Pork Tenderloin Diane

Pork Tenderloin Diane
serves 4

Ingredients
450g/1lb pork tenderloin, cut
crossways into 8 pieces
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
25g/1oz butter
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• Press each tenderloin piece into a 2.5cm/1in thick medallion, and sprinkle the surfaces with lemon pepper.
• Melt the butter in large heavy- frying pan over a medium heat. Add the medallions and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and place on a serving platter. Cover to keep warm.
• Stir the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard into the juices in the pan. Cook, stirring, until heated through. Pour the sauce over the medallions, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Chargrilled Pork Fillet With Apple Sauce

Chargrilled Pork Fillet With Apple Sauce
serves 4

Ingredients
450g/1lb pork fillet, trimmed
150ml/5fl oz cider
1 tablespoon light muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary sprigs, bruised
2 tablespoons olive oil
finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons golden sultanas
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 dessert apples
salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Trim the pork fillets of any fat, and cut into 1cm/1/2in thick rounds before placing in a bowl. Mix together half of the the cider with the sugar, mustard, garlic, rosemary sprigs, oil, half of the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Pour over the pork, and rub all over the meat. Cover and chill until needed.
• To make the sauce, put the remaining lemon zest in a small mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the remaining cider, the sultanas and thyme leaves. Peel, core and finely dice the apples, one at a time, mixing them in as you go. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Preheat the grill until hot. Remove the meat from its marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat under the grill for 3 minutes per side, removing as soon as it is just cooked through, so that it retains its tenderness. Serve with the apple sauce.

Ginger And Honey-Hlazed Gammon

Ginger And Honey-Hlazed Gammon
serves 10

Ingredients
4.5–6.8kg/10–15lb unsmoked
gammon on the bone
2 shallots, peeled and halved 6 cloves
3 bay leaves
2 celery sticks, cut into 5cm/2in lengths
2 tablespoons English mustard
5cm/2in piece of fresh root ginger, thinly sliced
For the glaze
225g/8oz dark muscovado sugar
2 tablespoons clear honey
125ml/4fl oz brandy

• Put the gammon in a heavy pan with the shallots, cloves, bay leaves, celery and enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about 5 hours. Skim off any scum using a slotted spoon. Lift the ham out of the pan, discard the vegetables and herbs,and allow the gammon cool.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully cut away the gammon’s thick skin to leave an even layer of fat. Score a diamond pattern in the fat. Put the gammon in a roasting tin, smother evenly with the mustard and tuck the ginger into the scored fat.
• To make the glaze, put the sugar, honey and brandy in a pan, and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Brush over the gammon.
• Cook the gammon in the oven for 30–40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. Serve either hot or cold, cut into slices.

Pork With Port And Coffee Sauce

Pork With Port And Coffee Sauce
serves 6

Ingredients
1.8kg/4lb pork loin, boned
225ml/8fl oz strong espresso coffee
125ml/4fl oz single cream
75ml/3fl oz port
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Remove the rind from the pork and trim the fat to make a 1cm/1/2in layer. Roll and tie the meat with string. Put the meat in a roasting tin, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Combine the coffee, half the cream, half the port and the sugar, and pour over the pork. Continue roasting the pork for 11/2 hours, basting it every 15 minutes with the coffee mixture.
• Remove the pork from the oven when cooked. Keep covered in a warm place while making the sauce. Skim off the fat from the pan juices, and transfer the juices to a small saucepan. Add 50ml/2fl oz water, the remaining cream and port, and the cornflour. Cook until thickened, then strain. Slice the pork thinly and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately

Ardha Shalabhasana - The Half-Locust Pose

"Shalabha" means "locust" in Sanskrit. The final position of this asana resembles a locust when it lowers its head to eat and raises its tail. Hence, the name. 'Ardha' means 'half' in Sanskrit.

