The origins of cocktails and a couple of classic recipes

Cocktails are still as popular as ever, and with home bar and cocktail kits on the market, cocktails are a great way to get your party going. There’s no limit to the number of cocktails you can try – and if you start to run out, you can always create your own.

The source of the first “real” cocktail is unclear. Drinks have been mixed for hundreds of years, but powerful spirit concoctions, and the name “cocktail” are thought to have originated inNew Yorkaround the time of the American War of Independence, although claims about the invention of the name have come from as far afield asMexicoandEngland.

Cocktails were first written about in the early 19^th century, and one of the most famous cocktails of all time, theManhattan, was invented in the Manhattan Bar in 1874, at the request of Winston Churchill’s mother, who was giving a party there at the time.

Between 1920 and 1933, the USA was in the throes of prohibition, and many cocktails using fruit juice were invented at this time, to disguise the use and taste of alcohol in the drink. Since then, cocktail drinkers and makers have become ever more inventive with their drinks, resulting in a huge array of cocktails becoming available in bars and at home for parties.

ManhattanCocktail

1 ½oz. Whiskey or Bourbon, ¾oz. Sweet Vermouth, Dash of Bitters (if desired)

Build in a rocks glass or stir over ice & strain into a chilled cocktail glass to serve up, garnish with a cherry.

For a Perfect Manhattan: use equal parts of sweet & dry vermouth and garnish with a lemon twist

Cosmopolitan

4 parts Citron Vodka, 2 parts Cointreau or Triple Sec, 1 part Lime juice (preferably fresh), 2 parts Cranberry juice

Shake over ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Whilst fitting a good alarm is important, these systems by themselves may not provide total protection.

Even connected alarm systems do not prevent break-ins. If burglars are after something specific, they will take their chances with the alarm, particularly if the house is in a neighbourhood where most people are at work during the day and there is no-one to report the alarm.

There are other measures you can take to improve your home security:

Boundaries

Make sure that your boundaries are as secure as possible. Put up fencing and grow plants such as holly, hawthorn and roses, which are spiky and discourage people from climbing. Have a gate at the bottom of your path or drive, and make sure it’s shut at night or when you don’t need access. A squeaky or heavy gate may make the burglar move on. Check your boundaries regularly and fix any broken fencing or walling that may provide easy access to your property.

The Exterior

Do not leave garden equipment or toys outside overnight. Put everything away in a locked garage or shed. Remove anything that could be used to shatter windows or force open doors. If you have a car, put it in the garage of possible; if there isn’t a garage available, make sure the car is properly locked and that there is nothing on display for thieves to see. If you are working in the garden, make sure that any doors you can’t see are locked. Many burglaries happen when front doors are unlocked and homeowners are in the back garden.

Windows and Doors

Windows and doors are the most obvious way of entry into your home. Your windows should be lockable, and your doors should have more than one strong locking mechanism. We have fitted and upgraded alarm systems in the Kent area to include window contacts and glass sensors, which will trigger when a pane of glass is shattered.

Keys and Codes

Never leave keys where they can be seen or stolen. Although a key rack near the door sounds like a good idea, it makes it incredibly easy for a burglar to open the door and steal the keys to your home, car, office, garage and anything else you have. Make sure you keep your keys away from view, and preferably not all on the same key ring.

All alarm systems have security codes, to allow the homeowner or key holders to access the property. Do not write this code down anywhere, and especially not near to your keypad. The code is usually  a 4 digit number, which can be easily committed to memory. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Typesofcrime/DG_182053

If your business has moved into a new property, or if you thinking of installing or upgrading your alarm system, you should consider undertaking a security survey.

A commercial security survey will help you to identify areas where you may need to make changes or install systems that will protect your business and its employees. There are several things that you will need to consider, and once you have identified your priorities, a call to Nightforce Security will allow us to come and advise you on the best fire and alarm systems for your business.

You will need to look at internal and external factors, including things like car parking, entry to your premises and fire safety. At the very least, you should consider the following:

Outside

You should be sure that your building is both safe outside, and that it doesn’t offer any easy opportunities for burglars.

-               If you have shrubs or hedges close to your building, check if they are big enough to hide behind     and make a note to maintain them regularly.

-               Look at your car parking arrangements. Are any cars or trade vehicles left on the premises              overnight?

