Easy and refreshing fruit salad recipes

Fruit salad is probably one of the easiest and tastiest things in the world to make. Any seven-year old can whip up their salad in no time at all. In fact, for a real bonding time with your kids, you can involve them in the kitchen and have fun whipping up this fabulous desert.

This is particularly popular during the summer when fresh fruits abound, however, summer or winter, it doesn't really matter as fruits grow all year round. There's really nothing to putting together fruit salad rcipes. The secret is really just in picking out the best fruits. Below are fantastic fruit salad recipes you can do in your very own kitchen:

CRANBERRY APPLE SALAD:*

Dressing Ingredients:

2/3 cup Sour Cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Salad Ingredients:

2 medium (2 cups) apples, cubed 1/2 inch

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/2 cup seedless green grapes, halved

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 rib (1/2 cup)

celery, chopped

1.Combine sour cream and mayonnaise in small bowl; set aside.

2.Place apples and lemon juice in large bowl; gently toss. Add all remaining salad ingredients. Add dressing; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

FRUIT SALAD WITH CITRUS-CILANTRO DRESSING

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained (or better yet, 2 1/2 to 3 cups fresh pineapple chunks)

3 grapefruits, peeled and sectioned

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 mango pitted, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons honey

1.Combine pineapple, grapefruit, strawberries and mango in a large serving bowl; set aside.

2.In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, lime juice and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and discard cilantro. Stir in honey. Pour over fruit mixture and toss until evenly coated.

FLUFFY PISTACHIO FRUIT SALAD

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, not drained

1 (4-serving size) package instant pistachio pudding mix

1 (12-ounce) container non dairy whipped topping, thawed

2 large bananas, sliced

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 (17-ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

Pour instant pudding mix into a large mixing bowl. Add pineapple, and mix well. Mix in nondairy whipped topping. Stir in bananas, marshmallows, fruit cocktail, and mandarin oranges.

Cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

*From Cooks Recipes. com

Crime victim know your rights

The chances are good that the person sitting next to you may have been a victim of a crime. Statistics indicate that 8 out of 12 Americans will become victims of a crime at least once in their lifetime. Most people think of violent crimes-rape, assault, robbery-when they think of victims.

But not all victims experience crimes of violence. According to the Office for Victims of Crime, frauds, identity theft and financial schemes victimize millions of Americans each year. Consumers fall prey to phony investment scams, get-rich-quick schemes, foreign lotteries, telemarketing fraud, Internet scams and identity theft every day. Millions of hard-earned dollars and life savings of victims line the pockets of scammers, who have no regard for their victims or the damage they've done to their lives.

Last year, 10 million Americans became victims of identity theft, according to the Better Business Bureau, with a loss of over $50 billion. Insurance frauds cost the average family $400-$700 per year in higher insurance premiums. And fraudsters in the multibillion dollar telemarketing industry target older Americans, with an estimated loss of over $500 million.

Victims often feel helpless in the aftermath of a crime. They feel alone and isolated by the crime and many are financially devastated. If you or someone you know or love does become a victim of a financial crime or any other type of crime, there are countless professionals and volunteers who stand ready to help cope with the consequences of the crime, to offer support, and to provide guidance that can help victims better understand their options.

The good news is that there are laws ready to protect victims. The Federal Crime Victims' Bill of Rights was created to give victims a proper place in the criminal justice system, ensure they have the opportunity to be heard and provide assistance to further their recovery process. Most states also have victims' rights laws for cases handled in the local criminal justice system.

Spiritual web site sees significant growth

DailyWord, a 21st-century outgrowth of the Daily Word magazine, has grown from an initial user base of 150 to more than 30,000 since its launch in March 2005.

"Our goal was to make Daily Word conveniently available to as many people as possible at any time, day or night," said Tom Zender, president and chief executive officer of Unity, the publisher of the magazine. "More and more people are turning to the Internet for spiritual guidance and enrichment, so to serve spiritual seekers well, we needed to be where they are."

Daily Word has been published since 1924, making it the oldest continually published daily inspirational magazine in the nation. The print version is published in seven languages and has more than 1 million readers in at least 180 countries and territories around the world.

Unity is a transdenominational organization based near Kansas City, Mo., whose goal is to help people of all faiths apply positive spiritual principles to their lives.

Besides offering access to daily messages of inspiration, DailyWord. com provides messages that reflect on current events. DailyWord. com was able to respond quickly with a request for affirmative prayers for the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the hurricanes in the U. S., the earthquake in Pakistan and the mining accident in West Virginia.

DailyWord also offers premium privileges to paid members. For example, members can share thoughts and feelings about daily messages or other spiritual-related topics in the Daily Word Cafe.

"Another benefit for paid members is the online Daily Word archives. We now have all Daily Word messages included in the DailyWord. com archives going back to 1924. This is a total of more than 25,000 individual daily inspirational messages," said Zender. "People love to search these archives to find the messages from significant milestone dates in their lives or in history. Many members tell us they e-mail specific messages to their friends or print them for keepsakes."

Zender said the percentage of trial members who decide to stay with DailyWord has been outstanding.

"We're so gratified that 98 percent of our members stay with us beyond their 14-day free trial period," he said. "This tells us people are receiving from Daily Word. com the spiritual content and inspiration they need."

Mma-101

What is mma? Mma stands for mixed martial arts. Mixed martial arts is the blending of two or more fighting systems. The most common styles combined are striking and ground techniques. In the early days of mma competitions in the U. S., The ground fighters had an advantage because most of the stand up fighters were not prepared if the fight went to the ground. An interesting transformation took place. Stand up fighters began to train in submission fighting, ground fighters began to train in stand up, and a new breed of fighter was born into the world of mma in the U. S.

There are several components to mma. Striking. This is where the fighter attempts to punch, kick, elbow, or knee his opponent into a K. O., submission, or referee stoppage. Submission. This is when a fighter forces his opponent to "tap-out" (give up) due to a joint manipulation technique such as an arm bar, or a strangulation technique like a rear naked choke. Ground and pound. A fighter takes down his opponent, mounts him, and pummels him with strikes until a K. O. or referee stoppage. Take down. When a fighter takes his opponent to the mat with intention of submission or ground and pound. Sprawl. A tactic used when an opponent shoots in for a take down. The defending opponent will place his hands on the shoulders of the attacker and sprawl his legs out behind him to prevent the take down. Shoot. To dive in on an opponent's legs for a take down. There are many more components to mma, but these are the basics. More will be covered in following articles.

Mma Physical training. Along with their mma training, most fighters incorporate a rigorous Physical training program. Many fighters use weight training styles that increase muscle endurance, cardio styles that include rope skipping, sprints, and other high intensity activities. The goal of this training is to prepare the fighter to withstand several rounds and still have enough energy to fight efficiently.

Mma safety. To this day not one report of serious injury or death has been reported during a sanctioned mma fight. The same cannot be said for boxing. In mma events if you are knocked senseless you do not get a standing count to recover and get pummeled some more. The referees are very careful not to let a fighter get severely injured.

The recent popularity of mma has come to be due to the popularity of a certain reality show. Mma is a difficult sport to be involved in and requires a lot of physical and mental training. It also requires a lot of time to reach the level of the guys that you see on TV. Mma stars are not made over night. Most of them have spent a lot of time competing in smaller amateur circuits.

Mma events are exciting to watch and lets man get in touch with his inner self seeing modern day gladiators go toe to toe with respect in a modern day coliseum!

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not instruction.

Renault eyes purchasing saab

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With the misfortunes of America’s two largest automakers being trumpeted frequently on the news, it seems as if little attention is being paid to some of the other automakers out there. France’s Renault, once in poor shape itself, has rebounded nicely and is prospering with its relationship with Nissan, a company it has controlling interest in. Speculation is that Renault wants a greater piece of the luxury car market, even beyond Nissan’s luxury division, Infiniti. Would General Motors consider selling Saab to Renault or would the French automaker be better off looking elsewhere? Let’s take a look at some options for Renault.

Make a bid for Saab. It is no secret that the Swedish automaker hasn’t been much of a hit for General Motors. Unlike the other Swedish automaker Volvo, itself owned by Ford, Saab has produced little benefit for GM since being brought into the fold in 1990. A clash in management styles hasn’t helped with GM’s line management style going up against Saab’s egalitarian style. Although not exactly a luxury line, Saab could be upgraded and give Renault renewed access to the American market and much needed cash for GM.

Go after Jaguar. Much like Saab’s relationship with GM, Jaguar hasn’t done a lot for Ford. Unlike GM, however, Ford has handled its international acquisitions much better and has allowed its new holdings to continue to plan and expand their product lines without excessive dictation from Detroit. Still, the value of Jaguar remains strong and the time for Ford to sell this British automaker off would be now. Let’s just see how well the French and British work things out too!

Ramp up Infiniti. Even in expressing interest in acquiring another automaker, Renault does have its own “in house” luxury line in Infiniti. After a poor start, Infiniti has strengthened its product line and is better poised to compete against Lexus and Acura. A careful “retuning” of Infiniti could also yield a line of cars better suited to compete against BMW and Mercedes who essentially lead the luxury car market in the Europe. Working with the existing lnfiniti brand would be cost effective too.

Introduce a new luxury line. Much as Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have introduced luxury lines of their own vehicles, Renault could do the same and profit immensely. With Hyundai expected to do the same, Renault’s new luxury division could give the automaker instant access to the luxury market and prepare the company for reentry into the U. S.

As much as General Motors and Ford are reeling right now, neither Saab nor Jaguar may be auctioned off. At present, both Swedish automakers have a significant cross division investment that cannot be easily disconnected. Planned vehicles in the Saab pipeline would have to be scuttled, which would effectively reduce the automaker’s value overnight.

Renault may still be eyeing Saab, but the logistics aren’t that easily worked out.

Beauty secrets don t only hide in a bottle they can also be found in our refrigerator

Thanks to technological advances, experts in dermatology have been able to observe the effect that our diet has on our skin’s texture and appearance.

Many recent studies in dermatology confirm that the most significant factor in skincare does not only depend on the cosmetics that we apply (which, of course, do make a difference) but also largely on our diet.

So…which diet should we implement to look great?

WATER

Our body is 70 percent water; therefore, it’s logical that any lack of sufficient water intake will affect our appearance.

That’s why drinking water is undoubtedly the easiest and most efficient way of preventing the signs of aging, maintaining the skin smooth and the body healthy.

HOW DOES WATER AFFECT OUR SKIN?

Water eliminates the toxins in our body that are daily stored up through contact with pollutants, tobacco smoke, stress and other sources of free radical formation. Concretely, free radicals are the principal cause of skin diseases and premature aging.

Water not only gives skin a more youthful appearance but also eliminates all of these elements, which cause the appearance of acne. Acne is formed by the accumulation of bacteria, oil, dead skin and dirt on the skin. Even for those with oily skin and problems with acne, water is needed to wash away both internal and external impurities.

Additionally, water helps vitamins and nutrients to easily flow throughout the body. In particular, it collaborates with all of the body’s organs to distribute vitamins E, C and B12, which help maintain the skin smooth and young.

HOW MUCH WATER DO I NEED TO DRINK DAILY?

Normally it’s recommended that a person drink at least a liter and a half of water, although many dermatologists recommend increasing the dose to two or three daily liters.

WHEN IS IT ESSENTIAL TO DRINK WATER?

It’s very important to drink and recuperate lost fluid after exercising or sunbathing. Don’t forget that water is good not only for your organism but also for your outward appearance.

WATER INSIDE AND WATER OUTSIDE

When cleansing facial skin or the body, it’s best that the water be lukewarm. Very hot water can dry out the skin excessively, but at an adequate temperature, its cleansing power is enormous.

BEAUTY TRICK

Drink water in the morning; it will help eliminate a puffy or swollen face.

Who would have thought that water would end up being one of the most relevant beauty secrets in the new millennium?

Innovative sites provide opportunities for knowledge creation and sharing

If you've ever wanted to have an encyclopedia at your fingertips - or contribute to a public encyclopedia, - you'll embrace a growing trend: online knowledge sharing. This type of collaborative, question-driven knowledge system gathers questions and answers on thousands - or hundreds of thousands - of topics, and then organizes the topics and provides easy access to the knowledge base for users. In practice, college students benefit because they can contribute what they know, as well as learn about a variety of topics. It also acts as a social network, in that they can also form communities with those who have similar interests and work together to create a reliable source of information on specific topics.

For writers, such an encyclopedia provides them with the opportunity to share their knowledge with others, as well as to use the knowledge base as a source of research for their work. Generally speaking, a question-driven knowledge system enables anyone to ask questions on topics that do not yet appear. Then, an expert in that particular field can provide a reliable, knowledgeable answer. It's a quick, easy way to get the research needed for essays, term papers, and articles.

How to Spot the Best Share and Create Systems

When it comes to knowledge sites, look for one that provides easy search mechanisms for finding questions and answers. This way, you won't get frustrated reading redundant questions. The best sites also provide a bookmark feature, so questions can be saved for future reference or for update notifications. Other features of the best sites include a discussion forum that is separate from the knowledge base, community-building features, and the ability to check the editing history of a question or of a contributor.

Sometimes, knowledge-based create-and-share websites offer incentives for contributions, such as free advertising or ads revenue sharing. As the knowledge base grows and attracts new college students, writers, and professionals, these incentives tend to grow.

Daily Expansion

A knowledge-driven site's question and answer system typically grows on a daily basis, and eventually covers tens of thousands of topics. The topics can range from gardening, parenting, and pets to gas mileage, mortgages, and water conservation. That's one reason why college students and writers find this type of service helpful. Since they often research a variety of topics on a regular basis, this one-stop system is perfect.

These kinds of specific Web services are bringing together professionals, writers, and college students to create a vast knowledge base, special knowledge-sharing communities, and questions and answers that can benefit anyone in any field. And the best news of all is these sites are free for everyone to enjoy. It's like having a group of experts on speed dial!