photo credit: skye820

Who doesn’t love ice cream? Ice cream has become one of the most popular desserts in the United States and the rest of the world. Worldwide, ice cream has become a multi-billion dollar industry that is getting bigger and bigger each year. While we’ve all experience ice cream from a small age, the history of this food item is actually quite interesting.

Ice cream is basically a frozen dessert that is made of various ingredients typically consisting milk, cream and sugar. To add flavor to ice cream, flavorings are added to the concoction. Those flavorings are what give each version of ice cream its name. For example, vanilla ice cream has vanilla flavoring added while chocolate ice cream has chocolate flavoring added.

A key aspect in making ice cream is that it is stirred slowly during the freezing process to keep the concoction from freezing solid. As a result of the stirring, ice cream has a smooth texture, which makes it easier to eat. While there are many different types of ice cream variations, the basic principles are basically the same.

The origins of ice cream date all the way back to ancient civilizations. Humans have long enjoyed cold desserts and have made inventions to have cold desserts year round. For those ancient civilizations that lived in warm climates, that meant transporting and storing ice in a way that kept the ice from melting. Ice would then be used to create cold desserts even if it were the middle of summer.

photo credit: eob

Flavored ice was another key step in the direction of modern day ice cream. Italy and France in the 1500’s and 1600’s began to see the distribution of flavored ice. While similar to ice cream, flavored ice was much simpler. Basically, flavored ice consisted of crushed ice and a single flavor added on top of the crushed ice. For example, crushed ice would be topped with honey to create honey flavored crushed ice.

The first true reports of ice cream came in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1700’s. In fact, a recipe for ice cream was published in 1718 that gave detailed instructions on how to make ice cream. By the late 1760’s, complete recipe books were being written dedicated to ice cream.

In the United States, ice cream first gained popularity in the early 1800’s. Notable Americans such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were said to enjoy ice cream in the city of New York. Once ice cream started to become popular, it didn’t take much time for it to explode onto the American scene for good. By the 20th century, ice cream had become a staple of American dessert options. Today, ice cream is a worldwide favorite that is served in nearly every country on the planet.

Many major brands have emerged that have become household brand names. Here is a look at some of the biggest ice cream companies in the world:

Baskin-Robbins
Formed in Glendale, California in 1945 by Irv Robbins and Burt Baskin, Baskin-Robbins is one of the world’s largest chain of ice cream parlors. All told, Baskin-Robbins has approximately 6,000 worldwide locations, with about half of those locations being in the United States.

Originally known for having 31 flavors of ice cream, Baskin-Robbins offers customers a taste of each flavor until they found one they like. While some Baskin-Robbins stores now offer more than 31 flavors, it was their original 31 flavors that helped make this company as famous as it is today.

Ben & Jerry’s
Headquartered in the state of Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s makes an assortment of frozen dessert items. However, it is their ice cream that the company is most famous for producing. Founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, those two founders have become famous for their love for ice cream and their social activism.

Ben & Jerry’s is known for having adventurous flavors of ice cream. The company doesn’t back down from combining any flavors if it believes the result will be a tasty ice cream.

Blue Bell Creameries
Although Blue Bell Creameries is only offered in 17 states in the United States, it ranks as one of the nation’s leading sellers of ice cream. The 17 states in which Blue Bell Creameries serves are almost all in the southern half of the country. Dating back to 1907, this ice cream company is also one of the oldest in the country.

Headquartered in Texas, Blue Bell Creameries has over a 50% market share of Texas ice cream sales. In all, the company has approximately 250 ice cream products and its ice cream is annually regarded as some of the best in the country.

Breyers Ice Cream
Dating back to 1866, Breyers Ice Cream has been a leading ice cream manufacturer for more than 100 years. The company is currently headquartered in Massachusetts and ships its ice cream products to most of the states in the United States.

Breyers Ice Cream is known for its pledge of purity, which is a promise by the company to use all natural ingredients in its ice cream. With a variety of flavors and a large fan base of loyal customers, Breyers Ice Cream has become a household name.

Dreyer’s/Edy’s
Depending on where you are in the United States, you will know this ice cream by a different name. In the western part of the United States, this ice cream is marketed under the name Dreyer’s. In the eastern part of the United States, the company instead uses the name Edy’s.

Within the last decade, Dreyer’s/Edy’s has been purchased by Neslte. In addition to typical ice cream offerings, Dreyer’s/Edy’s also offers a line of “light” ice cream products that have less calories than usual

Haagen-Dazs
Although Haagen-Dazs is a relatively new ice cream company, it has exploded in popularity quickly. Reuben and Rose Mattus, who were Polish immigrants, started Haagen-Dazs in 1959 and opened their first store in 1975. From their beginnings in the state of New York, Haagen-Dazs is now a worldwide company that offers ice cream in more than 50 countries.

Check out these homemade ice cream recipes.

Serious Vanilla Ice Cream
By Alton Brown

Ingredients

2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons peach preserves (not jelly)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Instructions

Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.

Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit’s instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: If you do not have a thermometer, bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. Do not let it boil.

Easy Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups skim milk
6 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 bananas, mashed

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix tskim milk, evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla.

Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

After the ice cream is done freezing but not solid, add the bananas and mix them in.

Place the ice cream in a freezer container and seal.

Freeze 12 hours and serve.

