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Do you know the difference between spaghetti and vermicelli? How about ziti and penne? Fettuccini and fettucelli? They do have one thing in common; they are simply delicious. But often, the type of pasta you choose has a big impact on the quality of the dish you serve. It is important to complement the shape of the pasta and the texture and taste of the sauce. This can be hard because there are hundreds of different choices! You don’t have to stick to the old favorites – macaroni and cheese or spaghetti and marinara sauce. Try something new! Here are some of the most popular pasta shapes defined.

There are more than five hundred different pasta shapes. Some, like spaghetti, are much more common than others, but if you have wanted to try something different, do it. There are no strict rules regarding pasta, and experimentation can do wonders for your palette. One of the things to consider, though, is the size and shape of your pasta compared to the type of sauce you will be using.

For instance, if you have a very thick, hearty meat sauce, you want a noodle that can hold its own! Thicker pastas like fettuccine (which is broad and flat) and tagliatelle (which is a bit thinner than fettuccine) will hold up nicely. If you are making a sauce with meat or chunky vegetables, also consider:

• Fusilli. This is “corkscrew” pasta. All those twists and turns are perfect for catching chunky sauces.

• Farfalle. This bowtie pasta is perfect for thick sauces. It is a small but sturdy noodle.

• Penne. These are cylindrical and hollow in the center.

• Rigatoni. This is like penne’s big brother. This tubular pasta is too small to be stuffed, but it makes a hearty addition to meals, especially baked dishes.

• Rotini. The spiral shapes make these perfect for holding bits of sauce, veggies, meats, and cheeses.

• Pipe rigate. This is hollow and curved, resembling a snail shell. A smaller version, pipette rigate, is also good for chunky sauces.

• Stuffed shells, like manicotti. These make a terrific complement to any thick sauce.

Look for a noodle that is thick enough to be used with your chunky sauce without being overwhelmed. Textures and shapes, like twists and spirals, are great for scooping up the delicious sauce. Take a look through the pasta aisle at the grocery store and see what fits the bill, or the sauce.

Some pastas are better suited to oil-based sauces, rather than tomato-based sauces. Linguine, spaghetti, and tagliatelle work very well with olive-oil sauces that coat the pasta without drowning and creating a greasy mess. These types of pastas – especially when fresh – are wonderful served with a simple olive oil and herb sauce or pesto. Stuffed pastas, like ravioli or tortellini, are also delicious with an oil or butter based sauce.

Finer, more delicate pastas call for an equally delicate sauce. Angel hair, for instance, which is much thinner than spaghetti, is perfectly paired with simple sauce made with diced tomatoes, olive oil, and basil. This type of pasta also works well with seafood. For instance, use sea scallops, lemon juice, butter, parsley, and fresh basil for a terrific and very easy to prepare meal.

In general, use a thicker pasta when you have a thicker sauce, and a thinner pasta when you have a lighter sauce. When you are making things like soups or salads, find the shape and size that appeals to you and will help you capture the perfect flavor with each bite. There is no possible way to do pasta wrong; experiment with different shapes. You’ll be glad you did, and you will undoubtedly come upon a fabulous combination that becomes your new favorite.

When you put together an italian gift basket, be sure to put in different types of pasta and sauces. You could even put in a recipe or two with suggestions for the types of pastas and sauces you chose.

Planning a birthday party should be fun. If you’re getting mired down in details and feeling stressed, stick to a checklist so you’ll feel confident you’ve gotten everything done that you needed to. Keep it where you can see it and check things off. The act of crossing items off your list will make you feel hopeful and excited for the party.

Depending on the age group of the guests, you may need to start early. If you’re throwing a 50^th birthday party, you’ll need more time than if you’re planning a child’s fifth birthday party.

One or two months before the party

Decide on a date

Decide where you will have the party

Start creating a guest list (you can always add to it later)

Find a theme you like

Think about what kind of food you’re going to serve and call a few caterers for prices

Get your paper goods and invitations

Three weeks to one month before the party

Send out invitations

Pick a bakery to make your cake

Decide on a DJ or band if you’re having one

Decide on centerpieces for tables

Select your caterer and decide on the final menu

Buy favors if you’re going to have them

Arrange for who will get the guest of honor to the party if it’s a surprise

If kids will be at an adult party, hire a babysitter

One week before the party

Have all chairs and tables on order

Call any guests who haven’t responded

Confirm any reservations you have made for the venue, food, etc.

