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Archive for June, 2015

Amazing Christmas cakes!

June 18th, 2015

Christmas is a joyful and hearty festival celebrated across the nation and on that event how can we not cook any special dessert. A Christmas sweet is a tradition. The ginger bread house is a wonderful sweet but why not try something unique? Check out some of the most amazing cakes you can bake this Christmas: –

  • Yule Cake:

The Valerie yule cake is one of the most delicious Christmas recipes of all time. This chocolate filled delight is for all you chocoholics out there. Buy this cake and spread joy!

  • Fruit and Nut Cake:

This healthy fruit and nut chocolate cake is truly heaven, the jewel like toppings of oranges and other dry fruits make it beautiful. The liquor richness in the cake is what makes it special and different.

  • Ice Cake:

Not actually ice but this winter ice cake looks exactly like it has been made with ice. There is excess of icing on it and on which professional bakers often make festive designs. This cake is a show stopper.

  • Snowman Cake:

This visual snowman cake is one of a kind. The playful snowman is a hit amongst children. If you want to surprise your kids, then Cake by post of this kind. This is an all-rounder when it comes to family gatherings. You can get many cake mixes in stores for an easy bake.

  • Classic Chocolate:

The classic chocolate cake never goes out of fashion. A little Christmas decorations and you are done. You can make this in dark chocolate, white chocolate and other ways too. It is the simplest method of cooking.

  • Cranberry cake:

A mix of butterscotch and cranberry fillings, this plain white sponge cake is incredible and tasty. An easy white cake recipe with cranberry jam filling and butterscotch is just an add-on.

  • Milk Tres Leches Cake:

Cook this a day before the event or celebration. Let it soak the creamy syrup which is used in the cake. Cut out mini cakes with a cake cutter or stencil and top it with icing cream and nutmeg.

  • Red Velvet:

Though this cake has a romantic feel to it yet it is red right? So why can’t we serve it on Christmas! Some chocolate topping and icing on the top will enhance the cake. If you are a chocolate fan then put melted chocolate inside so that when you eat it, it oozes out of the cake and is berserk delicious.

  • Caramel Cream Cake:

A three layered butter and caramel cake with rich layers of cheese frosting is everything you need this Christmas. The sweet coconut topping with pecans add a dash to this dish. This is a great dessert for the holiday season.

  • Ginger cake:

This festival is incomplete without any ginger bread. And the ginger cake with maple frosting is a diverse dish. Bake this simple cake and frost well. Make sure you place many candy canes and ginger bread cookies as toppings and on the sides.

Celebrate Christmas with these mouth-watering dishes!

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Amazing health benefits of raspberry

June 17th, 2015

A popular gifting item in today’s scenario is fresh fruit basket gifts. Consisting of assortment of fruits, it serves the purpose of a sweet present along with a healthy quotient attached to it. Lots of choices are available for fruits; however, one choice is really worth giving a try- the raspberry. With a beautifully red hue, this fruit is a pool of vitamins and minerals which make it an ideal healthy fruit. So let’s explore some of the nutritive and health benefits of this exotic fruit.

Nutritive Value

Raspberry is a good source of vitamins and minerals. In fact, these vitamins and minerals are essential requirements in the development of the body which can be easily achieved by having this fruit.

  • Vitamins– Raspberry is a good source of vitamins. The main vitamins consist of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin E. Vitamin C consists of about 43%, vitamin K about 11% and vitamin E about 7% of the total nutritive value of the fruits. All these vitamins are essential for the body. Vitamin C is a water soluble rich source of antioxidants which help to destroy the free radicals reducing the risk of the body for allergies towards allergy. Vitamin C is also very good for skin. Vitamin K is helpful in blood clotting and preventing internal bleeding of the body. It is also useful in bone built up. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant and helps to protect the tissues of the blood vessels.
  • Minerals-Raspberry is a rich source of minerals such as manganese (41%), fibre (32%), copper, magnesium and omega 3 fats. Manganese is a quintessential mineral for producing certain enzymes which are essential for bone formation. Fibre is necessary for cleaning the tract of the intestine and removing all the unwanted food. Copper helps in body metabolism, effective utilization of iron and helps to prevent premature aging. Magnesium, on the other hand, helps in absorption of calcium and also aids in protein synthesis. Omega 3 is a part of the poly-unsaturated fats which help to reduce the risk of heart stroke and related diseases. Overall, the mineral content in raspberry is quite crucial for our body needs.

