How to Prepare Jamaican Rice and Peas

Ingredients

½ cup dried red kidney beans or gungo peas

1- 1 1/2 cups water

1 lb. rice white or brown

1 cup coconut milk

2 stalks scallion

1 sprig thyme

1 whole pepper

1 in. ginger, crushed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

6 whole pimento

1 tsp butter

1 tsp salt

2 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

Green gungo will not require any soaking at all, just remove bad grains and foreign particles wash and pressure cook.

If dried peas are used, remove bad grains or foreign objects, wash well then soak in 1 cup water with garlic cloves overnight in refrigerator.

Pour contents in pressure cooker, cover with a regular pot cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Add water until peas have sunk to the bottom of pot, about 1 cup.

Allow contents to cook under pressure for at least 30 minutes. Do not add any more water as coconut milk will be added.

While peas are being cooked, prepare coconut milk. If using prepackaged coconut powder, pour contents in a bowl, gradually add boiling water and stir until smooth. Otherwise pour contents of canned coconut milk in a bowl and set aside or prepare milk from dried coconut. (See instructions below).

Add coconut milk to cooked peas and stir, cover with a regular pot cover and let come to a boil. Add scallion, thyme, ginger, whole pepper, pimento, salt and sugar to taste. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Pick and wash rice twice or until water is not too milky then add to peas. Add butter and stir well with a fork to combine rice and peas, cover and let come to a boil then reduce heat.

When cooked, rice should be tender and all liquid absorbed. If grains are not quite cooked, separate a brown paper bag wet and place on top of rice, cover and let steam.

Rice and peas can be served with curry chicken, curried mutton, fried chicken, ox tail and beans or any meat of choice.

How to extract milk from dry coconut

Crack dry shell and remove flesh from shell. Wash, grate or cut into small pieces. Add to food processor or blender with 1 cup water and blend until pureed. Strain liquid through a strainer or use cheese cloth. Repeat using the pureed coconut again. For a rich flavor add less water.

NB. Coconut trash can be saved to add to cookie, sweet potato pudding or oatmeal bars.

Where to Find Foreclosure Assistance

If you are facing foreclosure, it is important to know all your options. Many foreclosures are caused from job loss, unexpected medical bills, or divorce. Typically, these are once-in-a-lifetime occurrences; therefore, contacting your mortgage lender and informing them of your situation is vital to your credit as well as keeping your house. If you are facing any of the above mentioned financial issues, the following steps could help you avoid losing your house.

• Contact Your Mortgage Lender - If you are having problems making your mortgage payment, contact your lender immediately. The loss mitigation department will be able to assist you with options from refinancing, loan modification, or forbearance. Explain your situation, then follow-up with an email or letter thoroughly describing what has occurred that has caused a financial hardship and then send documentation to the lender to support your situation.

• Maintain Your Residence - Stay in your house. Most of the recent government assistance programs are all based on housing that is owner-occupied. Once you move out of your property, you will lose many protections issued by these recent laws.

• Contact an Approved Housing Counseling Agency - Contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and seek out a HUD approved advocate to act as a liaison between you and your mortgage lender. The housing counseling agency should be well-versed on all the government programs that may benefit you. The housing counselor should be knowledgeable on any private or local organizations which may offer assistance. Assistance from a HUD approved housing counselor should be free of charge.

If after talking to the housing counseling agency you may decide that your best option, due to your financial situation is to sell your property to avoid foreclosure; there are other options, which include: short sale, or deed in lieu. A short sale is when the mortgage holder accepts a lesser amount than is owed on the mortgage. This usually occurs when the mortgage is greater than the value of the property. It would be necessary to contact an experienced real estate agent who has successfully handled short sales in the past. A deed in lieu is when you voluntarily give back your property to the lender. If you choose this route, your credit will not be as damaged as if you went through a foreclosure; whereas, the benefit to the lender is that they will not have to go through the expense of foreclosing on the property.