WebGarden
From Ohio State University,WebGarden offers a range of multimedia resources, including an illustrated plant dictionary and a plant database that can be downloaded onto your hand held. The PlantFacts database searches more than 45 university and government sources. An FAQ page answers common gardening questions.

Gardening from the National Arboretum
Experts answer the most commonly asked plant-specific gardening questions, with articles on aquatic plants, roses, turf and others. Monthly pest management articles tell you what pests to look for and how to get rid of them.

Plant Information Online
Gives buying information for 103,592 plants in 972 North American nurseries. Plant Information Online is a free service of the University of Minnesota Libraries.

Garden Guides
Includes how-to articles, plant fact sheets and guide sheets, seasonal tips and recipes for those half a million zucchini you find yourself with at the end of the season.

Better Homes and Gardens
A multi-media site with information, advice and design tools. Download garden plans with easy-to-follow layouts, color illustrations and detailed plant lists. Topics include herbs & vegetables, regional gardening, and landscape design, many on video. Step-by-step articles on projects such as building arbors or fences. The Garden Doctor section answers common questions.

(Photo via flickr cc)

HGTV Gardening
Features how-to videos, shopping tips, garden basics for newcomers as well as garden plans and articles on topics such as how to prune roses or how to build a patio or deck.

The Garden Gate
Links to online gardening sources ranging from magazine articles to book reviews to nursery catalogs. The Teaching Garden provides links to plant databases, glossaries and plant societies.

Gardening Resources
From the National Gardening Association, includes monthly regional guides with reminders and how-to projects. Q&A Library contains answers to common gardening questions. Also has a weed library and pest directory with pictures and information on how to conquer those problems. Looking for an heirloom tomato seed? Enter your request in Seed Swap and see if you can find someone who’s willing to swap with you.

Dave’s Garden
Gardening 2.0 with discussion boards on 90 topics. Includes a plant database and the Garden Watchdog, which features consumer reviews of 6,309 mail order nurseries. The Garden Bookworm contains user generated reviews of almost 3,000 gardening books.

Martha Stewart’s Gardening Page
Covers the basics to advanced divided into 10 topics, including plants, tools, vegetable gardens, maintenance and “good things,” which features stories on things like flower arrangements. Illustrated plant encyclopedia contains thousands of entries that you can browse by different criteria such as plant type, hardiness zone, garden uses or soil conditions.

(Photo via flickr cc)

Organic Gardening
Features articles on controlling weeds and pests naturally, and growing without chemicals. Regional almanacs provide monthly tips and how-tos. Recent features: How to build a “salad box” garden, plants that attract bees and how to keep deer out of your garden.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center
Offers a variety of educational workshops and wildflower facts for every state. Native Plant Information Network allows you to search 6,830 native plant records by traits or names to “encourage the cultivation, conservation, and preservation of wildflowers and other native flora throughout North America.” Ask Mr. Smarty Pants provides information on the best native plants for your garden. Features links to native plant sellers.

About. com Gardening Guide
Links to articles by category, such as garden design, gardening with kids and garden problems in the garden.

Garden Web from iVillage is a kind of social network site for gardeners with blogs and forums in which like-minded people exchange ideas, tips and even seeds, Also has glossary, zone maps and HortiPlex, a database of plants, plant images and botanical data as well as links to information sources, images and vendors at other sites.

Home and Garden Information Center
From the University of Maryland, features “TimelyTips,” monthly articles on planting, insects and disease. The plant diagnostic center is an illustrated database that helps you diagnose and treat problems with houseplants, shrubs, trees, vines, vegetables–you name it.

Fine Gardening
From Taunton Press, features plant guides, articles on garden design, how-to videos and an online forum, Over the Fence.

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photo credit: Obama-Biden Transition Project

The transition from the previous president of the United States to the next president is certainly an important time. Every four years, the country comes together and those who are capable of voting give their input into deciding the man or woman that will occupy the seat of the presidency for the next four years. While the road leading up to the selection of the next president is filled with campaigns, clever slogans, television ads, news commentary, and plenty of water-cooler politics, the end result is the same and we are left with the person that will hopefully take the United States in the right direction.

In order to commemorate this passage of power from one president to the next, it is customary to hold a presidential inauguration in which the incoming president is sworn in as the president of the United States, taking the oath of office in front of the rest of the country. Throughout the history of our country, the presidential inauguration has evolved into an enormous ceremony involving plenty of pomp and circumstance. Regardless of what goes on during the day of the inauguration, though, the focal point of the entire day is the moment in which the president-elect takes the oath of office, the symbolic and official moment in which the presidency has been transferred.

The first president of the United States of America was George Washington and his inauguration ceremony was held on April 30, 1789 in New York City. Inauguration Day itself was originally scheduled for March 4 in order to give electors from every state about four months to cast their ballots. A harsh winter had made travel very difficult, necessitating plenty of time so that all of the votes could be rightfully counted. Even more time was required for the news of Washington’s victory to reach Washington himself, forcing him to travel to New York City in order to take the oath of office. As George Washington made his way to the inaugural ceremony, a congressional committee decided what Washington’s title would actually be. The committee finally decided on “President of the United States,” the title that we still use today to describe the highest post in the governmental chain of authority.

