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Spicy Beef & Potato Curry
I know there are many of you who probably wonder, me being Indian, not cooking Indian food too often. The truth of the fact is that I have spent my entire life outside India, brought up all around the world that this seems to have influenced a larger part of my adult life too. My parents cooked Indian food everyday for us at home. So, I DID grow up on this cuisine. However, when I moved away from home and took on my life on my own, I found cooking other types of cuisine was simpler, easier, quicker and just different.
Should I tell you a secret? When I left home, my mum was petrified that I might starve to death. I could not cook, you see. That is the honest truth. I was rather spoilt at home and did not have to do much. I never took a keen interest in cooking. I was more interested in sports and doing stuff with my friends. So, when I left home, my mother gave me a cookbook with the words "It is a very simple book - but it will help you!"
Hey Mum! Look at me now!! No seriously, my mother is very proud and totally amazed that after all these years that same girl cooks, blogs about food and photographs food. How wild is that?
Coming back to the Indian food though. When I started experimenting with cooking I found making Indian food too complicated. Making all that onion, ginger, garlic paste or grinding spices for a masala was far too much work. The book my mum gave me was actually for European food. I found the recipes here easy, healthy and delicious. Especially the Italian recipes. See it was actually my mother who planted that first seed for my Italian food craze.
My mother would say "Beta (that actually means Son in Hindi Beti being daughter - my parents used to refer to me as beta as I was the eldest. Don't ask where the sense is in that!) you must try to cook Indian food, how will you survive on that European stuff?"
"Mum, you are the one who bought me that book, so what are you complaining about?"
"Yes, I know but it was because you were going to Europe and I thought it would be fitting."
"So, I am still in Europe and I enjoy the food!"
"Make daal! It is easy and you do not have to put much effort!"
"Yes, mum. I'll make daal tomorrow!"
Now, this is a telephone conversation between a daughter in Germany and her mother in Dubai!
I did NOT make daal. It seems to be solution for everything among Indian parents.
"Eat more Daal!" If you are feeling down "Eat Daal!" Feeling depressed - "Eat Daal!" Feeling energetic and full of life - "Eat Daal!"
Even when I was in San Francisco in May, after days of eating daal, when my cousin Varoon gathered up his courage and dared to say "Mum, I don't want anymore daal!" All he got was a "Shut up! You don't know good food when it is in front of you - just give them pizza and pasta then they are happy. You eat your daal!", from my aunt (whom I love and adore!) Well all of us (my cousin Megha, brother and me) grabbed our spoons and started eating our Daal.
But I am sure you will understand when I say that even though I joke about it, I love Indian food. It is healthy (Daal) and satisfying. Ever since I joined the Blogesphere and got into my little Indian Blog circle I tend to experiment even more with my Indian recipes.
This style of curry I made is something that you would not see very often. Firstly, beef is not very common in India. However, it can be easily substituted with chicken or lamb and for the vegetarians you can use mushrooms or hard boiled eggs. I created a taste that combines all the flavors of India in one dish. The tamarind adds a tangy aroma, combined with the ginger and tomatoes the entire dish became delectable.
I suggest serving it with a simple rice like my Pilaw with mustard and coriander seeds.
Music while cooking
Rishi Rich Featuring Veronica and Juggy D - Aj Kal
Album: The Project - *New on my iPod
Events on WFLH
Monthly Mingle - Take Two
From My Rasoi - Pumpkin
I have no special amounts to give you for this one as this was made more or less to the feel and the taste. I am sure many Indian housewives will tell you the same as my mum tells me "The most delicious recipes are made with the feel of your own talent for cooking!" For those who are less experimental, a word of encouragement - just go on and give it a try. I do try where ever I could. Simply try adding the other ingredients according to your own taste. Although I followed a basic recipe from a German cookbook for Indian curry it was too European for my taste - how ironic? That is why I spiced it up.
For Bhuna Paste:
Tamarind paste
Tomato Paste
50 g Ginger - mashed
4 Garlic cloves - mashed
2 red onions - finely chopped
1 red chili - finely chopped
Paprika powder
Black Peppercorns
cardamom pod
Cumin seeds
Rape oil
400g Beef rump - cut into cubes
2 large potatoes - cut into cubes
400 ml beef stock
450 g tomatoes - de-seeded and cut into bite size pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Bhuna paste:
In a large pan heat up the oil and add the cumin seeds, cardamom pod and black peppercorns. For a minute or two cook till the spices have released their aroma. Now one after the other add the rest of the ingredients for the paste. Saute for a few minutes until all the flavors have combined into a thick paste.
Add the potato cubes and cover with the paste. Now add the tomatoes and simmer for a further few minutes.
Add the stock to this mixture and cover with lid. Simmer for a few minutes - approx. 10 minutes.
In a separate pan fry the beef on a high heat quickly until brown. Add this to the potatoes and simmer for a further 10 minutes. If you prefer this curry to be less liquidy then simmer without the lid.
Serve with Pilaw with mustard and coriander seeds.
OK this is not Daal, but it is so gooood! The combination of all these spices really was completely satisfying to the soul. We made this one evening when Soeren was away at his granparents for the weekend. It was just perfect - spicy and tangy all at once.
This is the perfect entry for this issue of Weekend Cookbook. The theme being an ingredient from my own country's culture. I have used several and combined them into a paste called Bhuna.
Off to Cate for the ARF 5 A Day Tuesday.
Also for Tony's Curry Mela.
Search Tags:
beef, potato, event, cummin, tamarind, food, recipe, indian, cardamom, food blog, music, rishi rich, Weekend Cookbook Challenge, Curry Mela
13 comments:
ur post reminded me of "bend it like beckam" movie.:)ReplyDelete
when i saw ur post, for a moment i was astonished to see inidan food. i even checked back the link. but nice to see a variation.
This looks utterly fantastic :) And I reckon your mom will be pretty impressed to see what a beautiful dish you've created that taps into your heritage as opposed to your "European stuff" ;)ReplyDelete
My kids would love to devour your other half of Pilaw !! ( Curry, I mean) Most Indian daughters are spoiled before they are married, then comes the grinding stone,hypothetically speaking!! Have hunger, have to cook! No mommy there! Great job!!:)ReplyDelete
Would you like a dessert to go with that? Check out my Mango Cobbler!! Enjoy your weekend!! :D
So happy to see Indian dishes on your blog. I had my own doubts about you being an Indian!!!(just kidding). Same like your mom, I always think Indians can't survive on non-Indian food :DReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
Dear Meeta,ReplyDelete
Your Anecdotes: Fantastic
Your Recipe: Fantastic
Your Fotos: Fantastic
Need I say more.
Shaheen I love that film. It was a little like that. But when Indian families get together I guess it is always like that.ReplyDelete
Ellie My mum is just pleased that I have taken so much to cooking. I like all kinds of food and cook according to our cravings. I am lucky that both my guys are pretty cool with my experiments and will give almost anything a go.
Asha Looks good that cobbler.
Shilpa Yeah, sometimes I am not sure myself. No, I do have pakka indian blood flowing through my veins.
Anu No! I do though - Thanks!
- AnonymousJanuary 12, 2007 at 7:06:00 PM GMT+1
I HEAR YA. I'M GOING THROUGH THE SAME STRUGGLE RIGHT NOW. I WAS BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN THE STATES AND AM AN ONLY CHILD IN THE FAMILY. MY MOM DID ALL THE COOKING AND I JUST SAT BACK AND ENJOYED. NOW THAT I'M MARRIED TO A TYPICAL INDIAN HUSBAND, HE PREFERS ONLY INDIAN COOKING, I AM SOO LOST. I SEARCH THROUGH RECIPES AND ASK MY MOM FOR TIPS. BUT OF COURSE IT'S IRRITATING TO ASK INDIAN MOM'S SINCE THEY NEVER HAVE AN EXACT MEASUREMENT OR EXACT RECIPE FOR ANYTHING. I HAVE TRIED AND TRIED AND SEEM TO BE IMPROVING SLOWLY BUT STILL NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO INVITE FRIENDS/FAMILY OVER FOR A MEAL. I'LL TRY UR RECIPE AND LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF UR BLOGS. THANKS,ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 22, 2007 at 10:54:00 PM GMT+2
How can you eat beef being a hindu?? Just because you married a gora that doesn't mean that you should copy him. Aren't your parents gujjus? From what I remember Gujjus do not eat beef. Shame on you !ReplyDelete
A true hindu
Hi True Hindu!ReplyDelete
Shame you do not stand by your words by leaving your name. Actually I am not a Hindu but a Sikh. So first things cleared, as for eating beef: As we lived our whole lives outside India (I was only born there but at the age of 1 1/2 left) my parents never forced anything on us. They knew only too well how it is to brings kids from different traditions and religions in foreign countries. They (and eventually I too) saw how other Indian families had bigger struggles with their kids adjusting well outside India. Trust me they had bigger issues on had then just eating beef!
It was important to them that we feel comfortable in our environment and integrate with our social peers. My parents do not eat beef, my brother and I do!
Our parents gave us all the good values of our tradition, religion and country to bring up two people who are proud to be Indians - it does not change us as people and who we our because we indulge in a burger or a beef curry.
I am rather sick and tired of being judged as a person and an Indian because, judgmental people like you think you are better than me (or people like me) simply because you think you live the "real" Indian way!
Yes, I married a gora but I was eating beef before I met him. He has nothing to do with my likings or dis-likings.
So shame on you for pointing fingers at me. With your silly comment you have insulted me, my husband and my parents in one go.
So, are you strong enough, as a true Hindu, to share your name and take a stand, instead of hiding behind an anonymous name?
hi meeta,ReplyDelete
wow.. yr pic of the curry looks really lovely.
i do have some questions though.... could you please clarify on the quantities of each of the ingredients like the tamrind paste, tompaste, paprika powder, blk pepercorn n cumin...
itd be really helpful, as im clueless abt the quantities.
I do understand that the chili level will be governed by taste but if you could just give some guideline on the quantities itd be a real help.
thanks in advance.. and ps-- 3 cheers for yr reply reg eating beef !! clap clap ! :-)
caroly.. (whos an indian living in london :-)
Hi there Caroly,ReplyDelete
Thanks for your comment and feedback.
Like you said the measurements are really according to ones particular taste and liking. That is the great thing about making paste/masala at home.
But for a rough reference I would start of by using a tablespoon of tomato paste and a good teaspoon of the tamarind paste. the spices use sparingly and keep tasting until you like the flavor. If you think you need more tomato/tamarind and by the teaspoon until you get the taste that suits you best.
hope that helps!
It is always a mesmerizing experience to have delicious Indian cuisines and deserts. However one should know the different dishes and their preparation styles to enjoy the meal as per your preference.ReplyDelete
Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.
In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.