-               Check exterior windows and doors. This is where break-ins occur, so make sure that window           frames are sound and that door locks are well-fitted and the doors strong enough to withstand attack.

-               Many industrial buildings have flat roofs. Check that there is no easy way for burglars to gain        access to the roof and that it is in good condition. Pay particular attention to any roof lights or                other glazing.

Inside

If you already have an alarm system, you should check that it provides adequate coverage for your building, and that it is serviced annually, if not every six months.

-               Is there a policy for checking the building at night?

-               Smoke control systems

-               Do you need a safe to store valuable items overnight or when your business is closed?

-               Are your window locks strong, and can your door locks be reached if a window or glazed door is    smashed?

-               Is the building fitted with smoke detectors and is there a recognised way of evacuating the               building that has been communicated to employees?

-               Are there blinds at the windows to prevent thieves seeing what’s inside?

You may find that your existing security is good enough. On the other hand, you may need to install a better fire alarm system, upgrade your existing security alarm and consider key-less door entry to reduce the risk of your property being breached by intruders. At Nightforce Security, we have over 20 years experience advising on and installing alarm systems in Kent for commercial clients. We would be happy to talk to you about your requirements.

Organic food and everything associated with it (doorstep delivery, restaurants, holidays etc) has becoming increasingly popular over the last decade and surveys suggest that the Organic Food Industry is set to continue in its growth from strength to strength. The UK is one of the main outlets for organic food in Europe and the Government has set targets that suggest that by 2010 70% of all organic food sold

in England is sourced by English farms. If you are interested in switching over to organic food you are sure to find our investigation below of the basics of organic food extremely beneficial.

What is organic food?

Organic food is food produced by growers and farmers who are authorised and registered by organic certification bodies which are regulated by the United Kingdom of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) or EU equivalents. This ensures that all food labelled organic meets strict regulated standards.

What are the main features of farming organic food?

Organic farming recognises that there is a connection between human health and the health of the food we eat. As such, organic farmers aim to produce food using natural methods, avoiding use of pesticides and chemicals as much as possible. The main features of organic farming are as follows:

• All organic food must be made up of at least 95% organic ingredients
• All food is correctly labelled with the registered organic certification body
• Healthy, living, fertile soil is used and then revitalised with compost
• Crops are rotated to prevent soil depletion
• Use of genetically modified crop and seeds is prohibited
• Animals are treated humanely and only fed on organic feeds. Parasite problems are not controlled through drugs but instead are prevented through regular re-location to new pastures
• Stringent restrictions placed on use of artificial chemical fertilisers and pesticides

As an increasing number of women are now in full-time or part-time employment and are also returning to work after having children much quicker than previous generations, the attitudes towards women at work is going through a transitional phase. The State Pension scheme is similarly going through a state of transition regarding women and their pensions. If you are seeking professional pension advice regarding the best private pension scheme for you, it is important that you fully understand your financial situation in your future. This means understanding what State Pension you will be entitled to in the future. Below we examine how the State Pension is changing towards women?

At the moment women can retire at the age of 60 and receive a State Pension and for men this happens at the age of 65. However, this is all set to change. Between 2010 and 2020 the state pension age will change so that it is 65 for both. This will not affect any women born before 1950. This will need to be taken into account when deciding on what extra pension measures might be needed to ensure a stable financial future.

The other thing to consider when working out how much State Pension you will receive is that in a women’s employment history may have periods without any contributions. Over recent years a woman’s income may now be more equal to a man’s but her employment history may still have gaps because she has fulfilled the role of a carer of maybe she was on a low income. In some circumstances this may mean that you are able to claim for Home Responsibilities Protection. This protection helps ensure that a person’s basic State Pension is covered. At the moment, the average person will have to make 44 full years of National Insurance Contributions in order to qualify for a full State Pension. However, if you stop work to look after your children or if you are a full-time carer you may be entitled to Home Protection cover if you have made 20 full years of National Insurance Contributions. This will increase to needing 22 full years after 2020 when women will be working until the age of 65.

Find out about enhanced annuities with www.pensionlite.co.uk.

You’ve decided to buy a property on the Costa Brava, but what sort of property will you choose? To find out more about living abroad visit: http://www.livingabroadmagazine.com/

Before you go shopping for your new home, you need to make sure that you know what you want. Why are you buying this property? Is it to rent to tourists, or for your own holidays, or are you planning to move toSpainpermanently?

