24 Ways to Stay Safe in the Kitchen

Flames, electric appliances, hot stoves, sharp knives, slippy floors. The kitchen can be a dangerous place. We asked Alison Jacobson, a national family safety and wellness expert known as The Safety Mom, for suggestions to keep us—and our families—safe while we cook. 

1. Check your smoke alarm batteries
You know the rule of thumb: Check them in the fall and spring, when the clocks change. But it doesn’t hurt to do a monthly test as well. Sick of false alarms? Jacobson recommends the combination fire alarm (see #2) so you won’t disable the alarm when you burn toast and forget to reset it.

2. Install a combination smoke alarm
"It’s recommended that a smoke detector that uses photoelectric technology rather than the standard ionization alarm be installed in kitchens," Jacobson tells us. "Ionization alarms detect fast-flaming fires; The photoelectric alarm detects smoldering fires."
Best option? “A combination photoelectric/ionization alarm, such as this one from First Alert,” she adds. “If you currently have an ionization alarm, it should be at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances.”

3. Check your carbon-monoxide alarm batteries
Why? “When a gas oven is malfunctioning, carbon monoxide (CO) can build up in your kitchen. “Hundreds of Americans die accidentally every year from CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning appliances,” warns Jacobson.

4. Make sure you have enough carbon-monoxide alarms
"It’s important to have a CO detector installed on every floor of your home to alert you of elevated levels of CO. Symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, and nausea. If anyone in your family is experiencing these symptoms, turn off the gas oven and leave immediately!” Jacobson stresses.

5. Have your oven inspected annually by a professional or your gas company

6. Buy a good fire extinguisher…
"Kidde’s Kitchen Fire Extinguisher is a great choice," says Jacobson, "as it’s specifically designed for kitchen grease fires—never try to put out a grease fire with water, as that could actually cause it to increase."

7. …and put it in a practical place
"The best place to put the fire extinguisher is by the door of the kitchen so you have easy access."

8. Buy a fire blanket
"Fire blankets are another safety item that should be in all kitchens," says Jacobson. "They are designed to extinguish small, starting fires." 

9. Feel the casing of your microwave
"If the outside of the microwave becomes very hot, this could be a sign of trouble," Jacobsen warns.

10. Inspect the microwave power cord
"It’s always important to check the electrical cord of your microwave for any fraying or damage on a regular basis. And if your circuit breaker frequently trips when you’re using it, this could be a sign of a serious electrical issue. 

11. Don’t try to fix your microwave!
"Most importantly, if you suspect there is a problem with your microwave, never try to repair it yourself! There are numerous cases of people electrocuting themselves trying to fix their microwave," cautions Jacobson.

12. Check for microwave recall notices
Jacobson tells us: “In 2013, a Consumer Reports article detailed troubling issues with some microwaves that were turning on by themselves, in particular KitchenAid and GE models. These two manufacturers had the most fire-related microwave complaints on SaferProducts.gov, a Consumer Product Safety Commission website.”

13. Mail in manufacturer’s warranty information
"It’s important that you submit manufacturer’s warranty information so you can be contacted in the event of a recall," says Jacobson. "If you’ve moved into a home with a built-in microwave and are unsure, visit theCPSC website and research whether there’s been a recall with your oven."

14. Buy a nonslip mat for your kitchen
"Falls in the home are one of the leading causes of injury for people of every age. There are low-profile floor mats available in every color to match your flooring. These should be placed in areas where liquids and oils are most likely to spill, including in front of the refrigerator, sink, stove, and garbage."

15. Choose top-quality oven mitts
Jacobson loves silicone mitts with cloth linings:
* They offer the best protection for heat up to at least 450 degrees F.
* They’re easy to clean, and therefore there’s less concern about bacteria or mold.
* The cloth lining making gripping easier, and therefore there’s less chance of dropping a hot dish or pan.
One of the biggest dangers with cloth mitts is that when they get wet, they can burn terribly. Silicone mitts are waterproof, eliminating this concern.

16. Keep your knives sharp
"Dull knives lead to more injuries. A dull knife requires you to use more pressure, which leads to a greater risk of you losing control of it," warns Jacobson.

17. Wear shoes when using a knife!
"If it accidentally drops, quickly step back and don’t try to catch it!"

18. Be careful cleaning knives
Double-check when you’re cleaning a knife to be sure the sharp side is pointing away from you.

19. Store knives sensibly
"Store knives in a wooden block, never in a drawer, and make sure it is pushed far back on the counter so kids can’t reach it."

20. Give children a kitchen safety zone"Create an area for your child to play safely away from the sink and stove where boiling water could be spilled or a knife dropped," says Jacobson.

21. Keep appliances and cords out of reach of kids
"It’s amazing how far little arms can reach. Be sure that all electrical appliances are pushed far back on the counter and no cords are dangling."

22. Don’t let children get up to the counter
"Keep step stools and benches locked away in closets to prevent little ones from climbing up onto the counter."

23. Lock spices away from children
"While spices are a staple in every kitchen, certain ones can be toxic to children—keep them stored in a high cabinet, preferably with a lock on it," Jacobson advises.

24. Give seniors living alone gadgets to keep them safe in the kitchen
"Due to cognitive impairments such as dementia, the elderly are particularly at risk for kitchen fires due to unattended cooking."



Orignal Article at:   24 Ways to Stay Safe in the Kitchen

By:   Joanne Camas

11 Things that Destroy Your Immune System

 
Seek out and eliminate these quiet health destroyers.

Attack on Your Immunity Viruses and bacteria aren't the only bad actors that test your immune system. Your T cells are being tested 24/7, and by some surprising culprits, ranging from modern-day convenience items in your home to deep-rooted emotions. We scoured the data to bring you common immune-system wreckers so you can eliminate them from your life.

Microwavable Popcorn
Immune System Assassin: Microwavable popcorn bags are commonly coated in nonstick chemicals called perflurorinated compounds (PFCs) so grease doesn't penetrate the bag. A recent study in Environmental Health found levels the government considers "safe" are 100 to 1,000 times too high for children. These chemicals have been shown to mess up your immune system; vaccines given to people with higher levels of PFCs in their bodies were much less effective.
Immunity Boost: Make popcorn on the stovetop or use this DIY microwave popcorn trick. These same chemicals hide out in many stain-repellent carpets and furniture treatments and greaseproof fast-food containers and wraps, so be sure to cut down on these exposures, too.


Pots and Pans
Immune System Assassin: Some of the same nonstick chemicals added to popcorn bags also hide out in many nonstick pots and pans. A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found women with higher levels of hormone-disrupting perfluorinated compounds like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in their blood were more likely to have the autoimmune disease osteoarthritis.
Immunity Boost: Don't panic if you have nonstick pans, but when you start noticing scratches and chips, replace them with glass, made-in-the-USA cast iron, or stainless steel to avoid nonstick chemicals.
Loneliness
Immune System Assassin: Your immune cells are social, and they want you to be, too. T cells scan your body for disease and then share information like honeybees, according to a recent scientific breakthrough. But if you're not so social, it could impact your ability to fight disease. Ohio State researchers recently found worrying about close relationships acts like a chronic stressor that suppresses your immunity. Previous research found we're more likely to get sick--and die earlier--when we have fewer social connections.
Immunity Boost: If you just can't seem to click with new people, try volunteering where you'll find generous and grateful folk, such as at a soup kitchen. You're not necessarily looking to make new friends there--though it's great if you do. But you may find it easier to lower your guard in an atmosphere of altruism and gratitude.


