – perhaps supported with flash bounced off a ceiling or wall to give more balanced lighting that cuts out the shadows. This daylight helps to keep the food looking much more natural.

If you have to take a lot of food pics then invest in buying or making a light box or tent. This is simply an enclosed area that is lit externally through diffused walls in the tent/box.

Slow shutter speed is king for food pics to capture the depth of the image. Make sure your camera is well mounted on a strong tripod and of course you should be using a shutter release cable to stop any camera shaking resulting in blurring.

Choose your props very carefully to suit the end results that you are looking for. The props will make or break your photos. It’s usually the props that set an amateur pic aside from a pro shot.

Use professional equipment when you do food photography and you will see the results. Using good quality lighting and a high quality camera are the main equipment your will need. You have to use a SLR camera with food photography if you want to get the best results. You will need to be able to zoom in and control the shutter and aperture settings to capture the full depth of the image.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

Steps Towards Having A Successful Wedding Photography

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Aside from the person who actually conducts your wedding ceremony, possibly the most important element of your wedding is the wedding photographer. This individual has the responsibility of recording your important day and endeavoring to catch every memory on film. It is very important that you see first the work of different photographers so you will be able to choose the best one whose style and vision matches what you would like to have on your wedding day.

For a smooth running photo session, here are a few tips:

1. Construct a list of all of the photos you desire. Name exactly what you want! State exactly who you want pictures of, and at what point and in what setting. It is important to determine the amount of coverage you prefer as well. The wedding day can be segmented into four photographic sessions which are: the pre-wedding photos, the ceremony, the organized set shots or location shoot, and the reception.

2. Tell them what you want! Instruct people where to go and when to be at the photo shoot. Notify them in advance about what to wear, where they need to be, and when they need to be there.

3. Make sure that the wedding photographer and you are both on the same page regarding your requirements, and have everything put in writing and signed in agreement.

4. Respect the procedures. Of course, this day is yours. However if you are having a chaotic experience, just think about what the photographer is going through trying to capture all of the chaos in the midst of him for a photo. Members of the bridal party, family members, friends, relatives — everyone is standing around, chatting and generally getting in the way.

You can make the entire process smooth for all involved and ease your mind, if you follow the steps above. You can ensure that the ceremony commences according to schedule and that every person goes to the reception before the food disappears! Your wedding pictures will be great if you are considerate of you wedding photographer, since his job is to photograph the memories you are making on your wedding day.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

categories: wedding photography,bridal photography,marriage,hobbies,family,food,business

How Did Wedding Photography Start?

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Wedding period is ever tiresome and stressful. This goes true for those who are planning the wedding, but the most stress lands forever on the bride and the groom. For years, people have just given up to the fact that weddings will ever be stressful and that they just have to deal with it to the best of their abilities

However, many professional services have come up nowadays which enable you to stay calm on the wedding day, without having to worry about anything. These services ensure that you can fully enjoy what would most likely be the most important day of your life. One such professional example is pre-wedding photography.

Experts are of the belief that pre-wedding photography started in Singapore in the later years of last decade. However, other like forms of photography have existed in some parts of the world even before that. In several parts of Europe & the US, couples have for several decades been posing for such photos taken by inexperienced photographers, but as pre-wedding photography emerged as a well known specialised service, people from all parts of the world started to use this service increasingly. Specific best practices have been laid down in this new field, and today it is not tough at all for you to find a photographer specializing in pre-wedding photography.

The reasons behind the origin of pre-wedding photography are quite obvious. The requirement for a service, which decreases the stress on the couple on that important day, has ever been in existence. Couples have started to strongly believe in the fact that a wedding day is one in which they should also have fun to their heart’s satisfaction. On your wedding day, you must be relieved of all heavy commitments and responsibilities that take up your valuable time and stop you from enjoying the occasion.

Furthermore, by going for a pre-wedding photography service, you increase the chances of everything going according to plan on your wedding day. The last thing you would want is bad weather or any other unpredictable factors spoiling all your wedding pictures.

Pre-wedding photography services are nowadays being offered by many reputed photography companies, and this is being greatly welcomed by people. These services are rapidly gaining popularity across all continents, so irrespective of where you live, you will be able to locate a lensman who can do this job.

Nowadays any well known wedding photographer won’t fail to advise you for using this service. The photographer would be in a position to suggest a good venue, would take care of all the arrangements, and would also be willing to provide for any special requests that you may have.

Find out more about the best Food Photographers who are also top in their field for Bridal Photography.

categories: food photographers,actual day photographer,Singapore photographers,hobbies,wedding photographer,bridal photography

What Electrical NVQ ’s Should I Consider

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Due to the exciting choices available, the electrical industry offers jobs that many people choose. Whilst the original term is ‘Electro-Mechanical Engineering’ we will simply refer to the subject as the Electrical Industry. Equally we’ll focus on those credentials that fit the UK domestic and commercial sector rather than those from around the world. Because of the vast number of options available for a career within the electrical industry, we’ll start by concentrating on the main topics, and come back to the ‘add-ons’ later.

