Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Festivals readers tips

 

Readers give clues festivals worldwide. Send us your suggestions about New Zealand for a chance to win a trip voucher £ 500

 

Mexico

Weeks before the Day of the Dead in Mexico on November 2, bakeries and market stalls are full of death toys and candy skulls theme and colors of sugar and marzipan shaped mortality figures. One of the most moving celebrations is on the island of Janitzio in Lake Patzcuaro. On November 1, when the dead are remembered children, women make their way to the cemetery after midnight, carrying baskets of food, orange blossom and incense thousands of candles, turning the small cemetery behind the church open sky sparkling cathedral. Since women and children meditate on the graves and church bells toll, men start slow and steady music to continue overnight.

 

Glastonbury

This is a trick question? Best festival in the world must be Glastonbury - not for the main steps you see on the BBC, but for other interesting, eclectic and sometimes strange actions happening around the vast place. I never take my food can taste excellent dishes from around the world, although the vegetarian dishes are better. Big stars Met doing acoustic sets in small tents before appearing on the main stage the next day, and many people have a good time.

The only difficulty is that tickets for next year are sold, but there are other ways. I worked as a volunteer at Glastonbury last for 20 years and if you are satisfied DBS [for recording the child's safety or criminal matters] appropriate and qualified medical or social functions are options, so hard to get. If there are jobs ranging from garbage collecting Manning is. The best way, however, must be effective and be invited to appear at Glastonbury - so creative.

Chris Allen, Buckinghamshire

 

Senegal

St. Louis - the former colonial capital of Senegal - Hosts International Jazz Festival in late May / early June each year. The musicians come from all over the world to play outdoor venues in the city - World Heritage Site by UNESCO - which is built on an island in the mouth of the Senegal River. Colonial buildings with wooden balconies, bright hibiscus and bougainvillea pink sparkles are gone in a unique, nostalgic way. Fishing boats at dock line, smoked fish smell in the air lock and the music is everywhere.

Jane Sparrow, Bath

 

Burma

Coincidentally, we were in Yangon during Thingyan, the four-day New Year Water Festival held annually in Myanmar (Burma). We were warned that wet, so we put in light clothing, quick-drying - and so well. Young children, with sparkles in his eyes and pushed by their mothers, reveled in the absorption of buckets full of water. There was no escape.

The only people exempt were monks, nuns, pregnant women, police and the newspaper, reading, postal workers working in the holiday period.

At City Hall, a large stage with loud music was full of students armed with pipes. Trucks of people waiting to drive past and wet. Everyone was in good spirits, a man shook our hands, we wish you Happy New Year and splashed water on my neck.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Introducing Your Baby to New Fruits and Vegetables

When your baby has mastered the very fine purees and simple flavors most often introduced as the first solid foods, it's time to start incorporating new flavors into your baby's diet. When your baby starts to enjoy more variety, it's time to think outside of the box. Get beyond the typical apples and bananas and offer your baby some different and often overlooked fruits and vegetables that offer up tons of nutrition and plenty of flavor.

Avocados. Avocados are an excellent early food for babies. They have a silky, smooth texture that only requires fork mashing, rather than real pureeing. The mild flavor is very often a hit with babies, and avocados are loaded with the good fat that babies need.

Kiwi. Kiwi also has a naturally soft texture so it is easy to mash to the correct consistency for your baby. While kiwis may be a little sour for your baby at first, they are a wonderful source of vitamin C.

Melons. Melons such as cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon are great fruits for your baby to try. Again, they have a naturally soft texture so they are easy to chew. Cantaloupe is packed with vitamins A and C. Honeydew is also a great source of vitamin C and watermelon has lycopene, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

Cherries. Bing cherries, chopped into tiny pieces, are another great fruit for your baby to try. Cherries provide vitamin C and potassium.

Broccoli. Because of the naturally firm texture of broccoli, it is sometimes overlooked as a baby food. Removing the florets and chopping them finely, however, makes broccoli a great vegetable to mix in with another puree such as carrots. Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse providing vitamin C, fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, and folate. The gassiness that broccoli often gives adults, typically does not translate to babies.

Spinach. Spinach can be pureed alone or mixed with other purees. Because it has a rather strong flavor, your baby may like it better when mixed with something else. Spinach is packed with nutrients including Vitamin A, C, magnesium, folate, and iron.

Summer Squash. Your baby probably already likes butternut or acorn squash, but what about yellow summer squash? This vegetable provides vitamin C and has a mild flavor that many babies love. Just make sure you leave the skin on and chop it very finely.

Corn. Corn too is often overlooked as a vegetable because it is sometimes considered to be a grain. But with vitamin C and fiber, and a naturally sweet taste, corn can be a nice addition to your baby's diet. Be sure your baby is accustomed to chewing before trying smashed corn kernels.

Tomatoes. Tomatoes are acidic so make sure your baby is a little older (8 or 9 months) before incorporating tomatoes into his diet. Chopped tomato makes a great finger food. Tomatoes are full of lycopene, vitamins A and C, and potassium.

When feeding your baby make sure you consider all that your grocery store produce section has to offer, not just the same old fruits and vegetables. Introducing your baby to plenty of new flavors from a young age will help her to be open to new foods for a lifetime, and will give her the ultimate in good nutrition.