Ice Cream Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 18 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
• 14-15 oval-shaped sandwich cookies, such as Milano cookies
• 1/4 cup hot fudge sauce
• 1 quart chocolate ice cream

PREPARATION

1. Pulse chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor, until they become coarse crumbs. Mix cookie crumbs with melted butter, and press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Take vanilla ice cream out of the freezer to soften.
3. Press Milano cookies, short edge down, into the cookie crumbs, so they line the border of the springform pan. Freeze 15 minutes.
4. Heat hot fudge sauce 20-30 seconds in the microwave (until it's smooth enough to pour), and drizzle over the cookie crumbs. Freeze 15 minutes.
5. Spread softened vanilla ice cream over the hot fudge layer of the cake. Freeze at least 1 hour. While the ice cream cake is freezing, take the chocolate ice cream out to soften. Spread the chocolate ice cream over the vanilla ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Serve!

How to Babyproof Your Home

How to Babyproof Your Home

Your life takes a whole new meaning with the arrival of a baby. If you could, you would protect the little one from all possible dangers that life may throw at him, but are you aware that some of the biggest threats to his wellbeing and safety are lurking in your own home? Use our quick checklist to baby-proof  your home and make your house a safe haven for your little explorer.

1. Get down on your hands and knees and start crawling on the ground to find out what dangers are lying in wait in each room at your baby’s eye level. It is easy for an adult to overlook unused electrical sockets, wires or cords lying around while taking a quick check, but for a baby, they are all new and wondrous sources of mystery. Hence, cover all low-lying electrical sockets with socket covers or plugs and tie up stray cords or hide them behind furniture.

2. Once your baby will start crawling, he will start using furniture to pull himself up and practice standing. If your furniture is not secured properly, this might cause it to topple over and result in a serious accident. Use heavy furniture brackets and bolts to fasten whatever can be fastened to the wall. Heavy electronic appliances like a television set or a microwave should be placed as far away from the edge as possible and closer to the wall.

3. If you bought your furniture before your baby, chances are that you would not have checked for round edges or cushioning at the corners. What you can do now is cover all such sharp spots with bumpers or protective padding to prevent your baby from hurting himself if he accidentally knocks into a table.

4. All cleaning products, medicines and other potentially hazardous stuff for a small baby should be kept away from his reach.

5. If you have indoor plants in your home, make sure that none of them are poisonous if your toddler decides to tear off a leaf and see if it tastes good enough.

6. You may trust your pet with your life, but when it comes to a new baby in the home, be careful. Your pet may not immediately take to a new member in the family, so give it enough time to adjust.

7. Install additional barriers or gates at the top and bottom of stairwells and towards the balcony or pool area. Doors towards potentially dangerous places like the laundry room should always be kept closed.

8. All furniture placed close to windows should be moved away so that children cannot use them as a ladder for climbing and looking out.

9. If you are planning to use a used crib or stroller handed down in your family through generations, make sure that they are in good condition and safe for your baby.

10. Children often get their tiny hands hurt in closing doors and drawers. Install preventive doorstops and safety latches on all your cabinets and doors.

Mango Ice Cream Recipe

Mango Ice Cream Recipe



Ingredients

• Mangoes - 4 ( 1 kg)
• Milk - 1 litre
• Cream - 200 grams (1 cup)
• Sugar - 150 grams ( 3/4 cup)

Method

• Heat milk in a heavy based utensil and boil till it decreases in quantity.
• Wash, peel mangoes and separate two pieces. Grind the remaining pieces of the mangoes along with sugar to make puree.
• Cool the milk, mix the mango puree and cream to this cold milk and beat.
• Put the mixture in a n air tight container and close the lid properly. Keep the container for 2 hours in the freezer. Check to see that the container is air tight.
• After 1 hour take out the container from the freezer and beat the frozen ice cream properly so that the cream does not remain in crystal form.
• Cut the 2 separated pieces of mango into small pieces and add to this mixture. These pieces seem very nice while eating the ice cream.
• Keep the ice cream for another 2 hours in the freezer. Mango Ice cream is frozen and ready.

