If you don't feel like reading the whole blog entry, here's your spoiler. In a very brief synopsis, the weather was wonderful, the soup...not so much.
I got up early enough this morning to get the day started at a decent time, and late enough that I enjoyed sleeping in on my day off. But the real reason I got up early at all was because I heard the weather was supposed to be warm and I didn't want to miss it.
Good choice.
I knew that after I had done my morning routine I wanted to go to the library. At first I was going to bike ride, but then I decided I didn't want the hassle of dragging my bike out of the garage & making sure the tires were pumped, so I decided on an old favorite pastime. Rollerblading. That was definitely the right decision. It was a great approach to start enjoying what was already a gorgeous day. Straight from the library I went over to the church to clean it, so I could get that done and spend the rest of the day outside. Which is exactly what I did, after I got the church clean I picked up my books and went outside to study. I was outside studying for a good three hours and THAT is how I got a sunburn before the middle of March *sigh* it was wonderful :)
What drew me back inside was making supper. I decided I wanted to celebrate St. Patrick's day early since I'd be out of town the day of and told mother I'd help her get supper ready. With some help from a neighbor boy we got our boiled supper (homemade cornbeef included) in the pot to cook, and I went on to the next project.
I'd been meaning to try a fruit soup recipe I had for quiet sometime. While I had already tried making fruit soup before, it had not been at *all* similar in taste to what I'd had in Hungary and since this recipe was vastly different I thought I'd give it a whirl. This recipe had no cream at all, and no spices, like the other one I had tried did. The two main ingredients were blueberries and wine, and the wine wasn't even supposed to be cooked off. Predictably the recipe ended up tasting like sweetened blueberry wine. I'm going to try cooking the wine off at a later date and see what the results are, but I guess I'll have to keep looking for that mouth-watering taste I had in Hungary. Forget personal references (the first recipe) and cookbooks, google here I come.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Squirrels and Moosetrack Memories.
How on earth do the two of those correlate?
Well I got a carton of Moose tracks out of the freezer and brought it over to the counter to eat it. No, eating out of the carton is not a childhood memory, as a child I would never have dared to act with such audacity. The ice cream itself is a childhood memory, it was my dad's favorite (and Heavenly Hash was my mom's :)) so if he bought ice cream that's what it would be. What we kids would do would pick through the ice cream while serving ourselves and try to get all the little peanut butter cups and chocolate sheets into our bowl.
So that's what I was doing, eating ice cream out of the carton (trying to get all the chocolate and peanut butter cups!) and looking out the window. Here's where the squirrel comes in, my mom has a birdfeeder and the squirrel was hanging upside down while eating out of the feeder. (Similar to this)
And the thought occurred to me, how on earth can squirrels eat like that? Apparently their bodies are wired to defy gravity.
Well I got a carton of Moose tracks out of the freezer and brought it over to the counter to eat it. No, eating out of the carton is not a childhood memory, as a child I would never have dared to act with such audacity. The ice cream itself is a childhood memory, it was my dad's favorite (and Heavenly Hash was my mom's :)) so if he bought ice cream that's what it would be. What we kids would do would pick through the ice cream while serving ourselves and try to get all the little peanut butter cups and chocolate sheets into our bowl.
So that's what I was doing, eating ice cream out of the carton (trying to get all the chocolate and peanut butter cups!) and looking out the window. Here's where the squirrel comes in, my mom has a birdfeeder and the squirrel was hanging upside down while eating out of the feeder. (Similar to this)
And the thought occurred to me, how on earth can squirrels eat like that? Apparently their bodies are wired to defy gravity.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Spoken Word Poetry
I might as well throw in a disclaimer here...I imagine a lot of my posts are going to either mention "Stumble", "Pintrest", or both. I've fallen in love with Stumble, it has proven to be a good way to provide me with knowledge of things I didn't know exist. And Pintrest helps me to organize that knowledge.
