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2016 Saugerties Sports Hall of Fame Inductee - Al RiozziUpdated Tuesday April 12, 2016 by Saugerties Athletic Association.
Early in life, Al Riozzi was drawn to other sports, playing center in basketball in the SAA Biddy League basketball as an 11 and 12 year old starting in 1976, again with his father Bunny as a coach, and then later in the SAA Junior basketball league under coach Joe Martin. However it was on the youth gridiron that Al would begin the groundwork of playing in the Kingston Pop Warner football league in 1976 and 1977 that would blossom into an outstanding scholastic athletic future, and find his passion for football. The Pop Warner league consisted of 11 and 12 year old players, with a team from Saugerties, Glasco, and several Kingston teams. As a running back on offense and defensive nose guard for the Glasco Scorpions, he instantly fell in love with the game, and it showed with him winning the William Kitsos memorial award both years in the league. "It was a fun league, with a lot of players I would come to know well from Saugerties and Kingston. Derek Whittaker was the top Saugerties running back, and Vinny Kelder and Mike Dittus were outstanding players form the Kingston teams. I loved learning and playing the game, especially because unless we got injured, we never came off of the field. It was non-stop action from the first play to the final whistle."
Al moved up to play to the Babe Ruth league at age 13, from 1978 through 1980 playing for the Bowler's Club. Again coached by his father, with Al playing mostly centerfield "we were champions for a couple seasons and I believe we went undefeated in my final year." At the same time, his father Bunny realized the potential for Saugerties to grow its Babe Ruth program. "After he went to one of the Babe Ruth regional tournaments, he thought we in Saugerties should try to improve our fields to be able to match what he saw elsewhere…at the time, where Lorenz Field is was basically an open field, and as he served as the league president for 12 years, they worked on building it up with dugouts and a concession stand…he would get me to come up on weekends and help him, carrying block or doing whatever we needed to do that day."
Moving onto Saugerties Junior High, Al was a key part of the SHS Modified football teams in 1977 and 1978, as a running back and linebacker. Those same years he also played on the modified baseball team, and later progressed through the JV squads in 1979 and 1980. For 1981 and 1982, Al anchored the SHS Varsity football team on both sides of the ball, selected as a Kingston Daily Freeman All Star and All-MHAL linebacker in both his junior year as the Sawyers posted a very respectable 7-3 record and senior year with a 6-3-1. His senior year was one for the ages, in the fall of 1982. As a running back, Al carried the ball 117 times for 736 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and scored 6 touchdowns, while also catching 13 passes for 234 yards. In looking back at his high school football years, two games standout to Al. The first was in his Junior year of 1981, playing in Ellenville. The Sawyers were trailing by a lot, as Ellenville would wallop the Sawyers 61-0, and Al got injured early in the 2nd quarter and had to be rushed to the hospital in a police car with his father. "After 15 minutes in hospital, I felt good enough to walk out and get back to game, but there was no transportation for me, so I jogged back to the field and reentered the game late in the 3rd quarter." The following year in his senior season in the fall of 1982, the Sawyers avenged their lopsided affair the previous season, playing in Saugerties locked up in a 0-0 game with Ellenville, then the 7th ranked team in the state with All-American running back Walter Moseley. "The previous year's loss really hung with us, and we had a lot of bulletin board quotes as motivation against them the next year." Al was in the process of leading the Sawyer defense to hold Moseley scoreless in a game for the first time in his 4 years in the Ellenville backfield, as Al registered 15 tackles in the game. However the key moment Al remembers was on an offensive series late in 4th quarter, when the Sawyers had the ball on 4th down with 1 yard to go, on their own 14 yard line. "Coach Neville calls time out to discuss the play, we know that if we punt the ball, we give Moseley a chance to run back for touchdown (which he was famous for) or do we go for it, risking not getting the yard and turning the ball over to Ellenville. I pleaded with Coach Neville to give me the ball, as earlier I noticed how their linebackers were playing against the same play. On a simple dive play, I was confident I could get the first down, knowing what their defense had been doing. He goes along with the play….I bust through a nice hole the offensive line provided, and all I saw was the goal line at the other end of the field…I thought I could get there but at the last second a safety managed to get a hand on my jersey and slow me up enough for others to tackle me after getting 20-plus yards for first down. Coach Neville was great at allowing us to make certain decisions on the field, especially on defense…it really gave us a lot of confidence we could be successful." His two year total in the Sawyer backfield amassed 1260 yards on 211 carries, and another 385 yards on 26 receptions from quarterbacks Randy Dodig and Paul Madsen. In his senior year Al had led the team on both offense and defense being not only the teams leading rusher but also leading the team with tackles with 28 individual tackles and assisting on 33 others, four better than teammate Derek Whittaker.
For the spring seasons, Al also played on the Sawyer baseball team, beginning in 1978 and 1979 with the modified team, before moving up to the JV squad in 1980 and 1981. As a speedy and heavy hitting outfielder, Al was a part of a very dominating Sawyer Varsity squad in his Junior and Senior years. As a Junior, with fellow Saugerties Sports Hall of Famers Randy Nilsen, John Harris, Jeff and Mike Dodig, and Mike Hasenbalg, the 1982 Sawyers went a staggering 20-1, sweeping to their 2nd MHAL title with a perfect 18-0 league record, and their only loss coming in their final sectional game. In his Senior year of 1983, again with Hall of Fame teammates Mike Hasenbalg, Jeff and Mike Dodig, the Sawyers captured their third consecutive MHAL championship with an overall 16-2 record,.
Upon graduating from Saugerties High in 1983, Al headed off to Ulster County Community College for a year, and then up to SUNY Albany, to play football for the Great Danes. "I had looked at a few schools, like Ithaca College and Albany, and had considered the US Naval Academy. Coach Neville helped me put together a highlight tape, and I took a year to decide what I wanted to do. For my sophomore year, I sent the tape to Albany and they were interested in having me on the team." Initially Al started on Albany's JV team, then earned a starting role on the varsity squad as a fullback. I ended up starting our game in West Point and midway through the game I sprained my ankle pretty bad, which held me out for the rest of the season." After that, Al decided to concentrate mainly on his classes and studies.
On the home front, after an internship and working summers with IBM, Al's father Bunny offered him a partnership that got him started in the masonry business, putting that drive from the athletic field success into a work ethic leading to a thriving business. Again with his father as a role model with his past community involvement, Al also evolved into a lynch pin in many aspects of the Saugerties sports community. In the summers, Al continued to play locally in SAA softball leagues from 1985 until 2003, sponsoring the Riozzi Masonry team that mirrored his success as businessman with a string of consecutive league championships as well. "We played in the A league, with and against many other softball standouts, winning the league several years in a row. It was a fun, competitive league."
Al married his wife Lorraine on November 4, 1989 at St. John's Church, and shortly thereafter they had their two sons, Anthony and Michael. While Al continued to play softball, and later volleyball in the SAA leagues, as their boys became involved in sports Al's focus centered on their teams. As Al's father Bunny had done, Al also coached the boys first (who were a year apart & often played on the same teams) on the Glasco East Kingston Little Braves and All Stars from 1997 through 2003, serving as the league's vice president. In doing so, he brought a drive and an infectious enthusiasm to the league's operation, sponsoring teams in both Little League and SAA, and spearheaded a number of ambitious projects. Using his contacts and experience as a local masonry contractor, as well as his expertise and equipment, he was responsible for many field and ground improvements, by being personally involved and getting others involved as well. This included expanding the Glasco Fred Davi field concession stand, building dugouts and a scorekeepers and equipment storage building on the second Glasco field, and building a paved "wall ball" court behind the fields. In addition, Al was also responsible for the rebuilding of the Riccardi Elementary school playground school basketball court at the same time.
As Anthony & Michael moved up to the Babe Ruth League at the Cantine Field complex, Al followed along as a Babe Ruth manager & coach from 2003 to 2005. As his father Bunny had previously donated his masonry and building skills to building Lorenz Field, Al was responsible for rebuilding the Lorenz Field backstop with a new brick and fenced structure. At the same time, Al was also busy rebuilding the dugouts on the main baseball field at Cantine Field in 2008. And he didn't stop there; as the boys moved up to play football, lacrosse, and wrestle at Saugerties High, Al and Lorraine were there with them becoming involved with the Sawyer Sports Booster Club. He served as the club's vice president in 2006 -2007, and its president in 2007/2008, becoming very involved fundraising for the Sawyer sports programs. "My wife and I really enjoyed working with other parents to help support our student athletes. It was an extreme sense of pride too." This also included fundraising and providing labor and materials to build an addition to the Kiwanis Ice Arena for a training room used by the school wrestling program, and many other local organizations. In 2011 and 2012, Al did the same in building the dugouts on the Keeley and West softball fields.
Still, as generous and dedicated in completing all of these projects, for Al the competitive juice still flows, as he continues to play in the SAA volleyball leagues, with several of his team's crowned as league champions, including men's and co-ed teams, with and against his boys. "We've played my sons team (both are on same team) the past two year in finals, and we've come out victorious, in the midst of a three-peat….The boys are still scratching their heads in awe of how they can't beat us older men."
Al obviously has many exciting and memorable experiences from his days as a standout football player, and then again coaching with his own sons. "Besides actually playing football, one of my pleasures in sports was watching my boys play together on the varsity team. A few years back I had the pleasure of actually playing with them on a flag football team out in the Milton Sports Dome for a complete season. It was a memorable experience to actually be on the playing field with them. I was fortunate enough to have many thrills in sports, on a personal level and on a team level….but none could be as thrilling as seeing both of my boys on the varsity football team at the same time. I was finally able to understand the joy my Dad had experienced while watching me play football."
In thinking about inspirations, Al thought of several: "There are many people who inspire you as you grow up playing various sports….people who believe in you, and push you to strive to be the best you can be…no matter what the situation is. In my high school years, two individuals come to mind: Coach Tony Vizzie and Coach Hank Smith. Two of the best coaches I've ever had the pleasure of playing for. They motivated and inspired all of us to be the best that we can be. But throughout my life and still to this day, the person who inspired me most in sports and in life is my father, Bunny Riozzi. From Little League till the day he passed, he instilled a 'do or die' attitude….a 'fight to the end' mentality, give 110% until that final whistle blew. That type of competitiveness doesn't win many sportsmanship awards. I thank him because it made me the man I am today."
The Saugerties sports community owes a lot to those like Al Riozzi, who selflessly shared his expertise, time, and money in many improvements all around the town, while serving as a role model to all those around him. An outstanding football player in his own right, we congratulate Al Riozzi as a most deserving honoree of the 2016 Saugerties Sports Hall of Fame class!


