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Photo: KayVee.INC / Flickr

Isn’t it frustrating when one comes across a wonderful recipe, only to find that it’s written in the imperial rather than the metric system – or vice versa? But rather than put the recipe away, take a few minutes to do the conversion. It’s a simple matter when you have a conversion chart at hand. Read on for conversions for liquids and weights, as well as cup and spoon measures. Some conversions are approximate, for example 1000 grams equals approximately 2 lb 4 oz. (more…)

Photo: oalsaker / Flickr

This pea soup recipe allows for a rich green soup with a velvety texture. The soup is thickened with cream and egg yolks while fresh mint adds to the flavour. Ingredients call for fresh peas and fresh mint as well as butter, onion and vegetable stock. A little caster sugar is required, as well as the thickening agents mentioned. Allow for a preparation time of 25 minutes and a cooking time of just over half an hour. Read on for the recipe. (more…)

Photo: ursamajor / Flickr

Honeycomb takes you back to the days of childhood. Why not spoil the children in your life with this mysterious treat? Keep the little ones from running around the stove area, though, as the sugar syrup becomes dangerously hot. This recipe requires caster sugar, runny honey, liquid glucose, bicarbonate of soda and some oil for greasing. You will also need a sugar thermometer. For a twist on the traditional honeycomb, this recipe allows for optional dark chocolate. (more…)

Photo: joana hard / Flickr

This boiled fruit cake recipe takes half an hour to prepare and an hour and 10 minutes to cook. The wonderful thing about it is that it can last for a long time: it can easily be kept for a few weeks or months if you like to prepare ahead of time. Since the flavour improves with time, you would do well to eat it a week after baking it. This cake can be served at Christmas time with marzipan icing. (more…)

Photo: Natalie Wilson / Flickr

It may be surprising to know that the oldest surviving ceramics are not pots but Eastern European votive figures which were fired around 30,000 years ago. Unfired figures may well have been made in even earlier times but they couldn’t have survived without the hardening of fire. The desire for working in clay has not waned to this day. Bryan Sentance discusses clay modelling techniques in his book Ceramics: A World Guide to Traditional Techniques. He begins by explaining the required consistency. (more…)

Photo: Patrick Q / Flickr

Moisture can wreak havoc with wooden furniture, leaving undesirable milky-grey finishes, white rings or black marks. A milky-grey looking finish comes about when moisture penetrates the finish. If the water goes beyond the finish and into the wood, it can cause awful black marks. Black marks are removable but sometimes they resist all treatment. White rings from wet mugs or glasses are easy to remove. Read on for some treatment options for white rings and black marks. (more…)

Photo: Scinern / Flickr

Your body is a gift – it’s what allows you to move and function. Despite it being your one true companion for life, your relationship with it will depend on how you view it. Some people ignore their bodies completely, others see their body as a friend, others feel anxious about their bodies and others flaunt themselves. Your attitude towards your physical make-up can change over time. Here we discuss some common perceptions and why it’s best to respect your body. (more…)

Photo: Geomangio / Flickr

What happens with cellulite is that fat cells start to harden due to poor elimination and oxygenation. They begin to work inefficiently, overstocking fat and not releasing fat stores back into the body. Add weak collagen fibres and skin and you have a serious case of cellulite. Dr Elisabeth Dancey gives the run down on cellulite in her book The Cellulite Solution. She says that varicose veins, bruising and spider veins often occur concurrently with cellulite. How to deal with cellulite is the ongoing question. (more…)

Photo: ishane / Flickr

A to-do list may seem like a waste of time but it helps to organise and streamline your day – and a few minutes of list-making can add hours to your day. A page a day diary is a good place to keep your running order for the day. But what if you’re a dedicated list-maker but your life still feels chaotic? You may have to streamline your life further. Here are some tips on how to do just that. (more…)

Photo: liber(the poet) / Flickr

If you’re an exercise fanatic, it’s easy to forget to give your body a rest between training sessions. You may also be skipping out important warm up and cool down routines if you’re on a mission to get everything done as quickly as possible. When it comes to exercise, less is not more but more is not necessarily always the best way forward. The general rule is to push your body just beyond what’s easy for you, but no more than that. (more…)