Below is a selection of short clips of the fire/smoke that I took at the same time as the photos from the previous post.
Sorry for the shakiness of the camera and the relatively grainy quality of the images. Unfortunately the sun made it a little hard to see exactly what it was I was doing as I was filming.
[Embedded Video]
Thursday, April 30, 2009
More on the Halifax Fire
After making the last post I decided to head to Point Pleasant Park to see if I could get a better sense of exactly where the fire CBC was reporting on was, and how large it was.
Almost as soon as I started upon my trip I was able to see that the fire was certainly pumping out a fair bit of smoke. Actually, given what I know now what I thought were clouds were actually likely smoke from the fire. As you could likely figured out on your own, all of the dark stuff behind the grocery store is smoke.
As I continued towards the park the smoke from the fire continued to be visible, and that the source was across from the park became clearer. From the Young Avenue railroad bridge the smoke is visible.
Obviously once I was in the park and on the trails I had an even better view of the source of the smoke.
As I was approaching the beach I happened to run into two friends who had been on the beach watching the progression of things. They suggested that where I was planning on heading was a great place to get a sense of things. They were hoping that I might be able to provide them with a little more information on the source of the fire. Unfortunately, I didn't really have much more information than they did, though I had heard that at least a few houses had been lost.
As soon as I made it to the beach it was clear that there seemed to be at least two fires. One of the fires was directly across the water from the park. This fire appeared to be behind the a ridge, so the flames were not visible.
A second, larger, fire appeared to be further south. Again, this fire also appeared to be behind a ridge.
I spent a few minutes on the beach watching the progression of things. One of the most noticeable thing was that there appeared to be a number of planes and helicopters flying around. Some of these were clearly being used as water bombers, others I presume were surveying the fire (and I suspect some may have been removing people given that they kept going up an down).
By the time I left it seemed that the fire directly across from me had either been controlled, or had started to burn itself out as there was much less smoke than when I arrived.
The second, larger, fire seemed to still be pumping out a fair bit of smoke and was receiving the most attention from the helicopters.
All in all, this is quite the fire and disaster. I really hope that they were able to evacuate everyone in time.
I thought I should also point out that when I was in Point Pleasant Park earlier this afternoon this is what the view looked like.
Almost as soon as I started upon my trip I was able to see that the fire was certainly pumping out a fair bit of smoke. Actually, given what I know now what I thought were clouds were actually likely smoke from the fire. As you could likely figured out on your own, all of the dark stuff behind the grocery store is smoke.
As I continued towards the park the smoke from the fire continued to be visible, and that the source was across from the park became clearer. From the Young Avenue railroad bridge the smoke is visible.
Obviously once I was in the park and on the trails I had an even better view of the source of the smoke.
As I was approaching the beach I happened to run into two friends who had been on the beach watching the progression of things. They suggested that where I was planning on heading was a great place to get a sense of things. They were hoping that I might be able to provide them with a little more information on the source of the fire. Unfortunately, I didn't really have much more information than they did, though I had heard that at least a few houses had been lost.
As soon as I made it to the beach it was clear that there seemed to be at least two fires. One of the fires was directly across the water from the park. This fire appeared to be behind the a ridge, so the flames were not visible.
A second, larger, fire appeared to be further south. Again, this fire also appeared to be behind a ridge.
I spent a few minutes on the beach watching the progression of things. One of the most noticeable thing was that there appeared to be a number of planes and helicopters flying around. Some of these were clearly being used as water bombers, others I presume were surveying the fire (and I suspect some may have been removing people given that they kept going up an down).
By the time I left it seemed that the fire directly across from me had either been controlled, or had started to burn itself out as there was much less smoke than when I arrived.
The second, larger, fire seemed to still be pumping out a fair bit of smoke and was receiving the most attention from the helicopters.
All in all, this is quite the fire and disaster. I really hope that they were able to evacuate everyone in time.
I thought I should also point out that when I was in Point Pleasant Park earlier this afternoon this is what the view looked like.
Halifax Fire
It seems that there is a massive forest fire in the Halifax region (Spryfield/Herring Cove), CBC Radio One is providing pretty extensive live coverage.
Unfortunately it seems that at least a few houses have been lost already.
Edit: I just heard one of my classmates interviewed on the subject.
Unfortunately it seems that at least a few houses have been lost already.
Edit: I just heard one of my classmates interviewed on the subject.
More bad news on the Swine Flu front
It seems that CBC is now reporting that another 4 cases of Swine Flu have been confirmed in Nova Scotia. Not surprisingly it seems that these are related to the original four cases.
I was just beginning to think that maybe Nova Scotia would luck out and the outbreak would be limited to the original four cases, but I guess this was not to be. Hopefully the early knowledge and subsequent precautions will allow this second outbreak to be contained. Now that I think about it, I don't really know when it is that people with Swine Flu are contagious.
On a related note, Mary (through somewhat passive means) brought my attention to this map, which seems to show reported instances of Swine Flu. If I get around to it later today it would be neat to find an equivalent map from the WHO, or a similar body.
I was just beginning to think that maybe Nova Scotia would luck out and the outbreak would be limited to the original four cases, but I guess this was not to be. Hopefully the early knowledge and subsequent precautions will allow this second outbreak to be contained. Now that I think about it, I don't really know when it is that people with Swine Flu are contagious.
On a related note, Mary (through somewhat passive means) brought my attention to this map, which seems to show reported instances of Swine Flu. If I get around to it later today it would be neat to find an equivalent map from the WHO, or a similar body.
Beans, where are you?
For some reason while reading the Globe and Mail this morning I happened to read the Review and Sports section a little more thoroughly than usual and came upon an article by Russell Smith (whose work I tend to like) about a relatively new blog called Look At That Fucking Hipster. The site consists of photos of hipsters that have been given humorous captions, many of which I found incredibly funny (but maybe that is because of my time in Montreal).
On a related note, a few days ago I was talking with a friend about the recent influx of hipsters in Halifax. It seems that between October 2008 and now the number of students who I might classify as hipsters has really grown. When I was here in 2008, while I still lived in Montreal, one of the things that I found quite appealing about the place was the more limited hipster population. Unfortunately by the time I made it out here Halifax seemed to have caught up with Montreal, or at least come close in some regards (they still don't have as many hipster bars or events). I am kind of curious to see what the return of the student population in September will bring with it.
On a related note, a few days ago I was talking with a friend about the recent influx of hipsters in Halifax. It seems that between October 2008 and now the number of students who I might classify as hipsters has really grown. When I was here in 2008, while I still lived in Montreal, one of the things that I found quite appealing about the place was the more limited hipster population. Unfortunately by the time I made it out here Halifax seemed to have caught up with Montreal, or at least come close in some regards (they still don't have as many hipster bars or events). I am kind of curious to see what the return of the student population in September will bring with it.
