Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven
May 29, 2008
Dutch ovens were made for baking. In the hands of a practiced baker, a Dutch oven will create beautiful breads and desserts. (Though some of us tend to burn breads in a Dutch oven.)
You can always bake bread in a well-oiled Dutch oven but instead of baking directly in the oven, consider this method: Put the dough in a baking pan and the pan in the Dutch oven.
Recently, a reader from California told us of her success baking bread with a pan inside of a Dutch oven. She used a mix for Irish Potato Bread. This mix creates a large loaf and she made it according to package instructions. She formed the dough into a round loaf and placed the dough in a greased nine-inch metal pie pan. She then set the pan atop small rocks in bottom of her twelve-inch Dutch oven. She put the lid on the Dutch oven and the oven on ten briquette coals. Another fourteen briquettes went on the top. She baked the bread for 45 minutes, turning the lid occasionally. She was baking at an elevation of 7,000 in the Sequoia Mountains.
Silent Discos!
May 29, 2008
The press have reported this week that silent disco’s are now the in thing, saying:
‘T in the park is to follow the Glastonbury Festival into introducing a ‘Silent Disco’ this year. So that revellers can party through the night, clubbers at particular stages will be given headphones so they can continue to listen to music at high volume without upsetting the festivals neighbours.’ NME Online
Is this the end of the festival as we know it?
For years now festivals have taken place across the world. For some they have proved to be a nuisance but generally only for the minority. For the festival-goer it can be the highlight of the year, with some people taking the whole family year after year, almost as a ritual or rite of passage in some cultures!
With the introduction of silent discos are we changing the social aspect of music and dance? I can’t say as I would like to share that magical moment when your favourite band, artist of song plays with a set of headphones!
San Francisco [Almost a Sonnet]
May 28, 2008
(The city by the bay of Northern California, near which the Pacific Ocean resides; the year is 1967)
Mid October seemed like some spring day,
When through the poised waters, dry as lead,
The ferry, like vague shadows that stand the dead,
Slipped down the curved coast of Frisco bay,
Rounded the Golden Gate,-and San Francisco lay,
Before me, that gay city, pink and red,
Hippies covered Haigh Asbury’s homeless head,-
My home, to be, I found stirring and grey.
The waves busted on the wooden-sides; fishermen
Nearby with long necks, looked and cast again.
Deep in emerald waters we wandered free,
When abruptly the bay currents were stirred
The ferry bearing restrained the great sea bird
Settling, like Asbury’s spirit, in the sea.
6/4/05 #708
Call Yourself a Writer? Where Are Your Notes?
May 28, 2008
Writers are notorious collectors of slips of paper. They tear articles from magazines in the doctor’s waiting room; they rip corners off newspapers in friend’s houses because they need to write down something witty; and they stuff their bags and pockets with serviettes, cigarette packs, and discarded train tickets just because note making’s second nature to them.
More often than not, when they eventually find a note, they haven’t a clue what it was related to. Just yesterday, I found this one lurking at the bottom of bag I hadn’t used for months. "House - blue window frames. Why wisteria?" Why, indeed! I hadn’t the foggiest.
I’d made the one mistake a writer should never make. While I’d obviously found a handy supermarket cash-out slip for my note making, I hadn’t dealt with my note within 24 hours. I certainly hadn’t used any form of filing system - unless that’s what you’d call the bottom of an old handbag.
Where A Writer’s Notes Should Be Put
When I’ve been out, I’ll usually fire up my computer as soon as I get home. I have a folder for document archiving that I’ve called ‘Ideas’. Under there are a number of documents that I use as a filing system for my notes. Each note is put into one or more of the documents, depending where it fits.
The ABCs of Beaks
May 28, 2008
Beaks, Bills, Face Knives, Beakers - whatever we want to call them, they are an integral part of our Hookbills! So, let’s break the beak down into some understandable lessons:
A. Anatomy - What is a beak?
It is not “dead” material, like hair or fingernails - rather, it is a living organ, the tip of which contains a bundle of sensitive nerves. The beak itself consists of keratin (a protein called the ramphotheca) which covers bone (the premaxilla or upper beak and mandible or lower beak). Directly above the beak is the cere, which is the soft skin containing a parrot’s nostrils. All parrots use their beak as an extra “hand,” for climbing, exploring, tasting, sensing, etc. “Beaking” is a stage of developmental growth, where young parrots learn how to use their beaks for various tasks. It serves in the role of a number of tools, such as knife, hammer, chisel, anvil, can opener, etc., but all the while retaining a high degree of sensitivity.
Caring for Flower Gifts
May 28, 2008
Caring for Flower Gifts
by: Clinton Porter
If you’ve been given Flowers as a gift, it’s useful to know how to look after the bouquet or arrangement to help make the present last as long as possible. There are a number of things you can do in order to ensure you get the most out of any gift of Flowers.
