And that's how the fight started....#3

A man asked his wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?'

It warmed the husband's heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation.

'Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!' she said.

So he suggested, 'How about the kitchen or the bedroom?'


And that's how the fight started...

Storing tomatoes made easy

I remember as a child spending the whole day helping my mom can tomatoes - now there's an easier way.

First you'll want to remove the tomato skins as they become tough when stored in tact on the tomato. Removal is quite simple; place the tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds, and then into ice water, and the skins will come right off. Next cut out any bad spots, and quarter the tomatoes. If your purpose is to make spaghetti sauce out the of stored tomatoes, you'll get a thicker sauce if you drain the water from the tomatoes before freezing. Otherwise, just place the tomatoes into freezer bags and you're done. For more detailed instructions, CLICK HERE.


If you prefer to cook your tomatoes before freezing, here's another method I've used many times that's much easier than traditional tomato canning - it only takes about 30 minutes and works well if you only have a few ripen at a time.

Supplies"
* small canning jars and lids
* medium size sauce pan
* 8 or more ripe tomatoes
* freezer space

Remove the stems and any bad spots, cut the tomatoes in half or quarter depending on size, and cook down to a juice in a sauce pan. A potato masher can help speed things along and make it more consistent, but not necessary if you prefer more whole tomatoes. Pour the juice into the jars and attach the lids. When they've completely cooled, place them in your freezer. That's it - no boiling the jars and waiting for them to seal - you're done!

When thawed, the stewed tomatoes taste great, and will keep for over a year in the freezer.

The Friday Funny #3...casual Friday

Are your vitamins doing you any good?

If you take vitamins, you could be wasting your money. Chances are you're taking a synthetic vitamin, and you're wasting your money as 90% of synthetic vitamins pass right through in your urine. But that's not all.

Studies have shown synthetic vitamin E can increase your risk of lung cancer, heart attacks and death. The risk of birth defects increases with synthetic vitamin A, and a thickening of the arteries with synthetic vitamin C. Long term daily use of synthetic vitamins can be dangerous, causing symptoms of fatigue, memory loss, depression, insomnia, and potential liver disorders.

So to be safe, check the list of ingredients on your vitamin's label. A vitamin or mineral is synthetic if only it's chemical or popular name appears, with no plant source. Synthetic vitamins often contain ingredients such as:

*Additives - Glucose, sucrose, starch, microcrystaline cellulose, etc.

*Artificial colors - FD&C blue, etc.

*Preservatives - sorbates, benzoates, nitrates, sulphites

Due to soil nutrient depletion from pollution and over-use of chemicals, etc, the nutrient value of our foods is also depleted making vitamin supplements necessary. Just make sure you're getting the most benefit for the money you spend on them.

For more detailed information and a free report on vitamins, CLICK HERE

And that's how the fight started".....(#2)

(some humor for your Friday)


"My husband was hinting about what he wanted for our upcoming anniversary.

He said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 200 in about 3 seconds.

'I bought him a scale."

And that's how the fight started...


(author unknown)

Simple detox techniques

Detoxification is the purifying of your body to remove toxins that have built up. Your body naturally eliminates toxins through the skin, liver, kidneys and lungs, but we're bombarded with toxins in the air, water and food supply and our bodies can't keep up. This can cause fatigue, weight gain and many health problems like eczema.

It's really pretty easy to detoxify your body. Here are some detox tips courtesy of Natural News that you can start today without taking drastic measures:

1. Eat organic fruits and vegetables.
Conventional fruits and vegetables are full of chemicals that harm your body. Organic food is grown without the use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. The sooner you stop polluting your body, the sooner you will start to look and feel healthier.

2. Eat kosher meat.
When you eat a burger the growth hormones that were given to the cow are then passed on to you thus making you grow and gain weight! Organic meat is produced without giving the animal antibiotics or growth hormones. Only buy certified organic meat and only eat free-range chicken. Your body will thank you.

3. Do a juice fast.
The juice fast essentially means you drink juice throughout the day, every day. Your juice must be fresh and organic. This can be done for 3 days, 10 days or 30 days. It depends on your level of discipline, your size and your health goals. If you have never done a juice fast before then you will start seeing results right away!

4. Add apple cider vinegar to your diet: You can use it as salad dressing or drink it with water. Apple Cider Vinegar helps detoxify your liver. Take 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed in water before every meal to aid in weight-loss.

5. Add coconut oil when you cook: Virgin coconut oil can be added to your everyday meals as a substitute for your cooking oil. It improves digestion, promotes weight-loss and helps keep skin and hair looking young and healthy.

6. Drink green tea: EGCG, an antioxidant contained in green tea, helps the body burn fat. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, and the polyphenols found in green tea also help your body reduce the time that toxins stay in your system.

7. Dry-brush before you shower.
Go to your local health food store and buy a dry brush. Then brush your skin before every shower. This removes dead skin cells and toxins helping you lose weight and have glowing skin.

8. Get a shower filter.
Your tap water can contain pesticides, toxic bacteria, viruses and traces of human and animal waste. Every time you take a shower or drink out of the tap you are ingesting dangerous toxic chemicals. Filtering your water also improves your hair and skin!

9. Add fiber to your diet.
Fiber keeps your meal moving along your gastrointestinal tract and helps flush your body of metabolic waste. Fiber also keeps your energy levels high, and slows your rate of carbohydrate digestion, which helps you maintain your blood sugar levels.

10. Use only natural and organic beauty products.
Most of our beauty products are full of toxins, preservatives, and even poisons. These are put in our beauty products in order to give them a longer shelf life and thus give the company more profits. Using organic products guarantees that you will not be putting toxins into your body every day.

The Friday Funny #2

Recently in a large French city a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or
human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who's skin is all scaly and smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me... I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my grandkids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a latte with my friends. With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, "Good gosh, look how smart I am"!

(I received this by email and don't know who the original author is)

Easy way to prevent kidney stones

Approximately 10 to 15% of adults will develop kidney stones, and the number of adults and children developing them is on the rise. Once you have an attack, the more likely you are to have a recurrence, and the younger you are when you have the first attack, the chances of recurrence is much higher. Luckily, 95% of kidney stones pass within a few days on their own, and the best way to prevent them in the first place is to drink enough water. You'll know you're drinking enough water if your urine is a light yellow. However, if you take a multi vitamin or a B2 supplement which turns your urine a bright fluorescent yellow you cannot rely on the visual test.

Risk factors:
* not drinking enough water
* family genetics
* men are 4 times more at risk than women
* living in a dry climate
* eating too much sugar, salt, soy
* too much caffeine
* obesity

Warning signs of a kidney stone:
* pain in your side and back below the ribs
* pain lasts 20 to 60 minutes
* bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine
* pain while urinating
* nausea and vomiting
* urgency to urinate
* fever and chills indicate an infection is also present

Prevention:
* stay hydrated with water, not soda
* eat a diet based on your body's unique nutritional type (see Dr. Mercola's link at bottom of article for more information on this)
* avoid prescription drugs that do more harm than good (such as Lasix, Topomax, Xenical)
* avoid sugar, soy, caffeine, excess salt and processed foods
* get plenty of exercise to keep your body's fluids moving
* make sure you're getting adequate magnesium and vitamin B6 in your diet

Medicinal herbs known to help acute attacks:
* nettle leaf
* bearberry
* cleavers
* corn silk
* crampbark
* gravel root
* kava kava
* khella
* hydrangea
* stone root

This information is courtesy of Dr. Mercola's article on kidney stone prevention.