Christmas Chilli and Tomato Chutney Recipe

We've had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year and I wanted a way to make use of these and make something nice for Christmas.  I've never really liked some of the old chutney recipes so I thought I'd develop my own so I can enjoy it with some cold turkey on Boxing Day.  There's nothing like this in the shops and it's really special.

This recipe will make enough to fill two small 250g jam jars, to make more just double the quantities.

Ingredients

• 8 fresh red chillies


• 8 tomatoes


• olive oil


• 1 large onion


• 2 fresh bay leaves


• 1 cinnamon stick


• 1 tsp sea salt


• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper


• 100g demerara sugar


• 1 heaped table spoon of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped


• 150ml balsamic vinegar

Jam Jars
You will need two good, clean jam jars.  These need be sterilized so that there is no bacteria that could turn the contents bad while in storage.  There are two ways of doing this.  You can give the jars and their lids a good wash in the dishwasher just before you start work on this recipe or you can put the jars in a large pan of water and bring them to a gentle boil for 5 minutes.  Either way to make sure that the jars are dry and don't get mold spores settle on them while your working, I place them on a baking tray in a warm oven and only take them out when I'm ready to fill with chutney.

Method

1. Chillies are not just hot to eat - you need to take great care when cutting and cooking them.  They can burn your skin and if you touch your eyes after chopping them you'll be in agony.  You'll only make this mistake once!  Best to wear gloves and wash you hand with plenty of hot soap and water immediately after working with chillies.



2. You could just wash, deseed and chop the chillies but I think that charring them either over a gas flame or under the grill and skinning them gives a deeper, sweeter flavour.



3. If you decide to char the chillies then prick them all over, otherwise there is a risk that they will explode and burn you.



4. Place them under a grill and char all over.



5. Remove from the grill and tip into a bowl and cover with cling film for 10 minutes.  The steam will soften the skins and it will be easier to remove the skins and deseed them.



6. Meanwhile finely chop the onion and add it and the olive oil, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and pepper to a pan and cook these gently for about 15 minutes - be careful not to burn.



7. Now remove skins and seeds from the chillies.  You want the fleshy part from just under the skin, and it's great if some of the black rubs off the skins onto the fleshy part as it adds a great flavour.  Try not to include the skins themselves as they can be a bit crisp in the final chutney.



8. Now put the tomatoes into a magi-mix and pulse until you have a nice pulp, without big pieces of skin.



9. Chop the chillies into fine pieces but not to small as they will give taste and texture.



10. Now add the tomato pulp, sugar, balsamic vinegar and chillies to the onions and bring to the boil.



11. When the mixture reaches a boil turn it down and reduce until you have a nice thick chutney mix.



12. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper to taste.



13. Remove the  cinnamon stick and bay leaves.



14. Now carefully spoon the hot mixture into you warm jam jars and immediately screw on the lids.



15. Allow to cool on the counter and label with the date you cooked this.



16. Store in a cool dark cupboard and enjoy within 3 months.

I hope you enjoy this as much at Christmas with cold meats as my family do.  This also makes a lovely Christmas present if you put it in a nice jar and design a good label for it.  It's the sort of personal Christmas present that really thoughtful and different.

Linda writes for the Christmas Countdown Blog where you will find many more Christmas recipes and Christmas Gift Ideas. Linda also runs the prestigious iadoreyour.com gifts and jewellery on-line boutique.

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Nash Catches a Ride Home

Steve Nash is becoming pretty friendly with all the locals in South Africa. For more World Cup coverage and Nash updates visit www.cbssports.com www.twitter.com www.facebook.com

The Most Popular Fruit in the World

It's probably safe to say, that when asked which fruit is the most popular fruit in the world, the majority of Americans and Canadians would respond with apples or bananas. That response would be normal, but far from accurate.

To the astonishment of most North Americans, mangoes are consumed worldwide by a factor of three to one over bananas and ten to one over apples. Although mangoes are still considered to be exotic fruits in America, ranking as number 24 of the top 25 fruits consumed in the US, they are considered to be staples in India, South Asia, China, and Latin America; often being referred to as "the king of the fruits". Evidently, those in the many far corners of the world have learned something that has yet to be discovered in North America!

