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Wednesday, June 07, 2017

Ruins of Syria, December 2015 - CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
The following Article is a combination of Two posts
 made to my Facebook timeline in December 2016 that
have been revised and added to. I hope it blesses all.

This Section Originally Posted to Facebook on December 16th, 2016:
It has been revised and updated since then, however!

Over the last six months since President Trump was elected, I have watched many YouTube videos from various ministries I once respected. As of this June 2017, I no longer respect many of them, and I find it almost unbelievable how much the Church is suffering from a total lack of discernment as prophecy upon prophecy being given surrounding Donald Trump completely conflicts with what Bible prophecies say are to happen in these Last Days. So many are painting Trump as a Messiah figure that is going to save America and the world that it is beginning to raise alarm bells in my spirit, and for good reason!

Among those who have jumped onto the "Donald Trump is a Messiah" bandwagon are Chuck Missler, Lance Wallnau, Perry Stone, Paul Begley, Jim Bakker, Rick Joyner and the late Kim Clement. What's more, many believers are listening to these proclamations about Trump, and are being convinced that they have more time, and the Rapture is not going to happen as soon as others have predicted. Some are even predicting that a great End Time revival is going to happen also, and this will also give the world more time.

It's amazing that so many that could clearly see the prophetic signs that the Rapture, Strong Delusion, and Sudden Destruction were just around the corner in mid to late 2016 are now saying that we've been given a reprieve through Donald Trump. They did so even as they cheerfully IGNORED the fact that Obama was continuing to join NATO in their defensive measures against Russia, and Russia and NATO were fighting a horrific proxy war in Syria that has irreparably destroyed the lives and livelihoods of millions of Syrian Christians and Muslims.

Even as the USA, NATO, Russia, Israel and ISIS are still battling it out in Syria, and destroying that nation in fulfillment of Isaiah 17, some Prophecy Teachers like me and Pastor JD Farag of Aloha Bible Prophecy are correctly seeing that the fulfillment of Isaiah 17 is a sign that the Rapture and Great Tribulation are imminent, and we should not be assuming that we have more time, because the Bible says we are quickly going to be out of time. But even in his last June 2017 YouTube prophecy update, JD Farag was still missing the fact that Isaiah 17 is a prophecy against SYRIA and modern-day ISRAEL, which includes America, the United Kingdom and Europe!

Therefore, my hope in writing this article is to warn the Church of this oversight, and warn great pastors like JD Farag that he and other pastors need to start paying attention to the entire prophecy in Isaiah 17, and not just the first two verses about Syria. In fact, in Isaiah 17, verses 3 and 4 are not a prophecy against Syria at all, but are directed to Israel TODAY, and not just in the past. Below, I have reproduced the first four verse of Isaiah 17, and added some commentary within it in parentheses to show that it is much more than a modern prophecy against Syria:

~*~ Isaiah 17:1-4 Being Fulfilled! ~*~
“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,
And it will be a ruinous heap.
2 The cities of Aroer (i.e. Syria) are forsaken;
They will be for flocks
Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.
3 The fortress also will cease from Ephraim (The USA, UK, Europe),
The kingdom from Damascus,
And the remnant (i.e. refugees) of Syria;
They will be as (or cause) the (fading) glory of the children
of Israel (House of Judah) and Ephraim (The USA, UK, Europe),”
Says the Lord of hosts.
4 “In that day it shall come to pass
That the glory of Jacob (Israel) will wane,
And the fatness of his flesh grow lean.”

In my interpretation of Isaiah 17 above given in parentheses, I show the interpretation that was given to me in a recent word of knowledge from the Lord. What it especially reveals is that ALL of the mainstream Prophecy Teachers are conveniently ignoring the whole prophecy in Isaiah 17. This prophecy says that, even as Syria and its city Damascus are laid to waste, Israel - which is a reference to the Two Houses of Israel that exist especially in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, and the tiny nation of Israel - will wane in glory and power. This means that they will lose more of their wealth and prestige, NOT regain it as Donald Trump boasts!

This is now happening - just as it was prophesied, and the Two Houses of Israel will continue to lose their strength as the Muslim refugees from Syria flood into these nations and - finding no work or love of Allah there - will rebel and cause much destruction, fear, and terror as they wage Jihad in retaliation. This prophecy in Isaiah 17 is not a previously fulfilled prophecy, but a present and future one, which clearly says that Israel (or Judah, and the once Christian West identified with Joseph and the other tribes of Israel) will wane in strength AT THE SAME TIME THAT SYRIA IS DESTROYED!

In my book: "The Language of God in Prophecy", I showed how the USA is directly connected to the Tribe of Joseph, and to the Half Tribe of Ephraim descended from Joseph in Bible Prophecy. Furthermore, I referred to some Scriptures that not only pertained to Ephraim in the past, but to the nation that is identified as Ephraim today. Since then, a dear friend in Christ has also shown me two more Scriptures that appear to pertain directly to modern-day America as Ephraim. These appear below:

~*~ Isaiah 28:1-3 ~*~
“Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim (the USA),
Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower
Which is at the head of the verdant valleys,
To those who are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,
Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm,
Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing,
Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim (the USA),
Will be trampled underfoot...”

~*~ Hosea 12:14 ~*~
“Ephraim (the USA) provoked Him to anger most bitterly;
Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him,
And return his reproach upon him.”

These verses not only suggest God's displeasure with the modern version of Ephraim called America, but the desire to judge them severely for their immorality and lack of love for God and one another. So, as I said earlier in 2017, this is NOT a time to feel secure, or to believe that we have much more time to enjoy the bounty of the Earth, and our national heritage. Rather, it is a time to repent of our love of this world, turn away from it, and reflect on the fact that things are not going to improve much now that Trump has moved into the White House. Instead, as social unrest due to the love of immorality, and racial hatred keeps being fomented by the evil powers that be, we can expect a slow deterioration of the wealth and prestige of the The Two Houses of Israel. As explained in detail in my book "The Language of God in Prophecy", these Two Houses of Israel can be seen in the nations of the USA, the UK and British Commonwealth nations like Canada and Australia, most of Europe, and the tiny nation of Israel in these final moments before the 1,260-day Great Tribulation begins.

The Bible says that many false teachers will arise and fool many, and many people will become totally lawless and wicked as the end approaches, and we can see the evidence of this everywhere today. It is glaringly obvious in the many YouTube ministry videos touting Trump is God's man even though he is one of the elite, and in the horrific news stories of murder, dishonesty, violence, and cruelty being found around the world that are posted on the internet every single day.

As we rush headlong toward our heavenly destiny, we need to remember that this world is NOT our home, and our true home is with our Messiah and King Yahshua, NOT in America with Donald Trump! In the meantime, I do truly hope things will improve in the USA and the world for a little while, and the Rapture might be delayed for a short time so more can be saved before it's too late. But we should NOT believe it will improve dramatically, or for a long period, because God's Word says it won't.

This Section Originally Posted to Facebook on December 15th, 2016:

Let me make  something perfectly clear so that you do not misunderstand me. I advocated for President Elect Donald Trump before the election, pushed to get people to vote for him, and was happy when he won because I do think there is a divine anointing on him. But since then, God has shown me that he is NOT going to be able to do what the false prophets are saying he is going to do. Although he is not an evil man, I am sure God wanted him to win, and I also trust that he is a believer who intends to do good, I also know that Satan has other ideas, and God has given Satan the power to overcome the saints, and to carry out his wicked plans!

I also firmly believe that the Rapture will occur at the opening of the Sixth Seal - at the time of the worldwide earthquake that will open the outpouring of the Wrath of God. I also think the ISIS scourge on the Earth and their horrific persecution of Christians is a sign that the Fifth Seal has already been opened, and the Sixth Seal could be opened any day now. This is called the Pre-Wrath view of the Rapture, and many believers also think this is the correct view of the Rapture, and it explains why the multitude of saints found in Heaven in Revelation 7 are called the "Tribulation Saints". It's because we are already living in a time of terrible tribulation, and anyone with their eyes open should be able to see that.

What changed my mind about Trump's role in the future is what I have been shown by God. This is the fact that - although the United States is NOT Babylon the Great - it is actually part of the diabolical Beast from the Sea, which is formed by the United Nations Security Council, and may also be one of the two horns on the Beast from the Earth that gives power to the Beast from the Sea in Revelation Chapter 13. I wrote a detailed article about this revelation I was given from God in June of 2016. It can be accessed using the title and link to the following article on my POEM Ministry Blog:

Since this shows that Satan rules in all the governments of the West through the United Nations, Satan is not going to allow Trump to do what he wants to do easily, and there will be a great worldwide resistance to his plans because of the demonic strongholds holding him and his cabinet back. World War III could even break out before he gets into the White House, or shortly thereafter. This is because Barack Obama was provoking Russia to war (and Donald Trump is continuing it) by the MASSIVE build-up of NATO troops on Russia's borders. Furthermore, we are already fighting a proxy war with Russia in Syria, and the USA is on the WRONG side, fighting alongside the ISIS rebels trying to take down Syria's regime, and turn the country into another totalitarian Islamic State. Personally, I don't see how Trump is going to fix this nightmare war, or stop the flood of Syrian refugees into the West anytime soon! (NOTE: as of late July 2017, President Trump has backed away from supporting the ISIS rebels in Syria. I pray this trend toward doing right will continue!)

This is how we can know that we are in the End Times, and the Rapture is imminent. There is not much time left - and likely less than a year at most, so there is no way Trump will have time to succeed with all of his plans! He may have bought believers a little more time to be witnesses of Christ before the end, but the peace and prosperity some of you are predicting is nothing but an illusion!