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 309
-Though occasionally overcast, today was a generally nice day. As far as I can tell, it was generally warmer than predicted. Apparently tomorrow is to be the first very warm day of the year, with temperatures that are expected to go as high as 26. If this is the case, it could be a little warm for my liking.
-I am now 2/22 on this year's Roll Up the Rim to Win contest. As supplies of cups are running out or have run out, I don't imagine that I will manage to really improve my rather dismal record at this point. I guess I need to re-group and come at things strong next year.
-Just moments ago I woke up from a nap. Originally the nap was supposed to be 45 minutes at most, it turned out to have run 1 hour and 15 minutes. As I ended up setting my alarm incorrectly I guess I am luck that I ended up only sleeping for an extra 30 minutes and not several hours.
-If my most recent 'stache was any indication, it seems that temporary tattoos may last longer than mustaches.
While I was out walking last night I realized that I had a conference to attend today which. Though it may have been unnecessary, I thought it would be best if I shaved before attending this morning's opening session.
-The conference, which is on the European Union and is my first full-fledged academic conference, is quite informative. Unfortunately, I was relatively tired for most of the day (the 9:00 AM starts really hit me hard). There are a number of sessions tomorrow that should be quite good.
-It seems that the swine flu problem in Nova Scotia has only gotten worse since it was first reported yesterday. CBC is now reporting that it seems that the disease has likely spread beyond the original four cases, which should not be all that surprising considering that it is contagious. As you might have expected, this news hasn't really comforted me.
-I am now 2/22 on this year's Roll Up the Rim to Win contest. As supplies of cups are running out or have run out, I don't imagine that I will manage to really improve my rather dismal record at this point. I guess I need to re-group and come at things strong next year.
-Just moments ago I woke up from a nap. Originally the nap was supposed to be 45 minutes at most, it turned out to have run 1 hour and 15 minutes. As I ended up setting my alarm incorrectly I guess I am luck that I ended up only sleeping for an extra 30 minutes and not several hours.
-If my most recent 'stache was any indication, it seems that temporary tattoos may last longer than mustaches.
While I was out walking last night I realized that I had a conference to attend today which. Though it may have been unnecessary, I thought it would be best if I shaved before attending this morning's opening session.
-The conference, which is on the European Union and is my first full-fledged academic conference, is quite informative. Unfortunately, I was relatively tired for most of the day (the 9:00 AM starts really hit me hard). There are a number of sessions tomorrow that should be quite good.
-It seems that the swine flu problem in Nova Scotia has only gotten worse since it was first reported yesterday. CBC is now reporting that it seems that the disease has likely spread beyond the original four cases, which should not be all that surprising considering that it is contagious. As you might have expected, this news hasn't really comforted me.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
What is life without the appropriate facial hair?
I wonder which tend to last longer, my moustaches or temporary tattoos?
Bad news on the swine flu front
CBC is reporting that there are at least 4 cases of Swine Flu in Nova Scotia. This is definitely not good news.
Hopefully this really isn't as bad as we are being lead to believe it is, though the fact that 4 students from Nova Scotia, and others from other parts of North America can pick it up on school trips is not a good sign. The other thing that I find a little discomforting is that being on the young side (teens to twenties) does not seem to be of any particular advantage.
Anyway, I guess we will have to pay attention to the news and see how this develops in the coming days.
Hopefully this really isn't as bad as we are being lead to believe it is, though the fact that 4 students from Nova Scotia, and others from other parts of North America can pick it up on school trips is not a good sign. The other thing that I find a little discomforting is that being on the young side (teens to twenties) does not seem to be of any particular advantage.
Anyway, I guess we will have to pay attention to the news and see how this develops in the coming days.
New growth and more
I guess I have been a little distracted these past few days so I haven't had a chance to document the continuing growth of some of my plants.
Not surprisingly, given that we are in the midst of spring, most of the plants are continuing to grow quite nicely.
Unfortunately, it seems that one of the bean plants (the plants to the right of the photo) seems to be approaching death. This surprises me as it seemed to be doing quite well these past few weeks. Maybe it has just reached the end of its life-cycle.
The scarlet runner beans seem to have really come into their own in the past few days. Not only are the original shoots growing more quickly than they have since they were planted, but some of the plants have sprouted new shoots that are also growing quite quickly. Interestingly, I still see now signs of flowers.
A few scarlet runner beans that I planted in the living room a few days ago had to be removed today. It seems that the spider mite problem that I had a few weeks ago is still present. The spider mites moved onto these plants quite quickly and were able to inflict damage just as quickly. Hopefully I will be able to find a way to control this problem in the very near future. I guess I might have to move up to a more potent pesticide and maybe disassemble and was the shelving unit.
Not surprisingly, given that we are in the midst of spring, most of the plants are continuing to grow quite nicely.
Unfortunately, it seems that one of the bean plants (the plants to the right of the photo) seems to be approaching death. This surprises me as it seemed to be doing quite well these past few weeks. Maybe it has just reached the end of its life-cycle.
The scarlet runner beans seem to have really come into their own in the past few days. Not only are the original shoots growing more quickly than they have since they were planted, but some of the plants have sprouted new shoots that are also growing quite quickly. Interestingly, I still see now signs of flowers.
A few scarlet runner beans that I planted in the living room a few days ago had to be removed today. It seems that the spider mite problem that I had a few weeks ago is still present. The spider mites moved onto these plants quite quickly and were able to inflict damage just as quickly. Hopefully I will be able to find a way to control this problem in the very near future. I guess I might have to move up to a more potent pesticide and maybe disassemble and was the shelving unit.
A Few Quick Notes 308
-Today has been pretty nice so far, though at various time during the day the forecast was calling for rain. At the moment, it is supposed to be overcast, though the sky seems pretty clear and blue to me. I guess this is what you get if the weather station is at the airport (which is out of town) and you live downtown. Anyway, I guess I shouldn't really be complaining.
-For the most part yesterday was beautiful, which made the thunder, lightening, and rain that appeared suddenly last night all the more surprising. At first Neil and I weren't sure if the flash was saw was a large camera flash, or lightening. The thunder clap several seconds later confirmed our suspicion that it was lightening. A few minutes later we had a little rain.
-Yesterday Neil and I helped a friend of mine move from our neighbourhood to the north end. Aside from the fact that the apartment we were moving out of was on the third floor of a building without elevators, and that the apartment we were moving into was on the second floor of a house, the move was relatively smooth and painless. Unlike other friends I have helped move, this couple had basically everything ready to go when Neil and I showed up. All we had to do was move the large items from the apartment to the truck, and then from the truck to the apartment.
When we had finished unloading the truck and were ready to return it we found that it would not start, even with the assistance of jumper cables and another truck's battery. The upside of this was that the rental company sent a tow-truck and eventually ended up towing the truck. Not only did this save everyone on our side of things a fair bit of time, they should also have a significantly lower rental bill (if they even have a rental bill).
