Insomnia? Ini dia cara ampuh mengatasinya

Siapa pun pasti akan terganggu jika mengalami susah tidur. Gangguan tidur atau insomnia ternyata bisa mengganggu siklus tubuh. Bahkan insomnia yang berkepanjangan bisa memicu depresi. Insomnia adalah sebuah gangguan tidur yang ditandai dengan gejala-gejala seperti selalu merasa letih dan lelah sepanjang hari dan secara terus-menerus (lebih dari sepuluh hari) mengalami kesulitan tidur. Atau penderita sering terbangun di tengah malam dan tidak dapat kembali tidur. Seringkali penderita terbangun lebih cepat dari yang diinginkannya dan tidak dapat kembali tidur.

Insomnia sering disebabkan oleh adanya suatu penyakit atau akibat adanya permasalahan psikologis. Dalam hal ini, bantuan medis atau psikologis akan diperlukan. Salah satu terapi psikologis yang efektif menangani insomnia adalah terapi kognitif. Dalam terapi tersebut, seorang pasien diajari untuk memperbaiki kebiasaan tidur dan menghilangkan asumsi yang kontra-produktif mengenai tidur. Banyak penderita insomnia tergantung pada obat tidur dan zat penenang lainnya untuk bisa beristirahat. Semua obat sedatif memiliki potensi untuk menyebabkan ketergantungan psikologis berupa anggapan bahwa mereka tidak dapat tidur tanpa obat tersebut.
penderita insomnia, berikut beberapa tips yang dilansir Yahoo! Health untuk mengatasi insomnia


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• Tips 1
Spoiler for :

Hanya gunakan tempat tidur untuk tidur, tidak untuk membaca, melakukan pekerjaan administrasi, menonton televisi, camilan atau membuat panggilan telepon.


• Tips 2
Spoiler for :

Jika Anda telah berbaring di tempat tidur, tetapi rasa kantuk Anda tidak kunjung datang, cobalah beberapa teknik ini: Menghitung domba atau menghitung mundur dari 100 untuk menghentikan diri dari memikirkan berbagai macam masalah kemarin atau besok hari. Setelah itu, tarik napas panjang selama beberapa detik secara mendalam, tahan beberapa detik, kemudian hembuskan. Atau bisa juga melihat beberapa sudut di kamar Anda dengan seksama, sehingga mata pun lelah dan kantuk akan segera datang.


• Tips 3
Spoiler for :

Jika Anda tidak bisa tidur setelah berbaring di tempat tidur selama 30 menit atau lebih, apa yang harus dilakukan? Cobalah untuk membaca sesuatu yang sangat membosankan, membiasakan rutinitas tidur dari jam biasanya, atau lebih cepat dari jam sebelumnya.


• Tips 4
Spoiler for :

Sebelum tidur sebaiknya Anda menghindari tembakau dan minuman yang mengandung kafein (tidak hanya kopi, tapi minuman lain seperti teh dan soft drink).


• Tips 5
Spoiler for :

Hindari alkohol sebelum tidur. Bila minum-minum mungkin membuat Anda berpikir dapat segera memberikan rasa kantuk ternyata tidak tepat. Karena Anda bisa segera tidur, dan kemudian bangun dan sulit untuk tidur kembali karena efek dari alkohol yang dikonsumsi. Sebaliknya, bila Anda memilih untuk makan malam beberapa jam sebelum tidur, ini solusi lebih tepat. Pasalnya, makan beberapa jam sebelum tidur dapat membuat tidur terasa lelap.


• Tips 6
Spoiler for :

Hindari tidur di depan televisi, dan cobalah bangun pada waktu yang sama setiap hari bukan tidur di saat akhir pekan. Latihan setiap hari untuk tidur dan bangun pada jam yang sama guna melatih adrenalin Anda.


• Tips 7
Spoiler for :

Tata dan atur kamar tidur Anda dengan ventilasi yang baik serta atur suhu udara yang membuat Anda cepat mengantuk.


• Tips 8
Spoiler for :

Anda juga dapat mencoba beberapa cara lain, di antaranya: mandi air hangat, menikmati segelas susu hangat, makan makanan ringan sebelum tidur, atau mendengarkan musik klasik.


