Wednesday was benchmark day for one of the less-serious new year's resolutions, which is to swim faster than before (should be doable, eh?). So I swam a mile in 37 minutes, which is, I see to my amusement, extremely s l o w.
But you have to start somewhere. Or, I was actually swimming faster and couldn't read the clock. I seriously doubt that, however.
So that leaves a big question, which is what to set as a goal. I'm thinking that maybe not the 2008 cutoff of 15:53 or whatever it is. TBD, I suppose.
in stagnum quies est
Friday, December 30, 2005
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
convergent features reporting
Random thoughts collected while pondering the number of bolts in the Tyngsborough Bridge.
With all the yip-yap (I think that's also a brand of dog treats) about convergence, I think it's time to get on board. I don't have audio gear, I'm not sure the camcorder I've got is up to the struggle and there're only 24 hours in a day, but hey, ya works with whats ya have.
That said, I've come up with a couple of subjects that can be handled with relative ease:
One is strolls in the city, which was the idea behind this blog in the first place. The print piece would be cake - a map, a photo or two and a short feature, maybe focusing on one piece of the walk. The podcast could be an edited, voiced-over video stroll. It could be a slide show, I guess, but zzzzzzz. I suppose it would be possible to have audio-only, too, but that seems passe.
Another would serve as partial culimination of a long-term project that involves cooking, and would be essentially a TV show writ small. Its print potential is high, too. Ironically, or maybe just coincidentally, I think the model for production of print & video of the cooking show is the same as what cooking shows get compared to all the time these days.
Of course, for a full-time features reporter, the possibilities are at least as great for converged reporting as they are for traditional work.
With all the yip-yap (I think that's also a brand of dog treats) about convergence, I think it's time to get on board. I don't have audio gear, I'm not sure the camcorder I've got is up to the struggle and there're only 24 hours in a day, but hey, ya works with whats ya have.
That said, I've come up with a couple of subjects that can be handled with relative ease:
One is strolls in the city, which was the idea behind this blog in the first place. The print piece would be cake - a map, a photo or two and a short feature, maybe focusing on one piece of the walk. The podcast could be an edited, voiced-over video stroll. It could be a slide show, I guess, but zzzzzzz. I suppose it would be possible to have audio-only, too, but that seems passe.
Another would serve as partial culimination of a long-term project that involves cooking, and would be essentially a TV show writ small. Its print potential is high, too. Ironically, or maybe just coincidentally, I think the model for production of print & video of the cooking show is the same as what cooking shows get compared to all the time these days.
Of course, for a full-time features reporter, the possibilities are at least as great for converged reporting as they are for traditional work.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
just clunking along
Well, the water seems normal - rather than too warm - at the Y, so I'm wondering what's in store when the school's back in session - brrrrrr.
Other than lovely swims, pretty scarves and the usual collection of activities, I whipped up a batch of Christmas cookies. Sugar cookies is what the recipe claimed they are, but I think they could be called butter cookies or maybe just less-leavened, cream-free scones. Delish for sure!
three and a half cups flour, one teaspoon baking powder and a quarter teaspoon salt, mixed.
two sticks (a cup) unsalted butter, a cup and a half white sugar, two eggs and a teaspoon and a half vanilla extract, creamed.
the dry added to the damp and worked until the dough is smooth (takes a little bit, but not too long or it'll be tough). The dough's scent reminded me of Christmases past.
The recipes says divide the dough and refrigerate, then roll out and cut. I say phooey and rolled and cut the cookies, then refrigerated for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before baking at 375 for about 12 minutes, just until the cookies' edges brown.
Cool 'em off for a while on the sheet so they don't break when you try to remove them, then cool and decorate. I opted for homemade mint icing (two cups powdered sugar and three tablespoons of hot whipping cream whisked until homogenized, then heated in a bowl over hot water for 10 minutes to eliminate the corn starch flavor - I used half for mint icing, with a capful of extract and half was used for almond), and decorated with blue and pink sparkly sprinkles.
Tasty!
seal the cookies up in an airtight container - waxed paper may be used to separate layers of cookies.
the recipe above made 20 good-size (three and a half inch rounds) cookies, but could have been stretched to two dozen or maybe thirty smaller cookies. Which is what I'd do next time.
Other than lovely swims, pretty scarves and the usual collection of activities, I whipped up a batch of Christmas cookies. Sugar cookies is what the recipe claimed they are, but I think they could be called butter cookies or maybe just less-leavened, cream-free scones. Delish for sure!
three and a half cups flour, one teaspoon baking powder and a quarter teaspoon salt, mixed.
two sticks (a cup) unsalted butter, a cup and a half white sugar, two eggs and a teaspoon and a half vanilla extract, creamed.
the dry added to the damp and worked until the dough is smooth (takes a little bit, but not too long or it'll be tough). The dough's scent reminded me of Christmases past.
The recipes says divide the dough and refrigerate, then roll out and cut. I say phooey and rolled and cut the cookies, then refrigerated for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before baking at 375 for about 12 minutes, just until the cookies' edges brown.
Cool 'em off for a while on the sheet so they don't break when you try to remove them, then cool and decorate. I opted for homemade mint icing (two cups powdered sugar and three tablespoons of hot whipping cream whisked until homogenized, then heated in a bowl over hot water for 10 minutes to eliminate the corn starch flavor - I used half for mint icing, with a capful of extract and half was used for almond), and decorated with blue and pink sparkly sprinkles.
Tasty!
seal the cookies up in an airtight container - waxed paper may be used to separate layers of cookies.
the recipe above made 20 good-size (three and a half inch rounds) cookies, but could have been stretched to two dozen or maybe thirty smaller cookies. Which is what I'd do next time.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
multi-front progress
Well, after a much better swim than some in recent memory (not a record breaker, but a 500, 1000 and cooldown - and that's meters, baby), I sat down to the penultimate scarf in Warp I. After toying with chenile vs. other wefts, I opted for other and I'm quite pleased so far. I'm too much of a slacker to have photos posted, but maybe I'll get on that someday soon...
