text:
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Amused Am I
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Spelled wrong this cake is, and lonely-looking that raspberry.
Christine A., if 60 miles I did, disappointed in this cake I would be.
139 comments | Post a Comment
- Fiona Picklebottom said...
Maybe the cake was for Yoda. :)
- March 14, 2009 at 9:34 AM
- My Big Fat Super Super Obese Blog said...
LMAO, I'd be disappointed with that measly old cake after 60 miles of anything. Make me laugh you did.
- March 14, 2009 at 9:37 AM
- emiliy said...
did yoda order this cake? it sounds like he talks.
- March 14, 2009 at 9:40 AM
- Kim H. said...
When did Yoda start doing cake decorating?!
- March 14, 2009 at 9:41 AM
- Sarah Glova said...
poor raspberry, it is.
- March 14, 2009 at 9:42 AM
- C. Beth said...
Yoda cakes are fun, even in pink.
- March 14, 2009 at 9:43 AM
- Perpetual Mommy Exhaustion said...
Is the decorater from the Degoba system?
- March 14, 2009 at 9:44 AM
- shawn said...
Unless it was Yoda talking.. then cake this good would be...
AND let me tell you.. if 60 miles you did.. dissappointed are you!! - March 14, 2009 at 9:45 AM
- vampirefriends said...
This is such a pathetic cake it almost makes me want to cry...
- March 14, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Make more sense it would, if Master Yoda on the cake, he was.
- March 14, 2009 at 9:51 AM
Did Yoda make this cake?
- March 14, 2009 at 9:53 AM
- K.Lee said...
A cake for Yoda this is!
- March 14, 2009 at 9:53 AM
- Vashti said...
It looks like it might be pretty yummy though.
- March 14, 2009 at 10:00 AM
- Shira-chan said...
giggled I did. funny that cake is. good one!
- March 14, 2009 at 10:02 AM
For Jar Jar Binks this cake was made thinks I.
Tammy R. - March 14, 2009 at 10:05 AM
- Amy said...
Used the force, this wreckerator should have.
- March 14, 2009 at 10:06 AM
- Tammy said...
Yoda says, "Cake, eat it I will"
- March 14, 2009 at 10:07 AM
- Amy said...
The economy is so bad that Yoda has begun an apprenticeship as a cake decorator.
The line, "Do or do not. There is no try," comes to mind. And? "That is why you fail." - March 14, 2009 at 10:08 AM
- Pali said...
By the way, it says "congraDulations" (I suppose. This baker should take the alineation classes from older posts).
- March 14, 2009 at 10:11 AM
A lonely nipple perhaps??
Sad that cake looks. - March 14, 2009 at 10:12 AM
- D.B. Echo said...
Hmmm. I wonder if this was supposed to be a "boob" cake?
- March 14, 2009 at 10:13 AM
as an English major and editor, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people spell it "congradulations" and not with the correct "t." UGH!
- March 14, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Laughing I am.
- March 14, 2009 at 10:21 AM
- gryphondear said...
I'm glad you mentioned that was a raspberry (raspberry?) I thought it was a prune. Gave a whole different mind visual of 60 miles.
WV-crablesq: artificial crabmeat
;^) Jan the Gryphon
http://gryph-wotd.blogspot.com - March 14, 2009 at 10:22 AM
- Lafianza.doula said...
oh now that is the best one I've seen in a long time. that lonely little berry in the middle just cracks me up!
- March 14, 2009 at 10:22 AM
"Well, yes I was watching Star Wars while decorating this. How did you know?"
- March 14, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Amateur this one must be
- March 14, 2009 at 10:24 AM
It sounds like Yoda is getting into cake decoration. Decorating I am, yes
:) Leah - March 14, 2009 at 10:25 AM
- Hyena Overlord said...
From the Yoda/Dr. Suess bakery it is, yes.
wv..gramest..is when your gramma is the best she's the gramest gramma there is. - March 14, 2009 at 10:26 AM
- Rebecca said...
If Yoda ordered this cake, then I can understand...
- March 14, 2009 at 10:26 AM
- Unknown said...
60 miles? Breast cancer walk, maybe? Would give that lone raspberry some meaning, anyway... ;)
Jill - March 14, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Did Yoda commission this cake?
- March 14, 2009 at 10:28 AM
- Blalock said...
Love it!!! Your commentary always makes me laugh.
- March 14, 2009 at 10:28 AM
- Cooking_With_Ginger said...
You must get rid of the flying ad!
- March 14, 2009 at 10:34 AM
- Christa said...
Sickened also am I. For what she did 60 miles wonders I?
Okay this is making my head hurt, it's like translating Spanish! - March 14, 2009 at 10:34 AM
- D'Lyn said...
Did this person walk the Breast Cancer 3-Day? 60 miles in 3 days to raise money for the CURE?? I do the 3-Day each year in memory of my Mom and am wondering if that's what this cake is for. If so, after sleeping in a pink tent for two days and peeing in a porta-potty every 3 miles, this cake would bring a few laughs! p.s. Love your site! And so do all my friends!
- March 14, 2009 at 10:35 AM
- Jen said...
I have to wonder if this was a cake made for someone who completed the 3-Day breast cancer walk... that might explain the lonely little raspberry, and add a whole other level of wreckiness to it... :-)
- March 14, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Did Yoda make this!?
- March 14, 2009 at 10:40 AM
- Sue said...
Channeling Yoda maybe they were. Poor sad cake it is.
- March 14, 2009 at 10:44 AM
- Unknown said...
That's a very sad cake...
- March 14, 2009 at 10:45 AM
maybe it was for yoda? :)
- March 14, 2009 at 10:49 AM
- Anon E. Mouse said...
talk like yoda, this is.
http://carsaplenty.blogspot.com - March 14, 2009 at 10:50 AM
- Elleah said...
Wow, bad grammar combined with bad spelling...what a terrible combo!
- March 14, 2009 at 10:52 AM
I actually like how this is worded. It's an ugly cake, though.
- March 14, 2009 at 10:54 AM
So Yoda did 60 miles of what?
Monique D. - March 14, 2009 at 10:55 AM
- Doublebanker said...
60th Birthday Happy to you!
Daily Gif Blog
DB - March 14, 2009 at 10:57 AM
- laura beth said...
Maybe it's because I'm allergic to it, but that raspberry looks extremely threatening for some reason. It's like he doesn't care that he's the only one on that cake... he's not afraid to be seen, upside down, without any friends. Personally, I think that raspberry might be trying to take over the world.
and I think Yoda might be kinda mad that we are ripping off his language... just sayin - March 14, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Like Yoda, we speak.
- March 14, 2009 at 10:58 AM
- jlk said...
Sounds like Yoda was the wreckerator here.
- March 14, 2009 at 10:59 AM
- March 14, 2009 at 11:01 AM
- Tracy said...
Sixty miles you did. Strawberry you get. Jedi master Yoda rest of cake gets.
- March 14, 2009 at 11:11 AM
- MarieA said...
Yoda decorated did! LMAO!!!!
- March 14, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Any chance it was supposed to read:
60 Miles!
You did it!
They just left off the "it"? - March 14, 2009 at 11:31 AM
It looks like it's made of potted meat.
- March 14, 2009 at 11:37 AM
- Joy said...
Looks like a stack of baloney, it does
- March 14, 2009 at 11:38 AM
- Viewtiful_Justin said...
Was this Dagobah Decorators?
- March 14, 2009 at 11:49 AM
The comments on this one are inspired!
Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com) - March 14, 2009 at 11:52 AM
- Dorci said...
What's up with that frosting color, too? I know it's supposed to be strawberry, but it looks more like flesh-toned. Ew. Food coloring, people!
- March 14, 2009 at 12:06 PM
- Katie Meyers said...
i think this is my favorite cake i have ever seen on this site. that raspberry. oh my god.
- March 14, 2009 at 12:23 PM
- utaduta said...
i love how the words are melting of the cake! the rest of congratulations is on the side of the cake or something. carp did i even spell it right?! ha!
- March 14, 2009 at 12:26 PM
- Heidi D said...
I think the only time a lone piece of fruit works on a cake is if it's a cherry. I look back to classic Disney cartoons. If they had a cake, it was always finished with a cherry.
- March 14, 2009 at 12:29 PM
- Marcie said...
I love your blog, but must admit I haven't laughed *out loud* in a while. (Silently, yes :) Today I got my laugh out loud. My almost-two-year old saw me laughing and joined in. Thanks for the chuckles! Sarah and little J.
- March 14, 2009 at 12:35 PM
- Sally Comes Unraveled said...
Please with cake, Yoda is.
Sorry about another Yoda joke, Sally is. - March 14, 2009 at 12:37 PM
If it were green, with long twisty ears, less disturbing the misspelling might have been.
Or not. - March 14, 2009 at 12:39 PM
- Unknown said...
Sad, that cake is.
~Amy B - March 14, 2009 at 12:41 PM
- fergojisan said...
I also thought that they just forgot the "it" at the end. Maybe this cake is part of the "Cakes Without Borders" program.
I refuse to mention any Star Wars characters here. :) - March 14, 2009 at 12:51 PM
- karina said...
Expected to see Yoda when reading the title, I did.
- March 14, 2009 at 12:58 PM
If 900 years you lived, a few hobbies you would need, and if English your 31st language was, some errors you would make.
- March 14, 2009 at 1:06 PM
I would be so depressed if I received that!!
- March 14, 2009 at 1:06 PM
- Jenn J said...
Looking at the previous comments aboutthe Breast Cancer Walk for a possible theme, this brings a whole new spin on the "Boob Cake". A cake that looks like a boob...or a cake done by a boob? You choose. :)
- March 14, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Poor sad little raspberry! :( Who gets the raspberry? The person who did the 60 miles? The person cutting the cake? Or are you supposed to try to divide the raspberry amongst all the people eating the cake?
- March 14, 2009 at 1:28 PM
- Erica said...
looks like a nipple, it does
- March 14, 2009 at 1:41 PM
- Laura said...
hmmmm...hilarious, your posts will be.
Strong, the funny Force is with you! - March 14, 2009 at 1:42 PM
The cake is small because the jock-ette who did 60 miles doesn't eat as much cake as I do. That's why she can DO 60 miles! :)
- March 14, 2009 at 2:20 PM
- Ms. Shaw said...
On the plus side, that cake looks like an eight-layer raspberry liqueur cake, which is one of the most delicious things known to man.
A silver lining there always is.
-Lispeth - March 14, 2009 at 3:10 PM
- Jen said...
@ Cooking with Ginger - dang, is that flying ad STILL up? Rats. We've asked our ad agency to remove it twice now. I'm on it - thanks for letting me know.
- March 14, 2009 at 3:16 PM
haha I love the commentary, I actually LOLed.
- March 14, 2009 at 3:37 PM
- Jennifer said...
Maybe it's supposed to look flesh colored... and the lone raspberry is supposed to look like a nipple.
Perhaps she walked 60 miles in the breast cancer 3-day? Then a breast cake would be appropriate. The wording (and spelling) however - is horrendous. - March 14, 2009 at 3:40 PM
You're reading it wrong!! Read from the bottom up -- "You did 60 miles -- raspberry -- congraDulations" Not sure what the raspberry is for -- must have some meaning between the two of them. Juanita
- March 14, 2009 at 4:01 PM
A Wreckerator, Yoda is?
Allowed, the mispelling is, for bad english Yoda speaks. - March 14, 2009 at 4:27 PM
Pass the lightsaber you will, so cut the cake I can. This is not the berry you have been looking for, move along now.
Bring the Darth Vader baby cake forward you will. Much tasties it looks. - March 14, 2009 at 5:03 PM
I took a picture of this really terrible cake today, but I was using my dad's phone and apparently cannot send it to myself. :(
- March 14, 2009 at 5:40 PM
I actually didn't think that the grammar and spelling were the worst part of the cake...to me it looks like a stack of oversized bologna. What color is that frosting? YUCK!
- March 14, 2009 at 5:45 PM
HOLY Yoda cake. Haha
- March 14, 2009 at 6:01 PM
I've been having a really yucky day and this cake and your comments made me laugh HARD, which I really needed. I agree that 60 miles of anything deserves much better than this! Although maybe if it was running and the person's in training, an ugly cake might help them say no to a second slice. I hope he/she got the raspberry on their slice!
