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When the weather outside warms up, the kitchen can be a terrible place to be. There are lots of things you can do however, when it comes to cooking a nice home made meal that does not necessitate traditional stove top or oven cooking.

Learn to utilize some of the less heat-creating equipment in your kitchen, such as the crock pot, in order to truly overcome the summer heat and keep your cool while cooking a nice hot meal for friends and family.

So, how does crock pot cooking really help overcome the heat? Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself gives off far less heat when cooking than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to make the most of the crock pot in your summer meal planning.

You should also consider the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are also lessening the load on your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) so you are not requiring it to work overtime in order to make up for the extra heat that other cooking methods introduce.

This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the costs involved in using a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in operating a stove or oven. Whether electric or gas, your stove and oven are serious energy users. Add to that the fact that you are not increasing the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you are using even less electricity.

Regrettably, the general consensus has been that crock pots are intended for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often used cooking techniques. When it comes to cooking with a crock pot, the options are almost boundless. Almost anything that can be baked can be made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and treats as well.

Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking

In addition to the cost benefits mentioned above, when it comes to crock pot cooking there are many other advantages that are worth mentioning. For a start the bulk of the work involved in crock pot cooking takes place early in the day when you are fresh rather than at the end of a hectic work or play day.

This means that you are less likely to forget an ingredient or make some other slip-up, which can undoubtedly happen when trying to cook after a hectic day.

Second, many great crock pot recipes include the vegetables that make certain that we get the nutrients we require. So often, when preparing a meal at the last minute, vegetables and other side dishes are left out for the sake of speed. Crock pot cooking, on the other hand, is a meal in one dish.

Another good reason to use a crock pot for your summertime cooking is the simplicity of washing up. Unlike traditional cooking with a couple of pots and pans, most crock pot meals are completed in one pot. This obviously reduces the hardware needed to be washed up or loaded into the dishwasher (or if you are like me - both) afterwards.

So, you spend less time cleaning up, just as you spent less time slaving over a hot stove. Well, make that no time slaving over a hot stove and after the washing up is finished, you can get back to making the most of the sun set, mucking about with with the dog or kids, or just waiting for the first stars.

While there will never be a method of cooking that suits everyone, crock pot cooking comes pretty close. So, if you have a crock pot collecting dust somewhere in the back of your cupboard it is time to get it out, dust if off, and dig up some great summertime crock pot cooking recipes.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the 2 quart crock pot. If you have an interest in cooking or crock pots, please go over to our website now at Large Crock Pots

Has your eyesight deteriorated to the stage where you have to wear specs? Are you all right with that? Well, there are a number of alternatives to be had nowadays, so you do have other choices. If you do not want to undergo surgery, you can still opt for contact lenses. In fact, contact lenses have been a feasible alternative to glasses for decades.

Surgery can be a more permanent solution to problems with eyesight, but for various reasons, some people do not want to take up this option. This leaves contact lenses as the best alternative. The first thing to notice about contact lenses is that most people will not know that you are wearing them. This is very important to some people and not significant to others at all.

Contact lenses offer better all-round or peripheral vision than spectacles. When you look to the side wearing spectacles, there is no glass there, but contact lenses cover your entire pupil so that your vision is closer to normal. This is safer if you are driving a car or riding a bike or even trying to cross a road.

Another problem that many people find with spectacles is that they leave indentations on the nose. Some people find these unsightly. Glasses also need frequent cleaning, which many people consider annoying, whereas contact lenses are cleaned by the eyes' normal cleaning system - in other words, automatically.

Stylists also think that their prescription specs have to go with what they are wearing. This can mean that you have to have a dozen pairs of glasses. If your eyesight deteriorates further, which is fairly likely, all those spectacles will have to be up-graded as well. This is not the case with contact lenses naturally.

Both glasses and contact lenses can correct astigmatism or bad eyesight, which comes to most people after the age of forty. Sometimes earlier and sometimes later, but it will happen. Your choice, if you do not want to undergo surgery, is whether you would rather wear specs or contact lenses.

In the past, contact lenses were very expensive, which is why many people still discount using them, but in fact it is no longer true. Contact lenses are more costly, but not much more now. In fact, you can buy disposable contact lenses and many people do do that.

The fact is that there are better alternatives to wearing either contacts or specs, but most people do not know it. It is possible these days to have one eye operation and never have to wear glasses again. Or you could have laser surgery and almost certainly not need specs again for ten or twenty years, but some people are adverse to having surgery and so they opt for glasses or contacts.

In the long run, surgery is almost definitely less expensive than wearing contact lenses and wearing contact lenses is almost definitely cheaper than wearing glasses, but it is the same with most things, people merely look at the up-front costs and cheaper is hardly ever better.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with Designer Spectacles. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Spectacles Direct.

