Homemade @ MindSay

Today was o-kay.

I spent the afternoon upgrading my 2.1 speaker set. Mind you that upgrading does not necessarily mean that something actually got better. No. It simply means that I got a chance to open two things, take some parts from one into the other, rendering one of them useless on the way.

The real beauty of it all is to find out how they work. Obviously, that How it's made show was created for me..

But this time it was a fair trade: speakers A lacked treble and speakers B were vibrating; now I have a set of homemade non-vibrating speakers with a rich audio spectrum. Aural ecstasy.

On other matters, I'm beginning to feel that I need to invest my time on something that actually goes somewhere. I'm tired of playing computer games, of trying to learn the stock market, of collecting endless things. In the end, all of those will amount to nothing.

I wish I knew how to write but I am terrible at it. I have tried before, for a dozen of times and I always end up with two pages of prose that I don't really like.

So.. I'm down to zero. Desperately in need of productive ideas. If you have some, I encourage you to do share them. Thank you.

What you will need!

3-4 Large Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Napa Cabbage
1 Bok Choy
2 Large Carrots
2c Bean Sprouts
3 Sliced Green Onions
3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
3T Chopped Cilantro
1tsp Ground Ginger
1T Crushed Red Peppers
1/4c Vegetable Oil
1/4c Sesame Seed Oil
1/4c Soy Sauce
2 packs eggroll wrappers

Makes Approx 40 eggrolls.

To begin start with a large bowl filled about 1/4 full with cold water to keep your veggies from wilting as you prepare them.

I started with the bok choy.


And then the same with my Napa Cabbage


chopped up the green onion


Shred up some carrots!


oils, ground ginger, crushed red peppers and diced garlic ready to roll :D


Into the skillet they go, very low heat.


Add veggies and 1/4 cup soy sauce!


cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, add cilantro remove from heat.


Place chicken in skillet, add 1c of the juices from the veggies


Cook until done, allow sauce to reduce


It's about this time that I realize I forgot the bean sprouts -_-... IN THEY GO!


Allow chicken to cool, dice and mix in with veggies


all ready to go!


Place filling diagonally in the wrapper...


Tuck bottom flap under filling...


moisten side flaps with water and fold over...


moisten top flap and roll over :D


repeat! :P



Some people prefer to deep fry but I like to pan fry them, you can control the heat more this way, cook about 1 minute on each side until they are crispy and golden brown :D Some people like to add a tsp of nutmeg to the oil before frying, but I'm not a fan of that :P do what you like though, thats the best part of cooking!



you can also make a yummy dipping sauce for them by mixing equal parts rice wine vinegar and soy sauce with some minced garlic and crushed red peppers.

Dry hair can drive you crazy at times. Learn a few simple ways to tame those tresses and look gorgeous always.

Everyone has a bad hair day occasionally. However, when you have dry hair you seem to have bad hair days more often than people with other types of hair. This is because dry hair brings with it a host of problems. These include frizziness, split ends, dandruff, etc. Here are some measures you can use to make it more manageable and keep it looking great.

Drink lots of water

In most cases, people have dry hair because their bodies are simply not getting the required daily fluid intake. Seventy-five percent of the human body is made up of water. When your body loses some of its water content, it starts drawing in the water from those parts of the body that need it less. This is to supply water to the essential organs like the heart, lungs, liver, etc. Consequently, your skin and hair are the first to suffer from the lack of water in your body.

To combat this effect, make sure that you drink adequate amounts of water each day. You should aim to consume at least 8-10 glasses of water every day. Avoid substituting water with other liquids such as juices, colas, coffee, etc. Colas and coffee usually have caffeine in them that acts as a diuretic. This will speed up the loss of water from your body. In the case of juices, the sugar content in them is very high which could again lead to health problems like diabetes. There is just no substitute for plain water.

Oil your hair

Along with being properly hydrated, your hair also needs to be enriched with natural oils. This will soften your hair and provide it with the nourishment it requires. Olive oil is considered the best oil to achieve healthy hair. Try and cook your food in olive oil and see the difference it makes to your hair. For a quick fix just before you go out, apply a little olive oil to your hair to make it easier to comb and style. If olive oil is too expensive an option, you could use a cheaper alternative like coconut oil.

