For fast fat loss, you need advanced diet, nutrition, and exercise tips. The only way you will lose inches fast is with advanced weight loss tips.

I’m working with a client on one of those advanced transformations…you know, the one where the client takes it right down to the full-on 6-pack and figure model physique.

So we’ve been working on our plan to lose that last 5 pounds of fat in the last 10 days of the transformation.

Here are the guidelines we’ve come up with.

NOTE: He’s only going to follow these guidelines for 10-14 days. So if you choose to use this plan, don’t follow it for more than 2 weeks. That’s the maximum time for this advanced plan. After that, ease up on the restrictions a bit - and enjoy your advanced fat loss physique you’ve attained.

Advanced Nutrition Tips

1) Start your day immediately with 2 cups of water, 3 fish oil caps, and a 20g protein shake. This is before any exercise. Eat your regular breakfast, making sure to avoid all processed carbohydrates.

2) Eat 1 cup of broccoli along with your lunch and dinner. This will help control appetite, keep you full, and control your blood sugar and fat loss.

3) Eat only protein, almonds, and raw vegetables between meals.

4) Don’t eat a lot (greater than 40g) of carbohydrates at any meal. Get almost all of your carbohydrate intake from fruits and vegetables, rather than grains.

5) Don’t eat carbohydrates after 7pm.

6) Don’t go to bed full. Eat only a small protein snack in the evening to keep hunger at bay and to provide the body with protein before sleep.

7) Drink 6 cups of green tea per day (3 in AM, 3 after lunch)

Advanced Exercise Tips

1) Switch from regular, boring, less effective cardio to more effective fat loss intervals.

2) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)

3) Add one set to the first superset you do in each workout. Supersets get your strength workouts done faster.

Use these strict tips for no more than 2 weeks before returning to normal exercise guidelines and carbohydrate intake.

Train hard but safe, and you can lose inches and lose fat fast with these advanced weight loss tips.

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for Fat Loss have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig’s bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

Welcome to the club!

It’s probably not a club you ever dreamt of joining, but you’re in it anyway. The good news is that chances are, your membership will be short-term. Most kids start staying dry before starting school. Each year after that, the percentage of bedwetters decreases even more. There aren’t very many kids who go off to college needing diapers - it does happen, but it’s really pretty rare.

So what’s up with bedwetting?

What’s the cause? In other words, why you? Why your child? First of all, there are two types of bedwetting. The first is Primary Nocturnal Enuresis (PNE). This describes children who have never stayed dry at night, or at least, never on a regular basis. The second type is Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis. This describes kids who used to stay dry, but who have recently started wetting the bed. The causes for each type are different, and so are the remedies and treatments.

Primary Nocturnal Enuresis

Generally, primary enuresis is a problem passed down from one generation to the next. It’s more common in boys, but happens to girls, too. Even if your whole family is mum on the subject, you can bet some of the nests in the family tree throughout the years were floating! You might not have a line of relatives clamoring to share their experiences, but you can know they’re out there. If the former bedwetters in your family are willing to fess up, it could go a long way toward helping your child’s optimism. After all, if Uncle Joe used to wet the bed, and is now married, employed, and dry, there’s hope!

Theories abound about the causes of primary nocturnal enuresis. Small bladder. Immature bladder. Deep sleeper. Brief REM cycle. Too many fluids before bedtime. Too little fluids during the day. Too much caffeine. The list is endless.

The list of what doesn’t cause bedwetting is just as long. Enuresis isn’t caused by emotional problems, how you potty trained your child, a serious medical disorder, or your child’s laziness or apathy.

Enuresis of either type merits a visit to your pediatrician. But chances are you’ll hear that it’s a problem your child will outgrow, that it’s a hereditary problem, and that you should try different remedies to see if any are helpful.

Some families find bedwetting alarms helpful. For others, it’s just a really loud interruption of a good night’s sleep. There are medications, including pills and nasal sprays that can help in some cases. Again, they work for some kids, sometimes. Same thing with homeopathic or herbal bedwetting remedies, hypnosis, and biofeedback. They’re all worth a try. Just do your research first, and follow the directions exactly.

