April '09 Top EC Droppers

A round of applause to my Top Entrecards dropper for the month of April.
Thank You so much.


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what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Accidents waiting to happen

No matter how much we try to be careful, accidents happen.
Just take a look at these pictures.



via: various sources


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Recipe for the week: Banana Yogurt Pie

A healthful but yummy dessert with interesting contrast of taste and texture—crunchy sweet crust; chunky, tangy banana; and smooth, creamy yogurt.

Preparation Time: minutes plus 4 hours to refrigerate
Cooking Time:
Servings: 8-10

Ingredients

Crust: Combine in a bowl-
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
½ cup crushed Corn Flakes
½ cup melted butter
½ cup sugar
Filling:
1 7g. pack unflavored gelatin
6 pieces Yogurt, Banana
½ cup All Purpose Cream
¼ cup thinly sliced bananas (optional)

Procedure

1. Prepare crust and mold onto a buttered 8” inch spring form cake tin or 9” inch tart tin. Spread while pressing with a spoon on the bottom and side of the container. Refrigerate until set for at least 1 hour.
2. Prepare filling. Sprinkle the gelatin on 3 tbsp. cold water and wait for it to bloom for about 5 minutes.
3. Combine yogurt and cream then fold in the prepared gelatin. Pour the filling onto the prepared crust and refrigerate until set or for about 3 hours.

NUTRITIONAL CONTENT:

Calories:320
Carbohydrates (g):23
Protein (g):4
Fats (g):24

Good to Know:
Some people cannot drink milk because of lactose intolerance. The live microorganisms in yogurt help break down lactose making milk easier to digest.

Good to Remember:
Yogurt is a high-calcium food. If you don’t drink much milk, just have more yogurt to get the calcium you need.

recipe via: nestle

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo Private Wedding

Best Wishes! to the newly wed Ryan Agoncillo and Judy-Ann Santos. They tied the knot in a simple and private ceremony held this day (April 28, 2009 7:00 AM ) at San Juan Nepomuceno church in San Juan Batangas. The wedding was officiated by Father Tito Calauag.


Here in the Philippines this couple are very popular, especially Judy Ann Santos. Still they keep their wedding very private, there is no media coverage. They said that they will be the one who will personally give their pictures to TV networks, newspapers and magazines.

The Maid of Honor is no other than the Megastar Ms. Sharon Cuneta, while the Best man was Ryan's brother Dondi Agoncillo.

I've got this information and pictures from PEP


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

A real Shrek wedding

Every woman dreams of a fairytale wedding and these couple are making their dreams a reality.

The bride looked every inch the princess - as in the ogre princess Fiona from the Dreamworks movie Shrek! - and the groom was tall, dark green and handsome. Hospice nurse Christine England, 40, married her fiance Keith, 44, in full costume and make-up in front of 100 guests who were also in fancy dresses.

"It was funny because when we said our vows Keith had these green ears sprouting from the top of his head."

She tried to get her 18-year-old son to dress up as Donkey, another character from the offbeat cartoon fairytale, but said "he wasn’t having any of it".

Mr Green, a builder - who doesn’t seem to mind being likened to an ogre - added: "It was a very strange experience to say the least, but a thoroughly enjoyable one. We love the films and my wife tells me I bear a resemblance to Shrek."

The couple hired a make-up artist to make them look like the characters - voiced by Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz - in the hit films.



Christine’s mother Annette England, 66, said: "It’s not necessarily how you imagine seeing your daughter get married but it was great fun."


via: dailymail.co.uk



what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

What is Swine Flu? How Does an Animal Disease Spread to a Human Host?

Jimmy Rogers over at GeeksareSexy gives a very detailed explanation on the latest disease that currently causes quite a stir in the news.

"Essentially, influenza (aka, “The Flu”) is a viral infection that attacks our population in a yearly cycle. Fortunately, the human immune system is there to recognize and neutralize the effects of the virus. Each year, the virus mutates just slightly and most of the population is once again susceptible to the disease. This is why a new vaccine must be created regularly to reflect the most recent influenza mutants out in the environment. Under normal circumstances, this is all you need to know about the flu (aside from how to avoid infection and take care of yourself if you do come down with it). "

"Recently, some changes in the status quo have raised alarm bells at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). There have been reports of “swine flu” in Mexico and several other countries whose citizens regularly visit Mexico, including the United States. Since this is a general information article and not a “minute by minute” report, refer to major news outlets for more accurate information regarding confirmed cases. As of this moment, though, it looks like over 80 deaths in Mexico are the result of contact with swine flu and there have been confirmed cases of the new pathogen in New York, Ohio, Kansas, California, and possibly other states."

