Welcome to my lenses!  Please visit my blog about learning grammar, improving your writing, and finding freelance jobs.  Many of the articles on these lenses are from my work published at Associated Content and at Helium. I've got lenses about homemade skin and body products, healthy cooking recipes, helping your family stay healthy, and about keeping the planet healthy.  Please feel free to explore. ... http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/legbamel Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:16:37 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.squidoo.com/sweet-potatoes Yes, sweet potatoes come in a can, in gelatinous chunks destined to be covered with marshmallows.  If that's your idea of sweet potato perfection, stop reading this lens.  If you'd like something different - and much healthier - on your table, read on. Sweet potatoes have a full, complex flavor.  These root vegetables provide fiber, vitamins like A, C, and B6, minerals like iron and potassium, even essential trace elements such as copper and manganese.  Eat sweet potatoes on their own or with a wide variety of toppings.  Mash them, boil them, bake them, or fry them.  Combine them with other winter vegetables for hearty soups and side dishes. Don't neglect the skin. On a baked potato it is a little chewy and almost nutty tasting. Baked fries get a little flavor kick from the skin, as well. And it's full of nutrients that are good for your body. Sweet potatoes pack nutrition into a colorful and versatile parcel.  Explore this lens for a dozen ways to enjoy sweet potatoes, with recipes for cold salads, roasted veggies, baked sweet potatoes, and other delicious options.  Add your favorite sweet potato serving idea or recipe to my guestbook, too.  Bon apetit! food Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:18:39 -0600 http://best.grammar.ever.com/ English grammar has a million confusing and contradictory rules. The language has so many words in so many forms that it can be bewildering to figure out which one to use and why. This page will help. Look below for specific tips and links on commonly-misused words, why you should avoid the passive voice, ESL and college-level writing labs and grammar courses, and other grammar topics from the basic to the complex.  If you don't find what you're looking for, let me know and I'll post an answer or research and write one for you.  Take a look at the Table of Contents below and wander through some of the various sections.  If you don't find what you're looking for, please contact me or post in my guestbook and I'll post the answers. arts Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:26:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/healthy-pumpkin-bread Quickbreads like pumpkin bread have long been staples for bakers. They are tasty, easy to make, and freeze well: you simply double the recipe and make a loaf for later. On this lens, you'll find a recipe for lightly-spiced pumpkin bread and substitutions that will eliminate much of the sugar and fat in the original recipe. You can use these tips for other fruit and nut breads, as well. Enjoy your banana bread guilt-free! food Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:20:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/homemade-wash Avoid the harsh chemicals, the artificial fragrances, and the dyes found in store-bought hair and body care products.  Make your own at home with some basic ingredients and a little creativity.  You can customize the scent and action of your body wash and shampoo by adding essential oils and extracts.  You can make your hand soap and body wash antibacterial simply by add a little tea tree oil. On this lens, you'll find articles on homemade body wash, shampoo, conditioner, fruit facial masques, hair spray, and styling gel.  These are all made with natural ingredients, most of which you can find in your home or buy inexpensively at the grocery store.  There are separate recipes for dry and oily hair and skin.  Treat yourself and discover the great skin and hair that you get when you use nature. diy Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:59:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/sprawl_stinks As people spread out and destroy natural habitats, they hurt the environment in dozens of ways, large and small.  Read these articles about the many ways that the spread of the human race hurts the environment, wildlife, business, and the people themselves. While the focus of this lens is on sprawl issues, you can find information on other environment issues as well.  There's an article on reducing light pollution and another on e85 conversion kits, for example.  Explore and learn how you can help save the planet, one small step at a time. If you can't get enough green info, check out the Environmental Causes group here at Squidoo.  There are dozens of other lenses on everything from wind turbines to organic gardening.  You will find tips on living green, recycling, and reducing your carbon footprint. For those of you who understand things better visually (or who are unfamiliar with his book), watch the five-minute video from Dr. Shoup illustrating The High Cost of Free Parking. I discovered that link in the most recent newsletter from the National Center for Biking and Walking. I highly recommend the newsletter and their site as a whole. newsandpolitics Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:06:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/healthy-pizza-recipes Include pizza as a part of your healthy diet by changing a few key ingredients.  