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Cook This: Churreria La Lola's Churros, Hacked for Unlimited Churros at HomeMay 18, 2017
- Bernice EscobarWords
- PhotokitchenPhotos
- Iñigo CastilloRecipe
The Spanish churro has seen a sort of renaissance recently; it's become lightsabers in Disneyland, a vital component of an ice cream sandwich iteration, and so much more. Locally, Filipinos are no strangers to the lure of deep fried pâte à choux dripping with thick dark chocolate sauce, and some can even trace back its mark on their lives from their younger years. Lately, kiosks boasting of these crisp deep fried goodies pepper malls and groceries reminding of the alternative ways to get more chocolate into your system. One of these trailblazers in the churro department is La Lola, which can be found in many popular areas in Metro Manila, easily spotted by its stylish decor and the intoxicating smell of fried dough wafting around the vicinity of its store. In today's food hack, we attempt to recreate the popular La Lola churros for you to snack on at home.
Starting with the churro dough, the choux pastry used in this recipe starts out the same way eclairs and Saint Honorés do, though without the eggs and flavorings. In contrast to a traditional choux pastry recipe, this recipe doesn't use eggs since adding eggs and additional liquids can cause the dough to puff up too much or explode once fried. The recipe for the pastry is straightforward to prepare, but a few tips will help you mix the best batch of the pastry for your churros. Make sure to only add your flour into the water when it's boiling, otherwise the water won't bind well with the flour and will be lumpy. Once the flour and water mixture have combined, keep mixing the dough until it forms a ball and cleanly separates from the pot. The pastry dough will be very tough to pipe from a bag straight into a pot, though it can be done with an extra pair of hands. Since the dough is difficult to pipe, be sure to use a strong industrial grade piping bag, as regular disposable ones will pop from the pressure.
Compared to the original churros from La Lola, these are crisper and has less of a chewy center due to the type of piping tip used. The extruder used by La Lola is thicker than some of the tips available in baking stores. This version of churros are lighter, because these have less of the center which allows the churro to have more surface area that will crisp up once fried. The oil you'll fry the dough in largely affects the flavor of the churros, a rich flavorful oil like olive oil will impart its taste to the churros, while a neutral oil such as palm oil or vegetable oil will leave the choux pastry with an indistinct flavor. You may use olive oil as they do in La Lola or you can try using neutral oils to compare the flavor. The chocolate sauce in this recipe leaves out the actual sauce and uses cocoa powder instead, but it does not lack the richness and depth we've come to associate with the dipping sauce from La Lola. Thankfully, this recipe only takes 20 minutes to prepare, you can easily whip a batch up in time for a last minute merienda or brunch this weekend.
Churreria La Lola's Churros Food Hack
Yield: 6 pieces
Time: 20 minutes
- 1½ cup water
- 1 tsp white sugar
- ½ tsp teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 liters oil, for frying
- sugar, for dusting
Ingredients: Chocolate Sauce
- 1½ cup water
- 1½ cup white sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- salt, to taste
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2½ tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour and mix until mixture forms a ball.
- Pipe churros with a strong industrial grade piping bag with a star tip on wax or non stick paper. Reserve in the fridge until ready to fry.
- To make chocolate sauce, mix all ingredients together on a pot and whisk over heat until sauce thickens.
- When ready to serve, heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet to 375˚F/190˚C. Fry until golden and drain on paper towels.
One response to "Cook This: Churreria La Lola's Churros, Hacked for Unlimited Churros at Home"
your list of ingredients for the churros don't match those in your procedure for cooking.


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What's So Trendy About Solar Panels in Kerala That Everyone Went Crazy Over It?
Managing the finances in our home is the most struggling thing that everyone can ever regard. Sometimes we feel like our salary is not enough to support all our needs most particularly if you already have kids. Even if you keep on saving your money and choose to live a less expensive lifestyle, our world will still require you to pay for lots of bills because everything has a price to pay. If you want to get a convenient life with less stress, you need to pay for it before you earn it. And the same thing goes when it comes to our electricity.
The production of electricity that we are getting until this very moment might be giving us some headache and so much stress because the use of electricity is too expensive. No matter how thrifty and reasonable you and your family are when it comes to the usage of the electricity, you cannot control the growing electricity rate most especially that everything in the market these days is inflating. So in this case, the only possible thing that you can consider to help yourself from saving thousands of money is to choose the
Solar Panels Kerala
The solar panels in Kerala are the best energy solution that you can consider if you want to be cost-efficient. Aside from saving lots of your money, you can also save our Mother Earth from being damaged since the solar panels in Kerala are based on the renewable energy. That means the energy that you are using will not cause any harm to our natural resources. Unlike when you opt for the electricity, the energy that you are consuming is from the fossil fuels which are being burned down in power plants. And what's great about the usage of the
Solar System Cochin
is that you will not become dependent on the help of the electricity providers. So even if your location will encounter a power interruption due to some electrical issues, maintenance, or natural disaster, you will not be affected by this since you are using the solar panels in Kerala.
All in all the solar panels in Kerala are truly beneficial not just to our personal lives but also to our environment. So if you want to let the future generation (that includes your future kids) to experience an awesome life and witness how wonderful is our Mother Earth, you should immediately consider using the solar panels in Kerala as early as now for the better quality of life. Checkout some more information at

subset: commoncrawl


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This recipe is courtesy of Macey's grocery store. They offer weekly crock pot dinner solutions. This is their recipe. I suggest serving it with rice and a yummy salad.
Polynesian Pork Chops:
In a gallon size freezer bag place:
4 3/4 inch think boneless pork chops
1 can of golden mushroom soup
20 oz can of pineapple chunks
1 tsp garlic powder or minced garlic
1/4 c water
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
Label. Freeze. Thaw in fridge when ready to use.


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Newt Gingrich spent an entire week campaigning in the Pelican State. But he may not win a single delegate in Saturday's primary...There are 46 delegates at stake in Louisiana, of which 20 will be awarded proportionally based on Saturday's primary. Party rules require that a candidates nab at least 25 percent of the popular vote to qualify for at-large delegates, state GOP Director Jason Doré said. Some delegates will remain unbound if candidates don't meet the 25 percent threshold. The remaining delegates will be divvied through a caucus and state convention next month.
Read the rest here


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Sunday, July 06, 2008
Farmhouse at the end of the Road
This farmhouse stands a distance back from what was once a country road, now a major highway lined with developments named fanciful things like "Settler's Cove". Never mind there are no coves within a hundred miles.
The property has undergone several incarnations. The first was as a family farm, raising all the grain to feed their cattle, cows for their milk and a vegetable garden, fruit trees and chickens to round out the diet. After that way of life passed the way of the dinosaur the property became a wholesale landscape nursery. Those businesses are moving further west and now it will become either homesites or the latest strip mall.
This photo was passed through my favorite Photoshop filter called, "Diffuse Glow". The pale blue sky disappears but it works magic on the old house and fence.
Posted by Suzanne at 2:51 PM 115 comments:
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Room with a View
Here's a view from the interior of yet another decaying farmhouse.
It seems that all of a sudden these houses are being vacated by the hundreds. Directly across from this old farmhouse is a new development. And so it goes........
Posted by Suzanne at 2:44 PM 9 comments:
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Thursday, June 13, 2013
Lately I've been stuck in a rut with what to wear everyday. Study week may contribute to this considering I've been staying in my pyjamas nearly every day while being stuck inside at my desk! I've been trying to dress in a more 'classic' way and have been sticking to neutral colours: black, browns, navy blue etc. Oh and don't forget denim of course! These photos pretty much encompass my outfits these days.
Note: click on image for source
Note: click on image for source


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2018 Chevrolet Equinox Review, Design, Specs, Price – Division of General Motors LLC- Chevrolet intends to current the brand-new, redesigned design, 2018 Chevrolet Equinox in approximately 140 showrooms around the globe. The rumors relating to this version happened: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox is dimensionally more compact sized in comparison to its precursor, lighter, and therefore with boosted fuel performance.
Even though the past model was the lengthiest crossover within this course of vehicle, it will certainly not be the circumstance with the most nearly date design. At the expenditure of that, we obtain an added balance auto, no considerably much less cozy, also really reliable and with recognizable characteristics. With enhanced steering this vehicle can make less difficult drive for youthful, newcomers in driving.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox Exterior Design
Equinox' initial exhibiting was back again in 2004 and it has main redesign in 2009. In 2017 year model, Equinox get hold of changed and it effectiveness was updated, notably its fuel financial condition. For the 2018 year, outside will certainly be reviewed. We'll have more substantial design of colors and brand-new exterior features, this kind of as head lamps, the bumpers, the chrome or the traces. With every one of these changes, 2018 Chevrolet Equinox will obtain a good, classy visual appearance. Interior of the car is taken another evaluate and now it is a great deal improved.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox for the exterior, it is expected that the vehicle will definitely offer extra colour choices making sure that it nevertheless could acquire on various other vehicles that implement the very same. Additionally, we also have to have a different allure from the vehicle this kind of as the head lights, the bumpers, the chrome or the lines along with a sporty search for 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox Interior Design
Speaking about the interior, we discovered a bunch of renovations concerning the car this sort of as the floor and the good quality on it. The automobile could quite possibly fit 5 passengers in a well-designed log cabin space that is uncomplicated however of course so beautiful as a result of the sprint and obtainable facility pile. It also has merchandise space which lags the rear seats since of it is 31.4 cubic feet and 2018 Chevrolet Equinox has 63.7 cubic ft for the rear seats if you fold it out.
The infotainment machine is likewise shared there by incorporating Bluetooth-based connection and entertainment perform by way of touchscreen with 7 inches put on the sprint. Participating in audio by signifies of Pandora radio, navigation with BringGo app, hands-free telephone phone calls, Stitcher SmartRadi and several other additional exist.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox Engine
We really hope that 2018 Chevrolet Equinox may have a much greater base engine in contrast to its predecessor. For the base, we foresee 2.5 L four-cylinder engine. It develops a little less than 200 hp. The supply must consist of 3.6 L V6 engine with 300 hp. In the source should being the plug-in hybrid version. It will certainly have got a four-cylinder 2.0 V6 turbocharged engine. Drive really should continue being on the entrance tires. Transmission will probable be the six-speed automatic. As formerly pointed out, the brand-new Equinox will certainly have considerably far better electrical power efficiency than its precursor.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox Price
Prior model of this car you cen obtain for $24.000 for the basic variation. For more expensive and up to date model you have to pay back additional, and it goes as much as $31.000 for the full-equipment variation of Equinox. Dialogue on this design will definitely be quickly, on the between the 2017 th year.


