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Archive for the 'Employee Benefits' Category

Mother – Daughter Public Speaking

Thursday, July 27th, 2006

Awwww.¬† How’s that for family togetherness?!

I asked my mom¬†if she’d like to join in the pain of some public speaking in January, and she said yes!

I get asked to do presentations, from time to time, on pseudo retirement- and health-plan related topics.

This time, the scintillating subject¬†is 401(k) retirement plans (and the new Roth 401(k) plans).¬†

As a financial planner, I suspect she’ll appeal to the audience on a level very different (and more interesting)¬†than¬†my usual legal compliance¬†approach.¬† Thought it might make for a better overall presentation to bring in different perspectives.

At least one other benefits attorney will be joining in the mix, too.

And I’m now on a mission to recruit two additional¬†souls, before early September, so that no one of us will have to speak too long.

(Can you imagine an all-day seminar of 401(k)s??)

¬†Anyway, now that I’m a mom, myself, I have a better appreciation for all the things my mother has done for me.¬† She changed my diapers, fed me, taught me to walk and talk and take care of my cats.¬† She paid me allowance.¬† I borrowed her clothes.¬† We’ve shared hugs and arguments,¬†taken vacations together, talked about the past¬†and planned for the future together.

And now we’ll be 401(k) plan speakers together.¬†¬†

It almost brings a tear to the eye.¬†

Can You Afford Not To Watch It?

Wednesday, May 17th, 2006

Below is an excerpt from the article Will Your Workers Ever Retire?, by Dallis Salsibury (President and CEO of the Employee Benefits Research Institute), and originally published on Human Resource Executive Online (hreonline.com).¬†

Looks like I already missed the showing in my area, but I’m going to try to catch it online, where it will be available starting tomorrow:

Television specials sometimes have the power to change public perceptions and to move Congress and presidents to action.

As the Employee Retirement Income Security Act sat stalled by interest-group debates, NBC ran a one-hour special on the pension crisis. Shortly thereafter ERISA became law.

Maybe the same dynamic will begin this week.

For many months, we have been reading of pension terminations and freezes, and of Congress moving slowly towards another “pension reform” bill. The public has been amazingly quiet as Congress, the administration and interest groups spar.

Discussion — or action — may pick up with the airing this week of a PBS special “Can You Afford to Retire?” The subtitle of the broadcast: “Baby Boomers Face Retirement Crisis as Lifetime Pensions Wither and 401(k)s Can’t Keep Up.”

What I Did This Week

Saturday, May 13th, 2006

Can’t think of anything particularly inspiring to blog about just now, but I suppose I have an excuse.¬† Here’s what I’ve been up to¬†lately:¬†

On Monday, I gave a nearly two-hour presentation to some Wisconsin-licensed insurance agents on the finer points of HIPAA health privacy law.¬† It’s hard to know whom to feel sorrier for – me, who has to prepare these things, or them, who have to listen to something that they really don’t grasp at all.¬† This time around, I tried to make the topic more accessible by tying it more into their personal experiences, as health care patients, instead of addressing HIPAA issues that they might encounter in their work so much.¬† And I always try to throw in some cute graphics on the power point slides to keep everyone awake.

On Tuesday, we had a big meeting at work about some major benefit plan changes we need to do, ASAP, for a client.¬† This comes at a time, of course, when I already have more than one person can really handle.¬† Luckily, I get to delegate most of this project.¬† Found out that the Internet access at our house went out – part of switching our cable arrangement around because of the change of guard in the tenants, upstairs.¬† Realized that I have a bad addiction to the Internet.¬†

Wednesday:¬† Had a conference call, with just me on one end, and two clients on the other, to discuss some revisions needed¬†on their screwed-up, home-cooked¬†(those are¬†legal terms) health plan documents.¬† Found out that some relatives I don’t get to see very often will drive in from several states away for a little visit next month.¬†

Thursday: Attended a lunch presentation hosted by a local benefits group on the topic of the ‘latest benefits developments in DC’ from a Washington insider-type.¬† Decided to¬†do some power networking and invited a guy who sat next to me (and who once interviewed me for a job) to participate in a program my boss and I are¬†trying to line up for the¬†State Bar Association later this summer.¬† Dig it.¬†He said yes.¬†

Also spent two¬†hours Thursday¬†night at the church we belong to (cynics among you: note that I said ‘belong to,’ not ‘attend’) -¬†helping to assist them with revising their Employee Handbook.¬† I got recruited for a little pro bono “HR Committee” work.¬†¬†Missed Emma’s bedtime while I was there.¬†¬†):¬† Came home and proofread Paul’s final paper of the semester.¬†

Friday, I handled another conference call, solo, with two other clients with questions on the¬†health insurance premium differentials permitted under the proposed “bona fide wellness program”¬†regulations.¬† This evening, Paul, Emma, and I, Paul’s parents, my mom, Paul’s¬†brother and¬†his fiance made our second annual outing to the Lobster Boil at Arrowhead High School for the benefit of the many special needs programs the school offers.¬†

While there, three 11-year-old boys visiting from France for the week (Antoine, Thomas, and Maxim) were quite taken with Emma, and made friends with her.¬† Thomas even kissed her goodbye on the cheek when he left.¬†¬†Europeans are so smart.¬† They love babies and give kisses to new acquaintences.¬† How can you go wrong on either of those?

And we have Internet again.¬† Yay!¬† Now I won’t have to expend my nervous, post-Emma’s-bedtime energy¬†on any other unhealthy compusions.¬†

I’m so swamped with work that I have to be in the office much of the day Saturday.¬†¬†

And then Sunday, will be my first actual, really, official Mother’s Day! I was pregnant last year, but I definitely have more to celebrate this time¬†around.¬†

An all-day nap would be a great gift, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.¬† But a short nap would still be great.¬† And while I’m wishing, I’ll just go ahead and hope for a vacation day, too.¬†¬†

What the H-E-Double Toothpicks !? (as they say in Wisconsin)¬†

Free Retirement Planning Booklet

Thursday, March 30th, 2006

I guess this day was bound to come sooner or later – the day that my work bled over into my blogging…

I learned today that the EBSA (that’s a branch of the Department of Labor called the Employee Benefits Security Administration)* has published, and will send anyone who wants it, for free, a booklet called “Taking the Mystery Out Of Retirement Planning.”

Promoting awareness of retirement savings options (and the power of compounding money, even on small savings) is a topic near and dear to my heart.

One of my heros in this area is Economist and part-time Actor, Ben Stein (he was the teacher in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off who kept saying “Bueller…”, and he does the “Clear Eyes” commercials). He may be a republican, but he’s a superstar in the area of promoting personal financial literacy. Someone has to do it. Our schools and society in general do a lousy job at preparing anyone on these topics. One of my long-term plans/dreams is to put together a college class (or maybe just a book or collection of articles) on the topic of the history of the safety net, and how the philosophy about society’s obligations to its weaker members has changed and evolved over time, both in the U.S. and elsewhere. Another pipedream I have is to promote changes in high school curricula to add more info on basic financial literacy skills. That topic is mostly absolutely ignored now, which is horrible.

Anyway, call up the old EBSA (toll free), at 1.866.444.EBSA (3272), and they’ll send you a copy of this booklet, if you’re interested, especially if you are a “Baby Boomer” and/or within 10 years of retirement. That’s actually the target audience for the booklet. I ordered one (but then I’m a retirement nerd). It will be shipped to me in a couple of days.

*And for those of you still reading, I’ll explain my use of an asterisk after the name of the EBSA, above. You see, until three years ago, the EBSA (Employee Benefit Security Administration), which is the government body responsible for enforcing many employee benefits law violations, was known (and had been known since 1974) as the PWBA (the Pension and Welfare Benefit Adminsitration). In my line of work, and according to the Department of Labor, all employee benefits are either 1. a “Welfare Benefit” (i.e. a health plan or other, non-retirement benefit), or 2. a “Pension Benefit” (a retirement benefit). So maybe the name sounds weird but that’s the law. That is, until George W. Bush came along and changed it. He doesn’t like the word “welfare,” you see. That’s it. No other reason than that. So in February 2003, he changed the name of the PWBA to the EBSA (to eliminate the word “welfare” in the agency’s name). Consquently, every single document or law or website or plan document that referred to the PWBA was suddenly incorrect and had to be updated. Just thought you’d like to know that. We benefits practitioners thought it was strange, indeed. But oh well. Now it’s the EBSA. (If you ask me, it’s strange how often politicians bash lawyers (or, if you’re Dick Cheney, shoot them) and then turn around and give us plenty of work to do, keeping up with all of their law changes – this is only a tiny, easy, example). I shouldn’t really complain. It keeps me employed. But it’s interesting to learn where your tax (and benefit plan dollars) go.


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Sweets from Curaçao

Originally published on 30 July 2009. Updated – 28 April 2011 to add some new recipe links, where found. For additional information on Curaçao cuisine visit the following pages (found through googling)

Almost 2 years ago, I wrote about my visit to Curaçao, the lovely island in the Caribbean Sea that is part of the Netherlands Antilles. Back when I would post about my travels more regularly. Or just post more regularly…

Anyway, one of the things that had really interested me from my visit was the plate of traditional sweets I received, as it was a reminder that even if names were different, and languages, the people and food of the Caribbean do share so much!

Curaçao - Traditional Sweets 2

Of course, back then, I really didn’t know for sure the names of what I had eaten! But thanks to Flickr, and a helpful comment* from a Curaçao flickrite, I can now inform my readers. Starting from the pastry at the front left and moving clockwise –

  • Tèrt (cupe cake), a small crusty bottom filled with prunes. (recipe in papiamentu)
  • Kokada (the dark brown one), grated coconut in brown sugar glaze (this is the one that tasted like tulum) (the original link seems to not exist anymore, I searched and found this one (not in English).
  • Tentalaria (the white one), ground cashews in a sugar cream (the one that reminded me somewhat of peyra) – try this link (not in English).
  • Panseiku (peanuts chunks), praline of toasted peanuts, in a brown-sugar brittle (we all have nutcakes!)
  • Ko’i Lechi (bar) meaning literally milk thing, caramel bar (fudge!, the Trini kind, hard and sugary)

Another view of the plate.

