Women Blog

Two weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a surge in my affiliate earnings in one of the networks. It was such a thrill for any work at home mom to see an upsurge in your affiliate earnings, isn’t it? I mean you set up your niche sites, work on it for a while and sometimes, you wonder when you will start to earn real money from home.

Before you embark on your home business journey and work your way towards earning money from home, you would need to start a niche website. For that, you will need a domain name. Most people think their company name is the best way to go when choosing a domain name. The SEO expert will say otherwise. A domain name with keywords associated to your product or service you are marketing will be more effective better. Some people will register the company name as a domain name and point it to the website with better keywords, but it is not necessary. A domain name with related keywords can help you with search engine traffic. You need to find a good domain name registrar as that can make or break your home business. For instance, if you are an auto company promoting extended service plan, then you want to have some of the related keywords to help with your search engine optimization.

Next comes a reliable web hosting service. Again, cheaper is not better. There are good hosting services for $100 per year and there are also many cheap ones. When it’s too cheap, you need to be careful about it as cheap doesn’t mean good. Anyone that is offering you hosting for less than $80 a year should raise a red flag. Choose a good one if you are committed to your plan to work at home.

Now, you have your domain name and the hosting for your new website, but how do you go about with creating a website? You can learn html and build your own if you are tech savvy work at home mom. You can use a WYSIWYG editor like FrontPage to build your own website. But seriously, if you know that isn’t your strength, invest some money and hire someone to build your website for you. You are better of using your strengths and skills in other areas instead of wasting months trying to design your own website.

When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was really quite unappealing.  Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavour enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind.

Then in the 1980s a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences.  There was one drawback, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was much more expensive than the original cheap ‘n tasteless ones.  Consequently, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.

Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.

To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, I’m going to briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques which you need to know so that you can produce some simple and tasty dishes.  I hope you enjoy the article and that it inspires you to get cooking!

Equipment
Although there are many implements and pieces of equipment you can buy, to start on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, you really only need a good knife or two and a wok.  Woks come in all shapes and sizes, they can be non-stick, flat-bottomed, they can even be electric these days but I still prefer my old carbon steel wok with it’s rounded bottom and one wooden handle.  This is a Pau wok. These are readily available in Chinese supermarkets and are much less expensive than other varieties.  There is one important task though, before you will be ready to cook with such a wok and that is to season it.  You will need to scrub it with a cream cleaner to remove any residues of machine oil and dry it carefully. Put the wok on the hob over a low heat.  Rub the inside of the wok with two tablespoons of cooking oil using kitchen towel.  Let the wok heat slowly for 10 to 15 minutes then wipe the inside with more kitchen towel.  The paper will come away black.  Carry on coating, heating and cleaning off until the kitchen towel comes away clean.  Your wok is now ready to use.  After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over a low heat.  You may also apply a little oil if you wish.  This should prevent the wok from rusting but if it does develop rust, just scrub and season again.

As well as the wok, you will need a wok stand, particularly if you have an electric hob.  This keeps the wok stable if you are using it for braising or deep frying.

You will also need something to stir with – any spatula, slice or slotted spoon will do – metal for a metal wok and plastic or wooden for a non-stick wok.

Ingredients
Before you rush out and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that  some ingredients don’t keep well if left unused.    Just select something simple from your chosen cookery book and buy the things that you need for that then you can expand your selection as you progress through different dishes.

Some common store-cupboard ingredients that you will almost certainly need are dark and light soy sauce, some sort of cooking oil and sesame oil, cornflour and rice wine or sherry.  For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking – Ingredients and Equipment.

Techniques

Stir-Frying
The most well known Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying.  This is where your wok comes into its own as it’s shape and size (at least 14 inches diameter with deep sides) is ideal for quick cooking.   The secret to successful stir-frying is to have all your ingredients ready in advance.

Meat should be cut according to the recipe but normally in thin strips.  Vegetables likewise but in any event should be of similar shapes and sizes to ensure even cooking.  Long thin vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut on the diagonal so that more surface area is exposed for quicker cooking.  Measure out sauce ingredients – check the recipe – if they are all added to the dish at the same time, you can put them all in one small bowl.  If cornflour is included, don’t forget to give it a good stir before adding to the other food.