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R&D – Energized
Research and development regarding the distribution of stored solar energy has been a hot topic lately. One of the largest national security threats lies in our power grid. This was brought up in a reading for ICS 602, in addition to energy being a hot topic in my newsletters for ICS 642.
The technology for the distribution of stored solar energy is very accessible and is something that the US Military is now considering in order to make their bases more secure. A team of engineering and energy policy experts have suggested that the first step towards beefing up the security of the power grid is to equip military bases with solar photovoltaic (PV)-powered microgrid systems. (MTU, 2017).
One interesting finding that the team had was "that it would take 2,140 gigawatts to supply all critical infrastructure in the US with 100 percent solar power and a hybrid microgrid system with storage provide protection against grid failure. The military alone would need 17 gigawatts. To put that in perspective, the US has installed a total capacity of 22.7 gigawatts of solar to date." (MTU, 2017).
The US military plans on having 25% of their energy production from renewable sources by 2025. Out of over 400 potential military sites only 27 have microgrid systems set in place or plans set to put them in place. This makes them extremely vulnerable to attacks due to relying on generators that require a fuel source. The US does not have any renewable energy policy in place, but the military having one sets a good precedent for the future when the need arises in our country. Our dependency on energy continues to soar each year and stored distributed solar will become more prevalent.
Michigan Technology University. (2017, May 9). Installing Solar to Combat National Security Risks in the Power Grid. Retrieved from https://www.rdmag.com/news/2017/05/installing-solar-combat-national-security-risks-power-grid.


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Tap the power of artificial intelligence, blockchain and advanced analytics to uncover insights, create trusted transactions, and employ intelligence in revolutionary ways. Meet rising business demands and transform the way people and machines work together. HPE Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Driven Services will help you every step of the way, from developing a big data foundation to deriving AI-driven, blockchain-powered automated business outcomes.
Technology, security and intelligence will be embedded everywhere. Everyone and everything will be connected – and thinking. You need the right data and analytics advisory partner to power your digital business and help you gain deeper insights from your data.
Implementing AI is a multi-step process, not a plug-in one. First, align your teams around a common vision. Identify AI, blockchain, data and analytics outcomes and challenges; explore use cases; and develop a high-level plan. Then prove the value of AI and blockchain in your environment with the select use cases that align to your business needs. Finally, evolve your solutions, correlate new use cases, offer consumption-based models, and manage change with ongoing support and training.
Build and consume an intelligent, secure, big data foundation, and integrated analytics engines.
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Identify and apply emerging technologies to industry specific use cases.
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Only HPE has the expertise, edge to core technologies and partner ecosystem to help you explore different use cases, experiment with AI and data technologies, and build the solution to be enterprise-ready. We'll help at all stages of the journey from formulating a roadmap through implementation and data migration.
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Create a high-level plan that defines your steps forward. Select your best use cases to showcase the outcomes of AI, data and analytics during the one-day workshop.
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Most businesses have too much data to deal with, thanks to a proliferation of analytics, streaming data, IoT and extensive archives. AI may be able to derive value from these sources, as long as the right discussions take place ahead of time.
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Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly the area of AI known as machine learning, is currently the darling of the IT world. Many businesses are touting these technologies as differentiators for their products; be it a mobile device, a search engine, or a photo management site, nothing is seen as complete unless it leverages AI.
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text: Obituary: Walter Jung, PSI He Was 79 Mar 11, 2014 – by Counselor Tweet Walter Jung, the founder of Europe's PSI Institute and PSI Tradeshow, has died. He was 79. A global ambassador for the ad specialty industry, Jung was an especially key figure in building a market for promotional products in Europe. He established the PSI Institute in 1960 and its show two years later. Up until his passing, he worked to expand the influence of the organization in various roles, gaining a voice respected by everyone from industry professionals to government officials in Germany. "Walter Jung supported us as a consultant, as a partner and, above all, as a loyal friend," said Michael Freter, CEO of PSI. "One particular occasion which we look back on fondly, despite today's sad news, was the 50th anniversary celebration of the PSI in 2010 at which Walter Jung's lifetime achievement was honored with a standing ovation."


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Geek out over the best trailers of San Diego Comic-Con
This weekend's annual San Diego Comic-Con was full of trailers offering teases for upcoming movies and TV shows.
With several dozen released in just three days, it can be hard to keep up. For your viewing pleasure, we've rounded up the standouts from Comic-Con 2015.
Here's what you can look forward to on the silver screen in the coming months, with commentary from movie writer Joe Gross.
Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice – March 25, 2016
This extended look into the impending Superman/Batman smackdown looks dark, gritty and full of fight scenes. Plus, we finally get our first look at Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.
JG: I have long admired Holly Hunter's ability to get cast in odd or unexpected roles — think "Crash," "The Piano," the entirety of "Saving Grace." I don't think of her when I think "Senate committee" but I'm game. Henry Cavill's scowl really is something else, as is Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne angry face. Jesse Eisenberg seems to be auditioning for the Joker in his reading of Lex Luthor. Legit LOL at the "day versus night" line Luthor says in re: Superman v. Batman. Zack Snyder's palette is pure night v. night. If Supes had a brighter costume, maybe. Here? Nope. However, I do like the idea that the flattening of Metropolis in "Man of Steel," which was so distasteful to watch, had actual consequences. Also it is opening five days after the end of SXSW. I wonder if we will get a preview? C+.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 2 – November 20, 2015
This aesthetically pleasing, hyper-stylized teaser gets the message across without Katniss having to say a word – it's going down.
JG: Those are extremely precise soldiers. I really like the idea of Katniss leading a step show. A sharp teaser implying this is the video District 13 is sending to the other districts. Well done. A-.
Fantastic Four – August 7, 2015
The latest trailer for the Marvel reboot puts the quartet's super powers on display, and gives us our first glimpse of the new Dr. Doom.
JG: One is conflicted looking at these. On the one hand, the Fantastic Four is one of the greatest super hero comics ever created; many consider it THE greatest. In the first hundred issues, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby cranked out enough ideas to quite literally sustain Marvel Comics for the next 50 years. On the other, given how rough the last few attempts at Fantastic Four movies were, it might be time to admit that the character, which look amazing on the page, just don't work all that well in live action, no matter how "grim and gritty" you make the story.
It is very, very hard to make a guy made out of orange rocks look credible even if he is completely, uh, fantastic looking in the comics all the time.
Then again, this trailer does not look nearly as terrible as the pounding drums of bad buzz make it out to be. Looking to be based on the "Ultimate Fantastic Four" reboot from 2004, "Fantastic Four" was reportedly a troubled production with a director possibly out of his depth. That said, other than the faintly absurd idea of a "grim 'n' gritty" story about a guy who stretches, an invisible woman, a guy made out of fire and a guy made out of orange rocks, this looks no worse than, say, "Superman vs. Batman." Add it has Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch, a brilliant stroke of casting, along with Reg E. Cathey as Dr. Storm with Susan Storm as his adopted daughter. Also, one has to love Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm, suggesting that he has gone a long way in shedding the "Billy Elliot" image. (He was revelatory as a professional sadist in "Nymphomaniac.") I think the phrase to use here is "cautiously optimistic." B.
Suicide Squad – August 5, 2016
This mildly creepy first look at the much-anticipated DC Comics squad is so good it's criminal.
JG: No. Miles of no. Acres of no. From the impossibly dark color palette to the Joker's ridiculous tattoos and final comments. This looks like superhero-movie-as-PG-13-torture-porn, superhero-movie-as-nu-metal-album cover. It looks like a Korn video. Then again, I am slightly biased, lunatic fan of the 1987 comic book series of the same name.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – December 18, 2015
While director J.J. Abrams confirmed that there won't be any new official SW trailers until this fall, this behind-the-scenes footage should hold over fans until then.
JG: This stuff was fantastic, are you kidding? What am I, made of wood? A.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – August 14, 2015
This 60's spy film featuring "Man of Steel" Henry Cavill should help you fill the time between now and the next James Bond movie. If anything, watch it to figure out what "U.N.C.L.E." stands for.
JG: Cavill does the smooth faux-Roger Moore-Bond thing pretty well here. He doesn't seem to be allowed any emotional range whatsoever as Superman, which is insane for a character who is often written as "space Jesus". Nice that it is set in the 60s rather than an update. Also, Napoleon Solo is a better name than Han Solo. Not a cooler character, but a cooler name. That is a just a fact. B.
As for what will be hitting your television in the not-too-distant future…
Fear the Walking Dead – August 23, 2015 on AMC
This pre-apocalypse companion to the popular "The Walking Dead" follows one family as the world around them suddenly becomes overtaken by a mysterious and deadly virus. The original show also released a trailer for Season 6, which will premiere October 11 on AMC.
JG: Ah, the calm before the storm, even if this feels a bit like "Angel" to the originals' "Buffy." Always nice to see Cliff Curtis and Kim Dickens working; nice Jack London shout-out as well: "London's trying to teach us how NOT to die." Oh, well. Most of you are future zombies. Good luck with all that. Looks excellent. A-.
Doctor Who – September 19, 2015 on BBC America
The good doctor is back, and he's traded his sonic screwdriver for a pair of sonic shades.
JG: You know, I am officially feeling guilty that I was not able to quite buy Peter "Malcolm Tucker" Capaldi as Doctor Who. (Loads of swearing in that Malcolm Tucker clip, as you might imagine.) But I think I am just going to have to give it another try. This looks too fun. A-.
Once Upon A Time – September 27, 2015 on ABC
This season will be darker than ever, but we gotta say – black suits Emma Swan.
JG: We did a fair amount of binge watching of this show Chez Gross and eventually got so confused we dropped it, but I am kind of digging the idea of Emma Swan going all Dark Phoenix. Now that Disney/ABC/Marvel/Star Wars are all one big thing, will Liea show up as a Disney princess in this thing? B.
Sherlock – Christmas 2015 on BBC America and in select theaters
While a promise that Sherlock's season 4 will be "coming soon…ish" isn't exactly reassuring, at least we have an upcoming one-off Christmas special to look forward to before the year is over. Get ready for a blast from the past, because the entire thing will be set in 1895. Oh yeah, and Watson's mustache will be making a comeback as well.
JG: Yay, Sherlock Holmes Christmas special. Please never play a Star Trek villain ever again, Mr. Cumberbatch. Sherlock Holmes, now no longer subject to copyright, officially passes into shared mythology the way, say, Superman and Spider-Man cannot. You, too, can make a Sherlock Holmes movie/book/comic book/etc. the same way you can with Zeus, Lilith or Tom Corbett, space cadet. A.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow – 2016 on The CW
A new super squad is forming, and this one is coming to the small screen. Spinning off the success of their shows "Arrow" and "The Flash," The CW will have those two team up with other DC side-characters, including Hawkgirl and White Canary.
JG: Here is the weird thing: DC's TV shows are a blast in a way the DC movies absolutely are not. "Arrow" is essentially the Batman TV show we've all wanted, right down to bad guys such as Ra's Al Ghul and Talia. "The Flash" is more fun than anyone expected and has not shied away from some of some of Flash's more insane rouges. And this thing looks loads of fun, even incorporating such DC B-list baddies as Vandal Savage and a total C-lister such as Rip Hunter, Time Master. (You cannot say no to a man with his own time bubble.) It's almost as if the limitations of the TV budget force a certain fly-by-night feel on the TV shows, which is something every comic-book-t0-live-action franchise needs. B+.
With everything from super heroes and zombies to princesses and super sleuths, it will be anything but a boring year for screens big and small.
What are movies and TV shows have you geeking out the most? Let us know in the comments.


