The must-have kitchen tool that makes prepping herbs so much easier

By
Monica Pop
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Whether fresh or dried, herbs make dishes more flavorful. They add to the taste and the texture and are irreplaceable part of every cuisine.

Of course, it’s safe to say that when used fresh, herbs intensify the taste even further. One drawback, however, of using fresh herbs instead of their dried counterparts is the time it takes to wash them, strip them, and chop them. This is one of the reasons people avoid using them when cooking.

Luckily, there are kitchen tools and gadgets which facilitate the process of preparing herbs to use them fresh. One of those is the underrated herb stripper.

This tool, which speeds the process of preparation significantly, helps remove leaves from stems. They come with different sized holes to fit different herbs, including bigger leafy vegetables as kale.

The usage is pretty simple. All you need to do is place the stem on one side of the fitting hole and pull it through until all the leaves come off.

Some herb strippers come with a blade and have bowls attached to catch the leaves as they go through the holes.

Jiaedge 9 Hole Stainless Steel Herb Stripper. Source: Amazon

Speaking of herbs and their wide usage in the cuisines from every corner of Earth, below is a list of some of the most widely used fresh herbs.

Basil is a flavorful, leafy green herb which comes in many varieties. Popular as a food seasoning and the main ingredient of the popular pesto sauce, this herb has found its way to almost every cuisine, despite being commonly found in Mediterranean recipes.

To get the most out of this herb add the leaves toward the end of the cooking process.

Rosemary goes ideally with dishes like lamb chops, chicken, roast beef, and roasted potatoes. However, it is also perfect for flatbread, sweet potato fries, and even in cake. The thing is that this herb is tough to prepare, which makes the herb stripper the ideal tool to use with it.

Cilantro, which comes from the fresh leaves of the coriander plant, is a herb that you either love or hate incorporated in your food. It is, however, a staple in Asian and Latin American food. Fresh cilantro tastes pungent, bright, lemony, and a little peppery, but many say it tastes like soap.

Dill, often paired with salmon, potatoes, and yogurt-based sauces, is commonly used to elevate the flavor of various dishes. It’s a delicate herb with a strong, fresh, earthy flavor.

Marjoram‘s flavour could be described like that of oregano, but milder and yet intense. While its leaves are nicely paired with salads, soups, sauces, and fish, its stems bring out the flavor when used in a stock or soup.

Thyme has a distinctive taste and that makes it a culinary staple to this day. Fresh leaves or whole sprigs can be used for meat or poultry. Thyme is also an excellent ingredient to use with fish. It also goes well in coctails.

Mint is used with a variety of dishes and goes well on top of fruit salads. It not only adds flavour, but it also helps reduce the intake of sodium and sugar at those who consume it. It is best to add raw mint leaves at the end of the cooking process. This helps them maintain their delicate flavor and texture.

Parsley is one of the most versatile herbs there are. Although the possibilities of its usage are endless, parsley is especially delicious with pasta, butter, eggs, and lemon.

Oregano is a herb quintessential to recipes like chili pasta and pizza sauces. Oregano provides antioxidants when people consume it in the diet. It can be grown in a pot on a windowsill or balcony or in the garden. It is a perennial, which means it can grow all year.

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Shania Twain is still one of the most gorgeous female musicians out there

By
Monica Pop
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With her enchanting music and hits such as Come on Over that topped the charts for a very long time, the ‘Queen of Country Pop,’ Shania Twain, caught the world by storm.

Born Eilleen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Ontario, on August 28, 1965, Shania and her two sisters were brought up by their mother and her husband Jerry Twain, whom they considered a real dad as their biological father didn’t have much to do with their upbringing.

During her young years, Shania’s life, and that of her family, wasn’t an easy one. They had a hard time make ends meet and didn’t have much food on the table although their adoptive father Jerry worked hard to provide for the family. There were times when they survived only on “goulash,” a dish consisting of dry bread with boiled milk and brown sugar. Despite the hardship, Shania never really shared details of her life with anyone because she was afraid that authorities could break her family apart if they knew how bad they lived and how much they struggled.

