I'm Famished - Takes On New Meaning During 2010 96

The United States to outside eyes is one of the most extravagant, wasteful , "media-hore"- loving cultures in the world. But in reality what the media hugely magnifies and the general public readily eats up (mainly in a desperate need to placate humane curiosity or escape the mundane.), is a very small example , say a micro-percentage of what the other large percentage of regular people in the US really surmounts to.

However there is a problem creeping into the general population, American culture, which is fueled by the media. It is a shift, mainly a obtuse growth of false entitlement that leaves the act of daily, common courtesy let alone  important humanitarian causes, fall slowly to the wayside. Every generation now seems to edge toward a self-centered existence who feels a constant need for digital gratification.

Being a blogger I cannot help but get swept up in this culture cult. With the growing competition to set myself apart by showcasing my creativity through visual images (enter the digital camera and better tools for editing and special effects) and  social media being a driving force in the success of a blog or website (enter the smart phones to keep up with different sites), it seems that I am apart of this reality regardless of whether I choose to or not . But isn't that the clincher - technology offers society the tools to allow for further advancement in so many areas.

 I struggle sometimes to not over analyse food blogging  - there is quite a disparity between the opulence and indulgent manor that some popular food bloggers tout as food culture and the real problems that American's are facing - having to choose between groceries to feed their families, or, paying their utilities or rent to keep their families sheltered.

In 2006, 25 million Americans, including 9 million children¹ were being fed annually through the help of  Feeding America's network of Food Banks. Fast forward 4 years  to 2010 - present day America, and that number has grown 46 percent¹ ! Can you believe 37 million Americans, including 14 million children¹ are utilizing their local food banks across the US?  These aren't just homeless individuals, these are average people, maybe your neighbors. In fact 37 percent of this total have a full-time wage earner in their household¹.

If you live in the United States,  use the widget below, you can enter in your zip code and you will be taken to a page which give you statistics regarding your state on how Food Bank resources are utilized, and will give you the contact info for local food banks in your area.



As a food blogger I think it is important to get the word out about organizations that help to feed people in our neighborhoods. The is a non-profit doing just that - Share Our Strength.  They have been a driving force behind the hunger movement for 25 years. They have launched a campaign called No Kid Hungry, which has a goal to end childhood hunger by 2015. They have partnered with many food corporations that have pledged to give a percentage of their profits to the campaign.  When you are shopping this holiday season, I hope you will considered purchasing from corporations that are dedicated to helping end hunger.

On that note I wanted to review one of these companies' products - Hickory Farms, which is committed to donating $5 of every purchase of their Party Planner Gift Box to the No Kid Hungry campaign. Alternatively they encourage customers who aren't purchasing the above product,  to donate $1.00 of their order to the campaign, through 1/31/2011.

The product I received to review was the Home For The Holidays Gift Box.

Contents:

• 2 - 10 oz. Our Signature Beef Summer Sausages
• 1 - 10 oz. Italian Recipe Beef Summer Sausage
• 1 -  8 oz. Big Barn Cheddar®
• 1 -  7 oz. Cheddar & Havarti Blend
• 1 -  4 oz. Three Cheese & Onion Wedge
• 1 -  4 oz. Smooth N Sharp Wedge
• 1 -  2.25 oz. Sweet Hot Mustard
• 1 -  2.5 oz. Honey Pineapple Mustard
• 2 -  Boxes of  .5 oz. Cracked Wheat Crackers, "Sesame, Caraway & Sea Salt"
• 4 - Strawberry Candies 

Packaging:
The gift box arrived in a standard cardboard sheath. There was nothing between it and The gift box. The contents were positioned on a natural shredded paper filling in a heavy weight attractive cardboard box. This packaging gets a eco-friendly thumbs up. I was soo happy not to see excessive over packaging - no peanuts or plastic wrapping. You can even reuse the filling and box if needed.

Price: 
At $50.00 per Box, I would say this is a good idea if you have the budget to purchase this. I used some of the meats and cheeses to create a holiday tray, over Thanksgiving, to bring to a family members. People were nibbling pretty frequently and it didn't survive the whole evening. I still had meat and cheese that I hadn't cut up in the fridge. There is allot here to work with.