Hope you enjoyed the revisit to Curaçao…or at least the sweets of Curaçao!

* yes, yes, this comment was from a year ago, but it’s about time I blogged it! And make my goal of 2 posts in July.

If you liked my post, feel free to subscribe to my rss feeds

17 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

  1. Nice!

    1. Cynthia on July 31st, 2009 at 12:07 am
  2. That photo certainly got my sweet tooth going! I’m a fudgeaholic – there’s a place in West Mall that has them in all sorts of delicious flavours and I try to avert my head when I’m passing by there because once I step inside all is lost.

    4. Liane Spicer on August 1st, 2009 at 10:04 pm
  3. Good day,

    Curacao is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. The people were so friendly and no one made problems. I still remember the sweet houses. All of them had different colours and seemed to be very traditional.
    I really miss the Netherlands Antilles. Although I paid a lot of money, I would travel again to Curacao…

    5. Flug on August 4th, 2009 at 10:03 am
  4. I don’t have a sweet tooth and that is why I probably still have all my teeth and just one cavity. Time will probably take care of that 😉

    The sweets look good but nut cake takes the cake 😉

    6. aka_lol on August 5th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
  5. Nut cake is a serious classic :-) Nuts AND sugar. Although I can resist sweet things much more easily than fried and savoury things…

    7. Chennette on August 5th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
  6. I was born and raised in curacao and have been living in new york for a few years now long time and let me tell you Korsou have some of the best kept secret dishes ever. And ive tasted lots of cuisine. Thanks fot the memories because i forgot abot tentalaria. The best. Yum thanks again

    8. tayanara on October 12th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
  7. Hello and welcome tayanara – I would love to go again to Curacao (when I’m not fasting!) so I can discover more surprises and secrets!

    9. Chennette on October 12th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
  8. Great article which I read with pleasure. Keep on posting these good ones and THANX!

    10. Fernsehsessel Blog on April 26th, 2010 at 10:04 am
  9. The best example of this unique Caribbean style is iguana stew. Prepared just as you would imagine, the dish is a favorite of locals (who say the meat greatly resembles chicken), though it often takes an adventurous tourist to have a taste. Traditional Dutch recipes dating to the early colonial period such as keshi yena – a baked dish with plenty of Gouda cheese, meat and other fresh ingredients – are also popular in many of Curacao’s restaurants. Much to the surprise of many visitors, Indonesian cuisine plays an important role in Curacao’s culinary scene. Brought to the island by the Dutch after establishing colonies in Southeast Asia, Indonesian ingredients and cooking techniques have found their way into many favorite local recipes. One such dish is rijisttafel (Dutch for “rice table”), a combination of rice, vegetables, meat or seafood and the hearty kick of chili peppers.

    11. Magnetschmuck on June 11th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
  10. thanks for the love… i hope you go to korsou soon…and by the way the iguana soup is the best…..i miss it….and the iguana eggs are known for strenght

    12. tayanara on August 12th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
  11. I´m a freak of sweets so I´m trying to taste all of those sweets. Do you think it´s possible to get informations about how they made it. Maybe you can mail me and send me some more informations. Thank you

    13. College Jacken on September 3rd, 2010 at 8:56 am
  12. The links in the post are all I know.

    14. Chennette on September 3rd, 2010 at 12:15 pm
  13. The links is the post don’t work anymore. And I’d also really like to know how to make these delicious-looking sweets :)

    Hey knuffel – thanks for visiting and for bringing this to my attention. I searched for some new links, but wasn’t always successful. The last 2 I don’t have recipes for, but the panseiku was really just like a brittle and the ko’i lechi was a condensed milk fudge, so you can look for equivalent/similar Caribbean recipes for those things.

    15. knuffel on April 18th, 2011 at 8:48 am
  14. Those above are really, really sweet! It is my first time to see those sweets and I am craving for it now. Maybe one of these days I’ll go there and not to miss the sweets.

    16. Healthy Snack on May 12th, 2011 at 10:23 pm
  15. K’oi lechi is one of my favorite sweets in Curacao and they are so easy to make. These sweet little morzels are delicious and addictive, once you have one, you keep on eating……at least if you have a sweet tooth like I do. They bring back good memories of the time that I was there.

    17. Eliane on August 18th, 2013 at 5:35 am
  16. haha.. yes i am from trinidad and i live here in Curacao and at first when i heard the names of these sweets i thought what is that ??

    but when i saw them i said ay we have that in trinidad too but we call it something else.

    i must say overall Trindiad still has the best food though haha.

    Somebody need to open a patraj roti shop over here. The roti here is not the same lol.

    18. cynthia on August 3rd, 2014 at 6:31 pm
  17. Hi Cynthia. Thanks for visiting! Good to know you had similar reactions 😉 I haven’t been back to Curaçao again to know if these sweets are the same.

    19. Chennette on August 3rd, 2014 at 9:19 pm

2 Trackbacks

  1. […] Lifespan of a Chennette blogs about traditional sweets from Curacao: “It was a reminder that even if names were different, and languages, the people and food of the Caribbean do share so much!” Cancel this reply […]

  2. […] Lifespan of a Chennette [en] blogt over traditionele lekkernijen uit Curaçao: “Het was weer eens een bewijs dat de mensen en het eten in het Caraïbisch gebied heel veel overeenkomsten hebben, ook al gebruiken we verschillende namen en verschillende talen!” […]

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Wednesday, 31 May 2017

Millionaire's shortbread with Terry's Chocolate Orange: Father's Day recipe

Father's day recipes

Since we got a new oven delivered and installed last Saturday, I've been busy catching up on my baking. My old oven died of old age, it was not new when we moved to our house over 8 years ago, and in the last years had no light inside; every time I turned the fan on, it would make rumbling sounds like a mini tractor. It had a good life though, and was much used, baking winning cakes as well as some disasters. My latest oven is Neff, let's hope the famous German quality proves to be not just the stuff of myths.
Just today I baked shortbread for Millionaire's Shortbread recipe with Terry's Chocolate Orange. Terry's Chocolate Orange PR have got in touch with me, asking if I'd like to try one of their recipes on the run to the Father's Day.
Since all my three men have a sweet tooth, I knew it would be appreciated.
If you fancy making this lovely treat for Father's Day, here is the recipe, courtesy of Terry's Chocolate Orange. It's perfect for the whole family. My older son loved it.
So, first comes the recipe, then my thoughts on it.

Father's day recipes, shortbread recipes

Millionaire's Shortbread
The Terry's Chocolate Orange Millionaire's Shortbread is an irresistible twist on the traditional recipe; the crumbling shortbread base and indulgent caramel perfectly combine with the signature chocolate orange flavour for its top layer decorated with the iconic orange segments.
Prep time 45 minutes
Cook time 50 minutes
Makes 25 squares (or 15 bigger slices)
For shortberad:
135g butter, softened
175g plain flour
55g sugar
1 orange, zested

379g can condensed milk
75ml golden syrup
150g butter
100g sugar
3 Terry's Chocolate Oranges

Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan and line a 20x20 brownie tin. In the bowl of a food processor, add the butter and plain flour. Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and then add in the sugar and orange zest and blitz again to combine. Take the mixture out and work with your hands to form a ball of dough. Push the dough into the base of the lined tin until it is flat and even and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, prepare the caramel. In  a large non-stick frying pan, heat the condensed milk, golden syrup, butter and sugar until the butter has melted and the mixture begins to boil. Stir constantly to keep it from burning. Turn the mixture down to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the colour starts to become golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool and thicken slightly.
Once the shortbread is cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes and pour the cooled caramel over the top. Allow to cool and then chill for 10 minutes while you melt the chocolate.
Bring a small pan of water to boil and place a heatproof bowl over the top making sure that the water does not touch the bowl directly. Break up the chocolate oranges into segments, reserving half of one for decoration and tip the rest into the bowl. Turn the heat down immediately to a gentle simmer and allow chocolate to gradually melt. stirring occasionally.
Once the chocolate has melted, remove the shortbread from the fridge and pour over the chocolate, making sure to spread it into the corners.
Use the remaining chocolate segments to decorate the top and then chill until firm.
Once the chocolate is set and you are ready to serve, slice into squares.

Father's day recipes

I followed the recipe precisely, and thought that there was too much of caramel sauce. It was a very thick layer of caramel, which is still quite soft, even after a few hours in the fridge. The chocolate has set well. Next time I'm making this recipe, I'll halve the amount of caramel.
You don't really need a food processor to make shortbread, hands are just fine for making crumbs.
I had to re-do the chocolate layer, as my first attempt at making the chocolate sauce produced a curdled chocolate. I have mixed cooking milk chocolate and one chocolate orange, and then the sauce turned glossy and easy to spread.

I liked the addition of orange slices, I think it's an inspired twist on a classic recipe.

My slices were all different sizes. I don't need Cherish from Creme de la Creme with her ruler to tell me that. I suspect she would run away in shock horror.

Will you be baking any sweet treats to celebrate the Father's Day?

Father's day recipes

Disclosure: I received several chocolate oranges for the purposes of testing the recipe. All opinions are our own.

Tuesday, 30 May 2017

The story that should have never happened

I'm very glad to say Farewell to May. It has been a stressful difficult month for our family, especially our older son Sasha. He is severely autistic and non verbal. Any change from routine unsettles him.
His thinking is very rigid. The shampoo bottles should be just in one place in the bathroom. If I turn the toothpaste the "wrong" way, he would always turn it back. Action sequences are often ritualised, and routines are to be followed, or he gets very upset.
When we learnt that our trusted school transport team wouldn't be working with the school any longer (sadly, the company went into liquidation), I thought it would be a big problem for Sasha to adjust to a new team. Little did I know just how big a problem it would be,
Since there was little time between the company stopping work and finding new transport teams to take children to school, people without any experience of work with special needs kids were hired.

