A lesson from the world’s oldest man.
The world’s oldest living male recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2007 is celebrating his birthday this day, adding another year to his full 112 years. He is now 113 years old. We know that the Japanese are among the world’s longest living people, but what are they’re ‘secrets’ to long life? It is not a secret at all. Tomoji Tanabe believes that the key to longevity is eating naturally healthy foods, a lot of vegetables and sea food. It reminds me the old age verse about vegetables. He ruled out alcohol drinking. He drinks milk everyday. His discipline made him so healthy that at 113 years of age, he has…

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

I remember that long time ago one of my uncles was stung by some kind of a bee. His whole face was swollen. Before we get to that size, here is what we should do to sidestep it:

As soon as you feel the bite, pull out the stinger using your thumb and forefinger, because the longer it stays on your skin, more inflammation and more pain will occur. If it has fully penetrated, beneath the skin, you can just leave it alone because it will eventually work its way out. Apply an ice pack to reduce the sweeling, and take an over-the-counter histamine, like Benadryl, and don’t forget, toothpastes dries out the venom concentrated under the sting area.

…

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

It is in fact great to have good and fresh views in our desktops when we open it. I found some nice gardening wallpapers online at fine gardening, a collection of plants and herbs even lovely photos of flowers for the eyes to feast upon. I am using one now, it is a magnolia flower.

Do you know why the lovely carpels of Magnolia flowers are tough? It is their defense mechanism, to avoid damage by eating and crawling beetles. This flowering tree genus is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. Magnolias are used as Chinese medicine for 5,000 years to fight cancer, heart disease and dementia? The bark, which is aromatic, contains magnolol and honokiol, two polyphenolic compounds that have…

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

It is so nice to make our own garden, flowers, vegetables and herbs. Herbs are ideal to be grown in small containers and near the kitchen for ease of access. We can even put the containers on the window sill for decorative purposes also. We have been planning about nicer garden, and efficient one making maximum use of space. Hydroponics and square foot gardening when the greenhouse will be built. It is very nice to use small containers for this kind of gardening, it is a challenge to see how artistic and resourceful we can be. And it pays in the with free plants, veggies and flowers in our reach. Here is a very nice video I found today about…

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

“A man without a smiling face must not open a shop“. – Chinese Proverb. And indeed. Let’s take it from the known businessmen and traders since their early ancestors, the Chinese. It is not just being frugal to save much, but a smile will bring more success to you. And it is free; it enriches those who receive it without impoverishing those who give it, and it is also good for the heart. And not just for business people but for everyone. For nobody needs a smile as much as those who have none left to give.

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

Within 10 minutes of contact, rinse any exposed skin thoroughly with..

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

Yeahhy, it is summer, the weather is so nice outside the home to our little paradise, the garden. Alas, I did not wish for red bug bites. The itch they cause are so irritating once bitten. And no matter how you control it, still it is kind of satisfying to scratch it, sadly, for scars. So before you get to that, here are some tips for prevention of these chigger bites:

Wear tight, protective clothing and long pants, socks and shoes. Of course insect repellent helps much to keep those bugs away. I spray one repellent before I wear my clothes, and another, stronger repellent I spray on the outside, the shoes and the socks as they tend to climb up…

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

Cleaning
Clean all the ingredients before using them, then drain and dry them thoroughly.

Cutting
All ingredients must be cut into the same size and shape so that the cooked food will look uniform and have the same tenderness.

Pre-seasoning
Chicken, pork, beef, fish, and shrimp must be marinated in the prescribed sauces to enhance the taste of the food. Coat with egg white then with cornstarch to increase the tenderness.

Mixing
If no cooking is required, just mix the ingredients together after cutting. If the ingredients have been precooked, allow them to cool then mix them together, add sauce and serve.

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

One time a special friend comes over to our house and when we prepared a meal for us in church, he asked about the method the food was cooked. He liked it that he ate so much. Our cuisine is not complete without it, stir-frying. Here is a good method and tip:

To stir-fry is to put the ingredients into a very hot wok over high heat and turn over and over until done. Stir-frying is a very quick process. And because of that, I prepare all the sauces in advance, including the cornstarch and water used to thicken the final sauce.

When several kinds of ingredients are used in cooking, the difference in tenderness of each ingredient will sometimes require that…

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits

Before stir-frying, meats are precooked briefly in hot oil or boiling water, until slightly tender, then removed. (Pork, beef, chicken, fish or shrimp are usually sliced or shredded, seasoned, and coated with cornstarch before precooking.)

To prepare the wok: heat the wok then add 4 Tbsp. Oil, swirl it in wok to cover lower two-thirds of surface; remove excess oil. (This will prevent ingredients from sticking.)

Reheat wok; add enough oil to cover ingredients (1/2 c. oil, if using non-stick wok, reduce accordingly); heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add food. Stir quickly to separate ingredients, stir-fry until ingredients change their color then remove. (Add 1 Tbsp. Oil to ingredients and stir before frying. The ingredients will separate easily.)

…

Click here to read more from tips and tidbits