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Beverages like iced coffee are so refreshing and they are so quick and easy to make economically right at home in your personal blender. A refreshing beverage that can easily be modified for your choice of ingredients and can be frozen overnight, if you want to. You can prepare this for only 4 minutes.

The summer season each year brings wafting memories of a juicy and luscious fruit called litchi. The origins of Litchi lie in southern China where as a crop it has been cultivated uninterruptedly for close to 2500 years. Its geographical propagation has been rather slow, which is due to the short life-span of its seed and the peculiar soil and climatic requirements associated with the plant.A classical instance of this is India which is the second largest producer just behind China, but litchi farming is chronologically speaking, very recent having been introduced only sometime in the middle of the 1700's. Together China and India between themselves produce more than 90% of the world's Litchi, leaving the rest of the world far behind. In the backdrop of all this it is interesting to know the various cultivars and varieties which dot the world of Litchi farming. Most or all of them have their genesis probably in China but have been suitably bred and modified to thrive in countries of their adoption. The terms 'cultivar' and 'variety' have often been used interchangeably but this convention often seems to ignore the obvious differences which exist between the two. A 'cultivar' is bred with the help of vegetative propagation, which could include cutting, grafting,budding and tissue culture and is a product of human effort and ingenuity. A 'variety' on the other hand is a natural phenomenon and is bred through seedlings. A 'variety' will always produce clones of the parent plant, but in a cultivar,there may be slight variation in a progeny compared to the parent particularly in the case of hybrids. The Litchi cultivars in India number about 40 out of which around 12 or 13 are commercially cultivated.The same cultivar or variety may be known by different names in various parts of the country. In China there are about 200 known cultivars although only 20 or so are in commercial farming, which means the genetic repository is much more widespread compared to India but

Modular kitchens are more of a norm than an exception. Having changed the age old concepts of kitchens, these kitchens are beyond style. They bring convenience, order and a unique flavour to an urban household.Modular kitchen can be defined as a kitchen arrangement where the complete kitchen is designed and set up as separate components. It can be modified according to an individual's needs. The cost of the entire set-up depends upon factors such as the brand and the accessories used in the installation.The issues pertaining to the kitchen storage space in the small area flats and houses of the modern times can be effectively addressed using the ideas, concept, images and functions of the modular kitchens design and functions. It is the avant-garde design patterns in, floor plans interior décor and furniture layouts that set apart the modular kitchen from the traditional models. Its high-end, and classy design set part them from the age old kitchen set up that was almost prevalent in every household even a couple of years back. Appliances that can be installed in a Modular Kitchen: countertops of modular kitchen: It can use materials like granite, wood, black limestone and quartz. Having a granite countertop gives kitchen a great modular look and it is durable, even though it comes at a higher expense. The wooden countertop gives a traditional look and the quartz is best for modular kitchen as scratch resistant and heat resistant. Black limestone is the cheapest material which can be used for a modular kitchen countertop. Flooring for modular kitchen: Flooring of modular kitchen which is scratch, stain resistant and is easy to clean. Ceramic tile flooring is the best for modular kitchen. Ceramic tiles are available in various colours and patterns and are also cheaper when compared to other flooring. Other options for kitchen flooring can be of vinyl and laminate flooring. Sinks for modular kitchen : For the sinks in modular kitchen, choose an

A kitchen is an inherent part of every home, definitely a place where a lot of time is spent. Thus, it should be designed for convenience, efficiency and functionality. These days there are many architects and designers who can help spend on a contemporary or a modern Kitchen, which is stylish, chic and classy with convenience and functionality. Modular kitchens at homes for better space management and convenient access to stored items has gained wide acceptability all over. The best part of such kitchens is that they can be custom built to suit the dimensions of any kitchen and can be modified at a later stage to accommodate changes in the cooking area. The basic concept involved lies in creating smart cabinets that can contain much more items than conventional kitchens by better design of the holding shelves. The arrangement of the cabinets is also intelligently planned to ensure that they can be opened with ease and their contents accessed without disturbing other portions. Modular kitchens also have provisions for lighting and electrical fitments for cooking appliances suitably placed. Modular kitchen designs are the latest trend in contemporary kitchens. Modular kitchen refers to ready-to-install prefabricated units assembled to form the kitchen interiors. Kitchen has always been the most functional area of the house, and thus the most tedious to maintain. And present lifestyles leave us with little time to devote to such activities. Here modular kitchen designs comes to rescue. Any interior space undergoes three phases during its entire lifecycle-the creation phase, the utility phase and the restoration phase. The advantage of modular kitchen designs is that it provides unmatched benefits in all the three phases. The immense popularity of kitchen islands can be attributed to the storage space they provide. It must be familiar that the kitchen island can be put to numerous uses. To mention a few, it can serve as a convenient breakfast nook, a decent cooktop

Introducing genetically engineered mutant animals like the GM Salmon into our diet, leads to a controversy again. Do you think genetically engineered mutant animals are safe to eat?