The first day Sasha returned home after school, he was very agitated and  unsettled. The bus driver complained about his behaviour, accusing him of hurting his female assistant (I will refer to her as FA). He said he compiled a report on him. He was very brusque with me, to the point of being rude, and said they might not take Sasha to school any more.
We called the school, and the teacher who observed what has happened said he pushed the FA as she was hovering over him. The teacher reassured me that they would be working with the transport team and explain to them about autism.
The FA told my husband that she couldn't sleep in the night, that she was short of breath and needed to go to see the doctor. At which point my radar started buzzing an alarm.
But we have apologised to the FA and driver for all the trouble.

He continued travelling to and from school with these people, who were absolutely unsympathetic. Sasha's behaviour in the meantime was getting worse and worse. He refused to go in the classroom, locking himself in the toilet to escape people. At home he started hiding in the airing cupboard, again locking himself in, which he has never done before. He looked very miserable, and my heart was breaking. We were very worried and didn't know how to help him.
The school were anxious too as Sasha's behaviour has changed dramatically. He has been doing so well this year at school, and suddenly he didn't want to take part in any school activities,
His anxiety was palpable, and he kept pointing to the symbol of the school bus in his social story.

After the second complaint from a driver the week afterwards, I said I'd walk with Sasha to school myself.
Unfortunately, it was not a solution. My husband commutes to work, and cannot take our younger son to school every day. And both boys attend schools which are in totally opposite directions.
Walking with Sasha to school was so difficult, as he was distressed - it was yet another change of routine for him - that I dissolved into tears in the presence of Sasha's teachers. They were most kind to me, calmed me down, listened to me and offered to help, saying that they would talk to the transport team again.

After struggling for a few days, we reluctantly agreed to send Sasha to school on the bus.
You might have seen these school buses for special needs children, they are not big in size and carry several children at a time, and two adults - a driver and an assistant.

Poor Sash would arrive home in tears, and my heart was breaking to see him so unhappy. When I asked the transport if it were possible to see the CCTV footage, they explained to me that the cameras did not operate.
How irresponsible is that?! The cameras should be working for the protection of both sides.

After I read their reply, I decided we needed to do our own investigation. I ordered a Spy Voice recorder on amazon. It is a tiny gadget, which looks like a USB stick, and can record up to 17 hours in one go. It is easy to charge and operate.

In the morning we put the voice recorder in Sasha's school bag, and waved him good bye. I felt quite bad about spying on them, but had no other choice really.
In the evening, my husband and I listened to the recording together. I had to go back a few times to listen again and again, as I couldn't believe what we heard.
Our vulnerable child who couldn't defend himself or tell us what was going on, was verbally abused by the FA. The driver didn't say much, but he was complicit in my mind, since he made no attempt to stop his FA.

We will never know what has really happened on the days when Sasha was travelling with them. We only recorded one day, but even one day was unbearable enough.

The FA kept taunting him with words like this "I'm bored. You're here to amuse me (telling this to all children). Then to Sasha - You're not, you're rotten little thing. You're rotten, rotten through and through. Aren't you?! You will never be my cherry berry muffin. You would be the cat litter tray, that's what you would be". She also laughed at him, saying that he was "probably ripped that and all, ain't he".
She kept clapping her hands and bothering other children on the bus, clearly to amuse herself.
Sasha was quiet at first, but she kept baiting him to provoke a reaction. It was like baiting a chained animal, knowing perfectly well he could do nothing in response.

It was difficult to listen to that recording as Sasha was getting more and more upset, and none of the adults made any attempt to reassure him.

I was shaking, listening to that woman. In fact, after it ended, I ran to the toilet to throw up.
You trust these people with the most precious in your life - your child, and find out that they abused the position of trust.
How could you say that to any human being, let alone a vulnerable child?! Such vile, despicable attitude! Knowing perfectly well that they were safe from anyone reporting them, with most children on the bus being non verbal. These people should never be working in a position of trust.

We emailed the head of the school at once with the copy of the recording, as well as the social worker who helps us. The head got in touch with the safeguarding team. The driver and the FA were suspended while the investigation was going on.

It was decided that the FA would lose her badge and would not be able to work in the position of trust. The driver who claimed he didn't hear much of what she was saying, would have to do an additional training. He was also remorseful during the panel meeting, while the FA was unrepentant.

A small victory, yet at what cost.
It will take a long time for Sasha to get back to his normal self. He also got such a bad skin rash due to stress that we had to go to the doctor. But that will be cured. It's the inner scars that take a long time to heal

As for the audio recorder, this was the best £15 I have spent in my life. Without it we would have had no clue as to what our son was subjected to, though sadly we'll never know what happened during the days we haven't recorded.

I have been thinking hard whether to talk about it on my blog or not. I might change my mind, and remove the post later. We are all feeling violated.

P.S. I should also add that I am most grateful to Sasha's school - head and teachers, and our social work for all the support and help in this dismal situation.

One of Sasha's selfies from a few years ago

Aubergines in tomato sauce

summer side dishes, BBQ side dishes

Last time we had a BBQ on May Bank Holiday, it was raining, and we had our meal indoors. We enjoyed it a lot nevertheless and promised each other to have another BBQ on the next Bank Holiday.
As it typically happens, it was raining again. I wonder if there are Bank holidays in this country when it doesn't rain? I imagine there are, but the impression is that as soon as we plan a BBQ, it's ought to rain.
For me a good BBQ needs to come with a lot of vegetable side dishes. A simple potato salad with soured cream and chives or dill is one of my summer staples. It goes well with any meat or fish.
A slaw is another classic choice. Yesterday, our friends brought with them a big dish of homemade babaganoush and fennel slaw.
Jay, being Australian, is the king of BBQs. Alas, due to the incessant rain we had to change all our plans, so he prepared a roast pork at home.
To go with the sausages and roast pork, I decided to make a side dish of aubergines in tomato sauce. This is a recipe which my Mum used to make often in summer and early autumn. It is a Southern Russian recipe, unheard of many years ago in my home town in the North East, where my parents came to live as young specialists. My Mum still has her Southern accent, even after living for almost 50 years in the North. The locals have their own peculiar accent, which is known as "lazy jaw".
But I digress.
I also remember cooking this dish for my in-laws in Italy, and they said it is very similar to some Southern Italian dishes. Anyway, you can vary it, and use just fresh tomatoes and fresh, uncooked garlic (just don't go on a date afterwards, as your breath will be very garlicky). The authentic Russian recipe would be made with a sunflower oil rather than olive oil.

BBQ side dishes

Aubergines in tomato sauce
3 medium aubergines
80+ml olive oil (or vegetable oil)
4 medium sized tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 bottle of passata (540g)
1 pack of chopped tomatoes with chilli (390g)
a glug of good quality balsamic vinegar

This aubergine dish can be used as an accompaniment to the meat, or eaten on its own. It's tasty on a chunk of crusty bread, cold from a jar in the fridge. But it's lovely piping hot as well.

My Mum usually slices the aubergines, and puts them in a big dish under the heavy lid for a couple of hours with a sprinkle of salt.
I use a different variety of aubergines, which don't have a bitter note to them, so I don't bother with the prep.
Cook them in batches in the deep frying pan with plenty of oil until brown and soft. Season with sea salt.
Skin the tomatoes by first plunging them in a pan of boiling hot water for a minute, then in the cold water. I don't always skin tomatoes, but some people are funny about eating tomato skins, and since we had guests coming over, I thought I'b better do it. Chop them finely and set aside.
Chop the garlic and give it a quick fry, add the passata and chopped tomatoes with chilli (from a pack). Bring the sauce to boil and cook simmering for a couple of minutes with a glug of balsamic vinegar.
Layer the aubergines in a deep dish, then a bit of chopped tomatoes, then add the tomato sauce, then aubergines and tomatoes and sauce again. If you have fresh parsley chop it and add on top.

That's how you start the first layer before the sauce is added

In this recipe I used two products from Cirio. They often send me a selection of their products for testing in recipes.
Cirio La Passata is an authentic Italian product, made with ripe tomatoes which were crushed and bottled to season all dishes. It is a versatile ingredient for many dishes, from different cuisines.

Cirio Polpa Fine Finely Chopped Tomatoes with chilli is made with chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, red peppers, garlic, salt, sugar, chilli. It has just the right amount of heat, a good chilli flavour without overpowering the tomatoes.

Aubergines in tomato sauce will keep well in a closed container in the fridge for a couple of days.
You could also stir them into any pasta dish.

BBQ side dishes

Monday, 29 May 2017

Qixels Kingdom Castle Attack Playset

creative toys for children

If you sighed with relief that your kids are not that into Hama beads anymore, "beware" - there is a new playset on the block which can rival both Hama and Aqua beads. I remember a few years ago Hama beads were found everywhere in our house. I still occasionally find a rogue bead which has been hiding for a couple of years at the bottom of the drawers or behind the books on the bookshelf.
I believe Qixels have first made their appearance a couple of years ago, but their range has expanded to include new creative playsets.
Qixels Kingdom Castle Attack Playset (£29.99) will appeal to many fans of Hama and Aqua beads
as well as Minecrafts lovers.

Qixels are the award winning brand brought to you by Character Options.
What exactly are they?
They are a variation of plastic beads - pixelated cubes, fused together with a spray of water.
The playset includes 1000 qixels cubes, 2 cube trays in two parts - top and bottom, 6 design templates, 6 display stands, 2 display bases, 4 plug in accessories (dragon flame, axes etc), door frame, draw bridge, large and medium  floor/wall plates, window frames, turrets, flags, poles, ladder, 1 water sprayer and 1 storage tray + an instructions leaflet.

This playset will allow children to create their own pixelated world full of fun themes and characters. No heat and no glue, simply make, spray, let it dry and play.
The castle parts can be assembled in a variety of constructions. You build your own unique castle, the possibilities are endless.

As my 6-year-old son Eddie is very much into Minecraft, he found these pixelated characters very appealing.
He hasn't done all the suggested designs yet, as the last week of school was very busy, with the May Day dancing, lots of term homework to be completed (for some reason we always leave it until the last moment, so it gets very hectic).