Once you have everything prepared, heat your wok until it is very hot then add oil and using your chosen stirring implement ensure that the oil is evenly distributed over the surface of the wok.  Before you add your ingredients. the wok should be so hot that it is almost smoking – this will prevent the food from being greasy. The exception to this is if you are flavouring your oil with garlic, chilli, spring onions, ginger or salt – these will burn if the oil is too hot.

Now add your other ingredients in the order stated in the recipe and toss them over the surface of the wok ensuring that nothing rests in one place for too long and moving the food from the centre of the wok to the sides.  I suggest that you wear an apron or other protective clothing for this operation as the food often spits due to the high temperature it is cooked at.

Deep Frying
You can use your wok for deep frying but be very careful that it is safely balanced on its stand.  Under no circumstances leave it unattended.  Deep frying in a wok uses less oil than a deep fryer or saucepan but you may find these safer and easier to use.

When deep frying, make sure that the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or the food will end up very greasy.  Test it by dropping in a small piece of prepared food or a cube of bread.  If the oil bubbles up around what you dropped in then it’s hot enough.

Make sure that food to be deep fried is dried thoroughly on kitchen paper or drained of its marinade before cooking otherwise it will spit.

Shallow Frying
This is the same as the Western technique.  Fry food on one side, then the other and drain off any excess oil before adding sauce ingredients.  A normal frying pan is fine for this.

Steaming
Steaming is widely used in Chinese cookery.  You can use a bamboo steamer in a wok, a heat-proof plate placed on a rack in a wok or other large pan or you can use a normal European steamer.

If using a bamboo steamer or plate in a wok, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer.  Put your rack into the wok (if the bamboo steamer is big enough and will sit on the sides of the wok without being in the water, you don’t need a rack) and balance your plate or steamer of food on it.  Put the lid on your steamer or wok and check occasionally to see if the water needs topping up (use water which is already hot).

Whichever method you use, make sure that the food is above the water level and isn’t getting wet.

Braising
As with Western cooking, braising is used for tougher cuts of meat and involves gentle cooking of meat and/or vegetables in flavoured stock.  Red-braising is the technique where food is braised in a dark liquid such as soy sauce which gives the food a red/brown colour.  This type of braising sauce can be frozen and re-used.

New State Farm(R) Mobile Application Can Help

State Farm announced the release of an iPhone® and iPod® touch application to complement its successful Steer Clear® Safe Drivers Discount Program. The Steer Clear application gives young drivers a convenient way to complete the Steer Clear discount program, encourages supervised driver education and reinforces State Farm’s commitment to preventing car crashes, which are the No. 1 killer of teens in the United States.

State Farm’s Steer Clear iPhone and iPod touch application is the first application of its kind to help teens gain more experience behind the wheel, building on State Farm’s overarching goal to reduce teen driving deaths. The principles followed in the Steer Clear program align with those of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. These laws have proven to be effective at reducing teen car crashes in part by lengthening the time in which teens must drive while supervised and requiring practice in diverse driving conditions.

This new technology allows parents and teen drivers to take advantage of State Farm’s Steer Clear car insurance discount, which requires teens under the age of 19 to complete 20 guided trips behind the wheel. The mobile application provides a user-friendly trip timer to log suggested practice outings. The application will track practice time while the mobile device is safely turned off during the drive.

The Steer Clear iPhone and iPod touch application also includes driving tips, a safe driving pledge and informative videos. Successful completion of the program’s requirements rewards participants with up to a 15 percent car insurance discount.

“Parents have told us they need more information about guiding their teen through the learning to drive process. This new application provides trip suggestions, goals and pointers for assessing driving skills. By providing this tool State Farm hopes to support supervised practice and improve teens’ skills for independent driving,” said Laurette Stiles, Vice President – Strategic Resources at State Farm.

The Steer Clear mobile application is available for immediate use by current or prospective State Farm customers on iPhones or iPod touches. In addition to teen drivers, young drivers up to the age of 25 may also participate in the Steer Clear program and qualify for a discount on their auto insurance of up to 15%. For details and to download the application, go to www.statefarm.com and search for “Steer Clear.”

New Survey From The National Pork Board Points Today’s Cooks to Pork For Time-Saving, New Recipes

Cooking techniques, ingredients and utensils may change with the trends, but one thing remains the same – women still dominate the kitchen. At least that’s what the National Pork Board found in a recent cooking study. Results show that women are still the primary cooks in the kitchen, but revealed that their attitudes toward cooking differ drastically from those of generations before them. In fact, just 28 percent believe their cooking skills surpass their mothers and more than half wish they were better cooks!

