Four natural ways to reduce cellulite and fat. How to Make Perfect McDonald’s-style French Fries at Home. Perfect homemade friesEven food snobs who shun McDonald's have to admit that they serve the mother of all French fries. Ray Kroc, one of the chain's founders wrote in his autobiography that the fry was "almost sacrosanct for me. Its preparation a ritual to be followed religiously. " The end result is a crispy golden-brown baton showered with just the right amount of salt. The exterior's initial crunch yields to a tender and steaming white center. More, please? See more: 10 best and worst frozen foods "They are consistent," says David Myers, chef/owner of Comme Ca in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. McDonald's French fries are shipped to outlets frozen.
He says the key to making a perfect, consistent, McDonald's-style fry is in the advance preparation. See more: 8 things restaurant chefs won't tell you The beauty of Myers' two-step cooking method is that you can cook your fries ahead of a dinner party and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to finish in hot oil just before serving. How to win a real estate bidding war. With fewer sellers and high demand for housng in the GTA, bidding wars are back as the spring market gets under way. But for buyers these auctions are stressful and fraught with dangers, not the least of which is that you may end up paying too much for a house and go on to regret it.
Here are some things that can help you come out ahead: 1.Research the area to get the low down on the neighbours, schools, parks, demographics and crime rate. 2.Visit with your lender or mortgage broker in advance to get a clear understanding as to what you can afford to spend in order to buy a property, without having to dramatically change your standard of living. 3.Work with a professional sales person. You need to know the real market value of properties.
Many sellers deliberately list their property at 5 to 25 per cent below market value to bid it up. 4.Conduct a home inspection before submitting the offer, so you can make an offer without conditions. 5.Do not participate in a faxed offer process. Massive Mansion Markdowns. The following nine enormous homes started out with price tags that were even more enormous than they are now. All told, these properties have been reduced in price by more than $85 million. Why do these upscale properties linger on the market? When the lowest asking price out of these mansions is about $10 million, you’re already talking about a limited pool of potential buyers. Perhaps some of the properties are too specialized, as a few residences in this collection cater to pretty specific interests, reducing the number of potential buyers even further. Continue reading to see the following list of drastically discounted mansions, provided by Trulia.com. See more: Massive Mansion Markdowns Santa Barbara, California Price Cut: $15,005,000New Price: $19,995,000Bedrooms: 5Bathrooms: 5 full, 1 partialSquare Feet: 13,875 This modernist home, set on about 3.5 acres, is known as the Glass Pavilion and it is the mansion with the most dramatic price drop on this list.
(Trulia.com) Dallas, Texas. How Renting Out Your Spare Room Can Backfire. Using rental income to offset a portion of the monthly mortgage payment is an attractive option for many homeowners. The income boost can make home ownership more affordable or put a nicer, more expensive property within reach. If you're thinking about renting out your spare bedroom, in-law suite or basement apartment, be aware of these potential problems before you take on a tenant. Rental Income Is TaxableIf you need to generate a minimum amount of income per month from your rental, keep in mind that taxes will take a chunk out of your rental revenues. The rate of tax you'll pay on this income is your marginal tax rate.
The good news is that you can reduce your taxable rental income by any expenses associated with the rental. You may be able to charge higher rent to help offset your rental tax bill, but you can only charge what the market will bear, and anything extra you manage to charge will also be taxable. At best, these mistakes could simply cause you to lose your tenant. 10 products with outrageous marketing claims. We live in a hypersaturated consumer products market where businesses have to fight to get our attention. It's no wonder that to do so, companies have resorted to making marketing claims that border on the ridiculous. We've all come across the variety of weight-loss pills that claim to help you lose X pounds in Y days, or supplements that claim to enhance certain male parts by Z inches, and wondered: Why are companies allowed to get away with such outrageous claims?
Shouldn't they be submitted to truth tests? MORE RELATED TO THIS STORY —Next great grocery scam is in your home —Most outrageous acts of corporate America —4 risky places to swipe your debit card In fact, the American Federal Trade Commission is the agency responsible for administering a truth test of sorts for consumer products. It's a fine line that the FTC has to walk in determining whether or not a marketing claim has crossed the line into fraud. 1. 2. 3. Many experts were quick to leap to Jobs’ defense. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 5 Tips for Cleaning Pots and Pans. Most Dangerous Colours for Your Car - Yahoo! Autos Canada. Beauty Secrets from Around the World. By Amanda Greene When it comes to beauty routines, the grass is always greener. Japanese women have it made with their long, glossy hair and Greek women's olive-toned complexions are always luminous.