I have high hopes for the next warp, too :)
I have high hopes for the next warp, too :)
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
the new venue
the local Y, which turns out to be all right.
The water is a bit warm, and there are only two lane dividers, so the going's a little rougher, and the pool is 25 meters (rather than yards, at the school pool). But hey, no big deal.
So I did a couple of 500s, plus the usual cool-down routine. Not great, but better than nothing and something to build on. The revision to my turns is still a little bit of a work in progress, but that's no big deal either. I mean, it is all just swimming :)
On a weaving note, I'm near the end of Warp I, a plum-to-purple warp with shots of green and off-white. I tried a variegated chenile from Webs that runs red, green and blue (roughly, they're definitely gem colors, not namby-pamby types), and it is quite nice - at least for someone who likes horizontal stripes!
In general, I'm torn: The chenile is really quite nice in terms of color and softness but I also have good results from silk/cotton combos.
Well, I guess that's why people put on lots of different warps. Hmm. Maybe I should add an image sometime.
The water is a bit warm, and there are only two lane dividers, so the going's a little rougher, and the pool is 25 meters (rather than yards, at the school pool). But hey, no big deal.
So I did a couple of 500s, plus the usual cool-down routine. Not great, but better than nothing and something to build on. The revision to my turns is still a little bit of a work in progress, but that's no big deal either. I mean, it is all just swimming :)
On a weaving note, I'm near the end of Warp I, a plum-to-purple warp with shots of green and off-white. I tried a variegated chenile from Webs that runs red, green and blue (roughly, they're definitely gem colors, not namby-pamby types), and it is quite nice - at least for someone who likes horizontal stripes!
In general, I'm torn: The chenile is really quite nice in terms of color and softness but I also have good results from silk/cotton combos.
Well, I guess that's why people put on lots of different warps. Hmm. Maybe I should add an image sometime.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
an observation on my trade
So, I work at a newspaper.
I saw this Steve Klein piece at Poynter (poynter.org/column.asp?id=71&aid=93527), in which he tackles the changing face of print journalism. He makes good points, a lot of them. We do need to change how we do business. But I don't think that journalism schools are the best place to look for tomorrow's pathfinders.
I can agree, from the safety of the armchair, that a good journalism school is a place where the hardened vets can instill in young journos certain values that we all hold dear. And no doubt Klein's simple trio of journalism basics - having an ethical compass, knowing your audience and clarity in communication (yegods, he doesn't use consistent bullets) - can be handed down in such places.
But after 11 years of hanging around newspapers, I have to say our system is broken. What do we really get from journalism schools? A mixed bag. Sometimes you get gems, other times you get plagiarists. Worst of all, you (OK, I) often get people who got into journalism in part because they "don't like numbers," people who will tell you: "hey, you know about science, right? I have a question" - people who aren't epistemologists. I hate to say it Minnesota, but I think journalism programs tend to attract these non-detectives, and what could possibly be worse? Even if all you want to write are god damn features, you need to be a detective, a news hound.
And that's first, not second.
Look: Who really broke the story of Oregon's former governor being a fundamentally awful human being? Not the Statesman Journal and not the Oregonian, but Willamette Week. In other words, not the establishment - with its horde of dyed-in-the-wool journos, but the upstart, with its trader-turned-writer.
What's that say about the establishment? Not much, but what could you expect from a machine that believes the best way to go forward is to select its front-line workers on the basis of a decision they made when they were in their late teens or early 20s.
Good reporters don't learn the craft in college. Hell, they don't even learn AP style there. They learn it on the job.
If you want better or better yet transformed print journalism, make the case to newspapers that they need to become the J school, that they need to invest (and I do mean that literally) in assignment editors who are teachers, not just middle-management thugs charged with squeezing an ever-smaller collection of turnips for the daily blood.
Make the case that the responsibility for journalism's future lies with the executives whose companies stand to go broke if they don't figure out how to change with the times.
That being a journalist is a career-long learning process that doesn't end when the W-2s are filled out but requires a long-term commitment from management AND employee.
Enough of this. Time to swim.
I saw this Steve Klein piece at Poynter (poynter.org/column.asp?id=71&aid=93527), in which he tackles the changing face of print journalism. He makes good points, a lot of them. We do need to change how we do business. But I don't think that journalism schools are the best place to look for tomorrow's pathfinders.
I can agree, from the safety of the armchair, that a good journalism school is a place where the hardened vets can instill in young journos certain values that we all hold dear. And no doubt Klein's simple trio of journalism basics - having an ethical compass, knowing your audience and clarity in communication (yegods, he doesn't use consistent bullets) - can be handed down in such places.
But after 11 years of hanging around newspapers, I have to say our system is broken. What do we really get from journalism schools? A mixed bag. Sometimes you get gems, other times you get plagiarists. Worst of all, you (OK, I) often get people who got into journalism in part because they "don't like numbers," people who will tell you: "hey, you know about science, right? I have a question" - people who aren't epistemologists. I hate to say it Minnesota, but I think journalism programs tend to attract these non-detectives, and what could possibly be worse? Even if all you want to write are god damn features, you need to be a detective, a news hound.
And that's first, not second.
Look: Who really broke the story of Oregon's former governor being a fundamentally awful human being? Not the Statesman Journal and not the Oregonian, but Willamette Week. In other words, not the establishment - with its horde of dyed-in-the-wool journos, but the upstart, with its trader-turned-writer.
What's that say about the establishment? Not much, but what could you expect from a machine that believes the best way to go forward is to select its front-line workers on the basis of a decision they made when they were in their late teens or early 20s.
Good reporters don't learn the craft in college. Hell, they don't even learn AP style there. They learn it on the job.
If you want better or better yet transformed print journalism, make the case to newspapers that they need to become the J school, that they need to invest (and I do mean that literally) in assignment editors who are teachers, not just middle-management thugs charged with squeezing an ever-smaller collection of turnips for the daily blood.
