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Sunday, July 29, 2012
Warm Citrus Olives with Rosemary and Garlic
Don't weekends go way too fast? After a long week at work, I completely look forward to Friday night. It is the beginning of the weekend. In addition we have our Friday night tradition of wine and appetizers. Our Friday night this week was filled with friends and great cheeses.
Our dear friend brought a very special bottle of wine to celebrate Friday night. It was a bottle I have never had before and now has become a new favorite. Seven Stones Winery sits east of St. Helena. Ronald and Anita Wornick didn't take long after they purchased 45 acres for their family estate, to take on the exceptional task of creating some of the best wine. They only produce 400 cases, and dedicate to a single varietal – Cabernet Sauvignon.
As quoted on their website – "Seven Stones is comprised of just under three acres of vines and a winery on the Wornick family estate in St. Helena. From small, meticulously cultivated vineyard parcels, we produce a limited amount of some of Napa Valley's most sought after Cabernet Sauvignon."
We enjoyed a 2006 Seven Stones Cabernet Sauvignon that was aromatic with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood. The color was a rich purple and had luxurious notes of crème de cassis along with hints of cedar, espresso and blueberries. Touches of herb, sage and mineral can be detected. It has a wonderful finish on the back of the palate. We decanted for about an hour prior to enjoying this elegant, sophisticated and balanced wine.
With today being Sunday, I thought that hubby and I can wind down the weekend where we began with a bit of wine and these warm citrus olives. I have some wonderful breadsticks from Panevino that are simply divine. Our favorite are the original sea salt, but the others flavors are equally as tasty. Cheers to a great week ahead!
Warm Citrus Olives with Rosemary and Garlic
2 C. Stuffed Queen Sevillano Olives
Peel of one orange, Julienne slices
Peel of one lemon, Julienne slices
Peel of one lime, Julienne slices
5 Sprigs of fresh rosemary, peeled off twig
Salt and pepper to taste
8 Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1/2 C. Olive oil
Drain the olives and place into a large skillet. Add the oil, orange and lemon peel, rosemary leaves and salt and pepper. Heat on medium heat for about 5 minutes - then add the garlic. Heat for an additional minute until warmed. Serve in a pretty bowl and enjoy!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Pissaladiere: Caramelized Onion Tart | Secret Recipe Club
It is amazing how quickly time passes us by. It is hard to believe that is has already been a month since the last Secret Recipe Club reveal. Have you heard of the Secret Recipe Club? If not, it is a group of talented food bloggers who are paired together once a month with another blogger. The catch is, neither food blogger knows who they are paired with until the secret reveal. If you are interested in learning more, please visit the Secret Recipe Club and learn what all the fun is all about.
This month I was paired with Jane from Jane's Adventures in Dinner – further adventures in eating and parenting. Jane wears many hats from being a mom, wife, sister, daughter, teacher, reader, cook, enthusiastic environmentalist, recovering overspender and proud Canadian. Jane and I share a common love for Pinterest. She highlights weekly her "Pin'inspiration". After browsing through her many lovely recipes, one stood out for me the post entitled – "A taste of France".
It featured the Pissaladiere, which is something that has been on my recipe to make bucket list for sometime. The fancy word translates to Caramelized Onion Tart in my world. No time like the present to make this southern france delight. It is a pizza like dish made in Southern France, around Nice, Marseilles, Toulon and the Var District. This dish is also made in the Italian region of Liguria. The classic preparation is caramelized, almost pureed onions, olives, garlic and anchovies. In France it is made without cheese where in Italy it has mozzarella added. Today it is often served as an appetizer, back in the day it was traditionally cooked and sold early each morning.
It seems like yesterday that hubby and enjoyed our honeymoon almost 14 years ago; we took a two week vacation to six european countries with France as one on the list. We visited Nice along with Saint Paul de Vence. We especially adored Saint Paul de Vence which is a commune in the Alpes Maritimes department in the southeastern part of France. It is one of the oldest medieval towns and well known for its modern and contemporary art museums and galleries. I especially loved the authentic croque monsieur that was sold at various stops along the cobblestone streets. One store we visited had an open air window at the back of the store that looked down at the town of Nice – it was breathtaking.
With anchovies not being a favorite on my list, along with a desire to always put my own twist on a recipe, I have created my version of the Pissaladiere. The ease of frozen puff pastry along with salty kalamata olives and fresh figs adorn the caramelized onion base of my version. A light sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves finished the appetizer. I cut the puff pastry into six even portions but you could also divide into more portions and make bite sized appetizers. Dividing into six makes a perfect starter to a meal.
Thank you Jane for the inspiration and sparking beautiful memories of my honeymoon. I need to break out the photo album of our honeymoon, especially since we celebrate 14 years in September.
Pissaladiere: Caramelized Onion Tart
Makes 6 small tarts
2 Large white onions, thinly sliced
4 T. Butter
2 t. sugar
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg yolk
12 Kalamata olives, sliced thin
5 fresh figs, quartered
Fresh thyme
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium. Add the thinly sliced onions and toss until all onions are covered with the butter. Add the sugar and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently until fully caramelized and sweet. Let cool.
Lightly roll the defrosted puff pasty on a board that is lightly floured to prevent sticking. Cut into 6 even rectangles. Lightly run a sharp knife around each square of puff pastry about ½ inch inside the rectangle but don't go all the way to the bottom. This will help to form the border for your tart.
Break the egg into a small bowl and beat until all pale yellow. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each of the puff pastry rectangles all over.
Divide the onion mixture among the six rectangles and spread to the ½ inch mark that you cut previously. Add about a 2 of the slicedolives and 3 quarters of the fig to the top of the onion mixture. Sprinkle a bit of the fresh thyme leaves.
In a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees, cook the tarts for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sides are puffy and golden brown. Remove and sprinkle a bit of fresh thyme leaves for flavor and color.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad + Reflections
We are smack dab in the middle of summer in the Bay Area. The heat index has been relatively mild overall. This weekend's heat directory is expected to rise, especially in particular parts of the Bay Area. In contrast to the majority of country, we are enjoying comfortable weather.
Speaking of other parts of the country, I wanted to pause to pay my respects to the victims and their family and friends who were affected by the Colorado Movie Theatre tragedy. I can't come close to understanding what these folks are feeling at this moment. What I can do is send positive thoughts and prayers to all who were affected and wish for peace to be in their hearts during this extremely difficult time. Time will begin to heal the emotional and physical wounds; until then we simply send many prayers and positive thoughts.
Events like this, stir various emotions for all of us. It reminds me how fragile life really is along with how we need to value each minute, hour, day, week, month and year we have on this earth. You hear the phrase – "Don't sweat the small stuff" - how true is this statement? Now is the time to reflect on all of the gifts we have been given. Whether it is your family, friends, career or health – they are gifts.
Appreciate each.
Cherish each one.
Relish each one everyday.