Sequence:

1. Lie flat on your abdomen and chest with the face downwards.
2. Keep the hips close to the floor and the legs straight and close to each other.
3. Keep your arms stretched back on the sides.
4. Raise your head a little and place your chin on the floor.
5. Clench your fingers into fists and place them on the floor facing upwards.
6. Inhale and hold your breath.
7. Pressing the fists down, raise backward your left leg as far up as you can, keeping the leg straight and outstretched.
8. Hold the breath and maintain the position for about five seconds.
9. Exhaling slowly, press the fists down and lower the leg without bending the knee.
10. Repeat with the right leg.

Caution:

* Do not clench your fist too tight or too loose.
* Persons with hernia, weak lungs and cardiac complaints should not practice the asana.
* Pregnant women should also not practice this asana.

Benefits:

* It improves blood circulation.
* It dissolves excess fat from the thighs, hips, waist, abdomen and the posterior.
* Diabetic patient may practice this asana to control the disease.
* It relieves constipation and improves digestion.
* This yoga pose benefits women through its effect on the ovaries and uterus, helping to correct disorders of these organs.

Ardha Padmasana - The Half-Lotus Pose

"Ardha" means "half" and "Padma" means "lotus" in Sanskrit. Those who are unable to assume the full Padmasana posture using both legs as described above owing to the stiffness of their legs or bulky thighs may begin practicing with one leg at a time alternately until they are able to develop the full posture. With the practice of this asana daily, they will be able to take that posture for a long time without discomfort and switch on to the full Padmasana posture after sufficient practice.

Sequence:

1. Sit erect on the carpet in Sukhasana
2. Stretch out the legs fully in front of you and keep the heels a little apart.
3. Fold the right leg slightly at the knee-joint. Take hold of the right ankle with the right hand and the right big toe with the left hand. Bending the right knee towards the floor, bring the foot up slowly towards your body and set it firmly at the root of the left thigh with the sole turned upwards and without changing the position of the extended left leg. The heel should lightly press the left side of the lower abdomen and the back portion of the foot should rest on the left thigh.
4. Press down the bent right knee gently with your palm so that it remains touching the ground.
5. Fold the left leg slightly at the knee-joint.
6. Take hold of the left ankle with the left hand and the left big toe with the right hand.
7. Bending the left knee outwards towards the floor, slide the outer edge of the foot along the floor and draw it gently towards the right calf.
8. Slightly raise the right thigh and place the left foot beneath the right thigh in a comfortable position with its sole turned upward.
9. The back portion of the left foot should lie straight along the floor.
10. The left knee should also touch the floor closely.
11. Place the right palm on the right knee and the left palm on the left knee with fingers close together.
12. Remain motionless and relaxed in this position as long as you feel comfortable.
13. Stretch out your legs and return to the starting position of Sukhasana slowly and without any jerks.
14. Stretch out your left leg first and then your right.
15. Repeat changing the position of the legs.

Benefits:

* Performing the Ardha Padmasana makes it easier to do the more difficult Full Padmasana as it makes the hip-joints, knees and ankles more flexible.
* You may sit in this position as long as you wish and even make it a regular sitting posture.
* It is also suitable for meditation.

Ardha Matsyendrasana - The Half-Spinal Twist Pose

"Ardha" means "half" in Sanskrit. Since the full posture is difficult to be practiced, the half-posture, which is easier, is followed widely. This posture was first promoted by the great Yogi Matsyendranath, one of the founders of Hatha Yoga, and hence the name.
Sequence:

1. Sit erect.
2. Stretch out your legs.
3. Place the right heel in the perineum. Keep the right thigh straight.
4. Place the left foot flat on the floor, crossing the right knee.
5. The left heel should rest close to the right side of the right knee.
6. Pass the right arm over the left side of the left knee and line it up with the left calf.
7. Grasp the left big toe with the index finger, middle finger and thumb of the right hand.
8. Slide the left hand across the small of the back and grasp the root of the right thigh.
9. Turn round your head, neck, shoulders and the whole trunk to the left and bring the chin in line with the left shoulder.
10. Look as far behind you as you can. Keep the head and spine erect.
11. Maintain this position until strain is felt.
12. Release in the reverse order.
13. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits:

