text:
follow the journey of a busy mom as she strives to keep her family happy and healthy
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Menu: June 1
Sunday: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Marinated Zucchini and Squash
Monday: Fusilli alla Caprese
Tuesday: Onion Baked Pork Chops and Creamed Spinach Gratin
Wednesday: Crockpot Salsa Chicken over Rice
Thursday: Caramel Apple Pork Chops with French Onion Risotto
Friday: Penne a la Betsy
Saturday: Not sure... but I'm not cooking!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Orange Beef and Broccoli
- 1 bunch of broccoli
- 1 1/4 cup of beef broth
- 3 TBSP hoisin sauce*
- 2 TBSP soy sauce*
- 2 TBSP plum sauce*
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- zest of one orange, juice of half an orange, and wedges for serving
- 1 3/4 boneless sirloin
- 1/4 veg oil
- 1 jalepeno chile, thinly sliced (I omitted.)
Ooh, another tag!!
The rules:
Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.
What was I doing ten years ago?
Hmm... in this time in 1998 I was counting the days until my high school graduation. Actually, by now I was probably pretty emotional about leaving my friends and my family and my security zone and venturing out into something new...
What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?
1. Play with my son!
2. Go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond
3. Maybe make my menu and shopping list for next week
4. Make dinner (but that's already done!)
5. Hopefully finish The Memory Keeper's Daughter so I can finally start Jennifer Lancaster's new book.
Five snacks I enjoy:
1. FiberOne bars
2. Anything chocolate
3. Microwave popcorn
4. Bananas
5. Did I mention chocolate?
Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Buy a house and create my dream kitchen
2. Buy my family new homes and cars
3. Go back to school
4. Continue my son's college fund
5. Buy an obscene amount of shoes
Places I've lived:
1. Only in NJ!
Jobs I've had:
1. Babysitter
2. Waitress at a pizzaria
3. Checkout at Grand Union
4. Daycare worker
5. ER secretary
6. High school English teacher
TAG! You're it...
1. Christina
2. Angie
3. Rachel
4. Melissa
5. Jenny
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Chicken Stew
I ended up making some changes, so it was a bit different from how I imagined it, but it was still good! I wanted it to go with mashed potatoes, but mine had gone bad. :( Instead, I planned to serve it with pasta but ended up just combining it with the penne. It still turned out to be yummy! The picture doesn't do it justice; the lighting was weird so it looks dark, but it is actually very pleasing to the eye.
- 2 large chicken breasts, about 1.5 lbs
- 6 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp parsley
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp flour
Heat the water in a large pot until boiling, then add chicken breasts, bay leaves, oregano, and parsley and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove chicken breasts and set aside until cool enough to handle. Add the celery and mixed veggies to the chicken broth.Shred the chicken and return it to the pan. Bring to a boil. Cook for 15 more minutes until veggies are soft.
In a jar with a screw top, place milk and 2 heaping Tbsp flour. Close it up and shake vigoriously for a bit until all the flour is mixed and no lumps remain. Add to the stew and bring to another boil. (I just whisked everything together in a bowl.)
Cook for a few minutes, until thick and bubbly. Season to taste with plenty of salt and pepper. Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, rice...whatever floats your boat. (I reserved and added about two ladle-fulls of the starchy cooking water to make it a little more liquidy.)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Corn Muffins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Sweet and Sour Pork Chops
Mine didn't look as good as hers, although that could be because I used white vinegar instead of cider vinegar - whoops. I'll be curious to try it the real way...
It wasn't too bad, but nothing fabulous. Pat liked it, though... so maybe it's just me and my weird thing with pork...
- 1 package of boneless pork chops
- 3/4 teaspoon of pepper
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/3 cup of cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons of cold water
Sprinkle the pork chops with the pepper.
In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the pork chops over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side until lightly browned.
Remove the pork chops from the pan and keep warm.Add the water, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Stir to loosen the bits on the bottom of the pan.
Bring to a boil.
Combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir into the skillet.
Return the pork chops to the pan.
Reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.
Menu: May 25
Also, there will likely be no pictures this week because I left my camera at my cousin's house during a barbeque. :(
Sunday: Rotelli Bolognese
Monday: BBQ @ Cheryl's
Tuesday: Sweet and Sour Pork Chops and Corn Muffins
Wednesday: Out to the Cheesecake Factory for my birthday :)
Thursday: Chicken Stew and Mashed Potatoes
Friday: Orange Beef and Broccoli
Saturday: Breaded Pork Chops
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Roast Chicken with Lemon, Potatoes, and Asparagus
You know those commercials that talk about Roast-a-phobia? Well, I for sure have it. Short of Thanksgiving (and my mom helps me!), I have never, ever purchased or prepared a full bird. So I don't know some of the "lingo." When I first saw this post, I thought I could buy a package of pieces of a full chicken. Now, maybe I can; but there were none to be found at the grocery store when I went shopping, so I used chicken thighs. Anyone know if I'm living in my own chicken fantasy land, or if such a thing does exist?
Anyway, this dinner was super easy to prepare, even though it takes awhile to roast (and you have to do it in steps). I love dishes that contain all major food groups all in one pan!
- 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 package cut-up whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
- 1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.
Scatter asparagus, lemon, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
I obviously have to wait until tomorrow to try them out, but the batter? Oh. My. God. So good and tasty. And I adore dump-and-mix steps - no worries about the order of the ingredients and additions!
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch of cardamom (optional) (I omitted because I didn't have any.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups canned pumpkin
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
- 8 oz package cream cheese*
- Chopped nuts (I omitted.)
*The best cream cheese to use is the cheesecake flavored kind (I used plain because I didn't even notice this note until I was blogging about it - whoops!). Put the entire tub or brick on a piece of tin foil, and shape it into a long log. Put it in the freezer while you mix and fill the pans, up to an hour. Unwrap and cut with a sharp knife. If the disks are too big around, cut thick slices and then cut them in half. This keeps the cream cheese in one big lump, and also lets you push it down into the batter. (Best. Tip. Ever.)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients together except cream cheese and nuts. Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) half full. Put 1-2 tsp cream cheese in the middle, pressing down. (Make sure you really get it in there - I didn't do mine deep enough, and I ended up with raised blocks. I had to smooth it out immediately after taking them out of the oven.) Sprinkle with 1 tsp chopped nuts. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part (do not touch the cream cheese!). Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. Do not touch the cream cheese until it cools, as it is very very hot.
Makes 24 muffins.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Oreo Cake
I waited for the perfect opportunity to make this cake, and it's here; next week is a coworker's 50th birthday, and due to days off and vacations, we celebrated her special day today. I quickly volunteered to make the cake and knew this Oreo cake would be perfect.
(Ignore the fact that it's in the pan; I wanted to photograph it nice and pretty on my stand, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to move into the pan w/out ruining it!)
This cake was just as yummy as Brooke's. Even though I knew it was pretty good, I was astounded by how many compliments it received! This baby's a crowd-pleaser!
- 1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food chocolate cake mix
- 4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut up
- 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
- 12 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, coarsely crushed
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Prepare and bake cake mix as directed on package in two 9-inch round baking pans. Cool 5 min.; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min.
BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping and crushed cookies. Place one cake layer, top-side down, on serving plate. Spread top of layer evenly with cream cheese mixture. Cover with remaining cake layer, top-side up. Spoon chocolate glaze over top of cake. Let stand until set. Store in refrigerator.
Pizza Casserole
When doing it at home, however, this is a pretty good substitute. I saw it on Brooke's blog not too long ago and starred it right away for future use, and last night I decided to go for it. It was so easy and it tasted great. I always seem to be wary of a recipe that doesn't call for any spices or herbs, but I guess I need to learn how to trust the food! This was fabulous, and while it's probably not the most figure-friendly dish out there, it's a wonderful quick weeknight recipe.
- 1 lb of extra lean ground beef
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Package of mushrooms
- 1 jar of tomato sauce
- Spray of Pam
- 1 10 oz can refrigerated pizza dough
- 6 oz of part skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 425. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion, garlic until softened, add meat stirring until it's browned. Drain, if necessary, and return to skillet.
Add mushrooms and tomato sauce, and cook until heated through and most of the sauce has been absorbed (you want your meat mixture more on the dry side then the saucy side).
While meat cooks, coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough, and press into bottom and halfway up sides of the baking dish. Pre-bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven, then add a layer of cheese, then a layer of the meat mixture, then top with a layer of cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 12 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese melts. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
French Onion Meatloaf
