Difficulty:
Easy

Things You’ll Need:
Either super strong foil to make a cooking packet or a baking dish with a cover.
Potatoes – 6 medium
Green and/or red peppers – 1 cup cut up
Onions – 1 cup cut up
Lemon juice – either fresh or concentrated – 1/2 cup.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lemon Pepper to taste, if on hand
1 stick of butter (or margarine – but not recommended)

1.) Wash about 6 medium potatoes.
Peel or don’t peel – your option.
Either slice to the thickness you like or cube to the size you like.

2.) Peel and chunk up the onions and your choice of peppers.
Slice or dice – again – your option.

3.) Put potatoes, peppers, and onions in the middle of a good sized amount of aluminum foil or a baking dish.

4.) Pour the lemon juice over the potatoes and onions, then add salt and pepper and toss around a bit. Sprinkle lemon pepper over the top, if desired.

5.) Cut the butter into chunks and place on top of the potatoes, peppers and onions.

6.) Seal the foil packet tightly or cover the baking pan, either with foil or a fitted cover. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half.

Tips & Warnings:

*This recipe is so versatile that there’s almost no way to mess it up. The lemon juice and butter keep the potatoes & peppers moist even if left in the oven an extra half hour so if your main dish will take longer than an hour, no problem.
*If you are going to grill on the barbecue longer than an hour, use the foil packet method and put the packet at the back of the grill (even before coals have died down) and save oven time. Turn the packet over every 20 minutes. (Be sure the seal is tight.)
*When cooking on the grill, squeeze the packet gently to see if the potatoes are done. Do not poke holes in the foil by testing with a fork or knife.
*If the seal on the foil is not tight, the butter will leak out – serving neither the dish or your taste buds.
*If using the packet method, a cookie sheet under it is great insurance to avoid spills.

•

Difficulty: Easy
Things You’ll Need:
• On sale frozen pizza of your choice or try this with your fav frozen pizza brand!
• Sliced pepperoni – 1/4 to 1/2 the pack
• Ham – 1/4 to 1/2 cup diced
• Ground pork – 1/2 to 1 pound
• 2 teaspoons Italian spices
• Chopped onions – 1/2 cup
• Mushrooms – 1/2 cup sliced
• Red and green peppers – 1/2 cup
• Mozzarella or Italian 3 cheese – 1/2 to 1 pound shredded
• Olives – Green and/or black 1/4 to 1/2 cup

1.) Choose your favorite style of pizza – thin crust, oven rising, thick crust, Chicago style, or garlic bread. Any type will work! I’ve gotten really cheap oven rising pizzas from Aldi’s and they turned out fantastic – but beware, if the sauce or crust is lousy, it ruins the pizza! Even a higher priced frozen pizza can stand some pizazz!

2.) Decide what you would like to add. Every extra ingredient is optional! How much you put on is also optional! If you only want pepperoni, ham, onions, peppers, mushrooms, olives and/or extra cheese, you are ready to build your pizza. If you are going to use fresh mushrooms and/or onions, be aware they will add moisture to the pizza so extra sauce should be added sparingly or not at all.

3.) If you want sausage on your pizza, you’ll need to brown it first. Brown it quickly without stirring very often so the meat will stay a bit chunky. Drain off any excess fat. Add the Italian spices and stir in. If you like your onions softer, add them to the meat with the spices. I often get whole mushrooms and slice them thick to add them into the mix at this stage. Brown while moving the mix around just a minute more. Turn off heat and let it sit.

4.) Now to build your pizza…… Get the pizza(s) out of it’s box and off the cardboard. (Be sure to check for a second pizza cardboard – it really ruins the pizza if not taken off!) Place on cookie or baking sheet or pizza pan – whatever you care to call it. A baking sheet makes it easier even if you are going to bake it right on the rack – if you don’t have one of those pizza peels.

5.) Here’s where it all comes together…. Add the meats or meat mixture you’d like. Add the peppers, olives, and onions if you want them. Add the cheeses. We all love the cheese – smiling!