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Report examines QoS, QoE issues for IPTV operators
Multimedia Research Group has published a report examining what IPTV operators must do to maintain an acceptable Quality of Experience (QoE) for their customers based on the insight and contribution of more than 20 IPTV vendors and service providers.
The report, "IPTV Video Quality: QoS and QoE – February 2007," addresses how to acquire and maintain the highest video quality throughout the IPTV distribution network and in the home using both MPEG-4 AVC and MPEG-2 technologies.
It provides operational and technical insight into how to design, test, operate and monitor an IPTV network for the sake of achieving the highest quality SD and HDTV using a bandwidth-budget that is shared with other triple-play services.
The report also focuses on large, medium and small IPTV systems, and reveals answers to Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) issues in the planning, development and operational stages of IPTV services.
Research and Markets is marketing the report.
For more information, visit: www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c52735.

subset: commoncrawl


text: May 26 2016 Fasting during Ramadan: What dietitians need to know & how to help your clients Mohamed, a dietitian from Egypt, shares tips for working with clients that participate in Ramadan and provides an example meal plan. Mohamed Rezk completed a B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Waterloo before completing his dietetics degree at Mount St. Vincent University. He currently works in his private practice, Re-Direct Nutrition Counselling, in Toronto. Mohamed grew up in Egypt and moved to Canada at the age of 20. This experience helped him realize the importance of learning about other cultures to help make his counselling more effective. You can reach Mohamed at email@example.com. He also blogs on his website: www.redirectnutrition.com. Ramadan is the one month per year where Muslims fast from dawn until sunset every day by refraining from food, water, smoking, medications, and even gum. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, seniors, and those on important medications or requiring nutrition care (such as people with diabetes, renal failure, or patients on tube feeds) are exempt from fasting. During this month, Muslims spend more time getting closer to God, refrain from bad habits, and focus on spiritual growth. This year, Ramadan starts on June 7th. In Canada, Muslims will be fasting 16-17 hours per day, which allows for only 7-8 hours to nourish their bodies and sleep. While Muslim countries cut down their workdays by half during Ramadan, this is not the case in Canada. The combination of high expectations at work or school, long fasting hours, and poor nutrition could be a disaster for Muslims' health. continue reading


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Purple Door Coffee
May 23, 2013 | By Matt Wallace | No Comments
Purple Door Coffee began as a dream in 2007.
It's always been Dry Bones' mode of operation to "not reinvent the wheel." If there's a great GED, housing, or medical program, then let's partner with them! We don't need to start our own program. Partnership is our forte. (You can read a little more about our value of partnership vs ownership here.) Read More


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I am not an expert in finances or financial planning. I like doing research and sharing the results of that research with others. Please consider this blog to be PART of the research you do on the subjects discussed. No product, investment or strategy is right for everyone. Look at your situation, your tolerance for risk and your needs to evaluate whether what works for me may work for you. Investing is not without risk and generally speaking, the higher the potential reward, the higher the risk of losing money. Use any information from this blog at your own risk.
I run ads on this blog. If it looks like an ad, I get paid because it is there. I am not necessarily endorsing the product. Most of the ads are from adsense and beyond outlawing adult topics I have little control over them.
I may have affilliate links in posts. I'll tell you they are there and will ask you to use them. I get paid if you do.


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As a club owner, you can create events with Assessment. Assessment generates a QR code for your event that students can scan. The QR code can be used to:
- check students in to the event
- record what time your students check out from the event
- send a request for feedback to the people who attended
- send a message to people who attended.
To create an event that uses assessment, see "Create a Club Event."
You can also review the feedback provided by students about your past events. To see past feedback:
- Click "Manage" then click "Clubs & Groups."
- Locate your service in the list, and click its name to go to Club Info.
- Click "Events," then select "Past Events" from the drop-down menu.
- Events that use assessment have a star rating shown next to the name of the event.
- (Optional) Select the "Assessment" checkbox to show only events that use assessment.
- Click the name of any event to view assessment data for that event.
If you would like to track student attendance and have students evaluate the event:
- In "Create Event," click "Assessment" to turn it on.
- You can add an event manager from the drop-down menu, and add an attendance manager (see below).
- You can also turn on student feedback and write a feedback question.
If you turn Assessment on:
- The event manager receives a summary email of student feedback.
- The attendance manager (optional) receives an email with the names of students who checked in to the event.
If you turn Feedback on, students who check in receive a notification to answer your feedback question, and to rate the event.