You need to put the top tray with holes over the bottom tray with pins. Don't forget about the top tray: we didn't put it at first, and then Eddie had to redo his design.
Place design template under tray using small tabs to lock it in place.
You might also put a template next to the tray, as it is not very easy to see through two trays.
Firmly press each cube one at a time onto the pins in the tray, matching the colours on the template.

Once the design is completed, spray the character with water from a water sprayer bottle. Make sure that all the areas are covered with water. Gently tilt the tray to shake off the excess water. Lay it flat and leave to dry.

According to instructions, it should take just over 30 minutes for the shape to set. I have shaken the tray as suggested. We left it to dry overnight, but when we lifted it in the morning, the down side was still a little bit sticky.
Overall, it is an excellent quiet activity. Our minor suggestion is to add a lid to the tray where the cubes are sorted (if you don't make all the characters in one go).
The Qixels Castle features 1000 cubes to create a Qixels Kingdom, where children can defeat savage trolls and regain power of their lands.
This is just one of the Qixels products, which you can mix and match for an imaginative play.

While 1000 cubes seems to be a very decent amount, I think for a truly creative spree you might need more beads. This is where the Mega Refill pack might come handy.

Eddie loved the set, and plans to finish the remaining designs this week. He has also been checking online which other sets are available. What have I "unleashed"?!  He's now saving his pocket money for the glow-in-the-dark Qixels set.

Disclosure: We received the Qixels playset for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Monday, 22 May 2017

Grilled tuna and courgette salad

easy salad

It's been a very hot day today. I was sweltering in a jacket on a school run. Our run is literally a sprint, as I grab Eddie by hand and we hurry home in time for Sash to arrive on a school bus.
Saturday, on the other hand, was completely miserable, cold-ish and rainy. As we were walking into town to do some grocery shopping, we met a friend who asked us if we were heading to a food festival. Drat and double drat, I have totally forgotten about it, and didn't have my camera with me. My iphone is of a geriatric generation, with a very basic camera, so I didn't bother to take many pictures with it. We did go to the festival which was held in and around St Mary's Church, under a persistent rain.

The crowds seemed not that bothered by the rain, and there were long queues for any freebies, especially at the gin stall. That's called devotion - to queue in the rain to get a shot of free gin.
Eddie and I ran into the church, trying to escape the rain.
There was an impressive array of foods and drinks, especially the preserves and flavoured oils.
I didn't buy much, just a jar of local honey and strawberry jam - both from Holmes Made, a tin of Ariana natural spice blend from GoSpice, a small bottle of redcurrant syrup (non-alcoholic) and a chunk of pancetta from The Cotswold Curer.

I would have liked to spend more time, looking at the foods, but Eddie was quite bored and kept asking when we were going home.
The most magnificent displays of cakes were created by Aston Pottery. Alas, they didn't sell the cakes, only shared the printed leaflets about themselves. I wonder what they did with all those glorious goodies after the festival ended.

tuna salad

When it's a hot day, I prefer to have simple salad dinners. Tuna is a versatile ingredient for many kinds of salads.
To make a very simple grilled tuna and courgette salad you will need:

2 Tuna steaks
2tbsp mirin rice wine
2tbsp dark soy sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
2tbsp olive oil
1 courgette
a good drizzle of chilli-flavoured oil
mixed salad with pea shoots, a handful
green olives
for dressing:
1tbsp runny honey
juice of 1/2 lime
2tbsp toasted sunflower seeds

Slice each steak into four strips and marinade in a deep bowl in a mix of mirin, dark soy sauce, lime juice and sea salt for about an hour.
Drizzle the olive oil over the grill pan and heat it up. Cut the courgette into 3 pieces, then slice each one into "chips". Drizzle the courgette with a chilli-flavoured olive oil, and cook on grill for about 5 minutes, turning over once or twice.
Cook the tuna on grill for about 5 minutes, turning over.
Assemble the salad by layering the salad leaves, then courgette and tuna. Scatter the olives and sunflower seeds and drizzle a simple dressing of lime juice and honey.

tuna salad

Since I used a bit of chilli-flavoured olive oil (from a Filippo Berio olive oil hamper that I won before Christmas) and the remains of a bag of sunflower seeds, I'm adding this recipe to #KitchenClearout linky hosted by Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews.

Thursday, 18 May 2017

Disney Crossy Road toys

collectible minifigures
Disney Crossy Road Minnie Mouse, next to a daisy, to show the size

Just the other day Eddie was telling me with sadness that one of his class mates was making fun of his love of Mickey Mouse. According to that mouthpiece of primary school wisdom, only babies like Disney. I said "Wait a minute, a lot of grown-ups love Disney, especially Mickey and Minnie".
"Why don't we go to the toy shop and ask them?" Our local toy shop Denton's has a very friendly staff. There are three young people who know all about the latest toy crazes and who are happy to show us their latest cool toys like fidget spinners etc.
Eddie's been much taken by a brand new minifigures' range called Disney Crossy Road (available at Character Online) and we have taken an insert with a list of all the range to show at Denton's and ask if they have it.
And so we chatted to the guys and showed them our list. To Eddie they are all an epitome of coolness. He was much reassured when the guys at the shop said they knew of Crossy Road app, but haven't heard of the toy range. I think Eddie was on cloud nine that he has got toys that even the toy shop doesn't have yet.
He also appreciated the fact that they think Disney is awesome.

collectible minifigures, Disney toys

Disney Mickey Mouse toy

When I was asked to review this new range, I confess I haven't even heard of Disney Crossy Road. But my 6-year-old knew perfectly well what I was talking about.
If you're as ignorant of apps as me, Disney Crossy Road is a popular game app, with lots of Disney characters you can win or buy. I had a quick look at the reviews, and apparently the visuals are very impressive and the game is entertaining. I'll just have to take their word for it, as I have no plans to try it myself.

Image credits: Disney Crossy Road

And now Disney Crossy Road fans may rejoice as the new range of collectible toys has been launched.
Each character comes with its own rarity status, ranging from rare, epic, secret, legendary and limited edition.
There are 40+ characters to collect including Mickey and friends, Toy Story, Big Hero 6 and Lion King.

Disney Crossy Road range includes both minifigures and bigger plush toys.

collectible minifigures

You can anticipate that these new collectible minifigures will be the latest craze -collect, swap and play with your minifigures.
Eddie already cannot wait for the new range to hit the shops to spend his pocket money on adding to his collection.
Choose between plush figures, mini figure packs or mystery figures.
A mini figure pack has 4 toys (£10.99), three of which you can see through the plastic, while the 4th one remains hidden. Mystery figures (£3.49) are exactly that, basically pot luck, as you don't know and cannot guess what is hidden inside a small box.
If you enjoy unboxing videos (Eddie loves them, I never watch them), there are some great unboxings going on at Moose website.
Crossy Road items are available at Tesco, Asda, Toys R Us, Smyths and Argos.

Disclosure: We received a selection of toys for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Wednesday, 17 May 2017

Grilled courgette and Scamorza salad

Italian cheese, salad with cheese

Browsing the cheese aisle in Waitrose a few days ago, I noticed a new Italian cheese added to the range - it was a smoked Scamorza. There was no price tag, and nobody to ask. Fast forward several days, the cheese was still there without a price, so I found a member of the staff and asked for help.

I tried Scamorza Affumicata many years ago in Italy, when my mother-in-law pan-fried it for a quick lunch.
This cheese definitely benefits from pan-frying or grilling, when it acquires a delicious crust. You can eat it uncooked as well, but the texture is a bit plasticky.

I love smoked cheese, and Granarolo Scamorza has a distinct smokey flavour. It's a delicious cheese, and I'm so pleased to see it in the local supermarket.

Since it's a National Vegetarian Week, I have been eating salads every day this week.
This is a recipe for one, but it can easily be doubled for two.

You will need (per person):
3tbsp olive oil
3 baby courgettes, sliced in half
2 slices of Scamorza cheese
3 baby tomatoes
a handful of mixed salad leaves
balsamic vinegar

Slice courgettes in half lengthways and put on the grill pan, drizzled with olive oil. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Season with sea salt, while cooking. Add the sliced tomatoes to the grill for a couple of minutes. Scamorza takes no more than a couple of minutes on grill to turn golden-brown crusty, and chewy soft inside. Put the courgettes, tomatoes and cheese on a plate with salad leaves, and drizzle some good quality balsamic vinegar over the salad.
Eat with a well toasted bread. I had it with another Italian food product - lovely crusty Farina Pugliese bread.

It is such an easy recipe, yet immensely satisfying. I will be definitely buying this cheese again.

easy lunches, vegetarian meals

vegetarian meals, meat-free meals

Monday, 15 May 2017

Mini Stretch Scooby

Scooby Doo, the lovable Great Dane, is almost 50 years old. His gang's adventures have been entertaining more than one generations of fans.
We have quite a collection of Scooby Doo DVDs (animation series and movies) because our son Edgar is a very big fan of the series. It appeals to his sense of macabre humour, he just loves all the stories with ghouls, zombies and monsters.
If you are a fan of this endearing funny dog, you will love a new addition to The Stretch Armstrong range - a Mini Stretch Scooby.

best toys for kids

The toy Scooby has a cheeky grin. His body is amazingly pliable and flexible.

fun toys, Scooby Doo

Grab him by his arms and legs and start exercising.

Scooby Doo toy

This 7-inch-long toy is the ultimate moldable and malleable toy. With the strongest formula, this action toy can be stretched again and again. Have a look at our stretching exercises, and every time the toy returns to its original shape.
Here is Eddie, laughing his socks off, trying to stretch Scooby as far as possible.

stretchy toys

This range is suitable for children aged 5+.
For this and other stretchy toys from the range, visit Character Online.