Make the case that the responsibility for journalism's future lies with the executives whose companies stand to go broke if they don't figure out how to change with the times.
That being a journalist is a career-long learning process that doesn't end when the W-2s are filled out but requires a long-term commitment from management AND employee.
Enough of this. Time to swim.
Monday, December 12, 2005
sick pools, alternative venues
Grrr.
Chemical troubles plague the pool; wonder if this is part of the justification routine for the cool new pool in the works at the college. Scuttlebutt is that the big cash headed toward a rumored 50-meter pool is making waves amongst some factions on campus, who think the money should be used in some other way. Of course, same scuttlebutt is that a donor anted up the dough for the pool, so there you have it.
I'm thinking the ruffled types would not have used the money for need-based scholarships, so I can't say they cut a lot of ice with me. Besides, if the school plans to be "a national liberal arts college" - the dean of faculty's bullshitty press release statement, not mine - then I guess a good pool is a start.
What rubbish. I didn't go there to attend "a national liberal arts college," I went for a good education, which the dean in his former life as a calculus prof. certainly helped provide. But he and the "dean of admissions" have since decided the best way to achieve their peculiar goal of improving the school's standing in the national magazine rankings is to further Mercer Island-ize the place, not that it needed any help in that arena.
Enough of that. I need a good swim. At least.
Chemical troubles plague the pool; wonder if this is part of the justification routine for the cool new pool in the works at the college. Scuttlebutt is that the big cash headed toward a rumored 50-meter pool is making waves amongst some factions on campus, who think the money should be used in some other way. Of course, same scuttlebutt is that a donor anted up the dough for the pool, so there you have it.
I'm thinking the ruffled types would not have used the money for need-based scholarships, so I can't say they cut a lot of ice with me. Besides, if the school plans to be "a national liberal arts college" - the dean of faculty's bullshitty press release statement, not mine - then I guess a good pool is a start.
What rubbish. I didn't go there to attend "a national liberal arts college," I went for a good education, which the dean in his former life as a calculus prof. certainly helped provide. But he and the "dean of admissions" have since decided the best way to achieve their peculiar goal of improving the school's standing in the national magazine rankings is to further Mercer Island-ize the place, not that it needed any help in that arena.
Enough of that. I need a good swim. At least.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
happy to be part of this club
Saw this study referenced at Al's Morning Meeting (at poynter.org):
http://www.ce.org/Press/CurrentNews/press_release_detail.asp?id=10887
which claims 17 percent of people who bought wireless phones in the last 90 days do not use a landline.
My concern, I guess, is that some idiot push will be on to make cell numbers part of directories and direct-marketing rosters. Which of course isn't really a big deal b/c you don't have to answer the thing but would be annoying. I like my anonymity just the way it is...
http://www.ce.org/Press/CurrentNews/press_release_detail.asp?id=10887
which claims 17 percent of people who bought wireless phones in the last 90 days do not use a landline.
My concern, I guess, is that some idiot push will be on to make cell numbers part of directories and direct-marketing rosters. Which of course isn't really a big deal b/c you don't have to answer the thing but would be annoying. I like my anonymity just the way it is...
fleepin' super
A kind observer helped me refine the ol' flip turn, so naturally everything was harder for a couple of 500s on Wednesday (pool was "sick" on Tuesday, the lifeguards said in a prepared statement - aka a sign outside the lockers). The turn fix ought to pay off once I get it fully integrated... hopefully soon!
Busy times at work have kept me off the loom bench, but I'm optimistic that the weekend's full slate of freezing fog will give me plenty of time to crank away. Must get a head of steam soon!
What else? Nothing much. Wishing the steak fairy would drop by my desk...
Busy times at work have kept me off the loom bench, but I'm optimistic that the weekend's full slate of freezing fog will give me plenty of time to crank away. Must get a head of steam soon!
What else? Nothing much. Wishing the steak fairy would drop by my desk...
Monday, December 05, 2005
solid, squared away, and also a-ok
Well, after the post-Thanksgiving week of slow & inefficient, today was just fine. Not that it wasn't slow in the objective reality sense - I think it always is, from that point of view - but got in a 500 and 2,000, so I'd say things are back to normal. thank goodness.
also, both warps are on (only about 4 hours, really, on Saturday), so now all that's left is to git ur done :)
Uh, what else? Not much to report...
also, both warps are on (only about 4 hours, really, on Saturday), so now all that's left is to git ur done :)
Uh, what else? Not much to report...
Thursday, December 01, 2005
out of the blue
and into the pool!
If you had asked me three months ago, I would never have guessed I'd miss swimming so much. But I did, and I'm also now feeling out of shape, which is ridiculous because it was only a week and change off. Monday and Tuesday's swims went fine, however. Short, but fine.
Took last night off, to wind bombs (my mom, who also weaves, taught me to call the carboard tubes that) for one of the warps I plan to put on the loom Saturday. These warps - a pair of 30-yarders for scarves - will be my first, which after weaving on and off for 28 years seems a little long in the making :)
Here's to snow (which it is doing right now)!
If you had asked me three months ago, I would never have guessed I'd miss swimming so much. But I did, and I'm also now feeling out of shape, which is ridiculous because it was only a week and change off. Monday and Tuesday's swims went fine, however. Short, but fine.
Took last night off, to wind bombs (my mom, who also weaves, taught me to call the carboard tubes that) for one of the warps I plan to put on the loom Saturday. These warps - a pair of 30-yarders for scarves - will be my first, which after weaving on and off for 28 years seems a little long in the making :)
Here's to snow (which it is doing right now)!
Friday, November 25, 2005
not a bad job of parallel parking
Of course, everyone! has already gone to the break.com link (formerly big-boys and still listed that way b/c I haven't changed it), but if you haven't lately, check out the parallel parking video. I'd be curious to know how many times it didn't work in practice...
