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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

That's my boy.

Fancy pants ex-racehorse has been very sweet and almost cuddly lately.  After I blanketed Pistol the other night, George came up and put his head into my arms. Something he never does. He usually keeps his distance. He will let you pet him for about 5 seconds, but then he is on his way once he realizes you didn't come to catch him, and put him to work. He stood there letting me love up on him for a while. Not sure what is happening to him.

This morning I went to feed the horses their breakfast and take Pistol’s blanket off. I’ve been putting a blanket on the old man because I don’t want him burning all his energy to stay warm instead of keeping weight on.  The other two are naked, and will more than likely stay that way because they grow warm thick winter coats. George came up to me again and stood there while I scratched his head. Umm who are you and what have you done to my horse? I then asked him “are you a good horse or a bad horse?” He pinned his ears. I think he may have answered the question for me.

Monday, November 11, 2013

you win some, you lose some.

I am not really sure what is going on with my horse. And I’m not sure if I should be scared or thrilled. Yesterday, the hubby and I decided to go for a quick ride down the road. I have really wanted to ride George, but at the same time, I’ve been dreading it. We treated him for ulcers and his attitude got increasingly worse after we did that. And then he had his abscess, and then the weather sucked, and then I had a million other excuses as to why I couldn’t ride him. So I finally decided that now was as good as time as ever to try him out again.

The weather in North Dakota is a changin’. It’s getting colder but, thank the lord we don’t have any snow yet. So I suited up in my insulated riding breeches (amazing) and then my Mountain Horse Frost Rider boots (AMAZING! Go buy a pair today!!) and then some Under Armor, and some sweatshirts, and my Tipperary vest, and then a down filled North Face vest.  It was only about 34 degrees outside so it wasn’t THAT cold, but the wind in ND SUCKS since most of the corn has been harvested now.  And then I tromped outside warm as could be.

I got George and then at the last minute decided to ride in my western saddle. He hasn’t been ridden in a western saddle ever, but I figured now was as good as time as any.  I then hopped onto the struggle bus and tried to put my saddle up on his back in one graceful movement like you see the people in the movies doing. Nope. Fail. George is a big horse. But you know what? He is a patient horse. He stood there as I struggled to get the saddle on him, and then continued to struggle as I adjusted the girth. As I was tightening the girth, I expected him to take a chunk out of me. Nope, first time he just let it happen. His bridle went on without any drama, but then again, he has always been fantastic about bridling. I mean it isn’t his first rodeo.

I walked him around a bit. I don’t know why but I figured there would be some fireworks when he realized that the saddle he was wearing was like no other saddle he’d ever experienced before in his life. But no, he was fine. And then it was time to climb up. You know I’ve always wanted to just put my foot into the stirrup and then gracefully swing up. But there has never been anything gracefully about me getting in the saddle. Ever. I was still on the struggle bus, and realized that George must have grown a foot taller since I put the saddle on. I pulled myself into the saddle, and he just stood there and let it happen. He doesn’t walk off when you mount, which is great. I’d always heard horror stories about ottbs who walk off the moment they feel you in the stirrup. Not the ones I’ve ever ridden. I do like to tell people I trained them not to do that. But that is a bold faced lie.

George was a perfect gentleman the whole ride. well he DID have one moment where he was certain he couldn’t do something. We were trying to go up the ditch onto the road, and he was certain the tall grass was filled with horse eating snakes. He stood his ground, and kicked out his back right foot. Which is what he does when he is upset about doing something. I said forget it, and moved on to something else and then he was fine. With George you need to let him think he is in charge, and that he makes the decisions. If he encounters something he doesn’t want to do, move on to something else and then come back to what he didn’t want to do later. We came back to the scary ditch later, and he had no problems with it. Is this a good training mentality for all horses? No, I’m sure it isn’t. But if George gets it in his head that he ‘can’t’ he is just going to get stressed out, and then get increasingly more distressed until he reaches his breaking point and it is dangerous for all around. When he started kicking out I knew we needed to move on to something different. The rest of the ride was fantastic. He is pretty lazy, and has a nice walk to him. We actually walked home on an extremely loose rein. He wasn’t trying to rush home which was nice.

I am really impressed with George. To be honest, I was a little nervous about him this summer. The attitude he gave me, and the biting. It wasn’t cool. I wasn't sure he was going to be the horse for me. But he is really turning out to be a really great horse. (HA I say that after riding him like 5 times.) I love that he can sit for long periods of time and not be a nightmare to get on. I am lucky that all of our horses can sit around for long periods of time and then are just the same as the last time you rode them.

Speaking of horses… The new horse didn’t work out. We brought him back today. I hate that we had to bring him back, but he started bolting once you got off of him.  He was a fun little horse, but he just wasn’t going to work for us. He needs to do his job, and sitting around at our house, wasn’t going to do well for him. It’s pretty sad because he was starting to grow on me. But that’s the way it goes in the horse world right? If we had gotten him in the spring we may have been able to work out his problems. But seeing as how it’s dark 23 hours a day here, and it’s only getting colder and darker, the time we have to work with him is limited. And we wanted a finished horse, not a project horse. He was going to be a bit more of a project then we wanted. I am sad, but that’s the way it goes.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Don't get attached!!!

Okay so, I've put off posting this because well, I just kind of lost track of time. And now here it is, almost a week later and I still haven't posted.
If you are following me on Instagram you may have spotted this creature...

But I will talk about him a bit later... I like keeping you in suspense....

Last Saturday we trailered up two red horses and went out to the sand hills, which is in the Sheyenne national grasslands state park. I LOVE riding there. In fact it's where I first fell in love with my very first horse Yellow. They had finished the 4 mile loop that they were working on earlier this year and it was awesome. A really nice little ride that took a little over an hour.
The red horses were fantastic. The weather was absolutely perfect. But I kind of wish I had brought the big gray horse of mine. I think he would have benefited form being out there. NEXT time for sure! I need to remember that even thought he was a racehorse, he is actually extremely well trained. I've heard from more than one person that the barn he trained at is very highly regarded for having highly sought after horses once they retire. Yes, George is a nutcase most times, but he is well behaved under saddle. I need to start using him more!!

Onwards we go to...
Picture time!

My favorite sign

Am I holding the reins correctly? Probably not...

I always ride the slowest horse.
When Pistol saw these cows, he perked up, and then zeroed in on them. I think he might have some cow experience in his past.

THESE EARS! and tiny forelock!!

I love this picture, my hair looks awesome.

Riding here is so beautiful!
 So anyways, I bet you are wondering about that bay horse with the funny white markings. Well here is his story. We saw him at the auction a few weeks ago. He belongs to a person my husband knows. He had gone through the ring, but was no saled, because the horse market sucks, and he was worth way more than what people were offering. So we tried him out at the auction. I rode him bareback down the aisles and he seemed like a pretty nice little horse. I say little because he is. I think he is about 14.2hh. George is 16.2hh. This horse is like a pony compared to George. The little bay gelding is a working horse with Peppy San Badger breeding. He was used on cattle, and in feedlots down in Texas. He has been given a job, and he is good at it. My husband has been looking for a horse that can be worked on a ranch so that he can go to brandings and ropings and other things like that (don't ask me what the proper terms are, because I really don't know what all goes on at ranches!!) This horse seemed to fit the bill. So we made some phone calls, and then arranged to pick him up, in Grand Forks at a gas station.
The horse seller just riding around at the gas station.
The next day, North Dakota, being North Dakota, decided to have 30+ MPH winds. So our plans to go back to the sand hills were crushed. We waited all day for the wind to die down before going out to play with the new horse. Well turns out the horse is a bit more "up" than we'd thought. He didn't buck, or rear, or do anything dangerous. But he was a pain to catch. The winds were probably not helping or the fact he hadn't quite settled in yet. We also had trouble finding tack to fit him. But we were able to tack him up, and ride him around a bit. He is a very forward horse. Again it could have been the winds. But he is a very responsive horse. You ask him, and he does it. Moves off leg pressure, neck reins, and has really nice breaks. But he was a bit crow hoppy in a few places.
The reason I said to not get attached is because we weren't sure if we are going to keep him. He might be better off going to a home that will use him and give him a job. But we will try him again and see if he settles down a bit more. He's already warmed up to us a bit more. (I've been feeding him cookies and I'm totally not supposed to because that's how you spoil horses according to everyone...)
shhhh don't tell anyone!

I wasn't really impressed with his looks at the auction...but he is pretty cute.

He is little, but I don't feel like a giant on him. (p.s. I have like 3 shirts, my crash vest, and then a down filled vest on so I look larger than normal up top) The stirrups were WAY too long for me too...
So we are making the decision this weekend/week if we are going to keep him around. Hubby rode him bareback last night and said he was great. I will let you know if he stays or goes...


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15 abr. 2016

Comparison of metrics and document coverage of Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus: the case of 18 geography researchers at the University of Vienna

Gorraiz, J., Gumpenberger, C., Glade, T. On the bibliometric coordinates of four different research fields in Geography. Scientometrics, in press
This study is a bibliometric analysis of the highly complex research discipline Geography. In order to identify the most popular and most cited publication channels, to reveal publication strategies, and to analyse the discipline’s coverage within publications, the three main data sources for citation analyses, namely Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar, have been utilized. the main research questions of this study are:
§  Which are the most usual and most cited publication channels?
§ Which data sources are most applicable for Geography bibliometrics? Is Google Scholar indeed a useful complementary data source?
§  Are there any bibliometric differences detectable between natural science and human science oriented research fields?