Health benefits of raspberry

In addition to the nutritive value, raspberry has umpteen health benefits. Some of them are as follows:

  • Research suggests that raspberry has certain poly-nutrients which aid in  providing anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
  • There is a special compound found in raspberries called ketone which consists of rheosmin which increases the fat enzyme activity in the cells thus increasing their metabolism. As a result, it reduces obesity by a considerable amount.
  • Raspberry has been found very effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes if 2 bowls are consumed per week.
  • According to a recent research, the risk of cardiovascular diseases which are caused by inflammation can be prevented by compounds called anthocyanin which is found in high amount in raspberry.
  • Raspberry anti-oxidants can help to fight cancer and reduce its risk by a considerable amount.

With all these health benefits, raspberry is surely a great fruit to have.

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Some reasons to have guava this season!

June 17th, 2015

Guava is a great fruit to have. Apart from its specific sweet taste, it forms a main component for fresh fruit basket gifts. Although you may or may not like this fruit, we give you solid reasons that are proven beneficial to your health.

  • Helps in improving immunity– Guava is a rich source of vitamin C which is one of the factors that help to improve the immunity level of the body. It also acts as a protective shield against common infections
  • Reduces the risk of cancer– Guava has certain chemical compounds such as lycopene, quercitin and other polyphenols which are attributed to reducing the levels of cancer or tumour growth by acting as strong antioxidants against the free radicals that are generated.
  • Controls blood sugar level– Guava has a high content of fibres which are essential for controlling the blood sugar level. All the more it has a very low glaucoma index which keeps a check on the sudden increase of sugar levels in the body.
  • Guava is rich in contents such as vitamin C, lycopene and carotene which work wonders for prolonging the process of aging and wrinkles and hence is quite helpful for the skin.
  • Guava is a good fruit to help regularize the heart health. It helps to maintain the sodium and potassium balance in the body and thus prevent heart strokes. In addition, guava also helps to lower down the bad cholesterol levels in the body.
  • Guava is a good source of fibres which help to clean out the blocked colon tract and thus improve the digestive capacity of the body.
  • Guava contains vitamin A which is essential for improving the vision. All the more, vitamin A is required for relieving one from night blindness and hence a good amount should be had on a weekly basis.
  • Guava has been proven to be a good stress buster since it contains high level of magnesium. So, it is a natural way to beat the stress and keep the nerves in a relaxed state of mind.
  • Guava is considered quite well for brain. It has essential vitamins such as vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) which help to increase the blood circulation to the brain and helps to boost its level.
  • Guava has an anti-bacterial activity which helps to fight germs and bacteria and hence the leaves can be used as an agent for reducing tooth ache naturally

All these health benefits are attributed to the fact that guava has a very high nutritional value. Let’s explore them:

  • Guava is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C constitutes a major portion of the entire content. Vitamin C is very good for skin and also helps in boosting the immunity. In addition, it also contains Vitamin K, vitamin B3 and B9 which all help in body metabolism. Amongst minerals, the content of magnesium and potassium which are good for the body as they help in reducing stress levels and help in bone formation respectively.

Hence, have a guava on a regular basis.

 

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Best mosquito repellent Plants and flowers

June 16th, 2015

With the arrival of summers the biggest issue is how to save on self and the family from mosquitos. The beeping sounds of mosquito are so irritating. The worst thing is a mosquito bite and red itchy skin. Mosquitos also beings with them a lot of infections and diseases among them dingy virus is the most life threatening. Everyone loves to go and play outside in the summers, but the fear of mosquitos is always surrounding us. Most of the children receive the instructions from their mothers to come back home before the sunset as there will be a lot of mosquitoes after that time. People spend a lot of money on mosquito repellent products, but they come up with their own side effects. Lotions and spray with DEET is the most popular as they give you a good protection, but studies have shown that a big abortion of DEET by the skin causes many skin diseases. The other side effects include seizures, slurred speech and hypotension.

It is somehow easy to protect your rooms and indoors from mosquitos but what to do when you want to stay in your garden and lawn? Also, if your lawns are protected then the probability that the mosquitoes will enter your home will be highly reduced.

The good news is that there are certain plants and flowers that act as a great mosquito repellent. Planting them in your garden will repel mosquitoes and other insects. If you don’t find them you can easily find them from the web. There are a lot of sites that sells fresh flowers online. Planting them will surely protect you from mosquito bites.

Citronella

It is one of the ingredients that are mostly used in mosquito repellent products. Its strong order has the unique property to repel mosquitos.  It is used in different forms from candles, spray, mats, oils etc. But the living plant is the most effective. As it has the strongest order.  It is a kind of a grass with the exception of height. It is 5 -6 feet tall and can be planted in the areas which do not have frozen winters. Citronella plants are considered low maintenance, like most grasses, and they do best in full sun and well-drained locations. Periodic applications of nitrogen-rich fertilizers will ensure vigorous growth, but this treatment only needs to be applied once a year, preferably in early spring.

