Top Ten Longest Rivers In The World

#1 - Nile (4,180 miles) (they are still measuring because if you check various sources, you will find different lengths :D).

The longest river in the world, the river Nile, starts at the Tributaries of Lake Victoria, Africa and runs into the Mediterranean Sea.

#2 - Amazon (3,912 miles) (but it has the biggest drainage area on Earth)

The Amazon river starts in Glacier-fed lakes, Peru and ends in the Atlantic Ocean.

#3 - Mississippi (3,710 miles)

The Mississippi river's source begins at the Source of Red Rock, Montana and ends in the Gulf of Mexico.

#4 - Yangtze (3,602 miles)

The Chang Jiang or Yangtze river begins at the Tibetan plateau, China and leads to the China Sea.

#5 - Ob (3,459 miles)

The river Ob starts at the Altai Mountains, Russia and ends at the Gulf of Ob.

#6 - Huang He (2,900 miles)

The Huang He or Yellow river, on of the longest rivers in the world, begins its journey in the Eastern part of the Kunlan Mountains, West China and ends in the Gulf of Chihli.

#7 - Yenisei (2,800 miles)

The Yenisei begind in the Tannu-Ola Mountains, western Tuva, Russia eventually running to the Arctic Ocean.

#8 - Paraná (2,795 miles)

The Paraná river in Argentina starts its journey from the Confluence of Paranaiba and Grande rivers and terminates at the Río de la Plata.

#9 - Irtish (2,758 miles)

The Irtish river's source lies in the Altai Mountains, Russia and joins the Ob River over 2,700 miles away.

#10 - Zaire (2,716 miles)

The last entry on our list of the top ten longest rivers in the world is the Zaire or Congo river, which starts at the Confluence of Lualab and Luapula rivers, Congo and runs into the Atlantic Ocean.

Chicken Nuggets

I prepared these for dinner 2 days ago and I can say that are delicious :* :* :*.

The recipe I took it from Jamie Oliver, but I added some secrets from mama too ;).

Crispy outside and tasty inside...freshly made chicken nuggets can be partnered up with chips, salad or on their own with a saucy dip. A real favorite with the kids! 

You will need:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 150 g ready-made breadcrumbs OR
• 6 slices of cut bread (brown or white)
• 2 eggs
• 100 ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp basil, parsley or both
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 50 g plain flour
• 1 blender
• 1 deep fat fryer or frying pan
• 1 sharp knife
• 4 small bowls or a tray
• 1 cutting board
• some kitchen paper
• 1 slotted spoon 
• 2 yoghurts

Step 1: Trim the chicken

Take the chicken breast and cut off all excess skin, fat and bones.

Mama's secret: Before I start to prepare the chicken meat (or beef meat) I let it for 2 - 3 hours and after this I take it out on a kitchen paper towel to dry and I pass it through yoghurt.

 Step 2: Chunk the chicken 

Cut the chicken into small chunks so they will fit into the blender. Option: Leave the chicken in chunks or slices if you prefer chicken tenders; in that case do not blend the chicken in step 5. (Me I tried both and I have to say - I love it in both ways).

Step 3: Dry the bread

To make your own breadcrumbs the bread you use needs to be dry. This means stale bread. If you only have fresh bread, then place the slices in the oven at 100 C for one hour until they are dried – not toasted. (I use already bread-crumbs... yeah...I m lazy :P...but I have one beloved husband and I want to learn "secrets" to have time for cooking and enough time for my husband too ;) ).

Step 4: Make the breadcrumbs 

Once the bread is dried, break it up into pieces and place it in your blender. Put the lid on and switch it on to the appropriate setting to make your breadcrumbs. Add any seasoning. Once the seasoning is nicely mixed pour the breadcrumbs into one of the bowls. 

TIP  

You can add any flavouring at this stage. From spices to herbs, garlic, salt to parmesan cheese. This recipe uses just some salt and pepper. I love to put many many many many manyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy condiments :D...

Step 5: Blend the chicken

Wipe out the blender with some kitchen paper and add the chicken breasts. Pulse the chicken until roughly chopped. Now add the herbs and switch on the blender again, making sure the herbs are blended well with the chicken. Once that is done, pour the mixture into one of the bowls.

TIP

You could add herbs at this stage too for example, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, coriander or tarragon and some more salt and pepper.

Step 6: Beat the eggs

Take the 2 eggs, crack them into a bowl and beat them together.

Step 7: Prepare the coating

Line up the chicken mix, the flour, the eggs and the breadcrumbs in the four bowls.

Step 8: Shape the nuggets

Rub your hands with some flour to avoid them becoming too sticky! Then take some chicken mixture and roll it in the palm of your hands to create a smooth ball shape about the size of a ping pong ball.

