Schuetz

Florida is one of the most sought after vacation destinations in USA. Vacations can be pleasant memories if tourists find good places to stay at. In Florida some of the best places to stay at are privately owned homes. Several owners put up their homes for vacation rentals during peak season. The different kinds of Florida vacation rentals by owners are private homes, villas, condos, apartments, chalets, cabins and retreats. These kinds of private rentals allow you a memorable stay at reasonable prices.

Florida vacation rentals by owners offer you privacy. A lot of attention goes into building private homes and anyone staying in one can reap the benefits. Overcrowding and paper thin walls of busy commercial resorts cannot hold a candle to private homes given out as vacation rentals by owners.

Florida vacation rentals by owners offer tourist value. This is because by renting directly from the property owners several costs can be saved. Costs like taxes, parking, tipping, telephone surcharges, markups on eats and drinks and the like are not incurred when one takes a vacation rental directly from an owner.

Private homes in Florida are generally built on great locations. By taking a Florida vacation rental by owner one can get a great location at no extra charges.

Vacation rentals by owners are generally spacious properties that have abundant space as compared to hotels at the same prices. These rentals are comfortable for large families who need their space. Florida vacation rentals by owners offer amenities like kitchen facilities that can be optimally used.

It is very easy to locate Florida vacation rentals by owners. They are listed on websites on the Internet. The listing provides details like number of rooms, amenities, property descriptions and rates. Contact details of the owners are also listed or may be provided on request.

Florida Vacation Rentals provides detailed information on Florida Vacation Rentals, Florida Vacation Home Rentals, Florida Keys Vacation Rentals, Florida Beach Vacation Rentals and more. Florida Vacation Rentals is affiliated with Florida Vacation Homes.

Limes were originally grown in Asia,introduced by the Arab traders to the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa and then brought to Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers. They are a great source of vitamin C and their zesty flavor refreshes the palate. On a hot day,a frozen lime cooler is a real thirst quencher.

In a 5-to-6 cup blender add:

2 cups crushed ice
1/4 cup Rose's lime juice
1/2 cup diet or regular lemon-lime soda
1/4 cup sugar
1-6 oz. can frozen limeade
2 cans cold water from the limeade container
1 slice fresh lime, for a garnish

Directions
Put all the ingredients into a blender and set on high.Pulse until all of the ingredients are of a smooth texture. Pour the mixture into a tall glass and add more ice if desired. Twist the fresh lime slice and top the drink with it.

Alcoholic version
Add a couple of shots of your favorite rum or vodka. Beware!
The drink is highly addictive

Coconut shrimp is the perfect appetizer to go with the above drink.

Fisherman's Warf Coconut Shrimp

Serves 6(2 shrimp per person) 12 jumbo raw shrimp,cleaned,peeled and butterflied
2 cups sweetened coconut
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 cup flour
2 eggs, whipped

Directions
Combine coconut and bread crumbs in a shallow dish
Put flour into a separate shallow dish
Put eggs into a separate shallow dish
Dip shrimp first into the flour, then egg mixture, then coconut and bread crumb mixture, coating well with each element
Put coated shrimp(no more than three at a time)into hot oil 350 degrees
Fry for four minutes, until golden brown,then remove and drain.

Serve with Cool Lime Dipping Sauce
(Makes 2 cups)
1-16 oz can prepared coconut milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
3-4 drops tabasco sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 Tablespoon grated lime zest(for color)

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients into a blender, set on low and pulse until the mixture is combined. Chill until mixture is set and then stir in the grated lime peel.

One of my favorite recipes is shrimp marinated in soy sauce and lime juice, then grilled and stir-fryed with baby bok choy and fresh spinach.

Tanned Shrimp (Serves 4)
Into a large plastic Glad bag:
Pour 1-1/2 cups soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup Mongolian fire oil
Add two pounds medium size fresh shrimp
1 Tablespoon shredded ginger
1 green onion, sliced thin
1-clove raw garlic, sliced thin

Chill the mixture for four hours, shrimp should absorb the marinade's dark color. Remove shrimp from the bag and grill on a stove top grill or electric grill for five minutes on each side. Into a pot of boiling salted water: Wilt(for 2 minutes) 2 lbs of baby bok choy then remove and drain Wilt(for 1 minute) 1 lb of fresh spinach, remove and drain In a large wok or heavy skillet add 1-Tablespoon peanut or canola oil and salt and cracked black pepper to taste Add shrimp,wilted baby bok choy, grilled shrimp and wilted spinach. Stir-fry the ingredients for five minutes and then serve over a mound of jasmine rice(2-cups water,1-cup rice)cook on medium low for 20 minutes.

