2010
07.31

It's Third time lucky

It’s Third time lucky

0 Comments | Evening Post; Bristol (UK), Jul 29, 2010

certainly got my digestive juices bubbling: ham hock and foie gras terrine with pink grapefruit and cress salad; Thai beef salad; breast of chicken dusted in sumac; fish of the day with vermouth and saffron sauce, mussels and crayfish tails and so on.

The River Grille has one of the best harbourside locations close to Pero’s Bridge and it makes for a great spot for people-watching.

On the night I visited, there was a huge pub crawl with employees from Lloyds and everybody passing the restaurant seemed to be dressed as an airhostess, cowboy or Hawaiian island.

The room is wide, light and airy with cream leather banquettes along one wall beneath angled mirrors that make it feel even bigger than it is.

Staff have name badges, as is always the case in large hotel groups, but they were excellent throughout – efficient, friendly, knowledgeable and all the things that well-drilled hotel staff are when they decide to work in hospitality for a career rather than a gap year hobby.

After a board of good complimentary bread for dunking into the pot of fruity olive oil and balsamic, I kicked off with the most expensive starter on the list.

At Pounds 13.75, the seared scallops with black pudding risotto and tomato and lime compote had a lot to live up to.

That’s a central London price tag and a hefty mark-up on a dish that probably cost a third of that to produce even if the scallops were the best that money can buy.

The three scallops were, in fact, quite small and not the baby’s fist-sized bivalves I would expect for that price.

They were precisely cooked, though, and topped with a tomato relish with a sweet and sour edge due to the lime juice.

Best of all was the pillow of creamy risotto into which was mixed enough crumbled black pudding to give it a deep flavour without overpowering the scallops.

To follow, best end of English lamb (Pounds 15.75) comprised one large, juicy pink chop and a separate helping of roast lamb shoulder which had been taken off the bone and reformed into a neat tower.

Beneath the rich, flavoursome shoulder was a slim disc of fried rosemary polenta cake and a dark and sticky lamb and port jus was dribbled over the top.

To the side, there was a mound of ratatouille-like Provencal vegetables – small dices of courgette, peppers, carrot, tomato and garlic.

To round things off, a double espresso mousse (Pounds 5.50) served in a tall espresso cup topped with a layer of cream.

The mousse had more of a bavarois texture, hinting that perhaps gelatine had been added to the mix, and there was a discreet but noticeable coffee flavour.

It was accompanied by some stunning lemon shortbread biscuits that were so light and crumbly that they dissolved on the tongue like Refreshers.

After my previous visits to the River Grille, I was a little nervous about my return but what I found was a restaurant that has improved enormously thanks to an ambitious and talented new chef and excellent service.

After years of mediocrity, this landmark hotel restaurant is finally a force to be reckoned with and not before time.

MARK TAYLOR VERDICT Prices: Starters from Pounds 4.50; main courses from Pounds 11; desserts from Pounds 5.50 Wheelchair access: Yes Food: 8/10 Service: 9/10 Value: 8/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Overall: 8/ 10

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2010
07.31

By selecting the colors and shapes that will enhance your personal energies, you will be creating an environment around you for success.

A good place to start your personal fashion makeover is by taking a look inside your closet space as if you were seeing it for the first time. Notice if your wardrobe is supporting who you are and where you?d like to be in your life. You may find the need to de-clutter your closet before you start to create your wardrobe with the colors and styles that enhance your natural beauty. Removing old, unworn, and unnecessary items from your closet can open up possibilities for fresh vital energy to empower you. Set aside some time for you to sort and organize your closet. As this task can be overwhelming, be sure to reward yourself when you are done with this project.

Color plays a very important role in your daily life. You can be seen as loyal and trusting in a navy-blue colored suit, passionate in pink or red, calm and serene in a soft shade of green, or bright and cheery in sunshine yellow.

The colors you wear not only affect the way you feel, but also set the tone for others around you.
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2010
07.31

Even if your family goes through several loaves of bread a day, you simply have to set it up and leave the bread machine to do its work before you go to bed, and then again once during the day. Because it takes care of all the work, it really isn’t that hard to make several loaves a day.