Somehow I got it in my head that it was a "FRENCH Onion Meatloaf," so when it was time to make it for my family, I decided to see what I could come up with. This is HUGE for me, folks; rarely do I have a culinary "vision" where I decide to deviate from a recipe too much. I am NOT the kind of cook who can just get an idea and whip it up; I need something in writing!
Anyway, so the other night my brother Jonny was coming over with his girlfriend to try to fix my computer. I asked him what I could make for him for dinner, and he said, "Hmm. Make something weird. Last time we came for dinner, you made something odd, and it was cool." (That "something odd" was florentine meatballs.) So I figured my attempts at a French Onion Meatloaf would be perfect.
This meatloaf was okay. I didn't love it, but I do have big ideas for the future. I think the soup mix and the fried onions made it a bit too dry; I served it with some gravy, but I'd like to avoid that in the future. I think I'll add some broth or something to the meatloaf to give it a little more moisture. In trying to compare it to my mom's awesome French Onion Soup, I think I will also saute some sliced onions and throw them in, and maybe do a little something with mozzarella.
So stay tuned - this is not the last you will see of this meatloaf!
A BILLION thanks to Adventures in Home Cooking; without your post, my little meatloaf idea would never have been born! And your recipe sounds delightful and I do plan on making it soon! :)
1 egg, beaten
1lb ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 T. Italian seasoning
2 & 1/2 T. Ketchup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
6 to 8 oz. French-fried onions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat egg. Combine with beef, soup mix, Italian seasoning, bread crumbs, ketchup, and about half of fried onions. Shape into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9 x. 5 inch pan. Sprinkle remaining fried onions onto top; gently press them into the loaf a bit so they "stick." Bake, covered loosely with foil, for 50-60 minutes, or until meatloaf is cooked through.
Cappuccino Muffins
So, our department has decided to pull together for a little pot-luck action. I signed up to bring Giada's Creamy Orzo (YUM!) and a couple of different kinds of muffins.
When going through my GR for ideas, I came across this one from The Food Duo. And... it's a recipe from William Shatner! Go figure!
(I haven't eaten them yet, so I can't give a verdict... but they sure as hell look and smell yummy!)
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 400° and grease muffin tins or line with paper baking cups.
Sift all dry ingredients together into a bowl and make a well in the center of the mixture.
Beat the egg together with the milk and the melted butter. Add the vanilla.
Add to the dry ingredients along with the chocolate chips and mix until just moistened.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
Bake until just done, approximately 20 minutes.
Blogging Hiatus...
First, my darling son spilled coffee all over my work laptop. Terrific. Then my personal laptop crapped out. Fabulous.
I have updates... they'll arrive soon. I know you miss me.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wow! I've been tagged!
1. Why did you start your blog?
I am totally loving this cooking thing and am obsessed with new recipes to try out. I started lurking on the What's Cooking? board and spent tons of time ogling everyone's blogs. I guess I wanted to play too, so I started it up, and just a few months later, I have 70-something posts!
2. How did you come up with your blog name?
Well, my name is Lauren and I cook in my kitchen. I am VERY original.
3. Do your friends and family know about your blog, and what do they think?
Some of them, yes. I don't know what they think; it's not like I send out surveys. ;) But some people will at times reference a post, and it makes me so happy to know that other people are reading my culinary babble. And if I don't post my menu, Denise gets very antsy until she knows what I'm cooking for the week. :)
4. How do you write posts?
I don't know what this means. I type. That's all.
5. Have you ever had a troll or had to delete unkind comments?
Not on this blog, no. I have had random commenters on the blog I keep for my son, so I made that one private and password protected. But I haven't had an issue with this one. Who would leave unkind comments on a cooking blog??
6. Do you check your stats or care how many people read your blog? If you care, how do you increase traffic?
No, but that's because I don't know how! A couple of times I've checked how many people have subscribed to my blog (64!) but that's about it.
Hmm, I will tag:
1. Kayte
2. Brooke
3. Ally
4. LovesToEat
5. PickyPalate
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Mini-Muffins
They taste great, too - moist and flavorful. Definitely a keeper.
- 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 beaten egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1 medium apple, peeled and cored, then diced
2. Grease twelve 2-1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and oatmeal. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
4. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).
5. Fold in the diced apple.
6. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Bake in a 400 (I did 325 since I was using a mini muffin pan) degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.
Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette
I don't really have too much to say about these... but they were really good.
- 1 lb. of green beans, washed with ends trimmed
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ground black pepper
Boil or steam the green beans to your desired level of crispness. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and mustard in a small microwave safe bowl and add pepper to taste. Microwave for 30 seconds. Toss vinaigrette with cooked green beans.
Chicken Saltimbocca
This was pretty quick and easy to create. I thought that placing and flipping the chicken with the lemon and prosciutto would be difficult and messy, but it wasn't at all. Go me!
I did think that the sauce was a bit thin, so I added... marscarpone! It is truly a Giada dish... ;)
The chicken was VERY flavorful and tender. The tomatoes tasted kind of weird to me... almost pizza-ish. Maybe I used a weird brand...? I'll have to check on that next time.
On a side note: I have her book, Everyday Dinners. I would like another one... maybe the Family Dinners one? Does anyone have it and would like to give me a review?
- 4 veal chops, pounded 1/2 to 1/4-inch thick (I used thin-sliced chicken breasts.)
- 4 thin lemon slices (I used 8 - two for each breast.)
- 4 sage leaves, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped (Didn't have any - used dried.)
- 4 large slices prosciutto (Whoops - forgot to buy this! I used deli ham.)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 can) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup cream (Used whole milk.)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the veal chops in the hot oil, lemon side down. Saute until the prosciutto starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Turn the veal over and saute for another 2 minutes. Remove to a platter and set aside.
Place the veal chops on a work surface and season with salt and pepper. Place a slice of lemon on top of each chop. Top with 1 leaf of sage. Lay a large piece of prosciutto on each chop and press to seal.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes, cream, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined and hot. Pour the sauce over the veal and top with the remaining 1 teaspoon finely chopped sage. Serve immediately.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Scalloped Potatoes
The week got away from us, and I never got to make these. I later found out that it was a touch of fate; my mother-in-law gave me an awesome slicer/shredder thing for my KA mixer for Mother's Day! I couldn't wait to use it and was psyched to have a package of red potatoes just waiting to be sliced.
I planned to take a picture of the potatoes being sliced, but that little bugger is FAST! I had seven or eight potatoes sliced and in the bowl in a matter of seconds. I cannot WAIT to use the rest of the inserts for various meals.
Onto the potatoes - YUM! I think next time, though, I'd add a little... something. Not sure what. Maybe some broccoli... that'd be good! Then I wouldn't also have to prepare a vegetable. ;)
- 5-6 red potatoes, washed and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 a large onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
- 1 Tbsp italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or blend of cheeses
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Herb Roasted Pork with Honey Dijon Mustard
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- 1/2 cup honey Dijon mustard, divided (recommended: French's)
- 3 tablespoons fines herbs (recommended: Spice Islands) (I didn't have this, nor did I have ALL of the ingredients to make my own. So I just sprinkled on parsley, chives, basil, tarragon, and sage and called it a day.)
- 1/2 cup organic chicken broth (recommended: Swanson)
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions (recommended: C and W)
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil cooking spray; set aside. Rinse tenderloin under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 4 servings. Use a pastry brush to brush 1/4 cup mustard on pork loin. Sprinkle tenderloin pieces with 2 tablespoons of the herbs. Place on prepared baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine chicken broth and pearl onions. Reduce liquid by half and add remaining 1/4 cup mustard and 1 tablespoon fines herbs. Heat thoroughly. Serve roasted tenderloins hot with onions and sauce.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Mini Thin Mint Cheesecake Cups
I wanted something to make for Mother's Day and, as usual, went searching through my starred posts on Google Reader. These little guys seemed perfect - different, easy, and good.
I was surprised, actually, at exactly HOW easy they actually were. Maybe they just LOOK decadent...? Well, whatever, they were easy.
They also tasted great. In fact, Pat emailed me a little while ago and told me to take it easy tonight and that we'd just have leftovers for dinner. He also said that if we don't have enough leftovers, he'd be more than happy to eat the remaining few "little cheesecake things" for dinner.
- 13 Thin Mint Cookies, ground in food processor or blender (you can also use the mint Oreos)
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons buttermilk
- 5 Thin mint cookies coarsely crumbled
- 1/4 Cup chocolate chips
