While stockpots, Dutch ovens, and roasting pans have their place in the culinary world, the one piece of cookware that's absolutely indispensable is the skillet. Most of us use one every day to scramble our morning eggs, make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, or sauté some chicken for dinner. Here are some tips for you to find a better skillet. Heavy-gauge bottom: This ensures consistent, uniform heat and reduces scorching and hot spots. Size: We use 10-inch pans most often. Lid: A lid isn't absolutely necessary because you'll use the skillet primarily to sear, sauté, and stir-fry. In a pinch, use a lid from another pan. Handle: It's nice to have one that's heat resistant so your skillet can go in the oven—to finish a meat dish seared on the stovetop, for example. Many manufacturers produce heat-resistant plastic handles, but make sure to check the handle's temperature tolerance before you purchase the skillet.

The best way to flatten that tummy is through the combination of diet and exercise. Exercise will firm the abdominal muscles and diet will help you lose the extra weight and flab. You can exercise your abdominal muscles all you want, but without losing weight, you won't get that flat tummy.These easy exercises are great for anyone who wants to flatten the tummy. You may want to begin with the head lifts, and after doing 10 lifts comfortably at a time, proceed to the shoulder lifts, and then eventually the curl-ups. The abdominal crunch is the most advance.

Herbal supplements may seem fairly innocuous, but according to dermatologist Jerome Z. Litt, M.D., author of Your Skin from A to Z (Barricade Books, 2001), they can cause a number of skin problems. Here are some common examples. Chamomile: contact dermatitis (itchy rash upon contact when the supplement is handled) Echinacea: lip and eyelid swelling, hives, tingling, or numbness. Feverfew: lip swelling or contact dermatitis. Garlic: blisters or contact dermatitis. Ginkgo biloba: contact dermatitis, redness, itching, rashes, blisters, or leg and vein inflammation. Ginseng: swelling, itching, blisters, or rashes. Kava: photo sensitivity (increased sensitivity to sunlight), yellow pigmentation, or dryness.

Facial steaming is worth the time investment. When one steams the face regularly, at least once a week, glowing skin is the result.

Equipment:Electric facial spa or a large bowl w/towel.

Timer: 20 minutes

1. Follow the manufacturer's direction for operating your facial spa. If you do not have an electric steamer. Heat three to four cups of water and put it in a large bowl. Caution: Do not boil the water. Serious burns may occur.
2. Set your timer. Lean over your equipment. If you are using an electronic model, you can skip to step three. While you lean over your bowl, take a towel and hang it over the back of your head. Extend it over the bowl. Tuck it the corners to trap in the steam.
3. Once the steam is complete, blot dry the moisture away.
4. Take your favorite facial cleanser and cleanse your face.
5. Follow with your moisturizer.