Birthday Dinner - Organised and Shared

Listed is a simpler way to understand some of the ideas for the Birthday Dinner in November 2010 even though my birthday was actually October 12th. To send it out is making good sense to explore it is the next step. To understand it and relate it to the present day in comparison to the earlier recipe book from Betty Crocker.

Birthday Dinner Possibilities;

21.10.2010 22:24 Some Options to Explore - $50 Budget First Option:

• Ratatouille Recipe
• Choucroute
• Cherry Freeze
• Cheesecake Variety Pack
• Hot Spiced Cider

Second Option:

• Pizza Variety
• Sodas
• Cake
• Ice Cream

Ratatouille Recipe

Double the Order - Variation for Five

• 1 Medium Eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 Small Zucchini (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 Medium Green Pepper Chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 Medium tomatoes, each cut into fourths
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Clove Garlic, crushed

Prepare 5 cups cubed eggplant as directed on Yams Prep. Prepare 2 cups sliced zucchini as directed Zucchini de Broil. Cook and stir all ingredients until heated through. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes 6 servings; 155 calories per serving.

Yams Prep

Amount for 4 servings; 1 medium (about 1 1/2 pounds) When shopping: Look for smooth, firm eggplants of an even dark purple. To Prepare: Just before cooking, wash eggplant and , if desired, pare. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes to 1/4 inch slices To Boil: Heat small amount salted water (1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water) to boiling. Add eggplant. Cover and heat to boiling: reduce heat, Boil until tender, 5 to 8 minutes to drain. To Fry: Cook and sir eggplant in margarine butter or bacon fat until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. To Steam: Place steamer basket in 1/2 inch water (water should not touch basket) Place eggplant (1/4 inch slices) in basket. Cover tightly and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Steam until tender covered 1 minute. 5 to 7 minutes. To Microwave: Cover and microwave eggplant (1/4 inch slices) in 2 quart microwaveable case-role on high (100%) until tender, 5 to 7 minutes Let stand covered 1 minutes.

Zucchini de Broil

Broiled Zucchini Prepare 2 pounds zucchini (about 8 small) as directed above except -- cut each zucchini lengthwise into halves. Brush each cut side with margarine or butter, me melted; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set over control to boil and/or 550 degrees Broil with tops 5 to 6 inches from heat until zucchini is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. 4 serves: 100 calories per serving.

Choucroute

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 can (16 Ounces) sauerkraut, drained
• 2 medium potatos cut into fourths
• 2 tart apples sliced
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 smoked pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick
• 4 frankfurters, slashed diagonally
• 2 cups chicken broth

Cook and stir bacon and onion in Dutch over or 12-inch skillet until bacon is crisp; drain. Stir in brown sugar and sauerkraut. Add potatoes and apples. Tie the peppercorns, cloves, parsley and bay leaf in a cheesecloth bag or place in a tea ball; add to sauerkraut mixture. Add pork chops and frankfurters. Pour chicken broth over meat. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until meat is done and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove cheesecloth bag. Remove sauerkraut , potatos and apples to large platter with slotted spoon. Arrange meat around edge. 4 servings; 725 calories per serving. Complete meal with Hard Rolls and Chocolate Pots de Cream

Hard Rolls

Suggested to Serve with Choucroute

• 5 to 5 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened.
• 1 package regular or quick acting active dry yeast.
• 2 cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons cold water.

Mix 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, margarine and yeast in 2 1/2 quart bowl; add warm water. Beat on low speed, scraping bowl frequently, 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased 2 1/2 quart bowl; turn greased side up. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature (about 70 degrees) until double, about 1 1/2 hours (Dough is read if indentation remains when touched) Punch down dough; cover and let rest 15 minutes. Divide dough into 18 equal parts. Shape each part into ball; roll back and forth under palm of hand to form 3-inch oblong shape. Place on each of 2 greased cookie sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until double about 1 hour. Mix egg white and 2 tablespoons cold water; brush over rolls. Make slash about 1/2 inch deep and about 2 inches long on top of each roll. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place both cookie sheets in over; bake 15 minutes. Alternate cookie sheets; bake until gold brown, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Remove rolls from cookie sheets; cool on wire racks. 18 rolls; 140 calories per roll. Do Ahead Tip: After baking, rolls can be covered and stored at room temperature. Heat over to 350 degrees. Place rolls directly on rack. Bake uncovered until rolls are warm, about 10 minutes.

