Thursday 12 April 2012

How to Use Vegetable Scraps for Making Vegetable Stock

Do you often throw vegetable scraps into dustbin?? Well, then don't do so as these portions can be used to make a stock. Its a flavored water preparation. This liquid forms the base of many recipes, like soups and sauces. Its made by simmering some raw ingredients in water which leave a thin solution.
vegetable, stockFor this, you can use various vegetable scraps like carrot peel, green leaves of cauliflower, onion skins and garlic peel. So let's find out the method of preparation of this natural stock here..

Method of Preparation of Vegetable Scraps Stock

Save these vegetables- Save the scraps of any of these veggies- Onions, carrots, celery, leeks, garlic, asparagus, parsley, cilantro, winter squash, lettuce, chard, ginger, green beans, cauliflower, zucchini and bell peppers.
Storage- Collect around 4-6 cups of vegetable scraps to make about 2 quarts of stock. Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge. But if you are collecting them for more than a week then store them in the freezer.
Preparation method- Just put 4-6 cups of veggie scraps into a saucepot and add around 1-2 bay leaves and a few black peppercorns.
Cover all these ingredients with cold water and bring it to boil. Low the heat and let it simmer for about one hour. Do not overheat this recipe as it may start deteriorating.
After this, strain the liquid by using a strainer and then let it cool down a bit. Shift this solution into a glass jar or clean yogurt container.
Place this stock in the fridge to keep it fresh for use for around one week.
Garnishing- For garnishing purposes, you can finely chop certain herbs like mint, coriander leaves, thyme, oregano or any other you like!! You can also add noodles or boiled egg slices to this delicious vegetable stock!! One more way to add variety to it is including chopped vegetable of your choice, like carrots, onions, broccoli or anything else!!
Vegetables to avoid- The veggies you should avoid for this recipe are- potato, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnips, artichokes and rutabagas (a form of turnip).
One of the best benefits of using a homemade stock is that, it saves you from the harmful effects of the market variety. It retains more nutritional values as its made from fresh and clean vegetables. The only condition, the veggies have to be organic!

Thursday 5 April 2012

How to Use Egg as a Natural Hair Conditioner

An egg is a popular remedy for a fine hair care regime as it works as an awesome natural hair conditioner. It helps to make your hair soft by reducing the problems of frizzy and dry hair. There are many nutrients present in eggs like vitamin A, B, D and E. All these elements work to make your hair health strong and firm. For example, vitamin B and D help to strengthen your hair follicles and roots, and vitamin A and E help to prevent the problem of hair loss. Eggs are also rich in some fatty acids which give a high hand in conditioning your hair finely. So learn some fine egg remedies which work as a superb hair conditioner in this outlook!!

eggHow to Use Eggs for Hair Conditioning

Egg white- Take around 2-3 eggs and separate their white parts from the yolk content and blend them to make a paste. Apply it over your wet hair while taking shower and then leave it for around 20 minutes. After that, clean your hair with water and use your regular shampoo. This remedy is particularly effective for improving an excessive oily hair condition.
Egg yolk- An Egg yolk works best to treat the problems of dry and rough hair. For this, just make a mixture of an egg yolk and 1tablespoon olive oil or castor oil. You can also add mashed avocado or banana to it. Apply it on wet hair after squeezing out the extra water. Leave it for about 15 min to 1 hour, with a shower cap covering your scalp and hair completely. Wash your hair completely with normal cold water. Do remember to shampoo again, if you have added oil to it, to get rid of the stickiness.
Whole egg- You can also use a whole egg for your daily hair care without separating its white and yolk parts. For this, just beat a whole egg and apply it over your hair after doing shampoo. Leave this application for about 15-20 minutes and then wash it with water and use a little amount of shampoo again. This remedy works best for a normal hair order.
Its important for you to note that any treatment, like the egg one, does not give an instant result. For getting the desired plumpy and shiny hair, use the above remedies for about one month. And for a long lasting effect, use them in every 4-5 days. You can also add eggs in your diet to improve the growth of your hair and make them look healthier.