I appreciate the simple things in life. My work week is often filled with a variety of meetings, leading people, managing processes, handling stress, ensuring profitability, problem solving, conflict resolution, coaching, mentoring, laughing, having fun at work and planning. I appreciate my career. When the workday is complete, I am fulfilled. I subscribe to the philosophy of living a balanced life.
Balance for me comes in the form of spending time with my hubby, family and friends. Many other activities bring balance for me including: exercising, cooking, blogging, traveling, dining out, watching my favorite television shows, reading, napping, learning and so much more. Simply reading a magazine and taking a nap in between or creating a simple new dish that is packed full of flavor are on my list of the simple delights in life. My Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad is one of my simple pleasures. Enjoy!
What are the simple things in life that make you happy?
Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
6 Ears White Corn
2 C. Small tomatoes
1 C. Green peppers, sliced
1 C. Basil leaves, slightly packed then chiffonade
¼ C. Olive oil
2 T. Sherry vinegar
Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Wash gently and brush slightly with olive oil. Add the grill and cook until each side has distinct grill marks. About 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool and then using a sharp knife, remove the kernels and place into a large bowl.
Add the tomatoes. Take each green pepper and cut into quarters along with removing the seeds. Slice thin and add to the corn. Chiffonade the basil leaves and add to the salad. Toss gently. Add the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, then toss and taste for seasoning. Adjust by adding more salt, pepper, olive oil or sherry vinegar to your taste levels.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Farro, Date and Asparagus Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
The days of the simple iceberg salad are gone. Don't hear me wrong, I still love an iceberg salad with handmade blue cheese dressing, tomatoes and crumbled bacon. I should clarify by saying that the evolution of salads is far more creative. From the bright caprese salad to quinoa to shaved vegetable salads – the variations today are imaginative, inspiring and flavorful.
A couple weeks ago my friend Helen and I ventured to the San Francisco Ferry Building on a Saturday to reap the rewards of the farmers market and then headed back on the bay bridge towards home. A detour was in order to Berkeley's fourth street shopping mecca. Along with shopping, several wonderful restaurants adorn the streets. We had often passed Zut and never ventured in. Our stop was quite fruitful. We enjoyed their Farro salad that was adorned with dates, golden raisins, asparagus and walnuts.
It was such a tasty delight that I knew I needed to replicate at home. Here is my version of this lovely salad from Zut!....... Enjoy!!
Farro, Date and Asparagus Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings
1 ½ C. Farro
10 Madjool Dates, pitted and chopped
2/3 C. Raisins
16 Asparagus stalks, trimmed, grilled and cut into one inch pieces
1 C. Italian flat leaf parsley, rough chop leaves only
1 C. Walnuts, rough chop
2 T. Mint leaves, minced
1 T. Lemon zest
Heat 4 cups of water in a medium pot and add the farro to the water when boiling. Add a couple teaspoons of salt. Cook on medium to medium high heat for about 10 minutes with the lid off until farro is tender. Drain in a colander. Set aside to cool.
Take the asparagus stalks and trim the bottom about an inch. Brush with a bit of olive oil and grill for about 2 to 3 minutes and remove from the heat. Let cool and cut into one inch pieces.
In a large bowl, add all of the above ingredients and toss. Add the vinaigrette and toss together. Taste for the addition of salt and pepper. Garnish with additional mint and lemon zest if desired. Serve.
Mint Vinaigrette
¾ C. Olive oil
3 T. Mint leaves, minced
3 T. Lemon juice
½ t. Salt
1 t. Pepper
Add all of the above ingredients to a mason jar and shake well. Let stand for 30 minutes for the flavors to develop.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
{ Pancakes with Fig Balsamic Jam + Food Blogger "Jamming" Party Highlights }
What is one of your passions in life? Mine is food. I have an adoration for the blending of flavors, the various preparations and the joy it brings to people when they enjoy something truly wonderful. A few years ago I checked off the bucket list – making jam along with learning the process of canning.
One of the first jams I made was Fig Balsamic Jam. It was truly one of those mouth dropping flavors and quickly became a staple in my house along with a favorite gift to give to friends. It has the perfect balance of sweet, acid and texture. Works well with both sweet and savory dishes. It is quite simple to prepare and the result is just magnificent.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of getting together with five other food bloggers to make jam. It was not only the opportunity to see fellow food bloggers, but friends that I have made through this blogging journey. It was a day filled with great food, discussions about food, trying new flavors of jam and just generally having a great day.
Azmina of Lawyers Loves Lunch was kind enough to host the event at her lovely home. She set the tone of the day by her cleaver evite titled – "It's Jammer Time" – which is sung to the tune of "It's Hammer Time". We coordinated through email what each person would bring. Gina of SPCookieQueen has access to the best fruit in the Bay Area and brought 30 pounds of nectarines and Santa Rosa plums along with her jam making prowess. Stephanie of The Baking Barrister brought lots of luscious lemons and sugar. Jean of Lemons and Anchovies shared the most flavorful blueberries along with assorted canning accoutrements. Liren of Kitchen Confidante brought beautiful canning jars along with other goodies. I brought a ton of fresh figs, large canning pot and other pots.
{ Left to right: Gina, Stephanie, Azmina, Me, Jean and Liren }
It would not be a foodie event if there wasn't an abundance of delicious foods. No one disappointed. From divine salads, to supreme cookies and tasty appetizers – we did not lack for an array of sublime delights. We started the fig jam before diving into the snacks to get one jam going. Typically it takes me over an hour to simply trim and cut the figs – what a terrific treat to have so many hands working at once. This task was a snap!
Along with the Fig Balsamic Jam, we made Vanilla Santa Rosa Plum Jam, Blueberry and Nectarine Jam and Strawberry Lemon Jam. It was great to have so many hands to help with the endevour. We went home with lots of jam to enjoy for months ahead and will have fond memories of making it with everyone.
I shared my knowledge of jam by making with the Fig Balsamic Jam along with general things I have learned through the years. Gina is a master jam maker and I learned some new tricks from her. Love the art of continual learning. Here are a few tips from Gina and myself for mastering the art of jam making:
- A small batch of jam is 3 pounds of fruit with 19 ounces of sugar and 2 ounces of lemon juice. Use a scale to measure the ingredients. This will yield four to five 8 ounce jars.
- The key to great jam making is the perfect balance of sugar to acid. As the jam begins to thicken, taste to see if acid slightly takes the sweetness of the sugar away. You should still taste sugar but it will be balanced by the acid.
- An alternative to sterilizing your jars is to do this in the oven. Wash the jars first, then place onto a baking sheet with sides and heat at 225 degrees for 15 minutes. Sterilize the lid with the rubber portion in boiling hot water for 10 minutes.
- The basic equipment for canning includes: large pot, rack to hold jars, tongs to remove hot jars and towels to cool the jams on the counter.
- After several batches of jam, using our senses of smell, taste, feel and taste will be your greatest tools to making perfect jam.