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Saturday, 29 May 2010
Goodreads: Authors Self Rating
I find it extremely misleading as they aren't really in the position to be judging their own work objectively. I would argue that book reviewing (at home, on a blog or in a newspaper) is subjective at best but an author has a vested interest.
I am glad they think their work is excellent. I am glad they feel confident enough to give themselves a perfect mark. But it bothers me on a few fronts
1 - they aren't objective
2 - it warps the rating
3 - they don't give reasons for its awesomeness
4 - it seems conceited
5 - it makes me feel icky.
What are your feelings? Am I being a nitpicking fool (it has been said before) or are there grounds for an author rating their own work? It is just being proud of their work or are more dastardly motives at play?
35 comments:
- Amie McCracken said...
I didn't know they could do that on goodreads (been neglecting my account). But that is not ok. Reviews are not there for an author to make of themselves. Reviews are for other people to tell the author what they think. I might just continue neglecting my account because of this.
- 29 May 2010 at 17:20
- Megan Burke said...
I agree with everything you've said. not objective at all! a great rating like that can really skewe the results and thats not fair.
- 29 May 2010 at 17:32
- R Williams said...
I don't think authors should be allowed to rate their own books by the software.
However, if an author publishes a book, I sure hope they think it's a five! If not, couldn't they have done a better job on it before releasing it to us?
Also, I'm not sure it warps the rating all that much, especially for titles with a lot of ratings. It's not as bad as people giving a book a five/one before they've read it because they are looking forward to it/dreading it.
- 29 May 2010 at 17:41
- Splendibird said...
Honestly? It makes me cringe a little... It seems to me exactly the same as a blogger commenting on their own review and stating that it was beautifully written, or a movie star commenting on what a great performance they gave in such and such a movie. At the same time, we live in a real culture of false modesty and I don't like that either. ..yet I think that there are times and places to blow your own trumpet (quietly) and reviewing your own work glowingly isn't one of them.
- 29 May 2010 at 17:48
- Anonymous said...
I agree with everything you have to say! I don't think authors should judge their own books. They wrote it for others to read it. And if they were going to judge their books themselves, why publish them for others? I think Goodreads should be a place where we readers can tell the author what we think, not vise-versa. I do hope the author thinks their book is a 5 star,but leave the rating for us. (sorry for the rant!)
- 29 May 2010 at 18:05
- Nomes said...
I wonder if they feel a little bit sneaky and sheepish, clicking that 5 star button :)
It makes me feel icky, too.
And do they write a review, lol? Because how can you write a readers review of a book you wrote? "...I was gripped...stunning climax that brought me to tears...I related to all the characters...can't wait to see the sophomoric effort..." :)
- 29 May 2010 at 18:39
- simmone said...
I think it's great idea - if I five-star myself then it can offset the damage done by the misguided fool who one-starred me...
(I should perhaps add that I no longer have a goodreads account because I find the whole business of ratings sketchy. I would five-star something and then change my mind a week later ...I have no conviction. I'm wishy-washy like charlie brown)
- 29 May 2010 at 19:23
- Karen Mahoney said...
Great topic - as usual. :)
Okay, so as a writer with books up on Goodreads... no, I have never and would never rate my own books. (And if I did I wouldn't give them 5-stars because I have zero self-confidence. LOL!)
But no... I don't do that, but I guess I'm not going to get into what I think of other authors who do. I'm sure I've got friends who have, so I will take the Fifth. ;)
However, I WILL say... I love Goodreads because I love to talk about books, but I find the whole system flawed. e.g. It really irritates me when people rate books that haven't been published - people do that all the time!!
Someone has rated The Iron Witch 4 stars, and I'm still REVISING it. Um... I'd like to know how they hacked into my Word documents and read my in-progress manuscript so they could rate me at 4 stars. O.o
I think a lot of readers rate their favourite authors with 5 stars, because they are rating their EXCITEMENT over a book. But that's just... weird. I wish the Goodreads system - along with making it so authors can't rate their own books - would block ratings for books until the publication date has been reached. That might work...although it would mean that we can't rate ARCs we read. So maybe it wouldn't work. Hmm... (Just thinking aloud, here.)
Anyway, sorry - diversion! You weren't talking about Goodreads in general. :)
Re. the author thing, there are also all the lists and ratings on those. Like, there's a list for YA books coming out in 2011 - my books is on there, and if I wanted to to I could vote for my own book to push it up the chart. I haven't done that, either. That would be a bit... strange. For me, anyway.
You know, I almost cancelled my Goodreads account the other day, because I think about this stuff a lot. Maybe I shouldn't be reading and rating books. But then again, I ADORE reading and I love to talk about the books that made my heart soar. I only ever give 3-5 star ratings (and mostly 4 or 5). Not because I'm being dishonest, but because if I didn't enjoy something as much... well, I'm not going to talk about that. I just take it off my list and don't mention it. I know how hard it is to write a novel, so even if something doesn't work for me as a reader I won't knock that author in public. I'd hate to see that happen to me - a fellow writer giving my book 1 star... *shudders*
Anyway, I have now written an essay and will go away. ;)
p.s. Adele, what do you think about authors being active on Goodreads, in general? Maybe I should stick to writing books and keep my reading more private. Or just mention books I love on my blog - which I'll never stop doing!
- 29 May 2010 at 20:11
- prophecygirl said...
I've only noticed this once just recently, when I saw a debut author give her own book a 5 star rating. I don't like it, full stop. For all the reasons you mentioned.
- 29 May 2010 at 20:14
- Mundie Moms said...
Great topic and great comments! I like what you've mentioned. I haven't personally minded, I mean, I do think it's a little silly. I just take into account they wrote it and not to sound rude, I over look their own personal rating.
For me, if the system was a lot more accurate than I would be bothered. With readers who rate books when they note they haven't read it and can't wait to read it, and yet still give it a star rating, that alone irks me more than the author who rates their book.
I think for the most part, an author is just excited their book is out and in turn rate it, knowing it's not really going to effect their book's rating system any way. *I could be wrong on that thought process*
- 29 May 2010 at 22:18
- Alex Bennett from Electrifying Reviews said...
I don't really have a big problem with it. I think they just do it to make their book have a higher rating. Higher rating = more people who will want to read it = more money for author.
- 29 May 2010 at 22:24
- Pens said...
I usually assume that it is done in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way, otherwise I agree with everything you said. I don't think anyone should give themselves 5 stars unless they are John Steinbeck or someone like that ;)
- 29 May 2010 at 22:47
- j said...
It doesn't bother me at all. I think it should be obvious they feel it's 5 star anyway, because they wrote it. Besides, when I am curious about a book, I don't go by how many five stars the book has. I actually read some of the reviews. That's where the real opinions are. The stars can be misleading sometimes. I have seen some people click 3 stars, then say nothing but nice things about the book.
- 29 May 2010 at 22:54
- Carin Siegfried said...
It is awkward. I can see it both ways. When I first joined Goodreads, I was worried about what to do re: the books I edited when I was in publishing. At first I didn't rank them (and I had a note on my profile about it) but it always made me uncomfortable that these books that I really had loved and had spent a great deal of time working on continued to not be ranked in my lists, even though I had starred almost everything else. Eventually, I did give them all 5-stars (I'm also uncomfortable admitting to favorites among them and admitting which ones I only like and don't love), and again I have a note about it, and I've identified them all in my tags. There's no ideal solution I don't think.
- 30 May 2010 at 00:32
- Jennifer said...
I was thinking about this recently! I had just read an book, wrote my review, and went to Goodreads and saw that the author gave themselves a 5 star review! I would have given i 4 stars, but I was shocked that this author did that!! It made me a bit uncomfortable about reviewing the book! Does this seem to be happening a lot more??
- 30 May 2010 at 00:40
- Amanda said...
I have actually decided against reading a book simply because the author gave himself a 5 star rating. I don't think it's right...for all the reasons you already said.
- 30 May 2010 at 00:58
- Laura @ A Jane of All Reads said...
It's tacky. I realize it is usually done in jest but I think it's unnecessary.
I agree with you about it warping the ratings. The rating system on goodreads is sketchy at best- it doesn't need anything else warping it further.
- 30 May 2010 at 01:07
- Lauren said...
I've noticed this a few times, but I always just assumed they were doing it in a tongue-in-cheek way. Like, 'I'm obviously the writer of this book, and hell yeah I'm giving it five stars!' Plus, one author's rating is hardly likely to affect the overall average rating that much.
To be honest, if a writer is going to rate their own book, five stars bothers me less than four stars. If you're giving your own book five stars I'll assume you're kind of kidding, but if you give it four stars it's like you're taking it too seriously, or you think you're being objective.
If it were me, I wouldn't rate my own book at all. Because even if you are kidding, not everyone will get that. However, in some ways it's much more honest than just getting a bunch of family and friends to go on and give five stars - which probably happens. It's probably wisest to just not do it.
- 30 May 2010 at 01:19
- Abby said...
I think you're right, that it's somewhat squicky for authors to rate their own books, but I can see why they do it. I'm much more likely to click through and learn more about a book if it has a 5 star rating than if it has no rating. But I don't think the Goodreads system should be more restrictive to prevent it. To me, that strays too close to censorship. I think it's up to us as critical readers to pay attention to who's rating what and why.
On a somewhat related topic, I find it annoying when authors I've friended on Goodreads send me a book recommendation... for their own book. That's a quick way for me to defriend someone.
- 30 May 2010 at 01:33
- simmone said...
People are so MEAN if they think authors rate themselves! where is the love?? :) most writers I know are total humblebums
also - in a lot of cases, writers aren't getting publicity love from their publishers - I think a bit of proactive-ity can't hurt
most authors don't get a squillion free copies to give away - if they're lucky they can have a handful of arcs sent to the bloggers of their choice but it's a big sea out there.
- 30 May 2010 at 01:41
- Jacqueline C. said...
I agree with you Adele. While I can understand that they may want to promote their book as much as possible, affecting the reader ratings isn't an appropriate way to go about that. I often check out what people say on Goodreads because I expect to get unbiased opinions but that won't remain true if an author uses the forum to give themselves a high rating. I've notice that sometimes they also get their friends to do the same.
If an author wants to promote their work on sites like Goodreads, they should use the proper channels. That's partially what the groups on the site are for. I don't mind getting a group invite from an author to discuss their work.
Like Abby, I also hate when an author friends me for purely promotional reasons. I try to head those friend requests off by ignoring them, however, that's not always possible.
Great topic! This issue has irked me from time-to-time and I'm glad to see that other people have noticed and called authors on it.
- 30 May 2010 at 01:47
- Audrey (holes In My brain) said...
The first time I saw an author do that I didn't really like it,but in the end theres going to be hundreds of readers and hundreds of ratings that the 5/5 won't really matter. It is kinda in my pet-peevish pile, but I won't pay too much attention to it :) interesting post!
- 30 May 2010 at 02:33
- Anonymous said...
I honestly don't think it is that big of a deal. I would expect an author would rate their own book five stars anyway, so why pretend otherwise? I can also see the excitement of a debut author just wanting to see their own book ranked on their own list. Who wouldn't if they had their own book? I do not expect authors are huddled over their GoodReads account, rubbing their hands together and laughing maniacally because they totally just pwned the system and got their book bumped up one slot higher.
Also, the reason I like GoodReads is because you've got this great pool of people from all walks of life, all opinions, all experiences rating books on completely different systems of scoring. Because everyone involved is so deeply subjective over different aspects of the book (the writing, the cover, the plot, the pacing, the characters...) you actually end up with a much more objective overall score.
And because the author's mom, brother, best friend, husband/wife all get to rate the book at 5 stars probably isn't any different than the author themselves doing it, it all goes into the same pot. I mean, does it make you feel better knowing that an author probably thinks their book is five stars but to be PC they abstain from claiming their book on their GoodReads account so no one thinks they love their book TOO much?
I don't know. I just don't think it matters all that much. Good for them for having a book out there in the first place!
- 30 May 2010 at 06:02
- ham1299 said...
I have seen it before, and it's never bothered me. I figure they're just proud of their work.
- 30 May 2010 at 07:08
- Adele said...
Thanks for all the responses.
This is not an issue I dwell over but when I see it on Goodreads I am put off. Even if it is meant as funny how am I supposed to know? Tone really isn't conveyed well on the internet.
As for promotion etc I do understand and it will probably work. Authors should be proud of their work. But as an Aussie, I have an issue with tall poppies. I think it is better to not rate at all. In my case, seeing an author give themselves a high mark does make me wary of the author. That being said, it's Goodreads so it doesn't matter all that much. The recommending one's own work is in bad taste though.
This whole issue is a pet peeve but it is worsened when I know the author is still in edit phase and they've given themselves 5. Like what? So I have to immediately assume that a) it is a joke that isn't funny or b) someone who is really excited to be published or c) someone who will find the edit stage a trifle hard...if anything it points out the many issues with Goodreads.
- 30 May 2010 at 10:45
- kate.o.d said...
what is this goodreads? why is it so popular? i've just had a bit of a squiz and seems to me like it is basically one big advertisement for amazon. me no likey. GO INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOPS!
- 30 May 2010 at 16:37
- Carla said...
I wasn't going to chime in on this discussion but then I thought why the heck not. To be honest, it doesn't bother me what they do on goodreads, if they want to post star ratings on their own books then it's their perogative. However, as much as it didn't bother me before this post, this has got me to thinking about it a bit more.
I think to rate your own book is equal parts presumptious and misleading and a bit manipulating in a way, but not in a bad "I am going to bend your mind" kind of way. I think that it's hard to take a star rating of a book done by an author too seriously, because it just makes me feel a bit icky.
I know a lot of love and care goes into writing a book, I can only imagine how much of their hearts they pour into those words on pages. I get it, I really do, but to star rate your own work kind of just undermines it all a little in the long run. For one, like you said, reviewing is extremely subjective, and its for that reason its so popular and blogs are stilling popping up.
It kind of sets the tone for how your going to be perceived, and I can imagine that some people may feel bad for rating it lower than that which the author has rated it. This would never stop me, but you know, it could do. It could affect someones rating, just by accident. Saying that, some authors I know have done it in a mocking way, as part of a joke. But ultimately, this could be perceived as something utterly different by other people. Heck, some people might just think "oh your such a bighead" and not buy the book because they think the author has been blowing their own trumpet way too loud. It could be a hindrance for them.
Authors have to much invested in their own books, it's a piece of them, to rate their work fairly and justly. Being humble can go a long way.
- 30 May 2010 at 20:24
- Alyson Beecher said...
Interesting post and the comments have been fascinating to read. I'll throw my thoughts in with all the others. First, I would expect an author to want to give their book 5 stars. It would be weird in some ways to see anything else. So I think I have basically ignored "their rating". It doesn't change how I see the book or what I will rate it.
What I do think is weird is for readers to rate a book that isn't even in ARC form yet. There are books that I was excited about that completely disappointed me. So that part is silly.
I realize that many authors rate books primarily 4 & 5 but they usually have a disclaimer somewhere that says that they only add their favorites. I get that - you don't want to be trashing the work of other authors.
Personally, the rating system on GoodReads is off. I want to be able to give a 3.5 sometimes but there isn't a way to do that. Sometimes even if I didn't really like a book I recognize that others will like it (well written or will appeal to a specific reader) and I will rank it higher than if it was just for me. And some books I don't rank at all because frankly, I don't know what to do with them. If I have taken time to finish the book, I will likely give it at least a 3. Books that I won't finish I will not rank or review. Maybe just remove them.
Finally, I have learned which blogger/friends are generous with their ratings and which tend to be harsher. So when I see a generous rater mark something really low...then it means something. And when I see a tougher rater mark something at 5 stars then it usually tells me a lot.
Thanks for doing the post. Great discussion.
- 31 May 2010 at 02:41
- Allison said...
I have mixed feelings about this. If it is an author that just rates all their books 5 stars with no comments in the review section...THAT bugs me.
If an author rates their book 5 stars, and then goes on to either make fun of themselves for doing so, or saying something really witty that makes me laugh...I let those slide :) there are a few that do that.
- 31 May 2010 at 05:50
- Patti L said...
I think it's silly, but to be honest, I don't pay that much attention. Most of the authors I'm friends with on Goodreads don't seem to do that, and most of the authors I know that do it, I usually think they're doing it tongue-in-cheek.
I'm on Goodreads to connect with other readers, and to find about more good books for my endless TBR pile. I enjoy Goodreads thoroughly.
- 31 May 2010 at 09:44
- Pam Pho said...
I really think it would be in Goodreads interest to stop allowing that in general. I have emailed an author back after a pitch telling them I would not review their book because of their own self rating. It's annoying and no self respecting author would do that surely.
- 31 May 2010 at 10:32
- Tales of Whimsy said...
I don't mind. After all, it's only one vote :)
- 31 May 2010 at 12:28
- lili said...
I have a (lapsed) LibraryThing account, and I always add my own books (I have, after all, read them), but I never rate them. It is totally squicky.
But I don't think it should be BANNED. Because where do you draw the line? Can my parents rate my book? My editor? Publicist? Agent?
- 1 June 2010 at 10:27
- Penni Russon said...
I wouldn't do that. Because it would be embarrassing and cringeworthy and sad. And because I don't think it's in any way useful to a potential reader to say 'hey I wrote this and it rules'.
Though I have been known to anonymously tick a good review as 'useful' on a bookselling site.
- 2 June 2010 at 18:52
- Jo said...
I wouldn't rate my own books on Goodreads as it does seem strange (I don't rate anything there anyway as I don't belong).
But writers can be objective about their own work, over time. I would definitely rate some of my books as better than others.
- 22 June 2010 at 12:58