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, deputy editor for CMAJ, interviews , Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia and scientist at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation in Vancouver. Currently, Bill C-17 (Vanessa's Law) does not require health care providers to document serious adverse drug reactions, but mandates that health care institutions report all documented serious reactions. Documentation rates are currently very low and, unless documentation of adverse events improves, the potential of the law to do good will be small, say Hohl and colleagues in (subscription required).
From now until May 25th, Health Canada is .
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Endeavour to involve employees in every part of marketing activity
Dieters trying technology to help lose weight
Market research gets up to speed with real time data monitoring
Warning: how social media is a danger to brands
Q&A: Hailo head of marketing Sara Holt
Vision of success for video on Facebook
Consumer reactions to the news that Facebook will test video ads that play automatically within user social feeds (Facebook confirms autoplay video ads test) highlights how important it is for brands to create video experiences that are both relevant and non-intrusive. While images and video are crucial tools for brands as they are proven to demonstrate higher levels of engagement, consumers […]
Ten content marketing trends you need to know for 2014
Content marketing topped the digital priority list in 2013, according to Econsultancy's annual survey. Yet just 64 per cent of marketers agree that content marketing is set to "become its own discipline", while only 38 per cent of companies have a defined content marketing strategy in place. Just 34 per cent have dedicated budgets to it and only 46 per cent have dedicated staff for it, judging by the results of the Econsultancy/Outbrain Content Marketing Survey 2013.
The 14 pieces of intelligence a marketer must know for 2014
GM foods' downfall is all in the brand name
It does not get much more sensitive or more important than the debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food. Thanks to EU legislation, most GMOs have been banned from production in Europe and when they are present in our food their presence has to be explicitly and clearly declared on the label.


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State Police said one person has died from their injuries after a car they were a passenger in rolled down an embankment on Route 15 in Stratford early Sunday morning.
Twenty-seven year old Jordan Soares, of Bridgeport, was identified Sunday afternoon as the crash's only victim.
Police said the crash happened around 1:30 a.m. near exit 53 and two other passengers were treated for injuries.
According to a police report, the vehicle Soares was a passenger in the right lane of the highway when it made contact with another vehicle in the left lane.
The vehicle in the left lane then struck the center median and the vehicle Soares was riding in rolled down the right embankment.
Police said all three occupants of the rolled over vehicle were ejected from the car and taken to Bridgeport Hospital.
Police said the highway was closed for a town, but has reopened.


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Well, it failed. Now we have 11 million illegals. The tighter rules were promptly watered-down and Reagan was fooled. Now Liberals are hoping for another round of Amnesty with no concern whatsoever in fixing the root cause of the problem. Our politicians are so stupid, they don't even understand the real causes of the problem. In fact, they don't care! The DemocRATS are only hoping to curry favor with these low-IQ, low-information people (the core of Democratic support) and even hook this group on government handouts to keep these people dependent on them. It's just cynical politics.
We have an immigration problem because would-be illegals know that we have very lax enforcement -- meaning that they know that they can come in on a visa and just overstay (or walk across our southern border and stay) -- with little risk of consequences. The Federal government has even worked against effective enforcement; which essentially gives immigrants a green light to come or stay here illegally.
Biden, Obama and others, have recently signaled even more lax immigration law enforcement and even a halt in deportations. It could hardly get more lax. From Daily Caller: "In June 2011, the administration began
For example, again from Daily Caller, "A total of 36,007
Our derelict administration has even 'hinted' that immigration enforcement would be effectively stopped and this has lead to a recent series of immigrant surges at border crossings that seem intended to overwhelm the border patrols. There were suspicious surges of Mexicans claiming "asylum" which is very unusual and caused the border patrol to house "asylum-seekers" in nearby hotels in Southern California.
Obama said today (13th May '14) from Daily Caller:
immigration law"isn't smart," President Barack Obama told law enforcement officials Tuesday, just one day after the public learned he had released 36,007 illegal-immigrant murderers, rapists, thieves and other criminals into the nation's communities.
Cops should be going after major criminals, not the many illegal immigrants that are quietly living in their
districts, said Obama, who has twice sworn to uphold the nation's laws.
"You've got to spend time dealing with somebody who is not causing any other trouble other than the fact that they were trying to make a living for their families," Obama said.The above quote from the chief executive supposedly in charge of enforcing our laws!! It's a complete dereliction of duty! You could more correctly say that we have an executive branch filled with anarchists -- the anarchist-in-chief being Obama himself. Hey, isn't that what community organizing is???!!
"That's just not a good use of our resources. It's not smart. It doesn't make sense," said Obama, who has already directed immigration police to minimize enforcement of illegal living far from the border.
Real Solutions
But on both sides of the aisle, there are no correct solutions being discussed. And no, the sole burden for enforcement should not be put on border patrols. Our borders are too long and porous. It didn't work before and won't work now. We need a nation where citizens, local/state governments, local law enforcement and the national government stand together to enforce a rational, effective and objective immigration policy.
If we don't fix our attitudes and reverse our nonsense "political correctness" about widespread "checking" of immigrant status, we'll have millions more illegals in the future and be forced to give amnesty again. We need to fix our poor policies, we need to fix poor attitudes, and we need to fix the problem of ignorant politicians.
Here's some suggested solutions to fix our immigration issues:
- Adopt an Immigration point system that ranks all potential immigrants with regard to skills, education, work experience, and English language capability against various categories and quotas of immigrants. There should be appropriate qualifications for the various categories for immigration. Canada has this kind of system and it works. Existing illegals should be asked to declare themselves and apply to this point system. A temporary visa (1 year) could be given at that time while their applications are processed.
- Any Immigrant with 6 month, 12 month or longer visas should be required to periodically return to immigration offices (every 3 to 6 months) to produce their passports and fill out paperwork to update current phone and address information. We need to have current information on immigrants. No exceptions. If they don't show up, then local law enforcement (or ICE) should visit the last known address and, if necessary, swear out arrest warrants.
- Local, State and Federal governments should work together to enforce immigration laws -- not the Federal government attacking States or Local efforts. There are already Federal laws on the books the encourage local law enforcement as partners with the Feds.
- We must engage local law enforcement to check immigration status during the course of local or state police actions. If the subjects don't have paperwork on them, they must produce them within a day.
- It should be OK for local police to check workplaces to check for immigration policy compliance. Again, if someone can't produce documents or passports at that moment, then they should be allowed to promptly do so. It sends the message to would-be immigrants that we are NOT lax on enforcement and would take pressure off the border patrols.
- When visas expire, we need to accurately check that people have left the country. If they have not, they should receive a visit by immigration or local law enforcement officials. Penalties would apply.
- There should be financial penalties for each day of over-stay. There must be penalties for non-compliance.
- Since state drivers licenses are the closest thing to a national ID card, States should agree to make the Drivers License expiration date the date that an immigrant visa expires. Proof of immigration status should be required to even obtain a license. Duh!
- Outlaw "sanctuary cities" as illegal.
- We should be inviting students with college and advanced degrees to immigration interviews if they wish.
- We need to be sure that our business community, and especially STEM businesses, are getting the quota of skilled immigrants that they need. To do this, we need a government that works with businesses not attacking them.


