Hurricane Irene, earthquake in San Francisco and celebrity gossip

Twitter Index

(Relaxnews) - Twitter is filling with posts about a 3.6 magnitude earthquake that shook residents in the San Francisco Bay Areain the US.

"Earthquake in SF……dont worry…..its not the big one…go back to sleep," write Twitterers playfully, reassuring their followers. Others are questioning, was there an "earthquake in SF or is someone just jumping up and down in my building?"

According to twitter index the San Fran quake follows a 5.9 magnitude earthquake that was felt on the East Coast of the US in places such as New York and Washington DC.

Earthquakes are not the only natural disasters on Americans' minds. Hurricane Irene continues on its path towards the East Coast of the United States after roaring through the Caribbean earlier in the week.

Celebrity rumors are also a hot topic of discussion on Twitter on the morning of August 24. Microbloggers are discussing whether American actress "Brenda Song" is carrying the child of Miley Cyrus's brother, "Trace Cyrus," and disputing rumors of Will and Jada Smith's divorce with eighth place topic "Will and Jada."

The movie "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is in ninth place and the name of American sitcom "My Wife & Kids" is in tenth place.

Twitter Trending Topics

The top 10 most talked about topics on Twitter on August 24 at 7:30 AM GMT are:

#ICanHonestlySay (+2)
#NeverApologizeFor (new)
#ButIStillLoveU (new)
Brenda Song (new)
Hurricane Irene (+1)
Trace Cyrus (new)
Earthquake in SF (new)
Will and Jada (new)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (new)
My Wife & Kids (new)

Read more »

Share some advice on hair

Today I consider it is safe to assume that summers have hit us strong and there's always something you do with yourself and your attire each time the sun varies intensity with which it shines on you. At the top of that list and also on the top of your head is hair.

It's always refreshing to welcome a forthcoming season with a haircut that could change the entire concept of your look and even give you a whole new personality for every season.

Choosing a hairstyle isn't just getting what you think looks good on some one you knows head. Considering you have an experienced hairstylist you must take into account the sort of clothing you usually adorn and also the shape of your face and the season. For summer hair styles that make you look good or are perhaps an innovation in styling here are some of the most popular hair style for 2011.

The curly faux 'fro is something that Justin Beiber does not have copyrighted. In case you have curly hair, literally let them grow back to their roots and let your locks loft around.

Next up, the urban pompadour is the sort of hairstyle that you can see on Bruno Mars. Its better shaved on the sides and a sort of combed back sort of a puff. Like they say, the higher the hair, the closer you are to God.

The never running out of fashion 'out of bed effect' takes the prize. Its suitable and convenient for most men with short hair. All it takes is a wee bit of wax and a little shaping.

The curly q  sort of hair is a style adorned by celebrities like Andy Cohen. If you think your hair has the potential and it satisfies you, why don't you embrace it and take a trim here and there.

My personal favorite, the less is less approach is one also liked by Mike Posner. It being as close to the scalp as you can and takes little maintenance and beats the summer heat like no other.

Read more »

How to Write a Better Recipe

I recently spoke at the Healthy Living Summit on the topic of writing a better recipe. Participants asked me to share my presentation, so I am posting it here, with notes that make it helpful for those of us who also share our recipes onSparkRecipes.com.

Before I delve into the recipe writing tips, let's talk about recipes for a bit.
As the editor of dailySpark.com and SparkRecipes.com, I'm always on the lookout for talented healthy home cooks. With more than 300,000 recipes on the site, it can be difficult to choose among them. I hope that you'll share this blog post with your friends (both on SparkPeople and on other sites) and encourage them to publish their recipes on SparkRecipes. Good recipes are featured on the homepage, in our daily email newsletters and elsewhere on the site.
 

"I invite you to skip the technology, the SEO, and all the othershoulds you've collected up along the way. Instead, step up to that darling morsel and sink your teeth in."
--Brooke Burton, FoodWoolf.com

Sometimes we forget that recipes are stories, meant to entice the reader into making a dish. We, as food bloggers, worry more about aggregating audience and increasing SEO than we do about the words on a page.

I sat in on a session that Brooke Burton moderated at last year's Food Buzz Festival in San Francisco. She was enthusiastic and encouraging as she and her fellow panelists urged us to invoke all our senses as we wrote. This quote, borrowed with citation from her blog, seemed a fitting reminder for the topic of better recipe writing.
 
Let's get started!