There are over 2,000 different varieties of mangoes ranging in size from a few ounces to as much as four pounds. One thing they all have in common is their nutritional value; mangoes are a fantastic source of vitamins C and E, niacin, potassium, iron, and beta carotene which converts to vitamin A in the body.

The fresh, ripe mango is a very juicy and sweet fruit with a unique and delicious taste. Some mangoes have a soft and pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum, while others have a firmer flesh similar to that of a cantaloupe.

Mangoes are widely used in chutney, fruit bars, cereal products, juices, pies, ice creams, and even milk shakes. Although a little messy due to their high juice content, they can be enjoyed simply by slicing the fruit as you would a peach or pear.

Okay, now that we know what the most popular fruit in the world is, we must determine from where in the world these mangoes come. Mangoes are grown throughout the tropics but India is by far the largest producer and consumer of mangoes in the world. In fact, for more than 6,000 years, mango trees have been a status symbol in India. Behind India are other areas within South Asia and parts of Australia. It wasn't until the 19th century that mangoes were introduced to parts of Africa, South America, Hawaii, and Mexico.

For years, India has been unsuccessfully negotiating the exportation of mangoes to the US, however just recently some agreements have been finalized, clearing the way for exportation of mangoes from India to the US. In return, they will allow the US to export peas, beans, almonds, and would you believe, Harley Davidson motorcycles to India. Of those mangoes that currently make their way to the US and Canada, approximately 80% come from Mexico with the majority being grown in the Mexican state of Nayarit which is on the same latitude as Hawaii.

Nayarit, one of Mexico's 31 states, is located along the Pacific Ocean having its southern border with the state of Jalisco. The beautiful tourist destination and retirement community of Puerto Vallarta lies at the border of these two states with its downtown area or El Centro located in Jalisco and Nuevo Vallarta located in Nayarit. Puerto Vallarta is located at the northern end of the Mexican Riviera and just recently, Fonatur, the National Tourism and Development Board of Mexico, has coined the term Riviera Nayarit for that section of pristine and majestic Pacific shoreline in the state of Nayarit. As a note of interest, Fonatur has recently earmarked billions of dollars for a 15 year development program that will include more than 20,000 new condos and villas with the associated infrastructure. This entire area is surrounded by mango orchards where approximately 1.5 million metric tons of mangoes are grown annually, making Mexico the third largest producer of mangoes after India and China.

After vacationing in Vallarta two or three times a year for 15 years we decided to move there in 1997 and make Vallarta our permanent retirement destination. We bought our dream villa on the mountainside with a panoramic view of Banderas Bay in an area known as the Beverly Hills of Vallarta. One of our first projects was to landscape the ½ acre mountainside lot. With an abundance of tropical flowers and fruit trees available, the choice of plants was difficult and somewhat overwhelming.

After living in the States for 55 years, we were virtually oblivious to the qualities that mangoes had to offer. However, due to their abundance in the local supermarkets, we decided to give them a try. To our surprise, they were absolutely delicious; perhaps better than any fruit we'd ever had! A decade later, after enjoying a constant supply of mangoes for ten years, it's hard to imagine that we went a lifetime without enjoying mangoes and that so many other North Americans have also missed out on this experience.

Okay, back to the landscaping project. Since we were introduced to the numerous beneficial qualities that the mangoes offered, we decided to plant some mango trees and were directed to a nursery in Nayarit, about 10 miles from home. The nursery was located on the edge of a huge mango orchard where mangoes grew as far as the eye could see.

The owners of the orchard / nursery gave us a short presentation on mangoes, briefly outlining the differences between the varieties grown there. After the presentation, they asked us why we were buying mango trees. We informed them that we loved the taste of mangoes and were landscaping our new yard and thought it would be nice to have fresh mangoes available. As is so typical in Mexico, rather than selling us some mango trees, they suggested we save the time, hassle, and money and just help ourselves to the mangoes. They pointed out to the orchard and indicated that there were millions of mangoes and that we could have all that we wanted for free; they would even help us fill up the car if we needed help! We never did buy those trees but do have an unlimited supply of those delicious mangoes!

That was one of our first lessons learned in Vallarta as it pertains to the Mexican hospitality. It's no wonder that Puerto Vallarta was selected as the friendliest resort destination in the world by a recent survey of Conde Nast readers. One of the reasons for the friendliness of the area is probably due to its perfect climate. Not only perfect for mangoes, but with an average daily temperature of 73°F for seven months of the year, it's perfect for its residents.