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For over 50 years the Buhl Press has maintained an unwavering commitment – to advance our clients' business goals by perfecting the complex art of printing on plastic. Today, our founders would hardly recognize our expanded facilities, broader product offering and state-of-the-art technology. However, we're confident that they would recognize the same thing our clients tell us they appreciate most – an ongoing commitment to earn their business through integrity, superior customer service, and on-time delivery of the highest quality products.
The Buhl Press has continually exceeded our customer's expectations by printing some of the finest looking translites, window decals, floor graphics, counter mats, aisle violators, display headers, lenticular graphics, magnetic signage, and perforated window signage. Further, we have differentiated ourselves from our competition by offering unique and differentiated products such as 3D floor graphics, SelectLite targeted lighting systems, and fly eye lenticular graphics. We personally work with our clients to find cost effective solutions that solve their most challenging point of sale issues. Thank you for visiting our website. We look forward to serving your plastic printing needs soon.


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As I headed down the hallway to the office, I could hear Claire talking to a client. I glanced at my watch and realized it was our two o'clock appointment. I gave the client a brief nod but didn't interrupt. When I reached my desk, Hero came over to greet me, and Jerrie raised her head. Once she realized I wasn't doing anything interesting, she went back to sleep. Both cats were curled up on the love seat that was directly in the path of sunlight streaming through the front windows. It is one of their favorite spots.
I played with Hero for a moment and gave him a treat as I absently listened to Claire try to talk our client out of requesting the advanced search. The woman was elderly, and it was apparent that she didn't have much money. Even worse, her missing pet was a bird. Hero could search by air scent, but it was very difficult to track something that flew.
"Mrs. Kearns," Claire said in a soft, caring voice, "it is very hard to find birds. We will be happy to call all the shelters and some local aviaries. Maybe someone found her and turned her in."
"No, no she won't go to anyone else. Please, dear, please help me. I've had Molly for almost thirty years. I just don't know what I'd do without her."
The woman's voice broke on the end. Claire looked at me. I closed my eyes briefly and nodded. Claire quickly rounded the desk and sat in the chair next to Mrs. Kearns. As she spoke softly with the woman, I gathered Hero's leash and my backpack. Hero followed me over to them.
"Mrs. Kearns," I said. "I'm Alex, and this is Hero. Let's go see if we can find Molly."
I spent the next two hours searching Mrs. Kearns' neighborhood for her parrot. In the end, it wasn't Hero that found the bird but one of the neighborhood kids. They had been out playing in the yard a few houses down, and one of them spotted the brightly colored Macaw in a tree. It took Mrs. Kearns coaxing and a special treat of a juicy apple before the bird consented to fly down, but both the client and the bird were finally corralled.
Once Molly had been returned to her cage, I took her picture for my wall. As Mrs. Kearns thanked me for what seemed like the hundredth time, I gathered my things and prepared to leave.
"Wait, dear." Mrs. Kearns hurried over to the table and began digging through her purse. For an older woman, she moved fast. She had told me she just turned eighty. I thought about introducing her to Harvey. I had a feeling the two of them might get along.
"Mrs. Kearns…"
"Just a moment, dear," she said. She found her wallet and pulled out some bills. She tapped them together and turned back to me. Head high, she held them out to me. "I know your fee is two hundred dollars. This is $172. It's all I have at the moment, but I will get you the rest. You have my word."
My heart broke a little at those words. I could tell Mrs. Kearns lived on a fixed income. Her house was clean and orderly, but the furniture was old and the outside could use a paint job. There was no doubt in my mind that money was all she had. I had a feeling it was all she had left for the entire month, and it was only the eighth.
My first instinct was to refuse, but I changed my mind when I looked in her eyes. She was both terrified that I would accept the money and terrified that I wouldn't. I took the money from her hand, plucked a twenty from the stack, and shoved the rest back to her.
"We have an installment plan, Mrs. Kearns. Ten percent down," I said, holding up the twenty, "and equal monthly payments until the balance is cleared."
Relief flooded her face for just a moment. I quickly looked away, called for Hero, and headed for the door. Too many bad memories came back to me when I thought about worrying if I had enough money to eat. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
"You take care of Molly, Mrs. Kearns."
"Thank you, dear." I heard her whisper as I closed the door behind us.