Documents published by 40 faculty members at the  Department for Geography and Regional Research at the University of Vienna specialized in four different subfields: Geoecology (12), Social and Economic Geography (10), Demography and Population Geography (9), and Economic Geography (9)
§ This study is primarily based on publication data collected for four evaluation exercises performed at the Department for Geography and Regional Research at the University of Vienna.
§  In all exercises, the publication data were delivered directly by the candidates, whose identity has to remain anonymous.  All bibliometric indicators added to the list of publications were controlled or recalculated in order to enable a correct and comparable analysis.
§ The main data source for coverage and citation analyses was “Web of Science -Core Collection”Furthermore, Google Scholar and Scopus has been utilized as another primary source within the Demography and Population Geography , and  Google Scholar, “Web of Science -Cited Reference Search” en Economic Geography. The analysis in GS was performed by using the GS Citations Profiles.
§  Thee candidates were invited to create their individual profiles and make them publicly available for at least a couple of weeks. In addition, the tool ‘Publish or Perish’ was used to check and amend these profiles. In the cases where individual profiles were not available, respective queries have been made in order to assemble a complete data set
Period analyzed:  1990-

1.   The results show significant differences in the publication and citation habits among the four specialties studied. While in natural science, publications in highly ranked international peer-reviewed journals is of highest importance, the publications within the social science domain refer often to reports, book-chapters and also monographs
2. In addition, very heterogeneous and individual publication strategies, even in the same research fields, are observed.
3. Monographs, journal articles and book chapters are the most cited document types.
4. Monographs (Books) are completely covered in GS (100%), whereas coverage is less complete in WoS Cited Reference Search (~75 %) and almost zero in WoS Core Collection including both Book Citation Indices. Similar trends are reported for the other publication types. However, the percentage of book chapters covered in GS is still low (around 55 %) but high in comparison to WoS (14.1%) and WoS Cited Reference Search (32.9%).
5. No considerable differences are observed when using WoS or Scopus.
6. The inclusion of the Cited Reference Search allows for a significant coverage and is more practicable in WoS than in Scopus.
Coverage & Metrics comparison
Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar
7.   The number of papers and citations in Google Scholar is substantially higher than both the Web of Science (Core Collection plus Cited Reference Search) and Scopus for every subdiscipline. Depending on the bibliometric indicator, Google Scholar doubles, triples, quadruples, or quintuples the results offered by Web of Science and Scopus, as can be observed in the graph.

8. Spearman correlations performed for number of citations, citations per cited publication and h-index in the three data sources (WoS, Scopus and Google Scholar) were very strong (varying from 0.8 to 0.95).

We only discuss the conclusions concerning Google Scholar

What is already known on this topic

Google Scholar has a much broader document and citation coverage than Web of Science and Scopus. This study supports the findings of previous studies.

The values of the main citation indicators might differ in absolute values in GS, WoS, WoS Cited Reference Search and Scopus, but are comparable in terms of relative values. It confirms what other studies dealing with similar comparisons found.

In addition, it also confirms something we've stated over the years: Google Scholar is an indispensable source of data if one wants to study any of the disciplines of the Social Sciences and Humanities.

What this study adds

This work analyses the coverage differences of various databases as regards several specialties in the discipline of Geography. The small size and the limitations of the sample (only 9 researchers are studied in each subdiscipline), limited to researchers from a department of one university (Vienna), and a country (Austria), make it difficult to generalize the results to the specialties studied. However, it has value as a case study.

This study is one of the first to take advantage of the Cited Reference Search feature in Web of Science to calculate bibliometric indicators, and compare them with data from other databases, in a similar way as some of our products do: Classic Scholars' Profiles: Bibliometrics & Scientometrics and Scholar Mirrors.

Furthermore, this works proves that both the Web of Science with the Book Citation Index, and Scopus with its "Titles Expansion Program" are still incapable of covering the majority of books and book chapters published locally in each country. Their book collections are for the most part limited to elite publishers in English-speaking countries, which their language, geographic, and publisher biases are still there.

Lastly, this study states that "the accuracy of the citations in GS was very high (~95 %)", but unfortunately they don't offer more details or explanations about this issue.

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Blogs with Tag Audience Choice
Thursday, December 12, 2013

A Joint Effort

Today we were informed that our latest short film, Joint Effort was selected as one of the top 15 films in the National 72 Hour Film challenge. This is an international competition and we are thrilled to be chosen. It’s now up for viewing on YouTube and those top films are in the running for Audience Choice Award. A “like” of Joint Effort is a vote for Joint Effort.

You can watch Joint Effort here

We are proud of this film, and it was in fact a joint effort. Collaboration is a key part of our creative and business process and it was in full effect on this project. From our Go Pro experts Justin Mitchell and Chris Neumann to Sean David Robinson and Courtney DeGennaro who worked behind the scenes to make props and go on store runs, we are blessed to work with wonderful people.

An example of this is the brainstorming session that hatched the premise of the film. After a number of ideas had been thrown around, the story that was starting to take shape centered around people playing cards and trading stories.  Then came someone’s old idea about people who get their smartphones mixed up at a party which in turn sparked someone else’s memory of the time their parents eneded up in a rental car that wasn’t theirs. From there, it took on a life of it’s own, with everyone adding something to the mix, and in the end we had the story that would become Joint Effort. Even the name of the film itself was found during an impromtu brainstorming session between takes in an alleyway!

Thanks for reading!

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Amin: The Rise and Fall (1981)

Amin: The Rise and Fall (1981)

Presented below is director Sharad Patel's
"historical" exploitation film concerning the
brutal, violent, and supremely odd world of
Ugandan dictator Idi "Big Daddy Number 1" Amin.

Curious to note that this is the only movie Patel directed, but a few
years later he began producing films. His first as executive
producer was the early Tom Hanks vehicle Bachelor Party in 1984.

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Food (and Booze) Events to Look Forward to in October!

Saturday, October 1
Taste of Italy
This annual Italian feast benefits the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles and rightly features all things Italian, including restaurant sponsors such as Il Pastaio, Locanda del Lago, Paciugo Gelato while the beverage sponsors include Fernet-Branca (!) and San Antonio Winery.
$45 pre-sale, $50 at the door (includes 6 food tickets and 6 drink tickets)
424 N Main St., Historic Little Italy, Los Angeles 90012

Saturday, October 8
Baja Culinary Fest

Cross the border for the first ever Baja Culinary Fest! The extravaganza actually starts on Wednesday, Oct 5 with cooking competitions, food-related movies, hunting for your own lunch (seriously), winery or cheese tours and various special dinners in Tijuana and Ensenada. Take a week off and go to all of them if you can, but if you can't, the main festival takes place on Saturday Oct 8. Restaurants, street food, and can you say tequila? Also, stay for the lobster festival in Rosarito Beach on Sunday if you have the time ($25pp).
General Admission: $15
Interactive Museum El Trompo and World Trade Center Tijuana

Sunday, October 9
Cooking for Love: Savor the Season 2011
Savor the Season returns to benefit Break the Cycle, an organization to end domestic violence. The restaurant lineup includes Jar, M Cafe de Chaya, Oyster Gourmet, Morton's Steakhouse, and Beachy Cream. Here's a recap of their past event.
$100 for general admission (or $150 for two), $250 for VIP ticket.
Global Cuisine by Gary Arabia at The Lot Studios. 1041 N. Formosa Ave - West Hollywood, CA

Saturday, October 15
LA Beer Float Showdown
The LA Beer Float Showdown returns for its third year. This time 5 chefs are pairing up with 5 breweries to compete for the title, including Chef Ilan Hall (The Gorbals) with Tustin Brewery, Chef Laurent Quenioux (Vertical Wine Bistro) with Beachwood BBQ, chef CJ Jacobson (The Yard) with Firestone Walker, Chef Andre Guerrero (The Oinkster) with Eagle Rock Brewery, and Chef Thi Tran (Starry Kitchen) with Ladyface Ale Company.
$35pp. 25% of the proceeds benefit Share Our Strength
1-4pm. Eagle Rock Brewery. 3056 Roswell St, Eagle Rock, CA.

Friday, October 21
Dionicess IX
Dionicess returns with craft beer cocktails to Steingarten LA. This time, they have recruited bartender Matt Biancaniello to craft some beer cocktails. Each of the 5 cocktails will come with 5 vegetarian dishes served by Randy Clemens (author of The Sriracha Cookbook).
Steingarten LA, 10543 W Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064

Sunday, October 23
Los Angeles Mag's The Food Event
One of my favorite annual food events returns to Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu featuring Farmshop, Eva Restaurant, Stella Rossa, Lukshon, MB Post, The Royce, Rivera, Nancy Silverton and Amy Pressman's new burger joint, Short Order, and so, so much more.
To see posts from previous years, click here and here.
Saddlerock Ranch. 31727 Mulholland Highway Malibu, CA 90265

Sunday, October 23
The 3rd Annual LA Beer Week Festival
It's THE beer event of the year! The Festival will feature over 70 breweries pouring a wide selection of their beers including rare beers and some special beer week-only beers. There will also be a selection of food trucks and local artisans.
$45 pre-sale, includes unlimited 4 oz pours of beers.
Union Station, 800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

It's All About the Grill at American Farmhouse Tavern (Manhattan Beach, CA)

We get excited over restaurant openings touting famous chefs or restaurant groups these days, but some little-known, family-owned places are serving up some great food without all the hullabaloo. Such is the American Farmhouse Tavern in Manhattan beach, which recently moved from a 35-seat restaurant to one down the street that seats 135.