Disclosure: We received a stretchy Scooby for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Saturday, 13 May 2017

Onion soup with cheese toast

French recipes, best soup recipes

I do love a good old French onion soup, but don't cook it very often, as my sons dislike onions. When Eddie was younger, he loved French's fried onions (the one you buy in a plastic tub), but otherwise wouldn't eat any. Such a shame.
Saying that, I remember as a child I hated cooked onions too. When my Dad made his famous chicken soup (one of two dishes that he could cook), he would spoon out the onion which he cooked whole in the broth, and pretended to eat it, while I ran out of the kitchen gagging and screaming.

Onion soup (serves 2-3)
25g butter
3tbsp olive oil
5 sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp flour
a good glug of sherry (optional)
100ml dry red wine
500ml beef stock
sliced baguette or stonebaked ficelle and grated cheese (a couple of slices per serving)

Brown the thinly sliced onion rings in a large frying pan, with butter and olive oil. Keep the heat on low, and stir frequently. Once the onions started to caramelise and brown, add a generous glug of sherry. Stir until the alcohol is absorbed, then add 1tbsp of flour and stir for about a minute. Then add the red (or white) wine and beef stock.
Cook simmering for about half an hour. You might want to add hot water to the soup, if it becomes too thick.
Serve the soup with toasted slices of bread. Add the grated cheese, like Gruyere or Cheddar and grill the toast. Once the cheese has melted, add the toast to the soup.

There are many different variations of this classic French recipe. Some people use only white onions, some cook with red onions. Some cooks like to add a spoonful of Marmite or a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a bay leaf or even garlic.
I have also made toast with grated Parmesan, and it was delicious.

best soup recipes

Super Geek Heroes Animated Series (review + competition E: 31 May 2017)

Image credits: Super Geek Heroes

Geek is the new cool nowadays. Meet the super smart team called Super Geek Heroes!

Who are these new children's heroes? They are seven super kids with amazing learning powers.
Jake Jotter, Millie Maths, Ronnie Rock, Vicky Voice, Suzi Smiles, Peter Planet and Ant Active are showing children that education could be a source of great fun.
Their motto is "Having fun in turn with a mission to learn!"

Their super powers originate in three prime and four specific development areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
The development areas and resulting characters are:
Personal, Social and Emotional Development - Suzi Smiles
Understanding the World - Peter Planet
Communication & Language - Vicky Voice
Literacy - Jake Jotter
Numeracy - Millie Maths
Physical Development - Ant Active
Creative Arts & Design - Ronnie Rock

Super Geek Heroes reminded us of another educational TV programme for younger children - animated superhero numbers Numberjacks. And wasn't there a Go Jetters show, where four explorers were going on a world-round adventure?!

We have watched a couple of episodes together with Eddie, as I also wanted to find out what this new show is about. I liked the fact that all the names of geographical locations were sounded for an easier understanding.
These videos are educational and entertaining, with an engaging content.

They cover a variety of topics, from learning about morning routines to facts about rainbows and weather, from keeping fit to telling the time, from sight words to eating healthy food.

The characters are easy to relate to, as they are all young children. Even their names relate to the school curriculum. Eddie's school uses a system of the so called learning muscles (for example, Buzzy the Bee represents Creativity).

For more information, visit Super Geek Heroes. Information for parents and carers could be found at Super Geek Heroes/Parents.

If you like the sound of this excellent new show for children, you might like to enter a competition to win a 6-months' subscription to KidsCast APP, where you can download and view Super Geek Heroes on the go or cast to your TV (among many other programmes for children).

To be in with a chance of winning please watch the video above and answer the following question:
In the first video on the playlist - which continent is number 7 in Peter Planet's lesson?

The competition is open to the UK residents only.
If you login as Anon, please leave your Twitter handle or some way of getting in touch with you if you win.
If the winner does not get back to me in 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person.
The competition ends on 31 May 2017 at midnight.

Good luck!

Many thanks, everyone!
The winner selected randomly from all correct answers was Leila B! Big well done!

Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Asparagus, kale & Dolcelatte pasta

vegetarian meals, vegetarian pasta

I am not a big fan of kale, I find its texture too fibrous and tough. I feel a bit like a farm animal eating its share of roughage to keep healthy. I have tried it in many dishes, and haven't warmed up to it. It might be a super food, but it's not a happy food for me.
Seeing friends posting on social media how much they enjoy kale crisps and salads makes me question my dislike of kale every time. Do I cook it the right way? I have read numerous articles on how to cook it properly, and which mistakes to avoid. I still don't like it. Sorry, kale, our relationship is not working. It's not you. It's me.
In a fit of healthy thinking, I bought a bunch of fresh kale. What was I thinking? My mind must have been muddled up by the lack of sleep yet again.
I decided to cook a healthy vegetarian dinner with very healthy whole wheat pasta.

There was a pack of Garofalo whole wheat penne pasta in the latest Degustabox delivery.
I confess we typically eat just standard wheat pasta, not whole wheat. The taste is different, so is the texture. It does have health benefits obviously.

Asparagus, kale & Dolcelatte pasta
about 5-6 big kale leaves, shredded thinly
2 cloves of garlic
6tbsp olive oil
1 medium courgette, sliced
a small pack of asparagus tips
about 80g of Dolcelatte cheese (I used just over a half of 150g pack)
penne pasta

In a deep frying pan heat the oil and throw in thinly shredded kale. I read that you need to slice it thinly, as in making slaw. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped garlic and sliced courgette. Add the chopped asparagus too. Cook for another 6 minutes or so. You might add a little bit of hot water, while cooking the veg. Add the Dolcelatte in the last minute, stir in the vegetables. The cheese will melt and coat the greens.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Drain, mix with the vegetables. Serve hot, with a bit of Grana grated on top.

Italian pasta recipes

OK, what's the verdict? It was edible. Next time though I would use other greens, like chard. It has more flavour and is less chewy.
What's your take on kale? Are you a big fan or a kale refusenik?

vegetarian pasta

Linking up my very green pasta recipe with #EatYourGreens linky hosted by A2K and The Veg Hog.


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AIDS Run & Walk Chicago 2016
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South Loop | Website
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AIDS Run & Walk Chicago calls the HIV community together to change the story of HIV by fundraising, raising awareness and combating stigma. Since its inception in 2001, more than 20,000 participants, raising more than $3.5 million net, have converged in Grant Park to get moving against HIV/AIDS. Join the fight with thousands of others to help more than 36 AIDS service organizations! It's never too early to start fundraising. If you need assistance please call (312) 334-0946.


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Tricks and Treats at the Mighty Organ: A Halloween Concert for All Ages
This event occurred in the past.

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Ghosts and goblins, special effects, and a grand Wurlitzer theatre organ combine with the Park Ridge Civic Orchestra to make this a Halloween night for the whole family. Join the costume parade from the park to the Pickwick at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. performance. An afterglow organ concert begins at 8:15 p.m.


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CLOSED: Son of a Butcher

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Sunday Brunch just got a little bit better with an offering of "piggie by the lb".  All entrees can be smothered in one of several homemade sauces from Basil Hollandaise to Tarragon and Almond Chimichurri. Come supper time there are small and large plate offerings of bone marrow, duck hearts, lamb shanks and hog wellington. Dine in an old-school atmosphere while dining on a very modern selection of meat.


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  • Weekend Recipe – A Chicken in Every Pot

    Posted by Sgt. Mom on January 11th, 2013 (All posts by )

    Layers of butterflied chicken with onions over sourdough bread

    This is a lovely recipe for a whole chicken, butterflied and baked on a layer of seasoned, sauteed onions and slices of stout artisanal bread – which we will have for supper tonight, with leftovers reserved for another evening. I found it in an old issue of “Cuisine at Home”, where it had been taken from Ari Weinzweig’s “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating”. Enjoy… but take note that the bread has to be very sturdy. My local supermarket bakery does a very nice ciabetta loaf that works well.

    Sautee in 1/4 cup olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or oven-proof skillet approx. 12 inches in diameter:
    3 large onions, halved, and sliced into half-moon shapes
    3 cups celery, sliced

    Stir in:
    2 tsp. minced lemon zest
    1 3/4 tsp. coars sea or kosher salt
    1 tsp. minced garlic
    1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
    1/2 tsp. dried thyme
    1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
    1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

    While the onion is cooking, butterfly one 3-4 lb young chicken, snipping along the backbone with kitchen shears on either side. Spread out the chicken flat, and press down with the palm of your hand on the breastbone to crack and flatten it. Rub the butterflied chicken with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt

    When onions are soft and translucent, empty the onion mixture from the pan, remove from heat, and cover the bottom of the skillet with slices of the bread, cut 1/2 inch thick. The recipe calls for about half a baguette, or two ciabatta rolls. Spread out onion mixture on top of the bread, and top with the butterflied chicken, arranging it to cover as much of the surface of the onion and bread as possible. Pour over the chicken:

    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice.

    Roast uncovered, in a pre-heated 375 deg. oven for about an hour and a half, until beautifully golden-brown. Let stand for ten minutes after being taken out of the oven. To serve, cut chicken into quarters, and serve over a lavish spoonful of the vegetables and the bread, which will be almost caramelized on the bottom.

    5 Responses to “Weekend Recipe – A Chicken in Every Pot”

    1. Michael Kennedy Says:

      Looks good. How about boned ?

      I did a boned turkey recipe for Christmas one time. It looked like roadkill. Then we stuffed it with a sausage mix. I went back to regular turkey the next year.

    2. Sgt. Mom Says:

      It is good – boning it is too fiddly work for me – just snip out the backbone, flatten and position atop the bread and onions. One year for Christmas, we did a pair of rock Cornish game hens arranged on a small mound of stuffing – it came out beautifully.

      (PS – Mike, did you get my email sent to your webside addy? I have a friend who has a curious question about results of a misuse of laughing gas in the mid-19th century. Let me know if I should re-send.)

    3. Jonathan Says:

      This is news that I can use.

    4. Michael Kennedy Says:

      I just checked and saw several requests for book reviews but nothing like you describe.

    5. Sgt. Mom Says:

      OK – I will post the question again on your blog contacts page.