* Ardha Matsyendrasana is considered to be the best of the twisting postures as it rotates the spine around its own axis besides giving two side-twists to the spine throughout its length with the greatest efficacy, using one's own arm and knee as a lever.
* As the spine is twisted spirally, each movable vertebra rotates in its socket, as a result of which the spinal column, particularly the lumbar vertebrae, becomes more flexible.

Ardha Halasana - The Half-Plough Pose

"Ardha" means 'half' and 'Hala' means 'plough' in.

Sequence:

1. Lie flat on your back.
2. Stretch your legs at full length.
3. Keep the heels and the big toes together.
4. Stretch your arms on the respective sides with palms turned down.
5. Inhaling, press the palms down and raise first one leg slowly as high as possible without bending the knee, keeping the other leg flat on the floor.
6. Hold the leg straight up until you complete the inhalation.
7. Exhaling, bring the leg down slowly.
8. Repeat the process with the other leg also.
9. Take three turns, alternating the legs.
10. Inhaling, press the palms down and, without bending the knees or raising the hands, raise the legs together slowly till they make an angle of 30 degrees to the ground, then 60 degrees, and, finally, bring them perpendicular at 90 degrees to the ground.
11. Complete the inhalation.
12. Fix your gaze on the big toes.
13. Remain in this position as long as you can hold your breath comfortably.
14. Exhaling, press the palms down again, and without bending the knees, bring down your legs together slowly, pausing for five seconds each as they reach 60 degrees and 30 degrees to the ground.
15. Execute three turns, raising both legs together.


Caution:

* Practice this asana on an empty stomach.
* Keep your back as close to the floor as possible.
* The legs should not shake while performing the asana.
* Women should not practice this asana during menstruation and after the third month of pregnancy.

Benefits:

* Ardha Halasana builds up the elasticity of the muscle in the abdominal area.
* It prevents the prolapse of the abdominal organs, such as the uterus in women and the rectum in men.
* It has a curative effect on menstrual disorders.
* It helps to rid the stomach and intestines of gas and eliminate constipation.
* It prevents hernia.
* Persons who have varicose veins can practice this posture several times a day to get relief.
* You may perform this asana in bed also before rising in the morning if you are plagued by constipation.

Anantasana - Yoga Pose

This is a pose named after the sleeping position of Lord Vishnu.

Sequence:
1. Lie down on the back with legs together, straight extended, the toes erect and hands straight and palms resting on the floor to acquire the supine pose.
2. Turn on left side, and place the elbow of the left hand on ground with left palm supporting your head as shown in figure.
3. Keep right hand near your chest on ground, continue normal breathing.
4. Bend right leg at the knee and place the toe on left thigh.
5. Keep right knee steady pointing towards roof, hold index finger of the right leg by right hand.
6. Continue normal breathing.
7. Repeat this for right side with left leg on right thigh.
8. While releasing the pose, slowly bring hands to the normal position and take supine position.

Benefits:
* Practicing of the pose improves balancing capabilities.
* It also stretches the hamstrings and calves, improving blood circulation and also cures any muscle pull.

Akarshana Dhanurasana - The Pulled Bow Pose

"This position is known as "Akarshana Dhanurasana" because while practicing it, the heels and hips are raised.
Sequence:
1. Sit erect.
2. Stretch out the legs and keep them close together.
3. Place the palms on the floor at the sides.
4. Bend the right leg at the knee and crossing the left leg, place the right heel on the ground beside the left ankle.
5. Grasp the right big toe with the thumb, index and middle fingers of the left hand and the left big toe with the right thumb, index and middle fingers.
6. Inhaling and keeping the head erect, pull up the right foot till the right knee comes near the right armpit and the right big toe touches the left ear. While doing this, the right hand should pull the big toe of the left leg. While pulling the toes, fix your gaze on the big toe of the stretched left leg.
7. Exhaling, bring back the right foot to the floor on the left side of the outstretched left leg. Release the hands and stretch the legs straight again side by side.
8. Practice reversing the position of the legs.