Secondary Enuresis

This is the type of bedwetting that catches you by surprise. Your child’s been dry for years, when all of a sudden, you’re getting that midnight knock on the door. “Mommy, I wet the bed.” What the heck is going on?

Good question - and it’s one your pediatrician may be able to help you with. It’s important to rule out bladder and urinary tract infections. If something simple like this is causing your child to wet the bed, you’re really in luck! A few days on an antibiotic, and you’re out of the bedwetting club!

If there’s no evidence of infection, take a look at your family’s recent circumstances. Have you moved, had a new baby, lost a relative, changed schools, or had something else stressful happen? Some children have trouble processing these events, and their worries intrude on their sleep enough to bring on a cycle of bedwetting. Provide the support your child needs to get through the stressful time, and the bedwetting will end sooner than later.

Susan Lewis is the owner of http://www.bedwettinghelpformoms.com - a site aimed at encouraging, supporting, and educating parents of bedwetters. Request your copy of the free report “Got a Bedwetter? Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid.” Ask your bedwetting questions by visitng To Pee Or Not To Pee on wordpress.com

If you’d like to post this article on your Web site or use them in your newsletter, you have my permission, as long as the copyright and the resource links stay intact. Feel free to contact me at info@bedwettinghelpformoms.com if you have any requests or questions.

Cardio is not the best fat loss workout. To lose fat, you have to boost your metabolism and burn fat while you rest. Strength and interval workouts help you shed fat the best.

Here are 7 fat loss tips, one for each day of the week. This will be a big week coming up for you, right? With these instructions, you’ll lose fat and gain a little more muscle if you want.Remember, take baby steps each day to healthier, lifelong habits and you’ll burn fat.

Here’s your guideline to stick to those goals…

Monday

Do a strength and interval workout. Strength training and interval training boost your metabolism after exercise. Something that cardio doesn’t do very well at all. That’s why strength and interval workouts burn fat better.

“I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still have more to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big deal for me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do strength and intervals 2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just 10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would get me such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends,” says Billy Williams.

Tuesday

Do 30 minutes of activity. Do something fun. Walk the dog. Walk with your spouse. Do some yard work. Run some errands. Whatever you do, don’t feel like you have to do a cardio workout in the gym.

Wednesday

Do another strength and interval workout. You can do these at home with only a dumbbell, a bench, and an exercise ball. No fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships needed.

Thursday

Have fun with another 30 minutes of activity. After, review your liquid calorie intake. Take note of how much alcohol, juice, soda, and other sweetened beverages you drink each week. Then make plans to reduce your liquid calorie intake. Substitute no-calorie beverages such as Green Tea or filtered water.

Friday

Finish the week with another strength and interval workout. Try a new low-glycemic vegetable today such as squash, a yam, green beans, or spinach. The more vegetables you eat, the leaner you will get.

Saturday

Meet a friend for 30 minutes of activity. Then have a healthy lunch with your friend and swap stories and tips about how to stay on track each week. Give each other social support.

Sunday

Start your day nice and early with 30 minutes of activity followed by your planning, shopping and preparing. Pick up extra vegetables at the grocery store and commit to trying a new lean protein source.

There you go. Seven fat loss tips for the week so you lose weight and burn fat all week long. Stay lean!

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for Fat Loss have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig’s bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

Harry Potter and the wizard world.

I am a Harry Potter, a.k.a., JK’s star, fan! Now that I have that out of the way, I need
to share some perspectives of the movies and the books and some puzzles of my own.

I have read books that query Rowling’s ideas and characters and actions and consequences.
I will throw this mini tome into that ring.

HP fans know about Mr. Potter and his relatives, friends, and involuntary enemies.

We know that from day one, Mr. Potter has had to battle bullies and skeptics and
“The forces of evil?!” I say evil cause nowhere that I am reading do I find out,
other than verbal proclamations from Him himself and others that he is the best, what “He whose name must not be mentioned”..we have an ego thing about who is the best wizard. I have a feeling that if it were not in a book, that Mr. Potter would GLADLY say “Mr. V, I do not
give one whit about being a great anything! That response would not satisfy the
ego starved Mr. V.

Putting that hypothesis aside, my problem is one that rains on the parade REGARDLESS the fact that I have read all the books, seen the movies and I LIKE THEM ALL! [I like many things
I do not understand.]

I am by occupation, a real estate broker, business consultant, world traveler and hopefully,
also obvious, a free-lance writer. I like to pick some stuff apart that glows illogic.

Mr. Potter is not having these situations exclusively at local pubs, in the dark deep woods
or at home-though we Potter fans know that some of them in fact, do occur at these
venues.

Mr. Potter is a young man and appropriately, a STUDENT. He is not attending
a school exclusively for young men, or for imminent actors or for Brits. He is attending
a school for wizards. That in itself LEADS to a puzzlement.

While Mr. Potter has few innate skills, [the few he does, granted, are rather spectacular]
he is in a learning mode some of the time and in a “Do it now or lose your ass” situation-
one after the other.

OF course, we know that in battles of every type, the most educated do not always win.
[A real battle in the sands of the middle east is testament to that!] However, it seems very odd to me that, while it may take some of the suspense out of the books and movies, that the faculty seem a bit pre-occupied and thus, unable to assist Mr. Potter in his quests to both discover himself AND solve his sequential predicaments.

We have a school of highly skilled wizards who are teachers and some returning students
who have had a chance to explore their wizard abilities too.

I UNFAIRLY expect the school of Wizardy at Hogwarts, to have a faculty that can do their
own research and have done background checks on their own faculty. This seems to have been lacking since one held V in his head and the other began chirping on Potter from day one.

While Rowling has creatures deluxe in her literature and cinema, it seems they are simply
acknowledged by the faculty and not challenged. To have the headmaster say in
book [and movie] #1, something like “There exists in these halls, something horrible that if you came upon it, would provide you a horrible death.” Is that supposed to stop curious
kids from exploring? It is going to do the opposite; just as the faculty cautions and verbal
limitations about the forest just beyond the school!

“V’s” group make up the dark side; but, excuse me, To what end? Do the members of Rowling’s Dark side hope to take over the school? The world? What? The North End of England
or Scotland?

Then, we have the head master’s point program. Very cute up to a point. Those how have the most points in their genre, win. I agree. But while Potter’s group hope to Win, and become the leading “House” for the next semester, what is the faculty and senior students doing to discover why “V” and his chums are doing nasty deeds? Does “V” want to take over the school?
The world? Seems in fact, that the world of non-wizards are known as Muggles and “V”
disdains them, so that “Rule the world” is out AS FAR AS THE READERS KNOW IT.
[I agree in many battles, a victor will claim no interest in his actual target to mislead the
other side and keep the target, thus, un-protected or only slightly protected. But to
keep from going too far afield, let's presume "V" does not want to take over the Muggle world.
Is this then, "Simply" a battle over who is the best wizard? Can't be that simple.

Good people will always back off if the "Dark side" mainly likes to randomly kill and
harass "Just to show they are they guys with the biggest sticks" if by backing off, the
bad guys will reduce their menace. As philosophers have said for eons, "Let's see what they do before we charge in." I think "V"s objectives are either non-existent beyond ego demands
or they are purposly hidden from all but "Non-V" fans

Rowling has done a masterful job of keeping kids and many adults, in suspense as she
weaves her own steps to her preferred conclusion. She has not done such a masterful
job, however, of using logic to get there. [Meaning, teachers unable to see what the
students must see to save their respective buns. Should there not have been more than one battle of good teacher vs bad teacher or good teacher vs "V" subscriber?]

Thus, the term, Science Fiction. Maybe Hogwarts has an extension class for Muggles named “Try to figure this out.”

Family, friends and business acquaintances are all excellent places to start your attorney search. Why is this, you may ask? Quite simply, the word of a close friend or relative means a lot more than a stranger’s, and let’s face it: it can be downright difficult to rely on reviews of products let alone an individual’s services. That’s why getting suggestions from others on who to hire can be so helpful. Maybe they use this attorney and swear by them, or maybe they have a friend that swears by them. Regardless of the connection, a recommendation from a trusted source is a great way to find a good attorney.

