tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-101705712011-12-16T08:04:47.295-05:00<a href="http://www.burningvoid.com/weblog/thoughts/"><b>This blog has moved!</b></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.comBlogger2941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1149049260110587532006-05-30T23:18:00.000-05:002006-05-30T23:21:10.213-05:00

I've decided to switch to using Movable Type to create my blog. It offers much more sophisticated features and allows me to host the blog on my own site. I'm also creating a review blog with which to organize my reviews so as to allow for greater flexibility, updates, feedback, etc.I'm immediately switching to using the personal blog. I'm gradually moving my old reviews into the review blog since

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1148990622641215912006-05-30T06:56:00.000-05:002006-05-30T07:03:42.660-05:00

I have two books I'm currently reading for review (well more than two actually, but two that are relevant at the moment): "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Yoga Illustrated, Fourth Edition" and "The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Yoga." I'm waiting until I've finished both of them (including working with their instructions a bit) to review them so I can compare and contrast them. So far my impression is

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1148733423854537022006-05-27T07:34:00.000-05:002006-05-27T07:37:03.873-05:00

Guild Wars vs. World of Warcraft is a movie--and a dance-off--comparing and contrasting two wildly popular MMORPGs in a most spectacular and absolutely hilarious fashion. It's worth watching again, and again, and again...Link courtesy of Fark.comWorld of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Warcraft, music video, MMORPG

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1148550875796978822006-05-25T04:48:00.000-05:002006-05-25T04:55:46.356-05:00

A scathing and awesome article on the clueless and their arrogance. Okay, it's better than I make it sound. It puts into words some things that I've been thinking and talking about with others for a while. It reminds me of those people in World of Warcraft who, when confronted with, say, a guild recruitment plug in French, will demand that the poster immediately start speaking in English, as

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1148397197160212652006-05-23T10:11:00.000-05:002006-05-23T10:13:17.233-05:00

Here it is, a review of The Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names. Whether you're an expecting parent, a writer or a roleplayer, this is a fantastic source for interesting, unusual, and meaningful names. Just watch out for the one or two doozies that slipped through someone's common-sense filter...naming, baby names

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1148331663830461052006-05-22T15:52:00.000-05:002006-05-22T16:01:03.856-05:00

I'd been curious to try the Atlanta Bread Company out, and since we decided to break our diet a bit this weekend we stopped by for breakfast.Verdict: Awesome food, very nice ambience/decor, terrible service.The croissants are incredibly tender and flaky. The hot chocolate is smooth and delicious. The cafe is spacious and beautiful.However, the service left quite a bit to be desired, and normally

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1147969468266511512006-05-18T11:15:00.000-05:002006-05-18T11:26:11.650-05:00

One of these days when I'm suffering from greater-than-normal insomnia I'll remember that I should check for a fever whether or not I'm feeling fine. That almost always turns out to be the culprit.I'm working on several review products at the moment: the "Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names", which seeems like it's also going to be a pretty cool way to find names for RPG and other

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1147196374972881042006-05-09T12:37:00.000-05:002006-05-09T12:39:34.990-05:00

Yes, two in one day, will wonders never cease: a review of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Core Conditioning. I have to admit, it's a pretty cool book.And thank goodness, my blog seems to have (for the moment anyway) recovered from its seizure.exercise, reviews

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1147193987932770482006-05-09T11:57:00.000-05:002006-05-09T11:59:47.933-05:00

Well, I'll give this post a shot. There's a weird bug messing up my blog right now, so I don't have high hopes, but you never know. If things clear up later I'll come back and post more. Anyway, new review, of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning. Soon to come: a review of the Complete Idiot's Guide to Core Conditioning.cleaning, reviews

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1145981207670688512006-04-25T11:04:00.000-05:002006-04-25T11:06:47.703-05:00

It's up--my review of Inspiration 8, what is possibly the coolest piece of software ever. If you're a teacher, a student, a writer, or a game master, you owe it to yourself to at least look at this piece of software.Inspiration 8, brainstorming, inspiration, software, reviews

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1145974322917483842006-04-25T09:03:00.000-05:002006-04-25T09:12:03.576-05:00

Truth be told, I've probably been ready to review "Inspiration 8" software for a week now. However, it's so much fun to play with that I keep finding excuses for why I'm not ready yet. I've decided to stop making excuses; I expect to have the review up within a few hours.I should be posting the review of the "Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning" within the week, too. Just trying out a few more

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1145375988547403022006-04-18T10:24:00.000-05:002006-05-09T11:55:01.483-05:00

It's been a long time since I posted my pet peeves and favorite details with regard to World of Warcraft, and the game has changed an awful lot since then. It's constantly being updated with changes and new content. And of course, the server you're on, people you play with, guild you join, etc. have a strong impact on your play experience.New Top Pet Peeves:Self-centered players who think that

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1145373849765659292006-04-18T10:20:00.000-05:002006-04-18T10:24:09.780-05:00

Last week I posted a review of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. I'm close to being able to review the Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning, but I have some more cleaning to do. So far I'm pretty impressed with the authors' formulas and techniques, though. The stove practically sparkles, and given how much cooking we do that's pretty impressive.books, book reviews

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1144834803825167612006-04-12T04:39:00.000-05:002006-04-12T04:40:03.843-05:00