Since it was Sunday, hubby loves a big breakfast and specifically asked for pancakes. He simply likes butter on top of his and that is it. I liked a bit of maple syrup on top. Today, I was inspired by our day of jam making, that I topped it with a large dollop of Fig Balsamic Jam and sliced fresh figs. Simply supreme. All in all, it was a wonderful day with wonderful friends and wonderful food. I have included my recipe for Fig Balsamic Jam. Enjoy!
Fig Balsamic Jam
Makes 12 to 14 pint jars
6 Pounds Fresh Figs – remove stem and cut into quarters4 ½ Cups Sugar
1 ½ Cups Balsamic Vinegar
Use a large pot. Add all of the above ingredients to the large pot. Stir well to combine all of the ingredients. Place on the stove on high heat and bring to a boil. Once really bubbling lower the heat to medium. The sugar will begin to thicken and the figs will soften. Once the figs are soft, about 45 minutes to one hour. Simple test by pressing the spoon against a fig to the side of the pot. If soft and the liquid is thicker, then it is probably ready.
Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes. Using an emulsion blender, puree the jam. If you like it with chunks, then process less.
To process the jam, add to each sterilized jar and wipe around each rim to remove any of the jam that spilled. Put the lid and rim on each jar and tighten, but not too tight. Add each jar to the boiling water of the large pot with tongs and use a canning rack. Process for 10 minutes. Using tongs remove each jar and place onto a towel on the counter. This will prevent the jar from cracking if it hits a cold hard surface. Let cool.
You will hear the lids popping. The popping means the jar is sealed. After an hour, check each jar to ensure you can't press and hear a popping sound. If you do, it means it did not seal. Simply re-process to obtain a tight seal.
1 C. Flour
1 T. Sugar
2 t. Baking powder
1/4 t. Salt
1 Egg
1 C. Milk
2 T. Vegetable oil
In a mixing bowl add all of the dry ingredients. In another bowl add the egg and beat, then add the milk and vegetable oil and mix together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. The batter will be lumpy.
Spoon about a 1/4 cup of batter onto a greased hot skillet. Cook till pancakes are golden brown, turning to cook second side when pancakes have a bubbly surface and slightly dry edges. Makes 8 to 10 standard size or 36 dollar size pancakes. Simply double or triple the recipe if you need to make more.
*Pancake recipe from Better Homes and Garden - New Cook Book
1 C. Flour
1 T. Sugar
2 t. Baking powder
1/4 t. Salt
1 Egg
1 C. Milk
2 T. Vegetable oil
In a mixing bowl add all of the dry ingredients. In another bowl add the egg and beat, then add the milk and vegetable oil and mix together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. The batter will be lumpy.
Spoon about a 1/4 cup of batter onto a greased hot skillet. Cook till pancakes are golden brown, turning to cook second side when pancakes have a bubbly surface and slightly dry edges. Makes 8 to 10 standard size or 36 dollar size pancakes. Simply double or triple the recipe if you need to make more.
*Pancake recipe from Better Homes and Garden - New Cook Book
Please enjoy these other posts from the "Jamming" bloggers! (Will update the others as they become available)
Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
Thursday, July 5, 2012
{ Fava and Cranberry Beans with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Garlic and Sage }
Inspiration: a process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
Don't know about you, but when I am inspired, I get a shot of adrenalin throughout my body. My mind begins to run circles with different, unique and creative thoughts that begin to flow. At that moment, I need a notepad to jot all of the ideas down or simply type into my iphone. As long as I can remember, I have always been an intensely visual and creative person who is inspired by beautiful things. That is part of the reason I started this blog several years ago – an outlet for my inspirations and creativity.
With a quick stop at Whole Foods last week – upon entering the front door by the produce section, there they were – fresh cranberry beans. Instantly my mind flashed to a recent post by my friend Jean from Lemon and Anchovies. Jean featured fresh cranberry beans and created a dish that was so simple yet filled with beautiful flavors. She shared her recipe for Sautéed Fresh Cranberry Beans with Sage and Garlic. Perhaps these little beauties were not in my purview until now, since I had only imagined them in the dried form all packaged neatly and sold on shelves.
The stars had aligned with my stop to Whole Foods. With fresh Cranberry Beans in hand and a wonderful recipe from Jean, my mind was inspired and the creative juices began to emanate. The idea of fragrant fresh sage and garlic being married together with aromatic olive oil just made my senses dance. Since I had fresh Fava Beans and Applewood Smoked Bacon, I thought these would be wonderful additions to this lovely dish. The outcome was simply sublime. Thank you Jean for the recipe and inspiration!
Fava and Cranberry Beans with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Garlic and Sage
Serves 4
1 ½ C. Fresh Cranberry Beans, shelled
1 ½ C. Fava Beans, cooked and shelled
8 Garlic cloves, minced
12 Fresh sage leaves, rough chop
4 Slices Apple wood Smoked Bacon, cooked crisp and rough chop
¼ C. Olive oil (add more if desired)
Salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water. Cook the beans until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
In a skillet, cook the apple wood smoked bacon until crispy, let cool and rough chop. In another skillet, add the olive oil and heat over medium. Add the garlic and sage and cook for one minute. Reduce the heat to prevent burning. Add the five and cooked cranberry beans. Let heat through for 2 to 4 minutes. Add the cooked bacon and toss together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Fava Bean Preparation:
To shuck the beans, simply break off one end of the pod and use your thumb to pry it open. Pop the beans into a bowl and make a pile of pods. The easiest way to peel the beans is to parboil them first. To do so, bring a large stockpot filled with water to a rolling boil. Add the beans and let them cook until they turn bright green. About one minute. Then remove the pan from the stove and drain the beans into a colander. Run the beans under cold water for a minute or so to stop them from cooking any further.
Next, you need to remove the skin surrounding each bean. Use a knife or your fingernail to make a slit in the seam at one end of the bean and then squeeze the bean out. It should pop right out of the skin. Once you've peeled the beans, they are ready to use in any recipe.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Summer Tomato Crostini with Reduced Balsamic
I treasure my weekends. When foodie related activities are woven in, that makes me smile. Yesterday my friend Helen and I headed over early to San Francisco to explore the farmers market at the Ferry Building. Our goal is to visit at least monthly, however with busy schedules, that objective is not always met. Perhaps it was the Giants game or just perfect weather, the market was jam packed with food lovers.
We parked at our secret location; that by the way may not be so secret anymore. The lot was jam packed. Luckily the attendant knows us and we just slipped in as the last person to be able to park there. We made a quick note to leave even earlier next time to assure parking. Our first stop was at the bakery that travels down from Healdsburg for the day and we picked up savory scones, donut muffins and fruit tarts. We were on a mission for shishado or padron peppers. One stand had them already packed in small plastic containers and very expensive, so the hunt continued until we ventured to the front of the building and found pardons at a reasonable price along with the ability to pick your own.