I was invited to a recent press dinner. We convened at the bar for some appetizers including toast with creamy guacamole and salad topped with tender, juicy slices of tri tip.

Tri Tip Salad

Some of their cocktails actually sounded interesting. I ordered the Buffalo Smoke (Buffalo Trace bourbon, peach nectar, St Germain, maple smoked bacon wrapped sugar cane stick, $10)
Buffalo Smoke
A good and potent drink that I should've ordered when I have some food in my tummy.

They also have a good selection of beers on tap, including Allagash White ($8). There are tons of happy hours and daily specials too, including $4 wine/beer/well drinks/appetizers on weekdays (11-2pm, 4-6:30pm) and Fridays and Saturdays from 9pm on, $3 draft beers on Mondays, etc.

American Farmhouse Tavern is run by owner/chef Orlando Novoa who hailed from Santa Maria. Appropriately, the restaurant serves Santa Maria style barbecue like grilled meat and fish alongside Central Coast wines. They proudly grill their meat over Central Coast red oak (the wood comes from fallen trees so it's sustainable).
Chef Novoa

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Brunch at Farmshop (Brentwood/Santa Monica)

The Farmshop is one place I've been hearing a lot about from the new-ish Brentwood Country Mart (other than the Sweet Rose Creamery, of course). From what I've heard, the Farmshop was expensive but have great food. The former made me a bit reluctant but one day I decided to give it a try.

As with most brunch places in this city, there was a wait for a table (about 15-20 minutes) and we walked around the Country Mart to kill time.

Corn and Avocado Salad with herbed quinoa ($14)

Corn Avocado Salad

Yes, the prices here are pretty high but the ingredients they use are absolutely amazing. This may be the creamiest avocado I've had lately, perfectly ripe, making a healthy yet satisfying dish. The tomatoes were sweet and bursts in your mouth. We loved this dish and I'm saddened to think the peak avocado season is over.

Next was the Shirred Eggs with fra’mani chorizo, wild greens, chickpeas, yogurt and sourdough toast ($16)
Shirred Eggs

This was another hit and one dish that I kept thinking about for a few days after. I loved eating the runny yolk with the earthy kale and chickpeas. There was just the right amount of yogurt to bring the flavors together. Scoop them all up on the sourdough toast.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Kelly's Brewpub (Albuquerque, NM)

On my last night in Albuquerque, I had dinner with a group of friends and decided to let the local decide where to go. There were quite a few constraints. She had her kid with her so it'll have to be a place where she can bring him. My other friend wanted to check out the Nob Hill area. There has to be alcohol, and it can't be very expensive. We ended up at Kelly's Brewpub, a popular local hangout - probably partly because it's a sports bar and partly because they have 20 of their own brews at a pretty cheap price (you can also apparently make your own beer here).

The food is your typical bar food, and from the little I tried they're pretty mediocre. We did like the green chile cheese fries, because it's hard to go wrong with that.

Green Chile Fried

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Stella Rossa Pizza (Santa Monica)

The latest buzz on pizza in LA has been coming from Stella Rossa Pizza in Santa Monica. Stella Rossa is a sister restaurant of and shares an entrance with M Street Kitchen on Main St. The chef, Jeff Mahin, comes from a fine dining background, including The Fat Duck and L2O. He says he's now doing what he's always wanted to do, making pizza. (Is it just me or is there a movement of fine dining chefs turning into making sandwiches and burgers and pizzas).

Upon placing our order, the server suggested we order a different appetizer since we're getting a white pizza, but my friend has never had burrata before so I insisted that we order some.

Fresh local burrata ($10.95) with organic extra virgin olive oil, sea salt
BurrataThe burrata is made locally (in Baldwin Park) by Di Stefano and was one of the creamiest you can find in this city. I would've been very happy with the burrata and olive oil alone, but the sweet grapes made for an amazing accompaniment. Every piece of grape I had that night was sweet and ripe. Remember the scene in Ratatouille where Remy makes Emile try eating a chunk of cheese and a piece of grape at the same time?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Easy Peasy: Truffle Making at Luxe Hotel Rodeo

So, I've posted a truffle recipe from Valerie's Confections before and it does look easy enough, but I still have never gone ahead and tried it. Maybe it was still harder than it sounds. But after watching a truffle making demo at Luxe Hotel, I have to say it's looking easier.

First, here is the recipe (from their hotel blog):
8 ounces of chocolate, milk or dark to taste
½ cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of coconut rum
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Using a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate in the cream over boiling water - you don't want to heat it directly with the fire. Like this:
The boiling water is covered with a moist rag, and the bowl with the chocolate and cream is placed over that.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Blue Boar Pub (Hollywood): Stay for the Cocktails

The same man who brought you SmithHouse in Century City, Curtis Nysmith, has also brought you Blue Boar Pub (both spaces also designed by Spacecraft), a traditional British pub in the middle of Hollywood.

Blue Boar Pub
As this is a British pub after all, there are some (eight?) beers on tap including Dry Blackthorn cider, London Pride, etc, plus some "standards" (uh, Budlight). As the name suggests, the Dry Blackthorn cider is less sweet than the usual cider, and I recommend it. It turns out, though, that it's the cocktails that were the highlights of my visit AND, the cocktails are only $10!

I immediately fell in love with the William Wallace, made with Famous Grouse, ginger syrup, honey, candied ginger, angostura bitters. If you like ginger drinks, this one is a must!
William Wallace

Friday, September 16, 2011

AnQi's Red Hour, Garlic Noodles

The An family has probably created the first high-end Vietnamese restaurant empire starting with Crustacean and now AnQi in Costa Mesa and Tiato Cafe in Santa Monica.

Where Crustacean focuses on more traditional Vietnamese, AnQi and its chef Ryan Carson leans more towards Asian fusion. AnQi is divided into three sections: there's the main dining room, there's the bar with a separate bar menu, and then there's the noodle bar (also serving dumplings). On Mondays, you can say there's four. There's the private dining room where you can partake in the molecular gastronomy menu (which I still need to review, soon).

During the Red Hour (M-F, 4-7 pm) all the cocktails are 50% off and some of the small bites from the bar menu are discounted. They recently invited some bloggers for a hosted Red Hour. We shared some fusion bar bites from an Australian crudo served with yuzu kosho granita, yuzu nuoc nam, and kaffir lime ponzu (three separate sauces) to Ahi Tuna Poke and spicy beef tongue crispy tacos.

In keeping with the molecular side of the restaurant, there's a cocktail with cotton candy similar to that of Bazaar's. The Lotus is made with pink grapefruit and orange with vodka and tequila over pink cotton candy.

I personally liked the Viet-No-Jito which is vodka with hand-muddled fresh lime and Kinh Gioi leaves, green tea infused with agave nectar and molecular lemon foam. The Kinh Gioi are often called Vietnamese Balm or Vietnamese Mint and added a really nice aroma to the drink (it would be better if it was rum-based, though - and same goes with most of their cocktails).

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Save the Date: Beer and Booze Pairings at Dionicess IX

On October 21, Dionicess returns with craft beer cocktails to Steingarten LA. Public health professor Gev Kazanchyan is teaming up with Dave Watrous from Beachwood BBQ Steingarten LA for a one night fundraising event. This time, they have recruited bartender Matt Biancaniello to craft some beer cocktails.

Each of the 5 cocktails will come with 5 vegetarian dishes served by Randy Clemens (author of The Sriracha Cookbook).

The event costs $65 per person (all inclusive) and all proceeds benefit Real Medicine Foundation. There are only 30 seats available so grab yours now here!

Dionicess IX
Friday October 21, 2011. 7:00 PM
Steingarten LA, 10543 W Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064 USA

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Shaved Snow at Salju Dessert

There aren't too many Indonesian establishments around LA, so I can't help be excited when I hear about one. Wandering Chopsticks told me there was a new Indonesian dessert store in Alhambra. How did she know it was Indonesian? She saw the name was "Salju Desserts" and googled the word. Yep, salju means snow in Indonesian, so as you can probably guess, it's a shaved snow (and ice) store!

Matcha Shaved Snow

The difference between a shaved snow and ice is that shaved snow is made with a block of ice that contains condensed milk in it. At Salju, the snow is also flavored. One order is $5.50 for shaved snow (choose from taro, green tea, mango, and other flavors) and three toppings (choices include jackfruit, red beans, grass jelly, mochi bits, nuts, and other fruits). It's automatically topped with more condensed milk.
Matcha Snow
The "snow" itself already has green tea flavor

The shaved snow I think is still not as good as Class 302 as the one here is still shaved with a normal ice shaver (Class 302 uses a special one that shaves them into wide ribbons and gives it an even better texture). Still, Rowland Heights is quite far for many of us and Salju Dessert is a pretty good alternative that also offers more flavors and topping options than Class 302. Plus, I have to support my fellow Indonesians!

Salju Dessert
Salju Dessert
35 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 289-3578
Salju Dessert on Urbanspoon

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Brunch at The Misfit (Santa Monica, CA)

Not too long ago, I won a brunch for two at The Misfit in Santa Monica via Caroline on Crack. The Misfit took over the old Anisette Brasserie space and is the newest addition to the LGO Hospitality Group (they're responsible for La Grande Orange and the Luggage Room Pizzeria).