That being said, stumble has recently introduced me to a new form of poetry, Spoken Word poetry. I'd never heard of such a thing. However when it pulled up a video of Sarah Kay doing a performance of it on TED, I immediately got on youtube and started searching for as many spoken word poetry performances as I could find by her. I loved them. Ambiguous enough to read some of your own into it, yet with clear cut thoughts brought out in the beauty of descriptive simile's and metaphors.
Upon looking up Spoken Word poetry on wikepedia
(here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoken_word)
I do not know if most of it is as good and clean as what Sarah Kay presents, but I still am fascinated by it & wonder if I could present such a piece myself.
That being said, stumble has recently introduced me to a new form of poetry, Spoken Word poetry. I'd never heard of such a thing. However when it pulled up a video of Sarah Kay doing a performance of it on TED, I immediately got on youtube and started searching for as many spoken word poetry performances as I could find by her. I loved them. Ambiguous enough to read some of your own into it, yet with clear cut thoughts brought out in the beauty of descriptive simile's and metaphors.
Upon looking up Spoken Word poetry on wikepedia
(here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoken_word)
I do not know if most of it is as good and clean as what Sarah Kay presents, but I still am fascinated by it & wonder if I could present such a piece myself.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Panko crumbs and Chinese food
I have a love for Chinese food, but the more I learn about MSG and such like additives the less I feel inclined to go out to a restaurant to eat it. Although I have tried cooking Chinese food before with some fairly decent results, I have yet to produce something that tasted like the restaurant food, although granted I'm not adding MSG! Among the couple of Asian Items I have tried have been stir fry chicken, sweet and sour chicken, egg rolls and crab rangoon, and coconut chicken. However I hesitate to count the stir fry or sweet and sour chicken as legitimate achiements, as I used a pre-packaged mix either powder or liquid, to flavor it. The crab rangoon was enjoyable but it didn't taste like what I would buy! As for the coconut chicken, well lets say that if I ever make coconut chicken I'll be using a different recipe
Enter Panko bread crumbs.
I don't know why any other recipe I've ever tried has not involved this miraculous, and satisfying ingredient. One day while I was browsing stumble I came across a recipe for some orange chicken. Of course, being orange chicken, my attention was immediately garnered. However while I was browsing the ingredients it called for one I had never encountered before, "panko" crumbs. Since I had no idea about what Panko crumbs were I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make the recipe, and I was toying with the idea of using a substitute bread crumb mix.
While I was on my trip to Maine I discussed this mysterious item with my Uncle who I knew did some cooking. He told me that panko was Japanese lighter, fluffier breadcrumb and that it would stay crispier better than ordinary breadcrumbs. Still unsure of its texture he told me they used it in tempura. Having just had my first sushi experience, the shrimp tempura I had eaten and enjoyed was fresh in my mind. I became determined to find panko and try this recipe.
Off to the store I went once I got home. First I looked down the baking aisle, then I looked at the world food items, and then to the bread crumbs. I scanned the shelf several times but couldn't find any "Panko". As I was turning away discouraged, I finally spotted them, top shelf. Eureka!
So I bought the Panko, took it home, and decided to start cooking! It was quiet a process, took me the better part of two hours. Then again, I was preparing a whole meal, rice, broccoli, and an separate meal for my mother who has numerous allergies. Dipping the chicken in egg, then cornstarch, then egg, then the panko, was probably the most time consuming. Upon consideration I probably could of just used the old "shake it in a baggie" trick, and saved some time but as they say hind-site is 20/20 Although I started frying the chicken at to hot of a temperature I quickly discovered my mistake and turned the heat down. It can be cooked easily, same as if you were cooking chicken bits without the breading.
So you won't have to listen to my detailing, here's the link to the recipe for you
http://thenoshery.com/2010/03/19/better-than-takeout-orange-chicken/
End of story, the results were fantastic. That's not to say I won't ever go back to a Chinese restaurant, it's a lot of work! However, I do plan on using the Panko again in the very near future. I've found another recipe on stumble I want to try, it calls for "bread crumbs or flavored (Italian) Panko" Guess what I'll be using?