Taste:

• Sesame, Caraway and Sea Salt  Crackers: I must be honest, I am not a huge crackers-with-caraway fan, most crackers are so over powered with this potent spice that it is off-putting. I was leery of trying these crackers. But after some thought, I wanted to offer my opinion, so I moved out of my comfort zone. These crackers were great! They have a great cracker texture that holds up and doesn't crumble under the weight of cheese - they have snap. They are slightly buttery and the sesame gives a nice nutty after taste. The sea salt rounds out the flavor and the caraway adds a very distant earthy note. I especially enjoyed them with the Three Cheese & Onion Wedge,  and Smooth N Sharp Wedge.
• Beef Summer Sausages:  The Signature Beef Summer Sausages were full of hickory smokiness. There are notes of white wine vinegar and the peppercorns really accentuated the overall flavor. They have a nice mouth feel.  
• Italian Recipe Beef Summer Sausage,  To my surprise, however, I really enjoyed this. The flavor reminded me of my grandmother's meatballs. You take a bite and flavor notes of an Italian deli meat explodes in your mouth. Whites pepper gives it a kick on your tongue. It also reminded me of the whiff I took smelling my Great-Grand parents icebox , who would cure their own meats such as Cappacuolo. Very nice and pleasing to the palate.
• Sweet Hot Mustard - You can only go so far with mustard and honey. This mustard is a cross between the Chinese mustard you get with BBQ pork at restaurants and the horseradish condiment you would receive at a steak house with your prime rib. 
• Honey Pineapple Mustard: This mustard tasted to me like someone mixed mustard, honey and not yet solidified Jello Brand Orange Jello, I couldn't get past that jello after taste. Not my cup of tea.
  
• Three Cheese & Onion Wedge - This cheese had  a nice onion flavor. It reminded me of French onion soup. The onion notes were not of a spicy onion, more like one that has been roasted to release it's milder taste. There were bits of green onion throughout that added a freshness to the overall flavor.
• Big Barn Cheddar® - This cheese is what you would expect from a standard cheddar. Mild flavor, smooth texture.
• Cheddar & Havarti Blend - This cheese was really mild in flavor. It lacked the intensity that aged Havarti could have given it. White cheddar generally has a nice bite, but this cheese didn't have any of that. It was a bland cheese.
• Smooth N Sharp Wedge: The paprika gives this a nice tang. Out of all the cheddars in this box, I enjoyed this the most. The taste was reminiscent of a Cheese Ball .
  

Conclusion: 
If you are looking for a gift that is varied from a company that supports a good cause and that has limited packaging, the Home For The Holiday Gift Box has something for everyone. Although the mustards weren't spectacular, the majority of the contents were pretty tasty.

Source:
¹Hunger in America 2010 National Report. Mathematica Policy Research Inc.

The views expressed here are mine & mone alone. I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of  Hickory Farms. I received a "Home for the Holidays Gift Box" in exchange for providing my honest feedback. Please read more about Renaissance Culinaire's Disclosure Policy.

Women Geared Scholarship Empowers & Puts Pro Camera Gear Into Your Hands 36

For most food bloggers, showcasing their food images is a thing of pride and mostly of beauty. People have a love affair with food and photography.

I like polished shots (my pic on upper  left), but I think I get a real kick out of food in action - such as motion blurs from the act of creating scones (my pic on bottom left), or a mixer in a hardcore whirling motion.

The act of creating food, sparks my interest maybe more that tasting it. I love to see the way that true culinarians immerse themselves in their work - it is something very magical, echoed in the expressions and precise movements of their hands and in their body movements.

I acquaint it to a dance. Working in close quarters among a crew in  a commercial kitchen or bake shop, it takes the best choreography,  to make time most efficient and productive.

But when you are able to capture those flashes of  creativity and of proficient knowledge, the outcome of your photos become all that more interesting.

