People have the tendency to celebrate every occasion of their lives and food becomes an indispensable part of such a celebration. Be it your anniversary or your parents’ anniversary, or when you’re planning on proposing marriage to your girlfriend, you envision a fine dining restaurant and plan things meticulously. If you wish to experience the best of everything, then think of the best food you can lay your hands on.
To uncomplicate this task for you, here’s a list of some of the most expensive restaurants in the world, that would allow you to pamper yourself!
Though these restaurants are very expensive, you owe yourself the right to indulge in such sorts of guilty pleasures at least once in a lifetime. So update your wishlist and go globe-trotting to these fine dining restaurants!
Coupons are redeemable tickets used during any financial transaction while buying a product.
Where it all began
The use of coupons, dates back to the early 20th century, during the World Wars. The UK introduced rationing during this time. There was a shortage of food because Germany had cut off supply lines. The citizens had to maintain a rationing book which they could use to retrieve the coupons.
When and how to use coupons
Coupons have almost flooded the UK market. You’re entitled to coupons from lunching or dining out with the family to expecting a baby. To be an expert coupon user, you need to get rooted with it well. The first thing to keep in mind is the timing when to use it. Wait for the opportune moment to use the coupon. Planning your meals and purchases should help. Weekly buys are more beneficial than monthly ones. Do not engage in storing the coupons for a longer period as that may lead to its expiry or exhaustion of the offer. It is advisable to carry along your coupons as the UK market is flooding with varied offers.
The genres
Coupons are hiding in any form around you. You have to have the eyes of an eagle to pry on them. They can be printable papers from the manufacturers or the retailers. The other options being,
– Catalinas,
– Peelies and Wombles,
– E-coupons,
– Newsletter coupons,
– Junk mail coupons,
– Event coupons.
Extreme couponing, Ashleigh money saver, super savvy, etc. allows you to buy food coupons when in the UK. Social media is the new jive, and even about coupons, it is walking hand in hand. Facebook pages also find coupons in them. It seems to be more like a treasure hunt.
Pennies add up
Why should anyone want to invest time in these petty coupons if it doesn’t provide them with resources? Time is money and we live to earn it. After the success of the US show Extreme Couponing, coupons have been a vogue in the UK. Purchasing and listing coupons could be a lucrative option to turn the pence into pounds. Coupons could buy you a vacation or even a lavish household item. Curbing your supermarket bills are no more a challenge for you. Optimizing your observation and vigilant skills can fetch you better deals. Try changing stores for better offers and deals using the coupons.
But beware, coupons come with attractive and enticing offers. But, they do have pros and cons. They usually come with terms and conditions. It is advisable to read them before investing in them. Otherwise, you might fall into the trap of fake promises and end up at a loss. So, beware of such concocted and fraudulent counterparts.
If you want to live a long and healthy life in the most effortless way, then setting your diet right is of utmost importance. You will see many people who set so many rigorous rules regarding their diet that they ultimately end up not following them. Just plan a simple diet meal and ensure it is not cholesterol-rich.
One way of doing this is to practice low-fat cooking? Low-fat cooking procedures are those, which will lower the saturated fat in your meal and also reduce calories. Achieving a reduced fat intake is possible in two ways firstly, learn low-fat cooking so that you can cut off your fat consumption by simple cooking methods and secondly, plan a balanced meal for yourself.
How is low-fat cooking done?
Always use a non-stick cooking utensil instead of layering one with butter or oil.
Chicken, which most of us love, contains the bulk of its fat in the skin. So stop consuming it and prefer skinless chicken breasts.
Slow-cooking and grilling are the new mantra. Microwave foods are far better than the fried ones, but are equally tasty with an additional advantage of being fat-free.
Before cooking, trim all the excess fat from the meat.
Vegetables can be equally delicious as the meats, if cooked in the right way. Don’t always depend on meat, instead consume beans, vegetables and whole grains.
Replace batter and coat your meat with breadcrumbs.
These are several other ways in which you can reduce the fat in your meals.
How to plan your simple diet meal?
With a routine multi-tasking and fast-paced lifestyle that we all have, junk foods have become a major part of our meals. But you need a proper meal plan, if you want stay fit. Here is a list of food items that are low in fat and must be included in your meal.
There is nothing better green and leafy vegetables, especially lettuce and spinach.