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Tuareg B. Trebles
|[Gene-discuss] Replica Watches
|Wed, 01 Nov 2006 07:17:15 -0600
Genuine Swiss made Rolex replicas are as close to the real thing as a replica watch can be. Sometimes even the professional jewelers are unable to tell the difference from the real Rolex watch. All genuine Swiss Rolex Replicas should have the following: Full 1-year Warranty Solid 14k or 18k Gold on two-toned models Guaranteed triple-wrapped gold on all-gold models Genuine sapphire crystal - a type of glass that is many times better at resisting scratches than regular glass. The color of the gold looks exactly like a genuine Rolex watch Bvlgari Cartier Chopard Chronoswiss Corum Rado Longines Patek philippe Rolex Vacheron constantin And more for a fraction of the price! http://nitja0s0bvt06553an53a55n.heyheytourist.tk/ Also the cool thing about replicas is the fact that for the price of one original watch you can buy many replicas :) dfglirsjiel VlddURhVW0BXQEJBc1paX1VdQRteQFQ=
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text:
Ortlieb Velocity Rucksack
Ortlieb Velocity Rucksack
Sale Sold out
Regular price $113.00 USD
Regular priceUnit price per
Sale price
ORTLIEB's compact messenger bag doubles as an energetic day-tripper and waterproof commuter pack. This versatile piece is a favourite with students. It features an interior pocket with zipper for organizing small items and a carrying handle. Comfortable: robust foam back for optimal air circulation. Stable: bottom is protected by abrasion protectors at corners and bottom feet. Safety: fixing for bike light or helmet.


