Clever Cooking: Homemade Liqueurs
Specialty schnapps, liqueurs, and cordials are an elegant addition to many beverages and dessert dishes. They also make excellent gifts to hosts and hostesses or for holidays. But those of the highest quality may be expensive imports, and even if reasonably priced may be of limited availability in your area. Luckily, preparing your own liqueur, schnapps, or cordials for your own use or for gift giving is remarkably easy and inexpensive.
The equipment required is usually nothing more than a glass container that can be sealed tightly, a dark cupboard to keep the recipe in while steeping and aging, and a mesh strainer. Bottles for the final product can be bought relatively inexpensively; you can also reuse glass bottles you already have on hand.
The basic ingredients required are liquor (inexpensive, neutral vodka is a good choice), sugar, and one or more ingredients to add flavor. These ingredients are combined in a glass container which can be tightly closed. This is placed in a cool, dark place to steep for three or more weeks, being occasionally shaken or stirred. After steeping, the liquid is strained and can be bottled for use or gift giving. Some flavors benefit from a further aging of several weeks. A wide variety of ingredients can be used, including fresh or frozen fruit, spices and seasonings, coffee, or cocoa.
Understanding Electrolytes
Electrolytes are crucial to health. Essentially, the term refers to a group of minerals that are present in the bloodstream and assist cell function. Because electrolytes carry a minute electrical charge (for which they are named) they are an integral element in cellular communication. Many vital bodily processes, particularly those related to the neurological system, rely on specific electrolytes to function.
For example, heart beat regulation and muscle function depend heavily upon adequate levels of potassium being present in the body. Two other electrolytes, sodium and chloride, affect fluid levels in the body, including hydration. Sodium regulates the total amount of water in the body, while chloride provides balance between all types of bodily fluids. Bicarbonate, yet another electrolyte, maintains proper acidity levels in the circulatory system.
A serious increase or decrease outside of normal levels of any one of these necessary minerals can be very quickly devastating, or even fatal. Heart arrhythmia is one consequence of electrolyte deficiency which results in death.
Maintaining one’s electrolyte levels by receiving proper hydration is key. Increased levels are not particularly common, and usually result from certain types of kidney or liver diseases. Decreased levels, however, can result from severe dehydration following diarrhea, vomiting, excessive sweating, or eating disordered behaviors.
Best Budget Traveling: Research and Plan Ahead
You may have a tight budget for this year’s vacation, but spending less doesn’t mean having a less enjoyable trip. Many people spend far more than they need to by planning last minute or not doing thorough research. One can enjoy exactly the same quality of amenities and entertainment for considerably less by following some economical advice.
Research is paramount. Choosing the first acceptable options for flights, hotels, restaurants, and tours often means choosing from those that market the most extensively. Because they have an advertising advantage, these providers may get away with charging more than equally high quality competitors who reach fewer potential customers. Finding good independent sources for information about your destination will give you a better idea of what options are available. Guidebooks and reputable travel forums are a good choice. A source that isn’t profiting from your choosing the most expensive option is more reliable than brochures from a travel agent or a marketing package.
Of equal fundamental value is planning your vacation well in advance. Often businesses in tourist locations offer considerable discounts when you book reservations during the off-season, even if your reservations are for travel during peak visiting. Airline flights also can offer significant savings when booked well ahead of departure. Don’t rely solely on flight comparison sites, either. At times, booking flights directly through an airline may offer more choices.
Western US Roofing Resources
Due to the pervasive marketing techniques of certain home construction and maintenance companies on the West Coast, it can be a hassle researching and contacting a professional that fits your specific needs and budget. For example, calling telephone listings which give insufficient information is a time consuming way to find the Orange County roofing contractor best for your project. And radio commercials or those on TV give you even more limited and potentially unreliable information. Newspaper ads are not any more effective.
Thanks to the ease of updating information and providing consumer feedback on the internet, an online directory of local roofing professionals is the best choice for finding accurate information on a large selection of roofers. If you live in Arizona, and want to find a Pima County roof repair specialist, for example, a directory can help.
Third party sources, like directories which list multiple contractors, are more likely to include a wide variety of choices based on performance and value rather than marketing budget. Using an online directory you can also very easily narrow the field of choices down to those which fit the challenges posed by your particular project.
A company which overcharges for shoddy workmanship may sink more of their profit into advertising dollars than one which uses the best materials and hires the most experienced workers. You’re not likely to contact the latter company because you heard their name on the radio, but you are almost guaranteed to find their listing online. Whether you want to find a certified roof installer in Fresno, or an inspector in LA, look online first.