-I decided to make another batch of bread today. At the moment it is in the fridge rising. I need things to slow down so that I won't need to bake it until after dinner.
-We will be having pot roast (beef) for dinner tonight. It turns out that the cut of meat that I bought yesterday is much bigger than I thought it was, which is great
-For the most part yesterday was beautiful, which made the thunder, lightening, and rain that appeared suddenly last night all the more surprising. At first Neil and I weren't sure if the flash was saw was a large camera flash, or lightening. The thunder clap several seconds later confirmed our suspicion that it was lightening. A few minutes later we had a little rain.
-Yesterday Neil and I helped a friend of mine move from our neighbourhood to the north end. Aside from the fact that the apartment we were moving out of was on the third floor of a building without elevators, and that the apartment we were moving into was on the second floor of a house, the move was relatively smooth and painless. Unlike other friends I have helped move, this couple had basically everything ready to go when Neil and I showed up. All we had to do was move the large items from the apartment to the truck, and then from the truck to the apartment.
When we had finished unloading the truck and were ready to return it we found that it would not start, even with the assistance of jumper cables and another truck's battery. The upside of this was that the rental company sent a tow-truck and eventually ended up towing the truck. Not only did this save everyone on our side of things a fair bit of time, they should also have a significantly lower rental bill (if they even have a rental bill).
-I decided to make another batch of bread today. At the moment it is in the fridge rising. I need things to slow down so that I won't need to bake it until after dinner.
-We will be having pot roast (beef) for dinner tonight. It turns out that the cut of meat that I bought yesterday is much bigger than I thought it was, which is great
Friday, April 24, 2009
A exciting assortment of purchases
For the past few days Neil, Rebecca, and I have been planning on taking a trip on the ferry over to Dartmouth to take advantage of the last few days of our transit passes and also to hit up a Dollarama. I am pretty sure that our trip was a great success, as we were able to also make quick stops at a library used book sale as well as a local game shop.
Actually, our purchasing started with the chain coffee shop in the ferry terminal. As is my practice, I went for an extra large black coffee. I was a little surprised that Neil and Rebecca joined me in making purchases, though they stuck with cold beverages.
Once in the ferry terminal in Dartmouth we learned that he local public library was having a used book sale. The upside of the book sale was that it gave me an excuse to head into a Halifax Public Library. Aside from the Dewey, I was pretty pleased with what I saw. The Alderney Gate branch looked like quite a pleasant, well-stocked library. If I lived in the area I am sure that I would visit it with some regularity.
Anyway, the downside of the book sale is that we had about an hour to kill before it started (it will also be going on tomorrow and Sunday for those of you in the area). We decided to head up to the local game store, where Neil picked up a copy of the Settlers of Catan Card Game Expansion Set. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but Neil and Rebecca seem to be enjoying at the moment. Hopefully I will get a chance to play it in the coming days.
We eventually made our way back to the library and saw that quite a line had developed for the book sale. Instead of standing in the line Neil decided to head to the lotto shack and trade in his winnings from his Easter scratch 'n' sniff for an Uno themed scratch 'n' sniff. Rebecca and I watched Neil as he scratched his way to victory. Unfortunately, his prize was only $3. Fortunately, he was next to a lotto shack so he was able to cash the card and re-invest the winnings in a new card. As he was completing this transaction Rebecca and I joined the book sale line. Soon after joining the line Neil started scratching his new card. Before we entered the sale it became apparent that Neil was also going to win on this card, and that it would be more than $3.
Once we eventually made our way into the book sale we each picked up a few books. In general our browsing and enjoyment was somewhat diminished by our general inability to make our way around the display tables. Somehow we ended up selecting a total of 10 books, which came to $8. I am particularly hopeful that my book on house plants will be of some use.
After the book sale we finally made our way to the Dollarama. Once we arrived we learned that Dollarma has change its pricing scheme and that some items are now more than $1. While this was a bit of a disappointment, it didn't stop us from shopping.
One of our goals was to pick up a few containers in which we could store beans. Neil and I selected three matching glass containers for the job. So far I am pretty pleased with our picks.
We also wanted a few containers for our couscous and cornmeal. I hope our purchases for this purpose be successful, I have every reason to believe that they will be.
Another shopping goal of mine was to pick up a few new pots for plants. In the end I ended up buy seven pots. The three smallest pots were 3/$1, which seemed like a good price to me.
All of us felt pretty satisfied after our rather exciting day of shopping. Hopefully, aside from groceries and toiletries, we won't need to do all that much shopping in the coming weeks, though such plans typically seem to fall apart.
Actually, our purchasing started with the chain coffee shop in the ferry terminal. As is my practice, I went for an extra large black coffee. I was a little surprised that Neil and Rebecca joined me in making purchases, though they stuck with cold beverages.
Once in the ferry terminal in Dartmouth we learned that he local public library was having a used book sale. The upside of the book sale was that it gave me an excuse to head into a Halifax Public Library. Aside from the Dewey, I was pretty pleased with what I saw. The Alderney Gate branch looked like quite a pleasant, well-stocked library. If I lived in the area I am sure that I would visit it with some regularity.
Anyway, the downside of the book sale is that we had about an hour to kill before it started (it will also be going on tomorrow and Sunday for those of you in the area). We decided to head up to the local game store, where Neil picked up a copy of the Settlers of Catan Card Game Expansion Set. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but Neil and Rebecca seem to be enjoying at the moment. Hopefully I will get a chance to play it in the coming days.
We eventually made our way back to the library and saw that quite a line had developed for the book sale. Instead of standing in the line Neil decided to head to the lotto shack and trade in his winnings from his Easter scratch 'n' sniff for an Uno themed scratch 'n' sniff. Rebecca and I watched Neil as he scratched his way to victory. Unfortunately, his prize was only $3. Fortunately, he was next to a lotto shack so he was able to cash the card and re-invest the winnings in a new card. As he was completing this transaction Rebecca and I joined the book sale line. Soon after joining the line Neil started scratching his new card. Before we entered the sale it became apparent that Neil was also going to win on this card, and that it would be more than $3.
Once we eventually made our way into the book sale we each picked up a few books. In general our browsing and enjoyment was somewhat diminished by our general inability to make our way around the display tables. Somehow we ended up selecting a total of 10 books, which came to $8. I am particularly hopeful that my book on house plants will be of some use.
After the book sale we finally made our way to the Dollarama. Once we arrived we learned that Dollarma has change its pricing scheme and that some items are now more than $1. While this was a bit of a disappointment, it didn't stop us from shopping.
One of our goals was to pick up a few containers in which we could store beans. Neil and I selected three matching glass containers for the job. So far I am pretty pleased with our picks.
We also wanted a few containers for our couscous and cornmeal. I hope our purchases for this purpose be successful, I have every reason to believe that they will be.