text: I've setup my debian box according to the "The Perfect Setup - Debian Sarge (3.1)" Guide. spamassassin and clamav have been installed. How can i check to find out if they are running? I've tried top and ps -aux ... but I don't see these two process. I'm asking because I got this message when I try to restart it Code: /etc/init.d/spamassassin restart SpamAssassin Mail Filter Daemon: disabled, see /etc/default/spamassassin Can't seem to find clamav in /etc/init.d/ either ... Many thanks!


text:
Kansas City artist Rick Geary is best known for his work for The National Lampoon, for which he drew for thirteen years. He got a bachelor in communication art and a master in film at the University of Kansas. Working as a freelance artist since 1976, his work has been published in many magazines, newspapers and comic books. He cooperated to Bizarre Sex by Kitchen Sink Press in the early 1980s.
He cooperated on Marvel's Epic Illustrated and to Pacific Comics' Twisted Tales and Vanguard Illustrated. He drew for Alien Encounters and Tales of Terror at Eclipse Comics and worked on Dark Horse titles as 'Cheval Noir', 'Police Beat' and 'Junior Carrot Patrol'. Geary contributed to several Fantagraphics titles and did comic book adaptations of novels for First Comics.
Rick Geary has written and illustrated several children's books. He is also the artist of the 'A Treasury of Victorian Murder' series.


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Metuchen: 908-386-4767
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Veitengruber Law is partnering with the Kiwanis Club of Bordentown for "Socktober" - collecting new and gently worn socks to help the underprivileged and unhoused stay warm through winter.
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Foreclosure in NJ: It Can Happen to Anyone
When it comes to foreclosure in New Jersey, even though it's been a chronic problem in our state for years, most people feel like it will never happen to them.
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Global Franchise Group Establishes 'A Bite For the Fight' Campaign In Support Of the Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyMarch 24th 2014
Kathleen Shaffer / firstname.lastname@example.com / 410-902-5053
Through the Light The Night Walk fundraising campaign, the franchising company is on a mission to raise $1 million for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at its Great American Cookies®, Pretzelmaker®, Marble Slab Creamery® and MaggieMoo's Ice Cream & Treatery® locations across the U.S.
ATLANTA - March 24, 2014 - Global Franchise Group (GFG), LLC, the strategic brand management company and franchisor behind Great American Cookies®, Pretzelmaker®, Marble Slab Creamery®, and MaggieMoo's Ice Cream & Treatery®, believes a tasty treat can make a difference and do a lot of good. The company announced today that it has launched its new "A Bite for the Fight" fundraising campaign which aims to reach $1 million to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) efforts to find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients. While GFG has worked with LLS for the past two years and has already raised $600,000 to date, "A Bite for the Fight" was created to build fundraising momentum and establish LLS as the company's Charity of Choice.
"A Bite for the Fight" will launch this spring to support LLS's Light The Night Walks, a powerful and unique fundraising program that brings together families and communities to honor blood cancer survivors, as well as those lost to the diseases. Throughout the year, GFG's brands will be raising funds at Great American Cookies, Pretzelmaker, Marble Slab Creamery, and MaggieMoo's Ice Cream & Treatery locations. The "A Bite for the Fight" program also includes patient outreach, engagement with families, and special offers for supporters of LLS.
"One of the reasons we've supported LLS is the significant funds invested in research. Since its inception, LLS has invested nearly $1 billion in research, and in fiscal year 2013 alone, LLS committed to supporting nearly $74 million in research worldwide. Global Franchise Group's 'A Bight for the Fight' campaign further formalizes our partnership with LLS and Light The Night, demonstrating our commitment to its crucial mission to walk to the end of cancer," said CEO and President of Global Franchise Group, Chris Dull. "Our brands and treats bring smiles to faces and whether it's an ice cream cone, a delicious chocolate chip cookie, or a soft salted pretzel, our customers should feel good knowing we are raising funds to support a meaningful cause and helping promote smiles along the way."
"The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is honored to be named as the Charity of Choice for Global Franchise Group. GFG's corporate office, brands and franchisees have already been such wonderful supporters of our cause as 'Special Friends' partners for the last two years," commented Mark Roithmayr, chief development officer for LLS. "It is thanks to partnerships like these that LLS has been able to raise critical funds and invest nearly $1 billion in research that is saving lives today."
For supporters interested in joining GFG's "A Bite for the Fight" program, donations can also be made online under "Customer Donations" at https://pages.lightthenight.org/2014/globalfranchisegroup.
About Global Franchise Group, LLC - www.globalfranchise.com
Global Franchise Group, LLC is a strategic brand management company with a mission of championing franchise brands and the people who build them. The company owns a portfolio of franchise brands that includes three primary Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) franchise concepts: Great American Cookies®, Marble Slab Creamery®, and Pretzelmaker®. The brands are managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group, LLC. Global Franchise Group, LLC is an affiliate of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, an independent investment firm, with approximately $5 billion of capital under management and substantial franchise management experience.
About Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - www.lls.org
LLS is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to finding cures for blood cancers. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested almost $1 billion in research to advance lifesaving therapies and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients. In fiscal year 2013, LLS supported research in the U.S., Canada, and seven other countries with a commitment of nearly $74 million. In addition, LLS provides co-pay assistance for prescription drugs and insurance premiums, free education programs, support groups & peer counseling to patients and their families. The charity also advocates for patient access to adequate networks of providers and services, protection from high out-of-pocket costs that limit access to life saving treatments, and is working with regulatory agencies to formulate clinical trial guidelines that will accelerate the development, review and approval of new therapies.


