Fishing Pole Repair

Fishing is perhaps the most ancient of man's activities. Since times immemorial, people have been fishing for food. The story of a fisherman has been immortalized in Ernest Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea". It is an excellent take on the philosophy of fishing and life in general.

For some, fishing is a way of life and some fish for the pleasure of it. You put the bait, throw the line and then meditate. There is something very satisfying about it. The tool of the small time fisherman is the fishing rod. Many times due to mishandling or going after too big a fish, the fishing pole breaks.

Choosing a fishing pole is like choosing a golf club. You choose a golf club, according to the distance to which you want to hit the golf ball, the angle and the power needed. Similarly, choose a fishing pole according to what kind of fish you are going after and where you are fishing. This is what is going to decide, how tough and robust a fishing pole you require. Also, get well acquainted with the pole setup.

More often than not, the poles are thrown in the fishing field, once they are broken. You need not throw away the fishing pole if its broken. Fishing pole repair is possible. Nowadays, even repair kits are available, which let you easily mend the rod in the field. It is an essential skill which must be mastered by every person, who calls himself a true fisherman. After all, one must know how to repair the tools of his trade!

Tools Required

The tools and spare parts required for the repair are as follows:

• Ferrules
• Spare Guide
• Trimmer
• Spare String

How to Repair a Fishing Pole?

Here I explain the procedure according to the kind of damage that is caused.

Broken Rod
It often happens that the fishing pole's rod snaps under high tension. By using ferrules, you can mend the rod. First of all, trim the ends of the rod or the break square and place a ferrule in the break. Place the ferrule exactly in between the break square of the two pieces. That is, cement one end of the ferrule to the top broken part and the other to the bottom broken part.

Broken Guide
There may be instances, when your guide breaks. Do not worry, as spare guides are available at any sports goods store. Re-tie the new guide at the place where the old guide was. You may have to change the string along with the guide. Of course, before doing this, you have to remove the old guide and string from the pole. Once you are done with fixing the new guide and string, then apply a coat of lacquer on the string to cure it.

Broken Tip
Sometimes, it also happens that the tip breaks, due to rough handling. You can restore the broken tip easily by trimming the rod square end and cementing a new tip which is easily available at any hardware store. Make sure that the tip is properly aligned with the array of other guides.

Hope this short account helps you out and a fishing pole damage does not interrupt your fishing experience!

Mullet Fishing

Mullet -- a kind of fish found in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world -- is an important food source. It belongs to the ray-finned fish family, Mugilidae, and are mostly found in brackish water. You can also find them in freshwater as well. A mullet fish can be distinguished from other fish by their dorsal fins, which are separate from each other, absence of lateral line organ and small triangular mouths. Detritus is their favorite food and most of the species of this fish have a muscular stomach. Over the years mullet fishing has become one of the most popular pastimes.

If you go out fishing it can be a frustrating wait to get one! You may see large mullets moving around the waters, but if you want to catch them; they can't be easily caught. Many people do catch them, and you may wonder how? Here we give you some mullet fishing tips which you can use to have a good catch.

Mullet Fishing Techniques

If you are fishing for the mullet for the first time, the first thing you would need is a pair of polarized sunglasses. They help in cutting the reflection off water thereby, helping you to see more clearly. Mullets can be found anywhere and at anytime, so you need to look for places which you may think that there are no fish. You may opt to sit on one spot and introduce some bait; this may work sometimes, but it may take a long time to catch one. You should rather try to keep moving in your boat and follow the fish as much as you can. You can feed them bread so as to have a better chance of catching one.

Make sure that you don't travel with a lot of baggage. You should only take a few things like hooks, bubble floats, self-cocking grayling floats, fish food besides the fishing rod. As far as the time and season for catching mullet is concerned, there is no fixed time for catching them. Today mullets can be found in every climatic conditions, unlike in the past when they were found during summers only. However, if you go out fishing in winters, make sure that you carry some warm cloths with you, as it might get very cold out on the waterway.

Mullet Fishing Rigs

When you go out mullet fishing, there are a few things which you would need to take along - a match rod, strong hooks about 8/10 in size, a drop net or landing net, a bucket of 2 gallons which would be required to mix bread mash. Mullets are tough fighters and at times it becomes difficult to catch them. A light line and a small hook should work fine, but you have to be on your toes every time you go mullet fishing. For fishing you would usually use a crap rod, but for mullets it would be too stiff and there are chances that you would lose more than you catch. At times, you may be successful using fly rods, barbel rods or light spinning rods but instances may be less.

Mullet Fishing Bait

Mullets mostly eat mud as their long digestive system allows them to digest microscopic animals surviving in the mud besides green algae growing on rocks. Moreover, they come to the surface of water to have algae accumulated on the surface and this is the time when you have the best chance of catching them. For catching a mullet you can opt to give them baits of bread, sea worms, mincemeat or Kangaroo meat.

Thus, it can be quite a bit of fun if you go out for mullet fishing. In Florida, mullets are one of the most sought after fish due to its taste and nutritional value.

Bluegill Fishing Tips

The bluegill, also known as the copperhead fish, is a freshwater species native to the continent of North America. Over the period, bluegill fishing has become quite a popular activity in North America. This popularity can be attributed to the sheer fact that this fish tastes delicious, and more importantly, you don't need to put in much effort to come up with a good catch. Experts in the field suggest that, success in bluegill fishing by and large depends on a number of factors, including the proper execution of various tips and use of proper equipment.

Simple Tips for Catching Bluegills

We have compiled some of the most simple yet effective tips for fishing bluegill for all you angling enthusiasts out there. Irrespective of which bluegill fishing techniques you resort to, these tips are bound to be of some help for you.

Bluegill spawning season starts somewhere in spring and extends up to early summer. Spawning is at a peak as the temperature of the water crosses the 70 degree Fahrenheit mark. This is the best time to fish bluegill, as the species are known to be quite active in shallow waters near the river banks.

When it comes to bluegill fishing in summer, early mornings and late evenings are the best times to fish considering that the bluegill species are most active during these times. In summer, you are more likely to encounter these species along the edges of weed beds and in the vicinity of river banks.

In winter, you are more likely to come across bluegills in deeper waters, ranging anywhere between 12 to 20 feet. The bluegill species is relatively less active in terms of movement as well as feeding. Taking that into consideration, it is wise to use smaller baits and a light tackle when bluegill fishing in winter.

At the max, bluegills grow to a length of 15-16 inches, and hence it is wiser to keep your baits or lures small in size. Bluegill fishing baits include crickets, earthworms, mealworms, waxworms etc, while bluegill fishing lures include small spinnerbaits, small grubs, ice tick jigs, miniature soft plastics etc. Live baits, such as worms and night crawlers, are much more effective when it comes to bluegill fishing. However, lures are the best bet during the spawning season, wherein males are aggressive enough to bite on to anything they come across.

Using an ultra-light fishing rod and a reel with a light line will enhance your chances to catching bluegills in large numbers. The ultra-light fishing rod will help you in detecting the fish bite on the bait easily, and the light line will easily get camouflaged in water, thus ensuring that the fish won't detect it, even in clear water.

Though there is no doubt about the fact that these fishing tips are effective, you will have to alter them depending on the circumstances that prevail. For instance, when it comes to bluegill fishing in ice, using a jig, i.e. a hand-held rod smaller than the conventional fishing pole, increases your chances of getting a good catch. One thing to keep in mind is that fishing, or any other activity as such, is mastered by practice. You don't have to get disheartened if you don't get a good catch on the first couple of outings. With practice you are bound to get well versed with all the tricks of the trade, and that is bound to show on your haul.

How to Make Cod Fishing Rigs

Know the Facts
Making the Rig
Knotting Styles
Tips to Tackle Your Tackle BetterDoes fishing excite you? Well, if it does, then how about learning to make cod fishing rigs! Another exciting facet to chasing the cod, besides satiating your pleasure quotient, is the fact that cod looks good on the plate! The species is white in color, flaked with layers of flesh. Its appearance, however, is of no preludial importance to us, at the moment.

What we are here to learn is fabricating our very own cod fishing rig. Besides, a few meaty facts about fishing good cod may help you warm up to the technique and the subsequent activity better.

Know the Facts

• The season deemed lucrative for catching good cod, undoubtedly, is winter. When September nears an end, consider it to be your cue to prep for cod fishing, in addition to buffing your casting skills. Keep tab on the forecasts. Summers may not serve to be a bait for anglers; however, a transitional switch that feels the nip of approaching winters is good news; this, precisely, is the time when cod returns inshore. The month of October packs a decent increase in the cod population. November and December promise a rich catch. January and February are overtures to a sharp decline in their population.
• An ideal time to fish for cod is during a gush of onshore winds. However, a few cod catchers are of the view that the best time to tow a share is right after a gale. You may get the catch, but not exactly what you hoped for. The fact stands pat that the wildest of winds - i.e., when the gale peaks, this, indeed, is the time when the largest number of fish roll inshore.
• Daytime invites onshore winds; this may serve productive for anglers, who prefer fishing during this patch. However, to hitch a double-figured catch, raiding the sea during the dark hours, certainly, scores a notch higher.
• A cod is but a codling when weighing under 3 lb. Once the codling matures into cod, i.e., it crosses the 3-lb. mark, it is fit enough to be gouged by the net mesh, in turn, leading to plummeting numbers of fish.
• Tides affect your manner of casting and tackle. It is when the tides are at their worst, that codling travel inshore. However, some venues may not prove very rewarding with regard to conducting the activity. Venues high on strong spring high tides make it difficult to fish. A below-average force of tides, also termed neap tides, help you tackle cod better.
• When talking bait for cod, peeler crabs, fresh black lugworm, mussel, and squid must go on to cocktailing the circle hook. Peeler crabs and lugworm are staple baits; make sure they are needled for the cod.