• That is, they don't have time to waste in the kitchen.
   
• When readers come to your site looking for recipes, they don't have the time, energy, or resources to experiment. They come looking for the perfect grilled cheese, a fool-proof quiche, and the best chocolate-chip cookies. That's what we should deliver.
   
• Know your audience. Most people don't cook, so you'll need to explain actions likedredge, julienne, deglaze, etc.
   
• If you're an expert or a seasoned home cook, consider adding a glossary to your site. If not, link to another glossary (I love epicurious.com's food and wine dictionaries.) Or, if you are a niche blogger who uses rare ingredients often, consider creating a page that explains what these foods are.
   
• The dishes you share don't have to be simple, but your recipes should be.

What's your pet peeve with recipes?
Think for one minute, then write down your top three.
Examples:

• Too many photos… too much scrolling!
• Missing ingredients
• Unclear directions.
• Obscure ingredients… 

Mine are:

1. Time-consuming prep that the writer didn't mention until halfway through the recipe!Now, cook your beans for an hour… 
    
2. Recipes that cook at odd temperatures or for odd times: 315 degrees for 7 minutes.
    
3. Random capitalization: boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts

Choose your words!

• Be descriptive! Use your words!
• Don't just tell me. Show me. Use all five senses to describe a food:
  • Touch/sound: crispy fillo dough, crunchy graham cracker crumbs, berries that burst when bite into them
     
  • Sight: delicate custard flecked with bits of bright green lime zest
     
  • Taste: the sour lime hits your palate first, followed by the slightly tart unsweetened whipped cream
     
  • Smell: fresh citrus smell permeates your kitchen

A good headnote is one to two sentences to draw the reader in. Here you'll share a brief anecdote, the history of the recipe.

Remember not everyone reads the entire blog post--they look at the pictures and skip to the recipe. Consider adding a headnote to your recipe, even if you've already shared a story up top. This is the place to talk about obscure ingredients, new techniques, etc.

Ex: This recipe uses broccoli stalks. Offer a tip on how to peel off the tough outer layer and shred it into slaw.


Mama Pea's draws in the reader with a bold claim. You want to see if it lives up to its expectations—and it does. She sells it.

Angela's headnote is lengthy, but she's offering:
1. a description
2. alternative cooking techniques
3. a gluten-free swap
4. helpful tips

• One of the most common recipe omissions out there!
• If you're single, you might not want to make something that serves 8.
• If you have a family of four, you need to know ahead of time if you need to double the recipe.
• TIP: keep cookies, muffins, etc. to a round dozen. If your recipe hasn't made a dozen, check to make sure that your treats are all a uniform size.

Things to consider: 

• A slow cooker recipe with 6 hours cook time, but only 10 minutes of prep is a lot different from a salad with 30 minutes of prep time but no cooking.
• If you're an expert at chopping, add 10 minutes or so to your prep time
• Ex: 1 (14.1 ounce can) most sizes are standard, and the more recipes you write, the easier it will be to remember these.

• Calculate the yield: 1 large onion equals how many cups chopped?
• If possible, use a whole can of something to make life easier—or offer tips on what to do with the leftovers.
• Get familiar with yields. Ex. 1 pound dried beans= about 6 cups cooked for example
• Details matter. Ex: 1 cup chopped almonds or 1 cup almonds, chopped. The yields are quite different!
• Avoid double listing. Write the entire amount in the ingredients list, then be specific in the instructions. (Add 1 cup of flour. … Add the remaining half cup of flour.)
• Create subheadings for ingredients. For the sauce, for the filling. Etc
• Don't use brand names or specific varieties unless necessary--especially if your audience is nationwide or international.

What I changed: 

• Ingredients in order
• Added sizes for cans
• Added specifics on mango
• Added enchilada sauce*
• Specified tortillas
• Spelled out measurements
• Specified ground or whole cumin

• Do not use telegram-like instructions, but be concise. Use articles! Puree the soup, add the onions, chop a carrot
• Be descriptive. Use all your senses. What are you looking for, smelling, seeing, as you're cooking. The almonds are toasted when you can start to smell them.
• Start with a verb: Chop the parsley, stir the soup, dice the peppers DO NOT START With a prepositional phrase: into a large bowl, pour the ingredients.
• Don't specify pan size, but know the difference between pot (for liquids), pan, dish.
• Use specific terms--and know them: batter, dough, custard, dry ingredients, wet ingredients.
• Simplify directions by adding detail to the ingredients list: 1 tomato, seeded and chopped; 1 pound chicken breasts, trimmed and butterflied.
• Be accurate in description. Don't just say "brown"--say light golden brown

What I changed: 

• Rearranged steps.
• No need to say "on the stovetop"
• Chose more specific verbs.
• Added articles.
• Gave details on when to proceed to next step, when things are ready.