When bread makers first came out years back people felt that all you could use them for was plain white bread. Well that is not even close to being true any more. There are now dozens of fantastic recipes available for all kinds of bread. What you will find is that the ingredients you use in a bread machine will be a little different than if you were baking bread normally. The results are just as good however.

The reason for this is that you normally put the wet ingredients in the bread machine first. Then you put the remaining dry ingredients on top with the special bread maker yeast going in last. However some machines and some recipes require that you change the order of the ingredients.
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2010
07.30
Gifts for him and gifts for her; The men and women in your life can be notoriously difficult to buy Christmas pressies for. JOANNE WELFORD has a few suggestions

0 Comments | Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England), Dec 1, 2008

Byline: JOANNE WELFORD

KNOW someone who’s Boro daft?

Your very own Evening Gazette has some great books for footie lovers, including this Class of ’86, pounds 10.99, right.

And if you are Teesside through and through, we’ve got tankards and hip flasks bearing one of our most famous landmarks, the Transporter Bridge. To order, call into the Gazette office on Borough Road.

Time for a great gift? Check out this Aquaspeed stainless steel watch, left, from Rotary with blue dial and blue rotating divers bezel, pounds 155.

www.rotarywatches.com for more information.

Go retro with this trendy travel bag, second left, complete with the original design from the USA Olympics, pounds 19.99, from www.gifttogo.co.uk.

EVERY bloke needs a new Christmas jumper.

This argyle pattern one, left, from Fenchurch Rinker should turn a few heads, pounds 44.99 from www.stand-out.net.

KNOW a super man?

Show your appreciation with this Superman mug, pounds 5, below, from Next.

BLOW your budget and celebrate the season. House of Fraser have bottles of Krug champagne, right, the Grande Cuvee version, for pounds 120 per bottle.

SEARCHING for socks?

Topman’s star socks are pounds 3 – below right.

KEEP them tuned in with this portable radio, below, from Debenhams, pounds 8.

In cool silver and black, it has FM and AM wavebands and should be perfect for switching on wherever you are.

COOKERY fans are in a for a treat this year with the plethora of books on the market.

Nigella Christmas, Chatto and Windus, pounds 25, above, includes reliable, practical and easy-to-follow recipes presented with Nigella’s trademark glamour.

AND if you know a celebrity biography fan, there are lots to choose from
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2010
07.29

What a way

What a way to start your day.

Our political leaders are also doing their very best to keep this present scourge uppermost in our minds. They do this, of course, because they know that it is far easier to manipulate and rule over people who are in a constant state of worry and fear.

So, the questions are:

do you participate in all this negativity?

do you live in a state of perpetual fear?

do you retreat to your bunker?

The terror is not going to go away. If anything it will become more common and more severe as each terror cell attempts to create even worse atrocities. They are the things that we can be certain of.

The sad reality is that we are going to have to put up with the actions of these murderous lunatics for quite some time into the future.
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2010
07.29
Luxe Holidaying: All Inclusive Holidays to Crete by Lauren Charles
in Travel (submitted 2010-05-20)

Whether you dream of cheap holidays to Crete that involve little more than sunbathing and sleeping, or want to explore the island’s ancient sites, the amenities and attractions of this Greek island cater to a broad range of tastes and interests. Make the most of your time away by choosing from the many all inclusive holidays to Crete available that cover airfare, lodging, meals and entertainment – allowing you to relax and enjoy your holiday without worrying about money.

For the ultimate in luxurious surroundings, book a room at the Aquis Zorbas Village. Walk its manicured gardens or sunbathe on the private beach, all while enjoying an array of all-inclusive amenities, including meals, activities and drinks. Families can avail themselves of the kid’s club and a large on-site playground. Everybody can sample Mediterranean delicacies at the restaurant or dine on many international favourites. The buffet restaurant even includes a dinner show cooking corner where cooking aficionados can watch the creation of their meals. At night, enjoy cocktails at one of the bars or party the night away in the disco. The bungalow style air-conditioned rooms provide an array of amenities including mini-fridges and balconies.