If you are a woman aged 21 yrs or older (regardless of your foodie status) , living in the US, and have ever dreamed of taking your blog or picture taking abilities to the next level - the SOAR! Scholarship from ME KA ROH Photography can do just that.

The three SOAR! recipients will be given thousands of dollars of camera gear, services and mentoring. But throughout the next twelve months, they will also be given something you can’t quantify. They will be given the gift of guided challenge—challenge to CLIMB heights they have never imagined. They will gain strength which will lead to empowerment. When they have made the leaps of risking over and over again, our goal is that they will be empowered to catch the wind. And we will not only witness them take flight, but we will see them SOAR!

Imagine being a winner and having not only pro photography gear put in your hands, but tons of professional software (like photoshop CS4), pro classes and training, mentoring and your own PR - see the whole list of prizes.

For me this would be a dream come true, I would love to delve into professional photography, and have all the expensive tools and be empowered to use them.

There will be 3 grand prize winners chosen on January 1st, 2010. The winners will have an intensive 12 month schedule aimed at sculpting them into photography business pros.

All you need to apply is fill out the application, then submit a 2 minute video on "why you are worthy of receiving the SOAR Scholarship"

You can learn more about contest rules/regulations, by visiting http://www.soarwithmera.com/ .

Stand by Your Brand - Forget Deals and Buy Eco-Friendly 19

Mannequin in the market by antwerpenR

I am constantly pricing everything. Constantly doing a price comparison. When you are a parent that is a given. When the economy has taken a bit of a turn you will expect most people to do this also. In general everyone loves to get a deal.

Besides the deals then comes a responsibility. Do I forget deals and purchase brands or with merchants who are eco-friendly? As time goes by I am thinking further about mine and the merchant's global impact on the environment.

I am not the only one - green products and services are at the fore front of most retailers minds as this eco-friendly mindset continues to grow into a global movement.With such emphasis on finding ways to be eco-friendly, shopping for name brand companies that are known for quality products that also have eco-friendliness in mind is a definite plus.

simply, alone by batintherain

Recently I have been looking into products that I can feel better about purchasing. One of these searches has involved pricing cameras. I am looking to purchase a new camera because my old one has been having issues and possibly the sensor is broken. I have thought long and hard whether buying a more advanced camera is worth the investment. I feel that it is the right decision.

I am very passionate about photography and I am more inspired by food when I have pictures. If I am to start seriously food blogging, a good camera is worth it's weight in gold.

One of the sites I found through pricing cameras is Super Warehouse. As I looked around at the other products they offer, I was pretty impressed at the site in general. There are some great prices on electronics. You can easily navigate throughout the site , there are both a dynamic drop down menu sorted by categories, and text links plus a logo directory of your favorite brand name products. There are consumer buying guides on the site to help you make the most of the site.

Super Warehouse prides itself on featuring the largest selection of big name eco-friendly electronics such as Apple laptops , HP scanners , Brother laser printers and a vast variety of other color laser printers. Boasting 50,000 retail products available to consumers 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.

On further investigation, I found out this company was started in 1997 by Russell Schneider out of his 2 bedroom apartment. Russell wanted to provide customer service that would go above and beyond what customers expected. 10 years later and 16 warehouses strong, his business can deliver to most places in 1-2 business days.

Super Warehouse is committed to only sell products they can feel good about. I am really impressed about this companies background and their commitment to customer service and the ideals associated with the go green movement.

The views expressed here are mine and mone alone. I wrote this website review while participating in a blog tour  by Parent Reviewers on behalf of Super Warehouse. I received a gift-card  in exchange for my honest feedback. Please read more about Renaissance Culinaire's Disclosure Policy.

Food Blogger Blogoversary Calender 16

I had an idea I thought would be a fun way to support our fellow food blog authors. And help create a even closer community.

I started a calender for listing food blogger blogoversary dates. The date of your food blog's official launch or first post, is your blogoversary.

The calender will allow for clickable links in the description, so you can put your blog's title in the event title, and a description of your food blog, then any links you'd like such as : your blog's link, twitter account, face book page etc. If you click on the image below, you can view an example calender event.