- March 14, 2009 at 6:13 PM
- Paula & Skip said...
Poor thing, however most of my cakes look similar and they don,t get the credit of being associated with Yoda.
- March 14, 2009 at 6:15 PM
I'd like to thanks everyone who mentioned how much that cake looks like a boob. I almost thought the decorator was going to get away with it. It is soooooooooooo a breasticle cake.
Verification word:
... no comment. - March 14, 2009 at 6:22 PM
- Lorna said...
My guess is it's for someone that walked the breast cancer 3 day, and it's a boob, with a raspberry for a nipple.
- March 14, 2009 at 6:23 PM
- kyooty said...
but why is there no picture of pi today?
- March 14, 2009 at 6:27 PM
- Scritzy said...
The berry isn't even centered!
- March 14, 2009 at 6:31 PM
- Jacquie said...
Besides the Yoda talk did anyone else notice Congratulations is spelled congraDulations?
- March 14, 2009 at 6:36 PM
- sendingtheclowns said...
So why all the grooves on the side? Was it done on a lathe of some sort? Or, could it be that there are actually 10 little flat layers, each one representing 6 of The Miles?
Maybe the unnamed honoree did 60 miles of berry-picking???? (Oh, Gawd--shades of The Grapes of Wrath!)
At any rate, we may never know the answers --OR what is causing the cake to erupt in pimples. - March 14, 2009 at 6:43 PM
- The Maples said...
Long time reader, first time commenter...
Maybe Yoda just finished the breast cancer 3 day... doesn't it look like a giant nipple with the lonely raspberry? - March 14, 2009 at 7:07 PM
- Angela Robinson said...
This may be a short post, but made me laugh out loud, it did!
- March 14, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Off center, this is.
- March 14, 2009 at 7:40 PM
- joyce said...
you have the smartest commenters ever. That cake had me stumped. I agree with Jill---must be for some breast cancer walk, but talking like Yoda is funny, too.
But, one raspberry? Is that like giving someone "the" raspberry? - March 14, 2009 at 7:42 PM
- fuzzandfuzzlet said...
A bit ironic to celebrate 60 miles ( of what I assume is some type of exercise) with cake.
I wonder if Sam I Am is involved? - March 14, 2009 at 7:55 PM
LMAO at all the Yoda comments!
- March 14, 2009 at 8:04 PM
- elesa said...
This may be my favorite post so far. How can two lines be so, so funny?
- March 14, 2009 at 8:05 PM
- TB Tabby said...
I think there was supposed to be an "it" at the bottom. But this amuses me, especially since I recently got the XBox 360 version of Soul Calibur IV that features Yoda.
- March 14, 2009 at 8:30 PM
- Giusi. said...
i love you and yer comments bahahahhaa
yer the best <333 - March 14, 2009 at 9:17 PM
- Amber said...
And such lovely, centered writing.
- March 14, 2009 at 9:21 PM
OK, I won't kill the Yoda references, though it's really freakin' funny.
Basically, the cake is OK. Dull, but OK. It's not leaning over, the icing looks consistent, (with little bits 'o berry in it) and it seems really tall! The only downfall is the half-assed script, misspellings and the fact that it looks like the Yoda words are slowly sliding off the cake. Still, a wreck is a wreck! - March 14, 2009 at 9:27 PM
Tee-hee. Rasberry looks tasty.
- March 14, 2009 at 9:39 PM
- cpurl17 said...
Hi! I'm the Christine A. who did the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk and this was my supposed to be my "Congratulations! You Did It!" celebration cake. My sister and I laughed so hard, and after 60 miles and feet covered with blisters, this cake was worth it!
- March 14, 2009 at 10:50 PM
I agree. For Yoda this cake was.
- March 14, 2009 at 11:09 PM
- Unknown said...
I have laughed at a lot of your posts. But this one had me laughing, it nearly woke my kids, it did
- March 14, 2009 at 11:43 PM
- Caitlan said...
I think it is supposed to be written the way those chalk instructions on the ground are when you do a bike race, like you read them bottom-to-top as you ride over them.
I can't justify the raspberry, however. - March 15, 2009 at 12:02 AM
Rolled on floor laughing I did. Favorite post ever this is.
- March 15, 2009 at 12:27 AM
- jackie31337 said...
kyooty said but why is there no picture of pi today?
Because this is cake wrecks, not pie wrecks. Although that would be amusing, too. - March 15, 2009 at 2:40 AM
The most perplexing thing to me is that the icing is very well done. This cake is even, leveled, and the buttercream (that's not fondant) is very smooth. The little ridges from the spatula on the side are even, so whoever
*iced* it had a steady hand and knew what they were doing, even if they didn't take the time to smooth it down completely.
My guess it this was one of those blank "pick me and ad your message" cakes, and that whoever put the crap on top was on a different shift and wasn't responsible for the cake prior to that moment. - March 15, 2009 at 9:08 AM
- Dreamybee said...
In all fairness, "Congratulations" takes up a lot more room on a cake than you think it will when you start writing!
- March 15, 2009 at 11:01 AM
- Bartelmy said...
You wouldn't, you'd pounce on it, mouth first.
"Omnomnomnom, neeeeeed sugary glucose, hit the wall, caaaaaaaaaake." - March 15, 2009 at 12:41 PM
hahahahahahahahahahahaha!! *gasp* hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.... *gasp* hahahahahaha, hahahahahaha. Oh. my. That was funny - I haven't laughed out loud at cake in such a long time. This is as good as the naked mohawk baby carrot jockeys!
Thanks for that, I needed it.
S - March 16, 2009 at 8:45 AM
- Misha said...
See, this would have been the perfect segue into that Yoda cake I submitted... I am assuming it hasn't been posted yet because you're waiting to collect more Star Wars stuff for an EPIC post. ;)
- March 16, 2009 at 11:47 AM
- JD said...
the force is strong with that one
- March 16, 2009 at 12:14 PM
I was trying to figure out why a stack of blank CDs (still on the spindle of the packaging) would have "60 miles" written on the top one...60 minutes, maybe. (Although the ones sitting in my desk drawer right now say 80 minutes.)
WV: porep. That's an extremely porepresentation of a breast, if that's what was intended. - March 16, 2009 at 1:14 PM
- Bree said...
Well, we know Yoda wants to save the tatas!
---Bree - March 16, 2009 at 3:25 PM
May the Schwartz be with you...
- March 16, 2009 at 6:20 PM
I really, really hope that no one actually paid for that mess.
Anyone who could charge for that pinnacle of half-a55edness should have piped the telephone number of a leading local proctologist on teh side of the cake.
Because if you give that to someone who did 60 miles of anything (I'm including sitting in the back seat with your nose pressed against the window, okay?!), you're likely to need medical assistance to remove the cake from the bodily orifice into which it would have been deservedly stuffed. - March 16, 2009 at 6:50 PM
- Caitie Miller said...
I'm wondering exactly what that 60 miles was of. Running? Biking? Cake-hucking?
- March 16, 2009 at 11:15 PM
- Kim said...
As a Breast Cancer 3-Day walker, I'd be willing to bet that this cake was made to celebrate at the end of that very long weekend. And perhaps a walker themselves did the decorating for their team, which explains the slight resemblance to a boob, as well as the misspellings and grammar. Trust me, after walking 60 miles, your brain is mush.
- March 17, 2009 at 9:26 AM
- tinuviel said...
hee hee hee :D
i just discovered your blog and i'm an instant subscriber! :) - March 18, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Who ever did the writing didn't space plan very well... the "s" is almost off the cake!
- March 18, 2009 at 6:25 PM
A cake artist Yoda now is, I did not know!
- March 19, 2009 at 12:45 PM
- laurabeth said...
that raspberry is just so sad all alone up there on top of that ugly little yoda cake...lol
- March 19, 2009 at 9:10 PM
- V said...
Unless Yoda freak this person is, appreciate this cake they will not.
- March 20, 2009 at 10:15 AM
- Rebekah said...
You can't go wrong with "Yoda-speak". Right?
- March 20, 2009 at 11:16 AM
- Unknown said...
I know this is from a while ago, but I couldn't help but notice that this cake looks like a stack of ham slices.
- March 29, 2009 at 1:16 AM
- Tina & Drew said...
Is this a Cake Love cake?
Delish cakes but looks like someone did a horrible job on the writing... - April 3, 2009 at 9:09 PM
- Another Face said...
Disappointing very, is this cake, LOL. (See? Backwards that is!)
- June 11, 2009 at 10:54 AM
- Beth Gardner said...
Man, after 60 miles of flying the star ship around Dagobah, apparently Yoda felt like he deserved some reward. Imagine him at the store.
Store...person: How can I help you sir?
Yoda: Order a cake, I want to. Buttercream you have it do you? - July 28, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Yoda a good decorator is not.
- August 19, 2009 at 12:52 AM
- Anireth said...
Haiku cake it is
- December 13, 2009 at 8:21 PM
I think it might be for a guy named Miles who turned 60. "Congratulations, Miles! 60 - You did it!" or the like. Did anyone think about that?
- April 29, 2010 at 5:58 PM
snorting i am, with laughter.
- September 28, 2010 at 9:49 PM
Is it wrong that I feel sad for that poor little raspberry? Imagine being left all alone so that everyone thinks you're the one that decorated that cake! Please don't jeer at the raspberry, it's not his fault.
- October 5, 2010 at 1:14 AM
- Rebecca Reece said...
God! It is so difficult to crack up in public without looking like a moron... too late, it is... ~RR
- October 19, 2010 at 12:55 PM
- Citrine Griffin said...
60 miles you did what? pancakes this cake is made of. Master Yoda, where is? this cake a german made by was.
- May 15, 2011 at 6:04 PM
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You are better than good, you are great! We appreciate your ability to complete our requests in an expedient and competent manner. Your prompt attention and concern for our wishes is very professional and you make us feel comfortable in our dealings with you. Thank all of you for all you do. :D
Thanks Clever Mutt™! The site looks great on all devices, wish we'd found you sooner!
It was utterly refreshing to work with a technology partner that worked constantly to suit our individual needs.
You guys rock!!
Thank you so much for building our awesome website. As you can tell, I absolutely love it.....you made all of my crazy dreams come true with our site and I can't wait to share it with others!
Extremely quick and efficient, thanks guys!
Thanks for all the work you've done and for listening to me! The proofs are great! Can't wait to see it when we launch it!
Thank you for the quick responses. I appreciate you and your good work.
I am soooooooo glad I chose Clever Mutt™ as my website developer, and I will definitely be recommending you to anybody that will listen.
Excellent customer service! Exceptional attention to detail. We have used Clever Mutt™ for many years and have always had great customer service. We have never had any negative issues. Their team does fantastic with creativity and fast response time. I will always be partners with Clever Mutt™ for all our business internet web services.
Thank you again for the outstanding presentation this morning. I am very excited and inspired by your creativity and am looking forward to the final results
This company has some of the best customer service I have ever seen.
Thank you for all the hard work you are putting into designing the Mirabella website. It is AMAZING! We can't wait to show it off to everyone.
Thanks again for being there! This is why we went with you guys.
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I cannot wait to begin to show our new web software platform to potential clients, old clients, and to our team. I believe this will take all that we do to a new, next level!
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I really appreciate the very quick response!
Thanks for everything so far! Sites look good, and seem to function really well.
Wonderful support, thank you :)