Wake up! The Bible says that ALL the nations are under judgment right now, and they and the elites like Trump's cronies that have all those cushy underground bunkers built to hide in will be fully punished when the Great Tribulation comes, and the Wrath of God is poured out (See Revelation 6:15-17). Furthermore, the 3-1/2 year Great Tribulation is just around the corner, as indicated by Isaiah 17's prophecy of the weakening of the West, which is well underway, and the destruction of Damascus, which is also nearly complete.

These recent Videos at YouTube show that the Destruction of Syria is well under way, and World War III is imminent also, which will certainly result in Destruction and Judgment Upon Israel and the USA by Almighty God:

US is closing in on Damascus

2017…WW3 And The Destruction Of Damascus?

MARANATHA, and God bless you all!
Yahshua Is Coming Again Very Soon!

With Love From
Your Sister In Yahshua,
Helena Lehman of the
Pillar of Enoch Ministry

This Ministry Needs Financial Help!
To Give Through GoFundMe or PayPal:

Thank You For Your Love, Prayers and Support!


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merryghoul + blazingsaddles   1

work it out with your fingers (3098 words) by Febricant
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blazing Saddles (1974)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sheriff Bart/Jim "The Waco Kid"
Characters: Sheriff Bart, Jim "The Waco Kid"
Additional Tags: fourth fifth and sixth wall, Absurdism, a wild stab at historical context
Summary: It’s a common misconception that Jim is from Waco.
BlazingSaddles  Yuletide2016
january 2017 by merryghoul

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Monday, 31 August 2015

A pineapple variation

Pineapple Magic: delicious, easy recipes for a family on the go, Golden Circle online, Queensland 2010

This is variation of Golden Circle's Thai Prawn and Pineapple Curry - Pineapple Princess Ann swapped prawns for lightly fried chicken pieces and created a delicious meal for the Pineapple Princess Anne and Les.

Thai Chicken and Pineapple Curry

2 tbsp Thai red curry paste; 400ml can coconut milk; 3 kaffir lime leaves, torn; 1 tbsp grated palm sugar; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 150g green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds; chicken pieces; 440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces in Juice, drained; 8 cherry tomatoes, halved; steamed Jasmine rice, to serve; basil leaves to garnish, optional

1. Add curry paste to a hot frying pan and cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, lime leaves, palm sugar and fish sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.

2. Add green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken, pineapple and cherry tomatoes and simmer for a further 2 - 3 minutes, or until the chicken are cooked through.

3. Remove lime leaves and transfer curry to serving bowls. Serve with rice and garnish with basil leaves if desired.

Monday, 24 August 2015

Pineapple for breakfast

Sydney Kindergarten Training College Recipe Book, Waverley, Sydney compiled by Mrs Una Venn Brown, Miss Dorothy Francis and Miss Muriel Woodhouse for use with young children c 1950/1960

Fruit Brown Betty

25 servings (1/2 cup)

2 litres stewed fruit e.g. apple, rhubarb, pineapple; 6 cups soft breadcrumbs or cereal flakes; 225g sugar, brown; 1 tspn cinnamon; 225g melted butter or margarine

Drain fruit before measuring. Arrange fruit in greased dishes. Mix breadcrumbs, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Cover fruit with mixture. Bake in a moderate oven until crumbs are well browned and crisp 30 – 40 minutes.

I combined stewed pineapple, apple and raisins and topped it off with a breakfast cereal mixed with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. A delicious breakfast served with strawberries and yoghurt! Anne

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Pineapple and Chicken X 6

The Australian Woman’s Weekly, The Busy Woman’s Cookbook, Ellen Sinclair 1972

Pineapple Chicken
1 ½ kg chicken (or chicken pieces); ½ cup flour; salt, pepper; 1 medium onion; 1 green pepper; 425g can tomato soup; 425g can pineapple pieces; ¾ cup water; 1 chicken stock cube; 50g butter
Joint chicken. Dust chicken pieces with flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Heat butter in large frying pan or large saucepan, add chicken pieces, fry until browned on all sides. Add sliced pepper and sliced onion.
Cook 2 minutes. Combine soup, undrained pineapple and water, add to chicken with crumbled stock cube.
Cover, cook slowly 40 to 50 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Serves 4.
To prepare ahead: Cook completely as above, reheat gently. Sliced pepper can be omitted in first cooking, and added when reheating.

The Longevity Chinese Cookbook: Pritikin Style – No added fat, oil, salt, sugar or MSG by Margaret Gee and Graeme Goldin 1985 Sydney

Pineapple Chicken with Tangerine Peel
1.5kg chicken, remove all skin before cooking and chop into 16-20 pieces; 2 tblspn chopped fresh ginger; 4 tblspn dried tangerine peel, soak in hot water for 20 minutes and drain; 3 tblspn chopped fresh pineapple; 2 tblspn low salt soy sauce; 1 cup basic Chinese chicken stock; 2 tblspn Chinese wine or dry sherry; freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a casserole dish and cover. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook for 40 minutes. Remove cover for the last 10 minutes to reduce liquid.
Serves 4-6.

Whitefriars College Mothers’ Auxiliary Selected Recipes, Melbourne 1979

Chicken with Pineapple
1/3 cup cornflour; 2 tspn paprika; ¼ cup salad oil; 1 cup pineapple pieces; 1 cup diced celery; 2 tblspn brown sugar; 1 tblspn soya sauce; 1 cup pineapple juice; ¼ cup chopped walnuts; ¼ cup raisins; peas; potato chips; 3 cups freshly boiled rice; 1 jointed chicken
Mix cornflour & paprika in a paper bag, add two or three pieces of chicken at a time and shake well. Fry pieces in heated oil till brown all over, reduce heat and cook slowly till tender. Remove chicken. Combine remaining cornflour and paprika with brown sugar, soya sauce and pineapple juice, mix well, pour into pan and stir till thick.
Return chicken to pan with pineapple pieces, celery, and chopped green pepper (optional).
Cover and cook 15 minutes or until chicken is tender. Toss walnuts and raisins with rice, place on serving dish and top with chicken mixture. Serve with peas and chip potatoes.

New Idea’s Chinese Cookbook, 194 Recipes from Prawn Toast to Peking Duck, Melbourne 1970s
Sweet and Sour Chicken
1.5kg dressed chicken; 6 shallots, sliced; 1 carrot, thinly sliced; 1 small green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced; ½ cup chopped canned  pineapple; 2 tblspn brown sugar; 2 tblspn soy sauce; 2 tblspn vinegar; 250ml chicken stock; 2 tblspn cornflour; 125ml pineapple juice; salt and pepper; 1 tblspn almonds; 30g butter or margarine
Roast chicken in a moderate oven at 180°C for 1-1 ½ hours or until tender.
Place shallots, carrot, green pepper, pineapple, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and stock in a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil.
Blend cornflour smoothly with pineapple juice, add to pan and bring back to the boil, stirring continuously until sauce thickens. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fry almonds in butter until golden, drain well.
Cut chicken into small pieces and place in a warm Chinese bowl. Pour hot sauce over, sprinkle with fried almonds and serve hot with boiled or fried rice. Serves 4.

Pork with Chicken and Pineapple
500g pork; 125g chicken; 4 Chinese dried mushrooms (I used fresh mushrooms); 1 clove garlic; 1 dstspn oil; ¼ tsp salt; 1 dstspn brandy or dry sherry; ½ tspn sugar; few drops sesame oil; ½ cup finely sliced Chinese cabbage; ½ cup sliced celery; 1 ½ cups canned pineapple pieces, drained; 4 water chestnuts; 1 cup stock or water; 1 tspn cornflour; 1 dstspn soy sauce
Cit chicken and pork into thin slices. Wash mushrooms, soak in hot water for 20 minutes. rinse and squeeze dry. Cut into thin slices. Slice water chestnuts.
Mix together 1 dessertspoon soy sauce, brandy, sugar, sesame oil. Mix cornflour and soy sauce with ½ cup water. Heat the oil with salt and garlic, remove garlic and add the chicken and pork.
Fry, stirring, until browned. Add soy sauce mixture, stir well and then add cabbage, celery, pineapple, water chestnuts and mushrooms.
Stir over medium heat for 3 minutes, add stock, put lid on and cook 2 minutes. Stir cornflour mixture, add to pan and cook, stirring, until thickening. Simmer another minute.

The Great Chicken Cookbook, The Australian Women’s Weekly 1973

Chicken with Pineapple
1.5kg chicken; 1 onion; 1 carrot; 2 sticks celery; 30g butter; 450g can pineapple; salt, pepper; 1 packet cream of chicken soup; 2 tspn soy sauce; 1 tbspn vinegar
Place chicken in large saucepan, cover with water, season with salt and pepper, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, simmer 1 hour, or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken from pan, allow to cool, strain stock, reserve 3 cups stock. Remove chicken meat from bones, chop roughly.
Peel and slice onion and carrot, chop celery. Melt butter in frying pan, add vegetables, sauté until tender, but not brown, add chicken, contents of soup packet, reserved stock, undrained pineapple, then remaining ingredients, mix well, cover, cook 20 minutes.
Serve with hot rice. Serves 4.

Thursday, 13 August 2015

Pineapple Ambrosia

Southern Cookery by Beryl Frank  1979 USA

“There are as many variations of this dessert as there are cooks. Use your own ideas to add your touch to ambrosia  -  food truly fit for the gods.”
3 fresh oranges, peeled, sectioned; 3 fresh grapefruit, peeled, sectioned; ½ fresh pineapple, peeled, diced; 1/3 cup, orange juice; ¼ cup light corn syrup; ½ cup shredded flaked or fresh coconut.
Prepare fruit as indicated above.
Combine orange juice and syrup; pour over fruit. Stir in coconut; reserve some for garnish. Spoon mixture into 6 sherbet glasses; sprinkle coconut on top of each glass. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 6 servings.
P.S. If you like the flavour of dry sherry or bourbon, add ¼ cup to the liquids and allow fruit to ripen in this mixture.