Another shopping goal of mine was to pick up a few new pots for plants. In the end I ended up buy seven pots. The three smallest pots were 3/$1, which seemed like a good price to me.
All of us felt pretty satisfied after our rather exciting day of shopping. Hopefully, aside from groceries and toiletries, we won't need to do all that much shopping in the coming weeks, though such plans typically seem to fall apart.
I sure hope this boat doesn't sink
Earlier today Neil, Rebecca, and I took the ferry over to Dartmouth. While on the ferry we noticed a sign that none of us knew how to properly interpret. People within people, surrounded by people, and running people in arrows didn't immediately scream anything in particular to any of us. The only clue that it had anything to do with safety is that it was near the life boat structure. Hopefully the boat doesn't go down and force people to try to interpret the sign in an emergency.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 307
-Eventually today turned into a pretty nice day. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to spend quite as much time outdoors as I would have liked, and when I was outside things were a little less than perfect. Hopefully it will be even nicer tomorrow and I will have an opportunity to head outside (maybe even to Point Pleasant Park).
-Neil and I attended the Halifax Comedy Festival event International House of Comedy last night in the Schooner Showroom at Casino Nova Scotia. Our main justification for going was to see Dave Shumka of the podcast Stop Podcasting Yourself. I was also quite interested in seeing John Wing and Reggie Watts. A number of other comedians were performing along side these three (Natalie Gray was another of those that we saw last night).
Neil and I were particularly impressed with Mr. Shumka, and generally the first half of the show. I am not sure if it was because I was tired or if the performers in the second half of the show generally weren't as good, but I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as the first half. I guess the good thing is that I have learned that I don't quite have the stamina for ten performers in a row (or maybe I was just tired).
-Moments ago I returned from the grocery store. My main justification for the trip was to pick up some chicken that was on sale. I quickly learned that they were out of the particular item that I was looking for. Given that the sale had been on all week and the store was to close in less than half an hour I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Maybe I will eventually learn not to leave things until the last minute, though I think that this is doubtful.
-We had more beans for dinner tonight, this time we went for white kidney beans. I was particularly pleased with this batch. I think that adding a half pound of bacon to the mix really helped things along.
The more we have beans the more Neil and I are of the opinion that we really don't have much reason to stray from black beans. I guess once we get through the 6 or 7 pounds of other types of beans we can stick to purchasing black beans (though I don't think that I would mind white kidney beans once in a while). I also think that we might consider trying navy beans again, for some reason I imagine them to be somewhat similar in texture and flavour to black beans (though I don't know why I might think this).
-A few days ago my sister's school, Brother Rice Junior High, was set on fire by a local arsonist. Though the damage wasn't catastrophic, it was enough to close the school for a month. Obviously they had to come up with a plan for students for the next month.
Just today the plan for the displaced students was announced. It seems that these students will be sent to another school for the coming month. The catch is that the Brother Rice students will be doing the afternoon/evening shift while the original students get the morning shift. This is going to be quite a bummer for everyone involved. I imagine that most of the Brother Rice students will be quite glad to get back to their old school as quickly as possible.
I guess what I find funny about all of this is that when I was my sister's age I can't imagine anything that I would have wanted more than for my school to catch on fire and close for some period of time. Though as my mother pointed out today, there is likely nothing that I would have disliked more than having to be bussed to a new school for a month. As luck would have it, I avoided having to face such a circumstance (though I did mange to luck out and get a multi-week teachers strike for the end of grade six).
-Neil and I attended the Halifax Comedy Festival event International House of Comedy last night in the Schooner Showroom at Casino Nova Scotia. Our main justification for going was to see Dave Shumka of the podcast Stop Podcasting Yourself. I was also quite interested in seeing John Wing and Reggie Watts. A number of other comedians were performing along side these three (Natalie Gray was another of those that we saw last night).
Neil and I were particularly impressed with Mr. Shumka, and generally the first half of the show. I am not sure if it was because I was tired or if the performers in the second half of the show generally weren't as good, but I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as the first half. I guess the good thing is that I have learned that I don't quite have the stamina for ten performers in a row (or maybe I was just tired).
-Moments ago I returned from the grocery store. My main justification for the trip was to pick up some chicken that was on sale. I quickly learned that they were out of the particular item that I was looking for. Given that the sale had been on all week and the store was to close in less than half an hour I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Maybe I will eventually learn not to leave things until the last minute, though I think that this is doubtful.
-We had more beans for dinner tonight, this time we went for white kidney beans. I was particularly pleased with this batch. I think that adding a half pound of bacon to the mix really helped things along.
The more we have beans the more Neil and I are of the opinion that we really don't have much reason to stray from black beans. I guess once we get through the 6 or 7 pounds of other types of beans we can stick to purchasing black beans (though I don't think that I would mind white kidney beans once in a while). I also think that we might consider trying navy beans again, for some reason I imagine them to be somewhat similar in texture and flavour to black beans (though I don't know why I might think this).
-A few days ago my sister's school, Brother Rice Junior High, was set on fire by a local arsonist. Though the damage wasn't catastrophic, it was enough to close the school for a month. Obviously they had to come up with a plan for students for the next month.
Just today the plan for the displaced students was announced. It seems that these students will be sent to another school for the coming month. The catch is that the Brother Rice students will be doing the afternoon/evening shift while the original students get the morning shift. This is going to be quite a bummer for everyone involved. I imagine that most of the Brother Rice students will be quite glad to get back to their old school as quickly as possible.
I guess what I find funny about all of this is that when I was my sister's age I can't imagine anything that I would have wanted more than for my school to catch on fire and close for some period of time. Though as my mother pointed out today, there is likely nothing that I would have disliked more than having to be bussed to a new school for a month. As luck would have it, I avoided having to face such a circumstance (though I did mange to luck out and get a multi-week teachers strike for the end of grade six).
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
TweetClassique 1.1 now available
What a day, first TweetClassique and now TweetClassique 1.1.
Like TweetClassique, TweetClassique 1.1 is also free to download and use.
You may wonder why you should upgrade after so recently having started using TweetClassique. Well, there are a number of reasons why you should make the switch. Actually there are seven reasons.
TweetClassique 1.1 allows you to work on up to seven tweets simultaneously. If you run two versions of the app simultaneously you can go as high as 14. The possibilities seem almost endless.
Obviously such productivity increases don't come along every day, nor are they usually available for free.
Download the app (by downloading the image below) and start composing and editing your tweets with TweetClassique 1.1 today!
Don't forget to share TweetClassique and TweetClassique 1.1 with your friends and family.
Like TweetClassique, TweetClassique 1.1 is also free to download and use.
You may wonder why you should upgrade after so recently having started using TweetClassique. Well, there are a number of reasons why you should make the switch. Actually there are seven reasons.
