Bad Diet Mistake

Even though there is so much information available about weight loss the same diet
        .        mistakes are being made over and over every day We are not talking here about little
             ,       slipups where you ate a slice of ie that was not on the lan but big mistakes that lead to
         .       failure to lose the weight that you want to lose Understanding these errors can help you
           . develop the attitude that will lead to ermanent weight loss for you

1.     The All Or Nothing Attitude
All or nothing dieters will often ick out a complicated diet that is almost impossible for
  .   ,           them to maintain Before beginning they will search the kitchen for anything that does not
        .         ,   fit the lan and throw it in the garbage They are lanning to be the erfect dieter and so
  ,    ,   ,         .  , they will be for one day three days seven days or even a couple of weeks Then
,             . inevitably something hapens that means they cannot keep to the diet one time
             .     Immediately the whole thing is ruined in their eyes and the diet is over They go to the
store and buy all the things that went into the garbage last week and roceed to gain
      ,     . back all the weight that they lost as fast as ossible
              .   If you are this kind of dieter you need to ask yourself some tough questions Do you
     ,            really want to lose weight ermanently or just lose a few ounds so that you can enjoy
    ?             utting them back on again The way forward is to make small changes to what you eat
         . so that you have a slow but steady weight loss

2.    The Attitude of Sacrifice
            .     Another common mistake is to view your diet as a eriod of sacrifice You do not allow
                . yourself the foods that you enjoy most while you are on your way to your target weight
             ,   You may have a great diet lan and be very successful in losing weight but what
        hapens when you reach your goal You have not learnt to eat bad foods in moderation
     ,         .         so as soon as you start you are likely to go out of control It is better to include a little of
          everything in your diet and learn to enjoy it in small quantities Yes even chocolate

3.    Goal Failure
         .     ,  Setting achievable goals is vital in any weight loss lan Goals should be clear realistic
    .            ,  and set out in writing While you robably do have an ideal weight in your mind unless
             .    you are only very slightly overweight it is robably too distant to be useful A more useful
goal would be to lose two ounds er week for the first five weeks and then one ound
   .          ,    er week after that Some weeks you will lose more and some less some weeks you
  ,                 may even gain but if you track your rogress on a graph you will see that ups and downs
            . are natural and do not stop you rogressing steadily toward your major goal
      ,    .      If you have been making these mistakes do not worry The most important oint in
          .         dieting as in so many other things is to move on Learn from your failures as well as your
            .      success and do not use a mistake as an excuse for giving up The only way to achieve
            . your goal ermanently is to make a commitment to become a healthier erson
           .  Remember that eating normally includes eating more some days and less others Learn
to enjoy food in moderation and you have every chance of avoiding these bad diet
.

CHEX MIX BOLD PARTY BLEND

Little checkerboard squares of rice, corn, and wheat are worth big bucks! In 1996 General Mills paid $570 million to Ralston Purina for the entire brand of Chex cereals and snack mixes. As it turns out, developing these cereals into a convenient snack mix brand was a very smart move. When I was a kid the only way to get Chex Mix was to make it myself from a recipe on the box of Chex Cereal.Today Chex Mix comes in nearly a dozen different flavors, including chocolate, cheddar, honey nut, and hot & spicy. But a home version using the recipe on the cereal box never tastes the same as the stuff in the bags. That’s because the recipe leaves out a very important secret ingredient: MSG, or monosodium glutamate.This amino acid salt enhances the other flavors in the bag and gives the snack mix its addictive taste. You can find MSG in grocery stores near the salt (Accent Flavor Enhancer is one popular brand name).Add a little of that to your creative mix of Chex Cereal, pretzels, crackers, and breadsticks, along with some white cheddar popcorn seasoning, soy sauce,Worcestershire sauce, and a few other common ingredients, and you’ll have easily cloned one of the most popular Chex Mix flavors.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Melt the margarine in a small bowl in your microwave oven and whisk with the oil, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce.