Chocolate Pots de Cream

Cherry Freeze or Both

• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup half-and-half (Or Soy Milk)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons rum, if desired Dash of Salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chocolate chips and half and half stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; cool slightly. Beat remaining ingredients; gradually stir into chocolate mixture. Pour into 4 or 5 oven proof pot de creme cups or four ungreased 6 ounce custard cups. Place cups in baking pan on over rack. Pour boiling water into pan to within 1/2 inch of tops of cups. Bake 20 minutes; cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate any remaining pudding immediately. 4 or 5 servings; 315 calories per serving.

Cherry Freeze

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 cartons (6 ounces each) cherry yogurt (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 package (16 ounce size) frozen cherries (1 1/2 cups) , partially thawed
• 1/4 cup sugar

Sprinkle gelatin on cold water in 1-quart saucepan to soften; heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved. Place yogurt, cherries and sugar in a blender container Cover and blend on high speed until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Add gelatin mixture. Cover and blend 5 seconds. Pour into rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Freeze until partially frozen about 1 hour. Beat cherry mixture in chilled 2 1/2 quart bowl on low speed until smooth and airy but not completely thawed, about 30 seconds. Do not overbeat (mixture will contain some ice crystals) Return cherry mixture to dish. Cover and freeze until consistency of sherbet, 1 to 2 hours. (If frozen longer than 2 hours , remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.) 4 servings (about 1 cup each); 220 calories per serving.

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For the Moment

As mentioned in the previous post there is some downtime, as it was to be expected, you can find all my writings and earlier articles now at homeofknatchwa.posterous.com until I bring raymondmarr.com back live, which I am in the process of working with and deciding how to work with it and improve the overall look and functionality.

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Restaurant - Dreams and Thoughts

Restaurant, Dreams

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Thoughts on Ubuntu - The Good and The Bad.

Linux is a wonderful operating system, and Ubuntu has epitomized its move toward acceptance with new users. The time is right to tackle the Windows market, and with a little help, Linux is poised to make great strides.

via nixiepixel.com

This was a very interesting article, and well worth linking to on and about Linux and some good arguments why on occasion there is a slow move to more using Distributions such as Ubuntu, as in the familiarity of the GUI (Graphical User Interface) is improved. Though clearly there is more power at the CLI (Command Line Interface) by offering more graphical approach there is improvement.

Posted via email from Knatchwa - Streaming Life

Untitled

Time most certainly keeps passing on - not much has changed is as much time as passed, but at the very least in the awareness, there are possibilities beyond the horizon, there are opportunities that await just around the corner. It is just a matter of consideration and interpretation. What are your thoughts on how fast time flies, what do you do each day to make the most of the time you have?

via Ping.fm

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The Strangest Hours - Jazz and Chill

It's the weekend, and what do you do with it, a whole week already passed, another one is yet to begin, here I am still awake at those strange hours, of t1phe late night, with jazz playing on the radio streaming observing as the hours pass, from 12 to 2 onward 3 4 and 5 and I wonder, what people do on such nights? When living the life of what otherwise would be considered a confirmed bachelor's existence. For lack of a better term or better more endearing term. Or simply because at these hours there are few or now words to use. At such hours I used to spend more time just chatting or really just waiting for those who I knew would be on late at night to come online.

It was not much of a existence you could say, since then I figured out it is important to live life beyond just that, there is a whole world outside of the screen. yet for so long in the simplest terms it was what I figured I could do, when the rest of my life is lived about the same as to many others. It is interesting idea you could say - that some would live life inside a computer, other's not so much. Just words being typed - there not much else to the story I guess - just thoughts running rampant and mind games not being played. Just random thoughts written down - no particular order or design. At least that is how this story is being told for the moment. The last of the late night jazz playing into the night, perhaps it also is a clue that sleep may be in order, thoughts?

