Wine tasting may seem like something that is on special reserve, geared only for those who are expert wine drinkers. Intent on discovering fruits of a winery’s labor, these connoisseurs set out to serve as judges and juries of the bottled world, as if deciding the fate of a wine that stands trial, accused of being bad. But, however expert-like wine tasting may seem, it’s not just for those who are experts, connoisseurs, or even seasoned drinkers; wine tasting is also for beginners. Even for those of you who view wine as a stranger, too intimidated to approach it in a bar, wine tasting is a necessary and helpful practice.

Wine tasting serves many purposes. First of all, it gives you the ability to find out what kind of wine you truly enjoy, helping you decide what wine you should order at restaurants and store in the cellar. Wine tasting also exposes you to a variety of types, educating you on how to detect differences. Without it, you may have no chance at ever determining one wine from another, ultimately forcing yourself to order the entire wine list instead of just a specific glass or bottle.

While many cities have wine tasting events, with some cities even offering classes on how to properly taste wine, some people, particularly the wine novice, may prefer to lose their wine tasting virginity in a more private venue, such as their own home. For those of you with which this preference fits, a wine tasting kit is a suitable purchase.

Wine Tasting Kits

Wine tasting kits bring the concept of a large wine tasting venue to the comfort of your home, allowing you to enjoy each sip in your favorite chair, perhaps watching Golden Girls in between vintages, nodding in appreciation to both your wine and Sophia’s witty rapport. Because it removes the presence of wine vendors and wine experts from the equation, wine tasting kits provide the ability to taste wine without the fear of doing it incorrectly.

Wine tasting kits can greatly range in price and in what they include. While some come with everything you could possibly need, stopping just short of packaging a vineyard in bubble wrap, others don’t include everything, with some not including the wine. Wine tasting kits that may be geared towards teaching people to learn the differences in smell may include aroma strips, where as those geared towards party games may include a wine trivia book. Similarly, some wine tasting kits are geared for a solo taster, while other wine tasting kits come with six or eight glasses, aimed at those who want to share the wine tasting experience with a few close friends.

Wine tasting kits may also not be exactly what they sound like. Some books that discuss wine tasting call themselves wine tasting kits and course outlines, that provide a lesson plan on tasting, also call themselves wine tasting kits. While these can be just as helpful as the actual wine tasting kit itself, be sure you are purchasing exactly what you seek.

Blind Wine Tasting Kits

Whether it’s romance you’re sharing with another person, or romance you’re sharing with a bottle of wine, love is always blind, with no preconceived notions or stereotypes affecting affection. This idea applies to all sorts of categories of wine, particularly the tasting of it.

Blind wine tasting, while it may sound like a game where you wear a blindfold and pin a wine opener on a bottle of Pinot Noir, is the concept of tasting wine without knowing anything about it: without knowing where it’s from, what year it was made, or what it does for fun. Because people often have previously established judgments, knowing certain things about wine can alter opinions. Blind tasting, however, requires the taster to be as objective as possible, making them as honest as possible in the process. This gives you the greatest chance of finding wine that you truly like.

Blind wine tasting kits are essentially the same as wine tasting kits, only you don’t know what type of wine you are tasting. These kits typically come with bottles encased in cloth, blocking you from viewing the wine’s information. Only after the wine has been tasted and rated, should its identity be revealed.

Virtual Wine Tasting Kits

The virtual world has transcended the categories of virtually every product in existence including wine tasting kits. Virtual wine tasting kits are similar to video lessons or books on tape, only they involve a DVD player or a computer. They are relatively easy to follow. Many come with a few bottles of wine as well as a CD Rom or a DVD where your very own wine connoisseur guides you through the world of wine. The CD Rom or DVD will instruct you how to assess the quality of the wine, determine if it needs to be aged or if it is presently suitable for drinking, and detect certain odors and flavors of the wine.

Wine tasting kits can be both fun and beneficial for any wine drinker. Most are extremely simple to use and easily encourage the culture and art of determining one wine from another: they provide an invaluable wine education. However, because wine tasting does involve alcohol, it’s important not to make portions too big (or use a spittoon). Drinking too much wine can make you drunk, leaving you to have both an affinity for all types of wine and an unyielding desire for bacon.

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

Author: Jennifer Jordan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

I will admit that I’m rather picky. I will only eat certain kinds of food, rarely ingesting dishes entitled with words I can’t pronounce or made up of animals I think are cute. And, I will only date certain types of men, limiting myself to those who are good looking, charming, successful, or, at the very least, breathing. But, my pickiness doesn’t stop there. Transcending many categories, I tend to be picky when it comes to everything from what kind of clothes I wear to what kind of soap I use. However, oddly enough, when it comes to wine, my pickiness subsides: I’ve never met a type of wine I didn’t like or wouldn’t drink.

Despite my willingness to form a loving relationship with any type of wine that seeps into my life, you may not be as much as a booze flooze as myself: some of you may prefer certain types over others. Because of this, it’s important to understand the different types of wine that exist: the more aware you are of all the varieties, the more likely you will find a wine you really like.

However, I can’t discuss all the types of wine – listing each vintage and flavor and mentioning every grape under the sun. Doing so would take forever and by the time I finished, I, myself, would start to ferment. But, I can provide an overview to help you, the loyal drinker, find something to quench your thirst, a type of wine you’ll want to invite over to fill your glass at dinner.

Apéritif: Known as appetizer wines, these are the chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks of the wine world. They are flavored wines typically meant to stimulate the appetite before eating a large meal. They can include sherry, and Madeira.

Barley Wine: Though in possession of the word “wine,” Barley Wine isn’t really wine, masquerading as such because of a high alcohol content that reaches up to 12 percent by volume. Made from grain instead of fruit, Barley Wine is simply strong beer, like an ale that regularly works out. While it originated in England, Barley Wine is available world wide. However, when sold in the US, Barley Wines are required to be sold with the label, “barely wine-style ales,” thus avoiding confusion for the wine-seeking consumer.

Cooking Wines: Wine of extremely poor quality is usually labeled “Cooking Wine,” as if being poured into a pan is one step up from being poured down the drain. Typically containing a large amount of salt, Cooking Wine isn’t made to be consumed by itself. Instead, it is meant to be used as a way to enhance a dish, bringing out certain flavors and seasonings.

Country Wine: It may seem like Country Wines are wines in possession of a laidback lifestyle and a southern drawl. But, in actuality, they are simply wines that are made from a fruit other than a grape and supplemented with sugar and honey. However, because the word “wine” legally insinuates a drink made from grapes, Country Wines are often fruit-specific in their definitions. They include types such as “plum wine” and “apple wine.”

Dessert Wines: Known for being served beside a piece of carrot cake or a slice of apple pie, Dessert Wines are wines that range between medium sweet to extremely sweet on the spectrum of sugar. They typically include wines such as Port Wine, Tokay, and Sweet Sherry. Aside from baked goods and fruity creations, dessert wines also go very well with many types of cheese.

Red Wine and White Wine: It may seem like Red Wine and White Wine are always in competition with each other, with bottles of each snapping in unison as the other approaches. But, the truth is that Red Wine and White Wine are so different in flavor, and go best with such different dishes, that the two don’t need to compete. While Red Wines are typically good at enhancing meals made of red meat or tomato sauce, White Wines are typically good at enhancing meals made of white meat or white sauces. They are also different in taste because Red Wines are made with grape skins during the fermentation process, causing them to carry “tannin,” a sensation you get that makes your tongue feel as though liquid is evaporating off of it. White Wines, however, are made without grape skin and never carry “tannin.”

Rose Wine: Rose Wines are also called “Pink Wines” and, because they are often refreshing in mid-summer heat, “Summer Wines.” Like a beverage that can’t quite make up its mind, Rose Wines aren’t really red and aren’t really white. Instead, they possess attributes of both true red wines and true white wines. They are often best served with seafood, salad, cold cuts, and pork.

Rice Wine: Just like Barely Wine, Rice Wine is a bit of an imposter, an ale that wishes it was a wine. Made from rice instead of grapes, Rice Wine possesses a higher alcohol content than most beer and wines combined weighing in between 18 and 25 percent. Rice Wine is known as Sake to the Japanese.

Sparkling Wines: Probably the most famous member of the Sparkling Wine family is Champagne, a drink that routinely fills the glasses at wedding receptions and banquet halls. But, Champagne can’t hog all the sparkling spotlight, Sparkling Wines can be any type of wine infused with Carbon Dioxide. Because Sparkling Wines do not usually pair well with meals, they are best served alone or with appetizers.

Table Wine: Table Wine is wine that is not fortified and not sparkling, making it erroneously seem like the most plain of wines. By technical definition, Table Wines contain at least 7 percent alcohol and no more than 14 percent. While many people equate Table Wine with poor tasting, cheap wine, many Table Wines aren’t cheap, and certainly don’t taste like it either.

Whether your favorite type of wine is Red or you, having misplaced your salt lick, actually do like to consume Cooking Wine, wine has a variety of flavors. This makes it one of the most versatile alcohols, possessing the ability to adapt to everything from cocktail hours to State dinners and enabling you, no matter your type or your level of pickiness, to always find something with which to fill your glass.

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

Author: Jennifer Jordan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Children don’t come with instruction manuals and parenting doesn’t come with a manual or an infallible guide. Every situation and family is unique. We as individuals are different. There are different parenting styles and variations. To provide training and education that is universal, it has to be based on fundamentals which make us all similar. This would be human psychology, human behavior, and decades of scientific research and studies. Without training or education, we parent with instinct and our personal experiences. Maybe what we learned (consciously and subconsciously) from our parents, family members or others. We parent around our beliefs, morals, and values. Even with training and education in parenting, we need to be naturally adaptive, resourceful, and improvisational. Proper parenting training and education provides a foundation of knowledge which we can build off of, making it easier and more efficient to use our natural parenting instincts and skills.

Parenting is something that cannot be perfected. We can be passionate about it and do the best possible job that we can. It is the most fruitful investment because it is for the benefit of our children and our relationship with our children. When we are passionate about something or are motivated because it’s something that is important to us, we seek knowledge to be as proficient as possible. We educate ourselves by learning from sources which have the best and most comprehensive information on what we are passionate about.

There are many books and programs dealing with all kinds of parenting information and solutions. Some parents look for information on only one parenting topic, such as a certain problem they are having with their child. What they may not know is that a parenting class can provide them with the information and solutions to the problem, as well as a lot of other parenting information and solutions to other problems that may arise. Even further, a parenting class can help them to be an all around skilled parent. It can even help them prevent other problems, saving them valuable time. While it is fine to gain additional knowledge on a certain parenting topics, it is important to have the all around parenting knowledge.

Parenting classes provide an all-around general knowledge of many different aspects of parenting. Parenting classes have to be the best way to acquire comprehensive and all-around knowledge having to do with parenting. The topics and lessons taught in most parenting classes focus on the big picture and the foundation of parenting. Parenting classes are based on scientific research relating to parenting. Parenting classes are designed by this extensive body of knowledge that took decades of studies and research to attain. Of course, people will continue to research this.

There are many theories on the right and wrong ways to parent children, but we have to remember that some theories have been researched and tested by generations of highly educated and skilled scientists and professionals. This body of knowledge is reflected in parenting classes.

It was said that children and parenting your children doesn’t come with a manual, but one of the best “parenting manuals” would be a parenting class. Whether you are a new parent or have been a parent, you can benefit from the information offered in parenting classes.

Some parents are court ordered to take a parenting class, or a co-parenting class in divorce or separation situations. This shows that legal professionals view parenting classes as a good and credible source for parenting education. Whether you have to take a parenting class, or just want to improve your parenting skills, online parenting classes are perfect.

Online parenting classes can be done in the privacy of your own home, at your own pace, at any time of day, and around your schedule. They are very affordable and very convenient. The lessons and topics in these parenting classes are practical, easy to understand, and very educational. You can only gain from the experience.

Our children are more valuable and important than anything else, so any knowledge involving them or raising them should be considered valuable and important. We all want to raise our children to grow into strong, loving, and responsible adults. Good parenting benefits parents and children, and the benefits can last a lifetime. Improving our parenting skills and investing in our children are the best investments that we could ever make.

So, hold good parenting and education as high values, take a parenting class, spread the word, and

We at parenting resources and reviews selected a few of the best online parenting classes available. For your convenience and general information, we provided overviews of the lessons and topics covered in these parenting classes, and some of the company website’s beneficial features. We also provided reviews of these selected classes. These overviews and reviews will help you make a more informed decision, and help you select the parenting class that is right for you.

Happy parenting!

Parenting Resources and Reviews

parentingresourcesandreviews.webs.com/parentingclassreviews.htm

John Swanson from Parenting Resources and Reviews
http://parentingresourcesandreviews.webs.com/

Author: John Swanson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Now that you have your walleye, do you know how to prepare it? It would be such a waste if you can’t find a walleye recipe that can showcase the texture and taste of this fish. A great catch deserves a great recipe. Here are some sources to help you decide on the best way to cook your walleye:

WalleyeCentral.com

What better way to prepare a walleye than to use the recipes that fellow anglers recommend? This site provides recipes posted by walleye fans. Some yummy walleye recipes to try: the simple but rich baked walleye fillets in cheese sauce and the easy but crunchy parmesan cheese and breadcrumb-coated fish.

Try the easy to prepare marinades and sauces included on the site. If you have a walleye recipe of your own or know one that other anglers will love, you can post them on there.

FishUSA.com

This site contains recipes of fish and nothing but. The walleye recipes are provided on the links and aren’t arranged by type of fish, so if you want to find a recipe, you’ll have to read through the list. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, though, this site has some excellent walleye recipes for you to try. If you prefer, you can also try recipes for other fish and see how it fits by substituting your fresh walleye.

GameAndFishRecipes.com

Recipes on this site are categorized by fish, so other than walleye, you’ll find salmon, trout, halibut and catfish, among others. Simply click on the appropriate link to find delicious walleye recipes.

You’ll also find tips, tricks and advice on the proper way to prepare and cook walleye, so you have no excuse not to prepare a good dish.

WalleyeCapital.com

Other than recipes, you’ll also find a practical list of walleye preparation and cooking tips on this site. Recipes are as simple as the Battered Fish & Chips or healthy like the Walleye with Vegetables recipe. You can also try the down-south comfort food recipe of Cajun Fried Walleye. There are only a few recipes on this site but they’re worth trying.

FreshWaterFish.com

This is a no-frills recipe site but the recipe ideas are excellent. You’ll also find a good tip on using fish substitutes for walleye, including dore and pickerel. Try the heady Walleye with Beer Batter or the convenient party-ready Walleye Fillet Cups.

In-Fisherman.com

For great-tasting walleye recipes, try the ones on this site. Click on the walleye-insider/recipes link and find recipes such as baked walleye with sage and hazelnuts and the crunchy and flavorful almond-crusted walleye. Try the flavor of the East with the crispy walleye recipe with the Asian style dipping sauce.

Regine Hehn owns and operates http://www.walleye-fishing-guide.com – Walleye Fishing Guide.

Author: Regine Hehn
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Gardening

A gardener’s inspiration and motivation for gardening can vary, but most of the time, gardening is a hobby done either as a recreational form of natural art, or as an experiment in self-sufficiency. And with so many plant varieties available ranging from flowers to vegetables, it would be quite rare to find two identical gardens.

Most gardening takes place in regions with temperate weather, and each season bears the potential for new beauty. Planting can take place anywhere from early spring through mid-autumn depending on the location, climate, and plant.

Getting your gardening materials ready

Before you get started on your gardening project, there are a few tools and materials necessary to begin. Of course, you’ll need a plot of land or area within a yard to plant your garden. The size and design of the garden largely depends on what kind of garden you will grow.

Once you have determined how your garden will be physically laid out, you’ll need some basic tools to get started. A hoe or small plow will be needed to turn the soil in which you will plant. For small flower gardens, a hoe or even a small trowel may be sufficient. For larger gardens and for many vegetable and fruit gardens, a plow, or rototiller, would probably be more desirable.

After you have planted your seeds or plants, they will require water. A garden hose or watering bucket can be used to help irrigate the garden, particularly in months when rain may be at a minimum. Automatic sprinkler and irrigation systems may also be installed to maintain your garden.

Finally, some gardeners insist on the use of fertilizers and plant foods. While these may not be necessary, they may have a significant impact on your garden. If pests and other insects may be a problem, you might also consider investing in a safe insecticide for treating your plants.

Common challenges faced in gardening

We aren’t all “green thumbs,” but everybody faces the same basic problems in the planting and maintenance of a garden. First of all, insects and other pests can cause serious issues for an otherwise healthy garden. Many nurseries can offer you guidance in common pests and plant diseases that might be prone to your region or type of plant, and should be able to help you pick out a pesticide.

The weather can also seriously hamper your efforts at maintaining a successful garden. Brutally hot temperatures, lack of rain, and other weather conditions during the growing season can stunt growth, prevent blooms, or even kill entire gardens. And, of course, unexpected changes in the weather can catch even the most experienced gardener off-guard. Be prepared for anything in terms of weather, and this will help prevent surprises later on.

Gardening for beauty

Flower gardens greatly add to the overall landscaping of a home or business, and can add color at any time of year. Understanding the difference between annuals – which bloom only once and typically die at the end of the season – and perennials – which, if cared for properly, will return again season after season – can be of great benefit to establishing a garden.

Many flower gardens feature a set of perennials as part of the landscape, requiring the gardener to simply fill in the open space with annuals each year. Popular annuals for flower gardening include impatiens, begonias, daisies, tulips, and pansies. Some gardens may be designed around a color scheme or theme, and are often designed to be incorporated into the larger landscaping theme of the home or business.

Gardening for food

Many gardens are created for the sole purpose of growing and harvesting edible fruits and vegetables. In some regions of the world, fruit and vegetable gardening is so popular that nearly every home on every street or road has at least some size garden filled with fruits and vegetables.

While planting and growing flowers from seed is fairly simple, knowing when to plant seeds for a vegetable garden can be a more of a challenge. Many novice gardeners choose to purchases small plants to grow, leaving most of the work in maintenance of the garden.

Most vegetable and fruit gardens are planted in rows, which makes working in the garden, the weeding and watering for example, easier. Planting in rows also eases in harvesting the yields of the garden, as a person can walk through the rows next to plants to harvest and pick the food. Common plants in fruits and vegetable gardens include beans, tomatoes, all varieties of peppers, corn, and radishes. Most fruit and vegetables are summer gardens, although the yields may not be harvested until fall for some vegetables and fruits such as gourds and pumpkins.

For those who like plants for beauty, or those who want to grow fresh food in their backyard, the rewarding hobby of gardening is well worth a try.

Mary Amos loves to garden and is blessed with green fingers. Take a look at Organic Garden | Organic Vegetables to make the most of your garden. Also visit Home Improvement | Home DIY for home improvement ideas.

Author: Mary Amos
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Do you know what makes my mouth water? Ribs. Melt in your mouth, slavered in sauce, ribs. The kind of ribs you need a bib because they fall apart as you eat them.There was a little takeout shop just up the road from me that made the most excellent ribs. The best ones around. I ordered in often, and ordered extras so that I could heat more when I felt like it. I was in heaven. And then they closed down. Then I was mourning. Do you know how hard it is to find a place that makes good ribs? Let me tell you, it’s hard.I didn’t even begin to try and copycat them at home.

I decided after I’d tried my fourth or fifth place that cooking ribs must be an artform. The places I went to, takeouts just like the one up the road, made okay ribs. Not excellent but passable in a rubbery, not the right tasting sauce kind of way. So I expanded my search and eventually discovered Applebee’s Babyback Ribs. I was in heaven again. They melt in your mouth and there’s just the right amount of sauce and the taste! If you’ve ever tried them you know what I mean.

The problem is that I couldn’t afford to get them all the time. And I couldn’t cook them at home. They had special ingredients, and besides they’d be awfully complicated. I fully admit to being a pedestrian cook. Ask anybody who’s suffered through one of my meals. So, I switched on the cooking channel, as you do. After some surfing I came across more than one program cooking ribs. Good, I thought. Well, maybe not. They were complicated. Beyond my skills. I was back to square one. Or so I thought.

Then I decided to do what I should have done in the first place: I fired up Google and did a search, or three…maybe a few more than that. I came across some recipes. One that even purported an Applebee’s copycat recipe of their famous Babyback Ribs. I tried them, and they all failed me miserably. Maybe it was my lack of skills, but I didn’t think so. It almost tasted right, you see. There was something missing from the whole equation. So I kept on searching. Eventually I came across “America’s Most Wanted Recipes”. They had the recipe, too. But you had to pay for the cookbook, and who wants to pay for a cookbook when you can get the recipes for free on the net? I bookmarked the site, and then went looking for more copycat recipes. They all failed.

Eventually, after exhausting all the easy options, I went back to the site, and bought the book. I should have done it in the first place. The recipe was easy to read; the ingredients easy to find, and even I could cook it. That was a plus, but would it taste like the real deal? That was the crux of the matter as far as I was concerned. Imagine my surprise when it did.