Step 9: Coat the nuggets

Now take the nugget and roll it in the flour. When totally covered, roll it in the egg. Next, roll the nugget in the breadcrumbs and place it on a plate. Gently press down on it with the flat side of a knife to form the perfect nugget shape.

Step 10: Fry the nuggets

Take your frying pan and put the vegetable oil into it. Heat the pan to medium so that the oil is hot but not smoking. Place the nuggets into the pan and cook gently on a low heat for about 5 minutes turning them every few minutes so they don't burn.

Step 11: Serve and enjoy!

Once cooked place the nuggets on kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Then serve with salad, chips or a dip.

And that is one healthier chicken nugget done in a perfect way ^___^!

Life is a beautiful struggle... so necessary...

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole.

The moth seemed to be stuck and appeared to have stopped making progress. It seemed as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. The man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth; so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But its body was swollen and small, its wings wrinkled and shriveled.

The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to and able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a small, swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

The man in his kindness and haste did not understand that the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was necessary to force fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight upon achieving its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets, and don't forget the power in the struggle.

The papyrus and the charmed stone

While the fire was put over the library (in Alexandria, Egypt in the year 640 AD), an old librarian hidden on a narrow alley, was watching how the flames rise to heaven. After a few days when the building, once so great, became just a ruin, the librarian started again his job, scratching among the debris with a stick. There remained no papyrus. 

With broken heart, he was about to leave when he kicked with his leg a vessel almost charred, from which came rolled thin and yellowed papyrus, the only remaining document from the Library of Alexandria. The librarian grabbed it and shook the ashes on the label because of shriveled heat. The titlu was: "The secret of magic stone." He looked around and made its way from the ruins, to research his discovery .

The secret of magic stone emerges as he was keep reading. Enchanted Rock was, in fact, a pebble, but this had magical powers. Any material in contact with the stone  turn in gold! 

The papyrus indicate that magic stone looks like thousands of stones covering a specific and isolated high cliff above a narrow beach where the waves struck the Mediterranean Sea with its noise. But the secret was the following: real magic stone was warm to the touch, while the rest of the pebbles were cold.

Librarian speed up to that cliff and began searching. He knew he should have a method of removal of all common pebbles, so he devised a plan: each time when he picked up a cold pebble, he throw it into the sea and like this the search will be easier until he will reach the hot stone, the magic one.

Spent his first day, from sunrise to sundown, picking up stones and throw them in cold whirling sea. He worked methodically, ensuring that no stone will escape. Days were made weeks, during which he divided into plots and he limited his search to a small plot of earth rocks.

"Now it can't take much longer - he said while climbing the cliff. I have to work two days, maybe three. Soon, the magic stone will be mine! "
He smiled and thought it picked up a pebble and cast it with an automatic gesture, then he collapsed on his knees. The last pebble was hot! 

Moral of the story:

Like the old library, we are all the result of our own habits. The custom of the librarian to throw stones of no value  was so well entrenched that when finally he found the magic stone so priceless, he threw it away on the sea withiut thinking.

So it is with opportunities too. If we are not careful, easily ignore an opportunity, especially if there is something familiar and found it right under our noses!

The Enchanted Bird story

This article is dedicated to my sister Heaven! Allah heal her and bring her back to us!

There was a gorgeous bird, adorned with a pair of beautiful wings. One day, a woman saw her and loved her. She was watching her stunning flight, with the heart beating faster and the eyes glowing with excitement. The woman urged to fly with her and both traveled across the sky in perfect harmony.

Although she was adoring this bird, it ran through her mind a crazy thought that maybe at some point the bird would like to know and see the far mountains. She was terrified with thought thinking that she will never have the same feeling for another bird and like this she will feel alone. To avoid this drama, the woman put a trap to catch the beautiful flying bird.  

The bird, also in love with the woman, came back the next day, fell into the trap and she was locked in a cage, from where her mistress looked at her daily. Meanwhile, the woman lost her interest for the one that use to make her dream ...

And the bird, unable to fly, began to weaken, losing her brilliance. One day, she lost her spirit.... She died. 

The woman was seized by a deep sadness and she was living her days thinking about her friend who died. But she could not remember the cage, just the day she had seen the bird for the first time flying happy through the clouds.
 

If she could have seen herself, she could seen that the freedom and the energy of bird's wings were the things that filled her heart with happiness and emotions. 

Without her daily companion, the woman's life has lost the meaning and Death came to knock at the door:
- Why you are here? the woman asked.
- For that you can fly again with the bird in the sky, answered the Death. If you would let her leave and return unhindered, you could love and admire her more. But now you need me to meet her again.