Variation: Stretch out the legs. Pull the big toes straight towards the ears on the same side of the body, one after the other.

Benefits:

• The arms, shoulders, chest, waist, back, thighs and calves come into play in Akarshana Dhanurasana, and they become well developed, well proportioned and strong.

Facts of Yoga

Yoga is an integrated way of balancing spirit, mind and body. Yoga basically is away of life. Yoga is initially originated in India.

It in implementation from thousands of years and even now it is under practice regardless of religion.

From ancient times, yoga has been used as an adjunct for the treatment of various diseases.

Yoga offers effective physical rehabilitation that gives immense relief from painful conditions.

Some examples are stiffness of back, neck and feet, Arthritis, better blood circulation, increasing lung capacity, constipation, improving immune system, respiratory system, relieving insomnia, etc.

Yoga directly put emphasis on muscles and body senses and addresses each and every system of mind and body.

The person performing the yoga regularly begins to sense the soul and the reality of the existence.
In the last several years, yoga has become an incredibly popular form of meditation and exercise. People have starting taking normal means of relaxing the body. But yoga is something more than just meditation and exercise.

On one side yoga can be seen as a spiritual practice by doing mediation while on the other side, it is seen as physical exercise, which is done to maintain the health and shape of the body. A difference of yoga is Hatha yoga, this is the term given to describe the exercises.
It is believed that over sixteen million citizens of North America perform this form of yoga. Hatha yoga is a form in which more importance is given to the physical exercises, breathing exercises and meditation.

Hatha yoga is extremely beneficial for people with heart, back and breathing problems.

Studies have shown that yoga has actually helped many young and aged people in coming out of different physical and mental problem. Yoga has helped the people having heart problems in many ways. Yoga assists in reducing the blood pressure and steadily improves the resistance over psychological stress. Yoga provides gentle assistance to the people suffering from back problems and improves the physical suppleness, strength and endurance.


“Yogi” is a phrase given to the male performing yoga and “yogini” is the phrase given to the female who is performing the yoga. The meaning of word Yoga is to yoke, “to unite” or “to join”. It derives the method of discipline. It is believed that yoga is made up of eight limbs. These eight limbs are pranayama (breathing), asana (postures), dhyani (meditation), dharana (concentration), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), niyamas (observances), yamas (restraints) and Samadhi (absorption). Out of all these eight limbs, Samadhi is the ultimate goal of traditional yoga. Samadhi is referred as a pose of inward enlightenment.

Yoga is useful, it doesn’t matter how little or how much more one give it space in the regular routine. Just one hour devotion is more than enough for soothing the senses and keeping the entire health under control.

10 Things you Must Know before Renting an Apartment

If you can’t afford buying an apartment, your solution is probably to lease. Though moving to a new apartment can be very exciting, finding a good one to rent could be a daunting task. There are things you should consider before the big step, so here are our ten picks to make sure you’re prepared before you sign your name.
Apartment search

1. Set a budget.

Consider how much you can afford to pay and follow the “rule” not to exceed 30-percent of your monthly income. Focus your search according to your budget and though you may be forced to compromise when finding a bigger apartment in a better area, make sure it’s worth spending the extra money. If you’re looking for a cheaper place to rent, try roommate services to share an apartment, but make sure you know what types of people or habits you’d prefer to avoid.

2. Where to search?

Not going to use a broker’s services because of the extra cost the next thing is to look in the newspaper classifieds, apartment hunter publications, college campus bulletin boards or on the Internet. You’ll know the rental market much better and will will probably get yourself a better deal. Also tell your friends that you’re looking for an apartment to rent and maybe they know something in their buildings.