The one common thing that you will find in all meal plans is oatmeal. It’s the ideal food for your breakfast. You can consume it with fresh or frozen fruit to tingle your taste buds. By this, you will be already consuming 100 calories less than your previous diet.
If you don’t like oatmeal then you can have non-fat and no-sugar yogurt with some fresh fruits.
Egg white omelet can also be a part of your simple diet meal.
Replace your cooking oil with olive oil.
You can try white bean soup for your lunch along with some salad of your choice. Salad may include all kinds of fruits and vegetables.
If you are not so fond of soup, then you can try one ear of corn or a tuna sandwich, which can be topped with spinach.
For dinner, you can have steamed vegetables like asparagus and broccoli with some lemon juice. Have some berries in the end for dessert, but avoid ice-creams.
Following this meal plan will give you an outstanding result in a few weeks, but it would only work if you remain consistent regarding your meals.
For the body, food acts as fuel that drives us, day in and day out. Whether we earn to eat food, or we eat food to get up the next morning and earn well, it is one of the basic requirements that cannot be ignored. Yet, the wrong kind of food can also lead to a slew of problems for the body as well as the mind. The heart is one such organ which depends on our lifestyle choices when it comes to the proper functioning of the same. Which is why, you need to include the best heart healthy foods in your diet plan to avoid falling prey to the various heart conditions. Also, to take care of our heart and fight the risk of fatalities in case we are already suffering from any cardiovascular condition or heart disease is vital as well.
There are a number of foods that we can have for heart health, but the mere sound of some ingredients may be off putting. But if you try different recipes to cook a particular ingredient, you might end up eating it. Let our list of recipes inspire you.
Roasted salmon
This is a delicious and lightweight recipe, which is great for your heart. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and has other nutrients that makes it part of the best heart healthy foods. You can roast the salmon on a skillet using a drizzle of extra healthy extra virgin olive oil. Season the fish fillet with some salt, pepper and freshly chopped herbs and garlic as well. Garlic is a well known ingredient that is hailed as good food for heart health. You can then add some toasted beans, carrots and shallots to the side of the dish so that you have a wholesome meal ready with minimum preparation and cooking time.
Broccoli pesto
You can prepare pesto with broccoli, an iron-rich green vegetable that’s good for the heart health. This can be had with a rice salad as well as a risotto or even whole-wheat pasta–all of this makes for a healthy meal in a bowl. This is the perfect heart food as it has the goodness of iron which helps in strengthening the muscles of the heart.
Bean tostadas
You can combine crunchy tostadas with one of the best heart healthy foods, beans. Black beans and other legumes are known to be rich in many dietary fibers, much like fruit and vegetables. This can help in creating a metabolic rate so that the bad cholesterol does not get a chance to settle and choke the arteries. You can boil black beans and drizzle some salsa over it before putting a few spoonfuls over a tostada for your dinner. And the best part? The crunchy and fresh taste will make it a mouth watering meal.
Quinoa bowl
This is a heart healthy food which is rich in proteins. Combine this ingredient with plenty of fresh salad greens for a yum salad or a side-dish. A boring, dull and boring Monday can also be transformed into an awesome day with such recipes.
Jello is everybody’s favorite. Be it for kids or adults, it can used to make fun and tasty desserts. Below are a few recipes you must make for a party.
1. Berry and jello parfait
Ingredients
1 cup finely diced fresh strawberries
1 package red Jell-O (strawberry or raspberry)
400 grams heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
200 grams blueberries
200 grams blackberries
Method
Take 6-7 small serving cups and divide the strawberry slices equally into them. Prepare the Jello according to the instructions provided on the box and let it cool slightly. Pour the Jello equally over the strawberries and let it set overnight.
When you are ready to serve the dessert, whip the heavy cream In a separate bowl until it forms soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and fold it in evenly. Pour this mixture evenly over the Jello in all the cups. Smoothen out the surface of the whipped cream. Garnish with fresh berries and serve. Enjoy.
2. Creamsicle jello
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Ice Cream Jello
3 packets unflavored gelatin
2cups vanilla ice cream
½ cup cold water
1cup boiling water
¼ cup sugar
For the Orange Jello
2 packets unflavored gelatin
2cups freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup sugar
½ cup cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
Method
Add the gelatin to cold water and wait for it to absorb before adding boiling water to it. Stir the gelatin till it dissolves completely. Add in the orange juice and sugar and stir well till it dissolves. Pour into a dish and place it in the refrigerator to set.