3. Combine the white cheddar popcorn seasoning, MSG, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl.
4. Pour your blend of Chex, crackers, and pretzels into a large zip-top plastic bag. Whisk the margarine and oil mixture again and pour about a quarter into the bag. Seal the bag and shake. Repeat with the remaining margarine and oil mixture until the dry stuff is well coated.
5. Pour the mix out of the bag onto a large baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes, or until the mix is crispy but not brown. Stir the mix around halfway through baking.
6. Cool the mix for a couple of minutes, and then pour it into another zip-top bag. Spoon about a quarter of the white cheddar popcorn seasoning mixture into the bag, seal it, and give it a good shake. Repeat this process until all of the seasoning is gone. Pour the contents of the bag into a serving bowl and munch out.
• MAKES 6 CUPS.

Never be lied 13

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
FOR GETTING THE TRUTH
"Enough white lies add up to manipulation."
—DAVID J. LIEBERMAN
This section offers the most advanced techniques for getting
at the truth. Using a blend of hypnosis and a system I
developed called Trance-Scripts, you'll be able to give
commands directly to a person's unconscious mind—in
conversation and without their awareness. Through this
process you will be able to persuade others to tell the truth
with maximum effectiveness. These techniques are extraordinary, so use them with judgment and caution!
EMBEDDED COMMANDS
This technique is used to implant suggestions directly into
the unconscious. Embedded commands are just that—commands embedded in a sentence.
These can be used in conjunction with both the attack
sequences and the silver bullets. To illustrate, the embedded
commands are italicized in the sentence below.
If you want to tell the truth or not tell the truth, that's
entirely up to you.
This sentence is received by the conscious mind in its
entirety. The command—-tell the truth—goes directly to
the unconscious. This techniqueis very simple and has
only two criteria. First, for maximum effectiveness the command should start with an action verb, because you're telling the mind to do something.Second, the entire command
should be separated from the rest of the sentence using what
is called an analogue marker. You set the command
portion off by one of the following: (1) Lower or raise the
volume of your voice slightly while speaking the command.
(2) Insert a short pause right before and then right after
the command. For instance, "Sometimes we just . . .
become fascinated . . . withwhat we're reading." (3)
Gesturing with your hand while you are giving the
command momentarily distracts the conscious mind, and
the embedded statement is received by the unconscious
mind as a command. You don't want a flagrant gesture or
too long a pause. This will only confuse the person and
make him question what you're doing. The objective is to
be casual and relaxed.
The following is a generic example of how these would
be used. The embedded commands are in italics.
I don't want you to tell me unless you want to. Now if you
think to yourself on the inside / want to tell you., then just say
it. When you realize this is the right decision you'll tell me
the truth anyway. So we might as well clear the air now.
4-3-2-1
This technique is phenomenal. It works because when the
brain receives several messages that it registers as truthful,
then it expects what follows—the suggestion—to be truthful. As long as the suggestion isnot blatantly false, the brain
will accept it as true.
The process is simple. You make four truthful statements
followed by one suggestion, then three truthful statements
followed by two suggestions, then two truthful statement
followed by three suggestions, and finally, one truthful
statement followed by four suggestions. The truthful
statements can be about anything—the room you're in,
the weather, anything that the brain can't argue with. The
suggestions should be about what you want him or her to do.
By integrating externally verifiable statements with a
specific suggestion, you're leading your subject to accept
your suggestion.
Scenario
A police detective is seeking a confession from a suspect.
The underscored phrases are the truthful statements and the
italicized words are the suggestions. You can also combine
this technique with embedded commands, which are set off
in parentheses.
As you're sitting in the chair, wondering what you should
do, you're probably weighing your options. You want to do
what's best for youand that would be to {tell me what happened).
We know about your past arrest for robbery. And that
you got off with probation. I know that you're probably
scaredand / want you to (know I'm on your side) and I
want you to (see the benefits of telling the truth).
Look, you want to get out of here. And you know that I
don't have the time to sit with you all day. Getting this off
your chest may make you feel better. You 'II be saving yourself a lot of heartache and you 'II be able to (get on with your
life when this thing is over).
I know you've been around the street most of your life.
This is your chance for afresh start. (Think about the possibilities) for yourself if you were to (go straight). You'll be
able to (get a respectable job) and (take better care of your
family).
UNCONSCIOUS CREATIONS
This technique uses embedded commands in an entirely
new way. You will be able to give a suggestion that
creates a perceivable action so you can observe the signs of
deceit without continuing to question him. Watch for the
behaviours that you embed in the sentences. They will
usually occur at some point during your conversation.
Examples
"I'm not saying that you should stiffen up your body if
you're lying."
"I don't know if you're lying. Unless you feel like blinking
your eyes fast if you are.'"
"If you . . . like what you're reading . . . you may . .
. smile . . . now.
7
"
With this technique, you're embedding a command that
