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Having recently returned from a cruise to Alaska celebrating my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary, I remembered a friend who had remarked that I would be amazed because I was taking a trip to God's country. I've heard those two words before. As a child, my uncle would say the same words when he was heading into the mountains of Utah on a hunting trip. My local friends here in Denver say the same thing when they head into the Rocky Mountains. I could site more examples, but you get the picture.
DENVER, CO - The question is, why do people say this? What is God's country? Usually it's said when someone is escaping the hustle and bustle of the big city and moving away from the noise that surrounds our daily lives. We leave the concrete jungle and move into nature, trading skyscrapers and freeways for mountains or forests. We trade the work of human hands for the handiwork of our Creator. We seek God in His glory through what He created. Why do we do this? It's part of who we are as a creation of God. How do we know this?
It's in the first part of the Catechism, 'The world: starting from movement, contingency, and the world's order an beauty, one can come to a knowledge of God as the origin and the end of the universe.'
Pray the Rosary and give thanks to God
The first time I ever read those words, I was siting on a stone jetty that protruded out into the Gulf of Mexico. Surrounded by the crashing waves, looking at the white puffy clouds against the blue sky and the sun radiating above, I knew that I was sitting in a perfect place to experience Him. While there exists many ways to seek God, nature remains an awesome way to do so. Can we find Him in what man has made? Of course.
Throughout the centuries mankind has been prolific in creating works of art and architecture, both religious and secular. We marvel at the skill it took to build the Pyramids in Egypt, the first Christian
cathedral in Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia, or any number of icons or paintings of Jesus or the saints. No visit to Paris is complete without seeing the Mona Lisa. However, taking the time to experience God's country is an opportunity to be closer to Him.
The Catechism continues by quoting St. Paul:
'Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.'
Seeing His majesty displayed in Alaska was an experience I will not forget. Acting as His finger, you can still the massive glaciers that carved the fjords. If you get close enough the cracking ice thunders through the air. Mountains line the coasts as waterfalls deposit melting snow back into the ocean.
Perhaps it is different for each person, but for me, being surrounded by God's handiwork gives me an appreciation for the impressiveness of His Creation. It allows me to look around and open my heart to Him and know that everything around me was not an accident or just happened to come into being. The world had a creator who authored what we see around us. The beauty we find in the mountains,
forests, flowers or whatever landscape you happen too be in are there for us to experience the Divine. It's an elegant proof that we are not alone, and He is inviting us into His presence and glory.
Do you have to go to Alaska to experience this? No, but it was a great trip. What I find amusing is that the US Forest Service is running radio ads across the country attempting to entice teens to visit andexperience the wonders of the forest in hopes of creating lifelong nature lovers.
Please don't tell Forest Service that what they are really doing is inviting teens into God's backyard.
Light a Virtual Candle and say a heartfelt prayer
By Jackie Stammen
Our pride likes to tell us that the good within us is because we are so great on our own accord. As we allow ourselves to increase, and God to decrease our egos inflate and we become convinced and deceived that we are actually the center of our own universe and we ... continue reading
By Chaplain Adele M. Gill
Life is chock-full of surprises; some are blessings, while others may be challenges. Our friend's son and his wife just learned yesterday that they are facing a serious medical challenge. He was just diagnosed yesterday with an aggressive melanoma, just days before the ... continue reading
By Jackie Stammen
You can't be everything to everybody. In fact, you can't be everything to any one single person. It's just not going to happen... simply because you're only human. NASHVILLE, TN - Do you ever feel like you're in the middle of a figurative human tug-of-war where you're ... continue reading
By Jackie Stammen
A friend and I were having dinner and talking about life, our past, and our future. NASHVILLE, TN - There was a pause and then he said something to the effect of, 'I'm not sure anyone will want my aftermath.'I could relate all too well, and that's why my response ... continue reading
By Tara K. E. Brelinsky