- 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 3-5 Thin mint cookies, crumbled (for top of cups) (I also topped the cups with chopped white and milk chocolate chips.)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine ground cookies and butter in a medium bowl. Drop about 1 Tablespoon of cookie mixture into 24 mini cupcake tins that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (If you have mini cupcake paper wrappers I'd use them, it was difficult to remove my cheesecake cups from the tin itself). Press crust into cups with back of a spoon.2. In an electric or stand mixer cream the cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Add egg and buttermilk until well combined as well. Stir in crumbled cookies. Pour cheesecake mixture into cupcake tins filled almost to the very top. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and cool for 15 minutes. Melt chocolate chips in microwave until melted and smooth. Stir in heavy cream until smooth and shiny. Spoon about 1 Tablespoon over each cheesecake cup and sprinkle with additional crumbled cookies.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Florentine Meatballs
Tonight I served them over egg noodles and a marinara sauce, but you can do anything. The original recipe calls for a specific sauce to go over them, but I've never tried it.
- 1 box frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave
- 1 1/3 pound (1 package) ground turkey breast
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 cups milk, divided
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs, 3 handfuls
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 palm fulls
- Coarse salt and black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wring defrosted spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place turkey in a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Add the spinach, all but 3 tablespoons of the onion, all of the garlic, 1 large egg, about 1/4 cup milk, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into 12 large balls and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Bruschetta Chicken
I should have just called it quits when I realized I had no fresh basil, but I plowed on with my bottle of dried. Clue number two: two of my four tomatoes were bad, and I realized TOO LATE that I should have then toned down the amount of garlic and balsamic vinegar... whoops.
Then, after it was ready, I set it up all nice and I took my pictures. The chicken seemed so juicy and I couldn't wait to dig in.
I started cutting it up, however, and realized it was still pink inside. UGH! Since it had the tomatoes and cheese, I didn't want to put it back in the skillet, so I threw it in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes.
Still pink.
Ten more minutes.
It took a total of THIRTY MINUTES before the chicken was cooked. Now, I've said before that I have problems with chicken because I buy them at BJs and they are HUGE. But this was RIDICULOUS. The chicken ended up being overcooked and dry and my sides were cold and I was grumpy.
The flavor, however, was amazing. I cannot WAIT to try this dish again, using thinner breasts, fresh basil, and the right amount of tomatoes!
(Yes... the pictures above are of very undercooked chicken!)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ Cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 8 fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled and thinly sliced into chiffonade
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Spray with cooking spray. Combine balsamic and olive oil in a bowl. Season both sides of chicken with pinches of salt and place on grill. Brush top sides of chicken with balsamic mixture. Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip chicken. Brush with additional balsamic and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. During the last 2 minutes of grilling place 2 slices of cheese over top each chicken to melt.
2. In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, basil garlic, salt and balsamic. Toss gently to combine. Place chicken breasts on a serving plate and top with tomato mixture. Serve warm.
YAY - Amano Chocolate!
And today - THEY CAME!!
I tried some of each one, and they are unbelievable. I am determined to use them for something special, though... Any ideas?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Taco Bake
I'm SO mature.
Anyway, this is a dish from Loves to Eat, and I think it has a lot of potential. It was just kind of "ehh" as it stands; I wish I had taken her notes to heart and used diced tomatoes rather than sauce. I think that alone would have made a big difference; maybe I'd also add some onion. But it was good, and I'd make it again!
- 1 lb. ground round (I used turkey.)
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 8 oz. seashell pasta
- 8 oz package cream cheese (softened in microwave)
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350.
Brown ground beef, drain. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.
Spray bottom of 9 x 13 pan with Pam. Put pasta in bottom of pan. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. (This is kind of hard to do. Just dollop spoonfuls of the mixture about an inch apart and spread the best you can.) Spoon ground beef mixture over this. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes. Cool about 15 - 20 minutes before serving.
Who wants free stuff?????
So I entered this contest. I'd tell you to do the same, but then that's more entries, which will decrease my odds... so, uh, DON'T go enter.
Hee hee...
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
I really liked how these came out! They reminded me of the Keebler Elf version... only better! In fact, my self-proclaimed-"cookie'd-out" husband started digging in, and was bummed when I chased him away. He even took on all the rest of the night's child-care responsibilities if I would go and make another batch. So I did. :)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cups M&M's, divided
- 1 cup chopped pecans (I omitted.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3/4 cup M&Ms (I also added in chocolate chips) and all the nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Press 5-6 of remaining M&Ms on each cookie before baking.
Bake 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Yields about 3-3 1/2 dozen cookies.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Garlic Carrots
It was everything I thought it would be and more... so flavorful and delicious. I am loving all of my new recipes for fresh veggies; I haven't bought a frozen bag in weeks!
- 6 large carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
- In large skillet heat butter over medium high until melted.
- Add carrots and stir to coat all carrots with butter.
- Add garlic and stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until carrots are crisp tender and beginning to brown slightly, about 3 minutes.
- Add water, swirl to coat bottom and cover skillet with lid.
- Cook, steaming carrots, to desired tenderness (5 mins +).
- Uncover skillet, add parsley, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
- Cook off excess liquid and serve immediately.
Fresh Raspberry Chicken
I especially liked how it was a make-ahead kind of meal; I did all the prep work last night and just had to throw it in the oven tonight. Considering that I had to run a few errands (okay, go buy clothes) after work, this was perfect.
This tasted really good. The chicken was very tender and the fruit flavor was powerful without being too much. And I have to reiterate that I loved just dumping and baking!
Even Ryan liked this meal:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
- 3/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed (I couldn't find this, so I just used regular pineapple juice.)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder (I omitted.)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup fresh raspberries, mashed
- another 1/4 fresh raspberries for garnish
Place chicken in a large ziploc bag. Toss in preserves, juice concentrate, soy sauce, vinegar, chili powder, curry powder, garlic powder and 1/4 cup mashed raspberries. Close bag and mix it all around. Marinate in fridge from 2 hours to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350. Dump all ziploc contents into baking dish. Bake, covered, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to serving platter, top with pan juices and remaining raspberries.
Serves 4
Chicken Salad Contessa
I really wanted a cool sandwich to make because I just bought a really nifty Wonder Bread sandwich container. Look:
How cute is THAT?!
Anyway, a quick search on the Food Network's website yielded this Barefoot Contessa recipe. It looked so easy and yummy, so I had to try it! It definitely lived up to everyone of my expectations. I think my sandwich repertoire has just grown; I'm psyched that I have enough for several sandwiches.
- 2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (1 1/2 pounds)
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup pecan halves (I omitted.)
- 1/2 cup walnuts halves (I omitted.)
- 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves, divided
- 1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2
- Lettuce leaves, for serving
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.
When the chicken is cool, remove meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice.
Meanwhile, place the pecans and walnuts on a separate sheet pan and toast in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
For the dressing, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in half the chopped tarragon leaves.
Place the diced chicken in a bowl, add the pecans, walnuts and grapes. Pour the dressing over the chicken and toss well. Sprinkle the remaining chopped tarragon leaves on top, and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.
Chili Dog Cheeseburgers
I served this with French Fries topped with the leftover chili.
- 8 slices center cut or other lean, thick-cut, smoky bacon (I omitted.)
- 1 pound ground lean beef
- 2 hot dogs, beef or pork, diced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon hot sauce, eyeball it, divided (I omitted.)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- Vegetable oil, for drizzling
- 4 slices deli sliced Cheddar (I used American.)
- 1/2 cup chili sauce (I couldn't find this, so I used turkey chili.)
- 4 kaiser rolls, split
- 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (Dried.)
- 1/2 lime, juiced
Preheat broiler to high.
Place bacon on slotted broiler pan. Cook bacon 10 inches from the heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side until crisp then adjust oven to bake setting for temperature recommended on fries packaging. (I obviously skipped this whole step.)
While bacon cooks, make the burgers. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Mix beef with diced dogs, chili powder, grill seasoning, Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and ketchup. Form 4 large patties. Add a drizzle of oil, 1 turn of the pan and add the patties. Cook burgers 6 minutes on each side, then top with 2 slices bacon and 1 slice of cheddar, each. Turn pan off, cover with loose foil tent and let cheese melt, 1 to 2 minutes.
Slather chili sauce on the tops of split keiser rolls. Place bacon chili-cheese burgers on bun bottoms and top each burger with lettuce, cilantro, and lime juice. (I also added sliced tomato.) Set bun tops in place. Pile fries alongside and serve.