you can readily observe. Offer as many as you want. Just
be sure to follow the same procedure as with the
embedded commands.
DISASSOCIATION
This process helps the person become more comfortable
with telling the truth. It works by dividing him into two
separate people. No, not with a chain saw! You're actually
dividing the psyche—setting two parts of the person against
each other.
It's the old person who would lie versus the new person
who would never hurt you. This process greatly alleviates
the person's guilt because he no longer feels obligated to
justify the actions that his "old self" was responsible for.
The process of disassociation is used with great success to
treat phobias.
In your conversation, continue to repeat phrases like the
ones below. Make sure that they contrast the old him and
the new him.
"Perhaps the old you was capable of this. But I know you
would never do that now. "
"You're a different person than you used to be. I'm sure
that you 're even more upset with the old you than I
am. But you're not that person anymore."
"You're only responsible for who you are today. You are
someone who is honest and trustworthy. "
These simple phrases begin to wear down his defences.
Sometimes they will work right away; other times it may
take a little while. But if he keeps hearing such phrases over
and over again he will break,and you will get the truth.
EYE-ACCESSING CUES
This technique works on the following principle. When
a person thinks, he accesses different parts of his brain
depending upon the information that is being accessed. This
process can be observed by watching his eyes.
For right-handed people visual memories are accessed by
the eyes going up and to the left. For a left-handed person,
it's the reverse: the eyes go up and to the right. When a
right-handed person seeks to create an image or fact, his
eyes go up and to the right. And the reverse is true for the
left-handed person.
Why don't you try this? Do you recall what colour your
first car was? If you had to think about it, there's a good
chance that if you're right-handed, your eyes went up and
to the left. Your eyes went up and to the right if you're lefthanded.
When a certain government official testified before Congress, his eyes went up and to the left each and every time
he was recalling information—clearly a sign that he was
relaying the facts as he remembered them, not fabricating
any stories. I thought this until I happened to see a picture
of him in Time magazine, holding a pen in his left hand.
You can use this technique inany conversation to determine if the person is creating or recalling information. Simply watch his eyes and you'll know whether he's recalling
an event that's already occurred or making up a story about
something that has never happened.
ANCHORING THE TRUTH
Do you recall Pavlov's famous dogs? During
his experiments, he would put food powder
in a dog's mouth and measure the drops of
saliva produced as a result by way of a tube
surgically inserted into the dog's mouth. But
during the course of his work, Pavlov noticed
that the dogs began to salivate when he
merely walked into the room. This salivation
could not be a reflex since it did not occur the
first few times Pavlov walked in; it occurred
only when the dog had learned that Pavlov's
appearance signalled food. That is, Pavlov's
appearance become associated with a future
event: food. He called this a psychic reflex or a
conditioned reflex. It has come to be called,
through mistranslation, a conditioned
response.
We can see examples of conditioned
reflexes in our own lives. Perhaps the smell of
vodka makes you sick because you had a bad
experience with it several years ago. Or a
certain song comes on the radio and you recall
a friend you haven't thought about in years.
These are all anchors. An anchor is an
association between a specific set of feelings
or an emotional state and some unique
stimulus—an image, sound, name, taste.
We're going to use the same principle but
employ it in an entirely new way. In poker
there's something called a tell. That's when
another player makes an unconscious gesture
during a specific situation. Whenever he's
nervous, for example, he may blink, look
down, or move in a certain way.
Professional card players learn to pick up on
these tells, providing them with an insight
into the person's hand.
What you're going to do is to install a truth
tell in others so you'll know when they're
lying in any instance—now or in the future.
Here's how it's done. Ask a series of
questions that the person can answer
truthfully and easily. When he answers,
anchor it with a specific movement. Then
when you ask a question you don't know the
answer to, fire off your truth anchor as you
ask the question. He'll unconsciously feel
compelled to be truthful just as Pavlov's dogs
knew it was time to eat when Pavlov entered
the room.
You don't want to be obvious in your
choice of anchors or in your choice of
questions. Make sure the questions you ask
will be answered truthfully. And the anchor
should not be so common that it will become
diluted by inadvertent use. The questions
don't have to be asked all at Once, and there
is no set number of questions you need to
anchor.
For example, while your husband is eating
his favourite food, you might ask, "Are you
enjoying your dinner?" Fire off the anchor as
you ask the question; you might tilt your head
slightly to one side or touch your hand to
your nose. Then ask a series of questions—
maybe four or five—while continuing to fire
off the same anchor every time you ask your
question. Every so often reinforce the anchor
by doing this process—a question/anchor
sequence. The learned response will soon be
so ingrained that any time you want the truth
in response to a question, just ask your
question and fire the anchor.
HEAVEN AND HELL
This technique should be used as a last resort.
It is with high hope and expectation that this
and all of the other processes be practiced
with judgment, common sense, and decency.
Hypnosis can be used to treat phobias,