TweetClassique 1.1 allows you to work on up to seven tweets simultaneously. If you run two versions of the app simultaneously you can go as high as 14. The possibilities seem almost endless.
Obviously such productivity increases don't come along every day, nor are they usually available for free.
Download the app (by downloading the image below) and start composing and editing your tweets with TweetClassique 1.1 today!
Don't forget to share TweetClassique and TweetClassique 1.1 with your friends and family.
Twittering in the dark
Montifax is proud to announce our brand new, completely free application for Twitter called TweetClassique.
Our TweetClassique app allows you to easily and seamlessly compose Tweets the old fashioned way, on paper.
Simply download our free app (the image file posted below) and print a copy for each tweet you hope to create. Once you have printed the app start to compose your tweets by placing a character in each square (remember to count spaces as characters). If you use a pencil and have access to an eraser you are even able to edit your tweets with ease. Once you are satisfied with your tweet transcribe the tweet in Twitter's online textbox or in another tweeting application.
No longer do you have to worry about posting a hastily composed electronic tweet that doesn't truly reflect what it is you were hoping to communicate.
Our app has several key features that make it worth the download. Firstly, one key feature of our app is that you are able to save and edit your tweets before posting. No longer are you forced to compose and post your tweets without a chance to reflect and edit. Furthermore, our app, unlike most other apps, is not dependent on you having access to electricity. With TweetClassique you can compose your tweets in the middle of a blackout. Just imagine how useful this would have been in the 2003 New York Blackout. Thanks to TweetClassique you will never have to worry about such problems again. You might even go so far as to relish the idea of a snowstorm induced blackout as you, a user of TweetClassique, will be able to continue tweeting while all of your electricity reliant tweetering friends will be brought to a grinding halt for the duration of the power-outage.
Remember, TweetClassique is free and can be downloaded as many times as need be.
Please feel free to pass the TweetClassique along to all of your tweetering friends. Through such distribution networks we hope to become one of the most successful Twitter apps of 2009.
Our TweetClassique app allows you to easily and seamlessly compose Tweets the old fashioned way, on paper.
Simply download our free app (the image file posted below) and print a copy for each tweet you hope to create. Once you have printed the app start to compose your tweets by placing a character in each square (remember to count spaces as characters). If you use a pencil and have access to an eraser you are even able to edit your tweets with ease. Once you are satisfied with your tweet transcribe the tweet in Twitter's online textbox or in another tweeting application.
No longer do you have to worry about posting a hastily composed electronic tweet that doesn't truly reflect what it is you were hoping to communicate.
Our app has several key features that make it worth the download. Firstly, one key feature of our app is that you are able to save and edit your tweets before posting. No longer are you forced to compose and post your tweets without a chance to reflect and edit. Furthermore, our app, unlike most other apps, is not dependent on you having access to electricity. With TweetClassique you can compose your tweets in the middle of a blackout. Just imagine how useful this would have been in the 2003 New York Blackout. Thanks to TweetClassique you will never have to worry about such problems again. You might even go so far as to relish the idea of a snowstorm induced blackout as you, a user of TweetClassique, will be able to continue tweeting while all of your electricity reliant tweetering friends will be brought to a grinding halt for the duration of the power-outage.
Remember, TweetClassique is free and can be downloaded as many times as need be.
Please feel free to pass the TweetClassique along to all of your tweetering friends. Through such distribution networks we hope to become one of the most successful Twitter apps of 2009.
A Few Quick Notes 306
-Today was a pretty nice day. It seems that the official record is reporting that we reached a high of 11, and stayed there for about 5 hours. Now that the sun has set the temperature has dropped rather dramatically, though it is still warm enough that I would consider having a beer on the balcony if there were any in our fridge.
-I have spent much of the past few days working on a project related to my research assistantship. Unfortunately, things have not gone quite as smoothly as I might have liked. It seems that Greece doesn't provide official English translations of as many documents as I might like. I had hoped to finish this up by today, but now it seems that tomorrow is a little more likely.
For those of you that are curious, this is much of the reason for my recent slow-down in electronic communications (meaning blog posts and email responses).
-Neil and I went to a talk by John Ralston Saul last Thursday at King's. While neither of agreed with everything that was said, we both quite enjoyed the talk. At a few points we were two of the only individuals laughing at a few of the jokes, something that made me feel pretty good.
-I made another quick batch of bread tonight. While the resulting loaves were quite edible, I really wasn't pleased with how they turned out. The dough had a very strange characteristic that I don't quite understand, maybe part of the issue was my failure to knead it sufficiently.
-I was able to crank out two loads of laundry tonight.
-Though I don't have pictures at the moment, the scarlet runner beans I planted in the living room a few days ago have sprouted and are now approaching 12 inches. Hopefully I will be able to put some more strings up shortly and get them to try to re-trace the steps of their predecessors.
Shockingly, the beans in my room have also started to grow a little, though still at a much slower rate than the beans in the living room. What is most exciting is the number of leaves that have developed on all four of the shoots. All signs are pointing to even more leaf development in the coming days.
-I have spent much of the past few days working on a project related to my research assistantship. Unfortunately, things have not gone quite as smoothly as I might have liked. It seems that Greece doesn't provide official English translations of as many documents as I might like. I had hoped to finish this up by today, but now it seems that tomorrow is a little more likely.
For those of you that are curious, this is much of the reason for my recent slow-down in electronic communications (meaning blog posts and email responses).
-Neil and I went to a talk by John Ralston Saul last Thursday at King's. While neither of agreed with everything that was said, we both quite enjoyed the talk. At a few points we were two of the only individuals laughing at a few of the jokes, something that made me feel pretty good.
-I made another quick batch of bread tonight. While the resulting loaves were quite edible, I really wasn't pleased with how they turned out. The dough had a very strange characteristic that I don't quite understand, maybe part of the issue was my failure to knead it sufficiently.
-I was able to crank out two loads of laundry tonight.
-Though I don't have pictures at the moment, the scarlet runner beans I planted in the living room a few days ago have sprouted and are now approaching 12 inches. Hopefully I will be able to put some more strings up shortly and get them to try to re-trace the steps of their predecessors.
Shockingly, the beans in my room have also started to grow a little, though still at a much slower rate than the beans in the living room. What is most exciting is the number of leaves that have developed on all four of the shoots. All signs are pointing to even more leaf development in the coming days.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Bread and Circuses (without the circuses)
A few days ago I decided to try to to make something approximating French bread based on a recipe I found in the Joy of Cooking. While the result was quite edible, it really wasn't quite the type of bread I was trying to bake. Consequently, I thought that the internet might be able to help me come up with a recipe that was a little closer to what it was that I was looking for.