The moral of the lesson, at least for me, is that sometimes you have to pay money to save money if you want to get what you really want. In my case it was melt in your mouth, need a bib to eat them ribs. If you want to eat Applebee’s Babyback Ribs at home, all you need is the copycat recipe. so get “America’s Most Wanted Recipes”. When it comes to Applebee’s copycat restaurant recipes they are at the top of their game. They aren’t too shabby with many of the other restaurants, either. I’ll just go back to thinking about ribs now, and let you decide where to best spend your money.

If you’d like to find out more about copycat recipes and how to use them best to your advantage have a look at my article, Why bother cooking copycat recipes

Author: Lynette Mitchell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Q. My spouse and I cannot agree on how to raise our kids. I think my spouse is too strict and my spouse thinks I am too lenient. Meanwhile, the kids are getting away with everything. What can we do?

A. This is an excellent and all-too-common question. So, in typical therapist fashion, I’m going to begin my answer with a question.

Where in the world did we get the idea that two parents have to agree on every aspect of parenting? Somehow, we are supposed to believe that two separate individuals, who grew up with different models of how to parent (if they had models at all), different life experiences and probably different temperaments, are now going to come together and agree on every facet of the complicated task of parenting.

Sorry, I just don’t buy it.

Not only is this an unworkable notion in the real world, it can be a damaging one as well. The optimal goal, of course, would be for these two different people to combine their respective parenting styles into a well-functioning and supportive parenting team. This is difficult, although it can and does happen. But when people believe the lie about always having to agree, a power struggle can be set up between the two adults.

We all like to be right and we tend to fight for our positions. In too many situations, instead of coming together as a team, parents grow farther and farther apart, rigidly adhering to their own styles.

A person with a more strict style has something to learn from the person with a more lenient style, and vice versa. But instead of learning from each other, the strict one becomes more strict and the lenient one becomes more lenient. This creates, at best, criticism and resentment and a gap big enough for a child to drive a truck through. The children suffer, and the parents cancel each other out.

It also sets up what I call the “parent trap.” Picture the face of a clock. At 12 o’clock is the word “angry,” at four the word “sympathy” and at eight the phrase “taken advantage of.”

The trap begins when a child misbehaves, does something wrong or gets in trouble. The parent starts at the top of the clock, becomes “angry” and says something like “OK, that does it, you are grounded for life!” or some equally realistic statement.

After a while, the parent moves on down the clock to “sympathy,” and lets the child off the hook.

Sure enough, the child takes advantage, and repeats the same action or something equally frustrating. This moves the parent over to feeling “taken advantage of.” The parent doesn’t feel this way for too long before thinking or saying, “How could you do this after all I’ve done for you!?!” The parent quickly returns to the top of the clock and “anger.”

Do you see the vicious circle this sets up? In the middle is the child, running the show.

Now let’s complicate this process even more, with our two different parenting styles. Imagine having one parent stuck on anger and the other one stuck on sympathy, or some equally damaging combination. There’s that hole you can drive a truck through.

There are many useful ways to get out of this parent trap. One of the simplest is called the odd/even schedule.

Here’s how it works: On odd-numbered days, one parent will be in charge of parenting. That means that all discipline, privileges, discussions, etc., go through that parent for that entire day. The other parent is to stand by and merely observe (unless there is blood or some other legitimate emergency).

The parent who is on for that day can call on the other parent as a consultant if he or she so chooses. Otherwise, the off parent is required to “sit on their wisdom” for the day. On the next day, the even day, the roles are simply reversed. The parent who was in charge is off, and the parent who was off is in charge.

This plan can benefit the family in several ways:

The parents come together to agree to follow the plan.

Each parent gets to see the other one in action and see that he or she can parent.

Each parent gets to practice his or her own parenting skills.

The children get to see each parent in charge.

The door is open for the parents to come together as a team.

The task of parenting is difficult enough without it becoming a power struggle between the two adults. It’s crucial to remember that the goal is to form an effective team, with both parents drawing on their own unique skills and learning from each other. In this way, the entire family benefits.

Visit ParentingYourTeenager.com for tips and tools for thriving during the teen years. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 5 day e-program on The Top 5 Things to Never Say to Your Teenager, from parenting coach and expert Jeff Herring.

Author: Jeff Herring
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Whether you are looking for some new recipes or having some question concerning cooking or food, the Internet is the right place. There are an uncountable number of websites related to cooking, food and recipes. You find general cooking or recipes websites, you can also find websites specialized in a specific type of food or ingredient, and you still find the cooking forums.

To find these websites is very easy – you just have to do a search at Google, Yahoo, MSN or another search engine that you prefer. By typing in, for instance, ‘Italian recipes’ you will get a countless number of websites that provide Italian recipes. Not to forget that you can search for a specific type of cuisine (‘Chinese’, ‘German’, ‘American’, etc.) as well as for a specific ingredient (‘chicken recipes’, ‘lobster recipes’, ‘rosemary recipes’, etc.) or cooking method (for instance, ‘grilling recipes’). You can see on the right side or on the bottom of the search engine page related terms that you can search for when you type in a more generic term, like ’shrimp recipes’. Another tip is to use quotation marks (” “) if you want to find a precise recipe or information (example: “Brazilian Coconut Shrimp”). Well, once you get the search results you just have to browse and look for the website that provides the recipes or information that you are looking for. And once you find a website that you like very much, don´t forget to bookmark it so you can always go back to it.

Another option is a directory, where you can browse through categories to find cooking and recipe websites. Usually recipes and food related websites can be found under the category Home Cooking – where you usually will find many sub-categories. The best known directory is the Dmoz.org.

Then we have the cooking forums. Cooking forum is a great place to get help with cooking or recipe questions, to discuss cooking methods and techniques, and to exchange food information, recipes, tips, and advice. The great advantage of forums is that they are made by real people with real experiences, interest, doubts, and feelings. You may check the forum Discusscooking.com. Another tip is the food site Grouprecipes.com – there you can create your own food page and organize your recipes, and of course discover new recipes and get in contact with many food and cooking lovers.

Well, as you can see the Internet is a wonderful resource to get recipes, food and cooking information. And the best of all is that it is for free – and if it is not, just search further that you will surely find information for free.

Come to my site to find free seafood recipes at http://www.weloveseafood.com

Author: Isabel Da Silva
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Wine racks can be utilitarian or decorative, but they are designed to hold bottles of wine to free up space; some are for storage, while others are for displaying wine.

Wine storage units come in incredible variety, designed to display a single bottle until hundreds of bottles, and everything in between. Materials range from inexpensive pine racks to walnut, oak, or even more exotic wood wine racks.

The attractive look of wood can be associated to the strength of metal; very popular and functional are redwood wine racks, iron wine racks, all in a variety of styles.

Blending the strength of steel with the subtlety of wood, the wine racks are made from galvanized steel and high quality pine, which can be left natural or finished in a cuprinol wood preservative.

The most spectacular are the glass wine racks.

Wine racks made for storage are usually made of wood, often pine. They are rectangular frames without a front or back, that stand on a wide foot. The frames have vertical runners, evenly spaced, with horizontal ledges between two vertical runners; they can be stacked in a large kitchen or a cellar to form a wall of wine, they can be used individually, placed on a counter. A small modular wine rack holds 10 bottles of wine.

The wine racks’ design is also diversified: table top wine racks, cellar wine racks or floor wine racks. The wine racks can be expandable, and we may grow the wine collection using stackable wine systems too.

The popular line of wine tacks is the modular one; they are easy to install and made of redwood. Usually they are made in two different heights to suit a large range of ceiling heights. Some firms are also customizing the racks to suit the clients’ cellar.

The most attractive racks are made of all heart redwood, western red cedar or Malaysian mahogany. They are the highest quality racks, having the standard height of 71 15/16 with a half height rack at 38 3/16″. These racks are deeper, so the necks of bottles are completely submerged.

Wine racks can also be stained oak or mahogany. For customers requiring a more decorative look to their wine tacks, they can be made using solid brass or stainless steel instead of galvanized steel and can also be made from solid oak or mahogany. Whatever the combination of materials chosen, our racks are designed for both strength and durability.

There may be more designs for wine racks, than there are types of wine; there is a wine rack to fit every personality, and purpose: whimsical or simple, austere designs that are more pragmatic than artistic. Some wine racks serve more as furniture, to add ambience to a room. If a bottle is removed from such a wine rack, another must quickly take its place or the wine rack will look incomplete.

A wine rack can be made of ornate cast iron, wrought into a design that resembles a ribbon gracefully wrapping around it. A wine rack like this can be pure decorative and kept on a counter, or might be used on a tabletop for those romantic dinners for two, adding a classy touch.

There is also low profile wine racks made for storage inside the refrigerator; a wine rack will come in very handy for you. No matter what décor requirement or space you have, there is a rack that will fit perfectly in the home. There are wine racks created for the most discerning of private collectors and wine shops to display their finest vintages, innovative racking system stored bottles with the label facing out for dynamic presentation and accessibility to the needed wine.

Some firms are assisting the customers to make their own wine racks models. Dimensions of there wood wine racks are depending of the customer’s desires and needs.

The “perfect” wine rack is made of modules, providing a custom-designed appearance for the wine cellar. The components are a full 12″ deep and boast superior features including:

o Large column spacing to accommodate burgundy and champagne bottles

o A raised bottom row that elevates the bottle 2.5″ off the floor

o Interlocking spacer bars that provide strength and ease of assembly

o Beveled bottle supports

Wine racks are widely available at department stores and many specialty shops. There are also wine vendors online.

For a lively accent in the kitchen or dining room, with the look of a vintage heirloom, we can have the French Vineyard Wine Rack.

The painted metal sides have a weathered patina that’s a colorful complement to the top of this piece, which is decorated with grape, bunches and embossed vines. This is a memorable and fun wine rack.

The wine racks are assuring the customer’s protection against damaging conditions. Almost all the wine racks have a solid construction, being able to handle the weight of wine bottles, and can withstand the humidity and temperature levels the wine needs. In addition to its strength and durability properties, the wine racks are virtual odorless furniture which will not affect the flavor of the wine.

Using the wine racks, the client will have not fear about its bottles’ movement and sediment being disturbed. As wood specie, maple is very stable and allows the wine to mature without worry of movement or instability. The bottles are stored individually on wine cellar shelving allowing fetching the needed bottles easily without disturbing or re-arranging other bottles. There is plenty of space between bottles to ensure reasonable air circulation and temperature consistency.

The wine is important for many customers, so they can choose a wine storage system that can depend on to grow as the wine collection grows. The wine racks can be useful to build a complete wine cellar or fill a corner, a counter, or an entire room. The stackable mix and match storage components give even difficult to fill spaces a custom look. Proper wine storage starts with wine racks and ends with cool, controlled temperatures. They are always great deals for the wine enthusiast.

Luxurious style with a handcrafted look that rivals fine custom racking, in mahogany or Redwood, with the look and quality that will last a life time, the wine racks are always useful and decorative.

Many wine racks models have the ability to meet the clients’ needs with an eye catching appeal. The labels on the bottles are easily read when stored the proper way.

Feel free to pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine and take a gander are some of the many designs without even leaving home. And the next time you reach for that perfect vintage, you might just slip it out of the perfect wine rack!

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. He has written many great articles on many topics, including fine wines. For more information, please visit [http://about-fine-wines.info]

You may also be interested in Keith’s other offerings at his site http://keithlondrie.com

Author: Keith Londrie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Why buy wine?

In Australia, wine has become the new beverage of choice for people in all walks of life. Moreover, Australia has developed an enviable reputation amongst wine drinkers and appreciators the world over. Myshopping.com.au can help you make the right selection of wine for any occasion and to suit any taste. Listed on our website, you will find some of the most celebrated labels and award winning wines and you can make a selection based on reviews, price and supplier, regardless of why you want to purchase wine.

There are essentially three reasons that we can think of why you might want to buy wine: to drink in some social occasion, to give as a gift, or as an investment with a realisable future.

Buying wine to drink

Winemaker Greg Gallagher at the Charles Sturt University, South Australia, says judging a good wine is simple. “It starts with asking, ‘do you like it?’ ” he says, “and finishes with ‘did you like it?’” When you have a list of favourite wines, all you need to do is find them on Myshopping.com.au, and you will find out where it’s sold for the best price.

But, because it’s not always easy remembering the name, style and vintage of the wine you enjoy, it’s a good idea to keep a record of wines you drink that you really like (and those that you’d prefer to avoid), for future reference.

When you’re buying wine to drink, there are a number of considerations you might like to bear in mind, the first being: what is the occasion? It stands to reason that a wine for an intimate dinner with a partner might be a different choice than one for a footy night with the boys. Sharing a wine with someone is a lot more than simply sharing the drink. It’s also sharing your taste, your values and your standards, so it pays to think carefully about the occasion and the company with whom you are sharing the wine.

A second consideration might be, what is accompanying the wine? Wine is often enjoyed with a meal, but you might like to consider also how the occasion (or meal) will develop. Matching the perfect wine with the perfect food and mood is an exhilarating experience, and is often at the heart of great memories.

You may also want to consider the ambience of the occasion. A wine for enjoying at an evening symphony concert will have a different character to that enjoyed at a beach picnic.

Buying wine as a gift

Wine makes an excellent gift for many reasons. It’s an easy purchase; you can buy a wine to suit practically any budget. And it is a demonstration of your taste and standards, subtly imparted to someone whom you may care for.

However, as well as meeting your taste standards, you also need to choose a wine that will meet the tastes of the receiver. It pays to find out what sort of wine that person enjoys, and buy within that person’s style or region preferences. A person who enjoys sweet white wines will appreciate a gift that matches that personality.

Buying wine as an investment

Some wines make a good investment because they are rare and have an established reputation causing them to appreciate in value. Possibly the most famous of these in Australia is Penfolds’ Grange Hermitage, a Shiraz style Claret that has been made since 1951 (a bottle of that vintage now might set you back $50,000 or more if you can find one). Although young in terms of wine heritage, Australia has some notable wines that do and will appreciate in value.

A good investment wine is not necessarily a guarantee of a high quality drinking wine. The investment values are arrived at by reputation. A particular vintage may have enjoyed popularity for any number of reasons and become scarce because only a limited number of bottles were produced. What results is a collectors market and wine changes hands through auctions, private sales, estate dissolutions and wine club memberships.

What makes a good investment wine however, is the fact that you are able to sell the wine at some future date for a sum greater than what you paid. Therefore the condition of the wine-or more importantly, the bottle-is of paramount consideration. The provenance of an investment wine is important. Before buying, you need to establish its history of origin and previous ownership. Satisfied that the bottle is in good condition, once in your possession it needs to be cellared correctly in the absence of heat, light and movement. You should document your ownership and the conditions of its cellaring before selling it to a new buyer.

What makes good wine?

The winemaking process

The quality of a wine is affected by a wide variety of factors that occur in and as a result of the winemaking, cellaring and handling processes. One of the key factors is the terrain and climate, commonly referred to as a ‘region’, where the grapes are grown. Different conditions affect different varieties differently. A Shiraz style from McLaren Vale in South Australia, for example, is a heavier and darker wine than the same style from the Swan Valley in Western Australia, which tends to be lighter and more peppery. A Chardonnay from the Hunter Valley is more full-bodied than one from Margaret River.

While knowing which vines are best suited to a soil type and climate is one aspect, another is knowing when to pick the fruit for particular effect. The fruit’s flavour at the time of picking is a major character of the residual flavours of the wine. After initial fermentation, some winemakers choose to ferment in oak, others not to. Using oak affects the reduction of tannins in the wine. Different types of oak-English, American, old-affect the flavour and character of the wine as it matures to its nominal alcohol level. It is in the barrel that a lot of transformations in flavours and character occur, and a great deal of skill is required to know exactly when to bottle the wine.

Different winemakers have different techniques and, while a good wine can’t be made from bad grapes, it is largely the winemaker’s skill that produces a good wine.

Taste

One of the ways we can tell the quality of wine as judged by its taste, is whether it has had successes in any of a number of wine shows held around the country. Experts from the wine industry judge wines on their quality and medal winners enjoy the benefits of being recognised and written about in the main media.

While not every medal winner is a wine that suits our taste, it is as a direct result of the shows and competitions that Australian wines have grown in popularity and quality. At Myshopping.com.au you can compare many award winning wines.

What’s your taste?

Regions and style

When you are shopping for wine, one of the first questions to answer is whether you are choosing a red wine or a white wine. Once you have decided this, you can then start to narrow down the different styles. Begin with the question of whether you are seeking a dry wine or a sweet wine.

Styles of wine are named after the region from which the grape originated. In the popular dark reds you have the Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot styles that tend to be drier wines. Lighter reds feature Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and Rose styles and these tend toward sweeter wines.

Popular white wines include the Chablis, Riesling, Semillon, Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay styles in dry wines, with Traminer Riesling, Moselle and late picked Verdelho in the sweeter styles. Aperitifs include sweet and dry sherry and Marsala. Dessert wines include Sauternes, Muscats and Ports.

Many wines are now presented as blended wines, a way to offer wider variety in taste and a way to use up less popular grapes and thereby minimise waste in the industry.

Australia has more than a dozen identified wine growing regions that produce distinctive wines of the main styles. The Barossa Valley in South Australia is possibly the most famous region with the richest heritage, and features many labels from subregions such as Claire Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and the Adelaide Hills. These regions produce some of the most spectacular Riesling wines, and Shiraz styles in the country. East of this region, near the border with Victoria lies the Coonawarra district (also known as Riverland), famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon. In Victoria lie the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsular districts. The Goulbourn Valley lies on the border with New South Wales. The Hunter Valley in New South Wales produces some of Australia’s finest wines, while in the West, Margaret River, t4he Swan Valley and the Plantagenet districts all produce fine wines.

Trends

Recent economic conditions and consecutive years of oversupply have changed much of Australia’s wine market. There are many small boutique wineries whose products can be bought direct from the cellar door. Many of these wines are featured on Myshopping.com.au by style and region.

The wine industry is encouraging the buying of wines and cellaring them (storing them in a cool place) for a period of time and enjoying them at a later time. To cellar your wine, store it somewhere cool, dark, airy, and free from vibration and dampness. Temperature stability is the most important factor in preserving wine in the cellar. Storing wine in an environment where the temperature varies gradually with the seasons is better than in a room that varies with the day and night.

For long-term storage, the ideal cellar temperature is 18 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 60-75%. Warmer conditions accelerate the development of wines, which could mean a reduction in the pleasure of drinking them.

The second phenomenon to occur through oversupply is the introduction of cleanskins, a method of selling wine without a brand label. This is presented as being ‘money saving’ because of a reduction in marketing expense, however the real cost saving per bottle is around 3-5 cents (the cost of printing and applying a label).

Cleanskins enable a wine producer to present a lower cost bottle, but this is mostly achieved by not having to identify the origins of the grape, or the varietal blends that make up the wine. And while it is true that some cleanskins are eminently drinkable wines, evidence suggests that they are generally of a far poorer quality than branded label products. It is suggested that you taste the wine before purchasing any cleanskins.

Wine is a high fashion product, and wine trends emerge on a regular basis. The best way to follow these trends is to shop using Myshopping.com.au — comparing prices and suppliers, and following medal winning labels.

See All Wine

Andrew Gates for Australian comparison online shopping service MyShopping.com.au. MyShopping.com.au helps you compare the different value offers from different brands in terms of specifications and accessories. You can also compare prices from hundreds of different brands and vendors.

Author: Andrew Gates
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Why do some children still do best after divorce and separation? Is there divorce parenting approaches that really work? Read and learn the divorce parenting approaches that really work.

Going through the process of divorce is a challenging life transition for both parents and children. During their parents’ divorce, children often feel a wide variety of conflicting emotions. It is very important for parents to provide their children with understanding and support. Overall, the children who do best after divorce and separation are those whose parents dominantly employ 5 divorce parenting approaches. They:

1. Listen to children and nurture an independent and empathic relationship with each of them.
2. Fully support the children’s relationships with the other parent making them feel loved and wanted in both homes.
3. Develop positive strategies for setting limits and imposing appropriate discipline.
4. Continue to hold reasonably high expectations for the children, regardless of trying circumstances.
5. Shield the children from their parental disagreements and resentments.

Each of the above is presented here below in great detail.

1. Listen to children and nurture an independent and empathic relationship with each of them.

To better help our children we must first understand them. To be able to understand them completely, we need to listen and create an environment favorable for them to speak out. To make things happen, you need to:

• Encourage your children to talk about how they feel. Let your children know that they can openly talk to you about their feelings of your separation or divorce.
• Keep lines of communication open and answer all questions about the changes. Make sure your children feels like they can ask you questions and get answers about why the divorce happened and what to expect.
• Convey that you are genuinely interested in their input. This will make your children feel they are participating in contributing to the process of recovering from the divorce.

