Believe it or not

Kevin Rudd has asked for the help of his old enemy Peter Beattie to stand in this upcoming election. "This is Peter he is from Queensland and he is here to help" - my I could not hold my laughter. Well all I can say I will be glad when this is all over and we can get on with governing our country and hopefully we will see a boost in business confidence.

Lemon Marmalade

With an influx of lemons at this time of the year I decided to use up a few and make a nice tart marmalade. Here is the recipe 3lb lemons 6 pints water 6 cups white sugar 4 oz chopped perserved ginger (optional) You will need a large piece of muslin to hold the discarded pips and pith which is popped into the pot with the skins. Chop lemons in half and juice. Remove excess pith and seeds and pop into the muslin. Chop the skin into matchstick sizes and add to the water and juice together with the muslin. Bring to the boil and simmer until very tender. Add sugar and ginger ands stir until dissolved then cook rapidly until setting point is reached. (Skim) Allow the marmalade to cook slighly before pouring into prepared jar. Cover. A nice tart marmalade was the result. I am going to try it on the side the next time I make a hot curry.

PALEO DIET WHAT IS IT!!

I was reading in the paper about the latest in diets and that there are restaurants opening up based on The Paleo diet. So what is this is apparantly it goes back to the dinosaur period and is suppose to bbe the healthiest way you can eat because it is the a nutritional approach that works with your genetics to help you stay lean, strong and energetic. Research has indicated that it is our modern diet of refined foods, sugars, trans fats that are at the root of degenerative diseases such as obesity, canced, diabetes, hear disease, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's, depression and infertility. Basically from what I have read on line it is about eating meals like below and omitting grain from the diet. 4-8 oz of lean protein such as chicken, lean beef, turkey, pork loin or seafood.Then add several servings of multicolored vegetables, either raw, steamed or lightly cooked. Finally, round out the meal with good fats from Avocado, olive oil or a handful of un-salted nuts such as almonds, pecans, macadamias or walnuts. I do not believe we should eliminate grain from our diet we all need fibre that is for sure. I for one will be giving this diet a miss. Happy Eating. Let me know what you think.

Make Reading your Monitor Easier

I bought a laptop recently and the screen is a lot smaller than my old monitor and it took me awhile to get use to the smallness of the screen compared to what I was use to. I tried some of the steps below and they did help.

Happy Computing!!

"Many computer users struggle to see the information on their monitors. Fortunately, easy remedies are at hand. Read on to discover ways to make your screen easier to see, including how to make the font bigger, magnify everything on your screen, increase icon size, and fine-tune screen resolution.

1. Enlarge your text

You can increase the default size of text and other items, such as icons and mouse pointers, by increasing the dots per inch (DPI) scale. If you need everything to fit on the screen, you can decrease the size of the text and then use the Windows Magnifier to see the text as you type. Here’s how to enlarge text in the latest editions of Windows:

If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, many programs allow you to increase and decrease the size of on-screen text and graphics simply by pressing Ctrl while scrolling up and down. If you want to enlarge what you see in Internet Explorer but your mouse doesn’t have a scroll wheel, press Ctrl+Plus Sign (+); Ctrl+Minus Sign (-) shrinks what you see.

2. Customize your display

Changing the appearance of your on-screen environment can dramatically enhance readability. In Windows 7 and in Windows Vista, the Ease of Access Center can guide you through some basic display changes. In addition, certain Microsoft programs, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, allow you to choose text and background color, and Internet Explorer allows you to choose the colors and fonts in which webpages are displayed. In addition, the core Microsoft Office programs allow you to change or customize their default color scheme. High contrast schemes are typically easiest to read. Here’s how:

Switching fonts and font color may also improve readability. In Word 2010, Excel 2010, and PowerPoint 2010, you can change the font, font size, and font color from the Ribbon on the Home tab. In Word, Ctrl+D also calls up font options. Experiment to find out which combinations work best for you.

If you use a CRT monitor (that is, not a flat panel), you can do your eyes a favor (and maybe literally prevent a headache) by resetting your monitor’s refresh rate. Here’s how:

3. Increase icon size

You can quickly make just the icons on your Windows 7 or Windows Vista desktop larger and easier to see.