Certain customs that are still practiced in modern inauguration ceremonies have their root in the very first inaugural ceremony, such as the Inaugural Address that follows the swearing-in of the president-elect. George Washington prepared a special speech for the inaugural ceremony, and since then, each president has opted to deliver the Inaugural Address that sets the tone for their presidency. Ceremonial gun salutes and church bells rang throughout the city, traditions that are still observed in modern inaugural ceremonies. The president-elect George Washington added the phrase “So help me God,” to the end of the constitutional oath:

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Since then, every president-elect has opted to include the phrase at the end of the oath. The second presidential inauguration started the tradition of having a Supreme Court Justice preside over the inaugural ceremonies. William Cushing, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, administered the oath of office during the presidential inauguration for George Washington’s second term, a practice that continues to this day.

Thomas Jefferson was the first President to actually be sworn into office in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. All but a handful of the inaugural ceremonies throughout American history have been held at Washington D.C., which was chosen as the capital of the United States during Jefferson’s time. Jefferson’s first inauguration was a simple event that involved walking to the Capitol, taking the oath of office, and returning to his boardinghouse for dinner, but his second inaugural ceremony involved riding to the White House on horseback after the swearing-in, surrounded by music and an impromptu procession that would eventually evolve into the Inaugural Parade.

Today, the Inaugural Parade is an iconic institution of the presidential inauguration that winds down from the Capitol to the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue. Another element of the Inaugural Parade involves the presidential reviewing of the troops, a tradition that replaced the Inaugural Open House, the time in which crowds of well-wishers could come into the White House and greet the president. Eventually, the time grew so unruly and out-of-hand that Grover Cleveland decided to change the tradition into something safer.

An important aspect of the evolution of the presidential inauguration is the advent of technology. George Washington’s first inaugural address was only heard by the members of Congress that gathered to hear the president-elect speak. Eventually, the president-elect’s inaugural address would be printed in newspapers, a tradition that started with James Madison’s presidential inauguration, and James Polk’s oath of office would be transcribed by Samuel Morse through his telegraph machine. In 1857, James Buchanan’s inaugural ceremony was photographed and citizens across the country were able to share in the events through the pictures that were taken, a revolutionary idea at the time.

William McKinley’s inauguration would be the first presidential inauguration to be captured on movie cameras, providing a new way for citizens across the country to experience the monumental event. Calvin Coolidge was the first president to have his oath of office and inaugural address broadcast over the radio, and finally, the Harry Truman 1949 inauguration would be the first presidential inauguration to be televised. Certainly, the impact of technology on the proceedings of the presidential inauguration is deep, making a more lavish and impressive ceremony feasible due to the larger proportion of the citizenry that would be able to share in the experience.

Other aspects of the ceremony include group prayers, musical pieces, and poetry readings, depending on the wishes of the incoming president. Another event that takes place due to the presidential inauguration is a special luncheon hosted by Congress to which the president-elect and the vice president-elect are invited, making it one of the only times that the president, the vice president, and Congress are assembled. Inaugural celebrations usually last for about ten days, from five days before the inauguration to the five days after the inauguration. Certain parts of the country, mostly around Washington D.C., enjoy a federal holiday during Inauguration Day which allows federal employees a day off, the primary reason being to avoid traffic congestion that would normally occur without a day off.

On January 20, 2009, President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice President-Elect Joe Biden will become the President and the Vice-President of the United States, respectively, after President-Elect Obama takes the oath of office. The day will fall on the third Tuesday of January. During the inaugural ceremony, President-Elect Obama will lead the Inaugural Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, be sworn in as the next president of the United States, partake in a luncheon with Congress, perform a presidential review of the troops, and partake in a slew of traditional activities that make the presidential inauguration the monumental, iconic experience that it has become in the last two centuries. Thanks to technological advances, the entire ceremony will be widely viewable by the American public as a new political era begins.

Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Parties: Whether you want to throw a party for carolers or create a fondue party, you’ll find everything you need here. Complete with recipes, decorating ideas and planning tips.

Christmas Parties: Anecdotes from readers on throwing holiday parties for families and kids of all ages. Features include a Holiday Birthday Party Extravaganza, a Gingerbread Party for preschoolers, a North Pole Party and an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

Christmas Party Games: What’s a party without games? Find kid-friendly activities at this site for teachers.

Christmas Party Ideas and Themes: Are you a theme party fan? Then this is your kind of place with a host of themes ranging from Christmas in Scotland to a Christmas Carnival to a Victorian Dessert Party.

Christmas Party Ideas for Kids: Games, activities, party supplies. It’s a one-stop center for throwing a party for your child’s friends and/or classmates.

The Complete Christmas: This guide from Epicurious.com includes menus, party ideas and drinks. Check out the Cocktail Party Guide for a full scale battle plan covering everything from setting up the bar to how much food and beverages to have on hand.

DIY Network: Learn how to create tablescapes, decorate with lights or convert a card table into an elegant holiday table at this site for do-it-yourselfers. Check out the holiday party checklist to make sure you don’t neglect any aspect of your party.

Entertaining 101: Learn the 10 Rule of Hosting, plus how to pick the perfect wine, print out holiday menus and avoid holiday stress in this guide from the folks at Reader’s Digest.

Food Network’s Holiday Entertaining Guide: Recipes and tips for hosting everyone from large crowds to intimate gatherings. Recipes cover cocktails to desserts to wine and cheese parties.