6.) Follow the cooking directions but plan on leaving it in five minutes longer or more. Always check at the recommended time though – better to see that it needs more time than see it go into the garbage or the dog’s food. (I recommend cutting a bad pizza up and adding a half cup of chopped pizza to a big dog’s dry food each day til the pizza is gone – keeps your dog’s diet balanced.)

Tips & Warnings:
• Buy peppers on sale. Cut out the whitish membranes and seeds and rinse them, then slice or cut in chunks. Freeze in good freezer bags. When you need some for pizza, grab a handful from the bag and put on pizza. (Also a great idea for any recipe you need chunks of peppers for if there is a short amount of cooking time.)
• The more you stir while browning the meat, the smaller it crumbles. Very little stirring while browning gives you near meatball style browned meat – so if making spaghetti sauce just add some herbs and bread crumbs to the meat before browning to make uneven meat balls!
• You can use Italian sausage links instead, but you must pre-cook it. You can slice it while frozen then brown, or take the skin off and brown like hamburger. (Sliced sausage used in spaghetti sauce makes quick even meatballs.)
• You can buy ground Pizza sausage instead of plain pork but it is more expensive per pound. Adding the Italian spices is really the difference between the two.
• When baking two pizzas at a time, they seem to cook differently than just one – they don’t get as crispy. Try to use round baking sheets so you can bake the pizzas on the same rack. If not, half-way through the baking time, swap the lower pizza to the top and the top pizza to the bottom rack and turn them around 180.
• Use a baking sheet if you want the pizzas softer and no baking sheet if you want them crisper but be prepared – these most likely will drip onto the bottom of the oven without a baking sheet or something to catch the drips.
• As always, when using my recipes, do not invite the Food Police to dinner!

Comments:

MarlaineMarie said:
on 10/23/2008 Just a bit of incentive to serve pizza more often:
I saw a display at the Chicago Science and Industry Museum that showed that PIZZA is the best all around balanced meal a person could have because all the food groups are in each slice…………. raised eyebrow! So …….

Raemonde said:
on 10/2/2008 I am going to try this Very soon! yummy!
what a great way to Jazz a pizza up.

MarlaineMarie said:
on 9/22/2008 I’ve been getting Garlic Bread Pizza for about $4 each on sale and stash them in the “big” freezer – those pizzas are really good to start with! Everything else is extra yummmmmhmmmmmmmmm….

Haoie said:
on 9/22/2008 Oh wow. I’m getting hungry already. Nice tips.

MarlaineMarie said:
on 9/17/2008 Both my husband and brother, Cyclecyco, want my Pizzazz Pizza over getting it from a pizza place! So do I because I can make part of the pizza to each person’s choices – spicier for them and more cheese for me. Smiling!

JenWhen said:
on 9/10/2008 This seems like an expensive pizza in the long run. So why do it?

Marlaine said:
on 9/10/2008 This is to make a cheap pizza even better than a delivered pizza. By using a cheap base pizza as a beginning, you control how expensive it gets and what goes on it, making it even better than any ordered pizza. You can easily make half for one person and the other half the way someone else wants it – making it even more custom made than any ordered pizza from a shop and still a whole lot cheaper! But not cheaper than the base pizza – whether it’s cheap or not………. It’s all up to YOU!

Difficulty:
Easy

Things You’ll Need:
You’ll need to ok additions to your diet with your doctor.
It will take about two weeks to see any improvements so patience is a must!
A good multi-vitamin.
Various supplements – all suggested below.

1. As simple as this sounds, take a good multi-vitamin every day, especially if you are dieting to lose weight. (Hard to believe some people diet to gain weight – I am an expert on the opposite {as most of us are who diet}! Just look at something you shouldn’t eat that’s loaded with calories, wish you could eat it, and poof – an extra pound!) Find a multi-vitamin that has the following, plus the balanced A to Z concept = Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta carotene, Bioflavenoids, Zinc, Magnesium, and Selenium.

2. Add garlic and onions to your meals. Cooked garlic and onions retain their antibacterial qualities. These two are great immune builders and natural antibiotics. Omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish and flax oil increase the production of white blood cells that eliminate bad bacteria in the body.

