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Friday, April 28, 2006
Buttermilk & Ricotta Pancakes
Buttermilk pancakes are my all time favorites and I decided that this would be just perfect to satisfy my craving. Cooking and photography is also a perfect way for me to relax in between a heavy workload. Thanks to home office I am able to juggle my schedule the way I want and this gives me a lot more flexibility to enjoy such luxuries.
I put on my current favorite music - The Black Eyed Peas, and started getting my ingredients together. I found some ricotta cheese and remembered that Haalo had posted a recipe of ricotta pancakes a little while back. I looked it up and decided to adapt the recipe for my pancakes making my own changes.
I will leave you with these for the long bank holiday weekend. We are away for the long weekend and I'll see you on Tuesday. Happy Weekend!
120g Ricotta
2 eggs - separated and the whites beaten stiff
170g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
200 ml buttermilk
butter for frying
Maple Syrup
Fresh strawberries - cut up in quarters
Mix together the baking powder and flour together. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks with the the ricotta until creamy. Add the buttermilk and beat further.
Pour this mixture into the flour and whisk until everything is combined. Add the beaten egg whites and fold in carefully until the batter is smooth.
In a heated pan add a small amount butter and bake the pancakes on both sides till golden brown.
Stack high, add the strawberries and pour with maple syrup.
Lay back and enjoy!
The ricotta gave these pancakes a really nice touch. Buttermilk makes it smooth and soft on the inside. Just perfect.
No, I did not eat the whole stack! I managed two and froze the rest. My two men just have to try these out. I'll surprise them this weekend!
Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Labels: Breakfast/Brunch
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Two Tarts Part 1 - Raspberry Kiss
- The song from Frankie goes to Hollywood "Two Tribes" but singing "When two tarts go to war ..."
- Yipee ... I get to stack my own tarts. After seeing little stacked tarts all over the blog world I decided to make a few too.
Both types are adapted from Lara's tarts.
I have been meaning to make these for a while. I actually even went out and bought a new silicon mini muffin tray to try out. They are so easy and perfect for parties or, as I thought, perfect for Soeri's Tiffin. So, when I saw these luscious organic raspberries at the market I knew the time had come to make those tarts.
They looked so cute when they came out of the oven that all I thought of was they had a breath of a kiss.
Now, I sit here with a few on my plate, watching "Dirty Dancing" (oh how I love this film) on TV and I share a few kisses with you.
150g puff pastry
100g fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Using a form cut out circular shapes in the pastry. Line the muffin tray with the pastry.
In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients together and mash with a fork.
Fill the pastry forms with the raspberry mixture and bake for 20 minutes.
Well as Tom is out of town and Soeri will be getting a few in his lunch box tomorrow, it is up to me to give the verdict.
They are sweet and spicy - just like kisses. Because they are so tiny one is never enough - just like kisses. They leave a mist of fruity tanginess on your lips - just like kisses.
So, how do you like my kisses?
Labels: Dessert , Fruits , Sweets , Tarts/Pies/Flans
Two Tarts Part 2 - Pesto Rosso & Mozzarella
Pesto rosso is made of sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, basel, nuts and parmesan.
I made mine with cashew nuts, pecorino cheese, basel and wild garlic leaves. There is a large variety of ready made pesto rosso one can find in the stores and some taste pretty good. So you can make life even easier and use this - that is until I post the recipe here These tarts are made in the normal sized muffin tin.
It was a typical day that drains all energy out of you. Tom is away on a trip and Thursdays are pretty full. But I really was able to relax when I found a little time to prepare these and take a few nice pictures.
Puff Pastry
150g Pesto rosso
100g mozzarella
wild garlic leaves
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Cut pastry in appropriate shapes and line muffin tin.
Add a teaspoon of the pesto rosso to each tart. Lay a few slices of mozzarella on top of this and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Take out of oven and sprinkle with chopped wild garlic leaves.
Soeri and I had these for a light dinner today. It was just right. We made a rucola salat with this, although Soeri just stuck to the tart.
This is Italy in all bursts and flavors. The puff pastry is crunchy and the pesto is smooth and creamy. All I can say a must at every party or simply to snack on.
Labels: Italian , Tarts/Pies/Flans
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Power Potato Cakes with Smoked Graved Salmon
Filled with carrots, herbs, flax seeds and sesame seeds they are perfect for so many dishes. When I make these I make a huge batch because we eat them in so many ways and with so many dishes. I made these yesterday and used them in Soeren's Tiffin. They are so easy to freeze and take out any time you want.
The idea for this recipe came when I was at a friends place and she served these. I asked her how she makes them and she said she doesn't she buys them! Well I figured I can do that too, but it would be better (and healthier) if I had a go at making them myself.
It's an easy peezy recipe and tonight I served these with smoked Graved salmon and avocados. A light snack filled with an extra portion power. Full of tangy freshness with avocado and a touch of lime juice. The mustard honey sauce fives it a fine aroma.
For potato cakes:
300g potatoes - grated
100g carrots - grated
handful flax seeds
handful sesame seeds
1 cup mixed herbs
salt & pepper
For smoked graved salmon
200g Smoked Graved Salmon - thinly sliced
1 avocado
fresh lime juice
150g sour cream - double use
2 teaspoon mustard - I used dijon
11/2 teaspoon clear honey
salt & pepper
Potato Cakes:
In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients together and mix well. Form medium sized flat cakes.
In a frying pan heat up the oil and fry the cakes on both sides till golden brown.
If freezing, fry for only 2-3 minutes on each side. Take out and pat dry. Allow to cool. Lay a sheet of baking paper in between each cake and freeze in a ziploc bag. When you take these out of the freezer you can bake these in the oven or fry them without thawing.
Smoked Graved Salmon
In a mixing bowl add 100g of the sour cream, mustard, honey, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth and creamy. Put in refrigerator to cool.
Cut the avocado in thin slices. Place in bowl and add the lime juice. Toss the avocado well.
In the mean time using the rest of the sour cream, add a small dollop on each potato cake. Place two avocado slices on top. Roll a slice of the salmon and place this on top of the avocado. Now, using a teaspoon add a small portion of the mustard honey sauce into the roll.
Serve this with a green salad made from lamb's lettuce and green asparagus. Recipe coming soon!
This was Soeren's first try at salmon. I made his like a little sandwich instead of the open faced cakes. He ate it with ketchup (?) instead of the honey mustard sauce, but he enjoyed it. After he ate his portion he said "The ham was good!" Cute eh?
Tom came a little later then usual and I think his was a little cold, but he really liked it. He loved the silky combination of the avocado, with the crispy potato and the smooth salmon. He also liked the fact that it was light and easy.
Labels: Potatoes , Sauces and Dips , Seafood
The London Story 3
Hope you enjoy it!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Monthly Mingle #1: Football's coming Home (Football = Soccer)!
I know this can be a point of huge frustration for some, while partners sit glued to the screens all summer long, screaming, shouting and cursing. It could be a lot worse than watching 22 more or less cute guys run after a ball, right?
Imagine this: I have invited you all to my place for the hottest final ever (Germany vs ???). You all just have to bring one dish along to the potluck that you think fits in this theme. Whatever you like! It can be a national dish of your country or a dish from the country of your favorite team - something that will represent team spirit and is fun to eat at big gatherings.
I have a barbecue you can use, an oven and a microwave. And I also have a buffet table a kilometer long that needs filling. Besides the dish, a little story telling is always good and I'd like to hear what you think about football/soccer and any stories about your family/friends that fits the theme. Don't need a novel, just a few lines, paragraphs will do. This is the party of the month!
Party starts May 1, so email your entries to firstname.lastname@example.com. Deadline is June 9, when the first match kicks off, here. I will do the round-up on the weekend of June 10, when I shall also announce the theme of the next Monthly Mingle.
Look forward to having you over!
More infos here
Labels: Monthly Mingle
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Allgaeuer Kaesespaetzle - Cheese Spaetzle from the Allgaeu
A very good friend of ours, Rainer, originally comes from Wangen in Allgaeu. He used to be Tom's collegue at the university. Once we realized that he and his girlfriend Uli share many of the same intersts we became pretty good friends. Uli, at that time worked in Heidelberg, leaving Rainer here in Weimar. One of Rainer's hobbies were also cooking and of course eating. He was always complaining that he would start putting on weight.
Well, you can imagine that we often spent many a lovely evening cooking up some great recipes together.
The last meal we cooked together before they moved to Basel in Switzerland was this great tasting Cheese Spaetzle. I believe the recipe came from Rainer's mum and he was very particular in getting it right in exactly the same way.
He left the recipe with me and today I decided to make the delicious Allgaeuer Kaesespatzen, as they are called in Swabia.
So, what exactly are Spaetzle? They are noodles that are made from a simple dough and scraped into boiling water.
Here in Germany, in Switzerland, in Austria and in Italy you can find ready made Spaetzle in the supermarkets either dried or fresh. However, the tedious work to make your own fresh Spaetzle really will be much appreciated by all those sitting at the dinner table. Your kitchen will look like a bomb has exploded in it, but the smiles all around will make you feel so satisfied that you know that you will do this again.
I am sure Rainer's grandmother probably used a simple board and scraper to scrape the dough into the boiling water. Nowadays we can buy what is known as the Spaetzle press. There are many different types of presses available on the market, but I know a few people that still choose to use a simple board and scraper!
Another very important ingredient in making the cheese spaetzle is naturally the cheese.
Using good sorts of cheese is very vital here. In Europe we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the selection of cheese. The Allgaeu Emmentaler is always one preferred type of cheese and a Bergkaese, a cheese that is made during the summer months in the 70-120 days the cows graze high in the Alp mountains. A Gruyère would probably also do.