In summarizing, if you're interested in sampling some of the most popular fruit in the world, you might just want to visit the most popular resort destination in the world, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and have some real fun while sipping your mango margarita!

Jim Scherrer is a retired entrepreneur from Houston, has owned property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 24 years, and has made Vallarta his permanent residence for the past ten years. He founded Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Buyers´ Agents (PVREBA), whose mission is to reveal all the recent changes that have occurred in Vallarta while dispelling the misconceptions about living in Mexico. PVREBA acts exclusively as buyers´ agents by introducing North Americans to Vallarta, showing them properties that meet their needs and budgets, and assisting them through the foreign buying process, with all payments made by the listing agents. For the full series of 29 articles regarding Retirement in Puerto Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links, please visit us at http://www.pvreba.com/ and click on ARTICLES.

Advantages of Playing Football

Majority of the people love playing football. It is one of the most eminent games among the youngsters. Experts say that the football players have the strongest legs and most stable minds. There exist many advantages of playing football.

In order to excel in the game, the player should follow a strict routine. It requires discipline and dedication. Workouts play a vital role in keeping the mind of the player fresh. Nevertheless, if you want to become a successful player then you have to take into consideration many things. Thus, football teaches the players discipline and dedication.

Football players require a great level of stamina. Among various factors, concentration is the most important thing. Even a tiny distraction can make you lose the game. Thus, players can increase their concentration spans with this game.

These days, the world famous football players are becoming an important source of inspiration for the youngsters. Football not only teaches you to become competitive, it also helps you to sport the right attitude. Because the game play requires teams, football also instills cooperativeness and teamwork in the players.

During the game, carrying the right attitude is very important. Around seventy percent of the players end up losing the game because of wrong attitude towards the game. Apart from the game, the right attitude is something that is very important in the outside world too.

More importantly, this game can teach you how to become successful in the real world. By playing this game, you will learn to accept success as well as failure. Thus, it prepares you for the losses that you might face when you start working.

In addition to the fact that youngsters and teenagers enjoy football, many schools and colleges are introducing this game as a part of their extra-curricular activities because of the various advantages it offers outside the field.

For more information on other sports, such as Soccer including the World Cup 2010, visit one of the links within this article. It's a one stop shop for anything regarding the FIFA World Cup.

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A Bit Of Fry And Laurie : Football Manager

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Top Vacation Spots in the United States

If your looking for the top vacation spots in the united states, you'll generally find that they are located near the coasts. There are literally hundreds of places to choose from, but here are some of the top places that I have been to.

New Jersey beaches

New jersey has some of the finest beaches on the east coast of the united states. From the north eastern tip of Sandy hook, with old military forts and majestic views of the Manhattan skyline to the pizza filled aroma of Seaside heights, there are plenty of beaches to choose from to take your family. One place I recommend is Wildwood where there are two boardwalks filled with rides and games for your kids and loved ones. You can find literally hundreds of low cost hotels and motels to choose from, and most are located just a short walk from all the attractions.

Naples, Florida

Naples Florida is located on the southwestern edge of the florida coast. With world renowned architecture and old style building design, there is plenty of things for you to do in Naples. One leading attraction of this vacation destination is 5th ave district, where you can shop at some of the finest stores in Florida. In the spring, the weather is perfect and you can watch the sunset from the famous 2nd ave. pier. Every sunset is more majestic then the last, and you'll be sure to enjoy plenty of night time activities as well.

Top spots in San Diego, California

San Diego has been widely regarded as one of the top vacation spots in the United States. With its warm weather year round, and wide variety of activities from sea world to amusement parks, its sure to be a winner with your whole family. Another major attraction you can visit is the San Diego zoo. Some of the highlights of the zoo include the flamingo lagoon, the polar bear plunge and elephant mesa. Parking at the zoo is relatively cheap and there are a wide variety of restaurants to choose from.

Fun in New York city

By far one of the top vacation spots in the U.S. Would have to be New York City. There is so much to do in New York that its hard to list everything. You could visit the Statue of liberty, take a ride on a speedboat, or view the city from the air with a helicopter tour. You can find virtually any type of cuisine out there, at any time of the day or night, and be able to do almost anything your heart desires.

If you really want to find great vacation spots, check out our growing list of cheap vacation spots in the United States, which is updated regularly.

