Saturday, August 9, 2008




You Can Never Be Too Safe Entertaining Friends and Family in the Kitchen Area

Whether it is a weekday family diner or most special dinner party or event, it seems that in our day and age people gather in the kitchen area. This was not always so - not even in the most recent past.

The kitchen used to be an area "reserved for the servants". It was not the place in a home or establishment that was considered a social area - an area to meet, greet and socialize. Indeed it was considered a most utilitarian area meant for work and certainly no play.

It can be said that the widespread introduction of cookbooks democratized cooking to a great idea. To cook "from a book" was a new and strange idea at the time of the introduction of cookbooks into popular vogue. Previously people had either been taught in the trade, or at best for domestic purposes would have been taught by a parent - in our politically correct world it would have been impolitely referred to as a mother teaching her daughter how to be a "good wife".

Now it is an accepted way of life, social mores and entertainment practice that both either sex can be a good cook and that entertainment and socialization in the home is often held in the kitchen or in the kitchen / family room areas.

Regardless of it all kitchen safety and safety practices must always be upheld.

One of the first rules of safety in a kitchen and kitchen environment is that water and electricity do not mix. If you find that you touch an electrical appliance or appliances while turning on a water tap or touch a basin of water - this may well be a most difficult situation and scenario. If you must involve water and / or using the kitchen sink it is best to remove all electrical appliances from the immediate area.

If you are using an electric element on your stovetop range it is best not to utilize the electric plug on that same range. It is amazing how rubber electric cords seem to fall onto a red hot electric element that is in use. Such a cord that touches a red hot element will quickly begin to burn and smolder. Smoke and a fire can result - setting off other flames. The smoke alarm may well go off from the black smoky flames. If you are entertaining there is little worse than a loud smoke alarm in the foreground disrupting the whole event. At the least the power cord will be damaged - exposing wires, needing to be replaced. Even if damage to the cord is not evident, it may well give a nasty shock to the next user. All in all, if an element is being used on the stove top range, then it is best to use electrical ac outlets that are located far away from the range.

Appliances that are used or just used should be kept away from children. If they are still hot, then let them cool well. Push these appliances back far away from the counter so that they do not fall over, scalding guests. Always ensure that the appliance has cooled, is cool to the touch before putting away. Unplug the appliance, push it back and let it cool. Ensure that the cord is not dangling off the edge of the counter. Dangling cords are not only a danger and an invitation for trouble only for adults. Consider inquisitive children as well.

If the electrical appliance has a removable power cord (say for example an electric frying pan), ensure that the cord is disconnected from the wall power sockets before removing it from the appliance. Since the cord is still plugged into the ac power source it will still be "live", and dangerous, when disconnected from the appliance, but not yet from the power source.

Lastly in terms of kitchen appliances that have sharp attachments. These can cut, if the power is still on. For the benefit of your guests and their children, ensure that these appliances are not plugged in when not in use. Simple as that.

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Thursday, August 7, 2008




Reasons To Use Printout Games And Where To Find Them

Printout games are offered quite frequently these days over the World Wide Web. Some websites will require a fee to print them out whereas others will offer them to the general Internet perusing public for free. There are a few often-cited reasons for using games of this type and these will be mentioned below along with tips on where to find them.

Reasons to Print Out Games Online

One of the reasons you should take advantage of printout games online is that they are entertaining for individuals of all ages. Some games will be targeted towards a specific age group whereas others are fun for all ages. The entertainment value is one of the main reasons to print these games out via your computer.

Another reason to print out these games online is that they can be educational as well. If you are teaching your child to spell or do math problems you are sure to be able to find a game online with these topics as the main point to the game. Children are more likely to learn with a fun game than with a boring recitation of the rules of math or spelling. Make it fun by printing out educational games online.

Games which can be printed from the Internet can also be wonderful party games at your child's birthday party. Games such as word finds, color by numbers and identification games can all be played by the party attendees and prizes can be offered to those who finish the game first. No matter what theme birthday party you are throwing you are sure to be able to find an online game to print out and use at the party.

In addition, many of these online games which can be printed out are free of charge. Although some websites may charge a small fee for access to the games there are many websites which do not. The free online games provide a fun way for kids to be entertained which is easy on the parent's wallet as well.

Where to Find Online Games Which Can Be Printed Out

There are a number of successful website operations which offer online games for website visitors to print out. Some websites are game-specific ones which only offer game related items. These are often set up by age range so that you can target games specifically suited for one's age. Other websites may be theme websites, such as Disney or Nickelodeon, and offer games to print out from the website.

The best way to locate game websites is to use a search engine. Search engines allow you to enter in key phrases such as "free games online" or "games to print out" and various website results will pop up. These websites are sure to have a number of printout games for you to peruse and print out if you feel like doing so.



Top Five Hen Nights Ideas

Do you want great hen weekend ideas to organize a memorable and eventful night out with the girls? If yes then you can enjoy some of the interesting ideas, discussed in this article:

Some Interesting Advices Before Planning a Successful Event:

Figure out the total number of people in the group.

Decide an estimated budget per person.

Talk about preferences and find out common tastes.

Top 5 Hen Nights Ideas:

The Hot Hens - Arrange for chauffeur driven fire engine limousine and take a tour to get the ultimate fun.

The Barbie Team - Being a fashion icon, you can have the pleasure of the Barbie day/night out. Shop till you get exhausted and then move on to having lunch. Visit salon and get makeovers. Finally, you can get a drive in a pink chauffer driven limousine and get the maximum happiness.

Take a Holiday - There's nothing better than getting away for a weekend and lying on a hot beach. Set up a budget and choose a place where you can enjoy to the fullest.

The Cultural Theme - To add more spice in your party, you can choose a cultural theme for your party. For instance, you may want to start the evening with a light Indian meal. Then go on to a dance club or a gym that may offer traditional/cultural dances.

Take a Tour - Arrange for a disco bus, which will take you to all the nearest and established pub crawls. This is known to be one of the best hen ideas. Please note that this type of service is only available in selected cities.

By following above mentioned ideas, you would be able to enjoy your trips to the greatest. Decide carefully and set up a definite budget so that you won't have to compromise later on.