I invited my friend along for his post-birthday celebration. We started with an order of asparagus salad, lemon, parmesan-reggiano, poached organic egg ($9)

Asparagus Salad
We weren't expecting the asparagus to come in thin slices, but it works for the crisp texture they were going for. Unlike the usual tender, boiled asparagus, these are crunchy - almost like celery. It's a nice texture contrast with the egg yolk, and the flavors mostly came from the parmesan.

I wanted to try something from the brunch menu (there were only 5-6 items) and went with the San Daniele prosciutto + eggs, poached, scrambled or over easy with toast and burrata cheese ($10)
Prosciutto and Eggs
I wished the server would've told us this dish came with the asparagus salad too, because we would've ordered a different salad. This dish might've been better served with their english muffin instead of the toast.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

SoHo Taco Tasting

When Bill the Street Gourmet LA invites you for some tacos, how can you not go? This time it's not a purist, authentic regional Mexican food, though, but Soho Taco, a Santa Ana-based catering company serving "modern" tacos but still has traditional meats, toppings, and fresh tortillas.

Carne Asada Taco

La Descarga
Since SoHo Taco currently only has catering (according to them, a food truck will be hitting the streets in October), they and Bill had to find another venue to have the lunch. Well, Bill lives nearby and a well known regular at La Descarga, so we lucky friends not only had some tacos, but also got to see La Descarga in daylight for the first time.
Fish Taco

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Fundamental LA Hits Westwood: 4-Visit Recap

When I was a UCLA student, my food options seemed to have ranged from Sak's Teriyaki to Gushi to In-N-Out. Oh, how lucky the current students are. Fundamental LA opened just South of Wilshire not too long ago, serving quality sandwiches and good beer at inexpensive prices.

Let's start with my current favorite:
chicken torta, heirloom tomato, lettuce, cotija, crema, pickled jalapenos, guacamole, bolillo bread ($9)

While I don't normally order chicken, they convinced me when they said there's only chicken thigh meat in this sandwich (dark meat FTW). I liked everything about this sandwich, from the moist and flavorful chicken, the fact that it's not overly heavy and filled with guacamole or sour cream, to the crunchy bread, and the sweet tomatoes and pickled jalapeno that refresh your palate.

The menu changes constantly, even if the main meat stays the same. On my first visit we had and loved the short rib sandwich with curried eggplant on sourdough. On my last visit this was served with kimchi.
Short Rib Sando
Regardless, the short rib is always excellent.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Daily Grill Burger, Ground Twice Daily

Often, chain restaurants get automatically passed over - sometimes, they shouldn't be. With about twenty locations, Daily Grill is almost a big chain/corporation, but they're certainly not franchises. Not too long ago, they decided to up the ante by installing meat grinder in their restaurants and start grinding meat for their burger twice a day.

Burger Cross Section
My fellow bloggers have tried this burger and said that they are actually pretty good, so I accepted their invitation to taste them myself. I joined Daniela, who recently started working for Daily Grill's PR company, for lunch at their downtown location.

We started with some Garlic Cheese Bread ($6.95) w/ grana padana on toasted levain bread (because who doesn't like garlic cheese bread?)
Cheese Bread
Nice crunch and weren't overly heavy. A good opener and side dish.

Friday, September 2, 2011

The Foods of LA County Fair. Oh, Deep Fried Kool Aid!

It's time for the LA County Fair! Starting this weekend: Rides, live animals, and of course ... food!

The fair runs from Sept 3-Oct 2 (closed Mondays and Tuesdays), but for the first time, this year they invited food-related media in before the Fair opens so we can sample some of the food they offer. The fair's "specialty" is all the weird fried food from Chicken Charlie's. We didn't get to sample everything but we did try their new fried bbq ribs and the fried Kool Aid!

Fried kool-aid
Think of flavored donut holes (cherry flavored donut holes, perhaps?) dusted with Kool Aid powder. They're actually pretty good, not as weird as I thought they might be! Surprisingly, they're also not as greasy as many donut holes. We heard that the LA County Fair special will be "caramel apple fries" - if you get to try these, let me know what they're like!

For fairs and festivals, a must-item for me is a smoked giant turkey leg! Here they're served by Big Bubba's BBQ.
(here's a pic for size comparison).

Gourmet Pigs   © 2008. Template Recipes by Emporium Digital


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A Commonwealth of Virginia Website

First Lady of Virginia, Pamela Northam

Pamela Northam became the First Lady of Virginia when her husband, Governor Ralph Northam, was sworn in as governor on January 13, 2018.

An educator, environmentalist and longtime advocate, Mrs. Northam has taken a leading role in Hampton Roads and Virginia to protect water quality and improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Most recently, the first lady has served as community outreach coordinator for Lynnhaven River NOW (LRN), a nonprofit environmental group. In this role, she oversaw advocacy and outreach programs for homeowners, congregations and businesses to help them to become more sustainable.

Prior to joining LRN, Mrs. Northam taught high school biology. Recognizing a need for STEM in elementary education, she became a national award-winning science specialist and worked to develop an inquiry-based, hands-on curriculum for students in grades K through 5. The first lady was appointed to the board of trustees of the Science Museum of Virginia, and she also is a board member of the innovative E3 School in Norfolk.

After studying at Baylor University and the University of Texas, the first lady specialized in pediatric occupational therapy, where her work included rehabilitation hospitals, teaching hospitals, and special education

The Northam’s have two adult children: Wes, a neurosurgery resident; and Aubrey, a web developer.

Contact the Office of the First Lady

Some description

Pamela Northam

First Lady of Virginia
P.O. Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218

Staff Contacts

David Cary
Chief of Staff to the First Lady of Virginia

Danielle Campbell
Confidential Assistant to the First Lady of Virginia


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Negotiating and influencing are key skills in any professional's life, but are often ignored by accountants, and instead regarded as exclusive to sales people. In fact accountants are constantly negotiating to get their job done.

Whether persuading a client to accept an unwelcome write down, debating budgets with cost centre managers, or negotiating with the tax authorities to argue their clients' case, this webinar will help you to get the right outcome more of the time.

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By attending, you will be able to:

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  • position negotiations as a win/win for both parties
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Alan Nelson

Alan Nelson is the founder and CEO of accountingcpd.net, long term ACCA partner, and award winning publisher of online CPD courses for accountants. He specialises in helping accountants develop personal and professional competencies to supplement their technical skills.

Alan was for many years a member of ACCA’s SME Committee. He is currently Chair of ICAEW’s Practice Assurance Committee and a member of their Professional Standards Board. Before founding accountingcpd.net, Alan was CEO of the leading educational publisher, Thomson Learning.


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Wednesday, July 05, 2006

They Asked for It

We never signed our blog up to receive promotional spam, but we get daily doses anyway from 20th Century Fox.

Some of the marketing is clever. Some, while still clever, leaves a bit to be desired when it comes to grammar. We've circled a few errors from, which was built to promote My Super Ex-Girlfriend.

Click the image if you'd like to enlarge it.

Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox, SPOGG would be happy to correct the grammar of your promotional material before it goes live. We could learn to live on Hollywood wages. Loveyoumean it! Kiss, kiss! Call us!

No comments:


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Friday, February 05, 2010

Friday Sign of the Apocalypse: Pubic Enemy No. 1

You know politics are getting ugly when they threaten to take away the Pubic Option.

Thanks to Jody for the photo (from Huffington Post).

1 comment:

Xavier Derico said...

If they do, I'm officially moving out of this country. I mean, what's the point then?


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45% Complete
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Watch Sleight Full Series Streaming

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Release: 2017-04-28
Runtime: 89 min.
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Action, Science Fiction
Stars: Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel, Sasheer Zamata, Storm Reid, Cameron Esposito, DulÃ© Hill
A young street magician is left to take care of his little sister after his mother's passing and turns to drug dealing in the Los Angeles party scene to keep a roof over their heads. When he gets into trouble with his supplier, his sister is kidnapped and he is forced to rely on both his sleight of hand and brilliant mind to save her.


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Sexism in kids

Nearly every day I hear of some case of sexism in the world, why it should end, and how we are to combat it. The adult world shuns this sexism. But after being surrounded by kids the past few months, I realized that it is no wonder adults are often sexist. We raise our kids that way. We teach them differences between genders that are not innate. We encourage boys to play with construction toys and discourage them from princesses. In this light it seems no wonder that engineering schools are flooded with males. I hear a sexist comment nearly every hour in my life surrounded by children and their parents, and yet no one acknowledges it, or is even aware of it. Prepubescent children are nearly identical biologically and the behaviors that we tie to them and differentiate with them are almost completely trained. I wonder too how much of these ties later in life are due to this sexism ingrained in them from birth.