Wrap your gift for the guest of honor

Choose your attire for the party

Confirm your babysitter

The day before the party and the day of

Within the last 24 hours before the party starts:

Pick up any balloons

Pick up the cake or have it delivered

Set up an area where the guest of honor will open birthday gifts

Have tables and chairs delivered

Be sure linens are ironed

Set up buffet stations if you’re having them

Clean up any areas of your house that guests will see

Take out all the supplies you bought like cups, napkins, etc.

Decorate the party space

Assemble any birthday baskets and place them on the tables

Make sure you have enough ice on hand

Confirm that food is set for delivery

Tie balloons to your mailbox so guests can find your house

There’s a lot that goes into the planning of the party, but you can throw a party that looks effortless when you are organized. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Most people are happy to help out with assembling favors, running out to pick things up for you, getting the birthday boy or girl there, and more. Your aim is to have a fun party, so be sure that you have time to relax and get yourself dressed. Don’t work right up until the last minute and let guests catch you before you’ve even showered.

Your party will flow smoothly once you have checked everything off your list. There’s nothing to do once the list is completed but to grab a drink and start mingling. The more the hostess enjoys herself, the more everyone else does, too.

Need more help with your planning? Here are a few more ideas:

Over The Hill Birthday Party Ideas - Milestone Birthdays

Kids' Birthday Party Game Ideas

The next time you want to relax and have a little spa time, or want to create a unique spa basket for a friend, you can create your own spa products. It’s much cheaper than going to a spa and you’ll know that you’re going chemical-free. Invite some friends over to make the products with you and then you can all have a relaxing spa night.

Cucumber Eye Gel

Courtesy of Spaindex.com

Ingredients:

• 1/4 large cucumber
• 1 ounce aloe vera gel

Puree the cucumber in a blender (leave a little pulp), strain the mixture into a glass bowl until you have at least 2 ounces. Spoon in just a tad of the pulp from the strainer). Add the aloe vera to the cucumber puree in the bowl and mix lightly. Pour into a clean, sterilized container. After cleansing face, stir mixture gently and apply with a cotton ball to under eye area.  Avoid the eyeball. The shelf life of this product is very limited by the fresh cucumber. It should be used within a few days, and kept refrigerated between uses.

Watermelon Toner

Courtesy of Spindex.com

• 2 Tablespoons fresh watermelon juice
• 1 Tablespoon vodka
• 2 Tablespoons witch hazel
• 2 Tablespoons distilled water

Strain the watermelon juice to get rid of seeds and fruit pieces.  Combine all ingredients in small bowl and stir well. Pour into clean containers with tight-fitting lids. To use: pour a small amount on a clean cotton pad and apply to face. Store in fridge between uses to retain freshness.  Will keep approximately one week.

Chocolate Facial Mask

Courtesy of spaindex.com

This creamy mask is an excellent moisturizer, leaving your skin baby soft. Recommended for normal skin.

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp. heavy cream
• 2 tsp. cottage cheese
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 tsp. oatmeal

Mix all ingredients together (a bullet blender is ideal) and smooth onto face. Relax for 10 minutes, then wash off with warm water.

SpaIndex.com Tip:  You've heard the adage "Never cook with wine you wouldn't drink."  This holds equally true for home spa remedies.  Never use ingredients for your home spa treatments that you wouldn't want to eat.  Your skin, the largest organ on your body, breathes and is porous. It will absorb the properties of the ingredients you are using.  Don't "clean out the fridge or pantry" to create your home skincare remedies.  Use fresh, high quality ingredients for the best results, and do not store the treatment longer than the shelf life of the most perishable ingredient.

Apple-Pear Anti-Wrinkle Cream

Courtesy of Spaindex.com

• 1 tsp apple juice
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 2 T buttermilk
• 1 T rosemary leaves
• 3 seedless grapes
• 1/4 pear
• 2 egg whites

Blend all ingredients in a blender on medium speed for 30 seconds. Using a cotton ball, dab mixture on areas around the eyes and wherever wrinkles have developed. Let dry, then rinse with warm water. Use no more than 3 times a week. Follow with a moisturizer. Cover and refrigerate immediately.  Shelf life: 4 days.