So, lets's get on to the recipe.
500g sifted flour - in Germany one can directly buy special Spaetzle flour, however, any other flour will do. I used just plain white flour.
5 eggs
200-250 ml water
Cheese spaetzle:
500g onions - I prefer using red onions as they taste better. Cut in half and then sliced.
125g Emmentaler - grated
225g Bergkaese or Gruyère - grated
100g butter
Salt and pepper
Basic Spaetzle Recipe:
In a mixing bowl add the flour and all the eggs. With an electric dough kneader, start kneading the mixture. Slowly add the water until the dough in a sticky, runny mass. A good test is when it slowly runs from a spoon in a gooey consistency.
Set aside and covered, allow to rest for half an hour.
In a large pot bring salted water to a boil. Fill the press until the bottom is covered with the dough. Gently press the dough in small "blobs" or buttons into the boiling water. Sieve out each batch after approx. 2 minutes or when the spaetzle swim on the surface of the water. Repeat this until the dough has been used up.
Allgaeu Kaesespaetzle:
Preheat oven to approx. 180°C.
In a hot frying pan melt part of the butter and gently sautè the onion rings until they are soft and slightly caramelized.
Mix the two types of cheeses together in a bowl.
In an oven proof dish cover the bottom with some spaetzle, cover this with a layer of cheese. Add another layer of spaetzle, then a layer of cheese. Repeat this method until all the ingredients have been used up. The top layer should be covered with a layer of cheese. Salt and pepper each layer as you go along.
Spread the caramelized onions over the top. Sprinkle the top with a few butter flakes. Covered place in the oven and bake until the cheeses have melted - aprox. 15 minutes.
Serve with a nice chilled white wine.
What can I say? You sit down on the dinner table, looking at the hungry faces around you. Each cannot wait to tuck into this. The suspense, if strenuous effort in the kitchen paid off, is killing.
Once you cut portions into the kaesespaetzle you are greeted by a fantastic fragrance of cheese and onions.
A bite and everything melts into your mouth. The mixture of the cheeses and the sweetness of the onions is delectable. The spaetzle itself is light and spongy - perfect.
I say this often when it comes to noodles. Soeren loves noodles in all forms, shapes and types. This is so perfect for kids that you just know you will be satisfying their picky tastebuds. Although he picked out the onions he cleared away everything on his plate.
Tom found this too good to be true. His joke at the table was "An Indian that cooks better German food than the German!" "The German" being Rainer in this case.
Rainer, thanks buddy. We've got to do this again ;-)
Labels: German , Vegetables , Vegetarian
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Italian Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi
Just come back home from a hard day at work, slogged yourself home in that pouring April rain, or just looking for something quick but tasty to make on a Saturday for you and the kids? Well, I can guarantee one thing about this soup, whether you came home soaked like a poodle and need a bit of warmth and comfort or you were out in the garden with the kids and want something fast and nourishing served up, this Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi will satisfy whatever needs you want satisfying.
For those visiting my blog for the first time: Please excuse the quality of the photos you see here. Last weekend my camera got stolen and I have been a bit handicapped ever since. I have been trying to take the pictures with my HandyCam which explains the crappiness of the photos.
For my regular readers: I know I am whining on about it! You will be glad to hear, that it almost has an end. I have found a new camera! I just have to order it (and pay for it). So, you just have to put up with the whining for a few more days ;-)!
200g Fresh or ready made Gnocchi
olive oil
1 liter Vegetable stock - either pre-prepared or self made (Vaishali of Happy Burp has an easy recipe for this).
2 tablespoons of fresh basil chopped
2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 tablespoons tomato purée
500g mixed vegetables:
zucchini, green beans, onions, broccoli, red bell peppers, carrots - cut these in either slices or bite sized pieces
Parmesan cheese - grated
salt & pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the chopped garlic and gently sauté until soft. Add the tomato purée and cook for another 1- 2 minutes. Throw in all the vegetables and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer for another 5 minutes.
In the meantime boil enough water for the gnocchi and cook the gnocchi for 2 minutes.
In the soup add salt and pepper to taste. Pour some soup in a soup plate. Place some gnocchi into the soup sprinkle with basil and grated parmesan.
My tips: Cook the gnocchi separately and not in the soup. Often one has a bit of leftovers, cooking the gnocchi in the soup makes it mushy for the next round.
If you steam the vegetables for 2 minutes prior to adding it in the soup and then running these under cold water, they will retain their bright colors. Add the steamed vegetables to the soup after you have added the stock to the tomato purée mixture.
There is a burst of tastes when you spoon this soup into your mouth. The crunchy vegetables, the cheesy parmesan and the soft gnocchi, not to mention the herby basil and the gorgeous garlic. Delightful!
Soeren enjoys his pinochhi every time. They are the first to disappear from the plate. Most of the time it is only the bell peppers that remain otherwise the soup is a great hit for him.
Tom too is impressed by the variety of tastes the soup offers. With the gnocchi it is a filling meal and there is really no need for bread as a condiment. The only thing he did not like was the fact that I made a small portion, as there was no soup leftover - only some gnocchi!
This is also my entry for Cate's ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday.
PS. I look forward to welcoming you to My Monthly Mingle next month. Hope you can make it.
Labels: Italian , Soups and Stews , Vegetables , Vegetarian
Friday, April 21, 2006
My Monthly Mingle
I love entertaining and with this virtual mingle I'd like to invite you over to join me and my guest hosts for a bit of fun, story telling and hopefully a lot of laughter.
The Monthly Mingle runs from the 1st through to the 30/31st of the respective month. The theme and deadline to the Monthly Mingle will be announced on the last weekend of the prior month. This deadline is only the specific date the actual theme ends on and the date you should send me your entry by. It is not the date you must post your entry on your blogs.
This mingle should be fun and flexible. So, don't stress yourself! If you are cooking up something in your kitchen and think this could be an entry to the actual theme, then send it over.
Here's how it works:
- Create a dish that fits the respective theme as described in each announcement
- Post about it on your blog during the relevant deadline (entries must be in English, please).
- Your creation must exclusively be prepared for the current Monthly Mingle theme and cannot be submitted to any other blog event.
- You must provide a link to this post and/or the announcement post and send the details to me or the guest host (see below).
Please check the Monthly Mingle Calendar below for details on who is currently hosting the Monthly Mingle.
I hope I have thought of everything. I know I am the typical fretting hostess, but enough of all the fretting and let's get on to the party!
The Previous Mingles:
Click on the [+/-] to expand and collapse the event boxes
Monthly Mingle Guest-Host Calendars
This is the Monthly Mingle event calendar for all the guest-hosts hosting the Monthly Mingle. Keep track of the MM and make sure you never miss it ;-).
If you are interesting in hosting the Monthly Mingle in one of the open months, please drop me an email at: blogmeeta[AT]gmail[DOT]com. Look forward to hearing from you!
Calendar 2012
Guest Host
Heart Healthy
Calendar 2011
|Guest Host/Location
Paulchen's Food Blog
|Small Bites: Soul Food For Your Loved ones
|Deadline 28th February, 2011
Maison Cupcake
|Think Pink
|Think Pink Roundup
Cook Sister!
|Topless Tarts
|Topless Tarts Roundup
Juls Kitchen
|Fresh Pasta
|Fresh Pasta Roundup
My Easy Cooking
|Apple Affection
|Apple Affection Roundup
Lick My Spoon
|Stone Fruits
|Stone Fruit Roundup
Journey Kitchen
|Yeasted Doughs
|Yeated Doughs Roundup
Dil Se
|Scintillating Salads
|Scintillating Salads Roundup
Art & Lemons
|The Zakuski Roundup
My Custard Pie
|The Custard Roundup
Calendar 2010
|Guest Host/Location
|Jamie -
Life's A Feast
|Bread & Chocolate
|Bread & Chocolate Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|Champagne Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|South Africa
|South Africa Roundup
The Apartment Kitchen
|Sweet Treats
|Sweet Treats Roundup
Sara's Corner
|Party treats
|Party Treats Roundup
|September / October
Dirty Kitchen Secrets
|Taste Lebanon
|Taste Lebanon Roundup
Passionate About Baking
|Fruit in Baking
|Fruit in Baking Roundup
Ria's Collection
|Chocolate Extravaganza
|Chocolate Extravaganza Roundup
Calendar 2009
|Guest Host/Location
What's Cooking Blog
|Healthy Family Dinners
|Healthy Family Dinners Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|Caribbean Cooking
|Carribean Cooking Roundup
Cooking 4 All Seasons
|Kid's Lunches
|Kids' Lunches Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|Spring Cakes
|Spring cakes Roundup
Edible Garden
|Ravishing Rice
|Ravishing Rice Roundup
All Things Edible
|Mexican Fiesta
|Mexican Fiesta Roundup
Chew On That
|Marvelous Melon
|Marvelous Melon Roundup
|Bee & Jai
|Heirloom Recipes
|Heirloom Recipes Roundup
My Diverse Kitchen
|High Tea Treats
|High Tea Treats Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|Brunch Roundup
|Soups Roundup
Cook Like A Bong
|Winter Fruits & Vegetables
|Winter Fruits & Vegetables Roundup Part 1
Calendar 2008
|Guest Host/Location
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|One-Dish Dinners
|One-Dish Dinners Roundup
Eat The Right Stuff
|Spring Fruit Sensations
|Spring Fruit Sensations Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|Bollywood Cooking
|Bollywood Cooking Roundup
Fun and Food
|Appetizers & Hors D'oeuvres
|Appetizers & Hors d'oeuvres Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|Mango Mania
|Mango Mania Roundup
Live To Eat
|Grill It!
|Grill It Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|Fruit & Chocolate
|Fruit & Chocolate Roundup
Ruth's Kitchen Experiments
|Sensational Sides
|Sensational Sides Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|Tea & Coffee
|Coffee & Tea Roundup
|The DT Team
The Daily Tiffin
|Low-Sugar Treats
|Low-Sugar Treats Roundup
What's For Lunch, Honey?
|World of Spice Cookies
|Spiced Cookies
For our guest hosts I have also created a Google calendar, which you can use to your advantage for reminders etc. Once we have set up the dates I will add your event to the Google calendar and send you an invite to sign up for it.