We segregate toys into “girl’s toys” and “boy’s toys.” I remember when I was a kid picking up a doll and being discouraged from playing with it because it was not the toy that was supposedly designed for my gender. I didn’t know the difference. But someone taught me. At work, we separate the stickers into the boy’s stickers and girl’s stickers. On the boy’s side are construction toys, cars, superman, fire trucks, and Mario. On the girl’s side are Winnie the pooh, Tinkerbell, Dora, Brave, and Disney princesses. Not only does is there no rhyme or reason to these differences, they truly do not exist. All it does is makes boys ashamed of enjoying watching Brave, embarrassed about Winnie the pooh, and girls upset they can’t get dirty with construction toys or aspire to be a firefighter. We segregate men and women from the gun. To me it seems obvious that guys like playing with cars, not because there is something biological about a Y chromosome and cars, but because we teach it. I also remember feeling insecure as a kid because my soccer team’s color was purple. The world taught me purple as a girl’s color alongside pink. My peers harassed me for it. I don’t see the trouble I experienced as a burden. As a kid I was smart enough to realize what I am saying here, and that is what I told the other kids. I didn’t care that I wore purple or pink. To me these colors were not, are not possessed by either gender.

As reluctant as most people would be willing to admit, these simple differences that we teach to children expand much further and can maybe explain a lot of the behavior of adults. Guys are typically very self-contained, have only moderately close friendships, refrain from talking about their problems, and are dominating over women. We get railed for these things as adults but are we really that surprised. When a boy is hurt or offended we teach them to suck it up. They become more afraid of their parents’ reaction than of the actual incident itself. We train insensitive boys. It makes it hard to get close to people when our culture teaches us that guys don’t give hugs, guys don’t cry. These assets, while great back when humanity was on the brink of surviving in prehistoric times, are pathogenic now. Men don’t need to go to war and die for the women and children and success of humanity or of the nation. We can afford to have women die now. Some women seem to want strong and brave men but are resistant when they find their man dominating, reckless, and cold. We can’t have both though. These directly conflict with each other.

We pamper little girls on the other hand, not because their skin is softer or they are weaker, but because we were taught that they are softer, that they are weaker. When a girl is hurt, we care for her gently and sensitively. When a boy is hurt, we tell him to toughen up. That is the family that raised me and that is the family model I see in others every single day. Little girls are not born whinny brats, believing in fairy tale marriages, incompetent in mechanical skills or problem solving. And of course not all of them are like this. But often we reinforce these traits from a young age.

To me none of the frustrations I have with the sexism and gender roles in our society seem all that surprising anymore. I wrote about my desire for gender equality, or equality in totality, across cultures, around the world. But I’m afraid none of my desires, none of our desires, are going to come true unless we stop raising our kids differently. Girls and boys, it’s okay to get dirty, it’s okay to play with dolls or action figures, it’s okay to talk about how you feel, to cry, but when you get hurt, you will be okay. If I can’t wear heels, then you can’t either. If I can’t wear makeup, then you can’t either. If I can have hair on my body, then you can too. If I can’t express my feelings, you can’t either. If I can’t cry, you can’t either. And vice versa for god’s sake. What I have witnessed is that these differences with sensitivities and behavior, with colors and clothing, learning and professions, are almost entirely trained and only mildly biological. If we step out of the next generation’s way, they’ll get rid of sexism on their own. Unfortunately, we feel the need to intervene and redirect them. Away from the dolls, towards the ninja turtles. Girls away from the mud and towards the makeup or easy-bake oven.

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  1. Pingback: Men in skirts: What’s the big deal? (Part 2) « Words and Pictures
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Tag Archives: MACTC

Sustained love

Frequently I wonder whether my competitors are lying about their training or if they really do swim 30,000 meters, bike 300 miles and run 70 each week. My training is so far from that I cannot even compare it. Actually, looking back at my training for the last month, that is near exactly the distance I swam, biked, and ran for an entire month.

So how is it that I continue to improve at such high rates along with guys who log almost four times as many miles as me? In all honesty, I can’t even imagine training that much. It would kill me. My first reaction to hearing that guys train that much is that maybe my body would adapt. Maybe my body would learn to recover faster. But even still, I imagine that I know how to recover. I focus a lot of my time on recovery. In fact I spend almost exactly the amount of time that I spend training working to recover for the next bout.

Continue reading Sustained love

Lake Lure Collegiate Club Team Elite Triathlon

Back in January, a race director from South Carolina proposed that we Mid-Atlantic Collegiate triathletes pitch to the NCAA triathlon as a varsity sport. When I heard about this opportunity, I was extremely excited and told the other officers of Virginia Tech triathlon team about the race. However, with weeks going by with no word on whether the race would actually happen, none of us were overly committed to keeping that day on our calendar open. But when Taylor Knight of the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Triathlon Conference (MACTC) sent me an email with a link to the race website, I immediately signed up and encouraged my teammates to do so as well. He told me of some of the other competition he was rallying and it seemed an opportunity that I definitely wanted to be a part of.

Continue reading Lake Lure Collegiate Club Team Elite Triathlon


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Farmers » Growing Home Inc.

Growing Home Inc.

Stephanie Douglass
5814 South Wood St.
Chicago, IL  60636
Send an email
Visit website

vegetables, fruits, herbs

  • Indoor and outdoor markets
  • Saturdays

Growing Home is a the first and only high-production, organic farm in Chicago. They operate an employment training program for Chicagoans who have faced employment barriers, and have been operating a social enterprise in the Chicagoland region for over 15 years. Growing Home has worked in Englewood, an underserved community on Chicago’s south side, for over a decade, and believes that urban agriculture, combined with job training through a local food enterprise, can be a catalyst for change.

  • USDA Certified Organic

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Become a vendor »

« All farmers

Know your food, know your farmer
Locations & hours
May through October (Outdoors)
Lincoln Park
N. Clark St & N. Lincoln Ave
Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7am–1pm
June through October (Outdoors)
The Park at Wrigley
3637 N. Clark, adjacent to Wrigley Field
Thursdays, 4pm–8pm
June through October (Outdoors)
West Loop, Mary Bartelme Park
115 S. Sangamon St
Saturdays, 8am–1pm
November through April (Indoors)
Peggy Notebaert Museum
2430 N. Cannon Dr.
Saturdays, 8am–1pm

Full schedule »

Business office
2613 W. Lawrence Avenue

Chicago, IL 60625

(773) 880-1266

Contact us »

Follow us on Instagram

Proud member of the Farmers Market Coalition


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How can we meet future transport needs?

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

This is a question that is being asked time and again by governments and then the ideas of charging for road use, etc. come up.

bycycle on wall1_smlHowever, that is all with the fossil fuel powered cars in mind, but the future is not car, not even the electric one. The future in transport is the transport of the past, regardless what government and industry would like to suggest.

Government talks about the need for more roads, high speed trains the lines of which destroy the countryside, and additional airport capacity. However, all of that is tosh.

The future in transport is proper trains that run on time in every weather and the fares of which are affordable and other affordable mass transit options. And, in addition to that, we need the proper infrastructure for people no longer having to commute.

On the personal transport level the car will soon be history anyway as fuel costs will simply make driving inhibitive to most if not all and costs are not about to come down significantly. The era of cheap oil and thus cheap gasoline and diesel is past and thus we need to consider a new approach.

The electric car is, in the main, far too expensive for the ordinary motorist to consider as an alternative and the costs of them also are hardly going to come down anytime soon, if ever. And then one has to consider that the range still is an issue (it would hardly get you from many commuter locations to London and back on a charge) and the charging too is not going to be free either.

One way of reducing the transport problem is to bring work back to where people live or people back to where the work is. It also would greatly benefit the local areas and we also have to change the way we live and work and where we live and work.

The work, per se, also have to come back home and that includes insourcing all of which we have, so far, outsourced to other countries. Jobs at home, near where people live, will change things as regards to transport also and will also do away with the need for any more roads, high speed rail links and other such ventures.

Bring work back within reach of the people, so they can walk, cycle or rake the bus or local train to work, and the country and the countryside will benefit.

But, oh no, we cannot do that. That would take profits away from the developers and backhanders that our politicians receive.

You want to know the future of personal transport; it is shank's pony and the iron steed first and foremost, followed by mass transit, and not the electric car or high speed trains.

© 2013


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Saturday, 29 October 2016

West Coast trail: one step in front of the other

When I wake up in the middle of night and can't get back to sleep, I lie listening to the owls calling from the tall pines down the street from our house. I read that the call of the great-horned owl has been "translated" in our language to "Are you still up? Me too." That middle of the night, nameless anxiety that I feel is both echoed and soothed by their voices, resonating into the darkness.

I think it's not uncommon for regrets to come thundering in on us in the dead of the night, when no one is there to distract from the memories. This is partly the subject of the novel I'm working on, called The Burned House. My regrets, I believe, are relatively minor in the scheme of things, but they loom large at the witching hour of 4 a.m. Lately I have distracted myself with a kind of meditation that I discovered out on the West Coast trail, on the westernmost edge of Canada, where the Pacific Ocean crashes into shore on the wrecks of ships long abandoned to the sand and wind.

I carried a thirty pound pack, nearly a third of my weight but as light as I could make it without going hungry or cold. I had practiced hiking with this pack, but only loaded to twenty pounds, and I worried, when we stepped onto the trail, and within fifty feet encountered two sets of ladders with moss-covered rungs leading pretty much vertically up a rock face. I worried about whether I'd be able to make it, or if I'd have to suffer the ignominy of being rescued by helicopter and air-lifted off the trail. Or worse, of course.

We had been warned, frequently, by websites, handbooks, park guides, and bus drivers, that mishaps on the trail were frequent, up 300% this year for some reason. I was hiking with my husband and my sister and we were all fit hikers, but we had mostly done canoe camping. We were not used to carrying so much weight on our backs.