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"The Love Punks online game was created by a gang of 9,10 and 11 year old Love Punks from Roebourne in WA. For the last 8 months the Love Punks have been sweating it out, in 40 degree heat, on computers creating stop motion animations of themselves and friends in photoshop and flash."
(26 April 2012)
"The world of 'Fallout' is anachronistically stuck in the post-World War II era of American history. These images represent the retro-futuristic world of 2077, when the game begins."
"In another important respect, however, Life Is Strange is quite on-trend: it's being released episodically, every six weeks, in two- to three-hour instalments. The premiere episode arrived on 30 January; episode two followed at the end of March, and the next is set for May.
Dividing a title into chapters and publishing them in succession has become something of a phenomenon in the gaming industry in recent years. It started as a low-risk alternative to the usual blockbuster release strategy – and of late has begun to yield many games that, like Life Is Strange, might never have been green-lit under the traditional system.
Simon Parkin, a freelance writer on games for the New Yorker magazine, believes the popularity of the episodic approach has been 'facilitated by the rise of digital distribution methods', which have made it 'much easier and cheaper to release any number of titles'. Instead of pressing and shipping costly discs to brick-and-mortar stores, publishers can now upload a title to online marketplaces like Steam and Sony's Playstation Store, where players can download them instantly.
That ease of digital access has all but revolutionized the dissemination of games."
(Calum Marsh, 26 April 2015)
"When the Japanese game designer Fumito Ueda was a child, he loved to capture and care for wild animals. He was obsessed with the way they moved; and later as a young game designer he imported a copy of the Amiga classic Lemmings, seeing in it something other than a colourful puzzler. 'I sensed life on the TV screen for the first time in my life,' he said.
Since then, he has become famous for games that explore humanity and companionship. After joining Sony Japan's development studio in 1997, he oversaw two of the most fascinating and beautiful action adventures of the PlayStation 2 era: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. These doleful, reflective titles, with their hazy visuals and vast silences, showed us new ways to tell stories and invoke emotions through games. The moment in Ico where the eponymous lead character takes the hand of Yorda, the princess he seeks to rescue from an evil queen, has become one of the great images of the medium.
But then, after the wonderful Shadow of the Colossus – a game that brought themes of loss, grief and the fundamental importance of friendship to the standard monster hunting archetype – came the wilderness years. A game codenamed Project Trico, about the relationship between a boy and a giant griffin-like monster, was mentioned, and then officially announced as The Last Guardian at E3 in 2009. Then years of uncertainty as the project shifted from PS3 to PS4, and Ueda announced his separation from Sony Japan.
Six years later at E3 2015, Sony began its hugely nostalgic press conference with a revelation: The Last Guardian was definitely in production for PS4. We now know that it is a joint project between Sony Japan and a new studio, Gen Design, formed by members of Ueda's old Team Ico group. The release date is a tentative 2016. There is still much work to be done. But you get the feeling that Sony Computer Entertainment chief Shuhei Yoshida, always a fan of Ueda's work, will do whatever it takes to push this through. It is happening."
(Keith Stuart, Friday 19 June 2015)
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A Walk @Changi Point
Saturday, 19th Feb, 2011 ~ When you mention Changi Point to many locals, usually their immediate thought is food or the transvestites hangout around the carparks. What they are thinking of is actually Changi Village where some stalls at the hawker center is famous for their food, as proclaimed by the local media. As for the transvestites, I don't think they are around anymore. I'd heard stories of people driving there just to gawk at them. The silly things some people do...
Changi Point at the Eastern end of Singapore, was a Malay fishing kampong(village) in bygone era & today, is still somewhat a laidback place. To some, Changi Beach is an ideal place where families can gather over the weekends for picnics, swimming, barbecues or overnight camping.
I have not been to Changi Point for sometime now although it's not far from where I am staying. I like beaches, but not the local dirty beaches full of rubbish & oily water. However, on that Saturday when my appointment was cancelled, on an impulse, I told my partner, "Lets go to Changi Point." So there I was.
Welcome to Changi Point
A short walk from the hawker center is Changi Creek. Near the river mouth, Changi Point Ferry Terminal is teeming with small passenger ferries prying between mainland Singapore to the north-eastern islands & to some destinations in Johor, Malaysia.
Changi Point Ferry Terminal
Small Ferries @Changi Creek
Just a little further inland, except for a few small boats, the creek is more serene, calm & quiet like a world apart.
Changi Creek at high & low tide
Activities @Changi Creek
If the prospect of being bitten by bugs in the wild at Changi Creek does not appeal to you, try the coastal walk or cross over the small pedestrian bridge from Changi Village to Changi Beach.
Coastal Walk or Changi Beach?
Changi Boardwalk aka Changi Point Coastal Walk, starting from the ferry terminal, is a 2.6 km path following the coastline with some distance of the path elevated on stilts.
Changi Point Coastal Walk
On weekends, Changi Beach is full of pitched tents, crowded BBQ pits, kites flying & children swimming. I won't swim there. Numerous passing ships & boats contributed to an oily beach, not to mention rubbish & dead catch left behind by inconsiderate people.
Ships & Boats @Changi Point
A rotting catfish, bonus for a crab & smelly discarded catch.
Dirty beach not withstanding, Changi Point Park is still a nice place to relax. Enjoy the sea breeze, watching the world or ships goes by & hoping for a free coconut to fall from the swaying palm.
Kite-eating tree & beached boat @Changi Beach.
Rest, Relax & Cool Down
If you are lucky, you will get to see spectacular sunrise or sunset.
Sunrise & Sunset
And the 2nd best thing(I'm saving the best for later) I saw at Changi Point is a rarely seen Sun Halo! The sun had ring of rainbow around it! Wow! What an awesome sight it was!
Sun Halo!
Actually, my main purpose at Changi Point is nature photography, specifically avian photography which I couldn't do properly with my previous camera. If you had being following my blog, my previous 2 entries are about visiting nature parks, predominately with bird photography in mind. Ever since I got my new camera, a Canon SX30, I'd embarked on a bird shooting spree. And guys, please spare me of those dirty jokes. I'm not interested in your little birdie! =P
Hamster Spotting For Birdies
Nature is never too far away at Changi Point, the 1 thing I like about that place & second, it's not too far from my home.
Fishes in the creek.
Center image in the above pic are Striped-nose Halfbeak & a catfish at the bottom. A note about that catfish: When I 1st spotted it, it was swimming in a funny way near the surface, slow & appeared weak. According to what I know, catfish are bottom dwellers & seldom swim near the surface. Upon examining the photo later in my comp, I noticed a large circular wound on the side of its body & there might be a smaller similar wound near its gills. No wonder it was behaving weirdly. Poor catfish was injured. What could have caused those wounds? Parasites or some sort of marine worm with a circular mouth/bite?
Well, back to nature...
Natural Beauty
Wasp, Bee & Butterflies
Note about the wasp in the top left image of the above pic: I believe it's some sorta Spider Wasp or Digger Wasp. Encountered them when I was crossing a vacant piece of land with soft sandy patches. Got a fright when a large insect flew in circle around me, buzzing loudly all the time. I backed away quickly & noticed it landed near a burrow on a small patch of sandy ground. I crept forward, softy as possible. Saw it kicking & carrying out sand from the hole. I guess it was building a nest. Looking carefully around me & saw a number of the same specie of wasps doing the same thing all over the place. Could anyone tell me exactly what species of wasp are they?
Another thing that puzzled me are in my pic below. What glued those leaves together to form some sort like a nest?
What made these nests?
And what's that on the tree? OMG! Naughty tree-climbing kitty cats! I wondered how much damage had stray cats & dogs caused to our fragile ecosystem.
Tree Cats
With those cats around, I fear for my little birdies friends, but they seem to be coping well. I spotted many species of birds, common ones & not-so-common ones.
A pair of Pacific Swallows & a juvenile Barn Swallow.
Grey Heron & Spotted Dove.
Changi Point seems to be a favorite spot for parrots. You can hear their screeching everywhere, but getting good pics of them wasn't as easy as it seemed at first. Fortunately, some of those colorful feathery friends were cooperative & I got a few good pics.
Red-breasted Parakeet looking at me suspiciously, a Long-tailed Parakeet searching for tidbits & Tanimbar Cockatoo couple.
@Changi Point, I was very happy, getting pics of many species of birds which are new to me, including some of these below.
From left to right, top to bottom: Male Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Oriental Dollarbird, female Asian Koel & Coppersmith Barbet.
From left to right, top to bottom: Pied Triller, a pair of Scaly-breasted Munia, Ashy Tailorbird & a cute little Asian Brown Flycatcher.
I love Kingfishers, but they are fast & very cautious which make them very difficult to approach. It's a challenge getting good photos of them & I love a challenge! Got some rewarding pics by stalking a cute little fellow for nearly an hour at Changi Point.
White-Throated Kingfisher
Here comes the best part. The best thing I saw at Changi Point was while I was walking near a line of trees near the beach. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a huge bird flew by & landed on 1 of the trees. Holy Macaroni! I recognized that species, but at that moment, my little Hamster brain went south. My startled mind tried to remember that bird's name & in excitement, I sputtered, "Bill, Bill... Billhorn!"
Very fortunately, the camera wasn't in my hand at that particular moment. If it was, I won't have any pic of that bird. In my amazement, I froze. My partner who was holding the cam, sprang into action before the bird even landed. He went passed me, calmly told me it's a Hornbill, not Billhorn... right on, Bimbo Hamster Moment! =P
Oriental Pied Hornbill
An Oriental Pied Hornbill, a very rare bird on mainland Singapore & what an incredible photo opportunity! The Hornbill was hopping around, flying from tree to tree hunting for food. My partner took many shots of it, including some pics which prey could be seen in the Hornbill's oversized beak. Insects, lizard & something that looks like a nestling, all chomped down by the Hornbill. It feasted for about 15 minute before flying off.
Hornbill caught what looks like a big locust.
What a thrill it was. The Oriental Pied Hornbill is such a handsome, magnificent bird & I couldn't get over the fact of sighting a wild one near a popular beach instead of in a scary jungle. Was overjoyed that Mother Nature presented me with such a rare treat. Thank You!
Credit: I would like to thanks Ivan for helping in identifying some of the birds in my pics above.
Updates: My sincere thanks to Ivan for answering my questions, correcting my error in misidentifying a species of fish & adding more info. Here are the answers supplied by Ivan: The shoal of fishes is probably Squaretail Mullets. The fishes which I'd mistakenly identified as Needlefishes are most probably Striped-nose Halfbeak, info which I'd updated above. The injured catfish is a Striped Eeltail Catfish. The large black wasp is a Digger Wasp, currently unidentified. The bundles of glued-together dried leaves are abandoned nests of Weaver Ants.
Click on 'Comment' in this entry to view Ivan's original texts regarding the additional info.
Labels: Nature


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Earlier this week the software giant provided the first upgrade to .NET Framework 4. The Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Platform Update 1 is a platform update that is a set of new features that provides additional functionality for top customer requests and important scenarios.
The features that are enabled in this update are:
Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)
- State machine workflows
- New classes added: StateMachine, State, FinalState, Transition, StateMachineStateQuery, StateMachineStateRecord
- Getting Started Tutorial: How to Create a State Machine Workflow
- Windows Workflow Foundation (WF4) – Introduction to State Machine Hands On Lab
- State Machine Activity Designers
- State Machine Workflows
- WF4 State Machine User Experience
- SqlWorkflowInstanceStore support for SQL Azure
- The scripts that create the persistence database are modified to be compatible with Sql Azure
- Retry semantics have been added and new error codes added that are specific to SQL Azure scenarios
- For more information, see the More Information section of KB2478063
- CompensationExtension class, which enables custom workflow hosts to use WF4 compensation
The Microsoft .NET Platform Update 1 consists of three packages:
- Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Platform Update 1 (KB2478063)
This package contains the runtime files for the platform update. This package must be deployed on systems where applications that target the platform update are deployed.
- Multi-Targeting Pack for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Platform Update 1 (KB2495638)
This package contains reference assemblies and intellisense files for the platform update. This package is installed as part of the next package.
- Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Platform Update 1 — Design-time Package for Visual Studio 2010 SP1 (KB2495593)
This package installs the previous two packages and configures Visual Studio 2010 SP1 with new .NET Framework targeting profiles, intellisense, and adds the state machine activities to the toolbox.
Download: Update 1
[Via: .NET Endpoint


