Sunday, November 15, 2015

I Love to Write Day NOVEMBER 15, 2015

DIANE'S CORNER ... Celebrate I Love to Write Day 

Writing is not just for acclaimed authors. After all, they had to start somewhere too, and even though it may seem hard to believe, every famous writer started the first chapter of their first book with just one word. I Love to Write Day was founded by author John Riddle, a non-fiction and self-help writer, to get kids writing in schools and encourage adults to rekindle an old dream. This special day is celebrated by many different organisations – schools, community halls, churches, and even shopping centers. It covers all genres, from novels to poetry to writing in to your local newspaper with a point you’ve always wanted to make but never found time for before. The aim is to get people to sit down and put something on paper or on a computer, however short and in whatever style, kick-starting their writing and giving them confidence through being part of a global movement.
Many people believe that in order to start writing at all you absolutely need to have the entire plan for your book formed in your mind, and that when you start the writing process, the story should just spill right onto your paper and go on to become an instant New York Times bestseller. This, however, is a misconception. “The Bluest Eye” took Toni Morrison 5 years to complete, and was based on a children’s story she had heard in elementary school. Joan Didion was inspired to write “Run, River” after catching a glimpse of a newspaper blurb about a murder. And Stephen King’s esteemed horror classic “Carrie” was rejected 30 (!) times before someone agreed to publish it. As you can surely see by now, even the best-known writers have had their difficulties, so you should never become discouraged, and just continue to write and expand on your idea until you’ve achieved your goals. To make things particularly interesting on I Love to Write Day, you could also consider holding a writing and reading party with your friends. Whatever you do, take advantage of this day to make sure your potential does not go to waste!



Word of the Day

circuitous 


Definition:(adjective) Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course.
Synonyms:roundabout
Usage:He prided himself on his sense of direction, so Jane refrained from mentioning that the route he had chosen was circuitous and unnecessarily long.




History

La Quintaine


St. Leonard, the patron saint of prisoners, is honored each year in the French town of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat by a ceremony in which 30 men carry the quintaine, a three-foot-high box painted to resemble a prison, to the church to be blessed. Afterward, they mount it on a post and strike it with mallets as they gallop by on horseback. Fragments of the smashed quintaine are said to bring good luck and to make hens lay eggs.

Mysterious Space Junk Makes Spectacular Re-Entry into Earth's Atmosphere


A mysterious piece of space junk dubbed WT1190F made a spectacular re-entry into Earth's atmosphere early Friday, as predicted by scientists. Experts, however, are unsure whether it splashed down in the Indian Ocean, as initially expected.
READ MORE:


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1806 - Explorer Zebulon Pike spotted the mountaintop that became known as Pikes Peak.

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1901 - Miller Reese patented an electrical hearing aid.

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 1926 - The National Broadcasting Co. (NBC) debuted with a radio network of 24 stations. The first network radio broadcast was a four-hour "spectacular." 

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 1939 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. 

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 1969 - In Washington, DC, a quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration against the Vietnam War. 

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 2005 - In Amiens, France, Isabelle Dinoire became the first person to undergo a partial face transplant. She had been attacked by a dog earlier in the year


thanks, susan b.



DAILY SQU-EEK





If You Were Born Today, November 15

Although you are intense and sometimes quite stubborn, you are also quite versatile and somewhat restless. Your mind is so sharp and your talents many, that you may change your career path more than a few times in your life. Your relationships may be a little challenging. You tend to be attracted to unusual people or situations. You work largely on instinct, and you absorb and process information in your environment quickly. Your emotions are powerful, and you can usually use them to your advantage rather than letting them overwhelm you. People often turn to you for advice. Famous people born today: Georgia O'Keefe, Marianne Moore, Ed Asner, Petula Clark, Beverly D'Angelo, Sam Waterston.




Picture of the day
St Matthew's Church, Paisley
St Matthew's Church in Paisley, Scotland, is an Art Nouveau church built between 1905 and 1907. The architect, WD McLennan, designed the building and many interior furnishings, including the organ case, font and pulpit. This view of the interior is from the rear gallery and features the stained glass window by Robert Anning Bell.

Picture of an Illiger’s macaw parrot

Color Screen

Photograph by Trudy Walden
Preening brings out the coy side of a blue-winged macaw, also known as an Illiger's macaw. Found in the wild in parts of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, the small parrot is classified as near threatened by the IUCN. Habitat loss and the pet trade have contributed to its shrinking numbers.




knit, THANKSGIVING

knit

knit

knit, 4 - 12 yrs 

knit





crochet, THANKSGIVING

crochet (all garter stitch)

 crochet

 crochet
 
 
image
 
 
 
 
 
Shaded Squares pattern by Frankie Brown
The crochet squares that make up this blanket are worked in two shades of one colour, sometimes the two are balanced, at other times one shade is domin...
View on www.ravelry.com
Preview by Yahoo
 


 crochet
 
 
image
 
 
 
 
 
4 seasons cardigan pattern by Oana Oros
the “4 seasons cardigan” is made with the shell stitch, it’s easy to trasform in any size and can be worked with any kind of yarn form coton , if you want a ...
View on www.ravelry.com
Preview by Yahoo
 






RECIPES
thanks, patty





CROCKPOT RECIPES
stephanie o'dea

Perfect Homemade Stuffing CrockPot Recipe

I am so excited I can hardly stop squirming. I grew up on Stove Top stuffing, and was pretty sure I'd never make or come across a gluten-free stuffing that didn't make me want to hurl. Until a few weeks ago and I began planning Thanksgiving-y crockpot recipes and I figured the Internet needed a crockpot stuffing recipe, and if I was going to make one, it'd have to be gluten free, so I might as well just give it a go. I did it and it's good!If you're not gluten-free, go ahead and use your favorite sliced sandwich bread, or a loaf of french bread.