Labels: Monthly Mingle
The London Story - Part 2
Well we arrived in London on the Friday afternoon. We had left a cold, wet and windy Germany behind us and stepped into the warmth, sunny blue skies of England. Very unusual but hey I was not complaining. We arrived at Stansted Airport, which is a little out of London. With the Stansted Express you are in approx. 45 minutes at Liverpool Street station, which is in the heart of London. Just for those traveling for the first time to London, the fares for a return are rather high but it really is the best and most comfortable way to get to the city.
Read the rest here.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Piroshki - The Russian Samosa
Something I did not do often with my Sony DSC F717. Most of the pictures I presented were the actual ones I took. Ever since it got stolen in London, I have become frustrated. You should have seen me with these photos. I now truly feel sorry for the guy who stole my camera. I do not think I have ever cursed and rebuked someone so much!
I will not allow that to handicap me and I am still trying to do my very best with the Sony HandyCam I have. Until I do get my new camera I really hope you will forgive the quality of these pictures.
I decided to make Piroshki for Soeren's lunch box tomorrow (see The Daily Tiffin). In London, we were in a great Russian restaurant (I'll be reviewing it on The Family Buzz later this week in the London Story 2), which made me think of the Russian piroshki being very similar to our Indian Samosas. It too can be filled with several types of fillings, the most common one being mince meat. I decided to go for something more vegetarian. I used canned mushrooms basically because the piroshki gets very dry, but if you add too much fluid it becomes soggy. Using canned mushrooms add just the right type of "wetness" to it.
I also only made a very small number of the piroshkis, so you can always add more to the ingredients. I made 4 and had a bit of filling left over.
Yeast dough of your choice - I always buy pre-prepared. This time I tried the frozen kind and was quite pleased with the results
1 small can mushrooms - cut in halves
1 small potato - chopped into small cubes
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 egg - hard boiled and chopped
1 tablespoon sour cream
salt and pepper
finely chopped mixed herbs
Preheat oven at 180°C.
Roll out your dough and cut 4 circular shaped forms. I used a rim of a large whiskey tumbler. Make sure that the circular shaped dough forms are not too thick. Making them thinner keeps them moist when baked. Let is rest for 15 minutes.
In the mean time fry the onions in a pan. Add the potatoes and fry for approx. 10 minutes on a gentle heat, until the potatoes are cooked. You can pre-boil the potatoes if you want. I did not, as the cubes are so small that they cook in the pan and later in the oven.
Now add the mushrooms, herbs and salt and pepper. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the chopped egg and the sour cream. Mix well.
Using a teaspoon add a generous helping of the filling on one side of the dough, keeping the edges free. Fold the other side over the filling, and press the edges together. Press tightly to seal the edges together.
Place these in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
My verdict today and Soeren's tomorrow!
These make great party food. I am planning to have a small party before I leave for the US in May and I think these will be definitely on my finger food list. Due to the fact that they were rolled nice and thin and the sour cream and mushrooms kept the entire piroshki nice and moist. I will research the best type of sauce to serve with this, as I personally find the tangy "imli" - tamarind sauce gives the samosa that extra kick. Therefore, I think I have to find the extra kick for the piroshki too!
Labels: Snacks , Vegetables , Vegetarian
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
The London Story - Part 1
No idea? Well imagine being a Foodie ( I wrote about it here), cooking the food and blogging about it are great, but imagine a Food Blog without pictures! It's difficult, right? It would be like having a dish without salt, salsa with out the spice, honey without the sweetness ... you get my point. A Foodie without a camera is like a body with no soul. For a Foodie getting the camera taken away is the worst type of torture they will endure. That, in my opinion is the worst thing that can happen to a Foodie Blogger!
That is exactly what has happened to me, Folks. I think I will remember my trip to London with this sour memory.
Read the rest of the story here!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Chunky Chocolate Chip Scones & Happy Easter!
As Tom and I head off to our little Easter break and Soeren will be over at his grandparents, I leave you with these completely delicious, scrumptious and utterly luscious scones. They are jam packed to the rim with huge chocolate chunks. Made with buttermilk they are a dream to bite into.
Whatever you do over Easter, I do wish you happy egg hunting, joyous family moments and delectable meals. Enjoy the break and I'll see you on the other side with a few pictures of our break!
Happy Easter!
280g all purpose flour
50g white sugar
115g butter - straight out of the refrigerator and cut into cubes
90g chocolate - cut in chunks
160 ml buttermilk
11/4 baking powder
1/4 baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 egg - beaten
1 tablespoon milk
50g sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing sugar
Preheat oven to 200 °C.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add the butter cubes and mix with your hands until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Mix in the chocolate chunks.
Add the vanilla extract to the buttermilk and pour this mixture into the flour mixture. Knead into a soft dough. I get the best results when I do this with my hands.
On a lightly floured surface knead the dough a few times further. With your hands pat the dough into a circular shape. Not too flat and not too large. Cut the dough into wedges as if you were cutting a cake.
Place the scone wedges on a baking tray.
Beat the egg and the milk together to make an egg wash. Brush this on top of the scones. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle this over the top of the scones.
Bake the scones for 15 minutes until golden brown. Take out of the oven and shift with icing sugar. Allow to cool.
Enjoy with cream, clotted cream or just plain.
"YUMMY MUMMY!" Was what Soeren said when we were done with baking. Both of us spent a rainy Tuesday afternoon baking these scones. He kept peaking into the oven and the 15 minutes seemed like hours. I was asked at least 43 times "Are they done yet?" As I finally took them out of the oven we could not wait to get our hands on them. I blew one until it had cooled down and was not too hot to handle!
Our eyes gleamed as we both bit into the scone. I really had to guard these from Soeri and resist my own tempting hands from polishing the whole batch! But they were really fantastic. When Tom came home he smelled the great aroma of baking and of course jumped on them. Soeren took two in his lunch box today and Tom also got a few to nibble on at the Uni.
Yes, I too ate two with a cup of coffee today. Thank you Jessica for the recipe ... all the way from Perth, Australia.
Here is also Nandita's of Saffron Trail verdict to this recipe.
PS. I recently took part in My Dhaba's cooking competition. My entries were Spinach Soup with Coconut Milk and Chicken and Italian Oven Vegetables. From April 11 through to April 20, the public opinion poll starts.
Maybe you'll find some time to check it out and nominate me as your favorite. I am counting on you! Details to vote can be found here.
Labels: Chocolate , Scones/Cookies
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Tuna Tacos - ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday
I also did a little research on tuna to check out the nutrition facts. The basic low-down is:
It is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6 and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein, Niacin, Vitamin B12 and Selenium.
Together with kidney beans, which is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol, a good source of Protein, Folate and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, and the corn, which is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium and a good source of Vitamin C and Folate, I thought this would be a great dish for the ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday entry over at Cate's Sweetnicks.
Phew! Armed with all this information I hope you enjoy making these great Tuna Tacos.
PS. I recently took part in My Dhaba's cooking competition. My entries were Spinach Soup with Coconut Milk and Chicken and Italian Oven Vegetables. As of today, April 11 through to April 20, the public opinion poll starts.
Maybe you'll find some time to check it out and nominate me as your favorite. I am counting on you! Details to vote can be found here.
2 white onions - chopped
2 cans of tuna in water without salt (each about 185 g)
250 g kidney beans - soaked overnight (or canned beans work fine too)
285 g corn
1 can of canned tomatoes - chopped (500g)
fresh thyme
chili powder
olive oil
salt and pepper
lettuce leaves
Taco shells
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and gently sauté the onions until they are soft. Pour in the can of chopped tomatoes and sprinkle thyme, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the beans, corn and the tuna and cook everything for another 5 minutes. At this point, if you are cooking for children too, then simply separate a portion for the little ones. Add chili powder according to your taste to the main mixture.
Warm the taco shells according to instructions. Line each taco shell with some lettuce and fill with the tuna mixture.
Serve with sour cream and guacamole.
I had these for lunch today and will be serving this to my men later this evening. So, first my verdict:
The fact that I was able to whip this together for a quick lunch gave the recipe a huge bonus point. I work from home and every now and then tend to skip my meals at the thought of cooking something. This was definitely quick and I had most of the ingredients in the pantry. I really liked the taste of the thyme and tuna together with the corn and beans. It was just right. The juices of the tomatoes harmonized really well with the rest of the ingredients. I was going to add a bit of grated cheese to the top but decided against it. It would not have gone so well. Now, I am completely stuffed.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Forest Berry Mascarpone Tart
The Story:
(Please sing the next few lines to the melody of "Ole MacDonald!" ... c'mon just do it!)
Here a tart, there a tart, every where I blog I see a tart!
It seems like the hottest trend this blog season is the "Tart", ladies and gentlemen. In every form and shape they are presented with scrumptious fillings. I have also been a fashion victim and posted my Tart Ratatouille recently.