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Last week, I decided it was time to rearrange my home office and sort through old paper. I already knew secrets were hidden in the shadows of ragged manila folders- old writing, rejection slips, and a lot of stuff I did not really need. While I am not attracted to things, as in "toys" (except for books, I love my home library), I hold on to paper longer then necessary. I am not admitting to anything, but it's possible that I might be a survivor of some kind of phobia-- perhaps Papermania or RTD, also known as Recycled Tree Disorder.
Well, that day as pulled cracked yellowed paper from disheveled folders, my shredder hummed at full force. Out went the duplicate copies of short stories (I only need the latest version), old bank statements, because everything electronically archived now, and other random documents that held no purpose but to gather dust. By the time I was done, I was elated to have more space for rejection slips dating back to 1984, important tax documents and unfinished work I intended to revive.
While I was going through those old papers, I ran across the jewel of a lifetime: eight aged pages from a journal I had written when I was 22 years old and a college student at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California. I was a Police Science major, ready to go into the academy. I wanted to be a cop first, private investigator later. Due to a physical disability (bad eyesight), that dream never happened.
However, I also wrote about my one true dream of becoming a writer. At twelve, I started writing lyrics and poetry, and then moved on to short stories, and now my novel. I am not a big name in the writing world, but I have published poetry in small press, won first place in at least three writing contests, and have had four short stories published. I am proud of my accomplishments.
I also realize that I have not been holding myself to a high enough standard. I don't submit my short stories to magazines often enough, and I have not been diligent in sitting down and writing every single day no matter what. I don't study the markets enough. In other words, I have allowed myself to become complacent.
My goals are is to submit a story until it's either sold or I have run out of markets to submit to, write every single day on one piece of substantive work (novel, short story), and make sure I study my markets well. The only way to be a writer is to sit down and write, and do the grunt work that goes with writing. Nobody else can do any of this for me.
Now, it's time to get ready for my Redwood Writers Club meeting. When I return, I write. Happy writing to all!
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So, it's Faith's Birthday today. She is now three! We just celebrated her birthday & oh-my, it was sooo OMF(freaking that is)G!!! "What Amber? OMFG? What did you guys do?," you ask. Well, we had a FEAST! A big juicy one! That's right! It was MEAT OVERLOADED tonight!!!
Finally Faith started to eat after the pieces were cut smaller. You know, I've always wondered what if Faith was living in the wild? How is she going to...Oh, it gets me thinking all the time!
You know, notice Faith is hardly in the pictures? Well, that's because she's always hiding in the back & waiting for someone to help spoonfeed her. This is more like, OUR Birthday pawty than hers! We're just eating without any care in the world.
Looks good? The cake is actually Meatloaf. The cake consists of minced beef, lots of grated carrots, diced potatoes & other special ingredients that makes our mouths water. The topping is actually made of yogurt & butter. If any of you guys would like to know Mommy's secret recipe, just pee-mail me aight?
Oh look what Chloe found! Remaindwr miniature meatballs on the table. BOL!!!
Here's a last picture of the Birthday Valentine girl. She's one happy dog tonight(so are we too)!


