January 2009

cousins’ business adventure

Not long ago when my cousin gives up on job hunting or I could call it “resting.” Instead of juggling around from one interview to another, she is now diverting her attention to a small business her parents give her. For three months, she is so stressed because the business is just starting, but was able to cope up now that it is already stable.

Since she is a good girl, she is sneaking to forward her resume at Fandemonium. I am the only person she told about this. According to her, she can’t find herself managing her own business. She wants to be part of a corporate world before she steps into her own business. I will just wait if she gets some job.

Tips to minimize the weight of Hiking Pack

Basically, preparing for a hike is often a battle against the pounds or kilos. This does not mean that this is a weight loss kind of way. It’s just that on your hike, you will be the beast of burden and everything you take with you will have to be carried by you. Every time you lift your foot to make a new step, you will be lifting the full weight of your body plus your pack load. Multiply this by many thousands of steps and you will realize how a few extra pounds will make a big difference on a large hike.

This will always involves a great deal of contemplating on what you really need and how you can minimize you’re from the skin out (FSO) Weight. Most of the time, making this calculation boils down to choosing between comfort in walking (lighter loads) and comfort when not walking (better food, more and/or better equipment, books, entertainment, etc). Here are some tips:

• A well-trained hiker might be able to carry up to one third of his own body weight as FSO weight. In general, however, one fourth will already be very awkward. From one fifth and down, you should be able to hike comfortably.
• Start by contemplating on what you will absolutely need in terms of provisions and gear.
• Try looking for ultra-light and multi-purpose equipment that will fulfil the functions you listed down. The constant demand for lighter pack loads has sparked some very high tech solutions that are able to combine multiple hiking functions in lightweight gear. Most manufacturers cater to our need to find the lightest gear by adding the weight on the boxes of Hiking and Camping Gear.
• Pack lightweight but highly nutritious Dehydrated Foods. On the flip side of the equation: minimizing your pack weight will actually allow you to bring better food. Of course, this choice is very personal but four straight days of dehydrated foods is no fun!

Just always remember that you must learn how to minimize the weight of your load. Take only the things that are really necessary in your Hiking trip.

coffee break!

When we talk about coffee, count me in. Actually, I don’t like coffee before. I am just influenced to like it when my partner and I lived together because she is a coffee lover. Although she only loves one blend, the simple hot water, coffee, cream and sugar. She could drink up to five cups a day. Thanks to some article she read, she slows down up to two cups a day. So do I, now I can’t live without coffee. Because of that not long ago, she opened the idea of getting some coffee franchises and she is sure to make it a success. It is such a good idea for coffee lovers like us.

sis, adventure in photography

My sister is a photo addict. She takes pictures all the time, whether she’s in the mall, restaurant, and so on. Every time  she goes out of her house, you can see her wearing a big bag with a big camera inside. What does she do with the photos, well  she posts it in her page. And pretty impressive, her skills are at professional level already. Of course, she has to have  pretty big hard drives at home where she uploads all her pictures. She is eying another drive with a bigger capacity.  According to her; the old ones are almost full.

Some benefits of vinegar in Cooking

1. Cheese Storage Cheese will last longer if you store it in a vinegar-soaked cloth.
2. Whiter Cauliflower Add a teaspoon or so of white vinegar to your cooking water while cooking cauliflower – it will retain a whiter color.
3. Ketchup Only have a little ketchup left in the bottle? Add a bit of vinegar and give it a good shake and you’ll have a bit more!
4. Boiling Eggs Add a bit of white vinegar to the water you’re boiling your eggs in, and the shells won’t crack.
5. Cooking Cabbage Add a bit of vinegar to the water you’re cooking your cabbage in to remove that stinky cabbage smell.
6. Fluffier Meringues Add 1 teaspoon vinegar for every three egg whites and you’ll have fluffier meringues.
7. Tenderize Meat Soak in vinegar over night.
8. Unsticky Rice To cook rice without sticking add a spoon full of vinegar in it.
9. Remove onion odors from skin Eliminate onion odor by rubbing vinegar on your fingers before and after slicing.
1o. Disinfect/clean cutting boards Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards by wiping with full strength vinegar.
11. Make buttermilk. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand 5 minutes to thicken.

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