photo via: cbc.ca
via: geeksaresexy.net



what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

AIR HOUR

photo via: flickr

My Best friend Helen forwarded this text message to me a while ago, please read and cooperate!ü

" Tonight at 10:30-11:30 is Air Hour.
Hold your breath for 1 hour to save our air.
Our little contribution to save mother earth will go a long way. "

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Recipe for the week: Baked Bibingka Supreme

Baked moist rice cake with a lovely contrast of flavors and texture from the salty egg and cheese, creamy butter, and crunchy caramelized sugar

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 - 8

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup Fresh Milk
¼ cup butter
¼ cup sugar
½ cup grated cheese
2 pcs salted eggs, sliced

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and line bottom of 2 8-inch layer baking pan with banana leaves or wax paper. Set aside.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
3. Beat the eggs until light and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.
4. Add flour mixture alternately with Fresh Milk into the egg. Beat to blend thoroughly.
5. Pour mixture in lined pans. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven.
6. Spread butter on top then sprinkle with sugar and grated cheese. Decorate with salted egg slices and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more.

NUTRITIONAL CONTENT:

Calories:246
Carbohydrates (g):20
Protein (g):10
Fats (g):14

Recipe via: Nestle.com

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Breastmilk = Healthy Baby

I decided to breastfeed my baby soon before he was born. Although I know that I’ll go back for work after two months of leave and that I might not sustain the milk he needs from me I still tried it. One month before my due date of delivery, I already took “malunggay” vitamins; as per my Obygyne’s advice this will help me produce more milk. Before, I thought that after you gave birth, milk will automatically come out from your breast so I was very depressed when nothing came out from me. I even asked my mother to give me malunggay juice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But, I found out that breast milk will be ready after 3 days of baby’s birth.

I want to breastfeed him until he reach 6 months (since at this stage teeth is not yet visible) but due to my hectic schedule in the office and being tired when I go home I had no choice but to stop. He was breastfed for 4 months only. I remember expressing my milk during break time and put it on the refrigerator so that I can bring it home after work. Breast milk can last for 24 hours in cold storage and up to 7 days when in the freezer.

What are the reasons that make me decide to breastfeed my son, although I know this means sleepless nights?

1. It’s nutritious and complete - Breast milk contains all the nutrition an infant needs in the necessary amounts and in forms readily absorbed by the body. In contrast, infant formula is nutritionally deficient. Some infant formula brands have been withdrawn from the market due to either deficient or excessive amounts of certain nutrients, with life-threatening results (like the melamine scare that originated from China).
2. It’s safe – In the first 2 months of life, an infant who receives infant formula is up to 25 times more likely to die from diarrhea and 4 times more likely to die from pneumonia than an exclusively breast-fed baby.
3. Better brain development – In many studies, formula-fed babies consistently scored lower in IQ and other standardized tests than those who were breast fed. The cognitive differences increase when longer breast-feeding and persist until late childhood, so they also had lower reading comprehension, math ability, and overall scholastic skills than kids who were breast-fed at babies.
4. You’ll save money too! Formula feedings costs an average of P4,000 (>$100) a month per infant. To cut costs, some families over dilute the formula or use other kinds of milk-including condensed-leading to malnutrition, illness and even death.

I am not against those mommies who decided not to breastfeed their babies. I know you have your own reasons, but please if you can, please give this precious gift to your sons or daughters.


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Right way to eat fruits

photo via: wallcoo

I've heard a while ago that the right way to eat fruits is on an empty stomach. The reason is that the fruit is not digested in the stomach, it is digested in the small intestine. Fruit quickly passes through the stomach, then pass into the intestine, where they release their sugars. If there were meat, potatoes and starches in the stomach, the digestion of the fruits last longer, and its sugars begin to ferment.

Dr. William Castillo, chief of clinical cardiology in Framington Massachusetts, said that the fruit is the best food we can eat to protect against heart disease, because it contains bioflavonoids that prevent the blood thickens and clogging the arteries.

Fruit is the perfect food, requires a minimum amount of energy to be digested and gives the best return to your body. It is the only food that makes the brain work.The fruit is mainly fructose (which can be easily converted into glucose), in most cases is 90-95% water. This means that it is cleaning and feeding the same time.