anxiety disorders, and panic attacks. This
technique reverses the process to instil a
phobia in which dishonesty creates
overwhelming anxiety. If pain is linked to
deceit and pleasure to the truth, confessing
becomes the only way to reduce the pain.
We use a process similar to anchoring the
truth, except whenever something painful or
negative happens to this person—he bangs
his foot, he gets into argument with a
neighbour—you anchor it. Whenever he feels
disappointed or becomes upset, anchor it.
Then ask your question and if it's not the
response you want—if you feel he's lying—
fire off the pain anchor. He'll quickly associate
lying to you with pain. The only way to
alleviate this pain will be to tell the truth. To
further increase the association, contrast it by
using a different anchor linked to pleasant
experiences—sexual arousal, eating, relaxing,
etc.
THE B R I D G E
In part 2 we touched briefly on the
importance of rapport. When we are in
synch with another person our communi-
cation flows effortlessly. When we consciously
seek to get in rapport with someone—to align
ourselves psychologically— we align
ourselves physically. Examples of this are
matching a person's gestures, posture, or rate
of speech. This is called pacing. Once you've
done this, you switch to what's called leading.
This can be extremely effective when done in
the following way:
After establishing rapport with the other
person, you feed him everything that he may
be thinking about the conversation. These
statements accurately reflect his thinking.
This aligns you psychologically. Then you
lead his thinking by explaining why the truth
is the best route for him to take. And if this
process is done right, he will follow.
Example
"I know that you think you're not ready to tell
me the truth. I'm sure that you wish this entire
conversation wasn't taking place right now,
and that it could just be over with. I'm sure
that you think I'm going to be upset with you
and that we're going to get into a fight over it.
You may be thinking that there's no reason to
tell me. Maybe I'm making a bigger deal out
of it than it really warrants. I understand. We
all make mistakes, and this is one that you
wish would just go away. I'm sure I would
feel exactly as you do if I were in your
position. But since I'm not, / can only tell you
what it feels like to be in mine. [This phrase
begins the lead.]
"It's all okay. It really is. Let's have an
honest discussion. You tell me exactly what
happened and you'll know that it's the right
thing to do. I'd be happy, and I know you
will
too, to be able to put this behind us. That we
can move on. Let's do that because it makes
sense for both of us."
ADVANCED CONVERSATION
STOPPERS:
TRANCE PHRASES
These conversation stoppers use phrases
that are mild trance inducers. In other words,
they cause the listener to zone out
temporarily while his brain tries to process the
information. Use them when you need to gain
control of the conversation or to regroup.
They give you some time to collect your
thoughts while others lose their train of
thought. You may have to read them several
times yourself because of the "huh" effect.
1. "Why are you asking me what you
don't know for
sure?"
2. "Do you really believe what you thought
you knew?"
3. "Could you give me ... an example . . .
would be helpful."
4. "You can pretend anything and master
it."
5. "I understand what you're . . . saying
... it doesn't
make it true."
6. "If you expected me to believe that, you
wouldn't have
said it."
7. "Your question is what you knew it
would be, isn't it?"
8. "Your response says what you're
unaware of."
9.  "Do you believe that you knew what you
thought?"
10. "How do you stop a thought once you
get it?"
11. "Why would you believe something
that's not true?"
12. "Why axe you agreeing with what you
already know?"
13. "What happens when you get a
thought?"
14. "The less you try the more you'll agree
..."
15. "Are you unaware of what you forgot?"
SEE FOR YOURSELF
The power of expectation and suggestion can
be used with tremendous results. While you
could be relentless in your pursuit to get the
truth from someone, his mind may be ready
to defend the assault. But when his own mind
turns against itself, he will do the work for
you.
Have you ever noticed what happens when
you buy a new car? Suddenly it seems like
everyone on the road is driving that same car.
Or if you're on a diet, everywhere you turn
is a bakery or ice-cream store. Reality has not
changed, only your perception of it has. When
you can't change someone's reality to get to
the truth, alter how he sees it instead. This
can be just as effective.
If you were to tell a neighbour that there
has been a rash of break-ins in the
neighbourhood, over the next few days she'll
notice the garbage cans seem out of order; the
mailbox looks "funny"; the car across the
street looks suspicious. At night, she'll hear
every creek and noise in the house. Maybe
she's heard them a thousand times before,
but now she's listening to them. Now they
may mean something.
The key to using this technique is to
implant an artificial
suggestion and let it manifest inside the
person's mind. This technique gets the person
to rethink her behaviour with or without your
confronting her directly. Please note that this
technique may induce a temporary state of
mild paranoia, especially if two or more
people make the same suggestion.
Scenario
You think that a co-worker has been stealing
office supplies.
Sample question formation I: "Samantha,
have you noticed that people seem to be
looking at you a little funny?" You can be
sure Samantha will "see" everyone looking at
her, and it will consume her attention until
she stops.
Sample question formation II:
"Samantha, I think the whole office knows
about the office supplies—have you ever
noticed how they stare at you sometimes?"
This formation is more direct and
confrontational.
You'll notice that if Samantha is in fact
stealing office supplies,she will soon believe
that everyone is "on to her" because she will
see everyone staring at her.