A Homemade Christmas: Learn how to throw a Snow Ball, an Ornament Party or a Holiday Open House. There are also cookie recipes, crafts and gift ideas. From Disney.

How to Throw a Christmas Party: A number of articles on hosting cookie parties, office parties and kids parties.

iVillage: A holiday entertaining guide with recipes for everything from cookies to cocktails plus table settings, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa menus and gift ideas.

Martha Stewart’s Holiday Entertaining Guide: Not surprisingly, Martha has it covered with features on centerpieces, holiday cocktails, menus and more.

Winter Wonderland Party Ideas: From Evite comes this party planning tool with printable invitations plus ideas for decorating, food and drink recipes and suggestions for music and activities.

credit: Ted Drake

Shortly after human beings figured out how to grind grain to bake bread, someone invented pastry. What is pastry and how does it differ from other baked goods? It’s all in the dough.

Pastry is the name given to both the finished product, such as pies or turnovers, and the dough from which the dishes or made. The dough features some kind of fat combined with flour and water. Some pastries, like croissants, are all about the dough while for others the dough is just a frame for the filling. It all began in the Middle East more than a millennium ago.

Phyllo

credit: Hunda
Although the Greeks gave this dough its name–phyllo means “leaf” in Greek–its origins can be traced back to the ancient Assyrians as early as the 8th Century BC. Made by stretching and rolling the dough until it’s paper thin, traditional recipes call for the dough to be rolled no more than 4/1000th of an inch thick. While some still make their phyllo by hand, it’s also available in the frozen section of most supermarkets.

Phyllo is the dough used for baklava, a pastry eaten throughout the Middle East. Baklava is made by sandwiching layers of the leaves with butter, nuts and spices. A sugar/honey syrup is poured over the warm pastry after it’s baked and allowed to soak into the layers.

Strudel
Strudel, Germany and Austria’s answer to baklava, is another pastry made up of many layers of very thin dough. Traditionalists specify that the dough be thin enough to read a newspaper through. These days most strudel recipes cheat and use frozen phyllo. But it’s still possible to find a recipe for traditional apple strudel.

Puff pastry

credit: blmurch
Another flaky pastry, puff pastry is made by placing pats of chilled butter between layers of pastry dough, then rolling it out, folding it in thirds and letting it rest. This process is repeated six to eight times, produces a pastry comprising hundreds of layers of dough and butter. When baked, the moisture in the butter creates steam, causing the dough to puff and separate into layers. Puff pastry is used to make a variety of pastries, including croissants and pain au chocolat, the croissant’s chocolate filled cousin.

credit: ToddN

It’s called a Danish, but this buttery pastry got its start in New York City reportedly through the efforts of L.C. Klitteng, who opened the Danish Culinary Studio there in the early 20th century. After Klitteng made Danish for the wedding of President Woodrow Wilson in 1915, the pastry spread across the country.

Like puff pastry and strudel dough, the pastry for the Danish is also rolled out, dotted with butter, then folded and rolled again and again. Danish pastries contain a variety of fillings from fruit, cheese and almond paste to nuts.

Pâte à choux

credit: WordRidden

A completely different method is used to make pâte à choux. The dough is created by combining flour with boiling water and butter, then beating eggs into the mixture. When baked, the dough puffs out but the center is slightly hollow, making an ideal receptacle for ice cream, custard or pastry cream. Culinary historians trace the pastry’s origins to 15th Century France. It was the creation of Panterelli, Catherine de Medici’s personal chef.

Cream puffs and eclairs are all made from pâte à choux. As is the traditional French wedding cake, the croquembouche, which is basically a pile of profiteroles (cream puffs) stacked into a cone and covered with caramel sauce.

credit: carabou

In France, beignets are made from pâte à choux, but somewhere along the line their descendants in New Orleans changed the recipe in favor of a dough that did not require time on the stove.

The donut is a direct descendant of the beignet.

credit: szlea

Tarts

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Tarts are characterized by a rich pastry with no top crust. Tarts are made using one of two doughs: Pâte brisée and pâte sucrée. The first is a buttery crust used for both sweet and savory tarts such as quiche, the second adds sugar to the mix. Tarts are typically backed in a shallow-sided pan with a removable bottom. A galette is a free form version made without a pan.

Tarte tatin is France’s answer to apple pie. An upside-down tart, it’s made by covering the bottom of a shallow baking dish with butter and sugar, then apples and topped with a crust of pâte brisée.

The tarte aux fraises is a classic French tart made with pâte sucrée. The crust is baked, filled with pasty cream and topped with fresh strawberries. Roll out the dough and cut it into shapes and you’ve got shortbread.

credit: m a g i e

Add nuts to pâte sucrée and you’ve got pâte sablée, a sweet crumbly crust that the Viennese use to make Linzertorte, a buttery, nutty crust filled with raspberry jam.

Pies

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Pies can have bottom crusts only, or top and bottom crusts. Pies came to us from the English, who have been making sweet and savory pies since the Middle Ages. A classic English–and American–pie crust uses lard or shortening for the fat in the dough as opposed to butter.