Lack of Sleep
Immune System Assassin: Slacking in the sleep department can lower the number of killer cells your body needs to wipe out infections. A University of Chicago study found that sleeping just four hours a night for a week cut the number of flu-fighting antibodies in study participants' systems in half.  
Immunity Boost: Stay away from looking at screens for at least two hours before going to bed. The light from electronics' screens can trick your brain from easing into sleep mode. Aim for seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep.


Antibiotics
Immune System Assassin: Taking antibiotics can slash your levels of cytokines, the hormonal messengers your immune system relies on during sickness.
Immunity Boost: Cold and flu and most middle ear and sinus infections are caused by viruses, so taking antibiotics will do nothing for your ailment and will wipe out immune-supporting bacteria in your gut. Find out when you actually need antibiotics, here. When you are on antibiotics, be sure to take doses on time and finish the entire course. Eat low-sugar yogurt and fermented foods to repopulate your gut flora.

Canned Food
Immune System Assassin: Bisphenol A, or BPA, coats the inside lining of most canned foods. In 2010, University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers found that adults with higher levels of BPA also had higher cytomegalovirus antibody levels, suggesting that their cell-mediated immune system is malfunctioning.
Immunity Boost: To avoid BPA, opt for fresh or frozen foods, versus canned, or reach for soups and broths in Tetra Pak boxes.


Sugar
Immune System Assassin: Eating 100 grams of sugar (think a bottle of soda, fruit yogurt, and a candy bar) significantly lowered the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria for up to five hours, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Immunity Boost: Avoid foods with added sugar as much as possible, especially during cold and flu season. It's in obvious places, such as juices, sodas, and desserts, but significant amounts also hide out in many low-fat yogurts, bread, condiments, and salad dressings.


Dehydration
Immune System Assassin: Fluids help flush your body of immune-damaging toxins and carry nutrients to any infection sites. Little-known fact? Many of us walk around mildly dehydrated most of the time without even knowing it.
Immunity Boost: If your pee is dark yellow in the morning, drink more water before bed--you're aiming for pale yellow for a visible sign of proper hydration.


Antibacterial Soap
Immune System Assassin: Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center found children exposed to antibacterial chemicals are prone to food and environmental allergies. Children with higher levels of antibacterials in their urine experienced higher IgE blood antibody levels. High antibody counts signal a response to an allergen; the researchers believe the antibacterial chemicals alter healthy immune system development.
Immunity Boost: Children with more triclosan, a popular antibacterial soap chemical, in their blood high the highest allergy risk. Washing with regular soap and water works just as well, without the added risks.


Air Pollution
Immune System Assassin: Cutting-edge research is unearthing a connection between air pollution--specifically polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)--and damaged immune systems. PAHs pour from exhaust pipes and flake off of driveways, playgrounds, and parking lots treated with coal-tar sealant.
Immunity Boost: Check local pollution levels and avoid exercising outdoors on high pollution days. Push for a coal-tar sealant ban in your city, state, or municipality to reduce PAH exposure from blacktop surfaces. (Safer alternatives without coal tar are readily available at most hardware stores.)


Insecticides
Immune System Assassin: Using toxic insecticides to kill household and lawn pests could increase your risk of developing an autoimmune disease, according to data recently presented at an American College of Rheumatology meeting. Women who sprayed insecticides at least six times a year were about 2½ times more likely to develop lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Those who hired a professional lawn service to apply insecticides to their yard had a two times greater risk.
Immunity Boost: Use nontoxic pest control measures and use these organic lawn-care tips to keep your house pest free without chemicals. Plant native plants in your garden to attract beneficial insects that prey on pests, too.

Original at:   11 Things that Destroy Your Immune System
By Leah Zerbe, Rodalenews.com

New Drug May Help Lower 'Bad' Cholesterol Beyond Statins

 

-- A new injectable drug can further knock down cholesterol levels in people who take cholesterol-busting statin medications, according to the results of a global trial.
People taking the new therapy alongside statins enjoyed a 63 percent to 75 percent decrease in their "bad" (LDL) cholesterol levels, on top of the reduction caused by the traditional statin medications, researchers reported. The findings are published in the May 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"This drug enhances the body's natural way of reducing LDL levels in the bloodstream," said lead author Dr. Jennifer Robinson, a professor of epidemiology and cardiology at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. "It lets us get cholesterol really well-treated in people with genetic cholesterol disorders or people who can't take large amounts of statins."
Evolocumab is a so-called "human monoclonal antibody" that, in a roundabout way, improves the body's ability to remove cholesterol from the bloodstream.
Cells primarily located in the liver contain receptors that target LDL cholesterol and remove it from the bloodstream. But the liver also produces a regulatory protein called PCSK9 that binds to and breaks down these receptors, Robinson said.

The antibodies in evolocumab are designed to intercept PCSK9, preventing the protein from breaking down the cells' LDL receptors, which allows them to stay in circulation longer to remove LDL cholesterol, she explained.
The phase 3 clinical trial was funded by the drug's maker, Amgen, and conducted at 198 sites in 17 countries. Over the course of 12 weeks, just over 2,000 people taking moderate to high doses of statins were randomly assigned to also take evolocumab, or another cholesterol-lowering drug called ezetimibe (Zetia), or an inactive placebo.

Compared with the placebo, evolocumab taken every two weeks reduced LDL cholesterol levels an additional 66 percent to 75 percent, and taken monthly cut the level by 63 percent to 75 percent. By comparison, ezetimibe provided an additional cholesterol reduction of up to 24 percent, the investigators found.

According to the findings, evolocumab had adverse events and side effects comparable to those experienced by people taking either statins or ezetimibe. "Because it's a very specific antibody, it seems to be very well-tolerated without any drug interactions or any side effects," Robinson said.

Evolocumab will be mostly helpful in treating people with a genetic disorder that causes them to have high cholesterol, Robinson said. About 1 in 500 people have this disorder, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

It also could help people with high cholesterol who can't take large doses of statins, Robinson added, estimating that as many as 10 percent of people with heart disease or diabetes can't tolerate the recommended dose of statins.

However, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association cautioned that the drug's impact on the risk of a heart attack or a stroke has not been tested yet.

Dr. Mary Ann Bauman, who is also medical director for Women's Health and Community Relations at INTEGRIS Health in Oklahoma City, said, "I do think that this study did what it was supposed to do . . . to show it was safe, reasonably well-tolerated and did have an effect on LDL cholesterol."

But, she added, "The real question will be whether decreasing cholesterol levels with this medication makes a difference in cardiovascular events."

Statins have been proven to prevent heart attacks and strokes, but Bauman noted that clinical trials of ezetimibe have had mixed results. The drug lowers cholesterol, but does not necessarily prevent heart attacks.

Robinson said a follow-up study is underway to evaluate the drug's longer-term outcomes and safety. But if it does gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, she noted, the drug will be expensive. Similar antibody drugs already are used to treat arthritis patients, and those can cost patients thousands of dollars a year.

"It's not going to be for everybody, but it's going to be very important for certain people," those with genetic cholesterol disorders and those who can't take large doses of statins, Robinson added.