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Chicago Weather: Second round of rain could snarl evening commute – WLS-TV

WLS-TVAfter heavy rain Monday morning, a second round of storms could snarl the evening commmute as most of the Chicago area is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. (WLS). WLS. By Jessica D’Onofrio and Eric Horng. Monday, July 10, 2017 04:29PM.Chicago Area Weather: Severe Storms, Heavy Rain Possible – PatchPatch.comSevere thunderstorm watch declared for parts of […]

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Red Carpet Fashion: Met Gala 2013 (Part 1)

Tonight was my absolute favorite event of the year [that I don’t attend because it’s $25,000 a ticket and I’m not famous] — the Met Gala. Saying it’s the Oscars is fashion is an understatement. When you’re typically used to seeing strapless sparkly gowns on the red carpet (#boring), this event has anything but. This year was especially exciting with the whole punk theme (which we already discussed last week) so I decided to do my red carpet posts a little differently this time. Be looking out for part 2 coming soon, as well as a “best punk,” “almost punk,” and “not so punk” posts. Getting a little ambitious with 5 posts but I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy writing them. If not, please lie in the comments section.

So I hope you’re ready for some serious red carpet commentary, because here it goes.

 photo HilaryRhodainWesGordon.jpg Hilary Rhoda in Wes Gordon

Want More?

Punk is Back

Well at least for the next week or so. We’ll see about after that.

Last week I shared an exciting designer collaboration — Charlotte Olympia and Tom Binns (which is now available online by the way) — that’s celebrating the Met’s latest exhibit and theme for this year’s Met Ball, Punk: Chaos to Couture. A few questions to ask yourselves here…1) Will people actually be wearing punk-inspired looks on the Met Ball red carpet this coming Monday? 2) Is punk actually back? If so, to what extent? and 3) Are you aware that a leather chandelier exists? More about that later.

 photo MET_PUNK_52.jpg

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Best Red Carpet Looks of 2012

Because I’m itching for a red carpet post and the Golden Globes aren’t until January 13 (same night as Girls season 2 premiere…why would you make us choose?!) I wanted to round up the best red carpet looks of this past year.

Please note these are only from major red carpet events. There’s a movie premiere or some magazine party just about every week. But THESE are the red carpet events that really matter (plus I just can’t keep track of the other ones).

PhotobucketGwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford at the Oscars

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Just a bit of photos. cause the others haven send me yet.
i shall be a good girl & stay at home whole day later. resting day! the guys went to watch drag me to hell.... heard that it's scary. & i almost win back those $$ i lost. hahhahahahah SHIOK.
Updates next time. C:

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Showing posts from March, 2013

staff lounge

I've been a very busy girl. In conjunction with our big admin off remodel,  I was given the task of designing our new staff lounge. Here's the sadness of what used to be:

Five tired Jappling arm chairs, a coffee table, and sad tv (with a huge lack of cord management). Yeah, it was nothing to brag about, especially since we work at IKEA. The back of the house was definitely neglected, so with the opportunity for a remodel, I definitely wanted to spice things up a bit and show our co-workers a little luxury. I also wanted to incorporate more seating well beyond five people.

Here's a photo of the room once after the flooring was stripped. Below you'll see that a new wall was installed underneath the header on the left wall.

My manager and I collaborated to choose the wall color. A vast improvement over the original wall color, eh? The focal wall is Olive Moss and the left and right walls are Deep Silver - both by Benjamin Moore. And because I love doing elevations, I …


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At the Tribeca Film Fest, a Big Debut

IMG_0583“There were three of us at first,” said Beatrice Winston, 18. “We were freshmen, all shy and scared.” The three girls, each struggling with her sexual identity, felt very alone in their new school. But they found courage in each other and decided to start an LGBTQ club. One by one, other teens joined. A social worker at their school agreed to facilitate the club, which
became a safe haven.

When the club had the opportunity to make a short film, through a partnership between The Child Center of NY’s Beacon Center in Far Rockaway and The Tribeca Film Institute, they knew exactly what they wanted it to say.

For months, the students met with a professional filmmaker to learn the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. The result of their hard work is What If?, a PSA that asks the question, How does it feel to be in the minority? The film presents a high school where homosexuality is the norm, and students are bullied for being straight. When a boy and a girl are caught holding hands, their classmates taunt them, “Go home, nasty heteros.”

The film ends with a sobering statistic: 9 out of 10 LGBTQ students report beingbullied because of their sexuality.

Today the group is as close as family. The teens finish each other’s sentences and often burst into laughter. To see them together is to believe in a world where kids can be themselves. “If I hadn’t joined this group, I’d still be living like a hermit with no confidence,” says 17-year-old Diamond Persaud.

On April 25th, the group traveled from Far Rockaway to the internationally known Tribeca Film Festival, which screened their film. It was a big moment, and a big statement. “Here we were in this school all together. We struggled. And now we did something good,” said 18-year-old Millie Rios. “For us, this is a very big deal.”

To see the film, click here.

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How Businesses and Nonprofits Can Bridge the Skills Gap: Our CEO Weighs In

HBR logo 1 We are thrilled that this week our CEO and Executive Director Traci Donnelly was featured in Harvard Business Review  for her ideas on how nonprofits and businesses should work together to help kids build skills for 21st century jobs. She suggests that the business sector collaborate with organizations like The Child Center and form a “new partnership”:

“If you give our kids a chance by offering them meaningful internships and apprenticeships, we in the nonprofit sector can, in return, give these interns and apprentices the support they need to succeed. In effect, we can help to insure your investment in them.”

You can read it all here.   Let us know what you think!

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Latest figures out from SENAME, the national service for young people in Chile, show that child sexual abuse report levels reached more than three thousands cases between January and May of this year. The stats indicate an overall rise in sexual abuse, when compared to the same period of last year, that translates into a 22% increase. The chart below shows that most but not all regions have registered more cases, in particular in the capital Santiago and Valparaiso.

The service, SENAME, has published a guide for parents that outlines some of the warning signs to look for in children, both physical and emotional/psychological, that might indicate potential problems. Parents are expected to be more vigilant towards their children’s behaviour as this is likely to be one of the first indications that something may be wrong. Sadly, most abusers will be well known to the child and could be members of the family. The guide reminds the Chilean public that abusers can come in all shapes and sizes, from any background including those that are often respected in the community as in schools and religious communities. A common misconception that persists is that abusers will be readily distinguishable from non-abusers, for example, by having mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, or by having a physical disability or being addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Although it should be remembered that the majority of children are not subjected to abuse and privation, recent stats suggest that as much as 20% of young adults in the UK suffered severe maltreatment as children. Vigilance (without hysteria!) is the order of the day.

Here are some general statistics regarding child abuse worldwide:

  • Approximately 40 million children are subject to child abuse each year
  • Suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents around the world
  • One study revealed that about 30% of all severly disabled children relegated to special homes in Ukraine died before they reached 18 years of age.
  • UNICEF estimates that two million children died as a result of armed conflict during a recent 10 year period, and another 6 million were injured or disabled.
  • In Canada, US and Mexico, over 6.5 million children annually are exposed to unwanted sexual material over the internet; over 1.7 million of these report distress over exposure to these materials.
  • Each year, approx. 1 million more children around the world are introduced into commercial sexual exploitation.
  • Sexual abuse statistics vary between countries and reports, but are consistently alarming: one country’s research indicates that up 36% of girls and 29% of boys have suffered child sexual abuse; another study reveals up to 46% of girls and 20% of boys have experienced sexual coercion.

Back to the report from Chile, it is entirely possible that the increase in sexual abuse only really represents an incerase in reporting and not actual abuse per se. As awareness increases and more people are on the lookout for cases of crimes against children, so the discovery rate rises. If true, this will be of little comfort to Chileans or to the government. Clearly more work is needed, as I’m sure SENAME would agree by the way, in order to ensure all children are safeguarded as they grow up; this is their right. Chile is still very much a developing country and yet the economic development over recent years has been relatively rapid. With the creation of wealth comes responsibility. As with relative poverty, rights for women, students and workers, Chile needs to make sure that no one is left behind in the race towards ‘developed’ status.

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Thank you for visiting the City of Chilliwack Event Listing.

Please note the City of Chilliwack encourages and supports community involvement but reserves the right to decline any program/event that does not meet the criteria as outlined on the add your event page, or that is not consistent with values of the community as reflected by the policies and opinions expressed by City Council.

Please email if you have questions or concerns about the Event Listing.

If your event meets our criteria please feel free to Add Your Event.

You can also find more events listed on the
Tourism Chilliwack website, at
Access our Events info via your RSS Reader or XML Events Listing
Found 1 Event ...
Showing Clutter to the DoorMar 4, 2017 - Mar 4, 2017
Location: 45860 First Avenue
Contact: Chilliwack Library 604-792-1941

11 am – 1 pm. If you have trouble letting go of things, are always on a search-and-find mission, and your closet is filled with outdated clothes that don’t fit, this is a workshop you cannot afford to miss. Discover realistic ways to gain control of your living space with professional organizers from GOOD RIDDANCE . Help take the dread out of de-cluttering in this entertaining and informative presentation combining laughter and a no-nonsense approach.

Add an Event

Submit an upcoming event for display in the events listing.

Canada Day 2017

Canada Day Celebrations in Chilliwack are going to be held at Townsend Park.


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Zhou Qi agrees to multiyear deal with Rockets

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, July 3, 2017
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 File photo of Zhou Qi.

The Houston Rockets reached an agreement with Chinese player Zhou Qi in a multiyear contract and Zhou will join the Rockets for the 2017-18 season.

The details of the deal is not unveiled but Zhou will sign a four-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal on Sunday.

Zhou was selected No. 43 overall in the 2016 draft by the Rockets but decided to remain in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) for a year. He will come to the Rockets 15 years after the franchise drafted Chinese legend Yao Ming with the No. 1 overall pick.

Zhou, 21, led the Xinjiang Flying Tigers to the CBA title last season. He averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game and was honored as the CBA Defensive Player of the Year.