After examining a few websites/video/recipes I stumbled upon one that gave ten tips to make one's bread a little more like what I was hoping to make. After quickly skimming through the ten tips, most of which made a great deal of sense, I decided that I would have to make another few batches of bread, but this time with the advantage of having a little more knowledge. What I found most shocking about all of my reading, including the original Joy of Cooking recipe, is that basic French bread can quite effectively be made with basically just flour, water, and yeast. Going into this I really imagined that there were at least a few more ingredients involved.
One of the key differences in the new approach was to let the flour sit in the water before kneading so that the amount of kneading can be reduced. In the two batches I have made this seems to make a bit of a difference. After about 20 minutes of sitting in the water, some of the flour has started to make the transition to the appropriate texture. Anyway, the result is a dough that needs very little kneading, which is a little different than suggested by the Joy of Cooking.
Another suggestion was to have very wet, or slack, dough. This was quite easy to achieve as it simply required a slight modification of the water to flour ratio. The downside of this is that the dough is a fair bit stickier and a little more difficult to handle. They also suggested that instead of punching the dough and kneading it aggressively once it has risen to instead fold it on a floured surface and allow it to rise again.
As you can see, in my first batch the bread rose rather aggressively and eventually fused together. While this wasn't much of a problem from the flavour perspective, it was a bit of a weak showing on the aesthetic perspective. That being said, I was quite satisfied with the texture and density of the bread.
The large gaps are what I was going for, so I was pleased to find that my bread had them. Such gaps are obviously a matter of taste, some people might not find them so desirable.
The second batch likely wasn't quite as slack. Also, I made the loaves a little smaller and placed them further apart on the pans. The result is that they look a little more like traditional baguettes. It seems that this batch was much denser and had a quite a different texture. Presumably some of this difference is explained by the amount of time I allowed each batch to rise.
Though I will likely take at least two or three days away from this type of bread, I imagine that I will try to bake at least one more batch by the end of the week, just to see if I can improve my consistency and product.
After examining a few websites/video/recipes I stumbled upon one that gave ten tips to make one's bread a little more like what I was hoping to make. After quickly skimming through the ten tips, most of which made a great deal of sense, I decided that I would have to make another few batches of bread, but this time with the advantage of having a little more knowledge. What I found most shocking about all of my reading, including the original Joy of Cooking recipe, is that basic French bread can quite effectively be made with basically just flour, water, and yeast. Going into this I really imagined that there were at least a few more ingredients involved.
One of the key differences in the new approach was to let the flour sit in the water before kneading so that the amount of kneading can be reduced. In the two batches I have made this seems to make a bit of a difference. After about 20 minutes of sitting in the water, some of the flour has started to make the transition to the appropriate texture. Anyway, the result is a dough that needs very little kneading, which is a little different than suggested by the Joy of Cooking.
Another suggestion was to have very wet, or slack, dough. This was quite easy to achieve as it simply required a slight modification of the water to flour ratio. The downside of this is that the dough is a fair bit stickier and a little more difficult to handle. They also suggested that instead of punching the dough and kneading it aggressively once it has risen to instead fold it on a floured surface and allow it to rise again.
As you can see, in my first batch the bread rose rather aggressively and eventually fused together. While this wasn't much of a problem from the flavour perspective, it was a bit of a weak showing on the aesthetic perspective. That being said, I was quite satisfied with the texture and density of the bread.
The large gaps are what I was going for, so I was pleased to find that my bread had them. Such gaps are obviously a matter of taste, some people might not find them so desirable.
The second batch likely wasn't quite as slack. Also, I made the loaves a little smaller and placed them further apart on the pans. The result is that they look a little more like traditional baguettes. It seems that this batch was much denser and had a quite a different texture. Presumably some of this difference is explained by the amount of time I allowed each batch to rise.
Though I will likely take at least two or three days away from this type of bread, I imagine that I will try to bake at least one more batch by the end of the week, just to see if I can improve my consistency and product.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Union Brothers and Sisters
Neil and I attended our union local's annual general meeting this afternoon. As we expected, together we represented half of the TAs present. Most of those in attendance are part-time faculty and instructors from Dalhousie, St. Mary's, and Mount St. Vincent.
This was the first time that I had attended a meeting of this union local and was curious to see how things worked. For the most part things were much as I expected. We were told about how many grievances had been filed and arbitration outcomes as well as the general activities of the executive.
What surprised me most about the entire experience was that when addressing one another many members of the executive inserted either "brother" or "sister" before the person's first name. At first I thought this was a bit of a joke, but as the meeting went on it became clear that this is standard practice.
Assuming that all goes as planned, I guess I might try to attend the next meeting, which I presume will be sometime in the fall, though I don't think that a date has yet been set.
This was the first time that I had attended a meeting of this union local and was curious to see how things worked. For the most part things were much as I expected. We were told about how many grievances had been filed and arbitration outcomes as well as the general activities of the executive.
What surprised me most about the entire experience was that when addressing one another many members of the executive inserted either "brother" or "sister" before the person's first name. At first I thought this was a bit of a joke, but as the meeting went on it became clear that this is standard practice.
Assuming that all goes as planned, I guess I might try to attend the next meeting, which I presume will be sometime in the fall, though I don't think that a date has yet been set.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 305
-Today has been pretty great. I get the sense that the temperature must have been pushing 10 for a few hours. Now that evening is setting in things are beginning to cool down, though it is still quite pleasant.
-A few days ago I listened to the This American Life episode "Double Lives," which is mostly about gay men hiding their sexual orientation and living as married straight men. What I found interesting about this episode is how much things seem to have changed in the 13 years since it was first produced. My sense of things is that things like gay marriage weren't really seen as likely at the time. I am curious if some of the people were interviewed again today if they would give the same answers as they gave in the mid-nineties.
-We had turkey pot-pie for dinner last night. I thought it was pretty decent, though I could be a little biased.
-I had a final exam today. It was a pretty exhilarating experience, as they tend to be.
-Yesterday Mike Watson (SirWatts) mentioned that he would be providing live updates via Twitter from the upcoming event at the Bellagio. After a few minutes of investigation I got the sense that it would be easiest to follow these updates if I signed up for a Twitter account. So I did, it took about a minute. Shortly after signing up I managed to start following Watson as well as the host from a few of my favourite podcasts.
So far I am not quite sure what I think about the whole micro-blogging concept. I get the sense that it mainly serves as a venue for one-liners, PR, and as a popularity contest. I guess I should give it more than 24 hours to reach a definitive conclusion on the topic.
-A few days ago I listened to the This American Life episode "Double Lives," which is mostly about gay men hiding their sexual orientation and living as married straight men. What I found interesting about this episode is how much things seem to have changed in the 13 years since it was first produced. My sense of things is that things like gay marriage weren't really seen as likely at the time. I am curious if some of the people were interviewed again today if they would give the same answers as they gave in the mid-nineties.
-We had turkey pot-pie for dinner last night. I thought it was pretty decent, though I could be a little biased.
-I had a final exam today. It was a pretty exhilarating experience, as they tend to be.