Shampoo less often

The problem with dry hair is that it is already running low on nutrients. Hence, you cannot afford to lose these nutrients from your hair, as they will take a long time to be replenished. The chief cause of this loss of nutrients from hair is excessive shampooing. Most shampoos are full of chemicals like acids and detergents. While they do a great job of ridding your hair of dirt and grime, they also tend to strip away the natural protective layer of oil that covers your hair. For people with normal or oily hair, this is not really a problem as the lost oil layer is replaced soon. However, people with dry hair cannot replace the oil layer so quickly, which leaves the hair dry and frizzy.

Avoid shampooing your hair too often if it is prone to dryness. Shampooing your hair twice a week is enough to keep it clean. At the same time, it will prevent the excess loss of oil from your hair. Also, keep an eye on the brand of shampoo you are using. Opt for a mild shampoo that contains only small amounts of chemicals in it. This will be less harsh on your hair. If possible, choose a shampoo made out of natural ingredients like Aloe Vera.

Condition your hair

Merely shampooing your hair is not enough. It needs to be supplemented with further treatments to protect your hair. Hair conditioners provide the most important after-shower care. A conditioner forms a kind of protective layer over the hair and seals in its moisture. This goes a long way towards preventing your hair from breaking or developing split ends. Again, preferably choose a conditioner with natural ingredients. It need not be an expensive brand name. Many local beauty stores have their own brands, which are cheaper and perform the same function.

You could also keep a bottle of leave-in conditioner on hand. A leave-in conditioner is a conditioning product that can be used on hair when it is either damp or dry. If your hair feels a bit frizzy during the day, just apply a small amount to your hair to smoothen out the frizz.

Dry hair is no excuse not to look good. With so many products available in the market, you can easily manage your unruly locks and look like you stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine.

I've got a bunch of "recipes" for kid's activities I used while I was teaching that I would be glad to share with any and everyone who is interested.  I just don't know if people want 'em.  Here's a partial list of what I have, let me know if you're interested and I'll post...

 

Play dough: cooked, uncooked, chocolate, peanut butter, cinnamon, jello, kool aid, peppermint

Apple Butter

Ornament Clay

Goop

Glurch

Oobleck (or Slime)

Pretzel Dough

Rainbow Squishies

"Homemade" Crayons

Salt Painting

Homemade Fingerpaints

Homemade Soap Crayons

Anytime Bubbles

Potter's Clay

Iridescent Soap Bubbles

Corn Syrup Paint

 

It was Randy's turn to make dinner.  Usually he takes us out to dinner until it gets to icy or snowy out to drive to the city for the hell of it!  Then he makes up various casorales.  I banned him from making Steak and he gets sick of grilling, broiling or baking chicken and pork. 

 

Well we get tired of having the same ol same ol everynight so the kids suggested homemade canadian bacon pizza!  I have had the makings in the cupboard and freezer for a month now!  I gave Randy an option.  A:  Make the pizza or B:  Clean up and lets go over to Welsh's for Pizza.  He decieded he wanted to get back outside to finish trimming some of the trees beside the driveway so he choose A!

 

Who would have thought his mother taught him how to cook regular meals but never taught him to make pizza, hot pockets, runzas or even pot pies!  I had to stay in the kitchen to help him out and if you notice he did have some minor problems!  I figured might as well caputre some pictures of him actually cooking and document the fact he did cook this past week instead of taking us out! 

 

I had to take over putting the dough on to the pan because he couldn't get it spread out with out tearing huge holes in the dough!  So I did that and showed him how to do it for next go around.  And after he put the sauce on I showed him how to even the sauce out a bit more.  Thankfully he picked up on how to evenly put the meat and cheese on!

 

I always made comments to my male and female friends that I would love to have a nakee man in my kitchen cooking or cleaning!  I got my wish on the cooking part!  Now if I can snatch some pictures of Randy first thing in the morning with just his undies on making coffee and loading the dishwasher!