For this recipe I was inspired by two lovely ladies. L, of Cookbook 411 who had the great idea of making tarts in mini muffin tins. The Queen of Tarts, however, is Bea of La Tartine Gourmande. Nothing compares to her tarts.
With these two as my inspirations I sat down to create my ultimate tart.
Dough of your preference - I used a simple ready made yeast dough
250 g Mascarpone
350/400 g forrest berries - I used frozen
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 cinnamon stick
2 x 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger powder
few drops vanilla essence
juice from 1/2 a lime - zest for decoration
2-3 table spoons brown sugar
chopped pistachios
Line a cake tin with the dough and bake in a pre-heated oven according to instructions. Don't be too neat with this. Just overlap the dough or make one side higher than the other. The unevenness gives it a more rustical look and makes a good looking tart!
In the meantime whisk the vanilla essence, cinnamon powder and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger into the mascarpone.
Set aside. Take the cake tin out of the oven when ready and allow to cool.
Melt the sugar in a pan gently caramelizing it. Add the berries and coat with the caramel. If using frozen berries you will notice that the caramel gets hard, but then once allowed to simmer melts into the liquid. Add the cinnamon stick, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and the lime juice. Simmer for a few minutes. The frozen berries will leave a lot of liquid, so the best thing is to put into a sieve to drain the liquid. The liquid can be used for a drink or milkshakes.
Spread the mascarpone mixture on the dough. Now, spread the berry mixture over the top. Sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts and the lemon zest.
Cool for several hours.
Taa Taaa!
Verdict: I made this over the weekend. My in-laws were coming over and I decided to use them as my test people.
Is it a good sign when the whole cake disappeared? There was nothing left. Everyone said it was delicious. The composition of the ginger, cinnamon with the berries and mascarpone was just perfect. I find this such a versatile type of dish as it can also be served as a dessert.
I was just happy that it not only look good but tasted delish.
If you do try this out, please do let me know how it turned out!
Labels: Dessert , Fruits , Tarts/Pies/Flans
Guest Blogger at Chef Michele's
Don't forget today, I am guest blogging on Michele's Weekly Guest Blogger Event.
I am honored to have this opportunity and hope you all will join me at Chef Michele's today. I'll be telling a little story and presenting a recipe that I picked just for the event. As it always is on What's for lunch, Honey?, it has been tried and tested by my jury prior to the presentation.
Hope to see you there!
Labels: Ramblings
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Mustard Eggs - Senf Eier
I know, I know! I live in Germany am together with a German and have a son who is half German, so what am I waiting for? To be honest I find German dishes and meals very heavy. After having a typical German dinner I normally feel like a ton of rocks. So, I normally leave the German cooking to my mother-in-law and enjoy it rarely but then a lot more.
Having said that I decided to make something German today for a few reasons.
It is a very light dish. Instead of serving it with potatoes you can use rice and it works really well with a light green salad.
Easter is just around the corner and I thought this would be a superb alternative to the usual Roast & Co. that is usually served up at Easter. Being really easy and super quick it gives the cook the opportunity to enjoy the time with family and friends, instead of slogging away in the kitchen.
I am also honored to present this recipe at Chef Michele's as one of her weekly Guest Bloggers.
I hope you enjoy it, whatever the reasons are you choose to serve these delicious Senf Eier.
8 Eggs - hard boiled (approx. 8 minutes) and cut in halves
1 yellow onion - chopped
1-2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons white flour
400 ml Vegetable fond
150 g Crème fraiche or heavy cream
2-3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 cup fresh dill - chopped
salt & pepper
250g rice - a mixture of plain and wild rice is great
In a heated pan melt the butter and add the chopped onions. Gently steam these until soft. Sprinkle with the flour and cook this gently, making sure it does not go brown.
Pour in the vegetable fond and mix well. Add the heavy cream and allow to simmer for approx. 5 minutes. Add in the mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the rice according to instructions.
In the meantime add the egg halves into the mustard sauce and heat through. Sprinkle the chopped dill over the sauce. Serve this on a heated plate with the rice.
A nice side dish to this is a big green salad with a light vinaigrette.
There is something about this dish that really makes the mouth water. The smooth creamy texture of the sauce. The ever so light and tangy taste of mustard combined with the eggs. It is hard to believe a dish so easy can offer such a variety of flavors. But it does!
Soeren polished away an egg and a half with a large helping of rice. Tom? I stopped counting after his third helping. At first he was disappointed that I was serving this with rice instead of potatoes (I said he was German, didn't I?) but once he tasted the combination with the wild rice he said it was just perfect.
Labels: Easter Recipes , Eggs , German , Vegetables , Vegetarian
Friday, April 07, 2006
A Food Blogger's Meme Around the World
From the Windy City, Chicago to the City of Poets, Weimar here is my part.
But before I do go ahead just one note. I am so new to this I did not know that things like this existed. I have heard of chain letters and all that other stuff. But a Meme on a blog? Amazing! Flattered, that someone thought of me and embarrassed to admit, this is my first one!
1. Please list three recipes you have recently bookmarked from foodblogs to try:
3? I have hundreds and will be probably cooking till I'm 110! Ummmmm! Let's pick out the best three!
Haalo's Osso Buco al Pomodoro. I recently made her Grilled Chicken with Pesto and Ricotta and it was great.
Lariffic's A Quartet of Tarts. They are great for my son's lunch box that I pack every day on the The Daily Tiffin.
Shammi's Daal with Vegetables. Looks so scrumptious and full of goodness.
2. A foodblog in your vicinity:
I can only think of Vaishali on Happy Burp.
3. A foodblog (or more) located far from you:
Sweet Napa - Napa Valley
The Food Pornographer - Australia
4. A foodblog (or several) you have discovered recently (where did you find it?):
Sweet Napa by Nina
from Sam of Becks & Posh
Cookbook 411 by Lariffic
from a photography group in Flickr
5. Any people or bloggers you want to tag with this meme?
Sure, I will be tagging:
Shammi - Food in the Main
Haalo - Cook almost anything
Andrew - Spittoon Extra
Labels: Ramblings


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Cisco boss wants successor to be less bossy
Cisco's next boss won't reign on high like it's current chief executive John Chambers if John Chambers has anything to say about it. The CEO hinted a managerial Magna Carta will be quilled for the networking giant's executive team just before he bails from the chieftain's throne in less than five years. He gave his candid …
Wanted: Cisco CEO. Previous Enron Managers encouraged to apply.
The new CEO will have a tough job to be less bossy when he or she will be looking over their shoulder for the rotating knives. Cisco have similar employment heirarchy to that of Enron, i.e. create a sinking ship mentality with the top 2 percent promoted and the bottom 5% "managed out". Crawl, elbow or scratch your way up the ladder or die trying. Not surprisingly, Cisco has the poorest quality middle managers I have ever seen in a company of its size. To be clear, that does not go for Uncle John (as the employees affectionately call him). I pity the next CEO. When John takes his "can't touch this" pass with him, it will be like watching drowning men trying to get themselves onto the Titanic's lifeboats, while helping their friends and kicking the fingers of anyone else. I for one will have the popcorn and deckchair ready - let the show begin.
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subset: commoncrawl


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3M Industrial Sales Were $2.7 Billion; Canada Up Double Digits
Posted by Bill Esler | Posted: 10/24/2013 9:05AM
ST. PAUL, MN - Sales in 3M Industrial operations, which includes adhesives and abrasives used in wood manufacturing, automotive and other industries, rose even higher, 8.6% to $2.7 billion. Sales grew in all businesses served by 3M Industrial, led by aerospace, automotive, advanced materials, liquid filtration, automotive aftermarket and industrial adhesives and tapes.
Sales rose in all major geographies, with double-digit growth in Latin America/Canada. Operating income for the Industrial operations was $568 million operating margin of 21.3 percent.
3M overall third-quarter revenue rose 7.9% $7.9 billion, a record.
click image to zoom3M 2012 profile shows the Industrial operations breakdown.
About the Author
Bill EslerBill Esler, Associate Publisher/ Editor in Chief, Woodworking Network Bill is responsible for editing Custom Woodworking Business and coordinating content for Wood Products , CLOSETS , WoodworkingNetwork.com, and related newsletters. Bill's expertise includes using innovative print manufacturing techniques to grow audience engagement, digital printing, purls, QR codes; and lead-generating webcasts, custom websites, and custom digital and print content. Read Bill Esler's woodworking blogs. He can be reached at email@example.com or follow him on Google+.
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01. Denver Broncos [3-0]: Amazingly, Peyton Manning is once again the best football player in the world. [NC]
02. Seattle Seahawks [3-0]: Love their chances for the Super Bowl if they can get home field because nobody beats them in Seattle. [NC]
03. New England Patriots [3-0]: Passing game still looks smooth as silk, though schedule has been easy so far. [+2]
04. New Orleans Saints [3-0]: Defense looks much improved but Dolphins, Bears & Patriots will provide a sterner test. [+3]
05. Chicago Bears [3-0]: All eyes have been on Marc Trestman and his offense, but it's the defense that still gets it done in Chicago. [+1]
06. Kansas City Chiefs [3-0]: Andy Reid is quickly rehabbing that reputation that got so battered the last two years. [+2]
07. Cincinnati Bengals [2-1]: Bengals played the most exciting game of football last week… and they won! How often have you been able to say that? [+3]
08. Indianapolis Colts [2-1]: I didn't think they had it in them to defend the Niners and win the game, but they did and this is their reward. [+4]
09. Miami Dolphins [2-1]: Have two road wins and two wins over playoff teams. Upcoming game against the Saints should be a blast. [+4]
10. Baltimore Ravens [2-1]: They may not have the talent of a champion right now, but they've still got the heart, which is a lot more than Houston can say. [+3]
11. Dallas Cowboys [2-1]: Haven't beaten anyone good, but their only loss was to the unbeaten Chiefs. [+2]
12. Houston Texans [2-1]: Just when you think these guys are ready to take the next step… They never are. [-3]
13. San Francisco 49ers [1-2]: Kaepernick is taking most of the heat, but what happened to the great defense of the last two years? [-5]
14. Atlanta Falcons [1-2]: Didn't lose their second game last year until December. Considering how that turned out, maybe it is better to get these out of the way now. [-3]
Read the rest of the article
The World's Most Prestigious Power Poll: Week 4
9/25/13 in NFL | PennSkinsFan | 12 respect


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Pumas planning another blowout vs. Blacktails?January 19th, 2013 by jeff graham
The Kitsap Pumas host the Oregon Blacktails today in a Premier
Arena Soccer League game at 7 p.m. at the Olympic Soccer &
Sports Center.