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HÀ NỘI — FLC Thanh Hóa and Hà Nội FC will fight for the V.League top spot when they play late matches of round 11 today.
The top two teams both have 23 points, but Hà Nội is on top due to goal differences.
While Hà Nội has to play on away ground against Cần Thơ FC, Thanh Hóa, at the second position, is at home to welcome Quảng Ninh Coal.
Thanh Hóa was eliminated from the National Cup after losing 1-5 to SHB Đà Nẵng last week. In an attempt to gain the No 1 spot, Thanh Hóa signed a contract with striker Lê Văn Thắng from Hải Phòng FC. Thắng has been one of the best local scorers in the last two seasons.
Talented midfielder Ngô Hoàng Thịnh is ready for competition, after his injury.
Thanh Hóa also has tested Edin Junuzovic, a 1.88m striker whose transfer fee is said to be up to 500.000 euros (US$538,000) by transfermarkt.com, although they have already signed Uche Iheruomeand Pape Omar, who is in good form this season with 13 goals.
The Croatian has competed in countries, such as Slovakia, Russia and South Korea. He was transferred from Slovakian Rudar Velenje FC to Russian Amkar Perm FC for 1.3 million euros. During his career, Junuzovic has scored 130 goals for 12 clubs.
The only unexpected absence from the team is midfielder Mai Tiến Thành, who has been sidelined because of a red card.
With his nearly perfect lineup, coach Ljubomir Petrovic is set to win three points.
The Serbian described the recent loss at the National Cup as a shame. The coaching board and players must take responsibility for that. However, it was also a valuable experience for the team. Thanh Hóa must focus and score three points in the coming match so they could vie for the top position against Hà Nội.
Thanh Hóa has the home advantage, but rival Quảng Ninh remains much tougher than Cần Thơ. Quảng Ninh is now at No 5. They have 20 points, which is only three points or one win less than the leading teams, and are threatening the top three.
Coach Phan Thanh Hùng and his Quảng Ninh FC have also targeted a championship trophy this season.
Under Hùng, who has tasted V.League victory twice, Quảng Ninh has been transformed into a different team that has created challenges for all rivals this season, including former champions Sông Lam Nghệ An and Becamex Bình Dương.
Hùng has been impressed, and added Brasilian midfielder Marcus Vinicius Lima da Silva to the team.
The 27-year-old grew up in Aletico Paranaense, a well known football academy in his home country. He has shown good speed and can read matches well.
Coach Chu Đình Nghiêm of Hà Nội is now only focusing on the national premier league, after they were ousted from the National Cup last week and the Asian Cup last month.
In today's match, Nghiêm will welcome back sharp goal hunter Gonzalo Damian Marronkle, who has rested for months because of an injury.
The defending champions have made no move to strengthen their team during the season's break. However, their current squad is considered much stronger than Cần Thơ, who ranks second from the bottom with only seven points after 12 matches.
In the past four rounds, Hà Nội won three and drew one, while Cần Thơ had two draws and two losses.
After these two late matches, V.League teams have short breaks, during which players will join the national team for the Asian Cup qualification on June 13. Matches will be resumed on June 24. — VNS

