It can a little tricky when you decide to make a new dish for the first time. Need to know how to stay focused and not become overwhelmed? Today’s guest blogger, Liz Trementozzi, knows a thing or two or three about how you can avoid the kitchen blues. Check out her tips below.
Cooking can be a wonderful time of creativity and relaxation. However, it doesn’t always come naturally, especially when new to cooking or when cooking a new recipe. Here are a few tips to help you avoid becoming anxious or overwhelmed during the cooking process.
1. Avoid Distractions. When cooking a new dish for the first time, it is important that you are able to concentrate on your task at hand. Accidently skipping a step, or not reading instructions accurately can be the difference between disaster and culinary success.
Examples of common distractions are talking on the phone, chatting while cooking, or dealing with family disputes. Simply make a choice not to pick up the phone if you are in the middle of baking, don’t get caught up chatting with friends because this will surely take your attention off of your food, and if your kids demand your attention, tell them you will help solve their dispute once you are finished.
2. Avoid Feeling Rushed. The easiest way to avoid being rushed or cramped for time is to allow enough time to cook. If a recipe calls for 30 minutes to make the dish, allow 60 minutes. In addition, try not setting a definite time for dinner (or whichever meal you are preparing). If you are running late for dinner, simply make up your mind that dinner will be ready whenever you are done. Taking the pressure off by not having to meet a deadline will help ease your nerves and anxiety.
3. Be Organized and Prepare. Take about 10 minutes before you begin cooking to clean off all your counters and pull out any utensils, bowls, or other equipment you might need. In addition, take the time to prep all your ingredients such as chopping carrots, measuring flour, etc.These simple steps will help you move effortlessly from one step to the next in the recipe without having to stop and lose time. For example, if a recipe states that you need to continuously stir a rue over the stove, and then calls for adding in additional flour, you will want to make sure that the needed flour is already within easy reach.
Cooking can be a delightful experience. However adding in distractions, unnecessary pressure, and a lack of organization, you may find yourself struggling more than you need to. Following these simple steps will help you not only focus on your cooking, but also help ensure that your new recipe will be a wonderful success!
About the Author
Liz Trementozzi is a cooking blogger and publisher of an Italian cooking website where she also features reviews on Italian kitchenware appliances from gelato makers to finding a home meat grinder for making fresh meatballs and Italian sausage links. Liz grew up in an Italian home and married into another Italian family. She believes cooking can be fun and rewarding and hopes to share her passion with others.
Connect With Liz: Twitter | Web
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Where do you keep you receipts? In a Ziploc bag? Under your mattress? Wallet? Shoe box? Everywhere? Ok, next question. Do you know how much money you spend on Starbucks or at the gas station every month? How about those really expensive auction pieces? Do you keep track of your receipts?
That last question has two possible responses, and if you’re a business owner, hopefully, you said yes…and, you’ll also know where your receipts are because you keep them in the same place. If not, you’re not alone. Paper is one of the hardest things to control and keep from infiltrating every nook and cranny of your home, office, and car.
My relationship with paper
I love helping clients organize their paper but I hate dealing with my own (did I say hate, because I meant HATE). Yes, I have a system in place (receipt box with labeled tabs + NeatDesk) and yes, it works, but it’s not my favorite thing to do, though the NeatDesk does make it easier for me. This means that when I get busy, I don’t keep up with it the way I should. It also means that I will find some other important and/or urgent thing to focus on, also known as, procrastinating. Yep, even organizers can get afflicted by the big “P.”
My budding relationship with Shoeboxed.com
Enter Shoeboxed.com. First, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I am a Shoeboxed.com affiliate. That said, I recently gave Shoeboxed a try. I spoke with my account manager, Justin, who explained the process and then mailed me two envelopes to stuff with 150 pieces of my stuff. He suggested that I put in receipts, a few business cards, and a couple documents, just to mix things up a bit. He also said that once the envelopes were received by Shoeboxed staff, I would get an e-mail, that they would sort through each piece of paper by hand, and then upload them to my account. And, it should all be done within 3-5 business days.