Kitsap (3-1-1) is currently in second place in the PASL's Northwest Division. The Pumas defeated Oregon 13-3 on the road last weekend. Pat Perkins scored four goals and added three assists in the game.


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Talking White
Black people's disdain for "proper English" and academic achievement is a myth.
Hong Kong's Protesters Are Ridiculously Polite. That's What Scares Beijing So Much.
Oct 2, 10:42 AM - ELLA MORTON - 1M to read Yes, Those Are Coffins Hanging off the Side of That Cliff
Oct 2, 10:13 AM - BEN MATHIS-LILLEY - 1M to read Four Relatives of Dallas Ebola Patient Legally Ordered to Stay Home as Precaution
Oct 2, 10:04 AM - G. GERWIG & E. SPIVACK - 2M to read Why I Always Write in a Button-Down Shirt That Belonged to an Old Crush
Oct 2, 9:49 AM - BRIAN PALMER - 4M to read Should We Worry That so Many of the Doctors Fighting Ebola Are Missionaries?
Oct 2, 9:37 AM - MULTIPLE AUTHORS - 1M to read Can Lena Dunham Tell Us Anything We Don't Already Know?
Oct 2, 9:36 AM - CHRISTIN SCARLETT MILLOY - 4M to read Meet the Chasers, "Admirers" Who Really, Really Want to Date Trans People
Oct 2, 9:19 AM - ISSIE LAPOWSKY - 2M to read Alibaba's Founder on Why His Company Is Killing It in China
Oct 2, 9:16 AM - MATTHEW DEBORD - 1M to read Crumbling Infrastructure and Traffic are Costing Every L.A. Driver $2,500 a Year
Oct 2, 9:08 AM - TORIE BOSCH - 5M to read If You Love Intervention, You'll Be Fascinated by This New Horror Movie
Oct 2, 8:47 AM - JUNE THOMAS - 3M to read Season 2 of The Bridge Was Confusing, Bizarre, and Uneven. I Loved It.
Oct 2, 8:27 AM - QUORA CONTRIBUTOR - 4M to read How Do Teachers Kill the Joy of Reading for Students?
- Touring a $45,000-a-Night Hotel Room Andrew W.K. on I Get Wet and the 33 ⅓ Series
- The End of Deodorant Streaks Stop Throwing Your Vegetable Trimmings Away
- Why Do Some People Need More Sleep Than Others? How Men Talk About Relationships in Rom-Coms: While Playing Sports
- Philip Gourevitch on Air Strikes Against ISIS What Happens When a Man Drinks an Entire Bottle of Whiskey in 13 Seconds?
- 1. Help! I Once Had Gastric Bypass Surgery, but I'm Embarrassed to Tell My Boyfriend.
- 2. Hong Kong Has the World's Politest Protesters. That's Why They Are So Dangerous.
- 3. Why Black People's Disdain for "Proper English" Is a Myth
- 4. This Is the Most Amazing Political Ad of the Season
Can't Stomach It
I was shamed for getting gastric bypass surgery. Should I keep the procedure a secret?
Mixed Feelings About a Mixtape
Drive-By Bounty
The Lonely Teetotaler
Porn Pays
- 1. Hong Kong Has the World's Politest Protesters. That's Why They Are So Dangerous.
- 2. The Greatest Job Perk You've Never Heard Of: "Pre-cation"
- 3. Parents, Get Your Teenage Daughters the IUD
- 4. Watch Two Massive Ships Collide in Suez Canal
- 5. Tim & Eric Brought Their Twisted Minds—and Jeff Goldblum—to This Bizarre Light Bulb Ad
- 6. This Is the Most Amazing Political Ad of the Season
- 7. Windows 8 Was So Bad That Microsoft Is Skipping Straight to Windows 10
The Many Faces of Texas
Violence, Love, and Hope: Growing Up in the Bronx in the 1980s
Are These Models Twins? A Photographic Exploration of Doppelgangers.
Grease, Sweat, and Muscle: The Freedom of American Car Culture
Competitive Animals and the People Who Handle Them
How to Genetically Modify a Tomato and Other Things We Eat
The Love Story Between a Squirrel and a Horse, Told in an Adorably Surreal Photo Essay
A Rope Mistress, the Rubber Master, Sadomasochist Sisters: Portraits in Kink
Sabotage. Capture. Torture. Freedom. The incredible story of former CIA agent John T. Downey.
- Culture Gabfest Come See Natasha Lyonne at the Live Culture Gabfest in Los Angeles
- DoubleX Gabfest Can Lena Dunham Tell Us Anything We Don't Already Know?
- The Gist Green Apple Besting Lime in Candy Flavors Everywhere
- Culture Gabfest Is Jeff Koons Fascinating or a Fraud?
"Eric Holder wants to be remembered for his record on civil rights. He will be—but not in the way that he means. From that standpoint, historians will regard him as a failure." Eric Holder's Legacy
"Emotional abuse is inherent in a lifestyle that teaches that women are so ill-equipped to make decisions that they need to always have a man, either father or husband, controlling their every waking minute, lest they develop a 'Jezebel spirit.'" Escaping the Extreme Christian Fundamentalism of "Quiverfull"
"Yes, there's a cultural component to how black parents explain and rationalize corporal punishment, but that's true of all groups. Despite this, the national conversation on corporal punishment and abuse has treated it as a black problem, not an American one." Blacks Don't Have a Corporal Punishment Problem
Dear Prudence
Can't Stomach It I was shamed for getting gastric bypass surgery. Should I keep the procedure a secret?
Behind the Scenes
Revelry (and Business) at Mohonk Photos and highlights from Slate's annual retreat.
Sports Nut
Bunt-a-Palooza! How bad was the Kansas City Royals' bunt-all-the-time strategy in the American League wild-card game?


text:
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A Bakers Kitchen
How to Get a New Look by Simply Changing Your Cabinet Hardware
Are you tired of looking at the same old kitchen or bathroom cabinets, but can't afford to remodel? You don't have to change the entire cabinet to get a brand new look. You'll be amazed how different you can make your cabinets and drawers look in just a few hours by simply changing your cabinet hardware. You really don't have to spend a fortune and go through all the hassle of installing new cabinets to get a new look. New cabinet door and drawer pulls will cost you a fraction of what new cabinets would and it's a much quicker way to improve the look of your kitchen or bath.
Even if your cabinets are a little outdated you can get a brand new look by changing from knob type cabinet door and drawer pulls to newer more decorative cup pulls for your cabinets and drawers. The new cabinet hardware will draw people's attention to the newer brighter and more interesting cup pulls and away from the outdated cabinet doors and drawer pulls that have begun to dull. It works the same way if you already have cup pulls on cabinets and drawers.
Beautify your home with new bail pulls
Are you ready to add some extra style to the doors and cabinets in your home? Or maybe you are missing some pulls and need to get some new ones. This is as easy as replacing the old hardware and putting in new cabinet hardware. There are many styles and colors on the market to choose from.
Oil rubbed Bronze is a great one for someone that wants their kitchen to take on a traditional look. There are many styles of knobs and handles available and will look great anywhere in the home. The oil rubbed Bronze hardware looks great in any room of the home.
If one wants the antique look they might wish to check out the antique bail pulls. These are available in different sizes and styles. There is the swan neck, Chippendale, flower and many other patterns available. Bail pulls can replace old or missing pulls on dressers as well as other pieces of furniture or cabinets. Cabinet hardware is an item that most people don't think about. By changing the cabinet hardware in your kitchen or bathroom will make a huge difference in the way a room looks. It doesn't take long to replace the hardware and one will be pleased in the transformation of a room. One can do this project themselves or hire a contractor to do the work for you.
Making Something New Out Of Something Old with Bar Pulls
Giving new life to faded furniture in an old room is a joy for most people. Especially, if the furniture is yours. That's why attractive bar pulls can be mounted in virtually any room in the house to make that room look better. It is all about whether you are trying to produce a certain style or not. You can't break your neck hunting all the time for certain period-setting furniture or grand ideas for redecorating a room. What can change the whole look of your room is cabinet hardware.
Using cabinet hardware, one can create the effects that are desired and create a kitchen you have always wanted. It can be a 1970s retro look, an entertainment room, a contemporary living room, it is the bar pulls that can make the look even better.
