Healthy recipes

Mushrooms with garlic and butter

Ingredients
1 kg mushrooms
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/2 cup vegetable stock, salt reduced

Cooking method
1. Wipe and roughly chop mushrooms.
2. Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic and onions to oil and cook over medium heat until soft but not brown.
3. Add mushrooms and cover.
4. Cook over low heat for a further 8-10 minutes or until mushrooms have softened.
5. Blend together until desired consistency. If necessary add vegetable or chicken stock to create desired consistency.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Healthy recipes

Mushrooms with garlic and butter

Ingredients
1 kg mushrooms
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/2 cup vegetable stock, salt reduced

Cooking method
1. Wipe and roughly chop mushrooms.
2. Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic and onions to oil and cook over medium heat until soft but not brown.
3. Add mushrooms and cover.
4. Cook over low heat for a further 8-10 minutes or until mushrooms have softened.
5. Blend together until desired consistency. If necessary add vegetable or chicken stock to create desired consistency.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

How to Improve Your Intuitive Healing Abilities

Emotional problems such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and panic attacks are commonly treated by opening the chakras to restore free flow of energy to the body’s physical and emotional systems.

Physical ailments can be healed as well. Chronic pain, asthma, joint stiffness and many other physical symptoms are representative of energy blockages. If the energy blockages are removed and harmonious balance is restored, the symptoms can spontaneously disappear.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Change your attitude. A lot of your attitude – or outlook on life – flies below the radar, outside your awareness. It’s due to persistent negative beliefs. These are the same beliefs that caused the energy blockages in the first place! Notice any areas of struggle in your life: these clearly point to self-limiting beliefs you hold about yourself: for example, “I’m not good enough to be successful” or “Nobody can love someone like me.” You don’t even know these beliefs exist, yet they manifest in your life circumstances and in your health problems!

2. Know your body. Not many of us are all that attuned to our bodies. Be aware of the physical feelings you have, every day – not just the big aches and pains, but the more subtle things like persistent but less annoying things you may have just gotten used to: dry skin, bloating, gas, fatigue, low libido, etc. These are signs from your body that something’s not right! The body does a great job of self-repair, when given a chance, but any persistent problem means the system is out of balance. 

3. Listen to your intuition. Your inner guidance is always available to teach you and point you in the right direction. Its guidance sometimes goes counter to the intellect. You can open the doors to intuition by meditation or prayer. Your answers come in the form of hunches, visual images, sounds, gut feelings, memories or a ‘knowing’. These feelings can be strong or subtle.  You may receive answers in your dreams. These can be tough to interpret because the symbols used by the mind are sometimes bizarre. Keep a dream journal and write down and interpret every dream you can remember – especially the recurring ones, which are essential to understand! The more you learn to listen to your intuition, the easier you will come to notice it and trust it.

Meditation and visualization are two healing techniques

4. Direct your energy. Focus your mental and emotional energy on healing. Visualize the body as completely healthy (not ‘being healed’ or ‘healing’ which is the process, not the end result). Also avoid giving thought to the existing condition because ‘what you think about, comes about’. Visualize the end result you want – perfect health in every aspect of the word! Use the visualization techniques described above to specifically direct the healing energy.

5. Allow. Allow the healing to work. Don’t second-guess, don’t doubt. Set your intention to heal, use visualization and emotional power of thoughts, and kick back and let your body do its thing!

Chakra healing

How to Improve Your Intuitive Healing Abilities

Emotional problems such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and panic attacks are commonly treated by opening the chakras to restore free flow of energy to the body’s physical and emotional systems.

Physical ailments can be healed as well. Chronic pain, asthma, joint stiffness and many other physical symptoms are representative of energy blockages. If the energy blockages are removed and harmonious balance is restored, the symptoms can spontaneously disappear.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Change your attitude. A lot of your attitude – or outlook on life – flies below the radar, outside your awareness. It’s due to persistent negative beliefs. These are the same beliefs that caused the energy blockages in the first place! Notice any areas of struggle in your life: these clearly point to self-limiting beliefs you hold about yourself: for example, “I’m not good enough to be successful” or “Nobody can love someone like me.” You don’t even know these beliefs exist, yet they manifest in your life circumstances and in your health problems!

2. Know your body. Not many of us are all that attuned to our bodies. Be aware of the physical feelings you have, every day – not just the big aches and pains, but the more subtle things like persistent but less annoying things you may have just gotten used to: dry skin, bloating, gas, fatigue, low libido, etc. These are signs from your body that something’s not right! The body does a great job of self-repair, when given a chance, but any persistent problem means the system is out of balance. 

3. Listen to your intuition. Your inner guidance is always available to teach you and point you in the right direction. Its guidance sometimes goes counter to the intellect. You can open the doors to intuition by meditation or prayer. Your answers come in the form of hunches, visual images, sounds, gut feelings, memories or a ‘knowing’. These feelings can be strong or subtle.  You may receive answers in your dreams. These can be tough to interpret because the symbols used by the mind are sometimes bizarre. Keep a dream journal and write down and interpret every dream you can remember – especially the recurring ones, which are essential to understand! The more you learn to listen to your intuition, the easier you will come to notice it and trust it.

Meditation and visualization are two healing techniques

4. Direct your energy. Focus your mental and emotional energy on healing. Visualize the body as completely healthy (not ‘being healed’ or ‘healing’ which is the process, not the end result). Also avoid giving thought to the existing condition because ‘what you think about, comes about’. Visualize the end result you want – perfect health in every aspect of the word! Use the visualization techniques described above to specifically direct the healing energy.

5. Allow. Allow the healing to work. Don’t second-guess, don’t doubt. Set your intention to heal, use visualization and emotional power of thoughts, and kick back and let your body do its thing!