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I'm pleased to welcome Rick Bailey to Michigander Monday!
Debbie: Rick, please tell us a little about yourself.
Rick: I grew up in Freeland, Michigan, on the banks of the Tittabawassee River. Small agricultural town, Midwestern values. I played little league, fished for carp in the river, delivered the Midland Daily News, got ringworm from the dog. In college I studied English language and literature. Once I was degreed, I moved to Detroit and taught writing for 38 years at Henry Ford College. Part of my teaching practice consisted of writing with my students, a work habit which eventually led to Tittabawassee Road, a blog largely made up of essays on family, food, travel, and current events and reading that jiggles memory.
A Midwesterner long married to an Italian immigrant, I've learned the language and food of Italy, traveled around the country. In the process, I have been (partly) made over–italianizato. In retirement my wife and I divide our time between Michigan and the Republic of San Marino.
Debbie: And, of course, we want to know all about your book.
Rick: My book, American English, Italian Chocolate, published by University of Nebraska Press, is a memoir in forty short essays. Forty shorties. It's roughly organized in chronological order.
Why do some memories stick with us for so long? What do those memories have to do with who we are now and what's going on in our lives? I didn't really set out to write the story of my life in any linear way. I wanted to explore those memories and bring them back to life in narrative form. There's an essay about donuts, ducks, horses, car crashes, outhouses, EKG's, feet, frogs, levitation, wisdom teeth, and Nutella; traveling all night from Michigan to New Jersey to attend the funeral of a college friend dead of AIDS; climbing in flipflops across the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa; pausing in a trattoria in the hills above the Adriatic to reflect on Thoreau, Pythagoras, and beans.
Think David Sedaris, only Midwest not South, Italy not France.
Debbie: Other books or projects on the horizon?
Rick: Right now my wife and I are spending quite a bit time in Italy. On my blog I'm writing about eating in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It's kind of an under-discovered region. Tuscany has hogged all the attention over the past few years, thanks to Under the Tuscan Sun. That's a fun book about a great place--amazing history, good food, terrific wine--but it's not the only great place in Italy. It would be fun to write a book about some great little towns in Emilia-Romagna, each with a restaurant that shows off the amazing local cuisine, to help people get to know the region and its riches. I've got a photographer friend in Rimini. We're talking.
Debbie: Upcoming appearances?
Rick: Bloomfield Township Library, Tuesday, July 11, 7:30-9:00. Book launch, signing, reading.
Horizon Books, Traverse City, MI, Saturday, July 22, 11-1. Book signing.
Horizon Books, Cadillac, MI, Saturday, July 22, 2-4. Book signing.
Franklin Farmhouse, Franklin, MI, Sunday, July 23. Reading.
Brilliant Books, Traverse City, Saturday, August 5, 2-4. Book signing and reading.
McLean and Eakins, Petoskey, MI. Friday, August 11, 2-4. Book signing.
Bookmamas, Indianapolis, IN. Friday, September 8, 5:30-7:30. Book signing and reading.
Three Sisters Books and Gifts, Shelbyville, IN. Saturday, September 9, 11-1. Book signing and reading.
Wild Geese Bookshop, Franklin, IN. Saturday, September 9, 2-4. Booking signing and reading.
Literati Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI., Sept 29, 7:00 p.m. Reading.
Debbie: Do you have a favorite Michigan bookstore? And/or a favorite Michigan library?
Rick: I'll tell you the bookstores I miss. Metro Books at Bloomfield Plaza and the amazing Barnes and Noble across from it on Telegraph Road that closed a few years ago. And the BN and Borders on Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield. And the Borders on Southfield and 13 Mile. And down in Dearborn the Borders and the Little Professor. I still go to the 13 Mile store, now called Books-A-million. The Bloomfield Township Library is an oasis, everything I would want a library to be.
Debbie: How about a favorite place in Michigan?
Rick: I never get tired of the views at Sleeping Bear Dunes. At the edge of the dunes, with Lake Michigan in front of you, look to the north--unspoiled coastline; look the the south--same. Public policy, so frequently benighted, got things right in this beautiful spot.
The river runs through you when you grow up living on one. The old bridge is gone now, with the catwalk we rode our bikes across, the metal railing we froze our tongues to in winters is no longer there, but the Tittabawassee River lives in my memory, and I never miss a chance to look north and south from the new and improved and altogether soul-less bridge whenever I'm in Freeland.
Debbie: Do you have a Michigan event or happening that you love to attend?
Rick: Summer and fall means Eastern Market in Detroit. I can't think of a place where there is more diversity and more joy and hope. I'm always happy to be a Detroiter when I'm there.
Debbie: A few fun Michigan people we should all know about?
Rick: Mark Adler, a creative director at Doner Advertising, is currently acting up to address wage differentials in men and women working in that industry. He's won a Clio and been shortlisted twice at the Cannes Lions Festival. Andrew Laurich, a Michigander transplanted in LA, where he heads up ContagiousLA, recently won an award for his short film "A Reasonable Request." His new short film is "A Study in Tyranny." Stephanie Levy will start post-doc work at Yale this fall, fresh from her PhD in biological anthropology at Northwestern. She's one of my favorite Michiganders. Her area of expertise: brown adipose tissue activity and metabolic disease risk. Ken and Geraldine Grunow, people of conscience who quietly put their values to work in social activism, have run the Detroit chapter of Amnesty International for 20 years.
Debbie: Something you'd like a non-Michigander to know about Michigan?
Rick: The green. A few years ago we had family and friends from Italy over for lunch on the back porch. It was August. It was hot. All the Italians said, I just can't believe how green it is. Our kids and our friends' kids move out of state and then move back. Or don't move back. They come to visit. Anyone who's been out of state remarks, upon return, that the green in Michigan is beyond belief.
Debbie: Last question. Some folks in Michigan refer to themselves as Michiganders, others as Michiganians. For our ongoing vote tally: are you a Michigander or a Michiganian?
Rick: See above (in the Eastern Market answer).
Debbie: Rick, we'll add you to the Detroiter column! Thanks so much for joining us today!
Monday, June 26, 2017
Monday, June 19, 2017
Michigander Monday: Resuming Soon!
Sorry for the long gap between postings! It's been a busy stretch, which resulted in another of my periodic bouts of Blog Neglect.
But I've got some Michigander Monday postings queued up again. Watch for semi-regular (a couple a month) Michigander Monday postings throughout the summer, and then weekly again beginning this fall.
But I've got some Michigander Monday postings queued up again. Watch for semi-regular (a couple a month) Michigander Monday postings throughout the summer, and then weekly again beginning this fall.
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What is 24-7 Prayer?24-7 Prayer is an international, interdenominational movement of prayer, mission and justice that began with a single, student-led prayer vigil in Chichester, England in 1999 and has spread, by word-of-mouth, into 100+ nations.
For more than a decade the global 24-7 Prayer meeting has continued unbroken, impacting locations as diverse as the US Naval Academy, a German punk festival, war-zones and underground churches, the slums of Delhi, the jungles of Papua New Guinea, ancient English cathedrals and even a brewery in Missouri.
Along the way, this unusual prayer meeting has given rise to numerous new initiatives, communities and ministries particularly focusing on the poor, the marginalised, students and those outside the reach of normal expressions of church.
Thanks to an innovative approach to spirituality and culture, 24-7 Prayer has also captured the attention of newspapers and magazines from Rolling Stone to Readers Digest, and was the subject of a British television documentary.
I believe, as a 59 year-old woman, sitting in this prayer room, that if these young people are the next generation, our world is in safe hands. Liz, UK
At this very moment someone, somewhere is praying; maybe through word, thought, flowing through a pen or painted on a wall, they're speaking to their creator. In 24-7 Prayer Rooms in any number of countries, from different streams of the Church, Christians are learning to pray by praying.
The first night and day 24-7 Prayer Room started by accident in September '99. A small group of English youth took on the extreme challenge of praying non-stop for a month. They broke days into hour slots, filled a room with creative inspiration and expected to fail after a week... God turned up and they couldn't stop 'til Christmas! A passion for God's presence, a rise in faith and answers to prayer brought new life to their Church.
The aim of 24-7 Prayer is ReconciliationThe 24-7 movement seeks to prioritize Christ's two greatest commandments: to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:30). We pray and work for reconciliation at three levels: spiritually - where there is broken relationship with God, socially - where there is broken relationship between people, and environmentally - where there is broken relationship with our world. 24-7 Prayer exists, therefore, 'to reconcile the world to God through Jesus Christ'. We seek to do this by mobilising the Church in prayer, mission and justice.
For Christ's love compels us because... God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation... We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 5You can find out more about our Vision.
How does 24-7 Prayer work in practice?Last night, as you slept someone, somewhere was praying 24-7. In fact, right now, as you read these words, people are interceding in scores of locations around the world. This has been continuing every minute of every hour of every day since 1999. Participating groups simply find a venue in which to establish a night-and-day prayer vigil by splitting each day into one-hour shifts, thus filling anything from a weekend to many years with an unbroken chorus of prayer and worship. Keeping rules to a minimum, we simply encourage groups to make their place of prayer as creative and accessible as possible, and to particularly focus on young people and the emerging culture.
Many of these 'sacred spaces' link up here on the web, forming a unique chain of interconnected, global intercession. You can view some of the groups praying right now.
Launching 24-7 prayer in one of our inner-city church properties has probably been the most important thing we have done to date. Dr Timothy M. Johns, Kansas City, MOYou can find out more about our model of prayer.
Why 24-7 Prayer?24-7 Prayer rooms have marked many of the greatest epochs in the growth of the Christian faith:
- The church was born in a 24-7 prayer room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, and it was said of them 'they all joined together constantly in prayer' (Acts 1:14)
- Early Christianity was incubated by the monsatic prayer centers of the Desert Fathers, the Celtic communities of Northern Europe, and eventually the Benedictine and other orders.
- In the 18th century a Moravian community, under the leadership of Count Zinzendorf, prayed night-and-day for more than a hundred years, thereby launching the great missionary thrust of the Reformation. One of their converts was John Wesley, founder of Methodism.
- In the 20th century a multi-racial 24-7 prayer room in Los Angeles sparked the Pentecostal and charismatic movements bringing spiritual renewal to nearly 500 million people today.
24-7 Prayer is one of the greates things we've ever experienced, Alex Hughes, former Territorial Commander of the Salvation Army
Now you can get involved too!Why not launch the wildest, most extreme, most exciting prayer meeting your area has ever seen? On this web site you can find out all you need to know to prepare for a life-changing experience of God's presence. We'll offer you a choice of resources to help you set up a 24-7 Prayer Room, then all you have to do is find a venue, get your friends excited and GO!
- Read more about 24-7 Prayer Rooms and what it takes to make it happen in our Prayer section
- Register a prayer room straight away, if you're confident you can sustain a week or more of continual prayer.
The vision behind 24-7 is directly from heaven. It just works! Ocke Kruger, Germany
24-7 missionaries and communities serve some of the poorest people in the world. (Check out the video of our friend Kelly in Mexico). Outreach initiatives that have been born from 24-7 Prayer, include:
- Campus America an initiative to catalyze Christ-centred, mission-minded prayer on every US campus
- Living Generously an online gift service that benefits the poor,
- 24-7 Ibiza a year-round outeach service based in Europe's party capital,
- The Order of the Mustard Seed a covenant community centred on an ancient Rule of Life.
- 24-7Titles - books which equip and inspire lifestyles of prayer, mission and justice.
- The Transit internship program, based with a 24-7 community for a year..
- A suite of other training opportunities online.
CommunitiesAt the heart of the 24-7 movement there is an expanding network of missional communities inspired by ancient Celtic monasticism and committed to celebrating Christ-centered lifestyles of prayer, mission and justice. These communities are generically known as 'Boiler Rooms' but can have all sorts of local names including 'Houses of Prayer'. The six core practices of all 24-7 communities are: creativity and prayer, hospitality and mercy, learning and mission.
The restoration of the church will surely come from a sort of new monasticism which has in common with the old only the uncompromising attitude of a life lived according to the Sermon on the Mount. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jan 14, 1935
Nation Profiles24-7 Prayer has appointed indigenous leadership teams in nations with a groundswell of night and day prayer and emerging communities exploring the values of 24-7 Boiler Rooms.
24-7 Canadahttp://www.24-7prayer.ca/ | Contact
24-7 Germanyhttp://www.24-7prayer.de/ | Contact
24-7 Irelandhttp://www.24-7prayerireland.com/ | Contact
24-7 New Zealandhttp://www.24-7prayer.co.nz/ | Contact
24-7 Spainhttp://www.oracion24-7.com/ | Contact
24-7 Swedenhttp://www.tjugofyrasju.be/ | Contact
24-7 Switzerlandhttp://www.24-7ch.ch/ | Contact
24-7 UKhttp://uk.24-7prayer.com/ | Contact
24-7 USAhttp://www.24-7prayer.us/ | Contact
- Australia - The Salvation Army
- Czech Republic - 24-7 Czech Republic
- Ireland - The Methodist Church
- Malta - 24-7 Malta
- Netherlands - 24-7 Gebed, 24-7 Site
- Slovakia - 24-7 Bratislava
- United Kingdom - The Salvation Army
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why continual prayer?
- Are we big enough to pray non-stop?
- Why do we need a Prayer Room?
- Wouldn't we be better to build up to this gradually?
- Who can organise 24-7?
- How long do we pray for?
- What if we can't stop?
- What about our other church commitments?
- How do I prepare and mobilize the congregation?
- How much does it cost?
- Any advice on locating a prayer room?
- What if it doesn't work?
Just 24-7
What is Just 24-7?
These pages seek to help you pray, and to connect with others around the 24-7 family who are looking to do the same.
"For I call you......to find the Sons of Thunder. I call you to find those who will marry social justice with prayer......I am going to open a unique arm of this ministry that is a different place than you've known; it's going to be a mantle of social justice. That which William Booth had, I give it to you this night."(Cindy Jacobs to Pete Greig, Phoenix Arizona 20th June 2008)
These words, shared at our 'Home' gathering in Southampton in 2008, didn't surprise us. The concept of marrying prayer and social justice isn't new for 24-7 - Justice and Mercy always been part of our movement, in our prayers in prayer room, and into practical action in our communities.
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Why Justice?The opportunities are immense and very exciting, but before we dove into a flurry of activity and prayer we had to learn just what 'justice' meant. You see, the justice that we talk about is not the justice God talks about and that shapes everything we do from hereon in.
The most common word he uses in the bible for justice is the Hebrew word Tzedek (or Zedekah). This has a far broader meaning, combining justice with righteousness in one single word & our translations regularly group justice with righteousness and also with mercy & grace. Jesus puts them together too in his very first public speech, the Sermon on the Mount.
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Special OffersCheck out our 24-7 Prayer special offers. Want to get the story of 24-7Prayer out to as many people as possible?.... Buy in bulk at a reduced rate… Get everything you need to start your prayer room at a reduced rate….
BooksMany of 24-7er's have written books that capture the passion, excitement and discipline of being a follower of Jesus & praying 24-7. Read the story of how 24-7Prayer started & join this wave of prayer...
24-7 EurogatheringTickets for 24-7's European gathering 'Aufstehen' to be held in Frankfurt 6-9 Oct 2011.
ClothingGet ethically traded clothing that looks great and carries a message that never goes out of date... (see our Sizing Guide)
DownloadsDownload to your computer NOW, words of wisdom on many areas of PRAYER, MISSION & JUSTICE and let these biblical messages transform your lives...
ResourcesIf you want to spread the vision of 24-7Prayer, Or are starting a prayer room. We have all the resources you'll need... Posters // Postcards // Music //Leaflets
MusicThese CD's are a great resource for any prayer room. With tracks that are helpful for reading the bible over and shouting prayers over. You can now get Red Moon Rising the audio book read by Pete Grieg, its a great way to refresh yourself with a story of trust & passion for God.


