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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Six Ways To Appear Like A Local When You Travel


1. Eat Fast Food -Strangely enough, fast food places are a great way to understand a culture. For instance in Vienna, where coffee is an obsession, the city is defined by the numerous  coffeehouses that dot the city.  Even at Starbucks, the locals order a melange which is much like a cappuccino. That unfamiliar option is a tip off to what the locals order. At McDonald's in Rome, look for a self-serve salad bar since Italians won't out up with pr-packaged greens.

2. Read Local - To keep sticking out as a tourist, buy a local newspaper in the local language and carry it under   your arm.  It makes fro great camouflage.

3. Dress Like A Local - Spend the first morning in any new city people watching to see how they dress. Then budget to buy a piece of clothing that will be a souvenir and serve as camouflage.

4. Watch Your Timing  -  To pass as a local, don't stick to rigid time table. For instance, in Spain or Greece, eating super before 10 pm means your a tourist. In Valencia, locals don't start to party until 3am even on weekdays!  To keep up with the locals, just live like they do. Instead of plowing through 8 hours of sightseeing, linger over lunch, nap during the hottest times of the day, and dine late at night.

5. Learn The Local Lingo - In Philly the subway is called the"L", in London it's called the "tube". So make sure you familiarize yourself with the local slang words. You can purchase small slang books for various languages or you do a Google slang search for our destination. 

6. Bonus Tip - Only Americans wear sunglasses when it's shady out-so only bring them out on the sunniest days.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

11 Ways To Avoid Online Dating Scams

1. Avoid long distance relationships  Although long distance relationships sometimes work out, if you stay local, you drastically reduce the the odds of being scammed.

2. Never reveal personal data to someone until you meet them face to face  While its tempting to reveal personal info about yourself, that's what scammers are counting on.

3.Pay attention to language  Many people who commit dating scams are from West Africa or the former
Soveit republics. If their command of English is fuzzy, that's a BIG red flag!

4. Use search engines to check out potential suitors If someone online seems too good to be true, just cut and paste their e-mails in Google and their exact words might pop up on several websites devoted to romance scams.

5. Upload a potential suitors photo  to http://www.tinyeye.com/ This website will allow you to see where else the photo appeared. Many con artists just swipe a photo from Facebook and use it.

6. Stick to paid online dating services  If members pay to join a site, that means a credit card is on file
and these people are easier to trace. However, it does not mean that these sites are free of scammers.

7. Be suspicious if some wants to use instant messaging or e-mail immediately  They may rogues trying to hack into your computer.

8. Watch out for someone claiming to be a soldier  Lately, scammers have stolen photos of soldiers on social networking sites and pretend to be trustworthy members of the military.

9. Don't fall for a sob story Many scammers claim to have lost a spouse, child or parent in an accident or claim they have a relative that is very ill. Also, they might say say that they are at the airport and they are on their way to visit you, but their credit card has been declined. Don't give them your credit card number and never, ever wire money to a stranger!

10. Call your potential suitor by phone ASAP  Someone who sounds great online may not sound might be an obvious fraud on the phone.

11. Run a check on your suitor    on http://www.beenverified.com/, http://www.pigbusters.net/
 and ww.RomanceScams.Org . If your lover has conned others, he or she may show up on these sites.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

How To Prepare A Flawless Risotto

This risotto combines pears, goat cheese and crushed black peppercorns with a veggie stock:

To make it you'll need:

4 cups vegetable stock -buy a quality store bought brand or make your own ( recipe follows)
8 tbsp unsalted butter ( 1 stick) at room temperature
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots n
2 cups of Carnaroli or Arborio rice
2 cups white wine
2 cups ( 8oz ) finely crumbled goat cheese that's not aged
2 cups of peeled and diced pears ( 2 pears) preferably Bosc pears
Salt and freshly cracked peppercorns