Never be lied 12

MIND GAMES

'I am different from Washington, I have a higher, grander

standard of principle. Washington could not tell a lie.

I can lie, but I won't."

—MARK TWAIN 

This section gives you two very powerful tools. The 

first shows you how to avoid being lied to in the first 

place. In the second, you will learn how to find out a 

person's true intention in any situation.

A STRONG DEFENCE: AVOIDING THE LIE

As the saying goes, the best defence is a good 

offence. Once you've been lied to, you can easily get 

to the truth with the techniques that you've learned. 

However, the best time to deal with a lie is before it 

turns into one. Confused? This may help. The 

following is a technique for cutting a suspicion off at 

the pass before it turns into deception.

Method 1

This is the method you use when you want the truth as 

it relates to a person's previous behaviour. Here is a 

possible scenario: a parent suspects that her twelveyear-old son is smoking cigarettes. The following 

approaches are listed in order from worst to best.

a. "Have you been smoking cigarettes? I'm gonna 

kill you if I find out you have." This approach is awful, 

but unfortunately it is the most common. In her anger, 

the boy's

mother links confessing to the truth with punishment. 

This destroys any incentive to confess. She is likely to 

be lied to.

b. "You've been smoking, haven't you?" This 

approach 

is a little better because the mother indicates that she 

has 

some type of proof or evidence. Such an approach will 

work 

sometimes. The child may not want to add lying to his 

al 

ready reprehensible act of smoking.

c.  "I want to speak to you about your smoking." 

This is 

what I call a forward assumptive approach. The child 

feels 

that the parent already knows he is smoking. The 

focus of 

the request is on discussing it. The parent may get a 

response such as "I don't want to talk about it." 

However, 

the truth is revealed in that statement.

d.  "I know all about the smoking and the 

sneaking 

around. You know I'm not happy about that, but I just 

want 

you to promise me that you won't drink alcohol until 

you're 

twenty-one."

This is by far the finest approach because it works 

on so many levels. First, it takes a forward assumptive 

stance— the parent "knows all about the smoking." 

