Preparing Vegetarian Meals for Your Thanksgiving Party

Indian Curry

If you are expecting vegetarian guests at your Thanksgiving party this year, you may need to know a few important things about serving vegetarian meals. Do not worry about preparing a hefty vegetarian course or serving a vegetarian dish that has meat substitutes. You can actually serve vegetarian dishes along with other dishes. Think about incorporating healthy food preparation into your menu. This way, you are sure to please all your guests-even yourself!

On Thanksgiving Day friends and family gather to give thanks and to share peace and happiness. It is during this time when food becomes an integral part of being together and doing things together. If you are transitioning to a vegetarian lifestyle, it may be a good move to incorporate healthy food preparation into your Thanksgiving menu. This works two ways, as you are able to stick to your diet and encourage guests to eat healthy as well.

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Natural Ways to Get Rid of Cockroaches

The best way to get rid of cockroaches is to keep your house clean, particularly your kitchen and bathroom.

When we think about getting rid of cockroaches, the first thing that usually comes to mind is pesticide. But these synthetic pesticides do not just exterminate roaches; they also pollute the air you breathe and the environment you live in.

The best way to get rid of cockroaches is to keep your house clean, particularly your kitchen and bathroom. Here are some tips:

• First, eliminate or reduce the cockroaches’ drinking water supply. Fix leaky faucets and eliminate all sources of standing water.
• Inspect your house and look for cockroach shelters. When found, vacuum and wash the accessible areas.
• Caulk or otherwise plug all small cracks around baseboards, wall shelves or cupboards, pipes, sinks, and bathroom fixtures.
• Try boric acid. It may do a better job at controlling roaches. Boric acid is also cheaper than most commercial synthetic pesticides.
• Try repelling (not killing) roaches with a mixture of bay leaves and cucumbers.

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Guide to Choosing Maternity Bras

In the course of pregnancy and during breast-feeding, a woman’s bra size may change two or three times.  The typical pregnant woman will gain an extra two inches under the bust and two inches across the bust, while her breasts can become a pound and a half heavier, putting a strain on the supporting, nonelastic tissues.  If you don’t lift some of the weight from these ligaments, they will stretch and your breasts will sag permanently.

By the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy, most women find their usual bras too uncomfortable.  This is the time to switch to maternity bras.  When choosing maternity bras, keep these points in mind:

Measure for Correct Size

For exact size, measurements should be taken right under your breasts and around the fullest part of cup size.  Before buying the bra, check its overall fit on you.  If it’s riding up at the back, it’s probably too small.  You can consult sales clerks at maternity and lingerie shops if you cannot decide on what to get.  These people are trained as bra fitters.  

Choose Comfort

Another important point to consider when buying maternity bras is the comfort it should provide, especially to a woman who is undergoing changes in the body.  Always try on a bra before buying. Buy the most comfortable bra you can find; something you’d willingly wear day and night for several months. A bra with high cotton content, for example, will keep you cool.  

Buy at least two bras initially.  If these bras provide comfort, then you should consider buying the same type on your next trip to the lingerie store.

• Sunzel Women's Cotton Spandex Seamless Sleep Bra for Nursing and Maternity $34.99 
• Women's Maternity Pregnancy Seamless Breastfeeding Bras No Underwire Multi 3 Pack, Large $25.99 
• Caramel Cantina 4 Pack Nursing Maternity Sleep Bra (Medium, Dark Winter) $26.99

Go for the Right Style

Style is also a significant factor to consider when buying a bra.  Opt for soft styling without underwiring, which may press against the tender breast tissue.  The wire may also cause additional discomfort when you’re experiencing acid reflux.  

Avoid plastic-lined bra which can cause soreness, cracking and infections on the skin.  Instead, look for one that has well-finished seams.

As your breasts get heavier, you may need extra support.  Wide, non-stretch straps that don’t cut into your shoulders can help spread the weight; they also prevent sagging.   Three or four hooks also provide better support.  The uplift or sling-type bra raises your breasts upward and inward, holding them securely.  Do not choose bras that may flatten your breasts.

Get the Perfect Nursing Bra

A good nursing bra is something that you can flap on the cup with one hand.  (Remember, you’ll be using the other hand to hold your baby!)  Look for the flap-opening and front-opening types.  These two nursing bra styles give good support during and after breast feeding.

