Kitchen and Bathroom Solutions

Home improvement has become one of our country’s greatest pastimes. Americans spent an estimated $214 billion on home improvements, maintenance and repairs, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies research report issued in February 2003. Just how and where that money is spent can make a big difference when it comes to investing in your home.

Of all the rooms in your house, bathrooms represent the greatest and fastest return on your remodeling investment. According to Remodeling Magazine, more than 80 percent of your bathroom remodeling expenses can be recouped within a year of resale. Not every room in the house offers such a return. Surprisingly, kitchens are sixth on the list with just over 60 percent of the costs returned. Only bathroom additions beat bathroom remodeling with returns over 90 percent.

Despite today’s homeowner remodeling craze, you should weigh the pros and cons of taking on an entire bathroom project alone. Knowledge -- including admitting your strengths and weaknesses -- is the key to successfully completing any project on time and under budget. Ask yourself the following remodeling questions to ensure you are making the best decisions for your investment.

Is it a Remodel or Makeover?

“The first consideration should be the scope of work,” says Rick Peters, remodeling expert and author of “MoneySmart Makeovers: Bathrooms.” He asks: “Do you understand your home’s plumbing systems, such as where the waste/vent stack is?”

If the remodeling project involves more than cosmetic fixture replacements or surface redecorating, it may be time to call in an expert to assess your home’s plumbing and pipe placement. Peters suggests the following checklist:

Call a remodeling contractor when:

* Moving a toilet, sink, tub or shower

* Removing or adding walls

* Installing venting that runs through the roof

All of these projects require specific skills and knowledge of your local building and plumbing codes.

Try the following makeover projects yourself:

* Replacing a faucet, sink or toilet using existing plumbing

* Installing shower or shower-tub combination doors

* Installing new accessories, such as shelves or light fixtures

* Painting, tiling or wallpapering

These projects require some skill base, but even a first-time do-it-yourselfer may be able to complete them in a reasonable timeframe.

What’s the Real Deal on What You Want?

Tempted by what looks good? Check out the quality. Does that new faucet have rubber washers or plastic valves? A client of mine bought a faucet five years ago with plastic valves and it lasted exactly four and a half years. Cheaper versions of the real thing are not repairable and have to be replaced entirely. This means you are spending twice as much in 10 years as you would once in a lifetime for a better faucet.

Look for quality fixture manufacturers such as American Standard. The company’s Champion Toilet featuring America’s Best Flushing System, includes a Worry-Free Decade Warranty that covers the whole toilet inside and out. American Standard’s faucets come with a lifetime warranty on the washerless watertight seal, the function and the finish. Most of its sinks and toilets are made of vitreous china that resists dirt and bacteria. Even the acrylic tubs are made tougher with a fiberglass bonding for extra strength.

Bottom line: “Your bathroom takes a daily beating,” says Peters. “Buy quality.”

Is There a Great Cover-up Waiting for You?

A number of times, I’ve ventured into bathrooms that have been madeover by covering damaged tiles or walls with acrylic panels. “Sure it looks better, but the problem is still there,” says Peters. “In fact, panels like these hold in moisture and mildew that was the problem in the first place, and now it will get worse. Make sure leaks and damage are repaired and not just covered up.”

Peters also suggests using a mildew resistant drywall. “Standard drywall can’t stand up to the moisture in the air, even with proper venting,” he notes.

What’s your pay-off in investing time to answer these important questions before you start? You’ll end up with a successful bathroom remodeling project that adds to the value and enjoyment of your home.

Indian Spices - Garam Masala

India is known for its excellent cuisine, it's unique regions of cooking, and a pleasant dining experience. India is distinguished in the world's cuisine for it vegetarian dishes. One thing all of the regional cuisines of India have in common is it's use of spices.

Garam masala is an essential ingredient in the cooking of the Punjab region of northern India. Loosely defined, "masala" is any blend of spices, and "garam" means hot.

Generally, garam masala is added to the dish very shortly before serving to enhance flavor. Garam Masala is also an excellent rub for chicken and beef.