For a more active holiday, opt for the 5-star Aquis Bella Beach resort. Located on the northern coast of Crete, provides a range of activities and options in a palatial marble resort perched on the edge of the blue sea. During the day, play beach volleyball or windsurf or kayak. Families might play a round of mini-golf or visit one of the resort’s swimming pools. Enjoy activities and evening shows planned by the resort’s animation staff. The buffet in the main restaurant offers Greek and Mediterranean specialties, as well as many types of international cuisines.

It may be difficult to drag yourself away from your luxurious beach resort, but you’ll want to see all the archaeological and entertainment options in Crete. Must-see attractions for history buffs include King Minos’ palace, the ancient Greek site of Gortys, the Venetian castle at Rethymo and the old city and port of Chania. Outdoor enthusiasts can hike the Samarian Gorge, a national park in the southwest of Crete or rent a bike for an unforgettable ride through the Cretan countryside
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2010
07.29

Glenmorangie in good spirits with profits of pound(s)12.7m

0 Comments | Herald, The; Glasgow (UK), Jul 29, 2010 | by SIMON BAIN

THE slimmed-down Glenmorangie whisky company has said it is on track to move to a new headquarters in Edinburgh and complete its pound(s)9m bottling plant in Livingston in the current quarter.

Accounts filed at Com-panies House show that the distiller, owned by French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, made an operating profit of pound(s)14m on turnover of pound(s)65m in its continuing core business – the development of its two international single malt whisky brands Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.

Two years ago the group said it was exiting blended whisky and third-party bottling, and a year ago reported a pound(s)32.5m operating profit for 2008 and a pound(s)39.3m pre-tax profit, which included the disposal of its former facility at Broxburn and the Glen Moray distillery at Elgin.

Reporting a pre-tax profit of pound(s)12.7m for 2009, the group says the 2008 figure included discontinued operations and also “a high level of sales of bulk whisky stocks no longer required” for the blended whisky business.

Glenmorangie also relinquished to Morrison Bowmore a major contract for the production and bottling of Drambuie last year.

However last year’s figures compare favourably with 2007, when turnover was pound(s)84m and pre-tax profit only pound(s)10.6m.

The directors say: “Our vision was, and remains, to build the brand presence of our highly successful premium single malt whisky brands in order to capitalise on market growth in key international markets and deliver sustainable long-term benefits to the group.”

An expansion project at the flagship Glenmorangie distillery in Tain, Ross-shire, was completed during the year as were enhancements to the Ardbeg distillery on Islay.

The year also saw the launch of several new sub-brands such as Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX, Ardbeg Supernova and Ardbeg Corryvreckan.

“During the year the group supported these product innovations with increased brand and marketing investment in its key markets. This strategy is already delivering very positive results,” the directors added.

Glenmorangie has recently become the fastest-growing single malt in the US and is gaining share in key Asian and European markets.

Employment dropped from 380 to 294, reflecting the restructuring.

The directors say they are “very encouraged by the results received to date” from the new strategy.

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2010
07.29

Cmo saber si una promocin u oferta es legitima

0 Comments | La Prensa; San Antonio, Tex., Jan 1, 2006 | by Benavides, Nancy

La semana pasada hablamos de los tipos ms frecuentes de fraudes de trabajo en casa. La mayora de estos anuncios se publican en los peridicos o revistas. En esta ocasin la informacin que le presentaremos le ayudar a identificar cundo una oferta escrita en un peridico, revista, internet o por telfono, es un fraude.

Si una oferta de trabajo escrita es legitima, la persona que patrocina el anuncio tiene que revelar la naturaleza del negocio, los requisitos, las responsabilidades y los beneficios. Adems de esto, la compaa le proveer con un nmero de telfono en donde usted pueda hablar con una persona y recibir ms infamacin. Las preguntas que usted puede hacer son: cuanta inversin requiere el negocio, si le pagarn salario o una comisin, quin, cmo y cundo le van a pagar, y por supuesto, quin y cunto se va a pagar de impuestos.