text:
Wikimedia Foundation popular Wikipedia online encyclopedia cracked the top ten list of most popular Web sites in the U.S. for the first time in January, according to comScore Networks.
Wikipedia sites ranked ninth with 42.9 million unique visitors last month, ahead of the sites from The New York Times (No.10), Apple (No.11) and Viacom International (No.12), comScore reported Thursday.
Wikipedia, which already ranked in the top 10 list of most popular Web sites globally, has been quickly gaining popularity in the U.S., where its parent company, the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, is based.
In January of last year, Wikipedia sites ranked in the 33rd spot with 18.3 million unique visitors. By July, it had climbed to the 18th spot on the list with 28.1 million unique visitors, and in November it ranked 12th with 39.1 million unique visitors, according to comScore.
In doing its tally for Wikipedia, comScore also counts visits to other Wikimedia sites, such as Wiktionary, Wikiquote, Wikibooks and Wikinews, but most of the traffic comes from the Wikipedia encyclopedias, a comScore spokesman said.
Wikipedia started in January 2001 with its English-language site, which currently has more than 1.6 million articles. The Wikipedia project has since grown significantly and has more than 5 million articles in more than 200 languages, according to WikiMedia. Access to Wikipedia is free. Volunteers contribute the encyclopedia's content, which can be edited by anyone accessing the sites.
Globally, Wikipedia sites ranked sixth in December with almost 165 million unique visitors, according to comScore.
Wikipedia breaks into U.S. top 10 sites
Navin Feb 17, 2007 3 comments


text: Engagement sessions are a chance to get really creative and incorporate passions that you share as a couple. Whether that's doing more traditional portraits in a place that's special to the two of you, or doing completely unique photos, your engagement session is your opportunity to let your creativity run wild! Go to the Pricing & Packages page for more info on engagement sessions.Read More


text:
Once again, America's public broadcasters face the real possibility that their federal funding will vanish. This time, opponents are using the results of a dubious sting operation and the federal deficit as rationales for scrapping spending. But during an economic crisis, we need more reporting, more coverage, and more accountability, not less.
Slashing funding for All Things Considered and Sesame Street won't fix the deficiencies in TV and radio programming, and we shouldn't trim the deficit at the expense of an informed citizenry. Instead, we should champion a truly independent media system that's free to tell stories that aren't commercially viable and serve people advertisers aren't interested in.
Is that really possible? Can the government foster a robust public media system and keep it independent and unbiased? Absolutely. And before political gamesmanship erases some of our most trusted sources of news and information, we should take a step back and take a serious look at the positive role public media plays around the world.
Study after study affirms public media's crucial role in informing citizens. In countries with strong public media, public knowledge about government and international affairs is substantially higher than in countries dominated by commercial media. This holds true across demographic groups despite differences in education, income, and race or ethnicity. Greater public funding, insulated from short-term political whims, also counters any tendencies toward liberal or conservative bias by making the media more independent of political patronage and commercial pressure.
Do public media work perfectly? Of course not. They have blind spots, as do commercial media. What's clear is that the Internet and commercial media, increasingly oriented toward niche audiences, can't replace public media in informing the entire citizenry. At a time when many commercial media are cutting back on the kind of journalism that holds public officials accountable, public media across the world continue to make substantial investments in investigative reporting.
But what would it take to foster robust public media in the United States?
First, we must increase funding instead of slashing it. Even slight increases have an impact on the quality of journalism and programming. In a recent study of public media around the world, Matthew Powers and I examined 14 other leading democracies–Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the UK–and found that per capita public media spending in those countries ranges from $30 to more than $130. The United States spends a pittance, less than $1.50 per person in federal funding per year.
The highest quality, most independent public media systems–such as those in Germany, the UK, and Scandinavian countries–are those that rely on a steady, substantial stream of public funding. While many of these countries also face substantial budget deficits, there's no serious talk of zeroing out public media.
In addition to robust funding, it takes smart policies that insulate public media from political meddling and partisan influence.
When funding is set for a multi-year period, it's harder for governments to punish public media for programming they don't like. When countries go from multi-year funding to annual parliamentary appropriations–as happened in New Zealand–both independence and quality decline.
Strong legal protections of autonomy are key. The UK's Royal Charter sets goals and funding for 10-year periods. That limits the government's capacity to micro-manage the BBC. In Germany, funding is set by an independent body empowered to set appropriations only on the basis of technical and professional criteria. Recent German court cases have confirmed the independence of funding decisions from any parliamentary interference.
NPR and PBS fill a void left by commercial media and are consistently among the most trusted sources of news and information. Congress should draw on successful examples worldwide to ensure that public media can't be punished for politically unpopular programming decisions. Democracy works better when you have well-funded, autonomous public media. Cutting the budget shouldn't mean cutting back on democracy.