But how do they do it? Put down your passport-you won't need to go anywhere to find out. Australia Australian makeup artist Napoleon Perdis says yarrow extract is used by Australian Aboriginal women to prevent stretch marks, thanks to its moisturizing and hydrating properties. See 8 bizarre beauty tricks that really work. Chile Chilean women credit the antioxidant powers of red grapes for their luminous skin. Dominican Republic "If you ever meet a Dominican woman, look at her nails--chances are they're super-strong," says Vadhera.
Learn what else to eat for healthy hair and nails. Egypt According to Vadhera, Cleopatra's beauty secret was taking milk baths to soften her skin and remove dead cells. France Get recipes for 8 do-it-yourself home facials. Greece Israel Turn your shower into a spa. Italy. 10 Shoes Every Woman Should Own. Montreal ranks as best city in Canada to be a student | Daily Brew. McGill support staff walked out Thursday morning, on the first day of class for many students. Montreal has been rated the best student city in Canada, but it falls well behind Paris according to a new international survey. Paris was followed by London and Boston with Montreal landing 10th, Toronto coming in 26th and Vancouver coming in 31st. British firm QS, which usually ranks individual universities, examined 50 cities around the world, looking at student mix, quality of living, employer activity and affordability to devise the list. Helping Montreal finish in 10th was that QS ranked McGill as the 17th best university in the world.
"Montreal has been dubbed the cultural capital of Canada, and one of the world's most liveable cities," reads the description of the city on the QS ranking website. Toronto, with 109,400 students, ranks high on quality of life, but low on affordability. This is the first time QS has put together a list of the best student cities in the world. (CBC photo) How to Think of What to Draw - wikiHow. Personality Quiz - StumbleUpon.
Amazing Places To Experience Around The Globe (Part 1) - StumbleUpon. Preachers Rock, Preikestolen, Norway Blue Caves - Zakynthos Island, Greece Skaftafeli - Iceland Plitvice Lakes – Croatia Crystalline Turquoise Lake, Jiuzhaigou National Park, China Four Seasons Hotel - Bora Bora Ice skating on Paterswoldse Meer, a lake just South of the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Marble Caves, Chile Chico, Chile The Gardens at Marqueyssac Ice Canyon - Greenland Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia Valley of the Ten Peaks, Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada Multnomah Falls, Oregon Seljalandsfoss Waterfall on the South Coast of Iceland Petra - Jordan (at night) Verdon, Provence, France Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania, Australia Norway Alesund Birdseye of City Benteng Chittorgarh, India Riomaggiore, Italy Keukenhof Gardens - Netherlands.
Sky Lantern Festival - Taiwan. Mount Roraima - Venezuela. Seychelles East Iceland. Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. New York City. How to Plant Ideas in Someones Mind - StumbleUpon. Homes of Celebrity Couples 2012. Which Healthy Foods Are Best for Flat Abs? What are the best foods for firmer abs? We've heard the saying "abs are made in the kitchen," but what does that mean? When it feels like you're working out and not seeing the result you want, could it have something to do with your diet? We went to SHAPE diet doctor Mike Roussell to figure if there are certain foods that can help you on your route to firm, toned abs. Here's what he had to say: It's important to remember that hormones play a big role in weight loss, especially the last five or so pounds that are so hard to lose.
Cruciferous vegetables like those mentioned above contain two compounds-indole-3-carbinol and Calcium D-glucarate-that may help optimize estrogen levels, giving you an edge in revealing your abs faster. Two Worst Foods for Your Weight. For people trying to lose weight, here's the good news: Nutrition researchers have scoped out the enemy. Turns out potato chips and soda are the top waistline assassins. Everyone knows to cut back on junk food, but in a recent large study examining what foods were most associated with weight gain, potato chips and sweetened drinks stood out as the ultimate arch villains.
Indeed, not all snacks are created equal. Here's why: Scientists have started to suspect that when it comes to junk food, some snacks are worse than others. Learn 3 secrets to a slimmer body. The researchers can't say for certain that chips and sweet drinks caused the weight gain. Snack Alternatives A better snack choice is yogurt. And ditch the soda. Start with one or two favorite juices (try combos of cranberry and orange, or pomegranate and pineapple). Find out how eating yogurt helps make blood vessels happy. The researchers tracked lifestyle choices, too. Need a push to get moving? Get more health tips from RealAge: Reluctantly Healthy Videos - Yahoo! Shine CA.