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Pondering the possibilities

Taking some time to think about and through some of the other options - used wordpress for a time, but found it to be a bit to limited for my purpose, so for the time being I am working on setting up www.raymondmarr.com for something new and exciting so stay tuned to the new and variable experience yet to come about.

 

Posted via email from Knatchwa - Streaming Life

Developing sites for users with Cognitive disabilities and learning difficulties.

Cognitive impairment, which includes memory, perception, problem-solving, conceptualisation and attention deficits. This may result from a range of conditions such as mental retardation, autism, brain injury, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and old age.

Learning difficulties can also affect a variety of memory, perception, problem-solving and conceptualisation skills. Learning difficulties include reading problems such as dyslexia, computational, reasoning and organisational deficits and non-verbal learning disorders. These are sometimes also associated with Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity.

via juicystudio.com

Reaching a larger audience is important when developing a site, when I stumbled across this particular one I was delightfully surprised and welcomed the idea that there are those who are taking the time to consider all people not just some people. Those with disabilities certainly have special needs, and what the article mentioned above goes into presents many solid solutions to some of the best techniques in order to do that, to reach a wider audience in the community based ideal such as the Internet is.

Posted via web from Knatchwa - Streaming Life

[Focus Forward - Live Life Fully in 2008 & Beyond] Living Life - Existing...

Dream as if you'll live forever.  Live as if you'll die today.  ~James Dean

Putting Focus on the Future is often the most difficult step yet also the most necessary of the steps that need to be taken in order to make the quality decision to make that change to progress through the challenges and to make each day, each moment count by making the most of each. In doing that you make the first steps in the new direction.

To do that is often easier said then done, but it can be done and should be a constant in making a difference a decision that must really be made in order to step up to the plate, to make the most of your efforts and making the progress that is important through the tough times that are often inevitable in the day by day existence.

The factor that is important to be considered, in making a definitive choice to make the necessary change in order to progress through the challenges of this life. To make a quality decision, with the clear idea of living life fully that is more important then most things. Following the idea, that if you never truly live, and you just let your life pass you by you will miss so much. You only have one opportunity to make the most of this moment and the next and to make a change now to improve the future in leading by example. We as human beings always learn by observing example the factor that aligns with such possibilities. The point being the only way to make a change, is to starting changing what you do to offer a better example, to those who have yet to explore what is beyond the walls of the sheltered existence that is childhood, only seeing their parents as the example.

To change the next generation then is depending on the example the current generation sets for the children of the next generation yet to experience the world beyond this moment. They are completely dependent, on being taught what should be the future. To do that though is a long and enduring process, and is a matter of rethinking and changing the understanding of the situations by also taking the time to re-educate yourself. To Change Views - is a matter of seeing things differently, of making a slightly different choice of each matter.

In re-educating yourself to understand things differently and to progress beyond them and through them by researching the possibilities that exist beyond the current scope of vision. That is a part of the full spectrum of color that is often forgotten when the focus is only on the Black and White Aspect of it. We do not live in a Mono Chromatic world, though often it seems that is what is taught to only see red or blue, black or white, to miss the full range of colors and ideas that when seen and understood opens up the eyes and the mind the see more of the existence, more of the story. To stretch the mind just a bit, in helping to realize there is more to learn, and more to offer as an example of the importance of living life fully.

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‘Be Kind to Animals Week’ - The Daily Cat #petweek 2010

Teach your children well. When kids grow up understanding the worth of the lives of all animals, they are likely to take those values into adulthood and pass them on to their own children. Set up an outdoor bird feeder for birds in the winter. Encourage your children to take responsibility for some aspect of your household pet’s care.

via thedailycat.com

To play an active role in Pet Week 2010 - becomes important, in order for more to understand what role animals play in life, and how they are sentient beings just as we are.

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Do You Possess Hidden Singing Talent?