The West Coast trail is incredibly beautiful. traversing old growth forests with huge ferns, firs, cedars, and waterfalls. Just breathing the air feels healing. Sunlight streamed through the trees, and landed on our faces and for a time, the other world, the one where we have jobs and buy dish soap and get our oil changed, was gone. It was one careful step in front of the other. Then we were hungry and shrugged off our packs and ate the things we'd carefully packed -- almonds and licorice and rice cakes. Then coffee. Can anything be as healing as drinking a cup of hot coffee sitting on smooth grey driftwood three feet in diameter at the edge of the Pacific Ocean with forests older than human memory at our backs?

At night when I can't sleep, I come back to that place, the certainty of its constant change, the thunder of surf on sand, the rich odour of soil and trees, decay and renewal. I feel the weight of the pack, but nothing else, as I put one foot in front of the other, covering the miles.


WARC-Truncated: length

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You are here: Home About

About Greenwood Twiggs

We are a coppie business based in the North West of England and work in woodlands around Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
Using Traditional skills we use the wood we fell to make a variety of different products.

We offer courses on coppicing and greenwood working. we do demonstrations and have a go at schools, country shows and other events in the North West.

Coppicing is a way of managing woodlands in a sustainable way so that the woodland provides a different habitat throughout it stages for animals, insects and plants and also provides the coppice worker with materials to work.

All products are from woodlands we have managed or the wood for them is locally sourced.

Coppiced products

Bean poles

These are mostly hazel poles an inch to an inch and a half tapering. Sold in bundles of 10.

Pea sticks

These are the fan shaped tips of the hazel poles that are good for growing peas up. They are about 5 foot high and sold in bundles of 20.

Garden stakes

4 foot hazel poles which are used in the garden.

Strawbale pins/Hedging stakes

We have supplied many strawbale pins over the years please get in touch for details.

Hazel hurdles

Woven panels of hazel used for fencing and partitioning.

Continuous hazel hurdles

Used on long stretches where panels are unsuitable eg. On uneven ground.
We can provide any sticks or poles to your requirements please get in touch.

In the woodlands we manage we produce charcoal in ring kilns.

Barbeque charcoal

We sell this wholesale and retail

Artist charcoal

This is made from stripped willow and can be made to any requirements.

Charcoal fines

This is the by product of making charcoal which is fantastic for digging into your garden or allotment as a soil improver.

Craft products

Commissions welcome
This is a selection of some of our work.
Benches – Gates – Cleft Ash Hurdles – Signs – Furniture – Flowers – Planters – Besom Brooms – Firwood nets & Kindling
Items turned on the pole lathe

Forest School

Rope vice – Shave Horses – Chopping Blocks – Rustic Benches – Seating rounds – Sticks and poles for building shelters

We offer advice on small woodland management
We run courses on greenwood working where we can cater for all ages and abilities
We demonstrate traditional crafts at country shows and agricultural fairs


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Friday, June 22, 2012

More Bella Blvd + Core'dinations

I used the soft yellow sheets of Jillian Dot Spotted cardstock from Core'dinations as the background for this baby layout.
I love how the subtle dots make the background cardstock so much more interesting.
I also pulled out the purple sheet of Jillian Dot Spotted cardstock and then combined the yellow and purple with Bella Blvd's "Baby Girl" line.
The colors go perfectly together!
I used the purple cardstock as the background for my title and punched a few hearts out of it also.
Then I sanded the purple cardstock to bring out the white underneath to create a fun polka-dotted look for the title and hearts!
Here is a better look at each side of the layout.

(left side)

(right side)

Here are a couple of close up pics too.

And here I go on my purple kick again!
And the purple cardstock in the Jillian Dot Spotted cardstock pack from Core'dinations matches perfectly with the purple in the "Baby Girl" line.
I sanded the cardstock to create a fun polka-dotted background for the card. I love how this dotted cardstock can jazz up a background so easily!

Be sure to be checking the Bella Blvd and Core'dinations blogs for the giveaways going on!!


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Home Inspection Technology

Using cutting-edge tech tools!

Home Inspection Thermal Image

Thermal Imaging

Infrared (thermal imaging) is an advanced, non-invasive technology that allows us to show clients things about their homes or buildings that can’t be revealed using conventional inspection methods.

In terms of energy loss, an IR camera can detect:

  • heat loss and air infiltration in walls, ceilings, floors, windows and  doors;
  • damaged and/or malfunctioning radiant heating systems;
  • air-conditioner compressor leaks;
  • under-fastening and/or missing framing members, and other structural defects that can lead to energy loss; and
  • broken seals in double-paned windows.

In terms of detecting moisture intrusion, an IR camera can locate:

  • plumbing leaks;
  • hidden roof leaks before they cause serious damage;
  • missing, damaged and/or wet insulation; and
  • water and moisture intrusion around penetrations and at the foundation and building envelope that could lead to structural damage and mold.

IR cameras are equally effective at locating hot spots in the home, including:

  • circuit breakers in need of immediate replacement;
  • overloaded and undersized circuits;
  • overheated electrical equipment and components;  and
  • electrical faults before they cause a fire.

Additionally, based on the color gradients that thermal images provide, an inspector can locate:

  • possible pest infestation, as revealed by energy loss through shelter tubes left by boring wood-destroying insects;
  • the presence of intruders, such as rats, mice and other larger pests hiding within the structure and detected because of their heat signature that the IR camera captures; and
  • dangerous flue leaks, which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning of the home’s residents.

This 38′ tall telescoping pole camera allows us to safely take high quality pictures of the roofs of homes from the ground. A wifi enabled digital camera or smartphone that allows us to see on a tablet what the camera is seeing at the top of the pole. No wireless network is needed, the camera and smartphone or tablet work together without the need for external wifi.

Grand River Inspection Services offers Drone Inspections. This type of inspections keeps the inspector safely on the ground and gives a 720p high definition view of the inspected object. Conditions permitting the inspector can pilot the drone around high roofs and chimneys to obtain a visual evaluation most cannot. This is just another noninvasive visual tool in our bag.

Drones are a great way for us to do a quick review of your roof telling us is there is problem areas such as hail damage, loose or missing tiles, and etc…

Also, imagine if we had tried walking a slate roof. Each step could crack shingles, or worse, we could lose our footing and fall! There are some roofs that are just to steep to walk or are just inaccessible. By deploying our drone, we not only protect the integrity of the roof by not causing more damage, we also protect ourselves from the liabilities associated with a fall (such as broken bones or worse) and are able to inspect where others can’t!

Now, as much as we like using our drone, sometimes we just can’t use it. Once again, the drone cannot be used in bad weather, high wind, or around trees and power lines. If any of those conditions exist, then it is likely we have to use an alternative rooftop inspection tool such as our SpectoScope.

Grand River Inspection Services Truck

Jim Starr, CPI

Grand River Inspection Services
601 Three Mile Rd, NW Suite A
Grand Rapids, MI 49544

Email Jim Now!

Inspected Once. Inspected Right!®

Grand River Inspection Services, LLC, Home Inspection Service, Grand Rapids, MI


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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Starting to grow. . .

Sunday, May 20, 2012

This is how epidemics start. . .

This foul-looking disease tent should start yielding pearl oyster mushrooms in a couple weeks.

Supposedly they taste like crab. You'll know as soon an I do, unless at first bite I collapse.

In which event, bury me before I start spraying spores.

Growing shiitakes as well

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Return. . . or How to Make Your Child Beg for Beets

This is the face of a child who has been promised beets for dinner.

No bullshit.

The secret?

Take one ball of Neopolitan pizza dough, homemade.  Preferably 00 flour.  Roll/stretch to paper thin-ness.  Try not to weep at your failure to make a perfect circle.

Smear with pureed roasted butternut squash, lightly seasoned.

Top with sliced roasted beets (roast in foil at 400 for 1 hour, peel, slice and marinate in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper).  Add basil. . .

. . . and goat cheese.

Bake in a hot oven (max temperature) on a pizza stone for 8 minutes.

Behold, what She Who Must Be Obeyed calls "Purple Pizza."  A bit Dali-esque in shape, but surprisingly delicious.

Eat.  Regrettably, I cannot include pictures of her eating, as the beet juice makes for an image far gorier than any piggie pictures I've ever posted.  Seriously.

Well, this one's early enough - just to serve as proof that she likes it.  Honest - she's been demanding it for days.

For the adults - same dough, same misshapen paper-thin sheet.  Add: Tomato sauce (I add lemon juice to freshen, plus garlic and dried herbs); sauteed baby bella mushrooms; briefly sauteed chopped onions;  uncured canadian bacon; basil. . .

 Top with conservative sprinkling of mozzarella. . .

Bake on stone in hot oven, 8-9 minutes.

The pictures do no justice (no more iPhone pics) - The cheese emulsifies with the sauce and mushroom liquor, making for a shockingly savory, crispy, ultra-thin pizza.  You'd think it has twice as much cheese as it does.

Slice.  Eat with a nice chianti.  Repeat.

More to come soon, including possible crawfish and, oh. . .  a whole roasted young wild boar.  Why the hell not.

We're back.  Cheers.


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Bird Flu Found In Tennessee Chicken Flock On Tyson

Health PlusThe findings, offered on Saturday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology assembly in Chicago, show the brand new check by Grail, a by-product of gene sequencing company Illumina Inc, can establish bits of cancer DNA within the blood of patients already identified to have cancer.