subset: commoncrawl


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Here in the U.S., analysts are trying to figure out what affect an oil refinery fire could have on gasoline prices. The fire erupted Monday night at an important refinery in Richmond, California. It's owned by Chevron Corporation. It was extinguished within five hours, but could have a lasting impact.
NPR's Richard Gonzales reports that gas prices are expected to shoot up in an already expensive market.
RICHARD GONZALES, BYLINE: The Chevron Richmond refinery is one of the country's biggest, processing up to 240,000 barrels of crude oil every day.
Officials have yet to determine the extent of the damage, but flames that could be seen for miles away and video of the fire already has had a psychological impact on the market, says Denton Sinquegrana, executive editor with the Oil Price Information Service.
DENTON SINQUEGRANA: Based on what we see in the wholesale market, you know, right now the California average is about $3.86 a gallon, I honestly would not be surprised if we saw, you know, a four-dollar average in California as soon as within the next week.
GONZALES: That would be an average price hike of 14 cents a gallon. Other analysts are predicting a hike of 30 cents a gallon.
California has strict environmental rules that require a special blend of gas for motorists, so it's not as simple as merely importing gas from other states.
Economist Christopher Thornberg of Beacon Economics says higher gas prices could be disruptive, but might also be a boost for more fuel efficient vehicles.
CHRISTOPHER THORNBERG: So in other words, if the damage is extensive, you probably should go out and buy yourself a Prius dealership. If it's not, perhaps you want to stick to a Hummer One.
GONZALES: More than 200 local residents sought treatment at nearby hospitals for breathing problems. Chevron officials have apologized to the community for the fire.
Richard Gonzales NPR News San Francisco. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Elissa R., does Tomb Wrecks know about this?
Update from John: For those of you crying "Photoshop:"
This is clearly cut in the stone; look carefully at the S in both words. We also have Elissa as our eyewitness, who took this pic with her own camera while standing in the graveyard.
Besides, after the amount of Wreckage we've documented, does this really surprise you that much? ;)


