3-Step Fall off the Bone Ribs---- Easy!

NOTE THE TEMPERATURE CHANGE HALF WAY THROUGH THE COOKING! The "three steps" to this involve browning the ribs with your favorite seasonings, then with the sauce, then covering with foil and forgetting about them. The ingredient amounts are completely flexible and are all done to personal taste. I couldn't post the recipe without a measurement, but really... it's your own preference. Don't be afraid of the long list of directions, I tried to be exact. Thankfully, my dad taught me his recipe before he passed away. This is a good recipe to start the cooking, then turn the oven down and forget about it. The house will smell amazing!

INGREDIENTS

2 racks beef ribs (or pork ribs)

    2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

2 teaspoons pepper (or to taste)

1 tablespoon Season-All salt (or to taste)

2 cups barbecue sauce (your favorite kind)

DIRECTIONS

Do NOT boil ribs, but cut away any large amounts of silver skin or some of the fat. Generously season both sides of the ribs with salt, pepper and Season-All.

Line a cookie sheet (with a lip on all sides) with heavy duty foil. Spray foil with cooking spray lightly.

Put ribs in 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes, until meat starts to brown on both sides, flipping as needed.

Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce (both sides of ribs) and put back in the 350 degree oven until BBQ sauce starts to caramelize but not burn, approximately 20 minutes. Flip them half way through.

Once sauce is caramelized and cooked into the meat add another good amount of sauce to the tops of the ribs. Try not to let too much sauce fall to the foil, but it's okay if some gets on it.

With top of ribs facing up, cover with a low-tented aluminum foil (tented just enough to not let it touch the tops of the ribs) and seal ALL sides TIGHTLY by curling foil under the lip or under the cookie sheet itself. The goal is to not let the steam out as it cooks.

TURN OVEN DOWN TO 250 DEGREES! VERY IMPORTANT OR THE SAUCE WILL BURN! (As you can tell, I've made this mistake before.).

Put ribs back in at 250 degrees and set a timer for approx 2 hours. Take cookie sheet out and pull back one corner of the foil (careful of the steam!). Poke a fork at one of the ribs -- the meat should easily come off the bone. If it doesn't, put back in the 250 degree oven and check every 20 minutes or so to see if the steam worked its magic.

I've done two full sheets of ribs for a total of 4 long slabs of baby back ribs (two slabs per cookie sheet) in around 4 hours total cooking time (time includes browning and steaming).

You will not believe how easy and tasty these are! Once the browning part is over you basically forget about them. There's really no wrong way to season them or sauce them.

Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

*** Special note: I have done the browning part (with seasoning, then the first part of the sauce caramelizing) on the grill for a smokey flavor, but prefer just doing everything in the oven. If you grill them, make sure you only put them in the oven for 250 degrees with foil tent on the ribs.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

These are delicious tiramisu cupcakes. They are relatively easy to make as they use a boxed cake mix. Read recipe in entirety first - it sounds more complex then it actually is. You can decorate these to be quite elegant & fancy in presentation for Brunches, Bridal showers, or whatever suits your needs. These sell at gourmet bakeries, coffee shops & cafe's for a pretty penny. Note: I do use mascarpone to make these as that is more traditional, but you could substitute with plain cream cheese if needed. Also, I do use cupcake liners because I think they present better. Lastly, it's best to prepare mascarpone filling & chill about 4-6 hours in advance or night before. FYI: You can fill the cupcakes by using a icing decorating (piping) bag filled with the mascarpone filling or use an old fashioned ketchup or mustard plastic bottle with nozzle point tip << yes, those ugly yellow & red things :-) *** Update: some of you contacted me about skipping the pastry bag step, that's completely fine, what you need to do is leave room when filling cupcake wrappers by not filling all the way, after cupcakes are baked, you poke the holes & do the liquid coffee over top of poked cakes, then just top with the mascarpone layer (make sure it's chilled well as it thickens) then just use the cream cheese frosting on top of that & top with chocolate shavings.

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package white cake mix

3 eggs

1⁄3 cup oil

1 1⁄4 cups water

Liquid Coffee Layer

2⁄3 cup water, boiling

1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 1⁄2 tablespoons instant coffee

Mascarpone Filling

1 cup mascarpone cheese (from tub)

3 tablespoons Kahlua (or coffee extract)

1⁄4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 ounce) container french vanilla cool whip

Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1⁄2 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

chocolate shavings (to garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Make mascarpone filling mix first & allow to chill 4-6 hours or overnight.

Mascarpone filling: Beat mascarpone, Kahlua and condensed milk until well blended. Fold in cool whip. Chill 4-6 hours.

Prepare cupcakes as directed on box of white cake mix & bake accordingly. While these are baking prepare the liquid coffee as below.

Liquid Coffee: Boil 2/3 cup water in microwave (or boil on stove) and stir in instant coffee then powdered sugar & allow to cool to tepid. Once cooled, use a fork to poke holes into cupcakes so that they will absorb the liquid cofee & then brush liquid coffee onto each cupcake using silicone baking brush. ** I usually make 3 fork piercings across top **.

Fill pastry/icing bag with mascarpone filling & inject about 1 spoonful via bag directly into top-center of each cupcake.

Prepare Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy with hand mixer on low. Slowly add powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla and increase mixer to medium. Blend until frosting is fluffy.

Frost each cupcake with frosting & garnish with chocolate shavings (use dark chocolate bar & cheese grater).

Democracy Now! Special: Bernie Sanders on Trump's Victory & the Need to Rebuild the Democratic Party

In a Democracy Now! special, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders sat down with Amy Goodman at the Free Library of Philadelphia on Monday night in his most extensive broadcast interview since Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton two weeks ago. He began by speaking about Donald Trump’s election night victory and the need to rebuild the Democratic Party.