I used google calender to create it. It's easily searchable in the google calendar database. So your readers can follow all of their fav foodies. All public calenders are indexed by google.

You can view it by clicking this link - food blogger blogoversary. There is a small button at the bottom right you can click to subscribe/ add it to your google calender account.

You don't need to have a google account to view the calender, or get updates for upcoming or newly added food blogs :

Click on this link to subscribe with any calender that supports iCal format. Here is a list from wikipedia of apps that support iCAL.


I also burned it through feedburner. So you can subscribe or use it to add to another feed you are aggregating on your sidebar etc.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/FoodBloggerBlogoversaryDates

If you would like to be added to the calender, please fill out this form:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pqxVEg3ssIfUbtGXjEx8DEg

If you have more than one blog, please fill out form for each blog.

I will set each event to continue to be celebrated yearly, so you will get updated every year.

I hope this can be something that is fun and usable for everyone . It gives another way to celebrate and promote your wonderful food blogs.

It's Official - This Blog is a BoB Award Finalist! 0

Hi everyone, I was nominated for a "BestofBlogs" Award in April and I just got word that my blog Renaissance Culinaire has been chosen as a top 10 finalist.

...Support

Small Bloggers
Vote
for me..

This is a really big deal for me - I just found
out today.

Usually the biggest names in the blogosphere are
the only blogs to be seen representing
the top ten finalists
for each category - but this year I was initially
nominated and accepted for a special
"under appreciated blog" category for smaller
blogs. I made a long list of finalists - but the
final list of top ten nominees has been decided
by a panel of judges and Renaissance Culinaire
made the cut!!


If you have visited my blog and like the content,
if you want to see one of the little guys represent
bloggers in a good light --- please show your support
and vote for my blog in the "Best Hobby Blog" category.

This is truly a "people's choice"award!

Voting Ends June 2nd, 2008

So Please visit the link below and on the voting widget: Select 'Abstract2Collective' and click 'vote', to make sure your vote is counted.

http://www.thebestofblogs.com/2008/05/12/best-hobby-blogvote-here/

It would really mean allot to me! If you can help spread the word I would be truly thankful.

Thanks,

On Taste Memories and The Economy 2

When I experience something of taste worth noting, I archive it within the catacombs of my taste memories. There it is tagged and filed away - until there is new life breathed into it again, on some chance encounter with my taste buds.

My palate has slowly matured. I wasn't always one to remark on how great a microbrew was. But now I appreciate the bold, earthy and spicy undertones contained in the hoppy liquid. I appreciate the complexities of each type of brew. And every now and again these same taste memories resurface like amber ghosts haunting me with unequaled sweetness. I begin to ache for another chance - another dance with this foamy goodness.

My palate of course has not singled out microbrews exclusively, in it's maturity. I have taken on all types of complex tastes and textures not attractive to me in my younger years. This point is my life is very enlightening and I have entered a culinary awareness that rivals anything else I have experienced.

As humans we are drawn toward things we have noted in our brains - things which have left a good impression on our psyche. We cherish the taste memories stored there. And in bad times or discontent we call upon them again to boost our spirits, to remind us of comfort and joy.

A persons palate can only exceed his grasp, and for me living on a family budget means that not all my culinary whims are satisfied. For people who are also attending school this can mean even more cost saving measures. And as the economy becomes more and more disheveled, many of our budgets will continue to grow tighter.

This is a hard reality for me as a food blogger. Mainly from two different perspectives A.) I love food and I am very passionate about the actions leading up to the final product - it pains me to not be able to create more artistic creations at home, due to cost restrictions. B.) Once your blog enters the realm of "foodie-o-sphere" there is an unwritten expectation from readers and foodie peers to create and post pictures of your latest food masterpieces. Also I am unable to participate in all the food community challenges, which leaves me feeling isolated from my foodie peers.

The cost aspect that doesn't affect me however , is that I am not worried about having "trendy" kitchen gadgetry or appliances, I have always been thrifty in that way. I love to thrift shop for tools. I have found high end tools for a few dollars a piece. It is a great feeling to find a $60 tool for that price. The great thing about thrift stores is that people donate kitchen ware they bought on a whim / got as a gift , and never used. So most things are in great shape. I have a source that restaurants donate to, so you get high quality stock pots and stainless tools.

