What Every Woman Should Know About Men

Women know precious little about the men in their lives. They live with them, love them, fear them, seek their advice, resent their attitudes, watch their diets, bear their children - but they don't really understand them as well as they should. But what is there to understand? Are men and women really so different? Of course they are, it is not that one sex is better or worse than the other. It's simply the sexes are different. If we can understand these differences and learn to use them creatively, all of us men and women alike, will be happier with ourselves and with each other.

• We know that men change their minds more often than women do, they are more vulnerable, they don't tolerate things as well as women do.
• Men have thicker skins and longer vocal chords. Their blood is redder, their daylight vision better, their metabolic rate is higher and more of them are left-handed.
• Men feel pain less than women do. They age earlier, but they wrinkle later. They lose weight more easily, but rich men are fatter than a rich women.
• Men's immunity against disease is weaker. They talk about themselves less, but they worry about themselves more. And they are nowhere as sensitive to others as women are.

Men, it seems, always been different. Does it really matter?
It matters very much. More than it ever has before. Women's relationships with men are in transition along with life-styles, values, and aspirations in this era of technical and cultural dislocation. Both at home and at work outside the home, women are rebelling against what they see as male dominance, male chauvinism, male exploitation, and male harassment.
Men don't see it the same way. what men see is that their power base is eroding. They are no longer undisputed lords and masters. And many of them don't quite understand why.
Once women understands why men act and feel the way they do, she can put what she has learned to immediate use. It is like having a master key that unlocks the mysteries of masculine thought and behavior.
She will not able to change him, but has to realize that he needs her more than everything else in this world.

Cakes and Puddings for A Happy Christmas

2nd RECIPE: BOILED APRICOT CAKE

250g dried apricots
125g raisins
125g dates
125g glace cherries
125g sultanas
125g currants
125g mixed peel
185g butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
0.5 cup brandy
0.25 cup apricot jam
3 eggs
1.5 cups self raising flour
1.5 cups plain flour

Chop apricots, raisins and dates, halve cherries; combine all fruits in pan with butter, sugar and water, stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar dissolved, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in brandy and jam, cover, leve to stand overnight. Next day, stir in lightly beaten eggs and sifted flours, mix well. Spread mixture into lined (bring paper 5 cm above edge of tin), deep 20cm square tin or deep 23cm round tin. Bake in moderately slow oven 2.5 hours, or until cooked when tested. Cover top of cake with aluminium foil, leave to become cold. Wrap in plastic food wrap (leave lining paper intact), then in aluminium foil, store in cool dark place for up to 4 weeks.

   

Oatmeal Crunchies

I have these recipe, that will spoil your kids. They will love these crunchy oatmeal cookies you make. Here we go:

Ingredients
250g Margarine
225g brown sugar
60g eggs
185g plain flour
1/2 tea spoon bicarbonate soda
1 tea spoon ground cinnamon
60 ml milk
1 tea spoon vanilla essence
250g minute oats
Variations:
155g roasted peanuts
185g sultanas
185g chocolate chips
185g sunflower seeds
2 medium carrots finely grated
sesame seeds for sprinkling
chocolate or glace icing (optional)

Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon together, then stir into mixture alternately with milk and vanilla. Stir in oats and variations of your choice. Place teaspoons of mixture on greased baking trays, allow room for spreading. Bake in center of a moderately hot oven at 190°C for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire cooling trays. Ice if desired. Sore in an air-tight container, serve for approx.36.

Cakes and Puddings for A Happy Christmas

Here are some great recipes to enjoy in your holiday season.

THE INGREDIENTS
Eggs: The large 60g eggs are used in all recipes. Have eggs at room temperature when making the cake or pudding.
Butter: Have butter at room temperature so that it is easier to cream.
Sugar: Brown or black sugar can be used in the recipes  which specify brown sugar. Black sugar is darker than brown and, make a richer colour to the cake; black sugar is available from health food stores. Always sift the sugar before incorporating it with other ingredients to remove any coarse lumps.