Before you can buy contact lenses, or specs either for that matter, you will have to submit yourself to an eye test. However, the eye test for contact lenses is a bit more detailed than a test for regular specs, so you ought to tell the optometrist which type of lens you prefer before the test begins in order to save time.

An eye test will normally start with a physical examination of your eyes for signs of eye disease such as cataracts and glaucoma or general problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes. This is why it is so important to have an eye test at least every two years, because a physician does not give routine checks for cataracts, diabetes or glaucoma, the three of which can turn you blind.

Your optometrist might ask other questions as well such as why you would prefer to have contact lenses rather than glasses and whether you have had any trouble with your eyes. The decision to wear contact lenses or specs is entirely yours, although in some countries specs might be free whereas there may be a charge for contact lenses because they are more expensive.

The results of the optometrist's test will yield a set of numbers which will tell an optician the strength of the lens required for each eye as the lens required for each eye is usually different. This is commonly referred to as your prescription. Then you take this prescription to an optician to pick your spectacle frames, if you are having spectacles, and to have your lenses made or and installed.

In the case of glasses, lenses will either have to be cut or and adjusted for the frames that you would like and in the case of contact lenses, you may have to have the lenses made. In either case, you may be lucky enough to walk out of the shop wearing your spectacles or contacts or you might have to return in a few hours or even a few days. No optician worth his salt will sell you costly lenses without a prescription.

There is an clear vital difference between glasses and contact lenses - contacts have to make contact with your eyeballs and not all eyeballs are exactly the same shape. Therefore, if you would like contacts, the optometrist will have to measure the exact curvature or the exact contours of your eyes and this will be part of your prescription. Some eyes are naturally drier than others and this can affect the sort of contact lenses that you ought to buy.

Your optician will then frequently give you a pair of trial contact lenses and ask you to return a couple of days later for further tests. You might have to wear a number of types of contacts before you find a type or make that suits your particular eyes and sight.

Once you have contacts that appear to suit, you will have to follow the instructions and advice that comes with them and return for your check-ups when you are told to. These follow-ups are important to make sure that the contact lenses are not aggravating your eyes or causing more serious issues.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on several subjects, but is now involved with Designer Spectacles. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Spectacles Direct.

When you begin to lose your eyesight, which happens to most of us at around the age of forty, you have two basic choices: glasses or contact lenses. Both contact lenses and specs have their advantages and disadvantages, so whichever you choose is really a personal decision. However, some individuals have 'dry eyes', which means that the tear ducts do not irrigate the eyes as much as normal.

If someone has dry eyes, then wearing glasses will not exacerbate the condition, but if someone with dry eyes chooses to wear contact lenses for personal reasons, the condition can make their lives very uncomfortable.

Some people who wear contacts but have dry eyes will almost certainly experience a discomfort that will lead to the person rubbing their eyes, which will make the situation worse.

There might be medical reasons for the lacrimal ducts not producing enough moisture to lubricate the eyes, but age can be a factor. If you have itchy eyes and are more than sixty, it might be in your interests to change from contacts to spectacles.

Some people find it a very hard decision to take. TV personalities and film stars seldom like to be photographed wearing specs. All right, there are not too many of them, but there are hundreds of millions of individuals who look up to their screen idols and copy them blindly.

One of the causes of dry eyes, apart from age or personal illness, is environmental conditions. Pollution affects different people in different ways, but tobacco smoke affects most peoples' eyes, to say nothing of their lungs.

Evaporation is another reason for dry eyes. This sounds strange, because you would imagine that the water trapped between the eyes and the lenses could not evaporate, but many contact lenses are composed of fifty percent water to make them more supple and therefore more comfortable.

A warm environment will evaporate water from the lenses and the lenses will endeavor to replenish themselves by sucking water off your eyes - a kind of osmosis. This is a sensible reason for soaking your contact lenses in a solution over night. The solution is there to sterilize the lenses, but it will also permit the lenses to 'fill up' again.

Therefore, a possible solution to the problem of dry eyes, if evaporation is your problem, is to change lenses half way through the day. another way of combatting dry eyes if you want to wear contacts, is to put drops in your eyes each hour.

You can purchase these drops from a chemist in small containers or you can buy a litre of the solution and refill your droppers yourself. However, a saline solution (salt and water) is just as good as anything and a lot cheaper.

If none of this works for you then why not only switch to spectacles? The trend is to be more open about oneself and part of this fashion is to admit your age, wear your wig openly, if that is what you do and be| seen wearing your spectacles.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now concerned with Designer Spectacles. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Spectacles Direct.