Thursday, November 24, 2005
no corn pudding, but yummy menu
changed my mind on the corn pudding b/c ran out of energy, but all else worked just fine.
still, however, missing the pool, gol durn it.
happy t-day, y'all, such as it is.
p.s. the pumpkin pie was malformed but yummy.
still, however, missing the pool, gol durn it.
happy t-day, y'all, such as it is.
p.s. the pumpkin pie was malformed but yummy.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
on the menu
no swimming, for crying out loud. but a day off of weaving, today & tomorrow.
So, for turkey day:
roasted chicken with stuffing
mashed potatoes
Swedish meatballs
corn pudding
pumpkin pie
cranberry relish (made that ahead & still have some)
&
a helping of glum.
so it goes.
^^
--
__
not sure what that means :)
So, for turkey day:
roasted chicken with stuffing
mashed potatoes
Swedish meatballs
corn pudding
pumpkin pie
cranberry relish (made that ahead & still have some)
&
a helping of glum.
so it goes.
^^
--
__
not sure what that means :)
Monday, November 21, 2005
no swimming... no fun.
missing the pool.
which is closed for break. The Y, which seemed like an OK option, has silly hours and charges $10 per visit (or $40 per month, sign here for automatic debit...).
and weaving's not much of a workout, although I am sore.
so.
going for a run later.
d
r
a
t
which is closed for break. The Y, which seemed like an OK option, has silly hours and charges $10 per visit (or $40 per month, sign here for automatic debit...).
and weaving's not much of a workout, although I am sore.
so.
going for a run later.
d
r
a
t
Friday, November 18, 2005
yes, foiled
Curses! As I feared, a dearth of lifeguards puts the school pool out of reach for the break. But as Chase so kindly points out, the Y only charges $5 a pop; not bad for a fill-in-the-gaps scene.
note to self: if ever I am swimming in cash, I will endow a lifeguardianship at the pool so there is 24-7-365 coverage. that pays well. :)
note to self: if ever I am swimming in cash, I will endow a lifeguardianship at the pool so there is 24-7-365 coverage. that pays well. :)
foiled?
rats, pool appears to be shut for thanksgiving break, but maybe not. mostly, pool hours appear to be a secret. annoying.
I guess this means lots of swimming in the river. Fantastic!
I guess this means lots of swimming in the river. Fantastic!
Thursday, November 17, 2005
thanksgiving dinner for one, Tunisian style
How about this for a good-size sandwich. And I do mean good size, maybe pig-out size.
Roast a Cornish game hen. (About.com sez "roast the hens at 375 degrees F. for about 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a knife and a meat thermometer registers 170 degrees F.") Strip off meat.
Halve and boil a medium potato. (uh, duh. Just until tender. Then mash with 1 T butter and 2 T cream)
Make a small loaf of plain ol' bread (I think the sticky-bun bread would work, with the sugar severely reduced and some savory - thyme, sage, rosemary - added. This doesn't take long to bake, so I guess chopped celery could be added as well. The idea here is to make the bread the equivalent of stuffing.)
Make a single serving of cranberry relish. (In the blender, chop 1/4 C washed, sorted cranberries. Peel, section and cut into chunks a tangerine, clementine or mikan. Combine oranges and cranberries, add sugar to taste.)
When the bread's baked, slit it open, butter it lightly, and stuff in meat, potatoes and relish, then eat. An all-in-one meal. People will either love it or hate it, or think it is OK. :)
Roast a Cornish game hen. (About.com sez "roast the hens at 375 degrees F. for about 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a knife and a meat thermometer registers 170 degrees F.") Strip off meat.
Halve and boil a medium potato. (uh, duh. Just until tender. Then mash with 1 T butter and 2 T cream)
Make a small loaf of plain ol' bread (I think the sticky-bun bread would work, with the sugar severely reduced and some savory - thyme, sage, rosemary - added. This doesn't take long to bake, so I guess chopped celery could be added as well. The idea here is to make the bread the equivalent of stuffing.)
Make a single serving of cranberry relish. (In the blender, chop 1/4 C washed, sorted cranberries. Peel, section and cut into chunks a tangerine, clementine or mikan. Combine oranges and cranberries, add sugar to taste.)
When the bread's baked, slit it open, butter it lightly, and stuff in meat, potatoes and relish, then eat. An all-in-one meal. People will either love it or hate it, or think it is OK. :)
long swims, happy times!
Took a day off Tuesday - back at the loom - but did 2,500-plus, including 2,000 in a row, Wednesday. I think I could have gone much farther, but am highly aware of the danger. Plus, I'm a teensy bit sore today, so I'm thinking that a seriously long haul might not be totally wise.
Wondering what the pool hours will be during T-day break...
Speaking of sticky buns, by the way, here's the recipe from the Culinary Institute of America (with my amendments noted):
For the buns:
2 and 1/4 t active dry yeast (one of those little foil packets)
3/4 C warm milk (110 degrees F)
4 C bread flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose)
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C butter (a half-stick)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
egg wash (unnecessary, but an egg whisked with 2 T cream or milk)
2 cups "pan smear" (below)
1 cup "cinammon smear" (below)
(((They say use a stand mixer, I don't have one. A bowl works just fine))) Place the yeast and warm milk in the bowl of a mixer and stir to
dissolve; let stand about 5 minutes. Combine 2 and 1/2 cups of the flour
with the sugar, butter, eggs and salt. Mix on low speed using the
dough hook just until the dough comes together. Add as much of
the remaining flour to the mixture as needed so dough is no
longer sticky. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until dough
is soft, smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until
doubled in size, about 2 hours. Fold the dough gently over on
itself in three or four places. Cover and let rise until doubled,
about 1 hour. While dough rises, toast and chop the pecans, and
set aside; prepare pan smear and cinnamon smear, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare two 9-inch square baking pans
by pouring 1 cup of pan smear into each of them; sprinkle with
the toasted, chopped pecans. Roll dough into a rectangle 8-by-14
inches and about a quarter-inch thick. Dust dough and rolling pin with
flour to prevent dough from sticking. Brush a 1-inch-wide strip of
egg wash along the long side of the dough closest to you. (((Yeah, if you want a mess. I've made these twice. Without the egg wash works much better. I don't know what they were thinking))) Spread
the cinnamon smear evenly over the remaining dough. Roll the
dough to form a log, starting with the edge opposite the egg-
washed strip. Pinch the dough together to seal the seam. Slice into
12 equal pieces. (((I only got nine, but I like larger rolls, and I used a big pan and cooked them all at once.)))