Garam masala is available prepared in ethnic groceries, and specialty stores such as World Market. The disadvantage of this is that one doesn't know how old the spices are, or what changes in temperatures and packaging it has been subjected to. One takes a chance on the potency and fragrance of this blend if it is bought already prepared. It is a simple process to make garam masala, and ingredients, with the exception of cardamom pods, are readily available. cardamom pods are available in Indian and natural food stores. Buy the green pods versus the white pods, which are bleached. Cardamom is an expensive spice, second only in price to saffron. It is expensive because it has to be hand picked. This spice is best used by toasting the seed removed from the pod, and then ground in a spice mill, along with the other ingredients of garam masala. Cardamom loses its essential oils and flavors quickly after being cracked and ground, and so buying the pods and toasting and grinding is the best method of use for this great spice.

To make Garam Masala, use the following ingredients:

2 cardamom pods, seeded
1 teaspoon whole cloves
30 whole peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole cumin seed
1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

The best method for making garam masala is to toast and then grind the ingredients. This is accomplished by placing the seed ingredients one at a time in a pan over medium high heat, and shaking them until they just begin to smoke and release their distinctive aromas. It will take approximately 1-3 minutes. Be sure not to burn the seeds!

Place the toasted ingredients in a spice mill, and grind to a fairly fine mixture. The garam masala can then be stored in a tightly sealed glass jar for up to 6 months. Any time after that, and the spices will begin to lose flavor and aroma.

I use garam masala for a rub for roasted or grilled chicken and beef. The aroma and flavor are outstanding, and chicken baked or grilled will retain the excellent flavor of the garam masala.

Try garam masala today. Cooking with the spices of northern India is an experience that every adventurous chef should try!

High Definition Television HDTV

High Definition Televisions (HDTV's) make an excellent addition to any home entertainment system. They have more than twice the resolution of a standard DVD output and four times the video clarity. High Definition televisions can easily be integrated with all your analog video equipment such as VCRs, camcorders, and gaming consoles.

Since the first color TV was introduced fifty years ago, the television industry has undergone significant changes. New digital standards of high definition programming are poised to replace the ancient fuzzy analog broadcast.

Many people are purchasing digital TV and the numbers are growing. When governmental regulations on digital broadcasting take effect, prices should plummet to a reasonable level. It is important to compare TV's before purchasing. The lower-quality digital sets offer DVD quality pictures. This is fine since only a small percentage of people have signed up for HD programming.

When purchasing an HDTV make sure the set has at a resolution of at least 1280 by 720 pixels. The last number indicates the programs broadcasting standards. Some resolution can be downgraded by the television set. Look for sets with high contrast and a fast response time.

Many HD sets offer plenty of choices for connecting audio- visual equipment. Choose a TV with the best possible picture. Those are the ones with digital video interface (DVI) and high definition media interface (HDMI). The new HDMI uses a single cable to transmit video and 5.1 surround sound. The single cord helps reduce the number of cords common in many home theater setups.

Even with all this advanced technology be prepared to be disappointed. The majority of broadcast programming is still on the analog format known as NTSC (National TV System Committee). The NTSC format is an old format that been around for a long time. Even with the higher- definition big screen TVs, these pictures are fuzzy at best. Crystal clear TV will not be available until HD programming becomes available.

Make Money Using Blogs

Blogging for money might sound like the latest game show or some new drinking game, but it's the latest craze to hit the Internet. Bloggers began blogging for a number of reasons, but as the blog movement has increased in popularity, they have found ways to make money from their blogs and are seeing their commitment pay off.

Whether a blogger's focus is to communicate with people or just to have fun, they have begun looking at ways to earn revenue from their blogs. The most popular ways for bloggers to earn some added cash for their pet projects are:

Google Adsense in Blogs
Google AdSense allows webmasters to dynamically serve content-relevant advertisements in blogs. If the visitor clicks one of the AdSense ads served to the blog, the website owner is credited for the referral. Webmasters need only to insert a Google-generated java script into the blog or blog template. Google's spider parses the AdServing blog and serves ads that relate to the blog's content. Google uses a combination of keyword matching and context analysis to determine what ads should be served.

Affiliate Programs
Affiliate Programs work when an affiliate web site receives income for generating sales, leads, or traffic to a merchant website. Generally, bloggers will mention or endorse specific products and if site visitors purchase the product, bloggers will receive a portion of the sale.

Product Promotion
Businesses use blogs to detail how specific features or product add-ons can increase functionality and save time. Content-rich product promotion will help with search engine placement.

Banner Ads
While less popular than in the past, websites with high traffic levels can still earn decent revenue by selling banner space.

As the Internet evolves bloggers will continue to seek out ways to make money from their opinions and thoughts. Daily journals and online blogs have become more than just a communication means to many.