[ Back to Index ]Making the Rig

Tackle Components

1 Sputnik Type Eye Sinker (6 - 14 Oz)
1 Oval Split Ring
2 Beads
1 Three-way Brass Swivel
2 Flexible Crimps
1 Breakaway Impact Release Clip
1 Genie Lead Link
1 Power Swivel
Shockleader for Main line (60 - 80lb)
1 Mono Fluorocarbon snood (15 - 30lb)
1 Aberdeen Circle hook (No. 5/0 - 7/0)
Lure/Bait

Procedure

Starting from the base of the rig, attach the components in the following manner:Sputnik Type Eye sinker [i] Breakaway Impact Release Clip [ii] Power Swivel [iii] Genie Lead Link [iv]. When this component chain is ready, you may now move on to stringing the main line [v] or the body to the last component chained, i.e., the genie lead link.
Secure the main line by tying a palomar knot through the head loop of the genie lead link.
Let the main line run a distance, and thereafter fix the following components over the main line in the order undermentioned: Flexible Crimp [vi] Bead [vii] Spring [viii] Bead [ix] Flexible Crimp [x]. Tie one eye (A) of the 3-way brass swivel [xi] to the main line extending from the second flexible crimp attached.
Next, tie the Mono Fluorocarbon snood [xii] to eye (B), adjacent to eye (A) of the 3-way brass swivel. The main line must knot eye (C). The knotting style for the 3-way brass swivel would be the clinch knot.
The other end of the Mono Fluorocarbon snood, also regarded as the Fishfinder/Dropper line, loops an Aberdeen circle hook [xiii]. Remember: The loop should be constructed through the palomar knotting style.
Attach the oval split ring [xiv] to the open end of the main line which leads to the fishing rod and reel. Use the palomar knot to secure the oval split ring.
String the bait -- peeler crabs, lugworm, mussels -- through the point sliding across the barb of the hook. Make sure you dress the entire length of the circle hook with bait.

Note.- The roman numbering convention has been used alongside the labels in the diagram and the procedure, respectively, with an intention to facilitate comprehensibility.

Technique

Once you hit the grounds, hold it, and drop your fishing apollo rig to the bottom. Make sure that your rig stays put at the bottom; once it is there, do not bobble it.
Keep your line steady; a lot of jerks or wagging the rod often, should be avoided.
Now, how would you identify that cod has lugged on to the bait hook? Well, an experienced angler, perhaps, is well versed with a variety of bites, sensed through the hook. However, there are two basic indicators to hint that you have finally landed cod:

• One is a light, tap-like peck that does not dramatically affect the positioning of the rig;
• The other is a solid, powerful bite that, more often than not, feels like a hard gouge on the hook -- a sudden pull that lowers the position of the rig considerably.

[ Back to Index ]Knotting Styles
Palomar Knot
[Back to: Making the Rig]
Purpose:

• Secure the head loop of the genie lead link with the main line;
• Tie the Aberdeen circle hook to the Mono Fluorocarbon snood;
• Tie the Oval split ring to the main line.

Procedure:

• Step I: Slide the main line through the eye of the bait hook.
• Step II: Loop the bait hook.
• Step III: Holding the top end of the loop between the thumb and the index finger, hold the looped end with the other, and raise it toward the top end to form an overhead knot; i.e., let the loop end pass through an 'inbuilt' loop.
• Step IV: Glide the hook through the loop end.
• Step V: Pull the loose end to tighten the main line to the eye of the hook.

Clinch Knot
[Back to: Making the Rig]
Purpose:

• Knotting the main line and the mono snood to the 3-way brass swivel.

Procedure:

• Step I: Pass the main line through one eye of the 3-way brass swivel.
• Step II: Coil the looped main line over the straight/base main line five times in a row.
• Step III: Slide the end of the entwined line through the loop right next to the eye of the swivel.
• Step IV: Pull the tag end to form tightly clenched coils.

[ Back to Index ]Tips to Tackle Your Tackle Better
When tying knots, make sure they are tight enough to sustain your catch. Stretch the ends of the knot to ensure their strength.
With a light main line, exercise caution, while checking for the tightness of the knot. Your pull should be firm, not harsh as to snap the rig.
Snip the long, unwanted tag ends of the knot. Besides, they are a hindrance. For the finishing touch, use pliers to ensure tightened coils.
Take notice of your main line and mono snood. If you find a nip or two, change it right away. Second thoughts don't work here. If you are a tad too carefree, you may lose a meaty feeder.
A well-equipped tackle store is a must; provided, you are serious about grasping varied fishing techniques.
A word on bait: A reuse of the bait is not recommended. When the tackle is cast, the live-lures elicit certain juices into the waters. Cod may sense the affinity and associate the same with the bait, tugging at the bait hook. However, if a few chunks remain, the bait, by and large, has lost the 'family' juice that strikes an association.

Fishing rigs and techniques are abundant. However, what matters is a tickle to keep learning. Never mind if you are a novice, you ought to start somewhere! Accompany experienced anglers to their fishing sprees, ask questions, or simply look around; you would realize the 'bite' of knowledge with every bit of excursion you undertake!

How Many Calories in a Bagel

You may be one bagel away from jeopardizing your weight loss program!..

This delicious round piece of bread is a delicacy all over the world. And while some people like their bagel the way it is, other like a few toppings on it to make it even more delicious. And the question never really comes to the mind of one biting into a bagel. It is after eating one, that a person who is supposed to be on a weight loss diet fears that he may have overshot his daily quota of calorie intake.

Bagel Size in grams	Calories
24 g	70
65 g	188
99 g	286
65 g	188
102 g	295
123 g	355

Calories by Type
Apart from the size, there's also all the stuff that we put inside the bagel that counts too. The following is a calorie count on a medium (3.5" diameter) bagel with additions.

Bagel With Cream Cheese
A bagel slathered with cream cheese will add 452 calories to your daily calorie intake, considering it's a plain 3 oz bagel with 2 tbsp of whole cream cheese. Something weight watchers ought to, ideally, stay away from!

Bagel with Butter (from Dunkin' Donuts)
The bagel with butter may sound like a good option, but that still adds about 320 calories for a single serving.

Bagel Power with Peanut Butter
Now peanut butter is healthy, right? Surely that will be a still better option? Not quite. Your peanut butter bagel will add an unfortunate 750 calories (117.0 g) to your dietary intake, depending on its size.

Bagel with Egg
The egg bagel? I'm sure it must be nice to have a great bagel topped with an egg, which incidentally is supposed to be healthy food? A 3-1/2" to 4" diameter egg bagel will add 293 calories to your calorie consumption.

Plain Whole Wheat Bagel
Now enough is enough, you must be saying... surely, whole wheat is a healthy option, something weight-watchers and dietitians will tell you. Surely, the whole wheat bagel couldn't add too many calories. You'll be relieved when you see this number: 260 calories (95.0 g).

Of course the ingredients used in preparing a bagel can make all the difference to the calories in your bagel, so the numbers given below are only an approximate amount of calories in the bagel.

But still finding it difficult to quit the bagel. Well here's a little factoid that will brighten your day. The calories are generally carbohydrate based calories. Bread anyway has a high carbohydrate content and so does bagel. So where's the good news? Well the good news is that if you exercise enough, you will be able to burn those extra calories, before they turn into fat!

As you can see, the bagel is a pretty high calorie food item and perhaps not advisable for people who are on a diet. But that doesn't mean you cannot treat yourself with your favorite bread once in a while! All you need to do is get enough exercise before or after eating your bagel!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a nutritionist.

Freshwater Biome Animals

Water is undoubtedly one of the most important constituent of the planet. Covering around 75 percent of the total surface area of Earth, water does play a crucial role in supporting life on it. This in itself highlights the importance of aquatic biome for maintaining proper balance in the ecosystem. The aquatic biome is home to numerous members of kingdom Animalia including fish, reptiles, amphibians etc. Add to it the number of species which are indirectly dependent on this biome, and the number just swells.

Aquatic biome is divided into two parts - marine biome (consisting of saline water sources such as oceans, coral reefs, estuaries etc.) and freshwater biome (consisting of freshwater sources such as rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands etc.) Even though the latter is just a small facet of the planet's ecosystem, the plants and animals inhabiting this biome have a crucial role to play in smooth functioning of the ecosystem of the planet.