Place 6 rolls in each of the prepared pans. (You can refrigerate
the rolls at this point for up to 24 hours, or freeze up to 1 month.)
Cover the rolls and let them rise until they have nearly doubled,
about 30 minutes. Brush lightly with egg wash (((whatever))).
If sticky buns have been prepared in advance, remove them
from the refrigerator and allow them to warm to room tempera
ture before baking. Bake rolls until baked through and crust is
golden brown, about 30 minutes. As soon as you remove the pans
from the oven, turn each pan over onto a plate. Lift the pan away
and cool rolls before serving.
Makes 12 sticky buns.
Nutrition information per bun: 470 cal., 9 g protein, 79 g
carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 280 mg sodium, 40 mg cholesterol, 2 g
fiber.
The "pan smear"
1 C light brown sugar
3/4 C dark corn syrup
1 C heavy cream
(Note: A candy thermometer is essential for preparation)
Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and heavy cream in a
saucepan and heat to 220 degrees F, stirring frequently to prevent
scorching. Cool to room temperature before using. (The smear
will be caramel-colored and syrupy.) Makes 2 cups.
(((I don't like corn syrup. So I supersaturated 1 C water with brown sugar and made a sort of simple syrup by heating it - no thermometer needed - then added the 1 C sugar and 1 C cream. This didn't work out all that sticky, but it was fine by me and tasted super)))
The "cinammon smear"
1/2 C bread flour
1/3 C sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 large egg whites
Mix together flour, sugar and cinnamon in the bowl of a mixer.
Add the butter. (((are you kidding? have you read the nutritional information? 470 calories? I ditched this butter))) Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium
speed for 1 minute, or until it looks like coarse meal and there are
no visible chunks of butter.
With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg whites one at a
time. Continue to mix until fully combined, scraping down the
bowl as necessary. (The smear will be a kind of granular paste.)
Makes 1 cup.
Wondering what the pool hours will be during T-day break...
Speaking of sticky buns, by the way, here's the recipe from the Culinary Institute of America (with my amendments noted):
For the buns:
2 and 1/4 t active dry yeast (one of those little foil packets)
3/4 C warm milk (110 degrees F)
4 C bread flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose)
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C butter (a half-stick)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
egg wash (unnecessary, but an egg whisked with 2 T cream or milk)
2 cups "pan smear" (below)
1 cup "cinammon smear" (below)
(((They say use a stand mixer, I don't have one. A bowl works just fine))) Place the yeast and warm milk in the bowl of a mixer and stir to
dissolve; let stand about 5 minutes. Combine 2 and 1/2 cups of the flour
with the sugar, butter, eggs and salt. Mix on low speed using the
dough hook just until the dough comes together. Add as much of
the remaining flour to the mixture as needed so dough is no
longer sticky. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until dough
is soft, smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until
doubled in size, about 2 hours. Fold the dough gently over on
itself in three or four places. Cover and let rise until doubled,
about 1 hour. While dough rises, toast and chop the pecans, and
set aside; prepare pan smear and cinnamon smear, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare two 9-inch square baking pans
by pouring 1 cup of pan smear into each of them; sprinkle with
the toasted, chopped pecans. Roll dough into a rectangle 8-by-14
inches and about a quarter-inch thick. Dust dough and rolling pin with
flour to prevent dough from sticking. Brush a 1-inch-wide strip of
egg wash along the long side of the dough closest to you. (((Yeah, if you want a mess. I've made these twice. Without the egg wash works much better. I don't know what they were thinking))) Spread
the cinnamon smear evenly over the remaining dough. Roll the
dough to form a log, starting with the edge opposite the egg-
washed strip. Pinch the dough together to seal the seam. Slice into
12 equal pieces. (((I only got nine, but I like larger rolls, and I used a big pan and cooked them all at once.)))
Place 6 rolls in each of the prepared pans. (You can refrigerate
the rolls at this point for up to 24 hours, or freeze up to 1 month.)
Cover the rolls and let them rise until they have nearly doubled,
about 30 minutes. Brush lightly with egg wash (((whatever))).
If sticky buns have been prepared in advance, remove them
from the refrigerator and allow them to warm to room tempera
ture before baking. Bake rolls until baked through and crust is
golden brown, about 30 minutes. As soon as you remove the pans
from the oven, turn each pan over onto a plate. Lift the pan away
and cool rolls before serving.
Makes 12 sticky buns.
Nutrition information per bun: 470 cal., 9 g protein, 79 g
carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 280 mg sodium, 40 mg cholesterol, 2 g
fiber.
The "pan smear"
1 C light brown sugar
3/4 C dark corn syrup
1 C heavy cream
(Note: A candy thermometer is essential for preparation)
Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and heavy cream in a
saucepan and heat to 220 degrees F, stirring frequently to prevent
scorching. Cool to room temperature before using. (The smear
will be caramel-colored and syrupy.) Makes 2 cups.
(((I don't like corn syrup. So I supersaturated 1 C water with brown sugar and made a sort of simple syrup by heating it - no thermometer needed - then added the 1 C sugar and 1 C cream. This didn't work out all that sticky, but it was fine by me and tasted super)))
The "cinammon smear"
1/2 C bread flour
1/3 C sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 large egg whites
Mix together flour, sugar and cinnamon in the bowl of a mixer.