You have to be very cautious with your eyes because they can so easily be damaged beyond repair. My eyesight started to deteriorate when I reached forty, like most people. My friends and family put that down to the fact that I was sitting in front of a computer screen for about twelve hours a day and had done since I was twenty-eight. Still, there was nothing I could do about that, that was my job. I was self-conscious of wearing glasses at first, but you soon become over that.

My eyes continued to get worse and at a greater rate than friends of a similar age, but I considered that that was merely the luck of the draw. However, one morning about ten years later, I woke up and it was as if my glasses were dirty. I spent the next day or two cleaning them, but I could not seem to shift the dirt on the right lens.

By that time, my eyesight was too bad to see without specs and I only had the one pair. I had moved to rural Thailand and acquiring a second pair was no easy achievement.

After a couple of days of cleaning and polishing my glasses a friend offered to take me the 75 km to the nearest good hospital. The opthamologist looked in my eyes and said: "I am very sorry, but you are senile". I had been called mad before, but not senile. I was fifty-two. It is not really a statement that beggars a question, so I just looked at him and put on a glum expression, hoping that I was not confirming his diagnosis.

He looked at me and then looked in his desk, pulled out a book and opened it. "You have premature senile cataracts" he corrected himself. I was not sure whether that was any better as it implied that other parts of me may begin failing early as well. Anyway, I thanked him and left. I had no idea what to do next, but at least I knew better that to continue wasting my time attempting to clean my already spotless glasses.

My wife is very practical and she arranged for us to go to an even better hospital 650 km away. I was seen by one of the hospital's senior eye surgeons within the hour and was told that I had a cataract in my right eye and that there was a good chance that I would develop one in the left eye too. Then she shocked me by asking: "Do you want me to remove it now?"

It was too big a decision for me to make there and then without any information, so we discussed the operation, she gave me a leaflet and I made an appointment to return the next day. The next day, I was in the operating seat. I was not going to have Laser Correction, but the full replacement of the lens. The operation is carried out under local anaestetic and does not hurt but it can be uncomfortable at times.

The surgeon cut a small opening of two millimetres a little to the outside of the colour of my eye and squirted in some liquid. She then vibrated that liquid with ultra-sound to break up the lens in my eye and flushed the pieces of lens out with more fluid before inserting the new lens through the same hole.

By this stage of my life, I could just see light and dark with my right eye, but at one point my eyesight just ceased entirely. It was like watching a window shatter before your eyes only to realise that there was nothing but blackness beyond. Now I definitely was blind in that eye. There was a bit of discomfort, but the surgeon kept talking to me and then she said: "Wait, wait, wait, can you see me?"

And I could.

Absolutely perfectly. Better than I would have been able to fifteen years before, but everything was so bright that it dazzled. I had not noticed how dingy my world had become. A cataract is like having a net curtain over a window, it cuts out a great deal of light. Therefore, the first thing you become aware of whilst you have had a cataract removed is a flood of light. Your world literally is a brighter place - to such an extent that the light hurts.

Be careful with light after the surgery, it cannot bring about lasting damage, but it really does hurt. A passing vehicle can reflect sunlight into your eye and catch you unawares. If you are driving or riding a bicycle, it could be very dangerous. Another risk is reflection. You have an open wound on your face which can get infected by wind-borne germs.

The week following the procedure is a great deal more risky than the operation itself. You have an open cut in your eye which they do not stitch. It is left to heal itself, which is not a problem, if you take precautions.

You have to put two kinds of drops in your eye four times a day and avoid getting water in your eye at all costs. That means do not go out in the rain and do not wash your hair in the shower. Dirt and consequent infection are your main enemies, so put the drops in regularly, avoid dust (and the powdered dog faeces mixed in with it) and all water and be very wary of light.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with Designer Spectacles. If you would like to know more, please go over to our website at Spectacles Direct.

Have you ever used a crock pot? Or what we call a slow cooker in the UK? My father gave me a crock pot for Christmas twenty-five years ago and I only had to replace it, because it got stolen. Some thief must have heard the were great and pinched it for his wife.

It was good-looking enough to leave out on the work surface and I guess that is how it caught my burglar's eye. It was stoneware, really lovely.

That is one of the points I would like to make in this article, some of the crock pots from the better manufacturers are pretty enough to take to the table. The other point I would like to make is that crock pots are not only for making soup or stews in.

I have recipes in the house for bread and cheesecake. Really, most people just do not believe me when I say to them what you can actually do with a crock pot, particularly the modern programmable ones.