...of Cadbury Egg Cake.Cadbury Cream Eggs

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1144825413272323762006-04-12T01:59:00.000-05:002006-04-12T02:03:33.290-05:00

For all of us self-employed folk, this is an invaluable article on mistakes that self-employed people make. It contains some great advice!Ah, the wonderful discoveries that insomnia and FARK.com lead me to, usually in combination.business, self-employment

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1144771333818133362006-04-11T10:54:00.000-05:002006-04-11T11:02:13.820-05:00

Ordering cleaning supplies: done. Ouch. Remember when you first set up house and you had to get everything at once and wondered how on earth people actually afforded all that cleaning stuff? It's like that. Except a lot of this stuff will last a lot longer than a bottle of Lysol, so at least it won't have to be replaced as often. I had trouble finding a few things, but I did manage for the most

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1144761857197934152006-04-11T08:17:00.000-05:002006-04-11T10:52:21.686-05:00

The "Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning" has me all fired up to give the house a good cleaning--which, yes, it really needs. I've finished the book, but I want to try out the cleanser recipes and a bunch of the tips before I do the actual review. So far, apart from my inability to find a couple of the basic things the authors recommend, I really like the book's suggestions and information.I'm

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1144162084885579272006-04-04T09:43:00.000-05:002006-04-04T09:48:04.923-05:00

Today's review is of Peter Gray and John H. Carroll's Pocket Idiot's Guide to Performance Appraisal Phrases. What does this have to do with the usual topics of our site? Well, two of my fascinations are writing and psychology; in particular, how the two mesh. When you think about it, critiquing a piece of writing really isn't that different from giving a performance appraisal--it's just more

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1144079037279643322006-04-03T10:34:00.000-05:002006-04-03T10:43:57.300-05:00

Since I'm allergic to every sunscreen I've tried (hives suck!) you'd think I'd have the common sense to stay out of the sun. But noooo. [Insert requisite comment here about looking (and feeling) like a baked lobster.]However, I must say that I don't mind so much right now. Why? Because DC has the most gorgeous cherry blossom festival. A bit of a sunburn seems a small price to pay for spending

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1143568246744397972006-03-28T12:35:00.000-05:002006-03-28T12:55:16.530-05:00

I've written well more than 400 reviews over the past six years or so, many of which have been read by the authors or creators of the work I reviewed. This is always where things get tricky.It's very important to me to write honest reviews. They'll always be at least somewhat subjective--I'm human after all--but the important part is that I do my best to explain what I liked and didn't and why,

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1143558979873975632006-03-28T10:09:00.000-05:002006-03-28T10:16:19.900-05:00

Here it is: the review of Writing Children's Books for Dummies. The book is packed full of information, so if you're interested in the topic, check it out.You know, it's hard to type with a cat perched on your shoulder.For Dummies, book reviews, Lisa Rojany Buccieri, Peter Economy

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1143131225599770372006-03-23T11:16:00.000-05:002006-03-23T11:27:05.633-05:00

I thought I'd give folks a little preview of the review books I have in my stack right now.First up, I'm currently reading "Writing Children's Books for Dummies," by Buccieri and Economy. I'm almost done with it, so expect the review soon.Somewhere in here I have a copy of the Writer's Digest "Handbook of Magazine Article Writing All New Second Edition" by Michelle Ruberg.I also received a

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1142873044626949502006-03-20T11:38:00.000-05:002006-03-20T11:44:04.663-05:00

I'm currently reading a book for review, "Writing Children's Books for Dummies." I've read enough "For Dummies" and "Complete Idiot's Guide"s now that I have some observations to make regarding the differences between the two series. In general, the CIGs tend to be more entertaining. This has its own perils, for you have to make sure the entertainment doesn't obscure the useful information (which

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1142551188612439912006-03-16T17:26:00.000-05:002006-03-17T12:33:45.846-05:00

Many years ago (and by that I mean the mid-90s) my web site started out as a small list of links of interest to writers. Now it's the mass of tentacles known as the Burning Void. And those links? Eventually I picked up some automated link software because people kept mailing me their links, and I just didn't have the time to keep up with inputting them all manually. This has brought some of its

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1142444716936827522006-03-15T12:43:00.000-05:002006-03-15T13:11:46.810-05:00

Yes, here it is, the review of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting & Running a Coffee Bar. And I admit, it's a cool book. Entertaining, lively, and very informative. Don't forget, if you want to get an email every so many weeks with an update on what we've posted, you can sign up for our email announcement list.Oh, hey, I almost forgot. 20,000 page views to this blog in just under a year.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1142352213969012602006-03-14T10:55:00.000-05:002006-03-15T13:09:54.646-05:00

I took my first of five doses of the antibiotic Ketek last night (first time I've ever taken it), and--wow. Less than 12 hours later, when I got up for the day, my sinuses and jaw had nearly stopped hurting, chewing didn't hurt any more, the pain in my ear was no longer what I'd classify as agonizing, and I didn't feel nearly as cruddy any more. That's some powerful antibiotic. I've taken a lot

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1142271308020405322006-03-13T12:23:00.000-05:002006-03-13T20:56:54.343-05:00