Beth Gwinn/Redferns

At one point of her life, Shania’s parents’ marriage turned into a rocky one and she forced her mother to leave Jerry, which is exactly what happened. But some time later, the two decided to give their relationship another try and stayed together until the tragic incident in which they both lost their lives. At the time her parents died in a crash after they collided with a truck loaded with timber, Shania had already been involved with music. In fact, she did gigs at the age of just eight. She performed at rural bars, and when she reached 13, she got to perform on the Tommy Hunter Show, a legendary country music variety show that aired on CBC Television and ran for 27 years. When she was 21, she relocated to Toronto, and just a year later, when both her parents died, she almost gave up on music in order to raise her two sisters and two brothers. “I thought, my family comes first. I have to take care of them. I didn’t even think of my future… I’m lucky I got the job at Deerhurst, because it was music. I didn’t know where I was going to go from there,” the singer said.

“I feel like I’ve been this tree with good sturdy roots for 30 years, then all of a sudden someone comes along and is trying to cut me down, cut a part me off,” Shania said of the loss of her parents.

“It was a very, very difficult time. But it was also a turning point in my life that, I think, matured me, brought me up to where I should have been in the first place at that age,” she told CBC.

Frank Mullen/WireImage

In 1993, after putting together a demo tape of her song, she caught the attention of a Mercury Nashville Records executive and released her self-titled debut album, Shania Twain. 

This album caught the attention of South African record producer Mutt Lange who offered to do some music for Shania. Partnering with him happened to be the best decision she could make at the time as it was then that she released some of her most prominent hits that turned her into a worldwide star almost over night. Even today, Come On Over is the ninth highest-selling album by any type of artist in the US, and the top-selling country album in history. 

During the late 90’s America went into “Shaniamania” frenzy.

Shania and Mutt Lange fell in love and tied the knot. They welcomed son Eja in 2001. The marriage resembled a picture perfect one and Shania denied every rumor published by the gossip columnists. “There’s been talk in the tabloids that we’re divorcing, but we are very happy. We love each other in every way. We have a great creative relationship and a great personal relationship. We feel as strong as ever – and “Still the One” is sort of my own personal song about marriage.”

But then in 2008, the couple divorced. The reason was a heartbreaking one. Mutt had an affair with Shania’s closest friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud, who entered the former-couple’s life when she was hired as Mutt’s personal assistant and a translator. “I’ll be honest: when your husband leaves you, and falls into the arms of your close friend, your self-esteem can really suffer,” Shania told EW, adding that she felt that she would die.

Some years later, in a strange twist of events, Shania found love again. This time, with Marie-Anne Thiébaud’s ex-husband, Frédéric Thiébaud, whom she married in 2008. It was the heartbreak they suffered by their former spouses that brought them together.

“I don’t take any day for granted any more. Fred has give me a new lease on love,” the country pop star told the Daily Mail.

Today, Shania lives in Switzerland, but she has her show in Las Vegas.

Her music and her incredible career was an inspiration for many singers to follow her path, among them Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood. “I think we were all definitely influenced by Shania, even if we don’t realize it. (Her music) was so different and kind of revolutionary at the time. She definitely paved the way for a lot of us,” Carrie Underwood told AP in 2016.

At the age of 56, Shania Twain looks as stunning as ever. She is believed to be a vegetarian who keeps her looks young by eating mostly raw food.

“I’m pretty insecure about my changing body… I’m letting ‘the girls’ hang loose under my sweat clothes around the house and when someone comes to the door, I cross my arms under them for support,” she told EW.

“For me personally, I’m sure it’s very different for everybody, but I just started with time. Stepping out of battles that I couldn’t win. I mean, you know, aging is a battle you can’t win,” she said in 2020, in the LadyGang podcast.

“That battle and the focus and energy it takes, is taking up too much space! In my life, my emotional state, my mental state. I’ve got songs to write. I’m not gonna sit around,” Shania said.

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Farmer finds pasture empty, sees all 32 dead cows in one big pile

By
Monica Pop
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Jared Blackwelder, a farmer from Springfield, Missouri, experienced the shock of his life when he went to the pasture to collect the cows for the evening milking.

To his disbelief, all of his 32 cows were piled on top of each other, dead on the mulch.

Blackwelder couldn’t believe his eyes and was initially unaware of what could have caused this horrific scene, but once he got to his senses, he realized that his cows were likely struck by lightning.

Stan Coday, president of the Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau, spoke to CBS News of Blackwelder misfortune and said, “[Blackwelder] went out to bring the cows in and that’s when he found them.