3. What to search for?
Take a sheet of paper and write them down your requirements list. Do you want a quiet building close to school or work, that allows pets and has free parking? How about a dishwasher machine or laundry facilities nearby?

You may also want to visit the neighborhood at various times of the day, night and weekend to see if it’s what you expected.

These all count when you decide where to live in for the next few months, if not years.
Finance and documents

Because the landlord wants to make sure you’re good with paying the monthly rent most of the times, you’ll most likely have to complete an application and pay for the application fees or for credit reports. Be prepared.

4. The renter’s resume.

Just like a CV for a job application, a renter’s resume should include all the information to make you stand out from other applicants and to convince the landlord that you’ll be a trustworthy tenant. Personal references, last addresses with landlord phone numbers, your monthly income or a copy of your credit report will make you look good on paper, which you need it.

5. What’s included?

It’s very important to know if the rent includes heating, water, electricity, cable or Internet connection but more important is to know what are the average utility bills in the building. Ask the landlord if you want to be make sure you won’t get crazy numbers on your bills.

6. Read before you sign
A common mistake we usually make is not to read a contract before we sign. Obtain a copy of any rules and regulations, make sure you go through everything and before you sign the lease, check to see if these are mentioned:

* The beginning and the expiration date
* The rental price and information about your security deposit
* What are the reasons for which your landlord can terminate your lease contract
* Are there any penalties for moving out of your apartment before the expiration date?
* Are there any responsibilities on your head for repairs and such?
* Is subletting allowed ?
* See if you have to buy renters insurance, because it will increase you total cost
* Is there a policy about guest visitors?

7. Contract issues

It’s a big move so you have to make sure you’re covered on every aspect so never sign a lease without seeing the apartment even if it’s a bargain. Second of all, our advice is not to sign a contract that has an automatic renewal clause, because you may not know what’s going to happen next year. Maybe you change work or move to a new city and a renewed contract would only force you to pay even if you’re not living there.

Last thing and a very important if you enjoy privacy, keep away from a lease that gives the landlord unlimited access without notification. Tenants have their rights and a landlord should be permitted without notice only in case of emergencies.
Inspect the apartment

Most important thing when you inspect an apartment you plan to lease (or buy) is not to let the looks deceive you. Look for the “hidden” attributes and if there’s any damage ask for it to be repaired otherwise you may be blamed for it later.
8. What to look for

You like the price, the area is great, but you need to see where you’re going to live. Here are a few things to take a closer look at:

* Pipes - be it gas, water or anything else, check for leaks.
* Sink faucets, shower heads and water - make sure water (both cold and hot) really comes out of the faucets and the shower head and it’s with a decent pressure. Also the toilet has to flush properly and thoroughly.
* Electricity and appliances should all be working. Check if all the lights or other electric devices are operational. Also check the air conditioner and the heater to see if they’re good for anything.
* Walls and windows. Check the windows to see if they open, close and lock properly. Also inspect the walls. The more walls in common (shared with adjoining apartments), the greater the chance of noise from next door.
* Noise. For a student, outside noise may be extremely disturbing and may interfere with learning. If it’s a highly trafficked area you may have problems concentrating and even sleeping.

Negotiate your lease

If everything went smooth, you like the apartment and the landlord likes you, it’s worth trying to negotiate a little bit.

9. Know your landlord

It’s very important to know some basic information about the landlord. If it’s a management company with thousands of apartments for rent it may be harder to negotiate, but if it’s a family and they just need to secure the income each month, you have a green light to close the deal with a small discount.

10. Get your deal

Read the lease carefully and see what applies and what doesn’t. If there are things in the lease you may not need or if you’re willing to take some responsibilities like cutting the lawn or taking deliveries kindly ask the landlord to lower the rent. Another way could be to offer a longer-term lease or a higher security deposit. A very important aspect of negotiating your lease is to be polite and not give ultimatums because you may get a quick negative answer.

