dmk

Starting the Story in the Middle [Shoulder]

dmk — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:11:05 GMT

About a month ago, I fell and injured my right rotator cuff. Ouch. Details to follow. Most posts will be filtered, but this one is public in case there's anyone else who would like to add something.

LJ App

dmk — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:31:02 GMT

Does anyone have a recommendation for an Android LJ app?

AKICILJ: Flash Programming

dmk — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:40:19 GMT

Anyone here know how to use Flash ActionScript to export data to PDF and CSV?

Recipe Help

dmk — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:18:01 GMT

Mom accidentally mixed 1/2 cup of Crisco and 16oz of cream cheese. Does anyone have a recipe where I could use this?

Taxes

dmk — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:37:15 GMT

Looking for tax assistance in the Triangle? I recommend Claus Wolf at H&R Block in Cary. He's a semi-retired accountant, really knowledgeable. Contact him at 919-460-0415 or claus.wolf@tax.hrblock.com . He's been doing Mom's taxes for over ten years. Tell him we sent you! (Ha! I just noticed the last four digits of his phone number!)

Black and White Cookies

dmk — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:34:52 GMT

Black and White Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen 3 1/4" cookies.

From Cook's Illustrated "Holiday Baking 2011" magazine; re-written and slightly modified. The cakes seem a little less yellow than I remember; not sure if there's a missing ingredient, or if my memory is a little off. Flavor is pretty good. Needs more research! The photo is from Wikipedia.

Cookie Ingredients

1 pound cake flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 pound butter, unsalted, softened (2 sticks)

1 3/4 cups sugar (12 1/4 oz)

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon extract

1 cup milk

Icing Ingredients

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup water

20 oz confectioner's sugar (5 cups)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-4 tsp water

2-4 tsp cocoa powder, sifted

Cookie Method

Use two oven racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Heat oven to 350F.
Line two large baking sheets [Note 1] with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix sifted flour, baking powder, and salt.
Using stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar (medium speed, until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes). Gradually add eggs, vanilla, and lemon; mix.
On low speed, alternately add flour and milk [Note 2].
The batter can be tightly covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours; return to room temperature before continuing.
Using a 2oz (1/4 cup) scoop, place cookies 2" apart on pans. Use moist spoon or finger to smooth any rough spots.
Bake until edges begin to turn light brown, about 15 minutes. If you have mutliple trays in at the same time, rotate and swap locations halfway through. Cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then place cookies flat side down on cooling racks. Let rest about an hour before icing.

Note [1] on baking sheets: I just bought a Wilton air-bake cookie sheet, and love it! Not only did the cookies come out well, but the pan cooled very quickly so I could use it for the next round.

Note [2] on mixing method: When adding wet and dry ingredients to creamed butter/sugar, always start with 1/3 of the dry mixture, combine until mixed, add 1/2 the wet mixture, combine, 1/3 dry, 1/2 wet, last of dry. Make sure to scrape bowl and beaters when needed. Always start the beaters slowly to reduce clouds of dry ingredients.

Icing Method

Bring corn syrup and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Off heat, whisk in confectioner's sugar and vanilla until smooth. Icing should be spreadable but not runny.
Smoothly spread about 2 Tblsps of icing over half of each cookie's flat side. Let icing set, about 15 minutes.
Place 2 oz of unsweetened chocolate in microwave about 40 seconds at 50% power, or until *almost* melted; stir until melting is complete. Add to remaining icing. Add sifted cocoa powder until icing is dark brown; this is dependent on personal preference. If icing is too dry to spread smoothly, add a few drops of water. Spread chocolate icing over remaining half of cookie.
Let cookies sit about an hour so icing hardens, then devour.

Drew's Onion Dill Bread

dmk — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:46:58 GMT

This recipe is from the cookbook that came with the DAK bread machine. whc makes it fairly often. In fact, he'll be loading up our bread machine and checking its progress for my potluck on Wednesday!

