Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Where To Buy Raw Food Products

Raw food products are all around you, if you know where to look. Here are some suggestions of how you can pick up the raw foods you need to make a real difference in your overall health.

The basis of all raw food consumption comes with raw fruits and vegetables. You can pick these up at any local supermarket. However, you may want to give farm fresh produce a chance. If you have a farmer's market near you, take a trip over and look at all of the produce on display. In many cases, the produce was hand picked that morning, or at least just in the last day or two. You can also query the sellers as to what types of fertilizers were used to grow the produce. Often, you will find farmers that choose to use natural fertilizers rather than synthetic blends. In any event, you will find food that has not had to be sprayed or treated in some manner to keep it fresh for transportation across the country.

Along with produce, don't forget to look for fresh herbs. Many types of meals can be enhanced with a pinch of fresh parsley or using a little fresh garlic that you just minced by hand. More and more grocery stores are selling potted herbs that you can bring home and grow on your windowsill. There are many garden shops that also carry a full line of herbs that are ready for transplant as well. Even some farmer's markets will have herbal plants for sale. Since herbs often contain nutrients that are essential to our well being, as well as for treating various ailments, having fresh herbs around is a great idea.

Creating some of your own raw foods at home is easy as well. Some produce can be grown in flowerpots, so even city dwellers can produce a little of their own food. Also, anyone with a glass jar, some water and some fresh legumes can produce their own bean sprouts. As a wonderful addition to salads and other cold foods, bean sprouts pack a lot of nutrition, and can be integrated into just about any diet. They don't take very long to produce, so you can constantly have a new batch in progress. Raw food products are easy to find and to use; all you need is a little ingenuity and a quick trip to the store.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Chili pepper decor

Chili Pepper Tablecloth - 50x70 - Style 39079
Chili Pepper Tablecloth - 50x70 - Style 39079

Red is a great color for just about any kitchen space. The color is associated with energy and well-being and it actually stimulates that appetite. If you want to incorporate this hot color into your interior decorating ideas, you might want to consider chili pepper décor for your space.

The bright red pepper is lovely to see in a kitchen space. There is something so appealing about the design that I couldn’t resist adopting it into my own home. The chili pepper décor didn’t take over the kitchen at first. The process was pretty gradual. Following are some supplies that led to a room filled with this spicy theme.

The first item I received in this decorative kitchen theme was a pair of salt and pepper shakers. They are bright, bright red and shaped like chili peppers. I love the high gloss finish and the deep red color. Since these items were in plain sight all day long I thought about using a chili pepper décor motif for the room.

I went back-and-forth on this decision because I was pretty happy with my black and white design that I had before. However, the hot red shakers really caught my eye each and every time I entered the room. They made me want to cook and they made me want to consider the chili pepper décor a little more seriously.

My friends were also attracted to the idea of the chili pepper décor idea for my kitchen. The person who bought the shakers probably had no idea that the gift would lead to a collection of items that fill the room with vibrant color. She also didn’t know that it would lead to other similar gifts from others.

My sister bought me a pitcher that is just perfect for the chili pepper décor motif. She figured that it would go well with the shakers that we all love so much. That present was followed by a whole ensemble of placemats, napkins and curtains all suiting the chili pepper décor. My husband bought these.

I love the look in my kitchen and I think that the chili pepper décor goes perfectly with the overall black and white room. It really adds character and color to the space. It looks as if the entire room was renovated but all that was added was a few bright, vibrant items that set the whole tone in the area.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Bathroom cabinet

Taymor Decorative Wall Cabinet with Chrome Accents
Taymor Decorative Wall Cabinet with Chrome Accents


It would seem that one of the easiest parts of remodeling a bathroom is picking out a bathroom cabinet. A person usually has a general idea of how much space they have, and how much storage they may want in a cabinet. However, I have learned that hard way that there might just be more to this than choosing the right size and the right look. I had what I thought was a great cabinet, but I found that I could have made a better choice for my family.

I don’t like my daughter to be in our bathroom cabinet, but that doesn’t mean she won’t be. The one we have is not made for little hands, and she always has a hard time opening it. She always manages to hurt her fingers. As she gets older, she has more reason to be in the bathroom cabinet, but she still can’t open them without hurting her little hands. If you have children like I do, you want something a bit more child friendly so they can learn to open them safely.