1st RECIPE: WHISKY PECAN CAKE

250g raisins
125g dates
125g glace cherries
60g mixed peel
1cup whiskey
185g butter
1.5 cups brown sugar
5 eggs
250g pecan nuts
2.5 cups plain flour
0.5 cup self raising flour
2 table spoons whiskey (extra)

Chops raisin and dates, halves cherries, combine with peel and whiskey, cover, stand two days. Cream butter with sugar until just combined, beat eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mixture might curdle at this stage, but will reconstitute after flour is added. Add creamed mixture to fruit mixture. Reserve some of the pecan halves for decorating top of cake, add remaining whole pecans to fruit mixture; mix well. Stir in sifted flours in two lots. spread mixture into  lined deep 20cm square or 23 cm round cake tin, (bring paper 5 cm above edge of tin), bake in slow oven 3 hours. Sprinkle with extra whiskey when cake is cooked, cover cake with aluminium foil, leave until cold. Re wrap cake (leaving lining paper intact) in plastic food wrap, then aluminium foil, store in cool dark place up to 6 weeks.

Wasting Time?

Tricks to get more done in less time:

1. Don't overdo overtime.One study found that worker productivity sharply declines after 50 hours a week. Make evening plans to avoid lingering.
2. Schedule even the small stuff.Looming little tasks can add up and distract you. But when a call is set, you'll forget it and focus on the project at hand.
3. Take a holiday.After some vacation you'll return with a fresh perspective and ideas.
4. Master meeting drain. Use time between meetings for jobs you can finish. 15 minutes is perfect for answering e-mail.

Little Chef

Many parents designate the kitchen as a forbidden area for kids. However there is no reason they can't help cook, even at a young age. Here are some ways to nurture your little chef.

1. Start early. Children as young as a year old can be taught sounds, colors and shapes using food. As they get older they can perform safe, simple tasks such as kneading dough.
2. Nurture curiosity. They'll want to do everything you do. If you're cracking eggs, they'll want to try it. Don't wait until they are teenagers, when they'll have other distraction.
3. Have fun. Cooking is like play. Dough is fun, if they throw it at each other, it won't hurt.
4. Educate. Kitchens are a great venues to learn about maths. If a recipes make a single serving and you're preparing three, have them adjust amounts.
5. Clean Up. Chef clean as they go. Kids can help by doing dishes or wiping benches as the food is cooking.

Please Thank

Getting kids to send some thank you notes for gift is old-fashioned, right? False, thanking people is a common courtesy. How do you encourage kids to send a note of thanks? Here we go:

• Turn it into an artistic activity. Get kids to design their own notes.
• Set aside a time for the family to write thank you notes. Make it fun.
• Use e-mail if a handwritten note is all to hard. The vehicle is less important than their expression of thanks.

Sharpen Your Mind

If you often find yourself saying, " I know this!" or "It's on the tip of my tongue," It's time to sharpen your mind. Here are ways to pump up your memory and prevent embarrassing flubs:

1. Shake things up. When your brain is stimulated, new connection are thought to form between brain cells. Turn a book or magazine upside down and read it for 3 minutes.
2. Dance. Exercise carries oxygen and blood to your brain. Complex dances strengthen connections between brain cells. Get moving with ballet or tango even line dancing.
3. Take a class. People who return to school have more active brain cells, which help protect the aging mind.

Easy Ways to Boost Immune System

Part 3: It's yours

• Seek some shade. The sun's UVB and UVA rays can reduce immunity by depleting T cells and immune activating skin cells.
• Check your home environment. Lead-based paints and toxic mould from damp carpets may affect immune function.
• Go for a stroll. Walking at a good pace for 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week, rouse the immune system and slashes your risks of illness by almost half. And don't forget to wear music gadget while you walk. Cause music may heighten immune function, because listening  can raise immunoglobulin-A levels.
• Join a choir. Singing significantly increased salivary levels of immunoglobulin-A. While more studies are needed to confirm this findings, it can't hurt to warm up those pipes.
• Update your work skills. Feeling unqualified or blaming yourself for career failures may weaken immune function. Revamping your skills and being realistic about what you can control may increase job satisfaction and reduce stress.

Faking When Shaking

Public speaking was the second people's greatest fear behind snakes, according to recent poll. To appear more poised than you feel during talks or toast, try some of this advice:

• Practise in your car, in front of the mirror, or while showering. Worried about your opening? Leave it on a voice mail to yourself. Worried about an unresponsive crowd? Practise at the cemetery, then flee!
• To take the heat off you, make it about the listeners. Tell them what they stand to gain ( the purpse is to help you) Make eye contact, and throw in a question or two to keep them engaged.
• If someone ask you question , step towards them, which look strong, instead of stepping back, which look fearful, or running in circles, which just look strange.
• Plan a graceful escape, not from giving the talk, but from rambling. To conclude, recap a few points, thank the audience, and end.