Original article at:  New Drug May Help Lower 'Bad' Cholesterol Beyond Statins

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

 Tuesday, May 13, 2014 (HealthDay News)

Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Don't use aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease, FDA warns

 

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Going against years of widely dispensed advice, the FDA warned the public in a statement yesterday that most people shouldn't take aspirin to prevent heart attacks, Bloomberg reports.

risk of stomach and brain bleeds

In the statement, the FDA explained that ingesting aspirin on a regular basis isn't recommended to people who have never experienced a cardiovascular event because the drug raises a person's risk of experiencing stomach and brain bleeds. Even people who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, but haven't experienced any symptoms yet, should refrain from taking the drug as a preventative measure. In short, the benefits of the drug only outweigh the risks in cases where people have already experienced a stroke or a heart attack.

The announcement was prompted by the FDA's decision last week to block pharmaceutical company Bayer AG from changing the drug's labeling. The proposed changes would have allowed the company to market aspirin as a heart attack prevention drug for people who don't have heart problems. Following the decision, Bayer spokesperson Anne Coiley reminded Bloomberg in an email that "the ruling does not impact the numerous cardiovascular indications for which aspirin is already approved by the FDA."


Original article at:   Don't use aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease, FDA warns

By Arielle Duhaime-Ross on May 6, 2014 09:44 am

5 Problems with Over-the-Counter Painkillers

Pills you pop every day could be causing serious damage in the long run.
 
 Aspirin is hailed as a miracle drug, and there's not a person among us who hasn't popped an ibuprofen or acetaminophen to deal with achy joints or a crushing headache.
But if you're doing that every day, you could be causing long-term damage to your health, says Gary Kaplan, DO, medical director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of a new book called  Total Recovery: Solving the Mystery of Chronic Pain and Depression.

"The biggest misconception people have about over-the-counter painkillers is that they're completely safe and harmless," says Dr. Kaplan. "They are neither of the above." In fact, most over-the-counter painkillers started out as prescription drugs but now are sold at lower doses without your needing to talk to a doctor.
And they're all bad in their own way. While Dr. Kaplan does contend that low doses of aspirin (81 milligrams) do have some benefits for people with risk factors for stroke, heart disease and some forms of cancer, larger doses taken daily to deal with the pains of daily living do not. "People pop these things like it's no big deal," he says. "If you do this every day, in the majority of people, you're doing real damage."
Before getting into what that damage is, it helps to understand how these medications work. Aspirin, ibuprofen (sold as Advil and Motrin), and naproxen sodium (sold as Aleve) all fall into a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs. They work by inhibiting prostaglandin, a hormone that can produce pain and inflammation in response to an infection or injury. Acetaminophen (or Tylenol) falls into a different category and seems to interrupt the pain messages your brain receives.


#1: Gut ulcerations
NSAIDs, particularly ibuprofen and aspirin, are rough on your stomach, and they're just as rough on the lining of your gut. They create ulcerations and inflammation in the gut lining, damage that causes something known as a "leaky gut." When your gut is leaky, it doesn't absorb nutrients, which can lead to deficiencies (which can also contribute to pain problems), and problematic proteins and allergens, such as gluten, soy, or egg proteins, can escape, triggering food sensitivities. "Your gut is a very sophisticated filter," Dr. Kaplan says. "It's a very complex organ that's not one to disrupt, but one that we disrupt all the time."
Furthermore, NSAIDs disrupt the gut bacteria that control your immune system. As a result, you get sick more frequently and you might develop more chronic ailments.
Sixty to 80 percent of people develop gut inflammation within 24 hours of taking an NSAID, Dr. Kaplan says, and 50 to 70 percent of people who take them long term will develop chronic small intestine inflammation. And initially that might present as just feelings of bloating, gas or changes in your bowel movements, but over time, you might start experiencing chronic fatigue or develop food intolerances.

#2: Liver damage
Acetaminophen doesn't cause those gut ulcerations, Dr. Kaplan says. Rather, its problem is that it will damage your liver--sometimes, in unexpected ways. Things like alcohol can interfere with the way your body breaks down acetaminophen, even if you're taking a normal dose. "That leads to the potential to get a toxic level of acetaminophen in your system, which leads to liver damage," Dr. Kaplan says. He's also found that taking too many painkillers that contain caffeine can stress out your liver and interfere with sleep.

#3: Kidney damage
Along with your stomach, your kidneys are a major production site of prostaglandins, the hormones that NSAIDs are designed to silence. In addition to controlling the acid secretions in your stomach, prostaglandins help the kidneys fulfill their function of removing proteins and waste from your blood. Too many prostaglandin-inhibiting NSAIDs can interfere with that process, leading to kidney damage and a buildup of toxic waste by-products in your bloodstream. "As soon as we start seeing damage to kidneys, we tell people to get off all anti-inflammatory medications," Dr. Kaplan says.
Furthermore, prostaglandin produces inflammation in response to damage your body is experiencing. "Inflammation is not always a bad thing," he adds. "It's critical for repair--inflammation cleans up damaged tissue and brings in new cells to repair it. When inflammation gets disrupted, the normal healing process gets disrupted."


#4: Heart disease
You may remember a prescription painkiller called Vioxx that was pulled from the market a few years ago. The reason? It caused heart attacks, and it's not the only one. "It's a lower risk than with Vioxx, but all NSAIDs pose a risk," says Dr. Kaplan. NSAIDs block an enzyme called COX-2, which works with prostaglandin to protect your arteries. When both are silenced by chronic use of over-the-counter painkilllers, your risk of heart disease increases.

#5: Hypersensitization
Here's an ironic fact: Painkillers can heighten your susceptibility to pain. While this phenomenon has been seen mostly with prescription opiods (such as Vicodin or Oxycontin), studies have shown that acetaminophen and NSAIDs can have the same effect on headaches. "It's called a rebound headache," Dr. Kaplan says. "They dull your response to pain, so you need more medications to get to the same place. And you end up developing increased sensitivity to pain."
So are we all supposed to just grin and bear it if we have a headache or a sore knee? "The occasional use is fine, less than once a week," Dr. Kaplan advises. "But if you have pain that requires that you take over-the-counter pain medication on a regular basis, you need to seek medical attention."
Ultimately, Dr. Kaplan's beef with painkillers is that they aren't dealing with deeper health issues. "Doctors have to start looking at pain as a symptom and not the disease," he says. "We're better off addressing the problem. We need to understand where the pain is coming from."

Original article at:  
By Emily Main, Rodalenews.com

By Emily Main, Rodalenews.com

By Emily Main, Rodalenews.com

9 Things You Must See Before They Disappear Forever

I don’t want to be the one to tell you this, but the sad truth is that nothing truly lasts forever. The sea levels are rising, glaciers are melting, rain forests are being chopped down, and climate change is no longer just the plot of a disaster movie starring John Cusack. Things move pretty fast these days. If you don’t put these gems on your must-see list, you could miss them altogether. And frankly, we don’t want to be responsible for your FOMO.

Kilimanjaro from above. (Photo: Ben Freeman)

1. Kilimanjaro’s Snow-Capped Peaks: As far as travel brags go, that iconic photo of you atop the snow-capped peak of Uhuru Summit on Mt. Kilimanjaro is a solid. Sadly, that shot is about to get way less awesome now that all of the snow is melting. More than 85 percent of the ice cap has disappeared in the last century and it could be completely gone within the next 20 years.

Fun fact: It takes the average Joe between six and nine days to summit Kilimanjaro, depending on which of the six routes they choose.

