Her recipe is the perfect mixture of goodness, cooked just for the right amount of time and supplemented with the perfect sides. The secret of this recipe isn’t so much the ingredients, they’re all pretty regular, but its about the right mix of ingredients and the right preparation.

Grab 3 extra large Bramley apples and dice them into into small chunks. Vary the size to make the pie more interesting when eating. Make up a pastry by sieving flour and salt into a bowl. Use your fingers to mix in margarine until it resembles a pastry mix. Ad a little water and continue to mix until it’s firm. Make a base for your apple pie using pastry, fill it with apples and a sprinkle of salt, put more pastry on the top and cook for 20-30 minutes in a preheated 200C oven. Add a blob of vanilla ice cream and pour on a dribble of caramel sauce.

Thanks to Jennifer for sharing this delicious treat with us!

If you’re in charge of a home or business network, the first thing you should do is change your secondary DNS server to openDNS. The DNS resolvers of your ISP will be the fastest within the Philippines, but also the most unreliable. So use your ISP for primary and let it fall back to openDNS as a secondary resolver.

Since 2006 there has been a root DNS server located within the Philippines. While you can query this server directly and get the quickest response times possible within the Philippines, it’s generally frowned upon to directly query the root servers, since it applies additional load to them. It’s preferred that you query a caching DNS server which in turn queries the root servers.

I wouldn’t object to the limit so much if the service was sold as ’800mb internet surfing’ as aposed to ‘Unlimited internet surfing’. To be fair, after a number of complaints, Globe have now added “fair usage applies” to their adverts. But I still think the ads are, on the whole, misleading.

Aside from someone naturally hitting the limit, if someone finds out your IP address, while you’re surfing Globe Tattoo, they can actually flood your connection with junk traffic, even if you have a firewall in place to reject the packets, Globe still log those as incoming traffic and add them to your bandwidth usage. So a third party can quite easily force you to hit the limit using regular denial of service tools.

There are a few ways to bypass Globes 800meg bandwidth limit. The easiest of which is to use a VPN. You can either rent access to a VPN from the many sellers on Sulit.com.ph (be careful, they can see passwords etc that you use to login to websites) or you can setup your own VPN if you have a dedicated server or VPS.

Another option is to use a ping tunnel. For this you’ll need a dedicated server or VPS that you can install the ping tunnel software on. Then your connection is tunneled between you and the remote server via regular pings, these pings are not included in your usage and will allow you to surf even after hitting the limit.

There are also versions of opera mini that have been hacked to allow basic surfing without load or when you’ve received the text message from globe that you’ve hit the daily limit. These work by stripping the protocol version from outgoing requests. For some reason, when you strip HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1 from outgoing requests, they pass through the Globe network even without load or after passing your bandwidth limit.

The openDNS resolvers operate on IPv4 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 . These are anycast IP addresses which redirect your request to whichever server is located closest to you. This also helps spread load to different servers if certain servers are unaccessible.

Aside from resolving domains to IPs like a regular DNS service, openDNS also provide site blocking options which work via hijacking the real NXDOMAIN response with one leading to their own server.

This reminds me of another country that is separated to this day – Korea. The arrangements the Soviet Union and the US came up for deciding the fate of Japan’s colonies separated the northern and southern part of Korea, so that the north was occupied by socialist republic parties and the south was ruled in democracy. If not for this arrangement Korea would still be one nation to this day, as it has been for the most part of the duration of its history until that point. But due to the differences in the system they have gotten used to, Korea could not agree with which system to use and they ended up having a war that separated them to this day. While they have begun talks of reunification just a few years ago, they have encountered many hurdles that to this day they still remain separated.

Would the same thing happen to the Philippines given the war has been going on for a much longer time than it did in Korea? Only time will tell.

You have three options: take the subway, where you will find a map of the subway lines (and hopefully not get lost in the process); take a cab, which will cost more, especially with the heavy NY traffic; or take the bus, which goes through Broadway so you just might be on the right track as long as you know the bus schedule.

On to the theaters. As I’ve said, many theaters are in the theater district, and so you can take your pick of the shows you want to see and the theaters you want to see as well. You can take a look at The Palace Theater, which was built in the 1930s and was previously used for vaudeville shows; it currently plays Legally Blonde: The Musical. Or you can visit The Majestic Theater, known as one of the biggest theater houses in the area, and is currently the home of Phantom of the Opera as it has been since 1988. If you want something different, then check out the Nederlander, where Rent is being shown right now.

The theater has been remodeled and remade to resemble a night club, and there you will see the famous wall where artists have signed while waiting for the stars of Rent to meet with them. If you’re a fan of art nouveau, then you can visit the Goerge Gershwin Theater and check out its architecture, as well as Wicked. Just remember that no two theaters are alike so even if you don’t plan on watching the show in them, I still recommend that you visit the different theaters on the theater district.

Panic! At The Disco’s catchy “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies” made it to the twentieth spot. It’s been a big year for Panic! as they shot to fame because of this song. Rihanna is up next at 19 with “SOS (Rescue Me)”, and it’s not surprising that she made it to the top 20 because she has been consistently producing hits since she hit commercial success with “Pon De Replay”. At 17 is Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” which basically became an anthem for those who are recently single. At 11 Mary J. Blige shows why she is going strong in the music industry with her hit “Be Without You”.

In the top 10 is Beyonce’s “Check On It”, which is a collaboration with Slim Thug, held during an eastwood city events time. It’s a nice song to dance to but was beaten by Shakira and Wyclef Jean’s “Hips Don’t Lie”, which has swept the world because of the catchy tune and Shakira’s superb dancing in the video. Shakira lands the fifth spot. The top four are as follows: James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” is at number 4, and he is someone to watch definitely; Nelly Furtado and Timbaland’s “Promiscuous” is at the third spot, and it’s a very good comeback for Furtado after her giving birth to her child; Sean Paul’s “Temperature” at the second spot, and Daniel Powter claims the top spot with his hit “Bad Day”, which everyone could relate to and was beautifully put into song for all of us to enjoy. Check out the rest of the list and let me know what you think.

His first album Waiting For My Rocket to Come, which was released in 2002, has this very catchy tune called “The Remedy” where audiences got a first taste of his wit and his (for lack of a better term) fixation for wordplay. Another song from the same album, “You and I Both”, became a favorite for those who heard the album.

It wasn’t until he released his second album that he reached the fame he is experiencing today. Mr. A-Z, which was released in 2005,  contains a song with a title that I’ve used to describe what he does with his songs: Wordplay. Now, the song “Geek In The Pink” has been made popular because an American Idol contestant, Chris Richardson, sang it on the show and people have looked it up and listened to the original rendition. Even I caught the bug. Surely from here Jason Mraz is bound for better and greater things, as long as he keeps his wit and keeps on using his wordplay.

We have to introduce fruits and vegetables to each baby’s system. One popular vegetable, which helps their eyesight development, is the carrot. To make baby food out of carrots, you just peel them and take off their top, and either steam or boil them (you can also microwave but I feel more natural ways of cooking are healthier so I wouldn’t recommend it) before you puree them. You’ve got your baby food! It’s that easy. You can try it with other vegetables, and try mixing and matching vegetables and fruits that work.

So who’s your favorite person who has been on Idol?

I can think of a few. Many people would now say Jennifer Hudson, because of her recent success in the movie Dreamgirls, where she has been able to show both her singing prowess (which she has demonstrated even during her Idol days but she was eliminated nonetheless) and her acting skills. Or maybe they would mention Carrie Underwood, because she has moved on to win I know I love LaToya London from Season 3.

It has been an issue when LaToya was eliminated in favor of Jasmine Trias, and many people questioned the legitimacy of the show at the time, but though she did not win Idol LaToya has gone on to be a successful artist and is quite busy nowadays with the Broadway musical The Color Purple. Another person who has shown amazing talent is this season’s third placer, Melinda Doolittle, who can sing almost any song and has had leverage in the competition because of her experience as a back-up singer to the stars. What about you? Who are your favorites?

The people of a nation do not always realize how much power they hold in their hands as long as they come to a general consensus and they decide to go together and demand for their rights. Oftentimes these people feel bound by their leaders without nudging each other and so the leaders get to decide for them without their consent or without doing so much as consult them about possible changes.

Without the people, there will not be a nation to govern, and without the nation the leader is useless – he is just a person. The people build a country because they are the ones who exert the effort and work hard in order to keep the country running. They have to realize their rights to be able to fully understand the extent of their power when it comes to governing the country.

Peace treaties are tricky because you have to consider many things. A treaty consists of the following elements: the agreement of peace that the two sides come up with; the territories that each side has established; ways of solving other conflicts that may come up and the proper behavior to be observed after the treaty is in effect.

But while it may be tricky, it is an effective way of making sure that no trouble arises afterwards or that if trouble does still stir after the parties involved have talked, then there is already a given solution that they can try in order to make things work. All it takes is to ensure that there is a body that will watch and make sure the parties involved keep their end of the bargain.

I like my sandwiches thick, so I try and put a lot of stuff in them and I separate the layers with loaves of bread. On the first layer I put some honey-mustard dressing, then some lettuce, tomatoes, a slice of ham, and lots of ground black pepper. I top this with a loaf of bread and build on my second layer – honey-mustard dressing again, then lettuce, then one grilled boneless chicken breast, lots of strips of red and green bell pepper, more honey-mustard sauce and a slice of cheese.

I top it with another loaf of bread, put it in the toaster until the bread is golden brown, and eat it as I go. What’s your favorite sandwich combination?

Of course, my mother does not want her bechamel sauce to be as plain as this, because she knows that her children – that’s me and my sisters – are very picky when it comes to food. It always has to taste good, or we won’t eat at all. What she does with her version of bechamel sauce is she goes back to what I found out to be the traditional way – she adds in cream to the mix. She also adds a can of mushroom soup, which gives it an extra flavor and extra creaminess, and seasons it with salt and pepper.

She uses that white sauce for her lasagna, baked macaroni, carbonara, and pasta alfredo, and she also uses it for spaghetti when I want a combination of white and red sauce. Try making your own variation of bechamel – it’s flexible and very tasty.

She placed this in the oven toaster and heated it until the cheese melted, after which she took them out, put some chopped basil on the melted cheese, and topped it off with some chili powder. We all had a blast eating that, and I like to think of it as her stuffed tomatoes, but she gave it a different name (using a cuss word because she was mad at the time she made those, haha). But there’s an idea for a snack if you want one.

One of my favorites is a simple thing – a mango-strawberry smoothie, I normally rcpt people on this recipe!. I take a few mangoes, add around twice the amount of fresh strawberries (with the tops taken off, of course) and  I throw them in a blender. I blend them together and taste if it’s good before I add anything else. If it’s good, I place it in glasses or in a pitcher and chill before serving.

If it’s sour (this happens when there are strawberries that are not yet that ripe), then I add more mangoes and, if needed, milk. But when I add milk to the smoothie I also add crushed ice and just make sure I blend it very well before chilling. It also helps to add a drop of vanilla extract, just to add to the milky flavor and to help complement the fruits. It’s a good way to make yourself feel good without the guilt.

If you want more things to do in one place, then you can go to the Kakadu National Park. There you will find out about the history of the aborigines in the area, take a hike along another rock formation (which is common in the savannahs and the deserts of Australia), and take a cruise on the Yellow Water to see the crocodiles and other forms of wildlife.

If you want a more general view of the outback, then you can go to Flinders Ranges and take a plane  to see te Wilpena Pound rock basin and the waterholes in the area. Finally, if you feel like you’ve had enough of the savannah life all over Australia and would just want to rest in a place that is beautiful and yet still within the same boundaries as the savannah, then remember that no desert is complete without an oasis somewhere: go to Mildura, Victoria, and enjoy the Murray River, the sand-dunes and the vineyards. It’s a perfect way to cap your savannah adventure in Australia.

There are three waterfalls you can see there: the Burwisan Falls, which is the nearest of the three, can be found just a short walk from the initial campsite, and around the falls you can set up camp as well. Take note of the smooth wall there – it’s as if the wall is man-made instead of carved by nature itself. The next one, another short walk from the Buruwisan Falls, is the Lanzones Falls, which has really cold water and a few sharp stones on the sides of the falls so be careful when you’re making your way beneath the falls for a photo-op. Lastly, if you walk upstream from the campsite, you will reach the Batya-Batya Falls, which is really a set of falls with different sizes of pools beneath them.

These pools look like basins, which is there the falls got its name from. At night you can enjoy the multitutde of fireflies around the forest and the silence of the mountains, or drink with the campers present there. It’s a wonderful haven for nature-lovers who want scenic views and good company.

But if you’ve seen these places – and more – and you still find yourself wanting just a little bit more out of your trip, then you can try some of the things I’ll discuss below.

When I hear the name Tuscany the first thing I think of isn’t Pisa; it’s wine. Tuscany is known for its great-tasting wine, and so you can go to one of the wineries there for wine-tasting and a taste of countryside living. Of course, to complement your wine, you can take cooking classes in Tuscany – Italians are famous for their food as well, and they are famous for making easy but delectable treats for everyone to enjoy, so if you love your Italian restaurant back home then you might just learn how to make your favorite dishes here. If you’re the type of person who enjoys an adventure, then you might consider trekking along the Monte Forato, which is famous for the hole between its two peaks.

You can also bike around Tuscany – they have bike trails for all types of bikers, from the leisure bikers to those who are serious and what to challenge themselves a bit with Tuscany’s hills. Whatever your taste is, there’s an activity that fits you in this famous Italian destination.

Kuantan is the largest settlement in eastern Malaysia. It has the bus and the cab for public transportation, but it takes time to get around by the bus and taking a cab is quite pricey so your best option is to rent a car. Using the car you can get around to various sites. For their beaches, you can go to Teluk Chempedak, which is known for its boating and kayaking facilities; Beserah, known for its fishing community and freshly-caught fish; or Balok, where you can try windsurfing. For other places in town, you can visit Sungai Lembing town, which is known for its underground mines. There is a museum there which gives a lot of insight on the underground mining history of the area.

There is also a hill there that you can climb to watch the sunrise, known as the Panorama Hill, where you can also see a view of Sungai Lembing below. Other tourist sites include the mini-zoo Taman Teruntum; the Panching Caves, also found on Sungai Lembing, which has a large statue of a sleeping buddha; and the Berkelah Falls, which is nine kilometers away from Kuantan via the Kuantan-Gambang road. If you are a fan of sports, you can go to Taman Gelora, which is 3 km away from Kuantan. There is a park there where you can choose between various sports activities or take photos of the lotus flowers around. This park is the Gelora Park.

Whether you want to do sports or  just want to relax, consider Kuantan an option the next time you go to Malaysia.