When choosing the right hardware for your kitchen cabinets, there are a few considerations that you should make. First, you will need to decide if you want to have your kitchen looking traditional or full of antiques. Secondly, determine what kind of hardware that you want in the kitchen. Some examples of hardware that are popular include antique finish, copper, pewter and silver. Thirdly, you should decide on what type of accenting to go in your kitchen that compliments the appliances. Cabinet drawer pulls provide you with the same function as doorknobs do. Drawer pulls have a better look than traditional door knobs and that is why many people are choosing pulls. The pulls are easy to set up, requiring a minimum of two screws. Whatever cabinet hardware you choose, remember that pulls can have a lasting effect that gives the room a whole new look
Finger Pulls Offer A Welcome Change
For many homeowners, major or minor renovation begins in the kitchen or bath. When considering the project as a whole, it's often the subtle touches that will make a particular remodel stand out. This also holds true for new construction and the design elements that add that special, personal touch. Cabinet hardware is one of those elements.
Drawer pulls and other cabinet hardware are often taken for granted. With the proper selection however, the right hardware can add a significant contribution to any kitchen or bath design. Drawer pulls can come in an almost limitless variety of materials, shapes, and sizes. Hardware may range from bold to subtle, and anything in between. Finger pulls offer a unique touch that creates a simple but elegant look to any cabinet or drawer.Finger pulls are just as the name describes. This cabinet hardware is just the right size and shape to accommodate one or two fingers in order to open the drawer or cabinet door. The shapes and configurations available offer homeowners and designers an almost endless selection of product to choose from, and from chrome, to bronze, to stainless steel, the finishes are equally as abundant.The finger pull strays a bit from traditional hardware design and offers a subtle touch that helps to set any kitchen or bath apart from the norm.
Appliance Pulls to Make Your Kitchen Unique!
Appliance pulls, much like drawer pulls, are the handles that make it possible for you to easily open doors and cabinets to get at what's inside. Whether it's your refrigerator or your stove, your drawers or your cabinets though, it's important to have the right hardware; otherwise you're just going to have to deal with a drab, dull kitchen that looks completely standard issue. That's why you should always make sure to get the best, and the most unique, cabinet hardware that you can get your hands on.
Style and Functionality
You never really notice how much character your appliance pulls and drawer pulls lend to a room until you change them up. It's like how just one, minor change to your wardrobe can turn it into a whole new outfit when you look in the mirror! For instance, if you replaced the smooth edged, faded chrome pulls with burnished, intricately wound brass, they would suddenly pop right out to both your eyes, and the eyes of any guests. It's a small thing, but that small thing can add a lot to the room.
In addition to looks though, the right cabinet hardware can also prove to be very functional. All you need, sometimes, is that extra wide pull so that you don't have to cram your fingers into the gap, or so that the pull won't dig into your hand. Once you have that, your kitchen is both beautiful and functional in ways it simply wasn't before.
Different Finishes for Cabinet Hardware
Updating the kitchen of your home can be done by completing a full remodel or by replacing the hardware that is on the cabinets. Hardware for kitchen cabinets includes knobs and pulls. These are used on both the doors and drawers of your cabinets. The hardware will be used as an accent to finish any type of kitchen update or remodel.
Choosing new cabinet hardware will include selecting a specific type of finish. Finishes you may want to select for your cabinets include chrome, oil rubbed bronze, and satin nickel. You will also need to decide on a specific style. The style of hardware is a factor based on the theme for your kitchen.
You can choose to replace contemporary knobs and pulls with hardware that has a modern feel. Another option is to go with the latest trend. The choice of hardware and finish for the cabinets should complement the look you want for your kitchen.
If you want a traditional look for your kitchen, then an oil rubbed bronze or a satin nickel finish is a good choice. A chrome finish is a great choice for any modern or contemporary kitchen design. Search for hardware finishes that will provide you the best results for your kitchen update.
Knobs and pulls are attached to your cabinets with a screw. A back plate is often used to secure a screw used with knobs and pulls. You can find examples of different types of hardware at www.simplyknobsandpulls.com that will match any kitchen design.
Decisions for Cabinet Hardware at Your Fingertips
When choosing the perfect cabinet hardware for your style, it's important to decide on the kitchen decor style you will be working with. There are a variety of drawer pulls, ring pulls and cabinet knobs for every kitchen cabinet style. The cabinet hardware you choose will reflect the kitchen style.
For instance, metal ring pulls may be the favorite for a country kitchen, while sleek metal drawer pulls may be a more contemporary choice. There is any number of cabinet pulls that would be appropriate for a range of styles. For an eclectic kitchen you may choose cabinet knobs on upper cabinet doors and a pull for the lower cabinets.
Choosing the finish is another factor when choosing your cabinet hardware; bronze, oil rubbed bronze, satin nickel, and chrome are finishes you will find while looking for the perfect hardware. Whether you are making a decision for new cabinets, or to bring new life to existing cabinets you will find the perfect finish you are looking for. Bronze can warm a kitchen, while chrome may give that cool feel. There are many others to choose from as well.
Who thought finding accessories for your cabinets could be so much fun, and at your fingertips? It couldn't be any easier to make your shopping experience a breeze, just head over to www.simplyknobsandpulls.com to find the perfect match to your style.
Choosing the finish is another factor when choosing your cabinet hardware; bronze, oil rubbed bronze, satin nickel, and chrome are finishes you will find while looking for the perfect hardware. Whether you are making a decision for new cabinets, or to bring new life to existing cabinets you will find the perfect finish you are looking for. Bronze can warm a kitchen, while chrome may give that cool feel. There are many others to choose from as well.
Who thought finding accessories for your cabinets could be so much fun, and at your fingertips? It couldn't be any easier to make your shopping experience a breeze, just head over to www.simplyknobsandpulls.com to find the perfect match to your style.
Finding the Right Renovation Materials
Designing the bathroom of your dreams is all about paying attention to details. Minor accents like drawer pulls and other cabinet hardware that has been selected to more effectively complement your bath hardware will provide your new space with a more consistent feel. Such seemingly minor hardware choices could play an important role in creating the superior atmosphere you are interested in.
High quality cabinet hardware that will be as attractive as it is durable represents a superior investment. High quality drawer pulls and other bath hardware should be chosen to fit your desired aesthetic without having to compromise on construction quality. Having to make a premature replacement of your cabinet hardware should it wear out may be unavoidable if you are not working with quality resources.Drawer pulls that have been mismatched with the other accents and installations you choose to make your renovation can limit the success of your efforts. Clashing accents can be visually confusing and could result in a more lackluster atmosphere, one unable to provide you home owners with an effective way to express and showcase their intended theme.
Bath hardware options that may seem minor or unimportant are worth spending your attentions on. Concentration to smaller details will provide you with the best results possible when it comes to the renovation or redesign efforts able to provide you with the bathroom you have always wanted. Ensuring that such hardware options, accent items and other details have been successfully addressed can ensure that your construction and renovation efforts are as successful as possible.


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Cayenne Deep Heat Salve
Stiff necks … Sore muscles … Headaches … Arthritis … Stiff joints … General body pain.*
Contains: Cayenne, Ginger Root, Thyme, White Willow Bark, Burdock, Chaparral, White Oak Bark, Valerian Root, Olive Oil, Beeswax, Menthol Crystals, Birch Oil, Thyme Oil, Wintergreen Oil, Vitamin E Oil
100% Natural Ingredients – No Synthetic Ingredients - Essential Oils Aromatherapy
1/2 ounce $6.50 2 ounces $16 4 ounces $25
Cayenne Heat Ointment Dr. Christopher's
2 ounces Retail $16.50 4 ounces $19.99
As an additional warming agent, the ointment has been known to be an aid in the following health conditions: , rheumatism, lumbago, lumbosacral radiculitis, peripheral circulatory disorders, tendinitis, etc. In case of pain or swelling of limbs, bruises, sprains, and other injuries without breaking the skin, Cayenne Heat Ointment is recommended for use two hours after treating the affected area with a cooling cream. When you apply the ointment to warm up the muscles, you should gently massage the affected area and use a bandage for a few hours to enhance the effect of heat.
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Sarovar Portico, Badrinath
Cafe in the Park
One of the best places in town to lounge and spend some good time is the Cafe at Sarovar Portico. Owing to the religious sanctity attached to the place, the cafe serves pure vegetarian delicacies. However the cafe serves multi-cuisine dishes and allows its guests to choose from a good selection.
Sarovar - The Fast food Restaurant
A more casual place to hangout at the Sarovar Portico is the Sarovar Fast Food Restaurant. Serving like a food court, the place has some mouth watering Indian fare.


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Hipster 50s Dress
The Mod Life Dress$74.99Price: $74.99
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Roger is first joined by the director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan, Kareemah El-Amin, who chats about how Michigan is weathering the cut to the SNAP program. Then, of course, AccuWeather meteorologist Bob Larson makes his daily appearance, and Roger talks a bit about filibusters. Finally, Amy Hardin of the Democracy Tree blog talks about the Whole School Technology Pilot Program. Photo courtesy of USDAgov.
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Singer and composer Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachyov, known as Vitas, was born in the Ukraine in 1979. In 2002, he performed his Philosophy of Miracle at the Kremlin, becoming the youngest person to ever perform at the State Palace. Vitas, who designs his own costumes and staging, presented his fashion line, Autumn Dreams, later that year. Vitas' performances easily move between and combine opera, synth-pop and rock genres. With hooded orchestras, hybrid processions and sartorial excess, his performances are underwritten with mystery, ritual and an erotic charge that explodes regularly into a spine-chilling male soprano that has little to do with the grating tones of typical falsetto. More here and here.
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Roof Leaker To Watch: Electronic Arts (EA)
- EA has an average dollar-volume (as measured by average daily share volume multiplied by share price) of $158.9 million.