-Yesterday Mike Watson (SirWatts) mentioned that he would be providing live updates via Twitter from the upcoming event at the Bellagio. After a few minutes of investigation I got the sense that it would be easiest to follow these updates if I signed up for a Twitter account. So I did, it took about a minute. Shortly after signing up I managed to start following Watson as well as the host from a few of my favourite podcasts.
So far I am not quite sure what I think about the whole micro-blogging concept. I get the sense that it mainly serves as a venue for one-liners, PR, and as a popularity contest. I guess I should give it more than 24 hours to reach a definitive conclusion on the topic.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 304
-The weather today was quite variable in terms of quality. At times this afternoon we had precipitation approaching hale, while later in the afternoon things cleared up and the sun came out. One of the few consistent elements of the day was the temperature, which was continually within a few degrees of zero.
-I have my only exam on Tuesday. I spent a number of hours studying today, and plan on doing more of the same tomrrow.
-Yesterday, as predicted, we ended up having a visit from the Easter bunny. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that the Easter bunny brought me, among other things, a ticket for a Halifax Comedy Festival show. Somehow the Easter bunny knew that this was the very show that I wanted to attend, as it will be featuring Stop Podcasting Yourself's Dave Shumka (as well as John Wing and Reggie Watts, to name just a few of the comedians scheduled to appear). It seems that Neil also received a ticket for the same show.
Before we could get on to the candy component of our respective hauls, all three of us took a crack at our scratch'n'sniff tickets. Not surprisingly, only Neil managed to get a winner. I am still baffled that people would be inclined to play these on more than an annual basis. Once or twice a year more than satisfies any gambling or lottery urges I might have.
I also scored a bottle of multivitamins and a toothbrush. I guess there was a little bit of candy too.
For breakfast we decorated a few of the bunnies (and also had bacon and eggs).
-Later in the day we had a few friends over for turkey and a few associated dishes. For no particularly good reason I decided to add some bacon to the stuffing. While the resulting stuffing was definitely edible, and not in anyway ruined by the bacon, I am not sure if it really was worth the extra calories.
I didn't time things particularly well, so the turkey was done a little while before the rest of the food. Though in many ways I think this actually worked out better than trying to have it come out at exactly the same time as the potatoes, as this second option is a little harder to time and may lead to significantly over-cooked or cold vegetables.
-Some how I managed to go for three days without taking a nap. These mistakes really caught up with me today, and resulted in today being a two-nap day.
-As usual, the plants keep on growing. Unfortunately, it seems that the seeds I planted most recently still haven't shown any signs of germination. As it has only been a few days so far this isn't particularly surprising, I will only begin to worry if in a few more days I still haven't seen anything.
-I have my only exam on Tuesday. I spent a number of hours studying today, and plan on doing more of the same tomrrow.
-Yesterday, as predicted, we ended up having a visit from the Easter bunny. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that the Easter bunny brought me, among other things, a ticket for a Halifax Comedy Festival show. Somehow the Easter bunny knew that this was the very show that I wanted to attend, as it will be featuring Stop Podcasting Yourself's Dave Shumka (as well as John Wing and Reggie Watts, to name just a few of the comedians scheduled to appear). It seems that Neil also received a ticket for the same show.
Before we could get on to the candy component of our respective hauls, all three of us took a crack at our scratch'n'sniff tickets. Not surprisingly, only Neil managed to get a winner. I am still baffled that people would be inclined to play these on more than an annual basis. Once or twice a year more than satisfies any gambling or lottery urges I might have.
I also scored a bottle of multivitamins and a toothbrush. I guess there was a little bit of candy too.
For breakfast we decorated a few of the bunnies (and also had bacon and eggs).
-Later in the day we had a few friends over for turkey and a few associated dishes. For no particularly good reason I decided to add some bacon to the stuffing. While the resulting stuffing was definitely edible, and not in anyway ruined by the bacon, I am not sure if it really was worth the extra calories.
I didn't time things particularly well, so the turkey was done a little while before the rest of the food. Though in many ways I think this actually worked out better than trying to have it come out at exactly the same time as the potatoes, as this second option is a little harder to time and may lead to significantly over-cooked or cold vegetables.
-Some how I managed to go for three days without taking a nap. These mistakes really caught up with me today, and resulted in today being a two-nap day.
-As usual, the plants keep on growing. Unfortunately, it seems that the seeds I planted most recently still haven't shown any signs of germination. As it has only been a few days so far this isn't particularly surprising, I will only begin to worry if in a few more days I still haven't seen anything.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
What's going on here, we had a plan people
For the past several days Neil and Rebecca have been foreshadowing the possible arrival of the Easter bunny. While I wasn't into this at first, I am since become a little more excited. I shocked myself by going so far as to make myself an Easter basket from recycled goods.
Anyway, we agreed to get up at ten and learn together whether or not the Easter bunny visited. It is now after 10:30 and I have heard nothing from them and am starting to get a little antsy.
The Easter candy rush is starting to wear off and be replaced by a caffeine withdrawal headache and hunger pangs. Hopefully they manage to get themselves together before I starve to death in my bedroom.
Anyway, we agreed to get up at ten and learn together whether or not the Easter bunny visited. It is now after 10:30 and I have heard nothing from them and am starting to get a little antsy.
The Easter candy rush is starting to wear off and be replaced by a caffeine withdrawal headache and hunger pangs. Hopefully they manage to get themselves together before I starve to death in my bedroom.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Let the Bunny Massacre Begin
At some point yesterday Neil and I realized that we still had not put all that much thought into who would be baking the Easter bread, and when the baking might take place. In the end I rather aggressively volunteered to bake the bread while Neil and Rebecca went to the grocery store.
Before too long the bread had risen for the first time and was ready to be punched down. I was particularly impressed with how nice the risen dough looked before it was deflated.
After the dough was deflated/degassed, I rolled hunks of the dough so that I could create the bunnies. In total I made 18 bunnies. I am quite shocked that I ended up with exactly two pans worth even though I didn't really take the time to divide the dough before starting.
I was a little surprised at how long they took to bake. Given their size I would have imagined that it would have taken much less time than it did.
Obviously we were a little short on counter space for cooling.
Neil tapped into the goods while they were still steaming, thus commencing the bunny massacre, which will presumably continue until at least tomorrow. If things go as Rebecca wants them to, some of these may be iced at some point. at the moment, I think this is most likely to occur at some point tomorrow morning before breakfast, though we haven't really planned that far ahead.
In other easter related news, I finally got my act together and made myself an Easter basket (as I have been promised a visit from the Easter bunny). I impressed myself by making the basket almost entirely from recycled materials.
Also, as you can see, mine is the only one with kitties.
Before too long the bread had risen for the first time and was ready to be punched down. I was particularly impressed with how nice the risen dough looked before it was deflated.
