Archive for the 'The Red Cross' Category
February 8th, 2010 -- Posted in The Red Cross |
You love to cross stitch but it’s costing way too much, you thought. How do you maintain this hobby and not fall into the commercial traps of the cross stitch mania. Here are my tried and true ways of making your cross stitch go a long way and then some.
After your project is done, snip extra fabric, keep the thread and store the needles.
You have to leave at 2-3 inches around your design for framing. But if you have more than that, don’t just leave it there or throw it away. Cut them nicely off your design and store them for future projects. Use your creativity and you can use these long thin fabrics to make borders, bookmarks, trimmings for table runners, little patches for your clothes and so many other things you can think of. Your cross stitch project don’t have to end here. There are just so much things you can do with the leftovers.
Leftover thread can be used to cross stitch small designs. Even if the free pattern in the magazine uses a red color thread but you only have pink, go ahead use pink! It will still be beautiful, I’m sure.
Don’t throw away those needles that come with the kit. I keep them all and although I get another needle in a new kit, I always have old needles in case I lose the one I’m using. Why buy extra needles when you get them for free!
Expensive organizers be gone!
With all the technology and advancements in storage space, cross stitch organizers have gone all over the design block and back. There are some pretty fancy ones out there and I’ve used some of them too. Some of them are great but some are just a waste of money. I’ve found that the everyday storage containers are sometimes the best solution.
I get them cheap at the grocery store, you know those little plastic drawers. Those are amazing as thread organizers. I keep my fabrics in a box and I keep my current project in a zip lock bag. Being frugal does not mean I love cross stitch any less.
Sometimes the fun in crafting is more in the ideas we get to create a masterpiece, never the dollars put into it.
January 30th, 2010 -- Posted in The Red Cross |
An Allergic Cross-reactions is usually an allergic response to a protein found in some foods and another food will have a similar or closely related protein. For example if you are allergic to one of the 4 different proteins found in wheat then the possibility of you being allergic to a similar protein found in Rye is increased.
Peanut Allergies or Legume Family.
Some Cross Reactions Of Allergies is not very obvious such as an allergy to peanuts. Peanuts do not grow on trees and are not considered true nuts. Peanuts are part of the legume family, which include, Peas, Lima beans, Lentils and Soybeans. If you or someone you know suffers from allergies to peanuts you should be constantly on watch for other legume allergies. Other allergies may never appear but the possibility for other problem exists. Allergy testing should be completed on each of these foods separately just to be sure.
Egg Allergies.
The proteins found in the egg whites usually cause allergic to eggs reaction but in rare cases some individuals have been know to be allergic to the yolks of eggs. People with allergies to eggs have a good chance of being allergic to Chicken products. As your body becomes sensitized to the eggs allergens, you may react to the ingestion of chicken products as well.
Tomato Allergies or Deadly Nightshade Family.
The tomato plant is a member of the Deadly Nightshade family, which also includes the Eggplant, Tobacco, Foxglove, Peppers and Potatoes. An allergy to tomato is rare and the worst parts of the plant for causing an allergic reaction seem to be the seeds, skin and juice. Some patients can ingest process tomato products such as tomato paste with little or not reaction, and yet, develop severe symptoms with fresh tomatoes.
Wheat Allergies or Grain Family.
Except for specific groups, being allergic to wheat is considered relatively uncommon. Up to 30 percent of people in the baking industry is believed to have developed occupation asthma because of allergies or intolerance to wheat and flower. Cross-reactions to wheat are members of the grain family and include Barley, Millet, Oats, Rice, and Rye.
Milk or Dairy Family.
Lactose intolerance involves the digestive system instead of the immune system. The digestive system in lactose intolerant individuals does not produce enough of the enzyme needed to break down the sugar found in milk thus producing symptoms similar to an allergic attack. Cross-reactions to Milk include Butter, Cheese, Cream, and Yoghurt..
Sea Food.
If you are allergic to something in the vertebrates group then it is 50 to 75 percent that you will be allergic to one of the other vertebrates. The same holds true for the rest of the groups. Complete avoidance to one or more groups of seafood is often recommended. However, just because you are allergic to one of the vertebrates does not mean that you will be allergic to something in the shellfish group.
Types of seafood groups are, Vertebrates like Anchovies, Cod, Herring, Mackerel, Salmon, and Tuna. Crustaceans like Crab, Lobster, Prawns, and Shrimp. Shellfish like Clams, Mussels, Oysters, and Scallops. Cephalopods like Calamari, Cuttlefish, Octopus, and Squid. Gastropods like Garden Slugs, Sea Slugs, and Snails.
Nuts or Tree Nuts.
Cross-Reaction to Nuts include Almond, Brazil, Hazelnut, and Walnut.