The Details: Climbing requires hiring a licensed guide and will typically cost between $1,000 and $5,000, including food and accommodations on the mountain. It helps to plan at least six months, if not a year, in advance. We recommend Thomson Treks for their knowledgeable guides and stellar summiting success rate.

The crystal waters of the Maldives. (Photo: Rom)
2. The Maldives: Perched precariously 1.5 meters above sea level, the Maldives could soon become a real-life Atlantis. President Mohamed Nasheed has already warned world leaders that if greenhouse gases are not reduced soon, this island chain in the Indian Ocean will be swallowed up by the sea, which means you’ll never experience their bone-white beaches, crystal-clear waters, and turquoise reefs.
Fun fact: The Maldives are one of the few places on earth where you can swim with whale sharks year round. They tend to stick to the western side of the archipelago from May to December, then head east for the rest of the year.
The Details: The Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme runs weekly, year-round snorkeling and scuba trips where you can actually swim with the world’s largest fish.
3. The Unspoiled Beaches of Culebra: Known to locals as Ultima Virgen (The Last Virgin), Culebra is the quieter kissing cousin to Vieques. Today this small island of Puerto Rico remains relatively undeveloped. Unfortunately, that probably won’t last much longer. Plenty of large hotel chains are turning their gaze onto the tiny island, with its perfect beaches and magnificent coral reefs. Go now to savor the remaining years of its truly rustic beauty.
Fun fact: Flamenco Beach is widely considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but it is worth a walk to some of the sleepier beaches the island has to offer, like Melones. A local favorite, this coral beach is an easy walk from town.
The Details: Hotels are few and far between, and you will be better off renting out a private home. Reach out to the folks at Culebra Island Realty to try to find something in your price range.
 
(Photo: National Ocean Service)
4. Arctic Polar Bears in the Wild: When I told our editor-in-chief that I was going to plan a trip to northern Canada see the polar bears in the wild ASAP, she grew concerned for me. “I can just see the headline of the New York Post now: ‘Travel Editor Mauled to Death Trying to Hug a Polar Bear’.” She isn’t wrong. But these magnificent carnivores are becoming so few and far between that spotting a polar bear in the Arctic Circle is already akin to seeing a unicorn. Just ask Al Gore.
Fun fact: Churchill is only accessible by plane or train, making it incredibly remote—and incredibly awesome.
The Details: Absolutely everything is charming about the handcrafted log building that is the Lazy Bear Lodge. This hotel will happily arrange all of your bear-peeping activities. Summer is the best time to go, since the polar bears are all leaving the pan ice and the temperatures are less frigid.
Fun fact: With two-thirds of the world’s polar bears possibly going extinct by 2050, it is high time you booked a trip to Churchill, Canada, the self-proclaimed Polar Bear Capital of the world.
5. Glacier National Park: A century ago, there were more than 150 glaciers in Northern Montana. Today only 27 remain and even those could disappear within the next 15 years. When the naturalist John Muir visited the park at the turn of the 20th century, he wrote: “Get off the tracks at Belton Station [now West Glacier] and in a few minutes you will find yourself in the midst of what you are sure to say is the best care-killing scenery on the continent.” He is right. Even without the glaciers, the views would be nothing short of spectacular, but they add frosting to an already amazing cake.
Fun fact: One of the best ways to see the park is by horseback.
The Details: Swan Mountain Outfitters offers a variety of riding options, which you be paired with rafting and fly fishing for an overnight saddle-paddle adventure.
6. Maria von Trapp’s Austrian Mountain Range: The snow line in the Alps is receding faster than Sting’s hairline. It has moved 200 feet in the past 50 years alone. Where the hills were once alive with the sound of music, climate change and reduced snowfall is destroying Austria’s gorgeous high-altitude flowers, among them Edelweiss.
Fun fact: Edelweiss actually originated in the Asian Steppe, but it is now most often found at an altitude of 1,700 meters in German, Italy and Austria.
The Details: Visit the picturesque village of Zell Am See in the heart of the Leogranger Steinberge Alps to take in the views from the top of Kitzsteinhorn and over the glacier. For the classic old-school Alp experience, check into the Grand Hotel Zell Am See on its own private peninsula on the shore of Lake Zell.


(Photo: Meg and Rahul)

7. The Taj Mahal: More than three million visitors a year currently visit the iconic mausoleum built in the 17th century in memory of the emperor Shal Jahan’s favorite wife. See it while you still can. In recent years, cars were banned from driving close to the Taj because of pollution (tip: take a donkey ride the remaining distance). And some preservation groups are pushing to close the landmark since all that foot traffic is seriously eroding the structure.

Fun fact: Dawn is the best time to see the Taj. Or ask a taxi driver to bring you across the river, where you can view the back of the temple at dusk.
The Details: If you want a room with amazing views of the Taj, book with Oberoi Amarvillas, just 600 meters from the monument.
8. The Tigers of Rajasthan: It is a distinct and incredibly unsettling possibility that the tiger could become extinct in our lifetime. Their natural habitats have been reduced by 93%. In 1900, some 100,000 tigers lived in India. Today, as few as 3,200 remain.
Fun fact: In 2012, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that no new tourist attractions can be created in the tiger areas and that only 20% of the tiger habitats can be open to visitors.

The Details: Ranthambore National Park is the best place to spot tigers in the wild and there’s no shortage of tour operators eager to take you on a safari. That said, the scarcity of tigers, even in the sanctuary, means that a sighting isn’t guaranteed. Make sure to book two to three days in the area. Ask for the smaller six-seater jeep (less intrusive in the tiger habitat) directly through the national park. 

 

(Photo: Paul Vladuchick / Flickr)

9. The Yangtze River Basin: The ongoing construction of China’s $24 billion Three Gorges Dam is posing a serious threat to the wildlife of the Yangtze River basin, including the giant pandas, Yangtze finless porpoises (known in Chinese by the very excellent name the “river pig”), and dwarf blue sheep—so rare I’m not even sure what they are, but I definitely want to see them before they disappear.

Fun fact: Thirteen years ago, the Panda Breeding Research Base in the river basin was home to only 20 pandas. Advancements in insemination technology have since grown that population to more than 100.

The Details: A trip to "panda kindergarten" is one of the greatest gifts you could ever give yourself. Trust me. I gave it to myself in 2009 when I travelled to the city of Chengdu with the sole intent and purpose of cuddling a baby panda. I accomplished this goal (and you can too) at the Panda Breeding Research Base, where it costs about $100 for 90 seconds of blissed-out panda snuggling.

Original article at: 9 Things You Must See Before They Disappear Forever

By:  Jo Piazza Editor Apr 26, 2014

9 Lessons You Won't Learn in Business School

 

 Image credit: Celestine Chua via Flickr

More and more in Silicon Valley, we’re seeing less and less of an interest in pursuing MBA programs. It seems every week a new story highlights the opportunity costs of these programs, the unemployment rates for its graduates (though less than 5 percent of Harvard's class of 2012 was unemployed three months after graduating) and the celebrated entrepreneurs who didn’t finish college let alone a graduate program (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg).

Combine that with the fact that startups -- where everyone seems to want to work -- don’t care at all about graduate business degrees. They want to see real-life experience and that you have the grit to make it in the startup trenches where it’s much more visceral when your job, not your grade, is on the line.

Yet applications still deluge many elite schools and some admission consultants are predicting a greater number of applicants at the top schools.  

So what's the right call? First of all, if you are accepted or enrolled in an MBA program, understand that your degree will never hurt you. There is much to be gained from the coursework as well as a lot you can do to make the most out of your time in school. The right attitude and the right degree provide a formula for long-term sustainable success.

