function validateForm() {
		var errMsg = '';
		var difficulty_choice = false;
		var prep_choice = false;
		var cook_choice = false;
		var servings_choice = false;
		
		if (document.subrecipe.firstname.value=='') {
			errMsg = errMsg + '- a first name is required\n';		
		}
		if (document.subrecipe.emailaddress.value=='') {                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
			errMsg = errMsg + '- an email address is required\n';                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
		}                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
		else {                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
			emailpat = /^([a-zA-Z0-9])+([\.a-zA-Z0-9_-])*@([a-zA-Z0-9])+(\.[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)+$/;                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
			if( !emailpat.test(document.subrecipe.emailaddress.value) ) {                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
				errMsg = errMsg + '- an valid email address is required\n';                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
			}                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
		}                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
		if (document.subrecipe.recipetitle.value=='') {
			errMsg = errMsg + '- a recipe title is required\n';		
		}
		if (document.subrecipe.category.options[document.subrecipe.category.selectedIndex].value=='') {                                                                                                                                                                                                  
				errMsg = errMsg + '- a recipe category is required\n';                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
		}   
		
		for (counter = 0; counter < document.subrecipe.difficulty.length; counter++) {
			if (document.subrecipe.difficulty[counter].checked)
				difficulty_choice = true; 
		}

		if (!difficulty_choice){
			errMsg = errMsg + '- a difficulty level is required\n';                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
		}

		for (counter = 0; counter < document.subrecipe.prep.length; counter++) {
			if (document.subrecipe.prep[counter].checked)
				prep_choice = true; 
		}

		if (!prep_choice){
			errMsg = errMsg + '- prep time is required\n';                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
		}
		
		for (counter = 0; counter < document.subrecipe.cook.length; counter++) {
			if (document.subrecipe.cook[counter].checked)
				cook_choice = true; 
		}

		if (!cook_choice){
			errMsg = errMsg + '- cook time is required\n';                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
		}

		for (counter = 0; counter < document.subrecipe.servings.length; counter++) {
			if (document.subrecipe.servings[counter].checked)
				servings_choice = true; 
		}

		if (!servings_choice){
			errMsg = errMsg + '- number of servings is required\n';                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
		}
		if (document.subrecipe.Ingredients.value=='') {
			errMsg = errMsg + '- an ingredients list is required\n';		
		}
		if (document.subrecipe.Methodology.value=='') {
			errMsg = errMsg + '- an Methodology list is required\n';		
		}
	
		if(errMsg != '') {
			alert ('There was a problem submitting your recipe:\n\n' + errMsg + '\n\n Please correct and resubmit\n');
			return false;
		}
		else {
			return true;
		}
	}