Freshome readers probably have more tips to add to these, so why not tell us what you think in the comments below.

Modern Bathroom Faucet - Water Ball Ripples

Water Ball Ripples is a really cool & modern bathroom faucet designed by Smith Newnam. The design looks awesome, and I’m pretty sure that you’ll fall in love with this faucet after you’ll see the pictures. To control the Ripple faucet, you maneuver an electronically-secured metal ball on top of the faucet’s frosted glass surface. Moving the ball in or out from the center controls water pressure. Moving it around controls temperature. A flash heating system ensures that water in the water channel isn’t hot until it’s ready to be mixed, which prevents scolding. The surface glows red or blue to denote how hot or cold it is. Now just image how much fun you can get by playing with this new technology. The bad thing is that the Water Ball Ripple is just a concept right now, but I’m sure that this design has a lot of potential.

Serve Your Guests with Ease with Carrier

Sayonara Rush is a group that operates in the field of design and communication, specialized on food and beverage industry. They designed this very useful product called Carrier (Portante), that can help you to carry a high number of wine glasses and is the same time the bottle or wine or champagne, without having problems. Also, just imagine the ease in serving. All in a great design that seeks to provide greatest utility and comfort.

Two Clever Clear Lighting Solutions For Your Home

Clear lamps are great because they can blend so easily with any color scheme. But won’t it be even better if they could also help you solve organizational problems in your home at the same time? Like misplaced magazines and books. If you’ve been spending too much time hunting for that book you were reading, then you might like the clear reading lamp by Bureaudebank of The Netherlands. There is also a frosted version. It is a combination reading lamp and book or magazine stand made from perspex and stainless steel. The lamp is divided into two halves with a space for the books. Now you will spend less time hunting and more time reading for your book will be literally on the lamp by your favourite coccooning spot.
The second featured lamp design is by Nicolo Taliani of Italy. His lamp solves the perennial problem of long, dangling lamp electrical cords. If you are not fond of bundling up the cord with some unsightly tie, then it makes so much sense to incorporate that cord as part of the design of the lamp. His Lamp No. 1 design comes in four different colors - red, white, black and orange. The cord colors match the lamp shade for an added color punch. These are “clearly” two examples where the designs have form and double function!

Garden Design by Andy Sturgeon

If you are looking for ideas for outdoor spaces I’m sure that Andy Sturgeon portofolio will give you some inspiration. “Andy Sturgeon Garden Design has emerged as a leading design practice earning a reputation for creating stylish modern gardens that are a fusion of contemporary design and natural materials. Planting often features heavily and ranges from striking architectural schemes through to soft, naturalistic styles. Lighting, sculpture and furniture are frequently integral to the design.”

Capsule Turntable Room by Lane Hamley Wells

A wonderful piece of outdoor furniture made by Lane Hamley Wells - The Capsule Turntable. This season is wonderful for this piece of furniture. The Capsule Turntable is great for a morning beakfast outdoors enjoying the fresh air, and bird songs. A stainless steel frame supports a simple arching canopy provides a light and airy fabric cover over the table. A teak bench runs along each side of the table. Behind each bench run teak slats which shield you from the wind and sun.

Pillow Shaped Pot for Plants: Grow Bag

Grow bag is a pillow shaped pot for plants made of PVC foam, that is designed by Martino D’Esposito. I can say that Martino was quite creative when he created the “Grow Bag”, because is a really unusual idea for a plant pot, and a pillow would be the last thing I’d imagine choosing as a pot design. The sleepy pot has dimensions of 35 ×35 cm, is manufactured by Ligne Roset and is marketed exclusively for hydroculture-friendly plants.. Grow bag is available in white/orange or gray/gray and the formed plastic Drink Tray in red, black or white. Finally this innovative idea for a plant pot would look great if you like to keep plants inside the house.