Renaissance Culinaire Available Via Mobile Devices. 1

The importance of mobile feeds in the blogosphere. Steps on how to optimize your wordpress blog via the plugin – or how to use a third party provider if not on wordpress.


Get Updates sent right to your mobile device! Learn how now. Also other Renaissance Culinaire related links.

To Subscribe to Renaissance via Your Mobile device :
Subscribe here


Renaissance Culinaire Links :

Feed | Amber (personal) On Twitter | Updates Via Twitter (Feed) | Subscribe Via Email | Community On BlogLog | Get Recipes Feed

"What’s needed is a version of your blog that is designed for display on a mobile phone and other small-screen mobile devices.


That means a focus on displaying the content (the text) in a way that’s easy to read on a small screen, easy to navigate it using a typical phone’s small buttons, and display hyperlinks in a way that makes it easy to spot them.


It also needs to be quick to load over the comparatively slow connection speed of a cellular network, or even the comparatively faster speed that you might get with a wi-fi-enabled mobile phone.


All this needs to be available in an easy-to-create way that doesn’t require you to spend hours coding and creating a mobile-specific version of your blog.


You’re in luck if you’re a WordPress user – there is such a tool. It’s a plugin called WordPress Mobile Edition, created by Alex King (one of the most generous contributors to the WordPress user community).


This plugin is simplicity itself. Upload the files, activate the plugin, and that’s it – the mobile version of your blog is done. It works (and looks) a treat as the photo suggests. Download the zip file and follow the simple instructions.


Having an easy-to-use version of your blog for small-screen mobile devices is becoming more important if you want to make your site easily accessible to visitors no matter what device they use to connect to the net."—-Quoted from Neville Hobson

Don’t have a Wordpress blog?? Don’t know where to start, but want an easy method to turn your site mobile accessible, without coding?


Turn your feed into a mobile site with FeedM8, You just need to give them your url or feed url, and within a few seconds you have a moblog link to offer your readers!! Cool.

Renaissance Culinaire Nominated for 2007 BOBs 0

Congratulations!!! You have been nominated for a 2007 Best Of Blog Award!! Especially designed to bring attention to lower profile bloggers, The BoB’s as we like to call them are currently taking nominations in over 20 different categories. To find out more about how your site has a chance to become one of this year’s Best Of’s and how to nominate other bloggers, visit us at www.thebestofblogs.com. Remember voting begins May 5th so make sure you pass the word to your friends, family, and faithful followers.

Sincerely,
Bill Beck
Project Mgr.
www.TheBestOfBlogs.com
Email:Bloggerbeck@aol.com

How cool? I am very excited to be a nominee. It's nice when the little blogger's can get in on the action. Apparently the Best of Blogs had some technical errors and decided to allow more time for nominations .

Below is a new schedule :

• Nominations end April 21st
• Two weeks later on May 5th the Top 10 in each category will be announced and voting will begin.
• May 26th marks the date that a winning blog in each of the 23 categories will be announced.

If you are wondering how the BOB's work here is more info from the BOB site:

After the nomination period, the panelists assigned to each specific category will weed through the nominations and pick what they think are the 10 most deserving blogs in that category. Panelist decisions will be based first on blog content and second on user-friendliness; a blogs visual design will only be a minor consideration.

The fans will then vote on a their favorite in each category. 100% of the popular vote will be used to pick the winner.

I am so happy to be nominated. It is an honor. I had taken a break from blogging, and let this blog remain parked and not updated while I took care of a host of personal business, but people still visited and left comments, and linked. It was great to receive reader emails asking if I was o.k, or mention how they liked my site. It makes my day when I get feedback. It makes me want to blog more.

I have appreciated all the subscribers and fellow bloggers who have supported this blog for the long haul. It has gone through many metamorphosis's , but my interest to share foodie tidbits has been ever increasing. I think about culinary ALL the time...I am such a foodie.