text:
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text:
Hepatitis viruses constitute a major public health problem because of the morbidity and mortality associated with the acute and chronic consequences of these infections. New immunization strategies have been developed to eliminate the spread of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the United States. Recommendations have also been developed for the prevention and control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Because of the high rate of asymptomatic infection with these viruses, information about the prevalence of these diseases is needed to monitor prevention efforts. By testing a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population, NHANES will provide the most reliable estimates of age-specific prevalence needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies to prevent these infections. In addition, NHANES provides the means to better define the epidemiology of other hepatitis viruses. NHANES testing for markers of infection with hepatitis viruses will be used to determine secular trends in infection rates across most age and racial/ethnic groups, and will provide a national picture of the epidemiologic determinants of these infections.
Hepatitis A: participants aged 2 years and older are eligible to be tested.
Hepatitis A
A qualitative determination of total antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) contained in human serum or plasma is measured by using solid-phase competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA). A test sample is mixed with detection-phase reagent in a reaction well. The detection-phase reagent consists of anti-HAV conjugated with peroxidase (anti-HAV/PO). The sample-conjugate mixture is incubated with a bead coated with HAV antigen. Any anti-HAV in the test sample competes with the conjugate for HAV epitopes present on the bead. Thus, at the end of the incubation period, the amount of conjugate immunochemically bound to the bead will be inversely proportional to the concentration of anti-HAV in the sample. The beads are washed to remove any unbound material. The beads are then incubated with a hydrogen peroxide/o-phenylenediamine (H2O2/OPD) chromogenic substrate solution. The reaction of substrate solution with peroxidase yields a yellow-orange color. The reaction is stopped by the addition of 1-N sulfuric acid. The intensity of the color generated is measured spectrophotometrically at 492 nm. The instruments used to measure the test results are equipped with software that calculates a cutoff value. The cutoff calculation is based upon values obtained from control reagents included with each testing series. Results are expressed as "positive" or "negative" for anti-HAV.
Blood specimens are processed, stored, and shipped to the Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for Infectious Diseases, National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Detailed specimen collection and processing instructions are discussed in the NHANES LPM. Read the LABDOC file for detailed data processing and editing protocols. The analytical methods are described in the Analytic Notes for Data Users section below. Detailed instructions on specimen collection and processing can be found on the NHANES website.
The NHANES quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) protocols meet the 1988 Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act mandates. Detailed quality control and quality assurance instructions are discussed in the NHANES Laboratory/Medical Technologists Procedures Manual (LPM). Read the LABDOC file for detailed QA/QC protocols. A detailed description of the quality assurance and quality control procedures can be found on the NHANES website.
The analysis of NHANES laboratory data must be conducted with the key survey design and basic demographic variables. The NHANES Household Questionnaire Data Files contain demographic data, health indicators, and other related information collected during household interviews. They also contain all survey design variables and sample weights for these age groups. The phlebotomy file includes auxiliary information such as the conditions precluding venipuncture. The household questionnaire and phlebotomy files may be linked to the laboratory data file using the unique survey participant identifier SEQN.
The age ranges and constraints for hepatitis testing are as follows:
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text:
Micasa Home
Micasa Roofing provides services to the complete Inland Empire Roofing – West Covina roofing, Covina roofing, La Puente roofing, Baldwin Park roofing,Glendora roofing, Diamond Bar roofing,SanDimas roofing,Chino Hills Roofing,Phillips Ranch roofing, Diamond Bar Roofing, Upland Roofing, Fontana roofing, Rancho Cucamonga Roofing, La Verne roofing, Montclair roofing, Ontario Roofing communities.
Our Vision
Micasa Roofing is a locally owned and operated roofing business. We are a Inland Empire Roofing Contractor that provides the best in roofing service and products at a fair price with out cutting corners. Our Inland Empire Roofing goal is to exceed customer expectations and deliver superb service on every job we take on. We guarantee our work in writing. After each project we deliver a certificate stating your roofing warranty on both materials and workmanship. Micasa Pro roofers explains the process from start to finish including warranty information at each estimate so that you can make an informed decision. We are a hero registered contractor.The HERO Program partners with your local government to offer a unique, more affordable financing option for energy-efficient and water-saving home upgrades.
Our team of Inland Empire roofing professionals can install all kinds of roofs such as:
Flat roofs, shingle roofs, asphalt roofs..
Tile roofs clay and concrete tiles.
Metal roofs


text:
I can't live without chocolate, and I know that some of you are the same.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Lemon Macaron with Lemon Buttercream
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Dacquoise Fraisier
I think there's a time that I just want to make something beautiful (well, the taste has to be good too), lovely dessert that is the feast to eyes.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Vegetarian Strawberry and Apple pie
Here come the Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Tesagan Gin Je เทศกาลกินเจ, the Vegetarian Festival) again.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Waffle Pops: Mini size treats
I always love an idea of sweet on a stick ^^, it's cute, easy to serve and very suitable for giving.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Mini Margarita Cheesecake
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Dark chocolate and cherry cookies
I'm busy lately, not because of work, haha, but there are many things I want to do and try to do it as much as I can.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Battenberg cake: Cute little cake
Monday, September 8, 2014
Cheese filled Hamburger
When I look at the list in the food section of my blog, I see a lot of Hamburger recipe, haha. Well, I really like it ^^.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Nutella and Peanut butter marbled brownies
I feel a bit tried but happy ^^. Spend each in my kitchen try to put all my things in place, (and I have too many things, haha).
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text:
Arrest made in the death of Brooklyn real estate developer Menachem Stark
A man was arrested in the killing of a real estate developer who was abducted as he left his office during a snowstorm and whose body was found dumped in a trash bin miles away, police said Wednesday.
Kendel Felix was arrested on a murder charge in the death of Menachem Stark, a father of seven and prominent member of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect who owned and renovated several buildings in Brooklyn but owed millions of dollars.
It was unclear Wednesday if Felix, a Brooklyn resident, had a lawyer, and he was in custody and couldn't be reached for comment. A police spokesman did not give a motive for the slaying, nor did he say if there were any other suspects in custody.
Surveillance footage shows Stark being strong-armed into a minivan the night of Jan. 2. One of his brothers-in-law contacted the Hasidic community's volunteer neighborhood patrol, the shomrim, when he didn't return home.
When the patrol members found his car and his office locked, they checked surveillance camera footage and then called police. His burned body turned up a day later in a smoldering trash bin in suburban Long Island.
Stark, 39, has been described as an honest family man eager to help his neighbors and friends, a man who had no enemies. But he's also been called a slumlord. Some of his buildings were in disrepair, and he owed millions of dollars to creditors and had declared bankruptcy in 2009.
He lived in a stately brick building in Williamsburg, a neighborhood where hipsters in skinny jeans live alongside ultra-Orthodox men with ear locks and fur hats and women in modest dresses.
Brooklyn is home to the largest group of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside Israel, more than 250,000. Stark came from a large family, and his funeral was flooded with mourners.
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text:
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tutorial ~ Five Kitchen Towels Dress ~
I found this kitchen towel bundle for pretty good price (it was originally $16 and I got it for $8!). I had an idea of what I wanted to do with them...
They are 100% cotton and very absorbent. I thought these would make a comfortable summer dress for Rachel!
I will show you what I did. :)
{You will need}
Five kitchen towels (the ones that you see all over the place. Five slightly different patterned ones)
Matching thread
{Before you start}
I used three towels for the skirt, one for the top, and the last one for making bias tape.
Look at the towels and decide how you want to coordinate them first.
{How to}--Skirt
1. Cut off the sides from two towels that you chose for the skirt. Cut them into three equal pieces.
2. Lay them out and coordinate how you want to combine them and sew side by side.
3. Cut the third towel horizontally to make a couple long pieces (4" X length of the towel).
4. Add those long strips to the bottom of the main part of the skirt from step 2. Sew front and back of the skirt together.
5. To make the pockets, cut 2 -- 6 1/2" X 7" rectangles from rest of the third towel. Take care of the edges except the top (6") with your favorite method to prevent fraying.
6. Fold those three sides with 1/4" seam and press with an iron. Fold the top of the pocket two times and sew.
7. Pin the pocket on to the skirt. I placed them a little off to the sides. 5" from the top and the side of the pocket will go to the back part of the skirt by 1 1/2".
Use the picture as a guide.
{How to}-- Top
1. Fold the towel in half with right sides together. Cut off the bottom seams and mark the sides as shown in the picture.
2. Sew the sides.
3. Mark the center of the folded part and mark the neckline. After I made mine, I wished I cut the neckline smaller, so it is best to measure your child's head first.
4. Cut the front of the neckline open, then, mark the line for the back part of the neck. I drew the line higher than the front.
5. Lay the last kitchen towel flat on the cutting mat. Cut seams off and then cut diagonally to make bias tape (I cut mine 1 3/4" wide). Sew them together and press with an iron to make the bias tape. You can also see how I make my bias tape here. The bias tape will cover the neckline, two loops for the belt, and the belt.
6. Pin the bias tape around the neckline. Sew, turn it towards the inside and finish with slip stitch.
7. Now, you have the top.
{How to}--Finishing up
1. Pin the top and the skirt together and sew. I forgot to take pictures on these steps, but basically, you sew the edge of the top of the skirt with large stitches, pull the thread to gather the fabrics. Make sure that the length of the edge of the top and the skirt will match up. Right sides together, pin them, and sew. After you take care of the edge with Serger or zig-zag, press the seam toward the top. Top stitch the seam. You can go here to see what I have done with another project.
2. Cut 2-- 1 3/4" strips for the loops. Sew them on to sides of the dress.
3. Put through the belt to the loops...and it is ready to wear.
My little girl is five going on six soon, but she is small for her age. The dress is a bit too big for her, for now, although, it might be perfect for regular 6 year olds.
The dress is soft, airy, and comfy...it is perfect for a summer afternoon to relax.
43 comments :
How cute and amazing is that dress?! I love it!ReplyDelete
How Adorable, Sachiko!ReplyDelete
Wow. So cute! I can't wait to try this for my little sisters! :)ReplyDelete
When Scarlet O'Hara could make a dress out of a curtain, why not make one of kitchen towels!!!ReplyDelete
Sachiko, you are a genius!!!!
I love it!!
This is so lovely! Wish those towels were large enough to make a dress for me :)ReplyDelete
Sachiko - this is amazing! What a genius idea! I love it :)ReplyDelete
Please tell your daughter that she did a wonderful job posing! The dress looks really sweet... my granddaughter is small for her age also... but just turning 4 . So, maybe this will wait til she is a bit bigger. Thanks for the tutorial! Good Job!ReplyDelete
Oh my how cute this little dress came out.ReplyDelete
Amazing! I love it. I wish they made kitchen towels in Mama size:)ReplyDelete
That is ridiculously cute! You are amazing.ReplyDelete
What a clever idea! It turned out very cute.ReplyDelete
SOOOO Cute!!!ReplyDelete
I love it!! I linked to your tutorial on Craft Gossip Sewing:ReplyDelete
super cute idea!ReplyDelete
Awesome! Very creative :)ReplyDelete
That is the cutest dress I've ever seen! What creativity. I wish I had some. I'm visiting because Leslie@A flower that continues to bloom featured you on "Pay It Forward". I love scrolling through an seeing all these great ideas. I'm thinking that I might just take on a project.ReplyDelete
I also have a new camera I'm trying to get used to using. But I think your ahead of me on that score too! You photos look great.
Thank you for sharing your tutorial. You've got me thinking about all the things I could make from tea towels! I'm sure your daughter loves her easy breezy new dress!ReplyDelete
you're a wonder Sachiko! Such a darling dress! I am learning so much by reading about fabric possibilities in your blog! Keep up the creativity, I love it :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 29, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Absolutely adorable! Your creativity is inspiring, thanks for sharingReplyDelete
ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS...and you are sooo very talented...who would've ever thought!!ReplyDelete
How kind of you to share the pattern tutrorial.
Love the green check/stripe...perfect.
Thank you..
so beautiful and creative! Your little girl is adorable.ReplyDelete
Great idea! The dress and your daughter look so pretty. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Gloria x
I absolutely loved this! Im amazed!ReplyDelete
Oh I love it! I'm always seeing cute tea towels at the supermarket and never have an excuse to buy them. I'll definitely have to try this!ReplyDelete
5 kitchen towels into a dress? Girl, you really can do it all!!ReplyDelete
amazing!!! seriously... what a great idea!ReplyDelete
How simple and inventive! Thank you for sharing .ReplyDelete
I love the thought process... super neat idea!ReplyDelete
So beautiful and so clever!ReplyDelete
thanks so much for posting this and sharing your pattern! You are so talented!! Your daughter is absolutely adorable!ReplyDelete
Crazy for This design! I have made many skirts for my Grandbabies fromReplyDelete
Tea Towels too. Anthropoligie has some Amazing ones that are often on Sale. Thank you for sharing with
This is the cutest thing I've seen all summer! I might have to adopt a little girl just to have someone to make this for!ReplyDelete
This seems like it would be a great swim cover-up. The towels would be more absorbent than most dress fabrics and it's so light and loose that it would dry quickly. Super sweet! Now I need to keep my eyes peeled for great buys on tea towels. I think Ross would be a great place to look. Thanks for the great tutorial.ReplyDelete
This is AMAZING!! I love it! I am so archiving this post for when I have a little girl.ReplyDelete
Awesome dress! Your tutorial was so easy to understand, I was able to make one for my own daughter. Thanks so much! Here is mine: http://wp.me/p1wqaG-b7ReplyDelete
I love that little dress! I'm going to buy several sets of towels and make one for myself! I want a cozy kitchen towel dress! I might patch some up and make some kitchen towel capris, too!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the inspiration!
I absolutely LOVE this dress & plan on making it for my daughter, THANK YOU!! I have reposted it, on my blog (pikldpink.com), with a link to your site, too! I will continue to say prayers, for you & your family, too, as you go through your procedure!ReplyDelete
I made the dress & it ended up being my Easter dress!! I purchased dish towels from World Market & I think they may have been larger than the ones you used, in your tutorial?? I just want to thank you, because your tutorial was so easy to follow & now I have a new favorite dress!ReplyDelete
Laura @ PikldPink
What a beautiful looking dress.Very clever!ReplyDelete
Amazing idea!!It is a beautiful dress!ReplyDelete
Sandra :)
Waaaow... it's brilliant idea.... i will hunting for the towels soon... :-)ReplyDelete