Eggs vs. Fruit. 11 Unusual Household Uses For Food Items That Will Save You Money | MintLife Blog | Personal Finance News & Advice - StumbleUpon. Photo: charles chan * The next time you find yourself in need of a household product like stain remover, shower cleaner or ant deterrent, check the pantry before heading to the store. You might just find what you need, in the form of a common kitchen ingredient. From a green perspective, going the DIY route eliminates some of the harsh chemicals in your home, reducing your family’s exposure to them. It can also save you money. In a pinch, using cinnamon or cayenne pepper could save you the $5 needed to buy a set of ant traps.
Post your own tips below, and try these household uses for common foods: Baking soda * Jan Patterson of Cotati, Calif., uses it to remove “stubborn sticky stuff of any kind” from furniture and other household items. . * Add vinegar, and the mixture works well as a drain cleaner, says Leslie Reichert, a.k.a. . * “Use it as your first treatment when you spill fruit juice or wine,” says lifestyle consultant Joshua Duvauchelle. Bananas Beer Cayenne Pepper Cinnamon Honey Ketchup Tea. U.K. scientists claim to have found cheapest meal. Times are tough in Canada, but is the economy bad enough to eat a toast sandwich? Scientists from the Royal Society of Chemistry in the U.K. are calling the sandwich (which costs the equivalent of 12 cents Canadian), the cheapest meal. It is a slice of toast between two pieces of buttered bread with salt and pepper. Although according to the Guardian, it can also be one untoasted piece between two toasted pieces. "I've tried it and it's surprisingly nice to eat and quite filling," says Dr.
John Emsley of the RSC in a statement. According to the RSC this sandwich has 330 calories, 9.5g of protein, 12g of fat, 55g of carbohydrate and contains vitamins A, B1, B3, B3 and D. The meal may sound strange, but it has appeared in British culture before. The scientists chose this meal because they want to help the country through the harder times, which they say are to come. If anyone knows of a cheaper meal, the RSC is offering $320 (200 pounds) to anyone who can come up with a meal for less. 5 Energy-saving myths. What you didn't know about energy efficiency could hurt your pocketbook. Myth #1: Closing the Vent Saves Energy Though it seems that closing vents in unused rooms would save energy, the energy consumed by the system is at the unit itself, and restricting conditioned air at a vent termination redirects it to other locations in the house or through leaks in your duct system.
Closing vents also puts backpressure on the fan that pushes the air through the system, causing it to work harder, use more energy, and wear out faster. Myth #2: New Windows = Significant Energy Cost Savings Replacing single-pane windows for Energy-Star rated dual-pane windows will save energy. See the full list of Energy-Saving Myths Myth #3: Setting Thermostat Higher Heats a Home Faster A furnace will provide heat at its max power (or a fraction of max power for multi-stage units) when it is first turned on. Myth #4: Using an Electric Space Heater Saves Money Related: 5 things people buy because of peer pressure - Yahoo! Canada Finance. Peer pressure is often thought of as something that only affects young people, especially teenagers. Though peer pressure impacts people of all ages, and in various aspects of their lives.
Peer pressure often has a big influence on a large portion of our society's purchasing decisions. People often feel the need to keep up with the most modern technical gadgets, and to keep up with the images that we are exposed to every day in the media. This, in turn, impacts how we spend our hard-earned dollars. CigarettesGiven all the health concerns associated with smoking, it's hard to believe that this habit is still as popular as it is.
SmartphonesHigh-tech gadgets seem to change and evolve at a never-ending pace. AlcoholMuch like cigarettes, alcohol is another habit that many people pick up as teenagers. Apple StuffApple products are absolutely everywhere these days. The Bottom LinePeer pressure affects aspects of everyone's life, from childhood to old age. More From Investopedia. How Stores Trick You Into Spending More - Yahoo! Canada Finance. In marketing and retail, the price of a product is often the most important factor in determining the product's success. Sure, quality and appearance play a large role in a customer's decision, but shoppers are being manipulated by the pricing, and they're often not even aware of it. Ideally, every retailer would determine their costs to provide goods or services, and then tack on a modest surcharge to those goods or services to produce a profit. But in the reality of your local Target or Safeway, shopping is not that simple.
Finding the true cost or value of an item is muddled in rewards programs, rebates, discounts on multiple items, etc. Prestige PricingAlso known as "premium pricing," this method capitalizes on societies' generally accepted belief that the higher the price paid, the greater the quality received in return. Loss LeaderThis strategy seemingly undermines the moneymaking goals of every businessperson, as it dictates that you sell an item at an unprofitable price. Are dollar stores really a bargain? The World's 25 Best Multinational Workplaces - Yahoo! Canada Finance. Getting Promoted at work means getting noticed, here's how to get noticed at work. 5 People Who Turned $1,000 Into $1 Million. What Not to Wear to a Job Interview.
4 things you didn't know you could put on your resume.