subset: commoncrawl


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Flower grower and Florist
With thanks to Katie Spicer Photography for the photograph of Sara
Sara is the founder of My Flower Patch. Sara started growing flowers as a youngster in her Nan's garden. In her more adult years she has spent many seasons growing as a hobby, trying out new varieties, testing vase life and generally enjoying playing with flowers. When friends started to ask if they could buy her flowers she decided to turn it into a business and My Flower Patch was created.
Don't ask her to choose her favourite flower - she can't! It will depend on the season and her mood. It's part of why she loves growing her own seasonal flowers, she gets to see so many beautiful flowers and her favourite can change day by day, sometimes more often.


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ONE OCEAN – SEVEN STRAWLESS SEAS – Taylor Slater
OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, August 10, 6-9pm
LOCATION: Montauk Beach House, 55 S Elmwood Ave, Montauk, NY 11954
Taylor Slater Art Exhibit to benefit the Lonely Whale #strawlessocean Campaign
(Montauk, NY July 9 2018) The Montauk Beach House is pleased to present One Ocean – Seven Strawless Seas, a solo exhibition and charity event featuring original works by American artist, Taylor Slater. The exhibition marks the official launch of Taylor's work to the public and will be on view at The Montauk Beach House, 55 S Elmwood Ave, Montauk NY, with an opening reception & silent auction on Friday August 10, from 6 – 9 pm.
Taylor's love for the sea is conveyed through her striking delineations in the overlapping cerulean, sapphire and greenish hues of her oceanscape resin paintings.
Exclusive to the artists reception is the silent auction of one of Taylor's works to benefit the amazing efforts of the Lonely Whale organization, who will be present during Taylor's reception, highlighting their mission and creating awareness towards their ongoing campaigns.
"I'm humbled by this opportunity to share my work with the public. Being able to connect with and support Lonely Whale's efforts with their #strawlessocean campaign feels right. I hope this brings other artists to the forefront and inspires them to join this amazing effort"
About Taylor Slater:
The exhibition will be the first solo show for Taylor Slater. Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Taylor is a self-taught artist inspired by the tranquil beauty of the sea. Taylor has had the opportunity to travel to some of the most beautiful places on the planet with her father, 11x world champion surfer, Kelly Slater. She has witnessed firsthand the widespread impact plastic waste has on our world's oceans and its marine life. Her dream is to see a forever clean ocean. Follow Taylor on Instagram @Taylrsltr & @Taylrsltrartofficial. Please direct all artist inquiries to Danielle at firstname.lastname@example.com
About The Montauk Beach House:
The Montauk Beach House is a well-appointed 33-room boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Montauk with an active daytime pool-centric environment and a comfortable, warm, chill-out-by-the-fire-with-friends vibe at night. A social gathering space to eat, drink, have fun, and make memories. The Beach House aims to provide guests with memorable stays that highlight comfort and simplicity; set in a relaxed ambiance balanced with the right touches of luxury.
The summer events programming is specifically tailored to fulfill a top-notch hospitality experience via art exhibits, music entertainment from renowned djs & live acts, retail offerings, special events and collaborations with like- minded brands – hosting activations, trunk shows, interactive guest experiences and more.
For in-depth details about the Beach House, please visit thembh.com
About Lonely Whale:
Lonely Whale is an incubator for courageous ideas that drive impactful change on behalf of our ocean. Inspired by the power of community, Lonely Whale is working towards a new era of radical collaboration, facilitating innovation that pushes the boundary on current trends in technology, media and advocacy to positively impact ocean health. Lonely Whale's creative efforts to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, ocean-bound plastic pollution have earned them recognition as one of Huffington Post's Top Ten Movers and Shakers in Environmental Sustainability and Fast Company's World Changing Ideas as well as honors from the Cannes Lions, Effy, Shorty and ADDY Awards in 2018. For more information, visit www.lonelywhale.org or follow along on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @lonelywhale.
About 1OceanCollection:
Danielle Beckmann is the collection curator behind 1Ocean Collection. Follow us on Instagram @1Oceancollection
1Ocean Collection brings people together. We feature original works by emerging and established artists,
creators, and makers that are inspired with a passion for ocean conservation. Our goal is to draw a
direct line between creative inspiration and organizations working toward a healthy ocean environment.
1Ocean Collection covers a variety of works including photography, visual arts, music, and theatre.
Press contact: Kiara Horowitz email@example.com
Artist Contact: Danielle Beckmann firstname.lastname@example.com


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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This podcast explores Learning Forward's new Professional Learning Standards, focusing on Learning Designs.
There are many factors as we select a learning design:
Models have many common components: such as active engagement, modeling, reflection, metacognition, application, feedback, ongoing support, and formative and summative assessment, that support change in knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practice.
As we choose a learning design, we want to focus on promoting active engagement, deep learning, that inspires action.


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Alibaba One Touch Services, Import From China via Assurance Order
Are you importing from China? Is your suppliers told you that you can import goods from China via Alibaba One Touch services. OneTouch company claims that if the products you received cannot match the contract terms between you and China suppliers, you can tell alibaba company that this is a controversial payment for this bill, and then the money will be frozen at alibaba bank until the supplier solves the issue.
As a manufacturing sourcing services company and product sourcing agent in China, DisccoverSourcing.com thinks that Alibaba One Touch services is good for the people or overseas companies who import goods from China. You can get some assurance if you work with the suppliers and manufacturers who use Alibaba OneTouch services.
What is Alibaba One Touch?
One Touch is an import and export service provider and an Alibaba affiliate.
Alibaba.com suppliers based in Mainland China must use the One Touch platform in order to participate in Trade Assurance. If you made a Trade Assurance order, One Touch will help you with customs clearance preparation and assistance in foreign exchange collections.
Here is the link about OneTouch services from alibaba company, you can learn something here, and you also can call them for detials. https://onetouch.alibaba.com/newHome/aboutUs.htm?spm=a271c.7834748.1998897439.36.U0qihX&type=en
How to Use Alibaba One Touch Services?
For the company who imports products from China, you must register an account of Alibaba OneTouch, them you can use their services. And for the suppliers in China, you must buy the services of alibaba, and put some cash deposit at alibaba account, and your customers will can use the OneTouch providing by Alibaba company.
How to Pay via Alibaba OneTouch Services to Import Products from China?
You will not pay to your supplier's bank account but a unique bank account created by China alibaba company (alibaba one touch account). You must pay your money to this bank and you will get the guarantee. China supplier cannot get the money untill you confirm the payment or purchase order.
Who Can Provide Alibaba One Touch Services?
As far as I know, it is impossible to offer Onetouch services if one supplier is a new company. Some China manufacturers should be 6 months old, some should be 12 months and some should be 24 months, and some will be rejected. It depends on who you are and where is your location. If you need to know more about it, please contact a sourcing agent likes Discover Sourcing Limited, we can help you for free.
What Can China Alibaba One Touch Do For you?
According to the services listed on onetouch.alibaba.com, OneTouch services includes customs service, global shipping services (by sea, by heavy air, by express), settlement, payment and guarantee, refund of duty, etc. Some of the suppliers who still use OneTouch Services told DiscoverSourcing.com that OneTouch can offer a lower shipping cost than other low-cost shipping or supply chain company in China.
Is It free?
As far as we know, OneTouch services is free for importers from overseas companies, but please note that the services only can provide by the alibaba suppliers who buy alibaba services with a barrel of money every years. There is a proverb in China that the wool comes from the sheep's back.
DiscoverSourcing.com is a sourcing services company in China. If you looking for a company to help you discover reliable manufacturers in China, please contact us today.


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Fairy Films
The Fairy App will soon launch Films in a free, fun and new way to find movies and TV shows.
If you have only a small amount of time to spend watching TV shows or movies, you don't want to waste it trying to figure out what to watch. Through Fairy Films, your Fairy friend will find you a movie or TV show that matches the experience or emotional response you desire. Fairy Films uses a rating system based on the audience's emotive response rather than the usual 1-5 star rating system. The laugh meter, fright meter, romance meter and thrill meter will give users a new way of searching for and assessing movies. The 'hate meter' even caters for the audience segment who enjoy watching movies which they genuinely don't like!
Going on a first date and want to watch something that will leave you filled with affection? Wave your phone like a magic wand and your Fairy Friend will find exactly what you are looking for.


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Colossians (Program #31) – Identified with Christ by Being Grafted into Him
We all realize that the air we breathe is all around us. So, is it fair to say that we are in the air? Of course it is. But, there's another aspect of the air that's also obvious, and that is that as we breath it, it fills our lungs. So, it's also true to say that the air is in us. Without us first being in the air, there's no way that the air could be in us. Well, what does this all have to do with the Christian life you say? Well, the Bible says that we are in Christ. But equally worth our attention, it tells us that Christ is in us as well. Identified with Christ by being grafted into Him. That's our topic today on this life study of the Bible from Colossians.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to Written: Written in the Stars
LAW, WRITTEN, or lex scripta. This consists of the constitution of the United States the constitutions of the several states the acts of the different legislatures, as the acts of congress, and of the legislatures of the several states, and of treaties. See Statute.


