When you encounter a recipe that’s full of complicated cooking terminology, it’s easy to feel intimidated. What if your chopping instead of dicing leads to a flop of a soufflé? These kitchen terms will teach you a few things about proper cooking techniques, and they’ll make you feel more confident about your next culinary endeavor.

1. Beat. To beat a mix or batter is not the same thing as mixing it. Beating involves briskly whipping with a spoon, wire whisk rotary beater, or electric mixer, and it incorporates air into the ingredients in order to obtain a light, fluffy consistency.
2. Blacken. Blackening a piece of meat or vegetables is a popular Cajun cooking technique that chars seasonings onto the food in order to give it a crunchy, spicy coating. This involves cooking over high heat in a heavy skillet.
3. Fold. If a recipe calls for you to fold one ingredient into another, it means to combine them without decreasing their volume. Use a rubber spatula in vertical swipes across the mixture, pulling some of the mixture from the bottom to the top each time.
4. Garnish. Once your dish is completed, you may garnish it by adding a decorative bit of fresh herbs, fruit or greens.

Glossary of Basic Cooking Terms [Les Petites Gourmettes]
Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [UMN]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Better Homes & Gardens]
Culinary Terms [About.com]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/avlxyz

Folic acid stimulates cell growth and regeneration, enhances red blood cell creation, and even prevents against depression, which is important for people of all ages. Pregnant women benefit even further from folic acid because it prevents against fetal deformities. If you want to take advantage of the many benefits of folic acid, here are a few of the best food sources.

1. Dark, leafy greens. Dark green colored vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens are some of the very best sources of folic acid, and even just one large salad filled with these leafy foods can provide you with enough folic acid for the entire day. Spinach is especially beneficial, as it contains 65% of your daily value in only one cup.
2. Citrus fruits. Oranges, grapefruits, and other citruses have more folic acid than all other types of fruits. One papaya alone offers 115 mcg of folic acid, which is about 29% of the average person’s recommended daily intake.
3. Beans, peas and lentils. While not all of these foods are high in folic acid, there are a few beans, peas, and lentils that contain impressively large quantities of the B-complex vitamin. Lentils are especially high in folic acid, containing over 90% of your daily intake in just one cup. Pinto beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans are also very good sources.

Surprising Sources of Folic Acid [Yahoo! Shine]
Foods High in Folic Acid [Prenatal Vitamin HQ]
15 Foods High in Folic Acid [Global Healing Center]
18 Foods High in Folic Acid to Prevent Cancer & Birth Defects [Bembu]

Public Domain/Public Domain

Look better and feel better after visiting Ashburn’s Beauty Bar and Spa. A salon and spa at the Goose Creek Village shopping center, Beauty Bar is a full-service salon that's run by friendly professionals. It doesn’t matter how many times you come in for nails or other services, the folks who work here always seem to remember your name.

Here, the gel manicure is a big favorite, and the reflexology foot massage is also very popular. Whether you need your eyebrows thinned or getting ready for the beach, the waxing services are always on point. Cleansing and exfoliating facial treatments are also on the menu.

Beauty Bar and Spa is open Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Beauty Bar and Spa
21040 Sycolin Road
Ashburn, VA 20147
(571) 918-4460
http://www.beautybarspava.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/beauty-bar-and-spa-ashburn

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/jronaldlee