In summary, the first step to take to avoid foreclosure is to contact your mortgage lender and thoroughly explain your financial hardship. Send a detailed follow-up email or letter to your lender with supporting documentation of your hardship. Second, seek out the assistance of a HUD approved housing counseling agency. Thoroughly explain your situation to the HUD approved counselor and cooperate by providing any documentation requested to support your situation. They should work on your behalf to help you save your home, or at a minimum help you minimize the damage to your credit.

Foreclosures: What You Need to Know

Roadside signs and online ads can commonly be found stating things like, "We buy houses." These ads are typically from real estate investors looking to obtain a discounted property, such as a property heading into foreclosure. A foreclosure, often referred to as a REO or bank owned property, is a type of distressed property that has reverted back under the control of the original lender. Real estate investors and discount home buyers often seek out these types of properties as an alternative to paying higher prices on traditional retail properties. In many cases, a foreclosure property will be sold at or below market value. In some situations, however, they will be sold for well above market value. For this and many other reasons, those who are interested in purchasing foreclosure properties should become familiar with the way foreclosures are transacted before attempting to invest large sums of money in this type of asset.

Common Types of Foreclosure Sales

There are two primary methods of buying foreclosures. Either a person can buy a foreclosure through a real estate agent or through public auction. If a person is looking to buy a foreclosure through a real estate agent, then it is generally a good idea to make sure the real estate agent they are working with specializes in this type of real estate transaction. On the other hand, a person can just as easily bid for foreclosures at public auction in the county where the property resides. Most public auctions, involving REO properties, are either held online or in a manner designated by a given state's real estate laws. Since you are not an attorney, you should read through the laws governing foreclosures for the state in which you are interested in engaging in real estate transactions.

The Downside of Public Auctions

The downside to buying foreclosures at public auction is that real estate investors will sometimes bid properties up above retail market value. This can become a problem for people interested in making a return on their investment. Another downside to public auctions is that the bank or lender is generally not required to make any guarantees, and the property will likely be transferred by way of a Quit Claim deed, rather than by a Warranty Deed. It is generally a smart idea to do research into the different types of property deeds. You will want to know what it means to come into possession of a given deed type for a foreclosure property before you commit to buy.

Title Search and Title Insurance

In a lot of foreclosure cases, people imagine that they will save money if they skip the step of having a title company run a title search on the property. This is a very risky and reckless practice. When you pay for a title search, the title company is actively and laboriously looking for any clouds on the title that could come back later to pose a problem. Purchasing title insurance also helps to protect a property owner if any missed title issues lead to legal action against the new owner of the foreclosure. For example, the bank or lender of the property may not have had true ownership of the property before it went to public auction. In such a case, the individual or entity on the chain of title that can prove they have an unresolved interest in the property can sue for damages. Without title insurance to protect the owner of the foreclosure, this will typically leave the new owner with a huge financial loss that could have been avoided.

Conclusion

Although buying foreclosures is a great way to pick up properties at a discount price, a person should always be aware of the issues involved to mitigate any risks. Understanding state laws and taking all necessary precautions will generally lead to a profitable outcome for a savvy individual trying to purchase foreclosures. Those who learn to make a sizable income in foreclosures will often see the value in employing ads that say, "We buy houses," to help them earn more profits in the foreclosure market.

So You Think You're Ready to Buy a Foreclosure Property?

1. Time. Make sure you've got enough of it to spare.

Buying a property below market value will come at a cost, perhaps other than an immediate cash cost, but it will cost you. The process involved in buying a foreclosure will usually take up to two months of your time before you know you've got the property, while keeping you on the hook and unable to act on any other property in the meantime. Once you've had an accepted offer on a foreclosure property, your deposit gets cashed into a trust account right away. However you won't know you've got the property till approved by court. Times could vary but 4-6 weeks is a standard timeline for a court date to take place after an initial accepted offer. Now the best scenario is there are no competing offers and the new home is yours (allow 3 more weeks for possession). If there are competing offers and you do not wish to bid extremely high or simply did not realize someone would bid so high for this property, you've just lost on this property and will have to wait a few more weeks for the deposit to be returned back to you.