My reusable bag quickly filled with nettles, Thai basil, lemon cucumbers, padron peppers, fava beans, small heirloom tomatoes and a few other goodies. The day was still young, so off we jaunted to Fourth Street in Berkeley for a bit of shopping and eating. We landed at ZUT! which offers Mediterranean dishes using local ingredients along with hand crafted pizzas, flatbreads and focaccia. The bar celebrates locally crafted spirits, a vast selection of aperitifs and a wonderful wine list featuring Italian, French and Spanish varietals along with small lot California wines.
I began with a glass of Favorita from the Piedmont region in Italy. Quite light, crispy with a bit of effervesce – just perfect for a Saturday afternoon lunch. We shared the Farro salad with Madjool dates, golden raisins, asparagus, walnuts, mint, and parsley, lemon and olive oil. This was a simply amazing salad that I must duplicate in the near future. Next we shared the Roasted beet salad with avocado, navel orange, grapefruit, mint, feta and olive oil. A lovely salad that celebrates California and the bounty we have here. We could not resist the French fries with garlic aioli and ketchup. It was a light and lovely meal that was just the perfect – highly recommend. Oh by the way, we had the Beignets with handmade Blueberry Jam – simply sublime.
Our last foodie stop for the day was in Berkeley at Amphora Nueva – Berkeley Olive Oil Works. Amphora Nueva sits down the hill from the famous Claremont Hotel. Trust me, once you taste the olive oils here, your palate will change forever. You can taste each and every olive oil they sell which range from mild to spicy to peppery and from all regions around the world. They feature the largest, freshest selection of single varietal extra virgin olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars on tap. The staff is extremely helpful and makes you feel super welcome. If you get a chance, stop by for a delightful olive oil tasting experience.
After tasting many, I decided on the Spanish Hojiblanca which is well balanced yet complex with a very fruity nose and palate. It is grassy, with hints of Fuji apple and strawberry. My second one I chose was New Harvest Chilean Coratina which has an Italian style and is notes of bitter, green apple and a peppery finish. Thought I would round out my selections with aged balsamic vinegar and I chose the Blenheim Apricot White Balsamic. It is both sweet and tart with hints of apricot and honeysuckle. Mixing this with a 50/50 ratio of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar would make a perfect dressing over Arugula with a bit of shaved parmesan cheese.
With all of my goodies yesterday, I thought I would make a simple Summer Tomato Crostini for a snack. I used my new olive oil in the ricotta mixture along with Thai basil and the heirloom tomatoes. A bit of reduced balsamic drizzled over the top added the extra wow factor to these delightful crostini's.
Summer Tomato Crostini with Reduced Balsamic
Makes approximately 14
Sourdough baguette – 14 slices
1 C. Ricotta cheese
3 T. Chives, diced small
3 T. Basil, chiffonade
3 T. Olive oil
2 Garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 C. Small heirloom tomatoes cut in half
½ C. Balsamic vinegar
Brush each slice of baguette with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake or broil until golden brown. Let cool.
In a bowl add the ricotta, chives, basil, olive oil and garlic and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and taste for additional seasonings.
In a small sauté pan add the balsamic vinegar and heat over medium high heat. Be sure to watch carefully. You will want it to resemble a syrup consistency. Let cool. If it becomes too stiff, add a bit more balsamic vinegar to loosen it up.
To assemble, add about one tablespoon of the ricotta mixture to the top of the toasted baguette slices. Top with about 5 to 6 of the tomato halves. Drizzle with a bit of the reduced balsamic and adorn with basil leaves or chiffonade basil. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and serve.
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The critical requirements of gold's return to the monetary system are twofold:
- It must easily dovetail into the current monetary system.
- It must provide a workable application, right down to consumer level.
Without meeting these requirements any attempt to mobilize gold in the system will fail eventually. So many writers have focused on ways to re-introduce gold in, for instance, a repeat of the old gold standard. We are of the opinion that this will not work, not simply because there is nowhere near enough gold at current prices to do the job, but it does not meet the first requirement above.
One appreciates the results of the study sponsored by the World Gold Council that the demand for gold since the twin global crises has increased substantially – globally. But for it to return to the 'official domain, it must be implemented in a way that central banks can control and dominate its use in a way that supports the current global monetary system.
Right now these officials are caught in a cleft stick as they watch their currency systems stumble, first in the U.S. then in the Eurozone and then again, we expect in the U.S. in the months to come. It is clear to all in the banking world that the system as it stands now cannot take five more years of what has happened in the last five years. Something must be done and quickly, to prevent such a future.
With every nation's monetary system based on the model forged by the U.S. and reliant on it as the world's sole reserve currency [at the moment] what happens in the discussions on gold at Basel III and in the U.S. will dictate the way forward for gold and consequently silver.
Change in the Developed World to a Tier I Asset
The developed world, as a whole, has not been convinced that gold can add any real value to the paper currency system in the last forty years. But the stresses and strains seen in that system over the last five years and possibly for the foreseeable future has seen instances where officials of that paper system have found a need to use the gold in their reserves to enhance liquidity and to facilitate the offer of loans to those nations in need.
The entire subject of gold being mobilized in the developed world's monetary system is now firmly center stage as commentary on re-defining gold from a Tier II asset to a Tier I asset has been called for by the Fed in the U.S. and at the same time is being proposed to the Basel III Committee on monetary reform. If it is so re-defined this will mean that 100% of its value can be attributed to a bank's balance sheet as required assets from the current 50%. Why is this so important to gold investors? If commercial banks can now hold gold in this way then it will act [to quote Herr Weber ex-Bundesbank President] "as a counter to the swings of the dollar".
Irrespective of the virtues and failings of these discussions, what has happened to gold at retail and official levels is that the need for it to support a stumbling paper system has grown increasingly urgent over the last five years. It path to a central place in the monetary system is now inexorable!
The practical application of this is that instead of gold being sold off when bank ratios come under pressure as sovereign bonds lose value [these are Tier I assets], gold will be retained by those banks as a confidence inspiring assets when those rainy days come. By way of example, when the mid-2007 credit crunch impacted, the most easily liquidatable assets such as gold were sold off to get 100% of their value into the bank's [instead of only 50%] balance sheets to fill the value hole left by the declining value of sovereign bonds and property linked assets. If gold had been defined as a Tier I asset then, gold would not have been sold off and the price would not have fallen from $1,200 to $1,000.
Thereafter, it did recover when such selling abated, to reach a new peak of $1,920. If it had been defined as a Tier I asset then, where would the price have gone to? If gold had been defined as such, how much gold would commercial, as well as central banks, be holding now? And where would the gold price be sitting at now? We believe it would be far higher than it is at present.
With the Basel Committee proposing that January 1st be the date of its re-definition [this can of course be changed] we would define this moment as the most significant step in the re-monetization of gold seen since it was written out of the global monetary system back in 1971.