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Bouquet Toss Trauma
Obstacles bridesmaids try to avoid at a reception might include dodging the groom's frisky uncle, assisting the bride when she has to use the bathroom and drinking too much champagne before the toast. The bouquet toss at the end of the night is an event that most single bridesmaids don't want to miss, especially if they have a competitive streak. And sometimes, as one bridesmaid tells us, the toss is taken a little too seriously, leaving someone trampled in the process.
"I once turned a bouquet toss into an aggressive game of tackle football," the anonymous bridesmaid admits. "When my friend tossed the bouquet over her shoulder, she misjudged her throw, and the flowers headed straight for the 7-year-old flower girl instead." The bridesmaid and the rest of the single ladies lunged forward, landing on top of the small girl who stood in their way. "After we peeled ourselves off the floor, the flower girl was at the bottom of the pile-up, her arm twisted unnaturally beneath her, broken," she cringes.
What started as a friendly free-for-all ended with a frantic ride to the emergency room. "I rushed to the hospital with the flower girl and her mother," she says. "I apologized at least a thousand times, and thankfully, they understood that it was an accident. The flower girl even asked me to sign her cast when the night was over!"


text: There are a lot of masks, avatars, talking robots and even disembodied speaking computers in geek multimedia, and behind every one of those iconic characters there is a voice – sometimes one that becomes as much a part of pop culture as Luke Skywalker or the Iron Throne. That means that casting a voice actor can be as important as casting … well, any other actor. Take, for example, Cobra Commander, infamous for his shrill, grating tones in the '80s G.I. Joe cartoon. But when it came time to cast the new G.I. Joe: Retaliation, director Jon M. Chu decided to go in a different direction. "I mean, it [was] high-pitched screaming," Chu said. "We couldn't go there, it was just too annoying." But even after he tapped Robert Baker – an actor friend from his college days – for the man behind the chrome, it still took a while to get exactly right. "Ultimately what we found was that his breathing was something very important," Chu said. "Every time he breathes in, you hear this hiss. Not a hiss – it's a rattle. You could get personality out of that rattle." And with voicing a villain, particularly one who had a previous cartoon incarnation, knowing his personality is half the battle. Whether it's Johnny Five fretting about "No disassemble!" or the passive-aggression of rogue AI GLaDOS in Portal – not to mention the overthrow-plotting sass machine that is Siri – the voices behind some of the most interesting characters in media have become as recognizable to us as their faces (or lack thereof). To honor their righteousness, we here at Wired compiled some of our favorite voices from movies, TV, videogames and music. Above: Cobra Commander The Cobra Commander featured in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon of the early and mid-1980s was – despite being the leader of a dangerous terrorist cell – not really all that threatening. Sure he had the über-militant royal blue uniform and faceless, steely mask, but also the ear-piercing wail of a male version of an evil witch going through puberty. Voiced by Chris Latta – who was the voice of the equally shrill Starscream on the Transformers cartoon of that time – Cobra Commander back then was all hiss and no bite.HAL 9000 If there's a single iconic robot voice, it's got to be Douglas Rain's haunting turn as HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey (reprised in 2010). Rain's monotonous delivery was simultaneously inhumanly eerie and childishly petulant, and his pleas for life and ultimate, sinking delivery of the song "Daisy Bell" – a moment of wink-and-nudge homage to the first singing computer – make HAL's death the most memorable scene of a movie rife with iconic moments. – Rachel EdidinGLaDOS If HAL 9000 has competition for "most memorable singing computer," his closest challenger is GLaDOS, voiced by actress and opera singer Ellen McLain. Aperture Science's murderous rogue AI was equal parts passive-aggressive stepford charm and homicidal cheer as she guided, taunted, and thwarted players through the two Portal games. In Portal 2, GLaDOS shared the spotlight with (and is briefly supplanted by) another AI, the bumbling Wheatley; a colorful cast of turrets returning from the original Portal, also voiced by McLain; and several of GLaDOS's own dysfunctional personality cores, voiced by Nolan North. – Rachel EdidinDarth Vader The voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars flicks might be the most recognizable villain voice of all time – and probably one of the most imitated, too. The bellowing vocals of James Earl Jones, and that creepy, raspy breathing made Vader the voice of the Dark Side. The mask and the cape were nice touches and all, but that booming, breathy voice is what really commanded everyone's attention – from the crew of the Death Star to every single viewer who ever watched it. – Angela WatercutterMajel Barrett Many actors have appeared in more than one of the Star Trek shows, but only one sports every single iteration on her resume: Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who, in addition to playing a bevy of face roles – most memorable among them, Nurse (later Doctor) Christine Chapel in the Original Series and Lwxana Troi in The Next Generation – has been the voice of Starfleet AI from its inception through J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. Roddenberry recorded the computer sequences for the 2009 film in the final months of her life. – Rachel EdidinDaft Punk When French electronic music duo Daft Punk dropped "Around the World" back in 1997 it got dance floors moving, well, around the world. It also brought with it something new to do the Robot to – an actual robot. Daft Punk'd vocals aren't really so much a singular "voice" as they are a chorus of various Vocoder/Auto-Tune/digitally tweaked hooks mixed up a little bit differently on every hit. From the holler-if-ya-hear-me Romanthony chorus of "One More Time" to the Kanye West favorite "Harder Better Faster Stronger" each robotic-sounding Daft Punk vocal may be distinct, but is still somehow easy to identify the second the disco droid voice drops on the beat. – Angela WatercutterMax Headroom Sounding (and occasionally looking) like a digitized Jim Carrey, Matt Frewer had a great run in the 1980s as the weird, future dystopia TV reporter Max Headroom. In addition to his own TV show, Headroom was also able to adapt his smart-ass, wry tone to become, well, a talking head for Coke and other gigs. Max was once even imitated during the hijacking of a pair of Chicago television stations in 1987. However, that never-identified person didn't really get the voice right. – Angela WatercutterNumber 5/Johnny Five For a period in the 1980s, having a robot become self-aware became a far less frightening concept thanks to *Short Circuit'*s Number 5. How'd he do it? Well, he just sounded so sweet and clueless. After being struck by lightning and escaping the lab of Newton Crosby (Steve Guttenberg), the newly conscious Number 5 – who later takes the name "Johnny Five" – befriends an awesome cat lover named Stephanie Speck (Ally Sheedy). Normally one would think that a young woman confronted by an autonomous talking robot might be a bit freaked out, but his "Number 5, alive!" talk is so endearing, she can't resist – even when he rolls in on her bath and comments on her "nice software." (Fun Fact: Tim Blaney, who voiced Number 5, was also the voice of Frank the Pug in the first two Men in Black movies.) – Angela WatercutterWall-E Wall-E's voice shouldn't work. For one thing, he barely says anything the entire movie, and for another, his voice is basically the same as E.T.'s when it comes down to it (maybe a little less croaky, but still). And yet … every time that little doe-eyed robot warms up his voice box, he melts our hearts just a little bit more. Cute without being cloying, Wall-E manages to sound like every adorable Saturday Morning Cartoon sidekick: childlike and filled with wonder at the simplest things. Perhaps less really is more, after all. – Graeme McMillanC-3PO If there was a better way to convey the essential uptightness of Star Wars' second most popular droid – sorry, Threepio; maybe you should start learning how to pilot an X-Wing instead of just complaining all the time – than giving him a posh English accent, then it's hard to imagine what it could be. Anthony Daniels' vocals were instantly reminiscent of the stereotypical upper-class English butler, immediately conveying the character even before he introduced himself as a protocol droid programmed primarily for etiquette. He was so good at sounding panicked, out-of-his-depth and just a little snippy about everything that it just made him so much easier to love. – Graeme McMillanCortana In every Halo campaign, Master Chief has had Cortana, the gentle female voice guiding his missions and giving him – and, by extension, players – backstory and advice. Voiced by Jen Taylor, the AI wing-woman's tone was at times soothing, at times stern, and by Halo 4 it was even a little heartbreaking. But regardless how she said what she said, she was always there to guide the way. – Angela WatercutterMax in Flight of the Navigator So, Max is a bit of an outlier. He's an artificially intelligent spaceship that sort of abducts a 12-year-old boy (it's complicated) and since Disney's Flight of the Navigator didn't go on to become a treasured piece of American cinema – despite having a young Sarah Jessica Parker – it's hard to say Max is iconic. However. Max is voiced by Paul Reubens, aka Pee-Wee Herman, and if there's anything better/funnier/weirder than hearing Pee-Wee Herman be the voice of a young boy's personal spacecraft – particularly while singing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" – we don't know what it is. – Angela Watercutter