Find A Good Attorney Online

As everyone knows by now, the internet is an excellent resource for finding out just about anything. So why should your quest for the perfect lawyer be any different? There are many legal directories online with up to date information on how to find a good attorney in your area. You can search by location, specialty and more. What’s really great about this format is that the attorneys have much more of an interaction with you initially before you even hire them. The firm or lawyer descriptions in the directory tend to be much more personable and provide detailed information on their practice. You can make an informed decision and find a good attorney for you just from these choice words placed online.

Each listing has in depth contact information as well, making it super easy to drop them an e-mail or call them up with your questions. Since the internet makes everything easier, it’s no surprise it has made getting a lawyer a snap as well. Here are a few places to start your search to find a good attorney.

- www.attorneypages.com
- www.martindale.com
- www.lawyers.findlaw.com
- www.lawyers.com

You can also search for attorney by typing in “attorney” + “your state” or “type of practice” This should bring up directories for your state only, further narrowing your search.

Use The State Bar Association To Find A Good Attorney Each state has a bar association that can help you find a good attorney that is right for you. All you need to do is call them up, tell them why you need a lawyer, and they’ll connect you with one that performs the types of services you need. However, be aware that you will usually be charged a fee for this referral service. It can be worth it though especially if you’re unsure of how to find a good attorney for your particular legal problem.

Visit: http://www.abanet.org/barserv/stlobar.html to find the contact information of your state bar association so you can get started.

Find a Good Attorney With Legal Assistance Services

If your business is just getting off the ground and you are currently falling into the “low-income” bracket on your taxes, you may qualify for legal aid. Legal aid offers very low-cost or no-cost legal services. However, be warned that legal aid typically deals with individual issues such as those that involve transactions between tenants and landlords or family disputes. You can call your state bar association (find the number by using the link above) or even your local county court.

Find A Good Attorney With Local Directories

A printed directory may seem like an out of date tool, but many people, whether individuals or businesses, still find their lawyers by means of print ads in the phone book. Pull out your Yellow Pages and start looking. However, it is important to note that the phone book does not exactly have the most detailed listings and you may end up with a lawyer that does not have the skill set necessary to handle your business. For a more thoroughly detailed directory, try the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. This big, fat book is not one you should purchase. Just go to your local library and flip through their copy. You should be able to find plenty of information on attorneys in your area.

Really, finding a lawyer in your area with the qualifications you need is fairly easy. The hard part comes up next when you learn how to find the right lawyer out of the pack. So make sure you use as many resources as possible to find a good attorney.

Dave Beasley works from home as a copywriter.
Go here to visit one of his sites which contains articles about how to Find A Good Attorney and other legal advice.
http://www.findagoodattorney.net

Are you sick of having to just log of the net because of those popups. Close one popup and another five happen to display themselve’s. Even worse you’re kids are on the net and one of those Pornographic ads popup!!

Believe me I know how it feels!! Popup’s are a form of advertising. Most advertisers’ use popups of a way of getting your attention so they can then redirect you to their web site. They are usually trying to sell you their product or get your email address, so if you happen to give them your email address the individual or company will then in term send you information on their products. This can get very annoying! They tend to just keep sending email after email clogging your inbox with spam.

Popup’s really are one of the most hated entities on the net they are rude and just take up so much of a person’s time. And then comes another form of advertising! The popups sparring partner The pop under. This type of ad just likes to wait till your finished with the web site your using and when you think your done! There it is looking straight at you from your screen. Pop unders are actually a sneaky way of putting a ad in front of you without you even knowing about it. They position themselves behind the window itself so when you close the widow there it is!!

Now popups are not just used for advertising. Unfortunately they can be used for planting ad ware and other types of malware including spyware making them even more dangerous. People will use this to there advantage they will try to gain your personal information. Once this sort of software is installed in your computer they can have access to anything from your tax details to bank accounts and your passwords.
So please be careful. Clicking on the x on top of a popup window will not stop people gaining entry to your computer it will actually give the popup the command to install the malware. The key is to stop popups and pop unders from ever appearing.

Now to the topic of preventing popups. There are thousand’s of popup and pop under blockers available on the net. Lets get down to the free versions. Don’t get me wrong if you can’t afford to pay for a good popup blocker at the moment then by all means download a free package. But please remember, “you get what you pay for” The free version’s have trouble blocking pop unders and some popups. Usually it’s the bad popups that they don’t stop. So spend some time to find a good popup blocker. Here is some super advice just for reading my article. Before you pay for anything on the net or if you are thinking of buying a certain blocker and I stress this to everyone I know. Please find out all about the product before you purchase. It’s as simple as using your favourite search engine. One web site I use is called ripofreport.com
Just type in the product your planning on buying and see what people are saying.

Now it’s your turn to get rid of those intrusive and so annoying popup’s. Keep you and your family happy and safe for a peaceful online experience!!!

Joel Pearce writes on the popup

Copyright: Joel Pearce.

Joel Pearce has been helping the average person to have the best possible experience while using the Internet. If you would like to find some of the best popup blockers on the web go to
http://peajoe.bezoogle.com/pp/popup-blocker/

Uneven cobblestone streets, short, squatty doorways, aged half-timbered houses, and all contained within an imposingly thick wall of stone - you’ve just entered Rothenburg ob der Tauber. One of Germany’s most visited cities, Rothenburg oozes with medieval charm. And why shouldn’t it? Its history dates back as far as 970 A.D and the walls have seen their share of time.

Overlooking the Tauber River valley, Rothenburg has survived centuries of war and natural disasters with the help of generous contributions from all over the world. This is not surprising as the fascinating little town transports the visitor to another time with one step inside its gates. The antiquated buildings stand as witness to how life used to be - small societies where everyone’s life cannot help but be intermingled with everyone else’s…which isn’t hard to imagine when the buildings are joined one to another. The town’s folklore is passed down from generation to generation and recounted for the millions of tourists that drink in (pun intended, as you’ll read in a moment) these sometimes unbelievable tales. The most well-known legend is that of Lord Mayor Nusch.

Rothenburg suffered occupation during the Thirty Years War despite heavy resistance from its citizens. In an act of jest, the occupying General announced that the city could be saved from destruction if someone from Rothenburg could drink a tankard of West German wine in one gulp (that’s a whopping 3.25 liters!). Lord Nusch stepped up and put his drinking skills (and liver, no doubt) to the test - and saved the town. As a tribute, the City Councillors’ Tavern houses mechanical figures that act out the story at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, and 9pm each day. Crowds gather in the courtyard to watch a motorized Nusch guzzle his town’s salvation while the surprised General looks on.

Another alluring sight at Rothenburg is in St. Jakob’s Church. Constructed in a high gothic style, its towering, arched ceilings quickly make the visitor feel small and insignificant - a perfect state for worship. The two mismatching steeples hold an ungodly story of their own. Supposedly, two different men designed them - the master took on the south steeple and his apprentice took the north one. When construction was completed, the apprentice has erected a more slender and striking tower. Consumed by his anger and jealousy, the master committed suicide by throwing himself off of the top of his own steeple. Despite the high ceilings and deadly towers, the attraction to St. Jakob’s for many is its shrine. Legend has it that three drops of Christ’s blood were caught in a rock crystal, which is now at the center of the ornately carved Altar of the Holy Blood.

Rothenburg is quaint, picturesque, and worthy of any jigsaw puzzle - even more so in the wintertime. Despite the harsh weather and freezing temperatures, many brave the elements to catch a glimpse of this adorable little town with a blanket of snow. The lights glow from their icy coverings and everything is decorated to the hilt for the Christmas season. Germany is famous for its ‘Weihnachtsmarkt’ (Christmas Markets) and Rothenburg rivals them all. In addition to the normal hot sausage, roasted chestnuts, and spiced wine, Rothenburg’s market offers a myriad of medieval-inspired crafts and trinkets which perfectly reflect the town’s personality.

Abounding in charm and charisma, Rothenburg ob der Tauber promises a delightfully medieval vacation from the modern world at any time of year.

See more of Europe’s hidden treasures in “Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal” by Vicki Landes. www.EuropeForTheSenses.com

Initially a skeptic, Vicki Landes was not thrilled when her military husband moved her and their new baby to Stuttgart, Germany - in fact, she went kicking and screaming. She quickly took to Europe and ended up living in Germany for a full seven years. During that time, Landes became an avid world traveler and published author. With a current list of 45 countries under her belt, Landes strives to find the overlooked details that make each place distinctive and unique. “Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal” is her first book.

Visit her website: http://www.EuropeForTheSenses.com - access information on the book, Landes’ blog, book reviews, press spots, book trailers, links to purchasing options, sign up for Landes’ weekly newsletter, and her new online photography galleries!

Are you ready for some “jazzy” Louisiana Creole Cookin’? Here’s a recipe I have developed for jambalaya. Experiment with different kinds of sausage, and add shrimp if you like!

The Cajuns invented jambalaya around the bayou. Food was scarce there, in contrast to the wealthier part of Louisiana. There were many slaves in Louisiana, and the word “jambalaya” is believed to be a compound of the French word jambon, “ham,” and aya, meaning “rice” in African. The primary difference between Cajun and Creole jambalaya is that the Cajun dish does not contain tomatoes or tomato sauce, while Creole jambalaya does.

I’ve done something a little different with my jambalaya than you usually see: I make the jambalaya and the tomato sauce as separate units and add the sauce on top as you would add marina to spaghetti. I used to enjoy jambalaya made in this way by an authentic Creole/Cajun chef in our town. I like making it this way because it gives you a chance to separate the tastes of both the Creole and Cajun style jambalaya!

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter

5 cloves minced garlic

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped yellow onion

1.75 cups green bell pepper (with seeds and membrane removed), chopped

1 cup red bell pepper (with seeds and membrane removed), chopped

1 cup orange bell pepper (with seeds and membrane removed), chopped

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

5 8 0z. cans tomato sauce

1 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tbsp. paprika

1 lb. skinless & boneless chicken filet, cubed in pieces ranging from between about 1/2″ and 1″

1.5 lb. smoked sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4″ or 1/2″pieces

3 cups Uncle Ben’s® Converted® Original long grain white rice

3 14 oz. cans chicken broth

3/4 cup water

3 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning mix (See recipe for this mix below.)

Instructions:

Mix the fresh veggies all together: that is the chopped onion, celery, green, red, and orange bell peppers, and garlic and separate into two equal piles. In a medium size pot, heat the butter. Then add half of the fresh veggies and saute until they are soft. Then add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, brown sugar, hot pepper sauce and 1 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (see recipe for this below). Cover and simmer while preparing the rest of the dinner. In a mixing bowl or on a baking sheet, sprinkle the paprika on the the chicken cubes and roll them around in it. Heat canola oil in a large kettle and add the chicken. Heat the chicken until thoroughly cooked and then add the smoked sausage and continue to heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring often. Then add the other half of the veggies. Heat together for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, water and 2 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasonings Mix. Bring to boil. Add rice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 or 25 minutes (or until rice is cooked). Serve on plate or in a bowl with the tomato sauce mixture on top, in the same manner you would serve spaghetti and marinara sauce. Makes about 12 hearty servings.

Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. paprika

2 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. white pepper

1 tbsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper

1 tbsp. celery seed

1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tbsp. dried basil leaves

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

Instructions:

Mix together in a roomy plastic storage container, put the lid on and shake everything together real well. Great for blackened fish and chicken and a host of Creole and Cajun dishes.

Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith, a.k.a. “Griff” is the author of several blogs. Griff describes himself as a “former kitchen klutz” who now has a passion for cooking and developing great recipes. Griff would like to send you a FREE E-BOOK with 32 great chili recipes, along with a free recipe every week via email. To receive, simply click on http://optin2.griffsrecipes.com Check out “Griff’s Recipe Report” at http://GriffsRecipeReport.com

On the outskirts of Stuttgart lies an ironic little palace. Designed for Duke Carl Eugen, Solitude Palace is a wonderful display of showy Baroque architecture yet its location, its purpose, and even its name suggest a more reclusive nature. Nicknamed ‘The Pleasure Palace’, Solitude is a wonderful hidden treasure.

Duke Carl Eugen ruled from nearby Ludwigsburg Castle in the 16th century. Meant as a quiet retreat from the pressures of politics, the castle’s construction began in 1764 and only took about five years to complete. During its heyday, the grounds were quite expansive - unattached wings of the palace, pavilions, meticulously manicured flower gardens, a shrub labyrinth, theater, orangery garden, stables and much more - anything to keep the duke’s mind off of everyday life. Today, only the palace itself remains but it’s a breathtaking site regardless. Since the building sits atop a hill and overlooks the Wuerttemberg lowlands, the only backdrop is the brilliant blue sky. Paired with its delicate eggshell exterior, the castle and sky contrast perfectly. A broad, elegant double staircase leads up to the central and largest room, White Hall. With high ceilings and a substantial oval shape, this room was meant for parties.

The castle only has a total of ten rooms, including White Hall. Each has its own special personality and drips of intricate ornamentation, breathtaking artwork, and exotic inlay wood designs worthy of only the finest Baroque building. The Red Cabinet once held 34 different oil paintings of Italy, giving it a Mediterranean feel. The Music Room was full of mirrors to reflect the little bit of natural light that made it into the one exterior wall’s windows. The Assembly Room is an odd square shape and colored a stately bright blue.

The Anteroom is decorated in cool, relaxing green hues, boasts a French floor plan, and was a sort of waiting room/passage room to the living rooms in the palace. Next, the Marble Hall offered an extreme contrast to the Anteroom with its warm, wood inlay details and the fake marble (fake marble cost more at that time so having the fake stuff was better than having the real thing - it showed you were truly wealthy.) The Palm Room is stunning. Decorated with palm branch and flower accents and having an abundance of windows to let in the sunshine, the Palm Room is a touch of nature amid the flamboyant Baroque style. The Bedroom, which supposedly was never used by the duke as he preferred a more simple room in one of the unattached wings, was more of a statement and used for ceremonies. The miniature Writing Chamber was located next to the bedroom and held telescopes, trophies, and measuring equipment. Finally, the bean-shaped library was just large enough to house some books and a cozy place to sit and enjoy them.

Solitude Palace also has an air of secrecy. A patron of the arts, Duke Carl Eugen also had the reputation for being a ladies man (it is rumored that he had over 100 illegitimate children). The palace sits due south of the Ludwigsburg Palace with a straight 13 kilometer road that connects the two. Many a tour guide has pointed out that Carl could have seen his wife coming from Ludwigsburg a great distance off, giving him ample time to send his current mistress out the back door unseen.

Despite its small size and seemingly unsociable character, Solitude Palace is both impressive and majestically friendly. Together with an unsurpassed view of the surrounding area, the little castle has the best seat in the area and continues to pleasantly surprise those that stumble upon its isolated location.

See more of Europe’s hidden treasures in “Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal” by Vicki Landes. http://www.EuropeForTheSenses.com

Initially a skeptic, Vicki Landes was not thrilled when her military husband moved her and their new baby to Stuttgart, Germany - in fact, she went kicking and screaming. She quickly took to Europe and ended up living in Germany for a full seven years. During that time, Landes became an avid world traveler and published author. With a current list of 45 countries under her belt, Landes strives to find the overlooked details that make each place distinctive and unique. “Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal” is her first book.

Visit her website: http://www.EuropeForTheSenses.com - access information on the book, Landes’ blog, book reviews, press spots, book trailers, links to purchasing options, sign up for Landes’ weekly newsletter, and her new online photography galleries!

A trip to Riverview Park, back in the day, wasn’t complete without tempting fate on one of its famous thrill rides, “The Bobs”, “The Wild Mouse” or “The Flying Turns”. If you remember the sensation of the experience then you can imagine the ups, downs, twists and turns that Chicago Bears Head Coach Dick Jauron has so nobly endured.

Jauron’s time in Chicago has been punctuated by more controversy than you would think possible for a person so stoic and unassuming. Hired by every Bear fan’s nightmare, Mike McCaskey, his tenure was born of controversy when Dave McGinnis walked away from the job after McCaskey announced his hiring before the parties agreed on a contract. Mrs. McCaskey, daughter of Papa Bear, gave her son the boot, but good, shortly thereafter. An 11-21 record in his first two years on the job, the Gary Crowton hiring and his elevation of Cade McNown to starting QB had Bear fans wondering if the ridiculous Dave Wannstedt regime was so bad after all.