2. Fully support the children’s relationships with the other parent making them feel loved and wanted in both homes.

Research tells us that children benefit from keeping the familial ties in their life that were meaningful and important to them prior to the divorce. Of these familial ties, the most important are the child-parent ties. Remember that divorce does not end children’s need for parents or it ends your role as parent. You should:

• Recognize that for your child to have the best chance of growing up to be a functional human male or female, he/she will need both parents as role models and nurturers. This means that there should be some pathway of getting through to the child whatever good that parent has to offer.
• Respect your child’s needs to have both parents there for them, without having them worry that they are going to die of embarrassment if you both start to fight in public. Encourage the other parent to stay involved in the children’s school and extra-curricular activities.
• Allow the children to enjoy the time that they spend with each parent. Encourage your children to spend good times with the other parent. Don’t be jealous or upset, as children do not want to take sides and love one parent more than the other.
• Help your children and ex-spouse have a successful relationship as just as you would help your children to succeed in school or sports. Remember that your ex-spouse is an important part of your child’s life. Just like you, your children have a shared history with this person as well as the present and future.

3. Develop positive strategies for setting limits and imposing appropriate discipline.

Often after a divorce parents will either become stricter or more lenient. Some parents feel like the other parent is letting the child get away with everything; therefore, they attempt to enforce discipline across both homes. Other parents do not want to spend the limited time they have with their child punishing them and tend to be too lenient. It can be difficult for children when their parents have drastically different rules and expectations. To give the child a sense of stability and security, you should do the following:

• Maintain consistent routines. Children feel more secure when there is a standard routine. At times, some parenting issues require communication and coordination between parents, if the child spends time with both parents. Both parents don’t have to do things exactly the same way, but it is easier for children if most things are similar at each home.
• Set limits and rules clearly, and enforces them. But within these limits do allow leeway for your children to be children.

4. Continue to hold reasonably high expectations for the children, regardless of trying circumstances.

Help your children have positive feelings about themselves. Children who feel good about them usually succeed. They seem to get better grades in school, they are better at taking on hard jobs, and they try their best. Also, they tend to make better friends because they seem surer of themselves. As parents, you can play an important role in helping children have positive feelings about themselves. Here are some ways you can help your children to feel good about them.

• Help them learn to set realistic and reachable goals so they can regularly achieve success. Praise them for success.
• Give your children responsibility so that they feel useful, and valued. Asking nothing of them implies that you think they are not capable of doing a job well, which is demeaning.
• Encourage them to make decisions, and teach that they must accept responsibility for those decisions.

5. Shield the children from their parental disagreements and resentments.

Stop fighting and work hard to get along with each other. Rumbles of discontent between parents leave children feeling insecure. It is therefore so important for you and your partner to try to agree on matters related to children and their needs. You can employ strategies such as:

• Be able to step back and keep your feelings about your ex-spouse separate from those you have about your children’s parent. Many people make lousy husbands or wives, but they are terrific parents.
• If you cannot be civil with your ex-spouse, then work out a plan and set up rules so that your child does not have to witness your wrath. Let your children feel with ease rather than going through a gauntlet of your venom for each other.
• Get to work on resolving your feelings about your ex-spouse. That means if you can’t get over this yourself, get some help. Other people are suffering besides you, and those other people are your children!

Certainly, some children still do best after divorce and separation. All their parents did were employing tested divorce parenting approaches that really work. You can raise healthy, happy and successful children even if you’re divorced. Follow the above approaches for your children sake.

Copyright by Ruben Francia. All Rights Reserved.

Publishing Rights: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author’s information and web link are included at the bottom of the article. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Minor edits and alterations are acceptable so long as they do not distort or change the content of the article.

About The Author

Ruben Francia is an author of an indispensable divorce parenting guide ebook, entitled “101 Ways To Raise Your ‘Divorced’ Children To Success”. Discover the ways to raising healthy, happy and successful children even if you’re on divorced. Visit his web site at http://www.101divorceparenting.com; marketing@101divorceparenting.com

Author: Ruben Francia
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Now although I have been a collector of worldwide foods recipes for many years I was presented with the pleasant task of having to host a dinner party for a group of prospective clients. Although the group consisted of several nationalities I decided to prepare a Western type dish “Oven Barbecued Pork Roast”. I was quite sure that pork was not likely to offend any of my prospective guests!!

Although I already have thousands of recipes and popular foods recipes ebooks mainly in PDF format, that are these days available for instant download worldwide, I wanted something different.

After various free searches I came across an ebook containing 490 Blue Ribbon Recipes that had the exact recipe I wanted.

Having acquired my recipe I was curious as to how a recipe can get a “Blue Ribbon”.

Again I did loads of searches on various combinations of words including “Blue and Ribbon” and was surprised to find that was not an actual definition, maybe I just didn’t look in the right places, but my search was pretty thorough.

What I did however discover is that in America the competition for the blue ribbon is extremely competitive.

Basically I learnt that every year there about 80 fairs in the USA with representation from 50 States. Each fair has its own blue ribbon recipe competition. The field of acceptable categories is quite diverse which means there is something available for every taste. I found references to these fairs starting in the 1800’s

You will find Blue Ribbon Recipes in categories for appetizers, soups, sandwiches, main dishes, bread, rolls, biscuits, dips, dressings and every dessert you can think of. In fact there is recipe to satisfy every passion and for every occasion in the world of Blue Ribbon Recipes.

Astonishingly the contestants range from hardcore old hands and competitors who tour the whole country entering recipes for big cash rewards, to beginner home cooks enthusiastic to take a chance with Grannies ancient recipes for, say, the good old “Apple pie”.

As one hopeful contestant said “I just love entering County and State Fairs and I have been collecting competition recipes and cook books for many,many years”.

Inevitably, I suppose, commercialism has crept in to these events. During recent years apparently, sponsorship of recipe contests by national food companies has become popular at fairs across America. The various companies award generous prizes for original recipes featuring their products.

Again notably, some famous food products have originated as a result of state fairs. Way back in 1852 at the first State Fair of Texas, a notable contestant named Gail Borden Jr. submitted a dried “meat biscuit” recipe. His recognition and success came some time later after turning his processed and condensed milk into a “National Brand Name”.

If you are looking for a delicious dish to be proud of, let’s face it, you can’t go wrong with a recipe that has won a state fair competition and even better got that “Blue Ribbon” award!! They obviously do not just give them away lightly!!

Well there we are, just a little information on the significance of “Blue Ribbon Recipes”.

Just in case you are interested in the great recipe I discovered, here it is:

Delicious Barbecued Pork Roast

Serves 10-12 persons

3 lb / 1.5 kg boneless rolled top loin pork roast joint

3 large garlic cloves sliced

1 teaspoon black coarsely ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

vegetable oil, approx. 2 tablespoons

1 large onion, sliced (approx 8 oz)

1/4pint (approx 150 ml) chicken stock

8 oz tomato sauce (just over ¼ pint – approx 200ml)

50ml (approx. 4 tablespoons) chili sauce

50ml spicy tomato ketchup

50ml apple cider vinegar

50ml lemon juice

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

If there is a large amount of fat on joint, trim it off along with strings if the joint has come tied. Using butcher’s (or kitchen string), tie at 2″ intervals.

Cut deep slits in roast & insert garlic slices If desired, lay fat skin side up, sprinkle with salt and roast in a separate tin for those who like crackling.

Combine pepper, sage & thyme; rub over surface of roast. Coat a non
stick deep frying pan with oil, place over medium high heat until hot.

Add pork roast and roll around until brown all over, about 10 – 15 minutes. Take out meat, put on one side. Add onion & sauté until tender.

Add chicken stock bring to the boil. Transfer to a dish, then roast the meat uncovered at 350°f / 180°c for 30 minutes.

Combine tomato sauce & remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat; pour over pork.

Roast for an additional 35-45 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center
of roast registers 160°c. 325°f.

Slice pork, serve with hot sauce, ideal with tender new potatoes, in season vegetables and home made apple chutney/sauce.

Please note, I have amended the measurements from the ebook recipe so that they equate internationally.

For the record this recipe took 3rd place at the Illinois State Fair but I can’t tell you which year. What I can tell you is that the outcome of my dinner party was a complete success for me and my guests to the point that many of them even asked for the recipe!!
If you are interested in collecting good foods recipes, do yourself a favour and try and get hold of “490 Blue Ribbon Recipes”

The author Christopher Phillips is a retired restaurateur with a passion for collecting recipes from all over the world. You are free and welcome to copy and distribute this article without alteration and with the usual acknowledgment to the author.

Click here For More Blue Ribbon Recipes

More Great Recipes

http://www.cothivalebooks.com/

Author: Christopher Phillips
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Parental Alienation; the programming of a child by a parent to turn the child against the other parent has three levels of alienation mild, moderate, and severe. As the alienation increases the negative behavior of the children towards the targeted parent also increases. The percentage of children having access and parenting time (visitation) with the alienated parent decreases.

In a case study of thirty highly conflicted divorce and custody cases, submitted by the courts involving fifty nine children was evaluated to determine the existence of Parental Alienation Syndrome. This is when the child aligns with the alienating parent, adopts their views, joins in the defaming of the target parent and rejects that parent citing frivolous and irrational reasoning. Countering Parental Alienation Syndrome will take the knowledge of Parental Alienation and finesse.

This must be confronted to increase the chances for the target parent in reuniting and maintaining a meaningful relationship with their children. Janelle Burrill compiled, analyzed and evaluated the data for one year (2000-2001) from the cases that were submitted from a two year period (1998-2000). In the study twenty two children were listed under the mild alienation category, seventeen in the moderate category, and twenty in the severe.

The children listed under the mild alienation category show that eighty two percent of them expressed affection for the targeted parent. None of them had any anger towards or denigrated (disrespect and reject) the parent. Ninety five percent had parenting-time with the target. With mild alienation there is some cynicism of the target parent. This generally arises from a persons lack of restraint in making negative remarks about the target. They tend to react in this manner when they are hurt, angry, and feel personally attacked. For example, when parents first separate mom is feeling anxious and will implicitly convey to the children that their father is a bad person suggesting that it is not safe to be with him. She may say something to the effect of, “If you get scared or are not having fun call me right away and I will come and get you and bring you home.”

Dad may say something like, “Remember to tell your mother that you want to spend more time with me,” Suggesting that their mom is trying to separate them from each other. Generally, this behavior from the parents is done so they can look like they are the better parent to be with and that something is wrong with the other one.

In the scenario with mom the children start to question if they are safe to be with their father. With dad they can start to believe their mother is trying to estrange them from their dad. Usually when you point out the alienation to the alienating parent they feel ashamed that their behavior is negatively affecting the children and that they did not have enough self-control to refrain from distributing alienation.

Parents and children in this category normally have a good relationship. The parents who hands out the alienation usually are unaware they are doing it. It is a behavior that has not been addressed so it can be corrected. These parents are usually willing to modify their behavior to benefit the children. The recognizable denigration traits in mild alienation are sighing in disapproval, rolling the eyes in contempt, ignoring, disrespect, snide or sarcastic remarks, and defaming the target parent. To defuse the alienation explain to the children why people will make those kinds of gestures and bad-mouth another person. Let them know it comes from when they feel disrespected, rejected, hurt by a person, and that they lack self-control and respond in undesirable ways to validate themselves.

In the moderate alienation category the percentage of children who had parenting-time with the target parent drops significantly from ninety five percent down to sixty five percent. The same percentage of children also expressed affection for the target parent with fifty nine percent of them expressing anger towards the target and joining in the denigration of that parent.

With moderate alienation the alienating parents have difficulty keeping their composer when thing do not go their way or feel threatened. Like the belief their counterpart is trying to take the children away from them. They will increase the alienation when their anxiety escalates in an effort to keep what they perceive is rightfully theirs. When they lose control they go ballistic disregarding appropriate boundaries, including the fear their behavior produces in the children.

When, they calm down the alienating parent has a hard time taking responsibility for their actions. But, there is hope. Some of these parents in this category can be persuaded to develop their self-control with anger management, therapy, and parenting classes. These parents love their children and want to be a good parent and be viewed as one. But rarely will they volunteer to get help. They blame the other parent for their problems and believe the other parent is the problem.

If they do not modify their behavior then the only remedy is to get a court order for therapy and treatment. With moderately alienated children are hesitant to spend time with the target parent. They have some fear of the target parent due to the alienating parents repeatedly defaming the target in an effort to get the children to get to accept their views about the target parent and to align with them.

To remedy this level of alienation with the children there needs to be an environment where they feel safe and comfortable with the target parent. A therapist can arrange to provide for this. The parent then need to listen to the children without being judgmental, empathize with their feeling, acknowledge their concerns, and let them know the conflict is between the parents and they do not have to choose either parents side. They should not have to reject one parent to please the other parent. They should be able to love both without having a loyalty conflict.

Bring to the attention of the alienating parent the harmful effects the alienation is having on the children because they are conflicted on how to please both parents without displeasing either one of them. Moderate alienation ascends from emotional charged events. The parent feels they have been wronged and react destructively. Afterwards they are embarrassed of their behavior and might be willing to work on not involving the children to even the score for the wrong they believe was done to them. If there is unsatisfactory improvement and willingness on the part of the alienating parent in correcting their behavior, which is often the case, the target will need to get a court order for family counseling and treatment.

In the severe alienation category forty five percent of the children expressed affection for the target parent, ninety percent had anger towards the target, and sixty percent join in the denigration of the parent. Only fifteen percent of the children had any parenting-time with the target parent. With severe alienation there are no-holds-barred attacks on the targets character and the alienator is obsessed with destroying the relationship the children has with the target parent to inflict emotional pain on the target. Because they have deep-rooted distorted beliefs about the target parent and operate from a delusional system of thinking they are hindered from listening to reason.

There is no effective way for treating severe alienation. To minimize the influence of the alienating parent and harm the alienation causes the children is to reduce or remove them from the care of the alienating parent which will take legal intervention. At this level of alienation the children aligns with the alienating parent, adopt their distorted views about the target, and join in the campaign to severe the relationship they have with the target parent. This is where Parental Alienation is transformed into Parental Alienation Syndrome.

A couple of signs of severe alienation are the childrens refusal to participate in parenting-time with the target parent even if it is court order, an automatic alliance with the alienating parent when conflict arises between the parents, and they join in rejecting and defaming the target parent. They back up their claims with weak, frivolous and illogical explanations, and insist that their views are their own and are not influenced by the alienating parent.

The way to counter severe alienation is to obtain a court order for a parenting plan, therapy, and participation in treatment. It is necessary to get the order so the therapist can work with the family to resolve, reduce, or at the very least stymie the alienation. At this level of alienation the alienating parent objective is to hurt the target parent by any means including using the children.

The children need to be shown that they have been exposed to the alienation, participated in the denigration, and how it negatively affects the relationship they have with the target parent. Once the cause of the children’s alienation from a parent is identified then an expert mental health professional can provide an appropriate treatment plan to reunite the parent and children.

http://www.afathersvision.blogspot.com

Author: Sam Vigil
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Tupperware recipes are very popular, although you may never have known you were enjoying one of them.

Think back to those delicious Chocolate Lemon Tarts you ate at the last office party. They were mixed and baked in Tupperware, using a Tupperware recipe.

Slip back to last Saturday when your neighbor invited your family over for Burrito Frittatas. You didn’t know that was a Tupperware recipe either, but you enjoyed it.

Over the years, Tupperware recipes have served many guests at Tupperware parties. Then Tupperware began to publish their recipes on cards. Beverages, breads, desserts, main courses, salads, and dressings – there was a Tupperware recipe for every part of a meal.

Since all of their recipes were developed exclusively for the company, the cards have become collectors’ items, and are sometimes difficult to find. A few are available on Internet auction sites, or a Tupperware consultant may be able to help you find what you need. Tupperware recipes are also now available in cookbooks.

Two Quiche Tupperware Recipes

Tupperware recipe cards offered two quiche recipes in recent years.

1. Simply Delicious Quiche – Seq.# 4703 was among the “Taste of Tupperware Recipe Cards – Summer 2003″.

2. Rice Crusted Quiche – Seq.# 4004 was featured in “Taste of Tupperware Recipe Cards – Spring Summer 2006″

Tupperware quiche recipes are simple and easy, like all Tupperware recipes, planned for completion in the time it takes to have a party. Sadly, the official recipes for quiche cannot be shared online without permission.

In lieu of those mentioned above, let me give you a quiche recipe that has been shared among Tupperware consultants.

Impossible Quiche

This recipe uses the following products.

1. “Quick Shake Container”: The domed seal has a hinged pour spout so you have space for mixing. A removable blender wheel blends as you shake.

2. “Thatsa Bowl”: Large mixing bowl with seal

Make your Tupperware quiche as follows.

1. Into a Tupperware “QuickShake”, place 4 eggs, 1 and 1 half cups of milk, a teaspoon of mustard, salt, pepper, and tarragon to taste. Shake until well-blended.

2. In a Tupperware “Thatsa Bowl”, stir together 3 bacon rashes (chopped), a finely chopped medium onion, a cup grated cheese, and ½ cup of self-rising flour.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and seal the bowl, expressing air completely. Shake well to mix.

4. Pour ingredients into any standard quiche dish, and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. If you prefer, you may microwave the quiche at 60% of power for 12 minutes.

Additional Tupperware Recipes

If you visit websites of individual Tupperware consultants, you will find many Tupperware recipes. Some consultants have posted entire “Taste of Tupperware” cookbooks for your use. Others have posted individual recipes, or created their own recipes that make good use of Tupperware products. I offer one more here, a tantalizing, quick Tupperware recipe for chicken.

Quick and Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken

This recipe uses a “Rock ‘N Serve Large Shallow” container: a special vent on this microwaveable piece lets steam escape while the seal stays on. You get even heating without splatters.

Make your Lemon Pepper Chicken as follows.

1. Coat 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with “Miracle Whip” and sprinkle with lemon pepper.

2. Place the chicken in a “Rock ‘N Serve Large Shallow”. Microwave on a high setting for 8 or 9 minutes.

3. Let stand, covered, for 2 more minutes to finish cooking.

You will enjoy Tupperware recipes for their simplicity. You can save time and get good results, yet without sacrificing health.

As for Tupperware products – well, you probably know how they save money and time. To me, they are a great investment.

2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about Tupperware products and services at http://www.tupperware-blog.com Anna has also posted additional information on that site about Tupperware recipes. If you are eager to get a copy of the old Tupperware recipe for cranberry mold, check in with Anna.

Author: Anna Hart
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

We’ll start this article by asking these two questions: “Why is wine so confusing?” and “Does selecting a wine intimidate you?” If your answer to the second question is yes, then you are not alone!

Most people have been to a liquor store or a restaurant and been absolutely overwhelmed and intimidated by the sheer variety and number of selections offered. The variety of choices among wine varieties, brands, labels, and prices seem almost infinite.

Herein lies the problem: There are just too many choices.

So what is the solution to too many choices?

Well, the answer in a few words is: Discover your own preference for wine taste.

Many people know when they like a wine. But the difficult part is understanding why. What do you like about it, and how do you describe what it is that you like about that wine? Is it light or full bodied? Is it tannic or not? What are tannins anyway? Is it fruity or sweet? Do fruity and sweet mean the same thing? And, if you try and like a Shiraz, does that mean you will like all Shiraz?

All these questions can be answered by tasting wines, and then tasting more wine! Yet tasting is not enough as you must pay attention to what you are tasting. In my opinion, it is a good idea to learn with comparative tastings. Take for example the Chardonnay grape. It is grown in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria and also in Margaret River, Western Australia. Tasted side-by-side, you may first think that both Chardonnay’s have little in common, yet they are both made from Chardonnay grapes.

When you taste a wine of the same variety side-by-side, you can easily begin to learn the differences between a full bodied and a light bodied wine; and a low tannin wine and a high tannin wine, etc.

Tips on how to choose a wine that is right for you

Step 1: Decide if you want a white wine or red wine
Decide whether you want a white wine, red wine, sparkling wine, dessert wine or fortified wine. This will narrow down your choices and give you some direction.

Step 2: Decide on your preferences for wine taste
Have a think about your own preferences for the taste of a wine. (Tip: Use your knowledge from your comparative wine tastings to help you.)

As a minimum, decide whether you prefer a dry or sweet wine. (Dry is the term used to describe the absence of sweetness in a wine.)

If you know your preferences for other wine characteristics, then it will also be a good idea to decide on these. If you don’t know your preferences then I have included a short description here to help you in your comparative wine tastings.

1. Low Tannins vs High Tannins: Tannins are a vital ingredient in wines, especially red wines. It comes from the stalks, skins and pips of grapes. Tannins in a young wine produce a bitter, puckering taste on the palate.

2. Short Palate vs Long Palate: The “length” of a wine is the amount of time the sensations of taste and aroma persist after swallowing. Usually, the longer the better.

3. Low Acid vs High Acid: Acids of various types are present in wine, and are essential to the wine’s longevity and also to your enjoyment. Too little can affect the wine’s quality and too much can spoil the wine. A higher acidity makes the wine more tart and sour tasting; whereas a low acidity results in flat tasting wine that is more susceptible to spoilage.

Acidity is that quality that makes your mouth water and your lips pucker, and without it, wines (and anything for that matter!) taste pretty flat and one dimensional. However, when acidity is present in the right quantities, it is the element that makes all of the other flavours in the wine stand out, including the undertones of fruit, spice and herbs. The flavour in wine that you would describe as tangy, sharp, refreshing, bracing, bright, crisp or zingy is the acidity.