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Gearbest Lowers Ulefone uWear price to USD 22.99 in Step-up Promotion

Posted in Sep 10, 2015 in News, no comment

Online shop Gearbest started an step-up promotion for the smart watch Ulefone uWear with a base price of USD 22.99, which will keep increasing as time goes by.

To be specific, the price will rise 2 or 3 US dollars every three days until it recover to the original price of USD 29.99. Ulefone uWear is the phone maker’s first wearable technology product which offers a variety of functions like phone dial, SMS receiver, pedometer, remote music and camera control. Now the device comes with either silver or black metal frame.

Take now advantage of this great offer and buy Ulefone uWear from Gearbest online store.

Did this article help you? If so, please tell me in a comment what do you think about it.

Don’t miss any of our future video tutorials, follow us on Youtube. Like us on Facebook. Add us in your circles on Google+. Watch our photo albums on Flickr. Subscribe now to our newsletter.

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Saturday, September 1, 2007

Mini album - Love (Ariff}

This love album concept is adapted from the Rebecca Erickson album. I have changed it to a ring album instead of eyelets. I used thin chipboard to cut out the letters LOVE.

I have lots of photos from Sharon with Ariff and Clarissa. Both were playing nicely and having a great time. Most were loving gazes from Clarissa and hence, the theme of the album is "What we love about you." Was a little tired as I am not well - have a sore throat and I have asked Clarissa to come up with the journalling.

Just used plain small sizzix letterings to make up the following words that Clarissa has used to describe what she loved about Ariff:

smile, laugh, bold, fun, playful, mini size, fuzzy, curly hair, cute boy.

Materials used :

Basic Grey papers, thin chipboard, Bazzill paper, Prima Flower, momoyo brad, KCK hear-shaped brads, ribbons and ric racks that I bought from various places.

1 comment:

Shaz said...

WOW!! you have to bring this to show me k.. i have to feel and touch it! cant wait! see ya monday.. i like the journaling.. well done clarissa especially the words fuzzy and curly hair..hehehe..he's definitely that!


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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Simple Steller's

The sun rose bright and shining this morning with not a cloud in the sky. I knew this meant a very short time for bird photography because it gets way to bright for decent images rather quickly. I skipped breakfast and headed out to the photoblind. The only creatures that visited the bird feeder were jays and squirrels. When God gives you jays and squirrels that's what you photograph. Here is a Steller's Jay from my photoblind in Mendocino County, Northern California. Enjoy and God bless, chris Image created with a Canon 7D and a Tamron 150-600mm lens at 150mm. Camera settings used. AV mode, ISO 800,F 5.0 at 1/25th of a sec. It was still pretty dark as shown by the low shutter speed. Camera was supported by a Manfrotto 055 XPROB tripod with a Bogen 3055 Ballhead. Matthew 6:26 New International Version (NIV) 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

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Friday, March 17, 2017

Northern Alligator Lizard

Yesterday while getting a piece of wood from the wood pile I found this young Northern Alligator Lizard under a piece of wood. I did a catch and release. I photographed it then put it back out on a sunny spot this morning where it can warm up and then find a new spot to shelter the last bit of winter. May you have a blessed weekend, chris This image was created with a Canon 7D MkII and a Canon EF-s17-85mm lens at 85 mm.The camera was supported on a Manfrotto 190 XPROB tripod with a Bogen 3055 heavy duty ballhead. Camera settings used were AV mode, ISO 400, F 16.0 at 1/25th of a sec. The lizard was photographed on a white sweep using 2 LED light panels as a light source.

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Monday, January 30, 2006

Toddler Justice

Last night, I was flipping through a book about the Tower Of London. We had just spent a lovely day there, enjoying what Winston calls “the castle.” I came across a picture in the book of a room that resonated with Winston’s imagination.

The first floor room of the Wakefield Tower was possibly intended as the king’s chamber. It has a lovely round chandelier, a throne and a small chapel. Of course, at that moment, the boy comes ambling over to see what I’m doing. So, I showed him the picture and once again explained the purpose of the room.

“Sometimes, people had problems and they would come to the king to fix them,” I said. Winston nodded his head. “They would ask for a special visit in this room. It would go something like this..."

Oh, your majesty, my neighbour took my cow and milked her without asking me if I wanted to share.

And the king would say, go tell your neighbour that as payment, you are to have half of his milk for the rest of the year.

And the person would say, Oh king, you are very smart. Thank you. Thank you.

Well, Winston liked this idea so much, he thought he’d like to sit in a chair with his orb (a tennis ball) and his sceptre (a stick) and his king hat (a crown.)

Once Winston was firmly settled on his throne, I approached the throne as his loyal subject. Our drama went as follows:

Mommy Subject:
“Oh, your majesty, my neighbour took my cow and milked her without asking me if I wanted to share.”

King Winston:
Take his cows and put the neighbour in Crocodile Lake!

Mommy Subject:
“Oh king, you are very smart. Thank you. Thank you.”
After I dispatched the King Winston wisdom to the realm, I returned:

Mommy Subject:
May I speak, your majesty?

King Winston:

Mommy Subject:
Yes, your majesty.

Clearly the game was not over because he remained on his throne waving his sceptre and holding his orb.

Mommy Subject:
Your majesty, my serving girl ate my cheese without my permission.

King Winston:
Take her to Crocodile Lake and give the her to the neighbour.

Mommy Subject:
To the neighbour?

King Winston:
Give her to the neighbour.

Mommy Subject:
Your majesty is right!

There was a simple kind of wisdom in this logic. The neighbour and the serving girl both take other people’s things without permission. So, I guess King Winston thought they were well-matched. And both somehow deserved a dunking in Crocodile Lake. Funny, how a 2 1/2 year old child has such a good grasp on pre-medieval justice.

So often, we attempt to soften and sanitize history and fantasy for our children. We want them to see the world as safe and secure. We want them to reside in a lovely place of compromise and understanding. But, this simple game of pretend so clearly illutsrates a study done during the Vietnam era. "The teacher asked the children to vote for their favorite ending of Red Riding Hood: wolf feast, woodcutter-take-all, or the stone stomache-ache with a trip down river. Much to the surprise of every adult, the children opted for ending number three because it made the wolf suffer more."(1) Children have an innate need for justice.

(1) Yolen, Jane, Touch Magic, (1981) Philomel Books, New York, "Once Upon A Time," page 30 &31

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Rain Song

Rat a tat tat.
Rat a tat tat

Watch rain drops
get caught
in a spider’s web,

as the clouds
make today’s

Rat a tat tat
Rat a tat tat

Note: Just a little musing from the balcony the other day.
Winston and I stood amazed in the drizzle.
Watching a spider web catch rain drops.
And suddenly we were singing.

The original version had the verse:

Then the digger
boom boom clang
and swished away the song
that the sweet rain sang.

Boom Boom Clang
Boom Boom Clang

We had gone out to observe
the building next door being demolished.
But, the spider's web captured our hearts more

and since, we've only sung the first verse....
over and over and over
for it is winter in London after all.


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Peer-reviewed medical publications

HPV Genotyping and Treatment Outcome Predictions

Urnovitz, HB et al. Detection of novel HPV mutations and chromosomal number imbalance (CNI) in laryngeal cancer using next-generation sequencing (NGS). J ClinOncol 32:5s, 2014 (suppl; abstr 6072).

The detection of novel HPV mutations and CNI analysis in a single NGS run on HPV-related diseases provides important information into viral-host dynamics while generating biomarkers that can be correlated with treatment outcomes.

Breast Cancer Liquid Biopsy Screening Test

Beck, J. et al. Cell-free DNA copy number variations as a marker for breast cancer in a large study cohort. J ClinOncol 31, 2013 (suppl; abstr 11013).

Using comparative massive parallel sequencing of cfDNA from cancer patients vs. controls, we were able to show that a 16-region model based on CNV, is useful to distinguish patients with breast cancer from matched controls.

Animal Model for MRD in Breast Cancer

Beck, J. et al. Structural variation in mammary carcinomas and their detection in cell-free plasma DNA. PLOS One 2013 (10.1371/journal.pone.0075485).

Mammary tumors are the most frequent cancers in female dogs exhibiting a variety of histopathological differences. There is lack of knowledge about the genomes of these common dog tumors. Five tumors of three different histological subtypes were evaluated.

Digital PCR of cfDNA for Transplant Rejetion

Beck J. et alDigital droplet PCR for rapid quantification of donor DNA in the circulation of transplant recipients as a potential universal biomarker of graft injury. Clin Chem. 2013 ;59:1732-41

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from grafts in the circulation of transplant recipients is a potential biomarker of rejection. Its usefulness was investigated after heart transplantation during the maintenance phase by use of microarrays and massive parallel sequencing of donor and recipient DNA.

NGS of prostate cancer

Schütz, E. et al. Comparative analysis of the chromosomal origins of circulating nucleic acids in breast and prostate cancer. J ClinOncol 28:15s, 2010 (suppl; abstr 10505).

The aim of this study was to find signature CNA sequences from patients with breast cancer (BCa) or prostate cancer (PCa) compared to healthy controls, with respect to their predictive potential, as well as to provide new insights into tumor biology.

Breast Cancer cfDNA with NGS

Beck J, Urnovitz HB, Mitchell WM, Schütz E. Next generation sequencing of serum circulating nucleic acids from patients with invasive ductal breast cancer reveals differences to healthy and nonmalignant controls. Mol Cancer Res 2010; 8:335-42.

Chronix has first used the NGS technology for investigation into the use in breast cancer with very promising results.


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Marshall in the Middle

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Republicans Seize the Day for Wall Street

By Chuck Marshall

Well, it didn't take long for the Republican led congress to focus on its true passion and reason for governing.  Wall Street.  Out of all the possible problems to tackle that our country faces today, they feel the need to relieve Wall Street of the shackles of Dodd-Frank that have held it down for so long ? If things are so bad for Wall Street and the banks then why is the stock market at a record high?  I have no doubt that this legislation has some sort of merit, and I'm sure given the nature of any government regulation that the raw product (Dodd-Frank Act)  needed tweaking from the right., but that's the first thing they feel compelled to fix as the 114th Congress ?   We're $20,000,000,000,000 in debt but they need to fix Wall Street's problems first?  Our infrastructure is collapsing in some key areas of the country such that commerce could be hindered and lives could be risked but they need to "fix things" for the banks first off?