• Tips 9
Spoiler for :

Gunakan penutup telinga bila Anda termasuk orang yang tidak bisa terlelap bila mendengar suara bising.


• Tips 10
Spoiler for :

Jika Anda mempunyai nyeri sendi atau sakit kepala, minum obat tidur sebelum tidur (tetapi pastikan tidak mengandung kafein).

10 DAFTAR PRODUK GAGAL TERBESAR yang DITARIK dari PASAR

Kesalahan produksi atau cacat dalam pengerjaan mungkin adalah suatu resiko dalam suatu industri. Untuk itulah dibutuhkan para Quality Control yang handal yang dengan cepat dan cekatan serta penuh ketelitian sebelum produk dilempar ke pasar.

Tapi sepintar-pintarnya dan secanggih-canggihnya SDM yang dimiliki oleh perusahaan tersebut tetap tidak menutup kemungkinan untuk terjadinya failure dalam produk tersebut.

Tetapi yang menjadi faktor pembeda adalah kecepatan dan ketanggapan perusahaan dalam menangapi laporan di masyarakat mengenai cacat produksi tersebut. Perusahaan yang baik akan segera merespon dengan menarik produk tersebut dari pasaran dan memberikan kompensasi bagi pengguna produk tersebut akibat kerugian yang diderita. Mungkin kerugian materi tidaklah sebesar dari pengorbanan nyawa konsumen akibat produk gagal tersebut.

Mungkin masih banyak produk gagal yang berbahaya lainnya di luar sana, tetapi setidaknya pada trit ini akan di jelaskan secara singkat sebagian kegagalan-kegagalan produk tsb.. (just info ya gan)

TOYOTA


Toyota produsen terbesar otomotif di Dunia pada akan menarik 4,1 juta kendaraan yang telah dijual di Amerika dan di Eropa untuk memperbaiki kesalahan dalam proses gas pedal yang berpengaruh pada akselearsi yang tidak diinginkan. Padahal pada bulan November perusahaan tersebut telah menarik ( recall) sebanyak 5,3 Juta kendaraan terkait dengan masalah pada floor mat yang mengganjal pedal gas. Total penarikan ( recall) akibat kesalahan atau failure yang berhubungan dengan pedal jadi berjumlah sekitar 9 Juta unit di seluruh dunia.

TAMBAHAN : Sedangkan pesaingnya Honda pada bulan Januari ini direncanakan akan menarik 646,000 Honda Jazz,Fit dan Cities untuk memperbaiki kesalahan pada sistem window-nya.



Simplicity Cribs ( Ranjang Bayi )


Lebih dari 400,000 unit ranjang bayi bermerk Simplicity di tarik dari pasar yang diakibatkan oleh kematian bayi berumur 8 bulan. Penyebabnya adalah sebagian part produk yang di produksi di China mempunyai kelemahan pada kekuatan materialnya yang gampang patah yang membahayakan bagi sang bayi. Kejadian ini bukan yang pertama kalinya, pada bulan September 2008 perusahaan telah menarik 600,000 unit produk yang sama dan pada 2007 sebanyak 1 juta unit.



Kasus produk susu bermelamin China


Masih ingatkah KASKUSER tentang berita heboh penarikan susu produk China yang bermelamin. Pada tahun 2008, produsen susu terbesar di China menarik 700 ton produk susu formula dari pasaran akibat kematian seorang anak dan laporan 50 anak yang bermasalah dengan organ hatinya. Dua orang yang bertanggung jawab terlibat telah dihukum mati akibat kejadian tersebut. Kejadian ini bukan yang pertama kali. Pada bulan Maret 2007 FDA ( BPPOM-nya AMERIKA) menarik 60 juta kaleng makanan kucing dan anjing yang diakibatkan kematian 14 ekor hewan peliharaan. Produk mainan yang berasal dari China juga ditrik karena mengandung bahan kimia berbahaya.



FORD PINTO


Pada era 70-an Ford PINTO menarik 1,5 Juta produknya dari pasaran akibat kesalahan produksi tanki bahan bakar. Kesalahan atau cacat produksi ini berpotensial membahayakan penggunanya dikarenakan apabila terjadi kecelakaan, tanki bahan bakar akan mudah terbakar dan meledak. Akibat kasus tersebut pada tahun 1981 Ford PINTO tidak lagi diproduksi.