Sunday, 9 August 2015

Cooking in a hurry by Marguerite Patten 1973 London

Pineapple Macaroon Sundae

4-6 tblspn crushed pineapple; 4 large macaroon biscuits; 4 portions vanilla ice cream: 4 glacé or Maraschino cherries

Strain any surplus juice from the pineapple. Put the macaroons on to a serving dish, top with rounds of ice cream and coat with the pineapple. Decorate with cherries.

Serves 4.

Thanks for helping make this dessert Freya!

And all constructed while balancing on an empty Milo tin!

The consensus was that the ice cream was the best part of this dessert!

I hunted high and low for the maraschino cherries, the flavour was strongly reminiscent of marzipan, I think I will stick with sour cherries in the future, Anne.

Thursday, 6 August 2015

Unusual Pineapple

Thanks for these recipes Vicki, they were both yum! Anne.

Steak and Pineapple Mornay

Posted: 19 May 2015

1 lb. minced steak or mince
2 onions
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 dessertspoon curry powder (or to taste)
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/4 lb. finely shredded cabbage, or celery (or both)
1 pkt. Chicken Noodle Soup
1 chicken cube
1 small tin pineapple pieces

Method: Fry mince and onion in butter until brown. Add all other ingredients. Cook very quickly for about 20 minutes. Stir constantly to be sure rice and noddles do not stick.
Serve from a casserole dish immediately. (or reheat as desired)

Source: contributed by E. Anesbury in Trinity Gardens Primary School Recipe Book (Adelaide, n.d.), p.32.

Heavenly Dessert

Posted: 11 Aug 2014

1 tin evaporated milk, chilled; 1 lemon jelly; 1 pkt chocolate ripple biscuits; juice of an orange; 1 small tin pineapple pieces

Method: Make juice of pineapple and orange up to 1/2 pint with water and bring to the boil. Add jelly, cool and partly set. Whip milk until thick and combine with jelly. Line large dish with crumbled biscuits. Cover with mixture, then top with remainder of crumbs and pineapple pieces. Serves 8.

Source: contributed by Mrs D Pearson in Royal Adelaide Hospital Cookery Book: Our Favourite Recipes (Adelaide: 1981, 1st edition), p.70.

Monday, 3 August 2015


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Thursday, 25 July 2013

Sign-up for the essential building industry recruitment e-letter and you could win an iPad mini

You now have less than a week to enter our draw to win an iPad mini. All you need to do is sign-up for our free e-letter 'Pin Points' by 31 July 2013 and your entry in the draw will be automatic.
'Pin Points' is very popular with its subscribers and keeps candidates and clients informed of industry news and research, and allows interaction in our special industry polls and insightful interviews. It also provides expert recruitment and job seeking advice, as well as, advance and exclusive notice of some of our exciting new initiatives planned for later this year.

We offer some of the best sales, marketing, management and board level jobs in the building products industry – including high quality roles from junior to senior level in the building materials, KBB, Interiors and DIY sectors.

Visit to see all our latest jobs and support services.

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

UK Housing market continues to grow says RICS

The good news for the industry keeps coming this month as the latest figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) indicates the UK housing market is continuing its return to good health.

RICS found that in June, 21% more chartered surveyors reported that house prices had risen rather than fallen across the country – the strongest reading since January 2010. The price uplift is mainly a result of prospective buyers starting to return to the market, RICS said, finding that 38% more surveyors reported a rise rather than a fall in new buyer enquiries.

Demand has grown at a rate not seen since August 2009. RICS also revealed that in June, 45% more chartered surveyors predicted that house sales would rise rather than fall over the next three months. This is the most positive reading in the market survey’s 14 year history.

Peter Bolton King, RICS’ global residential director, commented:

“Activity levels still remain depressed by historic standards but the various initiatives designed to encourage the provision of finance into the market do appear to be paying dividends.”

Take a look at the latest sales and marketing building products jobs

Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Featured building products NATIONAL sales jobs - July 2013

July 2013: With the school holidays nigh, you might want to get away from the kids and use the time to look for a new job!

This month we focus on a number of fantastic National sales management opportunities

If you are interested in the plastic windows, heavyside and drainage sectors you should really take a look.
Keep informed of ALL our latest jobs when they become available on our Facebook page. Remember to click LIKE! to ensure you receive the full benefits of news, jobs, entertainment, articles, events and promotions.

Have you signed-up for our e-letter yet? You could win an iPad mini. Click here.

See below for full details of our featured jobs (click 'Read more' if required).

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Where are the building blocks to recovery when you need them? Literally…

The housebuilding market is trying to build without bricks, which is a bit like eating soup with a fork: frustrating, time-wasting and utterly pointless.

There is a shortage of aerated and lightweight blocks in the industry which is due to the welcome upturn in the private housing market. But, are the very blocks that should be helping to construct a positive future for the industry now hindering the recovery?

It is a welcome, but difficult time for manufacturers, suppliers and builders, and after five years of declining demand, resulting in reduced production and stock levels, the industry has been caught a little short.

Many manufacturers have been quoting delivery times of up to three months, leaving builders very frustrated especially with the recent fine weather we’ve been experiencing.

In these circumstances it is important for everyone not to panic.

Pinnacle Consulting clients within the brick and block sector have been evaluating their production schedules and stock, in order to catch up with demand. Communication needs to be regular, and planning needs to be thorough - it is a time when the whole industry needs to be working together to ensure recovery is allowed to thrive.

It’s also paramount that manufacturers do not let the excitement affect the supply of their other products, or over-estimate demand and end up with crippling levels of unsold stock.

Builders must be patient, but need reliable information and delivery dates, in order to plan their work effectively; merchants must ensure this happens through regular communication. It is vital that all concerned are aware of the nature, size and stage of projects being worked on, and where the requirement is at its most critical. This is a tricky balancing act, especially with no one wanting to let any customer down, least of all their loyal and long-term customers.

The next two or three months are vital for the industry and it is a real opportunity for companies and individuals to step up their game - planning, communication, relationships and staffing will all be key factors for those that succeed. The importance of a sound relationship between sales and operations at manufacturers cannot be under estimated during this time.

It is also a timely warning for other companies within the building products sector to make sure that they have systems in place, as they might be next to experience similar issues.

Pinnacle Consulting look forward to a continuing recovery and a building industry at full health once again.

Contact us for the best construction sales jobs in the industry or to see how we can help you enhance your team.

Monday, 15 July 2013

What should employers expect from their recruitment consultant?

Employers will often ask themselves when engaging with a construction sales recruitment consultant: “what exactly are they doing for me or are they just operating in their own self-interest” and or more importantly “what am I actually getting for our hard-earned money?”

Although many companies would agree that recruitment doesn't always get the attention it deserves, as it can be seen as a distraction from the "more important" day-to-day running of the business, most realise that selecting the right person is vital for the future success of their business.

However, companies can be understandably apprehensive about using a recruitment agency...

Many will still ask: “why am I using a recruitment agency?” and “what should I expect from my consultant?” If you are currently in this mindset, consider the following to help you evaluate if you are getting good service from your consultant.

At Pinnacle Consulting we are only too aware of the need to operate with professionalism and integrity, otherwise that important trust factor will be quickly lost with both our clients and candidates.

Here are six simple things that you should be asking of your consultant. These are the basic principles we look to instill into our consultants.

Is my consultant demonstrating a thorough understanding of my brief, our market and our company?
If your recruitment agency and consultant really understand your business they can then confidently and effectively explain the benefits of matching your company with the candidate and how the job fits in with your company objectives. This ability will also assist the consultant when selecting appropriate applicants for interview.

You should check to see if your consultant has a sound understanding and knowledge of your company, your products and services, your markets and customers, as well as your activity, approach and reasons for needing to employ.

Does your consultant ask you additional questions to enhance their knowledge or are they just making generalised and vague statements?

More importantly, are the prospective candidates being put forward by your consultant actually matching your brief and are they supported with good, intelligent rationale to support their selection?

Understanding your industry is often solved by using a specialist recruitment agency that operates exclusively in your field, but a consultant who also understands your specific company and needs provides you with a much more valuable service.

Is my consultant providing the right level and quality of communication?
You need to make sure that you are being updated on progress, but not to the extent where you don’t want to talk to the consultant and calls become ‘sales’ pitches. Conversations and meetings should be proactive, reassuring and informative, and that of a business partner working for mutual benefit.

Are the CVs being sent to me carefully selected or is my consultant just a CV forwarder?
If you, very quickly, get sent through a ream of CVs which seem to have been generated by the consultant doing a quick automated CV match, or by trawling through various job boards, then you should be very concerned. First of all, you should ask for a share of the commission fee, as it seems you are being asked to do the main filtering on behalf of the consultant. Secondly, it would be very likely that none of the candidates have been spoken to about the role, or the detail of their career truly evaluated by the consultant to ensure they are suitable and match the key aspects of your brief.

Your consultant must provide you with process streamlining benefits to ensure that CVs sent to you are relevant and the candidates of a high quality, capable and interested in the role. Less is often more, so look for quality over quantity and evidence that the consultant knows the person behind the words on the CV. Never assume that they have actually spoken to the person they are putting forward, but look for evidence that they have.