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Titian, or Tiziano Vecellio, is the most celebrated artist of the Italian Renaissance, achieving international acclaim and recognition. He lived and worked in Venice, painting everything from portraits to altarpieces. His style went through many evolutions during his long career, but it is his mastery of painting techniques that has made him so famous.
'It is not bright colours but good drawing that makes figures beautiful.'(Titian)
'It is not bright colours but good drawing that makes figures beautiful.'(Titian)
Titian painted portraits of some of the most powerful people of his era, but was also inspired by mythology, nature and the Bible. Get acquainted with our collection of Titian artwork and discover some of the greatest masterpieces from the golden era of art.
You'll find a wide range of portraits painted by Titian to choose from, as he was in high demand for this service during his lifetime. Bring a sense of history and regal pride into your home with a portrait of a member of the aristocracy. We love the 'Duke of Alva' in his magnificent armour or 'Isabella of Portugal' with her beautiful porcelain skin and fine jewels.
Titian also painted many portraits of mythical figures, from Bible characters to Greek goddesses. The adorable cherubs in 'The Worship of Venus' or the tender moment portrayed in 'Madonna with Rabbit' would make a lovely addition to a child's nursery. While one of Titian's fantastic nudes, such as 'Venus, Mars and Cupid' or 'Danae', would perhaps be more at home in your own bedroom!
With art as amazing as Titian's timeless classics, it's worth choosing your materials carefully to make sure they look their best. Of course, these exquisite paintings would look most authentic if printed onto stretched cotton canvas and hung in a gallery-style floating frame. This gives you the finish that is most in keeping with their historical period.
However, the bold colours and contrast of many of his paintings would also work well printed on contemporary Alu-Dibond to give an intense and slimline finish. Paintings with a higher proportion of white, such as 'Venus Rising from the Sea', would look wonderful printed onto lightweight Forex foam board for a soft and subtle effect. And don't forget, the beauty of our high quality photo paper is that the art world's greatest masterpieces are now affordable for everybody!


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This is GOOD MUSIC from a resilient artist that has shown over the years that he is doing what he knows how to do best.
Ladonsyl is really a dynamic creative musician that knows exactly what a hit sounds like and he has shown it in this new jam "WE GO DEY". I guess you need to press play or download to confirm. Don't forget to leave a comment. Enjoy!!!!!!!
The post Ladonsyl – We Go Dey appeared first on tooXclusive.
Source: LagosLoaded


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Mark E. Green, who President Trump nominated last month to be Secretary of the Army, withdrew from contention for the position on Friday following a month-long campaign by LGBT advocacy groups to publicize his anti-LGBT record as a Tennessee state senator.
His withdrawal came less than a week after the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights group, said it generated 6,800 calls to Congress from constituents strongly opposing Green's nomination.
"Since Trump's announcement of Green's nomination, HRC worked diligently to expose Mark Green's shameful anti-LGBTQ record and rhetoric and the danger his nomination posed to LGBTQ service members and their families," HRC said in a statement.
"We thank the many senators, from both parties, who expressed concerns about the nomination," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "His nomination was a clear indication of Donald Trump's lack of judgement and failure to be a president of all Americans," Griffin said.
Within the past two weeks at least five Democratic senators announced they would vote against the Green nomination, including Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee which would have had to approve the nomination, expressed concern about Green's statements that were considered hostile to LGBT people and Muslims.
And in a development that startled political observers, a Pentagon spokesperson on Friday declined to say whether Secretary of Defense James Mattis still supported Green's nomination.
Green, a physician, is a West Point graduate and decorated Iraq War veteran. His controversial views on LGBT issues emerged during his tenure as a State Senator in Tennessee. Among other things, he has described transgender people as being mentally disordered.
He has spearheaded anti-transgender bathroom legislation and backed a "religious freedom" bill, approved by the Tennessee Legislature that would allow mental health professionals to refuse treatment for LGBT patients based on religious objections.
"Tragically, my life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mischaracterized and attacked by a few on the other side of the aisle for political gain," Green said in a statement on Friday. "While these false attacks have no bearing on the needs of the Army or my qualifications to serve, I believe it is critical to give the president the ability to move forward with his vision to restore our military to its rightful place in the world."
The White House and Pentagon didn't immediately offer a statement responding to Green's withdrawal.
"Serving as Secretary of the Army is an incredible and vital role to the success of our modern military," said Matt Thorn, executive director of OutServe-SLDN, the nation's largest organization representing LGBT people in the military.
"Mark Green did not live up to the duty and honor that is expected of an individual serving in such a role," Thorn said in a statement. "Mr. Green has better served the Army with his withdrawal than he would have as Secretary."


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3/4 young cabbage head
2 medium apple
2-3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp apple vinegar
4 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and ground black pepper on your taste
Shred a cabbage (without a core) thinly.
Sprinkle with a salt.
Peel 2 apples, cut into strips.
Blend a honey, an apple vinegar, a vegetable oil, salt, and a pepper.
Stir the apples and the cabbage, pour a dressing on top, and stir well.
Let to sit for about 20-30 minutes.


