Category Archives: Health and Fitness

Health and Fitness, Internal, Lifestyles

Cooking 101 – Simple Tips And Tricks To Make You A Better Chef

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By Will Hanran

When you’re thinking about taking up a hobby, consider cooking. Cooking is often overlooked because you are probably doing so much of it, but the truth is that cooking can be a wonderful source of relaxation for the home chef, as well as a way to create and explore. Here are a few tips to help your cooking exploration.

Make sure that you have the place settings set beforehand so that you can reduce the stress that you will have when you are bringing your food to the table. High levels of stress do not mix well when you are cooking, given the danger, so you will want to reduce this as much as possible.

When deep frying foods, hold the food below the oil with the tongs for a few seconds. Holding the food under the oil for around five seconds will create a useful seal around the food. This seal will work to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

To improve your level of convenience in the kitchen, one of the things that you can do is to freeze the excess sauces that you create, in ice cube trays. This will allow you to reheat them when you need sauce again and also to save money on the excess sauce that you kept.

As you cook your meal during the course of the night, make sure that you taste it at several different points. This will allow you to pinpoint exactly when it is done, so that you do not run the risk of overcooking it. Tasting your food is important to achieve the quality you desire. Looking for an indoor grill? Check out the electric Hamilton Beach Grill and see why this little indoor grill is big on features and flavor.

When it comes to cooking, a good habit to do after preparing garlic is to rub your hands on the stainless steel sink vigorously for about 30 seconds. This will remove the unwanted odor from your hands. Washing them less than 30 seconds will not take all the odor away.

When you are cooking for your family, try not to stick to one style. If you cook the same meal over and over, it can get boring and your family will become jaded with the dishes that you make. Change things up every night so that you can introduce new meals and cuisines to your family.

One important tip to remember when cooking dishes focuses on the size of the dish being prepared. The smaller the dish is that you are cooking, the higher the baking temperature and less time needed to cook the dish. Smaller dishes generally take only a few minutes at high temperatures to fully cook.

You may or may not have heard of schmaltz, but it is a very useful component when cooking. Schmaltz, otherwise known as chicken fat, is very rich. The flavor of schmaltz is deeper than duck fat and can be used for many things, such as cooking meats or poaching fish.

Plan your meals in advance. One of the biggest time wasters is engaging in the “what am I going to fix for dinner?” debate. Often, we could have dinner on the table by the time we fuss with examining the options. Over the weekend – or whenever your free time occurs – think through the upcoming week and loosely plan four or five meals you know your family will enjoy. This advance planning allows you the time to stock your fridge and pantry with the items you need.

Be certain to use only wines that you enjoy as ingredients in your recipes. You risk the final flavor of any dish if you make it with an unfamiliar wine or one with an off taste. Look through your grocery store to find wines that are used specifically for cooking.

If you and your significant other loves cooking, then consider taking a cooking class for couples! Couples cooking classes can help you explore new cuisines, enjoy each other’s company and also learn more about working together in the kitchen. A well-kept secret is that the guys enjoy these classes as much as the ladies and it often leads to the fellows taking a greater role in cooking at home.

Take these tips and use them in your dishes to make them come alive. Serve them to guests, bask in the compliments and then do it all over again. The wonderful thing about cooking as a hobby is that you can always recreate or create anew; you’ll always need something to eat!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Will_Hanran/2496001

Financial, Health and Fitness

What Separates the Wealthy from the Majority – Education

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Do the wealthy know ways to make money that are unknown to everyone else? You better believe it!

John D. Rockefeller, one of early Americaā€™s richest tycoons, once said, ā€œI have ways of making money that you know nothing of.ā€ How does that make you feel? Shouldnā€™t everyone know the best ways to make money and create a prosperous future?

But the fact remains that there are wealth-building principles that are common knowledge to the wealthy but are largely unknown by the majority of the population.

So why is the average citizen in the dark?

How money works is simply not taught in schools. I originally bookmarked this article about states lagging behind in teaching students about money in 2014. At the time, only 4 states required high school students to complete a personal finance class to earn their high school diploma. Has the situation improved in the past 6 years?

Well a little but not much. While 21  states in the U.S. include personal finance in at least one high school class, only 6 now require it for graduation.Ā¹  And even if you’re fortunate enough to have enrolled in one of these classes, who’s to say whether or not you got a qualified educator. According to a study done by Fox News, teachers are often not trained in personal finance themselves so they’re ā€œafraid that students will ask questions that they donā€™t have the answers to” and steer clear. Ā²

Interestingly, all 50 states teach a class on sex ed. So the one thing you can learn on your own, they teach. And the one thing youā€™ll never learn on your own, they donā€™t. Go figure.