Flower Bouquets:
• Cut off of least 3 cms from the bottom of soft stemmed Flowers, e.g. chrysanthemums, before placing them in water.
• Try to cut Flower stems at a sharp angle of 45 degrees based on the fact that cutting stems at such an angle helps stem cells take in water because of increases gained in the stem cell surface area.
• For all Flowers, remove any leaves which will sit below water level - this prevents them rotting and encouraging algae to grow in the vase water.
• Be careful not to damage Flower stems as this will damage cell structure and impair the Flower’s ability to absorb water - it will also destroy some of the structural strength in the Flowers and prevent them from last as long as they otherwise might.
Homemade Hydroponics System Plan
May 27, 2008
Building your own water works system is quite simple and can be fun, if you know how to follow instructions. This particular type of system is best suited for water loving plants such as lettuce.
Only a few items are required to get you up and running in no time. The things you will need to build a water works hydroponics system are listed below.
Required items
1. External pump
2. Air line/tubing
3. Air stones
4. Water proof bin, bucket, fish tank to use as a reservoir
5. StyroFoam
6. Mesh Pots
7. Growing medium - Rockwool, Grow rocks, et
8. Hydroponics nutrients - (Grow formula, Bloom formula, Supplements, Ph)
Required tools
1. Black spray paint, paint - * Only required if reservoir is transparent
2. Sharp object - Knife, box cutter, scissors (This is not a task for minors - Get help from an adult)
Getting started
1. Find a container to use as a reservoir such as a fish tank or a bin/bucket of some sort. The reservoir should be painted black if it is not light proof. Allowing light to enter the reservoir will promote the growth of algae. It is a good idea to use a reservoir that is the same dimensions (length x width) from top to bottom (Example: Top: 36″x20″ Bottom: 36″x20″).
Vet Check - Well-Bird Check Up
May 27, 2008
I know there are differing opinions on the subject of well-bird check ups. Some people believe in having your apparently healthy parrot checked out once a year by a qualified avian vet, while others claim that taking a health bird into a vet office exposes them to “germies” they might not otherwise be exposed to. I am not going to lecture you on either. That is your choice. I am lucky enough to have a mobile avian vet that visits my house and I do have my parrots checked out once a year. But, you do what you think is right.
If you do take your bird in for a well bird check-up, here are some things that should be included:
Visual check: Looking at the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. and making sure things appear as they should.
The touchy feely test: Feeling the bird to see if there are any lumps or other abnormalities the vet can feel.
Weight: Weight should be taken, in grams, every time.
Grooming: Wing and Nail trims, if needed.
Gram stain: The poop test ? to make sure there are no bad things in the poopie.
The Untold Secrets of Writing Best Selling Childrens Books
May 27, 2008
Ever wondered how the most successful children’s book writers get their ideas? The answer may surprise you.
Most children’s books are based on the same exact story - good versus evil.
Ex. Harry Potter vs Voldomort. Cinderella vs her wicked stepmother. Pinnochio’s conscience vs. outside influences.
Next we add a protagonist and an antagonist.
Ex. Don’t we love it when Harry Potter and Malfoy get into it? Or when Hansel and Gretel turn the tables on the witch?
Finally a best selling story needs conflict and a big problem that the main character needs to overcome.
Ex. If Harry lets Lord Voldemort come back without a fight, the fate of the magic world could be at risk.
Ex. If Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire don’t outsmart Count Olaf then their fortunes and their lives might be at risk.
Most inexperienced writers spend so much time thinking about the setting, the scenery and the color of their characters hair that they forget that the plot is what editors and their audience is looking for.
Hogwarts is a wonderful school. But who would care about it without Harry Potter and his friends.
Birdie Body Language
May 27, 2008
Most parrot people are aware of some of the basic body language out companions use to communicate with us. But it’s usually the more negative ones! However, our buddies use a multitude of moves to express lots of emotions, both positive and negative. So, let’s look at a few:
EXCITEMENT/AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS
Although most of these activities are associated with aggressive/defensive attitudes in our birds, they can also simply signify any excitement, good or bad - so you have to know your bird, and observe closely to differentiate between aggressive postures that mean “Stay away!” and those that simply mean “I’m over-excited!” even in a good way. (Of course, even with those you need to be careful, as an over-stimulated bird can still act out by biting.)
Eye pinning: The pupils dilate and constrict rapidly, back and forth, indicating excitement and interest. Definitely means you need to pay attention and look out.
Feather Puffing: The bird fluffs his feathers out all over, but especially the head and neck, and with Cockatoos, the crest is erect. In the wild, birds use this to appear larger, and thus be more intimidating to foes.