Keep the vanilla ice cream on room temperature until it completely melts. Add the gelatin to the cold water and let it sit till the gelatin is absorbed. Pour boiling water over this and stir till all the gelatin dissolves. Add in the sugar and melted ice cream and stir till everything dissolves. Set aside till the mixture cools down to room temperature.
Once the Jello has set completely, cut it into small squares and place them in a serving dish. Pour vanilla ice cream mix over the set Jello cubes and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.
3. Gatorade Jello Cubes
Ingredients
2 ½ cups Gatorade of your choice
3 packets Jello Flavor of your choice
Method
Heat the Gatorade until it reaches boiling point and take it off the stove. Add the Jello to the hot Gatorade, stirring continuously till the Jello dissolves. Pour the mix into a separate dish and refrigerate till it sets. Cut the set Gatorade Jello into cubes and enjoy.
Apple juice is one of the most versatile beverages that you can use. You can create recipes for smoothies, shakes, mocktails, and cocktails by mixing apple juice with other ingredients to give an interesting twist. Whether your are a health freak, a teetotaler or love sipping on a cocktail or two, apple juice can be made interesting depending on your choices and needs.
Here are five apple juice-based recipes to make drinks using apple juice. Apples are available all the year round. Their availability is not restricted to a particular geographical region or a season. So you can use the following recipe for apple-based drinks, anytime and anywhere you want.
Make sure that you have fresh apples in hand when you use these recipes to make these drinks. Your concoctions will taste better if you use fresh and good quality apples for the recipes. If you can find farm fresh apples, your drinks will have a wholesome flavor and aroma and will be an epicurean delight.
Sweet, succulent and a globally loved delicacy, lobsters are enjoyed universally despite their high price. It is a lesser known fact though that lobsters in the 19th century used to be a poor man’s food! The turn of the century saw a shift in the public opinion and lobsters became a prized possession of the fishermen. Now lobsters are hunted, at times killed and sold at highly competitive prices. Lobsters are not only expensive but also intimidating. All lobster lovers who enjoy the white and firm meat often are unable to muster up the courage to cook lobsters at home! This is mostly due to its intricate and complex frame and often due to the repulsion of cooking a lobster that is alive. What is unknown to many is that lobsters can be cooked easily by boiling.
That’s right, boiling is the most popular, easy and healthy method of cooking any and every food. However firm a vegetable or meat may be, boiling makes every food item tender and easily edible. Boiling lobsters too, is a great way of preparing any lobster recipe. The goodness of boiling is not merely restricted to making the meat tender. When it comes to lobsters, boiling makes lobsters easier to pick and clean. Boiling also helps in easily pulling off the meat from the shells when they are cracked. Boiling makes lobsters more convenient to eat and helps retain the flavor of the meat. Boiled lobster is a healthy source of protein, vitamins and minerals when enjoyed in moderation.
Boiling a fresh, dead or alive lobster in sea water is considered the best way to retain its characteristic ocean flavor. It also helps to evenly cook the meat. Those who do not have access to ocean water can use sea salt while boiling lobster. While boiling the lobster, you must make sure that the pot used to cook lobster is large enough so that the lobster is completely submerged in the water. It is also important to note that the lobster is not crammed so that it can be stirred at a later point. To boil, you must place adequate water in a pan and add two spoon full of sea salt and bring the water to a rolling full boil. Once the water is boiled, place the lobster into the pan and bring it back to a boil. You can also poach and parboil the lobster. This is done by simply blanching the lobster into half and repeating the boiling process!
You can also steam lobsters if you have a steaming pot or dish! Steaming the lobster is known to enhance the flavor and bring out a more tender meat. Steaming unlike boiling, cooks the meat slower. You can also avoid overcooking the meat if you steam it.
You can choose any of the boiling or steaming methods mentioned above and add the flavor of your choice to make a delectable lobster dish! You could also store the boiled lobster and make different kinds of recipes out of them. If you are not too inclined to cook elaborately, you could just boil the lobster and season it with some freshly ground pepper and lemon and enjoy your healthy meal with a tasty dip!
You may have been recently paying attention to your daily meals, with a renewed objective of consuming low-fat diet to reduce cholesterol levels. The one thing that can make the challenge easier for you is a healthy meal plan, which sets your spirits high for success and has many pieces of research to back up their efficacy.
A few healthy meal diets across the world have been listed below for you.