Freshwater Biome: An Overview

Also known as freshwater ecosystem, freshwater biome contains 0.009 percent of the total water present on the planet. Though 75 percent (approximately 1/5th) of the Earth's surface is covered with water, the freshwater sources only account for a mere 0.8 percent of the same. These sources of freshwater include rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, wetlands, brooks, creeks, canals etc. These sources house half of the total drinking water available on the planet, while the other half is stored in the form of glaciers and ground water. Other than housing drinking water, which is necessary for all the lifeforms on the Earth, these freshwater sources also house hundreds of species of fish and thousands of species of amphibians, along with numerous other species of insects, mammals etc.

Freshwater Biome Animals

Owing to immense diversity that one can see in freshwater sources, the animal and plant life found here is also quite diverse. It includes fish, amphibians, reptiles, as well as a few species mammals. There also exist numerous species of birds and animals which are directly or indirectly dependent on various freshwater sources. The animals found in this biome tend to differ from one freshwater source to another. While the rivers and streams, which are predominantly characterized by moving water, will house different types of freshwater fish, the wetlands, with stagnant water, will provide an ideal condition for a variety of amphibians, reptiles and insect species.

When we talk about aquatic animals, the first thing to come to our mind is the variety of fish species which inhabit the water bodies - and freshwater biome is no exception. It might come as a surprise for many but this biome is home to as many as 41 percent of the fish species found on the planet. Some of the most common species endemic to the freshwater sources of the planet include salmon, bass, trouts etc. One of the best examples of adaptations in freshwater species - the amphibians in particular - is their ability to thrive in running as well as stagnant water.

These amphibious species include frogs, salamanders etc. Similarly, there also exist water fleas, i.e. tiny creatures which tend to feed on cyanobacteria in the water. Insects are also quite common in these sources of freshwater, especially in stagnant water sources which act as great breeding grounds for them. More importantly, these insects also act as a food source for various other animals in this biome, and therefore form a crucial part of the freshwater food chain. When it comes to reptiles, water snakes such as water moccasins are quite common.

While several species of birds and mammals are dependent on the freshwater ecosystem for food, there are a few which themselves form an important part of this ecosystem. Birds found in this biome include ducks, geese etc., while mammals include otters, beavers, manatees etc. These birds and mammals form an important part of the food chain when it comes to freshwater ecosystem. Birds like cranes, hornbills, kingfishers, etc., as well as mammals like bears, foxes etc., are dependent on freshwater sources for food.

The fact that freshwater biome contains a mere 0.009 percent of the total water on the planet may make a person feel that it is least important from ecological point of view. That, however, is a misconception considering that it is the most important biome not just for the plants and animals which thrive in it, but also for us human beings. Like the other biomes of the world, even this biome is facing its own share of threats. If we don't put in efforts to save the freshwater source on the planet today, it may be too late for us even to try tomorrow.

Fish Batter Recipes

Fish can be cooked into a variety of lip smacking ways by merely using different types of batter. The batter preparation lends a unique flavor to the way fish is prepared. It helps to add that much-needed zing to your entire dish. Here, we shall take a look at many such recipes that can be used for any type of fish.

Recipe 1

Ingredients
Water (1 cup)
Salt (2 tsp)
Sugar (1 tsp)
Oil (1 tsp)
Cornstarch (1/2 cup)
All-purpose Flour (1 cup)
Baking Powder (1 tsp)

Preparation
Begin by mixing all the ingredients together carefully. Ensure there are no lumps. Then, preheat the oil in the deep fat fryer to the required temperature. Dry fish with the help of a paper towel and then dip it in the batter. Now, place each piece in the oil. Ensure the batter is set on both sides and cook till it turns a shade of golden brown. Place the fish on a paper towel to drain oil and serve hot.

Recipe 2

Ingredients
Egg (1)
Milk (250ml)
Plain flour (4 oz)
Salt and pepper

Preparation
First, you need to put the milk and the egg into the blender. Then, add some flour along with the salt and pepper. Follow the exact order as mentioned to avoid the flour from sticking to the blades. Cover the blender with the lid and process it till it smoothens. Place it aside for 30 minutes. Then, place it again in the blender before you use it with the fish preparation.

Recipe 3

Ingredients
Egg (1)
Vegetable Oil ( cup)
Pancake Mix (2 cups)
Lemon juice (1 lemon)
Salt and Pepper

Preparation
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and use water or milk to achieve the right consistency levels for the batter. Egg as an ingredient for the batter helps to make the batter a little on the crunchy side.

Recipe 4

Ingredients
Egg whites (3)
Flour (2 cups)
Milk (1 cup)
Sea salt ( tsp)
Sage ( tsp)
Thyme ( tsp)
Light beer (1/3 can)
Chili powder ( tsp)
Red pepper ( tsp)
Paprika (2 tsp)
Seasoned salt (2 tsp)
Pepper to taste

Preparation
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and make sure it forms the right consistency without any lumps. Dip the fish in the batter and fry till it turns golden brown.

Recipe 5

Ingredients for the batter
Eggs - beaten (2)
Salt (3/4 tsp)
Cornstarch (1/4 cup)
Milk (1/2 cup)
Garlic Powder (1/2 tsp)
All-purpose Flour (1/2 cup)

For the Marinate Sauce
Honey (1 Tbsp)
Sherry (2 Tbsp)
Lemon Juice (1 Tbsp)
Fresh Ginger - crushed or grated (1 tsp)

Preparation
First, you need to mix the honey and lemon juice along with sherry and ginger. Follow this by marinating the fish for 15 minutes. Then, mix flour, eggs, garlic, cornstarch, milk and salt to prepare a smooth batter. Dip the pieces of fish in this batter and fry till golden brown.

Oven-baked Salmon

You will always come across people who keep praising salmon for its richness in heart-friendly Omega 3 fatty acids. To derive the benefits, you do not have to eat them at an expensive restaurant. You can make oven-bake your salmon at home and relish it instead of frying it in oil.

Baked Salmon Recipes

Baked salmon makes for a healthy and delicious meal. If you do not have the time for an elaborate meal, you can choose to bake salmon and serve it with some bread and salad. Since salmon is naturally well-flavored, you will not require too many ingredients for it.

Easy Oven-baked Salmon
If you want to enjoy cooking and finish it at the earliest, then it is important that you lay your hands on some easy recipes. Now let's see an easy salmon recipe.

Ingredients

• Salmon Fillets with Skin, 4
• Olive Oil, 2 tablespoons
• Mayonnaise, 1 cup
• Soy Sauce, 2 tablespoons
• Garlic (freshly ground), 1 tablespoon
• Ginger (grated), 1 tablespoon
• Lemon, Pepper and Kosher Salt, as per taste

Method

• Rinse the salmon fillets in cold water till the oven is heating to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat dry the fillets and season both the sides with lemon, pepper and kosher salt.
• Line the base of the baking pan with foil, coat the foil with olive oil and place the fillets with skin down on the foil.
• Bake the salmon for about 10 to 12 minutes or till the flesh breaks easily with a fork.
• While the salmon is baking, in a bowl, mix mayonnaise, ginger and garlic together. Then add soy sauce to the mixture and stir the mixture well.
• Remove the salmon from the oven and spread the mixture on the fillets.
• Return the fillets to the oven and broil for about 3 minutes or till the crust turns golden brown.
• Serve the salmon immediately with cooked rice.

Baked Salmon Patties
If we really want to derive the benefits of the goodness of salmon, then we better not be frying the salmon patties in oil. You can, instead, bake the patties and enjoy the goodness.

Ingredients

• Egg Whites, 2
• Canned Salmon (boneless, drained and flaked), 1 can
• Bread Crumbs, cup
• Cornmeal, cup
• Onion (chopped), cup
• Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoons
• Worcestershire Sauce, 1 teaspoon
• Pam Spray or Olive Oil Spray

Method

• Beat the egg whites in a bowl till the oven is heating to 400 degree Fahrenheit.
• Add the bread crumbs, cornmeal, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salmon to the egg whites and mix well till the mixture is thoroughly blended.
• Shape it into patties and place them on the cookie sheet, after spraying the sheet with olive oil.
• Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. You will have to turn the patties so that they are cooked on both sides.
• The patties should be browned on both sides. Serve warm.

Oven-baked Salmon Steak
This is a different kind of recipe to bake salmon steak. In this recipe, we will be baking salmon steaks with dill and sour cream.

Ingredients

• Salmon Steak, 4
• Fresh Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoons
• Onion (finely minced), 1 tablespoon
• Salt, teaspoon
• Pepper, to taste
• Sour Cream, cup
• Lemon Zest, 1 teaspoon
• Dried Dill, teaspoon
• Lemon Wedges
• Butter, to spread on the baking dish

Method

• Butter the baking dish and place the steak in it.
• Mix lemon juice and onion together and spread it on the steaks.
• Season with salt and pepper and cover and cook the steak for about 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove from the oven and spread sour cream on the steaks. Then sprinkle lemon zest and dill on the salmon and return it to the oven for 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and serve hot with lemon wedges.