Ban produksi Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.


Pada tahun 2000 Bridgestone/Firestone Inc telah menarik 6,5 Juta produk Ban-nya. Salah satu dari penarikan part produk otomotif berbahaya terbesar di dunia. Penarikan tersebut diakibatan karena kecurigaan atas kematian 175 orang dan 700 korban luka-luka akibat pecah ban.

Produsen pesaingnya Goodyear juga mengalami masalah yang pada produk ban-nya yang berhubungan dengan kecelakaan yang mengakibatkan kematian 15 orang dan 120 orang luka-luka.


Daging bermasalah.



Pada Februari 2008, Departemen Pertanian Amerika menarik 143 juta pon daging sapi dikarenakan proses pemotongannya tidak memenuhi standar. Hewan yang dipotong merupaka hewan yang sakit dan dikhawatirkan menularkan penyakit bagi yang mengkonsumsinya.



Selai Kacang yang terkontaminasi.


Pada tahun 2008 terjadi kasus kontaminasi Salmonela yang mengakibatkan kematian 8 orang dan ratusan lainnya menjalani perawatan. Akibat dari kejadian tersebut dilakukan penyelidikan terhadap produk yang berasal dari Peanut Corp. of America dan hasilnya pabrik di Barkley-lah yang terkontaminasi Salmonela. Dalam penyelidikan perusahaan tersebut dinyatakan bankrut dan proses hukum terhadap yang bertanggung jawab masih tertahan.



Tragedi Tylenol


Pada tahun 1982, 7 orang di Chicago meninggal setelah mengkonsumsi obat Tylenol yang tercampur dengan POTASIUM SIANIDA yang menyebabkan kepanikan di seluruh kota. Yang berdampak bagi produsennya Johnson & Johnson untuk menghabiskan jutaan dollar dalam rangka menarik produk tersebut dari pasaran.




Merck's Vioxx



Pada 30 September 2004, produsen farmasi MERCK mengumumkan menarik produk obat Vioxx dari seluruh dunia. Hal ini merupakan pencegahan dari hasil studi yang menggambarkan bahwa produk tersebut berpotensi menimbulkan efek serangan jantung dan stroke. Atas kejadian tersebut perusahaan mengkompensasikan sebesar 4,85 Milyar Dollar bagi orang yang terkena efek obat tersebut ....



Abbott's gonorrhea test kit



Perusahaan farmasi raksasa Abbott Laboratories Inc, menarik 750,000 produk test kit gonorrhea (penyakit kelamin), di karenakan kesalahan dalam memberikan hasil testnya. Untuk itu disarankan agar penggunanya melakukan test ulang untuk periode 2 tahun terakhir. Akibatnya perusahaan tersebut memberikan kompensasi kepada pihak yang merasa dirugikan atas kegagalan produk tersebut
(makanya gan jangan jajan sembarangan )


jadi....
Teliti dulu sebelum membeli

2 Absolutely Mouth-Watering Zucchini Bread Recipes

by: Mary Walsh


For many years now, I have been growing zucchini & looking for other ways and means to make use of them aside from your usual dishes like salads and etc. So I have experimented a lot of times to get interesting dishes that feature zucchini as the main ingredient.

Here are 2 delicious bread recipes that star the zucchini as main ingredient and they're absolutely delicious.

Moist Zucchini Quick Bread Recipes With Nuts & Spices

6 cups unbleached white flour, or a combination of half white, half whole wheat
2 tsps salt
2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsps cinnamon, ground
6 large eggs
3.5 c sugar
5 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 c canola oil
5 c zucchini, finely grated
2 c walnuts/pecans, chopped

Preheat your oven to around 350 deg. F. Butter/spray with vegetable spray & flour 4 (8½ X 4½ X 2½ inch) loaf pans and set aside.

Using a food processor, grate the zucchini until it is fine. Set aside. Inside a big bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon and set aside. Beat eggs in an another large bowl, preferably with a stand mixer, or a hand-held mixer.

Next, add sugar, canola oil & vanilla then mix again until blended well. Scrape sides of bowl. Add grated zucchini then mix, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice.