In a medium saucepan , bring the vegetable stock to a simmer.  In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp of butter. When it begins to sizzle, add the shallots and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the wine to the pan to deglaze, and cook stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated, ab   out 5 to 7 minutes. Then add enough simmering stock to reach about 1/4 inch above the rice and cook, stirring, until the liquid begins to simmer. When the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid,  add another ladle full of stock. Continue to cook in this fashion until all the liquid has been added ( about 14 to 16 minutes total ) Reduce heat to low. Add the goat cheese, pears and remaining 5 tbsp of butter and give the mixture a couple of stirs. The cheese and butter should melt, and the risotto should take on a smooth consistency in about a minute or so. serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

To make the vegetable stock, you'll need:

2 onions, peeled and halved
2 carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 stalks celery
2 leeks, halved lengthwise ( white and green parts)
5 qts ( 20 cups) of water
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

In a large stock pot, simmer veggies, water, and salt for 15 minutes, skimming surface of foam and particles.
Add herbs and simmer for another 20 minutes. Strain the stock, discarding solids. Makes about 15 cups.






















The Secret Of the South's Best Fried Chicken Recipe

To make it you'll need:

1  3-lb chicken , cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup kosher salt
4 cups buttermilk
1 lb lard
8  tbsp ( 1 stick ) unsalted butter
1/2 cup country ham pieces
1 cup flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

The night before, place chicken in a large bowl and set aside. In a large pitcher, combine kosher salt with 6 cups of water and stir until the salt has dissolved. Pour salt water over chicken pieces until they are submerged. Cover and refrigerate over night. In the morning, drain chicken pieces and rinse chicken and the bowl. Return chicken to the bowl and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. 

About 1 1/4 before serving, combine the lard, butter, and ham in a large heavy skillet. Cook over low heat, skimming as needed, until ham is lightly browned, about 30 to 45 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove ham and brown bits from fat. Increase heat to medium high and bring fat to 335 degrees.

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix well..Dredge chicken pieces thoroughly in flour mixture, then pat well to remove excess flour. Working in batches, do not crowd pan, and place chicken pieces skin down on fat side. Cook 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Drain on  crumpled paper towel. Serve hot, warm , room temperature  or cold. Serves 4 to 6.     










Saturday, August 6, 2011

Restuarants Offering Free Food On Your Birthday

ALFY'S PIZZA - free mini pizza


ALL-AMERICAN CAFE - free dessert

APPLEBEES - free dessert

AUSTIN GRILL - Register First - free meal

BAKERS SQUARE - free pie

BANDIDO'S - free entree

BANJARA INDIAN CUISINE - free meal

BASKIN ROBBINS - free ice cream treat

BEACHES RESTAURANT - free meal

BENIHANA'S JAPANESE RESTAURANT - free dinner WITH 3 other paying guests ( Verify first with your local )

BENNIGANS - free dessert + song

BERN'S - free meal

BILL KNAPP'S - gives adults a % discount equal to age; plus a free bday cake (w/purchase of a meal) during the week of your B-day

BLACK BRISKEE - free meal

BOB'S BIG BOY - free hot fudge ice cream

BRUSTER'S - free waffle cone on your birthday

BURGER KING - free kids meal to all kids club members

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN - Register First - free kids meal during the month of their birthday

CAPTAIN D'S BIRTHDAY CLUB - free two-piece meal at sign-up and once a year on your birthday

CAPTAIN DIZZY'S CAR WASH - free car wash

CARROWS - free cake

CATTLEMEN'S - free dessert and cowboy hat

CHARLIE BROWNS RESTAURANTS - free meal for "Handshake Club" members

CHARLIE'S SEAFOOD - free meal

CHEVY'S - free dessert and sombrero

CHILI'S - free desert on your birthday

CHIPS N GIGGLES - free meal

CLAIM JUMPER - Free Dessert

CROWN THEATRES - Buy One Movie Ticket, Get One Free

CRAZY BUFFET - free meal

DAVE AND BUSTERS - $5 game card credit

DENNY'S - free meal (said to be only kids under 10 now)

DESPARADOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT - free meal

DOCKSIDE RESTAURANT - free meal

DUKE'S CHOWDER HOUSE - b1g1 coupons (register first). FREE dinner for your birthday!