AMY GOODMAN: Today, in a Democracy Now! special, we spend the hour with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in his most extensive broadcast interview since Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton two weeks ago. In the wake of the election, Sanders has emerged as one of the most powerful voices in Washington. During the Democratic primary, the independent, the self-identified socialist shocked the nation by winning 22 states and about 45 percent of pledged delegates, while challenging Hillary Clinton, who began her campaign with the support of the entire Democratic Party establishment. Many Sanders supporters now wonder if he would have been the stronger candidate to face Donald Trump in the general election.

While Sanders lost the primary, he has not given up the fight. He has now launched a campaign to rebuild the Democratic Party from inside out. Earlier this month, he was elected to a leadership position in the Senate as the new chair of the outreach for Senate Democrats. In addition, Sanders is leading the push for Congressman Keith Ellison to become the next head of the Democratic National Committee. Ellison is the first Muslim elected to Congress, and he’s the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Meanwhile, some of Sanders’ top campaign staffers have launched a new political action organization called Our Revolution to fight for progressive change. Our Revolution is also the name of Bernie Sanders’ new best-selling book.

Well, on Monday, I interviewed Bernie Sanders in front of a live audience at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

AMY GOODMAN: Where were you on election night?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Home.

AMY GOODMAN: And talk about what you went through.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Well, when the results came in from Indiana, I was very nervous. We had an outside chance with a conservative Democrat to win that seat—no one thought that Clinton was going to win it—and he got beaten rather badly, and I started getting nervous. And it was downhill from there. I went into the evening thinking that it was about a two-to-one shot that Clinton would win. So, I mean, I was—I was not shocked that Trump won—surprised, but not shocked—for the reasons, some of the reasons, that I gave. But I will not deny to you that it was a very depressing evening. I did not want to deal with the media. I didn’t want to—I was invited to be on, you know, a million different things. I didn’t even show up at the state event, you know. So, I will not deny that it was a depressing evening. And since then, I’ve been thinking as hard as I can, with other people, about how we go forward and what the best response is.

AMY GOODMAN: This also catapults you into the position of the most powerful, non-Democratic Democrat in the country.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Well, there are not too many non-Democratic Democrats who are in the United States Senate, so it doesn’t say much. But yeah, it—but I think your point is that last week or two weeks ago Chuck Schumer, who is now the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, put me on leadership. And he gave me a position that I wanted, and that is to be chair of the outreach effort. And what I am going to do is use that position, with your help, with all of your help, to transform the Democratic Party. I think—you know, it is very easy to beat up on people when they’re down, and that’s not my intention. You know, Secretary Clinton and her supporters are hurting now. It’s not my intention to be beating up on them. But it goes well beyond the presidential race.
Right now in the United States, as you know, Mr. Trump will be inaugurated. Right now, the Republicans control the U.S. Senate. Democrats, I had hoped—we thought we had a better than even chance of gaining control. We did not. We’ll end up with 49 seats. Democrats picked up a few seats in the House, but the Republicans will continue to control the House. Not only that, in about two-thirds of the states in this country, there are Republican governors. And in the last eight or so years, Democrats have lost some 900 legislative seats in state capitols all over this country. So I think any independent assessment, without casting any blame, says the current approach has failed. All right? When you lose, you know, it’s like they always say about the football coach: You know, if you’re zero and 10, you’re not doing well. Well, the current approach clearly is not succeeding, and we need a new approach.
And the new approach, I think, is to, A, create a 50-state strategy. That means we start playing ball in states that the Democrats have conceded decades ago. But more importantly, we create a kind of grassroots party, where the most important people in the party are not just wealthy campaign contributors, but working people, young people, people in the middle class, who are going to come in and going to start telling us what their needs are and give us some ideas as to how we go forward. And I accept this responsibility as outreach chair with a lot of trepidation, but also with excitement. I’m going to be going around the country to try to do everything that I can to create a party which represents working people and not just the 1 percent.

AMY GOODMAN: And the issue of who will head the Democrat—the DNC?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: I am strongly supporting a congressman from Minnesota named Keith Ellison. And the reason—I’ve known Keith for a number of years. Keith is the chair—co-chair, along with Raúl Grijalva, of the House Progressive Caucus, which is, by definition, the most progressive caucus in the U.S. House. And Keith fundamentally believes, as I’ve indicated, that we need to make a major transformation of the Democratic Party, we need to make it into a grassroots party, and he has some very specific ideas as to how to do that. So I’m strongly supporting Keith, and I’ll do everything I can to [inaudible].

AMY GOODMAN: And the significance of his being the first Muslim congressmember at a time when the president-elect says he wants to set up a Muslim registry?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Obviously, there is great symbolism in that. But to me, to be honest with you, as somebody who is not a great fan of identity politics, I am supporting Keith because he is a strong progressive whose whole life has been about standing up for working families and the middle class and low-income families. But your point cannot be denied. And that is, it will be a statement to the entire country that the leader of the Democratic Party is a Muslim, that we want a party of diversity, that we will not accept for one second the bigotry that Trump has been espousing during his campaign.

AMY GOODMAN: What do you think Donald Trump represents?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: I mean—

AMY GOODMAN: And who do you think he represents?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: That’s a good question, and I don’t know that I can give you a definitive answer, but this is what I think. For a start, in terms of the campaign, what he did is, as I indicated in my remarks, he touched a nerve. And it would be wrong to deny that. There are some people who think that everybody who voted for Donald Trump is a racist, a sexist or a homophobe or a xenophobe. I don’t believe that. Are those people in his camp? Absolutely. But it would be a tragic mistake to believe that everybody who voted for Donald Trump is a "deplorable." They’re not. These are people who are disgusted, and they are angry at the establishment. And the Democratic Party has not been clear enough, in my view, about telling those people, whether they are white, whether they are black, Latino, Asian American or whatever, women, gay, whatever, that we are on their side. And too often what we look at is identity. You’re a woman. Well, that’s good, but we need more women in the political process. We need more African Americans in the political process, more Latinos. No question about that. But we need people who will have the guts to stand up to the billionaire class and corporate America and fight for working families.