Using a large rubber spatula, fold in your flour mixture until it is all combined and there are no dry ingredients left in the bottom of your bowl. Fold in the walnuts/pecans. Spread batter into the 4 prepared pans and bake at 350 deg. for 1 hour (60 minutes) or just until knife comes out clean.

Allow cooling for 5-10 minutes and then gently removing them from the pans and let them cool completely on wire racks before wrapping and freezing. Serve at room temperature or chilled.Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Make 4 regular size zucchini breads.

Delicious Blueberry Zucchini Bread

3 pcs eggs, lightly beaten
1 c vegetable oil
2 1/4 c white sugar
2 c zucchini; shredded
3 c flour (all-purpose)
1 tsp salt
3 tsps vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat your oven to around 350 deg. F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans. Inside a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, & sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans. Next, bake 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until a knife inserted in the middle of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Teach Your Kids How To Bake Yummy Banana Bread

by: Mary Walsh

Baking is definitely one good way to bond with your children.They'll have fun stirring the yummy mixtures in your bowl (and putting their finger on it too so they can lick the leftover batter).

Admittedly, letting your children loose inside your kitchen with you could create a huge mess, but what's a little clutter and spill compared to a great experience that you will share with them? Not to mention if you end up baking delicious banana bread that you will share with your whole family.

The children will see how painstakingly you prepare the food that you serve them and they will appreciate the time and effort you spend in preparing their favorite treats. Plus, you could also teach your children how to take directions as you anticipate them of the succulent results that lie ahead.

Mashed up bananas give the bread its distinct light sweet flavor. It became a staple in American cookbooks, especially when baking powder and baking soda became immensely popular during the 1930s.

It was speculated that banana bread originated during the early 18th century. Because of the simplicity of the recipe, banana breads became more and more popular as time went by.

Indeed, there's nothing like smelling the aroma of sweet banana and cinnamon when you pull the bread out of the oven. The delightfully crisp crust, with its mouth-watering golden brown color, is absolutely one of the best in the world.

The quality of the bananas that you will choose in making the bread is a huge factor that contributes to the taste of the finished product.

Lots of people believe that the best bananas for the bread are the ones with flesh that already turned soft and skins that already turned brown. Normally, people would throw away these overripe bananas, but this can actually be used to create the perfect banana bread.

Here are the recipe ingredients that you will need for baking banana bread:

3-4 pieces of mashed up bananas
1.5 cups of flour
1/2 tsp of salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of softened butter

Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and butter together into your big bowl. Toss in mashed up bananas then stir well. Add in salt and flour to your bowl then stir them up until evenly blended. Be careful not to over-stir though.

Next, pour mixture into 2 well-greased loaf pans, making sure that it is evenly distributed. Now put the pans inside the oven and bake cake at around 350 deg. F for 45 mins. To check that the cake is ready, insert a clean toothpick at the center. If it comes out of your cake clean, then you can take it out of the oven.

10 Compelling Reasons Why You Should Learn to Bake Bread

by: Mary Walsh

Bread is one of the oldest food items around. People in the olden times lived mostly on bread & they knew how to make fresh loaves for their everyday meals. Today, people do have lots of food choices aside from bread, which is why the practice of baking our own bread isn't as common as before.

People simply buy bread from their grocery stores and bakeries. But if you're one of those people who want more alternatives aside from those commercially-produced bread products which are loaded with preservatives, then you should definitely learn to create and bake your very own bread.

Here are some compelling reasons why you should learn bread baking:

1) Nothing beats the flavor & taste coming from that freshly baked bread straight from out of your oven. The mouth-watering taste and aroma of newly-baked bread with some butter slowly melting atop is one thing you cannot experience outside your home.

2) Homemade breads are definitely more nutritious compared to majority of commercially produced breads. The latter is filled with preservatives so that its shelf life is extended. Also, mass-produced breads are not as solid and stuffed as the homemade ones.

3) Making bread's not as expensive as it looks. The main ingredients, which are flour, yeast and salt, are very cheap and you can stock these supplies up without them creating a huge dent in your budget.

4) Lots of people find kneading dough a very relaxing experience. It lets one meditate even just for a couple of minutes without a care in the world. Also, when you're kneading dough, you would need to put all your focus on the act which lets your mind forget other things, even just for that short span of time.