Apple pie may be considered an American classic, but America’s contribution to pie came with the fillings. Sweet potatoes, pumpkins and pecans are all new world ingredients.

credit: tonydolor

Another American classic is lemon meringue pie. A 19th Century invention, lemon meringue pie bears more than a passing resemblance to the Queen of Puddings, a classic British dessert. But some attribute the origins of the lemon curd filling to 18th Century Quakers in Philadelphia. Egg whites have been used as the main ingredient in desserts since Elizabethan times, but were perfected as meringue in the 17th Century. No one seems to know who put the two together, which is a shame since that anonymous pastry chef deserves a place in the culinary hall of fame.

Ready to throw some shrimp on the barbie? Here’s a look at Web resources for backyard grilling and barbecuing.

The difference between grilling and BBQ
First, a look at terms. Grilling is a cooking method that uses direct heat while barbecue is generally a slow-cooking method. You can only grill on a grill, while you can barbecue in a smoker, a grill or a pit.

The Barbecue Preparation Guide expands on this definition:

• Barbecuing refers to foods that are cooked with a long, slow process using indirect, low-heat generated by smoldering logs or wood chips that smoke-cook the food.
• The fuel and heat source are separate from the cooking chamber, but the cooking chamber contains enough heat to properly cook the food over a long period of time.
• The cooking chamber fills with smoke, giving the food its characteristic smoked flavor, which varies depending on the type of wood that is used for the fuel.
• The best temperature for barbecuing is between 200°F and 300°F. If the temperature rises above 300°F, it is considered grilling.

Gas or charcoal?
For some, nothing less than propane will do. Others proclaim charcoal as the medium of choice. Here’s a look at the controversy.

• Grilling 101: Charcoal vs. Gas: The face off.
• Gas versus Charcoal for Dummies.
• The Grate Debate – Charcoal vs. Gas from Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible.
• Charcoal Grilling 101: These folks have already made up their minds.
• The Fine Art of Charcoal Grilling: From Kingsford, the charcoal maker.

Among charcoal enthusiasts, there’s also a lump charcoal camp and a charcoal briquette camp. Briquettes are produced by crushing charcoal and mixing in additives, such as nitrates, clays and starches. Some say the additives impart their own flavors to foods. Briquettes are valued for their uniform size and stable burn. Lump charcoal is carbonized wood with no additives.

Safety
After all, you are playing with fire. And food requires special handling when cooking outdoors.

• Gas grilling safety from the National Fire Protection Association.
• Safety tips from the Insurance Information Institute.
• Propane grilling safety.
• Picnic and Grilling Safety.
• Barbecue and Food Safety from the US Department of Agriculture.
• Grillin’ and Chillin’ Food safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control.

BBQ and grilling links
How-tos, recipes and menus.

Barbecue’n On the Internet: A veritable encyclopedia of tutorials, techniques, tips and recipes. Covers everything from cuts of meat to internal temperatures and from smokers to spices.

The National Barbecue Association offers tips for barbecuing with a grill.

Grilling magazine: Available by paid subscription, the free website does offer recipes and links.

The BBQ Report: A blog with recipes, product reviews, and tips.

Barbecue, Grilling & Smoking Recipes: A Yahoo! Directory.

The Food Network offers a range of grilling info:

• Recipes.
• Buying Guide–They really do recommend propane, for convenience.
• Direct heat grilling
• Grilling with indirect heat.
• Setting up a grill.

(Photo: Nictalopen)

Outdoor grilling: The basics, plus sections on recipes, marinades, safety and flavor secrets.

About.com’s BBQ and Grill Guide.

Grilling recipes: Offers 1,200 of “the best all-time favorite grilling recipes.”

Weber: The grill maker offers a a buyer’s guide, recipes and a section on grill care.

Barbecue & Grilling: From the Culinary Cafe, features BBQ and grilling recipes with sections on:

• Bastes, Sops and Mops
• Marinades
• Burgers
• Dry Rubs
• Sauces
• Wet Rubs

Whole Foods Grilling Guide: Features recipes for everything from marinades to desserts, plus tips and guides.

Grilling Basics: A comprehensive look at grilling from Better Homes and Gardens with cooking charts, a glossary and tips. Check out the mag’s grilling recipes, too.

Healthy Grilling Recipes: From Eating Well magazine.

Food & Wine grilling guide: Tips, techniques, recipes and a glossary are just the beginning. There are grilling tips from famous chefs: menus for various occasions, such as Father’s Day; product guides for grills and smokers; and a section on choosing wine.

Grilling with beer: What more do you need to know?

Slashfood: Posts from the grilling category run the gamut from recipes to cookbook and product reviews.

Grilling holidays and celebrations: From Epicurious.com, this page offers video how-tos, a grilling primer, equipment tips as well as a state-by-state guide to finding the best BBQ.

Grilling Guide: Tips, basics and recipes.

Summer Grilling Guide: From Global Gourmet, this site features menus, recipes and cookbook recommendations.

Grilling Tips: Covers cleaning, tools and safety.

(Photo: Augapfel)

Shopping
Father’s Day just happens to occur during peak grilling season. And grilling just happens to be the number one cooking method of your average man.

• Grilling gear: Gadgets and grills.
• Summer grilling: Books from Amazon.com.
• Grilling accessories: Gear from Amazon.com.
• Top 10 charcoal grills for 2008.
• Gas grill buying guide.
• Consumer Reports Gas Grills.