Fingering the rosary, I thought about how it would forever be tethered in my memory to Adam's funeral and to that thoughtful stranger who entered my life for only a few minutes. I reflected on how a connection, even though brief, leaves behind an imprint capable ... continue reading
By James Littleton
Mothers are by far the most beautiful creatures in the world. There is nothing more beautiful than a mother. There has never been a beauty pageant winner more beautiful than a pregnant woman. A pregnant woman glows with the grace of God. She is one with God. Her love ... continue reading
By Jackie Stammen
Encourage others to become who they were created to become, not who YOU want them to become. NASHVILLE, TN - About a half a year ago I wrote this thought down on a piece of paper with the intention for it to be a blog post...eventually. In light of my last two posts, ... continue reading
By by Justin Soutar
Thirteen years ago, America suffered a coordinated and devastating terrorist assault by wicked agents of a Middle Eastern foreign power. Today America is again under attack-not just by violent religious fanatics from without, but by the forces of immorality and radical ... continue reading
By Mary Botha
There is a feeling that every parent, at one point or another has nightmares about. That cold, lost helpless feeling...almost like drowning, but then they get to wake up. I clearly remember the day my husband and I felt that feeling. Only our nightmare, we did not get ... continue reading
By Wendy RN., BA, MBA
Every year I pull out my favorite fish recipes that I save for Lenten Friday meals. Here are my top 5 that I love. I know that your families will love them too! LOS ANGELES, CA - Here are my top 5 favorite fish recipes that can be prepared in 30 min. or less.Feel free ... continue reading


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Smoking The E-Liquid Buying Guide for Australian Vapers Stop Smoking | November 10, 2014 What is an electronic cigarette after all? The first thing you need to know is how an electronic cigarette works. This is the first step in understanding what to buy. The Read More
Stop Smoking Demonizing E-Cigs Is Not the Superlative Solution Stop Smoking | September 12, 2014 The Western Australia e-cigarette business is expanding. More and more people are now looking at these solutions as a good alternative to smoking because thousands are looking to Read More
Stop Smoking E-Cigarettes: Australia Glossary of Terms Stop Smoking | September 12, 2014 E-cigarettes in South Australia SA are popular but will also have a bright future. It isn't hard to see these do have a big future ahead of them Read More
Stop Smoking Electronic Cigarette – Australians Enjoy Everywhere Stop Smoking | September 12, 2014 An e-cigarette in Australia has certainly become the latest trend as more search for ways to give up smoking. Smoking is of course bad for your health, everyone Read More
Stop Smoking iTaste Electronic Cigarette Released In Australia Stop Smoking | September 12, 2014 Smoke juice in Australia has become very popular! Today, people want to find bigger and better ways to give up smoking and find a healthier alternative. Of Read More
Stop Smoking An Electronic Cigarette Is an Excellent Way to Quit Smoking Stop Smoking | September 12, 2014 Many don't think about using an ecigarette Australia when they're giving up smoking. Smoking has become a bad habit but now millions of people want to give their Read More
Stop Smoking Men Smoking Cigars Stop Smoking | September 12, 2014 Even before it became pop culture, men smoking cigar was more alluded of patrician lifestyle, a definite upper class leisure that can sometimes be thought as only Read More
Stop Smoking Famous Cigars Stop Smoking | September 12, 2014 Famous cigars are so much like wine. Even though cigar choices are always subject of preference, a personal experience derived from smoking the cigar, there would always be Read More
Stop Smoking Cusano Cigars – A Tasteful Smoking Experience Stop Smoking | September 12, 2014 Cusano cigars are handmade premium cigars - and the company is proud of the taste its cigars have. These Cusano cigars are available mild to full-bodied. Cusano cigars Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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Scotland says no to independence. Now what?
Interview by
Sep 19, 2014
The "no's" have it: the United Kingdom is still united as a kingdom.
Will the Scottish referendum come down to 'Braveheart' or cool head ?
Sep 17, 2014
Opponents of Scottish independence say emotion is getting the better of independence supporters.
Scotland's currency dilemma
Sep 15, 2014
UK politicians say if Scotland becomes independent, it can no longer use the pound.
What's the future of the referendum industry after Prop 8?
Jun 27, 2013
After yesterday's Supreme Court decision, the same sex marriage ban in California, Prop 8, is effectively no more. So what's the future of referenda in the wake of the high court decision?


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Dumb and Dumber Orange Tuxedo Costume
In Stock & Ready to Ship
Complete the Look!