No mater what type of allergy you are suffering from their is a good chance that you can find relief from it. You can fight allergies with vitamins and over the counter products. Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with Allergies such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Pantothenic Acid, Glucosamine, Antioxidants, Allergy Aid, and Quercitin.
Vitamin A is a known antioxidant and can assist the human body in the healing process. Vitamin A is stored in the liver and fat cells of the human body and can reach toxic levels. DO NOT take more than the recommended dosage of Vitamin A.
Up to one-third of older people can no longer absorb Vitamin B from their food. Vitamin B is needed to form red blood cells and keep nerves healthy.
Vitamin C is nature’s protective nutrient, essential for defending the body against pollution and infection and enhances the bodies immune system.
Beta Carotene protects the mucus membranes of the mouth, nose, throat and lungs. It also helps protect Vitamin C from oxidation, which enables it to perform at optimum efficiency.
Vitamin E protects the lung tissue from inhaled pollutants and aids in the functioning of the immune system.
Many find Pantothenic Acid to be very helpful against allergy symptoms. It is another form of nontoxic B vitamins. Pantothenic Acid is critical in the metabolism and synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Glucosamine is an anti-inflammatory and may give some relief from allergy symptoms.
Substances called antioxidants can neutralize free radical by pairing up or binding with the free radical elections thus inhibiting them from damaging cells in the human body.
Allergy Aid supplies 9 beneficial Herb’s to help provide temporary relief of respiratory allergies. The natural action of these specific Herb’s help to open bronchial tubes and ease breathing.
Quercitin is a well known flavonoid. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants and can reduce inflammation boost the immune system and strengthen blood vessels and improve circulation. Quercitin is also known for its ability to block the release of histamines, thus reducing or preventing allergy symptoms.
If you are Allergic to anything then find a good health care professional prior to starting any type of home treatment.
Always consult your doctor before using this information.
This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.
January 24th, 2010 -- Posted in The Red Cross |
Can you imagine a time when there were relatively few fast-food chains, coffee was just coffee and entrepreneurs were not all in a line to open the next, trendy bistro? I can. I grew up in that era. Back then, dinnertime meant lining up around the table instead of lining up around the drive-up window, Starbuck was still that guy from “Moby Dick”, and “Chez” was just a misspelling of the place where the Mets played. Yet, we were all tempted by the forbidden fruit and eventually found the way out of Eden. Along the road, a number of restaurants came and went. One of those was the Red Barn.
The Red Barn was a hamburger rival of both Burger King and McDonald’s, but they were also the first to offer both chicken and fish. Their signature hamburger, the “Big Barney” actually predated the “Big Mac” by a bit, and their quarter pound burger, the “Barnbuster” actually came before the “Quarter Pounder” even though it strongly resembled the “Whopper”. Their most used slogan went, “When the hungries hit, when the hungries hit, hit the Red Barn”. The “Hungries” were their three iconic mascots. Hamburger Hungry originally looked like Ernie from Sesame Street, but they gave him a cap and a V-neck sweater to avoid confusion. Chicken Hungry looked like a fried leg of chicken, and Fish Hungry was just a big, blue fish. Even though I ate there from time to time, to tell the truth, I really do not remember much about the food. Personally, I remember preferring the products of both McDonald’s and Burger King, and that new upstart, “Taco Bell”. I never tried Red Barn fried-chicken and I never ate their fish. Nonetheless, I still have fond memories of Red Barn from High School.
In the 70s, when I still ate such things, the Red Barn was our school’s Friday hangout. On Fridays after school sporting events, everyone would meet down at the Red Barn over on 73rd and Federal in Westminster. Curiously enough, our cross-town rivals, Ranum, would meet just up the road and across the street at the McDonald’s. Even though they had the better food choice, we had the better “winter” choice because that McDonald’s was one of the old, golden arches McDonald’s with no indoor seating and no patio. Our Red Barn had ample indoor seating and everyone knew to meet there for a snack before deciding how to spend the rest of the Friday evening. Many good, Friday memories contain a meeting earlier in the evening at the Red Barn.
At their peak, Red Barn had over 400 restaurants in 19 States and two foreign countries, but, for whatever reason, they did not make it. They had the loyal clientele, they had the handouts and they had a decent product, but they still sailed into oblivion sometime in the late 70’s. You can still find remnants of old Red Barns turned something else like other restaurants, car dealerships or rental stores, but other than those faded memories and a few mementos, Red Barn Hamburgers are now just a part of history.
If you ever ate there, colored in one of their coloring books or took home a free glass, you are part of the history. You actually still can visit that history at www.barnbuster.net. This website is completely devoted to the memory of the Red Barn complete with pictures, commercials snippits, and T-shirts for sale. I tried to get some of their pictures to post here for your enjoyment, but was unable. Nonetheless, if you are interested at all, all the general memories are parked there for posterity. As for the personal memories, I’ll just smile and keep those to myself.
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