When you are baking salmon in the oven, you will have to make sure, you do not overcook it. You should make use of a fork to check if the meat is done. If there is even a little resistance when you check the meat lightly with a fork, understand, that the meat is not completely cooked. I hope you enjoy baking salmon.

How to Draw Faces

Certainly, sketching exact faces is a scarce art! This is what I strongly believe, as I've seen people, having an expert hand at sketching landscapes, beautiful flowers, attractive designs and other pictures, but sketching faces...well brother, that is not everyone's cup of tea! Not many people are fortunate enough to have this skill God gifted in them. However, you can learn how to draw a face when you get proper guidance and tips to do the same.

Of course you would not turn Leonardo Da Vinci in a week, but with practice you could at least become a local expert!! Okay... lets keep expertise away, as at this stage of learning, it is miles away! At the outset, we will learn how to draw faces, step by step with the help of following tips. But, remember, only reading the tips would not serve the purpose! To achieve perfection and expertise, you need to practice a lot!

Tips on How to Draw Faces Step by Step

Realism, is the basic and probably the most important demand in drawing faces. Therefore, discussed below are some basic guidelines and therefore just a starting point acquainting you with, how to draw realistic faces. Following these tips would help you in learning the art quickly. You will need a sketching paper or a regular drawing sheet, B or HB pencil and a regular eraser. Read on...

Step 1
Preparing an outline or designing a border of your entire sketch is the first and probably the most important part, when it comes to sketching faces. Speaking in general terms, you need to draw an oval structure or an upside down egg, before you actually start with other facial features. Further, you can try out other shapes, once you gain expertise over sketching faces of different shapes and dimensions!

Step 2
Once you are done with preparing the outline, you can move onto the next step. Needless to say, facial features such as eyes, nose, mouth, lips, etc. form the most important part of face. Therefore, placing them in the right position and place is also equally vital! To do this, draw a horizontal line, half way down the face. This will indicate the position of eyes. See that the line is straight enough and the eyes won't get crooked, while drawing facial features.

Step 3
Further, as soon as you decide the position of eyes, you need to decide the position of the nose. To do this, draw a horizontal line between the bottom of the chin and the eye line.

Step 4
Next, after eyes and nose, comes positioning the mouth. In order to determine the mouth position, once again draw a horizontal line, in between the nose line and the bottom of the chin.

Step 5
Nature has designed the human face in such a way that it is vertically symmetrical! So our next step is to divide the face into two equal parts. Do this by drawing a vertical line, exactly down the center of the head, from top to bottom. And the last step is to draw the neck, by drawing two vertical lines on both the sides of the face.

This is a completely sketched face.

This was just a basic and a quick method teaching you how to draw faces. Drawing faces certainly, does not stop over here. There is much more to learn, which is beyond the scope of this article! This includes, shading the face according to the light, learning how to sketch facial features, after all, it is the accuracy of facial features that decides, how exact and accurate the face sketch is! Each one has different dimensions and shapes of facial features and this forms a part of advanced drawing or sketching. Definitely, Internet is not an ideal place for learning advanced sketching, you need to learn all of them, through a qualified artist. All the Best!!!

Baking Halibut in the Oven

One of my favorite fish is halibut. It is not only my favorite fish, but it is a favorite of a number of North Americans. This fish is mild and is flavorful and flaky. How to cook halibut is the question you will now ask me. There are many different ways in which halibut can be cooked. One can bake, fry, grill, broil, pan saute or even poach the fish. Some people also like to smoke halibut. However, you will have to be well versed with the right method to smoke it, as the fish is very lean. Halibut has least amount of oil in it, due to which one can make a number of healthy fish recipes. In this write up, we will concentrate on what is the right way of baking halibut. There are a number of baked halibut recipes, which can be used for the same.

Baked Halibut Recipes

One of the easiest way to cook halibut is by baking it. If one does not have the time for an elaborate fish recipe, then one can make use of some simple recipes as well. This brings us to the question, how long do you bake halibut. If you are baking halibut at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then it will not take more than 15 minutes to bake it.

Baking Halibut in the Oven
In this recipe, there is not a long list of ingredients. Along with the fish, you will need olive oil, butter, salt, freshly ground pepper and seasoning if you want some. Oil a dish with olive oil and butter in the same proportion. Season the fish with pepper, seasoning and salt. Then apply olive oil on the fish and place the dish in the pre-oiled dish. Place the dish in the oven and bake the halibut at 400 degrees in the oven for about 15 minutes. Halfway through the cooking process, baste it with olive oil.

Baking Halibut Fillets
After reading the simple baked fish recipes, we will now turn towards best halibut recipe, according to me. Along with baking the halibut fillets, we will also see the recipe to make sauce to be had with the fillets.

Ingredients

• 4 halibut fillets
• 2 tbsp of lemon juice
• 2 sprigs of cilantro
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• cup of red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of crushed red pepper flakes
• cup of dry white wine
• 1 tsp dried dill weed
• 1 tsp of dried tarragon
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• cup of low fat cream
• cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour
• Toasted almond slivers
• 1 tbsp of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• cup of water

Method

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Season the fish fillets with salt, pepper and 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
• Place the fillets in a greased baking dish and sprinkle cilantro leaves on the fillets.
• Bake the fish for 15 to 20 minutes, till you can flake it with a fork.
• In a skillet, melt butter and add chopped onions and let them cook till they are translucent.
• Then add red bell pepper, along with garlic and pepper flakes till the red bell pepper soften.
• Now add wine along with dill and tarragon and let the mixture simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Chicken broth, cream, cheese and remaining lemon juice can now be added.
• Stir well and add salt and pepper as per taste.
• Let the mixture come to a boil.
• In the mean time make a paste with flour and water and add it to the mixture.
• Let the sauce simmer till it thickens.
• Serve the sauce with baked halibut fillets.

Baking Halibut Steaks
I use this fish and chips recipe whenever I do not have a lot of time to spare. The list of ingredients is not long and can be made quickly.

Ingredients

• 4 halibut steaks
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• cup low fat cream
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Season halibut steaks with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Place the steaks in a greased baking dish in single layer.
• Top the steaks with chopped onion, dill and small dots of butter.
• Cover it with cream and let the steaks bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

To bake a halibut does not take very long time. If you use baked halibut recipe, which also has a sauce recipe, then you can serve it as entre. It can either be served with rice or bread. The different grilling fish recipes and fried fish recipes can also be used to make halibut, if you do not want to bake a halibut.

How to Draw Anime

There seems to be a lot of confusion between anime and manga. Anime is the Japanese word which means animation, which can be any short or long animated movie. Do not confuse it with manga, which means Japanese comic book. So, when people say how to draw manga, or how to draw anime, they mean the same thing. When it comes to drawing anime and manga, still there are some technical differences. But, the basic idea is the same. Manga is generally more detailed, but anime or Japanese animated film characters are kept a little bit simpler.

Learn to Draw Anime Characters?

• Alright, the first thing you need to do to learn drawing anime is observe. If you are a total beginner to sketching, then you will have to observe even more. The best way to do this is, to get some Manga comic books and look at them. You can also play some anime on computer, and play and pause it in different close up scenes. This will give you a pretty good idea of how the face and other body parts look. With these steps you can also learn how to create your own anime character, for this you will need to place your facial features in anime style.
• You will observe the manga characters have a head where the chin is pointed, lot of stylish haircuts, extreme expressions at sometimes, and neutral expressions at most times. They also have big eyes, with pupils showing off, and tiny noses.
• Now, it is time to take the observations to the paper. Grab a sketching plain paper, some pencils, eraser and sharpener. Then start drawing an oval for the face, and join the lower half of jaw and chin to this oval. This is the basic guideline for the face. If you want to draw a female, then the face will be more slender. For male character, the jaw will be shown.
• After you are done with this, draw horizontal outlines where you will be placing the eyes, nose and mouth. Place the eyes, draw them big with pupils showing off. You can look at a manga comic book, to see how the eyes look. Then draw a simple small line for the nose, and shade it at the inside angle a little. For the mouth, just draw a simple horizontal line, below the nose, and above the chin. There you are done with most of the face. Now, on the oval top outline, start drawing the hair, with sharp edges, and then draw lot of bangs on the forehead. Don't go overboard with the hair, let some eyes be visible. The hair will be different for girl and guy character, so make sure you pick the appropriate hairstyle according to the gender.
• Once you are done with the face, start drawing the body. It will be good to take some drawing lessons, to learn about the human anatomy. Work in forms, as this will make it easier to draw. For example, use rectangles for male torso, use cylinders for arms, ovals for palms, triangles for feet, etc. You will need to study anatomy while drawing the torso of male and female. As males have triangle shaped torso, while female's have an hourglass shape.
• Once you are done drawing the body forms, start adding details. But, don't add too much details too, keep the drawing simple. Then add the appropriate clothes according to the gender. You can also sketch a simple prop, for example a backpack for a school girl, and a katana for a Samurai.
• After you are done drawing, you can consider using pencil colors for coloring the anime character.