2. No guarantees by seller.

In an ordinary real estate transaction, the seller is responsible to deliver the property in the same condition as originally seen by the buyer. When buying a foreclosure, the seller offers no guarantees whatsoever.

That means the only deliverable on possession date is 4 walls still standing (even if those weren't there the seller would probably successfully argue in court that they carry NO responsibilities whatsoever). So if you get the keys to your new home on possession date and find all the appliances are gone and with granite counter tops ripped out... well, you have no one to go after and bear all the costs yourself.

3. Property has been vacant for too long.

Even if you had an inspection done, your new home likely has not been lived in for quite a while. That means, a small leak, that an inspector has not picked up on, could have originated and gone completely unnoticed since no one lived in there for so long. You'll only discover that small leak if you've been running the water for a long period of time. By then you could be flooding your neighbors. This goes on to say that all homes must be insured on possession date, but foreclosure properties especially!

Remembering these three simple points when buying a foreclosure could lead you towards a very successful purchase of a beautiful home at below market prices!

Make the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes With This Recipe

To prepare mashed potatoes, all you have to do is peeling, boiling, and adding some ingredients and then mashing. You can also leave the shells to vary the flavor. If you want to know how to make mashed potatoes, only follow these kinds of steps.

Recipe

1. Put the water in a large pot heat.

2. Wash and peel the potatoes. Chop it so that they are in equal portions and make evenly.

3. When the water boils makes it and let cook for about half an hour, until soft.

4. Remove a little broth and potatoes passed through the food mill. Throw back to the pan and put over low heat.

5. Add the milk, cream and butter. Stir to mix well and finally ready to take.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4 sprigs of parsley for garnish

Prepare Mashed Potatoes

Step 1

Peel the potatoes. After you wash it thoroughly in cold water, use a sharp knife or a peeler to peel the shell. You can also leave the potato shell Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes if you like as well. But baking potatoes should be peeled.

Step 2

Boil it in a large pot of water. First boil the water alone and put some salt. The pot must be large enough to contain potatoes without bunching. Once the water begins to boil, add the potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft. When ready, drain the water from the pot and transfer it to a plate.

Step 3

Mash it as soon as you have the other ingredients. Start to crush potatoes and 2 teaspoons melted butter and 1/2 cup milk. This will make them more tasty and creamy, well that will be easier to crush. A masher is ideal to crush the potatoes, but also can use a large fork, a spoon or a whisk.

You can also mash it with these tools: a garbage wire, stainless steel masher or an electric mixer.

Preparing another type

Step 4

Make it with butter. To this mashed potatoes, just put him unsalted butter and chicken stock to the Yukon gold potatoes.

Step 5

Make mashed potatoes with garlic. To prepare these tasty mashed potatoes, you can use any type of potato garlic. You can also add olive oil, Parmesan cheese and various other ingredients.

Is Your Construction Recruitment Agency Befooling You?

The market today has both good and bad construction recruitment companies. This content is an attempt to make the readers understand what the difference between the two is. Presently, the construction industry is witnessing its golden era; therefore, more and more people are trying to be a part of it. In order to get into the field, candidates are opting for recruitment agencies, especially those that are particularly catering to the construction sector. Unfortunately, not all the staffing agencies are worth trusting, like the one that reached my friend. There are a few reliable construction staffing agencies in the arena, but as stated a few.

It has now become really important to spot a bad construction recruitment agency, as the number of these fraud organizations is increasing at a rapid rate. Here are a few indicators that if taken into consideration can save you from a false staffing agency.