The study was conducted in December 2009 to understand cooking attitudes and skills of women today and surveyed more than 1,000 women nationwide about their experiences, mealtime challenges and what they look for as they prepare meals for their families.

“Through this research, we’ve found that women care as much about cooking as they always have but are faced with less time to spend in the kitchen, presenting an entirely different set of needs than their mothers had,” said Pamela Johnson of the National Pork Board. “Based on these findings, our goal is to provide home cooks with techniques and recipes that are not only quick and easy to use, but taste great.”

Pork is an ideal solution since it pairs well with anything, can be prepared often in less than 30 minutes and offers a variety of cuts, from chops to tenderloin, that are easy to prepare.

What’s Hoggin’ Their Time?

When asked about their greatest cooking challenge, the number one answer among respondents was time. Six out of 10 women (58 percent) said they do not spend as much time in the kitchen as their moms did. Gone are the days of slaving over a hot stove. Only one in five (21%) women spend an hour or more preparing a meal on an average day.

For The Love Of Cooking

Women may dominate today’s kitchen, but it’s not necessarily where they want to be. Only 31 percent would choose cooking over reading a book, going shopping (31 percent) or exercising (18 percent). When given the choice, the majority of women (83 percent) would prefer doing something different than cooking in their free time but surprisingly, one in two women (47 percent) wish they had more time to spend preparing meals than they currently do.

Shopping Lists Showcase Pork

With little time to spend developing menus outside the confines of a cookbook, women are interested in recipes that have only a few ingredients. In fact, 69 percent said that five or less ingredients would be an ideal number when selecting a recipe. So, where does pork land on today’s shopping lists? Pork and specifically ham are ingredients most women (83 percent) are comfortable cooking and as far as technique goes, 37 percent are baking it.

Despite the desire for a simple formula, results show that women are hungry to learn new recipes and expand their cooking skills. More than half (55 percent) of women admitted that although they consistently cook “go-to” dishes, there is still an interest in heating things up with new recipes.

Source: National Pork Board

A simple blood test that could help save lives by detecting ovarian cancer at an earlier stage is available in the UK from 25 February 2010. Called OvPlex(TM), the test is being welcomed by cancer specialists and ovarian cancer charities as a superior performing diagnostic for the earlier detection of ovarian cancer in symptomatic women.

OvPlex(TM) is being introduced into the UK by Intus Healthcare, having secured distribution rights from the Australian ASX listed company that developed the test, HealthLinx Ltd.

Spire Healthcare is supporting the UK launch, with women attending its hospitals to have the blood test performed. Designed for symptomatic women or those with a family history of ovarian cancer, the OvPlex(TM) test is ordered directly from Intus Healthcare (http://www.ovplex.co.uk). A test wallet with details of the local Spire hospital will be sent to the patient by post and the results are then sent to the patient’s GP to discuss with the patient.

Some 6,600 British women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and diagnosis often comes too late as only 40% of those diagnosed live beyond five years[i].

Malcolm Padwick, specialist gynaecological surgeon at Spire Bushey Hospital and lead gynaecological oncology surgeon for West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, explains: “Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynaecological cancer because women are often not diagnosed until the late stage of the disease. To provide early stage diagnostic tests makes a real difference to outcomes.”

OvPlex(TM), launched Australia in 2008, is a superior alternative to other available diagnostic tests, including CA125, and measures the increased levels of five proteins in the blood. Results of a phase 2 biomarker study in 2008 reported 94% accuracy in diagnosing ovarian cancer, compared to 89% for CA125 alone.

Nick Gatsios, MD of HealthLinx Ltd comments: “We are confident of the benefits OvPlex(TM) offers symptomatic women as it is by far the most effective diagnostic for the detection of ovarian cancer at all stages.”

Louise Bayne, CEO of Ovacome, a charity dedicated to helping women and families suffering from the disease comments: “OvPlex(TM) is an exciting development offering hope for women seeking a better chance of either alleviating their concerns or getting an early diagnosis. The trial data on OvPlex(TM) indicates excellent potential.”

