But why is the braai such a popular tradition?

Well, the taste and smell of meat grilled on a braai is unique. Even the fussiest meat eater will submit to the seductive allure of the braai. The combination of sensations – cooking and eating outdoors, stimulating conversation, the smell of the smoke, socializing with friends – all of these add up to a supremely enjoyable experience.

When you’re invited to a braai, your host will usually let you know if you are expected to bring your own meat – a ‘bring and braai’ – or if a salad or some other side dish would be appreciated. Traditionally, lamb chops and beef sausages – ‘boerewors’ – are the staples of the grill. Chicken, pork, fish and crayfish are also regularly cooked. Most butcheries and supermarkets stock pre-packed meats for braaiing. You’ll also find spices and marinades on the supermarket shelves.

Side dishes include baked beans, potato salad and stywe pap (a stiff porridge made of maize). Green salads, pasta salads and garlic bread are often added. These side dishes work well with the selection of meats available and are simple to prepare and store until it is time to eat. Potatoes or onions, wrapped in aluminium foil and left to cook slowly in the coals, are a particular favorite. Don’t forget that, even in South Africa, there may be guests who do not eat meat – a good variety of salads will usually keep them happy. There are some excellent vegetarian traditional sausages on the market as well.

While wood formerly was the most common braai fuel, these days the use of charcoal has increased due to its convenience. An important difference between a braai and a barbecue is that it’s fairly uncommon for a braai to use gas rather than an open flame, although this is changing as the benefits of gas become recognised.

South Africans generally prefer to cook over open coals, and all that’s really required is a bed for the coals and some way to adjust the height of the grill above the coals. This could be as simple as a few stacks of bricks or stones, or as complex as a fancy mechanical system. Poolside entertaining is made easier by a charcoal grill, often built-in to a wall.

Gas has the advantage of cooking more rapidly while retaining the flame-grilled flavour. Gas braais also allow you to choose between various cooking surfaces such as a flat or ribbed grill. Some grills offer non-stick surfaces, which allow you to cook a variety of foods that you would not otherwise be able to cook on a grill.

The American-style kettle barbecue, using indirect heat and smoke from hard wood, has also become popular in recent years. Smoking is a slow-cooking process, which results in tender meat for easier eating.

Another reason a braai is so popular is the fact that it gives you an excuse to hold a party or celebration. Outdoor parties not only allow your guests to be present during the cooking of the meal, but also give them the opportunity to meet your friends.

Finally, braaiing is popular because it can be pursued as a hobby as well. Braaiing, like many things in life, requires time and practice. It can be fun to experiment with different recipes and techniques. Once you have developed a liking for braaiing, then you can focus on developing your own variations on old-fashioned recipes and ideas.

Braaiing is usually thought of as a summer event, but some diehard fans of the braai will not think twice about breaking out their braai grills in the middle of South Africa’s relatively mild winters.

The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world at only 2 grams in weight and two inches long. The largest hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird at at over 8 inches in length and 25 grams in weight. All the hummingbirds have the fastest metabolism of any birds and to maintain this they must consume their own weight and more in food every day. In order to do this they have to visit many hundreds of flowers daily to collect the nectar. They have long beaks and tongues in oreder to reach right into flowers. They can decrease their metabolisms when still, in contrast to the majority of other animals with a high metabolisms. This increases their natural life, which can be as long as 17 years.

How to Make A Hummingbird Friendly Garden

To draw hummingbirds to your garden you could plant brilliantly colored flowers and bushes. Hummingbirds have a poor sense of smell but they are attracted to bright colours. Placing a feeder specially made for humming birds in your garden or on your patio will be a focus for these pretty birds. Plant annuals include salvia, petunia, impatiens, firespike and jewelweed. Perennials you could plant include bee balm, costa, yucca, canna, lupine, cardinal flower and foxglove. For trees and shrubs pick azalea, buddleia, cape honeysuckle, mimosa, weigela, flame acanthus, lantana, red buckeye and tree tobacco.