Are they saving me time rather than wasting my time?
One of the main reasons companies decide to use agencies for their recruitment is to save advertising expenditure and time spent searching, evaluating, communicating and administrating. In other words, sorting the wheat from the chaff and thus allowing you to concentrate on your job.

If you are finding yourself spending too much of your time monitoring your consultant’s activity and guiding them in the right direction, or as mentioned earlier, having to look through a huge pile of CVs which are without substance - then you may as well have controlled the whole process yourself in the first place. You only want to interview top quality people, who are serious candidates for job, and those who will actually turn up for the interview in the first place.

If your consultant has a true understanding of your needs and has established this during briefing – a stage when the employer and the consultant really do need to invest their time – then you can move forward with confidence that the process is likely to go smoothly and without the constant need to eat into your time, other than when it is necessary.

Is my consultant exploring all avenues to find the ideal candidate to match my brief?
A good consultant will earn their fee by finding the right person for the right job by selecting from a pool of high quality candidates, including access to candidates not available elsewhere.

Job boards and media advertising are open to anyone looking for candidates, and are often a successful way to fill a position, but there are also the hidden ones - those who are not even aware that they are looking for a job, or at least, are not actively seeking. It is also true that high quality candidates will not be searching for long, and many active candidates will not even read the agency listings or visit job boards.

A proactive approach from a consultant with specialist and intimate knowledge of those within the industry who might be tempted to make a move, could be the key-determining factor to find you the elite employees that meet and exceed your brief and will grow your business.

These qualities are vital ingredients of a high quality recruitment agency and consultant, and a key reason for not recruiting yourself. Your consultant must really work for you to meet your needs and not just take the easy routes accessible to everyone. Ask them how they intend to find someone to meet your requirements.

It is vital that you don’t fill a position with the best of a bad bunch, crossing your fingers that it will work out - it usually doesn’t. By using a consultant, you have hired a specialist and professional service, so it is not unreasonable to expect good results.

Is your consultant also working in the best interests of the candidate and do I trust them?
A good consultant should intuitively know their clients’ and candidates’ needs and this should be achieved by really getting to know people. They should look to build long-term relationships for long-term gain. It should not just be about filling a vacancy that would not be fair on either the candidate or the client.

Your consultant should be sure that it is the right move for the candidate because, if it isn’t, then it certainly is not the right appointment for you. You need to trust that your consultant has the best interests of both in their approach. You can normally judge this through your relationship with them - if that is sound and honest, it is likely that the same will be the case with candidates.

An excellent consultant will also be able to identify talent and potential in people to make them ideal candidates for roles that they would not normally have even considered. This can often provide amazing results, and is proof of a consultant thinking carefully about your brief and knowing people well.

It is a good sign if your consultant continues to take an interest in your company and how things are going even after the appointment is made, and also if they are happy to give you specialist and confidential advice whether or not you are in recruiting mode. However, as mentioned earlier, they should not be a hindrance.

Make sure you get the service you deserve from your consultant
Whether you decide to use the services of Pinnacle Consulting or not, please use our guide to help improve the service and value you are getting from your agency, or to help you evaluate what an agency and consultant should be giving you in return for recruiting them. It does not mean that all appointments will be perfect, but it certainly will considerably reduce the risk factor and increase the chances of finding someone that you would not have found by yourself.

Testimonial from Soudal NV.
We were delighted to hear that the culture we try and impress on all our consultants is paying dividend. The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating, and some recent unsolicited feedback received from Michael Gamble, Professional Market Manager at Soudal NV, Europe’s leading independent manufacturer of sealants, PU-Foams and adhesives, is evidence of this:

“ I was very impressed with your consultant’s efforts on our behalf. It is reassuring to see that you are maintaining the same high standards of the consultants we have previously dealt with.

“He was given a pretty tough brief in terms of our requirements for our new Area Sales Manager, but he located as close as possible the perfect candidate for our vacancy. He didn’t waste my time with unsuitable applications and had the right balance of contact during the whole process.

“The successful candidate took a day’s holiday from his current job, so he could attend our Sales Meeting - this was before he even started in the position, and now the early signs have also been very encouraging. Pinnacle should get a pat on the back”.

You can find out more about Soudal here.

Pinnacle Consulting
If you would like to discuss your needs in further detail, please contact us on 01480 405225 or by email on You can also find out more on our website about how we can help those looking to recruit for sales and marketing positions in the building products sector.

Image thanks to: "People Search" by jscreationzs

Thursday, 11 July 2013

Construction industry is entering a new dawn says CIPS

After the great news we brought you yesterday from the CPA, we are pleased to bring more good news today, with the release of the latest Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) for the construction sector. It really does seem like the start of something good for the industry...

The index revealed that the UK construction sector showed its strongest growth for over a year in June.

Overall output growth was driven by increased housing activity and new order growth reporting a 13-month high. The overall index posted at 51.0, up fractionally on the previous month's 50.8. However, despite the only slight improvement the figure showed construction output was continuing to expand. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion while a reading below 50 indicates contraction.

The figures demonstrate the industry is showing real evidence that it is turning the corner and the growth is being underpinned by a consistent rate of new orders and rising employment levels in the sector.

David Noble, CIPS CEO commented:

"A new dawn is emerging in the construction industry, with confidence of a sustained recovery beginning to build thanks to two months of consecutive output growth and the pace of new oders ecpansion hitting a 13-month high. Housing is the leading light sustaining last month's performance, meanwhile commercial and civil engineering activity stabilised, arresting months of decline giving further cause for optimism.

"The strongest growth in new business orders for over a year is also driving employment upwards, resuting in confidence hitting its highest level since April 2012. This enthusiasm may also have been bolstered by the Government's support for new house building. Whether expectations match reality, only time will tell.

"Suppliers still bear the scars of the recession reflected in a lack of stock and limited capacity. Coupled with higher average cost burdens, this is placing pressure on supply chains and cost margins. This needs to be rectified, if the sector is to build on this momentum."

With growing confidence in the industry and rising employment in the sector, it might be the right time to recruit or to start looking for that new job. Search for the best UK construction sales jobs.

Image courtesy of Kookkai_nak/

Wednesday, 10 July 2013

Great news for sales of construction products

The Construction Products Association’s latest State of Trade Survey released on Monday indicates that sales of construction products recovered slightly during the second quarter of 2013. This recovery was driven principally by exports and a ‘bounce’ following a Q1 slump which had been exacerbated by poor weather.

Commenting on the figures, Construction Products Association economist, Milja Keijonen said: ‘The second quarter of 2013 saw a predicted bounce back in quarterly construction product sales following a weak performance during the first three months of 2013. Export sales continued to provide a lifeline for many product manufacturers, whilst the domestic construction industry remained subdued. Both heavy and light side sales continued to decline on an annual basis, even if the pace of these falls showed signs of slowing down from Q1.

‘Looking ahead, product manufacturers remain optimistic about sales growth. Recent data releases on the UK economy have fuelled optimism over growth prospects. Also, market conditions are expected to improve as the year progresses with private housing one of the key sectors expected to boost domestic demand. Export sales are anticipated to continue providing a boost even if most European economies, the UK’s main export markets, remain firmly in negative territory.’

Other key points include:

  • Heavy side sales volumes rose on a quarterly basis but contracted year-on-year, on balance.
  • Light side product sales were broadly unchanged compared to Q1 but fell on an annual basis, according to 7% of firms, on balance.
  • Market sentiment improved in Q2 with 38% of heavy and 31% of light side companies, on balance, expecting sales to rise in Q3.
  • Export growth continued to boost sales in Q2 with 30% of light and 20% of heavy side companies reporting a rise in exports quarter-on-quarter, on balance.
  • Cost inflation remained prevalent across the industry with energy and transport costs making the main contribution towards higher unit costs.

Take a look at the latest construction products sales jobs

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

KBB buying group launched in the UK

Following a model similar to how the NMBS support independent merchants, Pin Board is pleased to hear of the launch of the Kitchen & Bathroom Buying Group (KBBG)the UK’s first kitchen and bathroom buying group for specialist retailers - which has been established to help independent retailers be more competitive in today’s tough economic climate.

Partly as a result of growing criticism of suppliers for failing to support independent kitchen and bathroom retailers, the German buying group Der Kreis has launched the KBBG which is headed up by Gorenje UK’s former sales director Bill Miller. This is a really encouraging step for the UK KBB sector and needs to be supported and embraced by the whole industry.

“Bill’s strong background and extensive industry relationships are invaluable,” said Marcel Crezee, chief executive of Der Kreis. “His understanding of the independents’ business is instrumental in developing the organisation in the UK, supporting and preserving the independence of retailers for the future.”

If you are looking for a job in the KBB industry or are a distributor or manufacturer looking to recruit, please contact us, the KBB recruitment specialists.

The KBBG’s aim is to support and improve conditions for independent specialists by giving them buying power to compete against larger companies and the internet. Bill's initial focus will be to get manufacturers and retailers in the kitchen sector on board, before targeting the bathroom industry.

With the introduction of a UK division, Der Kreis now has buying groups in nine European countries, including Germany and The Netherlands, and has an annual turnover of €2.2 billion (around £1.8bn)..

The KBBG will be looking to provide a complete and competitive package to retailers including; furniture, appliances, worktops, sinks and taps in its offering.

The KBBG is based in the UK and is made-up of independent retailers who have united to work together in the field of purchasing and marketing within the kitchen and bathroom industry and will also offer a variety of exclusive, interesting and useful business services.

What is the basis of KBBG?
KBBG members stay in control of their own business and decide what benefits or services are useful for their business.