Such fundamental changes to the banking system will have to be combined with a practical day-to-day use of gold in the system. It should not be mobilized only in an emergency but used so as to avoid those emergencies in the first place. One of the biggest hurdles in this regard is accessing the above ground stocks of gold not already in the hands of central banks. The tonnages held in central banks can, with the innovative thinking that we have seen in the last five years [currency/gold swaps as a facilitator of international loans] opens up a way for gold to be far move than just one of the reserve asset holdings of central banks. We will have to wait until the New Year for this discussion to reach a crescendo, but it is on the way.
The events of the last five years and the direction that the monetary system is headed in shows us that gold as an asset in the monetary system is gaining in importance. If the fiat money system suffers any more body blows from debt crises and the like, gold will be deemed a very necessary strategic asset for banks. As we discussed above the re-defining of gold as a Tier I asset will advance gold's desirability enormously, next year.
Where gold is held privately or by institutions outside the banking system we expect to see concerted efforts from the banking system to be made to harness this private gold. It will be easiest in the case of gold Exchange Traded Funds as this gold is in the hands of banking Custodians such as Barclays and HSBC right now. It is the moving of this gold under the roof of banks that we believe will gather momentum in the days to come. We are hearing of success in these endeavours in Turkey.
Turkey Leads the Way
The experiments using gold in the monetary system in Turkey are being watch with fascination by all monetary authorities. Granted, Turkey is a special case, a nation that trusts gold above all other money and just will not change from using it. The Turkish monetary authorities, by necessity, have had to be pragmatic and find ways of harnessing the gold in their citizen's hands so as to complement their existing paper monetary system.
Encourage Gold Deposit Schemes
In September 2011 the central bank of Turkey increased the ratio of lira reserves that could be held in the form of gold from zero to 10%, raising it further to 20% in March 2012 and 25% last month. This had the effect of drastically increasing banks' appetite for gold. As a result such deposits have increased four-fold in the past year. The country's commercial banks are targeting customers to open gold deposit accounts. Customers give their gold to a bank and can make withdrawals from their accounts in gold bars or the lira currency. Understandably, the accounts offer interest rates that are substantially lower than those on normal time deposits.
Turkish gold investors who take up these offers are happy to hold their gold in a secure environment and earn even low interest rates on their holdings. But just how far will they succeed in the emerging world? In the developed world, the trust in the banking system and its people is considerably higher than in India, for instance, as we can see in the size of the holdings of gold Exchange Traded Funds now close to 2,000 tonnes. No interest is offered on these holding, normally held by Custodians such as the bank HSBC.
So what? Can the practical steps is Turkey taking to harness gold in a workable pragmatic way in its system be applied in the developed world and other parts of the emerging world in the same way?
Applicable in India
While the Indian government have attempted to discourage the imports of gold since 1948 [for a while banning them completely] they have failed for gold continued to enter the country illegally, during this time.
While distrust of government there and a natural propensity to hide private financial affairs from government, adds to the reasons why gold is such a favored investment in the sub-continent, it is hoped that the Turkish experiment may well blaze a trail for Indian Authorities. For the Turkish model to succeed in India it will have to offer sufficient benefits to overcome the jaundiced view of government by gold investors. With Indian, private gold investments standing over 20,000 tonnes, currently the proportion of those investors who would hand their gold to banks is miniscule and likely to remain so as the country, by nature, likes to keep their financial affairs close to their chest.
But the scheme is moving ahead where commercial banks, in particular, the State Bank of India, offer gold deposit schemes at low rates of interest. Gold savings deposits and term deposits are being encouraged. Let's see how much these schemes will grow in tonnage terms.
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As with all the previous Marvel movies, Thor: The Dark World's final moments were full of surprises — including two scenes during the end credit. So we asked Marvel's Kevin Feige and director Alan Taylor all about the end credit scenes and the big twist before the credits. Major spoilers ahead...
We organized their answers into groups, according to the three most talked-about scenes: Loki's ascension to the throne, the end kiss between Thor and Jane (and what that means for Thor) and finally the Guardians of the Galaxy preview.
The Kiss:
The big final kiss between Thor and Jane Foster felt like the Schwarma scene. Why wasn't that in the film itself?
Kevin Feige: It was. I would say it is in the film itself. Right?
It's a pretty long wait to get a really big kiss.
Kevin Feige:It felt strange to go from the Loki reveal to them kissing right away. That Loki reveal needed to slam out to the end titles and to give some breathing room. I sort of liked the notion that people that care about that relationship could go, "Wait a minute, what happened?" And then that's answered at the end.
Does this mean that Thor lives on Earth now, or are they going to do the long distance thing?
Kevin Feige: I would say that remains to be seen. But certainly the last place we him at the end is definitely Earth.
Why didn't you include the big kiss in the actual movie?
Alan Taylor: That was down to the wire, as a decision. For the longest time we thought we had to explain why Thor and Jane were together, or that they were together. We worked on this for a long and eventually it became a feeling that we know they're going to be together, it's implicit we know that. And once he turns down the throne, it's understood that that's the reason why. So we felt like this could be a coda moment, a feel-good moment rather than a plot point. It's also, we found, that once you filmed that moment with you-know-who on the throne, it's kind of hard to do anything after that. If we had another 6 weeks it may have winded up differently, but we didn't.
The Big Loki Reveal in the End:
[Because of the big Loki reveal of him as Odin on the throne] Is Loki going to become the main engine for villainy for the rest of the Thor movies?
Kevin Feige: I don't know, I think anything is possible… I think It always will depend… In some way, and this gets really nerdy, we look at the development of all of our movies in these phases. We've talked about this before. [Before] The Avengers [was] phase 1. We're in phase 2 right now, that's sort of the over-arching story lines. Some day people can look back at phase 1, phase 2, or phase 3, however long it lasts, and see a whole cinematic universe. But they can also look at the individual franchises and see arcs and turns. And in a strange way Thor, Avengers, and Thor: The Dark World is a Loki trilogy, which I think is cool. In charting the relationship of these two brothers, when we first meet them as little boys listening to a story their father [tells them] that they were both meant to be kings. Which ended up not being true for one of them, and seeing where that takes him in that troubled journey that Loki goes on.
Is it safe to say that Odin is dead now?
Kevin Feige: I would not say that it's safe to say, no. I don't know what Loki did to him.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Tease:
You're basically blowing The Collector's cover in the introduction scene at the end of Thor 2. Why? [By showing him wanting all of the Infinity Stones]
Kevin Feige: Well, I don't know how much of a cover he had. We look at it more as an introduction. In the same way that perhaps people who stayed through end credits of Iron Man and thought, "what is Sam Jackson doing with that eye patch?" In the same way people will "go what the hell is Benicio del Toro doing there?" And have someone educate them that this is The Collector from Guardians of the Galaxy. It also was legitimately meant to wrap up the ether [from Thor 2], and to sort of put that storyline away for the body of this film. It acts both as a capper for this [storyline], and a set-up for where we can go in the future.