EL CHICOS - free dessert

ERNIE'S STEAKHOUSE - free meal

FAMOUS DAVE'S BARBEQUE - free meal (w/advance signup)

FIREHOUSE SUBS - free sub (must sign up for birthday club)

FUDDRUCKERS - free burger

FUNNY BONE COMEDY CLUB - free cake (party of 5 min.; 2 drink min.)

GRILLFISH - free meal

HANA JAPAN - free meal

HARD ROCK CAFE - free dessert

HOMETOWN BUFFET - free birthday cake

HOULIHAN'S RESTAURANT - free entree

HOLLYWOOD VIDEO - one free video rental

HOOTERS - free song + tshirt

HOSS'S STEAK HOUSE AND RESTAURANT - free cake + song

IHOP- free meal

JOE'S CRAB SHACK - free cake

JT WHEATFIELDS - free coupon in phone book

KING BUFFET - free meal

LADONNA - free meal

LOMBARDI'S IN BALLARD - Register First - free meal w/another during month of birthday

LOTUS - free meal

LUTHERS BBQ - free stuff (varies) for "Great Rewards" members

MACARONI GRILL - free dessert + OPERA-style "Happy birthday" song

MAGGIANOS - $10 Off purchase of $20 (sign up in advance)

MARIE CALENDERS - free dessert

MAX AND ERMA - free $5 dessert

MEXICAN VILLAGE - free meal

MOONIES DINER - free meal

MUCKLESHOOT CASINO - free sushi dinner + player's club points

NEWICK'S SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS - free entree

NITTY GRITTY - free drink + souvenir glass

OKAYAMA RESTAURANT - free meal

OLD SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE - free meal

ONAMI - free dinner WITH 3 other people paying

OUTBACK Steakhouse - free dessert + song

PANCAKE HOUSE - free entree

PAPPA'S RESTAURANTS - free dessert

PARADISO'S - free meal

PERKIN'S - free stack of pancakes

PF CHANGS - free cake or cheesecake

PIZZA EXPRESS - free meal

PONCHO'S - free meal, dessert & picture

PROVINO'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT - free $10.99 meal and ice cream dessert

Radisson - free entree in their 12th floor restaurant

REAL SEAFOOD COMPANY - free meal and dessert

RED ROBINS - Register First - free burger coupon / discount coupon

RICE & COMPANY - free meal for Robinson Rewards Club members

ROCK BOTTOM - free appetizer for Mug Club members

ROUND TABLE - free personal pizza

RUBY TUESDAY - free burger and fries (must sign up for their newsletter to receive this offer)

SCALINI'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT - up to 10.95 off pasta specialties

SHEPARD'S BUFFET - free dinner buffet w/3 other paid customers

STEAK AND ALE - free mini choco cake

STEAK-N-SHAKE - free dinner for "birthday club" kids

TGI FRIDAYS - Free birthday Dessert

THE 99 - free meal

THE BARNSIDER'S/DEPOT RESTAURANTS - 1/2 off meal + cake & song

THE LOFT - free meal

THE PALM - 3lb lobster (must be a member/register first)

THE PARADISO - free entree + sombrero & song

THE VINE TAVERN - free meal

TODAI SEAFOOD BUFFET - Free Meal or voucher for Meal Next Visit

TONY ROMA'S - free dessert, free meal

UP THE CREEK - free meal and dessert

VACCARO'S ITALIAN PASTRY SHOP - free dessert and drink

WENDY'S - free kids meal to all kids club members

Z' TEJAS - Register First - $15 coupon for the month of your birthday

ZIO'S - free dessert mini pizza



Sunday, July 24, 2011

Ten Ways To Get Anyone To Like You In Less Than 2 Minutes

1. Let Your Smile Build Slowly Its always a good idea to smile when you meet someone, but instantly switching on a 100 watt smile seems phony. Instead, make sure smile build slowly when you make eye contact.

2.Make Strong Eye Contact People tend to trust people who make strong eye contact. If you have trouble making eye contact, make a habit of noting specifics about your prospect's  eyes. Note the color, the shape, how far apart they are , the length of the lashes and how often they blink. Answering these questions will help you make strong eye contact with another person. Just make sure you break eye contact occasionally since starring too intently can make people uncomfortable.