Do not be discouraged, if you didn't get the anime character drawing in the first go. Keep on practicing and surfing the internet for more tutorials. Video tutorials are the best, as they are easiest to understand. If you wish to take learning anime further then I would suggest you use Christopher Hart's book 'Manga for the Beginner'. So, good luck!

How to Cook Crawfish

Crawfish is a freshwater crustaceans, having a texture and savor similar to shrimp. Also known as mudbugs, it is native to the bayous of Louisiana and is usually prepared with the arrival of spring time. Though it is commonly used in place of shrimp in most recipes, it is the crawfish's unique flavor that sets it apart from other seafood. Generally cooking crawfish is considered to be a messy affair and so it is best suited for the outdoors. So for all crawfish lovers, here comes easy instructions, without much of efforts and time required.

Crawfish Cooking Method

Similar to lobster, mussels and other shellfish, crayfish are always prepared alive. However, they die within a fraction of seconds after being dropped in to the boiling stock. Before cooking, properly wash the crayfish in cold, running water and sort them in groups as per their size, and then cook them in batches. This is because if crayfish of varying sizes are cooked together, the small crawfish will get overcooked and dry till the time large ones are cooked. In a large pot of boiling water having at least 1 liter of water for every 8 crayfish, add crown dill bunch and about 35 - 40 grams of sea salt. As the water begins to boil, drop in the crayfish (6 to 12 at a time), head and stomach first, and cook for about 5 minutes, depending on their size. When done, the crayfish will turn bright orange-red and you can see a chink between their shell and tail. While cooking the crayfish in small batches, use a slotted spoon to remove the previous batch out of the pot.

Crawfish Cajun Style

A big pot of crayfish, slightly seasoned, and prepared with potatoes and corn is an authentic Cajun tradition of cooking crawfish. Hence, to cook crawfish in its typical Cajun style you'll need:

• 10 lbs live crawfish
• 10 small potatoes
• 1 lb boiling onions
• 4 ears of corn, cut into halves
• 2 large oranges
• 2 large lemons
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• cup kosher salt
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• Large stockpot

Wash each of the crawfish thoroughly under cold water, fill a large bucket with water and drop in the crawfish. Let them to stand for 25 - 30 minutes. Cut the oranges and lemons into rounds without removing the rinds, fill the stockpot with 5 gallons of water, and then put in the oranges, lemons, garlic, black pepper, salt, bay leaves, cayenne and chili powder. Let the water boil over high heat and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes. Now put the potatoes, onion, and corn in the stockpot, and when the water returns to a boil, cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove the crawfish from the water and add them to the stockpot. As the water in the stockpot comes to a boil, and cook the crawfish for around 10 - 12 minutes. Once cooked, remove the stockpot from the heat and cover with a lid. Let the ingredients stand for 10 - 15 minutes, and finally drain the liquid, leaving only vegetables and crawfish in the stockpot. Serve the crawfish hot with the boiled vegetables on the side and savor this Louisiana delicacy.

While purchasing crawfish, make sure you don't buy crayfish that are smaller than 10 cm as there is not much to eat in them. I hope the above information on crawfish will provide a fair idea about cooking crawfish. So, what are you waiting for? Try preparing this delicacy at home and surprise your family and friends. Enjoy!

How to Use Watercolor Pencils

So, what makes a watercolor pencil different from a normal graphite pencil? First of all, colored pencils are made using a binder, which dissolves in water. You can differentiate if a pencil is colored or normal, by looking at it. On a colored pencil there will a symbol of a paintbrush, while this symbol will be not displayed on normal pencils. Watercolor pencils don't come in grades like 6B, 9H, etc. But they have different softness according to the brands. You can buy few good brands of watercolor pencil, to check which color pencils suits you the best. My favorite is Staedtler Luna which comes in a small box of 12, to a large set containing 48 pencils. Another good choice is Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils. You can start with a small set of 12 pencils, to get a feel of these watercolor pencils, or borrow a friend's watercolor pencil set for a day. Now, check out the mentioned below cool techniques...

Watercolor Pencils Techniques

Using a Brush on Pencil Drawings
This is a simple technique, all you need to do is regularly sketch the subject, and fill it with color pencil shading. Then use a wet brush (not dripping wet!), and apply it in a stroke over the drawing pencil. Practice on patches of watercolor pencil drawing first, and then on a complete sketch to get the watercolor painting effect.

Dip Pencil Technique
This technique gives a much sharper effect than the above technique. The smudging is less, and you get to see more fine lines. Sharpen a pencil well, then in a bowl of clean water dip the tip of the pencil, and draw with the pencil. So, follow this process of dipping, while drawing to finish your drawing.

Pencil on Wet Paper Technique
Here is an interesting technique for you to try out. Wet a sheet of paper, and then draw on this paper. To use this technique you will need to draw faster, and keep wetting the paper at intervals. Use a thick paper, while using this technique.

Scraping Color Technique
This is a very fun colored pencil technique, which doesn't take much effort. Take 4-5 watercolor pencils, and scrape off some tiny bits of color of the pencils using a cutter. Let them lie in a random colored manner on the paper. Then add few drops of water on the paper, and check the beautiful mixing of colors.

Using Pencils Dry
This is the original technique of using watercolor pencil. Just use the watercolor pencils dry, these pencils are softer than graphite color pencils and so sketching with these pencils is more fun.

Tips for Using Watercolor Pencils

• Use a watercolor paper like Arches 140lb, while trying wet techniques using watercolor pencils.
• You can tape down the paper using small bits of sticky tape, so that the paper won't buckle, when you are drawing or using wet brush.
• Instead of using a wet brush, you can also use wet sponge, toothbrush, cotton swab or cloth.
• Always, keep the tips of watercolor pencils clean, so that you don't end up with undesired color merging.
• To get details, you can use a smaller size of paint brush.
• If you wish to get a denser color effect, then you will have to sketch darker with pencils.
• Don't add too many layers, while going with wet techniques using watercolor pencils.
• If you wish to get a sparkly effect, apply salt to the wet area.

These were the techniques and tips of watercolor pencils. So, try out the above techniques to check out the beautiful blending of colors. Wondering, what next? Try watercolor crayons.

Pomelo Calories

Pomelos or pummelo is the largest fruit of the citrus family that is native to countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, Tahiti, New Guinea, and Fiji. The fruit is known by several other names like Chinese grapefruit, jabong, lusho fruit, pompelmous, papanas, and shaddock. Pomelo trees are mostly grown in tropical climates and the fruits ripen in winters.

Pomelos are often confused with grapefruits because of the similarity in appearance between the two varieties of fruit. Grapefruits are hybrid fruits that were formed as a result of natural cross-fertilization between pomelos and Jamaican sweet oranges. While grapefruits have only 12 segments, pomelos have about 14-16 segments. The pomelo is larger than a grapefruit; it has a diameter of about 15-25 cm and it usually weighs around 1-2 kg. It is also characterized by extremely thick skin. The rind of this pear-shaped fruit is generally pale green in color which turns yellow when it is fully ripe. The flesh of the fruit is white and in rare cases, pink or red. It is a favorite with people who are on a diet. This is mainly because the calorie content is very low.

Calorie Content

Chinese cuisine often uses pomelo, especially in desserts. When used in sweet dishes, it is normally used in its candied form. The rind of the fruit is used as a flavoring. In Britain, the peel of the fruit is used in marmalade. Because of its low calorie content, it is a very good substitute for rich, fattening desserts. The information given below will help you learn how many calories the fruit has.

• One cup of pomelo sections has approximately 72 calories.
• If you make a salad using pomelos, then you will probably consume 30 calories per serving.
• A 100 gram serving of pomelo contains about 37 calories.
• If you consume 150 grams of a pomelo (approximately one-fourth of the fruit) every day, then your calorie intake will be about 60 calories.
• A mid-sized pomelo that weighs about 500 grams contains about 225 calories.

Nutritional Facts

Not only is pomelo low in calories, it also has an exceptionally high nutritional value. It is especially rich in vitamin C with a 150 gram portion of pomelo providing an individual with 130% of his daily required intake of the vitamin. Given below is a table which lists out the amount in which different nutrients are present in one cup of pomelo sections.

Nutrients	Value
Calories	72.2
Total fat (g)	0.07
Saturated fat (g)	0
Monounsaturated fat (g)	0
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	0
Dietary fiber (g)	1.90
Protein (g)	1.44
Carbohydrate (g)	18.27
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Potassium (mg)	410.40
Vitamin C (mg)	115.90
Sodium (mg)	1.90

Not only does pomelo have a high nutritional value, it is also believed to have medicinal value, with studies and research suggesting that it was used to cure seizures and cough in ancient China. The leaves of the tree are also used in alternative medicine to cure swellings on skin and ulcers. The flowers of the tree are used to make perfumes and fragrances. The fruit can remain edible at room temperature for as long as two weeks. If stored in the refrigerator, its shelf life increases to three weeks. You can also choose to freeze the zest and juice of the fruit to store it for a longer period.