Don’t use insecticides in your garden as you will eradicate bugs and insects that hummingbirds eat. They will also leave residues on flowers which the hummingbirds could ingest. Also supply plenty of roosting places as hummingbirds will spend about 80% of their time perching on branches, twigs etc. Make available plants that will supply materials for nesting to attract female hummingbirds. Hummingbirds prefer downy nesting material from trees such as eucalyptus and willow and from lichens and mosses.

Hanging up vibrantly coloured, specially made hummingbird feeders in your backyard will attract the hummingbirds. An excellent plan is to fix red streamers that move in the wind around the feeder. It’s also a great idea to hang hummingbird feeders at assorted heights as hummingbird species all have distinctive preferences. Species that prefer plants that are low growing will visit a feeder placed lower whereas species that feed on taller plants and shrubs will prefer to go to a feeder sited in a higher position. Hummingbirds are also very territorial and one hummingbird may perhaps guard a single feeder and prevent other birds from using it. Put no less than three feeders at different heights all around your garden.

Hummingbirds love a bath in the mist on foliage so you could position a mister close to some broadleaved shrubs to give them a place to bathe.

A Method of Making Hummingbird Nectar

Make a sweet nectar by blending together one cup of sugar with four cups of water that has been boiled. Cool down and store in the fridge. Excess nectar can be stored safely for up to 7 days. Thoroughly clean hummingbird feeders once a week by rinsing with a mixture of one cup of vinegar to 4 cups of water and then rinsing with plain water. Re-fill with the nectar and hang up in a shady place. Don’t use any sweeteners or food coloring. Also don’t use honey as it can ferment and create a a poisonous fungus. Swap the nectar in your feeder every two or three days or oftener when the weather is hotter.

In Conclusion

It’s not hard to make a garden that will attract these pretty birds. Provide them with the food they like and a comfortable environment and hummingbirds will visit your garden often.

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Tom Cruise: Fatty or Hottie? If Tom Cruise had been accidentally decapitated in the making of the last movie, he would have become one more victim of our “obesity epidemic.” Sound weird? Welcome to the politics of fat, where bedroom scales can be tax-deductible, lawyers are lining up to sue anything rumored to contain calories, and the press has fed us a steady diet of hysteria and hyperbole.

The first thing you need to understand is that in our twilight zone of fat hysteria, he is officially obese. That’s based on the Body Mass Index (BMI), a measurement that separates us into government-approved, overweight, and obese categories by taking into consideration only our height and weight. A BMI of 30 or more makes you obese, and at 5-7, 201 pounds, Tom Cruise has a BMI of 31.

According to the BMI standard, 61 percent of US people are fats or obese. You have probably heard that number. Along with the claim that obesity costs the United States $117 billion a year and kills 300,000 US citizens annually, it is one of the three most commonly cited figures associated with our so-called obesity epidemic.

But it’s more like an epidemic of bad statistics. All three of these numbers are seriously flawed.

overweight Cruise is in good company. Thanks to the absurdities of the BMI yardstick, Sylvester Stallone (5-9, 228 pounds, BMI of 34) and Mel Gibson (5-9, 214 pounds, BMI of 32) are also “obese.” So was Mark McGwire (6-5, 250 pounds, BMI of 30) the year he hit 70 home runs. And if politics is your thing, you’ll be interested to know that the new governor of California (6-2, 257 pounds, BMI of 33) is obese, too.

Here’s how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains these counterintuitive results: “Overweight may or may not be due to increases in body fat. It may also be due to an increase in lean muscle.”

It’s not just full-blown obesity that has been bungled by numerical hocus-pocus. 39 million Americans went to sleep one night in 1998 at a government-approved weight, and woke up “overweight” the next morning, thanks to a change in the government’s definition. That group includes presently “overweight” (BMI greater than or equal to 25) movie stars like Will Smith (6-2, 210 pounds, BMI of 27) and Pierce Brosnan (6-2, 211 pounds, BMI of 27). Michael Jordan (6-6, 216 pounds, BMI of 25) and Cal Ripken Jr. (6-4, 220 pounds, BMI of 27) were also “overweight” at the height of their athletic powers. And so is our ultra-fit President Bush (6-0, 194 pounds, BMI of 26). Moreover, the standard that we abandoned in 1998 had the virtue of distinguishing between men and women–something we now do not even attempt to do.