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A mysterious crop circle in the Salinas Valley in central California attracted so much attention that the land-owner hired armed security guards to keep people off the property.
But the crop circle is gone. On Tuesday, the landlord ordered a crew to plow over the entire field.
Aerial photographer Julie Belanger spotted the crop circle as she was flying over the valley Monday morning.
"It was beautiful. Quite beautiful," Belanger told NBC affiliate KSBW. "I believe it's possible that aliens exist, but I don't know if they would bother making a crop circle to give us a message."
Braille experts said in the center of the design is a braille inscription that has the number 192 over-and-over.
Why that number? That is still a mystery.
— NBC Bay Area


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- all, aul, aull, awl, ball, bawl, brawl, call, crall, crawl, dall, daul, drawl, faul, faull, gall, gaul, gaulle, grall, graul, hall, haul, kall, kaul, krall, krol, kroll, lall, mall, maul, maule, maull, mol, nall, paul, paule, paull, pol, prall, rall, raul, rawl, sall, saul, schall, schmall, schnall, schwall, scrawl, shaul, shaull, shawl, small, spall, sprawl, squall, stall, tall, taul, thall, thrall, wahle, wal, wall, walle
2 syllables
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3 syllables
- luminol, montreal, peterpaul, senegal
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Welcome to The Gymnastics Revolution (TGR)
Where All Children Excel!
At TGR Elite Athletic Training Center we believe that the physical activities associated with the sport of gymnastics not only builds strength, flexibility and coordination, but has a profound and positive effect on a child's self esteem & psychological development. Studies show that regular physical activity can increase a person's brain power.
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Have you heard that Canada is a colonial police state controlled by multinational corporations that uses military force to invade Indigenous people and force them off their land?
That's the message conveyed around the world in recent days, as RCMP officers moved in as delicately as possible to enforce a B.C. Supreme Court injunction to take down roadblocks to allow construction to start on a natural gas pipeline to the B.C. coast.
We now know that 14 people were arrested after police in tactical gear took down a gate on a provincial forest service road south of Houston in northwestern B.C. Some of them at least are to appear in a Prince George courtroom in early February.
It's one of two barriers on this public road, the first having been erected 10 years ago by a couple of members of a Wet'suwet'en clan and their outside supporters.
There were a few reporters allowed into this remote area, mostly trying to sensationalize the confrontation, but professional activists command the big audience. For example, U.S. actor Susan Sarandon was quick to promote a report from a self-styled "anarchist collective" that used social media to broadcast slick video of the "brutal raid," with close-ups of RCMP weapons. The video cut to scenes from dozens of marches magically staged across North America and Europe the next day. Sarandon hit all the key propaganda words, including "fracked gas," as she pushed this professional video to her 622,000 Twitter followers.
Activist pictures from inside the blockade showed female protesters staged at the front to depict helplessness in the face of overwhelming force. The last scenes I saw were of an obviously gasoline-fed fire at the barrier, clouds of black smoke revealing the accelerant.
Here's the account of a well-connected area resident I won't identify. As police prepared to move in, protesters soaked the frozen ground with gasoline. This was likely from jerry cans carried in earlier in the day by RCMP liaison staff along with other supplies, to allow occupiers to leave in comfort and dignity in their vehicles.
The fire was set as police entered and quickly got out of control, igniting the protesters' tent and a bus that still had a protester tied to it. Police had bolt cutters to cut down the barrier and were able to rescue him.
After a couple of days of talks with RCMP and representatives of pipeline company Coastal GasLink, the spokesman for the dissident hereditary chiefs, John Ridsdale (Chief Na'Moks), announced that the original gate would also be opened to comply with the court order, which extends to May.
"We are the peaceful people here," Ridsdale said. "We are not invading them."
All 20 Indigenous communities along the pipeline route have signed impact and benefit agreements. Or rather their elected councils have, seeing an alternative to the poverty, unemployment, addiction and suicide that are rampant in these remote communities.
Ridsdale is an old friend of Stikine MLA Doug Donaldson, now B.C. forests and lands minister. Donaldson invited him to the B.C. legislature in January 2015, to press for a legislated guarantee from the B.C. Liberal government that Coastal GasLink and other gas pipelines can't be converted to carry crude oil. Ridsdale didn't object to natural gas then. He and Donaldson argued the existing regulation preventing gas pipeline conversion to oil is not adequate.
At that time, Ridsdale was leading protest marches against the Trans Mountain oil pipeline twinning project.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press Media. Email: email@example.com
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Quiz Show 2000 Subtitles Download | English SRT
Quiz Show (2000) Looking for movie subtitles. If your answer is yes then you are in the right place because here TrendnTime you can download Quiz Show (2000) subtitles. Below are links to English and other subtitles for the Quiz Show (2000). Similarly, all the subtitles of Quiz Show (2000) are also in SRT format and a zip file is provided for download.
After saving the SRT file, unzip the Quiz Show (2000) English subtitle file and add the subtitle SRT file to your media video player. After giving the SRT file of the Quiz Show (2000) in mobile and desktop media player, you will see the movie with subtitles.
How to Download Quiz Show (2000) Movie Subtitles
We have arranged to download the SRT format for the Quiz Show (2000) movie and added Quiz Show (2000) movie subtitles. In addition, Quiz Show (2000) movie subtitle files are currently available for different resolutions such as 480p, 720p, 1080p. Also, download subtitle files in BluRay, WEB-DL, HDRip, WEBRip, and HC.Rip video formats for the movie.
Now Quiz Show (2000) movie subtitle file is available for download in English format. However, we are going to add more subtitle languages soon. Quiz Show (2000) Movie subtitle downloads contain subtitle SRT for the entire movie from the beginning to the end of the movie period.
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Note: – If the download link does not work, please right-click on the link and open the link in a new tab. And see all the subtitles are in zip format. Now after downloading these you have to take out and Unzip them.
How to Use your Quiz Show (2000) Movie Subtitles SRT file
Mobile User:
>>>First of all, you need a video player (MX or another player)
>>>Download the subtitle file from our website now.
>>>If the downloaded file is a zip file or format, first unzip it.
>>>After unzipping the file, you can view the SRT file in the Movie / TV-Series folder.
>>>Then turn on the video player on your phone.
>>>Open the video you need to add.
>>>Then go to subtitles, add setting options, and add subtitles.
MX Player User:
>>>Click the Options button on the right (for MX Player).
>>>Now you will see the subtitle option and click on Open.
>>>Then add the subtitle file from your storage folder that you want to add to the video.
Desktop OR Laptop User:
>>>You need to install a good media player to watch Quiz Show (2000) on a computer or laptop.
>>>Then download the subtitles from the link provided on our website.
>>>Then unzip it to the preferred folder if it is zip format.