To prove it, I have reproduced one of my cheesecake recipes below. If you can not be bothered to make, just take it from me that it is gorgeous, simple enough to make and practically automatic to make. Those of you do get around to making it will agree with me, I am sure.

APPLE-NUT CHEESECAKE

Crust:

1 cup (scant) graham cracker crumbs 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated white sugar 2 large eggs 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla Topping: 1 large apple, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine the crust ingredients and pat into a 7-inch spring form pan. Beat the sugars into the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, whipping cream, cornstarch, and vanilla. Beat for about 3 minutes on the medium speed of a hand-held electric mixer. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. Combine the apple slices with the sugar, cinnamon and nuts and then spread the topping evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Place the cheesecake on a rack (or "ring" of aluminum foil to keep it off the bottom of the pot) in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let it stand in the covered pot (after turning it off) for about 1 to 2 hours, until cool enough to handle. Cool it thoroughly before removing the pan sides. Chill before serving; store leftovers in the refrigerator for any normal shop-bought cheesecake, but yours will be better..

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with researching the programmable crock pot. If you have an interest in cooking or crock pots, please go over to our website now at Large Crock Pots

Whether you are cooking for two for romance or out of necessity, you will find that there are many resources online and off to help you find the perfect meals for your terrific twosomes. One thing to keep in mind however is that when cooking for two, it is often best if two are doing the cooking. This allows cooking to become a chance for communication rather than just a job.

In spite of the fact that there are lots of resources and recipes available to those that are cooking for two, there are even more recipes for those cooking for four, especially the traditional recipes that are intended to feed a family of four. These provide an opening to stretch your food dollars even further.

By cooking traditional meals for four and eating half of it, you have managed to cook two meals for the time investment of one. It is a good deal for many, but particularly for those that do not like the idea of cooking at all.

Young and older couples alike frequently find that it is as easy and almost the equivalent price to go to a fast food or other casual restaurant as it is to prepare a pleasant, healthy meal for two at home. The one thing they often forget is that cooking for two can be an appealing way to bring a little romance into the evening.

When cooking for two, you will have as much occasion to be creative as in anything else you do in your life. You have the option of trying appetizing new recipes and the knowledge that if you do not like the meal, you are not throwing away a lot of money.

You can try mixing and matching flavors and textures. You can make works of art on your plate as in nouveau cuisine. Or you can go farmhouse style. Cooking for two opens doors that are not readily available when cooking for larger numbers with more limiting tastes.

Cooking for two is a great way to get your partner involved in the cooking process as well. When cooking for two you can find out the things that you both enjoy and those that are not so interesting to one or the other of you.

Make sure that when you are cooking for two that you induce an open and candid conversation about the things that you like and dislike about the food being cooked. This will help you determine things to add to your regular menu as well as the items to avoid making a part of your dinner rotation.

Perhaps the best thing about cooking for two is the fact that you can afford to enjoy special occasion cuisine more often when you are cooking for only two than when you are cooking for a larger crowd. Bring on the steaks and lobster tail. Learn how to make shrimp scampi and fillet mignon. Take the time, when cooking for two, to prepare those dishes that you enjoy most.

Cooking for two is a great way of exploring the culinary universe and exposing your palates to some amazing surprises along the way. The Internet, bookstores, and libraries are filled with books about cooking for two. Take advantage of the chance to do just that and you will be amazed at the world of flavors you have been missing out on.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the Rival Versaware crock pot. If you have an interest in cooking or crock pots, please go over to our website now at Large Crock Pots

Are you in the market for a Bob sport utility stroller? In this article we will peek at 3 of the wonderful features of the Bob stroller.

Many Moms and Dads still wish to stay lively even after they have a baby. Even after the lengthy nights staying up with the toddler somehow we know that if we remain lively and keep up our physical health we will be able to have a much higher quality of life.

Now let us look at the 3 awesome features of the Bob stroller.

Number 1 - Suspension

Even when you are on long runs with your toddler you do not have to worry about jostling them around, with this stroller you will have a awesome jogging experience. There is one that I have heard of that does 5 mile jogs with his little one. She either sleeps right through it or coos as she enjoys the smooth ride.

Number 2 - Tires

The tires of the Bob sport utility stroller are also custom made so that you will be able to take your stroller wherever you want. If you wish to you can even take your toddler off road. No more limitations and you will be able to show your infant whatever part of the country that you desire.

Number 3 - Design

There is not a need to worry about having a bulky stroller either. With this stroller's terrific design you will be able to tote your toddler around with comfort and style.

In this article you have learned about how wonderful the Bob sport utility stroller is and what terrific benefits you can get from this stroller. Just because there is a new bundle of joy in your life there is no longer any need to stop yourself from being active. Go out and take pleasure in life with your toddler and I am sure that things will work out much better.

