The kitchen is the center of the home. Whether you have a large family, are a couple, or are single, you probably find that entertaining at your home revolves around the kitchen. With this in mind, it is important to make the time that you spend in the kitchen as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. One way to do this is by investing in tools and gadgets that make food preparation and storage easier.

With the wide variety of kitchen gadgets available, it is easy to become overwhelmed when choosing items for your kitchen. Some kitchen gadgets make life easier for nearly everyone, while others depend on the type of cooking that you do.

Some things that nearly any cook would find helpful in their kitchen include spice grinders, electric kettles, slicing implements such as dicers, and salad spinners. Spice grinders are an excellent addition to the home kitchen. Freshly ground spices are more vibrant and the taste is unlike that of spices purchased already ground. If you have not tasted freshly ground spices, be prepared to add another dimension to your cooking.

An electric kettle is an excellent addition to the kitchen. Electric kettles heat water quickly and safely without using the microwave or stove. While an electric kettle is particularly nice when entertaining, as it allows you to serve tea without clearing off burners that may be holding other food, once you make the decision to add an electric kettle to your kitchen, you will find that you use it quite frequently. A similar appliance that is great for singles or small meals is the electric skillet that uses less energy than your standard stove.

Whether you are a stir fry master or only occasionally make a tossed salad, a dicer or other slicing implement is an excellent investment. Not only does a dicer allow you to quickly slice a variety of vegetables in uniform sizes, but it also protects your hands from cuts as you work.

A salad spinner is one of those gadgets that have only one use, but it does come in handy when you need to wash and dry lettuce, spinach or other greens. To clean greens without a salad spinner you probably rinse them thoroughly under running water and then gently dry them with paper towels. Even then, some greens, such as spinach, seem to hang onto every drop of grit and sand. With a salad spinner you simply rinse, spin and, in less than one minute, you have clean greens.

Some kitchen gadgets than may not be of interest to everyone, but are well designed, are microwave popcorn poppers, funnel pitchers, tiered oven racks and cookie presses. If you have kids in the house, you probably know the expense of providing snack food. With a microwave popcorn popper, you can save money by using regular popcorn kernels to make a snack. In addition to the cost savings, popcorn that you make yourself can be made healthier and tastier than what is available at the grocery store. You can control the amount of butter and salt, and add flavorful combinations such as parmesan cheese and chili powder to add variety to your snack. Microwave popcorn poppers are also simple to use, and after an initial lesson, most children that are comfortable in the kitchen can prepare their own snack.

Funnel pitchers are a great way to keep your kitchen neat and clean when preparing pancakes, waffles, muffins or cupcakes. Simply prepare your mix in the pitcher, and then use the pouring spout to add your batter to the griddle or muffin tin that you are using. This kitchen gadget is worth every penny if you frequently make these types of foods, or if you have frequent help from younger members of your family.

Tiered oven racks are a great gadget for the cook who frequently entertains. These racks go into your oven and allow you to stack casserole dishes or cookie sheets two or three high in your oven, effectively doubling or even tripling your oven space. While you may need to adjust the cooking time for some foods to make up for the crowded oven, tiered oven racks are still a great time saver.

Cookie presses are a lot of fun for families with children. Pressed cookies look very fancy and can be decorated with icing, sprinkles or other ornamentation. Using the cookie press is simple, and, with the variety of cookie plates available, you can make pressing cookies a tradition for every holiday.

As you can see, there are many kitchen gadgets available, with choices for every type of chef. Whether you routinely plan family meals and entertain on a regular basis, or only cook for special occasions, there are undoubtedly several kitchen gadgets available that will make your life easier.

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DELHI AT A GLANCE

“It is said that the history of Delhi is the history of India.”

Delhi is the capital city of the republic of India.It is situated on the banks of river Yamuna in northern India. The city is spread over an area of 1483 sq. kilometers and has a population of around 14 million. Delhi figures amongst the historical capitals of the world, with two of its historical monuments, Qutub Minar and Humayunâ??s Tomb figuring in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Delhiâ??s history, its culture has inherited the best from the various dynasties that ruled the place, with most of them making it their capital. Be it the Mughals, the Lodhi dynasty or the Delhi sultanate, their remnants can be seen in the form of monuments and cultural inheritance even today.

The political centre stage of India, Delhi offers the best in terms of education, medical facilities as well as good employment opportunities. Some of the languages spoken are Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English, with Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, constituting some of the religions followed.

-: CLIMATE IN DELHI :-

Climate in Delhi is very much extreme in nature with weather being too chilly during winters and too hot during summers. It has a hot and humid climate for most of the season which becomes very hot during the months of June and July. Delhiâ??s climate is called the â??Continental climateâ?, as it is situated on the banks of river Yamuna with Himalayas in the north, which varies its climate significantly.

Weather in summer:- Delhiâ??s summer season persists from April to August. The city is very hot in summers and daytime temperature can be as high as 45 degrees. Nights are relatively cooler though, with the cool breeze bringing the mercury down to around 25 degrees. Summer in Delhi attributes its cause to Rajasthan hot waves called “Loo”. These heat waves are immensely hot and one needs to take proper precaution during the season before going out.

Weather in Winter :- The winter season of Delhi usually starts from Mid-November and continues till February end, and is shorter in comparison to summers. The day temperature is usually around 20 degrees, which falls as low as 2 to 4 degrees at nights. Winter days of Delhi can surprise a lot of people who have the impression of Delhi as being a rather warm place, as the city can be quite chilly during the peak season.The cold waves from the Himalayan region makes the winters in New Delhi very chilly. However, the sunny morning time can be a treat, and once the fog settles down, the sun rays beating down provides an enchanting experience.

Weather in Monsoon :- The time to take out the Umbrellas for the Delhi-ites! Monsoon in Delhi brings the much needed respite from the heat. However, as Delhi is situated in North India, the South West monsoons are very moderate and it rains heavily but in very short spells. Relative humidity is very high to the point where it becomes uncomfortable. The western disturbances too bring a fair amount of rainfall. Approximate annual rainfall is around 60-65 centimeters. The monsoon lasts from July to September. October sees the end of the monsoon but it is reasonably pleasant.

-: HOW TO REACH DELHI> :-

Delhi is the commercial hub of the country, the center of governance and a popular tourist destination therefore it is well connected not only to the rest of India but also with all the major cities of Asia and the World. Itâ??s well connected air, rail and road network makes it easy for the overseas traveler to reach Delhi. Nearly all the major airlines in the world ply to Delhi. So, reaching Delhi is not a big problem with so many options available.

By Airways :- As mentioned, Delhi is connected to all major cities in the world through Airways. Regular flights are available to almost all parts of the globe. Delhi is also well connected to the rest of India with domestic flights. Delhi has two airports to cater the needs of commuters, Indira Gandhi International Airport and Palam Domestic Airport. Almost all the major airlines have their flights operating from Indira Gandhi International Airport of New Delhi.

By Railways :- The Indian Railway with their modern and organized network connects Delhi to all major and minor destinations in India. The city has three major railway stations at New Delhi, Old Delhi, and Hazrat Nizamuddin station. Direct trains are available to Delhi from nearly all the major tourist points. Make it a point to book tickets in advance, as there is heavy rush round the year. For a memorable ride, Luxury trains like the Palace-on-Wheels, Fairy Queen, and Royal Orient Express can be taken from New Delhi Cantonment railway station.

By Roadways :- Being the capital city of India, Delhi is connected to the rest of India through well-maintained network of expressways and roads. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has three Inter State Bus Terminuses (ISBT), at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar from where regular Govt. as well as Pvt. Operators provide Bus services. Besides, there are several other starting points in and around the city, from which various state-managed and privately run transport facilities like air-conditioned, deluxe and ordinary coaches operate.

Various State transportation corporation buses ply to and from the city. The major service providers are Himachal, Utter Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan Roadways corporations. Besides Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) also ply inter-state buses. Moreover DTC also has a biweekly service to Pakistan connecting Delhi with its sister city Lahore.

-: RESTAURANTS & CAFES :-

Delhi has witnessed a tremendous increase in the number of Restaurants and cafes that have come up in the city. They cover almost the entire spectra of the society, both in terms of budget and varieties of foods offered. Infact, there is no end to the list of restaurants and cafes in Delhi.

Indian cuisine can give food lovers an unforgettable experience. Here, you will find the unique mix of ancient with the modern, and a great variety of food including north Indian, Oriental, South Indian, and Thai. Some of the must visit Restaurants and Cafes are mentioned below

BUKHARA – ITC MAURYA SHERETON HOTEL, CHANAKYAPURI, NEW DELHI :-This is touted as serving the finest Indian cuisine in the world. A very popular place for food lovers. Its food, especially the non-vegetarian food is said to be mind-blowingly delicious and unforgettable.

THE SPICE ROUTE- HOTEL IMPERIAL, JANPATH, NEW DELHI :- This restaurant figured in the list of top 10 restaurants in the world. They basically serve Southeast Asian cuisine, and along with a visual depiction of the journey of spices from Kerela to Indonesia, they serve delicious food and exclusive wine selection.