The answer to this question will determine the types of property that you look at. If you are planning to rent to holidaymakers, you need to know what market you are aiming at – if it is a family market, then large apartments on the beach, or a good-sized villa with a pool could be what you need. If you’re thinking of renting to singles or couples, however, you won’t need as much space, but you will definitely need to buy where the action is, and that means the most popular resorts along the coast.

If you are planning on using your property as a holiday home for yourself, then of course you need to make sure that it’s somewhere that you want to be. You will need to employ someone to look after the property whilst you’re not there, and to clean it in between visits, especially if you are renting it out to friends and family during the year. Remember that if you decide you want to move to a bigger property, or change to just a rental property, you can always sell your original property and buy another one.Costa Bravaproperty holds its price very well so you will be well-placed to sell if you want to.

Many people choose to buy a villa rather than an apartment. This is often because a villa best mirrors the properties we have in theUK, but with the added bonus of a swimming pool and good eating terraces. Villas are often slightly further away from the beach, but you can buy them in complexes that include golf courses, swimming pools, spas, restaurants, shops and more. You could also choose to buy a villa in a more remote location, where you are part of the local community rather than part of the tourist industry. This type of lifestyle doesn’t suit everyone, however, so you should be very sure that this is what you want to do.

Whether you’re buying wine as an investment, or just getting some good bottles to drink, it’s important that it’s stored properly. Badly stored, wine can be spoiled and become undrinkable, worthless, or both. Whilst we associate wine cellars with country mansions and expensive collections, the reality is that anyone can store wine properly. The type of storage you choose will be based on the space you have, the sort of wine you buy and the amount of money you can spend. Find the latest wine news here: http://www.decanter.com/

Contrary to popular belief, a wine cellar doesn’t have to be below ground. It can be in any part of the house, although avoid storing wines in your attic or roof space, as it’s almost impossible to control the temperature. This is the most important aspect of a wine cellar, as it is the conditions outside the bottle that most affect the liquid inside it.

If you choose a room inside your house as your wine cellar, then minimise light by drawing curtains or blinds and minimise heat by turning off radiators and other heat sources. This will help to keep the room cool. Invest in an electronic thermometer, which can record the room’s maximum and minimum temperatures. Use a cup or other small container filled with water to maintain some humidity. If your collection is particularly valuable, then you will need to spend more time on insulating and controlling the humidity and temperature in your room. If the room is too damp or humid, then it will damage the labels on your bottles, so you won’t know what you’ve got, and you won’t be able to re-sell if you want to.

If you don’t have space for a full-blown wine cellar, look at the option of a temperature controlled wine cabinet – which is very much like a fridge, but with temperature settings best suited to keeping wine. These wine cabinets come in a variety of sizes, so even if you are in a small flat, a 24 bottle model will not take up much space, and you can be sure that your wine will be in good condition when you open it. And that, after all, is the most important thing.

Turn your holiday photos into art masterpieces with photo printing on canvas.

The world of art is ever evolving and so are the ways in which we store it. Many people store their pictures of holidays, loved ones and special occasions tucked away in a photo album which is in turn tucked away in a cupboard in some remote part of the house. The main purpose of taking a photo is to preserve memories of our favorite times and favorite people alike. But preserving your most treasured photographs needn’t mean hiding them. Photo printing on canvas art is easy with stunning results.

 Showcase Your Memories

Instead of having to dig out the photo album or view your pictures on a small screen, wouldn’t it be easier if you could have your most treasured memories on display for all to see at any time. Photo printing on canvas allows you to showcase your most cherished photos in the form of art, from golf prints to family shots. Many photographs can lose their vivid colour and lighten with age. Rather than letting your photographs fade into the background adorn your walls with a family portrait with a difference. The canvas maintains the exact colours that were in the original photograph while being fade resistant with a lifetime quality guarantee. Alternatively you may prefer to have your favorite photos replicated in classic neutral colours, or black and white.

Photo Printing on Canvas-The Options

If you are looking to have your photo printed on canvas there are a number of options. Only the highest quality materials are used and you can rest assured your photographs are in the safest of hands. You can have your photo printed onto a canvas in a range of sizes. You can also turn your original art work or your children’s drawings and doodles into canvas art. You can get not only original photographs but also digital snaps printed on to canvas.