I decided to throw in receipts from multiple years along with some biz cards and a few documents. I threw caution to the wind and decided not to count the number of pieces of paper I put in the envelopes. Still in “brave” mode, I handed them both to my husband and asked him to mail them. Two days later, I realized he mailed them in his car. Ok, so just a little hiccup…they were finally mailed on August 28th.
…and then another hiccup…I broke Shoeboxed! Well, not exactly…things were just taking a little longer than expected and they sent an e-mail to notify me. Then, on September 8th, I got the good news. My docs were uploaded and ready for viewing!
I got a snapshot of my spending based on the 102 pieces of paper I sent in. I could tell at a glance where I spent the most (my car) and how much I spent on my Starbucks habit (a little over $30…not too bad, right?). The nice folks at Shoeboxed also categorized my receipts and docs…and, if I wanted to, I can change the categories, export to Freshbooks, or sync with Outright (if I had a Freshbooks or Outright account). Did you know that you can also import/export your contacts from Evernote?
What I like
- Customer Service. I liked that Shoeboxed got it right even when they didn’t get it right. They told me that I would upload my info with in 5 business days. When that didn’t happen, they sent me an e-mail and nicely asked me to hang tight. Then, they had it ready for me the next day.
- Ease of Use. How hard is it to stuff a couple postage free envelopes with paper and receipts? Not very. In fact, not at all. It’s also easy to navigate their website and find the info I need.
- Green-ness. I know that’s not really a word, but, while they can return your papers/receipts to you (not with the Lite plan), they are happy to shred and recycle them at no extra cost for all price plans.
- Connections. Who doesn’t love it when their new best friend has connections? Shoeboxed has several partnerships that can help you gain even better control of your paper piles and help you to keep track of your dollars and cents. If you’re a small biz owner, you should check out their CRM partners.
What would have made it perfect
I don’t have much to report just yet, though, if I had to pick one thing, it would be that my receipts would have been uploaded in the time frame they specified. Even so, it was awesome – and worth it – to have someone else take care of this with little effort on my part.
Next time, I’ll try out their iPhone app and mobile feature and let you know how I like them. If you’re using Shoeboxed, please weigh in with your two cents.
Short on space? If you can stand to have them mingle, keep your shoes and your books together in one bookcase. Here’s how I do it:
My shoes and books are living nicely together. Even my stuffed animals are getting in on the action.
To some of us in the United States, big is usually better. When we move from our first home to the next one, it’s often bigger. Take a look at the home of just about any celebrity…it’s likely to be several thousand square feet with equally lavish exteriors.
Oprah’s home in Hawaii (Source: Msnbc.com)
Celine Dion’s home with mini water park in Florida (Source: UsWeekly.com)
The Japanese have a different idea about luxury, some of which come packaged in 300 square feet surroundings. Because of limited space, the Japanese have gotten very creative with designing homes that are ultra-functional, yet tiny. As you might have guessed, there are a few things that are eliminated, like hallways and closets. Sometimes, a curtain replaces a wall, furniture is tucked away into a wall, and odd shapes are welcomed.
According to Tokyo architect Yasuhiro Yamashita, “Using all three dimensions, we can make a space look larger, and more functional. It becomes easier to devise ways of bringing in more light and air.” Homeowners also describe their micro-homes as comfortable and I’m sure a few transformers would come in handy. I wonder what the electric bill is like…
Origami house with car port designed by Yasuhiro Yamashita (Source: OrigamiBlog.com)
Designers indulge in fantasy, like asymmetrical walls, cantilevered floors, or cover their houses in a translucent skin, in order to exploit all available natural light.
Home designed by Yasuhiro Yamashita built on a 40-ft wide area. He named it “Lucky Drops.” (Source: WorldArchitecture.org)
.jpg&en=730&boy=400 "\"Lucky Drops\" designed by Yasuhiro Yamashita (source: WorldArchitecture.org)")
All light enters “Lucky Drops” from the top, like a paper lantern. (Source: WorldArchitecture.org)
If you tried to build a normal house on a super-small plot of land, it would end up being really cramped. So in order to make the house as roomy as possible, we have to think up new structures and assembly.
Another home designed by Yasuhiro Yamashita that he dubbed “Cell Brick.” (Source: Inhabitat.com)
Lots of storage space in “Cell Brick.” (Source: Inhabitat.com)
*Update: See the latest Japanese ultra-compact home here. ~Deb | 10.25.10
Episode Details:
The X-Files · Episode #7 · “Ghost in the Machine” · 1993
Mulder: “I’m just looking for my profile notes.”