So what does Tom Cruise’s imaginary swordplay mishap have to do with obesity? Chalk it up to more bad statistics. The regularly recycled factoid that excess weight causes 300,000 deaths a year bizarrely assumes that if you die while overweight, you die because of that excess weight. As insane as it sounds, if Cruise were to kick the bucket for any reason, his death would count toward the mythical 300,000 total.

The respected New England Journal of Medicine knows this is bogus. It maintains that the 300,000 figure “is by no means well established. Not only is it derived from weak or incomplete data, but it is also called into question by the methodologic difficulties of determining which of the many factors contribute to premature death.”

Nevertheless, this statistic finds its way into nearly every discussion of obesity–as does the spurious claim that obesity costs Americans $117 billion per year. The source of this figure: a single study published by the journal Obesity Research in 1998.

This study had serious limitations, as the authors themselves admitted. They acknowledged that their methodology resulted in the “double-counting of costs” which “would inflate the cost estimate.” There’s also this stunning admission: “We are still uncertain about the actual amount of health utilization associated with overweight and obesity. Height and weight are not included in many of the primary data sources.”

But even if they had good data to work with and somehow controlled for the double (and even triple) counting of costs, these researchers still would have reached a unrealistic conclusion. Why? They used the wrong definition of obesity.

A BMI of 30 or more makes you obese, but the authors of this study for some reason decided to set the threshold at “BMI greater than or equal to 29.” Thus they erroneously included the economic cost of individuals with a BMI between 29 and 30. A small error? Not at all. That covers more than ten million Americans, including Bruce Willis (6-0, 211 pounds, BMI of 29), Brendan Fraser (6-3, 234 lbs, BMI of 29), and George Clooney (5-11, 211 pounds, BMI of 29).

$117 billion cost. 300,000 deaths. 61 percent fatties or obese. All wrong. Unfortunately, these bad statistics are the shaky ground on which a growing number of activist groups seek to build their nutritional utopias.

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The adage, “laughter is the best medicine”, proves to be true when it comes to keeping heart attacks at bay. Recent studies conducted at a place in Baltimore show that people who always have a good laugh are less likely to have heart diseases. Further, those with heart diseases are found 40% less probable to laugh and become humorous compared to people to those without heart problems. If this is true, the very elixir that could solve a serious medical condition pertaining to the heart is found the very primordial act of laughing at really funny jokes.

A good belly laugh considered to be a form of exercise. It can serve as an “internal exercise because it provides a good cardiac stimulation and conditioning. This is especially important to those who don’t have the time to exercise or do physical activities. Laughing also prevents hypertension because it lessens the likeliness of stress. It relaxes muscles and lessens the supply of dopamine in he blood, a hormone known to induce the fight or flight response.

Knowing all these, how can you practice the habit of laughing to keep heart attack away? Here are some ways.

1. Think of happy things.

Keeping a light-hearted disposition is crucial in preventing heart attacks. Try to recall the things that you find funny. This may include a hilarious scene on TV, news or an event. Whenever stress starts keeping in, think about these situations can lower your stress and anxiety levels.

2. Engage in a healthy and entertaining conversation with close friends.

Doing this does not only produce some natural laughter, but also helps maintain good mental health. It gives a light feeling and relieves tension.

3. Watch awesome jokes.

Fortunately, there are lots of good sites on the internet that feature jokes and pranks that people can laugh at. When the feeling of heaviness of heart creeps in, don’t wallow in misery. Taking care of the heart through laughing is very important.

5. Relax!

Don’t pretend to have fun, but let laughter come naturally. It is also not advisable to be so serious about life. If there’s a big hindrance on the road, don’t lash out and go berserk. Relax and respond humorously to everyday life’s situation. Think of positive things that could still induce some laughter amidst a stressful incident. Remember that most of the time, stress is only in the mind.