- EA has traded 5.8 million shares today.
- EA is trading at 1.59 times the normal volume for the stock at this time of day.
- EA crossed below its 200-day simple moving average.
'Roof Leaker' stocks are worth watching because trading stocks that begin to experience a breakdown can lead to potentially massive losses. Once psychological and technical resistance barriers like the 200-day moving average are breached on higher than normal relative volume, the stock may then be subject to emotional selling from investors that can continue to drive the stock lower. Regardless of the impetus behind the price and volume action, when a stock moves with weakness and volume it can indicate the start of a new, potentially dangerous, trend. EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Get the inside scoop on opportunities in EA with the Ticky from Trade-Ideas. See the FREE profile for EA NOW at Trade-Ideas More details on EA: Electronic Arts Inc. develops, markets, publishes, and distributes game software content and services for video game consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and electronic readers, and the Internet. EA has a PE ratio of 31.1. Currently there are 12 analysts that rate Electronic Arts a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 7 rate it a hold. The average volume for Electronic Arts has been 5.3 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Electronic Arts has a market cap of $6.8 billion and is part of the technology sector and computer software & services industry. The stock has a beta of 0.79 and a short float of 7.2% with 3.58 days to cover. Shares are up 56.7% year-to-date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more. TheStreetRatings.com Analysis: TheStreet Quant Ratings rates Electronic Arts as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share and compelling growth in net income. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that revenues have generally been declining. Highlights from the ratings report include:
- Powered by its strong earnings growth of 26.44% and other important driving factors, this stock has surged by 36.79% over the past year, outperforming the rise in the S&P 500 Index during the same period.
- ELECTRONIC ARTS INC has improved earnings per share by 26.4% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. This trend suggests that the performance of the business is improving. During the past fiscal year, ELECTRONIC ARTS INC increased its bottom line by earning $0.32 versus $0.21 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($1.26 versus $0.32).
- 49.21% is the gross profit margin for ELECTRONIC ARTS INC which we consider to be strong. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Regardless of the strong results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of -39.28% is in-line with the industry average.
- EA, with its decline in revenue, slightly underperformed the industry average of 6.2%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly dropped by 2.3%. The declining revenue has not hurt the company's bottom line, with increasing earnings per share.
- Current return on equity exceeded its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a clear sign of strength within the company. When compared to other companies in the Software industry and the overall market, ELECTRONIC ARTS INC's return on equity is below that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
- You can view the full Electronic Arts Ratings Report.
STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.
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Manumission Intelligencier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Manumission Intelligencier was an abolitionist newspaper founded by Elihu Embree, a Quaker, in 1819. It was later renamed The Emancipator and then sold to another Quaker, Benjamin Lundy, and renamed The Genius of Universal Emancipation.
See also[edit]
- Vaughn, Stephen L. (editor) Encyclopedia of American Journalism (Routledge, 2009) p. 4
|This article about a United States newspaper is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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Casino Action Review , Latest breakdown of Casino Action.
Casino Action Review , could be an online casino powered by Microgaming software. Founded in 2000 as a result of Casino Reward Group. May possibly registered from the jurisdiction associated with the Malta. US Players not accepted.
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The Spirit-filled art of Sawai Chinnawong
Chinnawong is persuaded that he must live into the gospel as a Thai artist. But the pastor who baptized him called his paintings "Buddhist."
From the Pre-Christian Era to the Postcolonial Age
R. S. Sugirtharajah sees both sides of the mirror: Christian views of Asian faiths and the reciprocal gaze of Asian believers.
Any account of Asian Christianity must deal with minority peoples. One large and diverse region has more than 100 million people—many of them Christian.
It's ironic that multicultural approaches to Christianity are dismissed as novel or "politically correct." They are deeply rooted in our past.
Ever since Westerners discovered Asian cultures they have been intrigued by possible relationships between Christianity and Buddhism.
The Century's work relies primarily on subscriptions and donations. Thank you for supporting nonprofit journalism.
Support us by buying books:


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References: Deuteronomy 28, Deuteronomy 30Trouble seems to be constantly brewing among the nations of the Middle East. There are wars, bombings, and complete unrest. Is this a fulfillment of prophecy or only "birth pains"?
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Now you can carry a full Bible school education in your pocket! Our new 8GB USB flash drive containing the audio of Dr. McGee's entire 5-year series plus the notes and outlines in PDF is now available at a fraction of the cost of the full series on audio CD. You're ready to start studying as soon as you insert the flash drive into a USB port on any computer; no special installation is required, and it takes up no storage space on your computer. It also comes in a protective metal tin.


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Amanda Adams of Protein Sciences in Meriden holds a sample of the the swine flu vaccine that the company is making with the help of a $147 million contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
( RICHARD MESSINA / THE HARTFORD COURANT / August 20, 2009 )
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Before Fresh City Life My Branch programming takes a bit of a break for the holiday season, enjoy one of these programs this week!
Tonight, Monday, December 5 at 6:00 p.m. at Schlessman, Man of 1,000 Songs Rob Wivchar is back to soothe your winter stress with his holiday stylings! Stop by and listen for a while!
On Saturday, December 10 at 2:00 p.m. you have many craft choices:
The Fresh City Life My Branch Colorado Authors Series delves into Colorado history this week with Joyce Lohse, presenting Mining for the Real Baby Doe Tabor on Sunday, December 4 at 2 p.m. at Schlessman.
Lohse has written biographies of various figures in Colorado history. In her latest book, Baby Doe Tabor: Matchless Silver Queen, award-winning Centennial author, Joyce B. Lohse, gives a biographical viewpoint of Colorado's favorite female mining legend.
Have you been waiting for that special item for a long time? Perhaps a popular DVD or a bestselling book? Don't let your holiday travel plans get in the way of you getting those long-awaited holds!
You can keep your place in the holds queue AND keep items from arriving while you are gone by suspending your holds! By suspending your holds, you will keep moving up the list, but the hold will not be sent for you to pick up until on or after date you specify. You'll never have to miss out on a hold again just because you were out of town when it arrived!
Are you ready for the holidays? Whether you want to check out eReaders so that you know which one to give or ask for, create some handmade gifts, or need some suggestions for perfect party appetizers, Fresh City Life My Branch has ideas for you this week!
Is an eReader on your holiday list? Find out all about them in: eMedia: What is it, and how does it work? on Friday, December 2, at 2:00 p.m. at the Bear Valley Branch. Learn how to download an electronic audio or book to your computer, iPod, mp3 player, iPhone, Droid, or eReader!
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America Grandmaster Anne McCaffrey passed away on November 21 at the age of 85.
She published her first short story in 1953 and was best known for her Pern series of novels. She was the first woman to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards. For many, McCaffrey's books provided an introduction to the worlds of science fiction and fantasy when they were teens. Her son, Todd, has continued the Pern series.
While Fresh City Life My Branch programming is taking a bit of a break for the holiday this week, take the opportunity to be thankful for the library and all the FREE programs it provides to enrich our lives! Like us on Facebook!
Then mark your calendar for some of these upcoming programs in December! See you then!
Did you know that the Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award is voted on ONLY by teens in 6th-12th grades? Here's your chance to help decide the most popular books for middle and high school students in Colorado!
The Denver Public Library will help you vote this year starting December 1! In order to vote, you need to have read at least THREE of the nominated titles, so start now! Voting will run from December 1-31, and can be done in person at any library branch or through DPL's Teen website. Anyone in 6th-12th grade can vote! We'll post our very own DPL winner in January along with the official state winner!
The 2011 Nominees, chosen by teens all over Colorado, are:
Whether you want to be creative with your cooking, your writing, or in how you read & discuss books, join us for a Fresh City Life My Branch event this week!
The Between the Covers Book Discussion Group meets Tuesday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m. at the Ross-Cherry Creek Branch. This month's title is The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard.
The Fresh City Life My Branch Colorado Authors Series presents Kyrie Collins, author of Playdate with Denver and Colorado's Front Range on Sunday, November 20 at 2:00 p.m. at the Schlessman Family Branch.
When Collins moved to the Denver area, she had a two-year-old toddler and was six months pregnant. Immediately, she began searching for a resource of fun and interesting places to take her children. Most of the information she found was either for older children or focused on a specific area or activity. She wanted a wide array of destinations for every season of the year and for every budget. Since she couldn't find one, she decided to create one.
The Fresh City Life My Branch Colorado Authors Series continues this Saturday, November 12 at 11:00 a.m. at Schlessman with Michael Altman, who will discuss his book No Simple Highway.
No Simple Highway is a psychological thriller set in Denver in 1972. It deals with combat trauma, spiritual healing, and parapsychology in an action-packed and thought-provoking look at social issues that are as relevant today as they were in the 1970s.
Mr. Altman is a retired Vietnam Air Force psychiatrist who lives in Denver. He has a long-term interest in mystical spirituality. He is currently practicing what he calls the four "Gs"--guitar, golf, gardening, and keeping up with a Golden Retriever.
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Posted by James McQuivey on the CMOs Blog on December 4, 2011
What to do when a failed product concept still lingers, haunting every attempt at injecting it with new life? That's the problem with interactive TV, a term that grates like the name of an old girlfriend, conjuring up hopes long since unfulfilled yet still surprisingly fresh. Gratefully, it's time to put old product notions of interactive TV behind us because this week Microsoft will release a user experience update to the Xbox 360 that will do for the TV what decades of promises and industry joint ventures have never managed to pull off.
