The Toll Men

Spices come from the buds, bark, stems, roots, berries and seeds of plants. Any part except for the leaf is termed a spice, the leaves are classified as herbs.

Spices are generally grouped into five categories based on flavor - sweet; tangy; pungent; hot and amalgamating. Today we will delve further into the sweet spices and discover their secrets.

Sweet spices are just as the name suggests - sweet.

These are the ones we associate with sweet dishes and desserts. They can however be added to savory recipes to balance up other spice flavors. They do vary in strength and one can determine this with a quick sniff.

The sweet spices include:

Allspice (aka Jamaica Pepper, Pimento)

This native West Indies spice is so called because it tastes like a mixture of other spices - cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Allspice comes from berries which are picked green and then turn a dark brown color after drying in the sun.

It is often used in pickling and is also commonly found in tomato and barbeque sauces.

Aniseed

Aniseed seems to be one of those, you either love it or hate it, things (me being the later). It has a mild licorice taste and is often used in cakes and cookies. This middle eastern spice also has a balancing effect on the taste of strong cheeses and is often nibbled after dinner at Indian restaurants.

Cassia

Often incorrectly labeled as Cinnamon. Cassia is derived from the mature bark of the cassia tree which is a native to north-east India and some Indonesian islands. The bark is thicker than the paper thin cinnamon.

Cassia is highly aromatic with a much stronger flavor and sharp, hot aftertaste as compared to the more mild cinnamon. Ground cassia is a dark reddish color. It can be found in Asian dishes in particular Indonesian.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon comes from a secondary layer of bark from branches of young cinnamon trees. It is a native of Sri Lanka.

It has a sweet flavor with never a hint of sharpness or heat. When ground it has a light brown color and mild aroma. Cinnamon is used in Sri Lankan and Indian curries. It is also used in cakes, cookies and of course stewed fruit.

Nutmeg

Definitely the strongest of the sweet spices. Nutmeg is made from the kernel of a tropical tree native to Banda Island in Indonesia.

If using a whole nutmeg to grate freshly, it should be the size of a peach stone and be firm so as not to crumble.

Most often used in milk or cream based desserts but also accompanies orange and pumpkin extremely well.

Vanilla

Probably the best known of the sweet spices. Vanilla, surprisingly starts off as a tasteless, odorless green bean on a native Central American orchid. It is then subjected to a curing process which can take up to three months and results in what we know as the vanilla bean.

The vanilla bean should be aromatic, black, soft, pliable and contain heaps of stick black seeds. You should be able to bend it around your finger without it breaking.

You can use the entire bean in cooking or split it open and scrap out the seeds. Often used in cream, custards and ice-cream. If you do scrap out the seeds, keep the bean. Put it in sugar canister and it will infuse it’s aroma to create beautiful vanilla sugar for baking.

Well, there you have it, a brief introduction to the world of the sweet spice.

Until our next Spicy Encounter
Enjoy Cooking!

Lisa “The Crock Cook”

As a business, non-profit, government agency or association
manager, are you satisfied with using a collection of
communications tactics to move a message from one point
to another. You know, creating print and broadcast
exposures? Publicity, if you will?

No problem, if that’s all you believe you really need.

But, have you ever thought about pulling out all the PR stops
to help achieve your unit’s managerial objectives?

I mean, you COULD do something really significant about
those important outside audience behaviors that MOST affect
the department, group, division or subsidiary unit you manage.
Then take advantage of the perception levels you’ve achieved
as those key external audiences of yours become persuaded to
your managerial way of thinking.

And, for that matter, once you’ve persuaded a number of
members of that key external audience to your views on the
issue in question, watch their perceptions closely as they
morph into behavioral actions that allow your unit to succeed.

That might even make your day! And it’s all very doable.

But not if you insist on limiting your offensive public relations
effort to simply creating print and broadcast exposures. Instead,
you should be preparing to do something positive about the
behaviors of the very outside audiences of yours that MOST
affect your operation. Because that’s when public relations can
actually create the kind of external stakeholder behavior change
that leads directly to achieving those key managerial objectives
of yours.

Thus your real managerial opportunity arises when it becomes
painfully obvious that counterproductive behaviors by target
audiences are the direct result of negative perceptions about
your organization or its services, products or personnel.