  • Members remain independent and self-employed
  • Members will not affiliate business, you retain your own identity
  • KBBG is not a franchise formula

Why should you join KBBG?
There are many reasons to join the KBBG. Here are some key reasons:

  • Purchasing Advantage through cooperation with other members
  • Product Marketing with distinctive private labels, best buying terms and conditions
  • Payment Advantage and convenience with the Central Payment System (subject to agreement)
  • Training and seminars
  • Information on the internal system INFONET
  • Better business
  • Information Centre for all your questions
  • Support, advice and guidance of entrepreneurs
  • Education and training programs for kitchen specialists
  • Exchange knowledge and meet colleagues at meetings and seminars

More on the KBBG
The KBBG is fully supported by some of the largest and best known kitchen furniture and built-in appliance suppliers in Europe.

The KBBG will be supporting its members with unique and exclusive offers from their partner suppliers as well as generous rebate opportunities.

If you are interested in learning more about what the KBBG has to offer, please contact them.

With over 30 year’s experience, DER KREIS is one of the largest kitchen and bathroom buying group in Europe and with over 2,700 member retailers in 9 countries, DER KREIS exclusively supports the independent kitchen and bathroom specialist, recognising the skills of the individual and helping create a strong and successful community.

Image courtesy of "Water 3D" by Idea go /

Wednesday, 3 July 2013

Do you need help understanding how to meet the Building Information Modelling (BIM) requirements?

In response to a government initiative requiring that all central government building procurement contracts use BIM from 2016, Pin Board is pleased to make you aware of a great and simple-to-understand guide published by the Construction Products Association and the NBS. This new guide is designed for manufacturers and is perfectly named ‘BIM for the Terrified'. It is aimed at those who do not have a detailed understanding of BIM, but would like to gain sufficient understanding to assess its possible impact on their construction product manufacturing or distribution business.

You can download the guide here

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a process for managing the information produced during a construction project, in a common format, from the earliest feasibility stage through design, construction, operation and finally demolition, in order to make the best and most efficient use of that information. BIM has three key elements:
  • The consistent, conventional labelling or naming of documents and data
  • A method for storing and manipulating information
  • A method for exchanging or issuing information about the building, including its construction, operation, performance and maintenance
The use of BIM can increase efficiency and reduce errors. Virtual designs are built in three dimensions before work proceeds on site; the attributes of all the elements of the building can be found in the model; and spatial ‘clashes’ can be identified and resolved in the model instead of on site.

The guide explains the basic vocabulary of BIM so that readers will be better able to understand the wider debates about it. It looks at how BIM has evolved from the earliest drawing and specification systems, how the various types of BIM differ and what benefits they offer. The reasons for the government’s drive to adopt BIM are explained and the requirements that will fall on to the supply chain are set out. Case studies are included, showing how manufacturers are taking up the challenge of BIM. Finally there are references to sources of more detailed information.

To be prepared for BIM, manufacturers and distributors will need to invest time and resources. It is hoped they will be better informed and more confident after reading this guide and will be able to ask the right questions as they make investment decisions.

With the 2016 deadline fast approaching, the Cabinet Office has set up the BIM Task Group to work with industry to bring the construction industry up to speed. The Construction Products Association is working with the BIM Task Group and others on a range of initiatives to support this work.

John Tebbit, Industry Affairs Director and Deputy Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, said: ‘In order for any of the BIM agenda to work and benefits to be delivered, manufacturers and suppliers will need to put significant resources into the data and models underpinning BIM.

‘Some have been doing this for years but for others the market case has not yet been made.  The publication is a small part of making that case. Others will need to play their part too, primarily through demonstrating demand and sticking to open, non-proprietary standards for both data structures and data itself.’

Dr Stephen Hamil, Head of BIM at NBS commented: ‘Use of BIM is growing significantly within the design communities with adoption predicted to rise to 91% within the next 3 years. In order to really achieve the benefits for the whole industry which BIM offers, our manufacturing sector must make the BIM journey too. We hope that this guide will help manufacturers better understand what this journey is and why it's in their interest to become BIM enabled.’

Are you looking for a new sales job in the construction products industry or looking to recruit for a new sales professional? Call Pinnacle Consulting on 01480 405225.

Image "Modern building model" by

Monday, 1 July 2013

Sales Jobs in the Building Industry: Career Development Clinics for July 2013

Are looking for a new challenge in your career this summer or even just an independent evaluation of your career direction?

Arrange to attend one of our FREE PinBuild Career Development Clinics throughout the UK during July.

PinBuild Clinics are for sales and marketing professionals in the building products, construction and interiors sectors and provide specialist career advice. Call us to arrange to meet one of our Specialist Consultants.  Tel: 01480 405225 or Email

July PinBuild Clinics

  • Thursday 4th July: Bristol
  • Wednesday 10th July: Warrington
  • Thursday 18th July: Birmingham
  • Thursday 25th July: Leeds

Look at our current jobs

You might find one that you would like to discuss:

PinBuild Clinics will evaluate the job seeker’s career to date and identify the best opportunities available. The clinics provide professionals with expert advice on how to progress their career by discussing the industry sectors that have potential for growth, the skills and focus needed to ensure that they develop with the changing nature of the market and how to ensure that their career continues to progress rather than stagnating.

The clinics will also assist those that attend to map out a realistic and achievable career path, including any potential training requirements. Assistance will also be given to evaluate their CV and also their interview technique and where they should focus to ensure they realise their true potential in the building and construction industry.

We specialise in external and internal sales positions, marketing and management roles and director and board appointments with manufacturers, merchants or distributors across the whole building, construction and interiors product spectrum.


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text:
Development Flask

Resell Your Business Products

Pinnacle’s experience with developing and distributing marketable software applications has been a win-win situation for our clients and the global clients they serve.
Pinnacle has partnered with select organizations to resell applications developed by Pinnacle, providing revenues to both parties.
One successful example has been our partnership with Novahealth, an Independent Health Practice Association. Nova was responsible for the “Touch Every Life” initiative, a web-based chronic care registry, developed by Pinnacle IT. The TEL system has since been marketed and sold to physician groups and hospitals.

In addition to technical support and depending on the project, Pinnacle can assist with or provide market feasibility studies, competitive analysis, marketing and promotional materials, pricing strategies, sales support, E&O insurance, help desk support, training and other services. Contact us to find out what we can do for your company!


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Monday, February 28, 2011

Poached eggs on toast

Poached eggs on toast have long been one of my favorite meals.  Our hens are laying again after a 6-week period of no eggs.  Some of our girls stopped laying in late October or November, meaning that they took over 3 months of vacation.  It's about time they started paying their rent again.  Not only are we eating our own eggs instead of storebought ones, I'm able to sell eggs again.

Hint... hint... if any of my Tacoma readers want naturally nested, cage-free, free-range, humanely raised eggs from hens with names, let me know.  At $4/dozen they're less than at the closed-for-the-season Broadlway farmers market.

And to you midwesterners selling your eggs for $2/dozen, shush. This is the city.

Anyway, poached eggs are simple and quick to make.  You can go from conceptualization to digestion in maybe 8 minutes.  With the egg already perched on top of the toast, there's no chance of that delicious, runny yolk going to waste.  Just a little salt and pepper makes this the perfect meal.

Poached eggs

Bring water to a low boil (hot enough so that it bubbles but isn't violently boiling) in a saucepan.  Crack your eggs into a small bowl or cup.  Slowly tip your cup into the water and allow the egg to slide in.  Since the water is on a low boil, the egg shouldn't go far.

Some people swear by the swirling water method, which I think is pretty silly.  Don't bother.

Cook your egg to the desired doneness.  For me this took maybe 3-4 minutes.  I've always loved runny, goopy egg yolks.

Scoop the egg out of the water with a slotted spoon and serve on hot toast with salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce.  Heck, go crazy and dump some hollandaise on there if you need the extra calories in your diet.

Bread: Poulsbo Bread
Eggs: from our yard, I think Beaker & Dozer laid these

UPDATED around 5:20 p.m. - Friends have been asking me on my personal Facebook page how I did this.  [shrug]  I've never had poached eggs go wrong so it never occurred to me that they could.  I think that the key lies in a low cooking temperature.  Don't let your water come to a full boil.  See this link for pictures of water at various cooking temps.

Something my dad always does, which I never do anymore, is to submerge the entire egg (in shell) into a pot of boiling water for roughly 30 seconds.  His eggs always turned out well.  In retrospect I think it may function to coagulate the egg white a bit, helping it stay together in the water while being poached.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Ugly soup

In January, as part of my 2011 resolutions, I was cleaning and ran the oven through a self-cleaning cycle.  Little did I know that would be its swan song.  It never worked right after that, unable to reach temperatures much above "lukewarm".

Gene and I soon went out and picked a new gas oven to replace the old electric one.  The problem is that while we have natural gas in the house for heat and hot water, the kitchen isn't plumbed for gas.  In addition, the delivery date for the oven was a couple of weeks out.  We've been hobbling along without a functional oven for over a month.    As someone who blogs about, among other things, food, that has been a particularly disheartening turn of events.  I have bacon to make, dagnabbit!

On the bright side, yours truly is getting a gas stove.  I haven't cooked on gas since I lived in France over 15 years ago and I cannot wait.

The other bright side is that this is a convection oven.  Yippee!  Though, truth be told, I have no idea what that means in terms of how it'll affect my cooking.

Other upgrades include a newish stainless steel over-the-range microwave we got on Craigslist for $40 and a pot-filler faucet to be installed in the near future above the stove.

All in all the dead oven wasn't such a bad thing, though I'm not excited about the cost.  Alas.

With no oven we've been grilling on the BBQ and cooking on the stove top.  It sucks to BBQ when you can see your breath.