Well at least now I have a theory for why this dratted cold won't go away. The whole pain-from-ear-through-sinus-and-teeth would seem to indicate a possible sinus infection. So I might end up going to the doctor's later. Blargh.At least I'm working my way through "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting & Running a Coffee Bar," which has some wonderful gems of humor, such as this tidbit: "Creating

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1141924322369903512006-03-09T11:52:00.000-05:002006-03-09T12:17:33.860-05:00

Every now and then I see a letter to 'Dear Abby' from someone's parents that complains that their son-in-law or daughter-in-law is very lazy and doesn't work, and that they don't want to give any money or other support to their daughter or son to help out until the in-law gets a job. When I see that, I can't help thinking, "sure, maybe they are lazy. But has it ever occurred to you that there

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1141748650788816802006-03-07T11:02:00.000-05:002006-03-07T11:28:30.666-05:00

First, there are two more reviews up: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Restaurant, Second Edition, by Howard CannonKaisercast Flora Bundform Pan, 12-cup capacityAnd second, I want to talk about invisible injuries. What do I mean by invisible injuries? I mean injuries (and illnesses) that impede a person's quality of life or ability to do things the way a "normal" person could, yet which

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1141674324084321302006-03-06T14:40:00.000-05:002006-03-06T14:45:24.110-05:00

Yes, I really have posted two new cookbook reviews: The South Beach Diet Cookbook, by Dr. Arthur Agatston, M.D.Barbecue! Bible: Sauces Rubs and Marinades, by Steven RaichlenI have another book I'm looking forward to reviewing, as well as some kitchen equipment, but I think it's time for a nap. It was a busy weekend, and although I am recovering from that cold, it's slow going. (*cough, hack,

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1141316774382389492006-03-02T11:13:00.000-05:002006-03-02T11:26:14.420-05:00

Penny Arcade's comic making a scatalogical donut joke in reference to Sony Online Entertainment (disgusting yet hilarious) was met with a unique retaliation: 1,200 Krispy Kreme donuts. Now that has style! I don't know who thought of doing that, but they have a sense of humor, and they have a real understanding of how PR works.I'm still spending plenty of sleepless nights (I don't know what it is

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1141138724374168772006-02-28T09:54:00.000-05:002006-02-28T09:58:44.396-05:00

Okay, these are just plain cool: T-shirts for your mental disorder! I love it!I am, however, tired of getting colds. This is my second one this year and it's only February. Once again, my husband gets sick for a week, then it's my turn. I keep trying to cough up a lung. I'm really hoping I don't make our houseguest sick, who was very impressed by the fact that I apparently attempted to sneeze up

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1140573834900932002006-02-21T20:57:00.000-05:002006-02-21T21:03:54.923-05:00

One of the groups of folks we briefly met at Katsucon this weekend was the group from Mac Hall. They have an awesome set of T-shirts; I grabbed the "Littlest Elder God" shirt while I was there, as well as the obligatory Slackers shirt, and am trying to keep myself from spending the money on the cracked smile shirt (maybe in a few months...). I finally got to meet some of my Warcraft guildies, who

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1139928550429471232006-02-14T09:47:00.000-05:002006-02-14T09:49:10.470-05:00

I just posted a review of The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide (revised). IMO it isn't a vitally necessary book if you're going to follow the diet, but it's certainly darn useful!South Beach, diet, carbs

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1139768119175903222006-02-12T13:04:00.000-05:002006-02-12T13:17:38.976-05:00

Thanks to Fark I found a funky little blog entry on how to take a caffeine nap. Apparently the deal is that a cup of coffee followed by a 15-minute nap clears the sleepiness from your system and leaves you nice and alert. MIT students, rejoice!At any rate, this also led me to the general blog this came from, called Achieve-IT!, which discusses tips and tools for goal-setting and motivation. I'm

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1139310990929349892006-02-07T06:02:00.000-05:002006-02-07T07:22:43.766-05:00

It's kind of frustrating what having ADD, bipolar, anxiety, and PTSD will do to you. I have a ton of things that I always want to do, really want to do, but actually doing them can be like trying to climb a mountain, at night, in the snow. I've become very much in-tune with my feelings of energy and motivation. There are times when I have none at all. There are times when I can get so much done

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138962444519963292006-02-03T05:25:00.000-05:002006-02-03T05:27:24.540-05:00

Last night I needed something to do while my husband was on a business call, and reading through the entirety of the Chisuji archives made an hour go by in the blink of an eye. When I caught up to the present I found myself going, "no! What happens next?!" The story is very compelling and beatifully interwoven, and I can't wait to see more!Chisuji, anime, comics, web comic

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138905961864708692006-02-02T13:43:00.000-05:002006-02-02T14:15:18.560-05:00

Today I discovered a new, anime-style webcomic called Chisuji. It turns out that someone I occasionally play with in World of Warcraft works on it. Please check it out--I started reading it from the beginning and couldn't stop![Edited to add: Chisuji is also available in print. I gave in and ordered the first four issues.]Chisuji, anime, comics, web comic

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138729085372647462006-01-31T12:35:00.000-05:002006-01-31T12:38:05.393-05:00