Dumb and Dumber Harry Dunne Blue Tuxedo Deluxe Adult Mens Costume
Item# 7089196
Reg. Price $79.99
The party will only start when you walk in wearing the officially licensed Dumb and Dumber Orange Tuxedo Costume. This vibrant orange jacket comes complete with a matching hat, dickie, cummerbund and matching pants. Dressing up like Lloyd Christmas has never been easier.
- Officially Licensed Dumb and Dumber Orange Tuxedo Costume includes:
- Hat
- Jacket
- Dickie
- Cummerbund
- Pants
- Cane and footwear not included
- Materials:
- 100% Polyester
- Wash/Care Instructions:
- Intended for 1 time use
- Do not wash
Additional Product Information:
All Reviews
Already own it? Write a Review
Displaying Reviews 1-2 of 2Back to Top
Great costume
Authentic Looking, Comfortable, Fits Well, Lots of Fun, Unique
Best Uses:
Costume Party
Describe Yourself:
Classic, Conservative
Was this a gift?:
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
I used this costume to MC two halloween parties. It was awesome, I had a great time.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes / No- Is this review inappropriate?.
[2 of 5 customers found this review helpful]
Authentic Looking, Comfortable, Fits Well, Unique
Best Uses:
Costume Party, Wear To School/Work
Describe Yourself:
Was this a gift?:
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
We all wear orange on Fridays at work to celebrate "Orange you glad its Friday". This year Halloween in on Friday and this costume is perfect.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes / No- Is this review inappropriate?.
Displaying Reviews 1-2 of 2Back to Top
- All deliveries are pending approval and merchandise availability.
- Delivery time includes 24-48 business hours for processing.
- Orders are processed Monday-Friday.
- Our carriers DO NOT require a signature… If you are not home, the package will be left at your address.
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- We will gladly accept products for returns within 14 days from when you received your purchase. We accept returns that don't appear to be worn, are in new condition, and are in their original packaging. Read More >>
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Almost 400 photos taken by a World War I soldier during his tour of duty have been digitally developed after spending the last century in a sugarcane farmer's fridge....Thursday 11 September 2014
Each week Bernice Wright, Delys Jepperson or Terry Hayes take us back in time to tell a story from the region's past....Wednesday 6 August 2014
Each week Bernice Wright, Delys Jepperson or Terry Hayes take us back in time to tell a story from the region's past....Friday 2 May 2014
"It doesn't matter whether it's a Vietnam, Korean or a World War II Vet, when they fall into line and come to attention you see the young fella in their eyes."...Thursday 24 April 2014
They drove trucks, made bullets and nursed soldiers but how much do we really know about the Australian women of World War Two? ...Tuesday 22 April 2014
Explore by Topic
Latest Unrest Conflict And War stories on ABC Tropical Queensland
Latest Unrest Conflict And War stories on ABC Online
The British Prime Minister is vowing to hunt down the man known as Jihadi John. David Cameron was speaking a day after the man shown in a series of gruesome Islamic State beheading videos was identified as London man Mohammed Emwazi....Saturday 28 February 2015
- The centenary of the Gallipoli landings is being marked at a special ceremony in Sydney's west today, with the unveiling of a unique Australian Turkish Friendship wall. The wall forms part of the traditional Australian war memorial in Auburn Memorial Park, with an inscription from the words of ...Saturday 28 February 2015
- In early February Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim lost his final appeal against a conviction and was sentenced to five years in jail for sodomy. The conviction disqualifies Anwar from political office and contesting the next election that must be held by 2018. Does this mean his ...Monday 2 March 2015
- Its just over 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and since then Germany has become a leader in EU affairs not only economically but also politically. How did this happen? Is the answer as simple as geography? They are after all between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, between Scandinavia ...Monday 2 March 2015
- Compulsory military training for young men began not long after Federation in Australia and various systems operated on and off throughout much of the twentieth century. Although such schemes were usually politically popular, people were always divided on the issue of conscripts fighting in ...Sunday 8 March 2015
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- Freckle Farm owner Deb McLucas talks us through her pulled pork recipe
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- Aurizon's Mark Hairsine and North Queensland Bulk Ports' Victoria Berardi discuss the impact of Tropical Cyclone Marcia and rail and sea links
- Regional food consultant Rose Wright and Freckle Farm owner Deb McLucas discuss the Mackay, Isaac, Whitsunday Food and Agritourism Action Plan


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In the past, the balcony of the Town Hall was used to make announcements to the people of Saltcoats. Nowadays it is used for the town Christmas tree. The town drummer and bell-ringer would work at the Town Hall and it was their job to spread important news throughout the town.