The improbable 2001 season of wild and wacky finishes changed all that and left the faithful expecting a Super Bowl in spite of Philadelphia’s man handling of the Bears in a home playoff loss last January. Jerry Angelo, who kept Jauron swinging in the breeze the entire season, had no choice but to bring the Coach of the Year back along with his entire staff, despite rumors that he had LSU’s Nick Saban earmarked for the job. That decision must haunt Angelo in light of the disastrous 2002 Champaign-a-thon that will end with the Bears well below the break even point and thoughts of the Super Bowl a foggy memory.

Through it all, Jauron has been, Jauron; calm, steady, thoughtful. Bear fans want their coaches to pace the sidelines, harass referees to distraction and abuse mistake prone players publicly. If the team stinks, at least the sideshow is worth watching. But George Halas and Mike Ditka are long gone and you won’t find Jauron emulating them.

“Instead of yelling and getting all rah-rah, he takes a different method,” linebacker Warrick Holdman said last year. “He just tells you what needs to be done. He not the guy who’s going to go in the middle of the team room and break a chair or crack the chalkboard over his head.”

Don’t mistake his demeanor for a lack of toughness; just ask tight end Fred Baxter. When good old #84 questioned the offensive coaching philosophy, Jauron had little to say, at least until the time was right. He eventually spoke volumes, cutting Baxter earlier this year while remarking that Fred “was the odd man out”.

In the age of fast food sports programming, Jauron is a throwback to the days when NFL coaches had little to say, in large part because nobody was listening. These days every time a coach, player or play-by-play guy opens his mouth it’s an apparent audition for Sportscenter. Jauron, on the other hand is like Mr. Ed; he never speaks unless he has something to say.

“Everyone gives him a bum rap because he’s not real vocal with the media,” said Brian Urlacher. “But when he needs to get us going, he gets us going.”

Last year, Coach Dick encountered the makings of a possible mutiny on a Sunday at Lambeau Field when defensive players expressed their frustration with the John Shoop run offense. Shoop, a surly little fellow in his own right told the D-boys to shut up and figure a way to tackle Ahman Green. After the game, Jauron dismissed the encounter with a wry smile and a plausible explanation, to wit, football players and coaches are highly competitive people playing a violent game. Tempers flare and emotions run high so what’s the big deal?

The next day, he was quoted as saying: “This is the National Football League. This is not a Boy Scouts meeting. These guys are very competitive.”

Then Jauron said jokingly: “I’m not saying it doesn’t happen in Boy Scouts meetings; I don’t know that.”

The quote brought a mild chuckle from the assembled scribes but is something akin to the Coach doing the Macarena with a lampshade on his head. He is seldom given to these moments of witticism, preferring to play it straight and remain Rushmore-like.

With a losing record and an injured reserve list that would choke a grizzly, Jauron carries on in his steady workman like manner. His ultra conservative style, which relies on a good defense and excellent punting, drives fans to distraction while his commitment to a philosophy; coach or player is often characterized as stubbornness.

He is intelligent, steady, experienced, dedicated, calm, respectful, good and decent. The coach’s son has been in the game all his life. With blowholes like Marty Schottenheimer and Brian Billick coaching football teams these days, he’s a refreshing change. In spite of the team’s struggles, you won’t see Jauron laying blame anywhere but his own doorstep. Regardless, the dismal 2002 season is an organizational problem and there’s plenty of blame to go around.

GM Jerry Angelo has come to that realization as well. In spite of a mid season news conference where he spewed confusing mumbo-jumbo, saying, “I’m assuming my confidence in our coaches is assumed. I’m not going to update on those assumptions”, he has since announced that Jauron will be back.

If Angelo is so inclined, he can force Jauron out at a later date by insisting that he fire Offensive Coordinator John Shoop. When the loyal Jauron refuses, which he will, he’ll be launched in much the same manner Wade Philips was in Buffalo when he stuck by his beleaguered special teams coach. Hopefully, Angelo has no such plan in mind because the NFL and the Bears are better off with the likes of Jauron around.

Mike Lynch, a friend of Jauron’s from their high school football days related this anecdote to a Boston Globe reporter that gives the measure of the Chicago Bears Head Coach.

“I talked to him the night he got the (Bears) job,” said Mike Lynch. “Here I was, I had tears in my eyes, telling him I was so proud and so happy for him. Know what the first thing he said to me was? `How’s your mother and father doing?”’

Let’s hope Leo Durocher was wrong!