I posted a review of Dr. Arthur Agatston's The South Beach Diet, soon to be followed by reviews of a couple of related books, including the South Beach Cookbook. It's a slightly long review, but I felt the book deserved some real detail.South Beach, diet, book reviews, Agatston

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138618098376902072006-01-30T05:39:00.000-05:002006-01-30T05:48:18.376-05:00

Two writing exercises posted in as many weeks! Will wonders never cease!Poke through some map collections, or pick out a favored map. Preferably look for something with a bit of character--some detailed terrain, old-style "here be dragons"-type stuff, and so on. Even better, go for a map of someplace you're totally unfamiliar with, whether it's a real-world location or a fantasy realm. Spend a

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138617343686823952006-01-30T05:31:00.000-05:002006-01-30T05:35:43.703-05:00

Okay, this is just cool. Check out this World of Warcraft map. It includes terrain, resource nodes, and locations. It's a bit slow (perhaps because it got Farked), but it's definitely useful to WoW players!World of Warcraft, Azeroth

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138384416638671032006-01-27T12:51:00.000-05:002006-01-27T12:53:36.640-05:00

I know it's been a little while since I posted a writer's exercise, but here you go:Imagine the worst, most useless, yet expensive gift someone could possibly give you (or a fictional character of yours). Write about it. Freewrite, write up the scene in which the person received it as a gift, or use it in a story or other structured piece of writing.writing, writer, writing exercise, writing

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138383965179520892006-01-27T12:42:00.000-05:002006-01-27T12:47:30.736-05:00

I received a catalog of "innovative gifts" in the mail, and after looking through it with some mild curiosity, I was... appalled. Horrified? Maybe just mind-boggled. Truly this is a catalog for the person who has so much money that they don't know what to spend it on. And while I, like nearly everyone else, aspire to someday reach that point, I like to think I'll be able to find something more

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138309182690733712006-01-26T15:56:00.000-05:002006-01-26T16:00:37.633-05:00

I admit, I would love to have one of these knife blocks in my kitchen, just because... well, because I'm morbid, really. Although if I want one I guess I'll have to get my mother to translate from the site of the Dutch manufacturer!knife block, morbid

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138296859533664532006-01-26T12:30:00.000-05:002006-01-26T12:34:19.556-05:00

I posted a review of the Microplane 36030 Grater Gift Set. I highly recommend it--we use it literally every day, particularly now that we go through so much cheese on this diet.I have a handful more reviews I need to write, including one for a bundform pan, a guard for the Rosle grater I reviewed last month, and some books. Coming soon!Microplane, grater, kitchenware, cookware, reviews

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138127993528159232006-01-24T13:34:00.000-05:002006-01-24T13:39:53.530-05:00

Last Friday was the final day of Phase I on the South Beach diet for my husband and myself. Sadly the flu botched our plans for finally getting back to the gym during his vacation, but at least we did well on the diet. My hypoglycemia symptoms seem to be gone. I lost less weight than Dr. Agatston says you should on phase one, but my husband lost more, and this has always been typical for us in

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1138127533149087052006-01-24T13:29:00.000-05:002006-01-24T13:32:13.170-05:00

Yes, PopCap Games finally put out Bejeweled 2 Deluxe for the Mac! I loved Bejeweled, and 2 has so many more nifty features. The music is absolutely awesome. The graphics are gorgeous. And I just love those exploding cubes, not to mention the secret modes you can unlock. As always their games are cheap ($20), so download, try it out for free, and if you like it, support them!Bejeweled, PopCap Mac

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1137866050961678602006-01-21T12:47:00.000-05:002006-01-21T13:01:13.576-05:00

I received a most amusing email recently, in which someone first insulted my website and then went on to offer to help me out with it--for a fee, of course. To which my reply was, "I hope you will allow me to share with you something that all freelancers must learn eventually. Never, ever write a solicitation to a company or person saying that their work sucks and you can make it better. It may

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1137719966831154322006-01-19T20:09:00.000-05:002006-01-19T20:22:24.656-05:00

One of my teeth has been sore for a short time now, and I found out on Tuesday that it was a cracked tooth. Not something I've ever had before; my dentistry is limited to a handful of fillings I got during one patch of time as a kid. Apparently that particular tooth was mostly filling, so it isn't too surprising that it cracked eventually. This meant it was time to get a crown. Our new dentist (

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1137508419995829912006-01-17T09:24:00.000-05:002006-01-17T09:33:40.016-05:00

A Sense of Taste: One of the things I find most surprising about phase I of the South Beach Diet is the way it has changed my sense of taste. Not simply my preferences, but actively how things taste to me.I've often seen dieters offer their diet treats to non-dieters with words like, "you can't tell the difference!" and "it tastes just like regular [insert name of food here]!" While this is true

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1137462822458607772006-01-16T20:43:00.000-05:002006-01-16T20:53:42.510-05:00

We're entering the second week of the only two week vacation that I think my husband has ever taken. So you can imagine that we're not thrilled about the fact that he spent last week sick, and now I seem to be spending this week sick with the same thing. It's hard to sleep when I'm sick, particularly when I feel like I'm drowning continually (post-nasal drip sucks), so I think I got about 4 hours

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1137245606343822522006-01-14T08:28:00.000-05:002006-01-14T08:34:11.563-05:00