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In the event you love the conventional vibe at residence, the menards mirrors are undeniably a good idea. In general, the woods are thrown into bits and they are arranged and arranged jointly to produce a major sheet. Thenthey can simply be wrapped back about the door region to pay the glass from the interior. For the same notion, there's additionally the bamboo covering with the very same fabricating theory. This concept is extremely common within the areas of eastern Asia such as Japan and China. For the uniqueness and beauty, all these sorts of menards door locks are now have implemented by most individuals all over the whole world.
The menards door locks together with the intelligent lock characteristic offer you with some thing distinct, however, 1 thing they need to have in common is they will mechanically modify your door functionality. Needless to say, it really is all wonderful — however you ought to make certain that your door is put. You can lock and continue your door manually. Do you have to pull or push so that the fearless can turn smoothly? You won't ever be there in the event you select menards tools.
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Thursday, November 6, 2008
Sesame Street Creature Feature: Marmoset
That song affects me a lot differently than it did about 20 years ago. Now I'm in the mood to make love. Or smoke a bowl. Maybe both. This sounds like something that Bob Ross would get down to while painting his happy little trees.
7 comments:
My thoughts exactly- we saw a marmoset at an arts market today, and I thought of this video from my childhood. So glad I found it online to show my husband what all the marmoset buzz is about!
- April 18, 2009 at 3:58 PM
- Sadako said...
I love marmosets. This blog is so freaking cute.
- October 20, 2009 at 3:22 PM
I seldom leave comments on blog, but I have been to this post which was recommended by my friend, lots of valuable details, thanks again.
- February 5, 2011 at 11:20 AM
- Heather said...
It's not available- can you put it back online? This is the ONLY place I've been able to find this video- my baby's nickname is the marmoset, and this one was always my fave. Please please please!
- April 30, 2011 at 4:25 AM
- Learn Poker Odds said...
And on what we shall stop?
- June 7, 2011 at 7:23 AM
- Ayyagariugbl said...
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- September 9, 2014 at 7:59 PM


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Excel sheets that were open when the server shut down will now not open. I get the following error message:
"The file your are trying to open, report.xls, is in a different format than specified by the file extension. Verify tat the file is not corrupted and is from a trusted source before opening the file. Do you want to open the file now?" Yes No Help
If i push ctrl+shift+I i get the code: 101786
Thanks all for reply's but i was unable to recover. I had to use a backup from 3 weeks ago


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It has been a while since I have posted anything! We hosted a wonderful birthday party for a dear friend of ours who turned 80 years young! Since we decided to have it at our place, there was a lot of cleaning and preparation to do, which has kept us very busy. However, I have been making art as well, just not posting it.
One of the projects I created was painting with latex house paint on a small metal pail. I decided to paint it with a patriotic theme, of red, white, and blue, I then painted a silhouette of a girl and her horse in a showmanship or halter class at a horse show. As for the other side of the bucket, I had no idea what I would put on it. The bucket sat in the studio for about a month, when a friend of mine happened to see it and inquired about it. Just another project I am working on, but not sure where I am going with it just yet, I told her. She asked if I could paint a name on the other side, and I told her I could. She gave me a name and she purchased it for a little girl who was leasing one of her horses.
My friend then asked if I could paint about six or seven of them for their upcoming Quarter Horse Show. So, I have been working diligently on them, and will post them soon. Till next time, happy painting!


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James Cameron: Curiosity — it's the most powerful thing you own.
John Kasaona: We realized that stopping poaching is completely different from catching poachers.
Glenna Fraumeni, talking from TEDActive in Palm Springs. Read this.
Adora Svitak: We kids still dream about perfection. Our audacity to imagine helps push the boundaries of reality.
Sir Ken Robinson: Our children spread their dreams beneath our feet. And we should tread softly.
Aaaaaand Ze Frank with the wrapup.


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Canada's military squeezed out of cyber-defence, emails warn
OTTAWA — Military advisers working on the cyber-security file warned a year ago that the Canadian Forces were on the verge of being pushed entirely out of the realm of cyber-defence, according to internal emails from the military's cyber task force.
In a March 5, 2013 email exchange, one Canadian Forces officer argued the military had not pushed hard enough to be the lead digital defence agency and warned that not pushing harder would "drive DND/CF entirely out of the cyber ops business."
What role the Canadian Forces should play in protecting the country in cyberspace has been debated for years, and the emails give a glimpse into how the military continues to grapple with its place in Canada's cyber security strategy.
In Canada, Public Safety Canada is the central hub for cyber-security policy and works with provinces, territories, municipalities and the private sector to help them protect their networks. The Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), which has among the most powerful computer resources in the country, is in charge of defending federal government systems and gathering foreign intelligence on potential cyber threats.
Canada faces an ever growing number of cyber attacks on a daily basis, as independent hackers and foreign countries try to access government networks. The best-known successful attack was in 2011 when hackers, traced back to computers in China, broke into the networks for Treasury Board and the Department of Finance.
When the federal cyber-security strategy was released in 2010, decision-makers expected some level of integration between the military and CSEC: The technical expertise would be vested with CSEC and operational expertise would lie with the military.
But experts argue it doesn't make sense from a financial perspective to have two agencies — DND and CSEC — performing the same role. Currently, the military doesn't have the legislated mandate, budget, or resources to do the job CSEC is able to perform, said Christian Leuprecht, a defence expert from Royal Military College.
Just as the country doesn't use the military to check passports and conduct security at airports, the lead on domestic cyber-security issues should remain with Public Safety Canada, Leuprecht said.
"We don't want to militarize (cyber-security) any more than necessary," Leuprecht said. "Let's keep it as a security problem rather than making it a defence problem, but let's be prepared to make it a defence problem."
That isn't how it's handled in other countries. The United States has combined the offensive capabilities of the military with the defensive responsibilities of the National Security Agency (NSA) under the banner of U.S. Cyber Command, headed up by Gen. Keith Alexander.
A former chief of CSEC said the American model might be one for Canada to consider.
"That's a model that makes sense," said John Adams, now a researcher at Queen's University. "Defending systems … would continue to be CSEC-led, but clearly there would be room to integrate more of the uniforms into that side of CSEC, not unlike what the Americans have done."
"Four years of peaceful coexistence and deferring to … NCSD has in fact led to us losing ground so that our strategic partner is now the sole recognized lead for dealing with attacks against the nation through cyber," the email says. "My experience tells me that if you continue down this path, you will drive DND/CF entirely out of the cyber ops business."
The response from Col. André A. Boucher says the decision five years ago not to have the Canadian Forces in charge was not a "deliberate intent to marginalize" the military. Boucher wrote it was more a result of "lack of maturity/understanding" of the file from government officials.
"I don't have a (crystal) ball, but I am confident that if Cyber is recognized universally as an environment in the future, the role and responsibilities of the DND/CF will follow suit in a model similar to the treatment of other environments," Boucher wrote. "I might be wrong — but I might be right. Future will tell."
The military said early Wednesday evening its current job in the cyber-defence strategy is to "defend its own networks, work with other government departments to identify threats and possible responses, and continue to exchange information about cyber best practices with allied militaries."
Asked if there could be any situation when DND would become the lead agency on cyber-security, a spokeswoman said, "Public Safety Canada is the overall lead for all Government of Canada cyber-related issues."