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Traveling can be a fun undertaking, even when it involves traveling for business purposes. However, traveling can also be expensive and the costlier it is, the less enjoying it could be. Keep reading if you want to learn how to cut down on travel expenses while still reaching your intended destination.
Take a minimum of valuable items with you when you travel. If you are bringing your valuables on a trip, there is more of a chance that they will get lost or stolen.Try To Wear Comfortable And Light Shoes When Air Traveling - Shoes That You Can Slip Out Of Easily.
When you are flying, you have to make sure to plan ahead even before you get to the airport. Many airports are located in major cities, and reaching them in congested traffic can be difficult and time consuming. Make sure you get your packing done the night before. Get your preparations ready before you fly. Not making your flight will cost you time and money. No Matter Where You Are Going, You Will Always Have More Fun When You Know That You Got A Good Travel Deal.
If you have any food allergies, you will want to be particularly careful when traveling abroad. If your food allergy is particularly bad, make sure to express this in their language. You can use this fluency to inform people of your allergies, and, if needed, describe them to medical personnel.
Pack clothespins on your upcoming trip. While they may not be something you would normally pack, clothespins can come in very handy.
Always go out of your way to tip any bell station and housekeeper appropriately. Standard tipping rates are a dollar per bag carried, and around $2-5 per day to the maid. Tipping the staff will make sure that you receive good service while you are visiting.
Try to wear comfortable and light shoes when air traveling - shoes that you can slip out of easily. This makes security checks easier since you can easily slip them off. Your comfort should be a priority. On planes and in airports, you will walk a little but sit a lot, so heavy-duty support is not necessary. Instead, wear something lighter, like sandals, for more comfort.
Educate your family by traveling. By taking time and preparing, there is nothing to fear from the developing world. It is a great way to show other cultures to children. It also gives you a chance to build a better understanding of, and compassion for, cultures other than your own.
Pack a few small candles for your hotel stay. Candles can really improve the aroma of a room. Depending on the scent of the candle, it could help you to fall asleep more quickly. There are small candles that do not drip wax.Keep Reading If You Want To Learn How To Cut Down On Travel Expenses While Still Reaching Your Intended Destination.
Force yourself to stay awake at least until early evening in order to acclimate better after you change time zones. Stay up even if you feel tired, or you will never adapt to the new time zone and remain jet lagged. Getting over jet lag quicker will give you more time to enjoy your vacation.
Following these tips should make your traveling adventures smoother and more enjoyable. No matter where you are going, you will always have more fun when you know that you got a good travel deal
Traveling Is Fun When You Learn Tips From The Pros
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Cranberry Brie Bites
New favorite party game: eat all of the Cranberry Brie Bites before the other guests notice. Buttery, flaky, and filled with tangy cranberry + creamy brie cheese, each one of these addictive little nuggets tastes like a mini baked brie. They're perfectly sized for popping right into your pie (er, puff pastry) hole and have a dangerous way of disappearing at holiday parties.
Also, between friends, I won't tell anyone if you start munching on the Cranberry Brie Bites before the guests arrive.
These mini brie puff pastry appetizers are the ultimate make-ahead appetizer recipe.
- They can be assembled and frozen, either baked or unbaked, weeks before a party.
- They reheat beautifully from frozen or thawed.
- They even taste fabulous served both warm and at room temperature.
Holiday appetizer MVP!
Cranberry Brie Bites—A Classic Flavor Combo!
Cranberries and brie cheese are a classic combo and taste positively cheery wrapped in flaky puff pastry. In the oven, the puff pastry becomes a golden cloud and the brie warm and creamy, and the sweet cranberry sauce adds a festive pop to every bite.
I used a mini biscuit cutter to stamp out the puff pastry rounds, but if you prefer not to have any pastry scraps, you can cut them into squares instead.
A dollop of cranberry, a cube of brie. Each of these bite-sized brie appetizers is a puff pastry present, and I say we have been very, very good this year.
To seal the Cranberry Brie Bites, you'll need a bit of eggwash, a fork, and patience.
At this point in the process, they remind me of adorable baby pies.
Once the puff pastry is sealed, these brie and cranberry parcels can be frozen for weeks. Stow away a batch this weekend. You'll have one less worry when you're stressing over the Thanksgiving turkey, and you'll be fully prepared to feed any hungry relatives who descend upon your house unannounced.
I've made these Cranberry Brie Bites numerous times for parties. They originally appeared at Ben and my housewarming/first Milwaukee Christmas party two years ago and have remained a favorite in my recipe archive since. I've tried a variety of different twists (these Mushroom Puff Pastry Bites being another frontrunner), but this brie and cranberry combo is the one I come back to the most.
Tips for Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe Success
- Yield. Read the directions very carefully. When I use a very small (1 1/2-inch) biscuit cutter, roll each of the two sheets of pastry to a full 11-inch square, and pack the circles so closely together that almost no scraps remain, I can squeak out 48 bites.
- If your biscuit cutter is even a speck larger (or if you use a smaller sheet of puff pastry or don't pack the circles as tightly), you could end up with a much smaller amount.
- If you aren't sure about the yield and want to ensure you have enough of these popular bites for a crowd, I suggest purchasing an extra sheet or two of puff pastry, just in case.
- Taste That Sauce. The preferred sweetness or tartness of cranberry sauce is unique to each person. Before adding the sauce to the bites, give it a taste to make sure you are happy with it. Don't be afraid to use salt (the Cranberry Brie Bites need it for flavor, since puff pastry is mild on its own), squeeze in extra orange juice, or give the cranberries an extra squirt of honey to suit your personal preferences.
- Stretch It. To more easily seal the bites, stretch the top rounds of puff pastry with your fingers every so slightly so that they are a bit larger than the bottom round. This will help them fit more easily over the brie.
- Adjust as Needed. If the cranberry sauce keeps squirting out the sides (a little is OK; a lot will make the bites not look as pretty once they are baked), either stretch the top round of puff pastry a bit more (see point above), or use a lesser amount of cranberry or a slightly smaller cube of brie.
Recommended Tools to Make Cranberry Brie Bites:
- Two-sided biscuit/cookie cutters
- Parchment paper
- Best-ever all-purpose baking sheets (half sheet size)
More Easy, Make-Ahead Puff Pastry Appetizers
Cranberry Brie Bites
For the Cranberry Filling:
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Puff Pastry Bites:
- 2 sheets puff pastry — 10x10 inch, thawed in the refrigerator overnight (I like Pepperidge Farm)
- 1 large egg — beaten
- 4 ounces Brie cheese — cold and cut into small pieces (about 1/4-inch cubes)
Prepare the cranberry sauce: Combine the cranberries, orange juice, water, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, until the cranberries break down and thicken. Let cool. Taste and add additional salt, honey, or orange as desired. Make sure you are happy with the flavor of the sauce, as it will have a big impact on the final taste of the bites.
Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, gently roll the pastry so that it is an even 11-inch square. With a 1 1/2-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut circles out of the pastry, leaving as little space as possible between each circle, about 48 rounds total from one sheet. (If you use a larger biscuit cutter, leave space between the circles, or have a smaller size sheet of puff pastry, please note that the recipe yield will be smaller.)
Beat the egg in a small bowl, then lightly brush each pastry round. Top half of the pastry rounds with 1/4 teaspoon cranberry sauce and 1 small piece brie cheese, rind included.
Carefully place the remaining pastry rounds on top of the brie and cranberry, brushed-egg-side down. Pinch the ends closed, then gently crimp the edges with a fork to secure. Prick each pastry with a fork to allow the air to escape. (If making ahead, see notes section below.) Repeat with second pastry sheet.
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pastry on the prepared sheet and brush lightly with egg. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- IMPORTANT NOTE ON YIELD: If you are planning to make these Cranberry Baked Brie Puff Pastry Bites for a crowd, please carefully read the directions about the yield. I got 48 bites when I used a very small biscuit cutter, rolled the pastry quite thin, and packed the circles tightly on the puff pastry so that almost no scraps remained. If your biscuit cutter is even a teeny bit larger (or if you use a smaller sheet of puff pastry or don't pack the circles as tightly), you could end up with a much smaller amount. If you aren't sure, I suggest purchasing a little extra puff pastry and making extra cranberry sauce, just in case. No one will complain about too much baked brie!
- Assembled but unbaked puff pastry bites can be placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and frozen. If freezing for later, still poke holes in the top but omit the exterior egg wash. Once frozen, remove the bites from the baking sheet and transfer to an airtight bag. When ready to bake, apply the exterior egg wash. Puff pastry bites may be baked from frozen or thawed in the refrigerator, then baked chilled. If baking from frozen, keep the oven temperature the same, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time. Pastry puffs may also be fully baked, then frozen, and will reheat well in the oven.
Nutrition InformationAmount per serving (1 Brie bite) — Calories: 50, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 53mg, Carbohydrates: 5g
Did you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
189 comments
I love these! I'd eat them all, though. Game over! Nothing is better than brie in puff pastry. And the cranberry provides a perfect flavor contrast!
Look at these cuties! Love this combo of flavors. Sure to please every guest from now until the New Year!
Great work! :)
What a cute and awesome idea! These look totally delicious!
Erin, these puff pastry bites look sooooooo good!! totally pinning and will try these around Thanksgiving!! hey, I think something funky happened to the recipe card. . The directions and description are flipped. Directions are up at the top. See you tomorrow girl!!
Love this idea! Definitely trying these this season. And it seems in tune with Ina Garden's new "Make It Ahead" tome. (;
These are adorable!! That definitely sounds like my kinda game, to eat as many as possible without anyone noticing ;)
Can you use canned cranberry sauce? I like the whole berry one. Thanks
I have a total weak spot for cranberry + brie. LOVE these!
These look perfect! I would totally fight my guests for these. Great idea, Erin!
Erin – I wanna play the "eat all of the Cranberry Baked Brie Puff Pastry Bites before the other guests notice" game!!! These are just too cute – such a great idea! I gotta make these!
Guess who's making this for OUR Thanksgiving dinner?! If you bring them with you, you're off the hook for cooking!
These are my biggest craving right now! I've been guzzling warm cranberry juice (don't ask), but I want these!!!!!
DYING over these!! I'm crazy into baked brie lately, but it can just be so…messy. These are the perfect tiny mess-free (unless you count copious crumbs all over my face to be messy) bite. The only problem? I WOULD most definitely eat them all before guests arrive — better make a double batch! :)
These are so cute!! I'm not a big cranberry person, so this would be an amazing substitute :)
These are so cute and such a fun appetizer idea.
i love cranberries with brie! yum!
I can't even handle these! Such a perfect idea for such a busy time. And who doesn't love that flavor combination!! Pinned!
I saw this recipe on our tweeter and I had to come here to check this out! What is THAT??? I LOVE this recipe!! They look so marvellous and divine!!!
So perfect for holiday parties!
I love these little bites so much. I might have to steal this recipe for an upcoming holiday party of our own!
I'm going to be organizing two friendsgivings this year, and these bites look like the perfect thing to make for them!
I just added yet another dish to this year's Friendsgiving. Looks super yummy!
what a PERFECT party app!
Yes yes yes! I adore these! I can never get enough brie in my life and these cute little pop-able treats?! I'll take a few!
I can't think of a better idea than to stash some of these babies away for a random craving, party or not!
Erin, these look amazing! I love savory, sweet appetizers like this! I swear, I could eat appetizers all day long. Pinned!
This is a genius idea and they would be PERFECT for a holiday party!
Ahhh, everything about this recipe has my name all over it. I CAN NOT wait to make them. Honestly, I need to make them like tonight. Pinned!
These bites are calling my name!! I love that they're make ahead friendly.
Hey do they have puff pastry at ALDI? Guess we'll find out later today! See you there!
Did aldi sell puff pastry? :)
I love love love apps. Like, they are my absolute fave to make… and eat. And eat. And eat.
And make ahead apps are always a huge win in my book. Love this Erin! #nailedit
Yummy! This recipe is a keeper! Cannot wait to bake these!!
Stop! These look too perfect. This is my first year hosting Thanksgiving and I think these will be making their debut appearance. Can't wait to try them!
These are adorable. Also I love Brie….so, great job!!,
Can I just say that my favorite part of those pictures are the stains on the cookie trays? Signs of a well-loved and well-worn kitchen :)
Beautifully done blog too of course.
We don't eat brie very often, so I was just wondering… Do you cut the crust off the brie or bake it right in?
Hi Erin! These look fantabulous! If these are made ahead of time (days or weeks), do you brush the egg wash on them, then freeze? Or, do you omit that part, freeze them and brush with egg wash before baking? And, if they are frozen, do you cook from frozen at the same temp and time or do you have to semi-thaw? Thanks so much and happy holidays!
Sorry, one more question… where can I find your little dough/cookie cutters you used? Thank you!!!
Thanks so much Erin! I love these! I will put them on my Christmas list. ;)
Silly question but if you do freeze, should you let them come to room temp prior to baking?
I couldn't decide what to do about the puff pastry and so I (wrongly) rolled the two sheets together. Only then did I see "repeat with second pastry sheet" Oh well!
I didn't take your advice:
although I did read twice, lol….not a great reader for a teacher, lol!! They're still tasty!
These were way too adorable to pass up trying for our Friendsgiving today! I already snuck a bite and they will definitely be a hit. So delicious!