4. Light Bodied vs Full Bodied: To get a picture of the differences between a light-bodied wine and a full-bodied wine think about milk as an analogy. Light-bodied is analogous to skim milk and full-bodied wine analogous to full-cream milk, and the variations in the “body” of wne are like varying levels of fat-content in milk.

What makes it even easier, is that a wine’s body is directly proportional to its alcohol content. On every wine label you’ll notice a percentage of alcohol by volume. Note how it applies to body:

* 7.5% – 10.5% indicates light body

* 10.5% – 12.5% indicates medium body

* 12.5% and over indicates full body

5. No Oak vs Heavy Oak: Wines might be stored in oak barrels, usually to impart extra and more complex flavours. French, American and German oak barrels are widely used in Australia. Oaky describes the aroma or taste quality imparted to a wine by the oak barrels in which it was aged. The terms toasty, vanilla, dill, cedary and smoky indicate the desirable qualities of oak; charred, burnt, green cedar, lumber and plywood describe its unpleasant side.

Step 3: Buy wine that is well looked after, like at the cellar door
It is important to purchase wine from liquor outlets that take proper care of their wine, e.g. buying direct from the winery’s cellar door is a good option. Extreme heat or cold, direct sunlight, and dramatic temperature fluctuations are not good for wine. Also, before you buy, make sure the wine is filled up to the neck of the bottle, the cork is not pushing out of the bottle, and there are no signs of leakage.

Step 4: Enjoy exploring the variety and diversity of Australian wine
There are lots of good reasons to explore all of the wines that Australia has to offer in all its diversity. Don’t just stick to the well-known varieties like Chardonnay or Shiraz – experiment with other whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Gewurztraminer or reds like Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir. Also, try examples of a particular variety from different wine regions to understand how regional conditions affect the wine’s character. Expose yourself to every type of wine. The more you taste the more you will understand and the easier wine selection will become.

Step 5: Buy by the case
When you find a wine you really like, consider buying wine by the case (12 bottles). Most wineries will offer you a 10% or 15% wine discount when you purchase a case of wine or more.

Step 6: Only rely on your own taste buds
The ultimate goal of wine buying is to buy wines that taste good to you. Just because a merchant, friend or wine writer says a wine is good doesn’t mean you’ll like it. Conversely, don’t shy away from a wine because someone else says that it is no good. The only judge of good taste in wine is you.

And herein lies one of the biggest benefits of so much choice: you are sure to find wines that are perfect for your own unique taste buds. All you need is just a little knowledge as described above and the willingness to explore. If you are interested in comparative wine tasting, www.boutiquewineries.com.au may be a good place to get started.

And most importantly, be open to the possibilities and then, make note of them and learn from them.

Article by Jodie Smith of Boutique Wineries a leading online cellar door offering uniquely different wines from over 120 boutique wineries. It makes finding the hard to get wines of Australias small wineries easy.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to forward it to others, make it available from your site or post it on forums for others to read. Just make sure that this paragraph and URL are included. For more information, tips and articles on wine, Australian boutique wine reviews and wine ratings, visit The Wine-Tasting Secrets Newsletter at Online Boutique Wine Shopping in Australia.

Author: Jodie Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Wine has played a kingly role in the history of the world.

People have drunk it in majestic rituals and it has lived in the palace cellars. It has survived through the medieval times and has been used by the priests to cleanse the body and cure devotees their common maladies. Whereas it used to be enjoyed only by kings and noblemen, today wine is ubiquitously consumed by people all over the world. A buffet or a fine dining experience will not go well without a Chardonnay, for instance. Most people drink wine to loosen themselves up, after a hard day’s work. Others imbibe wine as a form of epicurean art.

A meal will always be more enjoyable if paired with a great tasting wine.

The complication arises, however, as soon as you peer into the wine list and begin to squint in confusion. Of the thousands of wine choices now available, which of them should you set on the dinner table along with your steak? Which should you drink to wash your tongue after a fruity dessert? The common dictum is to drink white wine with fish, chicken and other white meat, and to complement a rich lamb or veal dish with red wine. This idea is tried and tested and people have agreed that it works. But do you know not all types of red wine are for rich, red meat alone?

Red wine is indeed majesty of liquor.

Not only does it go well with almost all kinds of meal, it also plays an essential role in our health. The latest news is that red wine actually combats Alzheimer’s disease by preventing the build-up of plaque in the brain. Red wine contains resveratrol (a natural compound) which scientists say fights the slow degeneration of the nervous system’s components as it combines with other anti-oxidants. Pinot Noir, for instance, has been discovered to be chock full of resveratrol. It has been reported, too, that this red wine compound can also help battle other degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

Now let’s go to the nitty-gritty.

Basically, there’s a wine for every meal but the bottom line is to rely on your sense of taste. Different people have different palates and even the connoisseurs cannot agree on one rule when it comes to the perfect wine for a dish. However, the distinct characteristic of each wine should dictate which meal it should harmonize with.

For example, Cabernet Sauvignon being a varietal wine (which is a blend of one dominant grape and other less distinct flavors), Petit Sirah and Bordeaux can jibe well with red, heavy meat dish such as lamb, beef (most dish with spicy sauces) and other intense-flavored cheeses. Because of its full body and strong tannic taste, it can balance the feeling of greasiness in the cheese and the meat.

Sweet, sour, fruity, acidic, smooth sharp, crisp – Oh my.

You can recognize a particular wine’s characteristic through its acidity, its body, the tannic content, its sweetness, its aroma as well as its overall balance. Chardonnay harmonizes with poultry and cheese. There are many variations of this white wine that can run from sweet and fruity to sour. It can even be paired with seafood such as oysters and can be served as aperitif. Chenin Blanc is also a white sparkling wine and goes well with fish and chicken. Most fish meals usually get paired with white wine but there are exceptions since fish dishes are prepared differently. The general rule is that wines that blend well with fish and other white meat contain high acidic flavor. The sharp, crisp hint of acid enhances the flavor of fish like a drop of tangerine juice would.

Pasta dishes & wine – An easy pair.

Wines that work well with pasta dishes are Merlot and Pinot Noir or Pinot Grigio. Pinot Noir makes a wonderful combination with steaks. It is a Burgundy wine that gets darker as it ages. It also matches well with fowl whereas Merlot is a good chocolate complement.

Advanced pairing, great combinations to enhance flavour.

Desserts are best paired with Rieslings, Port wines, or Madeira. Most oriental food and white meat dishes won’t go wrong when matched with a Riesling. Spicy Mexican foods on the other hand are best eaten with Shiraz. Shiraz (also called Syrah) is a versatile wine; it complements many popular meat dishes such as chicken (tenderloin, rib or prime) as well as pork, beef and duck. If you like our regular fast food dishes like burgers and pizza or any meal with red spicy sauce Red Zinfandel is the perfect complement. A medium bodied wine such as Red Zinfandel will always taste better with red meat while White Zinfandel which is a newly-developed wine in the market goes in tune with pasta with light sauce, fish and most light dishes.

If you like ham and sausages a wine called Gewurztraminer will serve you well. This is also best for Asian foods and is known for its fruity flavor. Another wine that is in perfect harmony with pasta chicken and fish is the Sauvignon Blanc, more popularly called Fume Blanc. Most grilled dishes like fish and vegetables as well as exotic spicy foods go with Rose. Turkey served on Thanksgiving should be paired with a white burgundy wine called Chablis. If smoked salmon is served on the dinner table, it’s best to enjoy sparkling wines.

Waiter, I’ll have the … how do you say it?

Apart from knowing which wine to drink along with your meal, it also essential to know a few important vintner’s terms. If you’re buying wine you must recognize whether it’s brut, demi sec, sec or off-dry. These terms refer to the sweetness of the wine. Demi sec wines are a bit sweet and brut wines are not sweet at all. You will have a fair idea of the sweetness of it before actually opening its cork if you look at the label that’s printed under the brand of the wine.

Because wine selection can be baffling, it is essential to understand some rudiments that you can use in your own dinner hosting or restaurant visits. If you have no idea at all as you gaze at the wine menu board which wine is what, ask your local chef or connoisseur. These people have fair enough experience when it comes to wine tasting, preparation and serving that you can bet they can give you what you are asking for. Once you have received some expertly advice, do the wine tasting yourself. Remember that one person’s taste bud is different from another so you will have a notion of what really appeals to your taste.

The purpose of a good wine is to enhance, not bury.

A wine’s purpose is not to overwhelm or overpower the dish served with it, but to complement, highlight or contrast its strengths and hints of flavor. For most people this requires a really fine and discerning taste bud. Some wines take time to mature and in this process their tastes change and either mellow out or grow more intense. You should be aware of this aging process of each wine. Some of these wines absorb the flavor of their storage barrels such as oak. Other wines can have complex taste through their color and smell. The rule is to sniff the wine for a good nose (a vintner’s term used to denote the overall smell of a wine, including the aroma and the bouquet) and if you like the nose, it is highly likely that you will also adore its taste.

“Wine Connoisseur” is just a friendlier term for “English Major”.

It is important to experiment with different wines. Connoisseurs may have a fairly good idea of what wine suits their taste, but you can’t ask for a connoisseur’s help each time you will prepare a meal with a wine. Experimenting helps you open up your wine vocabulary and expand your wine knowledge. It will give your taste buds a chance to explore the art of wine expertise. When trying out many different wine brands and learning each wine characteristic, make sure that you take note of each wine’s uniqueness. In other words, a single wine tasting session does not make a wine taste consistent. The next time you taste red Bordeaux, for example, when paired with another dish, it will not be the same Bordeaux wine that you used to know. As you expand your tasting capabilities, you tend to forget a particular wine’s characteristic too. That is why keeping an olfactory note of any wine is a must for anyone wishing to explore its complexity.

Your nose knows good wine, trust it.

Finally, trust your own taste when it comes to selecting wine either for aperitif, for dinner or for dessert. Do not be concerned about the “right” or the perfect wine. The key is to find which will complement and highlight the taste of your meal best. As you taste more wines and learn more, your confidence will grow. Don’t shy away from new wines; instead give yourself the opportunity to be an expert yourself. Always exchange wine information with your local restaurateur/wine expert/wine merchant. Try new wines and mix them with various meals. You can break rules for as long as you as a host and your guests will enjoy your discovery. The point is, wine is an enjoyable meal complement and a dinner table’s best friend. It should always stay that way.

Sean M. writes for several how-to, self-help related sites including those about his long time passion of drinking a little Pinot Noir and not looking foolish. For more of his work visit the wine selecting website, or directly download the wine tips [http://www.wineselecting.com/pdf/wine-tips.pdf] free ebook.

Author: Sean M
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

We live in an age when love, sex and intimacy seem to be many people’s epitome of happiness. Yes, we seek other ways to find happiness and fulfillment, but the rate of divorce and the percentage of single parent families compared with two-parent families tells me that parenting is either of less importance to parents than marriage or that they are uninformed about the effects of divorce on their children. Parents who leave an unhappy marriage for the sake of their children are not in possession of all the facts or are misguided in their belief that divorce is in the best interest of the children. The best wisdom out there says that children of divorce suffer more than children of unhappy marriages.

Here are 7 reasons why parents should put parenting before marriage.

1. Children need two parents more than they need a perfect home

The influence of both a male and female parent on a child’s development cannot be understated. A good mother, on balance brings a nurturing, protecting and comforting aspect to a child’s life, while a good father brings his child stability, security and strength. Mothers tend to be more emotional, fathers more rational. Mothers tend to be more understanding, fathers more decisive. A good mother may offer her child a shoulder to cry on while a good father may show his child how to get up and move on.

Of course, a good parent possesses all these qualities and shares the responsibility for providing their child with all their needs. But it is in the nature of a male parent to provide a child with answers and solutions and direction while it is more inherent in a female parent to be protective of a child’s emotional well-being and to be a good listener without feeling the need to give her child a logical solution to their problem.

Having both a male and female parent present in the home teaches a child how to explore and develop both the masculine and feminine aspects of their own character. In balanced adults there is a healthy presence of both male and female characteristics. In women, the balance will tend to be more feminine and in men, more masculine. If a child is to have the best chance to develop emotional stability then two parents are needed on a daily basis. Even the slightest change in the balance will have an adverse effect on a child’s emotional and intellectual development.

2. A child has a right to be brought up by two parents

Marriage is a choice that two people make for themselves. It is rarely a selfless or altruistic act. People marry because they find someone who brings them happiness and fulfilment in life. Of course, there is also the promise to live to make the other person happy. Even though the phrase “for better or for worse” is still often said in the marriage vows, more and more this promise is being broken as married couples find it’s a promise they are unable or unwilling to keep.

However, when a child is born into the marriage, it has rights which far outweigh the needs of the parents. Even though a couple desire to be fulfilled in their personal relationship with each other, a child has the right to be brought up by two loving, caring, selfless parents: parents who put their child’s interests before their own.

Parents rarely make a commitment to their children when they are born, but children ought to expect that their parents will do whatever it takes to give them a stable, loving home in which to grow and develop. In a good parent, the rights and needs of their child will always come before their own, whatever the cost to themselves.

3. To be a parent is a moral obligation – not a choice

There is never a time as long as a parent and a child are living when they will not be connected. Even if estranged, a parent will always be the parent to their child. There is no divorcing a child. There is no saying to a child ‘I’m sorry, I don’t love you anymore, this simply isn’t going to work’. But when two parents say that to each other, they are in some measure saying it to their child. Parents may put a spin on divorce by saying to the child ‘it’s better for you in the long run’ but the truth is – it isn’t. A child’s perspective will be ‘you don’t love me enough to stay together and make your marriage work’ – even if only subconsciously. While some may say ‘I’m glad my parents split up – I couldn’t stand the shouting’, what would they have said if their parents had found a way to make the marriage work in order to keep the family home together? Or are they even aware of the effects that growing up in a broken home has had on them?

The love between a husband and wife can wane or even be extinguished, but the love of a good parent is unconditional and unmovable. A marriage can breakdown and be dissolved, but the love that a good parent has for their child can never be diminished and their commitment to their child can never be undermined or broken. The commitment that a parent has to their child is not one based on choice, it’s one based on moral obligation. It would be even better if it were based on unconditional love. What lengths would a good parent go to to provide their child with the very best upbringing they could if they truly loved them more than themselves?

4. A child deserves and expects it

During their formative years, children depend upon both parents to show that they are committed to them. They need to see that they are loved and to know that their home is stable and secure. They need to know that no matter what storms the family has to face together, the foundations of the family home cannot be shaken. Children need the certainty that the love their parents have for them comes above their own personal happiness – that it indeed comes before their love for each other. When a parent puts a child’s interests second to their own it will make their child feel unloved and second-rate. The child will begin to doubt their own worth and their value to the parent. After all, what kind of love puts someone else second?

If a child doesn’t deserve a parent’s unconditional and undying love then who does? Children are vulnerable and need protecting. Parents have a responsibility to give their child the best parenting they possibly can whatever the cost to themselves. A child has no reserves on which to draw to cover the emotional shortfall which results from growing up in a broken home. Parents, on the other hand should be prepared to go into emotional debt if they have to in order to make sure their child does not grow up emotionally poor or crippled.

5. Spouses can expect too much from each other, but children never expect too much from their parents.

Marriages are not perfect, neither are parent-child relationships. But a child deserves understanding, provision, support, affection, and security moreso than a spouse. After all, when two people get married, they make an agreement to love each other and provide for each other’s needs. When a child is born, no such agreement takes place. A child simply grows up expecting all that’s coming to them. When one person in a marriage fails to uphold their part of the agreement, the other has every right to withdraw their own part of the agreement. So often, when the love that one has for the other depends on what they ‘get’ out of the relationship, if they ain’t ‘getting’ then the love dies. But this only works one way with a child-parent relationship.

When a child fails to be a perfect child, a parent cannot abandon them or withdraw their love from them. The child still has the right to expect to be loved unconditionally. Children owe nothing to their parents, but parents owe everything to their children. If a child fails to love a parent as they would like to be loved, the parent must go on loving their child nonetheless. The child has no debt of love to pay to the parent. But if a parent loves their child unconditionally, that child will grow up to love their parent too. If a parent fails to love their child more than themselves, the child will withdraw from the parent to a greater or lesser degree.

Even though good parents will fail their child in some measure, a child’s expectations of the parents are always right – even if unrealistic. Good parents will always understand that they are not married to their child – they are inextricably connected and committed to their child and that a child has a birthright to expect unreserved love and commitment from their parents regardless of how much a child returns their parents’ affections or lives up to their expectations.

6. A broken home results in a broken child

Somewhere along the way, when a child is brought up by one parent or by two parents who live apart, something in the child is lost or broken. Having two parents who could not find it in themselves to stay together to give them a stable home will have a detrimental effect on a child. It may not emerge till later in life, but a person from a broken home may find it difficult to make strong emotional connections with others. Statistics show that people from single-parent homes are less successful in life – even years afterwards – than those from two-parent families.

While parents may argue that they split up for the child’s sake, in actuality, it’s rare that divorce ever benefits a child. Growing up in a home even where parents are disconnected or in constant disagreement gives a child more stability and normality than growing up where they have to deal with the loss of the two-parent home. A child growing up in a broken home grows up grieving for the intact home where two parents are available on a daily basis to provide them with the moral, emotional and intellectual support essential to their development and nourishment. The best parenting cannot be done over the telephone or on weekends. The best parenting is done on a daily basis and in partnership with the other parent. No matter how parents try to justify divorce, it will nearly always result in a broken child.

7. Putting parenting first may save a marriage

Children should never be used as an excuse not to leave a marriage, but they can be the reason why a parent would stay in a marriage. The difference is that if a parent knows that to provide their child with a stable, loving and peaceful home in which to grow up will give them the best possible start in life, it may give them the resolve they need to work harder at their marriage than if they had not been a parent. Whereas, not leaving a marriage for the sake of a child is a mindset which can result in a parent putting too much responsibility on their child to bring them personal happiness.

If parents can proactively take steps to make a marriage workable so that their child has the home they deserve, they may find that their marriage becomes less of a disappointment. Focusing on the needs of their child and resolving to work at their relationship for the sake of their child doesn’t necessarily mean that the marriage is false or a sham. It merely shifts the priorities of the marriage. Nor does it mean that the child carries the burden of keeping the marriage together. It merely requires a level of giving to the child that supercedes the parents’ desire to take from each other. Providing a child with a good home is one of the best reasons two people can stay together.

Who said that romance or sex or a great social life are the only reasons to be married? Surely, providing a child with a loving home is as good, if not, a better reason for working at a marriage than all the others put together? The result of working at the marriage wouldn’t be to prevent the pain of separation for the parents, it would be the enduring and immeasurable investment that they make in the well-being and personal development of their child. If parents can keep their child the focus of their ambitions and desires, they can find ways they otherwise wouldn’t have done to make their marriage workable and as enjoyable as possible and thus provide their child with the parents and the home they deserve.

http://stayforyourchildren.com

Stephen Rees

Having worked at a difficult marriage for 20 years in order to bring up my two children my desire is to encourage and help other parents in a similar situation to do the same. My core belief on parenting is that a good parent can find ways of making a marriage work – even if not fulfilling – in order to provide their children with a stable, happy home in which to grow up.

The modern belief that leaving a bad marriage for the sake of the children has no evidential basis. In fact, studies on both sides of the Atlantic have shown that children who come from homes where both parents are present even if the marriage isn’t a good one, develop better emotionally and intellectually than those who come from broken homes. Parents who are considering divorce should take notice of this evidence if they truly want the best for their children.

My book “How To Be A Good Parent In A Bad Marriage” provides encouragement and support for parents who find themselves struggling to cope with the stresses and traumas of being a parent in an unhappy marriage, and shows how you can find happiness and fulfillment in life while being a great parent to your children.

http://stayforyourchildren.com

Author: Stephen Rees
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

While many of us enjoy cooking, it isn’t always easy to keep track of our impressive recipe collections. In order to make your recipes easier to find (and not to mention giving your patience a break!), we’re going to talk about a few ways you can get your recipes organized.

Recipe Book

Instead of storing your recipes in the “haphazard shoebox” fashion, how about converting them into a nice recipe book? If most of your recipes are on index or recipe cards, a photo album with plastic sleeves may work particularly well for you as long as the card fits comfortably in the slot. If you have quite a large collection of recipes, try obtaining a large family photo album that allows eight to twelve slots per sleeve (front and back). The order you put the cards in is totally up to you, as your recipe book should reflect your preference. Some people prefer to sort based on main dishes, desserts, breads/pastries, beverages, etc., while others prefer alphabetical order.

If you don’t have your recipes on cards, or if you’re like most people, you might have your recipes on papers and cards of all shapes and sizes. If this is the case, you might want to think about typing them all up and printing them off. After all of your recipes are transferred to this new format, the next step is to get a binder (three ring binders work well) and some tabbed dividers. Label each divider by the category you wish (ie: type of meal, alphabetical order, etc.) and get to work punching holes in your recipe sheets to accommodate the binder’s rings. If you prefer, you can purchase plastic sleeves to keep your sheets spill-proof-which is highly recommended to counter those splatters of sauce, batter, or grease that always tend to smudge our favorite recipes.