AMY GOODMAN: Former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. More of him in a minute.





www.democracynow.org

Finding a Natural Skin Care Routine

Skin care products can be a major source of toxins for many people. Most are packed with chemicals and artificial ingredients that might have a temporary positive effect on the skin, but will have negative long term effects.

These artificial ingredients can also be absorbed into the skin and build up in the body.

The good news is that there are natural, simple and inexpensive options that actually work better than most commercial products, and without all the harmful ingredients.

In general, the natural oil cleansing method is a great solution for any skin type, though the combinations of oils varies based on skin type (see below). You can make your own oil cleansing blend, but I highly recommend this handmade blend that smells divine and works really well for oil cleansing.

The best combination of natural skin care options varies based on skin types:

Oily Skin

Switching to gentle and natural skin care options often goes a long way toward removing excess oil production, but in the meantime, there are some natural ingredients that can help prevent breakouts and remove excess oil.

To Exfoliate: A mix of equal parts sea salt and oil (like olive or almond) creates a natural scrub that will help remove impurities without stripping excess oils.

To Cleanse: Oil Cleansing is my go-to cleansing method for any skin type. Generally, those with oily skin will need a higher amount of castor oil in relation to the other oils to keep skin from becoming too oily during transition. In general, a half and half mix of castor oil and olive oil or even a 2/3 castor oil 1/3 olive oil mix seems to work best.

Moisturizing/Toning: Those with oily skin will need less moisturizing as skin adjusts, and often, the natural oils from oil cleansing are enough. If not, a very light layer of coconut oil works, or for those who find that too oily, a diluted apple cider vinegar toner helps keep oil at bay. A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water stored in the fridge works great…


Normal/Combination Skin

I’ve always loved that term, because really.. what is “normal” skin anyway…

Those with skin that is not typically oily or dry and that responds well to different types of products and makeup usually adjust very quickly to natural skin care options. Those with this type of skin also usually can use a variety of different options and still have good results.

My skin was more oily when I was younger and as I’ve transitioned to natural skin care options, it has become more “normal” so these are the options that I use:

To Exfoliate: A homemade sugar scrub is a wonderful natural exfoliator. Here are some of my favorite recipes.

To Cleanse: Oil Cleansing is a wonderful option for every skin type, but is very balancing for normal/combination skin. Usually a mix of about 1/4 castor oil and 3/4 of another oil (olive, almond, etc) works great, but this can be adjusted to suit individual skin. Here is the full tutorial on oil cleansing.

To Moisturize: Those with normal skin tend to do well with most moisturizing options and often don’t need anything additional as a moisturizer. When needed, my favorite options are natural lotion bars or a tiny bit of homemade lotion. Even a dab of coconut oil or shea butter alone often works great for this skin type.

Natural Make-up options usually work wonderfully on this type skin as well.

Dry Skin

Those with dry or aging skin often benefit immediately from natural skin care options. Often, using natural oils on the skin helps the skin to balance oil production and stop being dry to begin with.

To Exfoliate: Often, exfoliating is not needed for this skin type, but a gentle homemade sugar scrub can be a way to add natural oils  and gently remove dead skin. Here are some of favorite recipes.

To Cleanse: castor oil is the more drying oil in oil cleansing, usually only a tiny amount is needed (about a teaspoon of castor oil in 1/4 cup of another oil like olive or almond).

To Moisturize: Homemade lotion bars, super-moisturizing homemade lotion, and whipped body butter are all excellent moisturizing options for dry skin types. Plain organic shea butter can also be a simple and effective option.

From a previous article… there are also some additional things that can help slow skin aging…

Natural Anti-Aging

There are a ton of anti-aging products available but the best options are the ones you take internally. All of the collagen products that are supposed to firm up skin don’t take into account that collagen must be produced internally and is too large to absorb through the skin.

To promote natural collagen production, I’d suggest using coconut oil as a moisturizer and taking Gelatin, Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Blend and Vitamin C to support natural Collagen production internally.

Supplements for Skin Care

I’m firmly convinced that what you put into your body is just as important, if not more so, than what you put on it when it comes to skin health. I used to have terrible acne and since changing my diet and supplements, I don’t break out at all and my past scars have healed. The supplements that seemed to have made the biggest difference in skin health for me are:

* Fermented Cod Liver Oil– for the Vitamins A, D and K, Omega-3s and Antioxidants, all which are great for the skin.

* Gelatin – Which is a pre-cursor for collagen and has made my hair, skin and nails noticeably stronger and smoother (great for cellulite too).

* Magnesium– An anti-inflammatory and lacking in many people’s diets. Topical Magnesium Oil seems to be the most effective for skin health.




http://wellnessmama.com/

Are the best bosses the ones who put off difficult decisions?

How good are you at making the right decision quickly?
It has long been the perceived wisdom that a good leader is a decisive one.

That he or she knows their own mind, and is quick to make the correct call.

This is the type of person who is supposed to be in charge, we are told, whether they are leading a business, or government department, or even managing a football team.

They get things done.Yet what if this commonly held opinion is wrong? Would it actually be better to put someone in charge who, if not a ditherer, procrastinates? Someone who puts off coming to a decision?

That's the opinion of business psychologist Prof Adam Grant, who explores the issue in his recent book Originals: How Non-Conformists See The World.

Prof Grant, from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton business school, says that procrastinating - be it putting off making a decision or setting a project start date - can actually open a company boss's mind to more creative thinking, and lead to a more opportune time to launch a new product.
"Procrastination lets you have time for your ideas to percolate... and new technologies to emerge," he says.

Prof Grant's opinion is that business leaders should "explore new ideas early, but delay the execution of them long enough to give yourself access to unexpected insights".

Or in other words, "be quick to start and slow to finish" a new project.

Prof Grant spoke to Google co-founder Larry Page and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos when researching his book.

