Somedays all you need is a good Calvin & Hobbes cartoon :)
11 March 2010
27 February 2010
BBC: Plastic rubbish blights North Atlantic
Scientists have discovered an area of the North Atlantic Ocean where plastic debris accumulates.
The region is said to compare with the well-documented "great Pacific garbage patch".
Kara Lavender Law of the Sea Education Association told the BBC that the issue of plastics had been "largely ignored" in the Atlantic.
She announced the findings of a two-decade-long study at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Portland, Oregon, US.
The work is the conclusion of the longest and most extensive record of plastic marine debris in any ocean basin.
Scientists and students from the SEA collected plastic and marine debris in fine mesh nets that were towed behind a research vessel.
The nets dragged along were half-in and half-out of the water, picking up debris and small marine organisms from the sea surface.
The researchers carried out 6,100 tows in areas of the Caribbean and the North Atlantic - off the coast of the US. More than half of these expeditions revealed floating pieces of plastic on the water surface.
Read more
21 January 2010
Urge for Going
by Joni Mitchell
I awoke today and found
the frost perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky
then it gobbled summer down
When the sun turns traitor cold
and all the trees are shivering in a naked row
I get the urge for going
But I never seem to go
I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in
I had me a man in summertime
He had summer-colored skin
And not another girl in town
My darling's heart could win
But when the leaves fell trembling down
Bully winds came around
Pushed them face down in the snow
He got the urge for going
And I had to let him go
He got the urge for going
When the meadow grass was turning brown
Summertime was falling down and winter was closing in
Now the warriors of winter
They gave a cold triumphant shout
And all that stays is dying
And all that lives is gettin' out
See the geese in chevron flight
Flapping and racing on before the snow
They got the urge for going
And they got the wings so they can go
They get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in
I'll ply the fire with kindling now
I'll pull the blankets up to my chin
I'll lock the vagrant winter out and
I'll fold my wandering in
I'd like to call back summertime
Have her stay for just another month or so
But she's got the urge for going
So I guess she'll have to go
She gets the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
All her empire's falling down
And winter's closing in.
And I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is falling down.
© 1966; Siquomb Publishing Company
I awoke today and found
the frost perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky
then it gobbled summer down
When the sun turns traitor cold
and all the trees are shivering in a naked row
I get the urge for going
But I never seem to go
I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in
I had me a man in summertime
He had summer-colored skin
And not another girl in town
My darling's heart could win
But when the leaves fell trembling down
Bully winds came around
Pushed them face down in the snow
He got the urge for going
And I had to let him go
He got the urge for going
When the meadow grass was turning brown
Summertime was falling down and winter was closing in
Now the warriors of winter
They gave a cold triumphant shout
And all that stays is dying
And all that lives is gettin' out
See the geese in chevron flight
Flapping and racing on before the snow
They got the urge for going
And they got the wings so they can go
They get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in
I'll ply the fire with kindling now
I'll pull the blankets up to my chin
I'll lock the vagrant winter out and
I'll fold my wandering in
I'd like to call back summertime
Have her stay for just another month or so
But she's got the urge for going
So I guess she'll have to go
She gets the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
All her empire's falling down
And winter's closing in.
And I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is falling down.
© 1966; Siquomb Publishing Company
13 January 2010
I know it's January and all ..
But I'm craving the hell outta these:
Brown-sugar fudge (sucre à la crème) (just reading that makes me drool)
Mix together (hand mixer):
¾ cups butter
2 cups brown sugar
¾ cups Carnation milk
Place in microwave-safe container (no lid) at high and “cook” for 3 min 20 sec.
Stir (with a spoon only).
Place in microwave for 3 min. 20 seconds.
Stir.
Place in microwave for a third time for 3 min. 20 seconds, and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add:
1 cup of icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix together (hand mixer). Fold into “platter” (preferably glass container).
Let sit in the fridge for a little bit --- usually hardens pretty quickly. (and then is oh so very awesome)
Brown-sugar fudge (sucre à la crème) (just reading that makes me drool)
Mix together (hand mixer):
¾ cups butter
2 cups brown sugar
¾ cups Carnation milk
Place in microwave-safe container (no lid) at high and “cook” for 3 min 20 sec.
Stir (with a spoon only).
Place in microwave for 3 min. 20 seconds.
Stir.
Place in microwave for a third time for 3 min. 20 seconds, and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add:
1 cup of icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix together (hand mixer). Fold into “platter” (preferably glass container).
Let sit in the fridge for a little bit --- usually hardens pretty quickly. (and then is oh so very awesome)
7 January 2010
Tomato Barley Soup
Tomato Barley Soup
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 6
"Onions, celery, carrots and garlic are cooked with tomatoes in this chicken broth based soup with barley."
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups water
2 tomatoes, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced
tomatoes with juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1/4 cup uncooked barley
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and oil and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are almost tender.
2. Then add the water, fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, barley and ground black pepper.
3. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until barley is tender.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 1/7/2010
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 6
"Onions, celery, carrots and garlic are cooked with tomatoes in this chicken broth based soup with barley."
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups water
2 tomatoes, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced
tomatoes with juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1/4 cup uncooked barley
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and oil and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are almost tender.
2. Then add the water, fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, barley and ground black pepper.
3. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until barley is tender.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 1/7/2010
22 December 2009
Grandma Aura's Tourtiere ♥
Tourtiere Pie
Makes one pie
11/2 pounds lean pork finely grind
1/2 pound veal
l large onion chopped finely
3/4 tsp salt & 1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp mace (optional)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup chicken stock OR 1/2 cup stock and 1/4 cup white wine. (Do not use a chicken cube...too salty)
1/2 cup instant potato flakes...or 1 large potato grated or cooked and mashed finely with a fork.
Sauté onions
Add pork and veal and cook on med heat, breaking up the meat until it is in fine pieces.
While cooking and mixing add your spices...really measure
the spices carefully...scrape any spices off the top of the tsp with a knife. It has to be even.
Add stock or stock & wine
Add potato
Simmer for a few min...taste a little mixture and if you feel it need more salt add just a little at a time and keep tasting.
If there is a lot of juice add more potato ...again a small amount at a time until you see the mixture thicken up but not to much.
Cool to room temp...or if the mixture gets to cold...bring it to room temp for easy handling.
Place in prepared pastry shell and freeze...bake at 375 if frozen or 350 if not freezing. for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours if from the freezer.
9 December 2009
To the new grandmother I met in Toronto airport Dec 7
Enjoy your new granddaughter !
The girl's name Aura \a(u)ra\ is pronounced AWR-ah. It is of Latin origin, and its meaning is "wind". Greek mythology: Aura was the goddess of breezes. The word is used to describe the atmosphere surrounding an individual.
Aura has 6 variant forms: Aure, Aurea, Auria, Auriana, Ora and Oria.
from: http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Aura
Meaning: The Latin name Aura means - golden
Variants: Ora
Star-gazing onlookers will relate this name to the word describing a person's presence, but you can quickly explain that the word also has different meanings. Free-spirited yet serious, it's a great, short choice.
http://www.parents.com/baby-names/aura/
Aura is a English girl name. The meaning of the name is `Soft Air, Breeze` Where is it used? The name Aura is mainly used In English. From Old English. Aura doesn`t appear In 2007`s top-1000 name list.The last time Aura appeared In the top-1000 was 118 years ago, In 1890. It ranked #946 In that year. . 1890 was a `top year` for the name Aura.
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