5) Creating your very own bread will impress lots of people.

6) Sandwiches taste much better if they're made with homemade and freshly baked bread & it's more filling too.

7) For just a couple of dollars, you can already do something productive which you and your family can actually work on together. Baking your very own bread is one great and fun way for you to bond with family, especially with kids.

8) It can also be educational. Exploring bread recipes of other countries will let you find out certain traditions and practices that have been handed down from generations.

9) You can indulge your creative energies when baking. There's something about the feeling of dough & yeast in your very own hands that can make you feel powerful. It also makes you feel good about yourself, knowing you're able to prepare something really good for other people to enjoy and eat.

10) You can actually turn it into a business. You can sell your baked goodies to friends and relatives, who can offer it to THEIR friends and other relatives. Word-of-mouth is necessary when it comes to selling homemade food products.

Frugal Cooking Tips For Moms

Frugal cooking is something that most moms have to practice at some point. Whether you’re dealing with lowered income or higher food prices or simply have a teenage boy in the house, there are times when you’ll need to cut costs on what you make for your family.

Ideally, frugal cooking will be food that not only leaves a minimal dent in your wallet but also provides quality, nutritious meals that your family will enjoy. If no one eats, you’re not really saving money.

Where to Start

The first thing to do is cut back on what you spend on the food you regularly use. This can be done in a number of ways.

Using store brands or no name brands of things like rice, cereal, etc. often is unnoticeable, but can save you quite a bit of money. Switch things your family won’t notice first, like the rice or beans.

Look for coupons, then use them on double coupon day at your local supermarket. You can also stay on top of sales and use coupons to get extra savings. Just be careful not to do this with foods you wouldn’t normally buy, since this isn’t a savings, at all.

Making your own biscuits, cookies and bread may be a little more time consuming (though many are surprised to find that it’s that hard!) than simply buying them, but homemade will keep your family fuller, give them better nutrition and help you save money. And, if you make a large batch each time, you spend the same amount of time and freeze the extras for later.

Advanced Frugal Cooking

Making filling meals will cost you less in the long run than if you provide your family with food that tastes great but leaves them hungry shortly afterwards. Rice, potatoes and other starches make excellent bases for meals.

Use less meat by cutting it into smaller chunks and mixing with fried rice, pasta sauce, or something else that will help spread it out a bit more without anyone feeling deprived. For hamburger meat, you can mix in breadcrumbs, oatmeal, or textured vegetable protein to make it go further when making meatballs, meatloaf or hamburger patties.

Add flavor by using your bacon drippings in the mashed potatoes, etc. A little goes a long way and fat is the best way to add flavor to a simple dish. It also makes you feel fuller and more satisfied, so it’s a very good way to go.

These frugal cooking tips are all very easy to implement and can have a drastic impact on how much you spend on feeding your family.

By: Genesis D.

Looking for more frugal cooking ideas ? At TheGourmetMama.com, you’ll find great, easy recipes to impress everyone in the family.

Cook Shrimp In Hawaii

Chef Todd Mohr will boil shrimp heads and tails to create a shrimp boil, shrimp soup, or shrimp sauce from the cooking shrimp he got at the Koloa Fish Market. The flavorful shrimp stock he creates can be used to cook shrimp for shrimp cocktail.

The best way to buy fresh shrimp is with the heads still on. Having the heads on the shrimp assures it’s never been frozen. Frozen shrimp with the heads on will be obvious to the eye that they’ve been frozen, as the innards turn into a white goop.

Creating shrimp stock from the heads and shells of fresh shrimp is the other benefit to buying fresh shrimp with the heads on. Similar to making a chicken or beef stock where the collagen in the bones gives flavor and structure, the shells and heads of fresh shrimp give all the flavor to the resulting stock.

Normally, you’d throw away the heads and shells of the shrimp you just cleaned. Now, what you considered garbage can be the basis for a shrimp soup, shrimp sauce, or even as a poaching or steaming liquid to cook fresh fish or add another layer of shrimp flavor to your shrimp cocktail.

Get the most flavor from all the occasions that you cook shrimp by purchasing fresh shrimp with the head on and creating a flavorful shrimp broth to use in your next creation.