Summer Drink: Virgin Mojito

Summer Drink: Virgin Mojito


Ingredients

15 mint leaves
2 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon simple sugar syrup
Ice as per liking
3 glasses of chilled Sprite/ Mountain dew

Method

In a big glass, add crushed mint leaves, sugar, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup
Add Ice and shake well
Pour into 4 glasses
Top with Sprite or Mountain Dew
Stir with a spoon
Serve and enjoy

Toddlers Exploring the World

Your toddler is probably busy from morning to night–turning up in places you wouldn’t expect!

He climbs on the kitchen table. How did he get there? Next he's playing in the toilet.

And then he's off to help you with chores, and he dumps the trash on the floor.

A toddler's curiosity can be frustrating to parents!

Children learn by exploring their environment. But their exploring should happen in safe places and in ways that help them learn. As you see your child begin to discover her world, keep these ideas in mind:

• Exploring is normal and important for children to do.
• Exploring is one of the first steps in learning about objects and in learning how to solve problems.
• Children are fascinated about how things work, what they look like from the inside, and how they are made.
• Skills like pulling up, standing, crawling, walking, climbing, and running help children explore and test their environment.
• When your child is between 1 and 3 years old, she will probably be interested in everything and everyone, especially if it's new or different. She will want to be part of whatever you do. She will try to imitate you. She will also insist on trying to do many things by herself.
  Sometimes she will strongly resist your help.
  Here are some common ways that young children explore their world:
  • They climb on furniture and crawl into small places.
  • They play with water, wherever they find it–in sinks, toilets, tubs, fish bowls, and puddles.
  • They open cabinets and drawers, pulling out everything inside.
  • They get into purses, make-up cases, and other containers.
  • They scoot away in stores to touch things on the shelves.
  • They approach dogs, cats, and other children to play.
  A few words of caution: Although certain explorative behaviors are normal, parents and caregivers must provide adequate supervision at all times. Young children enjoy exploring, but are not able to assess what is safe and what is not. Children need to be protected against potential danger. Be especially cautious when they are around water, climbing, and even when they approach pets that are unknown to them. Exploring safety will be covered more in the next section.

  Exploring Is Good!

What Is Normal? What Should I Expect?

Though it can be hard to keep up with an exploring toddler, exploring is good! It helps children grow in important ways.

First is the growth of intelligence. A toddler's interest in learning about the world encourages him to use his senses–tasting, touching, seeing, and smelling. His senses help him understand how things are different from each other and how they work.

By trying new ways to handle objects and by asking questions, a toddler begins to learn how to solve problems. Imagine your toddler exploring with his "sippy cup" of milk. By banging it on the high chair tray, he hears what sound the cup makes. By shaking it, he learns how to tell whether it is empty. And by turning it upside down, he discovers he can make a mess!

Another result of exploring is social and emotional growth. When a toddler knows that she can explore her environment and yet return to a parent when she needs help, she becomes secure and confident.

Exploring is also vital for physical growth. Toddlers develop coordination in the large muscles used to walk, run, climb and jump. In addition, toddlers gain eye-hand coordination as they learn to manipulate objects. Toddlers must move around to learn about their world.

Helping Your Children Explore Safely

Toddlers try to get into everything.

Parents of toddlers often feel tired, day and night. Just watching your active little person zoom around the house can be exhausting!

Keeping a toddler safe requires constant attention, and sometimes it seems you can't relax for a minute. It is surprising how many dangerous places and objects toddlers can discover.

But the extra work it takes to encourage your child as he explores and learns is worth it. Sometimes you may want to stop your child's need to explore, but remember: exploring is necessary for a growing child. Focus your energy on providing safe places for your child to learn about his world.