He says they both admitted to him that they often delayed decisions until the last possible minute, because, in the words of Prof Grant, they "want all the information on the table, and want to give themselves a lot of time to process that information".

'Takes time'

Not so fast, says Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago, and author of more than 65 studies on procrastination.

He says that putting off making decisions can be destructive. "Other people are going to be affected by someone delaying a project, or an assignment," says Prof Ferrari.

He cautions that when some people procrastinate they are in fact delaying tasks to try to shift responsibility away from themselves.

He concludes that if a project or decision is left until the last minute, such is the rush that errors are more common.

While Prof Ferrari cautions against procrastination, Rita McGrath, a professor of management at Columbia Business School, says that firms cannot usually make a correct decision quickly.


"It takes time to make a complex decision," she says.
Her view is that a business leader should mull over a task, studying it from different angles, but then delay its execution until the opportune time.

Mark Zuckerberg's launch of Facebook is a good example of this, according to Prof McGrath.

He leapt into founding Facebook, with little or no money, while still at Harvard. He first tested it at US universities, while studying where one-time rivals such as MySpace and Friendster were failing.

Only when he was happy with how Facebook worked did he open it up to general users, and it went on to take over the world.
Prof Grant says the case of Facebook shows business procrastination at its best. "If you wait rather than rushing in, you can watch consumer taste evolve, and enter [the marketplace] at the right time."

He adds: "The problem with decisiveness is that it's code for acting on the best information available at the time, and basing a decision on your gut, as opposed to maintaining a healthy scepticism.

"Allow unexpected thoughts to influence your decision."

'Race'

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of UK jobs website CV-Library, says there is both a time for procrastination and occasions when a quick decision is vital.

"It depends on what the decision is regarding, and the size of the business," he says.

"Whilst some decisions require some careful consideration, others depend on a quick turnaround, especially when you're a smaller player.

"Leaders should learn to trust their gut instinct, but also know when to give themselves space and time.

"There have been many occasions in my career at CV-Library where making a decision quickly has been the sole reason for success - responding ahead of the competition is the best way of putting yourself at the front of the race.

"However, for longer-term decisions, such as how we are expanding the business, or developing key infrastructure, I'll conduct vast amounts of research and take my time."

http://www.bbc.com/

Trump condemns Castro as 'brutal dictator'

Donald Trump condemned the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro on an otherwise quiet Saturday for the president-elect.

"The world marks the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades," Trump said in a statement issued hours after Castro's death. "Fidel Castro’s legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights."

Trump, who has pledged to roll back the Obama administration's diplomatic opening to Cuba, said the nation remains "a totalitarian island," but he hopes that Castro's passing will mark "a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve."

Noting support of anti-Castro Cuban Americans during the recent presidential election, Trump pledged to fight for a "free Cuba" during his administration.

"Though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Fidel Castro cannot be erased, our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty," Trump said in his statement.

Earlier in the morning, Trump marked the news with  brief tweet: "Fidel Castro is dead!"

Trump also spoke with another Florida Republican, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, about Castro's death. The mayor's spokesman, Mike Hernandez, tweeted that Trump "expressed his support for and solidarity with the Cuban-American community."

Otherwise, the president-elect spent a low-key Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump is expected to return to New York on Sunday.

Since arriving in South Florida early Tuesday, Trump named members of his Cabinet and White House staff, including foreign policy posts.

On Friday, Trump made two White House appointments: Kathleen Troia "K.T." McFarland to serve as deputy national security adviser and Don McGahn as White House counsel.

McGahn's duties will include helping Trump navigate between his duties as president and his business interests across the world.

There are also more than 70 lawsuits still facing Trump from his businessman days.

In late October, USA TODAY reported that "if elected, the open lawsuits will tag along with Trump. He would not be entitled to immunity, and could be required to give depositions or even testify in open court. That could chew up time and expose a litany of uncomfortable private and business dealings to the public."

McFarland, who will be deputy to National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, served the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations in various national security-related posts. A former Fox News commentator, McFarland has echoed Trump's support of Russian President Vladimir Putin over his activities in Syria. Critics of Putin say he is only interested in propping up Russian ally and Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

Earlier in the week, Trump nominated South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Michigan-based charter school advocate Betsy DeVos to be education secretary. Both nominees are subject to Senate confirmation.

Trump and aides continue to consider a secretary of State. Contenders include 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, though each has his critics.

Ben Carson, a rival of Trump's during the Republican primaries, is considering an offer to join Trump's Cabinet. The president-elect says he is considering Carson for secretary of housing and urban development.

 http://www.usatoday.com/

Investigators find 32 bodies in clandestine graves in Mexico

ACAPULCO, Mexico –  Investigators have found 32 bodies and nine human heads in clandestine graves in a municipality in southern Mexico where rival drug gangs have been engaged in a wave of extortion, kidnappings and turf battles, authorities said Thursday.

Soldiers and police found the graves on Tuesday at an outlaw camp in Guerrero state after receiving a tip that people were being held at the site located near a mountain in the municipality of Zitlala. They said they rescued a kidnap victim and discovered 12 bodies and human remains in coolers.

On Thursday, officials announced that further excavations of the site had found a total of 32 bodies and nine human heads.

Roberto Alvarez Heredia, spokesman for the Guerrero Coordinating Group, said soldiers were combing the area to see if there were any more clandestine graves. Investigators were working to identify the bodies and the killers. Drug gangs frequently decapitate their victims.


Residents of the community of Tixtla, Guerrero found nine decapitated bodies on Monday along a highway. Prosecutors are looking into whether the nine heads found in Zitlala correspond to these bodies.
Guerrero has seen an upsurge in gang-related violence. The government announced on Monday that it is stepping up the use of joint police-army patrols in areas known to be particularly violent.