By: Chef Todd Mohr

Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur and educator. Chef Todd's simple philosophy - burn your recipes and learn how to really cook - has helped many home cooks and professionals alike finally achieve success in the kitchen. Learn his #1 Secret for Free and discover how www.webcookingclasses.com”>online cooking classes can really teach you to cook!

How to cook seafood quick and easy

The world loves seafood because it tastes good and there are so many varieties and cooking possibilities for it. It?s quite nutritious if you make it correctly. For those who wish to begin preparing shellfish, here are a few hints: Seafood takes less time to cook. One of the joys of a recipe with seafood is that it is easy to cook. Once the cleaning and washing are finished, preparing seafood is a snap!

No matter how you cook them, fish usually take close to ten minutes per inch of thickness. Remember to turn the fish halfway through and slice the fish as thin as possible. If you are a beginner I suggest you start with a recipe with shrimps because these are the simpllest among seafood recipes. Fat-filled fish, such as salmon and tuna are excellent for most cooking methods. Certain fish, like grouper or tilapia, require added moisture or basting if you bake or broil them.

Fish only needs to be cooked for about 18 to 20 minutes if it?s been frozen. If you are cooking different kinds of seafood simultaneously, cook the ones with a similar cooking time together. For preparing fish, place it skin side down in the pan. For preparing an entire fish, it is preferable to use a thermometer. Insert this device into the part of the fish where it is thickest and make sure the temperature has reached 60C or 140F.

Marinating your seafood before cooking Seafood is one of the simplest foods to cook and may be seasoned during and after cooking. But, if you desire a strong flavor, marinate it. Hold onto a little marinade to pour on for basting before adding the raw seafood. By keeping the soaked seafood inside the refrigerator, we can reduce the risk of bacteria. When you are finished, get rid of the marinade. Uncooked liquid from the seafood usually has bacteria, which causes the marinade to be unsanitary to use again. Cooking seafood Most seafood, such as fish, oysters, clams and scallops, turn opaque when cooked.

When cooking seafood remember that overdone equals terrible taste. 3 to 5 minutes of cooking on this step is plenty. If you?re baking or broiling, don?t forget to baste your seafood, lest you want your company to stain your rug spitting out pieces of burnt, dry lobster.

Focaccia Bread – The Perfect Fancy Sandwich And Traditional Appetizer
by: Mary Walsh

Focaccia bread is a staple in classic Italian meals. It is best enjoyed with olives, herbs, tomatoes (sun-dried) and cheese. You could also eat it by itself as a meal or as an appetizer.

Focaccia bread is made from basic bread dough used in making pizza crusts. It is said to have originated from the time of the Etruscans from North Italy. Some believe that Focaccia originated in Ancient Greece, during the beginning of the first millennium before Christ. The word Focaccia itself is a direct derivation from the Roman term panis focacius.

The recipe for Focaccia bread has spread to other regions, including the Middle East. The practice of dipping Focaccia into soups and vinegar started during the Roman times. At that time, it proved to be a cheap but filling meal for most people.

At present, Focaccia bread has its own dip made out of vinegar and is usually served as appetizer. The difference lies in its preparation. The dough transforms into Focaccia bread after adding toppings. Also, you could make your homemade Focaccia bread according to your tastes and preferences.

You are free to add little bits of herbs and cheese for that light flavor. However, you might want to add more toppings if you're wanting something more fully-flavored.

Here are the ingredients that you will need to create the basic dough:

1 tbsp/1 pkg of active dry yeast
1 tbsp of sugar
1- 1/3 c of water (hot)
2 tbsps of olive oil
3-1/2 - 4 c of flour (all-purpose)
2 tsps of salt

For the toppings, you'll need the following:
1/2 c of olive oil
Tomatoes (sun-dried), sliced
Olives or onions (caramelized)
2 tbsps of cheese (either Parmesan, Romano or Asiago); grated
1/4 tsp of salt (coarse)
2 tsps of fresh herbs or 1 tsp of dried herbs, either thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil or dill

Create your bread dough by dissolving yeast with hot water. Let stand for five minutes. Mix together all your ingredients for your bread dough inside a big bowl. Stir the ingredients together until the mixture becomes stiff and sticky.