Actually, it does figure.

Think about it. If the financial industry were to educate consumers about money savviness, people might stop socking away so much of it in low-interest savings accounts that earn less than a 1% rate of return. And before you leave the branch do they offer you a brochure on financial concepts to help you get out of debt, avoid money missteps, and start saving like the wealthy?

Pfffā€”yeah right!

No. Itā€™s like, if youā€™re dumb enough to open a low-interest savings account and take the free lollipop (itā€™s like their sucker litmus test), then theyā€™ll try to sell you a car loan at 6% interestĀ³ . What a deal. You earn less than 1%ā€”they earn 6%. Itā€™s like a lose-lose for you, but you still thank them on the way out.

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Hard to fathom there are that many suckers? Itā€™s trueā€¦

The financial industry thrives on customers who are stuck in the ā€œSucker Cycleā€ of foolish spending. While consumers are binging on Netflix, shipping on Amazon, and ordering from DoorDash, institutions are quietly leveraging the power of compound interest to make their customersā€™ money work for themselves. While consumers live paycheck-to-paycheck, financial institutions and shrewd businesses build profits sucker-to-sucker.

For most people, earning (and spending) a paycheck is the extent of their experience. But the wealthy know the real deal. To become financially independent, you must know the concepts and strategies to save, protect, and grow your money. You have to have a sound financial eduction.

Did this article make you mad? Hopefully, it did.

So what do you do about it? You stop taking the sucker and you stop being the sucker. You learn how to take control of spending, protecting, saving, and investing your money. How? step1 – You read the book, ā€œHowMoneyWorks, Stop Being a Sucker.ā€ It will only take about an hour.

Donā€™t have a copy? Contact me and Iā€™ll help you get one.

Step 2 – Use that anger to fuel action.  Attend the next How Money Works master class, Part 1. Announcement coming soon!

Afterwards, reach out to me and say, ā€œNow that I know the ways of making money Rockefeller spoke of, Iā€™m ready to chart my own course to financial independence.ā€ We have a clear action plan for you to follow called ā€œThe 7 Money Milestones.ā€ Iā€™ll help you check off each one.

Letā€™s do it together.

(1) https://www.councilforeconed.org/survey-of-the-states-2020/

(2) https://financialeducatorscouncil.org/financial-literacy-statistics/

(3) https://marketwatch.com/story/new-car-loans-hit-highest-interest-rates-in-a-decade-2019-04-02/

Financial, Health and Fitness, Physical, Uncategorized

The FULL COST of Smoking Cigarettes

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Cool cigarette smoking guys

This is how smoking is usually pictured when the cigarette companies used to freely play mind games to convince you to smoke.

Nowadays, not many would argue the fact that smoking is bad for you. Itā€™s linked to lung cancer and heart disease, and is associated with nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States.Ā¹ Yet so many people, even some I know personally still smoke despite the health consequences.Ā  Besides ruining your physical health, smoking can also seriously ruin your financial health.

The upfront cost of smoking
Cigarettes arenā€™t cheap. Prices per pack vary from $5.25 in Missouri to $12.85 in New York, but the national average comes out to around $6.28.Ā²’Ā³ Smoking a pack per day will run you $44 per week, $188 per month, and $2,292 per year. Over 20 years youā€™ll have spent $91,671 on cigarettes. You’ve literally burned almost 6 figures!

If you got it like Granny, then ‘burn baby burn’, I guess.

Health care costs of smoking
Besides the up front cost, there are more subtle costs associated with what I’ve heard some say is their way to relieve stress. Extra doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital bills, and other treatments all cost money, and smoking increases your chances of needing those at some point in your future. In total, smoking-related illness costs the United States over $300 billion per year.ā“ Smokers also have to face higher insurance costs because of the health risks presented by their habit. All told, smoking one pack per day costs around $15,000 a year, or $40 per pack.āµ Having $15,000 go up in smoke sounds pretty stressful to me.

The opportunity cost of smoking
Opportunity cost is a concept covered in economics and business courses. So unless you’ve taken both at the K-12 and collegiate level like I have you might be drawing a blank here. In a nutshell, it’s FOMO realized. In other words, (for my non Gen Z & Millennial readers) what are you missing out on because you decided to spend resources on a different option.