As you must have learned from this article, the pomelo is a fruit with high nutritional value and low calorie content, making it a perfect option for a quick snack when you are suffering from a hunger pang.

Gourami Fish

I am extremely fond of this variety of fish. They remind me of the three spot Gourami I owned about a few months back. He was my companion for the past 3 years. What makes him stand out in my memories is his stubborn aggressive nature. I don't know why he loved attacking all the other fish. He would attack them till they were half dead or dead. Then, he would swim gracefully at peace. I tried separating him from the others by placing a glass partition within the tank. However, it made no changes whatsoever. Whenever I sympathized with his 'Oh, I so lonely' looks and removed the partition, he would be back doing what he did the best - bullying the others. Many fish were introduced and many fish left for their heavenly abode from my fish tank. But, Mr. Gourami (as I like to call him), remained a constant member of my tank. He grew considerably big in size and was very healthy. Suddenly, one fine evening, I saw him swim rather slowly and I knew it was time for the inevitable. However, he kept chugging for a day or two, and finally bid his final goodbyes. These fish are all the same, they leave a mark on your minds with their strong personalities.

It is considered to be a peaceful fish. But, when it is ticked off, it will shred the fins of other fish, such that they have no option, but to die. They tend to get aggressive when the fish tank is too crowded or when there are more than two male members in one tank. In my case, Mr. Gourami was aggressive with the new fish introduced, till they did not find a way to make peace with him. If they failed, they were obviously bumped off by Mr. Gourami. Are you ready for such exciting moments in your fish tank? If yes, then you should read a bit about caring for this fish. This will help you increase the life span as well as the life span of other aquarium fish.

Types
These are called labyrinth or anabantoids fish. They are graceful swimmers and sport unique coloration and body patterns. They are semi-aggressive in nature and do well in a community tank with like-minded fish. There are various types. They love living in shoal of mixed groups. But, make sure you bring home one male and one female of each type. Or else, your fish tank may turn into a watery battle ground. The following is a list of types of these fish.

Pear Gourami
The most attractive and hardiest of all varieties of these fish, they are highly adaptable in nature and do fine in an aquarium with subdued lights and dark substrate.

Banded Gourami
These are sturdy fish that love to eat a lot of vegetable matter. They are also called rainbow Gourami fish.

Kissing Gourami
This one is the current member of my fish tank. The males tend to lock their mouths together when trying to challenge each other. This gives them an appearance of kissing. They have really small sharp teeth that is used for eating algae.

Moonlight Gourami
These are shy members of their species and have a distinct body shape that makes them look different from the other Gouramis.

Dwarf Gourami
These are tiny fish as the name suggests. They love living in a sociable environment and come in different colors.

Blue Gourami
The blue Gourami or the three spot Gourami are the most popular varieties of all. They tend to change their color according to their moods. You will see them darken their skin color when spawning. They are one of the largest Gourami species.

Care Tips
You will need to keep a Gourami in a minimum tank of 10 gallons. They love swimming in freshwater or soft water. The aquarium tank should be heavily planted and covered with floating aquarium plants. The water temperature should be about 24 to 26 C. The pH should be neutral or slightly acidic. They love plants like the Java fern, Vallisneria and Cryptocoryne plant. You need to use a fine colorful substrate for your aquarium. They are not very fussy when it comes to food. They eat almost all food types like flake foods, worms, brine shrimp, even fresh vegetables like lettuce and peas. You need to take care of their diet or they will be prone to many diseases.

Breeding Gouramis is rather simple as you can easily differentiate between males and females. The males have slender bodies and angular fins as compared to the females. You need to select just one male and one female for breeding. Place them in a tank with water filled about 6 to 8 inches in a tank. Place a lot of vegetation; loose gravel or pebbles will do. The male will use these pebbles or loose gravel to build his bubble nest. When he is ready, he will persuade the female to lay eggs in the bubble nest. This is the time when the male is highly aggressive. Thus, place plenty of plants so that the female can hide from him. Once the spawning is complete, remove the female fish from the tank. The male will behave as a good father and tend to his eggs and fry. When the eggs hatch, feed the fry newly hatched brine shrimp and infusoria.

These fish are compatible with danios, mollies, silver dollars, etc. However, they tend to be aggressive towards betta fish, goldfish. This is because they are attracted to the long tails, bright colors and floating fins. They feel these fish will pose as competitors when they try to impress their females. The female Gouramis generally do not bother other fish and mind their business. Their life span is about 4 years in captivity. So, you can hope for a few years of healthy relationship with your fish. Keep the above care tips in mind and you too will have many memories of these lovely fish just as I do.

Calories in Fried Bacon

Do you know that in the US alone, the yearly production of bacon is around 2 billion pounds? Bacon is the breakfast favorite of all, children as well as adults. In the U.S., people prefer bacon strips made from the belly portion while in Canada, people love pork loin ribeye. The juicy bacon strips can be 0.031" to 0.111" thick. Since bacon is consumed in large amounts, it is necessary to know the calories in fried bacon and deep-fried bacon. Obesity is a common concern today. Sedentary lifestyle and high calorie diet result in weight gain. The information provided in the following section can be helpful for those who want to maintain their weight within the normal range for their height.

Fried Bacon

Calories

• One slice of cured, pan-fried bacon contains 42 calories.
• One gram of fried bacon contains 5.26 calories.
• One slice of cured, microwave cooked bacon contains 25 calories.
• About 38 g of fried bacon contains 200 calories.
• 2 eggs with 2 strips of fried bacon (use of minimum oil) contain about 260 calories.
• Fried bacon (4 medium slices) and corn (2 cup kernels) contains about 467 calories.
• 100 g or 3.53 oz. of fried bacon contains 541 calories.
• 1 pound thick sliced deep-fried bacon may contain about 350 calories, depending upon the method of preparation and ingredients used.

Microwaving gives you crispy meat and fat, while pan-frying gives you crispy fat and chewy meat (traditionally preferred way of eating bacon).

Nutrition Facts
About 38 g of fried bacon contains

Nutrients	Amount
Total Fat	15.31 g (23.6%)
Saturated Fat	5.05 g (25.3%)
Trans Fat	0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1.69 g
Monounsaturated Fat	6.83 g
Calories from Fat	137.83
Cholesterol	42.94 mg (14.3%)
Sodium	922.64 mg (38.4%)
Total carbohydrate	0.57 g (0.2%)
Dietary fiber	0 g
Sugars	0 mg
Protein	14.57 g (29.1%)
Vitamin A	14.06 IU (0.3%)
Iron	0.52 mg (2.9%)
Calcium	4.56 mg (0.5%)
Vitamin E	0.11 mg
Copper	0.6 mg
Magnesium	13.68 mg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)	0.17 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	0.11 mg
Vitamin B3 (niacin)	4.40 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)	0.15 mg
Vitamin B12	0.49 mcg
Pantothenic Acid	0.5 mg
Phosphorous	213.18 mg
Zinc	1.38 mg
Retinol	4.18 mcg
Potassium	224.58 mg
Selenium	24.70 mcg

The figures in the bracket indicate daily percentage value of the elements.

Bacon Nutritional Benefits

The smoked pork belly that is cured with salt, sugar and nitrate is known as bacon. The Canadian bacon is also known as 'back bacon' as it is obtained from the back of a pig. It contains less fat than the traditional bacon from the U.S.

Bacon is a good source of protein and various B vitamins which help generate energy in the body by breaking down carbs, fat and protein. The vitamins also help enhance the function of the nervous system. So enjoying bacon breakfast can be helpful as it will help maintain your energy throughout the day. It is rich in mineral content. Minerals like iron, copper, zinc, help improve your overall health in several ways. Selenium plays an important role in thyroid function. The antioxidants help prevent diseases and disorders (even like cancers) as they cancel the effects of free radicals. Nitrate from bacon helps improve heart health.

Not only calories in bacon but also the harmful elements like fat and sodium in bacon can destroy your health. People with high cholesterol need to avoid bacon. Bacon is high in saturated fat and sodium. Both are harmful for heart health and overall health. Sodium nitrite added to processed bacon increases the risk of various types of cancers. So, daily consumption of bacon should be avoided.

Powder Blue Tang

The strikingly bright color pattern of the powder blue tang makes it one of the most beautiful saltwater fish to have in one's aquarium. Most part of the body of the powder blue tang is a bright blue. Its head is black and has a white crest that runs from its pectoral fin up to the throat. The dorsal fin is a brilliant yellow, lined with a white margin and black submarginal line. The anal and pelvic fins are white. On the whole, it is a sparkling riot of color that adds amazing beauty to any saltwater aquarium. However, the powder blue tang is an expensive aquarium fish. It can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 depending upon the size. Also, this fish is for the more experienced aquarium hobbyists, as powder blue tang care is demanding.

Powder Blue Tang Care

Aquarium
The powder blue tang is scientifically known as the Acanthurus leucosternon. It is an active swimmer that inhabits the shallow saltwater reefs, found along the coast or islands of the Indian Ocean and the West Pacific. Unlike most other reef dwellers, the territory of these fish spread over a considerably large area. Hence, it is important that the owner has a large aquarium for his fish. On an average, the saltwater aquarium should be six times the size of a tang. However, the bigger the fish tank easier it is for a tang to adjust to its new environment.