Whether you use a photo album or a binder, don’t be afraid to get creative with your recipe book. Get some construction paper and glue or clip clip pictures from magazines. There’s nothing wrong with adding a dash of imagination that might even inspire your cooking!

eRecipe Catalog

The Internet is not only a great place to search through millions of recipes, but it’s also handy for storing the ones you already have. Sites like WeGottaEat and OneTSP are free to sign up and allow you to add your own recipes by simply typing them up. Yes, this can be quite tedious if you have a lot of recipes, but just imagine how easy it will be to find a recipe by simply typing in a keyword and clicking “search.” You can also browse thorough members’ recipes and send recipes to friends and family. Online recipe storage sites are very user friendly, so you don’t have to be particularly computer savvy to utilize this great feature. Also, by storing your recipes online you can easily include pictures that would otherwise mean added bulk to your recipe collection.

Software

Say you like the idea of easily searching for and pulling up your recipes, but you aren’t too keen on relying upon an Internet connection. You might not want to totally rule out the option of a computerized recipe book. There is a wealth of recipe software available for download on the Internet. Many of them are classed as “freeware,” which means that you can download and use the software for free. Some cooking software is available online for purchase, but they do throw in some handy “extras” that are worth the money, such as measurement calculators and converters, meal planning and shopping lists, and nutritional value calculators.

These are just a few ways that you can free up that recipe drawer and simplify the entire task of cooking from a recipe. Best of luck in whichever method you choose to organize your recipes-and happy cooking!

If you’re looking for recipes, take a look at the Platinum Recipes Collection. The Platinum Recipes Collection is the Internet’s Most Comprehensive Recipes Collection.

Author: Patrick Carpen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Many parents are hungry for healthy parenting tips and effective parenting advice. The Responsible Kids Network offers parenting tips to encourage and support authoritative parenting.

I did not expect parenting to be so hard

New parents may be unprepared for the exhilarating, yet exhausting, journey that lies ahead in parenting. It’s important for all parents to realize that just because a person is able to procreate, doesn’t naturally provide the patience and knowledge needed to be an effective and healthy parent. Gaining knowledge about the nature of children and healthy and effective parenting styles, will help parents to be calmer and empower parents to be more effective in raising responsible kids.

I am hoping to parent differently than I was parented

Many times a parent may be aware of times that didn’t go so smoothly in his or her own childhood and wish to parent differently once he or she has children. At all ages and stages of our children’s lives, we may remember back to how our parents may have reacted in similar situations. Prior generations did not have the information that we now have available about healthy parenting. But family loyalties and legacies in each of our families has shown to significantly impact our parenting.

I am nice to my child but then he misbehaves

Parents and other caregivers sometimes hope that if they act nicely to a child, the child will act nicely in return. This is referred to as the “strings attached” approach. Adults (and some older children) can relate to the concept of fair giving and receiving, but most children are not mature enough to respond this way. By expecting this level of maturity, a parent is being unfair to a child. The executive role of parenting cannot be done through love and understanding alone. Effective discipline promotes self esteem, self-respect, self-control and preserves a positive parent-child relationship.

Am I a bad parent when I get angry with my child?

Anger is a natural and inevitable emotion and it’s okay to feel angry with a child. The key is for parents to learn healthy ways to express angry feelings to a child. Anger is usually a secondary emotion, so figuring out what the underlying feelings may be (frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, etc.) can be helpful in managing how to express anger. At these emotionally charged times, parents are role-modeling for a child how to handle anger.

My child and I are so different and we’re always clashing

The make-up of who a child is consists of ages and stages of development, uniqueness, maturity level, and situational factors. The uniqueness of a child (or any person)includes the individual nature of temperament, intelligences, brain dominance, giftedness, and learning styles. If these unique traits of a child do not “match” the unique traits of a parent, then there may not be “goodness to fit” and power struggles and miscommunication may result. When a parent is able to better understand these unique traits in a child, and how it may differ (i.e. conflict) with his or her own unique traits, the parent becomes calmer and more confident in parenting.

Is it okay to spank my child?

Spanking, and other forms of corporal punishment, is not a healthy or effective way to discipline children. The goal of discipline is to teach children proper behavior and self-control. Spanking may teach children to stop doing something out of fear. Despite some underlying attitudes and beliefs that spanking is an effective way to discipline children, extensive research strongly indicates any form of corporal punishment will negatively impact a child’s self esteem and the relationship between parent and child.

My spouse and I don’t have the same style of parenting

Reconciling different parenting styles may be a challenge for many spouses. Consistent messages from parents to children is a key element of healthy and effective parenting. Many times when we court and marry our spouse, we have not even thought about parenting styles, and then we have children and parenting style differences may suddenly surface. Parents should take time when children are not present to work on a consistent “parenting philosophy” that can accept and even honor different parenting styles. Working together, rather than against each other, will help support and nurture responsible kids.

How can I be a good parent?

A healthy and effective parent is an intentional parent, who understands a child’s needs. There are no “perfect parents” just as there are no “perfect children.” Striving for perfection in all areas of parenting can only cause frustration and stress. Parents are given numerous chances each and every day to provide healthy authoritative parenting for their kids.

Show your love. Tell your kids you love them every day by sending messages of “I believe in you, I trust you, I know you can handle life situations, you are listened to, you are cared for, and you are very important to me.”

Be consistent. Your rules don’t have to be the same ones other parents have, but they do need to be clear and consistent. (Consistent means the rules are the same all the time, and followed by all family members.) Establish a “parenting philosophy” with your spouse.

Prioritize your relationship with your child. Building a strong relationship with your child should be top priority, and when communicating with a child, it’s most effective to remember to preserve the strength of the bond. The importance of strong, healthy bonds between parent and child cannot be overstated, because these bonds serve as the foundation upon which all other life relationships are formed.

Listen to your child. Active listening is the greatest gift to a child. Learn to accept, although not necessarily agree with, what your child is saying. Temporarily put aside your own thoughts and values and show empathy when listening to a child, trying diligently to see things from his or her perspective.

Strive for an emotional connection with your child. Understanding your child’s emotions will help you understand what motivates his or her behavior. Emotions are the real fuel of power struggles with your kids. When you identify those emotions, you can choose strategies to teach your child what he or she may be feeling and how to respond to those feelings in a more appropriate way.

Evaluate the behavior, not the child. Be intentional about self-esteem building and address misbehavior directly, rather than through evaluating the child. It’s better to say “I see you’re having trouble sharing with your friend,” rather than “Don’t be selfish, you need to share.

For more information on understanding the complex nature of who a child is, how his or her brain develops and processes information, and to practice new and easy-to-learn healthy parenting tools, please visit: Responsible Kids Network at http://ResponsibleKids.net

Marty Wolner (BA, CPE, ICF, PACA) is a Certified Parenting Educator for the Institute for Professional and Educational Development, and New Paradigm Training Institute in Ft. Washington, PA and the Institute for Family Professionals in Philadelphia, PA, and the parent of two teenagers.

Author: Marty Wolner
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Many parents are hungry for healthy parenting tips and effective parenting advice. The Responsible Kids Network offers parenting tips to encourage and support authoritative parenting.

I did not expect parenting to be so hard

New parents may be unprepared for the exhilarating, yet exhausting, journey that lies ahead in parenting. It’s important for all parents to realize that just because a person is able to procreate, doesn’t naturally provide the patience and knowledge needed to be an effective and healthy parent. Gaining knowledge about the nature of children and healthy and effective parenting styles, will help parents to be calmer and empower parents to be more effective in raising responsible kids.

I am hoping to parent differently than I was parented

Many times a parent may be aware of times that didn’t go so smoothly in his or her own childhood and wish to parent differently once he or she has children. At all ages and stages of our children’s lives, we may remember back to how our parents may have reacted in similar situations. Prior generations did not have the information that we now have available about healthy parenting. But family loyalties and legacies in each of our families has shown to significantly impact our parenting.

I am nice to my child but then he misbehaves

Parents and other caregivers sometimes hope that if they act nicely to a child, the child will act nicely in return. This is referred to as the “strings attached” approach. Adults (and some older children) can relate to the concept of fair giving and receiving, but most children are not mature enough to respond this way. By expecting this level of maturity, a parent is being unfair to a child. The executive role of parenting cannot be done through love and understanding alone. Effective discipline promotes self esteem, self-respect, self-control and preserves a positive parent-child relationship.

Am I a bad parent when I get angry with my child?

Anger is a natural and inevitable emotion and it’s okay to feel angry with a child. The key is for parents to learn healthy ways to express angry feelings to a child. Anger is usually a secondary emotion, so figuring out what the underlying feelings may be (frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, etc.) can be helpful in managing how to express anger. At these emotionally charged times, parents are role-modeling for a child how to handle anger.

My child and I are so different and we’re always clashing

The make-up of who a child is consists of ages and stages of development, uniqueness, maturity level, and situational factors. The uniqueness of a child (or any person)includes the individual nature of temperament, intelligences, brain dominance, giftedness, and learning styles. If these unique traits of a child do not “match” the unique traits of a parent, then there may not be “goodness to fit” and power struggles and miscommunication may result. When a parent is able to better understand these unique traits in a child, and how it may differ (i.e. conflict) with his or her own unique traits, the parent becomes calmer and more confident in parenting.

Is it okay to spank my child?

Spanking, and other forms of corporal punishment, is not a healthy or effective way to discipline children. The goal of discipline is to teach children proper behavior and self-control. Spanking may teach children to stop doing something out of fear. Despite some underlying attitudes and beliefs that spanking is an effective way to discipline children, extensive research strongly indicates any form of corporal punishment will negatively impact a child’s self esteem and the relationship between parent and child.

My spouse and I don’t have the same style of parenting

Reconciling different parenting styles may be a challenge for many spouses. Consistent messages from parents to children is a key element of healthy and effective parenting. Many times when we court and marry our spouse, we have not even thought about parenting styles, and then we have children and parenting style differences may suddenly surface. Parents should take time when children are not present to work on a consistent “parenting philosophy” that can accept and even honor different parenting styles. Working together, rather than against each other, will help support and nurture responsible kids.

How can I be a good parent?

A healthy and effective parent is an intentional parent, who understands a child’s needs. There are no “perfect parents” just as there are no “perfect children.” Striving for perfection in all areas of parenting can only cause frustration and stress. Parents are given numerous chances each and every day to provide healthy authoritative parenting for their kids.

Show your love. Tell your kids you love them every day by sending messages of “I believe in you, I trust you, I know you can handle life situations, you are listened to, you are cared for, and you are very important to me.”

Be consistent. Your rules don’t have to be the same ones other parents have, but they do need to be clear and consistent. (Consistent means the rules are the same all the time, and followed by all family members.) Establish a “parenting philosophy” with your spouse.

Prioritize your relationship with your child. Building a strong relationship with your child should be top priority, and when communicating with a child, it’s most effective to remember to preserve the strength of the bond. The importance of strong, healthy bonds between parent and child cannot be overstated, because these bonds serve as the foundation upon which all other life relationships are formed.

Listen to your child. Active listening is the greatest gift to a child. Learn to accept, although not necessarily agree with, what your child is saying. Temporarily put aside your own thoughts and values and show empathy when listening to a child, trying diligently to see things from his or her perspective.

Strive for an emotional connection with your child. Understanding your child’s emotions will help you understand what motivates his or her behavior. Emotions are the real fuel of power struggles with your kids. When you identify those emotions, you can choose strategies to teach your child what he or she may be feeling and how to respond to those feelings in a more appropriate way.

Evaluate the behavior, not the child. Be intentional about self-esteem building and address misbehavior directly, rather than through evaluating the child. It’s better to say “I see you’re having trouble sharing with your friend,” rather than “Don’t be selfish, you need to share.

For more information on understanding the complex nature of who a child is, how his or her brain develops and processes information, and to practice new and easy-to-learn healthy parenting tools, please visit: Responsible Kids Network at http://ResponsibleKids.net

Marty Wolner (BA, CPE, ICF, PACA) is a Certified Parenting Educator for the Institute for Professional and Educational Development, and New Paradigm Training Institute in Ft. Washington, PA and the Institute for Family Professionals in Philadelphia, PA, and the parent of two teenagers.

Author: Marty Wolner
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

For awhile now, my wife has been asking me to learn how to cook. I’ve been hesitant to do so because my wife is a wonderful cook and I know as much about cooking as Christopher Lowell does about the NFL. So in my mind I’d never had the need or desire to become the next Bobby Flay.

But after some loving nagginng, errr encouragement from my wife, and almost burning down my kitchen trying to boil a pot of water, I decided it was time to learn how to do this cooking thing.

But if I was going to do this, I wanted to find MY kind of recipe book online. The online recipe book I was after had to meet the following 3 important criteria:

1. The recipe book had to be easy to follow. A must, since I’ve proven I have the culinary I.Q. equivalent to sweet Corky on that bad ’90’s sitcom.

2. The recipe book had to be affordable. I wanted to invest in a good recipe book, because it would make me more committed. If I just relied on free online recipes, I would have no skin in the game. Having said that, I didn’t want to pay too much either. Plus, a lot of the free recipes online were either garbage or didn’t have a collection of easy-to-make meals that I liked.

3. The recipe book had to have a variety of dishes. I knew if I got an online recipe book with just one type of cuisine, I would get bored and, or frustrated.

After about of week of researching different recipe books online, I found the crown jewel, the mother of all online recipe books. It’s called “America’s Most Wanted Recipes”. It was a weird feeling, because the only time I get excited about food is when there’s a hot plate of something I love sitting in front of me. But as I read about this online recipe book, I was genuinely excited about the cool dishes I could start making.

It hit on all MY criteria for a good recipe book. Best of all, and what really caught my attention was that it full of spectacular recipes from my favorite restaurants like PF Chang’s, Chili’s, Red Lobster, The Cheese Cake Factory and many more.

America’s Most Wanted Recipes would be the recipe book that would finally take me from a culinary dud to a gourmet stud . I was a little cautious at first, because I saw a lot of other recipe books both free and for sale that claimed to have copy cat restaurant recipes. But after looking at all the options, America’s Most Wanted Recipes by Chef Ron Davis was the real deal. It’s the #1 selling online recipe book on ClickBank, it’s sold on Amazon with magnifient reviews, and Ron and his staff have spent literally thousands of hours perfecting the recipes and made them easy to understand.

As I read all the different recipes and dishes from my favorite restaurants, I realized that for less than the cost of taking my little family to a night out at Chili’s, I would literally have an encyclopedia of recipes of my favorite dishes!

I can take my culinary plunge by cooking such things as PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps, Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls, and Panda Express’ Orange Chicken.

Best of all this online recipe book is an E-book, so that means I can quickly download it and start cooking the delicious recipes right away.

Only time will tell, but this online recipe book is so easy to follow, and so fun use that it could take this pot bellied food lover from a culinary disaster into a lean mean cooking master.

This article is written by John Sanders. Cook-in-training who blogs about his culinary adventures at http://www.squidoo.com/recipebookonline

The site is dedicated to inspiring all those who are culinary challenged to learn how to cook their favorite restaurant foods.

Author: John Sanders
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

For awhile now, my wife has been asking me to learn how to cook. I’ve been hesitant to do so because my wife is a wonderful cook and I know as much about cooking as Christopher Lowell does about the NFL. So in my mind I’d never had the need or desire to become the next Bobby Flay.

But after some loving nagginng, errr encouragement from my wife, and almost burning down my kitchen trying to boil a pot of water, I decided it was time to learn how to do this cooking thing.

But if I was going to do this, I wanted to find MY kind of recipe book online. The online recipe book I was after had to meet the following 3 important criteria:

1. The recipe book had to be easy to follow. A must, since I’ve proven I have the culinary I.Q. equivalent to sweet Corky on that bad ’90’s sitcom.

2. The recipe book had to be affordable. I wanted to invest in a good recipe book, because it would make me more committed. If I just relied on free online recipes, I would have no skin in the game. Having said that, I didn’t want to pay too much either. Plus, a lot of the free recipes online were either garbage or didn’t have a collection of easy-to-make meals that I liked.

3. The recipe book had to have a variety of dishes. I knew if I got an online recipe book with just one type of cuisine, I would get bored and, or frustrated.

After about of week of researching different recipe books online, I found the crown jewel, the mother of all online recipe books. It’s called “America’s Most Wanted Recipes”. It was a weird feeling, because the only time I get excited about food is when there’s a hot plate of something I love sitting in front of me. But as I read about this online recipe book, I was genuinely excited about the cool dishes I could start making.

It hit on all MY criteria for a good recipe book. Best of all, and what really caught my attention was that it full of spectacular recipes from my favorite restaurants like PF Chang’s, Chili’s, Red Lobster, The Cheese Cake Factory and many more.

America’s Most Wanted Recipes would be the recipe book that would finally take me from a culinary dud to a gourmet stud . I was a little cautious at first, because I saw a lot of other recipe books both free and for sale that claimed to have copy cat restaurant recipes. But after looking at all the options, America’s Most Wanted Recipes by Chef Ron Davis was the real deal. It’s the #1 selling online recipe book on ClickBank, it’s sold on Amazon with magnifient reviews, and Ron and his staff have spent literally thousands of hours perfecting the recipes and made them easy to understand.

As I read all the different recipes and dishes from my favorite restaurants, I realized that for less than the cost of taking my little family to a night out at Chili’s, I would literally have an encyclopedia of recipes of my favorite dishes!

I can take my culinary plunge by cooking such things as PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps, Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls, and Panda Express’ Orange Chicken.

Best of all this online recipe book is an E-book, so that means I can quickly download it and start cooking the delicious recipes right away.

Only time will tell, but this online recipe book is so easy to follow, and so fun use that it could take this pot bellied food lover from a culinary disaster into a lean mean cooking master.

This article is written by John Sanders. Cook-in-training who blogs about his culinary adventures at http://www.squidoo.com/recipebookonline

The site is dedicated to inspiring all those who are culinary challenged to learn how to cook their favorite restaurant foods.

Author: John Sanders
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Organic gardening is growing in popularity as people increasingly see the need to avoid chemicals and synthetic products. Organic gardens also provide protection form genetically modified organisms (GMO) in the garden.

Those who take up organic gardening often are at a loss as to where to buy supplies. They don’t know what products they need for soil nourishment or pest control. They may not know how much water to supply, or how to go about composting kitchen scraps for their gardens. They need more than a few organic garden tips and ideas.

Organic garden helpful ideas and tips are widely available, if you know where to find them. Here are a few places to begin your search.

Organic Garden Helpful Ideas

One of my favorite organic garden tips is this one. The most important thing you can do to control pests in the organic garden is to keep the soil healthy. Healthy soil produces healthy plants. Healthy plants, like healthy humans, are better able to withstand disease.

A second helpful organic garden idea I like is to control pests with ladybirds (ladybugs). These beautiful little red insects with shiny black spots control aphids naturally and totally. You can order them from several organic garden places on the Internet. Until they arrive, spray every part of aphid-infested plants with well diluted soapy water. Rinse with clear water.

My third favorite organic gardening idea is to plant guardian plants around and among tender vegetables. Marigolds make the organic garden border colorful, and ward off many pests. Onions and garlic are also great deterrents to pests that would like to break in and steal organic produce.

Sources for More Organic Garden Helpful Ideas

We do not give specific websites here, but most of these groups or products can readily be located on the Internet. Simply use key words from any one of these categories in your search engine to find more organic garden ideas.

* Cooperative Extension Office: The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide network. Every U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university. They also have a network of local or regional offices. The staff at these offices includes at least one expert who can give you useful, practical, and research-based organic garden helpful ideas.

* Park and Recreation Departments: If you live in a large neighborhood, your local park and recreation department will be a good source of helpful ideas for your organic garden. Classes may be available on topics such as organic garden plans, planting seed, and how to compost.

* YMCA / YWCA: In some areas, these organizations provide workshops on organic garden topics, with plenty of helpful ideas and tips. These are led by local organic garden experts. They may include vegetable organic gardens and organic gardening of flowers.

* Gardening Stores: An increasing number of gardening stores are beginning to offer organic garden products, seeds, and supplies. Many try to have at least one person on staff who can give organic garden helpful ideas.

* Nurseries: Local nurseries may have helpful ideas and tips for your organic garden. As the demand becomes greater, they are learning that they must provide not only organic fertilizer and seedlings, but advice also.

* Magazines: Organic gardening magazines have been around for many years now, and are filled with organic gardeners’ helpful ideas and tips. Visit your public library and browse the magazines. Some are aimed at small farming size organic gardens. Others focus on organic gardening of vegetables for family or farmers’ market. Choose one that has the most helpful tips for you, and subscribe for ongoing organic garden help.

* Seed Catalogs (catalogues): Many times, seed catalogs have not only organic seeds, but also ideas and tips for the organic garden. Look for major seed companies’ catalogs.