• Ex: Cooking…
• until the mango is heated through
• until the cheese is melted
• until the sauce is bubbly

 

Great example of linkbacks: 

• Garlic Scape Noodle Casserole [adapted from Angela's Baked Vegan Mac n' Cheese] Ashley at Edible Perspective.
• Emily from Daily Garnish: I settled on a Vegan Double-Dipped French Toast recipe from (Never Home) Maker (a new favorite).

• Will Write for Food  (Dianne Jacob) how to guide for all kinds of food writing
• Recipes into Type: A Handbook for Cookbook Writers and Editors (Joan Whitman and Dolores Simon) like the AP stylebook for recipe writing
• CookWise and BakeWise  (Shirley Corriher) everything you need to know about baking and cooking—the hows and whys
• The Food Lover's Companion  (Sharon Tyler Herbst and Rob Herbst) a great glossary for all
• On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (Harold McGee) another great how-to guide

Special thanks to... 

• Angela of OhSheGlows.com
• Emily of DailyGarnish.com
• Ashley of EdiblePerspective.com
• The Healthy Living Summit planning committee--especially Heather for her stellar introduction and Meghann for all her hard work!
• All "good" examples used with permission from bloggers.
• All "bad" examples were altered to protect the privacy of authors.

Now I hope that you'll all share your recipes on SparkRecipes.com! (Know someone who might like this blog post? Be sure to share it!)

What questions do you have regarding recipe writing? What is your biggest challenge?

Read more »

Workout sessions for bench press

Young men are often seen yearning to build up a broad chest and curvy arms.Bench press workouts are an excellent way to begin with as you can see the results provided enough time is given in between the workout sessions.

The bench press workouts and weight lifting aims towards your anterior part, medial deltoid and majorly the triceps. Our healthy yet effective tips regarding thebench workouts and weight lifting will help in making those loose de-shaped muscles.

 

 

 

Lying flat

The first stage in bench workout is to begin by lying flat on the bench. The body should be in a relaxed posture completely and shoulders shouldn't be held awkwardly. The natural spinal curve should stay too. The lower back should never be flat on the bench. Remember, not to force it too much to make a curve either. It is mandatory to prefer that position which is comfortable for you the most. The flat feet should remain on the floor with shoulders touching the bench during theworkout. That bench should be used that fits your shoulder width easily. A bench that is narrow proves to be unstable and a wide bench will prevent your upper arms from bending backward. Hence, the purpose of the bench workout is lost completely. Initially, you just have to start with a bar weight. Gradually, you'll add weight to the bar to increase the workout. Make sure that a spotter is around to help you with lifting heavy weights. Take a lot of drinks and breaks are must between the workout sessions.

Warm up your body

For weight lifting exercises it is important that one needs to warm up a bit. Too much warming up sessions can ruin the whole purpose of workouts. Thus, moderation is necessary for any kind of workouts. Begin by jogging or walking fast for more than two minutes. You can run at a normal speed as well. Besides, a punching bag can be hit too. It is important to take note of your breathing rhythm for beginning any kind or workouts. Weight lifting should be such that initially begin with small weights and then increase them. It can rupture the muscles and not serve the purpose accordingly. Thus, bench press and weight lifting requires warming up sessions. Results can't be seen in a day so patience is important to see that chest and biceps broadening!

Read more »

5 Women Share Their Motivation Tips: Spinning Teacher's Enthusiasm Is Infectious

Sarah Gilbert joined her local health club hoping to lose a few of the pounds she had gained since graduate school. She hadn't exercised in months when she stumbled onto Erin Carson's Spinning class. It wasn't Spinning per se that got her interested enough to go back (Gilbert, a 35-year-old project management consultant, had tried it before at another gym). It was Carson.

"It's her attitude about the class," Gilbert says. "She treats us like we're capable, and it makes you want to step up to that level." Instead of emphasizing the aesthetic benefits of Spinning, like great glutes or shapely legs, Carson focuses more on what it does for her students' cardiovascular systems, muscles, and metabolisms. At first, Gilbert was intimidated by the talk of target heart rates and intensity levels. But she was so impressed with Carson that she kept coming. Two years later and 25 pounds lighter, Gilbert still rides with Carson twice a week.