If you live in a house, you understand how maintaining your landscaping can be a hassle but at the same time rewarding. Having a well manicured lawn can not only bring self satisfaction, but it can vastly improve the beauty of your home. If you are selling your home, quality landscaping can be the difference between finding the dream buyer and missing out.

Obviously, specifics for your landscaping needs depend greatly on variables such as the size of your land, the climate where you live and your personal preferences. Not everyone has the same goals when landscaping. Some people simply want green grass and a clean lawn, while other people wish to go with a more elaborate setup.

credit: Drew And Merissa

If you are new to landscaping or you want to give try different landscaping techniques or looks, there are many websites where you can find quality landscaping information. With millions of people around the world in the same situation, there are a multitude of great ideas that you are free to use. No matter where you live or the current condition of your land, you can make vast upgrades by learning a few landscaping tips and tricks.

credit: eyeliam

The first thing to do when you begin your landscaping process is to think of and plan out the ideas you have. The best way to do so is to get a piece of paper and a pencil and map out your property. You can then draw in what exactly you want to accomplish with your landscaping. Be sure you check the regulations in your city to make sure that your landscaping ideas are allowed in your neighborhood. This is very important because some neighborhood do not allow certain types of landscaping. For example, some cities frown upon fountains, ponds and certain types of fencing.

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To find ideas for your landscaping, you can use a number of different websites on the internet. LandscapingIdeasOnline.com is a great resource for those who are looking to spice up their land with new thoughts. On this website, you can find nearly 5,000 pictures of different lawns that utilize all types of different landscaping techniques. Whether you want ideas concerning grass, trees, shrubs, flower beds, retaining walls, stones, fountains or even lighting, LandscapingIdeasOnline.com is a great resource. Other websites to use for landscaping ideas are MyIdealGarden.com, LandscapeLiving.com and BackyardLandscaping.net.

Once you have looked over all the ideas available and have picked the ones you like best, you need to decide whether you are the one who is going to make your landscaping dreams a reality. The other option is to hire a professional landscaper to do the work for you. To decide which path is right for you consider a few questions. First of all, are you landscaping on a tight budget? If so, you are better off doing the job yourself to save some money. Do you have enough free time to dedicate to your landscaping? Remember to factor in the upkeep of the landscaping. Are you confident doing the manual labor necessary to complete your landscaping ideas? If not, again, the professional route may work better for you.

If you’ve decided to do the job yourself, you need to figure out where you are going to purchase the landscaping supplies. Luckily, there are a number of websites on the internet that have landscaping supplies for very competitive prices. The first places to look are the big chains such as HomeDepot.com and Lowes.com. These big chains offer fair prices and extremely large catalogs where you can find virtually everything you could possibly need to fulfill your landscaping needs. Another option is to use a smaller website that is geared directly toward landscaping. Some of these websites include Gardeners.com, HomeGardenandPatio.com and GardenersEdge.com.

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Doing your landscaping yourself can be difficult, especially if it’s your first time using landscaping equipment. For online help, you can join a landscaping community where people come together to help, offer advice and recommend products to other people who are also landscaping on their own. LawnSite.com is a highly regarded landscaping message board with thousands of users will and able to offer quality advice. If you run into problems while landscaping, chances are you will find a solution at LawnSite.com.

If you want a professional to do your landscaping for you, there are websites on the internet that will really come in handy. There are a huge amount of websites dedicated to helping you find professionals in this area. You can even get professionals to bid against each other!

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NeedContractor.com is a great website for those looking to tackle a big landscaping goal. While this service isn’t recommended if you just need a small job, it is highly recommended for large projects. With NeedContractors.com, all you need to do is fill out a form in which you specify example what you need to be done to satisfy your landscaping needs. Once you’ve sent in your form, you will soon be contacted by contractors in your area who will bid for the job. You can then read through the bids until you find the one you are most comfortable with. A website that offers a similar service can be found on Home-Contractors.net.

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If you need a smaller landscaping project to be completed, YardCrew.com offers a fantastic service. With Yard Crew, you can find professionals in your area to do whatever types of landscaping jobs you need. Whether you want a landscaping overhaul or simply want to find someone to maintain your yard, you can find those professionals at YardCrew.com. It’s a free service for you!

LandscapeNetworks.com is another good place to find professional landscapers. All you need to do is pick what kind of work you need to be done, the location of the job that needs to be done and then you will find a list of professionals in your area who will be able to help you out.

When you have a professional landscaper come out to start the maintenance process, it is important to tell them exactly what you need. You should physically walk around your property and tell the professional what you expect. Once that happens, you will likely be given an estimate for the work. If the estimate is reasonable and fits into your budget, you can proceed to allow the professional to work on your property. Once the job is complete, be sure to check and make sure everything you have asked for was done. Only after you have checked should you make the payment.

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Once you find a landscaping professional who you trust to do a good job with your landscaping, you can proceed to schedule your maintenance on a regular basis. How often you need maintenance depends on where you live and what exactly you need done. Typically, maintenance is done either weekly, twice a month or on a monthly basis. Sometimes, landscaping professionals will give you a discount if you sign a contract that bounds you to their service for a certain amount of time.

If you ever get tired of the way your landscaping looks, it’s never a bad time to look again at landscaping designs to again find something that excites you. You can then begin the process all over again and you will again be rewarded by the results once more!

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As the days get longer and warmer, our thoughts turn to spring cleaning. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, but need a little guidance on how to proceed, the Web has a number of resources to help you.