A light and refreshing fresh lime juice and rice wine vinegar salad dressing is mixed and then the salad greens are tossed right into the bowl.

Rub a clove of garlic in a wooden or salad bowl, then add 1/2 cup canola, or peanut oil, 1/8th,cup rice wine vinegar, 1/8th, cup fresh squeezed lime juice=total 1/4 cup,add salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Let the salad dressing set for ten minutes and then add leafy green lettuce leaves, and shredded carrots(can be purchased pre-packaged)then toss until salad greens are coated with the salad dressing, A perfect ending to this refreshing meal is a dessert called Key Lime Snow from www.gourmetsleuth.com

Key Lime Snow (Serves 8)
2-envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp grated lime peel
1/2 cup key lime juice, fresh
4 egg whites

Directions
Sprinkle unflavored gleatin over cold water in a large bowl and let stand for five minutes. Stir in sugar until blended. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is completly dissolved, about three minutes.Add grated lime peel and lime juice. Chill until slightly thickened(about 15 minutes)Beat egg whites until stiff. While beating,gradually add gelatin mixture until soft peaks form. Spoon into eight individual dessert cups or one large serving bowl. Chill for two hours. Garnish with a twisted lime peel.

The drink of choice for the dessert is a cup of key lime tea. It can be ordered from www.culinaryteas.com. If the tea is unavailable substitute green tea.

Cooking since the age of fifteen,the author totally enjoys inventing new recipes for personal use to the delight of family and friends.

http://www.carolsnews.com is still under construction but e-mail can be received.

Fruit and vegetables have always done big business but fashions and tastes change, just look at pomegranates. It used to be that whatever the hottest TV chef was cooking with would fly off the shelves now it is the health gurus.

Pomegranate juice is a case in point, once it was only found in ethnic supermarkets but now it has become main stream in a big way because it has been found to be packed full of ant-oxidants, polyphenols and other vitamins. Many of the big companies involved with growing or processing fruit and vegetables are funding research to try to get their product in the vanguard of health, able to cure all. They have grown tired of the orange boys flooding the breakfast table with their juice on the back of its vitamin C content.

It has to be said that at the same time there has been some excellent independent research going on into the constituents of the food we eat and how it affects the body.

Pomegranates are the latest and, some would say greatest so far in the health field. Research being carried out around the world has been impressive, even if it is at the first stages.

At a lab at Cape Western Reserve University of Medicine they have found that the pomegranate has something in it that counters the effect of an inflammatory chemical called interleukin-1b which is a contributory factor in arthritis. They have also found that the pomegranate can reduce the production of some enzymes that destroy the cartilage that covers the bones which leads to osteoarthritis. This research is still in the laboratory stage and has not been tested with humans but it is looking hopeful.

There is work being done in Israel and London on the pomegranates ability to reduce LDL which is the fatty deposits which line the arteries and causes heart disease and strokes. Preliminary research has indicated that just one glass of pomegranate juice a day will have a significant effect on your cholesterol level.

The big news is that pomegranates are looking to be beneficial in the fight against cancer. In England and Germany, tests have shown that it has an effect in fighting cancer cells under laboratory conditions. Whilst at UCLA they have found that taking 8ozs of pomegranate juice a day can slow the return of prostate cancer in men. The sample group was quite small; only 50 men who had received treatment for the cancer, but by drinking pomegranate juice it had slowed the return of the cancer by a very significant amount.

It is too soon to start throwing your medicine away but on the face of it a glass of pomegranate juice a day may be beneficial for your overall health. If you are on any medication, it is always advisable to consult with your doctor to make sure that it will not interrupt the effect of the drugs you are taking. Now get down to the store before they run out.