Add the butter. (((are you kidding? have you read the nutritional information? 470 calories? I ditched this butter))) Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium
speed for 1 minute, or until it looks like coarse meal and there are
no visible chunks of butter.
With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg whites one at a
time. Continue to mix until fully combined, scraping down the
bowl as necessary. (The smear will be a kind of granular paste.)
Makes 1 cup.
Monday, November 14, 2005
long haul
Hurray! If I do say so myself.
After an easy breezy Sunday night, did a 500 and a 2,000-plus (maybe 2,100?). No big deal, really, which is weird but nice. I guess my revised goal should be two miles without a break, but the goggles start feeling annoying after about 30 laps and two miles would be, what, 75 laps or so? Had an amusing non-mathematical conversation with someone who averred that 1,650 yards is a mile. Uh, yeah, when a mile is 4,950 feet, I guess.
That would make a lot of stuff faster :)
Also on Sunday, the Sticky Bun Council held a special session, at which it authorized prodcution of very excellent treats. Still not very sticky (I'm sure that's to do with the omission of corn syrup), but now that I used a larger pan they weren't a nine-headed cinammon roll but more like what you'd expect. Very tasty!
Unfortunately, the council reconvened this afternoon and - while acknowledging the sticky buns were good - demanded the associated dirty dishes be squared away by the Sticky Bun Production Task Force. A task I am currently blowing off.
Check this out: If playing defense was really such an important part of the AL MVP puzzle, as A-Rod suggests, why did Ortiz get more votes than Manny, let alone The Impaler? Make all the jokes you want about Ramirez, but he's not bad in left and that is a challenging place to play the position. Surely his presence in the field should have tipped the scales in his favor. And Vlad? Good lord, he's no liability in the field. Yeah, he only played 140 games or so, but surely that D is key.
or.
defense is just a b.s. excuse that writers use to justify choices they couldn't justify any other way.
Yet another important debate, down the tubes :)
After an easy breezy Sunday night, did a 500 and a 2,000-plus (maybe 2,100?). No big deal, really, which is weird but nice. I guess my revised goal should be two miles without a break, but the goggles start feeling annoying after about 30 laps and two miles would be, what, 75 laps or so? Had an amusing non-mathematical conversation with someone who averred that 1,650 yards is a mile. Uh, yeah, when a mile is 4,950 feet, I guess.
That would make a lot of stuff faster :)
Also on Sunday, the Sticky Bun Council held a special session, at which it authorized prodcution of very excellent treats. Still not very sticky (I'm sure that's to do with the omission of corn syrup), but now that I used a larger pan they weren't a nine-headed cinammon roll but more like what you'd expect. Very tasty!
Unfortunately, the council reconvened this afternoon and - while acknowledging the sticky buns were good - demanded the associated dirty dishes be squared away by the Sticky Bun Production Task Force. A task I am currently blowing off.
Check this out: If playing defense was really such an important part of the AL MVP puzzle, as A-Rod suggests, why did Ortiz get more votes than Manny, let alone The Impaler? Make all the jokes you want about Ramirez, but he's not bad in left and that is a challenging place to play the position. Surely his presence in the field should have tipped the scales in his favor. And Vlad? Good lord, he's no liability in the field. Yeah, he only played 140 games or so, but surely that D is key.
or.
defense is just a b.s. excuse that writers use to justify choices they couldn't justify any other way.
Yet another important debate, down the tubes :)
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Sp - but not chicken noodle
In the south, they say, y'all. They leave out the o and the u.
Because of this, I was forced to make soup tonight. Clam chowder, to be more revealing, and as usual it is lovely sp.
Also, put in about 1,900 or 2,000 yards - 550, 1,300-1,400, about 300 of kickboard and the usual warm-down fun.
On a side note (another potential name for this blog - side note), I downloaded Black Jack Davey from iTunes. In the commission of this crime, I also found some interesting places to go:
http://www.missouristate.edu/folksong/maxhunter/
this is an MSU sub-site, which has tons of fleeping awesome downloads (and the usual crowd of not-so-awe-sum ones), incl. at least two good Black Jack Daveys. I recommend Mr. Wise Jones and Sara Jo Bell among the group. What MSU says about the collection:
The Max Hunter Collection is an archive of almost 1600 Ozark Mountain folk songs, recorded between 1956 and 1976. A traveling salesman from Springfield, Missouri, Hunter took his reel-to-reel tape recorder into the hills and backwoods of the Ozarks, preserving the heritage of the region by recording the songs and stories of many generations of Ozark history. As important as the songs themselves are the voices of the Missouri and Arkansas folks who shared their talents and recollections with Hunter. Designed to give increased public access to this unique and invaluable resource, this site is a joint project of the Missouri State University Department of Music and the Springfield-Greene County Library in Springfield, Missouri, where the permanent collection is housed.
So I guess Sprang-field isn't just a place to hit the Bass Pro. Although that is a nice place to go. Plus, there's a lady who makes truly fantastic apple crisp there.
What else have I learned? Uh, check back later.
Because of this, I was forced to make soup tonight. Clam chowder, to be more revealing, and as usual it is lovely sp.
Also, put in about 1,900 or 2,000 yards - 550, 1,300-1,400, about 300 of kickboard and the usual warm-down fun.
On a side note (another potential name for this blog - side note), I downloaded Black Jack Davey from iTunes. In the commission of this crime, I also found some interesting places to go:
http://www.missouristate.edu/folksong/maxhunter/
this is an MSU sub-site, which has tons of fleeping awesome downloads (and the usual crowd of not-so-awe-sum ones), incl. at least two good Black Jack Daveys. I recommend Mr. Wise Jones and Sara Jo Bell among the group. What MSU says about the collection:
The Max Hunter Collection is an archive of almost 1600 Ozark Mountain folk songs, recorded between 1956 and 1976. A traveling salesman from Springfield, Missouri, Hunter took his reel-to-reel tape recorder into the hills and backwoods of the Ozarks, preserving the heritage of the region by recording the songs and stories of many generations of Ozark history. As important as the songs themselves are the voices of the Missouri and Arkansas folks who shared their talents and recollections with Hunter. Designed to give increased public access to this unique and invaluable resource, this site is a joint project of the Missouri State University Department of Music and the Springfield-Greene County Library in Springfield, Missouri, where the permanent collection is housed.