One important tip while setting up a saltwater fish tank for the tang is to allow the water to age. Let it stabilize. Add plenty of filamentous algae to it. Ensure that the water in the aquarium has high level of oxygenation. Reef aquariums are the best choice for these fish, as they best emulate the natural environment of these reef dwellers.

Disease
Another aspect to look out for while purchasing a powder blue tang is its health. These fish are notorious for contracting ich and marine velvet. They fall prey to these disease while being transported in cramped containers in ships. Reputed fish stores usually make sure that the specimen that they sell are healthy. However, make it a point that you inspect for signs of diseases in the powder blue tang that you want to buy. Look for signs of trauma in the fish during shipping. Stress or injury in fish can be detected in the form of torn or damaged fins, a listless fish or a fish rubbing itself against the aquarium walls. Despite all the measures, it is best to quarantine the fish for a couple of weeks before it is introduced in the fish tank. This will give the owner a chance to confirm if the fish has any disease and take adequate measures.

Diet
In the wild, powder blue tang are herbivores and mostly feed on benthic algae. However, once acclimatized, they become omnivorous and can be fed krill, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp and pellets. Food products based on marine flora is a good option. However, add dried algae regularly to supplement their food. Also, ensure that the powder blue tang diet has high amount of protein in it.

Powder Blue Tang Compatibility

The powder blue tang can be described as a semi aggressive fish. Though generally peace loving, these tropical fish do not take well to other surgeon fish. Hence, ensure that you have only one powder blue tang per aquarium. In the wild they are either found as solitary fish or they may form colonies that defend their territory aggressively from other tang species. These are grazers and hence, greater territory means more food. In case, keeping two tangs in an aquarium is inevitable, it is best to introduce both the fish together. Introducing a new tang in a tank that already has an established one means lot of fighting. Keeping more than one tang in an aquarium should be largely avoided.

Powder blue tang is a joy to own. However, as its care requires more effort than many other types of fish, first time aquarium hobbyists should refrain from adding a powder blue tang to their aquarium.

Is it Safe to Keep a Siamese Fighting Fish in a Vase?

The brilliant coloration and the beautifully flowing fins, make the Siamese fighting fish is one of the most sought after species of fish to breed at your home. They are popularly called Betta. They are territorial and are curious, due to their tropical origin they need to be kept in a warm environment. They have a labyrinth organ, which facilitates the intake of pure oxygen. When the oxygen dissolved in the water is not sufficient for them, they come to the surface of the water to breathe in pure oxygen. As their name suggests, they are aggressive in nature and tend to attack any trespasser. The aggression of the male Betta may be credited to the fact that, they usually live in a small space and they have to secure their mates from the other dominant males.

Should You Keep Your Siamese Fighting Fish in a Vase?

This has been a highly debated topic, and hitherto, there is no clear consensus. Some fish lovers will term the very idea of making a fish live in a vase as an act of animal cruelty, and call the ASPCA! While there are others who have successfully bred Betta in vases, and argue that it does not affect the longevity of the Siamese fighting fish, if they are bred in a vase. Personally I feel that the fighters should not be bred in a small environment.

Consider you are locked up in your closet, you have the necessary supplies of food in it, will you be able to survive? Of course, you can survive in it, but would you consider living like that for your entire life? You might have seen the Siamese fighters kept in small jars, when you went to buy them. You might argue that they were healthy then, so why would it affect their health if they are kept in a vase that is almost of the same size as that of the jars? The point you should realize here is, the small jars are just a temporary dwelling place for the fighters, they will not be able to survive for a long time if they are kept in the jars.

Observe your Betta, if it does not appear curious, it is not happy with the environment in which it is living. If you want to breed one in a vase, then the most important thing that you should consider is the size of the vase. A 2 gallon vase, with clear water would be enough for a Betta. Care should be taken that you do not congest the vase with flora. The Siamese fighters require warmth, so heaters are essential. It is not feasible to install heaters for small vases, this is another reason why I do not recommend a vase for the Betta. You cannot breed multiple Siamese fighters in the same vase, they will constantly try to attack each other. Even a female fighter should be bought into the vase only for mating. You have to change the water in the vase almost everyday.

Most of the restrictions of breeding a Siamese fighter in a vase are overcome, if the fighters are kept in the aquarium. Heating provisions can be made easily. You do not have to replace the water in the aquarium as often as you would need to do in case of a vase. If your aquarium is large, then you can also consider breeding 2 or more Siamese fighters together.

Your Siamese fighting fish would be safe in a vase, provided you are dedicated to their care, but I am not sure whether they will be happy. If you are not willing to dedicate your time and efforts for the well-being of your Betta, then I advice you to not to buy one.

Jewel Cichlid

The upper part of a jewel cichlids body is of light olive-green shade and the lower part of the body is dark orange shade, the lips are bright red as are the cheeks and the lower jaw. Their body is covered with iridescent spots which can be yellow to turquoise in coloration. These cichlids also have two black spots that mark the fill cover, one spot is located around the mid section, while other is at the joining area of the tail fin. This is the general physical appearance of the fish, however, during spawning season the color of the fish becomes dark red with the small iridescent spots covering the entire body. These fish are considered to be aggressive fish, however they get aggressive only when they are trying to protect their fry and mate. If you take proper care of this fish, then you will face very less problems with this hardy fish.

You can buy a pair of jewel cichlid species for a small aquarium. Take care that you buy the female smaller than the male fish, because a larger female cichlid will hardly ever mate with a male that is smaller than her. However, if you wish to maintain a tank with many cichlids then you will need a large aquarium. You can buy a group of young jewel cichlids, and as they grow up they will pair up.

General Information

• Original Habitat: African rivers
• First discovered: Loiselle 1979
• Scientific name: Hemichromis bimaculatus
• Other Common Names: African Jewelfish, Jewel fish, Two Spotted Jewel Fish, Green Jewel
• Size/Length: 6 inches (15 cm)
• Longevity: 10 years

Water Needs and Tank Setup
The pH of water should be kept between 7 - 7.5, and temperature should be 70F - 74F (21C - 23C). A tank of minimum 30 gallon capacity is required for keeping a pair. Larger fish tanks are required to maintain a group of jewel cichlids, to limit aggression. These fish like to dig which disturbs the plants, and can often destroy these plants. If you are placing any aquarium plants, then cover their roots with stones, around their base, to protect them. Some good plant choice are Amazon Sword plants and Cryptocoryne species.

Diet Requirements
These fish are not picky to any type of food. They will accept fish pellet and flake foods. They can go after algae wafer and shrimp pellets too, so take care that your bottom feeders are getting enough to eat, if you are housing this cichlid.

Tank Mates
Jewel cichlid compatibility with other tank mates is not too good. They are not recommended for community tank setups, as they can get very aggressive with other aquarium fish during the breeding season.

Breeding
Females need cover when they are breeding, hence caves or some rocks should be kept in the tank. You will get better results with slightly better water temperature, the female fish will lay eggs on a flat surface. After 2-3 days the eggs will hatch and the parents will move them to another location for another couple of days, till the babies start swimming, Jewel cichlids are great parents. Feed the fry, finely crushed flake foods and baby brine shrimp.

Fish Diseases
Jewel cichlids are very hardy fish, but might get freshwater fish disease. Owners will still need to slowly acclimate them to a quarantine tank, watch the fish for several weeks before immersing them to a display tank.

This was some general info and care instructions of this fish. So, remember the above instructions and keep healthy and happy jewel cichlids.

Puffer Fish Care

Puffer fish are cute and unique looking pet fish. They have a large round body which is covered with spines, but the spines are not always evident. But, when the puffers puff up the spines look very prominent. The fish have their fins sticking out, their heads are large and with widely spaced and usually mobile eyes. These fish have no scales, and the gills are soft openings which are located close to the pectoral fins. Also, you will observe these fish have four teeth which are fused in the jaw. These fish mostly use the pectoral fins for moving, and sometimes the tail fin will be used when the puffer fish wants to move quickly when being chased around, or in search of food.

How to Take Care of a Puffer Fish?

These fish are not for the novice, as a lot of maintenance is required for these fish. One needs to see that the water is changed regularly, the tank environment is kept clean, and the right amount and type of food is provided to the fish. Other things the pet owner needs to keep in mind is to keep an eye on the saltwater fish disease, which this fish tends to catch commonly.

Tank & Water Requirements
The size of the puffer fish can change from species to species. Also, you need to keep in mind the size of the fish when it grows up. Hence, buying the size of tank accordingly is a good idea. The species that you can consider from there includes the green spotted puffer fish and there is the dwarf puffer fish, also there are popular golden puffer, pignose puffer and the amazon puffer.

Once you have selected the species, the fish pet care becomes easier. For example, if you select the green spotted puffer, then you can research more on green spotted puffer fish care. After you have selected the species, you can take the right size of the tank. For a fish which is 12 inches, you need 100 gallon tank is minimum required. Mostly people worry about saltwater puffers care, however, freshwater is important too. So, you will have to maintain the water that way. A standard is to change 50% of water every week.