The largely rural, impoverished state had 1,832 reported homicides in the first 10 months of 2016. If
that rate continues unabated, Guerrero would be on track to have a homicide rate of about 60 per 100,000. That would rival the recent peak year of violence in the state, in 2012, when there were about 68 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.




 http://www.foxnews.com/

Jill Stein raises money to request recounts in key swing states where Trump won

Green Party nominee Jill Stein is asking her supporters for more than $2 million by next week to request a recount in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, three battleground states where "voting anomalies" have been alleged and Donald Trump won.

The campaign did not point out any specific evidence of fraud or irregularity, but cited reported hacks into voter and party databases that it says are "causing many Americans to wonder if our election results are reliable." Prominent cybersecurity experts have recently said that although the chances of the election results being tampered with are slim, a recount would be the best way to ensure that results are valid.

A recount would not change the outcome for Stein, who finished fourth behind the Libertarian Party's Gary Johnson, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Trump. Stein received a little less than 1.4 million votes overall.

Still, there is a tiny chance that the states where she's asking for recounts could possibly flip to Clinton with enough votes. Clinton would need to win all three states to obtain the necessary electoral votes to overcome Trump.

The Clinton campaign has not yet commented on Stein's efforts to obtain a recount. Last week, when two experts asked Clinton to contest the results, the campaign said it wouldn't because there's "no clear proof of fraud" at the ballot box.

The combined cost of requesting all three recounts is expected to surpass $2 million. The filing fee in Wisconsin alone is about $1.1 million, Stein's campaign manager said. The fees in Michigan and Pennsylvania are $500,000 and $600,000, respectively. Wisconsin's deadline to file for a recount is Friday. The other two states' deadlines are next week.

In Michigan, Trump won by 9,500 votes. He won by 22,500 in Wisconsin and 69,700 in Pennsylvania.

Stein won 1.1 percent of the vote in both Wisconsin and Michigan. In Pennsylvania, she received only 0.8 percent of all votes cast.
Stein said the campaign intends to "restore confidence" in the voting system by checking the accuracy of machine-counted vote tallies. The campaign's website is asking Stein's supporters for help in raising the money, opting to go with "the people, and not big-money corporate donors."
"After a divisive and painful presidential race, in which foreign agents hacked into party databases, private email servers, and voter databases in certain states, many Americans are wondering if our election results are reliable," Stein said. "That's why the unexpected results of the election and reported anomalies need to be investigated before the 2016 presidential election is certified."

Stein's campaign manager, David Cobb, led the charge for a recount in Ohio in 2004 when he ran for president as the Green Party's candidate. He said those efforts led to some voting machines becoming banned in California after they were shown to be highly vulnerable. Similar machines, he said, continue to be used in Wisconsin, however.





http://www.cnbc.com/

Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Espresso Icing

I had always been a five-cup-a-day, take-it-black coffee drinker—three in the morning, one at lunch, and one in the afternoon. Standing a tall 5 feet, 2¼ inches, there might be some truth to the idea that coffee stunts your growth! I inherited the habit from my grandpa Raffetto, who liked his coffee black and thick as tar with burnt toast each morning. When my allergies were at their worst, I started watching my daily caffeine intake, so this icing has become my special treat. By using a fresh dark-roast espresso, you'll get a true, deep coffee flavor. Stay away from instant espresso.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE ESPRESSO ICING
4 c. non-hydrogenated palm shortening
2 c. unbleached powdered sugar, sifted
½ c. agave nectar
½ c. safflower oil
¼ c. chopped unsweetened chocolate
¼ c. brewed dark-roast espresso

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE
4 c. evaporated cane juice
1 c. water
½ c. agave nectar
1 c. coconut milk
¼ c. non-hydrogenated palm oil shortening
½ tsp. Sea salt

FOR THE CAKE
2 tsp. golden flaxseed meal
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. warm water

DRY INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ c. flour
¾ c. evaporated cane juice
½ c. cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. arrowroot
½ tsp. fine sea salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground chipotle peppers (cayenne or chili powder works well also)

WET INGREDIENTS
1 c. vanilla soy or rice milk
1/3 c. safflower oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tbsp. vanilla bean paste (or ¾ tsp. vanilla extract)



DIRECTIONS

1. To make the icing: Place the shortening in the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, slowly add the powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated.

2. Raise the mixer speed to medium. Add the agave nectar and oil. Mix until fully incorporated and the icing is fluffy with a glossy appearance.

3. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and then let cool. Add brewed dark-roast espresso and the melted chocolate to the icing with the agave nectar and safflower oil. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container. Icing will keep for up to 2 weeks refrigerated or 1 month frozen. After refrigerating, bring to room temperature and beat in a standing mixer to restore the texture before using.

4. To make the caramel sauce: Combine the evaporated cane juice, water, and agave in a medium saucepan. Stir lightly to incorporate. Make sure the sides of the pan are clean.

5. Place the pan over high heat and cook until the mixture boils and starts to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Do not stir. Right when it turns dark golden brown, remove from the heat. Sugar burns very easily at this stage, so watch carefully!

6. Immediately, but slowly, stir in the coconut milk and shortening. Stir in the sea salt and let cool completely before using. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

7. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 6-inch round cake pans by spreading non-hydrogenated palm oil with a pastry brush. Trace and cut out four 6-inch circles of parchment paper and place on the bottom of each greased pan.

8. In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and warm water. Set aside.

9. In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until incorporated.

10. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add the flaxseed meal mixture.

11. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on medium-high until all the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.

12. Divide the batter among the cake pans and smooth the tops with a flat spatula or spoon.

13. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a cake comes out clean. If there is still batter on the toothpick, continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. (Baking times will vary depending on your oven and the thickness and size of the cake layers.)

14. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans. Cover the pans tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate preferably overnight, or for at least 1 hour. This will ensure the cakes set up properly and be much easier to work with.




http://www.delish.com/

Trump picks South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to be US ambassador to UN

 

President-elect Donald Trump has picked South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to be the US ambassador to the United Nations, the transition team announced Wednesday.