Well my chocolate cravings are settling down to a manageable level, which means I'm snacking less and have actually started to lose weight. We're tearing through lettuce for salads, as well as tomatoes, at an insane rate, and using a fair amount of salad dressing as a result. We're also going through those Baby Bel lite cheeses from Laughing Cow very, very quickly, and we've learned to keep

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1136999925998624982006-01-11T12:10:00.000-05:002006-01-11T12:18:46.016-05:00

I had to give in yesterday and try a sugar-free gum; when we went to the store the chocolate craving hit so hard I wasn't sure I'd be able to get through the two weeks without something sweet. I picked a gum that was mostly sweetened with Xylitol and Sorbitol rather than Aspartame (it has a slight bit of Aspartame, but not too much) to minimize the aftertaste. It's helping. I just make sure not

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1136905013716941212006-01-10T09:14:00.000-05:002006-01-10T09:56:53.760-05:00

The word "farmer" in reference to World of Warcraft has been so misused and abused that it has lost most of its meaning. It has become like the epithet "noob"--it's mostly used to refer to anyone who annoys someone.It used to mean something, and I think it was (and still is, to some people) a useful distinction. It originally referred to people who "farmed" (collected) items and gold for resale

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1136899728457107452006-01-10T08:14:00.000-05:002006-01-10T08:30:58.516-05:00

My husband finally got to take his vacation, so we took the plunge Saturday morning and started that South Beach Diet. It's a good thing I started reading the book at my doctor's office before I saw their web page or I wouldn't have taken a second look. The book is level-headed and well-reasoned; the web site is hyperbolic and faddish.In phase 1, which lasts for two weeks, you go without sugar or

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1136312174460889342006-01-03T12:59:00.000-05:002006-01-03T13:16:14.480-05:00

Unfortunately my husband's work schedule got so hectic toward the end of the year that the diet and exercise kind of went by the wayside, and I expect that's part of the reason why I haven't gotten so much done of late. I have a lot more energy when we're being good about such things.I was at the doctor's recently and ended up waiting in his office for quite a while as he dealt with an unexpected

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1136307275124002172006-01-03T11:16:00.000-05:002006-01-03T11:54:35.280-05:00

I have come to the conclusion that military personnel make great World of Warcraft players--generally speaking, at least. Most of the best and most fun experiences I've had in WoW have involved military personnel to at least some extent.That guild I was in had a good share of military folk, and they were some of the most friendly, supportive, level-headed, and dedicated people there. This weekend

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1135259687400583082005-12-22T08:41:00.000-05:002005-12-22T08:54:47.433-05:00

For those who are wondering why I haven't emailed them in a few days, it's the constant headaches and mild nausea making it difficult to really think. I have a very sensitive (oversensitive, really) sense of smell, so I tend to assume I'm overreacting when I smell some fumes. I shouldn't have doubted what I was smelling. We had an oil leak, so there are in fact fumes in the house. There's someone

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1135084372939612292005-12-20T07:57:00.000-05:002005-12-20T11:51:21.673-05:00

Raw Cat Food: The raw food diet is going well with the cats. I've found ours definitely eat well more than the estimates I read, probably because they're the stereotypical high-metabolism high-activity Cornish Rex cats. In fact, I estimate that they go through about half a pound of raw critter each per day. I wasn't totally satisfied with ordering from Oma's Pride--it seemed like a few too many

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1134727195984035672005-12-16T04:45:00.000-05:002005-12-16T04:59:56.003-05:00

I'm getting more and more blunt in my old age, so I'm not going to pull any punches in this little writeup. I kind of feel like we got scammed in this guild merger thing. Actually, you can take out the "kind of" there.Our guild master spent about a half-hour on the phone with the other guild master making sure his idea of where our guilds should go was in line with our guild's history and ideals.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1134492773966554782005-12-13T11:47:00.000-05:002005-12-13T11:53:49.330-05:00

When merging guilds there's a certain amount of trepidation involved. What if it doesn't work out? What if that other guild turns out to suck? Well so far I'm pretty happy with the new guild. There's the usual (and expected) run of things to go through like unexpected differences in how the two old guilds did things, and the like. But it's great to see how readily everyone's just joining together

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1134142091090178252005-12-09T10:19:00.000-05:002005-12-09T11:28:45.413-05:00

I finally created my promised What to Buy Your Favorite Cook for the Holidays 2005 buying guide. It includes some fun gadgets and conversation items, some good-quality kitchenware basics, and some wonderful cookbooks. I also mailed out an update of the latest round of kitchenware reviews.Not much else going on. I'm all sleepy right now, so I'm working on a mug of Hellfire Mocha and muddling my

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1134117067055260272005-12-09T03:18:00.000-05:002005-12-09T03:31:07.086-05:00

PvP (Player versus Player) servers for World of Warcraft can bring out some of the best and worst in players. Sadly, all too often it brings out the worst.After playing on a PvP server since May of this year, and having played on PvE servers since February, I've come to the conclusion that there are two major categories of people who choose and prefer to play on a PvP server. One is competitive

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1134064329611960412005-12-08T12:46:00.000-05:002005-12-08T12:54:10.906-05:00