Scully: “Maybe if you clean your desk more than once a year…”
Mulder: “They were right here, I’m telling you.”
Scully: “C’mon, we’re late.”
So, which one are you?
The Social Media Swami is back! This time, Shashi B. shares tips to help busy dads achieve balance.
I am writing this after everyone has gone off to sleep. I may not be practising what is right but definitely I am aware of what should be and what is. What I mean by this is that it is difficult to maintain a work-life balance, and it is even more difficult when you are ambitious and want to learn, excel, and grow.
Life as a busy dad
I used to be in the hotel business and life in the hospitality business is tough for families. Even though I worked long hours in my hotel/restaurant job as a chef, the power of meeting people kept my energy going. This had a down side as well as I was exhausted by the time I got back home. The TV was a companion, but only as a background noise. I left the hotel business to be able to spend more time with my family.
Technology, in a lot of cases is inherently addictive. If you do some work at home, you may be under the mistaken impression that the working hours are endless unlike at work where you may have to get home at a particular time.
I am very impressed by a quote by Bryan Dyson, former CEO of AT&T, who purportedly said, “Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same…”
So true.
Tips to help you keep the glass balls in the air
- Have a “No internet” time – preferably between the time you get home and kids go to bed.
- When you go out with the family, all devices should be holstered.
- Do not check-in from your kid’s day care and protect their privacy.
- The TV is not a substitute to your family.
- Remember, the time that you spend with your kids is not going to come back again.
- Enter your kids activities into a shared calendar that you can access at work.
At a recent meet-up in Montgomery County, Robert Katz said that he is concerned that youngsters today are not spending enough time outdoors due to digital distractions. This is a very true and its important to plan activities that are in the outdoors and away from home. I am planning on taking Robert Katz’ offer to visit a few fire stations. My kids will love it.
About the Author
Shashi Bellamkonda is Director and Social Media & Social Media Swami of Network Solutions, a company that works together to help small businesses succeed online with web hosting, do-it-yourself website builder software, online marketing tools, and domain names. Shashi is also a regular contributor to the DC Examiner and Tech Cocktail. This article contains the opinions and observations of the author and may not necessarily reflect those of Network Solutions or its clients or partners.
Connect with Shashi: Blog | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook
Today’s post comes courtesy of my temperamental laptop. It decided that today wasn’t a good day to cooperate and let me complete today’s article. It was slower than a molasses-eating turtle. Not sure if turtles eat molasses, but that might have been more entertaining to watch.
What happened next was even more fun. My laptop just stopped working for what seemed like an eternity. Yay for me! It pretty much was telling me, “Hey, sister! I’m my own machine. You’re not the boss of me! Take your silly blog post and shove it where the sun don’t shine!! I need a little ‘me’ time so bug off!”
So, what do you do when you feel like punching your laptop? …or ripping out the keyboard? Don’t worry, I didn’t do either of those things…but I did give it a hard, er, tap. Nothing major. What’s a little tap between an owner and her laptop?
What to do When Your Laptop Gives You the Finger*
Here are a few things you can do to right the ship and get back on good terms with your machine. I have experimented with each of these techniques over the years, but there’s no guarantee any of them might work. Still, it’s worth a shot and you might save your sanity and dignity, too.
• Breathe. Yes, breathe. Take deep breaths and try to get calm. Try not to worry about the fact that your post was scheduled to be published at 7 am and now it’s 7:30 am…and it’s still not ready yet. Just breathe. Breathing means you’re getting oxygen which you need to keep your brain right side up so you can clearly think about what to do next.
• Play nice. Try to keep yourself from banging on the computer and resist the urge to throw it out the window. It is, afterall, a non-thinking thing and can’t really defend itself. You know you’ll need the help of your laptop again in the very near future, so pick your battles carefully. Besides, violence won’t get you anywhere.
• Wait. Tough to do especially when you’re on a deadline. But, wait anyway. And, don’t start pushing a million keys or clicking at every available link. Give your machine a few minutes (yes, more than a second) to think through its ones and zeros. When you start clicking all over the place, it has to start processing those clicks. If it’s already slow to begin with, that means that it’s going to get even S-L-O-W-E-R. So, wait…for the love of humanity, please wait!