[i] http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/ovary/index.htm

Avon Foundation for Women Survey Examines Early Impact of New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines

In some states women ages 40 to 49 have less access to mammograms since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its recommendations to change breast cancer screening guidelines last November, according to a recent survey conducted by the Avon Foundation for Women. The USPSTF recommended changing the current mammography screening guidelines for average risk women to begin biennial screening at age 50 instead of annual mammograms starting at age 40.

At its annual Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Forum, the Avon Foundation for Women released data from an online survey of more than 150 breast cancer health educators and providers from 48 states and the District of Columbia, all of which are Avon Foundation grant recipients.

The purpose of the survey was to determine what, if any, affect the new USPSTF-recommended guidelines may be having on the number of women under age 50 accessing mammograms and other early detection programs. These organizations are attending the Forum and range from small community groups like the YWCA North Rhode Island to leading cancer centers like Johns Hopkins University.

“Our survey gives us an early indication from those working on the front lines of breast cancer education, screening and treatment as to how the recommended guidelines may be affecting their work,” said Marc Hurlbert, director of the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade.

Respondents from 25 percent of the states represented in the nationwide survey report changes in their states’ Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection programs. According to these respondents, the USPSTF-recommended guidelines combined with other factors, such as budget cuts, have resulted in fewer mammograms or the elimination of early screening programs for women under age 50 offered through state-administered breast cancer screening programs.

According to respondents, California, New York, Florida, Illinois and Michigan are among those states that have made changes in their state’s breast cancer screening programs since the USPSTF released its guidelines.

“Budget cuts are a reality, but we are concerned that the new USPSTF guidelines may be making it easier for state government-funded programs to stop providing mammograms to women under the age of 50 who may need to be screened,” said Forum speaker Barbara Cicerelli, Health Program Coordinator, San Francisco Department of Public Health. “Fortunately for women in San Francisco, under our Healthy San Francisco program, the San Francisco Department of Public Health continues to provide mammograms to women under the age of 50.”

In addition to limiting access, the USPSTF-recommended guidelines may be the reason fewer women under the age of 50 are seeking mammograms. Twenty-four percent of survey respondents report a decrease in the number of women under the age of 50 being screened or seeking appointments for mammograms at their facilities. According to some of these survey respondents, many women who were already reluctant to have a mammogram are using the guidelines as their rationale to put off screening.

“We are concerned that some women may simply accept the new recommended guidelines as standard – not taking into consideration their own health history and other breast cancer risk factors,” said Hurlbert.

The new USPSTF recommendations address limitations with current mammography technology and the level of scientific understanding about breast cancer disease progression, aggressiveness, and likelihood of metastasis. That is why the Avon Foundation for Women continues its commitment to fund cutting-edge research to develop new tests for more accurate risk assessment, to better determine which women benefit from mammography, ultrasound or MRI screening, and accelerate advances in tumor analysis technology to better determine the appropriate level of aggressiveness for treatment.

“The decision as to when and how often to have a mammogram is between a women and her health care provider,” said Hurlbert. “We believe every woman regardless of income or age should have access to early breast cancer screening services and education, as well as quality treatment.”

The Avon Foundation for Women along with other expert groups, including the American Cancer Society, American College of Radiology and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, supports current mammography guidelines starting screening at age 40 until better alternatives are developed.

The 2010 Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Forum brought together more than 275 of its grantees, including breast cancer community health educators, patient navigators, nurses and physicians from all 50 states to participate in discussions about programs that enable women to access early detection programs and breast cancer treatment.

Collectively, this network of Avon Foundation for Women-funded programs educates more than 1,000,000 people each year on breast health care, links 150,000 women to mammography screening and navigates thousands of breast cancer patients through treatment and care.

The Avon Foundation for Women is the world’s largest corporate-affiliated philanthropy focused on women’s issues. Since it was founded in 1955, the Avon Foundation has been committed to the mission to improve the lives of women and their families. Now past the half century milestone, the Avon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that brings this mission to life through two key areas of focus: breast cancer and domestic violence. Through 2009, Avon global philanthropy has donated more than $725 million in over 50 countries for causes most important to women.

Unprecedented call to action by “Women for Women International” to unite globally and build bridges for peace, development and opportunity

To honor the resilience of millions of women survivors of war around the world, Women for Women International is hosting a global campaign called, “Join Me on the Bridge.” This unprecedented call to action, on the 99th anniversary of International Women’s Day, March 8th 2010, will highlight the fact the women are 70% of the world’s poor; 75% of the civilians killed in war [along with their children], and earn only 10% of the world income, despite doing 66% of the world’s work. It’s the first time women have led a global movement of this magnitude and geographical scope.