Suddenly, it becomes clear why you have to monitor opinion
among members of your most important outside audiences to
(1) determine how they perceive your organization; (2) to
identify and prioritize your public relations goals; (3) to create
and communicate corrective messages to those key outside
audiences and (4), to carefully monitor how and when those
perceptions inevitably convert to the key audience behaviors
you know, as manager, you need.

In brief, what you really require is an action-based blueprint that
leans on you to do some meaningful things about the behaviors
of those important outside audiences that MOST affect your
operation; to create the kind of external stakeholder behavior
change that leads directly to achieving your managerial
objectives; and to do so by persuading those key outside folks
to your views, then help move them to take actions that allow
your department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

You can count on the underlying premise of this kind of
managerial public relations: people act on their own perception
of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors
about which something can be done. When we create, change
or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-
to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the
organization the most, the public relations mission is usually
accomplished.

A variety of results are possible when you work public
relations this way: customers making repeat purchases; a
rebound in showroom visits; new proposals for strategic
alliances and joint ventures; membership applications on the
rise; improved relations with government agencies and
legislative bodies; capital givers or specifying sources looking
your way; fresh community service and sponsorship
opportunities; prospects starting to work with you, and even
stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial
and healthcare communities.

It always pays off when you clear some time for planning
meetings with your public relations people. For example, get
their input on your plans to monitor and gather perceptions by
questioning members of your most important outside audiences.
Suggest queries along these lines: how much do you know about
our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were
you pleased with the exchange? Are you familiar with our
services or products and employees? Have you experienced
problems with our people or procedures?

You might also reinforce your confidence in the PR team by
insuring that they really accept why it’s SO important to know
how your most important outside audiences perceive your
operations, products or services? And do you believe THEY
believe that perceptions almost always result in behaviors that
can help or hurt your operation? This is essential to PR success.

One of the facts of life in dealing with opinion polling matters,
is that things often go better when a professional survey firm
helps monitor your key audience’s perceptions. But real pros
cost real money, compared to using your existing public relations
staff who, while they ARE already in the perception and behavior
business, also cost money. But whether it’s your people or a
survey firm asking the questions, the objective remains the
same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, misconception and any other negative perception
that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Setting your public relations goal is the tip of the spear. Your
new PR goal should call for action on the most serious problem
areas you uncovered during your key audience perception
monitoring. You may, for example, decide to straighten out that
dangerous misconception, bring to an end that potentially
painful rumor, or correct that terrible inaccuracy.

Seldom can public relations people, or most other managers
for that matter, establish a new PR goal without the support of
an action-oriented strategy. If, that is, you are to know HOW to
get to where you’re going. Plus, remember that you have just
three strategic options available to you when it comes to doing
something about perception and opinion: change existing
perception, create perception where there may be none, or
reinforce it. Needless to say, the wrong strategy pick will taste
like fish sauce on your grilled quail. So be sure your new
strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You
certainly don’t want to pursue “change” when the facts dictate
a strategy of reinforcement.

Recruit the best writer on your team to prepare a carefully
-written message targeted directly at your key external
audience. To move that key audience to your way of
thinking, s/he must produce some really corrective language
that is not merely compelling, persuasive and believable,
but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion
towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you
have in mind.

Carefully selected communications tactics (and there are
many such available) will be needed to carry your message
to the attention of your target audience. You may pick from
such time-honored devices as speeches, facility tours, emails
and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews,
newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be
certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just
like your audience members.

As “opening day” approaches, you may want to partially
neutralize any opposition to your message by unveiling your
corrective message before smaller meetings rather than using
higher profile news releases or broadcast announcements.
Reason is, a message’s credibility can be fragile and often
suspect, depending on how it is delivered.

It’s always a satisfying feeling when you can illustrate how the
monies spent on public relations can pay off. That’s why the
time needed to prepare and distribute progress reports
is time well invested. They are, however, also your alert to
start a second perception monitoring session with members
of your external audience. Here, you’ll use many of the same
questions used in the benchmark interviews. Only difference
now is, you will be on strict alert for signs that the bad news
perception is being altered in your direction.

If you feel impatient with the program’s rate of progress, you
always have the prerogative of adding more communications
tactics, and/or increasing their frequencies to address that
problem.

In essence, making sure you get the right managerial public
relations requires that you resolve to do something about the
behaviors of those outside audiences that most affect your
operation; to create the kind of external stakeholder behavior
change that leads directly to achieving your managerial
objectives; and to do so by persuading those key outside folks
to your way of thinking by helping move them to take actions
that allow your department, group, division or subsidiary unit
to succeed.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box
in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.
Only requirements: you must use the Robert A. Kelly
byline, and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2006.

Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published 245 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit:http://www.PRCommentary.com

Total health is more than being the perfect weight. There are people who weigh just what they should and work out three or four times a week. This is all well and good but it does not mean that they are completely healthy.

What is needed for total health? Of course it is not possible to attain good health if you are fifty pounds overweight and your only exercise is reaching for snacks every time you pass by the cupboard.

So let’s start with your diet. I have known more people who have lost weight and kept if off by cutting back at each meal and limiting between-meal snacks to healthier choices. In fact the most successful dieters I have met eat five or six small meals a day. They are eating fruits, vegetables, meat and whole grains and throw in the occasional cookie or small piece of pie. Not only have they lost weight but they have been able to keep that weight off.

Exercise, yes, it is important to total health. Even if you don’t have time for a gym and a trainer you can find the time for a walk each day and a little stretching time.

Your mental health is also a crucial part of a total health program. Start each day by remembering it is a new day and be willing to meet each task with a positive attitude. Take a little time each day to be quiet and journal your feelings and experiences.

Keep in touch with your spiritual side. Connect with God, pray, meditate or whatever you do that gives you peace. Remember to be thankful for several things everyday. Use your gifts and talents to help someone else.

Total health involves many different areas and when you pay attention to each area you may be surprised at the benefits.

I am the source.

Copyright Glenda Erceg.

For more health resources visit http://healthmattersinfo.com/health

Having a stutter can effect people in many different ways. Some people who stutter fear certain words beginning with certain letters and will try and avoid these words or will think of an alternative word to say. When I had a stutter or as I called it “stammer” I found words beginning with “b” especially hard to say. I also found d,g,k,p and v words difficult. In time I became an expert at word avoidance or substitution.

The affects at school though were that I was always afraid that I would be asked to read out aloud from a book. When reading you have to read what is written and this is where the stutter would be at it’s worse. Fluent people are unable to comprehend the humiliation and embarrassment one feels when you stutter in front of a number of people as in the above example at school. Having a stutter made my school life quite traumatic.

One of the most difficult tasks is when asked to make a presentation in front of people, whether at school, college or work. It is not just the day that is hard, it is the days leading up, where the worry and fear is difficult to control. The stutter and the presentation would always be on my mind. I had a client who stated on the first day that the reason he was attending my speech course was because he wanted to be able to give his daughter away at her wedding. I asked him when the wedding was to be held expecting it to be in a few months time. He replied that she was only fifteen! This is how a stutter is able to get a grip on your life.

Socialising and building relationships with people from the opposite sex also has its hazards. Ordering food and drink can be difficult. On a personal front when trying to purchase for example a bottle of beer, I would nearly always stutter. My friends were good to me though and would usually order my drinks for me. I could not expect my colleagues from work to do the same and would try and avoid evenings out with them.

I always wanted to have a girlfriend, however this involves meeting her parents and friends, lots of socialising, phone calls including the initial phone call. Stuttering would be more prevalent on the phone than in any other situation for myself. This for me would take courage and it was not until I was eighteen that I went on my first date. I took a young lady to a public house and to say I was nervous was an understatement, mainly it has to be said about stuttering in front of her. When entering the pub I stated that I needed to go to the toilet and asked if she would order the drinks including a diet coke for myself. I did not need the toilet; I just did not want to order the drinks. I later explained to her about the stutter I had and she was surprisingly fine about it.

At the age of twenty-two I had been dating a young lady for a couple of years and she started talking about marriage. Fear of stuttering as usual held me back and I could not go through with the wedding. I felt it was a certainty that I would stutter when saying the vows and making the speech. A few months later she left me. This was the final straw I was now desperate to overcome the stutter.

Gaining employment and working your way up the career ladder can prove difficult for somebody who has a stutter. Most people stutter more when under pressure, therefore interviews can be very stressful. On a personal level it took a number of months to find my first position in employment. I always felt that stuttering held me back and that my full potential in my career and on a personal level could not be reached.

Stephen Hill is somebody who has overcome a stammer/stutter and who now helps other people to achieve fluency. Stephen runs one to one speech courses held in Birmingham, England. For people who are unable to attend there is a seventy minute dvd available. His main website is at http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk. He also has a website at http://www.stutter-stuttering.com.