You won't have to go running after your toddler so often if you get rid of some of the dangers at home. Your toddler is just too young and too active to think about safety. She ignores things that are in the way. Bumps and falls don't stop her. You can never leave a child of this age unsupervised. However, your job will be easier if you take the following steps:

• Put away anything that your child can easily damage or that can hurt him.
• Make sure furniture is stable and will not topple over easily.
• Use safety gates on stairways and porches.
• Block the way to open, unguarded windows. Fasten screens. Do not leave curtain or blind cords hanging freely, as they may cause strangulation.
• Cover electric plugs.
• Keep all medicines and poisons (like cleaning products) in a locked cabinet.
• Teach your child how to climb up and go down stairs safely.
• Make safe play areas and provide safe toys.
• Understand that your words won't always stop your child from doing something unsafe. When that happens, take firm action to stop your toddler. Then tell her why you did it.
• Be available to move in instantly when action is needed (for example, around an unfriendly dog, a speeding car, or stairs).

Understanding Play and Learning

Your toddler is very active between the ages 1 and 3.

She will be using her new physical and verbal skills to explore everything around her.

As he grows, your toddler will spend less time exploring and more time playing. And play is your child's "work" as he practices and masters new mental, physical, and social skills.

To help your child with her development, plan ways to explore new and interesting things at home and in your neighborhood.

• Think about new play ideas involving shapes, colors, textures, and sizes.
• Take trips to new places-stores, parks, or a zoo. Talk about what you find there.
• Let your child wash plastic dishes with you, or give her toys to play with in the bathtub. (And be ready to mop up a mess!)
• Provide safe places to crawl into, hide in, climb, and explore. (For example, you could drape a bed sheet over a table to make a pretend cave.)
• Talk about what you see and hear while walking, riding the bus, or driving in the car.
• Talk about nature as you take a walk with your toddler. Point out the colors of the leaves and grass, and allow them to feel the texture of the grass.
• Let your child help you prepare simple food to explore all the textures, shapes, flavors, and colors. (Again, be prepared for a mess.)

Exploring with Questions

The toddler's curiosity knows no limits.

Even if his body is quiet, his eyes and mind are busy. He is getting better and better at talking and listening. He is watching other people. He is exploring by asking questions-about everything he sees. If you are hearing "Why? Why? Why?" from your child, remember how young children learn.

Children ask questions in bits and pieces because they need time to make sense of the answers they get. They seem to know what they can manage, and they stop asking when they have had enough. Try to keep a balance by giving your child enough information but not too much.

Exploring with Books

Books can also be helpful in helping children learn about their world. Libraries and bookstores have many books to read with your toddler. Some books allow your child to do things (like touch a special place on the page). Others encourage children to explore with the characters. Both types can be enjoyed by children for a long time. 

Toilet Teaching: The First Steps

Learning to use the toilet is an important step in your child's life. But this can be a confusing time for families. Many parents wonder:

• When is my child ready for toilet teaching?
• What is the best way to teach my child?

While there is no one "right way" to teach children to use the toilet, the following ideas should be helpful to you.

Is Your Child Ready?

Parents sometimes feel pressure to begin toilet teaching early.

Diapers are expensive, and some day care providers won't take children until they can use the toilet. Many of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers believed children should be toilet-trained very early, even before their first birthday. But today we understand that it's best to wait until children show signs that they are ready. Here's what to look for:

• Your child stays dry for at least a few hours.
• Your child can sit and walk well without help.
• Your child can follow simple directions, like pointing to body parts.
• Your child uses words and actions for going to the toilet.
• Your child wants to act like you and be a "big kid."

Parents often start toilet teaching when children are about 2 years old. If your child had a low birth weight or is developing slowly, you may want to wait until closer to age 3.

These are the ages when children usually develop toilet skills:

• Age
• 15 months old
• 18 to 20 months old
• 2 to 2 1/2 years old
• 3 to 4 years old

• Development
• Child may point to wet clothes.
• Child may wet on the potty if placed there.
• Child may tell you "I need to go."
• Child can wait and can use the toilet alone.

Are You Ready?

Are there major changes in your family, like an illness, a new baby, a new apartment, a new job, or a new sitter? If so, you may want to wait until things get back to normal. Do you have enough time? Toilet teaching needs a commitment of at least three months. Some children learn very fast, but others take longer.