Enter Panko bread crumbs.
I don't know why any other recipe I've ever tried has not involved this miraculous, and satisfying ingredient. One day while I was browsing stumble I came across a recipe for some orange chicken. Of course, being orange chicken, my attention was immediately garnered. However while I was browsing the ingredients it called for one I had never encountered before, "panko" crumbs. Since I had no idea about what Panko crumbs were I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make the recipe, and I was toying with the idea of using a substitute bread crumb mix.
While I was on my trip to Maine I discussed this mysterious item with my Uncle who I knew did some cooking. He told me that panko was Japanese lighter, fluffier breadcrumb and that it would stay crispier better than ordinary breadcrumbs. Still unsure of its texture he told me they used it in tempura. Having just had my first sushi experience, the shrimp tempura I had eaten and enjoyed was fresh in my mind. I became determined to find panko and try this recipe.
Off to the store I went once I got home. First I looked down the baking aisle, then I looked at the world food items, and then to the bread crumbs. I scanned the shelf several times but couldn't find any "Panko". As I was turning away discouraged, I finally spotted them, top shelf. Eureka!
So I bought the Panko, took it home, and decided to start cooking! It was quiet a process, took me the better part of two hours. Then again, I was preparing a whole meal, rice, broccoli, and an separate meal for my mother who has numerous allergies. Dipping the chicken in egg, then cornstarch, then egg, then the panko, was probably the most time consuming. Upon consideration I probably could of just used the old "shake it in a baggie" trick, and saved some time but as they say hind-site is 20/20 Although I started frying the chicken at to hot of a temperature I quickly discovered my mistake and turned the heat down. It can be cooked easily, same as if you were cooking chicken bits without the breading.
So you won't have to listen to my detailing, here's the link to the recipe for you
http://thenoshery.com/2010/03/19/better-than-takeout-orange-chicken/
End of story, the results were fantastic. That's not to say I won't ever go back to a Chinese restaurant, it's a lot of work! However, I do plan on using the Panko again in the very near future. I've found another recipe on stumble I want to try, it calls for "bread crumbs or flavored (Italian) Panko" Guess what I'll be using?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Rules for Playing in an Ensemble
1.) Everyone should play the same piece
2.) Stop at every repeat sign and discuss in detail whether to take the repeat. The audience will love this a lot!
3.) If you play a wrong note, give a nasty look to one of your partners
4.) keep your fingering chart handy. You can always catch up with the others
5.) Carefully tune your instrument before playing. That way you can play out of tune all night with a clear conscience.
6.) Take your time turning pages
7.) The right note at the wrong time is a wrong note (and vice versa).
8.) If everyone gets lost except you, follow those who get lost.
9.) Strive to get the maximum NPS (notes per second). That way you gain the admiration of the incompetent.
10.) Markings for slurs, dynamics and ornaments should not be observed. They are only there to embellish the score.
11.) If a passage is difficult, slow down. If it's easy, speed up. Everything will work itself out in the end.
12.) If you are completely lost, stop everyone and say, "I think we should tune."
13.) Happy are those who have not perfect pitch, for the kingdom of music is theirs
14.) If the ensemble has to stop because of you, explain in detail why you got lost. Everyone will be very interested.
15.) A true interpretation is realized when there remains not one note of the original
16.) When everyone else has finished playing, you should not play any notes you have left. If you have notes left over, please play them on the way home.
17.) A wrong note played timidly is a wrong note. A wrong note played with authority is an interpretation
*disclaimer, this was not written by me*
2.) Stop at every repeat sign and discuss in detail whether to take the repeat. The audience will love this a lot!
3.) If you play a wrong note, give a nasty look to one of your partners
4.) keep your fingering chart handy. You can always catch up with the others
5.) Carefully tune your instrument before playing. That way you can play out of tune all night with a clear conscience.