Haley, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, has already carved out a legacy for herself, serving as her home state's first female and first minority governor.

Once considered a potential vice president pick, Trump's tapping of Haley, 44, further raises the profile of a rising star in a party whose leaders are increasingly attempting to attract more minorities and women.

In a statement released Wednesday, Haley said the US "faces enormous challenges" both at home and internationally. She cited a "sense of duty" in accepting Trump's offer.

"When the President believes you have a major contribution to make to the welfare of our nation, and to our nation's standing in the world, that is a calling that is important to heed," Haley said. "The second is a satisfaction with all that we have achieved in our state in the last six years and the knowledge that we are on a very strong footing."

Haley was also among those being considered by Trump for secretary of state. Her pick leaves former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and a handful of others among those still in the running for the top diplomat position.

Haley will keep serving as governor until the Senate confirms her nomination.

"We still have much to do in South Carolina, and my commitment to the people of our state will always remain unbreakable, both while I continue to hold this office, and thereafter," she said in a statement.

 

Haley's relationship with Trump: It's complicated

While on the stump during the campaign, Haley vocally disavowed Trump, appearing publicly on behalf of Marco Rubio and endorsing Sen. Ted Cruz after the Florida senator dropped out of the GOP primary race.

Relations between Haley and Trump have been far from cordial, with both vaulting verbal jabs at each other during the race for the White House.

Rep. Sean Duffy said Wednesday that the fact that Trump is even considering Haley after her criticism of the President-elect speaks highly of him.

"I think it's quite remarkable that he's looking for talent and not trying to settle old scores," the Wisconsin Republican told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day."

Trump said in January that Haley's stance on immigration was "weak" after the South Carolina governor welcomed properly vetted legal immigrants into her state, regardless of race or religion. He also tweeted in March, "The people of South Carolina are embarrassed by Nikki Haley!"

 

Haley went as far to say that Trump represents "everything a governor doesn't want in a president."

"I want someone who is going to hold Republicans accountable, and I want someone who is going to make a difference, not just for our party but for every person they represent in the country," she told reporters in February.

In a video response to President Barack Obama's annual State of the Union address, Haley never used Trump's name, but implied that he would threaten "the dream that is America" for others.

But by October, Haley had switched her position, saying she would vote for Trump even though she was "not a fan."

But Haley, who once suggested that Trump was among "the angriest voices," was jubilant by his election.

"I'm just giddy, and if you talk to any of the governors here, we are so excited at the possibility and the opportunities that are going to be here," she said after his win.

"The idea that now we can start to really govern -- I have never known what it's like to have a Republican president. I can tell you that the last five years, Washington has been the hardest part of my job," Haley said. "This is a new day."

The Charleston Post and Courier newspaper was the first to report Trump's pick for UN ambassador overnight.

Rising Star

The governor has long been a rising star in the GOP and was endorsed by former Republican Gov. Sarah Palin during her gubernatorial run. But Haley came to national -- and international -- attention following the Charleston church shooting in 2015, where a self-proclaimed white supremacist opened fire on a Bible study group at a predominantly black church, killing nine people.

Haley became a highly visible presence in the days following the tragedy -- particularly in the highly contentious battle to remove the Confederate Flag from the state Capitol grounds.

"These grounds are a place that everybody should feel a part of," she said at the time. "What I realized now more than ever is people were driving by and felt hurt and pain. No one should feel pain."

She was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, a small town with about 3,600 people, to Indian immigrants.

 

Growing up Haley helped with bookkeeping at the family clothing store before earning a degree in accounting from Clemson. She went on to marry Michael Haley, a National Guardsman who has served in Afghanistan, before having two children.

In the years following the economic downturn, Haley used her business background to brand herself as an advocate for bringing more jobs to a state that has seen many factories leave.

"She very, very successfully branded herself as the jobs governor," Scott Huffmon, a political science professor at Winthrop University, has said previously. "But she kept her conservative credentials by railing against Obamacare and toeing the line on things that conservatives care about. She has been able to keep a foot in both worlds for a while. And now she is breaking away from being simply a Southern to becoming a national Republican."

Despite her accomplishments, Haley is not known for having significant foreign policy experience -- something Duffy said was not a major concern.

"She's a smart woman," he told CNN. "I don't think you need this great history of diplomatic experience to go in the UN and be successful."

"I think what you want to do is find people who will share your worldview especially when they go and represent you from the administration to the UN or any other post," Duffy added.

 

 

 http://edition.cnn.com/

Tsunami hits Japan after strong quake near Fukushima disaster site

A powerful earthquake rocked northern Japan early on Tuesday, briefly disrupting cooling functions at a nuclear plant and generating a small tsunami that hit the same Fukushima region devastated by a 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which was felt in Tokyo, sent thousands of residents fleeing for higher ground as dawn broke along the northeastern coast.

There were no reports of deaths or serious injuries hours after the quake hit at 5:59 a.m. (2059 GMT Monday). It was centered off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

A wave of up to 1.4 meters (4.5 ft) high was recorded at Sendai, about 70 km (45 miles) north of Fukushima, with smaller waves hitting ports elsewhere along the coast, public broadcaster NHK said.

Television footage showed ships moving out to sea from harbors as tsunami warnings wailed after alerts of waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) were issued.

"We saw high waves but nothing that went over the tidal barriers," a man in the city of Iwaki told NTV television network.

Aerial footage showed tsunami waves flowing up rivers in some areas, and some fishing boats were overturned in the port of Higashi-Matsushima before the JMA lifted its warnings.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured Tuesday's quake at magnitude 6.9, down from an initial 7.3.

All Japan's nuclear power plants in the area have been shut down in the wake of the March 2011 disaster, which knocked out cooling systems at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, causing reactors to melt down and spew radiation into the air, soil and sea.

The cooling system for a storage pool for spent nuclear fuel at the reactor at its Fukushima Daini Plant was initially halted on Tuesday, said a spokeswoman for Tokyo Electric Power, known as Tepco, but was restarted soon after.

