Red Bean Crepes

INGREDIENTS:
*150 g (1/3 lb.) sweet red bean paste

*SEASONINGS:
(1) 1 cup flour, 3 eggs, 3 Teaspoons oil

PREPARATION:
1. Mix (1) into a smooth batter. Divided the sweet bean paste into 2 equal portions.
2. Heat a frying pan and add 1 tablespoon oil. Pour in half of the batter and fry over low heat into a crepe 15 cm (6") in diameter. Fry the second half of the batter in the same way.
3. Place one portion of red bean paste on one of the crepes and press it into a 5 cm (2") rectangular shape (illus. 1). Fold the two ends over the top (illus. 2). Repeat for the remaining portion of red bean paste and crepe.
4. Heat the frying pan and add 1 tablespoon oil. Pan-fry the red bean paste crepes until golden. Remove and cut into 2 X 5 cm (3/4" X 2") strips. Arrange on a plate and serve.

Sweet Walnut Soup

INGREDIENTS:
*1 cup walnuts
*3 cups hot water
*2 cups water

SEASONINGS:
*(1) 1 cup water, 4 Teaspoons sugar, 2 Teaspoons Glutinous ("sweet") rice flour (mochi flour)

PREPARATION:
1. Soak the walnuts in 3 cups hot water for 40 minutes. Drain. Place in a blender with 2 cups water and puree. Strain (illus. 1) and set aside.
2. Mix (1) until blended. Add to a saucepan together with the walnut puree and cook (illus. 2) 8 minutes. Serve.

Peach Tapioca Dessert

INGREDIENTS:
*3/4 cup pearl tapioca or pearl sago
*1 can cling peaches
*4 cups water

SEASONINGS:
*(1) 1 cup cold water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 Teaspoons milk

PREPARATION:
1. Bring the 4 cups water to a boil, add the pearl tapioca, and cook until done (illus. 1). Drain, transfer to a bowl, and allow to cool.
2. Pour the cling peaches together with syrup into a blender and puree. Pour into a bowl and mix with (1). Stir in the cooked tapioca (illus. 2) until blended, and serve.

Realtors Pick Best Home Improvements

Agents Say Decluttering, Staging Give Best Bang for Buck
HomeGain.com Survey Shows Where Agents Say Sellers Should Put Their Money
Brett Widness, AOL Real Estate editor
November 13, 2009
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TEXT: A A A Nearly 1,000 real estate agents cast their votes on which do-it-yourself home improvement projects will help sellers get top dollar.

HomeGain.com's 2009 Top 12 Home Improvements Survey Results showed that cleaning and de-cluttering was the easiest and most cost-effective way to make your home more appleaing to buyers. For as little as $100-$200, sellers could see as much as a 10x increase in their sale price.

To be clear, these are all projects that you can do on your own or with a little help, so you won't see replacing your roof or adding a deck on this list.

Home Improvement Project...........Average Cost.......Home Price Increase
Clean and De-Clutter.....................$100 - $200........$1500 - $2000

Home Staging...............................$300 - $400........$1500 - $2000

Lighten and Brighten.....................$200 - $300........$1000 - $1500

Landscape Front/Back...................$300 - $400........$1500 - $2000

Repair Plumbing............................$300 - $400........$1000 - $1500

Update Electrical...........................$300 - $400........$1000 - $1500

Replace or Shampoo Carpets..........$400 - $500........$1000 - $1500

Paint Interior Walls........................$500 - $750........$1500 - $2000

Repair Damaged Floors..................$500 - $750........$1500 - $2000

Update Kitchen..............................$1000-$1500......$2000 - $3000

Paint Outside of Home...................$750 - $1000.......$1500 - $2000

Update Bathroom..........................$750 - $1000.......$1000 - $1500

Most of the recommended projects come in under $500, with an ROI of at least 100 percent.

Even for some of the more expensive projects, like updating your kitchen for $1,500, you can replace the hardware and touch up the cabinets, just so that buyers don't see any glaring issues. New appliances are actually very cheap right now, and often come with free installation, so don't let an old fridge or dishwasher kill your deal.

The total return on investment for all 12 of these projects could total more than $20,000. For a median priced home, that's about a 10% increase in your sales price.

Check out the HomeGain HomeSaleMaximizer for customized recommendations in your ZIP code.
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5 ways to stretch your money

These days, everyone is looking to make their money go farther. So here are some tips to stretch your hard earned cash.
1. Create a spending plan
Many people don't like the idea of budget. They associate it with hardship. But look at it in a positive way. Create a monthly "spending plan" for all your expenses--by carefully planning your spending, you may find you spend more wisely, because you're taking control.
2. Track your spending
Record your spending for a month, especially for small items. You'll discover how quickly these little purchases can add up. At the end of month, review your spending. Once you see where your money is going, you may want to make different choices about your spending.
3. Live within your means
Many people feel they never have quite enough to live on, yet they probably know people who manage successfully on less. "Do I really need that extra-large screen TV?" If you live within your means, you will never overspend.
4. Shop for value
Look for opportunities to get more value from each dollar spend. Join a warehouse or shopping club and buy in bulk. Purchase clothing, furniture and household goods when they are on sale.
Consider buying used cars and appliances.
5. Eat in
Restaurant dining can be expensive, since you are paying for service, as well as food. Tips and meal taxes can add 20% or more to the bill. Liquor and desserts (which you otherwise might not eat at home) can boost the tab even higher.

Written by Mass Mutual Financial Group

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

These spring rolls make a great appetizer or party food. And they're surprisingly easy to make.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
*12 spring roll wrappers
*100g (3 1/2 OZ.) mung bean sprouts (both ends removed)
*80g (3 OZ.) each: vegetarian meat shreds, julienned dried Chinese black mushroom
*50g (1 3/4 OZ) each: julienned carrot, julienned bamboo shoots
*6 pieces Chinese celery (3 cm or 1 1/4" each)
*6 cups Oil for frying

SEASONINGS:
*(1) 1 Tablespoon flour, 1 Tablespoon water
*(2) 1 teaspoon each: soy sauce, sesame oil , 1/4 teaspoon each: salt, sugar

REMARK:
*3 teaspoons make one tablespoon, teaspoon (5 ml) it's smaller, tablespoon (15 ml) it's bigger

PREPARATION:
1. Mix (1) into a smooth batter.
2. Heat a wok and add 2 Tablespoon oil. Fry the celery briefly. Add the vegetarian meat shreds, black mushroom, carrot, bamboo shoots,and mung bean sprouts (illus. 1), and stir-fry briefly. Add (2) combined well, and transfer to a plate. Divide into 12 equal portions filling.
3. Wrap one portion of filling in each spring roll wrapper, forming a cylindrical shape (illus. 2). Seal tlightly with a little batter.
4. Heat the oil to about 350'F(177'C). Deep-fry the spring rolls until golden. Remove from the oil, drain and serve. (for Serves 6)