The electrical market has in our opinion two methods of entry. The first is for those wishing to train via a more traditional apprenticeship route, and the second is for people who are entering the field at a later stage in life. There are two sets of people for consideration firstly the ‘Junior Entrants’ and secondly the ‘Mature Entrants’.

Primarily, those who join the industry later on, (the Mature Entrants,) generally do so with the aim of becoming self-employed at some point, or to work on their own building projects etc. without having to pay wages to external electricians. On the other hand, to gain further credentials and experience ‘Junior Entrants’ tend to work for a recognised electrical firm. After they leave school a young apprentice will have many skills to learn during their first few years of working life.

Entry has two separate approaches to teaching. The Junior Entrants syllabus involves NVQ/SVQ’s as well as proving working skills. The training itself is similar to non NVQ training, but completion of the full programme means getting the actual qualifications. New employees gain the necessary course work and testing elements through an apprenticeship or some form of suitable work program.

Many mature students gain entry into the market without the NVQ element, and simply choose the most commercially practical route to self employed work. For example by concentrating on those qualifications aimed at giving them the best return from their training costs. This system does meet the purposes set out and therefore often provides a faster and more direct route into a trading position.

Salaries are often simply broken down to those that relate to self -employed people and those in general employment. For the sake of this document we will assume that everyone involved in electrical employment is working full-time. Certainly, whilst salary levels can be affected by knowledge and qualifications, they can also be affected by competence and aptitude.

‘Junior Entrants’ can expect a basic salary of 12K at the beginning of their training. With application and experience this figure often more than doubles in time. ‘Mature Entrants’ salaries though are often more difficult to work out, but can rise to 70.000 and above as reported in UK newspapers. That aside, many added costs need to be remembered by self employed people in order to make their business work. In addition to this they will also have to allow for items such as accountancy and personal/professional insurance. In the UK there is a lot of work for electrical professions due to a short fall of current skilled people. In light of the above, a full seven day week is available to most people should they want it. Although by working very long hours and having assistants to help, the figures of 70-100 thousand advertised in newspapers might be achieved, it wouldn’t be easy.

Firstly, it is worth pointing out that the working week between the Junior and Mature electricians can vary enormously. ‘Junior Entrants’ would normally be required to work Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Whereas the Mature market can be more dependent on the domestic market for some – i.e. weekend and evening work, when their clients are available and back from work. This alters quite a bit, with lots of self employed electricians gaining much of their income from small office work, which is predominantly Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.

If a Junior Electrician chooses an electrical career, then the main business actions of their company often dictate the type of expertise that they gain. Whereas the mature entrant can gain knowledge from any trade source – even one outside of the core of electrical work. This gives them the chance to complete work for domestic clients without having to sub contract jobs out every time.

An up to the minute angle – involving a new level of skills – is that of the so called ‘Green Engineer’. The chance to win some big employment and business advantages within the governmental as well as the traditional growth sector means that this area could be attractive to both Junior and Mature Entrants alike.

(C) 2009 S. Edwards. Check out Electrical Training or Click HERE.

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A Background In Electrical Training Courses

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Due to the exciting choices available, the electrical industry offers jobs that many people choose. For simplicity’s sake we will use the phrase Electrical Industry to cover off the more accurate term of “Electro-Mechanical Engineering”. Also, due to a wide variety of qualifications and standards throughout the world, we’ll focus on those that fit the UK domestic and commercial market. As this is such a wide ranging subject matter we’ll begin by sticking to the main area first and come back to the ‘add-ons’ later.

Essentially, we see two distinct forms of entry into the electrical market. Initially there’s the more traditional apprenticeship approach, but equally there is now an alternative, suited to those who are keen to enter later in their life. There are two sets of people for consideration firstly the ‘Junior Entrants’ and secondly the ‘Mature Entrants’.

Mature Entrants who join the industry later on do so with the aim of working for themselves, usually as a one person business. Alternatively, ‘Junior Entrants’ will pick up lots of their work place skills by working with an already reputable electrical company. Upon leaving school many apprenticeships provide a fast learning curve for young adults looking to boost their auxiliary skills.

Entry has two separate approaches to teaching. It is the involvement with NVQ’s (or SVQ’s for Scotland), that differentiate the Junior Entrants. There is a particular requirement to attain the NVQ qualifications as part of the overall program. Often, this means that students have to gain an apprenticeship in order to be able to realise the course work and testing requirements of the job.