So I guess Sprang-field isn't just a place to hit the Bass Pro. Although that is a nice place to go. Plus, there's a lady who makes truly fantastic apple crisp there.
What else have I learned? Uh, check back later.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
on foot
second run this week, another two-miler (or so; it felt short) at l o w speed. whatever. But no pain at all, so that's a very, very big plus.
Hmmmm, however. I think I might like swimming a bit more, esp. now that it is cold out. Let's see, 80-degree pool or 27 degrees and a breeze in your face? Gee.
OK, it isn't that simple.
all in all, a good day.
Oh, and baked a batch of sticky buns. The b.s. recipe was like, "hey, these are handy because you can make them ahead and throw the unbaked buns in the fridge or freezer. How handy! Then you only need to take them out until they reach room temperature (2 hours?) before baking them. Who wants to get up with me at 04:30 to move buns from fridges to counters?
the buns are, however, delish. And only 470 calories each! So, I had a scrap from the corner of one. I think that total assumed the use of high fructose corn syrup in part of the recipe, but I ditched it in favor of homemade syrup. hfcs is gross. Oh, I left out some gratuitous butter, too. I mean, it's in the dough, does it really need to be in the cinammon frosting that goes inside, too? Maybe I could have some butter in my glass of water, too!
Hmmmm, however. I think I might like swimming a bit more, esp. now that it is cold out. Let's see, 80-degree pool or 27 degrees and a breeze in your face? Gee.
OK, it isn't that simple.
all in all, a good day.
Oh, and baked a batch of sticky buns. The b.s. recipe was like, "hey, these are handy because you can make them ahead and throw the unbaked buns in the fridge or freezer. How handy! Then you only need to take them out until they reach room temperature (2 hours?) before baking them. Who wants to get up with me at 04:30 to move buns from fridges to counters?
the buns are, however, delish. And only 470 calories each! So, I had a scrap from the corner of one. I think that total assumed the use of high fructose corn syrup in part of the recipe, but I ditched it in favor of homemade syrup. hfcs is gross. Oh, I left out some gratuitous butter, too. I mean, it's in the dough, does it really need to be in the cinammon frosting that goes inside, too? Maybe I could have some butter in my glass of water, too!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Election Day, long swims & such
Well, so much has happened! OK, not soooo much.
But:
An interesting Election Day unfolded; the forces of anti-development took a hit in the Port of Walla Walla commission race, the gas tax rollback appears doomed, the indoor smoking ban passed, as did Eyman's performance audit brainchild.
Something for everyone, I think.
My faves: Both of the heavily campaigned initiatives aimed at protecting the rich from the poor failed. Talk about a failure to communicate: I still can't tell you what the point of either initiative really is.
I think that if you spend millions of dollars on advertising for your "citizen" initiatives and you can't get out a message more involved than "uh, huge awards for non-economic damages are bad!" or "bad doctors are bad!" you pretty much get what you deserve when your special-interest initiative fails. I guess doctors and lawyers don't have anything better to spend their money on than contributing to my paycheck :)
Also, sandwiched a 2,300-yard (including 1,800 straight) workout Monday between a couple of lightweight days. So I guess that accomplishes my early goal of a mile without a break. Must devise new goals...
Also also, got pointed at this: www.bricktestament.com. A bit creepy, a bit silly, plenty fun...
But:
An interesting Election Day unfolded; the forces of anti-development took a hit in the Port of Walla Walla commission race, the gas tax rollback appears doomed, the indoor smoking ban passed, as did Eyman's performance audit brainchild.
Something for everyone, I think.
My faves: Both of the heavily campaigned initiatives aimed at protecting the rich from the poor failed. Talk about a failure to communicate: I still can't tell you what the point of either initiative really is.
I think that if you spend millions of dollars on advertising for your "citizen" initiatives and you can't get out a message more involved than "uh, huge awards for non-economic damages are bad!" or "bad doctors are bad!" you pretty much get what you deserve when your special-interest initiative fails. I guess doctors and lawyers don't have anything better to spend their money on than contributing to my paycheck :)
Also, sandwiched a 2,300-yard (including 1,800 straight) workout Monday between a couple of lightweight days. So I guess that accomplishes my early goal of a mile without a break. Must devise new goals...
Also also, got pointed at this: www.bricktestament.com. A bit creepy, a bit silly, plenty fun...
Thursday, November 03, 2005
just gliding along
Well, easier days (1,000 on Tuesday) make harder ones (2,100-plus on Wednesday) easier, I think.
And I finally figured out why reaching with the lead arm is good: It makes the trailing arm work harder. Which also makes the swimming speedier. Yay!
Also, had a chance to plot Tunisian for 20; we'll see how that turns out. On the menu: couscous with seven vegetables (the ordinary variety with chicken and a vegetarian version, too); bread & harissa, hummus (OK, not sure that's really Tunisian, but definitely tasty and I had to make chickpeas anyway) and I guess "Tunisian stew," an excellent beef, honey and almond dish that doesn't smack of tradition but sure schmeckt gut.
Who knows? Maybe it is a specialty of Carthage or some other cosmopolitan suburb. Whatever. I'm sure it will all be lovely!
And I finally figured out why reaching with the lead arm is good: It makes the trailing arm work harder. Which also makes the swimming speedier. Yay!
Also, had a chance to plot Tunisian for 20; we'll see how that turns out. On the menu: couscous with seven vegetables (the ordinary variety with chicken and a vegetarian version, too); bread & harissa, hummus (OK, not sure that's really Tunisian, but definitely tasty and I had to make chickpeas anyway) and I guess "Tunisian stew," an excellent beef, honey and almond dish that doesn't smack of tradition but sure schmeckt gut.