Try these skin care products that you make in your own kitchen and you may never again go back to store-bought products. The results will be fresh, natural, supple -looking skin that’s been pampered by nature, not harmful chemicals. And plus, its fun to get messy in the kitchen brewing up concoctions.

More Spa Articles:

• Make your own relaxing Spa Bath products
• Do It Yourself Home Spa Treatments
• Aromatherapy for Sound Body and Mind
• National Spa Week!

Very few of us ever have really fresh coffee.  For all their claims of being “good till the last drop” (to be fair to Maxwell House, this applies to nearly all commercial blends), ground coffee loses some of its best flavor after just a week.  If you think of how long your coffee has been sitting on a store shelf, and before that on a truck, you can imagine that “fresh” coffee is hard to come by.  Why not roast your own?  When you transform green coffee beans into your own fresh brew, you will finally get a chance to taste coffee at its very best.  Commercial blends can be delicious, and they are more than adequate most of the time.  If you want to serve something more special or treat yourself, roast your own coffee.

Does roasting your own coffee require a lot of specialized equipment?  Is it difficult to do?  Many people don’t even consider roasting their coffee because it seems like a complex or time-consuming process that is hard to do at home.  Coffee comes to us as aromatic grounds, but it starts as a small red fruit.  Wet processing removes the outer skin and the pulp, as well as the inner parchment skin.  Then you have the green coffee beans that will become a delicious brew.  You can order green coffee beans from any number of vendors online, and it resembles a dry bean.  It stores beautifully for a long time but when it is roasted, it comes alive with aroma and flavor.

Before the 19^th Century, people roasted their own coffee beans at home; today, it is much easier because we have the advantage of modern technology.  You can use a commercial coffee roaster, your stovetop, your oven, or even a popcorn popper.  Whatever method you use, you need to make sure that the beans can be heated to 370 - 540° F.  They must be vented because the beans produce smoke.  A good reason to invest in a coffee roaster may be because the beans have to be rotated and move constantly.  During this process, the outer skin is shed, and this can be messy.

Let’s talk about roasting coffee beans using your gas or conventional oven.  This has to be able to heat up to at least 450°F.  The benefit is that you can roast a larger quantity of beans.  The taste of oven roasted coffee tends to be rich and complex, but it is easy to create an uneven roast.

Here’s what to do:

• Go to a kitchen supply store and find a flat baking pan with a raised lip.  The pan should have very small holes spaced closely together.  You can also make your own if you are willing to sacrifice a good baking sheet.  You can drill holes about ½ inch apart; make sure the holes are small enough to prevent the beans from falling through.  You will also need a metal colander with holes small enough to prevent the beans from slipping through.
• Preheat your oven to 500 to 540°F.
• Put the green coffee beans in the pan.  Arrange the beans so they are in a single layer and close to each other in the pan.  Use enough beans to cover the surface of the pan.
• Put the pan on the middle oven rack and roast for 15 to 20 minutes.
• If you want to roast them longer, you will need to bring up the temperature.  You can smell when they are getting close to done because the odor changes from a wet grassy smell to a coffee smell.
• Once you have roasted the beans, put them into a metal colander.
• Toss the beans in the colander to remove the chaff.  This also helps the beans cool a bit faster.

Every oven is different, so your roasting time may be less or more, and you should plan on making at least a few batches to experiment.  BrewOrganic has a color chart to help you determine when your beans are done.

Having fresh coffee, real fresh coffee, is worth the time and experimentation it takes to achieve the perfect roast. Not to mention, it's perfect for those gourmet coffee gifts!

Attempting the Air Popper Method

More on Coffee:

• Chocolate Streusel Coffee Cake
• Add a Unique Coffee Bar to your Reception
• Coffee Talk

When someone is retiring, they are starting off on the rest of their lives. Most people don’t retire and sit home, so you want to kick off their new future with a festive party. If you’re planning the party, you’ll want to make it memorable, fun, and lively. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Think about the venue. Where will you hold it? Will it be at a restaurant? A dinner cruise? A country club? Someone’s home? Decide first where you will host the party and then you can get down to specifics. Don’t discount having it outdoors in a backyard. You can make that very elegant and creative as long as you have arrangements in case of rain (like a big tent).

Next, decide how many people you will invite. Is it going to be everyone from the office? Hundreds of friends and relatives? Or just the immediate family? Once you have set the number of people, you can determine exactly how fancy you can afford to get.

The party can come from you or you might ask a whole group of people to chip in. Officemates and siblings will often want to chip in even before they are asked. So take everyone up on their offers. Just be sure everyone who contributed gets the recognition for hosting the party.

Send out invitations as far in advance as possible. Most retirements are not surprises, so you’ll have plenty of time to get things planned. Set a date that works for the retiree when he’s not traveling or out of town celebrating. It’s ok to ask him or her for a few dates they may be available. If you’re inviting one hundred people, you want to make sure the date works before you announce it.

Go with a theme. Is the retiree an avid golfer? A seamstress? A pilot? Determine your decorations by the person’s likes and hobbies. You can build an adorable party around just about any hobby. Include the theme as part of the invitations, table toppers, favors, and entertainment. Foods can also be created, especially the cake, around a particular theme.

Get creative with the actual party. Do you want a seated dinner or a low-key help-yourself barbecue? Either can be fun. Or do you want a catered buffet where everyone is free to get up and mingle and dance. You can get as fancy as a wedding type party or as uncomplicated as burgers and dogs by the pool. You decide what you’re comfortable hosting.

When it comes to gifts, you don’t have to say anything at all. You aren’t required to write “Please, no gifts” or anything like that on an invitation for a retirement party. You’re not throwing it for yourself, so it’s appropriate that guests bring retirement gifts if they choose to. Just don’t request them of anyone.

Decide if it will be a day or a night time party. If it will be in the evening and outdoors, you can have faux flameless candles lining walkways and decks to make a nice atmosphere that  lights up the night. You will want to be sure you indicate if children are welcome especially if the party will go into the night. People need time to arrange for babysitters.

It’s that time of year again. New Year’s Day is right around the corner. Everyone is going to be making resolutions to start the year off right. Whether you dread resolutions or love the challenge, you’re in good company. Most people make some form of resolution and many people dread the thought of keeping their promises to themselves.

What do most people resolve to do in the New Year that they didn’t quite get around to last year? Take a look at the most common New Year’s Resolutions.

• I will lose all the weight I need to lose, fast.

This is perhaps the most common resolution of all. With Americans now more obese than they ever were in history, it’s no wonder that losing weight becomes the resolution of choice. People want to better themselves at the turn of the year, and one way they hope to do that is by losing extra weight. While this can be an excellent resolution, it should be one undertaken with the mindset that fast weight loss means rapid weight gain. Those who vow to go on a crash diet on January 2^nd often end up burnt out with their hand in a bag of Oreos come February 1^st. So, if you’re going to resolve, like so many, to lose weight this year, do it in manageable doses with healthy eating and extra activity.

• I will stop smoking tomorrow.

Many people await January 1^st with both dread and excited anticipation. They view a new page on the calendar and a new year as the perfect chance to stop smoking.  They also know it’s coming up fast, so they have a few extra packs before their self-imposed smoking ban is on. Unfortunately, like the people making weight loss resolutions, setting the bar too high at the start will lead to quick failure. Instead, plan to cut down by wearing a nicotine patch or other doctor-recommended remedy that will let you step down slowly from your craving for nicotine. Set small and realistic goals and you will find yourself smoke-free come next January.

• I’ll exercise more every day.

Again, making this resolution is common, but keeping it isn’t. Instead of making an unrealistic goal for yourself—like going from sedentary to marathon runner in one afternoon—set smaller goals. Start by telling yourself you’ll walk around the block two nights each week. Then add a Saturday morning walk at the park with the dog, and build from there. Many well-intentioned people start out of the gate strong and fizzle in a few weeks because they took on too much. Plan to find a walking buddy or get a new puppy so that you have to show up each time to exercise. Also, don’t think of it as exercise. Just move your body more each day and you will burn calories.

It’s fun to make resolutions, but not always fun to keep them. This year write your resolutions down and check on yourself every month. If you find you’re not where you wanted to be, you can always correct your course before too much time has passed.  Go easy on yourself. No one ever made permanent, lasting progress without a few false starts.