3. Immune Enhancing Supplements can be added, depending on your personal needs and limitations. Some of the best are as follows:
• CoQ10
• Cat’s Claw
• Siberian Ginseng or Ginseng Root
• Ginkgo Biloba
• Golden Seal
• Echinacea – use like a course of antibiotics, but not for prolonged usage. I take Golden Seal/Echinacea combination to knock out bad infections 3 capsules 3 times a day for 10 days. I buy the 100 count and take them until they are gone – taking 4 the first time.
• Poke root tincture – very good for chronic infections and pneumonia but take in small doses for no more than 3 months. One drop a day. (Consult your doctor.)

4. Avoid………. margarine, processed foods, white bread, white rice, sugary stuff, dairy products, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, salty snacks, alcohol, caffeine, and pollutants in the air.

5. Increase……. yogurt, ocean fish, broccoli, sea greens, ginger, fresh fruits & vegetables (especially spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots), whole grains, & cayenne pepper.

Also:
• Slowly increase exercise and reduce stress by using relaxation techniques.
• Increase your hours of sleep! Less than 8 hours a night reduces your immunity – you heal while you sleep is what my Mom always said!
• Drink lots of water a day to flush away the body’s toxins.
• Get at least 15 minutes of sun every couple of days to help your body produce vitamin D.

Tips & Warnings:
*A carrot a day can keep the heart surgeon away – yup! This should be the slogan for the 21st Century.
*Plus a plain aspirin a day!
*Let a good 6 months pass before beginning another course of Golden Seal/Echinacea to get the most whomp from it’s immune building and anti-biotic properties! (PS – a side benefit I experienced from using the combo was that the fungal problem I had with a toenail disappeared!)
*Too much vitamin A can be toxic to the body! Let beta carotene help regulate your vitamin A.
*More than 75 milligrams a day of Zinc can inhibit immune function.
*Smoking reduces your system’s defense.
*Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Always talk to your doctor about anything new you wish to try, especially if you have allergies or special conditions.
*Omega-6 fats may increase inflammation!
*Using any herb besides a nice multi-vitamin all the time allows your system to build an immunity to it! Things like Echinacea become useless after a while just like taking anti-biotics for months.

Added note: This article was recommended by clinical doctors when it was up on eHow.

Difficulty:
Easy

Things You’ll Need:
1 box of rice mix of your choice
1 extra cup of water
1/2 cup plain long cooking rice – uncooked
1/4 teaspoon salt – optional
Any ingredients listed on the box – usually just water
The included spice package that comes with the mix
A heavy pot with a tight fitting lid

1. Read the instructions on the back of your rice mix. Add 1/2 cup uncooked rice – either long, medium, or short grain to the mix’s rice in the box. You can use brown or wild rice but increase the cooking time to match the instructions on the package they came in.

2. If you are adding to a rice and/or pasta mix that instructs you to brown the contents, the extra 1/2 cup of uncooked rice will brown along nicely with whatever is in the packaged mix.

3. I find the rice mixes are usually too salty to start with, so additional salt is optional. If desired, add salt with the spices when it’s time to add the packet of herbs to the rice.

4. Follow package directions to finish cooking the rice dish, plus the extra cup of water.

Tips & Warnings:
*Adding extra rice and water reduces the amount of salt intake per serving.
*If more or less is needed, the proportions of rice to water additions is always 1 part rice to two parts liquid.
*If doubling the volume of a rice mix, use 1 cup rice to 2 cups liquid.
*For extra flavor, add chicken or beef broth instead of water.
*For creamy rice, substitute 1/4 milk or cream for 1/4 of the liquid.
*For sticky rice, add more water and let simmer 5 more minutes.
*Add 1 inch pieces of pasta to the rice before browning to add a nutty flavor, plus 1/2 cup extra liquid to the steaming.
*Beef or chicken broth from a can is usually very salty so do not add additional salt if you used canned broth.