I used up a variety of withering ingredients for this soup and, as the title suggests, it's not going to win any beauty contests but it makes up for it in tastiness and healthiness.

Ugly soup
1 cup dried black beans, soaked and rinsed (ugly ingredient #1)
Olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 diced parsnips
4-6 diced carrots
1 cup corn
broth or bouillon of your choice (I used a homemade veggie bouillon, which meant I needed no additional salt)
handful of dehydrated tomatoes (ugly ingredient #2)
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 ounces salt pork (or use any flavorful meat, such as sausage)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, cook onion in ~1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until translucent.  Toss in the root veggies and cook another few minutes to caramelize and get flavor.

Add the corn, tomatoes, meat, and seasonings, then cover everything with your liquid of choice.  Simmer for an hour or longer, depending upon how much time you have.

Serve with a crusty bread to sop up the brothy goodness.

Why is this ugly?  First, the black beans turn everything else a murky brown, like the white parsnips and corn.  The rehydrated tomatoes swell up and look like rusty-brown globs. They're not sexy, but they are tasty.

Most of my ingredients were locally sourced, with the exceptions being the beans, seasoning, and olive oil.  The salt pork is a byproduct of the February Charcutepalooza Challenge, bacon and/or pancetta, and comes from Lucky Pig Farm.

Look what was waiting for me when I got home today (pardon the cruddy cell phone picture).

I plan to break it in tomorrow.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Why to freeze your yarn

My knitting habit started humbly.  I commuted to Seattle by bus for four years, where I became friends with the other riders.  Several of them were knitters.  I'd wanted to learn how for a long time and one day a woman brought some spare yarn and needles to teach me how to knit.

About a week later I taught myself how to purl.  Then purl and knit.  Then k1 p1.  I started conversations with strangers who were knitting.  People chatted me up when they saw me knit.  Even a seemingly scary gangbanger type once started talking to me about knitting on a cross-city bus.  A whole community had just opened up to me.

I was addicted.

Soon thereafter I was buying books, making scarves, logging onto (find me there: I'm frenchiejenn), and cranking out some major yarn yardage.  As any knitter or crocheter knows, the next step is to start building a stash.

Maybe your yarn stash is relatively modest, as is mine.  My stash consists of at most 30 skeins of assorted yarns tucked into baskets and cloth boxes like this one.  Everything was confined to a single bookcase in our office.  Well, mostly.
Photo from
 Last weekend a girlfriend and fellow knitter came over and I was showing her some of my fav yarns.  She picked up one of the skeins and held out a tiny white cylinder that was perhaps a quarter inch long.
Photo from
"Jenn," she whispered, "you have moths".

Photo from
 As it turns out, I have casemaking clothes moths, as pictured above.  Ugh.  Left to their own devices, they can destroy a yarn stash.

A freezing-heating-freezing cycle will kill all stages of moth development.  Luckily for me, the discovery of moths in my stash has coincided with a deep freeze in Western Washington.

I carefully examined my stash yarns to remove any additional casings I could find.  My entire stash got moved outside last weekend and it has stayed there for several days.  This evening I'll bring all the yarn into the house for a few hours to warm them up, then return them to the carport overnight to re-freeze.

When I bring the yarn back into the house I'm going to put it in airtight zipper bags in my cedar chest.  There's some debate about whether cedar actually repels moths or their larvae but it certainly won't hurt and puts my beautiful Lane cedar chest - a high school graduation gift - to good use.

I've learned a valuable lesson about how to care for my stash.  Yarn costs money and regardless of how much you've spent, anything eaten by insects is just really expensive bug food.

On that note, here's my next project yarn.  "It's Native" is grown, spun, and hand-dyed entirely in the USA, which I didn't realize until after I bought it.  I debated between a delicious apple green and this teal, which ultimately came home with me.  At $38 for the skein it's the most expensive yarn I've ever bought.  Good thing it's 1000 yards, which will be enough for a lace shawl.
Photo from

I'm having a hard time selecting the exact shawl this yarn will become.  I'll post pics when I decide.

I'm nearly done with these mittens.  I have to proctor an exam today and may be able to finish them during that timeframe.

I knit my name into the lining should I ever lose one, God forbid.  My last name is unusual, making me a quick google search away.

How many of you yarn hoarders are shoving your yarn into the freezer after reading this post?

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Bringing home babies

This, my friends, is the time of year when many people start thinking about bringing home a box of peeping babies.  In fact, one friend (hi, Steph!) is getting chicks THIS WEEK and another is considering it (Arin - do it!).  The local feed stores are starting to advertise chick availability.  I love going to the feed stores and watching the massive bins of feisty chicks.
Photo from
Because we've already done this several times, G-man and I have agreed that we won't get any more chickens until our flock of nine has diminished somewhat.  Combine the facts that we we don't plan on killing our hens as their productivity declines and that we carefully protect the girls from predators, and it's going to be a while before we have any babies running around on the kitchen floor.

I miss having baby chicks.  We had three batches of them over two summers and they're so much fun.  The're sweet and inquisitive, fearless and easily exhausted.  They run around chasing each other and then fall asleep standing up only to tip over or splay out.  They are, in a word, adorable.

To be fully prepared for having chicks, you'll need a few things:
1. chick feeder and chick feed
2. chick waterer
3. heat lamp with red bulb (Why red?  First, the red light is less glaring and since it'll be on 24/7, this is a good thing for the babies.  Secondly it helps prevent the chicks from picking at each other because they will pick at blood and feathers, potentially harming weaker chicks.)
4. pine (never ever use cedar with birds) shavings
5. A large box.  If you can get a watermelon box from the grocery store, use that.  It'll seem too big at first but we found that our chicks could fly up over a foot after a week, and to nearly 2.5' just a week later.  We used a massive plastic tote with a screen over the top.
6. Paper towels.  Those little buggers crap everywhere.  The poops are small but powerfully stinky.
7. a perch of some sort, even if it's just a block of wood
8. a pie tin and parakeet grit - introduce this around a week and the babies will gobble it like mad

My Pet Chicken has an excellent resource for how to take care of your chicks.  Read it!

After having raised three batches of chicks here's some of my advice:

Frequent handling of babies will ensure friendlier adults.  One of our favorite things was to allow the chicks to fall asleep in our hands and then just hold them.  If you're up for it, wrap a towel around your neck and let the babies burrow into it.  Keep paper towels close!

Monitor household animals closely.  Our geriatric cats liked watching the chicks but weren't interested in hunting them.  The same can't be said for younger cats or dogs.  A friend's dog killed her chicks in just moments.

If there are chicks running around on the floor, shuffle your feet or don't walk around at all.  Curry ran and slid under my foot when she was maybe two weeks old.  I was wearing slippers but still injured her foot.  The sound she made when it happened was horrifying.  Luckily I only lifted a couple of scales and didn't break the bone, but it bled quite a bit and swelled up enormously.  She favored her foot for a few days and I felt like a giant lumbering asshole.

Before you give the chicks any non-feed food, present them grit for a day or two.  After that, introduce them to grass, lettuce, fruits, berries, tomatoes, scraps of cheese or meat, and anything else you can imagine.  If you want to laugh your head off, get a few crickets at the pet store and watch the babies play chicken rugby once they realize it's food.  The downside of this is that my chickens now see any plastic bag as a potential source of crickets.

The cute phase lasts only about three weeks.  Then one day you'll come home from work and find that your fast-growing baby chickens have turned into Skeksis.
Image from
They grow so quickly that you can literally see differences over the course of just a few hours.  Leave in the morning for work and they have just two feathers.  In the evening they'll have four.  It's weird.

Having chickens can be very rewarding but they are a large responsibility.  They're highly amusing and will eventually present you with a regular supply of eggs.

Do you plan on getting chicks this spring?

Monday, February 21, 2011

Bacon and Pancetta

Charcutepalooza is in full swing.  It took me a while to get my hands on pink salt, meaning that I'm a bit behind schedule.

A while back I bought a slab of pork belly from my friend and favorite pig farmer, Lisa.  My intent was to cure some pancetta - this was pre-Charcutepalooza  - but I was intimidated by the prospect of taking a $20-slab of meat and hanging it up.  The pork belly languished in the freezer for a couple of months.

Luckily for me, Charcutepalooza came along, and with it the February challenge to make either fresh bacon or pancetta.  It was time for the pork belly to awaken from its deep slumber.

Not knowing what I would do with several pounds of pancetta, I opted to make both the fresh bacon AND the pancetta.  As you can see here, I've trimmed the meat to make it rectangular (more important for the pancetta than the bacon).  The scraps got cut into chunks and made into salt pork.

For the pancetta I made up the meat rub, a combination of pink salt, pepper, juniper berries, bay leaves, nutmeg, and a few other things.  Since freshly ground nutmeg can be a pain to weigh, I put the entire grater into the bowl and zero-ed out the scale.  Then I grated my nutmeg and periodically weighed it.  When it hit the correct weight, I opened up the grater and dumped its contents into the bowl.  This was much easier than grating the nutmeg directly into the bowl.

Wish you could have smelled this.

The fresh bacon called just for the "Basic Dry Cure".  It contains sugar, kosher salt, and pink salt.  I've found it's helpful to write down the page number & source book so that I can replicate it at a future date.  If not, Sharpie comes off with rubbing alcohol.

Here are the meats in their respective cures, bacon on the left, pancetta on the right.

These went into a pyrex dish and into the fridge for a week to cure.  I flipped them daily and was really grateful for that dish after about day 2 - baggies will leak.  Yuck.

I'm now in phase two of curing these meats.  The bacon has to get baked at 200 degrees until its internal temp reaches 150.  Unfortunately, I am sans oven until at least 2/23 when our new one gets here.  It's gas and the old one is electric so we have some plumbing work to do between now and then.  Back into the freezer the bacon went... sigh.