Sometimes parents feel pressure from family and friends to start toilet teaching early. There are many opinions, but remember that you are the one who knows the most about your child. Be sure to look for the signs that tell you your child is ready.

Getting Started

Once you think your child is ready to begin, take some time to look at children's books about using the toilet.

Reading them to your child will help him understand about getting started. Everyone in the family can be involved. Invite your child to watch you use the toilet. Older brothers and sisters can help by showing the younger ones how. Say to your child, "This is how big people use the toilet. Be sure to include washing hands. Have a potty chair near your child's play area, where she can sit on it by herself. It's okay if she sits on it with her diaper on at first. During t

he day, encourage her to "play potty" with a teddy bear or doll ("Teddy go potty. Teddy's a big boy.").

Timing Is Everything

When your child seems to feel comfortable sitting on the potty, try asking him to sit without a diaper. Some important times to remember to make a "potty stop" are

• At the times your child usually has a bowel movement (BM)
• Right after a nap
• An hour after a drink or meal

The Waiting Game

For a few days, not much will happen. Try asking your child to sit on the potty three or four times a day. Just two or three minutes is long enough. Stay and keep your child company. Use this time to talk about nice things, like a visit to Grandpa's house or pictures in a storybook. Many children learn to have BMs in the potty before they learn to wet. It's easier for children (and parents) to tell when this is going to happen. There's also usually more time to get to the potty. One day, your child will "go" on the potty. When it happens, be ready to be excited and give a big hug.

Clean-up

You will need to help your child learn to wipe from front to back after going potty. (Children's arms aren't long enough to do a good job.) Be sure to teach your child to wash hands with soap and water. Germs can make your child sick. Never give food as a reward in the bathroom.

Don't Fight About It

If your child doesn't want to sit on the potty chair, just skip it. It can be difficult to have all the patience you need, so if your child puts up a big fuss, take a break. You may need to wait a few days or even a few weeks before you try again.

Rewards and Punishments

Many parents wonder if they should reward or punish children during toilet teaching. Praise, hugs, and encouragement are important ways to help your child learn. If your child is uncooperative, don't shame or punish. Don't make fun of your child for having accidents.

All children have accidents and stubborn moods. When your child has an accident, say something like, "I'm sorry you had this accident. I know you're trying hard. Next time I bet you will get to the potty on time."

People have different opinions about rewards like stickers or toys. The aren't usually necessary. Remember, children want to be grown-up and to feel successful. They will usually work very hard for your approval.

Naptime and Nighttime

Your child will be able to use the toilet in the daytime before staying dry during a nap or overnight. It could even be a year or more before your child stays dry most nights. You must decide whether to keep using diapers at night or to change the sheets when your child has an accident while sleeping.

When and Where to Get Help

If you are having a lot of problems with toilet teaching, you may want to talk with someone who can help. If your child is 4-1/2 or 5 years old and still hasn't been successful, talk to your doctor. Your child may have a physical problem that is making toilet teaching difficult. But remember, many children are 3 or 4 years old before they can wait long enough to get to the toilet without having an accident.

Remember, your child is learning something new. It will take practice, and mistakes will happen. Be patient and encouraging. Your child will soon be more grown-up!

Clear Your Clutter Clear Your Mind

If you worked on the basis that you kept nothing in your house that you did not consider to be useful or believe to be pleasing on the eye, you would probably have a fairly empty house.

Many of us seem to live life in a cluttered home, whether it is intentional or not and we seem to be particularly good at squirreling away objects that we don’t really need and often forget that we even had in the first place.

If your cupboards are full and every available space in your home is occupied, it may be time to clear your clutter and clear your mind, as it easier to de-stress and relax when you have had a good clear out and your home is looking more like an oasis of clam than a junk yard.

Benefits of de-cluttering

Sometimes your mind may feel like it is full of clutter and it is hard to concentrate or relax with so many distractions going on.