After the dough was deflated/degassed, I rolled hunks of the dough so that I could create the bunnies. In total I made 18 bunnies. I am quite shocked that I ended up with exactly two pans worth even though I didn't really take the time to divide the dough before starting.
I was a little surprised at how long they took to bake. Given their size I would have imagined that it would have taken much less time than it did.
Obviously we were a little short on counter space for cooling.
Neil tapped into the goods while they were still steaming, thus commencing the bunny massacre, which will presumably continue until at least tomorrow. If things go as Rebecca wants them to, some of these may be iced at some point. at the moment, I think this is most likely to occur at some point tomorrow morning before breakfast, though we haven't really planned that far ahead.
In other easter related news, I finally got my act together and made myself an Easter basket (as I have been promised a visit from the Easter bunny). I impressed myself by making the basket almost entirely from recycled materials.
Also, as you can see, mine is the only one with kitties.
A Few Quick Notes 303
-It seems that the rain that was forecast for today did actually arrive, or maybe it was the rain that was forecast for yesterday that arrived today. Either way, it has been raining for most of the day. Supposedly things are to get a little wetter as the day progresses, though I don't know how much stock we can put in such a prediction.
-Last night, maybe at about 1:00 AM I finally got around to planting the seeds I had been meaning to plant. Aside from planting some pepper seeds in the spot freed up by my recent corn harvest, I also planted a few apple seeds (I am not expecting much), as well as a few scarlet runner beans for the living room. The scarlet runner beans have been planted to test whether or not the spider mites have actually been eradicated. If the test comes back positive I should be able to start planting a few more beans and vegetables in the living room (so that they can eventually be moved outside for the summer).
-I had to bake another batch of bread today. Hopefully I will be able to provide more details later this evening.
-Neil and I made our way out to a local bulk/large-size dry goods store today. Our main reason for the trip was to take advantage of a few sale items. We were particularly tempted by a 5 kilogram bag of couscous for $11.99. While there we also picked up a 5 kilogram bag of cornmeal for $6.99.
As things at this store tended to be available only in relatively large quantities I can't imagine that we will need to make too many return trips, though I imagine that any return trips will result in rather heavy purchases.
-I used the lamb bone from yesterday's leg of lamb to make broth last night. I then used the broth to make Scotch broth, which, at least from my perspective, turned out quite well.
-Last night, maybe at about 1:00 AM I finally got around to planting the seeds I had been meaning to plant. Aside from planting some pepper seeds in the spot freed up by my recent corn harvest, I also planted a few apple seeds (I am not expecting much), as well as a few scarlet runner beans for the living room. The scarlet runner beans have been planted to test whether or not the spider mites have actually been eradicated. If the test comes back positive I should be able to start planting a few more beans and vegetables in the living room (so that they can eventually be moved outside for the summer).
-I had to bake another batch of bread today. Hopefully I will be able to provide more details later this evening.
-Neil and I made our way out to a local bulk/large-size dry goods store today. Our main reason for the trip was to take advantage of a few sale items. We were particularly tempted by a 5 kilogram bag of couscous for $11.99. While there we also picked up a 5 kilogram bag of cornmeal for $6.99.
As things at this store tended to be available only in relatively large quantities I can't imagine that we will need to make too many return trips, though I imagine that any return trips will result in rather heavy purchases.
-I used the lamb bone from yesterday's leg of lamb to make broth last night. I then used the broth to make Scotch broth, which, at least from my perspective, turned out quite well.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Today's baking projects
As I mentioned earlier today, I made both a batch of 'regular' bread (meaning I threw some stuff in a bowl and mixed it, kneaded it, let it rise, and baked it) and a batch of French bread.
Given that this was my first experience making French bread I didn't really have too much of a sense of what I was doing. Also, for some unknown reason, I decided to try using my mixer and dough hooks instead of just kneading the bread as I normally would. Anyway, the dough came out much harder and less malleable than I would have expected or hope for. It was so awkward looking and feeling that I was pleasantly surprised when it actually started to rise.
After this photo was taken things began to pick up a little. Not only did the dough actually double in bulk, it seemed to become a little softer and more malleable after it had risen.
The next step was to transform the dough from a rather shapeless lump into two things approximating unbaked baguettes. It would seem that this step was a little more challenging than I expected. I do think that some of the problems I had rolling the dough are due to the firmness of the dough.
Eventually I was able to stretch the dough out and get it close enough to baguette form to let it start rising again. Fortunately, this second rising took much less time than the first.
Before long the two loaves were ready for the oven. Though according to the Joy of Cooking, the oven had to be readied for their arrival. As directed, I added a cup of hot water to a pan in the bottom of the oven before adding the two loaves of bread. Then after about 15 minutes I was supposed to turn the oven down from 400 to 350, which I also did.
Eventually the bread was done and I removed it from the oven. Unfortunately, it doesn't look quite right. Neil and I both have the impression that it appears to be a bit on the dense side of things, though as neither of have yet had it this is still just a hunch. My plan is to serve the bread with dinner, so in relatively near future I will finally learn whether or not my French bread is a complete failure or not.
As you surely guessed, this is a photo of today's baking output. I giving at least one loaf away, but I am not quite sure what we will do with the other four loaves (I guess I do need some bread for stuffing on Sunday).
Given that this was my first experience making French bread I didn't really have too much of a sense of what I was doing. Also, for some unknown reason, I decided to try using my mixer and dough hooks instead of just kneading the bread as I normally would. Anyway, the dough came out much harder and less malleable than I would have expected or hope for. It was so awkward looking and feeling that I was pleasantly surprised when it actually started to rise.
After this photo was taken things began to pick up a little. Not only did the dough actually double in bulk, it seemed to become a little softer and more malleable after it had risen.
The next step was to transform the dough from a rather shapeless lump into two things approximating unbaked baguettes. It would seem that this step was a little more challenging than I expected. I do think that some of the problems I had rolling the dough are due to the firmness of the dough.
Eventually I was able to stretch the dough out and get it close enough to baguette form to let it start rising again. Fortunately, this second rising took much less time than the first.
Before long the two loaves were ready for the oven. Though according to the Joy of Cooking, the oven had to be readied for their arrival. As directed, I added a cup of hot water to a pan in the bottom of the oven before adding the two loaves of bread. Then after about 15 minutes I was supposed to turn the oven down from 400 to 350, which I also did.
Eventually the bread was done and I removed it from the oven. Unfortunately, it doesn't look quite right. Neil and I both have the impression that it appears to be a bit on the dense side of things, though as neither of have yet had it this is still just a hunch. My plan is to serve the bread with dinner, so in relatively near future I will finally learn whether or not my French bread is a complete failure or not.
As you surely guessed, this is a photo of today's baking output. I giving at least one loaf away, but I am not quite sure what we will do with the other four loaves (I guess I do need some bread for stuffing on Sunday).
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