The pancetta, however, is another story.  When its week of wet curing was over, I trussed that sucker up.  To do this, you rinse off the meat, pat it dry, then sprinkle it with pepper.  You roll it up from the short end and then secure it with cotton butcher's twine.  The goal is to get it as tight as possible with no air pockets trapped inside.  It was kind of fun, actually.

I had this image in my head the whole time.  I relate to Mammy in a whole new way now!

The stairwell to our attic goes up from our kitchen.  Many people don't notice it because I've hung all my pots and pans on the door.  A few years ago I hung wire shelving in the stairwell and call it "the pantry".  Since our attic isn't insulated (OK, much of the house isn't), the pantry is the perfect place to hang my pancetta.  It's cool, dry, and out-of-reach of our 2 cats and 1 dog.

The meat weighed 1043 grams when I trussed it.  The goal is for it to lose 30% of its weight (730 grams).  I'll weigh it in a few days to see how it's doing.

In the meantime, I'll be looking up recipes that use pancetta.  Let me know if you have a must-try recipe!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

I am an urban homesteader

I used to read the blog put out by the Dervaes family in Pasadena, California.  Over time I found that I couldn't relate to them: their garden is the size of my entire lot; they don't have office jobs (or so it appears); they live in a warmer climate where gardening seasons are longer and central heating is not as necessary as it is in the Pacific Northwest; they're vegetarians; the adult children live with their father.  They do a lot of cool things but many were not accessible to your average working professional.

I started my own blog, in fact, in response to what I saw as a dearth of information for people like me: people want to live as sustainably as possible without wearing scavenged burlap sacks, quitting their jobs to free up time to make biodiesel, and hooking up their decorative whirly-gig collection to generators to power their ration of 20 minutes of electricity each day.

I don't necessarily think of myself as an "urban homesteader" - the image conjures up (at least for me) something far more organic-carob-eating-hippie than I am - but I recognize that the phrase easily describes my lifestyle.  When I talk about my blog and hobbies, I do tend to use that term to describe my values and activities.  People know what "urban" means, and they can readily imagine what "homestead" activities are.

Recently the Dervaes family of Pasadena, CA laid claim to the "urban homestead" term by trademarking it.  To protect "their" property they have sent 18 "normal and professional" letters to public libraries teaching classes about urban homesteading, a farmers market doing sustainability outreach to city-dwellers, a school, bloggers, business, publishers, and even a radio station.  Each of these was shocked to get what is essentially a cease-and-desist letter.

The family claims that the cease-and-desist phrase has been made up to demonize them.  If that's the case, why did they get Facebook to block pages that mention or promote urban homesteading on the grounds of trademark infringement?  If that's not ceasing & desisting, I must be in need of a dictionary. A quick google search shows that the term and lifestyle has been around since at least the 1970s, despite the Dervaes' claim to be the "Original Modern Urban Homestead".

To the Dervaes family I say this: the community of urban homesteaders is vast and diverse.  We have much to learn from and teach one another.  Keep teaching your classes, raising food sustainably, and doing good works in your community.  You've done a lot of good but in this regard, you're wrong.  "Urban homestead", in all its trademarked variations, is not your sole intellectual property, nor should it be.  It is a general term that describes a specific type of lifestyle and core beliefs.  That you were able to convince the trademark office of your right to the term is shocking.  No wonder there's been so much backlash.

Sustainability is still fledgling in many parts of the country.  On the West Coast we've been lulled into a false sense of security, believing that everyone recycles, everyone drives fuel-efficient vehicles, and everyone shops at farmers markets.  It's not the case.  Your actions against those who share your passion for urban solutions to food supply issues have made the hurdles to sustainability that much higher.  Rather than encourage us - your fellow urban homesteaders - to forge onward in our efforts, your linguistic land grab has alienated entire communities of people who would otherwise share your ideals.

Keep your trademarks on Path to Freedom (R) and the other phrases that are clearly and obviously specific to the Dervaes Institute activities and outreach.  But "urban homestead" is too general a term to call your own: it belongs to all of us, and therefore none of us.

Friday, February 18, 2011

When pink salt is not pink salt

A couple we know loves salt.  They love salt so much that they would get salt licks if it were possible.  They collect different salts: smoked salt, truffle salt, flavored salt, etc.  They even bought a block of Himalayan pink salt a while back.

It kinda looks like this:

You serve food on it.  Supposedly you can cook on it but it causes the slab to degrade faster.  They served sliced fresh mozzarella on it, a tasty treat indeed!

Last summer when I decided that I was ready to test making up a batch o' bacon I looked up recipes online and found that many of them called for "pink salt".  That stuff is what came to mind.  A short trip to a local store and I'd procured a bottle of Himilayan Pink Salt.

Himilayan pink salt is mined and gets its color from the minerals it contains naturally.  The color varies from a pale rose to nearly coral.  In ground or flaked form it's used just like any other type of table salt.  If you buy a slab of it you can serve food on it, as our friends do, or even cook on it.

For some reason I never used it and opted for regular salt, instead.  As it turns out, I'd gotten the wrong kind of pink salt.

"Pink salt" (sometimes called Prague Powder #1) is a whole other thing.  It's used for curing meats and is a mixture of 93.75% sodium and 6.25% sodium nitrate.  It's dyed bright pink so that you don't mistake it for regular salt and accidently poison yourself.  Oops!

Pink (curing) salt is more difficult to find, which is why my February Charcutepalooza post is behind schedule.  You can find pink salt online but I'm cheap and didn't want to pay $8 to ship a $5 item.  I called a local butcher and asked for pink salt.  They didn't have it but referred me to a butcher in a nearby town.  After choking when they heard how much I wanted - "Is a pound OK?" - they agreed to sell it to me for $5.  I guess a pound is kinda a lot but Charcutepalooza does go all year long.

This stuff is screaming, cotton candy p-i-n-k.  Here's a side-by-side.

Tomorrow we make pancetta, bacon, and salt pork.  It's not as much work as it sounds.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A drawback of urban farming

Yesterday evening I was sitting in my warm, cozy home.  It was peaceful and the resident quadripeds were all snoozing.  I was working intently on my newest knitting project, Fiddlehead Mittens.  I've never done colorwork before and there's a fairly steep learning curve.  Hubbie wasn't home from work yet.

The weather forecast was dreary: high winds, heavy rain, and chilly temps.  But I was snug as a bug in a rug!  The storm hadn't hit the area yet but wasn't far.

All of a sudden the storm arrived with much fury.  I could hear the wind howling and could see the boughs of the giant fir tree across the street whip around.

I called G-man to warn him of the weather because he was driving home.  He told me later that the car doors felt like they were going to get ripped open as he drove across the Narrows Bridge

Tangent... maybe you've heard of this bridge?  It fell down quite famously in 1940, just four months after its completion.  The video is chilling.  Check out 1:31... can you imagine the noise that must have made?

According to family lore, my grandfather drove across it that morning.  At the time he was a brand new father of a 2-week-old son and weeks shy of his 23rd birthday.  After the bridge fell he was stuck on the Key Peninsula and had to drive back to Tacoma via Olympia - a long way.

I digress.  After calling the hubster, it dawned on me: I hadn't closed up the chicken coop yet for the night.  Our neighbors lost 8 hens to noctural critters this fall and we've been doubly careful about the safety of our girls.

I pulled on a pair of boots, slogged out to the coop, counted heads, filled the feeder, collected the eggs (yay: 3!!) and locked them up tight for the night.  The whole time I was thinking: my friends without chickens are at home, warm and cozy in their houses but silly me, I'm out in this awful storm locking up the stupid birds, all for the sake of fresh eggs.

We love having chickens, we really do.  And I've talked about the downsides before.  But... bluuuurgggg... fresh eggs don't make it suck any less when you're tramping through mud and the rain to shut a chicken coop.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Gnocchi with greens, sausage, and tomatoes

We ate a LOT of gnocchi after that massive batch.  Here's one variation on a theme:

I whipped up a batch of gnocchi and served it with spinach, sundried tomatoes I made last summer, Lucky Pig Farm spicy Italian sausage, and a little bit of home-canned chicken broth to give it a sauce.  Lisa's sausage is so flavorful that I didn't even add salt.  Get the best sausage you can and give this a go.

This was super fast to make:

1. Boil a big pot of water (the bigger the better because the frozen gnocchi will cool the water down).
2. While the water is heating up, cook up the sausage.  Add chopped sundried tomatoes.  Garlic and diced onions would be good, too!  Stir in a little broth to make a sauce.
3. Once the water boils, throw in a handful of frozen gnocchi per person.  When they float, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and drop them right into the sausage mixture.
4. Toss with some greens - any would be good - until the greens are wilted and serve.

You have nommies for me?
Rosemary is like any dog: always underfoot and hoping for scraps to fall.  That's how I discovered that she loves frozen blueberries, by the way.  Silly dog.

The only non-local ingredient was the spinach.  We need our greens!  This is a hearty, delicious meal and a little goes a long way.  I made it quite a few times, including once for my brother.  Serve with a robust wine and ignore the torrential rains outside.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Gnocchi... OH!

On a recent weekend I got it into my head that I needed to make gnocchi from scratch.  I still had some potatoes from my garden and this would be a good way to use some of them.  Besides, the gnocchi you buy in the grocery store can be pretty gummy and I knew I could improve on it.

I did some research on recipes and figured that Mario Batali probably knew what he was doing.  Besides, his parents have a deli in Seattle and he used to live in Italy - his recipes carry street cred.  I decided to use this basic gnocchi recipe, which you can find here.