* Books: If you are new to organic gardening, you will want to invest in at least one good book on organic gardens. Books can explain how seeds and produce are certified organic. They can provide organic gardening advice from ants to weed control.

* Family and Friends: They say we all have a circle of 250 acquaintances. Within that circle, you will likely find at least one person who is experienced in organic gardening and has ideas or tips that will help you. Their own organic garden may be only a container, or it could be 50 containers. Anyone who does any organic gardening will be eager to share the tips and helpful ideas they have received.

* Internet: The Internet excels in providing information. It is a wonderful source of organic garden helpful ideas and tips. Become a member of an organic gardening forum and share ideas. Read organic gardeners’ blogs. Finally, visit Cornell University’s organic garden website. They offer an online class in organic gardening. The professor is sure to have helpful organic gardening ideas and tips.

2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about organic gardeners’ helpful ideas and tips at http://www.organicspringtime.com. Anna is posting new articles regularly on that site. If you want to know how to make compost for your own organic fertilizer, you will want to read Annas article on the subject.

Author: Anna Hart
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Recipes from Around the World bring tasty delights from France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Russia, Africa, Australia, the Caribean, The Middle East, and the Philipines in a two book set.

The 2 volumes have been broken down by countries. In volume one of Recipes From Around The World you will find over 500 tasty recipes from Germany, Greece, Ireland, France and Russia. Tasty recipes like, Galantine Of Chicken from France, Greek Stifado With Feta Cheese Crust, Esterhazy Rostbraten (Beef Sirloin A La Esterhazy) from Germany, Real Irish Stew and Basturma (Georgian Pomegranate Marinated Grilled Lamb) from Russia.

Volume 2 of Recipes From Around The World contains over 500 recipes from Australia, Africa the Middle East, the Philippines and the Caribbean. Your family and friends will love this selection of recipes which includes exotic dishes such as Caribbean Pork With Pineapple Salsa, Lebanese Baba Ghanoush, Fragrant Pork Adobo from the Philippines, Aussie Shrimp On The Barbie With Orange Ginger and South African Curried Beef Gratin.

Packed with more than 1000 tantalizing recipes from far away lands, the 2 volume Recipes From Around The World set lets you serve and satisfy even the most sophisticated of cravings with inspired meals created fast and easy. As this is a down loadable ebook, the only negative is that there are no photographs of the meals, however each recipe is set out clearly and is easy to follow. Regardless of what your taste buds prefer, with Recipes of the World there really is some thing for every one. For more information about this superb book, refer to Recipes of the World.

Article by Gail Burton, a renowned traveller and gourmet. If you are thinking about traveling, Gail recommends http://www.Learn-A-Language.info

Author: Gail Burton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

I must admit, that for many of us, walking into a store to buy a bottle of wine can be a little like visiting a foreign country and not knowing the language. If you’re buying wine for yourself that’s probably not a big deal, although it might be nice to be somewhat knowledgeable so that you’re more likely to buy something you will enjoy. However, if you are buying a bottle of wine as a gift, then being able to interpret information on the label becomes a bit more important. But, first things, first.

Your first consideration should probably be where you will be shopping. If you live in a state where alcohol sales are controlled or restricted, your options may be limited. I happen to live in Pennsylvania where consumers are only permitted to purchase packaged wine and alcohol from state-operated Wine and Spirits Stores or a privately owned Pennsylvania Winery. You may, of course, travel out of state to purchase a limited amount of alcoholic beverages, but these purchases are subject to an 18% state tax. (However, I can’t say that I know anyone who has traveled out of state to buy wine and actually fessed-up, claimed their booty, and paid that outrageous tax.) To find the best selection of wine in a state where alcohol sales are controlled, check on the internet for information and locations of any retail outlets. For example, PA has premium wine stores and you can get a listing of their locations by checking out the PA Liquor Control Board web site.

If you live in a state with more liberal alcoholic beverage laws, you probably have more options available for buying wine: Large retail chains like Wal-Mart and Target, large drug store chains, supermarkets, independently owned liquor stores, specialty wine shops and wine warehouses. You can buy excellent wines at all these venues, but the independently owned stores have the potential to vary in the quality and quantity of their inventory. One of the best avenues for selection and price is a wine warehouse and if you’re really lucky, you live in a state where you can order wines online from a wine distributor.

Not all wine shops are created equal so there are some issues you should be concerned with when choosing where to purchase wine. One consideration is how the wine is stored. Exposure to excessive heat, wide temperature fluctuations, and bright spotlights may cause deterioration, so take note of any wine that may be stored next to radiators or heating vents. You should also observe the general aesthetics of the store. Are things well-organized, and neat or is the merchandise dusty and in disarray? A sign of a quality wine shop is when a store carries more than one vintage of a particular wine. This would indicate the shop owner is interested in the depth of their offerings as well as the breadth.

Every retail store has organization and a wine store is no exception. Even though all those bottles may look deceptively similar, a closer look will probably reveal some system of how the wine is displayed. They may be broken out in such wide categories as the type of wine i.e. red, white, or sparkling. They may also be categorized by region: Napa Valley, Sonoma, Loire, Finger Lakes, Italian, South African, etc. or by varietals: Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, etc. Getting an idea of the layout of the store will at least help you find a particular section you may be interested in.

Now on to the label…

There are laws that mandate what information must be included on a wine label. These laws vary from country to country and are based on where the wine is marketed rather than where it is produced. Much to the dismay of the producer, this may mean that one wine will have several different labels. After the label is designed it must be approved by various governmental agencies.

Most wines bottles will have two labels affixed to it. In addition to these labels providing the legally mandated information, they are intended to help market the product. The front label is designed to attract the consumer’s attention by the use of marketing tactics such as logos, interesting graphics, color and lettering. The back label will often try to entice your senses. A Pinot Noir that I have in my inventory but have not yet tried states “…Rich in texture with a lingering finish and versatile enough to compliment just about any cuisine.” It caught my attention! These optional endorsements are not governed by law.

Labeling requirements for the United States are established by the Treasury Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. These requirements include:

Identifying brand name or brand identification- This may be the owner’s name, trademark name, winery name, growing area, appellation or grape variety. The brand name must not be misleading as to the quality, origin, age, or grape varietal. In the U.S., a wine cannot be labeled a particular varietal unless it contains at least 75% of that varietal. For example a wine may not be called zinfandel if it only contains 74% zinfandel grapes.

Class of wine, type or designation- The wine is labeled with the class number or with a description similar to those described here:

Class 1 - May be labeled “Light Wine”, “Light White Wine”, “Table Wine”, “Sweet Table Wine” “Red Table Wine”, or something similar. A Class 1 wine must have an alcohol content between 7% and 14% by volume.

Class 2 - May be labeled “Sparkling Wine” or something similar. A Class 2 wine has been made sparkling by a natural method only.

Class 3 - May be labeled “Carbonated Wine” or something similar. Class 3 wine has carbon dioxide injected into it.

Class 4 - May be labeled “Citrus Wine” or something similar. A Class 4 is wine that was produced primarily with citrus fruit.

Class 5 - May be labeled “Fruit Wine” or something similar. A Class 5 wine was produced primarily from fruits other than grapes or citrus.

Class 6 - Wine that has been made from agricultural products such as vegetables.

Class 7 - May be labeled “Aperitif Wine” or something similar. A Class 7 wine has an alcohol content of not less than 15% by volume; the grape wine has been compounded with added brandy, alcohol, and flavored with herbs and natural aromatic flavoring.

Class 8 - May be labeled “Imitation Wine” or something similar. A Class 8 wine contains man-made materials.

Class 9 - May be labeled “Retsina Wine” or something similar. A Class 9 wine is a grape table wine that has been fermented or flavored with resin.

Alcohol content by volume- The alcohol content must be listed on the label only if it contains more than 14% by volume. Wines that contain more than 14% alcohol are taxed at a rate four times higher than those containing less alcohol. These are considered “fortified wines” even if the high alcohol volume is attained by natural fermentation. For wines with an alcohol content of 14% or greater, a 1% variation is allowed. Wines that have less than 14% alcohol by volume are permitted a 1.5% variation. Wines containing less than 14% alcohol must state it on the label or be labeled by the appropriate class or description such as “light table wine”.

Net volume of contents- In 1977, the U.S. government mandated that metric measurements be used as the wine industry standard. The most common bottle volume is 750ml. If the volume does not appear on the label look for it molded into the glass bottle.

Name and address of the bottler, producer and country of origin- This information is required on all American wines and the words “bottled by” must immediately precede the name and address of the bottler. The term “produced and bottled by” may be used if the bottler also made no less than 75% of the wine by fermenting the must (juice) and clarifying the wine. “Made and bottled by” may be used if the named winery fermented and clarified at least 10% of the wine or if the winery changed the class of the wine by fortifying it, adding carbonization or making it a sparkling wine by adding a secondary fermentation process. When the words “cellared”, “vinted” or “prepared” are used it means that the named winery cellared, clarified or barrel aged the wine at that location. “Blended and bottled” indicates that the named winery mixed the wine with other wine of the same type and class at that location. The country of origin indicates where the wine was produced and not necessarily where the grapes were grown.

- This designation tells the country or region where the grapes were grown. The information provided may be broad and indicate the country or it may be very specific and name the particular vineyard. Some labels include both. In the U.S. it is mandatory to include the appellation of origin if any of the following apply:

1.A generic term is used

2.A varietal term is used

3.The name is qualified with the word “brand”

4.The vintage (year the grapes were harvested) is included on the label

In addition, for American wines to be labeled as California appellation, CA state law mandates that 100% of the grapes used must be grown in CA. Most other states have a 75% requirement. For a wine to be labeled a specific viticultural area (Sonoma), 85% of the grapes must be from the named area.

Declaration of sulfites or “Organic” wine-Winemakers will sometimes add small amounts of sulfur dioxide to the wine to preserve the fruity flavor and retard oxidation. Other winemakers will spray their grapes with sulfites to prevent disease and reduce pests. Because sulfites may cause allergic reactions or severe headaches in some individuals, when the sulfite content is higher than 10ppm, the label must say “sulfites added”. If a wine is labeled simply “organic” it means it contains only naturally occurring sulfites. “Made with organically grown grapes” simply means that the grapes were organically grown (not sprayed with sulfites) but the sulfite content might be higher than wine labeled “organic”.

Health warning- In 1989, the United States mandated that any alcoholic beverage bottled or imported for sale or distribution in the U.S. must include a health warning statement on the label. These warnings many include any of the following specific messages:

1.”According to the surgeon general, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects”

2.”Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery”

3.”May cause health problems”

In addition to all the information listed above, many wine producers may include optional information…but I’ll leave that for another time.

Now that you know how to read a wine label run, don’t walk, to the nearest wine store and try your new skills!

Nicole Adams is a successful freelance author who specializes in several topics including wine. You will find additional wine-related articles written by Ms. Adams at http://www.wine-reviewer.com

Author: Nicole Adams
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The history of wine consumption in America has been frought with starts, stops, and inconsistencies. The American population has always had a love-hate relationship with alcohol. Historic prohibitionist attitudes amongst much of the American population have blurred the line between moderate wine consumption and detrimental alcoholism. As a result, regular, moderate consumption of wine by the American public continues to face ideological and legal impediments.

The History of Wine Consumption During the Colonial Years

Since its origins, the history of wine consumption in America has been both encouraged and despised by different demographic groups. Spanish missionaries produced the earliest New World wine during the early 17th Century. Shortly thereafter, French immigrants began to cultivate grapes in the Hudson River Valley. They made wine, juice, and preserves.

The early history of wine consumption in America was dominated by immigrants whom were primarily Catholic, and of Central or Southern European descent. The bulk of wine-drinking immigrants came from the wine loving nations of France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. They descended from cultural traditions that valued social wine consumption with the evening meal.

The aforementioned wine drinkers were counterbalanced by immigrants from Northern Europe. Many held Puritan belief systems that discouraged or banned alcohol consumption of any kind. The nativist movements of the early 18th Century cast suspician on immigrant groups that retained Old World customs and did not entirely assimilate into American society.

Wine consumption was a lightning rod for these discriminatory points of view. Although not accurate, alcoholism was seen as a problem only associated with certain ethnic groups that enjoyed wine. Whiskey and beer was the actual source of vast majority of problematic inebriation. Nonetheless, early prohibitionist forces were very effective at linking wine to the ills of American society.

History of Wine Consumption During the 19th Century

In the 1830s, Americans consumed massive amounts of whiskey and beer. Alcoholism was extremely widespread and was affecting the stability of the American family. Husbands spent time in the saloons instead of with their families, and rampant drunkedness increased instances of philandering and crime.

Ironically, as Prohibitionist fervor gained national momentum in the nineteenth century, the American wine industry boomed. From 1860-1880, Phylloxera devastated the vineyards of France. California wine production greatly increased to fill the international void. Huge tracts of vineyards were planted in Southern California to satisfy the international demand for wine. However, most of this production was exported and it did not have a major impact on the history of wine consumption in America.

By the mid-1880s, European wine production rebounded, causing a glut of American wine. To make matters worse, Pierce’s Disease and Phylloxera simultaneously struck Southern California’s vineyards. Rising population and real estate values in the Los Angeles Basin was the last nail in the coffin of extensive viticulture in the region. With Prohibitionist attitudes constantly gaining momentum, American demand for wine was insufficient to make up for the loss of the much larger European market.

History of Wine During the Prohibition Years

In response to the massive outcry of many Americans against alcohol consumption, Congress passed the 18th Amendment in 1917. It banned the commercial production and sale of alcohol in America. The Volstead Act was ratified in 1920 and expounded on the actual implementation of Prohibition. It also mandated several loopholes in alcohol production and consumption. Physicians could prescribe alcohol and it could be consumed for religious purposes. Additionally, a head of household was legally allowed to produce 200 gallons of wine a year for personal use. This was largely a concession to the significant Italian-American electorate.

Because of the Volstead Act, American wine consumption actually increased during Prohibition. The traditional American alcoholic beverages of beer and distilled spirits were illegal to produce and sell from 1920-1933. As a result, regions like Lodi saw a massive increase in demand for grapes used for home winemaking.

Prohibition did not curtail the American apetite for alcohol, it merely destroyed the legal framework that governed alcohol sales. Due to the inaccessibility of alcohol, the use of other drugs, including cocaine and marijauna greatly increased. Additionally, the government lost a major source of revenue from taxing alcohol as organize crime took over the means of production and distribution. The American public became increasingly dissolutioned with the government’s stubborn attempt to attain the impossible.

The 21st Amendment: Repeal of Prohibition

After a decade of the “noble experiment”, Congress passed the 21st Amendment. It ended national Prohibition and transferred the authority to allow or ban production and sale of alcohol to individual states. Many states relegated this authority to the county level. Counties in some states prohibit alcohol to this day. The history of wine production and sales since the repeal of Prohibition has been governed by the 21st Amendment, not the free trade mandates of the U.S. Constitution.

Because every state has the power to make their own laws regarding wine sales, it has effectively made commercial wine distribution a convoluted mess. Marketing wine in the U.S. continues to be a difficult and frustrating task, especially for smaller wineries.

The effects of the 21st Amendment have had a major impact on the history of wine consumption in the U.S. during the 20th and 21st Centuries. Its legacy is a tangle of state and county laws that regulate the production and sale of wine.

The Fortified Wine Years

Immediately after the repeal of Prohibition, wine consumption dropped as Americans had renewed access to spirits and beer. From the repeal of Prohibition to the late 1950s, high-alcohol dessert and fortified wines dominated the market. These were the darkest days of the history of wine production and consumption. Many fortified wines were produced and sold extremely cheaply, and catered to the “misery market”. “Winos” drank these overly alcoholic concoctions becauses they were the cheapest way to get drunk. In the quest for short-term profits, unscrupulous producers stamped a black mark on the history of wine in America.

From 1934 to the early 1950s, immigrant families consumed the majority of table wines. Unfortunately, many of their offspring did not follow their parents traditional drink choices and began consuming beer and cocktails as they assimilated into American society. Table wine was a mysterious beverage to most Americans and was associated with high-society and recent arrivals from Southern and Central Europe.

The Jug Wine Years

America’s taste for non-fortified wines finally began to develop in the early 1960s. The majority of these new wine drinkers were young, well-traveled, and relatively affluent. As the Baby Boom generation came of age, the ranks of wine drinkers increased. Even still, the majority of consumers bought simple, sweet wines.

The early 1980s saw the height of the frenzy to promote and sell inexpensive wines to the American public. The White Zinfandel rage was and continues to be a major part of the market. Total American wine consumption reached an all-time high due to a massive influx of capital and advertising. Despite predictions of continued increases, it did not materialize.

At the same time, overall alcohol consumption decreased in the United States during the 1980s. The anti-drug and alcohol movement justifyably discouraged dangerous levels of drug and alcohol ingestion. Unfortunately, extremists in the movement also attacked the history of wine consumption in America. Zero-tolerance attitudes portrayed moderate wine consumption as not only hazardous to the individual, but also as detrimental to the entire population.

The Renaissance Years

In the late 1980s, jug wine consumption fell sharply. American tastes were changing, and the market began to demand wines with defined characteristics. Mike Benziger’s Glen Ellen Winery entered the void, creating the hugely popular “fighting varietals” genre. These wines bridged the gap between the generic production of the past, and the boutique wineries of the following decade.

Much of America’s current interest in quality wine stems from a 1991 60 Minutes Program that examined the health benefits of moderate wine consumption. The “French Paradox” is the fact that the French consume fatty foods, significant red wine, and have a very low incidence of heart disease. This news had a major impact on American wine consumption, especially in aging, affluent demographic groups.

The Future…Factors to Consider

As American society becomes increasingly more fast-paced and hectic, fewer families are sitting down together for dinner. This is not a positive sign for American wine consumption as few people open up a bottle of wine to drink with their drive-thru or take-out dinners.

Wine enjoyment is symtomatic of relaxation, and these days American society is anything but relaxed. The history of wine is also synonymous with stable family relationships, and the divorce rate in the U.S. is currently about 50%.

Furthermore, wine is a complicated subject that generally requires a certain amount of leisure time and money to become a true adherent. Additionally, wine has an unflattering image amongst many American alcohol consumers who prefer beer or liquor. In my opinion, there are limits to how large the quality wine market can increase.

On a more positive note, the American population is aging, and older, more affluent people tend to enjoy wine more than other demographic groups. Hopefully they will pass their appreciation of wine to the next generation.

In many ways, the history of wine consumption in the U.S. is a microcosm of both the positives and negatives that have come with the innate American experience. Studying the history of wine consumption in the U.S. illuminates the political, cultural, religious, and racial diversity that has made the nation what it is today.

America has a relatively small but growing population of wine-lovers. Although the number of regular wine drinkers are far from being a majority, they will continue to grow as the population ages. Future trends will probably include an increase in consumption of quality varietals grown in specific, terroir-driven locations.

Ben Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and has written many articles about the History of Wine.

Author: Benjamin Bicais
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

When did Smacking become a dirty word?

This is the biggest – and unkindest- myth yet propagated on our generation. A quick sharp smack on the hand has worked for generations and still works for people who are brave enough to do it.

I would argue that a quick comparison between previous generations that used the smack and the current generation quickly reveals the fallacy of that argument. Our parents’ generation turned out with ethics, morals, manners and a commonsense approach to life whereas this current generation has, by and large, dubious moral values, few manners and a big sense of entitlement. Of course I am generalising; there are modern families out there doing a fabulous job of raising their children to be moral and polite – kudos to them!

But by and large, parents have been failed by all the advice given by modern ‘experts’. The smacking myth has done the most harm for several reasons:

1) it lead to parents not disciplining their children until children were old enough to understand what parents were explaining. In the old days, parents started training their children before they could walk and children already had a basic grounding in manners and obedience by the time they started school!
2) parents started waffling instead of disciplining. They warned their children endlessly and explained endlessly. The result of this was that children started to take their parents less seriously. This led to less respect and awe, vital ingredients in being successful parents of teens.
3) parents discovered that timeouts and other methods were ineffectual and became very frustrated. The result of this was a lot more anger in the home and thus the potential for explosive situations went right up.

The Arguments Against Smacking

There is a lot of hyperbole out there these days about smacking which all boils down to these 4 arguments:

a) smacking leads to child abuse,
b) smacking teaches kids violence,
c) evidence shows that smacking is pointless, and
d) parents can’t be trusted to draw the line between discipline and abuse.

1. Smacking leads to child abuse

Organisations make big outcries on a regular basis about the need to outlaw physical discipline and child abuse, but there is very little hard evidence to support their claim. Instead they use sensational claims to bolster their argument and make smacking such an emotive subject that the average parent daren’t stand up and defend their right to discipline their children with a smack.