I also learned that you want to spend money on a bathroom cabinet that you could easily fix or get replacement parts for. Our daughter opened one of the doors on ours too far, and the mirror cracked in the corner. In other cases, we might have been able to get a replacement, but that is not the case with this particular bathroom cabinet. My husband has to find a way to remove the mirror and replace it without destroying the rest of it. This could be interesting.

You may think there is no reason for your child to get into your bathroom cabinet, or to even keep anything in there, but the truth is that they will get in there if they want to. In fact, the more you forbid them to get into it, the sooner they will be climbing up to find out what is so interesting. If you have one that is safe for them and that they can use on their own (perhaps a bottom shelf) they will be less likely to have problems with it and won’t be as fascinated. Then perhaps you won’t have the same problems with it that I did. Much like anything else, if it seems like it is off limits they will be drawn to it, but if it seems like a part of everyday life, they won’t give it much thought.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Coffee beans

Coffee Bean Direct Italian Roast Espresso, Whole Bean Coffee, 5-Pound Bag

Coffee Bean Direct Italian Roast Espresso, Whole Bean Coffee, 5-Pound Bag

Coffee beans come in so many different flavors that choosing which ones to try can be a little difficult. Even if you aren’t a fan of fancy flavoring, you can still find yourself neck deep in choices of coffees that you want to try. Between the breakfast blends and the prime Colombian breeds, there are a lot of exciting coffee beans that will entice your taste buds.

Finding great coffee beans is like finding great wines. It may take a little effort but just like a fine wine, the right java will be a wonderful addition to your daily routine as well as special occasions. There are some great ways to get your hands on a number of unusual brands that you just can’t find in your local grocery store.

There are some who suggest that the best way to purchase good java is on the World Wide Web. You can find so many interesting brands and flavors through this extensive resource. There are coffee beans that are available from around the world and you never have to even leave your home.

The coffee beans are fresh and they are shipped right to your front door. You never have to guess whether these beans have been sitting around in a warehouse for a long time. Most companies offer the freshest coffee beans that you can find and they waste no time getting the stock to you.

There are a few approaches that you can take to purchasing online coffee beans. I like joining programs like the wine of the month and the beer of the month clubs. These resources have opened the door to many tasty beverage experiences. Why not do the same for my morning brew?

All you need to do is choose a package that feels right for you. Do you like the varieties of coffee beans available? How many months would you like to commit to the service? Do you want to take the coffee beans for a test drive before making a commitment to a monthly club?

Then there is the question about home roasting. Just as some people like to make their own wine, some like to roast their own coffee beans. You can find all of the supplies you need online. In no time at all you could be on your way to making your very own home roasted coffee beans.

Whether you are the do-it-yourself type or whether you like to have your coffee beans roasted ahead of time, there are plenty of opportunities to find what you are looking for through the World Wide Web.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Miniature Antique Silver Wine Cooler

Miniature Antique Silver Wine Cooler
Miniature Antique Silver Wine Cooler

We have had antique silver in my family for generations. It does not all come from one source. Some families seem to inherit all their jewelry from some ancient ancestor who was extremely successful, lucky, or crooked. In my family, however, it seems like we add to the collection generation after generation. There is antique silver from my grandmother, my great-grandmother, and relatives that no one can name any more. Some of it is gorgeous antique sterling silver jewelry, while some has been considerably damaged by the years. In general, we try to take good care of it, but apparently this wasn't always the rule. Some of the oldest antique jewelry, in fact, is so tarnished as to be barely recognizable. I decided that it was time to do something about this. I decided to take it in to get it fixed up.


I had never really worried very much about the value of the antique silver jewelry. No one in my family had ever sold off any of the silver jewelry antiques, and I assumed that no one ever would. Value didn't matter – to us they were priceless. Nonetheless, while I was taking it in to the store, I decided to have it appraised. After all, I had always been a little bit curious about it, and I figured there was no harm in finding out. I had already had the antique silverware valued a few years back when we were fixing that up, so why not?

What I found out shocked me. The antique silver was worth a fortune! It is hard to admit this now, but at the time I was convinced that I needed to sell it. After all, the temptation was almost too much. I am glad that I came to my senses before I did just that. With the antique international Silver market being what it is, I could have unloaded that stuff very quickly, cashed in on a priceless family treasure, and never had time to look back until it was all done. Maybe that would have been the practical thing to do, but it wouldn't have been right. After all, it is my daughter's birth rate as much as it was mine. Still, it is good to know that if things ever get dire, we have a little nest egg for emergencies. No matter what happens, the family heirloom jewelry will only continue to get more valuable.