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This months Daring Bakers challenge was chocolate eclairs. I have been wanting to try making chocolate eclairs for a while and making them for the Daring Bakers was the perfect opportunity. Chocolate eclairs consist of cream puff pastry or choux pastry, pastry cream and a chocolate glaze. The chocolate eclairs were pretty fun to make. The choux pastry was interesting as the dough is made on the stove top. The original recipe called for a chocolate pastry cream but I decided to go with a simple vanilla pastry cream. The chocolate eclairs turned out really well. The puff pastry was nice and light and airy and the pastry cream was cool and refreshing and full of vanilla goodness. They were a bit messy to eat but so good.
Chocolate Eclairs
Chocolate Eclairs
- cream puff pastry
- chocolate glaze (warmed)
- pastry cream
- Slice the eclairs in half horizontally with a serrated knife.
- Place the tops on a rack above parchment paper.
- Spread the glaze over the tops and allow the chocolate to set.
- Fill the bottoms with pastry cream.
- Place the set tops onto the bottoms and enjoy.
Cream Puffs (Choux Pastry)
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter (cut into 8 pieces)
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- Bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to a roiling boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and mix in all of the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
- Continue to stir for 2-3 minutes. The dough will be soft and smooth.
- Pour the dough into a bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Form the dough into the desired shapes on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
- Bake in a pre-heated 375F/190C oven and bake for 7 minutes.
- Stick the handle of a wooden spoon into the oven door to hold it ajar and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Rotate the baking sheet from front to back and bake for another 8 minutes or until the eclairs are puffed and golden brown. (With the door ajar.)
- Let the eclairs cool for a few hours.
Pastry Cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean (sliced and seeds scraped)
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (sifted)
- 1 1/4 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Bring the milk and vanilla bean seeds to a boil in a saucepan.
- Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in another sauce pan.
- Temper the egg yolks and with the milk and combine.
- Strain the mixture back into the sauce pan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking and continue to whisk for a minute.
- Transfer the cream to a bowl and set the bowl in an ice water bath to cool while still stirring.
- Once the mixture has cooled some stir in the butter.
- Return the bowl to the ice water bath and continue to stir until completely cooled.
Chocolate Sauce
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Bring everything to a boil in a sauce pan while stirring.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until the sauce thickens.
Chocolate Glaze
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (cut into 4 pieces, room temperature)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons Chocolate Sauce (room temperature)
- Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small sauce pan.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate.
- Stir in the butter followed by the chocolate sauce.


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Dear Editor:
For the past several years I have been writing to your column and you have graciously printed my articles. I feel I once more must bring attention to my cause with the hope that my efforts will have results. My hope is that if our state and federal representatives are reminded of the need for the development of the New Jersey side of Ellis Island that our national landmark will become a source of great pride for New Jersey instead of the cash cow it is for New York.
Developing the New Jersey side of Ellis Island would generate:
1) New and continuous employment for the state.
2) Increase tax dollars for the state.
3) Develop a tourist attraction that has the potential for creating new income for the state and local businesses.
4) Restoration of a majestic historic site.
Our state currently has the fifth highest tax rate in the nation, yet we rank forty-fifth in realizing the benefit of the taxes collected. The bottom line here is that we have staring us in the face daily the opportunity to help so many of our citizens who need it most in these hard economic times. But we continue to be bested by New York. We supply New York with everything it needs to operate "their" side of Ellis Island while we ignore our side leaving it in disrepair.
I believe we have the best country in the world. I served my country, my state, and my city. I believe we have it within us to do the right thing I just think our leaders need to be reminded. So here is my reminder, utilize our natural resources, create much needed employment and honor our ancestors. Get off your butts and take interest in Ellis Island.
In closing I would like to remind everyone that our country is at war and our service men and woman are overseas making sure we all can be safe and sleep peacefully at night. Please keep them in your prayers and honor them when they come home. They honor you every day. Thank you and God Bless.
Al Rinn


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12 Findings on Mind, Brain & Education
Mind, Brain, and Education is the first in a nine paper series from JFF called Students at the Center. Like all of JFF's work, the series focuses on helping students from all backgrounds graduate ready for post secondary education and the 21st century knowledge economy.
Student-centered learning, according to JFF, provides "flexible learning experiences that enable students at various levels to build toward mastery of a common set of core skills. A commitment to addressing the individual needs and goals of each student is at the core of the model.
As outlined in the iNACOL paper Cracking the Code: Synchronizing Policy and Practice for Performance-Based Learning, JFF advocates for "customized pathways," bridges between formal and informal learning, and advancement based on mastery.
Here's a dozen conclusions from Mind, Brain and Eduation:
- Students' brains continuously adapt to the environments where they live and work. As students learning in these places, these experiences gradually sculpt the architecture of the brain.
- Students' genetic predispositions interact with learning experiences to give rise to a wide range of individual differences.
- Students learning English as a second language are processing written information in somewhat different ways than native English speakers so standard reading instruction techniques may not be the right fit for their needs.
- Mathematics is at least partially dissociable from other cognitive domains and abilities within the domain of mathematics can be dissociable from one another.
- Emotions direct students' learning processes, helping them gravitate toward positive situations and away from negative ones.
- Education should give students opportunities to practice setting goals, tracking progress toward them, adjusting strategies along the way, and assessing outcomes.
- Education can support the development of emotional regulation skills, and this should be a priority as emotional regulation skills strongly predict academic achievement.
- When students from disadvantaged backgrounds are in high-quality schools, their cortisol levels decrease throughout the day. The better the school, the more the cortisol levels decrease. Therefore, a quality learning environment can help students reach healthy cortisol levels, which lead to better emotional regulation and more favorable learning outcomes.
- Environments that promote positive relationships and a sense of community promote learning.
- Providing meaningful learning experiences with ongoing guidance can enable students at all levels to build toward mastery of a common set of skills.
- This scientific evidence that emotion is fundamental to learning settles longstanding ideological debates concerning whether educators should be responsible for emotional development—if educators are responsible for intellectual development, they are inherently involved in emotional development as well.
- Student-centered approaches to learning require students to be self-directed and responsible for their own learning, which requires executive functioning skills such as goal setting, planning, and monitoring progress.
Authors Christina Hinton, Kurt W. Fischer, Catherine Glennon made a solid contribution in this paper. A summary of what we know about how the brain works is the right place to start for a series on student-centered learning.
For more see a review of John Medina's book, Brain Rules Schools: what school would look like if we listened to research and Science Worth Reading in the New Year.
Here's five other JFF reports we reviewed last year:
- Report: Innovations at Scale
- Report: From Remediation to Acceleration
- Report: Assessments for College Readiness in Florida
- Jobs for the Future Launches Credentials that Work
- Jobs for the Future Outlines Policy for Early Graduation Incentives


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Our Philosophy
The planners of Private Wealth Financial Partners are affiliated with and registered representatives of Lincoln Financial Advisors/Sagemark Consulting
What you do today determines your direction, your prosperity and your future
When you engage our services, you benefit from financial planning and personal service unparalleled in the industry. We take the time to fully understand you and your needs. Then we provide you with the information, advice and alternatives you will need to make the best possible decisions about your financial future.
Our firm's philosophy - "Serve First, Last and AlwaysSM " - was conceived over 60 years ago by legendary manager Stuart Smith and still drives our business today. As part of this philosophy:
- We provide solutions and alternatives, but each client makes the final decisions about their own financial future.
- Each financial plan is systematically reviewed to ensure it remains consistent with the client's long-term goals and objectives, and is aligned with our changing world.
- Each client receives confidential, highly customized, personal service.
Abundant intellectual capital is one of our greatest strengths. Our firm's resources are managed nationally, but deployed regionally and locally. Because we provide a deep level of expertise and resources, our financial planners receive consistent, high quality functional support that enables them - and ultimately you - to receive the very best thinking our firm has to offer.
We utilize a team approach - anchored by our highly skilled advisors, who are responsible for managing all pertinent aspects of financial planning. Additional support is obtained, when necessary, from local and national teams that consist of industry experts who have strong technical backgrounds in all areas of financial planning. This business model allows our financial planners a high degree of autonomy so that they can focus solely on assisting clients in helping meet their financial goals.
Some needs are solved with financial products. Objectivity is the key to our process. Our open architecture platform gives our financial planners access not only Lincoln products, but our "best of breed" approach also gives access to insurance from other highly rated companies, private money managers, thousands of mutual funds managers, exchange traded funds, individual issue stocks, bonds, TIPS, public and private REITs, and hundreds of fixed and variable annuity contracts.
As a company, we believe in providing our clients with clarity and solutions that help meet their needs. We believe that long-term relationships are more important than short-term gains, and will never sacrifice the former for the latter. Conviction in what we do; the courage to get our clients to take action; competency based on continuing education and training; bringing national resources together on a team that will benefit each client; and communication that builds understanding and trust - these are the key qualities of "Serve First, Last and AlwaysSM." And these are the commitments we make to each of our clients.
So if you'd like to create, preserve and protect your wealth, the partner of choice is clear:Lincoln Financial Advisors.


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2014 FIFA World Cup: Belgium Eliminates US, 2-1
Belgium scored twice in extra time and eliminated the United States, 2-1, in the first round of knockout play at the 2014 FIFA World Cup at Salvador, Brazil on Tuesday.With the victory, the Belgians advanced to face Argentina in the quarterfinal round on Saturday.
After both teams completed regulation time without scoring, the Belgians finally got a ball past American goalkeeper Tim Howard when Kevin De Bruyne scored in the 93rd minute. Belgium's Romelu Lukaku added a second goal at the 105' mark.
Julian Green scored the first US goal two minutes later, but the rally fell short. American Clint Dempsey had a chance to tie the game late, but Belgian goalie Thibaut Courtois made a terrific save to preserve the win.
American goalie Howard was brilliant throughout the contest. Belgium outshot the US. 39-17 and dominated the scoring chances in the match.
The other three quarterfinal matches were set earlier: Brazil vs. Colombia and France vs. Germany, both on Friday, and Costa Rica vs. The Netherlands on Saturday.


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I might not have had a very close or deep relationship with her, and although still wonder what she thought of me or if she loved me (unfortunately, the members of my family have never been known for expressing or showing their feelings) she has had a big influence on me as she was an admirable cook and baker who always delighted everybody with her divine creations. Eventhough she was not the attentionate, generous and present grandmother I dreamt of having, I will always remember her for being a remarkable person when it came to handling the pots and pans or to whip up the most palatable Sunday roast.
I particularly respect and thank my Nan for having been extremely talented in the kitchen and for being my culinary guide. She was a person who showed me what traditional British food is supposed to taste like, whose cooking skills I have always wanted to acquire and whom I considered an authority in all things gourmet. She was clearly gifted in that domain (not only though - she also mastered other arts like painting, knitting, working with silver, etc...). I am so glad she indirectly motivated me to develop my craftiness for all things food-related. I really hope that from the heaven's above my granny is happy to see that I have surpassed her as a cook/baker and she is pleased with the adult I have become...
Unfortunately we have not spent much time together. My grandma was never enclined to share a moment of complicity with granddaughter. She rarely showed me how to prepare food and hated having me "in her feet" when she was busy making dishes or baking cakes. In those moments, my grandmother didn't want to have a kid around her.
The only memory I have of me actually baking with my granny is when I begged her to make "Coffee Kisses" cookies with me. As I had a little tantrum and whined a lot, Nana reluctantly gave way to my wish and accepted to show me how to prepare that divine treat. She didn't know that more than 20 years later I'd be blogging about that exceptional event and fondly cherishing that memory...
RIP Nan.
I would have been extremely happy to hear you say "I love you"
or that you were proud of me,
but sadly I always waited for a sign of recognitions from you.
It is such a pity so many words were unspoken...
Anyway, I wish to thank you for all the good memories.
Love & kisses.
Rosa xxx
My post being about endings and new beginnings, it is all naturally that I will present a recipe which marks the conclusion of wintertime and the commencement of spring. By baking the last "Pumpkin Pie" of the cold season, it is my way of celebrating the circle of life, the endless passing of time and the complimentarity of life and death.
Last October I bought a few pumpkins to decorate my balcony table. They have kept very well and were exposed there until last week. Now that the nights are less cold and the days are a lot warmer, they have started to rot so as I hate to throw away food I decided to use my two small Japanese chestnut pumpkins ("Potimarron" in French) in order to put together a classic American "Pumpkin Pie".
As a child I was not keen on eating my mother's "Pumpkin Tarts" ("Tarte A La Courge", the Swiss equivalent of "Pumpkin Pie"), yet now I am very fond of that speciality. I remember that Fridays were officially called "tart days". A time of the week I particularly looked forward to as the weekend was very close (though I had to go to school on Saturday mornings, till 12pm) and we got to eat yummy stuff then.
My mother's seasonal tarts were always greeted with much excitement, but the only time I was a little less than thrilled by what was awaiting us at the dinner table was when "Pumpkin Tart" was on the menu. One of the reason why I had a certain aversion for that treat is because the pumpkin used wasn't the kind you'd make sweet desserts with, but rather savory dishes. It had too much of a vegetable flavor to be enjoyable. The other reason is that my parents were never big fans of hyper spicy pastries (my mother only incorporated a little nutmeg and cinnamon to her filling) and unlike Americans, they especially disliked using cinnamon with a heavy hand. So even if her tart was made with quality produce (pumpkins from the market) and double cream it lacked a bit of oomph as the filling was not as luscious and rich-tasting as the one of the US "Pumpkin Pie"...
Now that I bake my own "Pumpkin Pies" I can fully enjoy that confection and play around with aromas. A few years ago I blogged about my own adaptation of a recipe I found in the book "Culinaria US" (please forgive the bad picture!) and while it is quite flawless it doesn't mean that I am not interested in trying other recipes. After all I am a foodie who cannot stop being in search of perfection.
So, after having eyed an attractive "Pumpkin Pie" recipe in my new "Tartine" cookbook, I decided to see what it was worth. Well, I wasn't deceived by the end result as my boyfriend and I had no problem polishing off the pie dish within the next 48 hours.
As usual, I adapted it to my taste and replaced the brandy by rum, incorporated more salt to the pastry and added some additional cinnamon to the filling. Needless to say that Tartine Bakery's "Pumpkin Pie" was divine. It was not overly sweet, lusciously custardy, delightfully spicy, pleasantly earthy, wonderfully moist and had a refined flavor as well as a marvelously flaky and buttery pastry. In spite of being gorgeous I must point out that I might surely add a pinch of allspice to the filling the next time I bake this pie...
~ Tartine's Pumpkin Pie ~
Recipe adapted from the book "Tartine" by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson.
Makes a 25cm (10-inch) pie.
Ingredients For The "Flaky Pie Crust":
1 1/2 Tsp Fine sea salt
2/3 Cup (150ml) Ice cold water
3 Cups + 2 Tbs (455g) All-purpose flour
1 Cup + 5 Tbs (300g) Chilled butter, cut into small cubes
Ingredients For The "Pumpkin Filling":
2 Cups (510g) Pumpkin purée
3 Large egg
1 Large yolk
1 Cup (250ml) Double cream (35% fat)
2 Tbs Rum
1/2 Cup (100g) Light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1 Tsp Ground ginger
A pinch Ground cloves
A pinch Freshly grated nutmeg
A pinch Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tsp Fine sea salt
Method for the "Flaky Pie Crust":
1. Place the flour and salt in a big bowl.
2. Add the butter.
3. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until you obtain a mixture ressembling coarse sand.
4. Pour the water over the crumbly mixture. Stir and toss with the help of a knive until the dough starts to come together.
5. Continue mixing (very gently) until you obtain a ball of dough which is not completely smooth. 6. On a floured surface, divide pastry in two, shape into a 2.5cm (1-inch) thick disk and wrap in plastic film.
7. Put in the fridge and let rest for about 2 hours or overnight.
8. Roll out one of the disks on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 0.3cm (1/8 inch thickness) and from the center toward the edge in all directions, without forgetting to lift and rotate the pastry a quarter turn every now and then.
9. Once your pastry is a circle 1 1/2 inches larger than the tart pan, carefully transfer it to the buttered pan (folding in half, if necessary).
10. Ease it into the bottom and sides of the pan and pressing into place. Trim the edge with a knife.
11. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork, line with baking paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans.
12. Preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F).
13. Bake blind until the surface of the dough looks dry and has no opaque areas left, about 20 minutes.
14. Remove from the oven and remove the paper as well as the weights/beans, then return the shell to the oven for an extra 2-5 minutes (if the center starts to rise, gently pierce with a knife tip).
15. Let cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, whole eggs, egg yolk, cream and rum until smooth.
3. Add the the sugar, spices and salt. Mix until well blended.
4. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for about 1 hour, or until the pie is just set but the center is ever so slightly jiggly (the filling continues to set as it cools).
5. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make sure that you pumpkin purée is not too wet. Cook it a bit longer to let the liquid evaporate or place in a sieve overnight in order to get rid of the excess moisture.
If you wish you cxan replace the rum by brandy, cognac, whisky or sherry.
You can add a little more sugar to the filling if you find that it is not sweet enough.
Serving suggestions:
Serve at room temperature with whipped cream.
~ Pumpkin Pie Selon Tartine Bakery ~
Recette adaprée du livre "Tartine" par Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson.
Pour un pie de 25cm de diamètre.
Ingrédients Pour la "Pâte Brisée":
1 1/2 CC de Sel de mer fin
455g de Farine blanche
300g de Beurre très froid, coupé en petits cubes
Ingrédients Pour La "Garniture":
510g de Purée de potimarron
3 Gros oeufs
1 Jaune d'oeuf
2 CS de Rhum
100g de Sucre brun clair
1 1/2 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1 CC de gingembre en poudre
Une pincée de Clous de girofles en poudre
Une pincée de Noix de muscade fraîchement râpée
Une pincée de Poivre noir fraîchement moulu
1 CC de Sel de mer fin
1. Dans un grand bol, mélanger la farine au sel.
2. Ajouter le beurre.
3. A l'aide d'un malaxeur à pâtisserie, couper le beurre dans la farine jusqu'à obtention d'une mixture ressemblant un crumble.
4. Incorporer l'eau et mélanger à l'aide d'un couteau de table.
5. Continuer à mélanger (délicatement) jusqu'à ce que vous obteniez une boule de pâte (pas trop homogène tout de même).
6. Sur une surface farinée, diviser la pâte en deux portions égales e t les former un deux disques de 2.5cm d'épaisseur, puis les emballer avec du film plastique.
7. Les mettre au frigo (2 heures au minimum ou une nuit).
8. Sur une surface farinée étaler (en allant du centre en direction des bords et en rotatant la pâte de temps en temps) un des disques de pâte à une épaisseur de 0.3cm.
9. Une que que vous aurez obtenu un cercle de pâte de 33cm (plus grand que le moule), le transférer délicatement dans le moule.
10. Garnir le moule avec la pâte et couper les bords.
11. Piquer le fond du pie avec une fourchette, Protéger la pâte piquée avec une feuille de papier sulfurisé découpée à la dimension voulue et remplir avec des billes de cuisson ou des haricots.
12. Préchauffer le four à 190° C.
13. Cuire à blanc pendant 20 minutes, ou jusqu'à ce que la surface de la pâte soit sèche et n'ait plus de zones opaques.
14. Sortir la pâte du four et retirer le papier avec les poids, puis la remettre au four pour 2-5 minutes supplémentaires (si le centre gonfle, piquer la pâte avec la pointe d'un courteau).
5. Laisser refroidir sur une grille avant de remplir avec la garniture.
2. Dans un bol moyen, battre ensemble la purrée de potimarron les oeufs, le jaune d'oeuf, la crème et le rhum afin d'obtenir une masse homogène.
3. Ajouter le sucre, les épices et le sel. Bien incorporer.
4. Verser la garniture dans le moule et cuire pendant 1 heure, ou jusqu'à ce que la garniture soit un peut tremblotante en son centre (elle continuera à se solidifier pendant q u'elle refroidira).
5. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.
Votre purrée de potimarron doit être assez épaisse et ne pas contenir de liquide. Afin de réduire la quantité de liquide, cuire la purrée jusqu'à ce que le liquide se soit évaporé ou mettre la purrée dans une passoire et laisser égoutter pendant toute une nuit.
Vous pouver remplacer le rhum par du sherry, whisky, du brandy ou du co gnac.
Si la garniture n'est pas assez sucrée, il vous est possible d'ajouter plus de sucre.
Idées de présentation:
Servir à température ambiante avec de la crème fouettée.


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Baby Food
Baby Food - Safe and Nutritious Halal, Vegan and Vegetarian Choices
Balanced nutrition is essential for the growth and development of children. At Retail Journey, we offer baby food of the highest quality to help youngsters be healthy and happy. Our Halal, vegan and vegetarian products are made to match the unique lifestyle of every family. They come from top brands who have impeccable reputation for making baby food in line with the most rigorous standards. As part of our commitment to help parents make the best choice, we have put together a short guide to baby food and the options available at our online store.
Differences between Halal, Vegan and Vegetarian Baby Food
Halal baby food contains ingredients from both plant and animal sources. These include vegetables, rice, legumes, fruit and Halal meat. Halal meat ranges from beef and lamb to chicken and fish, which is a natural source of Omega 3 fatty acids. It excludes pork completely. The animals which the meat comes from are slaughtered following the rules of Islamic Law. You can expect a great variety of Halal baby food products, which provide practically all the nutrients which children need, healthy carbohydrates, protein and fat, plus essential vitamins A, B and C and minerals like iron and magnesium.
Vegan baby food is made with the use of plant-based ingredients only. It has no dairy ingredients and no egg ingredients. The sources of protein range from tofu to different types of legumes including beans, lentils and peas. Cow milk, which is generally suitable for babies older than 12 months, can be substituted with soy and almond milk. If you plan to give your baby solely vegan food, it is best to speak with your paediatrician first.
Vegetarian baby food can contain all ingredients coming from animals other than meat. The list includes dairy and eggs, most notably. When kids, who follow a vegetarian diet grow older, they can also eat honey. All vegan baby food products are suitable for vegetarian youngsters too. The Halal products which do not contain meat are fine choices as well.
With such a great variety of products, how do you make the right choice, given your lifestyle? The following information and advice will help you with this.
Choosing Baby Food Made Easy
The good news is that there are two main factors for choosing baby food aside from your family's lifestyle. These are the age of your baby and any specific needs which he or she may have.
Age as a Guiding Factor
All baby food manufacturers divide their products into categories based on age. This is because babies have specific needs at each stage of their development. At the same time, the stages span over just a couple of months. Here is a general overview of each period and what food your baby can consume at this time.
Products suitable from 4+ months - In most cases, babies can be introduced to solid food when are 4 months old. There are various signs which show whether a youngster is ready for this step - holding his/her head up, sitting comfortably in a highchair, making chewing motions and moving his/her tongue back and forth. The foods for babies between 4 and 6 months typically include only pureed fruit and vegetables.
Foods suitable from 6+ months - 6-month-old babies can be introduced to a wider variety of vegetables including potatoes and to legumes and meat, which should be in small amounts.
Baby food suitable from 7+ months - The age of 7 months is a great time for introducing finger foods as kids are eager to put everything into their mouth. Some of the most popular options include cereal puff and specially made wafers.
Food products suitable from 9+ months - At this age babies can be introduced to foods which have slightly bigger chunks. The teething crisps are healthy, delicious and help youngsters get relief.
Products suitable from 10+ months - Most paediatricians agree that healthy babies with no family history of allergies can eat eggs, nuts and fish at this age and even earlier. If you have any concerns, you should turn to your child's physician.
Foods suitable from 12+ months - When children turn 1, they can eat most foods including ones such as cow milk and honey which are not recommended for smaller babies.
Allergies and Intolerances
At Retail Journey, we've made it quick and simple for parents to select baby food which is free from ingredients that cause allergies and food intolerances. You can pick from products with no wheat ingredients and no gluten ingredients which are suitable for kids who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease. There are also food choices with no nut, soya and/or lactose ingredients.
Superb Quality and Complete Purity Guaranteed
The baby food products which you can find at our online store come only from leading brands. These include:
Hipp Organic - This German manufacturer of baby food has nearly 100 years of history and is known for using only organic ingredients.
Kiddylicious - This award-winning British company was the first to offer frozen baby food in the UK. They make products for children from 4 to 12 months of age.
Ella's Kitchen – This company makes 100% organic food for babies and older children. They have products for children following special diets including gluten-free and lactose-free ones.
For Aisha - This Halal baby food manufacturer uses exotic recipes from different parts of the world to create delicious and nutritious meals for youngsters.
It's time to shop Halal, vegan and vegetarian baby food at Retail Journey. Enjoy a great experience and make the best choice for your precious little one.
While we provide this information based on our research and personal experience with having a little prince in our family, we would like you to consult your paediatrician if in doubt about anything related to your baby's nutrition or dietary requirements.
Apple & Peach Porridge
£2.20Incl. 20% Tax, excl. Shipping Cost -
Apple Fruit Crisps
£1.20Incl. 20% Tax, excl. Shipping Cost -
Apple, Banana & Raspberry Breakfast
£2.20Incl. 20% Tax, excl. Shipping Cost -
Apple, Blueberry & Banana Muesli with Yogurt
£2.20Incl. 20% Tax, excl. Shipping Cost -
Apple, Pear & Banana
£1.80Incl. 20% Tax, excl. Shipping Cost -
Apple, Strawberry & Banana
£1.80Incl. 20% Tax, excl. Shipping Cost -
Apples & Baby Rice
£2.20Incl. 20% Tax, excl. Shipping Cost


text: Over the past decades Prof. Robert O. Ritchie has been studying the failure of a wide class of materials. His main contributions have focused on the microstructural mechanisms by which structural materials resist fracture and fatigue. Here at the Materials Sciences Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the University of California, Berkeley the Ritchie Group investigates the mechanical behavior of metals, ceramics as well as composites and biological materials on different length scales.


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It only took twelve years to admit this but I must say that in spite of the heat and humidity I really love summers here in the South. Yes. I've said it. Love them. You might wonder what else is to summer here that would make me forgive the mosquitoes, head bashing heat and stick-to-your-clothes-like-frosting-on-a-cupcake humidity. Well…Thunderstorms! Rain! Afternoon showers! Tea breaks and evening swims!
It was not until a recent conversation with my parents that I realized what summer here was like versus what I thought it should be: it's like back home. Just a tad stronger. Every afternoon around 4pm the skies darken and the rain slowly moves in. Thunder. Lightning. The skies get a thick cloud cover and the house is nothing but shadows. It reminds me so much of the summer months of my childhood that it makes it bearable.
This weekend was no exception and we gladly took the opportunity to do as much as early as possible and cozy up in the afternoon. That's the thing to do during summers here, start early and keep going until the rain stops you or the craving for a cold drink and a sit down become too strong. We set up on the dining room table and started working on our respective tasks, facing each other. Looking up once in a while. Bouncing ideas off of each other as they came along. Drawing directions and paths to the life we want to live.
We did just that on Saturday in the later part of the afternoon just as the rain was starting to fall against the window and we sat there quietly listening. A new summer ritual. A good cup of French press coffee or a cold glass of milk, a plate of still warm tea cakes or a handful of cookies. I suddenly got a hunkering for the coconut ice cream I had made specially for profiteroles to celebrate our anniversary the next day. Instead of a snack we stayed true to the past 12 years being married and did the opposite of what was planned. We had dessert before dinner.
Toasted coconut ice cream from David Lebovitz via my friend Jen, financiers made with the olallieberry jam that Anita had given me in Boulder, a plate of fresh figs. The first we've had this season.
I like summers here after all…
Olallieberry Jam Financiers:
Makes 12
Note: you can substitute any type of jam for the one I used here. You can also use about 3/4 cup of fresh cut fruit or 3/4 cup fresh berries instead.
1 stick (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (100gr) unsifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup (60gr) ground almonds
1/4 cup (30gr) rice flour
pinch of salt
4 large egg whites
1/2 cup olallieberry jam
Preheat your oven to 375F and position a rack in the center. Lightly butter the inside of 12 financiers molds or muffin tins and place them on a baking sheet. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan set over medium high heat, melt the butter until it turns to a rich hazelnut brown color. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve.
Mix together the powdered sugar, flour, ground almonds and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the egg whites and mix on low speed until all the ingredients are coming together. Add the brown butter, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth.
Divide the batter among your molds, drop about 1 to 2 teaspoons of jam in the middles and swirl with the tip of a knife. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream, adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.
1 cup (230gr) dried shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
1 teaspoon rum
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the coconut on a baking sheet line with parchment paper and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. Keep a close eye on it as it toasts rather fast and goes from perfect to burnt even faster. Remove from the oven when it is golden brown and let cool completely.
In a large saucepan set over medium high heat, warm the milk heavy cream, salt and add the toasted coconut. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
Re-heat the cream mixture over medium heat until hot. In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Slowly pour the cream mixture over the egg yolks, stirring as you do. Whisk well. Place the mixture back into the saucepan over medium and cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spatula. Remove from the heat and pour it through fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Press the back of your spoon against the coconut to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Add the rum and let cool to room temperature (you can place a piece of plastic wrap and poke holes through it to prevent condensation if you are concerned about leaving things uncovered at your house).
Once cooled, refrigerate the mixture until completely cold (I let mine in the fridge overnight) then freeze in your ice cream machine according to its manufacturer's instructions.
– flower bowl: GreenGate
– cupcake liners and paper straws: Bake It Pretty
– plates: Gleena
– green bottle: Stein Mart
– stamped flatware: Monkeys Always Look on etsy
– linen napkin: Jewelweeds on etsy


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Chad Billingsley (9-7, 3.66) vs Johnny Cueto (11-3, 3.38).
The Reds are rolling, riding a seven-game winning streak (and a 4.5 game lead in the Central), after last night's 3-1 win. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have floundered since the All-Star Break, driven partially by Vicente Padilla, Manny Ramirez, Jeff Weaver, and Rafael Furcal all sitting on the DL, all having trouble holding back the years. And Joe Torre has to play with the few cards he's been dealt; we're not getting any 11th hour waiver-wire help, since money's too tight (to mention).
I'd love to think we could hold the Cincinnati "juggernaut" back, but I have a feeling we will be the ones ending up simply red. Hey, if you don't know this team by now, you will never ever ever know them.


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It begins with a photo. But unlike the standard Photoshop filters that apply an overall template to the image, Mr. Balestrieri's system deconstructs the image using a model of human visual perception. It then reconstructs the picture, making basic artistic choices. From left: photo, drawing layer, and painting.
He told me about the process:
"The software looks at the colors, the shapes, the surface gradients, edges, etc, and converts it into paint strokes, which is then rendered with a digital paint brush -- all through code, without the user making any strokes.
My aim is to apply low-level visual perception in the form of machine-vision algorithms as well as a "painter's sense" to transform the images into painted representations -- to "de-photofy" them. I'm not saying the result is art -- I'm merely trying to computer-assist painting techniques.
It's a very difficult problem, I've found, to remove the elements of an image that make it appear photographic and to rebuild the image with something that approximates a human process -- the best I can do so far is try and fake it as best I can. :) Beyond low-level visual perception you start to get into very difficult areas of perception, including object recognition, 3D scene reconstruction, etc. The research into the field of artificial intelligence is still at the very, very early stages."
Flickr page explaining "John Glenn Suiting Up"
Flickr set of additional images.


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text:
NEW YORK (AP) -- Nintendo has sold more than 400,000 of its new video game console, the Wii U, in its first week on sale in the U.S., the company said Monday.
The Wii U launched on Nov. 18 in the U.S. at a starting price of $300. Nintendo said the sales figure, based on internal estimates, is through Saturday, or seven days later.
The Wii U is the first major game console to launch in six years. It comes with a new touch-screen controller that promises to change how people play games by offering different people in the same room a different experience, depending on the controller used.
Six years ago, Nintendo Co. sold 475,000 of the original Wii in that console's first seven days in stores, according to data from the NPD Group. The original Wii remains available, and Nintendo said it sold more than 300,000 of them last week, along with roughly 250,000 handheld Nintendo 3DS units and about 275,000 of the Nintendo DS.
At this early stage, demand isn't the only factor dictating how many consoles are sold. Supply is, too. This means it's likely that more people wanted to buy the Wii U in the first week than those who were able to. The original Wii was in short supply more than a year after it went on sale.
As of Monday afternoon, the website of Best Buy Co. was sold out of the Wii U. Video game retailer GameStop Corp. said there was at least a three day wait for a deluxe Wii U, which costs $350, has more memory and comes with a game called "Nintendo Land." GameStop still had the basic, $300 version available.
Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter estimates that Nintendo will ship 1 million to 1.5 million Wii Us in the U.S. through the end of January.


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Ford Bronco Sunflower American Flag Blue and Red Line Full Color Tire Cover
In stock
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Ford Bronco Sunflower American Flag Blue and Red Line Full Color Tire Cover
This American Flag Sunflower tire cover is the perfect addition for your four wheeling Ford Bronco or standard daily driver. The sunflower is a great image to display showing your amazing glow for life. With it's bright and vibrant colors, its an uplifter to the spirit, especially with the American Flag Shown.
Available in most tire sizes.
You must remember that we have a large assortment of tire cover logos so you might have a difficult time choosing between them all. We care about our customers and our main purpose is to satisfy their demands. Please be aware that your order will have track numbers available in 7-10 days from the date your order is placed. This means you will receive tracking information this necessarily mean that it will be deliver in 7-10 days. Please note this difference. We make each and every order on demand. Your order goes through several stages before it can be shipped out. Please be patient as we are working on your order. To learn more about the processes that go into your product visit our About Tire Covers page.
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The True Origins of Halloween Traditions — Jack-o'-Lanterns, Witches, Costumes, More
Why do we celebrate Halloween by putting on bizarre outfits and asking strangers for candy? Who is Stingy Jack, and why does he haunt our dreams? We decided to take a look at a few of Halloween's most well-known customs and ask, What do they all mean?
Origin of Halloween
Halloween, with all its spooky foolishness, is a very old holiday—more than 6,000 years old, in fact. Even before the Catholic Church commandeered it as the eve of All Saints Day (also called All Hallows Day, hence All Hallows Eve) in order to assimilate and control pagan holidays, it had deep roots in the ancient Irish Celtic culture. The Celtics practiced a nature-based religion that made them known as Druids. On their calendar, November 1 was the start of a new year, so their celebrations began the night before, on October 31.
According to tradition, on that night the spirits of everyone who died that year would come out and roam the earth. They did this because November 1 also marked the arrival of Lord Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"), the ruler of the darkness, since the days were getting shorter and darker. He would lead the spirits to the underworld, his home. This explains all the ghoulishness involved and why a fear of Halloween is known as samhainophobia.
We know how Halloween got started, but what is it that possesses us to wear silly, scary and sexy costumes to celebrate it? Avoiding possession is probably one of the reasons. Dressing up for Halloween came from a Celtic tradition of people disguising themselves as demons and spirits to escape the notice of the real spirits who came out during their pagan festival. Celtic young men also had a habit of attempting to please spirits by dressing up as them with white costumes and black masks.
Of course, we don't just put on costumes for Halloween—that's not strange enough. We also go trick-or-treating. But there's a reason for this craziness: During the Celtic Samhain festival, people put treats and food out to satisfy the spirits who would wander the streets for the night. There was also a medieval Christian tradition called a soul parade on All Hallows Eve in which poor people would go door-to-door offering prayers for the dead souls to be delivered from purgatory in exchange for soul cakes. Another tradition that led to our modern-day trick-or-treating is the custom of Irish townsfolk going to the homes of their neighbors to ask for food contributions for the town's All Hallows Day feast.
It seems like everyone is going crazy for pumpkin everything these days, but pumpkins weren't always just for lattes and Halloween. Pumpkins came into existence in Central America, where natives used them and Europeans brought them home from the New World. It was then that the pumpkin replaced other traditional fruits used in Halloween festivities.
Pumpkins make sense with Halloween because they really do seem like a natural food for fall fun, though it's just odd that part of that fall fun would be carving faces into these large orange fruits. Sure, it's fun to play gross-out with the pumpkin guts, but there has to be a real reason the jack-o'-lantern is a part of Halloween. One Irish legend says there was a man named Stingy Jack who made a deal with the devil and ended up forbidden to enter heaven or hell when he died. Because he had no home in the afterlife, he had to wander the earth waving a lantern given to him by the devil either to light his own way or, in some versions, lead people away from their paths. The story goes that Jack carried his lantern in a carved-out turnip. In Ireland, this became a Halloween tradition in order to ward off evil spirits. When the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were a much easier place to keep their spirit-repelling lights.
Witches are scary and creepy, making it obvious how they got their own place in the October 31 holiday festivities. Or does it? Actually, the term "witch" originates from a word meaning "wise woman," so witches weren't always frightening old women with bad skin and pointy hats. The Wiccans were often very respected members of society. They became attached to Halloween because one of their two major gatherings of the year would happen on that spirited night.
Black Cats
So how did black cats get into our Halloween traditions? Actually, it's the witches who helped sneak them in. Some folklore claims that witches can turn themselves into cats, and black cats are thought to be more similar to demons and dark spirits than lighter-colored felines. Also, during the time of the Inquisition, the Catholic Church hunted down pagans, who often kept and revered cats. This association was soon viewed in a negative light.
Black and Orange
Traditionally, the colors associated with this spooky, candy-filled holiday are black and orange. We couldn't imagine Halloween without them now, but how did this random color choice get tied to this day? Orange is closely linked to the fall harvest, the time of Halloween. Also, orange is a symbol of strength and endurance, which is helpful when preparing for a long winter. Of course, black is the color associated with darkness, and Halloween was a celebration of the coming darkness of winter. It is also a color that stands for death and represents the side of Halloween that involved the spirits of the dead wandering the Earth.
The warmth of a bonfire not only keeps the chill of the night at bay, it also pushes the darkness and the spirits that linger there to the edge. But those aren't the only reasons a bonfire is part of Halloween tradition. During the original Celtic festival, large fires were lit to guarantee the sun would come back after the long winter. Druid priests would throw bones of cattle into the flames, and the fires became known as "bone fires."
Bobbing for Apples
One of the weirdest things we do at Halloween is bobbing for apples, but even that has a fairly straightforward history. Halloween falls during the Roman festival known as Pomona, which celebrated the harvest goddess. In some places, Halloween was once known as San-Apple Night. Also, in the ancient Celtic culture, apples were associated with goddesses, who were thought to control people's romantic fates. So, for Halloween celebrations, there was a tradition that young, unmarried girls and guys would race to grab an apple from a pool of water with their mouths; the first to get a bite would be the next among the group to get married. This evolved into our tradition of bobbing for apples.


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Legion leader mourning lost Marines
American Legion National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger is expressing his organization's sympathies for the families of four U.S. Marines killed at Camp Pendleton Wednesday. The Marines, whose names have not yet been released publicly, died during a "range maintenance" operation at the huge California military installation late Wednesday morning.
"This is not the time to talk about budget cuts or other political issues," Dellinger said. "It is a time to put these matters aside and extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those brave Marines we lost today. The American Legion does just that. May the good Lord hold their families close and comfort them in this time of mourning."
Dellinger also noted that the Camp Pendleton tragedy is "a poignant reminder of the perils of military service; a compelling reason to hold all servicemembers, at home and away, in time of peace and in time of war, always close to our hearts."
Camp Pendleton officials have provided no details of what was termed a "fatal incident" but say an investigation is underway.