Difficulty:
Very Easy

Things You’ll Need:
1 cup long cooking rice of your choice – either medium or long grain rice works great
2 cups water
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Teaspoon salt optional
A heavy pot with a tight fitting lid

1. For plain rice that is the perfect bed for many dishes including stir fry or sweet sour pork, combine the rice, water, butter and salt in the heavy pot.

2. Stir the ingredients together. For stickier rice, add an extra half cup of water and let simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Bring to a boil, stirring now and then.

4. Once it is boiling well, cover and reduce the heat to simmer. I usually set it a bit higher than the lowest.

5. Set the timer to 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat under the pot and leave the pot on the burner for at least 10 minutes without lifting the lid. All you have to do after this is spoon it into a bowl or onto a plate!

Tips & Warnings:
*You can add more or less butter to your taste as well as the amount of salt.
*The proportions for perfect rice are always one measure of rice to two measures of liquid.
*1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water gives about 3 cups of rice.
*Use chicken broth instead of water – homemade tastes better than canned.
*Don’t lift the cover once you reduce the heat. Just let it steam on it’s own.

Difficulty:
Easy

Things You’ll Need:
1 cup rice
1 medium onion, finely dice
1/2 cup chopped green and red pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth or water
16 0z peas, corn, and/or beans (drained) optional

1. Melt butter over medium to medium-high heat in the pot you are going to use for cooking your rice. The pot should be heavy with a tight fitting lid.

2. Add the rice and sauté for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often and watching how brown it is getting – it should be golden brown. When you add the rice, you can also add 1/2 cup of angel hair pasta, broken into 1/2 inch or smaller pieces or any other pasta that can be broken into pieces close to the size of the rice. The pasta will get browner than the rice.

3. Add whatever vegetables you choose and stir them in a bit at a time, watching out for steam rising from the rice and pasta. If adding onions and peppers, add first and let soften a bit – then add the rest of the vegetables.

4. If you are not adding onions, peppers or vegetables, pour the liquid in a little at a time at first to avoid being scalded by the steam. Add any seasonings at this time.

5. Bring the liquid to a nice boil, stirring constantly.

6. Once the rice is boiling, reduce the heat and cover. Let the rice simmer for 15 minutes.

7. After 15 minutes, turn off the burner and let the pot sit on top of it for another 10 minutes without lifting the lid at all. The rice will stay nicely hot for at least a half hour so you can finish off the rest of the meal.

Tips & Warnings:
*I often use Ramen noodles in my homemade chicken soup. Those little spice and herb packets are perfect for flavoring rice dishes.
*Instead of water in my Ramen noodles, I use homemade chicken broth.
*If using water, reduce the water volume by 1/2 cup and add cream of mushroom, celery or chicken soup for a rich and creamy side dish.
*Cube up 1 cup or more of leftover meat of just about any kind and veggies – then add to the browned rice for a delicious main dish. Finish cooking just as you would the regular pilaf recipe.
*When adding the liquid or vegetables to the browned rice and pasta, wear oven mitts or keep hands and wrists from over the top of the pot because the steam could be very hot and sudden.

Difficulty:
Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:
A microwave and a micro-safe bowl or a stove and a small pan.
Your choice of chocolate or other flavored chips.
Two to five tablespoons of butter.

1. Pour about a cup of your chosen chips into a bowl or a pan and add 2 tablespoons of the butter.

2. For melting in a microwave, put a cover over the bowl. I usually use the saucer that fits the cereal bowl but be sure they are micro-safe. If you are using a pan, put the chips in the pan with the butter and turn on low.

3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes and let sit in the microwave for at least thirty seconds before taking it out. If using the pan, stir constantly until it has completely melted.

4. Take the bowl out of the microwave and gently stir until it completely smooths out. Whether you are using the microwave or the stove, the melted mixture needs to be as runny as gravy. If not, add another tablespoon of butter. Stir slowly. Add more if necessary. The chips will be hot enough to melt the butter so no need to return to the microwave.

