Leche Plan (Egg Custard)

Ingredients
1 can of Condensed Milk
3-4 egg yolks (could add more if u want)
water
sugar
grated lemon skin or vanilla

Procedure
a. Beat the eggs yolks in a mixing bowl. Add the contents of the condensed milk and a can of water and mixed it thoroughly. Add a bit of grated lemon skin as flavoring (or add a bit of vanilla).

b. Heat a small amount of sugar with a bit of water added on a saucepan until the sugrar turns brown and sticky (syrup)

c. Pour the mixture from step a (ie. milk, water and egg) onto the saucepan to a desired height or thickness

d. Cover the saucepan with foil and steam it for about 45 mins to 1 hour.

e. Let it cool and then put inside the ref.

f. Before serving, slice the edge of the leche plan and turn it over a plate. Serve as a dessert.


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Guidelines to Prospective HK Employers in Direct hiring Household Service workers

Below are the list of steps that could serve as a guideline to prospective HK employers who wants to directly hire Household Service workers or domestic helpers from Philippines without going through an employment agency.

NOTE: Helpers coming to Hong Kong on employment visa for the FIRST TIME are normally NOT ALLOWED under the direct hire processing except those hired by family of Heads of State/Government; Ministers, Deputy Ministers and other Senior Government Officials of the host country; senior officials of the diplomatic corps and duly recognized international organizations;

1. Go to 2/F HK Immigration department to secure forms in employing domestic helpers.

2. Fill up the following forms and prepare the other necessary documents :
Visa/Entry Permit Application Form
Declaration of Applicant Form
Undertaking by the Helper Form
An original copy of the standard Employment Contract Form
Application for Employment of Domestic Helper from Abroad Form
Photocopies of the Helper's travel document
Copy of the Helper's Hong Kong Identity Card (if any)
Copy of the employer's HK Permanent Identity Card/HK Identity Card/passport
Proof of the employer's financial position
Proof of the employer's residential address
2" x 2" picture

2. Go to Philippine Consulate (14/F United Center, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, HK or you may inquire through 2823-8500/ 282-8501) to secure
Employer’s Information Sheet. or you may get it from Counter 16. Fill up completely the Information Sheet and attach recent picture (“2 X 2”)

3. Attach completely filled-up Employer’s Information Sheet to the Employment Contract and other required and/or supporting documents.

4. Give the above-mentioned documents to the POLO Staff for evaluation. If approved, the POLO Staff will issue a receipt in the amount of HK$297.50 as
processing fee. Get the Original Receipt (O.R. white).

5. Bring the O.R. after 3 working days to Counter 13 for the release of employment contract and other documents.

6. Proceed to the HK Immigration Department for the processing of employment visa. Normal processing time: 4 to 6 weeks.

7. Upon approval of the employment visa, the employer should send to the worker/helper in the Philippines the following documents:
a. the visa sticker;
b. the verified employment contract;
c. plane/air ticket or Ticket Exchange Voucher (TEC); and
d. endorsement letter to the POEA which is signed by the Labor Attache of HK SAR

8. Upon receipt, the worker/helper should proceed to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Name Hire Processing Unit, Household Worker’s Processing Center, located at the G/F, POEA Bldg., (Blas F. Ople Bldg.), corner EDSA and Ortigas Ave., Mandaluyong City with telephone nos. (632) 722-1160 & 722-1193, or to any of its nearest District/Regional Office to submit the endorsement letter from the Labor Attache and photocopies of all the other documents, together with the photocopy of his/her passport for the final processing and issuance of Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC). (Note: Original copies of the aforementioned documents are also to be presented for verification)

9. The worker/helper should also undergo a medical examination in a POEA Accredited Hospital or Clinic. The cost of said medical examination should be shouldered by the employer.

10. If all the papers are in order, the worker/helper will be required to attend the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) conducted by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). The following fees are to be paid:

11. An Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) will then be issued to the worker/helper and he/she could now book/confirm her flight to Hong Kong, SAR. The OEC would also exempt the worker/helper from paying the Philippine travel tax and the International airport terminal fee.

AuctionAds: Increase the bid on your site's income!

AuctionAds: Increase the bid on your site's income!

For bloggers, this Auction Ads could provide more opportunities to earn those extra incomes. Yes, Auction Ads is not a contextually based ad product and is compatible with all other ad systems like Google Adsense.

One would earned money when your site's visitors click on an Auction Ad listing and take an action on eBay. Actions are defined as a Winning Bid, a Buy-it-Now or a confirmed user registration. AuctionAds is committed to paying out a minimum of 100% of eBay commission revenue.