I have company coming over today at 4pm. Should I make these this morning, freeze and then bake? I need to do all the prep work and have then ready to go into the over during my daughters nap!
Thanks! Excited to try these!
I made these to freeze for thanksgiving, but didn't see to not add the egg wash until I was done and they were in the freezer! If I cook them defrosted for thanksgiving, should I do another egg wash before cooking? Do you think they will still be okay or should I dump them and start over?
Thanks for this easy recipe! I have a batch in the freezer as we speak. Just one thing…it says at the top that this makes 48… I followed the directions & got 24 total. Did I do something wrong?!
Yes, I'm thinking my cookie cutter was slightly larger- I cut 24 circles from each sheet of dough, which makes a total of 12 pastries per sheet. Anyway, they're delicious! Thanks!
I have the same problem. My cutter was 1.75" and I only got 24 or 25 out of each sheet…so sadly I'm realizing that I only have 25 for tonight instead of 48 (as I planned per the yield above!) Eeeek!
Best of luck!
Hi Erin just curious because I found these today but I'm prepping all of my Thanksgiving dishes to take to mine and my husband's families tonight would it be ok to just prep the bites and leave them in the fridge overnight and bake tomorrow right before serving or should i still freeze them even though it'll be less than a full day?
Hi Erin,
I'm planning on bringing these to Thanksgiving tomorrow. I wanted to make them today so I don't have to get up super early tomorrow morning. Should I make and freeze overnight or can I assemble them and leave them in the fridge? Thanks! So excited to try these!
I love these and have been making them for the past 3 years on the holidays. However, as delicious as they taste I have a terrible time dealing with the pastry puff dough. I struggle every year and every year I say I'm not going to make them again because I have such a hard time with the pastry. It will not pinch together, several of them burst in the oven, I've tried water, I've tried egg, the fork pierce has helped with the venting but I still struggle every year. What am I doing wrong. It says prep time 30 minutes but I think it takes me 2 hrs. Help! I love these.
Just made these and experienced the same thing as Kristin – used 2 10″ sheets, and a 1.5 inch biscuit cutter. Yielded 25 rounds per sheet (so 50 rounds total from the two sheets) for a total of 25 bites not 48.
Also – my bites rose a huge amount and are nothing like the tiny little bites in the photos, any ideas where I went wrong?
Oh my. I am ashamed to admit how many of these I've eaten. My husband and I both work today, but I couldn't let the day go by without at least a little taste of Thanksgiving! (Plus, I needed to do a trial run before Christmas dinner!) These are wonderful! I can't wait to serve them as an appetizer for Christmas, alongside Cranberry Margaritas! Thanks so much!
WOW! I brought these to thanksgiving dinner and wow – gone in seconds. Everyone loved them, including me! Great recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Definitely goiing to try these for a Christmas cocktail party. I do have a question…the pictures show two different looks…one shape is round and the other is crimped and vented. Can you make them either way? They look marvelous!
Do you think I can I make these a day or several hours ahead of time and just keep them in the fridge (rather than freezer) until ready to bake? Or am I better off just freezing them if I can't bake them right away? Or maybe even baking them, keeping them in the fridge & then reheating?? Does my question even make sense?? Lol
And I see now that someone else asked my question after I had last read all the comments, oops!! Thanks though cause your reply to that is just what I was wondering. I'm going to try these with a raspberry chipotle pepper jelly instead of the cranberry! Wish me luck, and thanks for the recipe!! :)
Made these for a baby shower this weekend (with pasteurized brie) and they were a huge hit. Mine weren't as pretty, but they tasted great. Even the kiddos loved them.
If gifting these what needs to be done for storing….counter in air tight container or refrigerator?
Made these and am freezing for a Christmas party. I'm sure they'll be delicious regardless, but in terms of appearance a few questions: I used a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon for the cranberry and a tiny piece of brie (like the picture) and I still had things squeezing out when I tried to crimp them. Do you have an idea measurement-wise of exactly how much brie per piece? I used a star shaped cookie cutter, but I think my piece were even bigger than yours (I got 30 instead of 48) so that shouldn't be the issue. Also, my cranberry relish looked a lot chunkier than your pic…should the cranberry be totally mush? Thanks!
Made these for Christmas Eve appetizer…was hoping to love them, but the cranberry mixture was much too tart.. Will make again, but will make with maybe a chutney or a sweeter fruit preserve. I will also make slightly larger rounds, maybe 2 inch size, as I had so much cheese and cranberry sauce leftover.
I made these for Christmas but used mango chutney (I needed to use what I had) they were a huge hit!
I was frustrated by what a caterer wants to charge me for two hand outs at my daughter's reception, $8 per guest for a mini tomato pie and a spring roll. These brie puffs just solved my problem! I can make them now, have my servers bake them. I'll add a spring roll from a local thai restaurant and I'm set for about 1/4 the price. Thanks so much for this idea. Brilliant!
I make a lot of brie and puff pastry treats for my tea parties each year, and am amazed at all the delicious things you can include with the brie. My favorite is chopped pecans and brown sugar, drizzled w/ honey. But I've always just used a square bit of pastry in a mini muffin pan and it looks rather messy. I love the way you've done it, and am excited about trying it as surprises, different fillings in each one. You never know what you get until you bite into one. :)
This recipe for brie puff appetizers is NOT gluten free,as advertised. Puff pastry uses flour,which is definitely not gluten free!
I'm crunched for time, do you think I could use premade pie crust instead of puff pastry? Or maybe crescent dough sheets? TIA! I can't wait to try these :)
Just tried making these and not easy. Mine wouldn't seal. And I too only came away with half the number of the recipe. Too fiddley and don't look nice. A video might help.
Made these tonight for a get together with the girls. We also had a fruit and cheese plate and apple cider sangria. Everyone raved about these and, although I thought I had too many and would have to freeze some,only three are left. I will definitely make again and will try sprinkling large grains of sugar on top (I think will look pretty). I used canned whole berry cranberry sauce and too small pieces of brie, next time I will make my top pieces of dough bigger to fit in more cheese. As for people having trouble with sealing, it just takes patience. If you don't get a perfect seal it does not effect the case and adds tot he charming look go these little gems. Thanks!!
I'd like to make these to bring to my sister's for Thanksgiving. If I assembled them the day before, and just kept them in the fridge until they were baked the next day, do you think they'd be okay or would the sauce seep into the puff pastry too much?
Hello, I made these last night and froze them for Thanksgiving. I also tried a couple just to make sure they were okay and they were very good! Could you suggest some kind of dipping sauce that would go well with these? I think that would take them over the edge.
Thank you!
Is the egg wash necessary for the insides of the puffs? I understand you'd need it on the outside, just curious if it made much difference to brush the insides of the rounds while making too. Thanks
How long do I bake them?
I found these time consuming to make and bland tasting. To me and my guests they just tasted like dough :(
Can these be made ahead and kept at room temp? Or will the brie be all rubbery?
This is so brilliant! I love love love baked brie, but it can be difficult to eat. I will definitely be trying these!
Just finished these for a huge holiday party we're having this weekend. I thought they were a little bland tasting and too tart :( Maybe I didn't add enough honey to the cranberries?? What do you recommend I top them with to add sweetness and flavor? Thanks!!
Where did you get that cute mini biscuit cutter?
Oooh, I love these puff pastry bites! Wish I had some of these right in front of me now! Great idea!
How funny, I just posted wild blueberry and brie puff pastry bites today!
hey girl these look so yummy!
Just something about brie and puff pastry! These look just delicious, Erin!
These are the perfect holiday part app! Loving the brie with the cranberries- such a great combination :)
Very disappointing. The cinnamon really has no place in there….makes it weird. Too tart for my taste. This size is simply too small to be able to work easily with. I used a shot glass for a cutter and it worked fine; no need to buy anything special. I even made larger ones with the leftover dough after all the cutouts were done. I'm glad I did a test batch before I made these for Thanksgiving. I really wanted to like, but didn't. I'll keep looking.
I made these last night, taking such care to fill and prepare the pastries artfully. About halfway through the cooking cycle I glanced in the oven and saw FLAMES burning wildly. A quick peek inside revealed my first ever grease fire originating from a spill that I neglected to clean up from another day. Desperate to save my pastries, I flung them out of the oven and onto the counter, called 911, and then put the fire out just before three burly fireman burst into my kitchen. After they gave me the all clear, I donned my oven mitts and sprinted to a neighbor's house as my half-baked pastries slid around on their scorched pans, presumably enjoying the ride. We threw them in her oven as fast as possible and they puffed up just beautifully. They were so unequivocally delicious that I'm planning to make another batch with the leftover cranberries . . . after I clean the oven. ;) I received a crash course in grease fires from the guys. Opening the door will feed the fire. If you've opened it, throw flour on it or use a fire extinguisher, never water. I knew about the water and stopped my daughter from "helping out" just in the knick of time. The verdict is these pastries are absolutely worth the effort. Thanks for another great one Erin. Keep 'em coming! :)
p.s. The tartness of the cranberries combined with the brie made this dish spectacular. We topped ours off with a some freshly whipped cream. O! M! G! YUMMY! I can't wait to try again in a few days, hopefully without all the drama.
Can you use cran raisins?
I am going to bake these today, freeze tonight, and I would like to reheat them tomorrow for a party. What temperature/length of time do you recommend for reheating these in the oven? Thanks! Look delicious!
Can there be something else besides cranberries? I am allergic to cranberries.
Thank you…
Apricot jam w/ the Brie is amazing! I also use raspberry jam but apricot really nails it.
In the video for making them, it uses lemon juice, but the recipe says orange juice…which one do you use?
I have the same question as Nicole. I can't use orange due to allergies and loved that lemon was used.
Sorry if this was addressed already, but do you use juice that you just squeezed out of an orange or bottled OJ?
If I just want to make the cranberry sauce ahead of time, and then assemble the next morning, should I store the sauce in the fridge or room temp?
I cooked these but did not read the instructions well enough. I should have frozen uncooked for dinner this Thursday. I made them with very wash. So from frozen how long and what temp should I use. FYI. One batch is REALLY golden already and worried about cooking it too much. Also, the cheese oozed out no matter how much I pinched and when reheating, do not want too much to cone out. Help!
I tried. I don't know how this makes 48. I got half that with a shot glass to cut with. As I was assembling them, cranberry goo oozed out everywhere, and caused the edges to come apart. It was a hot mess. I used less cranberry sauce than what was called for because there was no way 1/4 tsp would fit. I am not sure how one artfully assembles these unless one is a pastry chef with really tiny hands! I was going to freeze them, but I ended up baking them so I could assess the disaster before Thanksgiving day. So far, there is cheese all over my baking sheet. I bit into one and it tasted like puff pastry.
OMG what an awesome idea! Cooking with puff pastry is so awesome. And I love that you can make them ahead and freeze them. I'm not much of an entertainer, but I love to eat me some snack while watching Netflix!
Help Please. These sound awesome BUT…..I'd like to make them for a dinner at dear friends house and they are Vegan. Is there anything I can use instead of the Egg Wash? Also, even though I adore Brie and will try them as written soon, as I said they are Vegan, so any suggestions for an alternative to Brie. (she hates mushrooms so that's out).
LOVE that these can be made before Thanksgiving!!
Any suggestions for gluten-free? I don't think I've ever seen GF puff pastry out there. Would GF pie pastry work?? I know it wouldn't have the nice puffy layers, but it's the closest thing I could think of :-)
These are the CUTEST and look SO delicious.
I really wanted to make these for Thanksgiving, but cranberry was gushing out everywhere and they WOULD NOT seal. I got so frustrated I balled everything up and in the trash they went.
i could probably eat like a hundred of these!
Love love love that these can be made in advance! Perfect for the Holidays!
So CUTE! These sound like the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer! Love that they can be made ahead of time and frozen!
perfect thanksgiving appetizer – so CUTE!!
I love the ingredients in this recipe and decided to make them for Thanksgiving appetizers. It was a lot more work than it looked like, which is okay. I do recommend, however, making them larger. The 1 1/2″ cutter is way too small. It makes it almost impossible to put any quantity of filling in them, and whatever you do put in, it oozes out the side. I tried a portion of the last batch with a larger cutter, and it looked better and seemed to hold the filling.
These were easy and delicious. Thanks
Has anyone tried cutting a larger circle of pastry and folding it over the filling into a half moon? I thought that might be easier for me. Can't wait to try!
Made these today and got 47 amazing little perfect delicious bites of goodness! Thank you Erin AGAIN for a great recipe. Will be making these agin for sure!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I saw this a while ago and have been wanting to make them, and finally made them yesterday – everyone who had them really liked the bites! I was kind of in a rush and do not have a biscuit cutter so I made some into triangles and the others into mini rectangles, but it still worked out well. Definitely going to make these again, the combination of the cranberries and brie were great! I may add more honey next time :)
Can not stress enough how yummy these are! They are perfect for a Thanksgiving appetizer. I made them last year, ate two, came back for more and my family had already finished them. Will be doubling the recipe this year!
Hello! Great recipe. Quick question, I baked these ahead of time already. Will they keep in the fridge overnight or is it better to freeze them?