Many mature students gain entry into the market without the NVQ element, and simply choose the most commercially practical route to self employed work. Instead most of them aim for the techniques that will get them up and running as quickly as possible and give them the best return against the cost to train in the first place. Whilst this may seem to reduce the overall qualification set, this meets the trade requirements for the areas involved, and thus provides a quicker and more direct commercial route to the market.

Salaries are often simply broken down to those that relate to self -employed people and those in general employment. Whilst self-employed people can choose the hours that they work, we assume that they are working full time for the purpose of this review. It is recognised that competence and qualifications add to income levels as well as experience and information gained.

The basic salary for Junior Entrants tends to start around the 12-15k mark, but rises regularly to around 30k with the right level of experience. ‘Mature Entrants’ salaries though are often more difficult to work out, but can rise to 70.000 and above as reported in UK newspapers. Regardless of all that is the need to cover off additional costs such as tools, clothes and even a vehicle and all that goes along with that. Earmarked within this is the need to cover additional expenses such as accountancy or insurance. In the UK there is a lot of work for electrical professions due to a short fall of current skilled people. Without a doubt, the market would allow for some people to work a full seven days a week. It should be understood that the 70-100k figures that we see thrown around in newspapers are not easily achieved, and would either require working long hours or having assistants (or both.)

For the most part there is a strong difference between the Junior and Mature Entrants’ working week. Monday to Friday 9-5 would be the working week of most ‘Junior Entrants’. But due to the needs of the domestic market the Mature Entrant is often more reliant upon when their client base gets back from work. There are however lots of opportunities for self-employed electricians to do work on small business systems during normal office hours.

A Junior Entrant that has chosen to adopt a career within the electrical trade is more than likely to gain follow up expertise within the particular field they fall into, often dictated by the main business activities of their employer. Then again, the mature entrant can even go outside of the electrical field to gas work or plumbing work for example. They can take on larger jobs and do all the work themselves then – which is a particularly great benefit to domestic clients.

A new trade example is that of the ‘Green Engineer’. This new service to the industry could fit into the overall skill-set of an electrician. The opportunity to provide both employment and potential service contracts, especially in the UK and the EEC sectors, mean that this area is of interest to both Junior and Mature electricians.

(C) 2009 S. Edwards. Check out Electricians Courses or Click HERE.

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Simplifying Plumber Training Courses – The Best Routes

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

The figures explaining how much Plumbers can earn is often talked about in the papers. Figures of 30-70k p.a. are touted, alongside much talk of the profound shortage in the number of Plumbers within the UK. So, are we being told a story or is this the genuine picture? For the competent and correctly skilled person, this level of salary is realistic. In fact, earnings in excess of 70 – 100k p.a. are achievable – but that is solely for those who work within the self-employed market-place, rather than those who work within established employment routes.

It is fairly usual to expect working hours of 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday with a reputable employer. From UK companies comes the standard reward such as holiday pay and sickness allowance and a potential wage of between 15k and 30k p.a. By working ‘out of hours’ – typically longer than 9am to 6pm Mon- Fri the self employed person can often achieve a higher wage. This is especially the case where self-employed plumbers have opted to work in the domestic market, where their clients are at work during the day – requiring evening and weekend visits.

Around which is the question of self employment which appears to fit some people. This can involve factors such as getting the basics sorted out and the need to use good ‘business sense’ overall. Likewise self-employed people need to consider the implications of costs relating to materials and transport as well as legal and accountancy fees etc. These charges should always remain a small proportion of the overall income so that any profits created always outweigh them. Added to that, the positives virtually always outstrip the negatives!

Firstly, it is the ordinary employer who covers most of the needs and teaching prospects that Student Entrants are interested in. Alternatively, the Self Employed Entrant needs to quickly establish those certificates that they will rely on in industry. In fairness it is the ‘domestic’ market rather than the commercial sector that attracts the majority of the self-employed workers in the UK. (Whilst not everyone does the majority do!)

With reference to education in Plumbing, there is a likeness needed by each part of the industry in relation to the certification elements. Without a doubt the issue of NVQ’s (SVQ’s in Scotland) raises a constant concern as to the way forward.

To begin with the NVQ structure appears to be much more important to the Student Entrant than to the Self Employed Entrant. The Self Employed Entrant will often call upon a wider range of certifications right from the outset; in order to satisfy their perceived client’s requirements. The self employed person needs to consider the wishes of their household clients and use the relative domestic-centred qualifications to satisfy them. The Student Entrant, once they have covered the key fundamentals, will carry on their study in a way similar to an apprenticeship (within the workplace – where the NVQ element can be assessed.) By using this cheaper form of study the Student Entrant can make sound financial savings from the outset. It is often by gaining certifications faster, by being motivated by a more commercial standpoint that the Self Employed Entrant will achieve considerable financial benefits before a Student Entrant.