         

While a business school will give you a pedigree, the real world is about results. As soon as the job interview process ends, no one cares which degree you received from Harvard, Stanford or Florida Atlantic (my alma mater). All they care about is that you get the job done. So here are some lessons from the real world of work:

1. The way to keep a job is to understand what success looks like. Commit to aggressive and achievable goals. Then deliver more than others.

2. Get voted onto the team every day. In football and the real world, when you try to solve today’s problems no one gives you credit for past accomplishments. People care about how well you get today’s hard stuff done.  

3. Operate with a mind-set that reflects a meritocracy. That's opposed to displaying a sense of entitlement -- no matter how proud you are of your education. Having a pedigree doesn't mean you can look down on others. People sense that -- and won't like it. And while Harvard or Stanford may open the door to opportunities, capitalizing on those opportunities is all about how well you do the job.

4.  Be ready to demonstrate how you handle adversity. When I hire, I often look at educational achievements as a basis for assessing someone's raw intellectual prowess. But I spend way more time looking at the challenges they've tackled, what they've achieved and how sought after they are.   

5. Be open to seeing excellence wherever it is. You’ll find it often comes in the most unlikely of places.

6. Leverage your network. That’s one of the most valuable assets of any degree. Work it. 

7. Understand that it’s not all about you. MBA programs spur a lot of competition; there’s an intense race to be the top of the class. But that individualistic focus isn’t always welcome at the workplace, where a “company first” not a “me first” attitude is desired.

8. Learn a new culture. Don't adhere to what you learned in school. Do extra-credit projects that provide exposure to executive management and hopefully the board. Watch how people handle themselves at these meetings and modify your behavior accordingly.

9.  Give back and continue to enhance and help others on their path. If you have an MBA, use it for good.

Original Article at:    9 Lessons You Won't Learn in Business School
By Maynard Webb | April 4, 2014

Vitamin D – Why You are Probably NOT Getting Enough

WHAT VITAMIN DO WE need in amounts up to 25 times higher than the government recommends for us to be healthy?

What vitamin deficiency affects over half of the population, is almost never diagnosed, and has been linked to many cancers, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic muscle pain, bone loss, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis?

What vitamin is almost totally absent from our food supply?

What vitamin is the hidden cause of so much suffering that is so easy to treat?

The answer to all of these questions is vitamin D.

Over the last 10 years of my practice, my focus has been to discover what the body needs to function optimally. And I have become more interested in the role of specific nutrients as the years have passed.

Two recent studies in The Journal of Pediatrics found that 70 percent of American kids aren’t getting enough vitamin D, and this puts them at higher risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and lower levels of good cholesterol. Low vitamin D levels also may increase a child’s risk of developing heart disease later in life.

Overall, 7.6 million, or 9 percent, of American children were vitamin D deficient, and another 50.8 million, or 61 percent, had insufficient levels of this important vitamin in their blood.

Over the last 5 years, I have tested almost every patient in my practice for vitamin D deficiency, and I have been shocked by the results. What’s even more amazing is what happens when my patients’ vitamin D status reaches optimal levels. Having witnessed these changes, there’s no doubt in my mind: vitamin D is an incredible asset to your health.

That is why in today’s blog I want to explain the importance of this essential vitamin and give you 6 tips on how to optimize your vitamin D levels.

Let’s start by looking at the massive impact vitamin D has on the health and function of every cell and gene in your body.

How Vitamin D Regulates Your Cells and Genes

Vitamin D has a huge impact on the health and function of your cells. It reduces cellular growth (which promotes cancer) and improves cell differentiation (which puts cells into an anti-cancer state). That makes vitamin D one of the most potent cancer inhibitors — and explains why vitamin D deficiency has been linked to colon, prostate, breast, and ovarian cancer.

But what’s even more fascinating is how vitamin D regulates and controls genes.

It acts on a cellular docking station ,called a receptor, that then sends messages to our genes. That’s how vitamin D controls so many different functions – from preventing cancer, reducing inflammation, boosting mood, easing muscle aches and fibromyalgia, and building bones.

These are just a few examples of the power of vitamin D. When we don’t get enough it impacts every area of our biology, because it affects the way our cells and genes function. And many of us are deficient for one simple reason …

For example, one study found that vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of getting type 1 diabetes by 80 percent.

Your body makes vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight. In fact, 80 to 100 percent of the vitamin D we need comes from the sun. The sun exposure that makes our skin a bit red (called 1 minimum erythemal dose) produces the equivalent of 10,000 to 25,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D in our bodies.

The problem is that most of us aren’t exposed to enough sunlight.

Overuse of sunscreen is one reason. While these product help protect against skin cancer – they also block a whopping 97 percent of your body’s vitamin D production.

If you live in a northern climate, you’re not getting enough sun (and therefore vitamin D), especially during winter. And you’re probably not eating enough of the few natural dietary sources of vitamin D: fatty wild fish like mackerel, herring, and cod liver oil.

Plus, aging skin produces less vitamin D — the average 70 year-old person creates only 25 percent of the vitamin D that a 20 year-old does. Skin color makes a difference, too. People with dark skin also produce less vitamin D. And I’ve seen very severe deficiencies in Orthodox Jews and Muslims who keep themselves covered all the time.

With all these causes of vitamin D deficiency, you can see why supplementing with enough of this vitamin is so important. Unfortunately, you aren’t really being told the right amount of vitamin D to take.

The government recommends 200 to 600 IU of vitamin D a day. This is the amount you need to prevent rickets, a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency. But the real question is: How much vitamin D do we need for OPTIMAL health? How much do we need to prevent autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, depression, osteoporosis, and even cancer?

The answer is: Much more than you think.

Recent research by vitamin D pioneer Dr. Michael Holick, Professor of Medicine, Physiology, and Dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine, recommends intakes of up to 2,000 IU a day — or enough to keep blood levels of 25 hydroxy vitamin D at between 75 to 125 nmol/L (nanomoles per liter). That may sound high, but it’s still safe: Lifeguards have levels of 250 nmol/L without toxicity.

Our government currently recommends 2,000 IU as the upper limit for vitamin D — but even that may not be high enough for our sun-deprived population! In countries where sun exposure provides the equivalent of 10,000 IU a day and people have vitamin D blood levels of 105 to 163 nmol/L, autoimmune diseases (like multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus) are uncommon.

Don’t be scared that amounts that high are toxic: One study of healthy young men receiving 10,000 IU of vitamin D for 20 weeks showed no toxicity.

The question that remains is: How can you get the right amounts of vitamin D?

6 Tips for Getting the Right Amount of Vitamin D

Unless you’re spending all your time at the beach, eating 30 ounces of wild salmon a day, or downing 10 tablespoons of cod liver oil a day, supplementing with vitamin D is essential. The exact amount needed to get your blood levels to the optimal range (100 to160 nmol/L) will vary depending on your age, how far north you live, how much time you spend in the sun, and even the time of the year. But once you reach optimal levels, you’ll be amazed at the results.
For example, one study found that vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of getting type 1 diabetes by 80 percent. In the Nurses’ Health Study (a study of more than 130,000 nurses over 3 decades), vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of multiple sclerosis by 40 percent.

I’ve seen many patients with chronic muscle aches and pains and fibromyalgia who are vitamin D deficient – a phenomenon that’s been documented in studies. Their symptoms improve when they are treated with vitamin D.