5. Spoon over ice cream and wait a minute. This will be great!

Tips & Warnings:
*White chocolate and butterscotch chips will need more butter and stays a bit grainy.
*The swirled chips will give it a dual flavor without having to add chips from another bag.
*Our fav is 1 cup of Aldi’s inexpensive chips with about two tablespoons of butterscotch chips.
*Save the left over mixture in the bowl with the cover in the fridge for the next time.
*Add more chips and butter to the same bowl the next time if you need more for a serving. *The amount left in the bowl will blend with the new.
*The more butter you add to milk, semi, and dark chocolate, the more it becomes fudge-like.
*Drizzle over homemade ice cream cones – yum yum!
*Once you’ve tempered the chocolate, you can add a bit of cream to thin it and use on top of cakes or éclairs!
*The chocolate will be hot at first. Use an oven mitt to hold the bowl. Stir in slow circles to avoid splashing the butter.
*Chocolate will seize if water is used to melt it. Margarine and milk do not work.
*Chocolate must be tempered in the melting process by an oil based product like butter or oil.
*Do not taste this recipe if on a diet – it is addictive!
*The flavors, like butterscotch or white chocolate chips will curdle and brown if heated too long in the microwave. Use less time, stir and reset to 30 second intervals until you get the feel for the flavored chips you want to melt. Or heat slowly on the stove on very low heat.

Smiling…….. Yippppppppppeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! ………. I was WRONG! Here’s how I did it more than 10 years ago! My methods are easy but kicking the addiction is the challenging part! I wish for you the power and determination to accomplish your goals! Studies are showing that more people quit using the Cold Turkey method than all the other methods combined!

Not only did I quit, but my husband used my techniques and quit while he was still living in Australia!

Difficulty:
Moderately To Extremely Challenging

Things You’ll Need:
Fresh air and smokeless rooms
Oranges, orange juice, and vitamin C.
NO nico gum and NO nico patches
Learn self-hypo & visualization techniques and deep breathing
Lots of fresh water to flush out your system

1. The following are the basics. Except for this step, all the others are in whatever order you choose to add them to your attempt to quit. First of all, try to cut down the number of cigarettes you smoke a day before you actually quit. I had gotten down to 5 cigarettes a day for about a week. Then I caught a nasty cold and was coughing and sneezing a great deal. After spending one whole day in bed without smoking at all, I decided it was a great time to quit. (Use ANY excuse to quit!)

2. One of the biggest helps is to drink a lot of orange juice. It speeds up the leeching out of nicotine from your system. It takes only 3 weeks to get rid of the addictive chemicals – the rest of your addiction is psychological! Drink lots of water, too, because the more fluids you drink – non-alcoholic is better – the quicker you flush all the bad chemicals out of your body.

3. Every time a craving gets almost too strong to bear, take a huge inhalation of air and hold it as long as you can! I mean – HUGE! Do this two or three times in a row but until you’ve tried it a few times, try to be sitting down. Some people get very light headed from this. Part of the brain’s addiction to smoking is the jolt of air it gets every time you inhale deeply. If you’ve gone hours without a cig, you probably noticed an almost light-headed rush when you take that first drag from a lit cigarette. That first cigarette of the day always seems … so incredible. You are dragging in air – straight to the brain. And that’s what your brain loves!

4. Every night as you fall asleep, visualize clean fresh air going through your clean pink lungs. Start doing this well before you quit if you can. I’ve listed a wonderful, incredible tape that is especially soothing and helps promote healing below. Use it to help see yourself healing while your lungs are clearing the tar and nicotine from your system. I’ll be doing a follow-up article about self-hypnosis and visualization soon.

5. Stop smoking in a place or room that you normally used to smoke in. I started with my garden. That’s right – I picked an outside place full of fresh air for my first place to not smoke. I told myself that I had to finish weeding or watering a row or area of the garden before I could go in to have a smoke. I would end up finishing a bit more because it was a long walk back to the house, and at times the motivation to finish was stronger than the cigarette need. Sometimes an extra hour would pass and there’s nothing wrong with that!