Do you desire to buy a Bob Sport Utility Stroller ? Visit http://www.BobSportUtilityStroller.com for more info.

Congress and the president have designated ten days as federal holidays. Being 'federal', these holidays theoretically only pertain to federal employees and residents of the District of Columbia, although they are so widely observed that they can be thought of as national holidays.

Officially, it is up to each individual state to designate public holidays. If the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the Friday before or the Monday after is given in lieu to make a long weekend.

New Year's Day (January 1) - celebrating the New Year dates back to pre-Christian times, when rites were performed to try to ensure the return of Spring.

Martin Luther King Jnr. Day (third Monday in January) - before he was shot dead in 1968, Martin Luther King Jnr. was the foremost civil rights leader of the 1950's and 1960's. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Congress set this day aside to celebrate his life and achievements in 1983.

Washington's Birthday (third Monday in February) - originally it was commemorated on Washington's actual birthday, the 22nd of February, but it was moved in 1971 to make a long weekend. It is sometimes known as Presidents' Day, because it is near Lincoln's birthday on the 12th February.

Memorial Day (last Monday in May) - also known as Decoration Day, it honours soldiers fallen in battle.It originates from the Civil War and is customarily marked by parades and services.

Independence Day (4th July) - this, the most important US holiday, marks the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. It was first commemorated in 1777 and is marked by fireworks, parades and speeches.

Labor Day (first Monday in September) - this, the proposal of Peter J. McGuire, the president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, was adopted in 1894 to celebrate American workers.

Columbus Day (second Monday in October) - Christopher Columbus and his crew landed in the Bahamas on Oct 12th 1492. It was first commemorated in 1792, although it was not officially recognized until 1909. It is a cause of special pride to Italian-Americans, who claim the Genoan voyager as their own.

Veterans Day (Nov 11th) - or Armistice Day marks the end of the First World War on Nov 11th 1918. It was made a legal holiday in 1938, but its name was changed in 1954 to honour all American veteran soldiers.

Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November) - it was first celebrated in Plymouth County, Massachusetts in 1621, the year in which the Pilgrims landed in the New World to give thanks for the new harvest and the new land they had colonized. President Lincoln made it a holiday in 1863.

Christmas Day (December 25th) - Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Franklin Covey planner refillss If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

I was looking through a history book and it was going on about memorable events of ten years ago, but I had forgotten most of them. I have picked out some of the events of exactly ten years ago this month - January, in a word. So here are a few things that you may or probably will not remember from January 2000.

1 - on his first day as interim president, Vladimir Putin left to visit Russian troops in Chechnya.

4 - President Clinton recommends Alan Greenspan to a fourth four year term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

5 - President Clinton rules that Elian Gonzalez, a six year old Cuban boy who survived the capsizing of a refugee boat, should be returned to his father in Cuba.

6 - much of Miami is shut down by hundreds of Cuban-Americans protesting the Gonzalez decision. - the S.E.C reports that most partners of Price, Waterhouse, Coopers, the world's largest accounting firm, contravened regulations requiring that they may not hold shares in firms that they audit. Five partners were fired.

7 - Vice Pres. Al Gore back-tracks on his promise to ensure that all new appointees to the Joint Chiefs of Staff were sympathetic to permitting gays to serve openly in the military.

8 - AOL announces a merger with Time Warner for $165 billion: the world's biggest ever.

11 - the British government rules that General Pinochet is medically unfit to stand trial for suspected crimes against humanity in Chile during his presidency.

13 - executives at the nation's leading drugs companies say they want to cooperate with Clinton to institute Medicare coverage for prescription drugs this year.

15 - Arkan, the notorious Serbian paramilitary leader was shot dead in a hotel lobby in Belgrade.

18 - Helmut Kohl resigns as honorary Christian Democratic Party chairman over allegations of corruption from within the party.

24 - the Supreme Court rules that laws limiting political donations to $1,000 in Missouri are constitutional.

25 - the Congressional Budget Office reports that the flood of tax revenues resulting from the exceptionally strong economy will last for ten years.

26 - 'The New York Times' reports that U.S investigators have discovered links between a group of Algerians charged with plotting a terrorist strike in the U.S. and Osama Bin Laden, the exiled Saudi accused of bombing two American embassies.

31 - Republican Gov. George Ryan of Illinois halts all executions in the state citing a disgraceful record of convicting innocent people and putting them on death row. - top officials n the C.I.A. are accused of blocking an internal investigation into indications that the agency's past director, John M. Deutsch, mishandled secret information.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with custom wall calendars If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please visit our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars