Special Christmas Cake Recipe For You by Roger McCullough

Here is my favorite recipe for a super special Christmas cake. If you haven't made your Christmas cake already, now is the time to get going! There is nothing more wonderful than a homemade Christmas cake to make Christmas extra special.

You will need:

1 1/2 cups (12oz) raisins
2 cups (1lb) currants
1 1/2 cups (12oz) sultanas
1/2 cup (4oz) almonds
3/4 cup (6oz) mixed peel
1/2 cup (4oz) glace/candied cherries
grated rind of half a lemon & the juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups (12oz) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (12oz) moist brown sugar
6 eggs
3 cups (12oz) plain flour
1/2 level teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 level teaspoon nutmeg
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
1 level tablespoon black treacle
At lest 2 tablespoons brandy, rum or sherry (whichever you prefer) plus extra to add to the cake after it has been baked.

Method:

Grease a 9-10 inch tin.
Cream butter, sugar and grated lemon rind until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one by one.
Mix the dry ingredients together thoroughly then add to the creamed butter mixture.
Add the treacle and combine well.
Mix in your preferred alcohol and the lemon juice (add a little extra if the mixture seems too stiff) so that it forms a dropping consistency.
Turn the mixture into the lined tin, making sure that there are no air bubbles and the surface is flat.
Tie a double band of brown paper around the tin - approximately 3 inches above the rim.
Place in the oven one rung below the middle at 160 degrees centigrade. Bake for 2 hours and then reduce heat to 150 degrees centigrade and bake for a further 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin.
Remove the brown paper and turn the cake upside down. Prick the bottom of the cake with a cocktail stick or thin metal skewer to make around 20 tiny holes.
Pour in a couple of tablespoons of your chosen extra alcohol and leave the cake upside down until it has been absorbed.
Wrap the cake in fresh grease proof paper and leave for at least 48 hours before icing (I prefer to leave it for a month or even 2 before icing and repeat the addition of alcohol once a week. Un-iced, the cake can be stored for 2 months wrapped in foil.)

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4 Tips To Help Learn How To Control Jealousy by Trevor Johnson

Suffering from jealousy can mean that you find it hard to have a normal relationship. You are suspicious of every move your partner makes and this can lead to you splitting up. If you are looking for a way to show you how to control jealousy the following 4 tips could really help you. So take a look and see if you can stop your jealousy once and for all.

Tip one is to see jealousy for what it is - an unhealthy emotion that should not be realised. By finally understanding who unhealthy jealousy is you will be able to overcome it in time. You might find this part tricky, but you will eventually be able to do it.

Tip two is to think about why you are jealous. Has this happened as a result of a previous partner cheating on you? Or maybe you saw one or both of your parents cheating on each other. Work out the root cause of your jealousy and you will be on the right track.

Tip three is to deal with your problem in a productive and proactive way. Simply knowing that you are a jealous person is not enough to solve your problem. So deal with it in whatever way works well for you, this could be self help or even counselling.

Tip four you must understand the importance of trust in a relationship. Without trust a relationship is doomed, so start to build the trust with your partner as they clearly already trust you.

By taking note of these tips on how to control jealousy you will eventually be able to work through your problem. Be determined and you will be free of jealousy and able to create positive and healthy relationships. Once you have done this you will be happy and settled.

Are Long Distance Relationships Eco Friendly? by Kathy Forcey

Depending on what side of the fence you sit on regarding long distance relationships, they can either be a good thing or a disaster. The old cliche about "absence makes the heart grow fonder" may well be true. But fonder of whom is the question, fonder of the partner who is absent, or fonder of the available talent closer to home?

When long distance relationships are tested, who provides the comforting shoulder to cry on? The local talent pool can be a very tempting place to go for a quick midnight swim.

Put it like this, when you are hungry for a take out, do you dial a local restaurant for a delivery or ask someone in Italy to make that Pizza for you and send it over, because you really want to hold out for the real thing?

With global warming we are all being encouraged to reduce our food miles. We are being advised to reconsider food that has travelled miles and miles to get to our tables and into our mouths. In the spirit of this, I would suggest that people look closer to home for their love miles. Long distance relationships are not very green.

They say there is someone for everyone in this world. In fact there are actually lots of people for everyone. If there were only one person for everyone, then the human race would become extinct. I base this on the fact that most men cannot find their socks in the morning, so the chances of them having the tenacity to search on a global level for someone to mate with, would not bode well for mankind.

So before you fall in love, the idea is that you check out how eco friendly the relationship will be. Long distance relationships come with a global warming warning.