I will be adding more updates about the BOBs in the future. I would appreciate any support when it comes time to vote for BOBs . So if you like this blog and what it stands for --- please consider posting a vote.

If you have other favorites --- there are 23 categories to choose from to nominate your favorite blogger, but you must visit the site and put your nominee in comments under the appropriate category . Make the content that you love soo much , get the exposure it deserves - Vote for your favorite bloggers.

The Culinary School of Thought : Why Food Blogs should not "tickle-me-emo" 1

Should food blog authors talk about drama in their personal life , in their posts ? What separates a foodie post from an average blog post? Is it the willingness to obsess over food? Or is it the absence of teenage angst?

Something keeps me from describing my year. A year I will never forget. I could divulge the sketchy details...let them consume the page until your eyes grow watery and strained --- but something tells me to move on to less polluted and more food oriented subject matter.

I am really torn on posting events of my private life on this blog. Especially since in 2008, I have committed to being a better food blog author. It is kind of like I've taken an oath to blog food - and nothing but the food.

2007 was a year that did not slip quietly into the realms of ordinary. Not a chance, there was no meager repose. Topsy-turvy. Not only for the rest of the world, these indeed are strange times. Elections. World in Crisis. Fashion disasters. Inventions aimed at making people more lazy. Uncertain economy. Dollar value plummeting.


So I digress. This is a food blog after all, not a "tickle-me-emo ^w" teenager-on-Myspace sob-fest. As Jim Rome ^w would say:

"That IS NOT a reason to GO!" --- Jim Rome

So on a lighter , more nostalgic note - I have had a lot of time to think about blogging and what I am wanting to do with my food blog in the future. I have had this blog since Dec. of 2004 (WOW!) and in that time the blog has gone through many stages of metamorphosis - from template design - as I discover new info on html design ; to advertisements; to the content its self.

The readership has grown (THANKS!) and I think the blog template has become a more mature version of former ones . I have always tried to distance myself from blogging the same content as food blogs that fellow foodie Mahanandi says are:

"....traditional "always-all things-all-purpose flour" corporate promoted cooking..."

and in a way that suits my style of writing very well.

The thing that stays constant is my love of writing and the insatiable passion of learning everything I can about culinary : whether that means food / technique / history.

Merriam Webster lists the term Disciple as :

Main Entry:
dis·ci·ple
Pronunciation:
\di-ˈsī-pəl\
Function:
noun
1: one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines ^MW of another: as b: a convinced adherent of a school or individual.

That is one reason I leave "student" in my blog description --- I will and continue to be a life long disciple of the culinary school of thought.

I author this blog not only to give me an outlet for my writing, but also to make note of things maybe other foodies can relate to, or to offer some info on certain techniques or info that may be more in depth than say that page on "recipes-gone-wild.com", all the while documenting and archiving my school notes for reference at a later date.

I do interlace my love of photography and music throughout this blog and can't help throwing in a smidgen of sarcasm or poetry or irony, it's my nature.

I am here to let you know my food blog is here for the long haul. I will be introducing more content, more frequently in 2008 and hope this is a year to awaken more creativity and foodie fabulous.

Happy New Year!

My Foodie-sense Is Tingling : Greasemonkey for Culinary Pros? 1

What is Greasemonkey you might ask? Greasemonkey is a plugin for the Firefox web browser. Note: If you use Internet Explorer, you can use the IE7 Pro Compatibility add-in to permit some Greasemonkey scripts. If you use Safari, you may be able to run some scripts using the Creammonkey plugin. Opera is also known for being able to run a few scripts on their own.

Greasemonkey allows you to change how your favorite pages behave and look. There are many scripts that have already been written, and if you know javascript you can easily create your own.The Greasemonkey install on firefox is very easy .

You can find the Greasemonkey console,which shows all your scripts, under the "Tools" link on the browser menu bar. The scripts are editable. All you need to do is click on a script from the list and click on the edit button --- to access the script code, which allows for customization (in some cases) or bug fixes (if the script author is not keeping tabs on updating.)