The take-away: What the instructor says matters, agrees Brian Focht, PhD, an exercise psychologist at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. Many women worry about their body image, he says, so appearance-related feedback may actually make them more anxious by focusing their attention on what they see as their shortcomings instead of on what's good about their bodies. In fact, a recent study by Focht and colleague Tom Raedeke, PhD, found just what Gilbert discovered: When the instructor's feedback focused on an exercise routine's fitness or health benefits, participants felt better, enjoyed the class more, and were more motivated to return than when the instructor emphasized looking good or losing weight.

Make it work for you: Look for an instructor whose personality and style click with yours, preferably one who gives health-related feedback like "feel your heart getting stronger," rather than appearance-oriented cues like "let's tone those abs!" Try classes whose titles include words like "training" instead of "sculpting" or "shaping," advises Gregory Florez, a health coach in Salt Lake City and CEO of FitAdvisor.com. In addition, people who lead classes designed to get you in shape for specific activities like skiing, tennis, or bicycling are more likely than other instructors to emphasize performance and how you feel over how you look

Read more »

Think INSIDE the Lunchbox with '4 Ingredients'

Editor's Note: I recently connected with Kim McCosker, of the Australian best-selling cookbooks and popular websites,4 Ingredients. Vivacious and passionate, the 4 Ingredients team is run by busy moms who are committed to making healthy cooking easy and fun for the whole family. Today, Kim shares her best tips for getting kids to eat right at lunchtime. 
 
With three active and growing boys ages 9, 6 and 3, lunchboxes are a part of my family's daily routine! If you are like me, a busy mom intent on giving your kids delicious, nutritious lunches, here are some great ideas to get your children back to school packed with healthy foods.
 
I like these because they are quick, easy and economical and often help me make use of my leftovers.
 
Choose a lunchbox with individual compartments, or otherwise use lidded containers, kids loooove little containers of things! Then add some of these...

 
Apple slices: Served with peanut, cashew, or almond butter or then sprinkled with coconut or raisins. Or add thinly sliced orange and lemon slices with honey to the top.
 
Cheese cubes: With sliced turkey and grapes--for a lunchbox cheese board!
 
Crackers: Variety is the spice of life, so buy different crackers each week. Choose whole-grain crackers, of course.
 
Cottage cheese: Top crackers with cottage cheese, chopped toasted walnuts or raisins.

Fruit Salad: Is the ideal lunch box solution; it's colorful, easy to eat and bursting with vitamins. Our faves are strawberries, grapes, apple and oranges (the juice of the orange prevents the apple from discoloring too)!
 
Leftovers: The trick is to think ahead and make a little extra at dinner for lunch the next day. Roast chicken becomes a yummy sandwich when cut and mixed with a finely chopped, dried apricot and mayonnaise, or it can be part of our sensationalChicken Carnival Cones! Turn leftover rice into a yummy fried rice, and Spaghetti Bol Scrolls cleverly uses any leftover spaghetti bolognaise sauce.

Lunchbox Sushi: This is a hit in our household! Instead of rice, we use whole-grain bread.
 
Pikelets: Oz's version of a smaller pancake. (Editor's note: Use mini pancakes leftover from breakfast.) Take two, spread with nut butter and strawberry jam and watch them fly!
 
Yogurts: Add a separate container of wheat germ, granola, toasted coconut, berries, or chopped walnuts for a kid-pleasing crunchy topping.
 
What are your kids' favorite lunchbox foods?  

About 4 Ingredients: Written by Rachael Bermingham and Kim McCosker, these bestselling cookbooks are jam packed full of quick, easy and very deliciousrecipes that you can easily whip up to WOW your friends and family, and ALL with only 4 or fewer ingredients.

You won't need to spend a fortune in measuring utensils. To use 4 Ingredients all you will need is 1 cup, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon - it's cooking made real easy!

There are fantastic recipes for breakfast to dinner, entrees to desserts and lunchbox delights.
You will be super surprised and delighted with the fantastic dishes you can create using this easy to follow cookbook AND with ingredients mainly already found in your pantry!

If you are a busy person, or on a tight budget, have moved out of home, are still fine tuning your culinary skills, are going camping, are on the move and haven't a lot of room for a full pantry, OR you simply haven't had time to do the groceries, then this is the book for you!

Read more »