6. Don’t let what others think effect your resolve! I made the mistake of telling my then-landlord that I had quit smoking! I was so revved on the idea of finally being free that I had to tell someone. She said, “That’s great! How long since you quit?” I crowed, “Three days!”, Ermmmm…. then I saw her frown. It was obvious that she didn’t think much of my achievement. Heck – it sounded lame to me when I thought about it being ONLY 3 days! I hadn’t mentioned my not smoking to any one else. Later, when people around me started noticing, I was able to say, “Yes! I quit 2 weeks ago!!!” or a month ago or whatever amount of time it was. During past attempts, I had gotten really tired of people asking me how it was going when I had announced that I was going to try to quit – that and the 10 thousands suggestions from non-smokers and the grimaces from smokers. Once you quit, you will see how happy non-smokers are for you and how begrudgingly smokers give you a nod for your achievement. Hehehehehe…..

7. Eventually have only one place that you allow yourself to smoke in but do not make it the place you always used to smoke! I used to smoke mainly while watching TV, reading or working on my computer. I quit smoking while watching TV first. I’d get up and smoke in my “designated” room – the kitchen. I stopped smoking in my bedroom well before I quit because I wanted to sleep in a smoke-free room. I have always been a voracious reader so I couldn’t stop entirely so I started getting unabridged audio books from the library – which helped with the keeping my hands busy part of quitting.

8. Keep your hands and mind busy………. I started crocheting Full & Queen size afghans. Everyone I loved got them the year I quit! Smiling!!! I listened to varied subjects, including the History Of Botany Bay. This was an odd co-incidence concerning my future since I had no serious interest in Australia except for adding to my knowledge of history. My adorable husband is from New South Wales and I never dreamed that I would ever know anyone from Australia, much less marry someone from there! I also listened to Patent Law, Steven King books, and some pretty forgettable stuff but it all helped me keep my mind off lighting up! Find your own busy combo for both hands and mind – just keeping the hands busy is not enough.

Tips & Warnings:
*Every time you try to quit and fail, you are actually getting closer to quitting. Remind yourself of this and repeatedly.
*The first time I actually got past three days without smoking, I knew I had it beat! You will know the moment you have overcome the worst and once you arm yourself with that knowledge, it all gets easier!
*Remind yourself that it takes 3 weeks to get rid of the nicotine and after that it’s only you fighting with your mind.
*Be reassured that all the hours you go without smoking allows your body to start getting rid of the tars and nicotine in your lungs and it enjoys every moment of it!
Every time you try, your body kicks into hyper-help mode because it does not want you to smoke. It’s your brain fighting it!
*In truth, you are getting rid of an addiction and won’t be isn’t easy!
*Food will taste crappy for a while.
*You will have headaches and the sweats here and there.
*Your brain is going to scream and fight you as though you have another being in there.
*You will feel tired, even exhausted at times because the nicotine stimulant is gone.
*You will feel irritable and be hard to live with for a while – unless you work hard at understanding it is your brain’s way to get it’s way back into the addition.
*You might have trouble sleeping and feel restless a lot of the time. Your concentration may suffer for a while.
*There may be an increase in appetite even though things taste bad at first!
*You will definitely be coughing and spitting up disgusting brown stuff but … IT’S ALL WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*You must motivate yourself into quitting and commit to never smoking again ever – not even one cigarette and yes – just one Christmas cigar or cig could suck you right back into the habit!
*DO NOT smoke cigars instead, thinking they are not as bad as cigarettes. Cigars contain the same addictive, toxic and carcinogenic compounds found in cigarettes. In fact, a single large cigar can contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes!

Ever wonder how to get started making your own website? It seems everyone has a website, but few can go beyond the pre-set templates. Here’s how to do it yourself and RIGHT!

Things you will need:
A computer
A plain text editor (notepad)
Access to study books on HTML and the internet

1. The Very First Thing Is To Learn HTML! A lot of places will try and sell you either on templates (Choose one of 3 lovely colors!) or a visual editor, such as Dreamweaver (which makes such a mess, even professional coders have trouble reading the code, let alone editing it). HTML is really a very simple coding language that once learned is very versatile and easy to incorporate.
Please, don’t be afraid of HTML! It really isn’t as intimidating as you’d think. At it’s most basic, it’s simple plain text files with a set of characters that have a special meaning. Try starting with Elizabeth Castro’s book, “HTML, XHTML & CSS. If you can’t find it at your local library or just want a copy to keep, visit Duelin’ Deals Emporium using the link below.