Si usted no recibe respuesta a estas preguntas, lo ms probable es que la oferta sea una farsa. Otra manera de confirmar la veracidad del anuncio es llamando a la procuradura del consumidor o Better Business Bureau. Esta organizacin recibe todas las quejas en contra de negocios u organizaciones que de alguna manera han tomado ventaja del pblico. Al llamar, puede preguntarles si han recibido alguna queja con referencia al anuncio y basado en eso hacer su decisin.

Existen tambin otros tipos de fraudes que llegan ms directamente a usted a travs de su telfono. A continuacin le presento la siguiente informacin que le ayudar si la persona que le est llamando por telfono es un defraudador.

1. En primer lugar el vendedor usar tcticas muy agresivas. Es decir, no va a aceptar que usted le diga que no. Algunas veces algunos vendedores se ponen a discutir con el cliente y hasta lo hacen sentir como un tonto por dejar pasar su oferta, la cual pudiera “cambiar su vida”. Otros hasta llegan a amenazarlo dicindole cosas como: ‘se va usted a arrepentir de no haber tomado mi oferta”.

2. En segundo lugar un defraudador le va a insistir que tome una decisin inmediata. La mayora de los vendedores le tratan de infundir el temor de perder la oferta. Le dicen cosas como: “este producto est a punto de acabarse”, “la oferta se acaba hoy” o bien, que no le pueden garantizar que le pueden vender este producto ms tarde porque es una promocin nica. La verdad es que con este tipo de tctica el vendedor le dar muchas razones para que usted prosiga el mismo momento.

3. Otra forma de identificar que la oferta no es genuina, es porque la promocin parecer increblemente buena. Si suena demasiado buena para ser verdad probablemente no es verdad
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2010
07.28

You might be

You might be amazed to learn that stuffed toys can attract dust mites.

* Reduce humidity. It helps if you can lower the relative humidity in your house, normally lower than 50% is sufficent. When dust mites can’t absorb moisture from the air they will shrink and die. You can use air conditioners and dehumidifiers to achieve this benefit.

* Use stone, hardwood or laminate flooring instead of carpet if possible This eliminates an ideal dust mite territory. If you cannot choose your flooring, make sure that you use asteam cleaner on your carpets at least once a year.

* Dust and vacuum your home at least once a week. You need to clean your house regularly. Find a cleaner if you cannot afford the time.
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2010
07.28

Changing filters? Don’t forget the fridge

0 Comments | Buffalo News, Feb 21, 2010

How old is your refrigerator water filter?

If you don’t remember the last time you changed it, or if what the dispenser is producing tastes pretty bad, it’s time for a new one.

Replacement filters can be expensive and sometimes not easy to find. Those for newer models are readily obtainable from the appliance section of home centers; older ones often must be ordered online.

Still, say the folks at Whirlpool Corp., it is healthier to change the filter at least every six months “to ensure proper contaminant removal.”

Timing varies by the type of filter, and is based on either a time limit or water use, whichever comes first, the manufacturer says.

What contaminants do the filters remove? That depends on the kind of filter your dispenser, and icemaker, use. Some filters, including those used by Whirlpool, are certified by NSF International, the testing company, to reduce lead, mercury, chlorine taste and odor, and sediments.

No soap

The Soap and Detergent Association has launched Ingredient Central, an online gateway to where consumers can find specific cleaning-product companies’ ingredient information. Ingredient Central is available at www.cleaning101.com/IngredientCentral.

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Washer prices fall

Consumer Reports’ latest tests on washers show retail sales- price drops of up to 33 percent, compared with a year ago. With federal rebates of as much as $250 for qualifying models, consumers are seeing more energy- and water-efficient washers that save money in the long run. The full report, which includes dryer ratings, is in the February issue and at www.ConsumerReports.org.

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Black algae on roofs

Reader Steve Bosci of Wayne says he’s had good luck removing stains with Spray and Forget, available at www.sprayandforget.com.

Bosci calls it a “great, safe product that really works well, didn’t harm my plantings at all, and worked quickly.”

Bosci has used the product twice in six years to control roof algae
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