Flatten the mixture into a flat & floured board/surface then knead steadily for ten minutes. Cut dough into half then shape each dough piece to a roll measuring 1/2 inch thick. Put the pieces into well-oiled cake pans and cover with plastic/serran wrap.

Let dough rise for an hour and thirty minutes. Preheat the oven up to about 400 deg. Fahrenheit. When your dough doubles in size, press firmly into cake pans and create indentations throughout your risen dough. Put the ½ cup of olive oil lightly into your dough. Then, add in your toppings afterwards.

Place dough into the oven and bake it for around 25-30 minutes. Make sure that your dough turns golden & brown. After baking, take bread out & let cool before serving.

Cheap Breakfasts: Feeding Your Kids On A Budget

It’s a well known fact that many kids are picky and if yours only want expensive cereals and not so cheap breakfasts, what are you to do? When you stop to look at your budget to see where your money goes, chances are you’ll find that a huge percentage goes just to food. While that is divided between all meals, breakfast is one of the meals that is easiest to do for cheap.

Just how do you get your kids to eat cheap breakfasts? Your best bet is to start them you so they don’t get a taste for sugary cereals! However, if you’re past that stage already, you’re going to have to try a different tactic.

Getting kids to help you make breakfast is a great way to encourage them to eat it. For example, you might enlist their help to make homemade Pop Tarts or cinnamon rolls. They will be far more likely to eat it if they’ve helped. Older kids can actually help plan cheap breakfasts and will be able to even cook them on their own.

Another way to get little kids involved in making their breakfast is to give them a bowl of oatmeal and set out several options for garnishing, such as raisins, dried coconut, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, peanut butter, apple slices, etc. Then let them add one spoonful of two different things to their cereal. Since they’ve personalized their food, they will probably have more interest in eating it.

You should also look for favorites. If your kids love your cinnamon coffee cake, try variations of it. Make an apple cake, or a chocolate orange one. See if they’ll eat muffins. These are all low cost options that are healthy for your kids and once you have a few favorites, you can stick to those, with only a few new dishes once in a while.

Kids can be notoriously picky, but if you want to keep your food budget to a minimum, you’ll need to find foods that they’ll eat. Another fun option is to liquefy. If your children won’t touch coffee cake or poached eggs on toast, try making them a smoothie for breakfast. It’s probably healthier than the cake anyway. Add some favorite fruits, frozen or fresh, a cup of milk or yogurt or even orange juice, a handful of ice cubes and blend. Presto! Fast and cheap.

Cheap breakfasts abound, the trick is getting kids to eat them.

By: Genesis D.

Looking for more cheap breakfast ideas ? At TheGourmetMama.com, you’ll find great, easy recipes to impress everyone in the family.

5 Cheap Breakfast Ideas That Are Quick And Easy

Everyone faces the issue of what to make for breakfast, particularly if you aren’t interested in eating the sugary commercial cereals that abound. Taking the time to whip up your own cheap breakfast is something that many people avoid doing simply because they don’t know where to start. If you’re sick of fried or scrambled eggs for breakfast, check out these fun ideas for cheap breakfasts.

Bread Pudding: This is a very cost effective breakfast that allows you to use up old, stale bread. With just a little milk, a handful of raisins and some eggs, along with a cup or so of sugar and cinnamon, you have a delicious breakfast that can be baked the night before or made while you’re showering and getting ready in the morning. Serve with cream or milk.

Muffins: You can make your own muffins very cheaply. There are literally hundreds of recipes for these handy breakfast items. They also freeze very well, so you can easily make a couple of batches each week, freezing the ones you won’t eat that week. In just a few short weeks, you’ll have several varieties to choose from, just pop into the microwave to enjoy a hot, cheap breakfast.

Burritos: It’s pretty cheap to slap some refried beans on a tortilla, but that’s not a fun breakfast. Spice things up a bit by using refried beans, a little ground beef (previously cooked with onions or garlic) and some cheese. These also freeze well and can be thawed in the microwave or oven. Once thawed, add a little chopped tomato or shredded lettuce to make sure you get lots of veggies. Another option is to substitute scrambled eggs for the ground beef for a delicious breakfast burrito.