But first, a little history.

Part necessity and part annual ritual, the custom of spring cleaning likely dates back to prehistoric times, when extra light allowed people additional time to clear out their caves. The additional light also allowed them to see just how dirty everything was in the old homestead.

Religious practices also contributed to making spring cleaning a yearly ritual. The Jewish holiday of Passover, for example, compels observers to scour their homes top to bottom to rid them of chametz, unleavened bread. The onset of spring also heralds the Persian new year, Nouroz, which comes with its own cleaning rituals called khooneh takouni, “shaking the house.”

Spring cleaning was also the time our forebears cleaned the dirt left behind by wood and gas fires and candles. Spring weather freed up the servants from having to clean up the debris left by those fires and allowed them to hang up the drapes and rugs outside.

So, how to get started? Consider these basic strategies from Style at Home.

Work from the top down, inside to outside, to avoid getting what you just cleaned dirty again.

Do one room, even one area of one room, at a time to avoid unfinished jobs. The satisfaction of seeing one room sparkle will make the hard work feel like it’s worth the effort.

Dust before vacuuming or cleaning the floor.

Or consult this list, 103 Tips for Spring Cleaning and Organizing.

A checklist is a good idea. Print out this list from iVillage, or have a separate checklist for each room:

• Kitchen
• Bathroom
• Living room
• Bedroom
• Dining room

How about a grand plan? The 2008 New Year Grand Plan Challenge is a 14-week plan that cuts the work down into “small weekly bites” and provides printable forms to help organize and track cleaning chores. More checklists:

• LifeScript offers a plan of attack for spring cleaning.
• Homemakers.com provides another room-by-room guide.
• Annual Household Jobs Checklist: Once-a-Year Chores and Spring Cleaning Hints.
• This guide from New American home lets you click on each room in the house to give you a list of what needs to be done, how to clean that specific room and how long each chore will take.
• The Fix-It corner’s spring cleaning checklist.
• This checklist covers the inside and outside of the house.

Once you’ve got a plan of attack, you need to know how to clean what. The Good Housekeeping Do-It-All Cleaning Guide has tips on cleaning just about anything you can imagine from chrome to coffeemakers, marble to microwaves and wicker to windows.

A good resource is Real Simple Spring Cleaning 101, which links to a series of stories by the magazine, including:

• The Nitty Gritty Guide to Cleaning Household Surfaces.
• The Definitive Cleaning Schedule.
• Streamline Spring Cleaning Plan.

Service Master offers another page of cleaning tips and tricks, especially helpful is the information on how to remove specific stains from crayon marks, to tar spots, to urine stains.

In addition to removing stains and dirt, spring cleaning offers a great opportunity for you to put your house in order. Consider these sites if you want to get organized and stay that way:

• Is it time to get organized? from the DIY Network offers a host of projects.
• Life Organizers offers articles on organizing closets, mail, electronics, coupons and your kid’s room, among others.
• Creative Homemaking has articles on organizing different rooms in the house as well as keeping track of your finances and tools for grocery shopping and menu planning.
• Get a grip with “6 steps to get rid Of clutter: How To Organize And Implement Clutter Control.”

If you work from home, here are some tips for sprucing up your home office:

• Spring cleaning your PC tells you how to clean the outside and inside of your computer.
• Ten tips to organize your home office.
• Organize and Update a Productive Workspace
• Spring cleaning checklist for our home office.

Want to go green with your spring cleaning?

• The Green Guide offers resources for finding green cleaning products.
• Or make your own household cleaning products.
• Make your spring cleaning green.
• Five basics for non-toxic spring cleaning.

And don’t forget the yard. Here are some links to check out before spring cleaning outside:

• Spring cleaning in the garden.
• Spring Cleaning: House and Yard tells you how to clean outdoor furniture, your grill and your gutters among other things.
• This list tells you how to get your garden equipment ready for the growing season.
• An early start in the garden makes all the difference.

How about a little feng shui?

• Spring cleaning feng shui style.
• Spring cleaning with Feng Shui: Clear your clutter
• Spring clean the Feng Shui way

Filing taxes is a chore that few people look forward to doing. Not only can it take a lot of time, it’s easy to make mistakes while filing. Additionally, it’s extremely common to miss tax break opportunities if you are filing your taxes by yourself.

Luckily, there is an abundance of online tax software. The tax software can make the filing process faster and can help you eliminate any errors you might otherwise make. Also, you may be able to find tax breaks that you didn’t know existed.

If you want to file your own taxes, using online tax software is highly recommended. Even the IRS highly recommends using tax software. Compared to hiring an accountant to file your taxes, you will end up paying a lot less and you will better understand your own financial standing.

With all the different choices, finding the right tax software for you can be a daunting task. However, below is a breakdown of the top ten online tax software products on the market.

TurboTax

If you are filing a simple tax return, most people find that TurboTax is the best and easiest options. For that reason, TurboTax is the most popular online tax software. You can quickly search for over 300 tax deductions that will help you pay less in taxes. TurboTax claims that the average tax return when using their software is over $2,200. The cost of the TurboTax software varies from a free edition that eFile your federal tax returns to a $99.95 version that comes with professional filing help.