Right-click the desktop, point to View, and then click Large Icons, Medium Icons, or Classic Icons (classic icons are the smallest).

You can also use the scroll wheel on your mouse to change the size of your desktop icons.

On the desktop, press Ctrl while you scroll up or down.

Learn more about how to show, hide, or resize icons.

To increase icon size in Windows XP:

Note: When you adjust the default icon size, you can also use the Font and Size functions to adjust the default font and font size for icon text.

4. Use the Magnifier

You may have been using Windows for years and not realized it features a built-in Magnifier that works much like a magnifying glass does. You can even adjust the Magnifier zoom level and focus wherever you want to.

The Magnifier in Windows 7 includes full-screen and lens modes. Full-screen mode lets you magnify your entire screen and follow your mouse pointer. In lens mode, only the area around the mouse pointer is magnified. When you move the mouse pointer, the magnified area moves with it. To customize Magnifier settings or to exit Magnifier, click the magnifying-glass icon to see available options. Learn more:

5. Enlarge your mouse pointer

You can change the look of your mouse pointer so it is easier for you to find quickly. Try selecting a new pointer style, and try changing the color and size of your mouse pointer.

6. Improve your screen resolution

Screen resolution impacts the clarity of the text and images on your screen. At higher resolutions, items appear sharper but they are smaller, so more items fit on the screen. At lower resolutions, fewer items fit on the screen but they are larger and easier to see. Whichever version of Windows you use, changing the screen resolution can make a big difference."

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup

VEGETERIAN FRITTATA

Just made this yummy frittatta and would like to share it with my readers. This is sufficient for 4 people and could be served with a tossed salad and crusty sour dough bread. 1 lge Sweet Potato sliced and precooked 2 sml Zucchini sliced and precooked 1 Brown Onions finely chopped 2 cloves Garlic chopped Chilli if desired deseeded and chopped 1 large Tomato (straight from your garden if you have one growing) 2 Eggs whisked Herbs from your garden basil, thyme chopped Tofu, Salt & Pepper, Tumeric all blended together In a large frypan add tablespoon virgin olive oil Fry onion and garlic until cooked add potato, zucchini cook for one minute Add Tofu mix, herbs and chilli mix through Place tomato slices around the pan Add Eggs and cook on low heat until set Serve with chopped basil and a little grated parmesan if required

NANNY STATE

In the paper yesterday it was brought to light that child care centres will be required to clean all toys, doors knobs and so on in the care centre everyday. Also that the children would be required to was their hands after playing in the sand pit. Well I say good on them it is about time something was done to eliminate the instance of constant colds of children attending these Child Mind Centres. I have seen it happen first hand and by grand son was withdrawn from day care because of continuous coughs and colds.

I would have thought it was already part of the cleaning of the centres and schools too should come under these same rules to clean down place where it is obvious germs can linger and as has been advised during flu epidemics don't touch door knobs, esculators and so on to help avoid contracting the germs left behind that can linger for several hours.

I know when our children started school they did seem to pick up contagious diseases that first year even though they had attended Kindergarten which was not a problem. But colds and flu where not such a problem because Mum's and Dad's kept their kids at home when they where sick. I know times are now different and working parents find it so difficult to take time off and find alternative care. So I do think these new rules are a start in keeping these young children healthy.

On Line Fashion Shopping

With on line shopping becoming so popular and why not is so much easier than driving for miles, finding a park and then battling the crowds. Here are some great sites below. Check them out.

(Use your mouse to Highlight the links to these sites below)

Cheap fashionable clothing for your girl.

Diesel jeans buy on line at great prices

Chicwish great fashion at affordable prices for the younger generation.

Dino Direct high quality products at great prices. Available in 200 countries including Australia

Ooh La La look at this collection for France on E-Bay

Europe, United Kingdom and America great sports shoes and fashion for all the family

Other places to find fashion on line are Amazon, Etnies, Forzieri, Free People, Girl Meets Dress Ltd - a rental service great for that one off occasion when you need something really special. Hot Topic, InLoveWithFashion and the list goes on. Happy Shopping