In our smoking scenario it means what could you have done with that $15,000? Did you want to start building a business but found yourself short on start-up funds? Maybe that could be the foundation of your childā€™s college fund or inheritance. Or is it that vacation you desperately want to take (of course while still keeping your physical distance; not trying to sort out catch dat ‘rona). Is your habit costing you the potential to live on your terms and start building your future?

Anyone who may be reading this and is struggling to quit smoking, I understand that it’s hard but keep trying. I want to see you reach your full potential and stop missing out one life-changing opportunities. Check out these resources from theĀ CDC. And share your story in the comments.

(1) https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

(2) https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/cigarette-prices-by-state/

(3) https://smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/why-you-should-quit/how-much-will-you-save

(4) https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/economics/econ_facts/index.htm#:~:text=Smoking%2Drelated%20illness%20in%20the,%24300%20billion%20each%20year%2C%20including%3A&text=Nearly%20%24170%20billion%20for%20direct,due%20to%20secondhand%20smoke%20exposure

(5) https://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits/events/flyers/tobacco-free/hidden-cost-of-smoking.pdf

Fashion Forum, Financial, Health and Fitness, Lifestyles

Putting it all together

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So if you’ve checked out this blog in the past few months, you may have come across the New Beginnings post. Unfortunately that effort has been DELAYED, not cancelled due to some timing and technical issues recording and editing the videos. So we’re going to move forward with more posts starting this week.

But if you’re a long-time follower, you undoubtedly remember our Divorce Your Job & Keep the House series from back in 2015. Well we’re happy to report that the series of blog posts (that was never completed, we know and we’re sorry šŸ˜ž) will now be released as an online course. Now I, Ms. ME, know what you’re thinking:

  • I don’t have the time for a long drawn out course āŒš
  • I don’t have the money šŸ’°
  • I’m afraid of failing, lack of support šŸ˜Ø
  • I have an idea of what I want to do but don’t know where to start šŸ˜µ

SHUT ALL OF THAT NEGATIVITY DOWN NOW!!! And flip it…

  • You don’t have any more time to waste doing something that doesn’t speak to your dreams and passions. šŸ
    And I promise this course will not be long. In fact the intro is only about 30 minutes .
  • You have the money for my FREE masterclass. What’s more every attendee will walk away with a my FREE side-gig starter pack.
  • You will conquer FEAR (false expectations appearing real) and step into the life you were meant to live. I will support you.
  • That’s GREAT that you have an idea!!! I’ve done it before, I’ve taught others and I’m ready to show you where to start.

So what’s next? šŸ¤·šŸ¾ā€ā™€ļøšŸ¤·šŸ¾ā€ā™‚ļø

Register now for the FREE master class happening Sunday, July 19th at 4 PM EST.

Will your idea be the next big thing founded in a time of crisis, like so many of the big, well-known companies of today? Only if you have a plan! Can’t wait to help you make yours.šŸ˜Š

Until then, why not go back and check out those past blog posts…

Financial, Health and Fitness, Lifestyles

Start that side hustle like a pro!

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If you’ve visited this blog before, you’ve heard us talk about your ā€œhustleā€ or ā€œside gig.ā€

There even was a series of posts about transitioning your side-gig into your main gig. Itā€™s in style; and it makes senseā€”and cents? Gigs are now just a click or tap away on most of our devices, and a little extra money never hurts!

But what we haven’t done is given you specific tips on successfully starting that side-gig. We’ve talked about what you could do, but not so much about how to do whatever you decide to do. Here are a few things to consider when starting up a side hustle.

Checklist Free Stock Photo - Public Domain Pictures

What are your side hustle goals? We typically think of a side hustle as being an easy way to score a little extra cash. But they can sometimes be gateways into bigger things. Do you have skills that youā€™d like to develop into a full time career? A passion that you can turn into a business? Or do you just need some serious additional income to pay down debt? These considerations can help you determine how much time and money you invest into your gig and what gigs to pursue.

What are your marketable skills? Some gigs donā€™t require many skills beyond a serviceable car and a driverā€™s license. But others can be great outlets for your hobbies and skills. Love writing? Start freelancing on your weekends. Got massive gains from hours at the gym and love the outdoors? Start doing moving jobs in your spare time. You might be surprised by the demand for your passions!

Keep it reasonable Burnout is no joke. Some people thrive on 80 hour work weeks between jobs and side hustles, but donā€™t feel pressured to bite off more than you can chew. Consider how much youā€™re willing to commit to your gigs and donā€™t exceed that limit.

One great thing about side hustles is their flexibility. You choose your level of commitment, you find the work, and your success can depend on how much you put in. Consider your goals and inventory your skills to get thereā€”and start hustling!