Morphosis Omega Shower System

The Morphosis Omega Shower System from Jacuzzi is a steam shower designed by Ferrari design company Pininfarina. Equipped with steam, arometherapy and massage systems, a complete lighting system and all the other features you would expect from a system like this, the Omega is a perfect solution for your showering needs. Also as you can see from the pictures below this stunning shower system incorporates a curved teak seat, massaging pebble flooring, with endless shower combinations from soft rain shower to invigorating body sprays all encased in a sleek glass panels. Electronic controls further enhance the showering experience with adjustable lighting and temperature monitoring. Finally I think that the Morphosis Omega Shower System looks very good, but is to equipped, and if something breaks I’m pretty sure that you’ll need serious assistance. Now if you want something like this in your home you’ll need a lot of money …$27,126 but you’ll be sure that from now on any bathroom will look like crap compared with yours.

Beautiful Bathtub Design - Sorgente

“Sorgente” is a very beautiful bathtub by Lenci Design for Teuco. Highlighted by a seamless sunken profile and fitted with 8 Hydrosilence whirlpool jets, the tub’s function is super quiet to ensure a tranquil experience. In the Sorgente bathtub you can also enjoy the benefits of a control panel or remote control operation, plus underwater lighting, a magnetic headrest, and a pull-out shower with a flexible hose. It fills automatically and treats the water with its internal filtration system for your convenience.

Red Diamond Bathtub

This Red Diamond bathtub is probably the most expensive bathtub ever made, and has pretty interesting elements. Its features include two waterproof HDTVs, GSM remote control, console with massive gold frame (42 g 18 k) and Swarowski crystals. The thing that amazes me is the price, which is no less than $47,200. I wonder where did they come up this this enormous sum? Let’s do some math: 2 HDTVs, no more than $1,000, 42 g of gold, again no more than $1,000, GSM controlling capability, I’ll be kind and award them another $1,000. The small Swarowski crystals are placed on the champagne-support only, so… let’s value them at $2,000. These make a total of $5,000, so, technically, the bathtub itself should worth another $37,000. These guys are insane, how dumb do they think we are?

Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

Today I was looking for bathroom remodeling ideas and I’ve found an Italian company that produces modern contemporary bathroom designs. This company is called Mastella and it was founded in 1984. Today Mastella is a solid company with a consistent, easily identifiable image, run by Antonio Mastella with the help of wife Daniela and daughters Cristina and Meggi. While I was browsing their product portfolio I’ve found a bathroom vanity that I wanted to present, but I thought that if I’ll present a collection of pictures, that might inspire other people who want to remodel their bathroom it would be better. So here are 7 pictures that I hope will give you a little inspiration if you’re going to remodel your bathroom.

Washbasin Shaped As A Fossil - Ammonite

If you want something really unique in your bathroom then you should take a look at the Ammonite washbasin from HighTech that is shaped as a fossil. This unique design showcases the organic qualities of concrete. The washbasin can be produced in widths between 90 cm and 330 cm with a standard depth of 56 cm, and is available in several colors. It can be installed either with a table-mounted or wall-mounted tap. Now the design might be unique and cool, but if you would like to wash something it will be quite hard, and the cleaning part will also be a challenge.

Earth House Estate Lättenstrasse

Earth houses is a project designed by Peter Vetsch and are based on the interpretation of an environmentally conscious, ecological and progressive architecture. The pictures from this post are with a house named Earth House Estate Lättenstrasse, that is located in Dietikon, Switzerland. Compared to traditional residential houses built on the ground, the aim of building an earth house is another: Not to live under or in the ground, but with it. The earth-house concept uses the ground as an insulating blanket that efficiently protects it from rain, low temperatures, wind and natural abrasion. An earth house does not have to be built under the ground, it can be placed onto naturally grown terrain.