3.Select A Good Body Position During the first minute of conversation, slowly rotate your body to completely face the person. The exception would be a man meeting a woman. A man should stop a few degrees short of angling his upper body directly towards her so as not to appear overly aggressive. If you're holding a drink or a plate of food, set it down or hold it down by your side. If you hold it in front of your chest, your arm will block off your body making you seem less open.  If you're not sure what to do with your hands, then use gestures when you talk or put them in your pockets. Just don't cross your arms across your chest which makes you seem closed off.

4.Find The Right Space Zone Standing too close to a person can make them feel uneasy. Stand too far and they won't feel connected. So the average distance you should stand in front of a new person is about 26 to 28 inches away. Keeping moving closer until you detect discomfort in their eyes. Then ease back slightly until you see the discomfort disappear.

5. How To Shake Hands When you shake hands, very gently touch your forefinger to the other person's wrist. Gently touching it fosters a feeling of warmth and closeness even though the other person may not be conscious of it.

6.Treat Business Cards With Respect A business card represents a person's professional accomplishments. Showing respect for the card shows respect for the person. When you are handed a card,
imagine it as a delicate precious gift. Hold it gently in your hands. Pause to read it, then carefully place it in your briefcase, wallet or purse. Never just jam a card into your pocket.

7. How To Begin A Conversation Questions that make great icebreakers are "What do you do?" Followed by "How did you decide you wanted to do that?" To couples say, 'How did you two meet?"

8.Slowly Nod When People Speak This sends a message of acceptance and encouragement which makes people feel more at ease. Just do not nod if a man or woman  is saying something with which you disagree.
Keep in mind that women tend to interpret nodding as "I understand" not "I agree."   

9.Pay Attention To Small Talk  If someone says, "At least the rain is good for my plants," seize on the word plants  and say "Do you have a garden?" Or if someone says, "It's been too hot to walk my dogs," say "what kind of dog do you have?" Small talk is a good conversation starter.

 10. Use The Same Speaking Terms   If a parent refers to her offspring as her "child" do not refer to the child as her "little one" or "baby". If someone refers to his lively hood as a "profession" do not refer to it as a "job" or a "career".

Monday, July 4, 2011

Blue Cheese Potato Salad Is A Backyard Favorite

If you want areal attention getter for your next cookout, then serve your guests Blue Cheese Potato Salad.
In a blender, puree 1 cup of blue cheese crumbles, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, 1/8 cup white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Then fold in an  additional cup of  blue cheese crumbles to the blender mix, season to taste, and set aside. In a separate large bowl, mix 3 cooked and cooled Idaho potatoes cut into large dice size pieces. Then add 3 whole finely chopped scallions and 2tablespoons of parsley. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice,  2 teaspoons of Sriracha hot sauce, 1 1/2 cups of the reserved blue cheese dressing and 2 more ounces of crumbled blue cheese. Mix well, season to taste with Kosher salt, and serve. Serves 4 to 6 people. 

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Get Free Access To the World's Top Health Experts 24 Hours A Day

http://www.pdrhealth.com/   
Gives you access to the experts behind Physicians Desk Reference

http://www.intellihealth.com/
Harvard Medical School

http://www.mayoclinic.com/  
 Mayo Clinic

http://www.healthfinder.com/  
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services

http://www.medhelp.com/
 Doctor and Medical Institutions

http://www.webmd.com/
Health info site

http://www.medlineplus.gov/
 From  the experts at the National Library of Medicine and National Institute Of  Health 
            
http://www.medicinenet.com/
Articles written and  reviewed by doctors

http://www.safemedication.com/
Prescription and over the counter drug info from the American Society Of Health System Pharmacists

http://www.mypillbox.org/ 
Drug info and help identifying pills

http://www.ismp.org/
Institute for Safe Medication Practices

http://www.rxlist.com/ 
Detailed drug info for questions other sites may not answer

