Clean a Filthy Oven Easy and Fast!

Clean a Filthy Oven Easy and Fast! 

Whether you use a big oven or a small one, you cook a lot or you use it on occasion - all ovens eventually get grime and fat stuck to the bottom, sides and door. These stains can be incredibly hard to get rid of, even with the variety of chemical solutions we have.  But there ARE faster and easier ways to clean an oven than just scrubbing hard enough. Here is some excellent advice to clean your oven! Tip: Remember to use gloves in whatever you do; protect those hands!

First, use protective measures: Baking paper or tin foil. The first step of keeping an oven clean over time is in taking precautions. For instance, put casseroles on baking paper while you cook them to keep any liquids from reaching the oven. Also, you should put a tray wrapped in tin foil at the bottom place of the oven, so whatever makes it past the paper will end up there and won't have to be scraped later on. Strike the iron while it's still hot - with salt. Next time you witness a spill in your oven, don't just watch it and mumble to yourselves that you'll clean it later, but spread a little salt on the still liquid stain. When the oven cools, you'll be able to wipe off the stain with a cloth (without any left behind). By the way, this trick works well for a stove as well.  Let steam do your dirty work Before you roll up your sleeves and get to work rubbing at those stubborn stains, put a heat-proof bowl filled with water in the oven, and put it on high heat for about 30 minutes. The steam will soften the fat and dirt and will make removing them that much easier. The secret to fighting stubborn stains Drinking soda is a user-friendly way to clean fat and dirt stains. How does it work? Spread a generous layer of drinking soda on the stain (at the bottom of the oven) and cover with a damp cloth for a few hours. Then use a vacuum cleaner to suck away the soda (be sure to empty the vacuum cleaner immediately after) and wash the area well with cloth and water. Use the glass scraper Instead of scrubbing and scrubbing at the hard stains at the bottom of the oven and on its door. Use a glass scraper, and gently use with some hot water to scrape off the stains you thought you wouldn't be able to get rid of. You can get a glass scraper in most home improvement shops etc. The oven is clean? Now it's time for the shelves and trays! The simplest and most effective way to do these is just to put them in the dish washer and let it take care of the hard stains with hot rinsing. If you don't have one, just soak them in vinegar over night and then wash them. And as a finale, introduce a good smell to your oven with a lemon! If your oven has a bad odor, even after being cleaned, it's time to refresh it. Squeeze two lemons worth of juice, and put it in a heat-resistant bowl. Add some water. Throw in what's left of the 2 lemons as well, and put the oven on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Believe you us, not only will a lemony, refreshing smell spread through the kitchen, but the process also helps in getting rid of more stubborn stains.

25 Uses for Olive Oil!

25 Uses for Olive Oil!

Olive oil is one of the most popular ingredients in the kitchen, but it can also be found in the medicine cabinet and even on a night stand. The fact that it is rich in vitamin E and essential antioxidants, makes it one of the most efficient measures to balance blood pressure levels and cholesterol, to prevent heart attacks, cancer and fight aging. And if you thought that's where its benefits end, you are sorely mistaken... Here are 25 more uses for this excellent material, the olive oil!

1. To prevent snoring - Swallow a spoon of olive oil before bed. 2. To reduce stretch marks - Massage olive oil on your skin. 3. To treat acne - prepare a mix made of 3 table spoons of olive oil with 4 table spoons of sea salt, and put on your face for 1-2 minutes. The mix will clean the pores and keep the moisture of your skin. Wash with hot water and soap. 4. To alleviate ear pain - Spill one drop of warm olive oil in your ear. 5. To reduce stomach ulcers and pain - Mix one table spoon of olive oil with a 3/4 cup of citrus juice or vinegar and drink. 6. Olive oil can serve as a substitute for shaving cream. 7. To strengthen your fingernails - Soak them in a bowl with olive oil. 8. To rehabilitate your skin - To treat dry skin of the hands, elbows and knees, warm a few table spoons of olive oil (until it's luke-warm) and smear on the relevant areas.  9. To treat colds - Warm a mixture of 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup of sesame oil, 4 drops of thyme, 2 drops of rosemary oil and massage the warm mixture on the chest area. 10. To treat dandruff - Massage olive oil into your scalp and leave overnight. Wash your hair in the morning and wash with a regular shampoo. Try this treatment for a week. 11. To treat dry hair with split ends - Warm olive oil and smear on the scalp for 45 minutes. 12. To treat after hair coloring - Soak a soft cotton towel with olive oil and wipe the spotted skin, it may take some time but the color will come off the skin. 13. To prevent hair loss - Mix 2 eggs with 2 table spoons of olive oil. Smear on the scalp and hair for 40 minutes and then wash with cool or luke-warm water. It's recommended to repeat this 3 times a week.  14. To treat lice - Mix one table spoon of olive oil with 5 drops of the tea tree oil, and smear on the scalp for several minutes. Then comb your hair with a lice comb and wash with hot water. 15. Relieve toothache - Mix drops of clove oil with drops of olive oil, in about a ratio of 3:1, and use a cotton ball to put on the aching area. Not recommended for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. 16. Remove Mascara - Drip a bit of olive oil on a cotton ball and wipe the makeup from your eyes. 17. Relieve Coughing - Swallow a spoon of olive oil mixed with a spoon of honey. Another option is to massage the upper back and chest with olive oil at body temperature. 18. Treating swollen / red gums - Wash your mouth with a mix of olive oil and water.  19. Prevent diaper rash - Mix 2 spoons of olive oil with a spoon of water and smear on the baby's rear. 20. To polish furniture - Mix olive oil and lemon juice at a ratio of 2:1. Use a gentle towel soaked in the mix to polish the furniture. 21.To maintain garden tools - Smear a bit of olive oil on garden tools to keep them from accumulating filth and corrosion.  22. To prevent squeaks - Smear some olive oil on screaming hinges to make them silet. 23. For digestive problems - Swallow a spoon of olive oil every morning on an empty stomach. Another option is to drink a glass of water with a spoon of olive oil and a spoon of lemon juice. 24. To maintain knives - After washing thoroughly with water and soap, wipe the blades well and then use a small amount of olive oil and gentle rub it on the blades with a towel. 25. Prevent wax from building up in the candlesticks - just drip a bit of olive oil and it won't stick.

Reveal the True Color of Old Historical Pictures.

Reveal the True Color of Old Historical Pictures.

10 Incredible People You Never Heard Of!

10 Incredible People You Never Heard Of!

There are many heroes in this world, but not all of them are famous. Scientists, inventors and just everyday heroes are far less known than the latest movie star, a fact that is just a little sad. But these people didn't do what they did for glory, they did it to help, and so they did. Here are 10 people who have, in their own ways, saved countless lives and at times, the entire planet. They deserve to be known.

1. Maurice Ralph Hilleman.

First on our list is the man who saved more lives than ANY other medical scientist in the 20th century. How did he do it? Hilleman, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago, was an American microbiologist who developed over 36 vaccines, many more than any other scientist. Among those vaccines: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Chickenpox, Measles, Mumps, Meningits, pneumonia and types of influenza bacteria.

2. Vasili Arkhipov and Stanislav Petrov.

These 2 people may be responsible for preventing nuclear war! Stanislav Petrov was the man on the Russian side that on September 26, 1983, as the office on duty at the secret bunker where the Soviet Union was monitoring its early warning satellite system, did not believe the alerts that said the US was launching a nuclear strike. It was his decision NOT to retaliate, because he didn't believe the reports to be true, and he was right. He was never rewarded for this decision, and was actually interrogated about his part in the story. Vasili Arkhipov was the Soviet navy officer who, in 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis, prevented the launch of a nuclear torpedo by overzealous comrads. There were 3 people allowed to launch that nuke, and he was the only one against it. Much credit him for saving the world from a nuclear holocaust at the most tense and explosive time in our history, by convincing the others not to launch.

3. Niels Bohlin.

Niels may have not cured diseases or prevented a nuclear war. His contribution may seem small at first. It was just an invention for your car called the 'Three-Point Seatbelt', or as we call it today - the seat belt. The three point belt saved countless from more serious injuries and death, and an estimated number of a million people were saved thanks to its ingenius three point system.

4. Chuck Feeney.

Chuck Feeny is one of the richest people on the planet. In fact, he's accumulated over 7.5 billion dollars in his lifetime. Why is he such a good guy you may ask, being a fat cat and all. Well, Chuck isn't holding on to his money. In fact, he plans on getting rid of ALL of it - to charity. The Atlantic Philanthropies, his foundation, has given $6.2 billion into education, health care, aging, science and civil rights in the United States, Australia, South Africa, Bermuda, Vietnam and Ireland. Both Bill Gates and Warren Buffet credit Feeney with the inspiration for their own charitable endeavors, so all in all he's made a huge difference in millions of lives. Now that's using your money for good.

5. Norman Borlaug.

Known by many as 'the father of the Green Revolution' and 'the man who saved a billion lives', Borlaug won the Nobel prize for developing high yield, disease-resistant wheat species that have saved countless millions in Mexico, Pakistan and India from starvation by almost DOUBLING the production of wheat in these countries. Well worth a Nobel Prize in our eyes.

6. Henrietta Lacks

This woman didn't DO anything per se, and yet she has advanced medical science a huge amount due to very special cells that were extracted from a cancerous tumor she had. The cells extracted were unique in that they were immortal (meaning they didn't die after a number of cell divisions but continued on). Because these cells didn't die, they were of immense help to researchers testing out medical solutions. In 1954, a vaccine for polio was invented based on tests made on her cells. In 1955 they were the first cells successfully cloned. In the 60 years that have passed since, more than 11,000 medical patents were registered involving Henrietta's cells, and over 20 tons (!!) of her cells were grown for experiments.

7. Eugene Lazowski.

Known as 'the Polish Schindler', Lazowski was a doctor who single-handedly saved thousands of Jewish lives by inventing a fake epidemic. What the good doctor did was invent a solution that, when injected to a person, would not infect them but WOULD cause a test to show a positive result for typhus. The Germans usually killed any Jew that showed a positive result, and so the doctor, along with his friend, Dr. Stanislav, injected the non-Jewish population around the town of Rozawadow, causing the Germans to quarantine the entire area instead of executing the Jewish population.

8. James Harrison

Known as "the man with the golden arm", James is an Australian who gave blood and found out that his blood plasma has an unusual composition that can be used to make a treatment to rhesus disease. Over his lifetime, he has made over 1000 blood donations, which, according to estimates, have saved over 2 million unborn babies from this condition.

9. Willis Carrier

Another inventor, Carrier invented something that is used every day in most countries - air conditioning. An engineer, Carter invented the first modern air conditioning system that included the four crucial controls all air conditioning systems must have: 1. control temperature; 2. control humidity; 3. control air circulation and ventilation; 4. cleanse the air. Without these 4 elements, air conditioning was downright dangerous to use over time. In 1911, Carrier presented his initial schematics, what became known as the 'Magna Carta of Psychometrics', making it possible, for the first time ever, to design air conditioning systems that fit whatever requirements needed. There is no doubt that this invention not only increased quality of life around the world, but also saved many from dangerous temperatures.

10. Rick Rescorla

Rick Rescorla wasn't a scientist or a leader. There was nothing special about his blood. There was only something special about his courage. In the morning of 9/11, Rescorla heard the explosion at the tower, while he himself was in the Morgan Stanley office located in the second tower. While the P.A system was urging people to stay where they are, rick, a retired US officer and a Vietnam war veteran, grabbed his bullhorn and walkie-talkie and evacuated thousands of people from the tower, even after the second plane hit. When he was told to evacuate himself, he refused saying there were more people to evacuate, he was last seen going up to the 10th floor when the building collapsed, and his remains were never found. Rick Rescorla deserves to be remembered as a hero.

Incredible Architecture: Gateshead Bridge

Incredible Architecture: Gateshead Bridge

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is not your average bridge. It spans the river Tyne in England, between the quays arts quarter on the south band and to the Quayside of Newcastle on the North. It is made of 2 graceful, half moon curves, one of them is actually the deck and the other one supports it. It's designed to allow for the passing of pedestrians and bicyclists. However, since boats and ships also need to pass, this whole huge contraption rotates, and as the arch tilts lower, so the pathway rises, conterbalancing one another, and forming a pathway over the river.   A visually stunning and fulfilling picture, the bridge offers a great attraction to those who haven't seen its opening mechanism yet.    Check out the video at the end to see the bridge in action.