TaxAct

TaxAct offers a cheap alternative for those customers who want to save money when selecting their online tax software. Offering a free federal eFile, the ultimate version is much better and will hardly break your bank. For $16.95 you can eFile your federal and state tax returns with advanced options to help you in the filing process. Customer reviews for TaxAct are almost always positive, with the low price and ease of use being the two things that customers like the most.

OnLine Taxes

OnLine Taxes claims to be fast, simple and accurate – and most of their customers agree. While it’s a relatively new company, it’s quickly becoming a major player in the online tax software game due to its low price and its high customer service ratings. Federal tax returns and state tax returns each cost only $7.95. If you use OnLine Taxes year after year, you can even go back and check prior tax returns because their software keeps a copy of your returns online. Their customer service can be reached by email and chat.

TaxExact

If you are experienced with the process of filing your taxes, TaxExact makes it easy to do so. However, if you need more step-by-step instructions or you are new to the process, it’d be best to go with another service. This online tax software simply doesn’t offer enough customer service or enough tutorials to help a novice. On the other hand, if you are experience, TaxExact is fast and the signup process is a breeze. You will have your taxes filed in no time!

TaxCut

Owned by H&R Block, TaxCut is perhaps the most trustworthy name of all the online tax software products. The H&R Block brand is highly respected and has years upon years of experience in this field. With TaxCut, you can talk with a tax professional who can help you through the filing process. Then when you file your taxes, TaxCut will help you make sure that you did everything correctly. For someone new to the filing process, TaxCut is one of the best options on the market.

TaxBrain

When using TaxBrain, there are four different options to pick from. They range from the 1040 EZ version which costs $14.95, to the 1040 Premium version which costs $69.95. The great thing about TaxBrain is that you don’t have to pick the right version – the right version picks you! All you need to do is complete your tax return and TaxBrain will tell you which package you need to purchase. No longer do you need to play the guessing game of which features you need and which features you don’t need.

RapidTax

Do you want to file your taxes in record time? If so, go with RapidTax. RapidTax claims to be able to file your taxes in ten minutes. While not everyone will be able to file their taxes that quickly, this online tax software service is noticeably faster than other options. The different packages are reasonably priced, with the cheapest package costing $14.99. You can also add on other services including an 8-15 day refund to a three-year audit protection. Another great option is RapidTax will subtract your charges from your actual refund so that no credit card is needed to file your taxes.

CompleteTax

When you file your taxes with CompleteTax, you will never run into any hidden charges. With other services, hidden charges pop up every now and then but with CompleteTax you don’t have to worry about that. To file your taxes with CompleteTax, just complete a short interview and then you’ll be ready to eFile. The federal tax return service is $29.95, while the state tax return service is $14.95. While the CompleteTax website is relatively boring, the company is trustworthy and will bend over backwards to help their customers.

TaxSlayer

In every aspect, TaxSlayer is a very solid online tax software service. Nothing will blow you away but you also won’t be disappointed by any aspect. A good thing about TaxSlayer is they listen to their customers and will improve their software on the fly to help their customers. With their services starting at only $9.95 and their premium option starting at $19.95, TaxSlayer is definitely one of the cheaper options on the market. Are you in the military? If so, TaxSlayer offers free filing for you.

TaxEngine

While TaxEngine is still an improving product, it’s quickly becoming a favorite. The service is relatively cheap (between $20 and $30) and the customer service is top notch. In fact, TaxEngine is known to answer email questions within minutes, while other online tax software services are known to take hours or even days. As you input your information, TaxEngine will let you know your current standing in terms of how much taxes you owe. That’s especially useful for someone new to the tax filing process.

The best way to go about picking the right online tax software for you is to go to each of the above websites and read all the fine print. As with anything else, the cheapest option isn’t always the best option. Reading the fine print is especially important if you have any special issues or concerns when filing your taxes.

If you are a small business owner, a number of the above websites have online tax software options to help you file your small business taxes. While these software options are usually more expensive than the personal versions, it won’t cost you as much as a hired tax professional.

Also note that a lot of the tax software websites offer free trials. If you want to test out a certain online tax software, you can usually test it out and see if it’s to your liking. Remember, if you have any questions, email or call the company. You will almost always get a quick response with helpful answers.

Millions of people file their taxes online and that number continues to rise each year. If you have never filed your taxes online, you owe it to yourself to at least check out the online tax software options to decide whether or not it makes sense for you.

Think about it. Sure, the clothes in your closet reveal a little something about your tastes. After all, you liked them enough to buy them. But when was the last time that you put something on specifically because it reflected what you were hoping the day would bring? By focusing more on the selection of what you wear each day, you give yourself a great opportunity for bringing creativity to your life. At the same time, you might bring yourself some newfound inner peace.

What happens to most people is that their clothes bore them. They get in a routine of what to wear and don’t think twice about putting it on. C’mon, how many times have you worn that shirt with those pants? You just automatically grab the pants as soon as you’ve settled on the shirt. But there’s no reason that they need to go together. You have a whole wardrobe in your closet; use it as the raw material for making your body your own canvas.

Take a few minutes in the morning to really think about what you’re going to wear. What do you want the day to be like? How can you pair different items in your closet together to create that? These few minutes of reflection and selection will bring focus and intention to your morning. This sets the stage for a better understanding of yourself. Now isn’t that a much better way to start the day than just putting some clothes on?

Check out How To Get Creative with your Wardrobe for some tips.