Food Requirements
Puffers love to eat. And they like a variety of foods too. Giving them vitamin fortified pellet fish pet food is good for their health. However, they also like to eat crustaceans so frozen meaty marine cubes and small pieces of fresh shrimp can also be provided. Once a week give the fish frozen herbivore foods. You can also give them snails, shellfish and other small fish. Their teeth sometimes grow very long, and giving them hard food will help to maintain good teeth health. However, if the teeth grow long you will need to file them manually.

These fish tend to beg for tidbits, however to maintain good health avoid overfeeding the fish. Puffers which are under 2 inches should be fed daily, while mid-sized puffers under 2-4 inches should be provided food every other day, and large puffers over 4 inches should be given food 2-3 times a week. These fish are messy eaters, and hence you will need to clean the water frequently, and for that you need a powerful filtration system.

Tank Mates
Avoid introducing any tank mates for proper puffer pet care. However, keeping the same species in the tank is advisable. Puffers should be kept alone in a tank, as these fish can be quite aggressive. If you keep smaller fish, then they will become its dinner. And if you keep larger fish, then the puffer will nibble at their fins, hence not keeping any tank mates is advisable.

Avoiding Puffing
Puffer fish are famous for their puffing nature, especially the porcupine puffer fish inflates and displays its long spines. However, the puffing up of puffer fish should be avoided at all costs. As puffers tend to puff up when they are in extreme stress or under danger to scare off the predators. Having a puffer puff up can be very damaging to health.

Hence, avoid puffing up for good of puffer fish. Also, when you are changing the tank water, avoid using the net to transfer the fish. Use a plastic bag and transfer the fish with little amount of water. When puffer fish are maintained well, you will love to have these fish as they recognize the owner and look forward to looking at their owners just like a puppy does!

Non Aggressive Freshwater Fish

It can get very tricky while deciding which freshwater fish to keep, while making sure the aquarium looks colorful as well as peaceful. The latter being of more importance, as aggressive fish can turn the seemingly peaceful aquarium into a war zone within no time. Aggressive fish tend to fight with weaker fish and end up killing most of the populous of the fish tank. Which is why, it is best to do your research beforehand, before you simply mix two species of fish together, expecting them to coexist! You can have an assortment of beautiful, peaceful, and non aggressive freshwater fish, for your aquarium.

Non Aggressive Freshwater Fish for Aquariums

1- Angelfish
These are triangular shaped fish, which are usually silver in color with black stripes. However, golden, yellow, plain silver and brown colored angelfish are also available. The most beautiful are the:

• Koi Angelfish
• Marble Angelfish
• Gold Pearlscale
• Sunset Blushing Veil Angelfish

These fish can recognize their owner and are known for being intelligent. Costs range from US $10.00 - $80.00, depending on the rarity of the species. The Albino ones are more expensive.

2- Barbs
Barbs are semi aggressive in nature when left alone, and must always be kept in a group of 6 - 8 fish of the same species. These fish come in a huge variety of colors, are very small, and look very pretty. Here are the popular subspecies:

• Cherry Barb
• Rosy Barb
• Tiger Barb
• Green Tiger Barb
• Hexazon Barb
• Denison Barb
• Gold Barb
• Snakeskin Barb

The Denison barb is by far the most expensive, and can cost up to US $35.00 for each fish. While the rest of the subspecies cost anywhere between US $2.00 - $7.00 only.

3- Corydoras Catfish
These are really pretty freshwater aquarium fish, which look a lot like catfish. These fish live in schools of 5 - 10, and are very compatible with other species of fish. The corydoras are always hungry and can be found scavenging the base of the aquarium all day long.

• Corydoras Sterbai
• Panda Corydoras
• Neon Orange Corydoras
• Pink Corydoras

These can cost anywhere between US $4.00 - $10.00 per fish.

4- Danios
These are the peacemakers of the aquarium, and will always dither a fight between two Betta females or males. Even though Bettas are breathtakingly beautiful, they are also fighter fish, and not good for social groups. The best Danios are:

• Zebra Danio
• Gold Danio
• Long Finned Zebra
• Leopard Danio

Their cost usually ranges from US $2.00 - $7.00 per fish.

5- Guppy
The next in line soon after the Bettas are the Guppies, which are exquisitely beautiful, tiny, and very friendly. There are no limits to the shapes and colors available in this species of fish, so you can choose whichever appeals to you the most. Here are some that are stunning:

• Albino Guppy
• Blue Cobra Guppy
• Coral Guppy
• Deltas Guppy
• Flame Guppy
• Glass Guppy
• Mosaic Guppy
• Moscow Guppy
• Red Fire Guppy
• Tux Guppy

These are a very affordable bunch, and will never exceed US $5.00 per fish. Always take them in a bunch of 6 - 8. These fish may look small, but they are full of energy and live quite long!

6- Goldfish
Who would have guessed that the ever so simple goldfish has so many varieties. There are so many to choose from! As we all know, goldfish are not always golden, and are forever lazy, curious and peaceful. Here are some varieties being listed below:

• Bubble Eye
• Black Moor
• Comet
• Celestial Eye
• Fantail Panda Moor
• Lionhead
• Oranda
• Pearl Scale
• Pompom
• Ranchu
• Ryukin
• Shubunkin
• Telescope Eye
• Veil Tail

Goldfish are not at all expensive, and can be purchased within the US $5.00 margin each.

7- Koi
Koi fish are ornamental fish and are quite big in size. These fish have an exceptional lifespan, and can live over 100 years and more. Which is why, they are considered as spiritual beings, and are prayed to. These beautiful fish are extremely docile, serene, and at ease in their surroundings. A few subspecies are:

• Asagi
• Bekko
• Doitsu
• GinRin Kohaku
• Kumonryu
• Tancho

This fish is expensive when it's of pure lineage, in which case, a pure Koi can cost over US $15.000 - $60.000. However, the ones sold at Wal-Mart are not pure, and thus cost between US $3.00 - $5.00 per Koi fish.

Some More Peaceful Freshwater Fish

• Neon Tetras
• Platties
• Pomadour Fish
• Ram Cichlid
• Rasbora
• Swordtail
• Honey Gourami

Even though mollies are really cute, they are aggressive and will nip and tear the fins of fish with longer and delicate fins . Therefore, they must never be included in a social aquarium, and must be kept in a separate tank. Always ensure that you keep your fish well fed or they will perish from hunger and disease.

Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

Bacon wrapped scallops are a great appetizer for a crowd. Contrary to popular belief it is a very easy dish to prepare and does not require too much time. Scallops are fleshy and have a sweet taste and this is perfectly complimented by the bacon which has a salty flavor. This is a perfect appetizer dish as it not only combines seafood with bacon but also because the textures of both the scallop and bacon works very well. You can use both fresh as well as frozen scallops for this recipe. Just make sure that the scallops are defrosted completely before using them, otherwise it won't taste good.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops Recipes

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Ingredients

• 12 fresh scallops
• 12 slices streaky bacon
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Method

In a small bowl, combine together the dark soy sauce, mirin, fish sauce, oyster sauce, minced garlic, ginger slices, sesame oil and sugar. Into this mixture add the scallops and toss them so that each scallop is well coated in this mixture. Allow the scallops to marinade in this mixture for half an hour. In a small skillet cook the bacon until it is slightly golden brown but is partially cooked. Remove the bacon from the skillet and keep it aside. Now remove the scallops from the soy marinade and wrap each scallop with a piece of bacon. Secure it with a toothpick and then grill it until the bacon turns crispy and the scallops are cooked thoroughly. Serve them with lemon butter and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Baked Scallops Wrapped in Bacon
Ingredients

• 12 medium scallops
• cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons pitted black olives, chopped
• teaspoon salt

Method

Combine the sun dried tomatoes, basil, olives and olive oil in a food processor and process until you get a thick paste. Rub the scallops with salt and pepper and then add the tomato and olive oil mixture to it. Let the scallops marinade in this mixture for about half an hour. Wrap each scallop with a bacon strip and place all the wrapped scallops in a greased baking tray. Bake the scallops in a moderately hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the scallops are firm. Serve them with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Classic Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Ingredients

• 12 scallops
• 12 bacon slices
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• teaspoon salt
• teaspoon pepper
• 12 bamboo skewers

Method

Wrap the bacon over the scallops one by one and keep them aside. Soak the bamboo skewers in a bowl of water and then thread a scallop wrapped in bacon through the skewer. Thread one scallop wrapped in bacon through each bamboo skewer.

In a small bowl, add the melted butter, salt, pepper, lime juice and minced garlic and mix them well. Lightly brush this mixture over the bacon wrapped scallops and place them on a hot grill. Grill the scallops for two to three minutes on one side and then rotate to sear on the other side. When the scallop is browned evenly on both sides remove from grill and serve immediately.

There are many variations of this classic appetizer that can be tweaked according to your taste and requirements.