Used to house the local cinema, the Countess, where we spent many a saturday morning.
Cartoon,serial and the main feature! all for 9 old pence so left 3 for weeties!Mccowans creamy toffee,
Bargin!! -
More history and details on the Countess Picture Theatre:
cinematreasures.org/theater/23062/ -
be nice to see it renovated


text:
Ornamental Grass
Monkey Grass Royal Purple
Royal Purple is a tough, popular groundcover with beautiful purple blooms. Shade or sun. (Liriope muscari)
More DetailsItem #: 18ORNSALE: $15.95 $10.37
Per Plant - 3.5" pot
Switchgrass Northwind
Switchgrass Northwind is an extremely-hardy, native grass that thrives in any sunny spot. Gorgeous, steel-blue leaf blades change to a golden yellow in the autumn months., making it the perfect backdrop for your favorite flowering-plants! (Panicum virgatum)
More DetailsItem #: ASL8P31SALE: $15.95 $10.37
Per Plant - 3.5" pot
Little Bluestem Grass Standing Ovation
This drought-tolerant grass thrives even in poor, dry soils. Standing Ovation evolves from blue/green in the spring months to orange, red and yellow in the autumn garden. It also provides winter interest and keeps its compact form throughout most of the season. (Schizachyrium scoparium)
More DetailsItem #: ASL4R31SALE: $15.95 $10.37
Per Plant - 3.5" pot
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Canada Sheds 21,900 Jobs
TORONTO (AP) â¿¿ Canada's unemployment rate edged down one-tenth of a point to 7.0 percent last month, the lowest it's been since December 2008, even while shedding 21,900 jobs, Statistics Canada said Friday.
The federal reporting agency said that a drop in the number of people seeking work pushed the unemployment rate down to a four-year low. Almost 58,000 Canadians left the work force in January or ceased looking for employment, the largest exodus from the labor market since 1995.
The brunt of jobs losses, mostly full-time, occurred in Ontario and British Columbia, while Alberta and Saskatchewan showed modest gains. Many of the losses were in the public sector.
Economists had expected a 5,000 gain in jobs nationally. Analysts had expected a correction in the labor market would come at some point, reasoning that the relatively healthy employment picture in Canada seemed out of step with an economy that had suffered through a rough patch in the last half of 2012.
"Taken by itself the (jobs drop) was bad, but it's hardly a shock given the fact employment seemed to be defying gravity in the second half of last year," said Doug Porter, chief economist with the Bank of Montreal. "This to me is a reflection of relatively sluggish growth in the second half of last year." Noting that employment is a lagging indicator, which means the data reflects the economy of a few months back, Porter said Canada will be very fortunate to see much growth at all in the next few months. Economic growth in the third quarter of 2012 fell to 0.6 percent and the Bank of Canada forecasts the fourth quarter won't be much better, coming in at one percent. The Canadian dollar slipped Friday as low as CA$1.0037 to the U.S. dollar, or $0.9963, its lowest level since January 30, reflecting the weaker-than-expected data.Check Out Our Best Services for Investors
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text:
James Ogihara-Kertz
James Ogihara-Kertz knows exactly what he has to work on now to improve after many years of swimming.
"Probably just to keep my freestyle less splashy and just, I guess, all my swimming all together,'' said Ogihara-Kertz, a Grade 8 student at Mount Prevost Middle School, who turns 14 on March 12.
"When I was five, I went into the Breakers for a year after my brother joined,'' he explained.
They eventually switched over to the Duncan Stingrays and Ogihara-Kertz carried on even after his brother Eli left the team.
"It's a lot of fun,'' he said.
"I expect to see a lot of great things from him,'' said Stingrays' assistant coach Colleen Smith.
"We've been working a lot on our technique. He is coming along. It's been a pleasure working with him.''