Today I have two more reviews to keep you occupied: the Cuisipro silicone paddle whisk and the Emile Henry Flame Top stew pot (1.9 qt). Tomorrow I'm hoping to write that 2005 "What to get your favorite cook for the holidays" guide, including nifty specialty items, good-quality basics, and some must-have cookbooks.And yes, I have yet another cup of Hellfire Mocha next to me as I type this!Cuisipro

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133986790141787252005-12-07T15:14:00.000-05:002005-12-07T15:31:17.020-05:00

Buckle up--it's time for some of the most amazing hot chocolate drinks you've ever had in your entire life. Try the white hot chocolate, or the hellfire hot chocolate. Go for something with an alcoholic kick, or maybe even tarragon (tarragon?!). Hands-down the best cookbook of the year as far as I'm concerned. Buy this one for your favorite chocoholic for the holidays.I was going to write another

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133906633791317372005-12-06T17:01:00.000-05:002005-12-06T17:12:57.430-05:00

Thank you to Elfcrusher for posting the link to Something Awful's How to Properly Enjoy World of Warcraft. I just about died laughing. And lest you think they're being facetious, that really is how many people act![Edited to add: Here's another great article by the same guy, The Art of Warcraft: A Year in Review.]World of Warcraft, warcraft

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133888545545149022005-12-06T11:54:00.000-05:002005-12-06T12:02:25.566-05:00

We have some interesting philosophies in our World of Warcraft guild. We view the community as being more important than any one individual, and we're fairly protective of our community. It's a great group of people and we really love it.It certainly isn't for everyone. Many people just want to get to end-game content as fast as possible and get their toys and aren't particularly concerned with

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133872622108273662005-12-06T07:31:00.000-05:002005-12-06T07:37:02.126-05:00

That sounds like a great title for a surreal short story, doesn't it? "The Foodloop and the Toddy Cafe." Instead, it's a pair of reviews.First, the Toddy Cafe cold brew coffee system. I'm still happily enjoying this item, and have tossed the traditional hot brew drip-method coffee maker in a box.Second, the Foodloop. It's a funky little "trussing tool" that's kind of like food-grade twine, but

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133801764892157722005-12-05T11:53:00.000-05:002005-12-05T11:56:04.926-05:00

I'm going to have to scare up some time to go through this list of food blogs and do some reading. Darn it! I have enough time-sinks to occupy me already!food, cooking, blogs

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133799103612204262005-12-05T11:05:00.000-05:002005-12-05T11:11:43.646-05:00

Okay, the first reviews of the week are already up. The first is a review of the 9" and 10" Kaiser La Forme Springform Pans. I've had these things for years and they make cheesecakes a breeze.The second is a review of the Rösle Julienne Slicer with Box Attachment. The box attachment is very cool, but I still bear a mild scar from researching the slicer.I'm hoping to do the Toddy Cafe review this

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133749882285088192005-12-04T21:27:00.000-05:002005-12-05T04:36:34.146-05:00

The "Hot Chocolate" cookbook is quite something. It has a recipe in it for hot white chocolate that is to die for. And I do not use those italics lightly. The entire book's purchase price is worth it for that one little recipe. Wow. It is hands-down the best hot chocolate (or cocoa) recipe my husband or I have ever tasted.One more recipe and we'll be ready to review that cookbook!In the meantime,

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133556542711790382005-12-02T15:44:00.000-05:002005-12-02T22:28:20.613-05:00

Here's a brief preview of what's coming up in terms of kitchen-related reviews: The Kaiser springform pan, 9" and 10" (just need to write the review)A Kaiser bundt pan (mmm... bundt cake this weekend)The Toddy Cafe cold-brew coffee system (just need to finish trying the pre-made concentrates they sent along with the system)A Rosle slicer/grater with box attachment (just need to do some more

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133541610164127042005-12-02T11:31:00.000-05:002005-12-02T11:41:42.760-05:00

I'm sure that I remember lulu.com's terms, the last time I looked at them (ages ago), being not-so-great. Now they seem to have some pretty good terms regarding the author retaining copyright, how they go about setting their commission on PDFs, and so on. So perhaps I'll go that way when doing future PDFs. It looks like I could set the price as low as I want; for example, if I just wanted to get

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133453409148225182005-12-01T11:02:00.000-05:002005-12-01T11:11:02.060-05:00

This morning I posted reviews of the Cuisipro Roast and Serve and SiliconeZone Muffin Cups. I feel so productive. I still have the Toddy Cafe cold-brew system to review; I'm ready to review the system itself but need to try the last of the concentrates they sent along. I have a couple more pieces of kitchenware to review after that, and somewhere in here I'm putting together my 2005 gift-buying

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133351345427849132005-11-30T06:40:00.000-05:002005-12-01T12:46:23.113-05:00

This morning I reviewed the Cuisipro Pastry Brush. It's a surprising and useful reinvention of the pastry brush--a totally new design that brings new utility to an old tool.Either today or tomorrow I expect to put up another review; I'm ready to review another three kitchen items.We tried out a hot chocolate review cookbook last night. The first recipe nearly killed us. It was so completely,

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133347292517204482005-11-30T05:32:00.000-05:002005-11-30T05:41:32.536-05:00