Best of all, you'll also receive a $25 credit once you signed up.

For more info, please visit www.auctionads.com

Google Applications

Want to do your word processing or edit your spreadsheet in your web browser ? No problem, Google is providing several applications that are web based. Some of the Google Apps are listed below :
a. Gmail - a web based email that provides you with 3.7 GB (as of Oct 2007) of storage per account, mail search tools and integrated chat.
b. Google Talk - a Free text and voice that allows you to call around the world.
c. Google Docs - a free web based word processor and spreadsheet that allows you to create, share and collaborate online or in real-time.
d. Google Calendar - free web based sharable calendar to coordinate your activities or schedules.
e. Page Creator - a free WYSWYG editor to easily create and publish your web pages.

For the complete list of applications or for more info, visit Google website at https://www.google.com/a/

Saluyot Dinengdeng (Ilocano Dish)

This simple saluyot dinengdeng dish is an Ilocano dish. Its basically just a bunch of saluyot with the garlic, fish anchovy sauce and calamansi juice as the main ingredients to bring out the taste. Try it out.

Ingredients :
a bunch of saluyot leaves
1 pc calamansi (juice extracted)
garlic (pressed)
fish anchovy sauce

Procedure :
wash and then boil the saluyot leaves. When the leaves are cook, add the press garlic and fish anchovy sauce (amount will depend on your taste, more will be better though). Boil for another 2 minutes, then add the extracted calamansi juice. Serve hot.

Grape Consumption Improves Antioxidant Capacity in Humans

A side of grapes with that burger? It is probably a good idea based on health research findings.  Read more.

Ten Ways to Write Great Blog Posts That Get Attention

by: Courtland Bovee

Millions of blogs fight for readership online (over 75 million by some counts), with thousands more being created every day. Making yours stand above the rest may seem like a daunting task, but here are ten suggestions for making your blog posts stand out from the crowd.

1. Write each post title so it grabs the reader's attention. It is the first thing someone reads, and it should get your reader's attention right away. Your title should both pique the reader's interest and be informative. Do not write "Business Writing Advice"; instead, say "The Best-Kept Secret to Reducing Your Business Writing Worries." Longer titles have the advantage of describing in detail what your post is about; 8-12 words are a good range.

2. Keep sentences short and clear. A little goes a long way. Readers are busy people and they will not spend hours detangling complex syntax or sifting through blocks of text. Also, use strong language. Start a new paragraph every few sentences, and limit each post to 250 words, if possible. If you cannot write it in under 250 words, split it into two entries.

3. Break up the text. Use numbered lists, bullet points, and subheadings to make your posts easy to scan. Lots of white space on the page is a good thing-it allows your reader to take mental breaks and let the knowledge soak in. In addition, with the inevitable clutter of banner ads and side text, this technique puts some distance between your writing and all those distractions.

4. Keep current. No one wants to read old news. Your job is to stay up-to-date so your readers do not have to themselves. Read newspapers. Scour the web for references. For example, if you write a blog about business communication, subscribe to Google News Alerts using keywords related to the field, such as blogs, podcasting, instant messaging, business letters, memos, and business reports, so you will always be well informed. Posting items from last month or last year will lose your reader's interest faster than you can say "Enron."

5. Be bold. Timidity is an easy path to anonymity. Do not be afraid to create and state your opinions. Of course, there are some situations in which objectivity rules-but you have to give people a reason to read this blog by you and not by the person next door.

6. Be accurate. If you make a statement, be prepared to back it up. Know what your sources are and quote them accurately. Misinformation spreads like wildfire online; do not be the spark that sets it off or the wind that fans it.

7. Contribute to the conversation. Links are great-but then what? Do not just post links to the same tired sites, offer your reader something new. Contribute to the conversation. Your goal is to be the site to which everyone else is linking-so you had better have something worth writing about.

8. Stay focused. Once you have defined the theme of your blog, stick to it. A blog about piggy banks has no business posting about the latest innovation in alternative energy. Such a deviance will only confuse your reader and chip away at your virtual authority.

9. Use key words liberally. Keywords are, well, key. Harness your blog's search engine potential by dousing your title and post with effective keywords that will help interested parties find your page in the vast, muddled blogosphere. This is one of the most important elements of getting your blog read-go at it with gusto.

10. Be consistent. Keep a schedule and stick to it. Post frequently-at least several times per week if you want to increase your potential of attracting new readers. Let your blog languish for weeks without updates and your audience will move on to fresher ground.

Maintaining an informative blog that people want to read takes hard work and good writing skills. Find what makes your writing unique-and flaunt it for all it is worth.