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Meet Susan Boyle's Competition, Shaheen Jafargholi

Over the weekend, Susan Boyle became an instant internet sensation. With all the buzz, the smoke finally began to settle and a new singing sensation is at the wings.

Welsh singer Shaheen Jafargholi, 12, appeared on the show on Saturday and literally wowed everybody including Simon Cowell, when the kid sang the Smokey Robinson song "Who's Loving You".

"This is how one song can change your life," Cowell said afterward, after dishing out one of his very rare standing ovations. "And this may be the start of something special for you young man."

Click here to watch the video.

Photo: itv.com
via: mtv.com



what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

How babies are made?

After reading our previous post, have you ever wondered how babies are made?

Is it through a very complicated process and this video will make it simple. :)





what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Girl Born From a 22-Year Old Sperm

Chris Biblis underwent a leukemia treatment required radiation that would leave him sterile when we as just 16. He cryogenically froze his sperm and 22 years later, doctors successfully thawed his sperm to produce a healthy baby girl, Stella Biblis. This is the record setting amount of time sperm has been frozen and successfully used to conceive a baby.

“From my life being saved to being able to create a life, words just can’t describe where we are now,” said Mr Biblis, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who has been free of leukaemia since the age of 18.

“I’ve got this bundle of joy to appreciate. It’s truly a miracle.”

via: timesonline.co.uk



what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

The amazing voice Susan Boyle

I couldn't get over thinking about her after seeing her video in YouTube yesterday.

Her name is Susan Boyle. She appeared on a reality TV show called "Britains' Got Talent" last Saturday, April 11th and wowed the audiences even the judges, including the always dreaded Simon Cowell (also of American Idol) with her powerful performance of "I Dream A Dream" from Les Miserable, and since then she has took the World by Internet storm.

What I admire about her is her courage. She followed her own dream, got up on that stage and reminded the world of that that in the people that you meet, you must not judge a book by its cover.

She is a hero to those of us of a certain age who never could compete — nor wanted to — with the more popular glamour girls who seemed to have things easier because they could walk into a room and immediately get attention.

She has clearly proven that amazing talents can defy appearances. Substance sometimes trumps style.




what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

FUNNY PIC/VIDEO OF THE WEEK 27

a weekly highlight of the funniest pictures/videos I have stumbled this week. enjoy.

Wolf Loves Pork




what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Conserve Water!

photo via: accessnorthga

Since it's summer, it’s very hot here in the Philippines. Last Monday (April 13) was declared the hottest temperature that has been recorded so far (35 degree Celsius). Weather Forecasters told that the temperature will still keep coming up. That’s why the households’ water consumption spikes up. I’ve found these tips to keep our water consumption low.


* Take showers instead of baths in tub. A short shower uses four to eight gallons where a bath uses 20 or more.
* Turn off the water in the sink while you are brushing your teeth. If you brush your teeth for 2 minutes twice a day, you are wasting about 20 gallons of water every day.
* Check for leaks and have them repaired right away. The little drip from your faucet may total gallons before you know it. One drop of water per second leaking from a faucet can waste 60 gallons of water per week.
* Water plants early in the morning and late afternoon only. This will make the water stay more in the soil, thus nourishing your plants more. If you give plants their water at midday, the harsh sun will dry it up right away, making you do more water trips to meet your plants’ needs.
* When washing your car, use a pail and dipper rather than a water hose.


Make every drop count.


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

COCOA, the new health drink

photo via: flickr

It’s not often that a food we love turns out to love us back. Recently, researchers at Cornell University in New York, USA compared Cocoa with other beverages that are known to be high in health boosting antioxidants. Good News: Cocoa outscored red wine (with nearly twice as many of the healthful compounds) and green and black teas (with two to five times as many antioxidants). And unlike many other chocolate treats, cocoa is low-fat: A cup is less than one gram of fat (a standard-size chocolate bar packs about eight grams). Just be sure to brew with skim milk-that’s how the Cornell researchers drank theirs.

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Recipe for the Week: Banana Custard Layers

Luscious layers of graham crackers, banana slices, custard and whipped cream

Preparation Time: 00:20
Cooking Time: 00:10
Servings: 12

Ingredients

Custard:
3/4 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
5 tbsp cornstarch
2 1/2 cups Fresh Milk
1 tsp vanilla

24 pieces graham crackers, ground
5 pieces lacatan bananas, peeled and sliced thinly diagonally

1 250ml All Purpose Cream, whipped

Procedure

1. For the custard: Whisk 3/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in fresh milk. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat until thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in vanilla.
2. To assemble: Fill the bottom of a square glass dish with half of the graham cracker crumbs. Cover with half of banana slices, then half of custard. Repeat layers with remaining crackers, bananas, and pudding. Set aside.
3. Cover top with whipped cream. If desired, sprinkle top with more graham cracker crumbs or with coffee.
4. Cool. Refrigerate, uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours.