Rob Vrabel is the webmaster of http://www.2havefun.com, The #1 Source for Things To Do in America! since 1998.

Watch Live Soccer Games With A Single Click!

Nowadays, due to the improvements of technology and the development of the Internet everyone can watch live football from a comfortable seat at home, and all this without paying expensive cable or satellite fees.

Now you can watch premiership games, champions league soccer, cup matches live, al broadcasted on the Internet, sometimes free and sometimes after paying a small fee. You can enjoy many quality football matches easier then ever. And don't think that you have to buy some extra hardware or anything because all you need is an Internet connection, but it has to be a broadband connection if you want the live football stream to have a high quality.

How can you do this? Almost every soccer match that is taking place somewhere in the world is broadcasted through a live football stream that you can access from anywhere and furthermore most of the matches come with an English commentary.

If your Internet connection's speed is high enough then the live transmission of the game will be uniinterupted, but this and the quality depends on how busy the server is.

There are many websites that are broadcasting live soccer streams and most of these provide high-quality streams and
they have more links to choose from because only one would make the line too busy.

You also need a player that supports live streaming if you wish to watch live football games. The most common players are RealPlayer, MediaPlayer and WinAmp.
The websites that provide soccer streams have a list with all the games taking place at the moment and all you need to do is click on the game and the player will open and you can watch it. As simple as that!

So whenever there's a major football event you know that it's certainly broadcasted somewhere on the Internet and you can watch everything and you only pay a few dollars!

For more information about World Cup Games Live or World Cup Matches Live we are recomending this link.

Strong Will Continue | FIFA World Cup 2010 | PeterTheNigerian

View w/Original Audio: vimeo.com DL (w/Original Audio): www.megaupload.com Here's my video on the World Cup. Tell me what you think. "Strong Will Continue Music Video" Music (also in the end credits): 1. Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley - Strong Will Continue 2. Nappy Roots - Good Day [Nas] All I do is stay focused Looking straight forward at the world and beyond I feel people pulling me down, I feel some pulling me up I can't get stuck, I just keep moving forward I got places to go man, Let's go [Damian Marley] - Chorus(Hook) When the armageddon's dark and dread A lot of weak hearted weep and moan Only the strong will continue Do you have it in you? Come, we've got a journey to go And when the battle get sour and dread A lot of weak hearted wither and moan Only the strong will continue I know you have it in you, I know you have it in you [Damian Marley] Hey, the victory's found in truth Like innocence found in youth Self defeat is your own dispute And when you put yourself in your own shoes is Either you're winning or losing, Don't you get it confused Play a star and you know your own movie Playing of the role you choose, so Stand up and fight if you know that you're right And know you will never fail Tipping the scale and the wind shall prevail And the boat shall forever sail Hey, there ain't no stopping or cruising Even when we're battered and bruised Hold gun all the sprinklers on Mt. Olympus My gat tougher than Zeus (Chorus) [Nas] As I walk through the valley of the ...

Most Popular Sports Around The World

All types of sports are popular globally, but what sports can we call THE most popular in the world? Some of the answers may surprise you.

It's no surprise that football, or what Americans call "soccer" is the world's most popular sport to play and to watch. An estimated 3.5 billion people either watch or play football. The World Cup is the global championship of the sport and this tournament is played every four years. The World Cup itself is one of the highest rated sports on television, with many countries tuning in en masse to watch their country's team play. Football is popular in all of the UK, Europe, Asia as well as South America. However, with so many other sports being popular, the Unites States still lags behind in their interest in "soccer".

Next, we have cricket. This sport which consists of a bat and a ball, has been around for hundreds of years and originated in England. The sport is popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, some African countries, some Caribbean countries and it is the most popular sport in the countries of India and Pakistan. An estimated 3 billion people watch or play cricket each year.

The next most popular sport is a sure surprise, and that is field hockey, with an estimated 2 billion players or watchers, mostly in Asian countries, European countries, Australia and around Africa. This sport tends to be played in high schools in the United States, usually by girls only.

Coming up next is tennis. Not so surprising, but there are an estimated 1 billion players and watchers of tennis around the world. Tennis tends to be popular in richer countries, including the United States, Asian countries, Australia and Europe. There are four main tournaments in tennis, called "Grand Slams" at which players from many countries play. The first is the Australian Open, then the French Open, Wimbledon and then the US Open in late August. The Grand Slam tournaments tend to get the most attention during the tennis season.