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HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB full review
The HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB proves that when it comes to high-end graphics cards, the top-line specifications aren't always the best guide - the first DirectX 11 board, it is a single GPU card that rocks.
Expensive it may be, but the HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB suggests that this is going to be a good few months for gamers.
Evergreen, the name of ATI's brand new range of DirectX 11 Radeon chips, may seem a strange choice in a sector where today's hottest silicon sparkler seems to lose its lustre with every passing month. After a strangely quiet period for the graphics card industry though, we can expect a flurry of activity over the next few months, and ATI would appear to have a sufficiently large selection of new products planned to ensure that this product remains current even when the leaves are starting to reappear on the trees in spring.
See also: MESH Matrix II 5870XT review
While once manufacturers always kicked off a new chip launch with their very highest-end product, these days the approach seems to be to start with a fast chip, only to bring out a dual-GPU solution a few months later that makes its most serious assault on the performance crown. The HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB, then, isn't the fastest card we'll seen in the Evergreen line-up. Neither, though, will it be the cheapest (watch for the upcoming 5850, while cut-down budget versions will be available in a few months time), and the 5870's £310 price tag remains pretty eye-watering.
So, besides the DirectX 11 support (more of this later), what do you get for this not insubstantial amount of money? Well, 2.15 billion transistors, for a start. Given that the 4870 had fewer than a billion transistors, and that even the mighty GeForce GTX 280 had just 1.4 billion, this is an astonishingly high amount for a single GPU.
The chip has been manufactured using the highly compact and efficient 40nm process, and this has helped keep down power consumption - when active, it generates less power than the humble 4890, although it does produce over three times as much when idle.
Indeed, in a sign that the power is remarkably low for a card this stoked, the fact that only two 6pin connectors are needed is welcome indeed.
Given the price tag, the HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB doesn't outclass the 4890 across the board on specifications in the way that you might expect. Both have 1GB of GDDR5 and a 256bit memory bus, for instance.
Both also have an 850MHz core clock speed, although the HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB's memory clock of 1,200MHz (4,800 DDR effective) is a substantial improvement on the 4890's 975MHz (3,900 DDR effective).
And it destroys the nVidia GTX 295's figure of 999MHz (1,998 DDR effective), even if the latter's two 448bit memory buses make quite a difference. The HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB cruises ahead on stream processors - a massive 1600 totally eclipsing the 800 of the 4890, and the 480 stream processors of the GTX 295, for instance. And its figure of 2.7TFlops is stunning for a single-GPU product.
But the HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB isn't all about mere specifications. Eyefinity is a very nice approach towards linking multiple displays into one big image. The 5870 can support up to three screens at once, although future versions may be able to support twice that number.
Perhaps more importantly, though, the HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB is the first card to support version 11 of Microsoft's DirectX programming interface.
Now, DX10 hasn't been a fantastic success, but that's been partly down to large numbers of people sticking to Windows XP rather than upgrading to Windows Vista. Windows 7 is likely to finally draw many of these malcontents, and so DX11 looks like getting plenty of support. And its features are very exciting.
Hardware tessellation (these'll make it far easier and more efficient for programmers to add increased detail to in-game graphics), multi-threaded rending (most rendering in DX10 is single-thread only) and Shader Model 5.0 are pleasing additions, as is the superior texture compression.
And DirectCompute looks like being a very good alternative to nVIDIA's CUDA. Now admittedly, at the time of going to press, there weren't any DX11 games to test. However, next month we should have some figures for you. In the meantime, DX11 looks very exciting, and could well make more of a difference to game players than DX10.
When we've raved about a brand new card so much, it's always slightly disappointing if it doesn't crush the competition. The HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB, though, puts up a very good showing for a single-GPU product. It does just about edge the GTX 295, although it's a very close run thing in many of the tests - it only actually lost to the 295 in our Crysis Warhead tests. What it does tell us is that the dual-GPU version of this card should be searing. Of course, by then, we should have seen something of nVIDIA's new range.
NEXT: our expert verdict >>
HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB: Specs
- ATI Radeon HD 5870
- 850MHz Core Clock
- 1,200MHz Memory Clock (4,800MHz DDR effective)
- 400MHz Ramdac
- 256bit memory interface
- 1600 Stream Processors
- PCI-E Interface
- 2 x 6pin power connectors
- TV Out/Video In yes/no
- DirectX 11.0
- HDMI and DVI
- 1-year warranty
Best prices today
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide


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Monday, January 25, 2010
Wonderful news!!
I will be a guest design team member (GDT) for Scraptacular in April! I actually contacted them because I discovered the store about a month ago and it had the greatest stuff with awesome deals, to boot. It had a lot of my fav manufacturers and I just loved it. The PO messed up with my package delivery and Beth was so patient and wonderful about resolving all the issues. So, I loved the store so much, I contacted them about being GDT and Beth offered me April! In March, I'll be getting their April kit (they offer the most adorable, delicious monthly kits) and getting to play with it. My LO's will go up in April, when the kit is revealed and I'll get to participate on their boards and write some entries for the blog. You really have to check this place out. I love shopping online for scrapping supplies and this place definitely stood out, with prices and what products they offer, and the amazing customer service. If you go to Scraptacular, and look up top at their tabs, you'll see that you can either purchase monthly kits, or just do regular shopping. I really can't wait to get started! I know Beth is at CHA right this moment, maybe she'll pick up some fun goodies for her kits ;)
Posted by Ilene at 10:40 PM
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Photo Collages are a popular thing today. They are easily displayed, versatile, and creative.
I love projects like this as they incorporate all my favorite things about photography and people.
Have yours made today!
Misha's photography can make a special collage from your favorite photos as a uniquely special gift to that special person or family member. Or, you can set up a session and have a collage done from your session photos.
Have FUN! The art of photos is ever changing as is the journey of life. Enjoy!


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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CMC) — Middle order batsman Marlon Samuels says he is anxious to put bat to ball when the test series between West Indies and Sri Lanka begin in earnest next Wednesday.
Samuels, a senior member of the regional side, says he is also eager to step-up to leading roles for his team in their two-match test series against the Sri Lankans.
Both sides are showcasing a number of young players who will play in the first test at the Galle International Stadium (October 14-18) in the coastal town of Galle; and the P Sara Oval (October 22-26) in the capital, Colombo.
"I can't wait to get out into the middle and play some game. I have been in the nets but you know how it goes. Batting in the nets for me is just about hitting balls and keeping my form steady," said Samuels.
"But going out in the middle and getting the job done, that's where it matters the most. So the form has been good. I am going into this series not really over confident but confident and looking forward to playing a major role to help the team as much as possible."
The start of a three-day practice match between West Indies and a Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's X1 has been pushed back from Thursday to Friday because of bad weather in Colombo.
In fact, West Indies who arrived in Sri Lanka last week, have been forced to practice indoors because of sporadic showers in Colombo.
Nonetheless, Samuels says he is satisfied with preparation and is looking forward to the practice match.
"The warm up has been going good. Rain here and there. But this is Sri Lanka you can't do anything about that. But preparation has been wonderful," said Samuels.
"We are looking forward to getting some match time in this three day game and hopefully some of the guys can get some runs and get some wickets and bring their lovely form into the real thing."


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Tag Archives: Sandman
Seeking Salivation! Food in Early Comics
University of Washington professor José Alaniz invited me to prepare and deliver a guest lecture on early comics for his class on food-themed comics. You could say I hoped the project would turn out to be something I could sink my teeth into. I was not disappointed. Continue reading
The Comics Journal No. 155, January 1993
Interviews with Dave McKean Neil Gaiman; Kim Deitch; trading cards; a scorching essay on Dave Sim.