http://www.drugdigest.org/  
Info about drugs, vitamins and herbs  




Sunday, June 26, 2011

Six Easy NO Ice Cream Maker Ice Cream Recipes

Impress your cookout or dinner guests with these easy to make, no-brainer gourmet ice creams that require no ice cream maker! First, start off with 1 pint of premium store bought  ice cream or low fat yogurt ice cream  you buy on sale. Second, smash in your favorite flavors, then enjoy. Mixing Tips: Don't soften the ice cream too much. You want if firm but pliable. Quickly cut the carton away from the ice cream into chunks on a work surface to facilitate folding. Return the ice cream to the freezer in a plastic container  for 30 minutes  to two hours so the  flavors can firm up and  blend.  After that,  the crunchy ingredients start to soften. Here are the recipes:

1. Black Forest Fold in 2 Tbs. of brandy into 1/2 cup of cherry preserves. Fold in chocolate ice cream along with 1 cup of crumbled chocolate wafers.Six

2. Turtle Stir in 1/4 cup Carmel sauce, 1/2 cup chopped pecan pralines or candied pecans, and 1/2 cup chopped semi-sweet or bitter sweet chocolate into chocolate ice cream.

3. Chocolate Hazelnut Stir in 1/4 cup of Nutella, 1 cup of crumbled chocolate wafers, and 1/2 cup of roasted chopped hazelnut into chocolate ice cream.

4. Banana Pudding Fold 1 coarsely mashed large banana, 1 cup crumbled vanilla wafers and 1 cup of crumbled meringue cookies into vanilla ice cream.

5. Salted Caramel  Fold 1/4 cup of caramel sauce and 1 cup of coarsely crumbled regular or peanut butter filled  pretzel nuggets into vanilla ice cream.  

6. Strawberry Shortcake Mix 1 cup of sliced strawberries with 2 Tbs of strawberry jam. Fold into vanilla ice cream with 2 slices of  crumbled pound cake which is about 1/ 1/2 cups. Then add 1 cup of crumbled meringue cookies.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

How To Get Your Low Bids Accepted On Priceline

You have seen it advertised, and maybe tried it. Now make it work for you. www.Priceline.com  offers 2 basic services for 3 travel products: airfare, hotels and rental cars.

The services are:

1. Fixed price travel service just like any other travel agent.

2. “NAME YOUR OWN PRICE”

The fixed price travel service is nothing unique and offers nothing special in terms of pricing, (unless they post a mistake rate)

The “Name Your Own Price” service offers Great Travel Prices with savings of up to 60% if you know how and: THE BIG WINNER is HOTELS

The savings are really significant and with the help of these sites:

www.Biddingfortravel.com

www.Betterbidding.com

www.Travelbuddy.com

www.Tripadvisor.com

Here’s how it works: biddingfortravel.com, travelbuddy.com and betterbidding.com are sites that lists successful previous priceline bids for airfares, hotels and car rentals around the world. In addition, they list reviews for the hotels in a given city and by region and by star level. (5* is the best, 1* is really bad). Try to bid 4*, 3*  if the reviews are ok  and 2 ½* in a region you  want to stay in.

Example: If  you  need to go to  Boston, first go to www. priceline.com and “name your own price” hotels and find the various regions listed for the Boston market and the top hotel rating in that zone. Then open another window and head to www.biddingfortravel.com. In that site , go to “hotels”, then “Mass”, then “Boston”. You can check previously accepted prices in the various regions of Boston, get reviews of the hotels and decide what star level you are comfortable with. If  Downtown, you might find  Copley and Back Bay regions are too expensive,. try  the Airport region .You could  typically win the Hyatt Harborside for $42 per night.It's  a beautiful hotel with shuttle to the airport and to the subway (T) stop to downtown. Typical weekend night at the Hyatt would be $129. Ask for a waterside room.

NOTE: To be most successful using Priceline you MUST read the section on bidding and rebidding.

Suppose you want Zone Airport and a 4* hotel. From previous bidders you see that $42 has won in the past, so your first bid is Zone Airport, 4 stars at $35. If you don’t win, then add another zone that has lower star levels ONLY available, and this time bid $37. If there are 5 zones without a hotel over 3 stars, you have 5 free rebids until you get the best price.