1 package or 1 Tblsp of yeast
3 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 unbeaten egg (room temp)

Mix together, warm, and add:

1/4 cup water
3/4 cup cottage cheese (we use ricotta)
3/4 cup sour cream
3 Tblsp sugar
3 Tblsp minced dried onion
2 Tblsp whole dill seed
1 1/2 Tblsp butter

Place the dry ingredients with the egg in the bread machine. Warm next set of ingredients, add them. Select white bread setting. Lightlybrush the top with a little melted butter at baking time if you wish.

Jokes

dmk — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:57:44 GMT

An infinite number of mathematicians walk into a bar. The first one tells the bartender he wants a beer. The second one says he wants half a beer. The third one says he wants a fourth of a beer. The bartender puts two beers on the bar and says “You guys need to learn your limits.”

We don’t allow neutrinos in here, said the bartender.

A faster-than-light neutrino walks into a bar.

Out of Context Quote

dmk — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:57:02 GMT

"Joe isn't gay, but his wife is."

Why Flash Intros on Websites Suck

dmk — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:58:38 GMT

When we have clients who are thinking about Flash splash pages, we tell them to go to their local supermarket and bring a mime with them. Have the mime stand in front of the supermarket, and, as each customer tries to enter, do a little show that lasts two minutes, welcoming them to the supermarket and trying to explain the bread is on aisle six and milk is on sale today.

Then stand back and count how many people watch the mime, how many people get past the mime as quickly as possible, and how many people punch the mime out.

That should give you a good idea as to how well their splash page will be received. That's the crux of it.

The quote is from an article at Uproar over Anti-Flash Intro Survey Results.

Read more from Jared at User Interface Engineering.

Carrot Cake

dmk — Sun, 08 May 2011 11:18:20 GMT

Last night, I baked a carrot cake using a recipe from mary_mayhem. My changes are in brackets:

Georgia Lucas' Carrot Cake
http://cunningcook.blogspot.com/2011/01/georgia-lucas-carrot-cake.html
[mary_mayhem] got this recipe from a lovely and gracious woman who sometimes brought treats to the people that worked for her husband.

Group 1
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
[pinch of ground cloves]
[generous pinch of ground allspice]

Group 2
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. oil
4 large eggs

Group 3
2 3/4 c. [13.75 oz] grated carrots
8.5 oz can crushed pineapple (drained) [4 oz after draining]
3/4 c. [2.5 oz] chopped nuts [smashed finely]
1 c. shredded coconut

Sift together Group 1. Mix Group 2 in a large bowl. Slowly add Group 1 to Group 2, mixing well after each addition. Add group 3 and blend thoroughly.

Pour into 3 greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

Frosting
1/2 c butter
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. 10X sugar.

This is enough to go between layers and on top. If you need it on the sides, double it. I think that just on the top of each layer is plenty. More covers the lovely flavor of the cake.

It is also quite popular at my house to use the batter to make muffins that are eaten, unfrosted, often for breakfast, but we're really not fussy about time of day.

Happy Easter!

dmk — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:52:34 GMT

Happy Easter! Christos voskrese iz mertvych!

Crockpot Peanut Butter Chicken

dmk — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:17:52 GMT

Tonight's dinner was inspired by several recipes floating around recently.

Start by making a sauce:
1/3 cup teriyaki marinade
1/4 cup (Maesri brand) sweet chili sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons garlic flakes
2 teaspoons onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric

Also:
1 onion, sliced into six wedges
1 bell pepper, 1" slices
1 cup peanut butter
2 scallions, sliced thinly

Place crockpot liner in pot (the cleanup crew will thank you later!). Cut 1 onion into wedges and place them at the bottom of the pot.

Clean chicken (removing excess skin) and rub inside and out with sauce.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

One hour before dinner, place strips of bell pepper across top of chicken.

Thirty minutes before dinner, remove the drippings form the pot. Skim the grease off the top and discard. Place about half the drippings in a small pot and simmer for ten minutes to reduce. Add 1 cup of peanut butter and cook to combine.

Twenty minutes before dinner, cook rice in microwave (for 1KW oven: 5 minutes on high, 17 minutes on 50% power).

Serve chicken on top of rice, add peanut sauce and more chilli sauce. Sprinkle with scallions. Devour.

Grandma's Superhero Therapy

dmk — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:58:46 GMT

Check out the photos from Grandma's Superhero Therapy!