Userscripts.org is a repository to download and install Greasemonkey scripts. You can find a script to pimp virtually anything ---blogger, flickr, gmail, craigslist ect. There is a tag function on userscripts.org for most scripts but unfortunately script authors do not always tag. So I actually scrolled through most of the 300 pages...yikes.

I can't believe I missed out on so many greasemonkey scripts lately. I LOVE firefox and Greasemonkey is icing on the geeky-optimizing-browser cake.

Speaking of cake, wouldn't it be great to create a greasemonkey script that would use specific formulas that apply to bakers or chefs or serious foodies?!

I am talking about calculators to compute formulations for : Specific gravity,Baker's percent, Turn-over rate of frying oil, Desired Dough Temp, Variances of Mixer per Qt = in F degrees , ect.

Even better --- have temp converters , and an editable interface to add special reference snippets that are pertinent to you (said foodie). I know there are alot of conversion widgets at Chef2chef.net ---It would be nice to see some of them hacked into the widget.

I think that the best way to showcase this widget would to code it to appear as a slide-in menu in the corner of your browser window. The calculators /converters would be linked via small icons, and would feature a link to your reference library (which would be text files, housed in a folder on your pc) There would be a link for "grab formula/ recipe", also.

This would be a great utility to edit formulas found on the web, on the fly. And the best part is that you can take firefox with you anywhere --- just copy it to a flash/thumb drive, and plug into a computer away from home. All your scripts / plug-ins /bookmarks are contained in the firefox interface, which you load via the thumb drive.

Oh, how utterly SWEET!

I will try to compose something out of code and see if I can get the ball - I mean the script rolling.

How exciting!

Run your tooltip over the screenshot to see what subject the screenshot covers. click on the screenshot to view it's pic page on flickr; or click "larger" link to view original.

Greasemonkey
Screen Shots




*1.)larger *2.)larger *3.)larger *4.)larger



*5.)larger *6.)larger *7.)larger

Foodie links/photog : Red Currant Mini Cakes 2

Wow. What a beautiful picture, I found this while browsing the flickr group I manage : Artisan Artistry , a group for photographs that feature handmade breads/confections/desserts. SO far there are 122 members.

Red Currant Mini Cakes, originally uploaded by La tartine gourmande. 

Here are the most recent group stats:

La Tartine Gourmande  has a tantalizing photo stream.

Visit the food blog for luscious Recipes ---
Red Currant Mini Cakes can be found here .

Flickr has over 4,500 groups which are food related. Yikes...foodie heaven or hell ? You be the judge...

My Recipe : Curried Asparagus 8

This is a tasty side dish. It has gotten raves from my friends and family. It may seem a bit salty at first glance but take into consideration the liquid added washes the flavor out a bit , so there needs to be enough salt to bring out the curry flavors. Enjoy!

Green Asparagus by Gunnar Magnusson

You Will Need:

• a nice bunch of Asparagus (1-2 #s)
• 1/4 - 1/2 of a stick of butter
• a good curry powder (look for these ingredients : coriander seed, chili, cumin seed, fennel seeds, cinnamon, poppy seeds, star anise seeds, turmeric, mustard seeds, white pepper and peanut -- You can buy this mixture at an Asian market, regular grocers tend to have a diluted curry powder lacking depth)
• balsamic vinegar (a splash about 1-2 TB)
• porcini mushroom flavored oil (a bout 1/4 TB
• rubbed sage (about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp)
• onion salt (1/2 tsp)
• garlic salt (1/2 tsp)
• kosher salt (1 tbs)
• water (enough to cover asparagus)

Heat your pan on medium high and allow the butter to melt completely. After washing & breaking the fibrous bottoms off your asparagus stalks -- add them to the melted butter. Add 1 tablespoon of curry to the pan, mix into the butter to form a paste. Sprinkle balsamic vinegar over the whole pan. Drizzle your asparagus with the porccini oil. Dust with rubbed sage. Sprinkle salt , onion and garlic salt (a few shakes , as water will be added later). Stir briskly. Add 1 tsp more of the curry. Add enough water to barely cover the stalks. Cover and allow to simmer.