Rebidding allows you to start low and move your price higher without changing your parameters. READ these sections of www.biddingfortravel.com  before going to priceline.com to actually place your bids. Once booked there are NO REFUNDS.

  Travelers using  Priceline rooms in over 30 US cities, London, Dublin, Paris and Rome have rarely been disappointed. Do your research on www.biddingfortravel.com or www. betterbidding.com first, and double check the reviews at www.tripadvisor.com. Remember to bid one star level higher in Europe for US comparison hotels. Remember that one bad hotel in a given zone and at a given star rating should force you to bid a higher level or different zone for that city. By using these 5 sites in conjunction, you will save the cost of hotels by 50% or more for the rest of your travel life.PS: Practice this technique with several imaginary cities WITHOUT hitting the “Buy my Hotel” button. Do your research. There are NO REFUNDS. 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Discover New Jersey's Best Secret Secluded Beach

You'd never know that High Bar Harbor, a lollipop-shaped stretch of sand  tucked behind the Barnegat Lighthouse, even exists. But watch out for the water, because if the tide comes, you might get stranded. To get there, take Long Beach Island Blvd , north into the town of Barnegat Light and turn left on 20th St, a.k.a. as Auburn Rd. Go a third of a mile , then bear right at the Y-shaped intersection onto Sunset Blvd. Take it to the end. You'll see a footpath to the beach.   

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Do You Really Need Heart Surgery?

Up to 30% for surgical procedures in the US are unnecessary. Each year, more than 1 million heart patients are treated with angioplasty and stents which restore normal circulation to the heart and reduce angina pain.

The problem is that angioplasty and stents are overused. A study of more that 2,300 patients by the American College of  Cardiology found that patients with stable angina that were treated with  medications like nitroglycerine had the same outcome  of those treated with invasive procedure of stents.

Who is helped by stents: People with unstable agina, people with a significant blockage in the left main coronary artery, or with three coronary arteries blocked and weakened heart muscle. People with stable angina should be treated with medications to control pain , reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.

The Best Houseplants For Healthier Indoor Air

The source of most indoor pollutants are volitile organic compounds (VOCs) that "gas out" from indoor paints, varnishes, adhesives, furniture, dry cleaned clothing, cleansers, detergents, disinfectants, spot removers and air freshners. Now, not all VOCs are bad. The frangrance of flowers and a fresh baked apple pie are VOCs. But many are bad for your health.

They can cause  asthma, headaches, fatigue, eye irritation, skin rashes and more. Some like benzene, are known carcinigens. But the good news is that houseplants can remove  VOCs from the air. The pollutants are absorbed through mircroscopic openings in the leaves. The best house plants for removing VOCs from the air are:

Purple Waffle ( Hemigraphis aternata ) English Ivy ( Hedera helix )  Wax plant ( Hoya carnosa) Asparagus fern ( Asparagus densiflorus ) Purple heart plant ( Tradescantia pallida ) Boston fern (Nphrolepus exaltata Bostoniensis ) Bamboo plant ( Chamaedorea seifrizzzii ) Rubber plant ( Ficus robusta ) Gerbera daisy ( Gerbera jamesonii ) and Golden pothos ( Epipremnum aureum ).

For maximum indoor air quality improvment, you should experimemnt with multiple species as needed. The exact number is difficult to determine depending on your indoor air quality. Also, keep in mind that plants grown without dirt, usually in pebbles or another open aggregate , are  30 to 50% more effective in removing VOCs than those grown in potting soil. This is due to the greater air flow through pebbles to the plant zone where microbes break down the VOCs.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