After skimming the recipe I decided to increase the potatoes from 3 pounds to 4.  My reasoning was that 3 pounds of baked or mashed potatoes doesn't go very far and since I was going through the effort of making gnocchi, dammit, I'd make the hell out of some gnocchi.

Fast forward about a half hour... I've peeled, cut up, boiled, drained...

and riced the potatoes.

And then I realized... that's a LOT of potatoes.  To give you some scale, these tiles are 4"x4".

I ran back to the computer and checked out Mario's serving size.  Double crap: his recipe served 12 but with my additions, it would serve more like 16.  Gnocchi dough?  More like gnocchi... DOH!

I had to split the potatoes in half in order to work with them.

Seriously, I must have had my head up my butt that day.  The recipe clearly calls for oil, which you may notice is absent from the above photo.  I made the gnocchi without oil and they were fine but still: it was obviously amateur day in my kitchen.

By the way, that ceramic thing on the right that looks like a motorcycle helmet is a French main a sel (salt pig/cellar), which I bought in Brittany in 2000.  I love it and the memories it evokes.  When I bought it I also bought 2 kilos (nearly 5 pounds) of French grey salt for some piddly amount like $3.  Do you have or use a salt cellar?  Once you get used to it you'll never go back.

Back to the gnocchi... The mixing & kneading portion of this program is brought to you by... NOBODY!  It's too sticky and goopy and messy, so no photos.

After kneading the dough I separated it into balls and used this plastic thingy to cut it into smaller sections.  I rolled them out into snakes and cut those into the final dumplings.

At this point you can leave them as-is or run them over the tines of a fork to give them the characteristic lines of gnocchi.

Here's the best video I could find of the shaping process:

Start to finish the entire process of making gnocchi took roughly 2 hours.

Did I mention this makes a lot of gnocchi?

This made so many gnocchi that I placed them on silpats & froze them on cookie sheets.  After they were frozen I threw them into a zip-top bag and returned them to the freezer.  We ate gnocchi for quite a few meals, quite possibly more than 16.  These are very filling and hearty.  I think they'd last a couple of months in the freezer but no longer.

To cook these gnocchi, simply bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the desired amount.  When the gnocchi flloat - about a minute - scoop them out with a slotted spoon.  Top with your favorite pasta sauce and VOILA gnocchi!

Why did I make gnocchi?

First, I was curious.  Could I do it?  Would they taste good?

Second, they were cheap to make.  The potatoes were from my garden, as were the eggs.  Flour and salt are both cheap.  And since I forgot the oil they were even cheaper!  Gnocchi are kinda pricey at the store.

Finally, they provided a starch that was local.  Many of the dark days challenge dishes I've wanted to make were better with pasta.  With homemade gnocchi I could confidently say that yes, this starch was local.

I'll definitely make gnocchi again.  Like I said, we ate them for a long time and they were delicious and filling.  Next time I think I'll enlist the hubbie to help with shaping the pasta, which was the longest part of the process.

I'll post next about how we ate the gnocchi!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

It ain't over until the preserved lemons sing

I was recently invited to write a guest post on a blog I enjoy very much.  I focus so much on local cuisine and canning that finding interesting topics this time of year can be frustrating.  The only things in season are citrus fruits imported from Florida and Califorina.  My 9 chickens have collectively laid a grand total of just 6 eggs in 2011, all of which came in the past week.  Toby did a series on eggs a while back anyway.

I chatted with Toby and mentioned some of the tagine dishes I've been trying lately.  He encouraged me to blog about Moroccan food,.

The problem is, I know next to nothing about Moroccan food.
  • It uses lots of herbs & spices, specifically those that North Americans tend to associate with sweet: cinnamon, cloves, and mint.
  • It often features lamb or chickpeas as the primary protein, though chicken and rabbit are also found.  Apparently beef appears in many dishes as well.
  • Citrus is a common ingredient, especially lemon.  The cuisine also relies heavily on dried fruits, almonds, olives, and honey for flavor.
  • Dairy is rare.
  • Couscous is a regular side dish.
  • Many dishes are traditionally cooked in a tagine like this one:
    Lamb tagine, photo from
It seems to have much in common with Greek and Arab cuisines, which makes sense given its location and history.

And now you know as much as I do about Moroccan cuisine.

When Hubbie and I were first dating we went to a Moroccan restaurant in Seattle with some of his coworkers.  We all sat on pillows and gorged ourselves on the delicious dishes, which came one after another seemingly without end.  I deeply regretted having worn jeans and really wished for a pair of sweats!  Food is eaten without utensils, which left me with fingers that smelled of spices for quite a few days.

Just last night I started a batch of preserved lemons.  If you don't know what these are but want to try some Moroccan meals with me in the coming weeks, go grab a few lemons, some salt, and a jar to make a batch for yourself.  They're shockingly easy to make and the end result is nothing short of incredible.

There are instructions over at Food in Jars for preserving lemons.

Tonight for dinner I tested a chickpea dish for the future guest post on Toby's blog.  It was good but I didn't have some key ingredients: cilantro, mint, and lemon zest.  Strangely I did have the ras el hanout, a random jar of which I found some time ago at World Market on clearance.  Supposedly you can make your own.

The chickpeas, while still tasty, fell a little flat.  I can't wait for my preserved lemons to be ready because those will be what makes this dish sing-a-zing-zing, providing a bright, high note that is unmistakeable in any dish supposedly from Morocco.

If you're ready for a culinary trip into the unchartered waters of Morocco, freshen up your spice supply, make up some preserved lemons and get your taste buds' passport updated: we'll be headed to Africa soon!

Monday, February 7, 2011

In French the expression "aller-retour" means "to go and return".  When you want a roundtrip ticket you request "un billet aller-retour".  I'm hoping I'm back for good (or at least for a long stint) after such a long hiatus from blogging.  It's been a rough-and-tumble month and I've missed this blog very much.  Whatever ride January was, I was ready to puke and get off on 1/31/11.

Hubbie was gone 3 of January's 5 weekends on business trips, not to mention a couple in December.  I got really lonely being home by myself with the animals last month and did start to attend a Friday Night Knitting Club.  I knitted myself a gorgeous shawl I'll show you soon.

My mother and her 2 siblings finally came to the mutual agreement that it was time to move Grandma in assisted living after Grandma fell on her 93rd birthday (New Year's Day) in a room full of people who were helpless to do anything but watch her essay of gravity's strength and the fireplace's unwillingness to yield, even to little old ladies on their birthdays.  She was terribly bruised and in much pain.

We packed & moved said grandmother the last weekend of the month.  The transition has been difficult, especially on my mom, whom my grandmother calls constantly and for ridiculous things ("Cathy, someone stole my cane!"  "No,Mom.  You left it on your headboard in the bedroom."  "Oh, OK.").  At least she's safe, she's gaining weight - it's never a good thing to weigh less than your age - and she's in good care.

In keeping with the New Year's Resolutions, I re-organized and cleaned the laundry room.  During a weekend when G-man was out of town I pulled everything from the laundry room into the kitchen, bought & assembled some shelves, then organized it all in the new configuration.  That took a full day.  There's no before picture - I want you to like me, not be utterly repulsed by my home's storage areas - but trust me, this is a vast improvement.

I'm pleased to say that after several weeks the shelves still look pretty much the same.  Unfortunately, there's a new pile of laundry that has replaced these and the other half of the room looks about the same, too.

I really, really hate laundry.

Also in keeping with 2011 resolutions, G-man and I have both been carefully counting calories and increasing our exercise.  I hesitate to say that we're "dieting" because that conjures up images of deprivation, rice cakes, and Crystal Light.  Those foods & attitudes didn't have a place in our home pre-diet, won't have a place here post-diet, so aren't welcome while we're "dieting".  In fact, we even switched to full-fat ice cream in our own form of diet protest.

And know what?  I've lost 11 pounds and G-man is down 10!  All while eating duck proscuitto, regular sour cream, ice cream, pizza, and even bleu cheese burgers.  So that's not exclusively what we eat but "normal foods" are a daily occurrence around here.  Neither of us feels deprived and we're both eating very well.  I promise to still feature normal recipes on this blog and won't do any funky substitutions, like trying to pawn off highly-processed non-fat "sour cream" for the real stuff.  Pfft.  Screw that.

In other news, our oven died.  I ran a self-cleaning cycle a couple of weeks ago and it hasn't worked right since.  I suspect it was well into its 3rd decade so I'm not heartbroken to see it go but I'm not happy about the cost of replacing it.  We picked out a new one and it will be here on the 23rd.  That's 2 weeks and 2 days without a functional oven: no baking, no granola, no breads, no casseroles, nothing.  GAH!  I'll post about it when the new one gets here but until then we're stuck with the toaster oven, stovetop, and BBQ.

Speaking of which, dinner duty calls.

It's good to be back.  I've missed you.


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh City Council will hold a public hearing this afternoon on changes to the police response policy.

The chief of police presented a list of 14 types of calls that would be handled by phone, meaning the public won’t always get an officer sent to them if there’s not much in the way of evidence to collect.

Things like burglaries, theft, minor accidents. Instead, a report would be filed over the phone.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay said earlier this month that it’s nothing new; he’s just tweaking a 10-year-old policy. He said he wants his officers available for more community policing.

“One of the ways that you can improve your police services, while at the same time maximizing your limited available resources is by having a telephone reporting unit,” Chief McLay said earlier this month.

City leaders have amended the policy so police will respond in-person on all calls for simple assault, harassment or terroristic threats.

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The changes have been prompted by the shrinking number of police officers.

The hearing begins at 1 p.m. in the City Council chambers.

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