NUTRITIONAL CONTENT:

Calories:184
Carbohydrates (g):33
Protein (g):4
Fats (g):4

Recipe via: Nestle.com

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

The Hand of God in the sky!

Photo credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/P.Slane et al.

This image of what seems to be a giant hand reaching out in the stars is actually an image of a nebula surrounding a young pulsar known as PSR B1509-58, as taken by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Phil Plait of DiscoverMagazine Bad Astronomy blog explains:

"If you look at the wrist of the hand, you’ll see a brighter swirl of gas. In the center of that blob is a tiny object, a neutron star called B1509: an incredibly dense sphere of subatomic particles, leftover when a massive star goes supernova. While the outer layers of the star explode outwards, the core of the star collapses, cramming twice the mass of the Sun into a ball only a few kilometers across. This newly born neutron star — called that because the pressure is so great in the collapsed object that electrons and protons are rammed together to form neutrons — is basically the definition of the word incredible: it spins several times per second, has a surface gravity millions of times that of the Earth (if you were on the surface you’d be crushed flatter than a good science fiction program’s chances to be renewed on Fox), and has a magnetic field 30 trillion times that of the Earth’s."

via: discovermagazine.com


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Fake Funerals for Fake People Insurance Scam

Faye Shilling and Jane Crump will be arraigned Monday on federal fraud charges for allegedly defrauding insurance companies. The two were charged with five counts of mail and wire fraud.

When staging the funerals, there allegedly filled caskets with various materials to make it appear they contained actual corpses.

After the funerals, the women and their associates filed bogus documents with the county saying the remains had been cremated and scattered at sea, prosecutors said.

The insurance policies were worth $50,000 to $450,000, and the women had already collected on some as large as $250,000, officials said.

If convicted of the five counts contained in the indictment, they could be sentenced to up to 100 years in federal prison.

via: NBC Los Angeles


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Email privacy

Each day, thousands of Internet users all over the world send millions of emails. These emails containing personal and private informations are transmitted without using any means of encryption. When you send an email using free mailing services whether at work or at home, it is most likely be monitored, logged, analyzed and stored by many individuals and organizations.

There are numerous incidents of identity theft and everyone is needed to take some precautionary measures to ensure that your information is safe. I have found a way to be more secure when sending emails, Privacyharbor.com. It's secure and free email system keeps your messages out of the eyes of nosy advertisers and others who want to see your email.

It's features include a built-in anti-spam and virus protection to avoid ever getting spam in your inbox. Plus, they have no ads or marketing partners which on other free email services are keeping some of your personal information. You also have the ability to see when a person has read your sent messages. Another nice addition is the ability to retract messages that you have sent in error.

Get your Free Private Email now at PrivacyHarbor.com and never worry about your privacy being invaded ever again.

Can you guess the number of jelly beans in a jar correctly... twice?

Jessica Silverman, a very lucky woman from Harlem, took home $25,000 last Thursday for guessing the exact number of jelly beans in a jar... And she did this for the second time around. The first time she guessed it right was 21 years ago, when she was a 5-year-old kindergarten student and the trophy was a stuffed toy dragon. This time, the prize will help her put a deposit on a new home after she correctly guessed there were 7,954 treats on display at a stand in the Hilton hotel on Sixth Ave. Tuesday.

“I’m a lucky girl, and I was in the right place at the right time,” Silverman said. “This is going to the ‘Get Jessica a first apartment’ fund.”

via: nydailynews.com

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

One In A Million Basketball Shot

EMBED-One in a Million Basketball Shot - Watch more free videos

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Stress Free!

photo via: bestofcostarica

These days, stress seems a national disease. I am one of the those people who are suffering from this, since we are encountering financial difficulties I cannot avoid to be stressed.

But, I really want to get rid of this, since I know it will make me look older and make my health at risk. I've searched for ways to slash stress and fortunately I found 7 ways to do it.

1. Start your day with meditation
Spend time every day in meditative relaxation, with calming music if you desire. Start with five minutes and work your way to 15 or 20 minutes each day. Meditation is your number one way to reduce the output of stress hormones and avoid adrenal exhaustion, which are serious threats to your health.