12 Best Food Festivals In The Northeast

1. Great Chowder Cook Off Newport, RI June 4 http://www.newportwaterfrontevents.com/ 2. Vermont Cheesemakers Festival -Shelburne, Vt July 24 http://www.vtcheesefest.com/ 3. Atlantic City Food And Wine Festival - Atlantic City, NJ July 28-31 http://www.acfoodandwine.com/ 4. Ice Cream Festival, Toms River, NJ July 16  http://www.downtowntomsriver.com/icecream/festival.htm 5. Maine Lobster Festival -Rockland, ME August 3-7 http://www.mainelobsterfestival.com/ 6. Taste Of The Caribbean And Jerk Festival Hartford, CT Aug 6 http://www.tasteofthecaribbeanct.org/ 7. Pittson Tomato Festival Pittston, PA Aug 18-21 http://www.pittstontomatofestival.com/ 8. Hard Crab Derby Cristfield, MD Sept 2-4 www.crisfieldchamber.com/etints 9 . National BuffaloWing Festival Buffalo, NY Sept 3-4 http://www.buffalowing.com/ 10. Milford Pumkin Festival Milford, NH Oct 7-9 http://www.milfordpumpkinfestival.org/
11. Bridgeville Apple Scrapple Festival Bridgeville, DE Oct 14-15 http://www.applescrapple.com/ 12. Wellfleet Oyster Fest Wellfleet, MA Oct 15-16 http://www.wellfleetoysterfest.org/

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Hang It Up For Less

If  you want to fill your blank walls with inexpensive and good paintings, prints and photos you don't have to be an art mogul to buy a masterpiece. The following sites offer art at great prices: www.20x200.com,
 www.Aceditions.com , www.ArtOfThePrint.Com , www.ArtStar.Com , www.CircuitGallery.Com , www.Exhibitiona.Com , www.EyeStorm.Com , www.Society6.Comwww.TinyShowCase.Com ,
www.theworkingproof.com , and www.Zatista.Com

Monday, May 16, 2011

Four Gourmet Popsicle Recipes That Will Blow Your Mind

1.Strawberry Basil-2 lbs fresh strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar, 10 large fresh basil leaves, 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar,juice of 1/2 lime. Hull and wash strawberries and put in blender. Add the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour into molds, add sticks , and freeze until solid , 4-6 hours.

2. Plain Yogurt, Dried Fruit And Nuts 20 ounces plain non-fat  yogurt, 6 ounces of sugar,  1/2 cup of dried fruits and nuts. Blend yogurt until it liquefies, then add sugar until it disintegrates. Chop dried fruits and nuts into small pieces and add to yogurt in small quantities.  Stir in slowly to prevent the fruits and nuts from sticking together. Scoop the mix into molds making sure to get an even amount of nuts and fruit into each mold. Insert sticks and freeze solid 4-6 hours.

3. Blueberry Lemonade  11/2 cups blueberries, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 2/3 cups of sugar, 2 1/2 cups of water. Rinse the berries them combine all ingredients in a blender on high until thoroughly and evenly pulverized. Hold a fine mesh strainer over a pitcher and strain the mixture by slowly pouring. Let the mixture rest until any froth has dissolved or remove it by spooning it off. Pour the liquid into molds and add sticks. Freeze until solid 4-6 hours.

4. Pineapple Chile 1 very ripe medium pineapple, 1 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar. Peel and core pineapple. Separate fruit into thirds, set 1/3 aside. Cut the other 2/3 into cubes. Using a saucepan  cover with water and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, Meanwhile finely chop the reserved pineapple and set aside. Once cooked pineapple is cool, transfer to a blender. Add sugar and cayenne to taste. Blend together and pour into mold leaving a little space to add the reserved chopped pineapple to each cavity. Add sticks and freeze solid, 4-6 hours.        



Saturday, May 14, 2011

Where The Jobs Are Now

 One of the biggest jobs fields right now is health care. The top paying jobs are: Radiologic Technologist 
They help doctors perform diagnostic exams like X-rays, CT scans and MRIs. They work in hospitals, clinics doctor's offices.  The median wage is $53,000. The job requires a two year associate degree from a community college or a 21-24 month certificate from a technical college. For more info visit www.arrt.org

Next is Physical Therapist Assistant They help patients implement programs developed by physical therapists. The median wage is $48,000. The job requires a two year associates degree from a accredited program and a licensing exam must be passed. For more info visit www.apta.org Also see www.CapteOnline.Org

Another career choice is Medical Assistant One and two year programs are offered by many vocational schools. The median wage is $29,000.  For more info visit www.aama-ntl.org

Dental Hygienists earn about $67,000 a year. They provide dental cleanings and exams in dental offices. A two year associates degree in dental hygiene is required and a licensing  exam must be passed. For more info see www.adha.org .

