1.Bonsai Seeds Collect mature bonsai seeds. If you collect your seeds from a fruit tree, you will have to plant them right away. If not, you can store them in a dark and dry area with a nice air flow. If you plant your seeds right away, remember to use an environmentally safe plastic bag as well. 2. Refrigerate your seeds before planting. You need to have your bonsai seeds in the refrigerator for about a week before you plant them. Soak them in water the night before you plant them. The ones that are the ripest will sink to the bottom. These are the ones you will have to use when planting your bonsai seeds. 3. Select a container to plant your bonsai tree in. This can be tricky because if you choose a smaller container, you will have to re-pot it quite often as it grows. Line your container with plastic and have a way for the water to drain from the container. Roots that sit in water too long will rot leaving you with a dead tree and you will have to repeat the entire process over again! 4.Add a layer of sand to your container first then cover the sand with rich potting soil. You want to choose a potting soil that is rich in nutrients and well balanced. This will ensure your bonsai tree roots will grow healthily. 5.Dig small holes in the soil using your finger then place seeds into the holes. Once you have placed the seeds in the soil you can add another layer of soil on top of the seeds. 6.Place your containers in a dry and dark area with a nice air flow as before. Be sure you cover the container with a light net material or even a cotton sheet just to keep the dust away. Using a spray water bottle, you can mist the tops of your seeds with enough water to dampen the soil. After a month or so they will start to sprout up and this is when you can move them into direct sunlight and be fertilized as well.
The body’s natural relaxation response is a powerful antidote to stress. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and yoga can help you activate this relaxation response. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in your everyday stress levels and a boost in your feelings of joy and serenity. What’s more, they also serve a protective quality by teaching you how to stay calm and collected in the face of life’s curveballs.
Starting a relaxation practice A variety of relaxation techniques help you achieve the relaxation response. Those whose stress-busting benefits have been widely studied include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, visualization, yoga, and tai chi.
Learning the basics of these relaxation techniques isn’t difficult. But it takes practice to truly harness their stress-relieving power: daily practice, in fact. Most stress experts recommend setting aside at least 10 to 20 minutes a day for your relaxation practice. If you’d like to get even more stress relief, aim for 30 minutes to an hour.
Getting the most out of your relaxation practice Set aside time in your daily schedule. The best way to start and maintain a relaxation practice is by incorporating it into your daily routine. Schedule a set time either once or twice a day for your practice. You may find that it’s easier to stick with your practice if you do it first thing in the morning, before other tasks and responsibilities get in the way.
Don’t practice when you’re sleepy. These techniques can relax you so much that they can make you very sleepy, especially if it’s close to bedtime. You will get the most out of these techniques if you practice when you’re fully awake and alert.
Choose a technique that appeals to you. There is no single relaxation technique that is best. When choosing a relaxation technique, consider your specific needs, preferences, and fitness level. The right relaxation technique is the one that resonates with you and fits your lifestyle.
Hot cocoa is a deliciously warm and comforting drink that I like to serve with lots of little white marshmallows floating on top. Unlike hot chocolate that combines milk with semisweet chocolate, Hot Cocoa starts with good unsweetened cocoa powder combined with sugar and just enough milk or cream to make a smooth paste. Then hot milk (skim, 2%, or whole) is added to this cocoa paste and stirred until it is thoroughly blended. Sometimes I like to place the hot cocoa in a blender (or you can use an immersion blender) to make it nice and foamy. Finish your hot cocoa without a large handful of marshmallows (store bought or homemade) or else a dollop of whipped cream. You may not know it but cocoa powder was invented back in the early 1800s by a Dutchman named Coenraad Van Houten. He made a press that could extract the cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor, leaving a dry cake. This cake was further dried and processed to become unsweetened cocoa powder. Van Houten then went on to discover that if the unsweetened cocoa powder was treated with an alkaline solution it produced a cocoa powder that was darker in color and softer in flavor than what he began with. It became known as 'Dutch-processed' cocoa powder. The reason I tell this story is Dutch-processed cocoa powder is what I use to make my hot cocoa. While you could use regular unsweetened cocoa powder I find the flavor of Dutch-processed makes for a mild yet flavorful drink. Droste is the brand I use and you can sometimes find it in grocery stores, or else at specialty food stores or on line.
Hot Cocoa: Place the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is nice and hot.
Meanwhile in your mug or cup, make a paste with the cocoa powder, sugar, and cream. Pour the hot milk into the cocoa paste and stir until combined and smooth. You can place the hot cocoa in your blender (or use an immersion blender) to make it nice and foamy.
Garnish with marshmallows or softly whipped cream.
Makes 1 - 8 ounce (240 ml) serving.
Hot Cocoa Recipe:
3/4 cup (180 ml) milk (skim, 2%, or whole)
1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I use Droste of Valrhona)
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons of cream or milk
For Garnish:
Marshmallows or softly whipped cream
Sources
Bigelow, Fran. 'Pure Chocolate'. New York: Broadway Books.: 2004.
Bloom, Carole, 'All About Chocolate'. New York: MacMillan, Inc.: 1998.
Rinzler, Carol Ann. 'The Book of Chocolate'. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1977.
Singapore, the smallest country in SoutheastAsia, has a highly developed market-based economy. One of the “ Four Asian Tigers”. A well-developed country and considered as one of the best destinations for Filipinos seeking opportunities abroad.
One of the main reason to land a job in Singapore is the salary which is much higher compared to our country and other foreign countries. If you finished a bachelor degree you will enjoy the monthly minimum income of Singapore Dollar SGD 1, 800 exchange rate in Philippines of SG$1 IS Php29. Around Php 50, 000 plus. But the salary has no limit you can earn thousands , it depends on your position and expertise. For IT’s they could reallyget a high paying job.