Try this Stress Release Meditation: Breathe consciously, relax, and with each exhale focus on relaxing each area of your body in sequence, starting from the top of your head and moving all the way down to your toes.

2. Manage your mood with diet and herbs
Chinese Medicine considers the liver to be the center of your emotions. To allay stress and balance your emotions, keep your liver healthy and happy:

• Every day, eat lots of green leafy vegetables, barley grass or seaweed - anything which is high in chlorophyll - to keep the liver in good health.

• Take 500 mg dandelion daily for a month or longer to cleanse the liver and help release built-up anger.

• Take 400 mg white peony root daily for 1 to 3 months to soothe the liver and balance your mood.




• Schisandra berry protects the liver from chemicals and calms the spirit. For emotional anxiety, take 200 mg daily for a month.

Take these herbs anytime during the day and before bed in tea or capsule form. All the herbs are available from health food stores and Eastern medicine practitioners. Many of my patients have had remarkable results with Calm-Fort Elixir, an all-natural formulation of herbs to calm your spirit. For more information, click here.

3. Suppress stress with positive thinking
Instead of letting your thoughts run wild with anxiety, say affirmations to yourself, such as "I can handle the tasks I have ahead of me. I enjoy my responsibilities and fulfill them well." In fact, repeating positive affirmations can actually suppress the cortisol that the adrenal gland releases in times of stress - leaving you peaceful and calm.

4. Get stress out of your head and on paper
Writing in a journal every day can help you release thoughts and emotions that are causing you stress. Write from the position of an observer, recording your thoughts without any judgments. Just write it down so that you can see clearly what is going on inside. The next step is to identify the source of any anger or stress so you can begin to make changes. Looking into your thoughts give you the opportunity to gain insight into your feelings and reflect the underlying issues.

5. Unblock tension with exercise
The constant pressures of your job and family can lead to chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is a direct cause of muscle and joint pain. Clenched jaw? Lump in your throat? Chronic back and neck pain? These can all be manifestations of stress in your body. Release physical tension and clear these emotional blockages by using massage therapy, exercise, yoga, tai chi, or qi gong to get the circuits moving.

6. A Retreat to Avoid Burnout
Overloading your brain is a recipe for stress and health problems. Information overload is particularly harmful at midlife because we have less tolerance for stress, which can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease. Press the "reset" button on yourself. Give yourself a retreat from the stresses of modern life. Take one day out of the seven-day week to minimize "screen" time. Don't watch TV, don't check email, and don't look at the news - it will be there tomorrow, and after a day of rest, you will be refreshed and ready to look at them.

7. Perspective from the Natural World
Use nature to reduce stress. Go outside, hike in the woods, walk on the beach, anything that puts you in contact with the natural world. It is difficult to feel stressed when you are surrounded by nature's abundance of vitality and wonder.

Tips via: Ask Dr.Mao


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Big Bags are a burden!

Big purses or bags are not only trendy but also very convenient but there is also down side. According to Kelley Styring, author of the average bag weighs 3.4 pounds and contains 67 (!) objects. They are the reason for numerous sore shoulders, stiff necks and painful backs and some are not even realizing that the cause may be slung over their own shoulders.







The strain of carrying a big, heavy purse on one side of your body may cause future health concerns since it causes an imbalance when you stand or walk. The neck is strained as are nerves which exit the neck and continue down the
shoulder. It may even lead to arthritis. Experts suggest that the solution is simple and necessary - strip down to the bare necessities, bring only what is needed.


Carry only the credit cards and cash you need and take the accumulation of heavy coins out of your purse. Leave over sized makeup kits and extra keys at home, as well as any other heavy items which are not essential.

Photos: © JIU






what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!

Want to have a FREE customized Sci-Fi birthday card?

Once again my husband has joined the latest contest at Foldees.com

If you can and have the time, please kindly vote for his work at their site. They have a random ratings engine which means that each card will be shown to you randomly for you to rate (so you have to sign up first for free and then rate the cards FAIRLY).

Again, once you've rated all the cards, you'll get a Coupon Code that you can use to redeem a FREE CUSTOMIZED CARD OF YOUR CHOICE which will be delivered anywhere in the world. Before you ask, no you don't have to make a purchase to redeem your card its totally free.

Here's his entries. The contest was entitled 'Where No Man Has Gone Before'.

"Yoda's Birthday"

"A Birthday Present from the Future"

Hope you'll like it. Thank You in advance.



what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest!