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What do you need to learn to make everyday life easier and more fun? Maybe it’s meal planning. Or playing bartender at parties. Want to learn to change the oil in your car? Train your cocker spaniel or use your fancy new camera? We’ve got the 411.
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Cheat Sheet / Updated 06-05-2024
Controls on Your Nikon D5100 Digital CameraWith the D5100 digital camera, Nikon proves once again that you don't have to give an arm and a leg — or strain your back and neck — to enjoy dSLR photography. The D5100 addition to the Nikon family of dSLRs doesn't skimp on power or performance, offering a great set of features to help you take your photography to the next level. To help you get started using your D5100 camera, here's a handy reference to your camera's buttons and dials and automatic and advanced exposure modes.
View Cheat SheetArticle / Updated 05-31-2024
Your fishing rod has a limit to how much weight it can lift and cast effectively. This is called the “power” of the rod. Anglers can use this chart as a guide to match up the right rod, lure weight, and line size for the right balance. Rod Power Lure Weight Line Size Ultralight 1/64–1/16 oz 1–4 lb test Light 1/16–1/4 oz 4–8 lb test Medium Light 1/4–1/2 oz 6–10 lb test Medium 1/2–1 oz 8–12 lb test Medium Heavy 1–4 oz 12–25 lb test Heavy 4–8 oz 20–40 lb test Extra Heavy 8 oz and above 25 lb test and above
View ArticleCheat Sheet / Updated 05-14-2024
Skateboarding is a form of transportation, an extreme sport, a fun activity, a full-body workout, and a fascinating subculture all rolled into one, and it’s a community that welcomes everyone. If you’ve been thinking about skateboarding and don’t know how to get started, you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll find skateboarding tips for beginners, instructions on how to adjust your skateboard to make it easier to keep your balance, techniques for stopping in an emergency, tips for getting sponsored, and a mini-glossary that’ll have you speaking like a skateboarder before you even lace up your first pair of skate shoes. Keep it fun! Learning to skateboard requires time and effort, but it should be fun work, not the kind of work you dread doing. Keeping it fun means you’ll do it more and be more creative while building the confidence and coordination you need to excel.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 05-14-2024
Riding a bike is one of the greatest things on earth, offering low-impact recreation, affordable transportation, and life-changing freedom for folks around the world. It’s also a heckuva lot of fun! Before you can feel confident knowing where to begin there is a lot to know before buying a bicycle, and lots to know about fixing and maintaining one, too!
View Cheat SheetArticle / Updated 04-12-2024
The sheer variety of golf clubs you need can be overwhelming. Once you have all the clubs you need and you hit the links, how do you know which club to use for each shot? The following table gives you a quick guide to the kinds of clubs in your bag and the shots you take with them. Club What It’s For Driver Teeing off — and very occasionally hitting from a good lie in the fairway Hybrid club Getting shots of 150+ yards airborne 2- to 9-iron Hitting toward the green, usually from 120–190 yards away — use low-numbered irons for longer shots, high-numbered irons for shorter shots Wedges Hitting short, high shots from near the green or from sand bunkers Putter Rolling the ball into the hole after it’s on the green (or occasionally from just off the green) To figure out which golf club to use for a specific shot, you need to know the average distance you hit a ball with each golf club in your set. Then, you simply choose the golf club that fits the distance you need to hit. The best way to find out is to hit about 50 balls with each club. Eliminate the longest five and the shortest five, and then figure out the middle of the remaining group. That’s your average yardage. This table shows how far the average golfer generally hits with each club when he or she makes solid contact. When you start to play this game, you probably won’t attain these yardages — but while you practice, you can get closer to these numbers. Which Club Should You Use? Club Men’s Average Distance Women’s Average Distance Driver 230 yards 200 yards 3-wood 210 yards 180 yards 2-iron 190 yards Not recommended; 4-wood or hybrid = 170 yards 3-iron 180 yards Not recommended; 5-wood or hybrid = 160 yards 4-iron 170 yards 150 yards (consider a hybrid, instead) 5-iron 160 yards 140 yards 6-iron 150 yards 130 yards 7-iron 140 yards 120 yards 8-iron 130 yards 110 yards 9-iron 120 yards 100 yards Pitching wedge 110 yards 90 yards Sand wedge 90 yards 80 yards Lob wedge 65 yards 60 yards
View ArticleCheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2024
Planning what you eat, your activity level, and the amount of food you eat are all powerful steps to improving your health. Managing diabetes means prioritizing your health and the way that you feel. Choosing the best foods and discovering how to combine them is key to achieving the best, most delicious, enjoyable, and sustainable diet.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2024
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Article / Updated 02-26-2024
Springtime in the Mediterranean (March through May) brings warm weather and new crops such as brightly colored, pencil-thin asparagus; dark leafy greens; and artichokes. Nothing is quite like seeing these welcoming veggies lined up in the produce aisle or at the farmers' market after a long, cold winter. Here are some simple Mediterranean-inspired veggie dishes to go along perfectly with a spring meal. Roasted Grapes with Walnuts and Feta Preparation Time: 8 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings 1 pound red grapes, washed, dried and de-stemmed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup walnuts 1/4 cup feta Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the grapes out evenly. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, honey, and vinegar and drizzle over the grapes to coat. Place the grapes in the oven and drop the heat to 400 degrees. Roast the grapes for 15 minutes. To serve, top the grapes with the walnuts and feta. PER SERVING: Calories 234 (From Fat 119); Fat 14g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 8mg; Sodium 91mg; Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 3g. Braised Artichokes Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 23 minutes Yield: 6 servings 4 small artichokes 1 lemon 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 leek 4 cloves garlic, sliced 1/4 cup mint or basil, chopped 1-1/2 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup white wine Salt to taste Using a sharp knife, cut off the tip of the artichoke stems and remove the artichokes' tough outer leaves. Cut a 1/2-inch piece off the top of each artichoke and trim any remaining thorns on the tips. Cut the artichokes in half. Place all the halves in a large bowl of water. To prevent browning, slice the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the water, and place the lemon halves in the water as well. Using a spoon or paring knife, cut out the purple choke (not to be confused with the heart) in the center of the artichoke. Slice each artichoke half into 4 to 6 wedges and return them to the lemon water. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cut the leek into 1/4-inch slices, separate the rings, and rinse well to remove any sand. Add the leeks and garlic to the heated olive oil and sauté for 6 minutes. Drain the artichokes and pat dry. Add the mint and artichokes to the pan and continue to cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the stock. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover for 10 minutes. Stir in the white wine and simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and serve. PER SERVING: Calories 152 (From Fat 85); Fat 9g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 1mg; Sodium 113mg; Carbohydrate 12g (Dietary Fiber 5g); Protein 4g. You can save time by using frozen artichoke hearts rather than cutting them fresh. Just thaw them out and skip to Step 3. Leeks are grown in sandy soil, so rinsing fresh leeks well and separating the rings to remove all sandy debris is important. Grilled Fennel Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes Yield: 4 servings 2 fennel bulbs 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄8 teaspoon salt 1⁄8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 orange 1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Cut the fennel bulbs in half, drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with the salt and red pepper flakes. Grill the fennel for 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Using a sharp knife, cut the skin away from the orange, removing the white outer portion. Cut the orange in half; break it into segments. Toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring or tossing constantly to avoid burning. Sprinkle the almonds over the orange slices. Thinly slice the fennel and toss it with the orange slices and almonds. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve. PER SERVING: Calories 169 (From Fat 103); Fat 11g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 235mg; Carbohydrate 16g (Dietary Fiber 6g); Protein 4g. You can see how to cut fennel for this recipe here.
View ArticleCheat Sheet / Updated 02-23-2024
Once you know what makes houseplants happy, growing them is a snap. If you start with one of the 10 easy houseplants I suggest and then follow the guidelines and tips in this Cheat Sheet, you’ll have a green thumb before you know it. You can then join the large and growing clan of dedicated houseplant lovers, and you may even decide to branch out with more difficult plants or crafts, such as creating your own corsage. Good luck and welcome to the club!
View Cheat SheetArticle / Updated 02-22-2024
A corsage is a wearable flower arrangement. Although some people think corsages are unfashionable (or even corny), I guarantee that if you make one for yourself or your partner for a special occasion, you’ll get loads of compliments. Many houseplants’ flowers and foliage make stunning and long-lasting corsages, and you can create one yourself relatively quickly. Some examples are anthuriums, various ferns, many orchids, and gardenias. Follow these steps: Remove the flower you want to use from its plant, keeping about 3 inches (7.6 cm) of the stem. Wrap the stem with florist’s wire as shown in the first photo. Start at the top and work your way down to the base of the stem. Two or three passes are sufficient. Cut the excess wire with wire cutters or utility scissors. Wrap florist’s tape around the flower stem as shown in the second photo. You can purchase this tape at craft stores, online, or from florists. As with the florist’s wire, start at the top and work your way down to the base of the stem. Cut the excess tape with utility scissors. If you want, you can add a fern frond or some other delicately textured green foliage to the corsage (see the third photo). Hold the frond against the stem and at the back of the flower. Fasten the foliage to the flower stem by wrapping them both with another layer of tape. For a decorative touch, you can add a ribbon, and don’t forget to provide a florist’s pin like the one shown in the fourth photo. Now you’re ready to go to the ball! Place the finished corsage in a sealed rigid plastic container or in a plastic bag and keep it in your refrigerator until it’s ready to be worn. For more houseplant know-how, check out the Houseplants & Succulents For Dummies Cheat Sheet or buy the book.
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