Meet engaged TV. From now on, I will no longer need to plead with the audiences I address, the clients I meet, or my friends who still listen to me to imagine the future of TV. Because Microsoft has just built and delivered it: A single box that ties together all the content you want, made easily accessible through a universal, natural, voice-directed search. This is now the benchmark against which all other living-room initiatives should be compared, from cable or satellite set top boxes to Apple's widely rumored TV to the 3.0 version of Google TV that Google will have to start programming as soon as they see this. With more than 57 million people worldwide already sitting on a box that's about to be upgraded for free – and with what I estimate to be 15 million Kinect cameras in some of those homes – Microsoft has not only built the right experience, it has ensured that it will spread quickly and with devastating effect.
Posted by JP Gownder on the Infrastructure & Operations Professionals Blog on November 29, 2011
Forrester is bullish on Windows 8 as a product for consumers. With Windows 8, Microsoft is adapting Windows in key ways that make it better suited to compete in the post-PC era, including a touch-first UI, an app marketplace, and the ability to run natively on SoC/ARM processors. This pivot in product strategy and product design makes sense as we move deeper into an era when computing form factors reach far beyond traditional desktops and laptops.
But in a new report, Sarah Rotman Epps and I look at Windows 8 tablets, specifically, through our product strategy lens. What do we see? On tablets, Windows 8 is going to be very late to the party. Product strategists often look to be "fast followers" in their product markets. Perhaps the most famous example is the original browser war of the 1990s: Microsoft's fast-following Internet Explorer drove incumbent Netscape out of the market altogether.
For tablets, though, Windows really isn't a fast follower. Rather it's (at best) a fifth-mover after iPad, Android tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, HP's now-defunct webOS tablet, and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. While Windows' product strategists can learn from these products, other players have come a long way in executing and refining their products — Apple, Samsung, and others have already launched second-generation products and will likely be into their third generation by the time Windows 8 launches.
Posted by James McQuivey on the CMOs Blog on November 3, 2011
Or will someone else do it for you? That's the principal question I have after seeing the first week's worth of responses to our Digital Disruption Readiness Assessment survey. This 5-minute survey (available at forr.com/digitalreadiness) is already revealing critical vulnerabilities in corporate readiness. Consider the following data point:
It's not that people think their industries are safe from digital disruption -- quite the contrary. A full 76% see "significant opportunity" for digital to disrupt the industry they serve. Yet only a third think their companies will put the right resources in place to adapt to the changes that digital will bring.
I spoke at a private conference outside of San Francisco on Tuesday and shared our digital disruption research with the room, elaborating on the Lose It! case study I posted on Mashable last week. Afterward, several entrepreneurs spoke to me about their own experiences as digital disruptors. One of them -- who self-identified as a Gen Yer who had recently received $15 million in funding for his startup -- explained to me that the cost of disrupting has fallen so low that he doesn't even think people like him need to go for the big funding anymore (not that he refused it when it came!). He said, "Especially in software, it only takes $30,000 to build anything in software today."
That's a digital disruptor. He's not bound by traditional economics, old-school partnership boundaries, or even antiquated notions of customer privacy. How are you going to compete with someone who thinks -- and acts -- like that?
Posted by James McQuivey on the CMOs Blog on October 28, 2011
Yesterday I took the main stage at our 2011 Consumer Forum here in Chicago to introduce the 500+ members of the audience to digital disruptors. You can read about the guts of my presentation in my blog post and learn more about the effect of digital disruptors in "Beware the Digital Disruptors," my Mashable piece from earlier this week.
But what I really want you to do is participate in our Digital Disruption Readiness Assessment. It's found at forr.com/digitalreadiness and takes just five minutes to complete. We launched it yesterday as part of my speech, and many thanks to the hundreds of you who have already hit the survey (even those of you who just checked out the first page and didn't proceed; I want you back). The results are already fascinating and will only get better as we get more of you to participate, so please pass this along to your friends and let's collect enough data that I can share more nuggets as they come through. Here's a teaser:
You're very optimistic: 43% think it's very likely that "My company will be a top provider of its goods and services in five years." Yet only 21% of you think it's very likely that "My company will be more innovative than other firms in our industry or category over the next five years." Red flag: How will your company lead in products if it doesn't lead in innovation?
In our assessment, we ask you to evaluate your industry, your company, and your individual readiness for (or vulnerability to) digital disruption. And here's the real kicker: When we get to the level of the individual, the answers are sure to trigger empathy.
Posted by James McQuivey on the CMOs Blog on August 23, 2011
All through the past decade, observers in industry and on Wall Street have offered reasons to discount Netflix's efforts. Supposed obstacles ranged from Blockbuster to scant streaming options to recent rate hikes on DVD renters. When will these people ever learn? We understand why people cheer against disruptive players like Netflix — it would be nice if we could pretend all these digital disruptions will go away. But they won't, and neither will Netflix. We've written about this in our latest report that people who keep an eye on content strategy will find valuable (see our newest report on Netflix).
But it's not really written for them – it's written for people who take an even bigger view, as do we. These people – today's product strategists – know that Netflix is a powerful example of disruptive digital product strategy and are eager to learn how to act like Netflix in their own context and industry. In our report, we extract three specific lessons from Netflix:
Posted by James McQuivey on the CMOs Blog on August 4, 2011
We live in a world punctuated by big innovations. From fire and the wheel down to the light bulb and the iPad, we mark the march of history by the steady beat of transformative innovations. Except that steady beat is no longer so steady. The rate at which these life-altering innovations are coming to market is accelerating so quickly that it's no longer sufficient to invoke even Moore's Law to explain them.
Not only are new things being introduced more swiftly than before but consumers are adopting them more rapidly than before. I make my living studying early adopters, but recently I've had to throw many hard-earned lessons out the window. Because in a world where Microsoft sold 8 million Kinect cameras for the Xbox 360 in just two months, traditional definitions of "early adopter" became irrelevant after about week two.
This is both exciting and maddening. We've spent that last several years watching the acceleration of innovation to figure out what is making this rate of innovation possible and we've discovered that innovating at this pace is tricky, but doable, with the right approach.


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100 PUSH-UPS!November 26th, 2010 at 9:43 am by Don Roberts under 10 On Your Side, Military, Personalities, Sports
That's how we celebrated THANKSGIVING at the Roberts' compound - watching one of America's finest soldiers burn off Mrs. Roberts' world famous turkey – by doing 100 PUSH UPS! And PFC John Hanne did them all in less than 2 minutes! In-freakin'-credible. I can do 100 push ups - TODAY! Actually, truth be told, Hanne HAD to do the pushups because he lost a bet. He talked a little smack to his fellow soldiers 'bout dem COWBOYS- thought they were going to kick a little Louisiana tail. In Baltimore we call that – "Selling Wolf Tickets!" Don't ask. Hanne was one of four Ft. Eustis soldiers to join my family and friends for dinner, Thursday. But THEY were the treat. It all started around 930 as I joined a crowd of about 100 other families at the Hampton Coliseum.
About 200 military members were matched with families like these from around Hampton Roads. The matching went off without a hitch, thanks to the great efforts and coordination of the USO. So, what did we do all day? Just chilled! My son is the age of the guys and Kevin had the latest video game hook-ups. They were in hog heaven 'til it was time for football. CLICK! Hello Patriots/Lions, Cowboys/Saints! But the fellas didn't hide behind the goal posts all day. They kept popping in the kitchen to check on me and my wife (and the turkeys) – offering to help out with dinner preps. We talked everything – from football, military, what to do 'round the Peninsula, and simply – livin' life in general – here and back in their hometowns. We found plenty of common ground. Two of the soldiers are parents. All are athletic. None liked the REDSKINS (for the record, we do!) One soldier thought a couple of South Carolina high school football teams were better than Phoebus and Hampton. I asked him what was he smokin'. One soldier is about to be stationed in KOREA, (my brother and uncle were there) another headed to GERMANY. The others may eventually do time in Afghanistan -keeping our choppers flying or delivering supplies to the frontliners. Their enthusiasm for serving our country was wonderful to hear.
We fortified them with a home cooked meal and a lot of confidence in knowing that we are thankful for their service and support them 100%. So, again, John P., Chandler V., Kyle K., and John H., thank YOU for a great Thanksgiving.
Tags: Don Roberts, Fort Eustis., holidays, thanksgiving, USO


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Flimp Web Video Platform for Leadership Marketing
Flimp Media, announced today the release of its patent pending FLIMP® web video marketing and analytics solution for corporate leadership marketing and communications.
The FLIMP® technology enables marketers and communicators to quickly create, distribute and track interactive video microsites for promoting all types of leadership communications for promoting events, speaking engagements, books, and webcasts without any programming or technical skills. These self tracking videosites, which can be delivered by email or weblinks to target audiences, collect detailed viewer engagement and response data by individual email address.
FLIMP has been used to promote events and books for executive leadership conferences and speakers such as Dr. Marshall Goldsmith and Marcus Buckingham with outstanding results.
Visit http://www.flimp.net/usesandexamples.php to see client examples and case studies.
"FLIMP was easy to use and the quality and clarity of the video was excellent. I was able to reach my audience in a much more personal and engaging way than if we had used HTML email," said Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. "I am convinced that using video is much more powerful than using static print and email marketing and FLIMP makes it easy to do without getting into a big expensive marketing project. There is no question that using video content with the ability to track viewer responses will have a big impact on the future of event marketing and leadership communications."
FLIMP, which stands for Flash Interactive Marketing Platform is particularly effective for one to one event and author marketing applications where audiovisual content and detailed viewer tracking and reporting are important" according to Wayne Wall, FMI's founder and CEO. "No other online marketing application tracks and reports video viewer engagement, response and viral activity by individual email address."