Glycorrhyza glabra (also referred to as Liquorice) originates within the Mediterranean and the Middle East and has many makes use of, together with being a supportive tonic for the adrenal cortex. It promotes the natural manufacturing of hormones reminiscent of hydrocortisone that has steroidal anti-inflammatory brokers. YOGA EXERCIZE to alleviate the stress in the hips and groin rising flexibility within the knee and ankles whereas stretching out the spin.

Of course, the senators are hoping for compromises palatable to all. But nothing proposed, significantly draconian measures like slicing Medicaid funds, get on the query: What causes American well being care to be a lot costlier than that of other developed nations?” Until Congress finds the answer—or relatively answers—to that question, and then devises treatments for the causes, no bill will probably be worth passing.

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota last week estimated China had at the least 347 human infections so far this winter, eclipsing the report of 319 seen three years ago. In experiments using innocent extremely-positive particles of gold, the scientists had been able for the first time to trace how such nanoparticles are breathed in, pass by way of the lungs after which achieve access to the blood. The HSE provides that staff are ‘unlikely to have the ability to provide this information very precisely themselves’.

If you pay much less, you probably will get less. You don’t want to be caught in a situation the place it’s good to get to the most effective specialist only to study that he’s not in your network. The researchers checked out heart well being during youthful years, categorizing members in keeping with whether they had one or more heart threat factors like hypertension, cholesterol or body mass index (BMI, a measure of weight relative to top, and whether or not they had diabetes or smoked.


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Drink Water To Keep Your Body Healthy

Good HealthBEIJING The Chinese authorities said on Wednesday that a Taiwan rights activist detained on suspicion of endangering national safety was in good well being, and had reassured his household in a letter.

Wow I am alwasys well being acutely aware and typically even paranoid about it however because of this web site I went from thinking im really unhealthy to happy with how good shape I am in id suggest this site to my mates ro have a quick eval or examine up thanks random site! The research group plans to review other measures that would have an effect on well being from middle to older age, akin to socioeconomic status and health insurance coverage.

Many doctors immediately are really useful that we take more vitamin D3, especially through the winter months. Most nutritionists and doctors now suggest taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day with some recommending as much as 5,000 IU per day throughout the winter months of October by way of April when the sun is low (for the northern hemisphere).

Do not set very high or tough goals in the beginning. You could start with normal visualization to remain wholesome and form and then move to improve your immune system in opposition to easy illnesses similar to chilly, acidity and many others. Subsequently, as your follow improves and you begin to get results you possibly can extra confidently proceed to handle bigger issues to improve your degree of health if not a complete treatment.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a practical dysfunction of small gut characterised by discomfort which is followed by altered bowel habits- laborious or gentle stools. This situation just isn’t related with the structural deformities. Nearly 60 {59c66bdb1b28ac7f332cb912927b9deae8cd4c7fc8868ce0c423d720b53ea94f} of your entire U.S. inhabitants is within the workforce, and prevention via worksite wellness applications gives an opportunity to reach many Americans who would have been onerous to recruit otherwise,” Nasir instructed Reuters Health by electronic mail.


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Reliance On Food Pantries Can Make Healthy Eating Difficult

Healthy NutritionI have a 13 yr previous son who has just change into a model new teen! So my husband and I are extremely occupied with meals and vitamin for teenagers, but particularly older ones.

There is a superb amount of misinformation about nutrition fads, together with antioxidant tablets, juicing and gluten-free diets,” said lead research writer Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness within the division of cardiology at National Jewish Health in Denver. Often counselors focus on recommending recent fruit and veggies, however canned or frozen options may be extra inexpensive, she mentioned.

Wennberg and her colleagues reviewed data from 889 folks in Lulea, Sweden. In 1981, once they had been sixteen years previous, the contributors accomplished questionnaires about what they ate for breakfast on a single day. The common purchasing journey utilizing the regular listing totaled $324.seventy one, compared to $380.07 for the more healthy listing, as reported within the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

They don’t mix nicely – they should not mix at all. Here’s a very interesting article known as : Why Alcohol Attracts Teenagers. It’s a bit of scary to learn however should you’ve bought a teen then it’s best to know this. The least optimistic women also started out with much less-healthy diets, on common, than those that had sunnier inclinations. This hyperlink record features pre-screened printable coloring e book collections offering many alternative no value healthy coloring pages for download. We make recent green juice for our household daily and with very constructive outcomes, so if you’re fascinated on this then Click Here and you’ll be taken to another article.

He noted that the U.S. Senate this week sent to President Barack Obama a bill to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, generally generally known as food stamps, by about $900 million a yr, or roughly 1 percent. About half of meals stamp recipients are kids. Among those who tried the meals, the number who mentioned they liked it additionally elevated for carrot, cabbage and berries in the low-intervention group and for carrot, rutabaga and berries in the high-intervention group, the authors reported in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.


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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Today I recieved an EMAIL that was about MRI'S AND CI'S.

Patients with cochlear implants may want to steer clear of certain magnetic imaging devices, such as 3T MRI machines, because the machines can demagnetize the patient's implant, according to new research published in the December 2008 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

It is estimated that more than 100,000 people have cochlear implants.

The study, conducted by a team of German and American researchers, tested several cochlear device magnets on a 3T MRI scanner with active shielding at a variety of angles (0º, 80º, 90º, 100º, 110º, and 180º). The researchers discovered that during routine use of 3T MRI machines at angles above 80º, an unacceptable level of demagnetization was reached, causing permanent damage to devices with nonremovable magnets, and creating the potential of exposing patients to undesirable magnetic forces.

3T MRI scanners are the next generation of MRI scanners and are significantly more powerful than 1.5T MRI scanners.

The study authors recommend that MRI scans on patients with cochlear implants should be performed using a 3T MRI machine only if a 1.5T machine is not available, and if the benefits of the scan far outweigh the risk of cochlear implant demagnetization.

Source: Jessica Mikulski; American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

For a second I thought to myself OMG thats dangerous. I would be paranoid and I know for sure I wouldnt get an MRI done if I had a CI. So right away I emailed my Friend from florida who has a CI and I asked her if she ever had an MRI done with her CI and she said NO, not yet. I said but what do you mean? Its dangerous U cant have that test done. She told me the THREE top Cochlear Implant devices such as Cochlear America, Advanced Bionic, MED-EL are SAFE for MRI'S. I was shocked! She then Explained to me and gave me links for the exact websites.

COCHLEAR AMERICA is safe up to 1.5 telsa with your external device being removed.

ADVANCED BIONIC Bionic Ear System's HiRes 90K implant for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at 0.3 Tesla and 1.5 Tesla with the internal magnet removed.

MED-EL website saids they dont require the internal magnet to be removed.

I Couldn't believe this after she told me this information. Im glad because If I ever get a CI and I need and MRI now I know not to panic.

I just wanted to let you all know this for your safety!!

Laurie said...

Dani, I wear a medical bracelet that has my name on it and clearly says that I have a cochlear implant and that I cannot have an MRI. I also cannot have monopolar cautery in the head or neck area (which is another restriction that most CI patients are not aware of).

I've also thought about having a tattoo done somewhere on my body with that information on it in case my bracelet or CI's fall off in an accident or something. But am not sure where to put it or if an EMT or medical person would see it in time. I also have that information in my wallet, as well.

Danielle said... glad I posted it. The tattoo seems like a good idea to. put it on ur wrist if you want it done. Thanks for letting me know.


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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Walking Onions

No time to post lately as work and non-gardening life have gotten in the way this past week, but I did receive a lovely gift today:
Gail took a day trip to Maine today to visit some family. While there she stopped by Beach Plum Farm in Ogunquit, ME and visited the community gardens on the grounds. She ended up chatting with 2 gardeners who gave her a few bunches of Egyptian Onions, the biggest one is in the above photo.
Egyptian Onions, known as Walking Onions or Tree Onions are perennial onions which are hardy to zone 3. When a bulb is planted and grows new bulbs form on the step of the plant. Eventually the cluster of bulbs (pictured above) gets so top heavy that it bends the plant and touches the ground, taking root and growing into a new set of onions.
As they are left to grow they will spread or walk across your garden. You can pull each set of clusters off and divide the bulbs in order to plant them. The stalks of the plants can also be cut before the onion clusters form and used similar to chives.
Planting a cluster or 2 should yield enough for stalks, bulbs and to save some for planting next year. Like traditional onions bulbs also will form below the ground. If planted in the fall they can be dug up as spring onions.

I'll be prepping and planting fall seeds this weekend and will most certainly be planting some Egyptian/Walking Onions, so stay tuned for future Walking Onion updates!

Below is the full hall of the 3ish clusters of Walking Onions I was gifted:
(Walking Onions: Some for Eating, Some for Planting, Some for...?)

Thursday, July 22, 2010

First Tomatoes!

Gail and I picked our first tomatoes today!
A pair of black cherry tomatoes. I could have left them on the vine another day or two but the urge to pick them was just too tempting. Their flavor was sweet yet rich, as expected from a 'black' tomato.