This same feeling can be experienced when you are surrounded by clutter in your home, so make a plan to set aside a weekend and junk proof your home, so that you can enjoy a greater level of peace and tranquillity in your mind, and have less dust and dirt to deal with as well.

Getting started

You need to create an action plan and make a list of which rooms you are going to clear and what you are going to do with your unwanted items.

Organise a skip through someone like Birmingham skip hire so that you have somewhere to easily get rid of all your unwanted junk, and anything else that is not going to charity or going to be recycled.

You can also do a service like Freecycle to get rid of functional household goods and furniture that you no longer want, but would be welcomed by someone else.

One room at a time

Decide which room is in the most urgent need of de-cluttering and make that your priority, then make sure that you complete your task in that that room before going on to the next one.

It is always advisable to tackle one room at a time, otherwise you will probably find that you are actually creating more clutter unless you are particularly disciplined in your approach to ridding your house of all the unnecessary items that you have accumulated over time.

Organised clearance

Your task will seem much easier if you take an organized approach to your clearance and arrange your rubbish into different piles, such as what is going for recycling and what is going straight into a bin bag or in the skip.

Make sure you have a charity pile if you are going to donate some items and remember that these days, over 50% of household waste can now be recycled, including old computers and electrical appliances, as well as items made of cardboard, wood, textiles and some plastics.

Make the task easier

There is a proven strategy to a successful clearance and if you stick to it, your task will be made a whole lot easier and less stressful to deal with.

Start off with the largest objects in the room and work your way down to the smallest items and trinkets.

Be ruthless, if you haven’t worn or something for at least a year, you probably don’t need it and should aim to ditch it.

Organise items into groups as you go along and aim to group like with like so you can see what you are dealing with and what you are ditching more easily.

As part of your clear-up exercise, store any out-of-season clothes using vacuum packs or suitcases to store them away as neatly as possible.

Remind yourself why you are de-cluttering in the first place and how long it is taking to sort. With this in mind, promise yourself that you will set aside some time each month to regularly de-junk, so that you don’t have to tackle your house again to such a large extent.

Don’t accumulate

To get the most benefit from your clearance exercise, try to commit to slowing down the accumulation of possessions in the future.

This is often easier said than done, but if you can reduce the amount of clutter you introduce into your home in the first place, you can manage more easily and enjoy a less stressful environment all year round.

Take a look around at what you have in your home and then decide to set aside a weekend to clear your clutter and clear your mind.

Watermelon Lemonade

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients

1. 4 Cups cubed seedless watermelon
2. 10 ice cubes
3. 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
4. 1/4 cup white sugar
5. 1/8 teaspoon salt

Method

Place watermelon and ice into a blender. Pour in lime juice, sugar, and salt. Blend until smooth.
All done

How to Keep Wool Clothing Safe From Moths

Wool is wonderful, but if you're not careful, moths can get into it. Here are some tips on how to enjoy your wool without the bugs turning them into lunch.

Identify the clothes moths.Clothes moths are a golden/buff color and no more than a half inch long. However, it is the larva (small white worm looking) that actually eats wool garments, not the moths themselves. If they are around, assume they are laying eggs

Freeze the wool. Freezing temperatures can kill any eggs or larvae in your woolens. Ideally, put the clothes outside on a cold day, but you can use a freezer in a pinch. Launder and store appropriately.

Sprinkle the woolens with black pepper. Wrap in paper or put into a bag and the moths will be deterred.

Use lavender oil. For a natural moth repellent, use some natural lavender oil. Wipe down your wardrobe with hot water and a few drops of oil. Put a couple of drops on the duster when polishing in the bedroom or living room. Add a few drops to the softener compartment of your clothes washer or to the final rinse of a hand wash. This will give all your laundry a delicious fresh smell and certainly keep the moths away.

• Place lavender accessories around your home and in your wardrobe for everyday, natural prevention of moths.

Use chemical deterrents.Commercial moth deterrents exist, for instance, mothballs or flakes. However, these chemicals are potentially toxic and often bad smelling. But they work, so choose wisely.