Marigold

It is a beautiful flower and a classic mosquito repellent. It is being used as insects’ repellent plant since ancient times. It is grown in sunlight when the soil is fertile. They can easily be planted from seed. Marigold is an inexpensive plant so one can also buy it from garden centers.

It’s good to place the plant near windows and home entrances doors. It makes a strong barrier for mosquitoes. Besides repelling mosquitoes, marigolds repel insects which prey on tomato plants, so you may want to plant a few marigolds in your tomato bed for added protection.

Ageratum (Floss flower):

This plant has a particular smell that is not liked by the mosquitos. That’s why it is widely used in mosquitos’ repellent products. But it is the most effective in its natural form. Planting it in the gardens and laws will protect your homes from the beeping mosquitos.

It is a gorgeous plant with beautiful blue flowers. It is also in pink, white and violet bloom. So it will also add beauty to your lawn. This plant will thrive in full or partial sun and does not require rich soil. It is often displayed in rock gardens where low-lying plants are planted.

Catnip

It is a green plant with very strong mosquito repellent properties. According to a report of Iowa State University to American Chemical Society state that catnip is ten times more effective than DEET, the chemical found in most commercial insect repellents. It is an easy to grow plant. It needs good water supply to flourish well.

Horsemint (Beebalm):

Horsemint is an adaptable perennial plant which repels mosquitoes much the same as citronella. It gives off a strong incense-like odor which confuses mosquitoes by masking the smell of its usual hosts. It survives well in shades. It does well in dry, sandy soil and can tolerate salty conditions, which is why it is often found in coastal and beach areas.it can be easily grown in home lawns. It’s a great idea to plant small plants in different areas of the lawn to totally protect it from mosquitoes.

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4 tips for beginner for creating a striking bouquet and floral arrangements

June 16th, 2015

Receiving flowers is an awesome feeling. Especially girls are more curious about the flowers. Complementing any gift or any decoration with flowers will look awesome. Some people are blessed with an intrinsic sense of creating remarkably amazing flower arrangements and bouquet and other simply rely on best online flower delivery. It’s a wise idea to use florist when you want to give flowers to someone or want some amazing creations for your dinner, party or any other special day, as they are the experts in the field. But creating your own flower arrangements are not that much difficult. You just have to be a little bit careful about the colors, use greenery and some other sidelines and make a symmetric pattern using small and large flowers that is aligned with the occasion.

Here are a few basic tips that will guide you to create some amazing flower arrangements and bouquet. Mastering with these tips will help you make striking arrangements. So get creative and use these ideas to get you started:

Focus on theme:

The basic thing that should be considered first is the theme of the bouquet. Flowers have their own meanings. The color of flowers communicated in their own language. Before selecting any flower first make sure that you are selecting the right color and flower to convey the true message. You might experience that whenever you go to a florist shop for buying a bouquet, they first ask you that for what occasion you are looking flower for? In this way they will be able to share their expert advice. So you can easily select one out of the few choices they made. If you want to make an arrangement for Christmas party, then the color of red and white will be the most appropriate according to the event. Similarly, yellow is for joy and friendship, white is for peace, red for love and affections and so on.

Selection of flowers:

The best way to create a striking flower arrangement is by focusing on symmetry. The actual beauty of a flower arrangement is its balance. If you are using rose buds, then you can complement the bouquet with lilies in contrast. But, roses never look good if combined with sunflower. It’s wiser to select two or three kinds of flowers. Mixing buds and flower will create a beautiful arrangement. It’s also a good idea to select the same size of flowers if you select one kind of flower in different color. And if you want to create a bouquet with different flowers, then select every kind of flower in same size.  Following are the examples

Add evergreens:

Take a bouquet from ordinary to extravagant, with the addition of cuttings from evergreens. Greenery is the base of any kind of floral arrangement you do. Use greens that have a lot of texture. And it will enhance the beauty of the arrangement. Greens in a floral arrangement are the absolute foundation. They’re the structure. They’re the center. You want to begin in your vase by just placing different greens at different heights. You can always cut them shorter. You can always place taller greens in, they are great to add some softness in the arrangement and they also act as filler.

Shape of the arrangement:

A good shaped floral arrangement is the one which gives the most professional look. It’s wise to choose the flowers with stamps of equal size, so that you can easily shape as desired. Even a single flower or some side line greenery popping out from the symmetry will damage the beauty of the arrangement

Containers for the arrangement

It’s not only the flowers themselves that can be adapted to create a floral decoration.

Choosing to arrange them in a festive container is the easiest route to flower decoration success.

 Always select a container or a vase that complements your bouquet theme. And if you can’t find anything good, then simple crystal container will look awesome on any occasion. You can also wrap   your bouquet with cellophane paper and then tie a decorative ribbon knot.

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