Second, it uses two truisms (see part 5). The phrases 

"sneaking around" and "you know I'm not happy 

about that" set the tone for honesty. The child hears 

two things that he knows to be true: He was sneaking 

around and his mother is unhappy about his smoking. 

He is therefore willing to accept at face value what 

follows. Third, the mother gives her son an easy out. 

All he has to do is promise not to drink and he's home 

free. There's no threat or punishment, just honest 

statements followed by a deal that he believes to be 

true as well.

The guidelines to keep inmind for this procedure 

are as

follows:

1. Assume your suspicion as fact. 

2. State at least two truisms (facts that you both 

know to 

be true). 

3. Switch the focus from a threat to a request. 

4. The request should be easy for him to accept and 

sound 

reasonable. 

Method 2

This method is used when you want the truth as it 

relates to a new decision. It is a simple but highly 

effective strategy to avoid being deceived. Oftentimes 

someone wants to tell us the truth, but it's easier to tell 

a lie instead. The person knows the answer you want 

to hear and will give it to you whether he believes it or 

not.

However, if he doesn't know what you want, then 

he won't be able to deceive you. Read the following 

examples and notice how well the second phrasing 

masks your true question. 

•  "We're restructuring some positions. How would you 

like 

to work directly under me in finance?" Or "We're 

moving 

some people around. Would you prefer to get more 

experience in finance or marketing?" 

•  "Would you like me to cook for you tonight?" Or 

"Do 

you feel like eating in or out tonight?" 

• "I'm thinking of asking Rhonda out. What do you 

think of her?" Or "What do you think of Rhonda?"

To use this technique, justmake sure that when you 

phrase the question you mask your preference, and the 

respondent will give you an honest answer. 

KNOW THY ENEMY: KNOWING THE 

LIAR AND HIS INTENTIONS

The following example illustrates a process that is 

becoming very popular in employee screening tests. The 

questions below are asked the prospective employee to 

determine if he is an honest person. If you really 

wanted the job, how would you answer these questions 

?

Have you ever stolen anything in your life? 

Have you ever run a red light? Do you have a 

friend who has ever shoplifted? Have you ever 

had thoughts of killing someone?

Many of us would have to answer yes to most of these 

questions. And that is precisely the answer a 

prospective employer is looking for. Why? Because 

the honest answer is yes for most of us—saints 

excluded. The employer's task is finding those who are 

honest about it. Stealing a pack of gum when you were 

twelve years old doesn't make you a bad person or an 

undesirable employee.

The goal of this procedure is not to determine what 

the

person is guilty of, but rather if he or she is honest 

about it. At least then you can deal with the situation 

with trust. Let's say that Martha's teenage son, who has 

been away from home and living on the streets for the 

past two years, wants to come home. Knowing that her 

son is addicted to cocaine, she is worried about 

whether he can actually clean up his act. She could tell 

him that he can move back in only if he enrolls in a 

drug rehabilitation program. He will probably agree to 

this, whether he plans to do it or not. If he's sincere he'll 

say yes, and if he's lying he will also agree to her terms. 

This does not give Martha a true indication of her 

son's intentions. But Martha has read this book and 

instead tells her son that he can move back in if he 

quits cold turkey— never doing another drug 

whatsoever. Her son's answer will reveal his 

commitment to getting well, which is the real concern. 

Obviously her son can hardly get rid of his addiction 

instantly. So if he indicates that he can, she knows that 

he's lying about his intention to get well. However, if 

he says that he can't but will make strides toward 

getting better, she will know that he is sincere in his 

pursuit of wellness. 

Quick Tip: People generally need a reason to lie. If there's no 

reason— no motivation—then you'll likely get the truth. 

Therefore, you want to ask for the truth before he has a reason to lie 

to you. Your greatest leverage always comes from knowing what kind 

of person you're dealing with. The time to ask the salesman about the 

quality of the product is not after you tell him that you're interested 

in buying it. Why? Because he may feelthat it's in his best interest 

to lie to you. However, had you asked him this—casually, of 

course—before you expressed an interest, there's no real incentive 

for him not to tell the truth.

When you seek to gauge a person's honesty and 

commitment, propose a solution that you know is too 

difficult. If he acknowledges the difficulty of your 

solution, he is earnest in his desire to reach the specific 

objective or outcome. If he readily agrees to it, he has 

ulterior motives and is not being truthful.