Another reason is easy access.From Philippines you only need to travel 3 hours with air fare ranging from Php 2000 To Php 5000. Regardless of other expenses upon staying in Singapore, going there is not so expensive. Since Singapore is an ASEAN country member, visa is not needed. Just take note the two things you need to have- your Passport, and your Plane Ticket.
You can go to Singapore by lack, by chances. You can use a tourist pass.In most cases immigration personnel will grant a 1 month stay and you can ask more extension of another 1 month. In this given period of time you can look and apply for a job. For longer period you can apply a social visit pass or the EPEC (Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate). In Singapore most job opportunities are online. Just be sure you’re already in Singapore once you applied, so that your application will not be wasted. Much more you are not binded to a contract, after 6 months of good performance you become a regular employee. You can then apply for Permanent Residence Pass. If it is approved you can now bring your whole family to live there. Canadian citizenship can be attained if you stay for consecutive two years.
Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate so basically Filipinos could adjust and adapt easily the climate. For our Filipino workers climate is not a threat. Singapore also is considered as the most clean country. So when it comes to health, staying there is not a problem.
For Filipinos seeking for greener pastures, Singapore is one of the best choice today. Always consider a country having a good economy, this could give you a more promising future, not only for you but for your family. All you have to do is to grab all the chances once you’re there never waste your time, specially if you have no job yet. Prepare necessary documents needed in applying the job. Work hard, to earn big in Singapore.
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Think great cake decorating is only for the really talented? Well we disagree! You, (with a little know how and practice) can decorate beautiful cakes that will impress your family and friends. Even experts and professionals should revisit the basics from time to time. We’ll cover the tools, supplies and design ideas you need to get started.
Advanced Cake Decorating Tips & Techniques
As your confidence as a cake decorator grows, so too does your arsenal of decoration tricks – pretty soon people are asking you to make cakes for their weddings, anniversaries and birthdays.
A neatly iced sponge with a sugar flower on top is hardly going to cut it for such extravagant occasions, no sir. To be crowned an advanced cake decorator, you’re going to have to pull out the big guns. Create the monster truck of decorated cakes. The Super Bowl of sugar-coated perfection.
Luckily for you there are a raft of tips and techniques that you can take on board to create an edible masterpiece.
How to Raise the Bar
There are certain extra details that turn a nicely decorated cake into an absolute monument. And for those who have perfected the basics of cake decorating, you will be surprised how little extra effort is actually required to produce the variety of cake that even a pastry chef would be proud of.
Fondant Flowers
Make unique fondant flowers to match the theme of your cake and you will graduate from icing amateur to sugar paste ace overnight.
Start out perfecting the basics of:
Daffodils
Sunflowers
Mushrooms and
Petal Dust
To mold these little marvels make sure your toolbox includes:
Flower formers
Petal cutters
A fondant rolling pin
Fondant shaping foam
Several small artist brushes
Cake Tiers
Big really is best when it comes to building a cake that will be the pièce de résistance of a special occasion. The trick to building a strong tier cake is hinged upon some very basic foundations:
Ensure your cake is firm, not airy – this may take some serious baking practice, trial and error.
Cut the layers evenly – be very precise. The baked top and bottom of the cake should be trimmed off to remove any bowing that occurred in baking.
Don’t overfill – if using filling ensure it is thin and evenly spread. Otherwise you will notice a Leaning Tower of Pisa effect.
Always ice each layer on a flat surface and wait until entirely set before attempting to tier it.
Use pillars – when starting out it is often a good idea to use cake pillars to help you stack tiers.
Crumb Coat
And oldie but a goodie. Frost the first layer of your cake with a thin covering of butter cream icing to smooth off the crumbs and then refrigerate it for 1-2 hours. This will provide you with a great foundation for an advanced cake.
Decorating Turntable
When icing your cake, ensure you do so on a turntable, otherwise known as a “Lazy Susan”. This will allow you to spin your cake while icing and ensure that you do not lift your spatula off the cake and ice with upward motions.
Practice
Really does make perfect in the world of cake decoration:
Practice baking a cake that can withstand tiering.
Practice evening out your layering.
Practice icing on a turntable.
Practice using your spatula without lifting it off the cake while icing.
Practice making fondant flowers until there is little difference between your designs and the real thing.
Cake Decorating Tips & Techniques Video
Today we’re going to be talking about cake decorating. Our theme is going to be, “How to make roses.” Now we’re going to make the rose. I have a rose nail in my hand and I want you to watch as I turn that carefully when I make the rose. One of the thing you want to do when you make the rose in have a place to build up on your pattern so that the rose stands up.
You do that with a pumping action, going up and down. And what your going to try to do is make you rose a little bit higher that the other flowers that you have. In order to make the rose it’s real simple. You pump frosting onto your rose nail. And once you get the icing pumped, then you begin to make little petals by making a circular motion back and forth.
Watch what I do. You start with the wide tip facing down and push the icing over and come down. Go back, come over and come down, back over and come down and back over and come down. And there is your rose.
Now you need to take this rose off, so if you have a spatula, just slide it under the rose very carefully and put it on the little mound that you made for it. So let’s take a look and do one more.
Remember, we’re going to pump, get the icing built up and then we’re going to go back and forth. Start back, pull it over and go around. Your spinning the wheel as your turning the rose.
As your confidence as a cake decorator grows, so too does your arsenal of decoration tricks – pretty soon people are asking you to make cakes for their weddings, anniversaries and birthdays.