Finally, vitamin D has been shown to help prevent and treat osteoporosis. In fact, it’s even more important than calcium. That’s because your body needs vitamin D to be able to properly absorb calcium. Without adequate levels of vitamin D, the intestine absorbs only 10 to 15 percent of dietary calcium. Research shows that the bone-protective benefits of vitamin D keep increasing with the dose.

So here is my advice for getting optimal levels of vitamin D:

1. Get tested for 25 OH vitamin D. The current ranges for “normal” are 25 to 137 nmol/L or 10 to 55 ng/ml. These are fine if you want to prevent rickets – but NOT for optimal health. In that case, the range should be 100 to 160 nmol/L or 40 to 65 ng/ml. In the future, we may raise this “optimal” level even higher.

2. Take the right type of vitamin D. The only active form of vitamin D is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Look for this type. Many vitamins and prescriptions of vitamin D have vitamin D2 – which is not biologically active.

3. Take the right amount of vitamin D. If you have a deficiency, you should correct it with 5,000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day for 3 months — but only under a doctor’s supervision. For maintenance, take 2,000 to 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D3. Some people may need higher doses over the long run to maintain optimal levels because of differences in vitamin D receptors, living in northern latitudes, indoor living, or skin color.

4. Monitor your vitamin D status until you are in the optimal range. If you are taking high doses (10,000 IU a day) your doctor must also check your calcium, phosphorous, and parathyroid hormone levels every 3 months.

5. Remember that it takes up to 6 to 10 months to “fill up the tank” for vitamin D if you’re deficient. Once this occurs, you can lower the dose to the maintenance dose of 2,000 to 4,000 units a day.

6. Try to eat dietary sources of vitamin D. These include:

• Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil. One tablespoon (15 ml) = 1,360 IU of vitamin D

• Cooked wild salmon. (3.5) ounces = 360 IU of vitamin D

• Cooked mackerel. (3.5) ounces = 345 IU of vitamin D

• Sardines, canned in oil, drained. (1.75) ounces = 250 IU of vitamin D

• One whole egg = (20) IU of vitamin D

You can now see why I feel so passionately about vitamin D. This vitamin is critical for good health. So start aiming for optimal levels – and watch how your health improves.


Original Article at:   Vitamin D – Why You are Probably NOT Getting Enough

 by Mark Hyman, MD    January 19, 2013

Rosario’s North Readies for Opening

A look at the main dining room at Rosario’s North.

Rosario’s third location is days from opening on the city’s North side. Located at 9715 San Pedro inside the former Barbaresco, Rosario’s adds more color than its predecessor with bright orange and signature hot pink walls found in its other two locations.

The restaurant is currently holding a slew of soft opening days for friends and family only on an invitation-basis. The menu is similar to the other locations save for the addition of a few new items. The eatery is broken down into several dining rooms and includes a large bar with beers on draft and margaritas, naturally.


Original article at:    Rosario’s North Readies for Opening

March 28, 2014     By FLAVOR

Sugars found in tequila may protect against obesity, diabetes

 Tequila shots may do more than lighten the mood at a party; the drink may be beneficial for your health as well.

According to researchers from Mexico, natural sugars derived from the agave plant, called agavins, greatly protected a group of mice against diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes, MedPage Today reported.

In a new study presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) annual meeting in Dallas, mice were distributed into seven groups.  One group received a diet of plain water, while the other groups received water supplemented with either aspartame, glucose, fructose, sucrose, agave syrup or agavins.

The mice that consumed agavins showed a reduction in food intake and weight and a decrease in blood glucose levels.  These findings were similar to the control group that received standard water.
Because agavins act as dietary fibers and do not raise blood sugar, the researchers believe the ingredient could be used as an alternative sweetening agent.

"We believe agavins have a great potential as a light sweetener," Mercedes G. López, of the Centro de Incetagcioan y de Estudios Avanzados, Biotechnology and Biochemistry Irapuato, in Guanajuato, Mexico wrote in the ACS abstract. "They are sugars, highly soluble, with a low glycemic index and a neutral taste…This puts agavins in a tremendous position for their consumption by obese and diabetic people."

The alcoholic beverage tequila is made from the blue agave plant, primarily around the Mexican city of Tequila.  However, Lopez noted that agavins are not widely available and not as sweet as regular sugars.


Original Article at:    Sugars found in tequila may protect against obesity, diabetes

Published March 17, 2014   FoxNews.com

Sell or stay in your home this spring? Consider these 6 variables when deciding to love or list your house.

It's coming on the spring home selling season, the most active period of the year for single home titles changing hands, and this year the outlook for home-sale growth is up across the board. Single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums are all expected to see stronger sales in 2014.


Many homeowners now have to ask themselves: Sell or keep their homes?


The answer involves everything from downsizing — a huge issue since the recession — to job stability, divorce, age of children and retirement.
Reasons to sell:

• Size matters. The size of the home may be an owner's biggest and most urgent reason to sell. "If the main concern about a home is size, a more affordable, less stressful option may be to sell and find a home with enough space to accommodate the family," Homes.com says.
• Overwhelming maintenance. For homes that are 15 years old or older, big maintenance projects may be necessary. A new roof, for example, can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000, Homes.com estimates. If you don't have the money for big repairs, your home will suffer in terms of financial value, making it much more difficult to sell.
• Staying ahead of other sellers. Homes.com says the real estate market is set to take off, and the earlier you sell the less competition you'll face. "If anxious to sell a home, some homeowners, depending on location, may be able to take advantage of what is considered a seller's market," the firm says.

Reasons to stay:

• Equity rising. If you expect the equity in your home to rise substantially, that's a good reason to keep your home, Homes.com advises. "Year-over-year growth reached 8 percent at the end of 2013," the firm says. "Homeowners already in love with their place should continue to enjoy the comforts of home and reap the benefits of increased equity when the time does come to sell."
• If you can afford repairs. Home projects, maintenance and repairs can add good value to a home — and make it much more livable. So if you can afford to make those repairs, make them — and make your home "new" again.
• You like your location. If you like where you live, including the schools, your neighbors, your community and your commute to work, that's another excellent reason to keep your home. "Many factors play into the decision of selling or staying in a home, oftentimes going beyond money and the economy," Homes.com says.

Homes.com also says patience is a key if you are looking for a better home.

"If the perfect home is not on the market, don't settle for a home that isn't just right, especially if the current home is not unbearable," the firm says. "When the time is right to buy, the perfect home will be waiting, and with the potential for increased equity in the current home, it may be even easier to afford."

Original article at:  Sell or stay in your home this spring?
  
By Brian O'Connell, MainStreet

Should you pay off your mortgage?

More than almost anything else, a mortgage seems to put the “personal” in personal finance. There’s plenty of emotion and psychology surrounding the loan that secures the primary asset for many Americans. About half of older Americans still have a mortgage, according to the most recent Survey of Consumer Finances conducted by the Federal Reserve.

But the Internet teems with stories, often filled with exclamation points, from younger mortgage holders, vowing to pay off their loans aggressively, lest they repeat the sins of homeowners a decade ago and find themselves owing more than their property is worth.

Add to that urge a dollop of moral imperative. Isn’t debt, after all, what got this country in so much trouble recently? And isn’t a mortgage almost always the largest debt on one’s books? For those with the savings, writing one large but final check is an enticing way to relieve any anxiety of possibly not being able to make payments in future years.