>>>After unzipping the English SRT format file to the folder you need to open the video and add subtitles on it by setting the player.
>>>Then you can enjoy watching Movies/TV Series with our subtitles.
Details Of Quiz Show (2000)
|Quiz Show
|09 Oct 2000
You can also easily change the size, font, and color of the subtitles using the media player settings. Quiz Show (2000) See the download button below for movie subtitles.
If you do not know how to add subtitles to the movie Quiz Show (2000), follow these steps: After downloading the SRT zip file for Quiz Show (2000) movie subtitles if you don't know how to add subtitle files, read this article again.
Because we have shared above how to add Quiz Show (2000) movie subtitles to the media player. It has also been given the method of adding subtitles on mobile as well as desk. You can simply follow the steps given by us to get subtitles in the movie.
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A Trillion Dollars And Counting: How Egypt's New President Will Boost Islamic Banking
CAIRO, Egypt -- Islamic finance may not be familiar yet to many Westerners, but it's a trillion-dollar business that is set to get even bigger now that the most populous country in the Arab world has elected a president from the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt's new president, Mohamed Morsi, is likely to give a new impulse to the growth of the Islamic banking sector in his country, the birthplace of sharia-law compliant finance.
For months since Egypt's parliamentary elections last year, the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party has been drafting a series of laws that would revamp the role of the Central Bank, make the registration of new Islamic banks easier, and regulate the offering of Islamic financial products by existing banks.
While the proposed changes aren't in effect yet, pending reinstatement of the Parliament, which was dissolved by the dominant military junta, the new government remains committed to boosting Islamic finance. That would fill a void largely not addressed by commercial banking, such as microlending. In addition to a growing global demand by Muslim investors for options in line with their religious tenets, there are also non-religious investors who recognize a growing global demand for Islamic financial products, from Goldman Sachs to South Africa's government.
In contrast with traditional commercial banking, Islamic transactions are not based on the paying of interest, which is considered usury and forbidden by sharia law. Institutions such as musharaka and mudaraba typically involve agreements based on profit-sharing, without the party financing a business getting any interest. Murabaha is the most common Islamic finance tool, in which a bank acquires an asset first and then resells it to a client at a profit.
Egypt's legislative measures would mean a dramatic departure for an industry that operated under the radar for decades during the Hosni Mubarak regime. Currently there are only three fully Islamic banks and 11 other institutions offering Islamic banking services in Egypt. At this time, there are no special laws governing Islamic banking; all the banks in the country are subject to commercial banking laws.
Mohammed Gouda, a member of the FJP's committee on the economy, anticipated the sector would grow from around 7.5 percent to 35 percent of the total banking industry in Egypt over the next five years. "This is our target, and whether or not we will achieve it depends on market conditions and whether or not people will accept it," Gouda said. He noted that "short-term growth will come from banks that already have licenses and will now be able to apply them, as opposed to new Islamic banking entering the market. In two fiscal years it might reach 10 percent, but faster growth will happen in the third year."
The legislative proposals would create boards to monitor compliance with sharia, strengthen Islamic sukuk law that governs the issuing of bonds, and add a chapter on Islamic banking to the Central Bank law, as well as create an Islamic banking department at the Central Bank that would regulate the sector.
The global Islamic banking industry has been growing steadily over the past five years and is expected to reach $1.1 trillion this year, according to Ernst & Young's world Islamic banking competitiveness report 2011-2012, compared with $826 billion in 2010. In the Middle East and North Africa region, the report estimates the Islamic banking industry will more than double to $990 billion by 2015, spurred by the changes unleashed by the Arab Spring and the euro zone crisis.
In Egypt, with its predominantly conservative Muslim population of around 82 million, latent demand is particularly strong. "Apart from local demand there is also international demand, especially from the Gulf states," Gouda said. "They would like to invest here, but prefer to do it through Islamic or sharia-compliant banks."
Despite political will and solid institutional and retail demand, the development of Islamic banking on a wider scale is difficult amid political uncertainty. On July 8, Morsi reinstated Parliament, which had been dissolved after the Supreme Constitutional Court had ruled it unconstitutional. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces assumed legislative powers for itself. On July 10, the court overturned Morsi's decision, exacerbating the ongoing standoff between the Islamists and the military.
While the sharia-based guidelines governing financial affairs known as Fiqh al-Muamalat are the same throughout the Muslim world, their application varies from country to country and even within the same jurisdiction. A lot of leverage is entrusted to the sharia boards that are responsible for interpreting the law, solving disputes and ruling whether a given financial product is sharia-compliant.
"In Islamic banking or sharia-compliant investment in general, we have different schools of thought," said Magdy Eissa, a business development director at IdealRatings, an Islamic finance data provider that specializes in the screening of stocks for sharia compliance. "We still don't have one entity [in the Egyptian market] telling us how we should invest according to sharia guidelines." IdealRatings, based in San Francisco, has a regional research center in Cairo.
For example, there is no global consensus on whether financial instruments like derivatives are sharia-compliant. Some Islamic product structurings are sharia-compliant according to few scholars in the West, which most scholars in Arab countries would not consider permissible, Eissa said.
The legislation proposed by the FJP does not delve into derivatives, and it would be up to the sharia boards to issue a ruling on these.
The Islamic banking proponents are unfazed by the legislative setbacks, arguing that a growing Islamic banking sphere will make commercial banking more competitive. "At the end of the day, whoever is offering better quality [of services] is the one who would grow the market share," Gouda says.
The FJP is also taking time to devise a distinct Egyptian model for Islamic finance, based on Malaysian and other practices. "We don't want to copy and paste any model, we want a separate Egyptian model especially because Al Azhar is here, the biggest Islamic institution," Gouda explained, referring to the Cairo university renowned in the entire Islamic world, whose clergy are accorded great authority in Sunni Muslim jurisprudence.
It may take a while, but nobody knows more about patience than the Muslim Brotherhood, which had been banned in Egypt from 1954 until the fall of the Mubarak regime in 2011. "The change cannot happen suddenly," acknowledged Mohamed Al Beltagy, a co-founder of Egypt's Islamic Finance Association, who has advised the FJP on the draft legislature on Islamic banking. "Islam teaches us that you have to take it step by step."
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Rack Mount PoE Extender Surge Protector
The DTK-RM24EXTS is a 24-channel, 1U rack mount surge protector designed specifically for PoE extender circuits Using state-of-the art circuitry, provides best-in-breed surge protection for PoE extender circuits and optionally, Ethernet and PoE. The DTK-RM24EXTS supports data speeds up to 10GbE, and provides surge protection grounding to remote devices when used with STP cabling. The DTK-RM24EXTS is ideal for installations with multiple-port mid-span injectors and hybrid network scenarios.
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- Ready for high-wattage applications
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1. High quality SIM card reader for Samsung Galaxy Note 3 / N900 / N9008 / N9005 / N9006 / N9000
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On selected products
Why just take a friend swimming when children can take an orca or crocodile too? These practical, water-resistant swimming bags have a spacious main compartment to store kit and towels and a secret coin pocket for after-swim snacks. Trips to the pool or beach have never been such fun.