Nursing loneliness and anguish is the fastest way to a nasty and life-threatening heart attack. Don’t treat your heart like you have another one in the bank in case what you have fails to beat. Nurture a happy disposition, laugh at really funny jokes, and smile to ensure a healthy heart.

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Illuminating your landscape or garden is no exception to this try at helping the earth. Gardens are meant to be beautiful and peaceful, but when you are planning out your landscape, you probably want some kind of illumination. solar lights are not a new solution to the problem, but they are quickly becoming the most widely used solution. More and more people are finding that solar power is not costly and effective, even if it may need a onetime investment. Modern advances now give customers many options in this field.

solar garden lights now exist to add the final touches to your landscaping. They are generally attached to a stake that can easily be placed into the ground. This makes it simple for you to put in these types of lights. You will not have to be concerned about wiring, or how the light will handle the elements. Solar garden lights come in many different shapes, colors, sizes, and materials. You can find lights to fit nearly any budget or want. The sky is truly the limit when you consider the choices for solar powered lights in your yard or garden.

For those who like to have guests, and have a landscape to fulfill this passion, solar yard lights might be the best idea. There are plenty of yard type lights that you can employ to keep your area lit up even after the sun goes down. Some lights are placed on to the house itself in order to give a long reaching light. Other types are used out in the yard to illuminate one part or another.

No matter why you decide to use these lighting answers for your landscaping and gardening needs, you can be sure of one thing. These lights are good for your home planet, the Earth, as well as your wallet. No energy use means no energy cost, which can be very appealing to those who have already put so much energy and effort into the landscaping project.

Building Retaining Walls
If you’ve ever done any heavy landscape construction, then you know that it is one of the fastest ways to tear up your hands. Lifting and lugging several hundred bricks or blocks can rip your skin to shreds. You will need to consider getting gloves for gardening with leather palms.

Using Hand Tools
You also need to do a lot of digging with shovels when you garden and landscape. Anyone who has ever dug a trench knows that blisters will form very quickly. In addition, during winter, your snow-shoveling must be done with gloves on. You should also consider your hands when you reach into your ice melter bucket or bag to spread the ice melt salt. Once again, leather palmed gloves are going to be your best defense.

Using Power Equipment
I don’t normally wear gloves when I mow the lawn, but I do wear them when I am using my snow blower because of freezing temperatures. Not only will you need the leather for this, you will also benefit from some insulation.

There are hundreds of different types of gloves on the market, and the type of gardening glove you buy depends on the way you garden. In my case, I have 3 different sets for the different jobs mentioned above.

After choosing the type of gardening glove you need, you must make sure and pick out the perfect fit. Gloves that are too big have a tendency to slip off while gloves that are too small could cause aches and cramps. Any glove that doesn’t fit could defeat the whole purpose of wearing gloves and cause blistering. To find a glove with the best fit possible, try the gloves on both hands, make a fist, and imitate the movements you make when gardening. If there is no pinching or slipping and the glove is comfortable then you have found your match.

Gardening gloves can be bought in many places and are produced by many companies, causing them all to have a different quality and price. Most gloves can be washed in cool water and then air dried. There are many different types of gloves you can purchase to satisfy your varying needs, such as cotton and cotton-polyester for general-purpose chores. These are among the most popular gloves and are perfect for light chores in cool and dry weather. Leather gloves can also be used for general chores but are heavier than cotton and polyester. Grip enhancing gloves are designed with rubber dots for extra gripping power. Cut and puncture resistant gloves are designed to offer extra protection against sharp edges

If you are the type person that only wears gloves as an optional luxury for various tasks, you should think seriously for using specialized gardening gloves for many of the activities you will be doing outside. There is really no reason not to wear gardening gloves; they protect your hands from the elements and don’t ever cost all that much.
With winter on the way, the market ready for you to purchase your winter gardening gloves. While you are there, pick up some safe ice melter before the next big storm hits.