CHOR BIZARRE, HOTEL BROADWAY,NEW DELHI :- The name of this restaurant means “thieves’ market,” and the mish-mash of nostalgic décor and furnishings echoes the sentiment. You might dine on an old sewing table or sit in mismatched chairs. Don’t let the fun decorations distract you from your wonderful meal. The specialty here is Kashmiri (Northern Indian) cuisine. This style of cooking tends to be a bit milder than much of Indian cooking. Try the lamb meatballs flavored with cardamom or the mutton stewed in yogurt, cardamom and anise. Reservations suggested.

-: BEST TIME TO VISIT DELHI :-

As mentioned in this website, Delhi experiences hot and humid climate in summers and chilly conditions in winters. So that leaves us with the spring season as one of the best time to visit Delhi. During this season the city is blooming and blossoming and presents a delightful sight. The spring period of February to March and September to November is the perfect answer to the question of “when to visit New Delhi, Indiaâ?. In addition to this, most of the festivals in New Delhi take place in the months of October to March, which adds to the beauty of the city. For example, Dussehra falls in the month of October, Diwali in October/November, Christmas in December, Lohri in January and Holi in March. So, if you want to truly enjoy the spirit of the city, come during the peak season and lose yourself in the festivities.

However, if you are here not for mere fun but to try for adventure excursions then Delhi is worth visiting round the year as city remains bustling with tourists throughout the year.

http://hotels-delhi.org/travel-tips-delhi/delhi-travel-tips.html#DELHI-AT-A-GLANCE

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Dopplr is proud to introduce Dopplr – The Social Atlas for iPhone. There are lots of travel guides for mobile phones, but Dopplr’s is different because everything on it has been created by the smart travellers who use Dopplr.
Over the past couple of years, these travellers have been helping Dopplr to build a thing they call “the Social Atlas”. It is the combined wisdom of these frequent travellers, people who know a good hotel, a nice restaurant, and an interesting place to explore when they see one.
Wherever anyone is in the world, he/she can call up his/hers current location and find the nearest places that Dopplr travellers have recommended. If the person is hungry, open the app and find a cafe. If he/she is tired, it will help him/her locate the nearest hotel. And if the person has got time to kill, find something interesting to see or experience.
The app is not just a view of the atlas, it is also a means of adding new places to the database. By just tapping the blue locator, it would allow people to enter the details of the fantastic new bar they are standing in. Travel tips are added to what Dooplr know already, and automatically shared with fellow travellers.
People do not even need to be on Dopplr to use the iPhone app. If iPhone users are simply doing some travel planning for a forthcoming business trip or family getaway, there is plenty of useful information built-in, including Dopplr’s recommendations for 250 of the world’s most popular cities. Any places added will be stored on the iPhone, so these can be easily found again when needed. And if the user joins Dopplr at a later date, all those new places will be uploaded and added to the Social Atlas.
If the user is a Dopplr traveller, he/she can keep an eye on his/hers fellow travellers with the iPhone too. Check where friends are now, and where they will be going next. Look for co-incidences, where people might all be in the same place at the same time. And stay in touch, by sending messages to them directly from inside the app.
This is just the start. Dopplr is already working on more features for the app, which will appear in future updates. The app can be downloaded for free by following the link on the iTunes App Store.

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Vacations are great, arenâ??t they? Itâ??s a chance to get away from lifeâ??s stresses and unwind, or see some place new. Every part of the vacation is exciting and enjoyable…except the packing. These travel tips will take your mind off the stress of knowing what to take and what to leave behind.

Need vs. Want

Weâ??d all pack the kitchen sink if we could but as more airlines are cracking down on overweight fees and limits for luggage, itâ??s important that you stick to a plan of what youâ??ll need over what you want to take. Check the weather to help you choose the right clothes and bring one to two off-season items to be prepared for any weather changes.

Personal Items

With new regulations on travel there are some things you simply canâ??t carry on airplanes anymore. Travel sizes of your favorite shampoos, conditioners and other toiletries are usually available in drug stores. Again the key to travel tips of the personal nature is not to bring more than what youâ??ll need or use. First aid kits, over-the-counter medications and deodorant are musts and can be expensive if you purchase from the hotel where you stay.

Fold With Care

Rolling clothes instead of folding has long since been hailed as a great way to reduce wrinkles and create more room in your suitcase. When you are packing your suitcase, think in sequence of unpacking. What will you wear first? If itâ??s pajamas or a nice suit, put those items on top so you arenâ??t rummaging around for what you need.

Basic travel tips such as these can be applied to vacation traveling as well as business. They can also help you choose how to pack in order to save space and money during your travels.

Click for more details : www.way2freedom.org

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