Mediterranean diet:
Here you eat what the people in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea have survived on. Those are fruits, vegetables, lean meats, cereals and olive oil to your heart’s content. As per different clinical researches, they are excellent for your cardiac health. The best part is that it is not just a fad; in fact, they taste good and are flexible and adaptable to different tastes.
Therapeutic lifestyle changes:
It comprises a three-set plan with dieting, workouts and weight control to reduce cholesterol levels by 20 to 30 percent. The healthy meal plans are created in such a way that you can finally bid farewell to trans fats and saturated fatty acids without feeling deprived. You will just have to eat healthier editions of your favorite foods like replacing bacon with lean ham.
DASH diet:
Another highly effective set of recipes to lower cholesterol, the DASH diet has received approval from the American Heart Association and has been proven to reduce cholesterol levels. The best part is that it is not just effective, but also acts quicker to give positive results in just 14 days. With these healthy meal plans, you will get to eat vegetables, fruits, and grains as much as you want. For proteins, you can take low-fat milk products, fish and beans and you will have to cut down sweets, sugar and red meat from your diet.
Mayo clinic diet:
This diet is for people who have lost hope that anything can bring down their cholesterol levels. You will have to eat high fiber food such as oatmeal, oat bran, fish oil and other such items loaded with omega-3 fatty acids such as almonds, flax seeds, walnuts and olive oil to reduce cholesterol levels. Workouts and portion size also play a critical role in this diet plan, which typically begins with a 2-week jumpstart phase and lasts forever.
Flexitarian diet:
If you like eating a vegetarian diet with small portions of animal products and poultry, then this is the diet plan for you. This is known as a flexitarian diet where you can switch between vegan and meat products to reap the benefits of all these food items. You must fill half of the plate with vegetables and fruits of your choice while the other half should comprise low-fat dairy products, whole grain, and lean protein.
Follow any of these recipes to lower cholesterol and get effective results within no time.
Traditional banks were the first banks to offer proper checkable deposits. These banks are very old and exist even today. Here are a few pros and cons of opening a bank account in traditional banks:
Pros:
Convenient: These banks usually have a various number of branches in different areas. Some banks even have branches in remote locations. This makes bank visits convenient for customers as they do not have to travel far just to make a deposit. These banks also provide the customers with free ATMs which make withdrawing of money convenient for customers.
Two options: Most banks allow the customer the luxury of either walking into a bank to facilitate transactions or simply using a smart phone. Banks provide the options of net banking and mobile banking.
Cash: Traditional banks still work by money. Any companies or customers who have the majority of their transactions in cash will be attracted to opening an account with a traditional bank. This will be beneficial for the client because the bank can satisfy their needs easily.
A variety of accounts: Traditional banks, being the first kinds of banks, have grown over time. They now provide opportunities to open all types of accounts. A customer can open both his current account and his savings account in one bank. This makes it convenient for the client.
Cons:
Interest rates: The traditional banks usually provide low-interest rates or no interest at all on savings accounts. This often acts as a feature that drives customers away from traditional banks.
Fees: As a matter of fact, all of these traditional banks charge large sums of money as fees for any little default against their policy. These big banks do not worry about customer satisfaction and how to provide personalized service to customers but only worry about how to keep the bank and business going. The majority of these banks charge high fees for not having the minimum balance in the account, for application of loan, for early repayment of the loan, etc.
Revamping the living space for the festive season is an exciting household chore. It adds a fresh new look to your home, making it ready to welcome the occasion. And is there a better place than the Black Friday sale to buy home decor items? Be it area rugs or carpets, retail and e-commerce stores offer generous discounts at this time of year on almost every product. The following Black Friday carpet and area rug deals will help you revamp your living space without straining your budget.
Kafra Jkcr61l Rug
The Kafra JKcr61l is a traditional rug made from 50 percent jute and 50 percent polyester. It is a flatweave construction ideal for the bedroom, living room, hallway, dining room, and even home offices. It is available in different colors and comes in three sizes: 4’x6’, 5’x8’, and 7’6”x9’6”. With a discount of up to 30 percent, you can buy the area rug between $120 to $400 depending on the size. You may also be eligible for another 80 percent discount.