The Ingredients.

1 loaf of bread, lightly toasted in the oven (approximately 10 pieces, I used gluten free sandwich bread)
1 large yellow onion, diced
 cup celery, diced
1 cup tart apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter, melted (I use salted, but it  doesn't really matter)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (and maybe 1/4 cup later if needed)
1 tablespoon ground sage (important flavor)
1 teaspoon ground marjoram 
1/2 teaspoon savory
1/2 teaspoon thyme
(if you have poultry seasoning in the house, use 1 tablespoon and omit the sage, marjoram, savory, and thyme.)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart crockpot. I'd recommend a big guy, so you have room to toss. If you only have a 4 quart, toss everything well in a very large mixing bowl, then put into your crockpot.

Toast the bread slices in the oven at 300 degrees. I needed to keep the brown rice bread in for about 30 minutes before it was all toasty. Regular bread will toast much quicker, be aware.

While the bread is toasting, chop up the onion, parsley, celery, and apple. Add to crockpot. Add the seasoning, and add melted butter. Stir well.

When the bread is done, cut into 1/2 inch size-or-so cubes.

Add to the crockpot.

Toss very well with the butter, chopped vegetables, and spices. When the bread is coated nicely, pour in 1 1/2 cups of broth.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Sweep up the bread crumbs.

When finished, the bread will have browned a bit on the top and around the edges, and it will be hot throughout. It can stay on warm for probably another 2 hours before serving, if needed. Stir. If you'd like it a bit more moist, you can add a 1/4 cup more (or as much as you desire) of broth.

If you'd like to start the day ahead---you can do the bread cubes, and seal in zipper bags, and chop the vegetables and keep separate. Combine as directed the day of your dinner.

The Verdict.

Amazing. In a blind taste-test, I'd never guess this was made with gluten-free bread. My kids don't really like stuffing, but they tried it to be nice. yay!





CRAFTS





CHILDREN'S CORNER ... THANKSGIVING craft
Make Your Own Mats
Create collages of all the things you're thankful for on sheets of construction paper. Laminate the masterpieces at a copy store and use them as place mats.




PUZZLE






QUOTE
Language is a social art. - Willard Van Orman Quine







20140831





"Welcome" in Hindi (India) - Swaagatam








CLEVER

 Pom-Pom Bookmarks

These simple bookmarks by Design Mom by are such a fun way to keep your place in your book. 
Crocheting is fun! But sometimes it’s fun to make something different with yarn. Check out 16 Clever Yarn Ideas.

 

EYE OPENER

12 Weird But Brilliant Thanksgiving Dinner Hacks

thekrazycouponlady

1. Clean your potatoes in the dishwasher.


Place unwashed potatoes in the top rack of your dishwasher and set it to the rinse-only cycle. Dry with paper towels when done.

2. Spatchcock (or butterfly) your turkey so it cooks faster and is easier to carve.


Get instructions here.

3. Skip baking homemade bread and make compound butter to boost flavor instead.


Making compound butter is a lot easier than baking your own bread. Just mix whatever ingredients you want along with butter in a food processor and voila!
Learn how to make Cranberry Cinnamon Honey Butter here.

4. Peel garlic easily by microwaving the whole head for 20 seconds.


5. Make turkey gravy ahead of time and freeze.


You can also do this with cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and pies. Get a delicious gravy recipe and instructions here.

6. Use a cooling rack to make the perfect lattice top for a pie.


Once your pastry dough is all rolled out, take a wire cooling rack and press it into the dough. Remove the rack and cut along the indented lines with a pizza cutter.

7. Keep mashed potatoes warm in a slow cooker.


Butter the inside of your crockpot, then pour a bit of heavy cream into your slow cooker. After adding in your mashed potatoes, set your slow cooker on low and remind yourself to stir the potatoes every hour until you’re ready to serve them.

8. Tape recipes to your cabinets to save counter space.


9. Grate frozen butter into biscuit or pastry dough with a cheese grater or peeler.


Cutting cold butter into dough takes more effort than you have time for. Use this hack to help you quickly move on to the next dish.

10. Peel potatoes easily by boiling them whole.


Make a slight cut around the middle of a potato—just deep enough to penetrate the skin. Boil, then run potatoes under cool water. Like magic, your potato skins should slip right off!

11. Hydrate overcooked turkey with chicken broth.


You can either dip slices of dried-out turkey directly in the broth or pour broth over.

12. Use quartered onions, celery, and carrots as a roasting rack.


Not only will these vegetables keep your turkey elevated, they add flavor to drippings.





Image result for see you soon

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1 comment:

  1. PattyNovember 15, 2015 at 1:34 PM

    Write? How about love letters? This project had a store-front in our town a couple of years ago: http://www.timesargus.com/article/20130216/NEWS03/702169937

    ReplyDelete

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