“It’s a common occurrence. It does happen. The thing that made this the worst was just the sheer number of cows that were affected.”

The vet who examined the dead cows determined that in was indeed lighting that claimed their lives.

It is believed that the animals were trying to find shelter and hide from the heavy rain and thunder, and that’s when they all gathered under a tree.

“You’re at the mercy of mother nature,” Coday said and added that he lost a cow in the same manner some years ago.

“It’s not like they are pets. But the ones I’m milking, I’ve raised every one of them,” Blackwelder told the Springfield News-Leader. “Dairy cattle are a little different because you mess with them twice a day. It knocks you hard.”

Sadly, the issue with this loss is that it is a financial one at the same time.

News-Leader reported that Blackwelder had insurance but is unsure if that would be enough to cover he losses.

His total loss is over $60,000.

“Most producers don’t carry insurance,” Coday said. “If you lose a cow you’ve lost everything.”

The dead cows can’t even be used for their meat because it’s been hours since the owner found them dead.

“Those animals are damaged and of course they had been there for a few hours when he found them,” Coday said. “In processing an animal, there’s a process that needs to be gone through. They wouldn’t have been fit for human consumption.”

The issue with most farmers of Missouri is that they don’t have dedicated cow barns due to the the state’s milder weather and this incident wasn’t something Blackwelder had control on.

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Princess Kate disappoints royal fans with latest update

By
Monica Pop
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Meeting members of the British royal family is always a delight for their fans. When they announce official visits, a great number of people gather to greet them. Those who get the chance to speak to them feel privileged.

I believe that although Charles is the head of the monarchy following his mother’s passing, it is still the Prince and Princess of Wales that royal fans are most enthusiastic about.

Both William and Kate have been extremely busy with their royal engagements that involve plenty of visits not only of places within the Kingdom but also abroad.

The couple visited United States for the first time since 2014 and attended the Earthshot Prize Awards which William founded in 2020. Earlier this year, however, it became an independent charity and William serves as its president.

“Protecting the environment was a cause close to my grandmother’s heart. And I know she would have been delighted to hear about this event and the support you’re all giving our Earthshot finalists, the next generation of environmental pioneers,” William said in a recorded message after he was forced to cancel the September Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York because of Queen Elizabeth’s passing.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Instead, the trip took place some two months later and what caught everyone’s attention was that the royals didn’t fly to the States privately but used a commercial flight and remained-low key the entire time.

“As soon as people saw them get on you could tell there was a buzz on the airplane,” passenger Jonathan Wood shared with CBS News. “It was a wild experience, but it was great.”

“Surprising … you assume they’d have a private jet,” passenger Jo Atkins told CBS. “[William is] a lot slimmer… can I say that? He’s very slight. She’s beautiful, obviously, as one would expect. I didn’t expect that getting on the plane.”

“Well look, they’re coming for Earthshot. It’s an environmental thing, right, so being on a commercial flight makes sense,” another passenger, Luke Howard, added.

Upon landing, the Prince and Princess of Wales were greeted by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and William thanked the people who were there to welcome them “for their many tributes paid to the late queen,” adding that his late grandmother always spoke of her 1976 visit to Boston “with great fondness.”

Samir Hussein – Pool/WireImage

Among those who got to greet and meet the royal couple was an 8-year-old boy named Henry Dynov-Teixeira. The sweet boy was dressed as a Buckingham Palace guard and presented them with roses.

“I am going to scream and tell my best friend that I am now famous,” Henry told Mirror UK.

Kate and William also met with the Boston mayor and the US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy. They attended an NBA game and watched Boston Celtic play. All in all, their time there was fulfilling and fun as it was effective.

Paul Edwards – Pool/Getty Images

When the couple are away from home, the care for their children is handed to Kate’s parents and the children’s long-time nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.

Borrallo has been with the family since Prince George was just 8 months old.

“She is not married and doesn’t have a boyfriend, as her life is totally dedicated to the family she is working with. She is known for being totally professional – married to the job,” an insider told Hello Magazine.

Although the kids can’t join them on every trip, William and Kate try to involve them in their own special way.

“They are always asking us where we are going. “And we show them where we are on the map,” William said during their 2022 March trip to the Caribbean.