The impulse to pay off your mortgage, especially in one fell swoop, often arises from an urge to simplify your financial life. There is irony in this, since the emotional dimension can complicate what should be a straightforward decision. After all, for a fixed-rate mortgage—the most popular way to finance a primary home purchase—the math couldn’t be clearer: The amortization schedule is the same today as when the first mortgage payment was made. You, the borrower, write a check for the same amount every month. As the years go by, the interest payments decrease and more of that monthly check is applied to the principal.

So why wait? Well, for a start, many—though far from all—financial advisers counsel against prepaying a mortgage. Although we enumerate the disadvantages below, they’re all intertwined.

Less liquidity. By keeping your mortgage, and the cash you might have used to retire it, you’re creating a better personal balance sheet. Yes, it will be one with another liability (your mortgage) but also one with more in assets (cash). By eliminating your mortgage with the cash, you also limit your ability to address an unexpected expense or investment opportunity.

Borrowing costs. If you decide to borrow against your paid-off home in the future, perhaps by taking out a new mortgage, it could very well end up costing much more. Interest rates, already at record lows for more than four years, are likely to go higher in the years ahead. A rise in interest rates from January’s 4.5 percent for a 30-year $200,000 mortgage by just one percentage point will result in a monthly payment that’s $128 more. And other forms of borrowing, such as home equity loans and home equity lines of credit, generally charge higher interest rates than traditional mortgages. Also, credit standards are much tighter than they were before the housing collapse that began in 2006. Ten years ago you could easily get financing with a FICO score in the mid-600s. Today the average score for completed mortgage loans is 732, according to the mortgage-technology firm Ellie Mae. If you need to tap home equity during your retirement, your credit score and income profile might be quite different from what it was in your preretirement years.

Opportunity costs. Even if you consider your home as an investment, albeit an illiquid one, the long-term increase in residential real-estate values trails those of other traditional portfolio investments. For example, the historic returns on real estate have been less than that of stocks (not to mention investment-grade bonds, after the 1970s). Even before the housing bubble and subsequent crisis, home prices nationwide rose about 6 percent annually from 1975 though 2002, compared with a return of 14 percent for stocks. Putting that money to work in your brokerage account means that it’s more likely to outperform your home’s increase in value in 10 years.

Inflation hedge. You’ll be making payments on your current mortgage in future dollars, which will actually cost you less in real dollars in the years ahead. So, for example, if there’s an annual inflation rate of just 2 percent during the next 15 years, the last payment of $1,000 on a new 15-year fixed-rate mortgage will only “cost” $743 in today’s dollars.

Taxes. Those who are near retirement are more likely to be paying less in mortgage interest—possibly so little that, barring other deductions, the mortgage interest and other itemized deductions are no longer more than the standard deduction. (Less than half of all borrowers use the mortgage-interest deduction, according to an analysis by the Pew Charitable Trust.) But if you live in areas where home prices are significantly higher than the national median ($196,200, according to the National Association of Realtors), you’ll still be making interest payments that will exceed the standard deduction until about the 23rd year of a 30-year mortgage, and likely getting the tax advantage that comes with it.

And more taxes

Have you maxed out your retirement contributions? The money you might tap to pay off your mortgage could instead be used to max out your tax-advantaged plans. This year individuals ages 50 and older can contribute $23,000 to a 401(k) plan and $6,500 to an IRA. For savers in the 25 percent federal tax bracket, contributing the maximum results in an extra $5,750 and $1,625, respectively, to grow unencumbered by federal taxes.

And the tax savings may compensate for those mortgage interest payments. We compared what would happen in two situations. In the first, a couple writes a $46,000 check to pay off the last four years of their $980 monthly mortgage payment, thereby saving $6,000 in interest. In the second, the couple continues to make their payments as scheduled and instead invests that $46,000 in their 401(k) accounts.

Since opposites attract, we had one spouse invest significantly more conservatively than the other. It turns out that asset allocation might influence your decision about whether or not to pay off a mortgage. After four years, the conservative spouse investing in a CD will have only about $2,000 in interest income to show for his $23,000. But the more aggressive partner who manages an 8 percent return will have earned $8,300.

So for extra-conservative investors—those who have two-thirds or more of their holdings in low-risk investments, such as cash and investment-grade bonds and bond funds—paying off a mortgage quicker might be the smarter move, since they most likely won’t realize a gain that’s in excess of the 3 or 4 percent interest rate that they’re paying on the mortgage. But for most investors, the reasons to stick with their mortgage loan make more sense in the long run.

Reverse mortgages should be a last resort

Apart from the other disadvantages of prepaying a conventional mortgage, we think that a reverse mortgage should be a last resort for the cash-strapped. An extra layer of fees makes those compounding loans one of the more expensive ways to tap your home equity. And new rules from the Federal Housing Administration have made them more difficult to obtain. Prospective borrowers, who must be 62 or older, now must demonstrate that they will be able to cover the property taxes, insurance, and other costs of maintaining the residence.

Even if you still qualify for a reverse mortgage under the new, stricter guidelines, see if there are other less costly financing options first. Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, recommends looking into local government grants or an interfamily loan, where other family members advance the homeowner money and use the property as collateral. In essence, the latter would be a “private reverse mortgage,” allowing you to keep the home in the family.

 This article also appeared in the March 2014 issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser.

Original article:   Should you pay off your mortgage?

By Chris Horymski   February 28, 2014 4:00 PM

4 Signs You’re Ready to Sell Your Home - Tony Landaverde, Realtor

The decision to put your home on the market shouldn’t be made in haste, but it also can’t be dragged out.

Economic uncertainty and rising mortgage rates are causing potential home sellers to flip flop in their decision making, and being not committal to the process will hurt the selling price.
“It has become more commonplace for homeowners to put their homes on the market, but choose not to make the updates or repairs likely needed to more easily sell the home,” says Rob Pajon, vice president of product and marketing at real estate company USRES/RES.NET. “In some cases, people are still unsure of whether selling is the right decision and might be emotionally attached to the home, which makes investing in major changes difficult.”
There’s no set formula to decide if you are ready to hang the “for sale” sign, but experts identify four signs that hint it’s time:

• 1  You Have a Game Plan

  
  
  Serious sellers typically have an idea of where their next home is going to be located.
  “Having a game plan, at least generally, as to where your replacement home will be, greatly helps determine the future,” says Leslie Piper, consumer housing specialist for Realtor.com. A game plan “is a motivating factor to some sellers.”
  What’s more, having a general idea of the next neighborhood hinges on having an estimated listing price of how much home you can afford.  You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you sell your house and can’t afford the new one, or you can’t secure a mortgage because you don’t have a large enough down payment.
  
  
  

• 2  You’re No Longer Emotionally Attached to Home

  
  
  “If you have any emotions about the home, you are really not ready to sell,” says Brendon DeSimone, Zillow's real estate expert. “If you are still connected to it, you are not going to listen to your realtor and you are not going to do what it takes to sell.”
  Sellers have to view their home as a product, no longer their home, he says.
  
  
  

• 3  You are Financially Ready to Make the Leap

  
  Sellers ready to hit the market have usually perused real estate listing websites, checked out mortgage calculators and, in some cases, been pre-approved for a new mortgage.
  “The first sign that homeowners are ready to sell is that they are financially ready,” says Pajon. “The next sign is that they evaluate and determine they are financially prepared for the costs associated with purchasing a new home: taking into account the down payment, closing costs and moving expenses.”
  