Do's and Don'ts Tips in using your mobile device for Internet Access

In Hongkong or anywhere in the world, Wi-Fi facilities are starting to become widely available. Its just proper then that we take some of the appropriate safety precautions when using our mobile devices to access the internet. Here's some Do's and Don'ts tips :

Do's
a. Do use passwords to protect your mobile device(s) and see to it that you change them periodically.
b. Do encrypt personal and sensitive data on your mobile devices or if encryption is not possible, at least password protect your important documents.
b. Do install personal firewall (There are a lot of free personal firewall available in the net).
c. Do install and enable anti-virus and anti-spyware sofware with up-to-date virus signature files.
d. Do ensure that the anti-virus auto-update and realtime detection features were enabled.
e. Do install up-to-date patches.
f. Do turn on appropriate wireless security settings (like WPA).
g. Do use secure connection like SSL (secure Socket Layer) and Virtual Private Network if you need to transmit data or perform sensitive transaction.
h. Do use the latest driver of wireless network interface cards.


Don'ts

a. Do not leave your mobile device unattended.
b. Do not enable the wireless connection all the time but use it only when required.
c. Do not enable both wireless and wired network interface cards at the same time in locations where both wireless and wired networks are available.
d. Do not turn on resource sharing on your mobile device.
e. Do not turn on peer-to-peer / adhoc mode networking on your mobile device.
f. Do not activate more than one Wi-Fi connection manager on your mobile device at a time.
g. Do not visit malicious sites or untrusted websites to avoid unauthorized access, virus, spybots or worms.

Questions to ask your Orthodontist

1. What are the different types of braces and their pro’s and cons ?

2. what’s the best type for your case ? Will it be ceramic or metallic braces or a combination ? Ceramics on upper and metallic on lower ? (This will now depend on the budget that you will have.)

3. How much does it cost to have ceramics braces on the upper only ? upper and lower ? What about the cost for metallic braces ?

4. How much is the total cost ? Is it possible to show me the cost breakdown? Do you have any payment or installment plan?

5. Does the cost of my braces includes all kinds of treatment (ie. monthly cleaning, filling, etc) and also include the retainers after treatment is finished?

6. How long (how many months/years) will the total treatment take?

7. How often will I need to visit your clinic for adjustments? What do the adjustments entail?

8. Do you do self-ligating brackets? (sometimes these are a good alternatives like if using Damon-type brackets, extractions can be avoided).

9. Will I need to wear other appliances like headgear or jaw expander ? If so, how long will I need to wear it ? As for the headgerar how many hours per day? When, in the treatment process, would the appliance be introduced?

10. Will there be a need to extract any of my teeth ?

11. If there’s a bracket that was dislodged, could I just call and then drop in to get it re-attached , or do I need to make an appointment for that?

12. What type of retainers do you typically usually provide to your patients ?

Orthodontic Braces

Before spending your time and money to straighten your teeth, its important that you take a bit of research and get to know more about the treatment process. Find out the Do’s and Don’ts when wearing dental braces. Here are some points that you may want to know more :

1. Ask your friends or relatives to recommend a good orthodontist. Your regular dentist might be a good person to ask for recommendation.

2. Seek second opinions. Different Ortho’s have different approach or migh be using different systems/appliances in doing the procedure. If you don’t like what the 1^st Ortho says about the treatment approach, go to another Ortho and seek consultation about the treatment. Usually treatment are free or should be minimal fee. Its better to know ahead rather than regret later.

3. Determine how long would the treatment be. Treatment usually last for 2 years for braces braces on upper and lower teeth. It’s a long term commitment, so it’s really important that you like the Orthodontist who will treat you in order to have good relationship.

4. Be prepared. Some people would be very conscious with the braces on their teeth. Are you ready to have them in your mouth and deal with them 24/7 for 1 or 2 years. Tooth extractions maybe required, so be prepared if you have fear about extraction. Usually the 3^rd molar will be extracted.

5. Determine the cost of the treatment. Usually in Philippines, it would range from Php 80,000 up to Php 150,000 depending on the material use (ie. ceramic braces cost a lot more).

6. If you can not afford to have braces from a private clinic, search the dental schools in your area. Many times, they provide low-cost orthodontic care. University of the Philippines usually offer orthodontic treatment at a lower cost and usually handled by the orthodontists students under the watchful eye of their experienced professors, who are often orthodontists in private practice. Usually, the schools would evaluate your case.

7. Sometimes dental chains offer lower prices for orthodontic work, but you will be limited to their list of dentists.

8. Check your health plan (or your spouse health plans) to see if any of the treatment cost will be covered. Its good to have your health plans straighten out before you begin the orthodontic treatment.