Nowhere is the plight of women’s struggles more evident than in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the site of over 5 million deaths and hundreds of thousands of rapes. The conflict is the worst wince World War II, yet the atrocities continue every day. On March 8th, thousands of women will stand together in Congo and neighboring Rwanda to demand peace, and development. Anastasie Mkwigomba, a participant from the DRC says, “I like Women’s Day, because it’s the day the women get their right to express themselves, to work, and to lead men.” Supporting Anastasie, and others in their calls for war’s end will be thousands of women from the United States, United Kingdom, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sudan and Mexico. Their unified voices will be saying “no” to war and “yes” to peace and hope.

In addition to the women who will be uniting on the border between Rwanda and Congo, major “Join Me on the Bridge” events are planned on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, and in London on the Millennium Bridge. Major politicians, fashion icons, corporate partners, nonprofit organizations, media entities and celebrities are also lending their support to this global call to action. They include Oscar winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, and the first female President of Ireland, Mary Robinson.

Events around the world will be captured by media, film and photography and available on the campaign website: www.womenforwomen.org/bridge.

Running a full time home office business is difficult, especially when you are trying to give your children the attention they deserve. This is the challenge I face when school holidays are here. Most work at home moms try very hard to balance the family life with their business and they work hard to meet the family’s financial goals.

Many work at home moms want to establish some type of financial standings while still being able to watch over their children. Making money online can be a great idea as it provides a flexible schedule as well as the benefit of little commuting. Some earn money from home ideas include: owning a online store, completing surveys, freelancing, and being an affiliate marketer. Starting a website to earn an adsense income is a good start for anyone who is new to the internet business. These days, there are many review sites, from auto insurance reviews to weight loss reviews. These websites provide information to readers and the online income is usually via affiliate products or adsense. There are many other ways to earn money from home; it is not uncommon to see a professional create a home business in computer programming, designing, writing, and many other expertise.

Earning money online by starting a home business is not the daunting task if you carefully consider your skills and talents and figure out how to leverage those abilities on the Internet. The important thing is to be persistent and not give up easily even if you don’t see the money rolling in within a few months. Always ask yourself why you made that decision to start a home business and let that reminder be your motivation.

There are many myths about the internet business and many people tend to think that it is a short cut to success. Contrary to what some people think, it is not easy to earn money from home via your online business and it takes months and very commonly, years to earn a stable income.

One thing you do need to know about an Internet business income opportunity is that it is not a get rich quick scheme. You do have to work at it and working from home requires discipline. Ask any moms who are working at home and they can tell you how busy their schedules are. It means that you do have devote a specific amount of time each day to growing your business, whether that is finding new affiliates for your website, adding new weight loss products to sell or spending time writing. Most of the Internet business income opportunities give you all the tools you need to succeed, but you do need to work at it. Just setting up a website and not doing anything with it will not get you anywhere.

Before you throw away your dream to start an internet business from home, let me give you an encouragement. Many have succeeded and if you are willing to put in the efforts, success is just a few knocks away. You may face challenges along the way but with determination, these tough lessons will prepare you for better days ahead in your home business.

With the help of technology, many can now earn money from home and enjoy the freedom of time. I embrace technology for many reasons – it allows me to work from home, it increases my productivity and it widens my perspective towards life and the future. This is all good when there is a balance to it.

Even internet surfing, sad to say, to some, it has become an addiction. Some people spent hours and hours are online with no care of the real world. You can see that when some kids or teenagers get addicted to online games. Many parents seem to make use of today’s digital gadgets to become babysitters, I am guilty of this on some days. I am not against computer games at all as they do present many advantages and benefits. But I hope that we parents have not forgotten the good one ways of spending time with our kids while we earn money from home. Children, despite their inquisitive nature grows optimally with quality time and dedication, love and support. They aren’t made to be satisfied with just some electronic gadgets, no matter how advanced they may be.

Since I’m a work at home mom, technology is crucial to my work everyday. Not only do I use it for my online business, I use it to read reviews on health matters, shopping updates and even top eye creams reviews! I cannot deny that it is that useful and powerful when we use it for the better of our lives.

The weekends are here. Take time off your home business and do something together with your children. Technology can never replace parental attention and love.