Smacking leads to child abuse and fatalities if parents are dealing with other issues such as poor parenting skills, drugs, alcohol or other deep seated issues. Parents like these are not likely to be deterred by rules against smacking. In fact, I would argue that modern parenting styles actually make it more likely that parents will be driven to anger and frustration and lash out. Old style parenting does not allow for arguing and disobedience so successfully avoided all the daily contentious scenes that so many modern parents have to endure. Modern parents are encouraged to always explain why a child has to follow a rule or why they are being punished. All very well at 2 years but then you find yourself with several older children all demanding to know ‘why do I have to do that?’. How very exhausting to have to justify yourself constantly. And that’s just one instance! Add all the other bad advice modern parents have been given, and it is not a surprise to find parents lashing out. Understandable but not acceptable. How much better to find an easier, more workable system.

2. Smacking teaches kids violence

With regard to the second point, children are not idiots. They can tell the difference between a sharp smack on the hand or bottom, calmly given, for an offence they committed, and fighting or abuse. I can speak from personal experience that neither myself or any of my siblings grew up with any tendencies to violence and yet we received many smacks on the hand growing up! If a smack is administered calmly without anger or frustration, then a child sees it for what it is – discipline. ‘If I break the rules, I get a smack’. They do not fear their parents’ anger or wonder what’s going to happen, because they know what the consequence will be. They know their parents will not get angry – the only question will be ‘am I going to get one smack or two?’ Logic will tell you that a smack that stings for a few seconds and makes the point quickly has a huge advantage over endless lecturing, time outs, ignoring, removal of privileges and all the other methods parents try to employ as a substitute for smacking. For most parents, these is not adequate substitutions, just poor second choices.

I have tested this theory out a few times by giving my children a choice between a smack on the hand and some other painless punishment, like no tv. In every case, they have immediately chosen the smack. It is unfair to make a child listen to a parent rant in frustration because they’ve told their child this rule umpteen times; it is unfair for a child to fear their parent’s reaction for having broken a rule; it is unfair to give a child a punishment that last several minutes/hours/day/weeks when you could have just given them a smack and the lesson is over; it is unfair that that the punishment changes from week to week because parents can’t keep track of what punishment they imposed. It is unfair that parents are expected to juggle all the possible consequences in their head for each child, when parents today are already feeling embattled and overwhelmed.

Smacking given calmly and consistently teaches a child firm boundaries that he, eventually, will learn to impose on himself. It is not about anger; it is not about hurting your child; it is not even about punishment for wrong doing – it is about teaching your child where their boundaries are. Your child will feel so much more secure and confident when they know exactly where their boundaries are, and the quickest and most effective way to do that is with a smack. It works like a circuit board telling a child ‘yes/no’ at every turn and allows them to quickly draw a picture of their boundaries in their head.

A smack is not violence and we should not allow interest groups to force us to group it with violence. If a smack is the same as violence, then we would have to put roughhousing with Dad on the carpet in that category too; hey, maybe even Dad’s friendly smack on Mom’s bottom as he walks by; and while we’re at it, all those games children play that involve a whole lot more pain than a simple smack on the hand, like Knuckles. Ouch!

3. Evidence shows that smacking is pointless

Firstly, these results are hugely dependant on how the study was conducted. Did they follow parents who have been using the smack forever or the occasional smacker, or worse, the parent who only smacks in frustration and anger? That would have a big effect on the outcome of the ‘research’. So many parents now only use smacking as a last resort when nothing else works where once it was used as a first resort. The result is that it is often delivered in frustration and anger, which invariably defeats the purpose of the lesson. If these are the cases ‘researchers’ use, then of course it will affect the outcome adversely.

On the other hand, historical and anecdotal evidence shows that smacking as the main tool of discipline has worked beautifully for years, and conversely, the removal of it can be shown to have led to a decline in politeness, respect, values and standards. Why? Because no other effective system has moved in to take its place. Parents have been left with ideas that sound great on paper but ultimately, do not work. Rather like communism – a nice idea that just resulted in chaos.

I only have to look at my own family to see how well smacking can work when used correctly. I remember at 12 years old suddenly realising that my parents had not smacked me in about a year. Indeed, they never smacked me again. They didn’t have to – I had imbibed all the lessons on behaviour and respect needed to be an acceptable member of the family and society. It was the same with my 4 siblings – somewhere between 11 and 12, my parents did not have any more occasions to correct them with a smack. Indeed, I can only remember a couple of occasions during the teen years when any punishment needed to be imposed at all.

Isn’t this what good parenting should be about? Training your children well so that you are not still repeating the same lessons in the teen years? Those years should be about preparing them for leaving home, about further developing ethics and character, giving them more independence and trust…you certainly shouldn’t still be disciplining them about towels on the floor! And the thing was, our family was not unique! Most of our friends were polite, obedient and respectful kids, too.

4. Parents can’t be trusted to draw the distinction between discipline and abuse.

Normal well adjusted parents know where to draw the line. They are not trying to hurt their child when they discipline them. Even modern parents who tend to smack in anger or frustration are trying to teach their child ‘yes/no’, ‘right/wrong’, ‘good/bad’. If we demystified smacking again and taught parents once again to use smacking as the ‘first line of defence’ instead of the last resort, they would be able to regain control of their family -and themselves- again. It would be seen again as a training tool instead of a punishment.

A look at the people who do cross the line will show other factors at play – bad family backgrounds, drugs, alcohol, even immaturity. Lessons would be far more effective here than banning smacking. Occasionally, you will find a ‘normal’ parent who snaps and lashes out but I am convinced this would happen far less with an old fashioned approach where parents discipline immediately and train children to be obedient and respectful. These kind of parents are unlikely to find themselves in the middle of an explosive scenario with a rude, argumentative kid.

Summary

In conclusion, a smack has remained popular for so many generations because it is tried and true. A parent has to react instantly to successfully correct a child, and using a smack as discipline allows them to do so. No thinking about appropriate consequences, what did I do last time, did I use the same punishment for their sister, how long should it be for? Just a quick, immediate consequence that lets them know ‘wrong choice’. Experts keep trying to lump normal parents with child abusers, which is blatantly wrong and illogical. The average parent is just interested in teaching their children boundaries with the minimum of discipline. A smack is the minimum of disciplines. Modern parenting methods require explaining of decisions, time outs, removal of privileges, appropriate consequences, and so on and so on.

In this modern climate of disapproval, it is hard for parents to cling to the belief that a smack is an appropriate method of discipline. We have parenting groups, psychologists, government organisations all trying to tell us that smacking is not acceptable. Because a few people do abuse their kids, these groups are taking a blanket approach to any form of physical reprimand. Yet none of the reasons given hold true. People who abuse their kids will not stop doing so just because government and other groups say it’s wrong! All it is doing is taking a valuable discipline tool away from parents. And unfortunately, a lot of families are floundering as a result.

For when you remove The Smack as a discipline tool, what are you left with? Weak, ineffectual talking and equally weak consequences. The fact that parents are still dealing out ‘consequences’ well into their children’s teen years is proof that it doesn’t work. A child that is disciplined consistently and calmly from an early age should have well and truly learned his boundaries and rules of behaviour by the time he is 12. A well disciplined child would not dream of being disrespectful to his parents because the rules of behaviour are deeply entrenched after 12 years of training. Parents can’t effectively manage teenagers with physical discipline or even consequences. The basis of their control has to come from the awe and respect children hold for their parents. This is a rare thing today because awe and respect comes from seeing parents in control of their emotions, seeing parents as authority figures who always know what to do, seeing parents as all-knowing and all-wise, seeing parents as the source of laughter, fun, care – and consistent discipline. Modern parenting advice has successfully torpedoed a lot of those opportunities for developing awe and respect.

So what is the solution?

If your child is under 12, it is rather simple.
1) Resolve to never lose your cool again when correcting your children. Become a good actor if you have to. While you are learning to maintain that image of calm, learn to say ‘go to your room. I will deal with you later.’ When you are calm and in control, administer the discipline.

2) Resolve to use smacking as a first resort, not the last. Tell a child to do something once and only once, whether he is 9 months old (obviously have appropriate expectations. At 9 months, all you are trying to teach is usually ‘No, don’t touch’, etc.) or 9 years. Then calmly go over, repeat ‘no’ and smack their hand. Use force appropriate to their age. The smack should only be strong enough to sting for about 3-5 seconds.

3) Do not explain, argue or reason with your children. They’ve usually heard it all before anyway or are too young to understand.

4) Be consistent! This is a very important rule as it is fundamental to teaching your children their boundaries. If you decide you are going to warn once and then smack, always do that. If you don’t want to use The Smack, it is still vital to be consistent.

5) If you are starting over with children aged 13 and over, the same rules apply, except you are probably using privileges and consequences. It is usually too late to use smacking as a disciplinary measure. Choose a couple of consequences and be consistent. Write up a chart and group behaviours which will receive the same consequence. This is as much a reminder for you as your child. If your teen tries to argue with you or is disrespectful, send them to the toilet for a timeout. Sounds funny, I know, but it is effective because a) it removes them from the scene so neither of you can get upset, and b) it is so boring that they quickly calm down. Don’t allow them to come out until they are calm, apologise and get on with the job given.

Whatever form of discipline you choose, remember that children need to perceive that their parents are in control of their own emotions and impulses. That means, self discipline is even more important than what method of discipline you choose to use.

Why are so many parents feeling frustrated and often angry? Read about modern parenting myths that most parents have fallen for at Debunking Modern Parenting Myths

For advice of raising courteous and confident kids, read more How To Raise A Child

Author: Sue Dillicar
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

There are numerous recipe books in the food market and an array of websites which provide good recipes. Most of the websites and books have categorized recipes and you have to decide which category you want to choose. Whether you are a homemaker or professional, good recipes are available in many places and you should use them to make a recipe book for your needs later.

The “Good Cook” website also has categorized recipes. You can browse their site by choosing your favorite food, or you can choose their recipe categories. Select the category which you want and try it out. Their categories range from beverages, bread, main course, seafood and fish to nutrition and health or outdoor cooking. You can get vegetarian food and the different types of meat. There are recipes for special dishes from various regions, various countries and continents and there are recipes which have special diets like low carb, for weight loss or diabetics.

This website also gives you some innovative ideas like baking up cookies for family fun or crock pot recipes to enjoy. Just try them out to get some quality time with your family on the weekend.

You may find exciting recipes on the internet like Beer for Beginners, or 54 Ways to Lose Weight, or even Easy to Make Omelets. On the bbc.co.uk website, you can do a quick recipe search by searching for three ingredients: recipe title, chef or the TV program. There are often interesting wine suggestions as well with the recipes.

On the BBC recipe site you can find a recipe according to the main ingredient, the occasion, meal, taste, texture, cuisine, cooking method, provider and dish. Often there is also a lot of information provided about the recipe and also the nutritional value, so that you know what you are cooking.

The Yahoo Food and Recipe site has many food videos and they are a pleasure to watch. The recipes for low-fat are the favorites and once you have tried them out, you can rate them as well. The “healthy categories” are also popular nowadays, so they could be the categories called Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat and Low Sugar.

The Hub UK site offers recipes, cookery, food and even a cooking vacation. The recipe given by this site of the famous Yorkshire pudding is one of the best. The site has thousands of recipes again divided into numerous categories.

Indiaplaza.in has recipes from all over the world. The database of good cooking recipes on this website is growing continuously. There is also elaborated information about all the ingredients and directions, so all that you have to do is follow instructions meticulously.

Finally, a good recipe is what you make of it, by giving each dish a personal touch. For western cooking the measurements are important, and if you take the correct quantities of ingredients nothing can go wrong. But the oriental cuisine does not demand such exactness, and you can unwind while you are cooking, because you can add or change some of the ingredients mentioned in the recipe.

At Find Ebooks Today there is a variety of recipe ebooks to choose from.

Everything from Oriental to Low Carb recipes can be found under cooking and recipes.

Recipes

Author: Elvis Foote
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Recently, a well-known, national, conservative, radio talk show host had a discussion about parenting coaches. (A parenting coach is a consultant who is hired to discuss and advise parents about how to deal with the many challenges that parents face as they guide their children through childhood.)

Far from being supportive, this radio talk show host suggested that parents were resorting to using parenting coaches because they did not want to spend enough time with their children. She hypothesized that parents wanted a parenting shortcut so that their children could take a back seat to their careers. “Back in the day,” she stated, parents just raised their children and their children listened and developed into great people. It was clear from her disparaging comments and her insensitive insights that she is not a mother facing today’s challenges.

This commentator, although not particularly sensitive to the feelings of parents, did make one interesting point. Parenting coaches and other supports are a new phenomenon that past generations of parents did not have as a resource.

Why do parents today feel the need for outside assistance?

In an informal survey completed by parents, mothers and fathers expressed great concern about making parenting mistakes.

- “If I don’t parent correctly I will cause irreparable damage to my children.”

- “If I make the wrong parenting decisions my child will end up on drugs.”

- “If I lose my temper my child will never forget it, and hate me forever.”

- “If I discipline too harshly I will damage my child psychologically.”

Today, with the huge amount of information available to parents, even discussing pediatric health concerns before conception, parents feel an overwhelming responsibility that parents of yesteryear were not burdened with. With access to the internet parents are bombarded with data. From ADHD to potty training, parents are overly informed about all of the issues of parenting. Any small symptom that a child exhibits can be dissected and attributed to a terrible malady.

The massive amount of information that parents take in, much of it contradictory, undermines parent confidence and causes them to second guess their decisions. Parents can feel an undo amount of stress and anxiety resulting from the vast amount of research they now do on parenting issues. Far from looking for shortcuts as the talk show host surmised, parents are hyper-vigilant about getting the parenting job done perfectly and raising happy and successful children. Every decision made is a crucial one that will have a lasting effect on their child.

One mother wrote about how frightened she was for her unborn baby when the ultrasound showed a “low normal” reading of her amniotic fluid. Another mother-to-be was told that one of her baby’s kidneys was (although within normal range) slightly larger than the other. Both babies were born completely normal but their mothers started their parenting journeys “on-alert”. Before their babies were even born, these poor moms spent countless hours on the internet researching all of the potential problems that their babies could face.

Parents choose to use parenting tools, parenting aids, parenting coaches, family counselors and parenting books because they feel enormously committed to and responsible for raising the next generation of adults and fearful that they could make a terrible mistake and hurt the precious life to whom they are responsible.

With the advent of the informational-technology age, parents have been barraged with parenting content. Many well informed parents, parent self-consciously and without confidence, worried that any slip-up will do irrevocable damage to their kids. One mother in the survey, apologized repeatedly to her child after yelling at him to stop hitting the dog with a toy, she wrote that she was very worried that she had broken her son’s trust in her.

Do parents have cause for alarm? If a kind and caring parent makes some parenting missteps will the child suffer irreparable harm?

One father answers with insight, “As parents we have to have faith that our child rearing instincts are right on. Will we make parenting mistakes? Of course, but our children are resilient and will be fine.”

Contrary to what the radio personality believes, it is not a bad thing for parents to use the resources that are available to them. From behavioral products and parenting aids, to parenting coaches and parenting websites, there are terrific resources available to support parents in their goal to raise great people.

Parents should not let the large amounts of parenting information intimidate them. While some information can be helpful and empowering, too much information can be scary and can take the joy out of parenting.

Resources like parenting coaches should be used as a support not a crutch that usurps their own ideas and parenting styles. Similarly parents should remember that these resources are aids and should not be used to replace time parenting. Parents should listen to their internal voice and be confident that the decisions that they make will most likely be good ones and that parenting with love and intellect will help them in their quest to raise kind and caring adults.

Elena Neitlich is the co-founder and CEO of Moms on Edge, LLC. Moms on Edge, LLC designs, manufactures and sells children’s behavioral products. Moms on Edge mission is to create products that promote peace, quiet and good behavior. Elena is the proud mother of Noah (5) and Seth (3). She is committed to raising really great people. For more information go to http://www.momsonedge.com

Author: Elena Neitlich
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

One reason people love the internet is due to the incredibly quick and pain-free way you can access information. Within seconds, you can access a wealth of information regarding almost any topic imaginable. While the majority of us don’t utilize the internet for heavy duty research, one way almost anyone can enjoy the convenience and power of the internet is by locating free online recipes.

Just 15 years ago it didn’t seem possible that in the near future, millions of recipes covering almost every kind of food would be readily available to anyone with a computer and an internet connection. The future has arrived so here are several ways to take advantage of free online recipes.

Without a doubt the free online recipes are extremely handy because you can pull up a recipe in a matter of seconds. While many use a search engine like Google, most people often have their preferred recipe websites that include vast databases of recipes. Simply input a key word or keyword phrase like “chili” or “chicken soup” and you will generally find several to dozens of flavorful recipes.

In addition to being easy to access, a lot of recipe websites are full of people that enjoy cooking, have their own favorite recipes and enjoy adding recipes to the database for others to use. These community recipe websites are an excellent way to share knowledge. In addition, the majority of recipe websites offer those that use recipes on the board to add comments. So whether you like a recipe or you didn’t like it, you can easily share your comments with others. This is a great way to try out a recipe (especially if many people liked it) or avoid it the recipe if it received bad reviews.

In addition to being able to read recipes on your computer screen, many cooks take it one step further- they print out their favorite recipes. It is extremely easy to print out recipes and many free online recipe sites offer the option of special recipe formatted files which make it a snap to print out your favorite recipes. This way you no longer have to worry about ruining the recipe card while you cook or misplacing it. If you spill something on it, you can effortlessly print it out again.

top of all these advantages, a lot of free online recipe sites have gone one step further in providing quality information on how to make specific meals. Many free online recipe sites now provide images and some even include videos showing you step by step how to prepare a moderate to difficult dish.

Free online recipe web sites are perhaps the quickest way to locate new recipes, read reviews, and chat about the latest or best techniques on cooking and sharing with the world your favorite or time honored family recipe. Free online recipe websites are definitely the ultimate home recipe box.

For a large collection of family friendly free online recipes visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/archives.htm

Author: Christine Steendahl
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Some people are so serious about wine that the pleasure’s gone. Others say things about wine which aren’t true. Here are the basics on wine simply explained.

1. Making wine

The making of wine is not easy to explain. In France they say there are as many wines as vineyards.

Each winemaker gives his personal touch before, during and after the vinification process.

Each of the below aspects has its influence on the taste and quality of the wine :

* The selection of the land plot
* The climate (and the date of harvest)
* The selection of the grape variety
* The type of fermentation tanks or casks
* The temperature during fermentation
* The duration of fermentation
* The type of casks in which the wine ripens

Nobody can pretend there is only one single way of making wine. This fact contributes to the charm of wine and is also the cause of the enormous diversity in wines. Winemaking demands “savoir-faire” and experience.

A winemaker is not only a craftsman, but also an artist.

The following aspects give an idea of what winemaking involves :

1. Planting (or grafting) the grapevine
2. Developing the racemes
3. Harvesting the grapes
4. Destemming* and crushing the grapes in a stainless steel container
5. Alcoholic fermentation of the must
6. “Maceration” : building of taste and colour*
7. Raking
8. “Malolactic” fermentation
9. Riping
10. Bottling
11. Tasting

* : mainly for red wine

Must : this is the juice obtained by crushing the grapes

Alcoholic fermentation : the juice becomes wine by the natural influence of yeasts which transforms sugar into alcohol

Maceration : the solids, the “pomace”, like skin, stems and seeds, give their taste and colour to the must

Raking : the “pomace” and the must are separated. The must becomes “vin de goutte”, the “pomace” becomes “vin de presse”

“Malolactic” fermentation : by the working of natural bacteria, the sharp “malic” acids are transformed in flexible and stable lactic acids

Ripening : the wine is filtered and transfered to casks in order to stabilize and come to perfection.

RED WINE

Crushing and destemming

The grapes arriving in the cellar are crushed and destemmed. The fruits free their juice and pulp.

The must obtained that way is put in a tank to go through the process of fermentation.

Alcoholic fermentation

The fermentation tanks are generally oak barrels or stainless steel tanks, sometimes concrete or enamelled steel.

Fermentation is a natural process. Yeasts present in grapes (however the addition of selected yeasts is generalizing) change the sugar contained in the must in alcohol and carbonic gas.

The winemaker assists the action of the yeasts by maintaining the temperature around 25 to 30°C and ventilating the must regularly. Under 25°C the wine will not have enough body, above 30°C, the wine will be to tannic.

The fermentation process goes on for 4 to 10 days.

Maceration

This is the period during which the tannic elements and the colour of the skin diffuse in the fermented juice. The contact between the liquid (must) and the solid elements (skin, pips and sometimes stems) will give body and colour to the wine.

At this stage, complex operations will prove the talent of the winemaker (dissolution, extraction, excretion, diffusion, decoction, infusion).

For “vins primeurs” or “vins nouveaux” (new wines) the maceration is very short, the wines are supple and contain little tannin. Wines destined to be kept long need a lot of tannin, so the maceration can be long. It goes on for several days, maybe several weeks.

Raking

The wine is separated from the solids, the pomace. The wine obtained by raking is called “free run wine” (vin de goutte).

The pomace is pressed in order to extract the juice it still contains. This wine is called “press wine” (vin de presse). It is richer in tannin.

Depending on the winemaker target or the local habit, free run wine and press wine are blended or treated separately.

Malolactic fermentation

It is the process during which the malic acid of wine changes into lactic acid and carbonic gas under the action of bacteria naturally present in the wine. Malic acid is harsh, it is changed into supple and stable lactic acid.