7 Different Kinds of Milk and their Uses.

7 Different Kinds of Milk and their Uses.

Whether it's served with cookies, in a bowl of cereal or just taken as a simple refreshing drink, milk is something many of us drink every day. The most common kind of natural cow milk is a great source for protein, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and D, all of which are known to help the body build bones and keep them strong. But cow milk is far from being the only kind there is. There are many other types of milk for people who are lactose intolerant, people who are looking for other health benefits, or simply those that enjoy a different taste.

Traditional cow milk: After it’s taken from the cow, the milk is pasteurized (heated then quickly cooled) to kill bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. Nutrition experts recommend drinking low-fat (1%) milk (100 calories, 2.5 grams fat) to reduce your intake of the saturated fats that may lead to heart diseases. Whole milk has about 8 grams of fat per 8-ounce glass, so it’s better to only drink it on rare occasions.

Organic milk: This kind of milk is produced by cows that are given organic food and mostly roam freely and graze on pesticide-free grass. The cows are not treated with any synthetic hormones to increase milk production but the milk itself is still pasteurized. Although most experts say there is not much difference between organic and normal milk, some studies have found other evidence. According to those studies, the organic milk contains more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, then the non-organic kind. Organic milk can be added to anything and used just like normal milk.

Soy milk: Based on an extraction from mature soy beans mixed with water and a natural sweetener, soy milk is naturally low in saturated fat and cholesterol-free. It is slightly thicker than cow’s milk and it’s safe to drink for people who have dairy allergies or lactose-intolerance. It has almost as much protein as cow's milk and comes in many different flavors, the healthiest is of course, is the natural. Best used in: Creamy soups, salad dressings, casseroles, sauces and other savory foods.

Rice milk: Created from a mixture of partially milled rice and water, this type of milk is available in a variety of flavors like chocolate and vanilla. It's lower in protein and higher in carbohydrates than cow’s milk and soy milk, which makes it great as a pre or post workout drink. It has a light, watery texture and a sweet taste. Rice milk often comes in aseptic containers and doesn’t have to be refrigerated until it’s opened. Best used in: desserts, baked goods, pancakes, and French toast.

Almond milk: Made from blended roasted almond, the resulting milk is mostly enriched with nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and the antioxidant vitamin E, but has very little protein. The sweet and nutty flavor goes well with coffee or cereal, so it’s a tasty alternative for dieters. Almond milk is free of saturated fat, cholesterol, and has no lactose. The unsweetened versions have just 60 calories a cup. Almond milk does have one disadvantage since it's higher in sodium than other alternatives, but if you don’t drink too much and keep a balanced diet, then it shouldn't be a problem. Best used in: smoothies, coffee and cereal.

Hemp milk: This might be one of the healthiest dairy-free alternatives for milk. Hemp milk is perfectly legal and is made from hemp plant seeds, which don’t contain THC. It supplies high-quality protein and a good mix of amino acids including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid. Be warned that it has a thicker and nuttier taste than soy or rice milks, so it may not appeal to everyone. Best used in: mashed potatoes, muffins, quick breads and just about any baked food.

Coconut milk: This rich, creamy milk is made from the meat and juice of coconuts and is very often used in Indian and Thai cuisine. It has a strong, sweet flavor, which means a little goes a long way. Coconut milk has generous amounts of phosphorous, potassium and fiber, the least amount of sodium and is fairly low on calories. Most brands are also added with about half a day's worth of vitamin B12, a brain-boosting nutrient. Best used in: coffee, tea, pudding, smoothies, oatmeal and anything you want to thicken and sweeten.

WONDERFUL STAIRS - STEP ON IT, BUT MIND YOUR STEPS !

WONDERFUL STAIRS - STEP ON IT, BUT MIND YOUR STEPS !

 

 

Valparaíso, Chile
 

16th Avenue Tiled Steps, San Francisco 
 

16th Avenue Tiled Steps, San Francisco

Angers, France

Sicily, Italy

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Wuppertal, Germany

Beirut, Lebanon

Beirut, Lebanon

Stairs to the musical theater in Seoul, South Korea

Istanbul, Turkey

Stairs of Peace in Syria

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Morlaix, France

Tehran, Iran

A. Joyce Mal    

 “If we can not love  the person whom we see, how can we love God whom we can not see?" - Mother Teresa