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Little Known Credit Card Perks

Extend Your Warranty -Besides points and cash back, Gold and platinum MasterCards, Visa and American Express cards all extend the manufacturer's warranty by one year. Plus if you loose or break that new laptop or digital camera within 90 days of purchase, Citi's new Thank You Premier card will pay to repair or replace it or reimburse you up to $1,000.

The same is true for purchases made with your American Express card. Also, most gold and platinum cards plus American Express  will pick up the collision insurance when you rent a car. You just need to refuse it when you pick up the car and and inform the rental company that your credit card will pick up the insurance. 

Get The Lowest Price -If you see an item you purchased with a Citi premium card advertised for less within 60 days, Citi will make up the difference up to $250. Many gold and platinum MasterCards offer the same protection. 

Get Covered On The Road -  If your laptop is stolen from your hotel room, MasterCard will reimburse you if you used a gold or platinum card to pay for the room. Likewise, if your luggage doesn't arrive when you do, MasterCard will reimburse you for the cost of replacing essential items. Plus, MasterCard will cover the cost to replace or repair damaged luggage.     







Thursday, May 5, 2011

How To Avoid Online Dating Scams

Scammers use a phony picture of a good looking man or woman. Then they flatter and fawn. Once you're hooked, they hit you with some variation of several war torn stories. Sometimes  they say they live abroad and desperately want to visit you but their banking system is broken. Or they're at the airport and their credit card has been declined. But all their stories all end up the same: "please wire cash and I'll  pay you back." These scammers usually reside in West Africa or one of the former Soviet republics. So to protect yourself, use search engines like Facebook  or Google.  There you can search for any sob story to see if it is common. Next, stick to PAID online dating services. Paid sites have a paper trail of their members from credit card information. Then ask for info before you share your e-mail address or phone number. Make sure his or her info on Facebook matches up with what they are telling you. Then for added insurance,  run a background check on sites like http://www.beenverified.com/

Sunday, April 24, 2011

London Insider Travel Tips

If you're hopping over for the royal wedding or plan to visit London this summer, then these tips will put you light years ahead of most tourists.

London Subway  Never pay cash on the tube since cash fares are more than double what locals pay. Buy yourself an Oyster Card ( www.tfl.gov.uk ) . Any tube station sells these stored-valued swipe cards.  Load them up with a deposit of 3 pounds  ($4.95 US), and fares are automatically deducted every time you ride.

Best London Guides  Time Out London is the unbeatable bible of what to do in London. You can view it online at www.timeout.com/london  . On Saturdays, grab a copy of the Guardian newspaper and you'll find a terrific pocket-sized guide for free. Or check it out online at www.Guardian.Co.Uk . Hands down the savviest price minded guide to London is: Pauline Frommer's London: Spend Less, See More at $16.99.

Best Department Store  Forget Harrods since it's for tourists only. Hip Londoners go to real department stores like www.SelfRidges.Com with its delicious Food Hall and great designer brands. Another best bet is www.JohnLewis.Com whose slogan is, "Never Knowingly Undersold". Another unmissable is
www.MarksAndSpencer.Com .

Museums Almost ALL museums in London are 100% free. So make sure you see all the sights.  

Taxi Cabs - Taxi cabs are double NYC fares and drivers won't let you in the cab unless you reveal your destination. But since they have to pass a test on memorizing ever street in London, their less apt to turn down fares like NYC cabbys. Also, tipping in England is a gesture, NOT an obligation.

  Best Cheap Eats There's a www.PizzaExpress.Com on almost every corner and www.Carluccios.Com is a great place for killer pasta, cheap wine and great coffee.  In London, Indian food has displaced fish and chips  as the national dish and the best place to sample it is on Brick Lane in the East End which is lined with cheap eats. Or try the central www.IndianYMCA.Org just north of Oxford Street. They serve fabulous dirt cheap dinners for less than 5 pounds or $8.25 US..