6.) Take your time turning pages
7.) The right note at the wrong time is a wrong note (and vice versa).
8.) If everyone gets lost except you, follow those who get lost.
9.) Strive to get the maximum NPS (notes per second). That way you gain the admiration of the incompetent.
10.) Markings for slurs, dynamics and ornaments should not be observed. They are only there to embellish the score.
11.) If a passage is difficult, slow down. If it's easy, speed up. Everything will work itself out in the end.
12.) If you are completely lost, stop everyone and say, "I think we should tune."
13.) Happy are those who have not perfect pitch, for the kingdom of music is theirs
14.) If the ensemble has to stop because of you, explain in detail why you got lost. Everyone will be very interested.
15.) A true interpretation is realized when there remains not one note of the original
16.) When everyone else has finished playing, you should not play any notes you have left. If you have notes left over, please play them on the way home.
17.) A wrong note played timidly is a wrong note. A wrong note played with authority is an interpretation
*disclaimer, this was not written by me*
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Informative History on the Pledge
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
When I said that did it catch your ear? You may or may not know this, but the pledge that is repeated today is not the way it was originally written by Francis Bellamy in August of 1892. What I just said a few seconds ago was the original version before several modifications were made. Something else of interest is the fact that putting our right hand over our heart was not the original way to salute the flag. All the modifications made to the pledge and salute were because of various historical influences, which I will discuss in a moment, as well as giving you a short history of the writer of the pledge. Although some people objected to the changes that were added, we still dutifully recite the pledge with the modifications in place.
Francis Bellamy was born in Rome, New York, May 18, of 1855. He died August 28, 1931.He was 37 years old when he wrote the pledge. On June 1, of 1881, Francis married Hattie Benton, throughout the course of their marriage they would have two children, both boys. Francis’s political beliefs were definitely socialistic, yet despite this he was a Baptist minister. Later in life he was dismissed from his pastoral position because of his socialism. At the time of his dismissal he went to work for one of his parishioners, David Ford, and the editor of the Youth’s Companion, the magazine that would later publish the pledge. Socialistic beliefs seem to have run in the family, as Francis’s cousin, Edward Bellamy, was a well known author at that time of the two socialistic utopian novels “Looking Backward” and “Equality”. Following in his cousins footsteps, Francis managed to get some of his own work published as well. The most well known being the pledge of allegiance, which debuted in the Youth’s Companion. The Youth’s Companion was a nationally circulated magazine for teenagers at that time. Francis wrote the pledge (as well as a speech) for a public school Columbus day program that the Youth Companion was encouraging to take place on a national level. Before Bellamy wrote the pledge, the only well known American flag recitation repeated was written by Colonel Balch in 1889. It went like this. “We give our heads and our hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one Flag." The new pledge written by Bellamy caught the eye of the public and still stirs American hearts today.
The pledge remained unchanged from its original form until 1923. At that time the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added in place of just “my flag” in an attempt to make the pledge more specific to the US. Supposedly this was so that immigrant children would not confuse the flag referenced in the pledge as the flag of their homeland country. Due to Communist concerns in 1954, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God” to rid the pledge of any potential socialistic interpretation . This final addition to the pledge produced the iconic verse that is repeated across America today: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”
One Last interesting fact to note about the history of the pledge involves the gestures. Originally the salute was made with stiff right arm, palm down, extending outward. When it was changed, the familiar hand over heart gesture was used only for the first half of the pledge. Upon reaching the second half, speakers would extend their right arms towards the flag palm down. During WWII, having no desire to resemble Nazi Germany’s salutes to Hitler, the second half salute was modified to the hand over the heart for the duration of the pledge.
Although Francis Bellamy’s granddaughter contended that he would not have approved of the changes to the pledge’s composition, her concerns went unheeded. The change that was made in the gestures while saying the pledge met with no notable resistance at all. These changes evolved the pledge into what we all know and repeat today.