BOSTON MARKET GARLIC DILL NEW POTATOES

Technically speaking, “new potatoes” can be any young potato. Boston Market, however, uses red potatoes for this particular dish, and they’re actually not all that young. So, for this recipe you need some common, medium-size red potatoes. After cutting the potatoes into bite-size slices, you simply steam them on a steamer rack or basket in a large covered saucepan over boiling water. When the potatoes are done, toss them with a delicious mix of melted butter, fresh dill, and garlic, and you’ve got a quick clone that could stand up to any taste test.

1. Cut the potatoes in half (lengthwise), cut the halves in half (also lengthwise), then cut the quarters in half (yeah, still lengthwise), so that you have eight wedges from each potato. Steam the sliced potatoes on a steamer rack over boiling water in a large covered saucepan for 10 minutes, or until the tip of a knife encounters just a little resistance when stuck into the potatoes.The potatoes will cook a bit more after they come off the heat, so you want to be sure not to overcook them.

2. Combine the melted butter, dill, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, dump them into a medium bowl. Pour the garlic butter over the potatoes, then gently toss the potatoes until they are well coated. Be careful not to toss the potatoes too much or they may start to fall apart, and you’re not making mashed potatoes.
• MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS.

BISQUICK ORIGINAL ALL-PURPOSE BAKING MIX

You’ve got a hankerin’ for pancakes or biscuits, but the recipe calls for Bisquick and you’re plum out. Not to worry. Now you can make a clone of the popular baking mix at home with just four simple ingredients. Store-bought Bisquick includes shortening, salt, flour, and leavening, so that’s exactly what we need to duplicate it perfectly at home.This recipe makes about 6 cups of the stuff, which, just like the real thing, you can keep sealed up in a container in your pantry until it’s flapjack time. When that time comes, just add milk and eggs for pancakes or waffles, or only milk if it’s biscuits you want.You’ll find all those recipes below in Tidbits.

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add the shortening and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until all the shortening is blended with the flour.
3. Use the mix as you would the real thing by following the directions on the box (see Tidbits below).
• MAKES 6 CUPS.

Tidbits
Use the following recipes to make pancakes, waffles, and biscuits with the cloned version of the mix as you would with the real thing:
Pancakes
Stir 2 cups Bisquick clone mix with 1 cup milk and 2 eggs in a bowl until blended. Pour ¼ cup portions onto a hot griddle and cook until the edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden on the other side. Makes 14 pancakes.

Waffles
Stir 2 cups Bisquick clone mix with 1⅓ cups milk, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a bowl until blended. Pour onto a hot waffle iron and bake until the steaming stops. Makes twelve 4-inch waffles.

Biscuits
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Stir 2 ¼ cups Bisquick clone mix with ⅔ cup milk.When a dough forms, turn it out onto a surface and sprinkle with extra mix. Knead 10 times. Roll the dough ¼ inch thick and cut with a 2 ½-inch cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 9 biscuits.

CARNEGIE DELI CLASSIC NEW YORK CITY CHEESECAKE

Carnegie Deli’s huge pastrami sandwiches were selected as the best in New York by New York Magazine in 1975, but it’s the cheesecakes, which can be shipped anywhere in the country, that really put this famous deli on the map. The secret to accurately cloning a traditional New York cheesecake is in creating the perfect not-too-sweet sugar cookie crust and varying the baking temperature so that you get a nicely browned top before cooking the cheesecake through. Get ready for the best deli-style cheesecake to ever come out of your oven.

1. Leave the butter and cream cheese out of the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes to soften. Make the crust by creaming together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the egg and mix well. Add the flour and stir well to combine.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, then press half of the dough

onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the edge of the dough begins to turn light brown. Cool.

3. Take the remaining dough and press it around the inside edge of the pan. Don’t go all the way up to the top though. Leave about a ½-inch margin from the top of the pan.

4. Crank oven up to 500 degrees F. To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in the sour cream and flour. Add the eggs and mix on low speed until combined.

5. Pour the cream cheese filling into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes more, or until the center is firm. Cool completely, then cover and chill in refrigerator for several hours or overnight before serving.

• SERVES 8.