Portuguese " French toast "

Today I’m sharing with you two Portuguese versions of the well known  “French toast ".  In Portugal these are called “Rabanadas” or “Fatias Douradas “ and it's traditional at Christmas time.

Ingredients

⦁ 1 loaf french bread (cut into slices)
⦁ 4-5 eggs (dependent on the size)
⦁ 2 cups of milk
⦁ 2-3 tablespoons of sugar 
⦁ 2-3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
⦁ Oil for frying (1st version)
⦁ q.s. olive oil for greasing the oven tray (2nd version)

Directions

1. Choose a suitable bread knife and slice the bread. The best bread knives have a  serrated edge.
2. Put the milk in a bowl.
3. In a shallow dish beat the eggs.
4. In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon until well blended
5. Dip both sides of the bread first into the milk and then in the beaten eggs.
6. After that you can choose 1st version or 2nd version.

   1st version

        ⦁     fry in oil until golden brown slices of bread on both sides.


   2nd version

        ⦁ First grease the oven tray with the olive oil.
        ⦁ Place the slices of bread on the tray and bake in preheated oven at 180°C.
        ⦁ Turn rabanadas after about 5 minutes in the oven, so that they can browning on both sides and let it be further 5 minutes.

7. Last step in both versions is to sprinkle the bread on both sides with the mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

It’s delicious. Enjoy yourself!
Goodbye and until the next post!

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Homemade mask to stop hair loss

Hair loss increases as we age. Unfortunately, there are no miracle cures to stop this situation. Usually people try to  reduce the fall with some commercial products but we can also solve the problem naturally and at lower cost using some hair masks. Here is the description of one effective hair masks commonly used in hair loss.

Egg mask

Eggs are a great solution for the majority of hair problems because of their high levels of proteins, zinc, iron, vitamins and other nutrients. They can make an awesome mask that you can apply to your hair. They are known to make hair stronger, help in their growth and prevent breakage.

1.  Eggs could always be used to prevent hair loss. For your mask you will need:

•      2 egg yolks

•      2 tablespoons of olive oil

•      half a cup of warm water

2. Mix them all together and thoroughly massage the mask into your  scalp. Leave for about 20 minutes then rinse well.

3. You should do it 1-2 times each month.

Hope I have helped. Good luck!

Goodbye and until next post!

10 Tips to Save Money Everyday

According to my personal experience, here are some suggestions that helped me save money by year's end:

1.    Buy a piggy bank and put always in there your change.

2.    Make your own homemade gifts. On the Internet there are sites with some cheap and funny ideas.

3.    Very important: make a list of what you need before you go shopping and stick to it!

4.    Don’t buy any expensive items by impulse!

5.    Buying some items online sometimes allows you to save money. Find out and compare prices before buying.

6.    Try to limit credit card purchases to those you can afford in full at the end of the month. Pay attention to interest charges!

7.    Repairing your clothes is cheaper than buying  new ones. Basic sewing is a great way to save money and increase the life of your clothes.

8.    Cook simple and healthy meals at home and avoid fast food. If you eat more fruits ,salads and vegetables the energy to cook is lower.

9.    If you leave a room or  you aren’t using a light , turn it off. At the end of the month your electric bill will be lower!

10.    Switching to energy efficient light bulbs helps save on your energy bill.

If you have more important suggestions please share with us.


Goodbye and until next post!

How to improve memory in elderly - some simple steps

If sometimes you can't find the  keys or can't remember the name of a known person don't get too worried about it. You can improve your memory. Apart from physical activity in your daily routine there are a few simple steps to sharpen your memory that will allow you to remain mentally active.
Here are some important steps:

1. Mental exercise stimulates  cognition so  do mentally stimulating activities which help to improve memory such as:   
        ⦁ do crossword puzzles or sudoku
        ⦁ read newspapers and books 
        ⦁  try unfamiliar activities out of your comfort zone

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables that can also help reduce the risk of many diseases

3. Stay organized, put everything in it's place as soon as you can and don't try to do too many things at once .

4. Socialize whenever you can: stress, anxiety and depression can contribute to memory loss.

5. Try to sleep well. As people age, they tend to have more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep but getting a good night's sleep is important.

Goodbye and until next post!

How to clean kitchen tiles with vinegar

If you are looking for safer cleaning solutions vinegar is one of most effective.

Why vinegar is a good cleaner? Because it contains acetic acid. It is the presence of acetic acid which gives the vinegar cleaning properties.
Vinegar is a healthy alternative to commercial products and it’s cheaper. It's also safe because it's a non-toxic product.

 The smell is no problem: it dissipates within moments of being placed on the wall or on the floor.
Effective to remove fat and cut off even stubborn stains, the product can facilitate cleaning tiles. 

Here's how to use it in 6 steps:

1. In a bucket, put warm water halfway and 1/4 cup white vinegar.

2. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands while cleaning.

3. Soak a clean sponge in the container.

4. Rub well all the tile with a wet sponge.

5. To take tougher dirt, apply a little vinegar directly on the sponge and rub the area.

6. At the end rinse the entire area with a damp sponge only with water. 

Goodbye and until the next post!

How to clean silver at home quicly and easily

Hello everybody! Today I'm going to teach you how to clean silver quite dirty at home quickly and easily using toothpaste and baking soda.

Baking soda can remove the most stubborn rust. If the silver is not quite rusty you can use only toothpaste because if you use repeatedly baking soda, there is the risk of damaging the silver.

It is also very important to choose the right toothpaste. Don't choose toothpastes with tartar control or whitening powers because they contain chemicals which could damage your silver.

1º -  You should put a small amount of toothpaste  and a little bit of baking soda in an appropriate container and mix quite well.This mixture is a quite effective cleaner for silver.

2º - Take a soft cloth (like an old t-shirt) or a wet sponge and put a little paste in it. Rub it gently over the silver in straight movements forward and back.

3º - As the cloth or sponge becomes dark, add another small portion of it to a clean part and continue to polish gently.

4º - Leave it like that for a few minutes.

5º - After that, rinse well with warm water. If necessary, you can use a small brush to remove any particles better.

6º - Finally, you must dry thoroughly with a soft towel.

I' ve got a bracelet which is very old and is very much rusty so I will use a 
mixture of toothpaste with a little baking soda, because it will be  quite 
effective here.

Goodbye until the next post!