Next we have volleyball. Yet another surprise, with an estimated 900 million viewers or players around the world. Volleyball is popular in the United States, where the sport originated, as well as in Brazil, all over Europe, Russia, China and Japan. Volleyball is a popular high school sport in many countries due to it's team centered play and lack of specialized equipment requirements.

Also popular is table tennis, otherwise known as Ping Pong. This is another surprisingly popular sport around the world, with an estimated 900 million watchers or players. Table tennis originated in England as an after dinner activity for Victorians in the late 19th century. Table tennis as a competitive sport is popular in many countries but is especially popular in China, Korea and Singapore.

After these sports, we have a triumvirate of more mainstream American sports including baseball, golf, American football and basketball, with each sport attracting between 400 and 500 million players or watchers worldwide.

Lydia Quinn writes for VolleyBallSeek.com, a portal for volleyball scores, players, teams, games and much more.

Visit us at: http://www.volleyballseek.com

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EES - "Again 'N Again"

HOZA-HOZA ...we gonna PLAY it "AGAIN N AGAIN", the NEW "EES", official 2010 Soccer ANTHEM! NAM FLAVA style...Awee'tah! for more information on EES check out: www.eesy-ees.com Supported by: Power & Glory Films Camera: Tom Holzhauser & Raphael Scriba

Yams and Sweet Potatoes - Are They the Same Thing?

Yams and sweet potatoes are often confused, but actually they do not have a great deal in common. There are obvious differences in appearances, and the yam can grow to a whopping 100 pounds or 45 kilos whereas the sweet potato is smaller. The yam has a rough scaly skin with some nodules on it but the sweet potato has a smooth much thinner skin. This being so you can tell by looking, usually which is which.

In Britain yams are more prevalent as they grow in the Caribbean and are imported from there into both the UK and the US. Britain has had a West Indian community since the 1950s, so they have been used there for more than half a century.

The yam originates in West Africa, while the sweet potato comes originally from Peru and Ecuador in the South American continent, and is now grown in Asia. In Pakistan we have lots of sweet potatoes but I haven't seen a yam, here yet. The sweet potato is not related to the yam which is a member of the lily family or Dioscorea family, while the sweet potato is Ipomoea batatas, and a member of the Convolvulaceae family which means it is related to Morning Glory and field bindweed. Scientists believe this has been around since prehistoric times, but the yam has only been with us since 50,000 BC or thereabouts.

The US department of Agriculture requires that sweet potatoes be labeled as yams- sweet potatoes, so look carefully at the label on the packaging when you buy one of these edible roots.

There are clearly health benefits from both vegetables, but the sweet potato contains more sugars in the form of glucose, fructose and sucrose. It is useful for desserts as well as an accompaniment to the Thanksgiving turkey.

The sweet potato has the edge over the yam in terms of nutritional content, as it contains more beta-carotene, easily recognized because this is what gives fruit and vegetables the distinctive orange colour; carrots contain a lot of it for example. Both contain Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, and as we don't get enough of Omega-3 in our traditional Western diets, these 'potatoes' are useful sources, especially if you are not fond of salmon and other oily fish.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and also contain vitamins E, K and the B-complex vitamins which are essential for our mental and physical health. Nutritionally it has the edge as long as you don't mind the sugar content and its sweetness. It is good for the immune system and the vitamins C, A and E have potent antioxidant properties and this means that the free radicals which damage our healthy cells and can cause them to become cancerous are inhibited. They are a good source of dietary fibre too and surprisingly low in calories if baked. These are moist but yams are dry and not so watery.

Personally I prefer the sweet variety because I am not fond of the more starchy taste of the yam, but they both have dietary fibre and so prevent constipation and reduce the risks of colon cancer.

The Ipomoea batatas variety is the one to go for if you don't have a problem with sugar, but having said that, the dioscorin present in yams is thought to help lower blood pressure effectively.

I suppose it's a matter of taste as to which you eat, but remember that neither of these vegetables are actually related to the true potato, although you can use both in exactly the same ways as you do the potato which is related to tomatoes and aubergines (egg plants). The flavour and texture is different and these two vegetables arguably have more health benefits.

Why not sample both and find out which you prefer?

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