Bagels: You can buy a six pack of bagels for pretty cheap at the grocery and they are great as a breakfast food. In fact, they are very versatile . . . far beyond the usual cream cheese. Try toasted with honey and cinnamon, with a slice of ham and mustard, filled with jam and peanut butter or even a fried egg and tomato.

Oatmeal: Yup, the ultimate cheap breakfast is oatmeal and it’s very good for you, too! But if you tend not to like oatmeal, not a problem. You can easily transform the taste by making baked oatmeal, with eggs, milk and sugar, along with some butter. Or use quick oats, mixed with sesame seeds and raisins or dried cranberries and pineapple, pour boiling water over it and leave to sit for ten minutes for a very fast, very tasty breakfast.

Just because you want a cheap breakfast doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on taste! Enjoy the delights of a healthy breakfast without spending a fortune.

By: Genesis D.

Looking for more cheap breakfast ideas ? At TheGourmetMama.com, you’ll find great, easy recipes to impress everyone in the family.

The 5 Best Cookies For Kids!

by: Mary Walsh

Both young and the old ones love and enjoy the sweet treats brought by cookies. Children most especially are hooked with these little bites of sweetness. Different terms and names are given to these delicious cookies. Spaniards name them as galletas while English people termed them as biscuits.

Germans name these small goodies as kels whereas people from Northern part of America name them cookies. Earliest forms of cookies actually were just tiny cakes known as koeje, a simple Dutch term for small cakes. This term koekje later developed and become cookie. Regardless of the label or name given to this delicious and aromatic flavor, they remain good treats for all children.

Usually, children love sweets or cookies which are bought commercially. In a report given by www.timeforkids.com, there were five in demand brands of cookies in the market.

1. Oreo which sells around $519 M (million) annually
2. Chips Ahoy sells around $347 M (million) annually.
3. Chips Deluxe earns $160 M (million) per year.
4. Newton gets $137 M (million) in one year.
5. Fudge Shoppe earns around $127 M (million) in one fiscal year.

Even if kids enjoy cookies which are bought from stores, children still love the ones made from their homes. Children enjoy baking while the parents find quality moments with their children in this activity.

When you want to give your children some freshly baked cookies at home, here is a list of the most popular and tasty cookies which children love.

1. Gingerbread Flavor Cookies: Gingerbread always brings delight to all children because these tasty treats usually are baked in numerous figures and designs. Plus, frosting is being used also to decorate these delicious cookies adding to their appeal. The ingredients are: flour, butter/margarine, sugar (granulated), soft butter, cinnamon powder, molasses, baking agent, ginger powder, crushed cloves, salt, grated nutmeg and leavening soda.

2.Double Choco-Chip Cookies: Double choco-chip flavored cookies are a favorite of most children. Ingredients are: sugar, salt, flour, butter, eggs, vanilla, leavening soda, cocoa (powder unsweetened), buttermilk and partially sweet choco-chips.

3.Peanut Butter cookie: Undoubtedly, this flavor is very much liked by children. You may enhance the flavor by using known brands such as: Jiffy, Skippy or Peter Pan peanut spread. When you want, you may combine it with choco-chips. You may also make your cookies healthier by using peanut spread that has no preservatives. The ingredients are: brown or unrefined sugar, eggs, peanut spread, butter/margarine, flour, shortening, leavening agent, salt, sugar (granulated) and baking agent.

4.Choco-Chip Cookies: Choco chip cookies are really famous to children. They feel soft, moist and chewy. You may consider the usual choco-chips, milk-choco chunks and gourmet choco-chips. Any of them would be a sure hit with your children. The usual ingredients are: eggs, melted unsalted margarine or butter, brown or unrefined sugar, flour (all-purpose), white or refined sugar, salt, vanilla, leavening agent and lastly partially sweet choco-chips/chunks.

5.Sugar-Flavored Cookies: This flavor of cookies is sweet and delicious. Plus, this cookie may be cut in various figures and designs. Ingredients are: margarine/ butter), sugar (granulated), flour (all-purpose), leavening soda, eggs, salt, vanilla and cream of tartar.

Children enjoy and love the sweet and delicious taste of cookies - that is why offering them these treats will surely give them much delight.