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This article is more than 1 year old
IBM and pals to start baking 28nm chips
Fast, efficient - just don't call it 'high-k/metal gate'
The march toward faster, more power-efficient microprocessors took another step Thursday when the IBM Technology Alliance announced the joint development of 28 nanometer process technology.
Alliance members include IBM, Singapore's Chartered, the recently-spun-off-from-AMD Globalfoundries, Germany's Infineon, Samsung, and Switzerland's STMicroelectronics. This global gaggle will work together to produce the process technology - already defined - that will be required to produce 28 nanometer high-k/metal gate silicon.
The Alliance, however, doesn't use the term "high-k/metal gate" to refer to that power-saving, leakage-reducing process technology - that's the terminology used by Intel, which first produced such chips in early 2007. The Alliance would prefer that you say "HKMG".
IBM and its partners were a bit late to the HKMG party, producing its first such silicon in April of 2008. While Intel started at 45 nanometer, however, IBM started at 32 nanometer. Now IBM and its partners - as well as Intel - have 28 nanometer in their sights.
Whatever you call it, HKMG - which replaces the polysilicon gates and silicon dioxide gate dielectrics in use since the 60s - is a major step forward in process technology.
As chips get smaller, their transistors are more prone to power leakage in the gate dielectric, leading to ineffiency and heat. An HKMG process can cut that leakage by five times or more.
Without HKMG technology, processes would be hard-pressed to keep up with Moore's Law, which states that chip complexities will double every two years. With HKMG, the Law remains in force - a least for a few more years.
According to the Alliance, early "risk production" of the 28 nanometer HKMG chips will begin in the second half of 2010. ®


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(Reuters) – A high profile sex discrimination lawsuit in Silicon Valley should be taken private via arbitration, lawyers for venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers argued on Wednesday, but the plaintiff, former partner Ellen Pao, wants the chance to tell her story before a judge.
A lawyer for Kleiner told a panel of state court appellate justices on Wednesday that one reason the firm preferred arbitration to litigation was to avoid disclosing the relative compensation of Kleiner partners. Another reason, he said, was to spare embarrassment to Pao.
The case involves sensitive issues such as Pao's sexual relationship with another former partner. She was terminated in October, five months after filing her lawsuit.
After the hearing, Pao said she was eager for the case to move ahead.
"They continue to drag this out," she said after the hearing about her former employer. "I just want my day in court."
The hearing centered around the issue of whether agreements governing individual Kleiner funds that Pao signed should compel the case into arbitration. Those agreements call for arbitration of disputes rather than litigation.
The issues Pao is litigating involve economics of the funds she was involved with," the firm said in a statement. "All of those economic issues are governed by the Managing LLC agreements which require that disputes be resolved through arbitration."
Pao's lawyer, Alan Exelrod, argues that she was suing Kleiner itself – not its funds. Pao never signed any arbitration agreements with the firm itself, Exelrod says.
Last year, a judge in California Superior Court agreed with Exelrod. Kleiner appealed.
The lawsuit has inspired debate especially in the Bay Area on its specific merits as well as the broader issue of sexism in the technology sector.
The justices have up to 90 days to issue a decision.
Until Pao's lawsuit, issues surrounding gender had largely been brushed under the rug in the clubby world of venture capital. Since the lawsuit was filed, female employees at Pantheon and CMEA have also filed lawsuits alleging discrimination, but the firms have a lower profile than Kleiner.
Kleiner Perkins, founded in 1972, has backed big-name firms such as online retailer Amazon.com Inc, gaming company Electronic Arts Inc, biotechnology company Genentech, browser company Netscape, information-technology company Sun Microsystems and gaming company Zynga Inc.
The case in Superior Court of the State of California is Ellen Pao v Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers LLC and Does 1-20, case no. 12-520719.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock


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This study provides an overview of practices for quantifying and reporting avoided energy-water costs from demand-side measures. It also summarizes the regulatory guidance for incorporating water savings into cost-effectiveness screening for energy efficiency programs.
Showing results 1 - 24 of 24
Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Programs: Benchmarking and Emerging Trends
This report consists of a literature review and in-depth interviews with subject matter experts in the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program area. The goal was to compare Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility (DESEU) HPwES Programs with peer-programs across the United States. The report also identifies key metrics and emerging trends regarding program design.
The catalog is a compilation of state and local energy efficiency potential studies to serve as a resource for energy planners and as a baseline for future analyses.
This report updates ACEEE's 2013 assessment of multifamily energy efficiency programs in US metropolitan areas with the most multifamily households. Using housing, policy, and utility-sector data from 2014 and 2015, this report documents how these programs have changed in the context of dynamic housing markets and statewide policy environments. The report also offers an analysis of the number, spending, offerings, and targeted participants of current programs and their potential for further expansion.
Opening Opportunities with Inclusive Financing for Energy Efficiency: Report on the first year of the HELP PAYS® Program at Ouachita Electric
This report reviews Ouachita Electric Cooperative's transition to its HELP PAYS® tariffed on-bill investment program. This analysis uses data for the first nine months of the program launched in 2016. Some of those benefits are being validated immediately by the market response in the service area compared to the same period of the prior year with HELP, the on-bill financing program that HELP PAYS replaced.
Each ResStock fact sheet presents the potential for residential energy and utility bill savings for the state. The top ten energy savings home improvements are highlighted.
SEE Action Guide for States: Guidance on Establishing and Maintaining Technical Reference Manuals for Energy Efficiency Measures
This guide supports the development, maintenance, and use of accurate and reliable Technical Reference Manuals (TRMs). TRMs provide information to estimate the energy and demand savings of end-use energy efficiency measures associated with utility customer-funded efficiency programs. This guide describes existing TRMs in the United States and provides recommendations for TRM best practices. It also offers related background information on energy efficiency; evaluation, measurement, and verification; and TRM basics.
SWEPCO's Authorization to Release Information Form is used to release a customer's historical electric usage to a gridSMART Network Contractor.
This report details opportunities for scaling up program activity and increasing savings from programs reaching the people who need it most. It discussed best practices from existing programs for overcoming many of the key challenges that program administrators face, including how to address housing deficiencies that prevent energy efficiency upgrades, how to address cost effectiveness challenges, and how to serve hard-to-reach households.
The report, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and a survey of tens of thousands of businesses across the country, provides detailed breakdowns of clean energy jobs not available previously, and it was developed and released in connection with a major U.S. Department of Energy study of all energy jobs in America.
SEE Action Guide for States: Energy Efficiency as a Least-Cost Strategy to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution and Meet Energy Needs in the Power Sector
This guide for states highlights energy efficiency as a least-cost strategy to meet air pollution reduction and other policy objectives, including energy affordability and reliability. It presents established policy and program "pathways" to advance demand-side energy efficiency.
This Guide is designed to help state and local policymakers to take full advantage of new policy developments by providing them with a comprehensive set of tools to support launching or accelerating residential energy efficiency programs. The Guide focuses on four categories of policies that have proven particularly effective in providing a framework within which residential energy efficiency programs can thrive: incentives and financing, making the value of energy efficiency visible in the real estate market, data access and standardization, and supporting utility system procurement of energy efficiency.
Energy and Environment Guide to Action: State Policies and Best Practices for Advancing Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, and Combined Heat and Power
The Guide to Action provides in-depth information about over a dozen policies and programs that states are using to meet their energy, environmental, and economic objectives with energy efficiency, renewable energy, and combined heat and power. Each policy description is based on states' experiences in designing and implementing policies, as documented in existing literature and shared through peer-exchange opportunities provided to states by EPA's State Climate and Energy Program.
Energy Efficiency Collaboratives: Driving Ratepayer-Funded Efficiency through Regulatory Policies Working Group
Energy efficiency collaboratives vary greatly and are typically designed for a specific jurisdiction, making them hard to compare side by side. This guide seeks to highlight a few common elements and draw conclusions on the overall effectiveness of specific characteristics of collaboratives. This guide defines and examines four different types of collaboratives in terms of their origin, scope, decision-making method, membership, duration, available resources, and how they interact with and influence their respective commissions.
This presentation covers the New York On-Bill recovery financing, Home Energy Lending Program's (H.E.L.P.) loan program, and California energy efficiency financing products.
This guide identifies 12 best practices for policymakers, regulators, and program administrators to help building owners invest to increase the energy efficiency of multifamily affordable housing.
Presents the loan loss reserve guidelines for the Arkansas Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Loss Reserve Program.
This report provides an independent analysis of the job creation impact of DOE's investment in energy efficiency programs, from 2010 to 2013. The analysis calculates the job creation results that would have occurred in the Southeast, based on the prevailing economic conditions from 2010 to 2013, had DOE invested in sectors other than energy efficiency.
This report demonstrates the results achieved to date by the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance. It highlights the experiences of Consortium programs, their successes driving further investments in energy efficiency improvements, and the challenges that hindered their progress. It also details the infrastructure, resources, and opportunities that support the deployment of energy efficiency programming, and the approaches that the Consortium has found best suited to the region.
Scaling Energy Efficiency in the Heart of the Residential Market: Increasing Middle America's Access to Capital for Energy Improvements
Collaboration and Consensus Building in States to Support Energy Efficiency as a Resource
Furthering Your Local Governments' Energy Efficiency Goals: Part 1 - Getting Support From Local Leaders
This webcast shares useful and effective strategies for getting local leaders to support local government's energy efficiency goals.
This report helps policymakers understand how electric and natural gas utilities can achieve greater efficiency by establishing numeric energy savings targets and goals for energy efficiency programs.


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When asked about childbirth in his country, Bligh answered as well as he was able, and enquired in turn how this was done in Tahiti. Queen Iddeeah replied by mimicking a woman in labour, squatting comfortably to her heels between the protective arms of a male attendant who stroked her belly. Iddeeah was vastly amused on learning of the difficulties of Pretanee's women. 'Let them to this and not fear,' she told Bligh, who appears to have been persuaded by this tender pantomime.I love Queen Iddeeah was "vastly amused" learning how difficult Western women had made childbirth. It appears that she demonstrated a "supported upright position with light touch massage," but all she knew was that this is the technique women on the islands found most comfortable and efficient for birthing. They didn't need a randomized controlled trial of upright verses lying positions or a book on anatomy of the uterus to know about this, they just knew it.
I can't completely know what she meant by "Let them to this and not fear," perhaps that the Tahitian method of birthing would help women not fear birth or that if they used this method and were not afraid, their births would go better. Either way, I agree with her.
This is the first mention I've come across of traditional cultures involving men in the birth process. Most other stories feature women birthing with other women or alone. Even in Western culture, birth was the domain of women until doctors came on the scene. Apparently this was not the case in Tahiti.
Perhaps part of why my husband was good at supporting me during my births is that it's in his blood?


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CARACAS – President Obama and Hugo Chavez met for the first time earlier this week. Yesterday, video surfaced of Obama telling Chavez to stop calling him.
President Barack Obama met Venezuela dictator Hugo Chavez in Trinidad for the Summit of the Americas. The two met formally as heads of state and politely shook hands.
Chavez, eager to be associated with the internationally popular Obama, has exhibited a serious "Friend-Crush" since then.
During the summit, Chavez invited Obama to get together and talk about issues regularly, despite Obama's busy schedule. Venezuela's offer for a Trade Relations Pool Party later this month was politely declined.
Investigative reporters have discovered that the book Chavez gave to Obama at their first meeting contained notes he had hoped to pass back and forth throughout the meeting.
White House aides and Secret Service agents had to be used to tell Chavez that the President was busy, and would not be able to join him at a soccer match next weekend.
For the majority of the summit, Chavez's Facebook status was "bromantic!!"
The final straw came when Hugo Chavez called President Obama's hotel room at 10:30pm for the third night in a row and said, through a translator, "So, what are you thinking?"
Footage has just been released of their meeting the next day, in which President Obama firmly tells him to stop calling so much. Audio enhancement of the footage reveals Obama saying, "We can meet formally as heads of state seeking a peaceful diplomacy. But you have to stop calling me. We are not going to be BFFs."
What impact this will have on the political landscape has yet to be seen. At the time of reporting Chavez's Facebook status consisted of a frowny face.
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