Dealing with Rose Diseases

Some flower gardeners say that roses are delicate to grow.  Whether that is true or not, rest assured that there is a solution to common rose problems.  To make sure that your roses remain healthy, regularly check them for certain diseases.  Here are some tips to help you deal with common rose diseases:

1. Black Spot

What happens: Black circular spots with fringed edges appear on leaves
What to do: These black spots cause the leaves to turn yellow.  To solve this problem, remove the infected leaves and pick up any fallen infected leaves around the rose.  Artificial sprays may be used to prevent or treat black spots on roses.

2. Powdery Mildew

What happens: Stunted or malformed young canes
What to do: Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that invades leaves, stems and buds with wind spread white powder.  The fungus makes the leaves curl and turn purple.  To get rid dof this disease, spray with Funginex or Benomyl to treat this fungal disease.

3. Rust

Symptoms: Blistered underside of leaves
What to do: Rust is marked by orange-red blisters on the underside of the leaves.  These blisters turn black in autumn.  The disease can survive the winter and attack young rose plants in the spring.  Before winter arrives, collect and discard blistered leaves.  Spray Benomyl or Funginex every 7-10 days.

4. Deformed or stunted leaves and flowers

These are caused by tiny yellow, red or green spiders residing on the underside of the rose leaves.  These spider mites suck the plant’s juices, making the leaves and flowers grow malformed or remain stunted.

5. Tiny white webs on the underside of leaves

Do you notice the leaves becoming weak and mottled with tiny white webs under them?  This disease is caused by aphids—small, soft-bodied insects that are usually brown, green or red in color.  Aphids are often clustered under leaves and flower buds, and they suck plant juices from young, tender buds.  Get rid of these bugs by spraying Malathion or Diazinon.

6. Thrips

What happens: Some flowers don't open or are deformed when they open
What to do: Thrips is caused by slender, brown-yellow bugs with fringed wings.  They suck the juices from flower buds, making the flowers grow deformed or unable to open properly.  Treat this problem by cutting and discarding the infested flowers.  If you wish to annihilate the bugs, spray the roses with Orthene or Malathion.

Reminder: Always wear protective gloves or outfit when spraying insecticide.

Adding Accent to Your Home Furniture

Do you find your home furniture dull because of their plain colors or design?  You can make the interior of your home more alive by adding accents to your furniture.  Popular furniture accents include art objects or paintings.  However, you do not need to limit yourself when it comes to creativity.  Use some of these unique accents to bring more style and zing to your home:

Decorative Bowls and Plates

Bowls and plates make good decorative elements for the living room.  Place round plates on top of long rectangular tables to create balance.  You can choose to have decorative or souvenir plates, whichever complements the tone of your furniture.  If you have small children, it may be best to display souvenir plates made of tin or aluminum. 

Folded Fabric and Scarves

Do you have odd cuts of fabric stored in your home?  You can stitch them together and turn them into mosaic or quilt-like table runners.  You can also fold them into triangles and drape over couches and chairs. 

Scarves may not seem like a common accent, but they also add beauty and tone to your home.  Use them to wrap a chair’s backrest or to cover a wooden table.  Silk scarves in royal colors go well with dark furniture.  Use light colored cotton scarves for light brown wooden furniture.  If you wish to be more creative, buy plain colored scarves and jazz them up with beads and sequins. 

Mini Pillows

Little pillows are decorative elements that can be added to couches, lazy chairs, sofas and the like.  These pillows can also serve as back support for those who have back problems.  If you suffer from allergies, be sure to use hypoallergenic pillows and pillow cases that are not likely to gather too much dust.

Photo Albums

Photo albums, with their varied covers and design, may be used to decorate any part of the house where visitors usually stay.  Aside from being an accent to furniture, they also serve as “entertainers” to visitors who may need to wait a while. A great type of photo album to use these days is the digital photo album.  It stands like a framed photo on top of a table and can be programmed to do a slideshow of several photos.    

Favorite Collectibles

Do you collect something that can probably serve as décor?  Some people show off their collection by placing them atop shelves and long tables.  You can display whatever you wish be it a collection of pepper mills, matroshka dolls, or M&M dispensers.  The important thing is, you have something that adds life to seemingly plain home furniture.