Ian Richards webmaster of yourpower2be.com, on line webzine . You will find beauty tips, health information, familly budget and finance, shopping to die for, make up, holidays and travel, recipes, information on pets and gardening, weddings, and a whole lot more. http://www.yourpower2be.com

If you are doing renovations on a property in France, you should be aware of a tax concession which allows you to reduce the sales tax on materials from 19.6% to 5.5%, thereby saving you 14.1%. On small items this may not seem much, but if you were doing a major renovation of 50 000 euros on your French property, you would save about 7 000 euros simply by taking advantage of it.

Under French tax laws, sales tax (which is know as TVA in France) is 19.6% on most items, including material for work on your house (e.g. construction, renovation or redecoration). However, if the work is done by a professional, all materials supplied by him would be taxed at 5.5% instead of 19.6%. Consequently, rather than buy the materials and the services separately, there is a strong financial benefit to having the materials purchased under the business name of the professional doing the work.

The best way to do this is to first select the tradesman who will be doing the work and then to arrange for him to buy the materials required. When doing this, ensure that he does not include a mark-up for this. In fact, given his trade discount, he should charge the same or less for materials than if you were buying them. If he does not agree to this, ask him if you can pick up the materials, but under his business name. If he does not agree to this, think about finding someone else.

Note that this discount is available only if the work is done by a registered professional or business. The quickest way to check this is to ask for their business registration number (known in France as their SIRET number) and to see their SIRET registration document.

You should also confirm that the work is eligible for the reduced tax rate. Almost all renovation and redecoration work is eligible, subject to certain restrictions. One of these is that the property must be at least 2 years old. Another is that it must be a renovation, rather than a complete rebuild. The easiest way to confirm that you qualify is to discuss the work with your tradesman and have him provide an estimate (known in France as a devis) specifying a tax rate of 5.5%.

To summarise, there are 3 key activities: ensure your work is eligible for the reduced tax rate, ensure that your tradesmen are registered, ensure that materials are purchased at cost under the business name of the tradesmen. You will then have secured the lower tax rate.

It is also worthwhile noting that this saving is worthwhile even on small projects. For example, if you bought a radiator for 200 euros and installed it yourself, the total cost would be 239.20 euros (200 euros, plus tax of 19.6 percent). However, if you hired a plumber for 25 euros to install it for you, the total cost would only be 237.38 euros (200 euros, plus 25 euros, plus tax of 5.5%). So it would be cheaper to hire a professional to do the work than to do it yourself.

FPSI French Property provides unique content on France and French property. For related information, visit our web site at http://www.france-property-and-information.com If you would like free unique content for your web site (subject to inclusion of copyright statement and link), please contact us.

1.What approach do you use to submit your website to the search engines versus directories?
-a.Important they know how to write for the search engines.
-b.Keyword Concentration how many times your keywords are used within the text
-c.Keyword Placement: how far up it appears on your HTML page
-d.Link Popularity: other sites you are linked out to
-e.Directory Enhancement: picking out the appropriate keyword and category for your website, writing descriptions, and concise information about the company

2.Do they provide Keyword search
-a.Search engine experts should provide with a report of what key words your audience is using to search your service or product

3.Are there any guarantee?
-a.No one should guarantee their work because algorithms constantly change. The search engines want fresh content and this is their way to filter out spammers.

4.Important they are up to date with the latest Internet Strategies, Internet Modeling and Trends
-a.Blogging
-b.Mini websites to support marketing strategy
-c.Innovative Marketing Models to support marketing plan (linked in, my space)

5.How often do you submit my site to the search engines?
-a.Web Gold software: allows you to automatically submit your site to the search engines
-b.Sometimes you receive email notifications from search engines if you would like to submit your website. Very important to stay on top of these email notifications.
-c.Make sure website is up to date

6.Do you use tracking code?
-a.Tracking code allows search engine experts to track how effective the keywords they selected are

7.Am I liable for costs in case my design is disturbed?
-a.Important search engine expert knows CSS and XHTML
-b.If you check back on your website and see it looks out of alignment or distorted, this is a sign that attention is needed on your website html code

8.How many link popularity and link reputation do you provide?
-a.A good number of link popularity and link reputation is 10 link outs
-b.Ask how much it will cost if you an additional 10 links a la carte

9.Do you analyze the graphic elements on my site?

10.Do you analyze how each of my HTML pages is optimized?

Valeska I. Jacques
Certified Business Process Management Consultant, Internet Media Business Consultant
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