“We let them know where we are, and [George] finds us on the map and puts a pin in it and shares with the others.”

Karwai Tang/WireImage

It has been announced that William will travel to New York for the Earthshot Prize finalist’s celebration in New York by himself. However, he was supposed to be accompanied by Kate and George to Singapore later this year for the Earthshot Awards.

Now, there have been rumors that Kate and George won’t go with William, which disappointed their fans there.

As reported by Hello! Magazine, many took to social media when the update was provided.

“So sad. We wanna see Princess Catherine,” one royal fan wrote on social media. 

Another commented: “Noooooo,” and a third simply posted a crying emoji.

Many hope this isn’t true.

“Hopefully, this is not true. From what we have seen so far, it is basically confirmed (not officially by the palace) that Catherine will be there,” one person wrote. 

Another stated: “I don’t believe this for one second.” 

Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images

While in New York, the Prince of Wales is meeting with UN secretary-general António Guterres, with delegations from Ecuador and Vanuatu, wading into the Hudson River in aid of a new water project and, of course, unveiling the 15 Earthshot finalists. 

“This trip is part of his evolution as a global statesman which is incredibly important, especially since becoming Prince of Wales. He and his courtiers have been thinking about how to manage that transition from Duke of Cambridge to the next King,” a royal aide told The Times.

“The US is very important to him. The world’s climate movers and shakers will be in New York having conversations about the future of the planet and the prince is keen to be part of those conversations and put Earthshot front and centre,” the aide continued. “He has huge ambitions for what the prize can become and is extremely focused on its legacy and impact.”

American TV Networks all requested an interview with the Prince, and he allegedly banned them from asking questions about his brother.

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Put salt in the toilet – This is something plumbers will never tell you

By
Monica Pop
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Salt is one of the most fundamental seasonings in every cuisine in the world. But as much as it makes every dish tastier, salt has other usage too.

Have you ever tried using salt in order to clean something or get rid of stains? If not, we’ll show you how.

1. Salt can fix the odor in the toilet

Coarse salt is excellent at eliminating odors and it’s a key ingredient to a number of cleaning solutions. If you want to try its effectiveness, just place a tumbler of coarse salt into the bowl of the toilet and leave it there overnight. It will absorb any unpleasant scents.

In the morning, just pour a cattle of boiling water into the toilet.

2. Salt as a drain cleaner

If your drain is clogged, you can try to fix it without calling a plumber by putting a lot of salt in the drain, similar as to how you put it in the dishwasher.

Leave it for some time, the best would be overnight, and pour hot, almost boiling water, into the drain the following morning.

3. Remove stains with salt: A natural alternative to chemicals

Removing stubborn yellow stains off walls, tubs, and toilet bowls may be a real pain.

The chemical cleaners can affect our health, so if you want to avoid using them, turn to a natural alternative.

In order to come up with a cleaning paste at home, use half a cup of salt, one teaspoon of baking soda, and water. Mix it well and then use it to get rid of the stains. How it’s done? Place the paste over the stains and leave it overnight. The next morning, rub it gently and then rinse it, and you are done.

4. Whitening

If you are in need of polishing the ceramics, just put some salt, either coarse or fine, into a bowl. Then use it to rub the ceramics with a brush. They will get brighter and would be sterilized.

Using salt in the process of cleaning can be both effective and will cost you less money than buying expensive products. Japanese have been using it for centuries.

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Former circus elephants separated for 22 years, camera catches phenomenal moment they reunite for 1st time

By
Monica Pop
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According to researchers, elephants are most similar to humans when it comes to expressing emotions.

These animals are capable of expressing grief when some of their family dies, and they are also capable of ‘adopting’ young calves who lost their moms.

The story of Shirley and Jenny, two circus elephants who had been separated for 22 years before they finally reunited is just another proof of the caring and loving nature of this species.

The video of the long-anticipated reunion was taken at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. The love and affection these long-lost friends showed to one another is astonishing. It shows that elephants do have incredible memory.

It looks like no time passed by for these incredible creatures. The time they once spent together at the circus where they performed was enough to form a bond that would last a lifetime.

You can take a look at the video of Shirley and Jenny below.