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One method is to bake the dough at an extremely high temperature, approximately 425f(219c) for a short period of time to cause steam to form quickly and then lower the temperature to approximately 375f(190c) to finish the baking process. This causes the egg protein to coagulate and form a set structure.
The other method starts the baking process at a low temperature, approximately 300f(149c). Once the choux paste is in the oven, the temperature is raised immediately to a high temperature of approximately 450f(230c). Steam quickly forms, and the puffs rise. After approximately 10 - 15 minutes, the temperature is turned back down to 300f(149c) to dry the puffs and brown them. Starting at lower temperature gives the dough time to rise higher before the egg proteins actually set and a hard outer crust forms. This method is used to bake the Swans as great volume is obtained by starting the baking process at a lower temperature, which allows the puffs to rise higher before they become set and form a crust..
A high-protein/bread flour is used to give structure to the puffs, while whole eggs leaven and add structure, and egg whites are added for crispness and lightness.
A point to remember - choux paste must be baked until golden brown and crisp or else it will soften and collapse once it is cooled.
To make the Choux paste:
6 fl oz/3/4 cup/180 ml water
4 ozs/1/2 cup/115g unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
5 ozs/1 cup/140 g bread flour
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
Stabilized whipped cream
1/4 fl oz/1 1/2 tbsp/22 ml cold water
1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
12 fl oz/1 1/2 cups/360 ml cold heavy cream
3 ozs/1/4 cup/100 gm confectioner's sugar, sifted(more for dusting)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
To make the Choux paste:
In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a vigorous boil. Remove saucepan from heat. Add the flour all at once and stir mixture quickly with a wooden spoon. This will cause a ball of dough to form immediately. Continue to cook the mixture for approximately one minute until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes to approximately 130f(54c) to prevent the eggs from cooking as they are added to the mixture.
Transfer the dough into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the dough on low speed. Add 2 whole eggs, one at a time, blending well after adding each egg. Then add 2 egg whites, one at a time, blending well after each addition. The dough should hold its shape somewhat and should not be too loose. The color of the dough should be yellowish from the butter and eggs, and it should look glossy.
Creating the swan's body:
Preheat the oven to 300f(149c)
Place all but 3 ozs(1/3 cup, 105 g) of the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (approximately 14 mm). Hold the pastry bag at 90 degrees to a parchment-lined sheet pan and pipe out a 2 1/2 inch(6 1/4 cm) long shell making an up and over motion. Pull back so that the end is tapered.
Continue to make approximately 12 more tapered shells leaving a space between each swan body.
Creating the swan's neck and head:
Place the remaining dough into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip(approximately 1/8 inch, 3 mm). Pipe a small round ball(the head) and then continue to form a thin letter S (the neck) on a second sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Place the tip into the round ball(the head) and squeezing gently, quickly pull back to form the swan's beak. Repeat the procedure until there are as many swan necks as there are bodies (make extra in case of breakage).
Place the sheet pans in the oven at 300f(149c). Close the oven door and raise the oven temperature to 450f(230c). Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until well puffed. Turn the oven down to 300f(149c) and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes until crisp and browned. Cut open one of the puffs to see if it is dry inside. If not, continue baking.
Remove from the oven and with a small, sharp knife, poke a small hole into each puffs. This helps dry out the moist inside of each puff and allows them to cool faster.
Because the Swan necks are thinner, they need to be baked at a lower temperature of 375f(190c) for 8 - 10 minutes or until they are a pale brown and firm to the touch. Remove and allow to cool.
To Make the Filling:
In a small heatproof, sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Stir and allow it to soften for 5 minutes.
Melt the gelatin over a hot water bath until it is completely liquefied. Remove the gelatin from the heat and whisk 1/2 fl ozs(1 tbsp) heavy cream into the gelatin to cool.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the whip attachment to beat the remaining heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.
Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and then the melted gelatin and cream mixture along with the vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat.
To assemble the Swans:
Cut each cooled swan body in half crosswise. Cut the top portion of the body lengthwise to form two wings. Leave the bottom half intact.
Using a pastry bag fitted with a large round or star tip, pipe the whipped cream into the bottom of the swan body. Gently insert a wing into the cream on either side.
Insert a neck into the cream. Repeat with the remaining swans.
Cream puff Swans should be refrigerated. They are best consumed the same day they are prepared, if they need to be stored overnight, do not insert the necks into the bodies until right before serving as refrigeration for over 4 hours softens them.. Leave the necks at room temperature covered in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted from Gail Sokol - About Professional Baking The Essentials.


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This dog, is dog, a dog, good dog, way dog, to dog, keep dog, an dog, idiot dog, busy dog, for dog, 20 dog, seconds dog! … Now read without the word dog.
Don't spend $2 to dry-clean a shirt. Donate it to the Salvation Army instead. They'll clean it, put it on a hanger. Next morn buy it back for 50p.
Do you ever notice that when you're driving, anyone going slower than you is an idiot and everyone driving faster than you is a maniac?
What is the difference between a wife and a girlfriend?
About 45 pounds!!
What is the difference between a smart blonde and a UFO?
There have been sightings of UFOs.


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WASHINGTON — Robert B. Zoellick will step down as president of the World Bank when his five-year term expires on June 30, the Washington-based institution announced on Wednesday.
In an interview, Mr. Zoellick said that he had no immediate plans for his next career move. He said that he felt most proud of his work to modernize the bank, which focuses on fighting poverty and financing development in emerging countries.
When he first took office in 2007, "there were questions about whether people wanted to be engaged with the bank," he said. "Now, we find that whether on regular development issues, postconflict states, or climate issues, there is a very strong interest in working with us."
Mr. Zoellick's departure seems likely to set off another clash between the advanced economies that traditionally appoint the leaders of the major international financial institutions and the emerging economies that tend to benefit from — and bear the consequences of — those institutions' policies.
For the last seven decades, since the World Bank's establishment, the United States has in practice appointed its leader, while Europe picks the head of the International Monetary Fund, the bank's sister institution.
Recently, countries like Brazil, India and China — with their rapid economic growth and growing political clout on the global stage — have pushed for a more open, transparent and inclusive selection process. Aid and international development organizations have also railed against the old guard's outsize influence.
"Whoever becomes the president needs to be seen as legitimate around the world," said Nancy Birdsall, the president of the Center for Global Development in Washington. "The emerging markets — we need to bring them into the multilateral fold, to have them engaged not as victims or recipients or problems, but as real actors whose decisions matter."
The World Bank's leadership has committed to opening up the presidential selection process, and the Group of 20 countries has stated its commitment to "support new open, transparent and merit-based selection processes for the heads and senior leadership" of the funds and banks that support financial stability and development in communiqués.
But in practice, that has not yet resulted in a big change at the top. In 2007, European leaders supported former President George W. Bush's nomination of Mr. Zoellick to head the World Bank. And Washington supported the candidacy of Christine Lagarde, the former French finance minister, for managing director of the International Monetary Fund last year. But notably Mr. Zoellick and Ms. Lagarde visited major emerging market nations to drum up support for their candidacies.
Thomas E. Donilon, the White House national security adviser; Jacob J. Lew, the chief of staff; and Timothy F. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, are consulting with President Obama in choosing a nominee. The White House expects to make an announcement in the next few weeks.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, the secretary of state, is an often-mentioned candidate for the position, though the State Department has denied rumors that she is moving to the bank. Lawrence H. Summers, a former Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and Obama economic adviser, is another possibility. Mr. Geithner is also mentioned, though his role in helping select the next president may suggest he is not a candidate.
In a statement, Mr. Geithner praised Mr. Zoellick's contributions to the bank, calling him a "remarkably effective leader."
"It is very important that we continue to have strong, effective leadership of this important institution, and in the coming weeks, we plan to put forward a candidate with the experience and requisite qualities to take this institution forward," he said.
Mr. Zoellick said he had made democratizing development one of his major goals at the helm of the institution. "We wanted to move away from an elite model, and instead say, 'There's a lot of interesting experimentation and innovation across developing countries.' "
"The world is changing and changing quite fast, and the bank has to change with it," he added.
Mr. Zoellick presided over the first increase in the bank's general financial resources in two decades. He also helped to raise $90 billion for the bank's fund for the world's poorest, the International Development Association.
Mr. Zoellick has also pushed the bank to open not just its coffers, but its data archives, giving public access to its much-prized store of information on the world economy. "I'm very proud of that," Mr. Zoellick said, describing the policy as a "freedom of information act" for the bank. It is also "important because it makes public institutions more accountable, and it helps us focus on results," he said.
There is considerable speculation over where Mr. Zoellick, who is 58, might be headed as well. A longtime member of the Republican foreign and economic policy elite, his name has been mentioned as a possible candidate to become Treasury secretary if President Obama does not win a second term. Mr. Zoellick said that he had no plans, and did not plan to decide his next career move until after he left the bank.
Mr. Zoellick said that the World Bank supported an open application process to replace him as president. But, he added, "I've spent 30 years, both in government and outside government, trying to help and support and rebuild the multilateral system." He said, "I think there's a benefit for this system if the United States has a sense of responsibility to and ownership of those institutions."


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First Page: Unnamed Contemporary Romance
Welcome to First Page Saturday. Individual authors anonymously send a first page read and critiqued by the Dear Author community of authors, readers and industry others. Anyone is welcome to comment. You may comment anonymously.
"Don't move your lips when you talk," her sister said from under the blanket in the back seat. "They might be watching you."
Valerie Kane's grip on the steering wheel tightened as she turned into the dog park's empty lot. Through stiff lips, she answered, "We're here." She pulled into a spot as far from a light as possible, shifted into park, and killed the engine. "I'm a little nervous."
"Is your hood up?" Monica asked.
She looked out the windshield. "Hood?"
Her sister heaved a sigh. "On you, not the car."
Oh, crap, she needed to focus. She tugged the drawstrings of her hooded sweatshirt. "Yeah, it's up." She looked around to be sure they were still alone and caught a glimpse of the lights of the Las Vegas strip twinkling blissfully in the distance. A tingle of anxiety ran through her. "Are we doing the right thing?"
Her sister reached between the seats and gripped her arm. "We don't have to do this, Val. If you have any doubt, just start the car and let's go."
Taking a deep breath, she zipped up her hoodie. "No. We promised. I can do this." She pressed the unlock button on the doors then glanced back. Monica was well hidden and was lying on the bag containing their cousin's blackmail payment.
Her sister whispered, "Just go really fast and get back here. Wait, first roll down the windows, so I can hear you if you scream."
Scream? There was no reason to scream. Was there?
The prose is good and obviously there are lots of intriguing questions I would like an answer to. Well done with the "starting with action" part.
There is one major thing that is putting me off: I can't tell the tone and atmosphere. Is it a funny light-hearted romp? Or is it more serious with some humour thrown in? I can't tell which keeps me from getting into it. If you can fix this, it could be a great first page.
Thanks for sharing.
liz talley
Nice first page. Yeah, the tone was a mixed bag. It feels dangerous, but yet there is a lightness. Nothing necessarily wrong with that if it's not RS.
Couple of suggestions:
Strike "Blissfully" – not the right word for Vegas lights.
If the sister is scared, she'd want the window cracked – not all the way down.
And shorten the dialogue – "If you don't want to do this, Val, just start the car and go." – crisper dialogue fits the urgency of the scene.
Otherwise, I'm very intrigued. Wish there was a page two. :)
Danielle D
I'm interested in reading more!
Yeah, I like this one.
I liked it, too, and am hoping it continues to be funny. Do you have more that you could share?
I would read more!
Would like to to read more. Do get rid of "blissfully." It made me wince.
Definitely interested in reading more!
I wonder about your placement of the reveal of blackmail payment, if you don't want to hold that for a later page, but it does work where it is depending on where you go from here – which I'm not sure where, because as has been pointed out, the tone wavers back and forth. If it's serious, some nerves on the narrator wouldn't be amiss.
Really good. Tint, gripping. I don't think I've rea a first page where I had noing o say except where's the rest.
Really good. Tight, gripping. I don't think I've read a first page where I had nothing to say except where's the rest?
Vanessa Jaye
I would absolutely read on. I like a mix of humor and darkness and I'll assume that the book blurb will give an accurate feel for the tone of the story
I liked it too, but I was confused on the time of day it was. If she's afraid of being seen talking, then it implies daytime. But if the lights on the Strip are twinkling, then it is night. A little clarification there and this page is good to go!
This starts in action, and that's great. It puts you ahead of the pack. What you need now is someone with advanced editing skills, who will catch the small stuff, and help you fine tune scenes.
Over-writing like this:
"She pressed the unlock button on the doors"
is hard for casual readers to spot. But what you really want to say is:
She unlocked the doors.
Your readers will do the math. Comb your work for fiddly stuff like that, eliminate it, and see how much faster your readers turn pages.
Otherwise, what you're missing here, the thing that will take this from journeyman work to a home run, is your character's want. For us to really care on a deep, page turning level, we need to know, at all times, what Valerie Kane wants. Starting in action is great. Now figure out how Valerie Kane views this action. What does she hope will happen tonight? What does she fear will happen? Convey this to the reader, so that we know from the top of the scene, and we won't be able to put this down.
Goddess of Blah
the writing style is good. Not overly dramatic. The right balance. But the ending (i.e "Scream? There was no reason to scream. Was there?") could do with a TINY bit of work… sounds far too much like Rachel Gibson's style of writing. But otherwise its good.
Thanks for submitting, always like stories that start with dialogue.
Just a few nit picks, the hoodie focus emphasis is redundant, this is a night drop in last Vegas, in a dog park parking area?
Had to reread to make sure who was saying what to whom. Good beginning premise for a romance, but could be shortened and include more action on the first page. So far, we have 2 nervous women sitting in a car…
It was fun! I would read more. I liked the combination of humor and tension, and the hood-hoodie worked for me. Good comments by DM, though.


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Are you a cat lover? Take this quiz and see what you know about cat ancestry, the cat family, cat anatomy and common cat legends.
A very simple short quiz, just to get the brain going first thing in the morning. Answer just ten simple questions by choosing one of the 3 alternatives and find out what your cat IQ is.
If you think you are more of a doggy person, ask your cat to help you!
What's Your Cat IQ?


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West Africa Project
Ospreys in Senegal
By admin on March 15, 2017
Here is a fantastic report from Field Officer John Wright, detailing his three-month-long trip to Senegal to study the osprey population! Complete with John's excellent photographs and drawings.
Last winter, we reported that two Spanish Ornithologists, Rafa Benjumea and Blanca Perez, had found Rutland male 06(09) whilst carrying out bird surveys at Langue de Barbarie NP, Senegal for the NGO Tougoupeul. Rafa and Blanca, who I first met back in 2009 while helping to count migrating raptors at Tarifa, returned to the national park in late November 2016 to continue their bird surveys. The emphasis was on Ospreys, so I joined them to assist with their work.
Langue de Barbarie National Park, situated in north-west Senegal, consists of a narrow 16 km long peninsular of low sand dunes and small trees. The turbulent Atlantic Ocean pounds its beaches on the west side while the sheltered east, once the original entrance of the Senegal river, has now merely become a tidal inlet. A man-made 4 metre wide breach to the spit (see sketch) created in 2003 to help prevent flooding to the nearby city of Saint louis has now grown to be almost 4km wide. This breach may have been instrumental in causing the original opening to the Senegal river 20km to the south to close up in 2011. The former river mouth and Langue de Barbarie NP has now become a 16km long tidal inlet and it remains to be seen what becomes of it in the near future.
The sheltered tidal inlet provides valuable fishing for both Ospreys and local people. The Filao trees, a species adapted to sandy and salty soils, were originally planted on the sand spit to help prevent erosion but have also provided safe roosting sites and food perches for many Ospreys.
Accompanied by the park rangers, we counted, sexed and aged all the Ospreys seen along a 16 km stretch of the langue. Groups of between 20-40 Ospreys were regularly seen and an average morning count was about 150 individuals.
Rutland male 06(09) was present on his favourite stump on the east side of the peninsular but was extremely shy, taking flight long before the boat had reached him. His wintering site couldn't have been more different from his English nesting site. The Red Kites had been replaced with Yellow-billed Kites, the Buzzards for African Fish Eagles, and the Brown Hares for thousands of Fiddler Crabs. The last time that I had seen him was in late August when he was sat in a dead Larch tree close to his farmland nest.
Local people fish and pick cockles almost continuously in the park and the sound of outboard motors and the rattle of cockle shells is rarely absent. Little is known about the fish populations within the inlet and what effect the changing landscape will have on them.
The Atlantic Ocean relentlessly pounds the west side of the peninsular but despite this many of the Ospreys remain on their chosen perches throughout the night.
One particular individual that we got to know really well was this extremely confiding adult female. She bore a Swedish metal ring on her right leg and was a bird that Rafa and Blanca had seen last year. Unlike Rutland male 06 this female would often not take flight until the boat passed 5m away and this allowed us to read five of the seven numbers on the metal ring.
Other raptors wintering alongside the Ospreys were Barbary Falcons from north-west Africa, Booted Eagles from Spain and Peregrine Falcons from Northern Europe.
Many people probably think that all Ospreys head south to spend their winter in exotic locations and, while many do, some, like the bird below, certainly don't. This beach near Saint Louis is literally covered in discarded plastic, several kilometers of it in fact. Discarded fishing nets are probably one of the most dangerous hazards Ospreys face in West Africa. Many nets become snagged on reefs and are cut free by fisherman only to wash up later on the beach. Ospreys will often use them as perches on the shore and I saw several birds getting their feet stuck in them. People and stray dogs were also sometimes a minor inconvenience.
In total I saw 19 ringed Ospreys from Germany, France, England, Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland. The Swiss bird was a juvenile male from the translocation programme (click here for more info) and was still carrying its tail transmitter. I had a brief encounter with an adult male wearing a blue ring on its right leg, which should have been either a Welsh or English bird. However, its underwing pattern certainly ruled it out from being any of the breeding or non breeding Rutland birds, unfortunately. Male orange 11, a French Osprey, had a nice history attached to it. He was ringed at Chambord in July 2003 by our friend Rolf Wahl, and this was the first sighting of this bird since being ringed as a chick. Many colour ringed Lesser Black-backed Gulls from Western Europe also winter in West Africa.
The total number of Ospreys using the Langue de Barbarie NP could easily be in excess of 300, and the most we saw during a mornings boat count was about 180. Given that there are well over 100 Ospreys wintering with Rutland female 30(05) just a little further down the coast, this makes the coast of Senegal incredibly valuable for many of Western Europe's Ospreys.
Posted in West Africa Project | 15 Responses
Home again
By admin on January 23, 2017
We had a wonderful time on our osprey project trip to West Africa, as usual! The wildlife was fantastic, the company was excellent and we stayed in some lovely places. As we all know, during our stay in the Gambia there was some potential for unrest due to the refusal of the current president to step down and make way for the new one, following the elections in early December. This situation worried some people, however, there really was no need for anyone to be worried about us, as the situation was not as the media made out. Everything went smoothly and completely as normal, we did not encounter any unusual activities or problems anywhere. The only thing that changed for us was that the time of our scheduled flight home on Thursday 19th was brought forward by 45 minutes. So the trip went completely to plan!
We would like to thank our excellent team of volunteers for making this trip such good fun! We had some great outings and saw some wonderful wildlife, as detailed in my earlier two blogs. Here are some photographs of the trip, taken by the team.
Posted in West Africa Project
Gambian adventures
By admin on January 18, 2017
On Saturday we left the Sine Saloum, and indeed Senegal, behind us, and headed south. We crossed the border back into Gambia, then we crossed the river and made our way to the next stop – Tendaba Camp. We have visited Tendaba on every trip, and it provides a great taste of rural Africa. The camp is located right on the edge of the Gambia River, and we made the most of this by going on a boat trip across the river and into the mangroves and creeks on the other side. It was a wonderful, peaceful cruise through the overhanging branches, and we saw such a lot of wildlife on the banks of the narrow creeks and channels, and in the trees either side. There were kingfishers, herons, waders and birds of prey, pelicans, crabs and a crocodile!
We only had two nights in the Tendaba area, but we made the most of it and visited two different scrub and grassland sites for the purposes of birdwatching, one of which had a lovely shallow lake, and was an old airfield, apparently. We had some superb views of several excellent species, including indigo bird, dark-chanting goshawk, crested eagle and broad-bellied roller. We also visited a great spot for seeing standard-winged nightjars, and as the light faded we were treated to views of them flitting past the road. We also saw a Verreaux's eagle owl which was a brilliant treat!
When Monday came round it was time to leave Tendaba and head to our next destination, Footsteps Eco-lodge, which is further west towards the coast. None of the team has ever been here before, but it is certainly worth it! The service and food are both excellent and the grounds lovely. On the first day at Footsteps we visited Tanji Marsh, in the hopes of seeing 5F(12) from Rutland Water. We were out of luck, as there were only two or three ospreys around the area. However, we will be popping back before we leave, so we could still be in with a chance of seeing her.
We had a great trip one morning to Kartong bird reserve, where the wetlands gave us great views of white-faced whistling ducks, painted snipe, black-winged stilts, spur-winged goose and ospreys!
Later, we went for lunch at a place called Stala, where we had a delicious buffet before going out on a boat trip on the Allahein river. We saw so many ospreys I lost count! Plus sacred ibis, blue breasted kingfisher, African fish eagle, Wahlberg's eagle and many more.
Posted in West Africa Project
Hello Africa!
By admin on January 13, 2017
We're here!
It was a very long and exhausting day on Monday, but we made it to Senegal! The flight was on time and we collected our bags and made our way to the ferry crossing at the Gambia river. Our trusty bus driver, Alagie, had already crossed with the bus, and we were to make our way across as foot passengers. Unfortunately we just missed the ferry as we arrived and had to wait for an hour for the next one! Eventually we boarded the boat and settled in for a 40 minute trip. We were very excited to see dolphins on the way, which made our tiredness seem to disappear! We had some great views of the dolphins as the came closer and closer to the boat.
Exhausted, hungry and excited, we eventually made it to the Keur Saloum, a lovely hotel on the Sine Saloum delta with a pool and terrace. We spent the first five days of the trip there. Our first morning was taken up mostly with wandering the extensive, wooded grounds of the hotel, taking in the many birds, butterflies and monkeys that we saw.
On several occasions we went out on a little wooden boat looking for ospreys in the Sine Saloum delta, including potentially 32(11) who we found winters here. One day we spent all day in that little wooden boat. We went all the way to the Ile des Oiseaux, where we had a great view on approach of at least six ospreys all together on the shore, eating fish. We had a short walk along the shore to see the birds better, and then headed back to the boat and onto our next stop, which was lunch! We moored up on a lovely sandy beach and ate a picnic lunch on the shelter of a thatched canopy. We visited the island twice and sailed all the way around it, seeing dozens of ospreys sitting on perches, eating fish and flying in and out. We hoped that we would see male osprey 32(11) who we found in this area last year. He's quite a nervous bird, which bodes well for his survival, but means he flies off as soon as boats draw near. However, we did manage to get a view of him and his blue ring one day!
Thanks to Chris Ditchburn we have these great maps showing where we travelled on our three different boat trips!
On another day we visited a woodland site, where we had a great walk up a sandy track looking out for all the birds in the trees and shrubs, of which there were many! Highlights include yellow weavers, a bearded barbet, Abyssinian roller, yellow-fronted tinkerbird and red-cheeked cordon bleu.
On two separate afternoons we headed out to a nearby lake, which was great for both birds and insects! There were several species of dragonfly, some butterflies, plus a giant kingfisher, pearl-spotted owlets, fire finches, dark-chanting goshawk and several ospreys fishing!
Another great sighting was when we were back at the hotel grounds and were treated to a superb view of a skink! It was sitting quite happily in the undergrowth, not worried at all about the cameras that were pointed at it!
We've had a great time in Senegal and tomorrow we are off to the Gambia again! Look out for the next update next week!
Posted in West Africa Project
Back to Africa
By admin on October 26, 2016
In January 2017, the Rutland Osprey Team are heading out to West Africa on an osprey-watching adventure! In anticipation of our trip, let's have a brief look back at the last one…
In January 2016, the Osprey Project team visited The Gambia and Senegal as part of our Osprey Flyways Project. A group of ten fantastic volunteers were there with us for the first ten days, and together we explored bird-rich parts of the The Gambia and Senegal, and were treated to fabulous views of hundreds of exotic species.
After the group departed, Paul, John and I remained in Africa for a further two weeks, and visited other places, some further afield and less accessible. One of the purposes of our trip was to record and document as many colour-ringed ospreys as we could, in order to find out more about their wintering habits and migrations.
The whole trip was a huge success – we saw three Rutland ospreys, several other colour-ringed birds, a plethora of other species, and visited two schools involved in the Ospreys Flyways Project. Plus we had great fun!
One of the three Rutland ospreys we saw was our satellite-tagged female, 30(05), who was perched in her favourite spot on the Senegalese beach she calls her winter home. It was brilliant to see her there, her satellite-tracker aerial clearly visible. More details can be found by clicking here.
One of the other Rutland birds we were privileged to see was 5F(12) at Tanji marsh. We knew she wintered there as she had been spotted there in years before, but of course we weren't guaranteed to see her. Luckily, as we scanned through the stumps on the marsh, there she was, showing off her bright blue leg ring! More details can be found by clicking here.
The most amazing discovery was that of 32(11), an osprey born in Manton Bay to 5R(04) and Maya, the grandson of 03(97), the mate of 30(05) and the father of the 100th Rutland osprey chick! What a wonderful coincidence that it was him we found! We didn't expect it at all. As we sailed towards the Iles de Oiseaux, an osprey with a blue ring on its right leg was spotted in the mangroves. This meant the bird was from England or Wales, and so could be from Rutland! Unfortunately we couldn't get close enough to read the ring. We returned the next day to the same spot, and this time we got it – it was 32(11)! It was a wonderful discovery, and everyone was very excited. More details can be found by clicking here.
We had such an amazing time in Africa, and were privileged to get some incredible close-up views of ospreys flying and fishing. One of the best places was the Somone Lagoon, where a boat trip through the mangroves proved to be the best way of seeing ospreys at close quarters.
We also had several trips to little islands, such as the Iles de Oiseaux and Bijoli island, where we had superb views of ospreys sitting eating fish on the sand, with turnstones trying to steal bits of fish as they were dropped!
John Wright made an excellent video of the trip – click here to see it!
Posted in West Africa Project


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Ever since I got out of college, I've been the one in charge of the meals in our house. To be honest, I learned how to bake before cooking. I tried experimenting a lot, but the dishes I prepare wouldn't turn out great. I even remember a time when my Dad used to make fun of the way my fried eggs didn't look edible. This is why I'm proud to say that I've come a long way since then.This is one of my go-to recipes when I'm feeling uninspired about what to prepare for supper. It's difficult to please every member of the family, so it's always nice to find at least one dish that I'm sure everyone would enjoy. As it turns out, we all love anything crispy. Also, this recipe doesn't require much ingredients. It's very simple.
Crispy Pork Cubes
- around 500 grams of pork cubes
- salt
- pepper
- Boil pork cubes in salted water for 30 minutes.
- Take them out. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Leave the pork cubes in the refrigerator overnight, if possible.
- The pork cubes can be cooked in two ways: with an oven or a frying pan.
- Season the pork cubes in salt and pepper.
- (Oven) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Allow the pork cubes to cook for about an hour or until brown and crispy.
- (Frying pan) Fill your pan with enough oil. Fry pork cubes until brown and crispy.
- Leaving the pork cubes in the fridge overnight will cause them to dry up. This is important, especially if you are aiming to get that layer of crackling on the pork. Otherwise, the fat will be too tough to bite into.
- Frying the pork can turn into a war zone because of the splattering of hot oil. This is why I prefer to use the oven, although it takes more time to cook the pork. Also, you'll feel less guilty because your food won't be soaked in oil.
- I didn't put the exact measurements of the salt and pepper because I didn't take note. I just sprinkled a bit of each onto the pork. It really depends on your preference.


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Arco Iris Spanish Immersion School is a Kinder through 8th grade public charter school in Beaverton, Oregon, featuring Spanish immersion and Singapore Math, a highly acclaimed mathematics program. Our mission is to foster an increased academic ability that includes students becoming bilingual, bi-literate and multi-cultural so that they are fully prepared for college, career, and citizenship. The school was founded by several parents and educators in 2010 who were passionate about their children receiving a rigorous academic education that included a second language.
The first few years were tough. Danielle Siver was able to secure a grant from the US Department of Education for startup costs that helped show the Beaverton School District that we could be a viable entity. After we went through charter approval, we used the funds to buy desks, chairs, book cabinets, whiteboards and everything else you need. Who knew that each document camera (fancy overhead projectors) were more than $1k each? We shopped at City Liquidators in Portland, at commercial auction events, and even on Craigslist where Deonne Knill found some good but used cafeteria tables. Mary Taylor wrote and won our 2nd grant from the US Department of Education and with Jim Mullaney's expert guiding of our finance committee, we finally became solvent. Our start-up team had done its job.
In selecting our curriculum for the school, we researched which countries' students performed the best in math and science. Singapore students, using the Primary Mathematics curriculum (called Singapore Math in the US) placed 1st in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2011, and 2nd in 2007 out of approximately 60 participating countries, in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). (This test is only administered every 4 years.)
The Singapore Math curriculum builds deep understanding of mathematical concepts through multi-step problems and concrete illustrations that demonstrate how abstract mathematical concepts are used to solve problems from different perspectives. We use Singapore Math because students who use it outperform every other country in math and science; because of its emphasis on math concepts, and because of its in depth focus on mastering math skills (instead of a mile wide, inch deep).
We also believe a quality program needs to include learning a second language as well. Studying a second language increases the student's cognitive flexibility, the ability to mentally shuffle material, significantly improving problem solving abilities, and also leads to greater understanding of the world we live in. Students also have daily English class and with the double emphasis on language arts, our students score in the top 10% in the state every year. We want our students to develop an awareness and respect for different cultures, ethnic and racial backgrounds. Teaching young learners about different cultures fosters tolerance and diversity, giving them a wider perspective on the world, appreciation, and respect for the differences in everyone. We have a community that models and encourages character development, respect for diversity, and a sense of responsibility toward the community.
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Our students follow a dress-code to promote unity and cohesiveness. We are proud of our school and can only do it with the support of all of our parents. It does take a village! If you'd like to become part of our village, contact us now to learn how.


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For Admissions inquiries, please fill out the form below. For all other questions, you can either e-mail us at email@example.com, or just give us a call at (845) 687-4855
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One of the things that I'm sure you struggle with is finding enough time.
Like most creative people who are passionate about their craft, I want to spend all of my spare time on it, and I know most of my friends feel the same. I seem to have a natural affinity for writers (after all – I married one!), and so quite a few of my friends are writers. I think it's even harder to find time for writing than painting, and so I thought I'd ask some of my creative friends for their advice on how they find time for their craft.
This is the first in a series of blogs featuring the answers to finding creative time that my friends have given me. I hope you will find them as useful and enlightening as I have and that they help you to think more deeply about finding the time for your art.
So, this week, it's about time for the talented artist Andy Bigwood! Andy is an Artist, Draughtsman, Bookbinder, Cartographer, and Illustrator from Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Trained in technical illustration, in Bath (shortly before the evolution of computer aided art), Andy has provided artwork, cartography and cover designs for a variety of Fantasy, Horror, and Science fiction novels, twice winning the British Science Fiction Association Award for best artwork.
G: Tell me what a typical day looks like for you?
AB: Up at 6AM, train journey, in work for 8AM work until 4:30, train journey until 17:45, 45mins cycling, microwave meal, then doing art or whatever until midnight – three days a week
The other two days I work from home gaining me an hour's extra sleep and 2 hours extra free time!
G: What is your biggest time challenge at the moment, and how are you dealing with it?
AB: Weight loss, achieved by cycling 5 miles at least 3 times a week.
G:Do you make use of internet limiting tools? Do they work?
AB: NO, One can never have too much internet!
You just have to recognise how much time a thing will take and how much you want to invest in it. I find that the hardest thing on the internet is an MMO where you end up leading a group/guild/team… you likely have kids/teens relying on your leadership, and thats a really tough thing to walk away from. Facebook is easy to walk away from.
G: What tip would you give someone struggling to find time to create?
AB: Try to maximise your day. The government has laid down an obligation to employers to allow working from home wherever practical. Not spending 2 or 3 hours travelling a day is a big bonus. If you have to travel to work, try to use public transport, use the time on public transport. On a train you can write, read, look at your mail/email. In the morning I get an extra 40mins sleep on the train and set my phone alarm for two stops before get off.
G: Tell us a little secret about your art/writing/craft.
AB: I am an author and an artist, creatively I can't do both in the same week..the creative energy always goes one way or the other. If you are creative EXHIBIT IT, there is no better ego boost than the unsolicited praise of the public.
G: Do you have any recommended reading/resources that have helped you with your artistic time management?
AB: NO. buying a book on time management is a waste of time. Every person is an individual and will have unique circumstances. In the same way that personal trainers and Gyms work for some people they won't for others (that's why I cycle for exercise).
G: Do you ever involve your child(ren) in your craft, or is it a no go area?
AB: I don't have a child. But if I did, then he/she would be the main focus..consider a child as an art project, teach your child to draw and paint, read and write… the young ones thrive on the attention and are (probably) less trouble when focused on creativity. Clearly what sort of art you can let a child do really depends on age.
G: What couldn't you do without to get you through the day?
AB: Internet access and an ebook to read.
G: Final words of wisdom?
AB: Creativity can't always be set aside, sometimes an artistic concept will DEMAND to be put on paper. When you absolutely NEED to do a piece of art, then you should try to make the time to let it out. And thats what Annual Leave is for.
Many thanks to Andy for these answers and insights into his creative process. If you'd like to discover Andy's fantastic art, you can check out his website and DeviantArt page. Andy is also the organiser of the BristolCon Art Show, so if you are coming along to BristolCon be sure to say hello and check out his work.
Do you have any advice about finding time to be creative, or do you want to ask me any of the questions above? If so, please leave me a comment!


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In addition to all the sweet baking I had ready for the Calgary Food Bloggers Bake Sale I thought it would be nice to do a couple of savoury treats as well. Vincci of Ceci n'est pas une food blog had mentioned they were usually in short supply but sold well at bake sales. Though I had done the majority of the baking the day before the sale, I wanted these foccacia to be super fresh so I made them the morning of. As soon as they were cooled down I packaged them up and headed down to the Calgary Farmer's Market to deliver the goodies and help set up.
I've used a couple of different foccacia recipes in the past and this one from Elise Bauer on Simply Recipes was by far the most labour intensive. In my opinion it took way too long. I need to find that one hour focaccia recipe again! Also, I wouldn't mind trying one with beer added to the batter. As we all know beer makes better batter!
The first proofing
The best part about making focaccia? The hole poking!
Finished Product #1 Yup, I grew the tomatoes and rosemary.
Finished product #2
Recipe is here.


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How to Make Sweet Potato Souffle
While not a traditional soufflé, sweet potato soufflé is a light, fluffy sweet potato side dish that can be topped in a variety of fashions. Canned or fresh, topped or unadorned, learn how to make a sweet potato soufflé and introduce your family to this traditional holiday dish.
Simple Sweet Potato Soufflé Recipe
Soufflé sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is. No matter what else you have cooking in your kitchen, you should have no trouble throwing together this simple recipe.
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for buttering dish
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted cashews
- 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- Fill a large pot with cold salted water and set the sweet potatoes inside.
- Bring the water in the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and mash them in a large bowl.
- Add the evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and pepper and eggs to the potatoes and mix thoroughly.
- Press the mixture into a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Mix together the cashews, marshmallows and coconut in a small bowl. After 25 minutes, pour the mixture on top of the sweet potatoes and return to the oven for approximately 10 more minutes, or until the marshmallows are lightly browned.
- Let sit for five minutes before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
There are countless variations on the basic sweet potato soufflé recipe. Liven up or tone down your recipe using one of these variations.
Canned or Fresh Sweet Potatoes
For many, the answer is clear: Only fresh sweet potatoes will fit the bill for the most flavorful soufflé. If, however, you wish to save time and effort, substitute canned sweet potatoes for fresh with minimal flavor loss. Be sure purchase unsweetened canned sweet potatoes if you decide to use them.
Fresh sweet potatoes can be either baked or boiled before mashing. Baking the potatoes yields the most flavor and best texture, but boiling is often faster.
Yams or Sweet Potatoes
The potatoes you see sold in your grocery store and labeled as yams are likely a variety of sweet potato that has been mislabeled. True yams have dark - almost black - skin and a sweet interior similar to that of a sweet potato. Yams have a higher natural sugar content than sweet potatoes; if you can find real yams, your resulting soufflé will be sweeter.
If you are purchasing potatoes with a lighter colored flesh that are labeled as yams, the chances are that they are actually a sweet potato. Either will work just fine, depending on what is locally available.
Toppings are matter of personal taste. For some, the best part of the sweet potato soufflé is the topping, while others prefer their soufflé unadorned. Give any of the following toppings a try if you'd like some variety to your soufflé:
- Mix together a streusel-like topping with 1/3 cup of butter, 1/3 cup of flour, one cup of brown sugar, and one cup of chopped pecans.
- Sprinkle chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, over the top and bake.
- Top with plain mini-marshmallows.
- Sprinkle chopped peanut brittle on top before baking.
While cinnamon is used in nearly every sweet potato soufflé, it isn't the only spice that works. Try out any of the following to give your soufflé a signature flavor.
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Ginger
- Mace
Create a Delicious Side Dish
Once you've perfected your soufflé recipe, don't just confine it to holiday meals. Make this simple side dish any time of year to add some sweetness to your day.