You can find newer versions of traditional toppings with less fat and more flavor than their "healthy" cardboard counterparts of 20 years ago.  Combine these with fresh ingredients and reinvent your pizza from the crust up.  Your taste buds and your body will thank you. Explore this lens and give the recipes and tips a try.  If you have hints, suggestions, or recipes of your own, please drop me a line in the guestbook below.  I look forward to reading your healthy pizza ideas.  Thank you! food Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:39:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/tuna-hotdish-recipe Tuna hot dish has long been a staple in American kitchens. The creamy, noodly goodness warms your body and your heart. You don't need to invest the time of pre-heating and baking tuna casserole to enjoy the rich flavor. This lens contains my family's favorite recipe for tuna hot dish, with some non-traditional additions. By adding veggies and using low-fat ingredients, you can create a healthy, tasty version of this classic one-pot recipe for your family to enjoy. food Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:57:59 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/legbamel_lenses This lens is to help you (and me) to navigate my other lenses and group here on Squidoo.  I have no idea when I got hooked here, but the results follow. Some are essentially finished and some projects require regular updates, like my Music-of-the-Month selections. I welcome feedback, either via e-mail or in my guestbooks. On this lens, you can also find what I've been writing.  Below are links to my various lenses and feeds from my blog, Associated Content, and Helium.  Please feel free to explore and enjoy.  I would love to hear from you in my guestbook, too. people Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:18:12 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/fargo-ND Thanks to the Coen brothers, most people imagine Fargo, North Dakota as a hick town in the middle of nowhere, covered in snow and filled with crazy people. That's only partly accurate. In reality, Fargo has been enjoying a booming rebirth over the past ten years. Even in the midst of the housing crisis and threatening recession, construction and business growth continue at a record pace. The downtown Renaissance Zone has revitalized and revamped an area all but abandoned, with new restaurants, coffee shops, condominiums, radio stations, and boutiques opening regularly. This lens will be a part of a series of lenses focusing on various Fargo topics. Eventually, you'll find a lens on the annual blues festival, the summer performing arts groups, and what goes on in the dead of winter to keep everyone from moving to New Mexico. For now, please explore this lens and share any questions you may have in the guestbook. travel Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:15:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/groups..environmental_causes Squidoo for the Environment Add your lenses on anything from recycling to electric cars to deforestation. This group will be a place to gather lenses dedicated to helping the earth. There are already lenses on fighting urban sprawl, living green, going organic, and alternate power sources. Lenses are organized in categories and most of the member lenses are featured. Please explore and learn how you can save the world, one carbon footprint at a time. newsandpolitics Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:06:47 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/seaweed-extract Taken together, the many types of seaweed are used for everything from wrinkle cream to compost creation.  Seaweed makes good food for plants, animals, and people.  This lens will explain some of the many uses to which seaweed extract - the distilled goodness of the smelly, chewy plants - can be used in your daily life. While most extracts come from brown seaweeds, green and red varieties are also used for many purposes. Please scroll down and sign my guestbook while you're here.  I'd love to hear how you use seaweed in your life.  Thanks! diy Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:30:48 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/randomfam Nothing is more important than your family.  There are times when you don't know what to do or how to do it.  You want to do what's best for them and for yourself.  This lens contains articles about parenting, discipline, and family finances.  There are also articles about fun family activities you can do together.  If you have suggestions for articles you'd like to see here, either ones you've read or ones you'd like me to write, please drop me a line.  Feel free to sign my guestbook while you're here.  Thank you! kids Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:37:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/building-safety-week Each year, municipal building departments celebrate Building Safety Week starting the first Monday in May. They attempt to get the word out to people about building, maintaining, and living in their homes safely. Find out about the International Code Council (ICC), what they do, and why you should care. If you want to keep your family safe, their web site is an excellent source of tips and ideas. education Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:57:13 -0600