Who knows? Maybe it is a specialty of Carthage or some other cosmopolitan suburb. Whatever. I'm sure it will all be lovely!
Monday, October 31, 2005
the sunny side, part II
plus, Happy Halloween! The trick-or-treaters are not out in force on our busy street. They all seem to be downtown. Oh, I remember the days...
Yeah, so anyway, good swim but rainy outside, so I'm thinking no on the jog through the grass bit. I guess that's a plus to a pool - always damp.
This will blow my cover, but here's a funny page:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mitch_Hedberg
Yeah, so anyway, good swim but rainy outside, so I'm thinking no on the jog through the grass bit. I guess that's a plus to a pool - always damp.
This will blow my cover, but here's a funny page:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mitch_Hedberg
the sunny side
Took Sunday off... not just because of good advice to take it easy but more on account of the pool being closed (mechanical problems. rats. Not rats in the pool. Rats, the pool was closed.).
Made up for the closure with dog walking and baking molasses/ginger gorilla cookies. Tasty!
Made up for the closure with dog walking and baking molasses/ginger gorilla cookies. Tasty!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
slow - ugh
Must be getting sick or something - swam 2,000 yards Sun & Mon but decreased over the week to 1,000 on Fri. harumph, I say.
But I feel better today so I'm going to give a good workout a whirl. And try to run Monday or so, too. :)
But I feel better today so I'm going to give a good workout a whirl. And try to run Monday or so, too. :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
side benefit to swimming
which started Sept. 6 with, what, a whopping 400 or 450 yards? (in 25-yard increments, so as to avoid drowning): Minus 20 pounds (or is it 18), plus some cardio conditioning.
I guess I also need to credit Clif bars, which have made the assault on the scales much more palatable/possible. I especially like the peanut toffee buzz species.
So, lighter and maybe mended, I must soon see if land activity can resume.
I guess I also need to credit Clif bars, which have made the assault on the scales much more palatable/possible. I especially like the peanut toffee buzz species.
So, lighter and maybe mended, I must soon see if land activity can resume.
feeling fishy
I wonder if it is normal to ditch the original plan for a blog. ugh, too lazy to get a new name. Besides, this is a much stealthier way to post my fantastic accomplishments!
Hmmm, now doing about 2,000 yards a day, usually as a 500, 1000, 500, but last night warmed up with a 750 or 800 (MUST learn to count more accurately), then did a 1,000 and was tired. Also, needed more than 30 seconds to swim a length underwater. So, not so speedy :)
Hmmm, now doing about 2,000 yards a day, usually as a 500, 1000, 500, but last night warmed up with a 750 or 800 (MUST learn to count more accurately), then did a 1,000 and was tired. Also, needed more than 30 seconds to swim a length underwater. So, not so speedy :)
Sunday, October 16, 2005
improvement
Swam Friday & Saturday, to make up for the pool-closed nonsense on Columbus Day, and made progress on not-so-awful flip turns. Saturday being better in that respect than Friday, thanks to tips from an alert viewer. :)
So, I guess this should have been swimww instead, but maybe I'll get some decent road work in some time, too.
So, I guess this should have been swimww instead, but maybe I'll get some decent road work in some time, too.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
more swimming
Four days off turns out to suck. Couldn't flip turn properly more than, oh, twice. At the shallow end I kept flopping over sideways and getting disoriented. It probably is a sign something is awry when you "turn" and see people in other lanes in front of you. Very weird & disconcerting.
But a very nice dude in the next lane said howdy while I was in the depths of despair about the workout, which helped take my mind off the turns. Never had this problem on foot.
Which makes me think I should rename this the swimming log. Alas.
But a very nice dude in the next lane said howdy while I was in the depths of despair about the workout, which helped take my mind off the turns. Never had this problem on foot.
Which makes me think I should rename this the swimming log. Alas.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
not quite a hike
Sooo, thought I'd start running again about two months ago. So as to see more of WW on any given hike (yeah, right). But that lasted about, oh, a couple of weeks until the inevitable haven't-run-five-miles-a-day-in-years ligament strain. Ugh.
This time, unlike previous bouts with tendinitis and that sort of crapola, I hit the pool with a vengeance - 400-450 yards on Day 1 (Sept. 6) in 25-yard increments up to 1200 yards in 150- to 250-yard increments. Much better.
Should've been a swimmer?
Hmmm.
However: Pool's closed for Columbus Day and even the Y is closed, too. Give me a break. Must try swimming in the new bird-bath fountain at Whitman :)
This time, unlike previous bouts with tendinitis and that sort of crapola, I hit the pool with a vengeance - 400-450 yards on Day 1 (Sept. 6) in 25-yard increments up to 1200 yards in 150- to 250-yard increments. Much better.
Should've been a swimmer?
Hmmm.
However: Pool's closed for Columbus Day and even the Y is closed, too. Give me a break. Must try swimming in the new bird-bath fountain at Whitman :)
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Cool Hikes Around Walla Walla
Cool Hikes Around Walla Walla
Still too hot to do much but fry eggs on the sidewalk and such. Dog's idea of a good hike, recently anyway, has been to sniff around for fallen plums in the back yard. Delish, I am sure.
Still too hot to do much but fry eggs on the sidewalk and such. Dog's idea of a good hike, recently anyway, has been to sniff around for fallen plums in the back yard. Delish, I am sure.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Same Time Last Year
This time last year I was in California visiting my big sister. I just came across this picture of us getting ready to go to watch the Mercedes Cup Tennis Tournament at UCLA.
Betcha Didn't Know About....
Having recently returned to Walla Walla after living in New Hampshire for five years I was excited to visit my old haunts. My wife and I attended Whitman so we spent quite a while here before.
Recently it has been to hot to really go on any long hikes but in the evening my dog Max and I have been taking some really interesting urban strolls.
He and I were surprised to come across a peacock on one of these adventures.
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