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Sunday, February 26, 2012
the colours of denial . . .
It's white,grey and windy out there again... but I'm going to stay in my spring denial as long as I can. Me and my vitamin D supplements, and my patterns... we can fake it out until the truly warm days get here. Hope your eyes can take it:)
Posted by orange you lucky! 12 comments:
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Spring ?
It's been sunny and mild for 3 days now... and I'm almost fooled. Maybe it is spring. Maybe the winter got tired of listening to me complaining and left:) Aaaah... wouldn't that be nice:)
Posted by orange you lucky! 4 comments:
Labels: print
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Swedish connection . . .
The good news: A Swedish company AHLENS has made a whole bunch of things with my 'raw connection' pattern. The sad news: It was available last fall in form of many products... but I've only received these last 3 samples that were (luckily) left behind. I'm happy I got to see these in person. They fit so perfectly with my kitchen:)
Posted by orange you lucky! 7 comments:
Labels: product
Saturday, February 18, 2012
folklore . . .
What we've got here are three birds, two bunnies, one hedgehog and a whole lot of good times going on (while I'm modernizing folklore:)
Posted by orange you lucky! 7 comments:
Thursday, February 16, 2012
the borrowers . . .
I'm taking my girls to see The Secret World of Arrietty (Myazaki's latest movie). In anticipation of the upcoming theatre adventure I did a few watercolours.
Posted by orange you lucky! 11 comments:
Labels: watercolors
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
random happiness . . .
I like romantic outings and spontaneous acts of the heart... but not on Valentines day. I think that designating a day for it takes away from the 'special' and adds unnecessary sense of 'I must' and stress. Therefore, I'm celebrating random happiness today... and I hope I can bring a bit of it your way with this slightly weird and fun pattern I just made:)
Posted by orange you lucky! 5 comments:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
warm palette . . .
Posted by orange you lucky! 4 comments:
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Pippi in my print . . .
Pippi Longstocking - has made her way into a print! A childhood hero of mine. I wish I went adventuring on South Seas... and had a suitcase full of gold coins... oh, and super strength:).
Posted by orange you lucky! 13 comments:
Labels: illustrations, print
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
new cards at lagom . . .
For today's 'show and tell' - a few new cards at logom. Lagom makes superb quality cards. Love how they turned out.
Posted by orange you lucky! 10 comments:
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New Orleans Pelicans: NBA's new worst nickname?
New Orleans could have done a little bit better renaming their basketball franchise.
The team formerly known as the New Orleans Hornets is comprised of a young, athletic, up-and-coming core.
Anthony Davis, Xavier Henry, Eric Gordon, and Austin Rivers highlight a nucleus looking to put New Orleans basketball back on the map.
With both eyes clearly focused on the future, the franchise felt that they should use the youth movement to launch a complete rebranding campaign, with a new name and all.
The idea wasn't awful; fan bases can often be re-energized by a new franchise identity, especially if it is meant to represent the entering of a new era. Plus, the city wanted something that was more representative of itself, since New Orleans is not especially known for Hornets, having inherited the name from Charlotte.
It all made sense. The organization had the opportunity to come up with an exciting new nickname that encompassed the spirit and energy of the young squad, while serving to intimidate opponents, at least a little. New Orleans' newly-named team could resonate as "cool" with an entire generation of kids, just as the original Charlotte Hornets did during the 90's.
So, after weeks of deliberating and pondering the organization produced the best possible nickname: The Pelicans.
Wait, what?
My initial reaction to this announcement was amusement, which was only amplified upon seeing logo designs.
Yes, New Orleans boasts a plethora of pelicans, not all of them pleasant, as I found out on my lone trip to Louisiana last year. But, is that really how the franchise wants to portray its team and players for the foreseeable future; a big gang of pelicans? The name doesn't quite serve to inspire fear in other teams, of even a tad bit of intimidation.
"We have to go play the Pelicans;" sounds scary.
The franchise's former All-Star point guard is one who is not in favor of the new name.
"Pelicans? I'm not rolling," Chris Paul stated in a tweet, and he was not the only one who was somewhat skeptical of the change.
The new name has to put the Pelicans in the running for worst NBA nickname, right up there with the Bobcats, the Raptors, and the ill-fitting Jazz.
In reality, team name has little proven connection with on-court performance, and at least pelicans are relatable to the region. However, you would think players would prefer an identity that they can be proud of, and it is yet to be seen if the Pelicans will inspire pride.


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Three shot, including cop, in Dorchester
A man apparently intent on killing his girlfriend initiated a gun battle that left him, the woman and a Boston Police officer with gunshot wounds early Tuesday morning.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's says it has launched two investigations into the incident at 22 Dunbar Ave. - one into possible criminal charges against Tyrone Cummings, the other into the discharge of police bullets during the fusillade.
Police say Cummings showed up at his girlfriend's apartment around 6:45 and began beating her and threatening to kill her. DA Dan Conley said Cummings came with "two illegal handguns and a bag full of bullets."
The woman managed to call police, who arrived to find Cummings standing outside. Police say he turned, pointed a gun at them and opened fire, hitting Officer Shawn Marando. Marando returned fire, as did another officer police say.
"The male suspect was struck multiple times, transported to BMC and is currently listed in stable condition," police said in a statement.
"At this very early stage, the officers appear to have acted in defense of themselves and others," Conley said. "And while the exact sequence of shots has not yet been determined, there is no question that Mr. Cummings initiated this morning's gunfight when he produced an illegal firearm and pointed it at responding Boston Police."
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If you thought cheetah, leopard, and jaguar print clothing was a strictly modern phenomenon in the West, take a gander at the outfit of Captain Samuel J. Richardson, commander of the W.P. Lane Rangers, an independent Texas cavalry that fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Richardson wore trousers made of jaguar hide, with a pair of matching holsters. While Richardson's outfit may have been one of the more flamboyant marching about Texas, it wasn't the most elaborate use of animal skin. Texas Republic President Sam Houston was himself known for wearing a jaguar vest, and members of the 8th Texas Cavalry were said to wear bearskin pants-one even had a full bearskin suit.
[Spotted on Retronaut]
Meet Microsoft's New Surface Laptops


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Qatar Airways - Larnaca Airport (LCA)
Larnaca Airport (LCA) has a single passenger terminal, split into a couple of levels. Check-in Area and Departures are located at the level 1.
Check your arriving flight here
Check your departing flight here
Follow the links below in order to see all the flights scheduled for Qatar Airways
- Arrivals
- Departures
In order to check in for your flight at Larnaca Airport (LCA), go to departures hall in the main building terminal, or follow the instructions provided in your ticket.
General Information
- IATA Code: QR
- Website: www.qatarairways.com/