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Michael Grimm, ‘America’s Got Talent’ champ battles unidentified illness: ‘A tale of uncertainty’

By
Monica Pop
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The blues and soul singer-songwriter Michael Grimm, who stole the hearts of millions the moment he took the stage of America’s Got Talent and won the fifth season, has been hospitalized due to a mysterious illness.

His wife, Lucie Zolverva-Grimm, posted an emotional video on Instagram.

“For those of you who’ve been out to see Michael the past couple of months, you might have noticed that he was struggling with his health a lot, lacking energy and not being able to fulfill shows,” she said of her husband.

“We ended up taking him to the hospital, to the ER. The doctors still couldn’t figure out what was going wrong with him. But regardless, whatever the issue was, on Memorial Day, it kind of took him over. He was looking increasingly sickly, all of the sudden he could barely walk, couldn’t lift his head. He couldn’t respond right away to me when I would ask him things.”

Doctors believed he could have suffered a stoke since he was speaking gibberish at the time and experienced physical tremors, but they soon determined that wasn’t the case.

“His blood pressure was skyrocketing. He became really agitated with the medication that he was given, and they had to put him in the ICU,” Lucie added in her post.

She further explained that the singer needed to be put on a ventilator and sedated so he wouldn’t have a stroke. “Michael has been in ICU all week. For the safety of his health, they had to put him on a ventilator and sedate him pretty heavily, so he wouldn’t stroke out. So he wouldn’t flatline,” she said. “It’s just been an entire week at the hospital. I’m emotionally and physically exhausted, so please pardon my emotional state.”

Lucie continued, “The good news is that the doctors were finally able to remove the ventilator today and he is breathing on his own. He’s doing good. However, due to the last week, his body went through a lot. They do have him sedated, so he doesn’t seize or flatline from the fluctuating blood pressure.”

She informed her husband’s fans that although he started feeling better, doctors were unable to provide him with a diagnosis as they are still unaware what caused the health scare he experienced. “Basically, the doctors are isolating individual systems and organs, and we are systematically working through it. There were some things. We’re clearing them out one by one. He is improving, so that’s good. It’s taking time,” she said.

We are glad Michael is feeling better. We pray for his full recovery.

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Jason Aldean shares health update after taking son to the ER

By
Monica Pop
-

American country music artist Jason Aldean shared with fans that his son Memphis had to visit the ER for the first time.

“Lil man had his first trip to the ER today,” the country singer, 45, posted on Instagram alongside a photo of the boy resting at the hospital. “Needed 2 stitches and took it like a champ. Back home and rockin.”

Jason’s wife, Brittany, also posted of her son’s trip to the ER but revealed the detail that Memphis needed some medical help because he fell at the pool.

“Our day took a turn when Mems fell at the pool,” she added. “Two stitches under his chin and our first official trip to the E.R.”

The post further added that she was “thankful for such great nurses and one awesome doc” who took care of her little one, writing, “He is doing great… mama’s heart, not so much.”

The Trouble With a Heartbreak singer and his family have been having a blast at their Florida home this summer.

After spending a night at their beach home, Brittany announced they would now be residing there. “We are officially Florida residents again!” she captioned an Instagram story that showed a huge swimming pool with a hot tub surrounded by palm trees.

Later that same day, she posted a video of the interior of the place, sharing with her followers what their home looked like.

Among the rest, the video showed Jason relaxing on the couch watching what appears to be a cooking show.

“First night in our new place,” she wrote alongside a heart and wine glass emoji.

Florida holds a special place for Jason, who spent plenty of time there as a child following his parents’ divorce.

This isn’t the family’s first Florida home, however.

“We just bought again in Florida… and are currently building something new in Nashville,” Brittany shared. ”As for another dream home… probably. We truly enjoy the excitement of new projects (But not anytime soon).”

Speaking to Music Mayhem in March, Jason revealed that they weren’t really building anything new in Florida but they both a home and they are remodeling it to their own liking.

A photo of their summer days shows Memphis and his sister, Navy, with metal detectors in their hand and looking for pirate treasure.

“We purchased Memphis a metal detector since he’s on a mission to uncover some pirate treasure!” said the caption of Jason’s photo. “Being a beach man, nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids love the sea!”

Jason Aldean is now experiencing success after being named ‘iHeartRadio Music Awards Country Song of the Year’ for his duet “If I Didn’t Love You” with Carrie Underwood.

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