A few years ago, French photographer Sacha Goldberger found his 91-year-old Hungarian grandmother Frederika feeling lonely and depressed. To cheer her up, he suggested that they shoot a series of outrageous photographs in unusual costumes, poses, and locations. Grandma reluctantly agreed, but once they got rolling, she couldn't stop smiling.

Grilled Thai Chicken

dmk — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:03:47 GMT

Here are the notes from a quick-and-dirty first attempt at Grilled Thai Chicken.

For the rice, be sure to use some coconut milk (1/2 cup? more?) and chicken base (1 tsp).

Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4" thick
sesame oil
fresh ground cinnamon
spices [LIST]

Coat chicken in sesame oil; grind fresh spices onto chicken and rub in. Grill on medium-high for total of 8 minutes (to 165°F); rotate and flip for grill marks.

Peanut Sauce

1 cup water [LESS? SKIP?]
1 cup coconut milk [MORE!]
1/4 cup peanut butter [MEASURE NEXT TIME]
1 Tblsp sriracha
2 Tblsp soy sauce
2 Tblsp sesame oil
1.5 tsp beef base [TOO SALTY!]

Combine all ingredients in sauce pot. Simmer for at least 10 minutes; sauce will thicken.

[Needs more something.]

Cucumber Sauce

1/2 cucumber, diced
1 slice [RED] onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
[CARROT?]
1 Tblsp simple syrup
1 tsp red pepper flakes
dash sriracha

Combine all ingredients in a small glass bowl. Mix well; let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Cherokee Parable

dmk — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:05:12 GMT

Courtesy of Allen Wold:

A Cherokee Elder was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, "A fight is going on inside of us all ... it is a terrible fight between two wolves.

One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, and superiority.

The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old man simply replied, "The one you feed."

Scooby A/C and Inspection

dmk — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:52:06 GMT

Scooby passed inspection today, and got a full serving of refrigerant! whc and wordwelder had already replaced the compressor and the receiver drier. Mileage: 234,012.

Hosting

dmk — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:05:15 GMT

I'm getting serious now about looking for hosting recommendations. I'd like an easy-to-use interface, POP mail, unlimited domains, both Windows and *nix availability. Easy access to coding is a must.

Outdoor Cat Food

dmk — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:55:45 GMT

We may have been adopted by an outdoor cat! Practical question: How do we keep kibble available for the cat but away from the ants?

dmk — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:02:17 GMT

16:38 @neiltyson You watch _The Big Bang Theory_, right? Also, thebigblogtheory.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/s03e02-the-jiminy-conjecture/ #
19:54 @jennmercerwt AP flour, but bread flour would be better than wheat. Sift, measure by weight; 1 Tblsp less bread flour, a little more water. #

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dmk — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 02:01:59 GMT

20:40 @ConnieHirsch That's a quote from xkcd.com/54/ #
20:41 @ConnieHirsch T-shirt available at www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/xkcd/dae9/ #

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Hauling Assistance

dmk — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:09:18 GMT

I'm looking for a local friend with a good back and/or a truck. We found a great refrigerator at the Lowes closeout section in Sanford, but it won't fit in our van.

Music: "Welcome Home" by Janis Ian

dmk — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 11:27:17 GMT

Janis wrote "Welcome Home" for the Nebula Awards banquet to the tune of "At Seventeen". Kristine Kathryn Rusch posted the lyric and mp3 at her site.

dmk — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 02:01:42 GMT

21:35 @neiltyson: So falling into a black hole is rather unpleasantly like being drunk? #

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Color Vision

dmk — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:03:59 GMT

Color vision is fascinating. I found another cool link today: the geometry of color perception.

I remember in 12th grade physics class being shown an emission spectrum on the wall of our classroom (I wish I could remember which chemical). The teacher asked how many in the class saw one line in the violet end, and how many saw two. I was the only one who saw four. (Making up the numbers, since I don't really remember.) In the years since, I've looked for some leads as to what chemical it was (must be a common classroom trick), but never figured it out. Is there data anywhere on percentage of population that sees different wavelengths? There are, apparently, some people with a fourth cone.