2. Find a good online tutoring site on HTML and/or pick up books at the library. There are plenty of great tutorial sites around but probably the best is W3 Schools – check out the link below. They offer – “Web Building Tutorials – All Free” and they are easy to use. I am a regular visitor to the library and the librarians laughingly call for the book cart when they see me walk in so I can cart my requested items to the car – but it’s probably not worth buying a book on HTML since it’s a rather simple technology. Once you’ve learned the basics, there are a lot of great references online to remind you of whatever crucial piece of HTML code you might need. You can also save specifics to a cd such as color chart codes, etc. W3 Schools have full reference libraries for any coding types. There are tons of sources though – so go explore!

3. Set up a practice website. Pick a subject you love and play with it! Seeing a site develop while you are actually learning how to make it
can be incredibly motivating and enjoyable! Have fun! Pick something you never get tired of and you may end up with a site that everyone goes to check out!

4. Once you have a site that you wish people to see, you’ll want to put it up for display on the Big Wild Web. For this, you’ll need to upload your web files to a Webserver. There are plenty of free web hosts around – check the links below for two of the best. Just sign up with one of these great hosts. They have incredibly easy guides to help you get your files uploaded and your website up & running fast & easy! If you have any problems, they are easy to contact via their ticket systems and they get back to you within 24 hours. There is very little downtime on either one of these hosting services, too, so you can depend on your site getting up and staying up. If your site is a viable business, you should register a domain name for it and pay for a hosting service that offers a lot more services like bigger files sizes, more bandwidth, and a method for payment of any goods you may want to sell.

5. At this point you may wish to extend you knowledge to improve the look and feel of your page design. Learn CSS – Cascading Style Sheets – which is an addition to HTML, and coded in exactly the same way. W3 schools have some great tutorials on CSS but a good reference book on the subject might be worth investing in. Request tutorial books from your local library first to see if this is an aspect of coding that you want to learn more about.

6. Next, start incorporating web scripting into your pages. There are 2 great scripting technologies to work with – JavaScript and PHP. Both are excellent programming tools and totally free to use.

Tips & Warnings:
*If you don’t expect the practice site to go up on the web, you can allow yourself a lot of goofy mistakes along the way without getting upset and giving up.
*Make mistakes on your practice site on purpose just to see what happens – but remember to back up the stages you are happy with.
*Be patient and don’t try to learn too much at one time!
*Either Chrome or FireFox are the browsers most Standards Compliant as of Jan. 15, 2012.

Ingredients:
6 or more medium (long, if possible) potatoes
Oil or fat for deep frying – or a deep fryer
Salt

Preparation:
Wash the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes and save the skins for a separate fry batch.
Use the same peeler to make long, full length slices of potatoes.
(You could use a sharp knife, a food processor, or the slicer on a hand held grater.)
As you cut the slices, drop into a bowl of very cold water.
Let the cut potatoes stand in the water at least an hour.
Drain the water and refill with cold water.
Redrain – allow to sit in the strainer a few minutes.
Fry in hot oil at 400 degrees F. until a light golden brown.
Drop in 3 or 4 slices at a time.
Don’t fry too many at one time – about a cup a batch.
Drain each batch on paper towels.
Move each batch to another paper towel lined bowl after a few minutes.
Salt as desired.

Tips:
*Use barbecue seasoning, Cajun spice mix, onion and/or garlic powder, ranch dressing mix powder, cheese powder from mac and cheese mix, or any other spice combos to taste on the chips while still warm.
*Avoid using onion or garlic salt – ends up too salty.
*Once the chips have been seasoned and cooled completely, store in zip top plastic bags or containers with tight fitting lids.
*The longer the potatoes are soaked, the more starch is released. The chips get very brown very fast if there is still a lot of starch in the potatoes.
*Use the oil of your choice – peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil and canola oil are the best choices.
*Canola oil seems to be the healthiest choice for deep frying. Olive oil has a tendency to smoke at higher heats.