Only two reactors are operating in Japan, both in the southwest. Nuclear plants need cooling systems operating even when in shutdown to keep spent fuel cool.

  Japan suffers 6.9-magnitude earthquake
3 Hours Ago | 00:41
A powerful earthquake rocked northern Japan early on Tuesday, briefly disrupting cooling functions at a nuclear plant and generating a small tsunami that hit the same Fukushima region devastated by a 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which was felt in Tokyo, sent thousands of residents fleeing for higher ground as dawn broke along the northeastern coast.

There were no reports of deaths or serious injuries hours after the quake hit at 5:59 a.m. (2059 GMT Monday). It was centered off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

A wave of up to 1.4 meters (4.5 ft) high was recorded at Sendai, about 70 km (45 miles) north of Fukushima, with smaller waves hitting ports elsewhere along the coast, public broadcaster NHK said.

 Japan shaken by 6.9 magnitude earthquake Japan shaken by 6.9 magnitude earthquake, tsunami warning
12 Hours Ago | 00:23
Television footage showed ships moving out to sea from harbors as tsunami warnings wailed after alerts of waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) were issued.

"We saw high waves but nothing that went over the tidal barriers," a man in the city of Iwaki told NTV television network.

Aerial footage showed tsunami waves flowing up rivers in some areas, and some fishing boats were overturned in the port of Higashi-Matsushima before the JMA lifted its warnings.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured Tuesday's quake at magnitude 6.9, down from an initial 7.3.

All Japan's nuclear power plants in the area have been shut down in the wake of the March 2011 disaster, which knocked out cooling systems at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, causing reactors to melt down and spew radiation into the air, soil and sea.

The cooling system for a storage pool for spent nuclear fuel at the reactor at its Fukushima Daini Plant was initially halted on Tuesday, said a spokeswoman for Tokyo Electric Power, known as Tepco, but was restarted soon after.

Only two reactors are operating in Japan, both in the southwest. Nuclear plants need cooling systems operating even when in shutdown to keep spent fuel cool.

 Earthquake won't affect Japanese economy: Economist Earthquake won't affect Japanese economy: Economist
15 Hours Ago | 01:46
Tohoku Electric Power Co said there was no damage to its Onagawa nuclear plant, while the Kyodo news agency reported there were no irregularities at the Tokai Daini nuclear plant in Ibaraki prefecture.

Coast evacuated

Japanese Minister for Disaster Management Jun Matsumoto told reporters there had been no reports of significant injuries. One woman suffered cuts to her head from falling dishes, Kyodo reported, citing fire department officials.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

The March 11, 2011, quake was magnitude 9, the strongest quake ever recorded in Japan. The massive tsunami it generated knocked out the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl a quarter of a century earlier.

Systems have been updated since the 2011 disaster to spread warnings more quickly, said Tsunetaka Omine, head of the Disaster Management Division in Iwaki, a city in Fukushima prefecture.

Previously, there were complicated directions on where to evacuate. "But now, we basically just tell people to head away from the sea, to the highest possible ground," Omine said.

Authorities now also send tsunami warnings to every mobile phone in the area and broadcast on local radio.

Staying in a traditional Japanese inn on the coast in the city of Ofunato with a dozen international high school students on a study tour, teacher Kathy Krauth said the shaking began just seconds after a quake alarm on her phone went off.

"I felt like the lessons of 3-11 were really taken to heart," said Krauth, who teaches a class on the March 2011 disaster and its aftermath. "The feeling was, we just don't know, but we're going to be as cautious as we can."

Nissan Motor said it would suspend work at its engine factory in Fukushima at least until the latest tsunami warning was lifted. A spokesman said there were no injuries or damage at the plant, which was badly damaged in the 2011 disaster.

Toyota Motor said all its factories in northeastern Japan were operating as usual.

Japan's famous Shinkansen bullet trains were halted along one stretch of track and some other train lines were also stopped.

Japanese financial markets were little affected, with the Nikkei 225 index closing up 0.3 percent and the yen steady against the U.S. dollar.




http://www.cnbc.com/

Introducing solids

When should I introduce solid food to my baby?

You can introduce solids any time between 4 and 6 months if your baby is ready. Until then, breast milk or formula provides all the calories and nourishment your baby needs and can handle. His digestive system simply isn't ready for solids until he nears his half-birthday.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for at least six months – though parents will attest that some babies are eager and ready to eat solids earlier.

How can I tell when my baby's ready for solid food?

Your baby will give you clear signs when he's ready to move beyond liquid-only nourishment. Cues to look for include:

* Head control. Your baby needs to be able to keep his head in a steady, upright position.
* Losing the "extrusion reflex." To keep solid food in his mouth and then swallow it, your baby needs  to stop using his tongue to push food out of his mouth.
* Sitting well when supported. Even if he's not quite ready for a highchair, your baby needs to be able  to sit upright to swallow well.
* Chewing motions. Your baby's mouth and tongue develop in sync with his digestive system. To  start solids, he should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow. As he learns to  swallow efficiently, you may notice less drooling – though if your baby's teething, you might still see a lot of drool.
* Significant weight gain. Most babies are ready to eat solids when they've doubled their birth weight  (or weigh about 15 pounds) and are at least 4 months old.
* Growing appetite. He seems hungry – even with eight to ten feedings of breast milk or formula a day.
* Curiosity about what you're eating. Your baby may begin eyeing your bowl of rice or reaching for a  forkful of fettuccine as it travels from your plate to your mouth.

How should I introduce solid food to my baby?

For most infants, you can start with any pureed solid food. While it's traditional to start your baby on solids with a single-grain cereal, there's no medical evidence to show that introducing solid foods in a particular order will benefit your baby. Good foods to start with include pureed sweet potatoes, squash, applesauce, bananas, peaches, and pears.