Chakra healing

5 painless ways to save money

There are many painless ways to save that could reduce your annual budget by thousands of dollars a year, said Erin Huffstetler, editor of the About.com Guide to Frugal Living.

Here are five great ways to save:

Switch to store brands. An increasing number of grocery chains are launching their own lines of food, often even organics. By and large, these bargain brands cost vastly less than the name brands, but taste the same and, in fact, are often made by the same companies. Switch and you could save 25 percent on your grocery bills, which are likely to run about $100 a week. Estimated savings: $25 weekly, $1,300 annually.

• What would you do for a car insurance discount?
• How do your finances stack up?
• 5 best consumer finance tips of 2012

Make a list. Whether you're buying groceries or gifts, spur-of-the-moment impulses are your enemy. Some experts estimate that 20 percent of grocery purchases and roughly 40 percent of retail purchases are the result of impulse buys. To curb those desires, make a list before you go shopping and stick to it. If you're tempted to buy something on impulse, force yourself to go home and think about it. If you're still set on the item later, you can always put it on next week's list, Huffstetler said. Estimated savings here depend on how impulsive you are, but she thinks even the marginally impulsive would blow $20 a week, or just over $1,000 a year.

Carry snacks. Buy a 12-pack of soda and each can is likely to cost less than 50 cents. But buy a soda at a restaurant or fast-food joint and you're likely to pay twice as much. The same holds true for virtually anything you eat out versus bring from home. And the price differential is far greater if you're at a movie theater or an amusement park. There snack foods are likely to be marked up to four or five times their supermarket price. So if you know you're going to be out for several hours and likely to get hungry, throw an apple or granola bar in your car or purse; carry a six-pack of soda or water in your trunk. If you frequent the junk food vending machines for an afternoon snack at work, go to Costco and get a big box full of whatever it is that you favor and keep it in your desk drawer or credenza (or substitute for a healthier snack). Over the course of a year, you'll save hundreds of dollars. If you're smart, you'll eat better too.

Use it up. Before you run to the store, make sure you check your cupboards and fridge. There's a good chance that you've got lots of unused or partially used items that will go to waste while you waste your cash buying more. Whether its food, beauty care or hobby supplies, use it up before you replace it, Huffstetler suggested. If you need ideas of how to use up the leftovers in your fridge, Huffstetler has a dozen recipes here that are specifically designed to use up what you've got.

Shop your insurance. Once a year, when your policies are about to renew, make a point of shopping around for both auto and, if applicable, homeowner's coverage. This is particularly important if your circumstances have changed, including if you've gotten married or divorced, have a newly licensed teen, or moved. That's because pricing strategies vary dramatically from insurer to insurer. Even if you made a point of getting the best price in the past, you might find that your insurer isn't as competitive today. Spending 15 minutes getting a few competitive quotes could save you hundreds of dollars.

5 painless ways to save money

There are many painless ways to save that could reduce your annual budget by thousands of dollars a year, said Erin Huffstetler, editor of the About.com Guide to Frugal Living.

Here are five great ways to save:

Switch to store brands. An increasing number of grocery chains are launching their own lines of food, often even organics. By and large, these bargain brands cost vastly less than the name brands, but taste the same and, in fact, are often made by the same companies. Switch and you could save 25 percent on your grocery bills, which are likely to run about $100 a week. Estimated savings: $25 weekly, $1,300 annually.

• What would you do for a car insurance discount?
• How do your finances stack up?
• 5 best consumer finance tips of 2012

Make a list. Whether you're buying groceries or gifts, spur-of-the-moment impulses are your enemy. Some experts estimate that 20 percent of grocery purchases and roughly 40 percent of retail purchases are the result of impulse buys. To curb those desires, make a list before you go shopping and stick to it. If you're tempted to buy something on impulse, force yourself to go home and think about it. If you're still set on the item later, you can always put it on next week's list, Huffstetler said. Estimated savings here depend on how impulsive you are, but she thinks even the marginally impulsive would blow $20 a week, or just over $1,000 a year.

Carry snacks. Buy a 12-pack of soda and each can is likely to cost less than 50 cents. But buy a soda at a restaurant or fast-food joint and you're likely to pay twice as much. The same holds true for virtually anything you eat out versus bring from home. And the price differential is far greater if you're at a movie theater or an amusement park. There snack foods are likely to be marked up to four or five times their supermarket price. So if you know you're going to be out for several hours and likely to get hungry, throw an apple or granola bar in your car or purse; carry a six-pack of soda or water in your trunk. If you frequent the junk food vending machines for an afternoon snack at work, go to Costco and get a big box full of whatever it is that you favor and keep it in your desk drawer or credenza (or substitute for a healthier snack). Over the course of a year, you'll save hundreds of dollars. If you're smart, you'll eat better too.

Use it up. Before you run to the store, make sure you check your cupboards and fridge. There's a good chance that you've got lots of unused or partially used items that will go to waste while you waste your cash buying more. Whether its food, beauty care or hobby supplies, use it up before you replace it, Huffstetler suggested. If you need ideas of how to use up the leftovers in your fridge, Huffstetler has a dozen recipes here that are specifically designed to use up what you've got.

Shop your insurance. Once a year, when your policies are about to renew, make a point of shopping around for both auto and, if applicable, homeowner's coverage. This is particularly important if your circumstances have changed, including if you've gotten married or divorced, have a newly licensed teen, or moved. That's because pricing strategies vary dramatically from insurer to insurer. Even if you made a point of getting the best price in the past, you might find that your insurer isn't as competitive today. Spending 15 minutes getting a few competitive quotes could save you hundreds of dollars.

Resignation or mockery

Faced with corruption accusation, Pujol arbitrarily “delegates” functions instead of stepping down. 

El Pais