When I said that did it catch your ear? You may or may not know this, but the pledge that is repeated today is not the way it was originally written by Francis Bellamy in August of 1892. What I just said a few seconds ago was the original version before several modifications were made. Something else of interest is the fact that putting our right hand over our heart was not the original way to salute the flag. All the modifications made to the pledge and salute were because of various historical influences, which I will discuss in a moment, as well as giving you a short history of the writer of the pledge. Although some people objected to the changes that were added, we still dutifully recite the pledge with the modifications in place.
Francis Bellamy was born in Rome, New York, May 18, of 1855. He died August 28, 1931.He was 37 years old when he wrote the pledge. On June 1, of 1881, Francis married Hattie Benton, throughout the course of their marriage they would have two children, both boys. Francis’s political beliefs were definitely socialistic, yet despite this he was a Baptist minister. Later in life he was dismissed from his pastoral position because of his socialism. At the time of his dismissal he went to work for one of his parishioners, David Ford, and the editor of the Youth’s Companion, the magazine that would later publish the pledge. Socialistic beliefs seem to have run in the family, as Francis’s cousin, Edward Bellamy, was a well known author at that time of the two socialistic utopian novels “Looking Backward” and “Equality”. Following in his cousins footsteps, Francis managed to get some of his own work published as well. The most well known being the pledge of allegiance, which debuted in the Youth’s Companion. The Youth’s Companion was a nationally circulated magazine for teenagers at that time. Francis wrote the pledge (as well as a speech) for a public school Columbus day program that the Youth Companion was encouraging to take place on a national level. Before Bellamy wrote the pledge, the only well known American flag recitation repeated was written by Colonel Balch in 1889. It went like this. “We give our heads and our hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one Flag." The new pledge written by Bellamy caught the eye of the public and still stirs American hearts today.
The pledge remained unchanged from its original form until 1923. At that time the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added in place of just “my flag” in an attempt to make the pledge more specific to the US. Supposedly this was so that immigrant children would not confuse the flag referenced in the pledge as the flag of their homeland country. Due to Communist concerns in 1954, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God” to rid the pledge of any potential socialistic interpretation . This final addition to the pledge produced the iconic verse that is repeated across America today: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”
One Last interesting fact to note about the history of the pledge involves the gestures. Originally the salute was made with stiff right arm, palm down, extending outward. When it was changed, the familiar hand over heart gesture was used only for the first half of the pledge. Upon reaching the second half, speakers would extend their right arms towards the flag palm down. During WWII, having no desire to resemble Nazi Germany’s salutes to Hitler, the second half salute was modified to the hand over the heart for the duration of the pledge.
Although Francis Bellamy’s granddaughter contended that he would not have approved of the changes to the pledge’s composition, her concerns went unheeded. The change that was made in the gestures while saying the pledge met with no notable resistance at all. These changes evolved the pledge into what we all know and repeat today.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Mark Schauer
True story
Mark Schauer walks into a coffee shop.
There is a young teenager working the counter
Mark Schauer: "Are you old enough to work?"
Teenager: "Not yet, next year"
Mark Schauer: "Well tell your parents I said "Hi" then"
FOR REAL?! Needless to say, said teenager said he wouldn't ever vote for Schauer if he's ever up to run in two years. And I highly doubt such treatment of their son is going to get the parents or grandparents to vote for Schauer either. Way to shoot yourself in the foot Mark, saves us the trouble.
Mark Schauer walks into a coffee shop.
There is a young teenager working the counter
Mark Schauer: "Are you old enough to work?"
Teenager: "Not yet, next year"
Mark Schauer: "Well tell your parents I said "Hi" then"
FOR REAL?! Needless to say, said teenager said he wouldn't ever vote for Schauer if he's ever up to run in two years. And I highly doubt such treatment of their son is going to get the parents or grandparents to vote for Schauer either. Way to shoot yourself in the foot Mark, saves us the trouble.
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