Singing is a form of communication, so even if you feel nervous and are inclined to divert your eyes, try crooning to individual audience members that are really paying attention. Your presentation will likely seem more natural then, with more true feeling.

The wonder of opening up who you are and just singing for the sake of it, this article mentions some great aspects and techniques to be able to sing for the fun of it or simply for your health.

Posted via web from Knatchwa - Streaming Life

Camera Phone – Pictures of Our Pets via #KnatDeCat

A Selection of Photos of our Pets – Using a Motorola L7 Slvr, very basic version of pictures of Dogs, Cats and a Couple of Frogs.

If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.

~Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe, letter to President Franklin Pierce

What is mentioned by Chief Seattle, holds true even today, where there is still that connection, the photos below show some of those pets who continue the connection with Earth, Who Offer Love without Condition or Expectation.

Some Fun Shots of Pets and Pictures.

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Insightful Thoughts via Twitter c/o

Throwing all the pieces out on the table, we connect the dots to make pictures. It’s a child’s game, creating figures out what look like a random set of numbered points. We tend to visualize the network of our social graph as a series of connected points. The pictures that emerge from those connections tell a story about our lives and experiences.

via thesocialcustomer.com c/o @brett

Very interesting thoughts on interpretations of connecting the social world as something that defines a different perspective of the Socially Connected World.

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Riding bike to Monterey - A Goal Evolving.

Damn the rain, sometimes, it can be annoying when you set an objective to ride a bike to Monterey every single Tuesday, except for the fact that, when the goal was set it was not ever considered there might be rain, and yet here we are how many Tuesday's have passed andn I have not rode simply because rain is falling. Not like the picture of the bike beside this text, weather like that will probably not be seen until Summer, or even perhaps Spring.

The question seems to be if you make a choice to ride a bike every Tuesday should you ride Rain or Shine or choose a wiser path, where when you ride, you know that from the start to the finish you will be riding with the sun at your back.

Honestly though for true riding in the rain there are tools that are needed, things like Fenders, like money just in case something goes wrong, things that are important on the off chance that things do not work out as planned. The point being, that it is important to consider the weather and how it will relate to your health. Certainly with the lightweight pants and a light shirt with a jacket that will dry quickly, it could be done, but to do that with what I have now, is an exercise in futility. It does not mean the goal is not being met, it is that the goal is constantly evolving just as we do from one day to the next.

Considering that as fact is a first step in understanding that goals though often specific can change, as time progresses there is the consistent inconsistency that will result in that particular goal, coming to fruition. Through that a journey will emerge and challenges will be overcome, it is not that I am not fulfilling the goal I am evolving with the goal, and that makes all the difference.

What do you think? Do goals evolve with you? Should they instead be steadfast and kept to without condition? Or if you do that will you be setting yourself up for failure? Share in the comments.

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Free For All Revisited | By Peter Wayner

Again I'm getting ahead of myself. There have been many victories over the last ten years and it would be a shame not to spend some time celebrating the gifts they've brought to our world. They may not be perfect, but they are still worth noting and enjoying. So here's a list of ways that I think the book succeeded followed immediately by a discussion of how it failed.

via wayner.org

I remember reading this book in paper form and when he made it available for free I took a look at the electronic version, but thus far from what I have seen up to this point this version is the best ever, with an updated forward, to recall the Last 10 Years, the time that it has been since the book was published and how the Free Software Movement has been moving in Leaps and Bounds.

Posted via web from Home Of Knatchwa - Posterously Speaking

To Go Green - Or To Continue Tradition?

Just finished one more tablet full of information - the next choice is to go green and electronic or buy more tablets? Thoughts?

via Ping.fm

Posted via web from Home Of Knatchwa - Posterously Speaking

Will be adding the entries listed here from a tablet of information on my journey with Ubuntu, it is certainly ongoing but once I bring the data to the site you the reader will have a chance to read and discuss, one of the recent entries I put together is on and about "The reason some updates are held back, a copy is below;

  

Ubuntu 101 | A Lesson.

A Letter to My Father

Letter to My Father

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