Wow. When I put up the character questionnaire download, I wasn't expecting to see it get downloaded more than 350 times in less than two days. There seems to be quite the audience for such things. I put it up for free because I couldn't see charging more than a dollar or two for a roughly 30-page document that wasn't professionally laid out, and the effort involved in finding a good way to

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133278008622456432005-11-29T10:22:00.000-05:002005-12-01T12:47:05.790-05:00

I finally put up a new site update. I also produced volume 6 issue 6 of the Twilight Time zine, an issue on using Character Questions for Roleplayers, to complement the pdf of 365 Character Questions for Writers and Roleplayers. In addition, the first of the latest crop of kitchenware reviews is up: the Microplane "the Better" Box Grater.Enjoy!writing roleplaying kitchenware

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133200912763640112005-11-28T12:55:00.000-05:002005-12-01T12:47:45.986-05:00

Do you enjoy writers' exercises? Do you love answering questions on behalf of your characters, whether for your writing or for your roleplaying? Well, we finally produced a pdf ebook called "365 Character Questions for Writers and Roleplayers." And it's free. No tricks, no hype, and very little fine print--you can download it, you can forward it to other people, all without paying a dime. I just

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133111588388626292005-11-27T12:12:00.000-05:002005-11-27T12:13:08.406-05:00

I had a little spare time, so I put the menu up. Yes, we went completely crazy this year.

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1133101150636422742005-11-27T08:25:00.000-05:002005-11-27T12:14:18.986-05:00

Let's see... our dishwasher stopped draining and started flooding; that was exciting. We have a repair person coming out on Monday. Thankfully it happened after dinner on our next-to-last round of dishes, but it still sucks.We made virtually everything. We saved two desserts to make today/during the week just because we were so full we couldn't have eaten them anyway (and we'd rather make them

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132976969876651112005-11-25T22:46:00.000-05:002005-11-25T22:49:29.876-05:00

*groan* I'm done for... Pumpkin pie with pecan pastry, blueberry/cranberry pie, dough for dinner rolls, mixed dry ingredients for all sorts of recipes tomorrow, and a bunch of things I'm too tired to even remember any more. Although I do remember that somewhere in there we named the turkey Edgar. (Don't ask.)Oh, and yeah, during a break I did change my blog template, in case you've been here

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132926274938815382005-11-25T08:37:00.000-05:002005-11-25T08:45:19.020-05:00

Yes, we're still going. Last night we made spiced peach gravy, using one of our review items (an Emile Henry casserole dish) for the first time. We made coffee-cocoa marshmallows, which gave us a chance to play with the pastry brush that Cuisipro sent--nifty item that I'm looking forward to reviewing. We made beet soup, braised lentils with bacon, gravy base, and a crust for the coconut cream

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132746522093647852005-11-23T06:42:00.000-05:002005-11-23T06:48:42.110-05:00

We ended up making white chocolate cupcakes from our favorite white chocolate cookbook. This is the first cake recipe I've tried that uses one of those high-butter icings that I've truly loved. The icing is cloud-like, airy and delicate, perfectly balanced by the white chocolate, which keeps the butter from feeling at all heavy or greasy.We also made the brine for the turkey so it'll have time to

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132683483152865592005-11-22T13:05:00.000-05:002005-11-22T13:18:03.180-05:00

I got pinned down by Selene again this morning, so I validated the links from roughly the first third of the link directory and weeded out a good handful of dead links. Then I made pecan brittle from my favorite caramel cookbook. We've made this recipe a handful of times and every single time it comes out perfectly to-die-for. We plan to also make a coconut cream pie from the same cookbook this

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132601905124334242005-11-21T14:29:00.000-05:002005-11-21T14:38:25.156-05:00

I should be making orange chocolate chip bread. Instead I finally updated our link directory! You can thank Selene, who has pinned me to the couch and demanded that I sit still for the last few hours. Who am I to argue with a very soft and fuzzy cat?Why does the link directory not get updated as often as it should? I actually have a very easy answer to that--because too many of the people who

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132497940918099142005-11-20T09:39:00.000-05:002005-11-20T09:47:39.296-05:00

All of the ice creams (including the berry sorbet) have been made, and I am in heaven. Most of the cookies have been made; there are just a couple left to take care of tonight. Yesterday we didn't actually cook, but we did do most of the rest of our grocery shopping. I believe we ended up with a 22 lb turkey. It was supposed to be my job to rein in my husband's impulse to buy the biggest turkey

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132241737646462292005-11-17T10:28:00.000-05:002005-11-17T10:36:31.646-05:00

The new KitchenAid hand mixer works great so far; I know we'll be putting it through a much greater beating before we're done. Like the last model I owned it has wire beaters instead of blade, which makes them easier to clean and less likely to get stuck or slowed by a mix, but this one has 9 speeds instead of 7.I just made the simple syrup for the berry-rose water sorbet from the Celebrate!