First, nurse or bottle-feed your baby. Then give him one or two teaspoons of pureed solid food. If you decide to start with cereal, mix it with enough formula or breast milk to make a semi-liquid. Use a soft-tipped plastic spoon when you feed your baby, to avoid injuring his gums. Start with just a small amount of food on the tip of the spoon.

If your baby doesn't seem very interested in eating off the spoon, let him smell and taste the food or wait until he warms up to the idea of eating something solid. Don't add cereal to your baby's bottle or he may not make the connection that food is to be eaten sitting up and from a spoon.

Begin with a once-a-day feeding, whenever it's convenient for you and your baby, but not at a time when your baby seems tired or cranky. Your baby may not eat much in the beginning, but give him time to get used to the experience. Some babies need practice keeping food in their mouths and swallowing.

Once he gets used to his new diet, he'll be ready for a few tablespoons of food a day. If he's eating cereal, gradually thicken the consistency by adding less liquid. As the amount your baby eats increases, add another feeding.


How can I tell when my baby's full?

Your baby's appetite will vary from one feeding to the next, so a strict accounting of the amount he's eaten isn't a reliable way to tell when he's had enough. Look for these signs that he has probably had enough:

*  Your baby leans back in his chair.
* Turns his head away from food.
* Starts playing with the spoon.
* Refuses to open up for the next bite. (Sometimes a baby will keep his mouth closed because he    hasn't yet finished with the first mouthful, so be sure to give him time to swallow.)

Do I still need to give my baby breast milk or formula?

Yes, your baby will need breast milk or formula until he's a year old. Both provide important vitamins, iron, and protein in an easy-to-digest form. Solid food can't replace all the nutrients that breast milk or formula provides during that first year. See how much breast milk or formula babies need after starting solids.

How do I introduce each new food to my baby?

Introduce other solids gradually, one at a time, waiting at least three days after each new food. This way you'll get a heads-up if your baby has an allergic reaction to one of them (signs of an allergy may include diarrhea, vomiting, a swollen face, wheezing, or a rash). If there's a family history of allergies, or your baby develops an allergic reaction during this process, start waiting up to a week between new foods.

Talk to your baby's doctor about which solids to introduce and when. To play it safe, the doctor may recommend that you hold off on feeding your baby more allergenic foods like soy, dairy, eggs, wheat, fish, and nuts.

Even though it's a good idea to get your baby accustomed to eating a wide variety of foods, it'll take time for him to get used to each new taste and texture. Each baby will have unique food preferences, but the transition should go something like this:

1. Pureed or semi-liquid food
2. Strained or mashed food
3. Small pieces of finger foods

If your baby is transitioning from cereal, offer a few tablespoons of vegetables or fruit in the same meal as a cereal feeding. All food should be very mushy – at this stage your baby will press the food against the top of his mouth and then swallow.

If you're feeding your baby from ready-to-eat jars of baby food, scoop some into a little dish and feed him from that. If you dip his feeding spoon into the jar, you won't be able to save the leftovers because you'll have introduced bacteria from his mouth into the jar. Also, throw away any baby food jars within a day or two of opening them.

Some parents may tell you to start with vegetables instead of fruits so your infant won't develop a taste for sweets. But babies are born with a preference for sweets, so you don't have to worry about introducing food in any particular order. Also, don't leave any food off his menu simply because you don't like it. And stay away from foods that might cause him to choke.

If your baby turns away from a particular food, don't push. Try again in a week or so. He may never like sweet potatoes, or he may change his mind several times and end up loving them.

Don't be surprised if your baby's stools change color and odor when you add solids to his diet. If your baby has been exclusively breastfed up to this point, you'll probably notice a strong odor to his formerly sweet-smelling stools as soon as he starts eating even tiny amounts of solids.

This is normal. If his stools seem too firm (rice cereal, bananas, and applesauce can contribute to constipation), switch to other fruits and vegetables and oatmeal or barley cereal.

At about this time, you can also introduce your baby to water, which may help keep constipation at bay (although your baby will get all the hydration he needs from breast milk or formula). You can offer 2 to 4 ounces of water per day in a sippy cup.

How many times a day should my baby eat solid food?

At first he'll eat solid food just once a day. By around 6 to 7 months, two meals a day is the norm. By around 8 months he should be eating solid food three times a day. A typical day's diet at 8 months might include a combination of:

* Breast milk or iron-fortified formula
* Iron-fortified cereal
* Yellow, orange, and green vegetables
* Fruit
* Small amounts of protein such as poultry, lentils, tofu, and meat

There are certain foods that you shouldn't give your baby yet. Honey, for example, can cause botulism in babies under a year old. And babies should stick with breast milk or formula and avoid cow's milk or soy milk until after their first birthday.

What equipment do I need to feed solids to my baby?

* It's helpful to have a highchair, plastic spoons to protect your baby's sensitive gums, bibs, and  plastic dishes and bowls.
* A splat mat on the floor can help keep messes to a minimum.
* You may also want to introduce your baby to a sippy cup soon after you start solids.

What do I need to make homemade baby food?

If you're making your own baby food, you'll need the following:

A tool to puree the food, like a blender, food processor, or baby food grinder.
Storage containers for refrigerating and freezing extra portions. (Some parents use ice-cube trays – or similar devices made just for baby food – to store and freeze individual portions.)


Where should I feed solids to my baby?

You'll want a sturdy, stable, comfy place for him to sit, at a convenient height for you. To start out, that might be a bouncy seat or even a car seat. (Just make sure that he's upright enough to swallow well.)

Once he can sit up by himself, though, a highchair at the table is your best bet. Your baby will be able to participate in family meals, and you'll be able to eat your own meal and feed him at the same time. It'll also be easier to clean up after he chows down.

How can I help my child develop healthy eating habits?

Don't feel you have to stick to bland, boring baby foods. Instead, offer your child more adventurous options.

Make your own baby food – or if you're buying jarred food, check the labels. The fewer ingredients, the better.