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Photo: Mowie Kay / Flickr

You’ll need an hour to prepare this beautiful ice cream cake with meringue and berry sauce. It’s a lengthy process because you’ll have to make some French meringue, some Chantilly cream and some berry compote. Allow a baking time of an hour and a half as well as two hours of freezing time. You’ll need a piping bag to pipe the meringue into ‘spirals and sticks’ and a supply of fresh vanilla and strawberry ice cream. (more…)

Photo: QuintanaRoo / Flickr

The great thing about this recipe is that the ice cream doesn’t require any beating once it has chilled. The final product should be frozen overnight for at least eight hours. Ingredients call for almond oil, ground almonds, eggs, castor sugar, cream, granadilla juice and orange rind. You will also need a 1.5 litre bowl or mould. Allow half an hour to prepare the granadilla and almond ice cream. The ice cream should be removed from the freezer 20 minutes before serving. (more…)

Photo: pepo / Stock.Xchng

Some mirrors are exposed to a lot over the years, whether from hard use or air pollution. They may end up discoloured and scratched or have patches of missing silver. This is particularly the case with very old mirrors, in which case the mirror in question may be an antique piece. Really old mirrors often have a thin wood or heavy cardboard backing. Wooden backings are effective in guarding against silvering damage, besides indicating quality and age. (more…)

Photo: MarcoPeter / Flickr

Labrador retrievers were originally bred in Newfoundland where they were used as working dogs. They emerged from the St John’s water dog and from there two further breeds came about. The larger breed evolved into the Newfoundland dog, with its gentle nature. The smaller breed was used to pull fishing nets and retrieve. These short-haired retrievers were the forebears of the labrador retriever. Labrador retrievers later became hunting dogs in England. The breed is now one of the most popular in the world. (more…)

Photo: Polygon Homes / Flickr

Marble is made up of limestone that has re-crystallised due to pressure and heat. It has a slightly translucent surface that reflects light and is not easily damaged because it is such a durable material. As durable as it is, though, it is not immune to stains or absorbing dirt if it is not treated with care. Every marble restoration job should begin with a thorough cleaning session. Read on for some cleaning tips as well as how to deal with stains. (more…)

Photo: zizzy0104 / Stock.Xchng

There is power in the split-second instinctive intelligence of your ‘gut feel’, which can sometimes mean the difference between safety and disaster. To improve your intuition in a particular area, it helps to become an expert in that field. You should also pay careful attention to your feelings and be able to relax in order to trust your instinct. Intuition isn’t inferior to reason or logic by any means. To best utilise it however, intuition should be balanced with logic. (more…)

Photo: hectorir / Flickr

Getting air into your lungs and moving your body can make you feel so much more alive. Activity brings mental and physical energy so any exercise programme is a good one. And as long as you include some warm-up and cool-down stretches in your programme, you’ll help prevent muscle aches and injury. Start off by marching on the spot and then shrug your shoulders before you get into your stretches. Here we include tips on how to stretch your calves, quads and hamstrings. (more…)

Photo: PhylB / Flickr

Meat, whether it is roasted or sautéed, can be made even more appetising when it is baked in a proper butter-based pastry. Here we share a recipe which will allow you to cater for a dinner party for six with most of the preparation done beforehand. You will need six gammon steaks, dry sherry and a good puff pastry, besides the other ingredients. Allow for a preparation time of 20 minutes, besides cooling and cooking time. (more…)

Photo: Matthew Byrne / Flickr

When a piece of furniture is veneered, it means that a thin layer of expensive cabinet wood is glued to an ordinary wooden base. Over time, the glue can loosen and the edges of the veneer can chip or warp. Often small pieces of the veneer will break off, leaving ugly gaps on a good piece. While it’s best to leave any serious damage to a professional furniture restorer, there’s no harm in repairing any minor blisters on veneer yourself. (more…)

Photo: terren in Virginia / Flickr

It’s easier to make goals happen when they are realistic and balanced. Once you’ve committed your goals to writing, the next step is to get yourself into a positive state of mind. If you are focused, flexible and you’re enjoying what you’re doing, you’ll develop the confidence to go forward. A life coach can help motivate you to achieve your goals by encouraging you to be honest with yourself and to face your fears along the way. (more…)