They just might be the only harvest this week, but I'm pleased!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Harvest Monday July 19th 2010

We harvested ALOT of Herbs this week:
What's that in the bottom right corner of the above photo? PEPPERS! Here's a better look at the first 2 Hungarian Wax Peppers we harvested yesterday: Each pepper measured about 6 inches long. We roasted them up last night and enjoyed them with our dinner of beans and rice. The peppers were not burning hot but left a slight tingle on the tongue. I'll be letting a few of the remaining peppers mature as long as possibly and picking the rest as they reach appropriate size.
Another pepper note: These Hungarian peppers far outpreformed our bell peppers! We don't have any bell peppers of noticeable size and there are at least 4 sizeable wax peppers with 2 or 3 smaller ones closing up the ranks.
Harvest Totals:
2 oz Beets (not pictured)
10.5 oz Genovese Basil
1.1 oz Chives
1.25 oz Dill
1.5 oz Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper
3 oz Parsley
3.9 oz Red Rubin Basil
3.55 oz Spearmint
Weekly Total: 1.675 lbs/26.8 oz/759.77 g
Season Total: 4.55 lbs/2.065 kg

Tomato Watch: As of 7/18/10: 140 Tomatoes have set fruit.

If you want to see what others are harvesting or share in your own bounty, stop by Daphne's Dandelions the home of Harvest Monday.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Thinking about fall...

Yea, I know it's mid summer and we here in eastern Massachusetts are on the doorstep of another lovely heat wave, but I've started to think about what to plant for the fall.

Truth is I really have no idea.
I'd like to plant some garlic in the fall, and I have some kale from a fellow gardener, but I've got to really think about what to plant soon that will be ready during the fall.
I've come up with: Radish, Carrots, Beets, various lettuces, but besides that i'm not sure.

Any ideas?

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Dill Pickles & Beet Relish

With an abundance of pickling cucumbers and beets showing up at our local farms/markets Gail and I decided to take advantage. On Saturday afternoon we made 8 quarts of Dill pickles and 2.5 pints of Beet relish.

For the sake of variety we made 3 quarts of whole pickles, 3 quarts of pickle spears, and 2 quarts of pickle 'chips'
Dill Pickles
8 pounds 3-4 in long pickling cucumbers
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
8 sprigs fresh dill
8 heads fresh dill
1. Wash cucumbers and place in receptacle with cold water and lots of ice. Soak in ice water bath for at least 2 hours but no more then 8 hours. Add more ice as necessary. While soaking cucumbers sterilize 8 quart size canning jars and lids.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the bring to a rapid boil.
3. In each jar, place 2 half cloves of garlic, one head of dill, and enough cucumbers to fill the jar. Then add 2 more half cloves of garlic and a sprig of dill to the top of each jar. Fill the jars with hot brine and seal the jars.
4. I found many conflicting ways to process the sealed jars in a hot water bath to make sure the seal. I processed them upside down in a sauce pan so that only the lids were covered with boiling water for 10 minutes. 6 of 8 jars sealed this way.
5. If jars have sealed store pickles for 8 weeks in a cool dry place before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Any jars that have not sealed can be kept in the refrigerator. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place.
We added mustard seed and/or red pepper flakes to some of the jars. We used Dill from our garden, while the cucumbers came from Keown Orchards and the garlic is from Red Fire Farm both by way of our local farmers market.
The real difficulty is having to wait 8 weeks to eat them! We decided we couldn't wait so last night we opened one of the jars of spears just to give them a taste. After a few days the pickles were crisp and tasted good, but certainly needed more time.

Some of the extra Beet relish was eaten the next day in a sandwich.
Beet Relish
3 lbs raw beets
1 tsp superfine sugar
1 lb shallots, finely chopped
2 cups cider or white wine vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 tbsp pickling spices, place in a cheesecloth or spice bag
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1. Place the beets in a large saucepan. Pour over enough water to cover them, and add the superfine sugar (I used plain granulated sugar as it would be dissolving so to me it doesn't matter). Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour or until the beets are soft and cooked. Drain and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle peel and dice the beets into small, even pieces.
2. Put the shallots and vinegar in a pan and cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Add the chopped beets and the bag of pickling spices. Stir the mixture, add the granulated sugar, and cook gently until the sugar has all dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook at a rolling boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
3. Remove the spice bag, then ladle into sterilized mason jars, leaving 1/4in (5 mm) head space and making sure there are no air gaps. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars and let cool. Store in a cool, dark place. Allow the flavors to mature for 1 month and refrigerate after opening.
Relish should keep for up to 9 months.
We were expecting 4 jars of relish but ended up with 5 so we decided to set 4 aside to mature for a month as the recipe calls for and enjoy one right away. Gail enjoyed some on a veggie burger and I've had it with chicken salad in a sandwich. We used 5 of our own golf ball sized beets, the rest of the beets as well as all the shallots came from Allandale Farm.

Pickle recipe can be found at AllRecipes.com & the Beet Relish recipe is from Preserve It! which is a very visual excellent introductory cookbook to food preservation full of great tips and recipes for novice canners and preservers covering everything from fruits and vegetables to herbs, fish, and meats.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Harvest Monday - July 12th 2010

We pulled the last of the Romaine this week and some golf ball sized Beets:

There were some more beets pulled but they didn't make it on camera. I also ended up pulling and throwing out the last 2 massive heads of romaine because they had bolted and were very bitter.
Totals for the week:
Beets 5.55 oz/157.34 g
Romaine 8.9 oz/252.31 g
Weekly Total: 14.45 oz/409.65 g
Season Total: 2.88 lbs/1.305 kg
Tomato Watch: As of 7/9/10: 87 Tomatoes have set fruit.

Harvest Total and Tomato Watch widgets in the right-hand column have been updated.
One of my Sunflowers opened up on Friday as well:
If you want to see what others are harvesting or share in your own bounty, stop by Daphne's Dandelions the home of Harvest Monday.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Garlic Scape Pesto Pizza!

No cooking related posts in a while so here is a quick one.
It was finally time to put some of the garlic scape pesto to good use. I made a garlic scape pesto, zucchini and ricotta pizza for dinner:
Probably not as impressive as Thomas' pizza making skills, but the pizza came out light and fluffy with a nice crunchy crust. Very simple and delicious. Dough from the bread maker (if there is interest I will share the super easy recipe), 4 'cubes' of garlic scape pesto, grated zucchini, and ricotta cheese. Light and delicious. Perfect for a nice summer evening.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Grown Away on the Radio!!!!

Last Wednesday I mentioned I had been interviewed by my local NPR affiliate's afternoon program Radio Boston. The story on the Fenway Victory Gardens aired this afternoon. It featured Mike Mennonno, a fellow gardener who has a gorgeous plot full of flowers and bee's, Meg Muckenhoupt author of Boston's Gardens & Green Spaces, and yours truly!!!

You can CLICK HERE to find the story. Click the listen now button once you open the link. The story is a little over 8 minutes long and I am in the last 3 minutes.

Feel free to pass this along to anybody who may find it interesting!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Signs of Things to come...

It's hot out. 6 days of 90F/32C or higher. Before watering the plot I took a few shots. Here is what is (hopefully) coming in the near future:
(This Sunflower is nearly ready to burst with color)
(The first Yukon Gold potato has started blooming. At least I think it's Yukon Gold)
(The Ottawa Cranberry Beans I got from Daphne are flowering and setting pods)
(Black Cherry Tomatoes are on their way)

(Early Girl Tomatoes?)

(Looks like there might be a Zucchini in there somewhere!)

(Blurry but wonderful looking Hungarian Wax Pepper)

Everything is growing so fast I'm barely able to keep track of it all!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Harvest Monday - July 5th 2010

We harvested more greens and herbs on Thursday:
(Top: Basil, Mint. Bottom: Romaine, Dill, Mesclun)

I was off to Cape Cod for the long weekend so did not get much gardening work done. We came back late Monday afternoon and made a quick stop at the plot so we could water everything after 3 days of 90F and higher temperatures they needed it. We were finally able to harvest some non-greens as well! We pulled the 2 surviving carrots from the poorly germinated first seeding as well as a test beet to see how things were looking:
(2 Baby Carrots & 1 Baby Beet)

Totals for the week:
Dill - 2 oz/56.70 g
Mint - .5o oz/14.17 g
Basil - .90 oz/25.51 g
Mesclun - 2.75 oz/77.96 g
Romaine - 5 oz/141.75 g
Beets - .70 oz/19.84 g
Carrots .95 oz/26.93 g
Weekly Total: 12.80 oz / 362.86 g
Season Total: 1.975 lbs/31.60 oz/895.84 g

Tomato Watch: As of 7/5/10 62 tomatoes have set fruit

Harvest Total and Tomato Watch widgets in the right-hand column have been updated!

If you want to see what others are harvesting or share in your own bounty, stop by Daphne's Dandelions the home of Harvest Monday.


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Residential Painting

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Our company has nearly 3,000 customers and we are proud to say that we have a  number of customers who have been using our services for nearly two decades.

After discussing your painting needs, we can usually provide the quotation within 48 hours. The painting work will be supervised by Glenn to ensure the work is completed to the highest standard.  We will also ensure that the work is performed safely, not only for our employees but also for you and your family.  We have experience in painting all types of residences and surfaces – modern homes, Queenslanders, units, high set, low set, decks, roofs, interiors, exteriors, staining, fences and body corporate complexes.

Wallpapering is certainly back in vogue after featuring on Lifestyle programmes on television and we can provide a wallpapering service.

You can be assured that Glenn will give you the right advice about products and we can even arrange for a Colour Consultant to attend the property and discuss colour choice.  Our Colour Consultant will use her expertise and experience to select an innovative and original colour proposal that will compliment your home.

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