  
  

• 4  You are Ready to Make Changes

  
  Sellers who are still emotionally attached to a home will likely resist major changes or upgrades, whether it’s a new paint color or kitchen upgrades, which could compromise asking price and a quick sale.
  “Nowadays, sellers have to invest the time and energy to do a little renovating,” says DeSimone. “If you are not investing the time or energy to get it done then you really aren’t ready.”
  
  Original Article at:   4 Signs You’re Ready to Sell Your Home
  
  
  By Donna Fuscaldo  Published February 19, 2014  FOXBusiness

Make Classic Moon Pies at Home - Tony Landaverde, Realtor

Mardi Gras is Tuesday, March 4, and this year as part of our Fat Tuesday celebration, we asked recipe developer Raquel Pelzel to create a homemade version of MoonPies, a classic treat often tossed from the floats during parades in the Gulf Coast.

Although the MoonPie was born in Tennessee, it’s really a staple in the Gulf South—Mobile, Alabama, even drops an illuminated MoonPie for New Year’s Eve, so we thought who better than Pelzel, who worked with David Guas on his book, DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style, to help us create this recipe.

Hers is a chocolate-covered graham-cracker-and-marshmallow sandwich that improves in flavor a day after it’s made, meaning these moonpies will travel well to the parade route or neighborhood Carnival block party.

CLASSIC MOONPIES yield: Makes about 1 dozen moonpies
active time: 2 hours
total time: 7 hours

INGREDIENTS 

For the marshmallow layer:

• Vegetable oil for brushing pan
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting marshmallows
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons powdered unflavored gelatin (from 2 to 3 envelopes)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the graham crackers:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons Steen’s cane syrup or dark molasses
• 1 tablespoon honey

For the chocolate coating:

• 1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Nonstick vegetable-oil spray
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, at room temperature

• Equipment:Pastry brush, 15- by 10-inch jelly roll pan, fine-mesh sieve, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and paddle, candy thermometer, small offset spatula, 3-inch round cookie cutter, 2 1/2- to 2 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, parchment paper, rolling pin, 2 large rimmed baking sheets

PREPARATION
Make the marshmallows: 
Brush the bottom and sides of a 15- by 10-inch jelly roll pan with vegetable oil. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the bottom and sides of the pan with 1/4 cup of the sifted confectioners’ sugar, leaving any excess in the pan.
Place 6 tablespoons of the cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin into the bowl and whisk briefly to make sure all the gelatin is in contact with water. Let soften while you make the sugar syrup.
In a heavy, small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and the remaining 6 tablespoons cold water. Place over moderate heat and bring to a full boil (the mixture will become clear), stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Put a candy thermometer into the boiling sugar syrup and continue boiling, without stirring, for 5 minutes, then increase the heat to moderately high and continue boiling, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 240°F (soft-ball stage), about 5 more minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand until the bubbles dissipate slightly.
With the mixer on low, pour the sugar syrup into the softened gelatin in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Gradually increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the marshmallow forms a very thick ribbon when the whisk is lifted (the marshmallow will still be slightly warm), about 5 minutes.
Scrape the marshmallow into the prepared pan (it will be very sticky) and use wet fingertips to spread it evenly; smooth the top with a wet offset spatula. Dust the remaining 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar over the top of the marshmallows, then cover the pan with plastic wrap, being careful not to let the plastic wrap touch the marshmallow as they will stick together. Set the marshmallow aside to firm up, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Once the marshmallows are firm, use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out 12 marshmallow circles—you will need to cut the marshmallows very close together so there are very few scraps. Dust the marshmallows with additional confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking DO AHEAD: Marshmallows can be stored, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper, in an airtight container in a dry place at cool room temperature, for 1 week.

Make the graham crackers:
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and a second rack in the lower third then preheat to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the cane syrup and honey and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixer bowl then reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, add the flour mixture, and blend just until no streaks of flour remain, 1 to 2 minutes—the mixture will be a little crumbly.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Place 1 half on a large sheet of parchment paper then cover with a second large piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough, between the sheets of parchment paper, to a 1/8-inch thickness. Remove the top layer of parchment and use a 2 1/2 to 2 3/4-inch round cookie cutter to press as many circles into the dough as possible. Use a small offset spatula to transfer the graham crackers to a large rimmed baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them then re-roll and cut any scraps of dough to make more circles. Repeat this process with the remaining portion of dough.
Bake the graham crackers, switching the baking pans between the upper and lower racks and rotating the pans about halfway through baking, until the graham crackers are firm around the edges and golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the graham crackers to a wire rack to let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Graham crackers can be baked ahead and kept, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 week.

Melt the chocolate and assemble the moonpies: 
Sandwich 2 graham crackers around 1 marshmallow then repeat with the remaining graham crackers and marshmallows until you have 12 moon pie “sandwiches.” (There may be a few leftover graham crackers.)
Coat a wire rack with nonstick vegetable oil spray and set it on top of a parchment paper– lined large rimmed baking sheet.

Place about 2/3 of the chocolate in a dry metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water and stir until melted and warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining chocolate to the bowl and remove the bowl from the top of the pot. Let cool 5 minutes then stir until smooth. Stir in the coconut oil until incorporated thoroughly.

Hold 1 moonpie “sandwich” firmly in 1 hand and roll the sides through the melted chocolate, making sure the sides are completely coated so you don’t see any marshmallow peeking through. Hold the moonpie over the bowl of chocolate and use a small spoon to pour and swirl chocolate over the top; invert onto the rack and coat the other side in chocolate. Repeat with the remaining graham cracker–marshmallow “sandwiches.” Transfer the chocolate-dipped moonpies to a cool place to let the chocolate coating harden for 1 to 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Moonpies can be made ahead and kept, layered between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 5 days.

Original Article at:  Make Classic Moon Pies at Home

By Sara Bonisteel   Epicurious  Feb 27, 2014

Can't Wait To Make This - The Ultimate Beef Wellington

Ok, my friends who know me know I love to cook and that when I do...  I never follow recipe's...  There are occasions however when I find a dish that I've never made, so I do need some guidance.  Here is one of those occasions.  I can't wait to try this, but for my first couple of attempts I will be following the recipe...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef Wellington

 

 

Directions
For the Beef:

To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Shingle the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef. Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Top with coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into thick slices. Garnish with minced chives, and serve with Green Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Warm Wilted Winter Greens.
Green Peppercorn Sauce:

Add olive oil to pan after removing beef. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme; saute for 1 to 2 minutes, then, off heat, add brandy and flambe using a long kitchen match. After flame dies down, return to the heat, add stock and reduce by about half. Strain out solids, then add 2 cups cream and mustard. Reduce by half again, then shut off heat and add green peppercorns.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh Herbs and Garlic:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking sheet inside to heat.

Add potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Remove sheet pan from oven, lightly coat with olive oil, and pour potatoes onto pan. Place potatoes in oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F. Roast for 20 minutes, or until crispy on outside and tender on inside.
Warm Wilted Winter Greens:

Cook honey and balsamic together over medium-high heat in a large saute pan, about 5 minutes. Toast walnuts in a small skillet; set aside to cool.

Pile greens on a platter. Stir mustard into balsamic-honey dressing, then whisk in about 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil; pour over greens. Season greens with salt and pepper and garnish with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, shavings of Parmesan, and shallot.

Original Article at:  The Ultimate Beef Wellington

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2008