• Ok, now start clicking. So, you’ve waited as long as you can stand it (I repeat – more than a second). Perhaps you might try closing one of the thousands of applications you have open. And then go back to waiting. Fun, yes?
• Ctrl-Alt-Del. Now, it’s time to bring out the big guns. The Control-Alt-Delete keys will become your friends when your laptop goes on sabbatical. They allow you to see what apps are open and which ones are crapping out. It also gives you an “official” or proper way of shutting those apps down. Try not to hold your breath during this process, literally and figuratively. It can take a while for the “official” shutting down to be successful, though sometimes you’ll get lucky, and the offending app will slink away quietly.
• Re-boot. If you’re still getting the finger from your laptop, you could just shut it down altogether. Just keep in mind that you will not be properly closing any open apps and your machine may not like this aggressive behavior. But, when your back is against the wall, you may not have any other choice.
• Phone a friend. Got a friend who’s a techie? Call them now, especially if they tend to be understanding and can stand hearing your screams. Enough said.
• Seek professional help. This tip is similar to “phone a friend,” except you’re likely to come out of pocket (read: spend some cash) to get your machine back online. The good news is that, if they are successful, you now have a resource for when (not if, but when) this happens again. I can hear you Mac people sneering, but I know you visit the Genius bar, too, so wipe that smirk of your face.
What to do When Your Machine’s Temper Tantrum is Over
Of course, the first thing you do is apologize for all the lovely things you said to it and for that very forceful tap you gave it earlier. Always apologize first. Then, show your love by backing up everything you’ve got on the machine. If it’s being temperamental, chances are it may do it again.
Either send your important docs to Dropbox, Evernote, or some other cloud app…or go get a portable hard drive…or do both. Can’t hurt to have your important stuff backed up twice, can it?
Btw, if you’re a techie reading this, please share your tips.
Final word
Live long and prosper. May you find peace with your laptop.
*I am not a tech guru. When in doubt, go directly to your tech guy or gal.
Don’t you sometimes scratch your head when you see a newsletter pop up in your inbox – and it’s from the guy met at last week’s networking meeting? That means you didn’t sign up for it. That also means that it’s not only annoying, but it’s also clogging up your inbox. Now add those unwanted newsletters to the ones you did sign up for and no longer want. Keep adding…include the ones that you’ve already unsubscribed from and you still get. Painful.
This is when you call in the troops, otherwise known as Unsubscribe.com. They will remove you from all those mailing lists so that you don’t have to. Download the Gmail extension or Outlook app…or simply forward the offending e-mail to them. Try out the free version and get 5 unsubs/month or pay $19.99/year for unlimited unsubscribes.
There’s even an “unsubscribe” link their website so that you can remove yourself from their list. Very cool.
I read the Huffington Post pretty often and usually find lots of good information related to my industry. Today, I gathered a group of HuffPost articles on clutter that I think you might interesting, and, hopefully, helpful. Check them out and let me know what you think.
• Clutter Addiction. Is an addiction to clutter the same as any other addiction? Is there a high from having all that stuff?
• Clutter: Shaping Our Lives and Our Legacies. This article offers reflections (including a haiku) and suggestions for exploring how clutter impacts your life.
• Are You Possessed? Do you own your possessions or do they own you? Does your house own you? Do find yourself asking, “Where did I get all this crap?”
• Balanced Life: Use Up What You Have. Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, has decided to do more by using up the stuff in her life. She says: “I can expand my wardrobe just by wearing all my clothes.” Do you agree?
• Connecting Through Clutter. Help yourself and others by getting rid of your excess. Pay it forward with Cluttercast.
“Every September, millions of parents try a kinds of psychological witchcraft, to transform their summer-glazed campers into fall students, their video-bugs into bookworms. Advice is cheap and all too familiar: Clear a quiet work space. Stick to a homework schedule. Set goals. Set boundaries. Do not bribe (except in emergencies).” ~Benedict Carey
Read More:
Study Skills 2010: Not What You Think They Are | HuffingtonPost.com | 9.16.10
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