This fermentation is obtained in a tank during a few weeks at a temperature between 18° and 20°C.

Stabilisation

The vinification is finished but the wine is not. To be able to age and to improve the wine must be clarified again. After that the beverage will be put in oak casks where it will stabilize.

The diversity of red wine is such that it can go with any type of food. But you must absolutely not conclude from this that all red wines are identical.

WHITE WINE

White wine is not really white but in fact yellow. But the expression being universal one says of a yellow wine that it is white.

Vinification of white wine is more delicate than vinification of red wine.

Two methods exist to make white wine :

a. The first one is to use white grape (which is in fact green, greenish yellow, golden yellow or pinkish yellow!). That way the white wine is the result of the fermentation of the juice of white grapes juice only.

b. The second method is more complex. One uses the juice of a red grape variety cleared of its skin and pips, with which it may absolutely not get in contact as they contain the colouring substances. It is possible to get white wine this way but it is seldom done.

Time is counted :

Immediately after their arrival in the cellar, the grapes are crushed but not destemmed. The juice (free run must) is sent to settle in containers. The rest of the grapes is pressed as quickly as possible. Air is the enemy of white wine. At its contact the wine oxidizes or becomes coloured. The must from pressing is added to the free run must.

Preparation of the must :

After six to twelve hours the particles and impurity of the grape separate from the must and float on the surface. They are removed by raking the must. The must is ready to be clarified. The clarified juice is poured in a tank, ready to ferment.

Alcoholic fermentation :

White wine results of the fermentation of must only.

No solids (stems, skin, pips, …) intervene.

The control of the temperature is essential. It has to be maintained around 18° C. The winemaker regularly cools the must to allow the yeast to work correctly.

The fermentation goes on for two to three weeks. The winemaker daily checks the evolution of the process.

When fermentation is over, the wine is put in casks and raked, just like a red wine then it is bottled.

Winemakers often choose oak casks which give the wine the tannin it needs, but it will not be sufficient. Tannin is the essential element for aging. It is why white wine does not keep as long as red wine.

On the other hand white wines present a larger variety of tastes : very dry, dry, semi-dry, mellow, syrupy, petillant, sparkling, madeirized, …

White wine can be drunk on any occasion : before, with or after a meal, and even between meals.

White wines are often considered as aperitif wines, sometimes as dessert wines. Many people like to drink white wine in hot weather. Its refreshing qualities are indeed very well known. White wine is served fresh but not chilled.

WHY WINE DOES NOT TURN INTO VINEGAR ?

Sulfur dioxide, in spite of its barbaric name, is an element indispensable for the quality of the wine.

It is composed of sulfur and oxygen. Fermentation naturally produces a small amount of it.

Winemakers add more to the wine. Sulfur dioxide is to wine what aspirin is to human beings: the miraculous remedy which cures all sort of diseases and avoids others.

Sulfur dioxide is a bactericide which prevents wine from changing into vinegar. It inhibits the action of yeasts : it is why sweet wines do not go on fermenting after bottling.

On top of that it is an anti-oxidizer. It allows wine to keep all its freshness and avoids its alteration by its enemy : the oxygen.

2. Storing and serving wine and food-wine guidelines

The most important thing is to store wine in a lying position so the cork is always wet. This prevents the cork from drying up and the bottle from getting air which would mean the oxidation of the wine. This however is only crucial if we store wines for longer periods of time.

Another important aspect is the temperature at which we store wine. This temperature should be around 12-14°C. The access of light into the cellar should be limited and best avoided completely.

The ripening of wine in home cellars is a hobby for real wine lovers. Just imagine the magic of the moment we serve of bottle of fully mature, carefully stored wine awaited for years.

The best way to find the optimal moment for drinking the wine is buying wine in cases (of 6 or 12 bottles) and opening one bottle from time to time. Young wine is simply much cheaper than aged and completely mature wine. It can also be a very good business to buy a few cases of a certain promising wine and later, when the wine is fully mature, sell part of the stock. The selling price will cover for the remaining bottles.

Having your own wine cellar gives another fantastic advantage… We will always know what to do when we have unexpected guests and having a certain range of wines we will always find something appropriate to go with the food.

The most important issue when serving wine is its temperature. We here need to consider the fact that the definition “room temperature” originates from times when this temperature did not exceed 18° C.

So let us first draw attention to the temperature at which wine is served :

Champaign should be served at a temperature of 6-8°C,
White wine – at a temperature of 8-12°C,
Young red wine – at a temperature of 13-14°C,
Light red wine – at a temperature of 14-16°C,
Precious and aged wine – at a temperature of 18°C.

The next essential matter is the sequence in which wines are served. There are a few principles here :

Wines should be served from whites through rose to reds,
Dry wine is always served before sweet and liqueur wine,
Young wine before aged wine,
Light wine before strong wine.

Now the food and wine issue. The combination of wine and dishes is in reality a certain feeling for senses. If we are convinced that there is good food on the table and the wine is also good, then nothing bad should happen. The most important thing is to follow your instinct, choose good wine and good food.

Times when the principle reigned that white wine is served with fish and red with meat seem also to be over. It is worth observing that today’s Californian or Australian Chardonnay is stronger and fuller than delicate Pinot Noir and sometimes even Cabernet, which refutes somehow the theory of wine selection by its colour alone.

One of the simpler principles of the selection of wine with food is looking at its heaviness and strength. This means that the wine and dish should have similar strength – to delicate meals light wine, to heavy ones strong wine.

As far as a spectrum of dishes is rather difficult to straighten up, we can be tempted to present wines in the conventional sequence from the lightest to the heaviest.

Although for sure wines can be found which do not follow the given sequence, this is theoretically how wines are ordered from the lightest ones to the heaviest.

White wines listed from the lightest to the heaviest :

Soave,
Riesling,
Muscadet,
Champagne and sparkling wines,
Chenin Blanc,
Chablis or unoaked Chardonnay,
Sauvignon Blanc,
White Bordeaux,
White Burgundy,
Pinot Gris,
Gewurztraminer,
Mature or cask-fermented Chardonnay (especially Californian and Australian)

Red wines listed from the lightest to the heaviest :

Valpolicella,
Beaujolais,
Pinot Noir,
Rioja,
Bourgogne,
Barbera,
Chianti,
Barolo,
Merlot,
Bordeaux,
Zinfandel,
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Rhone or Syrah (Shiraz)

Stefan Lagae

Husband, father, employee, work-at-home jobber and wine lover

For my recommended work-at-home job, feel free to contact me on

mailto:stefan.lagae@gmail.com

Author: Stefan Lagae
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Wine Tasting Etiquette

As wine tasting is considered to be a very sophisticated practice there is a specific etiquette you have to follow. This etiquette should remain the same whether you are at a vineyard, a wine tasting private party, or in a restaurant.

When you have a wine tasting party you should only invite the amount of people that you can fit comfortably in the room you want to have your party. A crowd may be intimidating. You do not want any of your guests to feel like they are being rushed when they are pouring a glass or tasting the wine.

Always be sure to have bottled water on hand when you are having a wine tasting. This allows your guests to rinse their mouths out between tasting different wines. If you have just tasted a very heavy wine you must have water ready for the guests. If you do not then their next tasting may be tainted due to the heaviness lingering in their mouths. In addition, water is good because guests will get thirsty and they need to drink something other than the wine.

When you have a wine tasting it is important to provide foods for your guests. However, you also want to be sure to have food on hand that will not change the way the wine tastes in any way. The best snacks to have on hand include unflavored things like bread or unsalted crackers.

Decanting

Some people practice decanting before they serve wine at a wine tasting. This is very controversial to many different wine enthusiasts. Decanting is the process of letting wine breathe before you serve it.

Some people let their wine breathe for a few hours before they serve it. However, decanting is not just letting your wine breathe but it is when you pour your wine into a completely different container to allow the breathing. Some people even apply a special filter when decanting to remove bitter sediments that might have formed in the wine.

Younger bottles of wine benefit more to an aeration process than the older bottles. However, the sediment is more common with the older bottles. Many people say that airing out the bottle can relax the flavor of the wine, making them taste smoother. The wine might have better integration. However, all wines do not benefit from this method. Some wines are meant to drink immediately after popping the cork from the bottle.

The best way to tell if you need to let a bottle of wine air out or be decanted is to taste it first. As soon as you pull the cork off of the wine bottle you can tell by tasting if it needs to air out a little.

Blind Tasting

The best way to hold a wine tasting is by blindly serving the wine to your guests. This means that you do not want the guests to know what you are serving to them. You might want to serve the wine in a black wine glass. However, the guests should also not see the shape of the bottle of wine nor should they ever see the label on the bottle.

You never want a wine taster’s judgment to be altered because they know specific details of a certain wine. Certain considerations that can alter a taster’s judgment about wine include the price, reputation, color, and the geographic region the wine came from.

People have expectations about wine when they know these considerations. If a wine is very expensive or comes from a certain geographical region some people tend to have expectations of the different varietals. Eliminating expectations of the tasters allows a wine tasting to go smoother and the scores of the wines will be more accurate.

Vertical Tasting

When you have a vertical wine tasting you will have one varietal of wine from the same vintage. This means you might have the same wine from different years; 1999, 2000, 2001, etc. The most common purpose of tasting wines like this is to get a good idea of a certain wineries style and composition. You can also get an understanding how the different weather patterns affect grapes during certain years.

Horizontal Tasting

When a horizontal tasting occurs you will use the same wine from many different producers. This type of tasting will allow you to determine which wineries you think produce the better wine. This wine will be from the same year and the same type of wine but from different wineries.

Tasting Flights

When you hold a tasting flight you will have many glasses of wine out for the tasters to test. Next to each glass of wine you will have a card including the specifics of the wine; winery, geographical demographics, type, and more. Some flights include up to 50 glasses of wine to be tasted.

This gives a taster an idea what types of wines come from certain parts of the world and more. You can also get a good idea of the different tastes of the different types of wines when you taste wine through a flight.

Old World versus New World Tasting

Many people enjoy this type of wine tasting. The Old World according to wine enthusiasts is considered to be countries like France, Italy, Austria, Spain, etc. The New World is North America, South America, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.

The reason these countries are considered to be the New World is because they are new to the wine producing industry and late starters. However, these countries are significant in producing wines.

Many people like to feature the same types of wines from the old and new worlds to determine which they like better. Some people like to do a horizontal or vertical method with this also. There are many ways to mix it up so you can make your wine tasting successful.

Wine and Cheese Tasting

There are many different palate influences that cheese has when you drink a particular wine. When you taste specific wine combinations properly you will understand how well cheese and wine really do go together.

The best way to serve a Cabernet sauvignon is with blue cheese. All you need is just a little. You might serve the blue cheese with an unflavored French bread also. The blue cheese acts by coating the mouth and laying a foundation which will soften the wine and make it taste very good.

The best way to test this is by taking a taste of the wine first. Wait a minute. Then take a bite of the cheese and take another drink. You will see a big difference.

Wine and Chocolate Tasting

Chocolate and wine can go together if you do it right. Some people completely disagree but this is because they do not know how to pair up the two together. When you drink wine with chocolate it is important to be sure the wine is as sweet as the chocolate you are serving. If you have a wine that is not as sweet as the chocolate it will cause the wine to taste very sour.

If you want to serve lighter wines at a wine tasting with chocolate it is best to stick with chocolates that are lighter also. For instance, the white chocolates are the best with the lighter wines. A white zinfandel will go very well when you pair it with a chocolate that is bittersweet.

Priceless Tasting

Priceless wine tasting is not telling the guests how much the bottle of wine costs. If you have several bottles of wine you don’t want to let anyone know the price of the wine. When guests know what the price of the wine is their judgment is tainted. Never reveal the price of the wine.

If you feel you must tell the guests the price of the wine, be sure you tell them after the tasting is over. This is because it is a natural perception that an expensive wine is superior to a wine that costs a low dollar amount of money. This may be true in some circumstances but it isn’t always the case. You don’t want assumptions to be made before the wine has been tasted or it will ruin the wine tasting.

Price point Tasting

The price point tasting method is very similar to the priceless tasting. However, you will use wines that are in the same price range when you serve the wines. The important factor is to establish a baseline for the dollar amount and stick to it.

Big 8 Tasting

A Big 8 tasting includes a wine tasting of the different varietals of the Big 8 wines in a tasting flight. The big 8 wines include red and white wines. The red wines included in the Big 8 are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Merlot. The white wines included in the Big 8 are the Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot, and the Sauvignon Blanc.

This is a great way to have a wine tasting if your guests don’t know the differences with the different varietals. They can work their way through the wines and find out for themselves what each of the wines taste like and the differences.

This is a fun way to learn about the wines. When you have newer wine tasters this might be the first type of wine tasting you want to have at home. This way, the next wine tasting you have your friends will know what to expect with the different blends of wine.

Scott Wells writes for http://MakeChristmasCrafts.com where you can learn to Make Christmas Crafts just in time for the holiday season.

Author: Scott Wells
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Parenting is something that usually comes naturally to people. There are no hard fast how to manuals or rules to parenting. People generally just learn as they go. Most things are just second nature, like feeding, clothing and generally caring for a child. However, as a child grows and other children are born, parenting becomes more then simply handling the child’s everyday needs. Sometimes parents feel they need some help in deciding the best way to parent their children.

There have been many people who have spoken out about parenting and offered advice and assistance to parents in need. Parenting styles are an example of something a parent can do to help them with their parenting. A parenting style is basically a way to describe how a parent parents their child or children. There are 3 basic types of parenting styles.

Some authorities on the subject of parenting will argue that there are many different variations of parenting styles, but they all go back to the three basic parenting styles. Those three styles are authoritarian, permissive and democratic.

The authoritarian parenting style is based on control. With this style of parenting the parent retains complete control at all times. Under this style of parenting there are strict rules and schedules. The parents rule the children with an iron fist. There is no exception to the rules and punishment is given in a very orderly and prompt fashion when it is needed. The down side to an authoritarian parenting style is that it usually does not allow for a lot of affection or warmth. Since children raised with this parenting style are usually not allowed to think freely or make decisions on their own they often grow up to have problems with thinking for themselves.

The permissive parenting style is the opposite of the authoritarian parenting style. The permissive parent lets the child have control. There are usually not a lot of rules and the rules that are made are often very lax. Broken rules often are not even recognized or even enforced. Parents that use this parenting style feel that their children need to be free thinkers and be able to explore the world and learn for themselves without being held down by rules and strict structure. There is often a lot of affection and warmth with this parenting styles. The downside though, is that children do not learn that rules are sometimes necessary. They learn that no matter what they do – right or wrong- that they will not be punished. This can lead to a life long rebellion against any type of rule or structure.

The democratic parenting style is a mixture of the authoritarian and permissive parenting styles. A democratic parent will set rules that are necessary and enforce them, but they will also take each situation as it comes. Punishment is usually discussed with the child. Democratic parents are most interested in making sure their children understands why rules are in place and why some behavior in unacceptable. Democratic parenting is about letting children know when they do good and when they do bad making sure they understand why it is wrong. It is a style of parenting where everyone – parents and children- work together. Children will usually grow up to respect their parents and to be able to handle conflicts and problems in a reasonable manner.

Each parenting style has its pros and cons. Obviously, with the authoritarian parenting style the children are going to be very respectful and very well behaved. The parents will have very little chaos and they will have a low stress level. With the permissive parenting style the parent is free to do whatever they want because they are not constantly policing the children. The family simply does their own thing, which can often lead to a lot of separation over time as everyone develops their own life apart form the family. The democratic parent in style requires a lot of work. Parents must constantly be talking with and dealing with their children in order to keep everyone involved in the family.

Nobody ever claimed parenting was easy. There really is no right or wrong to parent as long as children are cared for, happy and healthy. Parents can choose for themselves how they want to parent their children. Some parents simply fall into a parenting style that seems to fit their own life and their own beliefs. Others make a conscious effort to maintain a parenting style. However, a parent chooses their parent style, it is fine as long as it works for them and their children are taken care of.

Become a better parent today! Learn more about parenting styles & tips at Joseph’s website as he shares his experience in parenting.

Author: Joseph Then
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Cooking and Nutrition have been incredibly hot topics over the past couple of years. Other hot topics such as anti aging and fitness exercise are discussed in correlation with cooking and nutrition on a regular basis. At the same time the rise in Cooking Television Shows has been exponential. This craze has resulted in a cooking channel! A channel devoted to a plethora of cooking shows! These television shows often have associated websites where their recipes are cataloged and made available.

Technology has allowed us access to these websites and recipes at a moments notice but in order to organize and keep your favorites on hand it may be necessary to create a file or use a software package. I have researched and will offer a review of a few software products that I recommend. These products will allow you to import, catalog and print your recipes in a variety of convenient formats.

1. MasterCook Deluxe 9.0 by ValuSoft

Product Features

• Meal-planning software with 8,000+ recipes and 100s of international recipes
• Thorough search capabilities; expert nutritional analysis
• Professional tips, cooking for a crowd, and essential cooking techniques
• Enjoy 400 savory baking recipes with step-by-step instructions
• Print shopping lists for single recipes or entire menus, or download to PDA

2. Cook’n for Every Holiday by DVO Enterprises

This instructional computer software [http://www.thesoftwarespot.com/default.asp?SID=xSUDBN7CQH9W2UP3PGZYM6&S=500&A=F&SearchText=&CategoryID=1695949&NID=6372614] includes 582 recipes, recipe manager, menu planner, and more!

Product Features:

• Search thousands of recipes in seconds–just tell it what you have on hand
• Adjust recipe serving sizes automatically
• Demonstrate preparation techniques with video clips
• Display hundreds of full-color food photos
• Organize your own recipes
• Print your recipes on decorative 3×5 cards
• Create weekly menus
• Make grocery shopping lists
• Analyze the nutritional value of your recipes

Recipe Manager:

• Organizing your family recipe collection in the computer is easy with Cook’n. You already know how to put in your recipes, that’s because Cook’n’s recipe window looks just like a recipe card. And, “Quick-Fill” editing does much of the typing for you.
• Cook’n has simple cookbook-like chapters and categories that make it easy to find your recipes fast.
• Cook’n’s Recipe Manager makes entertaining a snap. Simply select the number of guests you will be serving and enter it into your favorite recipe. Cook’n calculates the new ingredient amounts for you.

Menu Planner:

• Build your own weekly and monthly menus
• Drag and drop meals to make your menus
• Combine recipes and food items to make complete meals. Then, drag and drop meals to make your own weekly or monthly menus.

Grocery Shopping Assistant

• Compiles your family’s shopping list automatically
• Organizes shopping list items by aisle
• Converts to package sizes (e.g., tablespoon tomato paste to 8 oz. cans)
• Calculates your grocery cost

Personal Home Nutritionist

• Analyze the nutritional elements of recipes and menus (even the ones you add!)
• Choose between brands to satisfy dietary needs
• Cook’n will analyze the nutritional value of any recipe or menu (even the ones you add!). Easy to read…Cook’n nutrition facts window looks just like the label on a can.
• Cook’n has nutrition facts from the labels of 10,000 food products. You can choose between different brands to see what the nutritional effect is.
• Now you can plan menus based on dietary needs and tastes. Prepare one delicious meal for the entire family.

1. Home Cookin: Recipe Software by Mountain Software

Product Features:

· Easy to Use Interface – Home Cooking uses a simple tabbed interface that is easy to operate while providing all the features you use most. You can create as many chapters as you wish. Home Cookin will keep everything sorted alphabetically so you can quickly browse through your collection, and find your favorites easily.

· Easy Recipe Entry

· Import and Export Capabilities – Thousands of free recipes can be found on web pages, newsgroups, and various mailing lists. You can easily add these to your collection by importing them into Home Cookin. Most standard formats are supported.

· Meal Planning – The meal calendar makes it easy to plan your upcoming meals. Locate your desired recipes, then add them to the calendar. Add personal notes if you plan on eating out, want to indicate a holiday, or to reference recipes in other cookbooks. When you are ready to prepare the meal, you can access the recipe quickly from the meal calendar.

· Grocery Management – The Home Cooking grocery manager will make quick work of preparing your grocery shopping lists. Start a new list, select the items you need, and print. A cost estimate is calculated as you select each item, so you’ll know ahead of time how much you’ll be spending on your groceries. The printed list is compact and sorted by store and location to make your shopping trip as easy as possible.

Websites provide us with recipes at a moments notice but in order to organize and keep them handy and get the most use of them it may be necessary to create a file or use a software package. I have provided a review of a few software products that I found to be of good quality. These products will allow you to import, analyze, catalog and print your recipes in a variety of convenient formats including a grocery list!

I have an extensive background in Finance and Fiscal Procedure. I also have a web business where I offer Educational Computer Software and Games [http://www.thesoftwarespot.com/default.asp?S=500&A=F&SearchText=&CategoryID=1695863&NID=6372614]. I am very interested in the product itself as well as the subject matter that it involves.

Please use the link above to visit us at The Software Spot! Thank you, Allison Merlino

Author: Allison Merlino
Article Source: EzineArticles.com