The hidden cost

In case the agency asks you to pay for their services, you better maintain a distance. The staffing agencies are paid by the construction companies. As, the construction companies hire the recruitment agencies for their services; thus, the employers are the one to bear their charges and not you.

The partially informed consultant

The consultants are among the best people to inform you about the job and company profile. So, if your consultant is not well aware about the company profile or if he fails to explain the job description, there is no point of connecting with him. They are paid for giving you complete information, and if they are not well-versed at it, you better don't trust them.

Encouraging false claims

There are many agencies that say, 'it's completely fine to put a few false statements here and there in your resume and interview.' Trust me, it's really not fine; rather, it is unethical. Being liberal to truth simply means to lie. The staffing firm that encourages it is indulging itself and you into an unethical act. Beware.

Overconfidence

You must have heard the saying that overdose of anything and everything is bad, and the level of confidence is no different. An honest consultant will be confident, and he will not be ridding for a fall. He will not promise you that his connections will help you get the job, he will rather tell you that only your skills can get your through. Certainly, no one except the company itself can assure you job.

Too Many Questions? Too Bad

Is the consultant more interested in gathering all your information, then actually briefing you on the job profile? An overview of your personal and professional background is more than enough for a recruitment agency. If they keep on digging, you should know where to put a stop.

Last Note: Everyone is not the same, everyone is not bad

As mentioned earlier, there are reliable construction staffing agencies around, so don't just give up hope. Just keep your eyes and ears open while you deal with one.

Tarun Kumar Sharma is a New Delhi based independent content writer with more than a decade of experience in professional web based content writing in hundreds of domains. He provides his national and international clientele with well-researched, creatively written and 100% plagiarism-free content with high quality standards. 

Where to Find Foreclosure Assistance

If you are facing foreclosure, it is important to know all your options. Many foreclosures are caused from job loss, unexpected medical bills, or divorce. Typically, these are once-in-a-lifetime occurrences; therefore, contacting your mortgage lender and informing them of your situation is vital to your credit as well as keeping your house. If you are facing any of the above mentioned financial issues, the following steps could help you avoid losing your house.

• Contact Your Mortgage Lender - If you are having problems making your mortgage payment, contact your lender immediately. The loss mitigation department will be able to assist you with options from refinancing, loan modification, or forbearance. Explain your situation, then follow-up with an email or letter thoroughly describing what has occurred that has caused a financial hardship and then send documentation to the lender to support your situation.

• Maintain Your Residence - Stay in your house. Most of the recent government assistance programs are all based on housing that is owner-occupied. Once you move out of your property, you will lose many protections issued by these recent laws.

• Contact an Approved Housing Counseling Agency - Contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and seek out a HUD approved advocate to act as a liaison between you and your mortgage lender. The housing counseling agency should be well-versed on all the government programs that may benefit you. The housing counselor should be knowledgeable on any private or local organizations which may offer assistance. Assistance from a HUD approved housing counselor should be free of charge.

If after talking to the housing counseling agency you may decide that your best option, due to your financial situation is to sell your property to avoid foreclosure; there are other options, which include: short sale, or deed in lieu. A short sale is when the mortgage holder accepts a lesser amount than is owed on the mortgage. This usually occurs when the mortgage is greater than the value of the property. It would be necessary to contact an experienced real estate agent who has successfully handled short sales in the past. A deed in lieu is when you voluntarily give back your property to the lender. If you choose this route, your credit will not be as damaged as if you went through a foreclosure; whereas, the benefit to the lender is that they will not have to go through the expense of foreclosing on the property.

In summary, the first step to take to avoid foreclosure is to contact your mortgage lender and thoroughly explain your financial hardship. Send a detailed follow-up email or letter to your lender with supporting documentation of your hardship. Second, seek out the assistance of a HUD approved housing counseling agency. Thoroughly explain your situation to the HUD approved counselor and cooperate by providing any documentation requested to support your situation. They should work on your behalf to help you save your home, or at a minimum help you minimize the damage to your credit.