When done the asparagus will take on the yellow color of the curry, and they will appear slightly wrinkled/wilted.

Photography : On the rails along the Columbia 3

I took this on the way home, traveling I-84. We pulled over and I got out with no fleece to take as many shots as I could in 2 minutes...brrr. It was very cold and the wind was a frigid guest.

on the rails along the columbia, originally uploaded by Amber *.

I am back home. I have some better shots in my photo stream of this sunset. I took some from my car window --- had I charged my camera battery I might have gotten more. Oh well.

I haven't a culinary gem to pull out of my chef hat at this moment --- but more will follow I promise.

I did the math recently as I looked at my feedburner stats since April 2004 --- I have over 130 readers by rss aggregation! Plus like 15 by email.

Wow! Thanks for reading! I wasn't trying to create a pretentious food blog, nor was I claiming to be some culinary wizard. I wanted to write my thoughts and I admit I haven't been the most regular poster. Balancing your life when your a blogger and single is one thing --- but when you have a family to take care of with a young child and are going to school full time it is a lot harder to be consistent when blogging...atleast for me.

It has been a struggle, as I have suffered a writing ship wreck --- I am surely caught in The doldrums:

Early sailors named this belt of calm the doldrums because of the low spirits they found themselves in after days of no wind. To find oneself becalmed in this region in a hot and muggy climate could mean death in the era when wind was the only motive force.

Writer's block. No creative thoughts, like a blank stare into a calm sea. Frustrating, as there is no change ...Just a sour awareness you are not creating anything new.

What Make this Foodie Tick? Interview Brazilian Style.. 0

"I love cooking
and love food in general. I also have a food blog that's rather
successful here in Brazil: Cantina da Laura . I usually like to write about ways of dealing with the kitchen when
you're totally unskilled (and don't want to order pizza!), because I
think the world has enough gourmet writers (even though I fancy myself as one, sometimes!) :) " ---Laura Prado

Laura has a great spirit.She is a fellow Foodie & Food blogger. And a Flickr Member - That's how our two worlds collided, hers' in Brazil, mine in the Pacific Northwest. There are several food related groups on Flicker and I wanted to hear first hand from other food lovers, regardless if they were food professionals or novice. "Tell me your stories " - I asked. And people responded. This is the first in a series of food interviews.

Here she explains her love affair with food, In her Own Words :

" I'm not sure if people believe me when I say I love slicing, dicing and
cutting up vegetables in general. For sure they don't take me
seriously. But I mean it.

I think it must be a common feeling between people who know
how wonderful it is to cook. You just grab something completely and
utterly raw as a cucumber and turn that thing into something that even
cucumber-haters would love (especially if they don't know it's
cucumber). It can become anything you want.

I wanted to become a chef, but I lack the money to go through cooking
school. I also lack the contacts to work in the field without a degree. For a while it made me really sad to think I'd never achieve it. But then I realized I didn't have to be able to cook the perfect pheasant dish to be able to cook. I could just make things up and serve it to my friends.

So that's my cooking verve: everyday cooking. I try to gather easily
available ingredients and make all sorts of new dishes. And that's
what I write about. I found out many of my friends were tired of
ordering pizza and cooking ramen every single day. Most lived alone
and never had time or patience to do stuff in the kitchen. Still, they
wanted to taste new stuff.

So I started teaching them this little things that you could do,
flavors you could combine. It's no big deal, but I feel it's a whole
new world in the kitchen when instead of having ramen with artificial
flavoring, you can have it with cream cheese, olives and nuts. It's
fancy and easy at the same time.

Of course, in my own kitchen, I keep trying harder stuff: souffles,
risottos and other things that require a bit more skill, but I like to
help people realize that the kitchen is a good place to be and that
cooking is not always just an everyday chore. I think I'm just hoping
that people can love food and cooking as much as I do.

I think sometimes I take my food too serious, but that's just because
I love doing it and I pour myself in the preparation.

My husband says my relationship with food is stronger than ours. I hope he's just kidding, but I guess he's on to something... "

Now We're Cooking Blogroll 1