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132197655699937662005-11-16T22:09:00.000-05:002005-11-16T22:20:55.726-05:00

I made it through the white chocolate ice cream with bittersweet chocolate shavings. I made it through the s'mores crisps (cookies), which are kind of graham cracker crumbs, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips glued together with butter and baked until the marshmallows start to melt and caramelize. YUM! That's about when I hit the floor--figuratively--feeling like I was coming down with

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132153113410305662005-11-16T09:51:00.000-05:002005-11-16T09:58:33.440-05:00

Yes, it's day four of our holiday cooking spree. Yesterday we made oatmeal crunch ice cream--which was surprisingly amazing--and rocky road treats. The mixer actually arrived yesterday, which amazes me; the estimated arrival time was up to five business days, yet it arrived within 24 hours. how often does that happen?! Today I'll be making white and dark chocolate ice cream (white chocolate ice

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1132021422227122622005-11-14T21:16:00.000-05:002005-11-14T21:23:42.250-05:00

Well in good news the mixer is due to arrive Wednesday (which judging by UPS' recent history means Wednesday or Thursday); it shipped today even though I was told it could take up to two days. This is great, since it means I'll only be without a hand mixer for two days' worth of cooking.Speaking of which, the cardamom cookies came out wonderfully. I ate too many. The honey ice cream is also

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1131991157261546492005-11-14T12:57:00.000-05:002005-11-14T12:59:17.293-05:00

I think every darn year that we make a feast something breaks, or at least close to it. A couple of years ago it was our stove; thankfully this time it was "just" a hand mixer. I've ordered a replacement; hopefully it'll get here soon. In the meantime, well, I may not be able to get to the gym this week, but at least I'm getting a workout. Luckily I have a good sense for how I can use my arms

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1131979818682421142005-11-14T09:43:00.000-05:002005-11-14T09:52:35.523-05:00

Yes, the cooking for Turkey Day has officially started. So far we've made creme Anglaise ice cream, coconut banana ice cream with mini chocolate chips, and oatmeal raisin walnut cookies. (All things that freeze/store well.) Today I'm tentatively planning on making honey ice cream and cardamom cookies. The first two ice cream recipes come from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book; as much as I tried to

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1131648934467217932005-11-10T13:50:00.000-05:002005-11-10T13:55:34.486-05:00

It is unfortunate that all of the things that sometimes interfere with my ability to work are so unpredictable. I don't know when ADD will make it tough for me to concentrate; when bipolar will make me moody and unable to deal; when my tendonitis will act up and make it tough for me to type.But I think I'm heading into another round of being able to get work done. My arms have been better lately

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1131530765807901152005-11-09T05:00:00.000-05:002005-11-09T05:06:05.833-05:00

It's that time of year again--no, not time to rake up the leaves, although come to think of it... Anyway, it's time to donate to Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity, which helps gamers everywhere to give toys and games to children's hospitals around the world to make sick children's lives a little more fun for the holidays. Please take a few moments to make a donation. Last year, if I recall

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1131463667378600402005-11-08T10:22:00.000-05:002005-11-08T10:36:12.653-05:00

Well I can hear the ice cream maker, chilling a batch of "creme anglaise" ice cream from the ultimate ice cream book. Judging by the taste of the mix, it's going to be amazing. Maybe later I'll see if I have the ingredients in the house to go ahead and make the white and dark chocolate ice cream recipe from the same cookbook.I still have to finish picking recipes for our thanksgiving feast. I got

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1131385772786077302005-11-07T12:41:00.000-05:002005-11-07T12:51:53.560-05:00

Well now that we have our 16.7 cubic foot freezer, I seem to have gone a little crazy. Okay, "crazier than usual" might be more accurate.First off, since we now have lots of freezer room, why not make our own ice cream again? We finally have room to freeze the bowl of the ice cream maker. And why make only one flavor for your Thanksgiving feast when you can make, uh, how about six? After all,

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1130860104793612822005-11-01T10:31:00.000-05:002005-11-01T17:19:50.866-05:00

Oh right... so now that we're dieting, how do we keep from breaking our diets and regaining all our weight when we do a turkey day feast? Well, there are quite a few things we do.First, we plan to make sure to get a lot of exercise that week--we plan to hit the gym every day and work out quite hard, even on the days when we're cooking. We plan to eat lightly the entire week ahead of time. But

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1130858681747451302005-11-01T09:56:00.000-05:002005-11-01T10:26:58.060-05:00

We don't get many trick-or-treaters, which means I get to hand out huge fistsful of candy. I enjoy that. There's always gotta be someone on the block who hands out a single penny or unbuttered, unsalted popcorn, so you figure someone has to make up for that. Why not us?We don't do a lot of decorating for holidays. The only reason I did any at all was so people would know we were handing out candy

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1130146026995349892005-10-24T03:56:00.000-05:002005-10-24T04:32:47.766-05:00

I can respect different viewpoints than mine, as long as the person with the different viewpoint isn't trying to declare that theirs is the god's own truth, as it were. Take play-styles in World of Warcraft. I know that my way of playing--to have fun, rather than to amass the most "stuff"--isn't shared by plenty of people. I respect that other people want their non-existent toys, and think it's

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170571.post-1129886873883152452005-10-21T04:22:00.000-05:002005-10-21T08:57:52.770-05:00

Okay, so I knew at the time that flower-planting wasn't entirely wise. Especially for three continuous hours yesterday in an effort to get all the bulbs in the ground before it rained. This morning I can't entirely close the fingers on my right hand because they're swollen. And oh do I hurt.But was it worth it? Hell yeah.We haven't gotten to do much with the house yet. This is one of the first

Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11672200387650541865noreply@blogger.com0