To be sure the financial returns required is the result of clear careers discussions covering certification and the overall study requirements. It is often the issue of spending time at college and then having to go back to an apprenticeship for up to 3 years that proves difficult to many adults especially those that have a family to look after. Normally, self-employed students to pay for their courses themselves whereas the younger Student Entrants have the majority of their courses paid for them as part of their apprenticeships. The level of certification sought by the student drives the course structure and can result in costs of between 3k through to 10k+.

Self Employed Entrants can consider a wide range of private technical colleges as opposed to the reliance on further-education colleges and that differentiates them from Student Entrants. Often through the use of established training schemes many commercially oriented plumbing courses are now able to deliver the necessary skill-sets and qualifications. This method offers key advantages to Self Employed Students, allowing them to train evenings, part-time or on self-study classes thereby continuing with their existing jobs and maintaining their financial situation. Considering so many options on hand it is clever to gather data from as many sources as one can. To review your options why not book mark this page (CTRL-D) and you can come back and review the links and adverts we have provided for you.

To increase their ‘marketability’ many plumbing students will go on to utilise extra courses. Courses in areas such as Gas, Electrical and Green Energy can provide added certifications. Gas training has always been a route for Plumbers to consider, as this forms part of the common domestic and commercial heating system.

Gas training in itself is a specific and rigorous training regime, with core subjects followed by an emphasis on NVQ’s. This considers ongoing development, especially for those who trained first as a plumber and are seeking extra skills. It could be said that the blend of training covering Plumbing/Gas training is better matched to the mature student. It is by centring on these core elements and dropping the NVQ elements that the Mature Student appears to settle.

It is from this mix of training methods that the self-employed professional appears to benefit. The opportunity to learn a wider range of perceived skill-sets (whilst earning money from them) becomes the attraction. Instead of having to rely upon third parties to complete certain skill-sets, this adds to their commercial viability. Sub-contracting can not only reduce the earning potential of a job, but also erode the value in the customer’s eye, as they may have to wait for key stages to be handled by someone else before the final completion of the job. The higher the skill level of a Plumber the more that they can offer their client base.

In retrospect, the Self Employed Entrant has the potential to achieve a much higher and more readily available income stream than Student Entrant, but to do so they need to develop both their business skills and achieve a broader range of certifications. Note: This information refers to the UK industry requirement and their policies alone.

Written by Scott Edwards. Pop over to Plumbing Careers or www.INeedANewCareer.co.uk/FINANC.html.

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Preparing And Storing Food – A few Handy Tips

Friday, January 29th, 2010

In these times of superior awareness of the shortages in the world and the recent economic problems in the whole world, but particularly in the wealthy Western countries, which are the powerhouses of most Third World countries’ progress, people are more aware of waste. It is a sin again to throw away food, like it was 50 years ago.

This can only be a good thing although it is a shame that it took an international financial disaster to make us recall the lesson. These days, waste of any kind is greeted with public censure and so it is at home too. Most people spend a very high percentage of their outgoings on food and so anyone who wants to cut back, has to first look to this quarter to make a saving.

However, saving does not necessarily mean ‘not buying’, it can and should mean ‘not throwing away’. In other words, prepare your food and do not let your food go off. Preparation and storage are the major words. With that thought in mind, here are a few of my tips for preparing and storing food correctly.

Bread – tons of bread is thrown away every day, because it has gone stale or mouldy and yet it is totally needless. Store your bread in the deep freezer and not in the bread bin. A whole loaf will slice frozen with the proper knife and sliced bread will come away slice by slice. There is no need to defrost as it only takes a minute or two at room temperature.

Bananas – most people know that banana skins go black if stored in the fridge, but most people do not know that bananas can be frozen solid. Yes, the skins will still go black, but the fruit will be undamaged.

Cake – to stop cake from going stale, store it in a tin with an apple. The moisture in the apple will stop the cake from going hard.

Watercress – to keep watercress from wilting, store it upside down in water, that is stalks up.

Salt – salt often gets damp, especially if stored in a steamy kitchen without sufficient ventilation, but you do not have to worry about that if you put two or three grains of rice in the salt cellar. They will soak up the moisture before the salt.

Cereal – prevent cereal from going soft by resealing the bag with a few clothes pegs. Your cereal will last weeks more.

Jam – boiling jam produces a scum which has to be skimmed off and thrown away. This wastes jam, goodness and flavour. However, if you whisk a knob of butter into the mixture at the last moment the scum will not appear, saving time and goodness.

Funnel – you always seem to need a funnel when you do not have one. Then you vow to get a funnel for the next time. Do not bother. Just cut the top nine inches off a plastic bottle of cola. It makes an excellent throw-away funnel. Some of the larger bottles even have a handle on them which is even better.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with researching the programmable crock pot. If you have an interest in cooking or crock pots, please go over to our website now at Large Crock Pots