Tulsa Lea Southwestern Geometric Crimson Area Rug
This is one of the best Black Friday carpet or area rug deals on the internet. The Tulsa Lea Southwestern Geometric Crimson is a stain-resistant area rug made from polypropylene, using the power loom technique. The construction is an array of traditional Persian, Southwestern, and Moroccan design that can be matched with any decor. The area rug is available at an unbelievable discount of more than 50 percent. It comes in multiple sizes, so you can choose the one that best fits the dimensions of your living space.
Luciana Hand-Knotted Wool Gray Area rug
If you are looking for a carpet or area rug with a minimalistic design, Luciana Hand-Knotted Wool Gray Area Rug is for you. As the name suggests, it is made of wool and is hand-knotted. The rug is available in more than 20 different shapes and sizes. The smallest is 2’x3,’ weighing not more than 3lbs and the largest is 12’x18’ that weighs more than 80lbs. The various sizes, shapes, and designs of the rug make it the best choice for any living space. Being available on Black Friday carpet and area rug deals, you can buy it at a jaw-dropping 80 percent discount.
Apple, the mammoth company in the smartphones and electronics market, has released eleven generations of iPhone models. Each release came with a new version of iPhone iOS operating system. In 2015, Apple introduced the iPhone 6S. This phone incorporated hardware upgrades and ensured to check for the pressure-sensitive touch inputs. This model was also termed as a special edition phone. The iPhone is a popular phone in the market. Apple has made around 2.3 million applications available for iPhones through their app store. This tech giant boasts of selling around 1.2 billion iPhones worldwide.
iPhone 6S Plus was introduced in the market in the year 2015. The body is made of aluminum and available in rose gold, gold, silver, space grey colors. The phone network technology is GSM/CDMA/HSPA/EVDO/LTE. It sports a 5.5-inch ion-strengthened glass screen, having a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The aspect ratio is 16:9. It has an LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive 3D touchscreen. The weight of the iPhone 6S Plus is around 192 grams. It is suitable for nano-SIM only.
The other technical aspects of iPhone 6S Plus include the following:
– Platform: iOS 9 upgradable to iOS 11.2, Apple A9 Chipset, 2-core 1.84 GHz CPU
– Internal memory: 16/32/64/128GB; the RAM is 2GB
– Camera: 12MP primary and 5MP secondary cameras with dual LED dual-tone true-tone flash and lot of features; this phone also boasts of HD video recording features
– USB: 2.0
– Sound: This phone has a loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack, and vibration alert
– Bluetooth: Version 4.2
– Battery: Li-ion 2750 mAh battery of non-removable type with a standby time of up to 384 hours, talk time of up to 24 hours, music play of up to 80 hours
– WLAN: Wi-Fi, hotspot
– Sensors: Fingerprint and other standard features
– GPS: Yes
– Messaging: iMessage, SMS, e-mail is also there
– Browser: HTML5 with language commands, iCloud service, MP3/WAV/Apple player
The 12MP primary camera has f/2.2 aperture 5 element lens and autofocus with focus pixels. Optical image stabilization is there. It has 5x digital zoom. Auto HDR for photos with exposure control is present in the camera section. It has burst mode and timer mode along with IR filter. Backside illumination sensor and local tone mapping features also come with the camera. The camera is of excellent quality.
The secondary 5MP camera comes with retina flash and 720p HD video recording. iPhone 6S Plus also has burst mode and timer mode.
The iPhone 6S Plus has excellent video recording specifications. At 30 fps, 4K, 1080p HD, and 720p HD video recording is possible. Slow motion video support and time-lapse video recording with stabilization are there. While recording 4K videos, it is possible to take 8-megapixel still photos. iPhone 6S Plus model only has optical image stabilization for video. The phone has continuous autofocus video, playback zoom, 3x digital zoom. Apple integrated face detection and video geotagging are there in the video section.
A unique feature of iPhone 6S Plus is Siri. With Siri, you can send messages, set reminders, and do much more with your voice. With Siri, you are able to listen to and identify songs. Another good feature is that you can video call over Wi-Fi and also do audio calling. 3D touch feature to leaf through apps is another unique feature of iPhone 6S Plus.
Apple offers a host of online services accessible by iPhone users as follows:
– Passbook
– iTunes Store
– iBooks
– Podcast
– App store
– Apple music
– iCloud
This grandeur smartphone is not without cons. The cons are as follows:
– FM radio absent
– Single SIM whereas dual SIM is common for other smartphones
– Aluminum body not anodized
– Screen to body ratio of 68% is lower than other mobiles