Brace yourselves folks, for more incompetence and cronyism from the right now that they are steering the ship.    The Republicans have had 6 years to stew over their lack of control and they have many bones to pick.  How many of these bones are real concerns and needs of the middle class American?  Probably not too much.  After 2 years of Democrats in power conjuring up $10 Trillion dollars more in debt, the Republicans are back with no new ideas just more greed and avarice.  At least the Democrats could pretend they were "helping" out folks with their bloated, blubbery mess known as "health care reform".   The Republicans need a broad paintbrush to conceal this one as anything other than  juicy scraps for their lobbyist friends on K Street.  What's really scary?  I don't think they really care how it looks.

In my humble opinion.......

Friday, January 9, 2015

Murder for the sake of Murder

By Chuck Marshall

Happy New Year, loyal readers !

The terrorist attacks in Paris this week are capturing the world's attention (and my sincerest condolences to any citizen of France who comes across this blog).   I watch as the talking heads on Fox News discuss how bad all this is and they even manage to manipulate the entire tragedy into a reason to criticize Pres. Obama, once again.   They say it's an outrage that he's not addressing this more seriously and his weak leadership opened the door for terrorist attacks in the first place.  Well, first of all I'm not exactly sure what he's suppose to do?  The attack was in Paris, France  after all, not the United States.   I agree Pres. Obama tends to have a more diplomatic approach to the world and its problems and this diplomacy is indeed interpreted as "weak" by our enemies.  In this circumstance though, I am sure  France is fully capable of taking care of itself.,.  Just  ask them.... N'est-Ce Pas?  So, "no" Obama's not doing anything about the Paris attacks but it's not really his place to do anything but condemn the attacks.  He also went to the French Embassy in DC and signed a book of condolences.  I sincerely think that's enough.

Another aspect of criticism did pop up from the right that I would probably agree with.  There is a lack of an effective policy regarding terrorism in general.   It was pointed out that the president won't even call it a "war on terrorism"., a fact I never really thought about.  George Bush came up with that terminology., so that may be part of the reason.  Obama is loathe to follow in the footsteps of our previous President.  Also there is always a flurry of comments from the mainstream media going out of its way to say that these are not the acts of regular Muslims., as if American are going to start hauling out Muslims from their homes a la Nazi Germany.  It's insulting.   I think we're  mature enough that we won't go "off the rails" with anti-Muslim thought processes and actions --even if we don't have the media and the President telling us how we should be thinking.   Of course it's not the fault of the Muslim religion that they have murdering scum within their religion !   I don't need the left wing "thought police" defining that fact for me, It's condescending and above all else it uses up valuable time and thought babbling about an inane and rhetorical point.

On that note, it  occurs to me how much the media is not really doing its job.   These  terrorist attacks occur and I never really understand what it is the terrorists want.  In the case of Paris, it's obvious that the murderers were avenging the insulting cartoons that this French magazine printed.  I get that. ( I'm not real sure why God needs these roaches to avenge him, though--He's God ! )   What about all the other attacks in Iraq, Nigeria, etc.... ?   What do they want?  I would like to see a list with bullet points telling me what these murderers want and the reasoning for killing innocent people.  I'm not saying that any list would justify why they did it., but at least it adds clarity to the insanity of their tactics.  Perhaps our "so called" leaders would actually do their job and speak for us as a people.  Tell the terrorists why they'll never get what they want.  Make it clear that their murdering will not help any cause of theirs and explain exactly why.  Any further killings could no longer be interpreted as "acts of war"  or "martyr ism" but will be "acts of murder" because they are killing innocent and unarmed civilians with the knowledge they'll not get anything they want as a consequence.  The killing of innocents will be blood on their hands.  What they want, I suspect is simply to murder for the sake of murder.  They enjoy it.   May God have mercy on their souls as they reveal themselves as thieves who stole human lives.   God is Great, indeed.


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RSS feed problem fixed

February 16th, 2009 by Ciarán Leave a reply »

I ran into a problem that seems to come up occasionally on the WordPress support forum – blank lines at the beginning of the RSS feed XML file for the site which causes problems since it’s no longer valid XML. A quick look at the support forum pointed me in the right direction. It turned out to be blank lines following the final ?> line in the functions.php I had added to my custom theme to add widget support to the sidebar. This file gets loaded and parsed for every request to the blog, including for the RSS feed, and the blank line is actually seen as an intended part of the output – like the regular HTML you see in PHP files. Removing the blank line sorted the problem out.

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Brett, Thomas

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine

Description of Research:

Chloride channels and their regulators play key roles in airways biology, both in homeostasis and disease states. The CLCA proteins are key regulators of calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) in mucosal tissues and play integral roles in chronic inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma and COPD. We are interested in understanding the structural, biochemical, and biophysical basis by which CLCA proteins mediate CaCC gating and what role this activity plays in mucus overproduction and airway constriction. This complete mechanistic understanding at the molecular level can be used to develop effective therapies to treat these diseases.


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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Haunted Batches

I'm trying to finish up the soaping for the upcoming fall show on October 19th so it still has enough time to cure. Here's some of the latest:

Cursed Halloween Soap
I've been fortunate that, up until recently, I've never had major issues with my soap batches...sure the normal stuff...too thick...too thin...general "doesn't match the vision in my head" kind of thing, then bang...two batches in a row, messed up. I think it's because I'm stressed. I have so much to do to get ready for my first craft show, but I work full-time and have all the normal household and run around teenagers kind of stuff to do too. Maybe it's because I tried to make my Halloween soap on Friday the 13th? Anyway, I had canola on my recipe twice and since I have a good system for adding in all my oils; I start with them on my left and as I measure out into my bowl, I put them on my right. Usually, I start with the oil at the top and go down, but sometimes, when I'm feeling lazy, I'll skip the pain ingredients like cocoa butter (hate cutting that stuff) and come back to them later. So, my system didn't allow me to put in canola twice which meant my recipe was 15% short oils. I can't believe I didn't notice it!

Halloween Soap
I was so excited...I planned a modified dream catcher into spider web design pouring alternating circles of white, black, and orange into four quadrants of my square mold. I used a new FO from WSP, Crackling Fireside, which smells like a smokey bonfire. The oil turned my white soap kind of yellowish, then my daughter noticed something else, "This looks funny Mom, what's wrong with it?" Soap disaster denial kicked in and I said, "Nothing's wrong with it. Don't be such a naysayer. It'll be fine!" Eye roll from daughter. It looked a little, how can I describe it... like curdled buttermilk on top.

I put it in the oven for CPOP and went back to my recipe..there it was...two canola lines on my recipe and I added it once. Lye heavy! So, now what do I do? Pitch it? Rebatch, but add the missing 15%?

I quickly whipped up the redemptive  batch the next night and all was well. I'm not real wild about the FO, but now that  soap has had time to dry out a bit, it's looking pretty good. The final scent is very unlike out of the bottle, but subtle and perfect for this design.

Rose & French Clay Soap with Worm Hole

This little flub was not near the magnitude as the Halloween Soap, but bad enough to make me not want to sell it. Just the day before, I received my new beveler/planer tool form Soap Making Resources. I love it! It turned some ugly ducky soapies into real swans! Yeah it shaves off a little soap, but makes it salable where otherwise, it would relegated to the cabinet of misfit soaps for my husband and son to use. This little gadget makes some beautiful soap curls so why not incorporate into my next batch, a milk-in-oil method goat soap designed with three layers chock full of clay...bottom rose clay, middle fuller's clay, top French green clay. I'll stick a few soap curls in the middle, oh clever me! This recipe was on the thick side since I loaded it with a high percentage of shea and cocoa butter. I nestled perfect curls into the middle, lighter layer and topped it off with my pudding thick French green layer.

My husband is frequently recruited to hold my log cutter box. The first slice was beautiful!!! The second slice...what, the heck was that? A giant air pocket? Mike said, "What's with the worm hole?" Upon closer inspection, yes, there was the little perfect frond of a soap curl all curled up trapping air.
Yikes..and I was sure to include a curl in every slice. This is nice soap and my only goat one I did for the show, but seriously who is going to buy soap with a worm hole?

Black Raspberry Vanilla with Glycerin Embeds

Nothing wrong with this batch, thank goodness, other than being a very strong FO scented soap. I used WAY under the standard FO amount and still it gives me a headache. I'm an essential oil girl, what can I say. My daughter really loves the soap and the scent and I know this one
is really popular for both soapers and customers. It soaped super easy.

I'm going to do one more batch and then I'm putting away the soap box to concentrate on making my bath and body stuff, labeling, table display, and all that stuff. This batch is going to be perfect and I'm going to love everything about it!

  1. So sorry to hear about your Halloween and rose soaps. The Halloween soap looks really nice with the web design.
    Whether it's cooking, baking, or making soap, I tend to make mistakes too when I'm feeling stressed. Since I am sometimes forgetful and clumsy, all of my soapmaking pots/containers have a piece of masking tape with their weights written on it. This makes it easy for me to double check if I have the correct total oil weight.
    Best of luck on your upcoming fall show! :-)

  2. Funny that you mention the weight marks on your containers. Most of my containers DO have weight marks except for the one I used in this recipe. What I should have done, as a double check, is to weigh the total oils minus the bowl weight to make sure I'm on.

  3. Sorry to hear that you had trouble with a couple of batches, Cindy. That must be frustrating when you're racing against the clock and trying to get things done on a deadline. I make more mistakes when I'm stressed or trying to do too much at once, too. The Halloween and Black Raspberry soaps turned out great, though! Best wishes to you on your upcoming craft show! I used to do craft shows back when I sold my soap, and I remember being nervous and excited before each one. Have fun with it, and I hope you sell lots of products!

  4. Thanks Jenny, I'm trying to relax and have fun with it!