False Walk

A lifetime of walking wrongly can add up to osteoathritis as you age. Here's how to fix your gait before it's too late:

• Keep your hips level. Watch your hips when  you pass a window. Are they moving up and down? Try to stay straight and level so there is less force on your heels as you land.
• Use your knees. Bend your knees more and use your quadriceps for a longer time to cushion your body weight as you land.
• Use your feet. Step on the outside of your foot; roll to the inside to provide shock absorption.
• Float when you walk. To decrease pain, walk as if you're on clouds. Cushioned shoe inserts and good shoes can help.
• Step lightly. Just the suggestion that you land more softly on your heels can be enough to make a difference.

I Do

Two girls, aged six, were playing wedding. Their mother overheard these vows: "You have the right to remain silent. anything you say may be held against you. You have the right to have an attorney present. You may kiss the bride."

Picture This

Dean was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that tracked his speed on a radar gun and photographed his car. A week later he received a photo of his car and a ticket for $40 in the mail. Instead of paying, he sent a photograph of $40 to the police. Days later he got letter from the police containing another picture... handcuffs.

Waffling Drives You Crazy?

It may feel like a relief to know you can take back the blender you bought, but having the option may make you less satisfied with it. In a recent study, subjects were asked to take photos and select one as a souvenir. Half could swap it later if they wanted, but other had just one chance to decide. While most preferred having the right to renege, those who didn't have it ended up happier with their selection. When a decision can be reversed, your mind can't help but focus on what's wrong with your choice. But with a decision set in stone, we tend to accept it and focus on the upside.

Easy Ways to Boost Immune System

Part 2: Relaxing

• Call a friend. Chatting with a pal may trigger positive emotions. Laughing and confiding reduce the body's level of cortisol, a hormone known to surpress the immune system.
• Relax with a crossword puzzle. Stimulating brain parts that handle memory, judgement and abstract thought may elevate levels of T-cells. So try some challenging puzzles and games.
• Make love , fight bugs. Having sex once or twice a week may have higher levels of immunoglobulin-A, a virus fighting antibody developed and secreted by B cells.
• Get lots of sleep. If you're not getting around 7-8 hours a night, your chances of getting sick may increase.
• Watch a funny movie.Laughter may boost the immune system and diminish immune surpressing cortisol.
• Get a massage. Massage therapists say certain treatments prevent gridlock in lymph vessels, the immune circulatory system. Although massage may alleviate immune inhibiting stress, there are no convincing studies to prove it.
• Pray or meditate. This can reduce stress and help you get better when you're ill.

Watch Your Plate

A diet that's rich in foods are high in protein  and low on carbohydrates can increase the risk of kidney stones and reduce the body's ability to absorb calcium after just six weeks. Researchers found that six weeks on a high-protein diet increased the acid load to the kidneys, raising the risk of stones. Some diets are enjoying a revival, but although they result in weight loss in the short term, they're less successful long term and can even be hazardous.

Cactus Problem

During a guided tour of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum , a New York woman mentioned that she was raising a type of cactus in a pot on her apartment balcony. Another tourist asked her how she kept from watering it too much, because the cactus would die if over watered. "I subscribe to the Tucson newspaper," replied the woman. "Every time I read that is rained in the desert, I give my plant some water."

Room to Move

Savvy travelers know to ask for the front bulkhead seats in economy to get a little extra leg room. But are they the best place to sit? After all bulkhead seats offer no storage place in the seat in front and are often near the lavatory and galley, creating extra noise and traffic. Some tips on maximizing your space in economy:

• Ask. The best way get a good seat is to request one. Counter agents will often do what is most convenient for the airline, not you. Seat assignments can sometimes be booked by a travel agent in advance.
• Make sure that you get the seat that reclines. The last rows in a cabin section and rows near emergency exits often have seats that don't tilt back.
• Spread out. When traveling as a couple on a flight that isn't full, ask for the aisle and window seats, in the hope that no one will take the middle seats. If someone does get it, offer them the aisle or window to reunite.
• Request seats near the front of the cabin. Meals are often served earlier and you can get off quicker when deplaning.
• Show up early. The best seats go first, so don't wait until the last minute to ask for good spot.
• Size matters. Larger planes have more room. Some airlines will run a smaller, older plane and a gleaming new 747jumbo jet on the same route at different times. Get on the big one if you can.

If you are on more than a short hop in economy, it is worth the time to do a little research in advance and see where you would like to be seated. Many airlines offer seating charts on line.

It's All in the Hormones

Women may be just that little better at handling stress than men. Researchers asked a group of students to memorize a list of words. They then asked them to speak before a stern committee and perform a complex mathematical task after wards. Finally they were tested on how many of the original words they could recall. Men with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol performed badly, but no such correlation was found in the women. Since previous research with postmenopausal women had come up with the opposite results, the team believes the female hormone oestradiol may help counter stress.

Trick Expeerienced Travellers Used

Here are some top trips from a travel columnist at the New York Times:

1. Carry two credit cards separately. If one is stolen and the account is frozen, you can still feed and house yourself.
2. Airline pillowcases usually aren't changed every flight. If this bothers you, bring your own.
3. Unless you're traveling in a tropical country, pack gloves: Hands get cold on the most unexpected dates.
4. The international Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers has a directory of English-speaking doctors overseas who make office and hotel calls.
5. Don't pack more than you can lug up two flights of stairs.
6. ATMs and computer systems get knocked out, so keep cash on you. A faxed confirmation gets you into your hotel if the reservation system fails.
7. Bring film and camera batteries. Shopping for special size of film where you don't speak the language is hard.

Easy Ways to Boost Immune System

How to toughen up your defense against disease? Drawing on the latest research, here are some ideas to get you started:

Part 1: Mind Your Meals

• Try some liver. Liver brims with immune boosting selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, folic, and vitamin B6 and B12.
• Sample some seafood. Seafood contain iron, zinc, selenium, copper, and magnesium that do your immune system good.
• Sprinkle ground flaxseed on your cereal. Flaxseed is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and phytoestrogens, which are associated with lower rates of cancer and heart disease.
• Ironware. Be sure not to get more than 45 mg of iron a day from your food or a supplement, an excess iron can be toxic.
• Choose water, not softdrinks.Drinking water keep germ trapping mucuous membranes moist and effective. It'll also make you feel more energetic overall.
• Munch on wheat bran. In cereals and baked goods, it contains immune-strengthening magnesium, selenium and zinc. Research suggest daily dose of wheat bran also lower level of oestradiol, a female sex hormone linked to hormone dependent cancer.
• Hold the cocktails. If you drink alcohol, raise a glass of red wine. Although most alcohol is known to stifle the immune system, red wine may not. Plus it offers heart healthy and potentially immune enhancing antioxidants.
• Ballance your belly. Stress, alcohol and poor diet can alter intestinal bascteria and weaken our bug fighting ability. Probiotic may right this imbalance, you can find them in some yoghurts or in powder form at health food shops.

Family Check In

Many hotels have identified a growing class of guest -children. Hotels need to offer services that pampers small minds, bodies ans souls. Parents can do their part as well.

• Some places discourage young guests, so it pays before you book to check with your travel agent or the hotel that kids are welcome and whether services are provided for them.
• Once there, make sure children understand the rules for using the snack bar, the telephone, in room movies and other services which attract a fee.
• To add a touch of home, bring a favorite blanket or pillow to help kids settle in.

Simple Act of Giving

You don't have to wait until a birthday to show someone special how you feel. And it doesn't need to cost a fortune. Because when you make a gift by hand, you give someone your time and your thoughts. Here are a few simple ideas:

• Personalise it. Store bought gift baskets are fine , but you can also buy some of their favorite snacks and put them in a basket with a ribbon.
• Picture this. Create a homemade photo album or a scrapbook that chronicles your time together.
• Put it to paper. Write a story- with your special someone as the lead characters- that illustrates how you feel about them. A poem is even better.
• Make a movie. Videotape friends and relatives saying what they like about your loved one.

Watch Your Words

Ever argue with loved ones over simple misunderstandings? Little wonder. We overestimate how well we get our point across. Here's expert advice to reduce confusion:

1. Don't rely on cues. Listeners often nod make eye contact or say "uh-huh" to be polite or move the conversation along. But it's easy to misinterpret this as sign of understanding.
2. Train the editor in your head. If you say "May discusses her problems with her brother," It's not cleari f she's talking to her brother or about him. Try instead "May talks to her brother about her problems."
3. Ask listeners to retate your message. Preface the request with "I want to be sure I said that right." Question like "Does that makes sense?" also work.
4. Listen well. When on the receiving end, ask questions to be sure you're on the same page. After all speakers aren't responsible for the whole exchange.