Training sessions four times a week have fueled Ogihara-Kertz's progress.
"I think back about how slow I was, but then all of that training has helped me a lot,'' he said.
The 100- and 200-metre fly have become his two specialty events.
That evolved from a meet in Chilliwack two years ago when Ogihara-Kertz won silver medals in those events plus a bronze.
Read the latest eEdition
Browse the print edition page by page, including stories and ads.
Feb 27 edition online now. Browse the archives.


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Shake off the winter blah's at Forgotten Fire Winery's
The party is Saturday, March 14 from 11 am to 5 pm.
It is indoors.
Live music will be performed by Chuck Johnson.
Wine tasting is $4, you get 7 samples and get to keep your glass.
We will have some samples of products that will be carried at our new store:
Thunder Mountain Oil House & Specialty Foods (opening in Crivitz - March 20)
If you purchase 4 bottles at the Cabin Fever Party, you will get to spin the Prize Wheel (thanks John Hofer)
for a chance to win a prize. Did we mention that a bottle of Ice Wine will be on the wheel as a possible prize??
We will have a prize drawing for a chance to win a gift card valued at $25.
Select items/wines will be on sale.
That should cover it. Now you have no reason not to join us!
And....join us at Falling Waters Winery in Crivitz on March 21 for our Cabin Fever party there!
Forgotten Fire Winery & Prickly Pear come together
to present two nights of painting and fun!
Our Painting and Wine sessions will be held on
February 19th & March 19th from 6pm-9pm
at Forgotten Fire Winery.
Forgotten Fire Winery is located at
N2393 Schacht Road in Marinette, WI.
The cost is $45 per session or
$88 for both sessions & admission
includes a complimentary glass of wine.
Wine will be available for purchase
by the glass or bottle as well.
Looking for a donation for your event or cause?
Please fill out a Donation Request. Click Here
Apr 20 to Dec 31
Mon - Fri: 11 am to 6 pm
Sat - Sun: 10 am to 5 pm
Jan 1 to Apr 19
Sun - Mon: 11 am to 3 pm
Tue - Fri: 11 am to 6 pm
Sat: 11 am to 5 pm
If you would like to learn more about the naming of the winery.. Read More


text:
Make the Sale
An Inside Look At Being a Wal-Mart Supplier
What does it really take to service Wal-Mart as an account? A new report provides a rare, behind-the-scenes view into the inner workings of the big-box giant.
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Five Tips for Nailing the Sales Visit
Common courtesy isn't common among salesmen--use these tips to stand apart.
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Are You Losing Your Edge?
Don't let fear or complacency get in the way of prospecting for new customers.
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Advanced Search
Wired for Learning is a new book for K-12 teachers, organized around simple technology concepts. Written by Dr. Jane Lasarenko, a Texas teacher, the book shows how to compose e-mail, create a Web page -- even how to select which newsgroup to join. Step-by-step commands and lots of screen shots guide readers in hands-on practice.
MOO environments, essentially interactive collaborative spaces, academic listservs and USENET (newsgroups) are all covered in separate chapters. A Gallery of Projects, plus education resources and a glossary are in other chapters.
And in a pilot program for teachers that use computer projects from Wired for Learning in their classroom, QUE donates technical books to the schoolís library. QUE, Macmillan Computer Publishing, Indianapolis, IN, (800) 267-3800, www.quecorp.com.
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/1997 issue of THE Journal.
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Success in a 1-to-1 environment depends on strong leaders who build a culture of innovation and collaboration. Learn the key things that you need to know for a successful 1-to-1 rollout at your school. Read more...
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text:
BigOven Pro required (try it free)
Notice a categorization error? Let us know by clicking [alert editor] on the recipe page, in the ingredients box.
Sear-Roasted Halibut with Roasted Red Pepper Purée
Quick and Easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Vegetarian Stuffed Red Peppers With Red Wine Sauce
Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa
Grilled Halibut with Roasted Red Pepper Puree
Roasted Vegetables Baguette Sandwich
Kale Salad with Roasted Parsnips and Cauliflower
Nutty Red Pepper and Basil Dip
Vegetarian Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Verde Sau...
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Roasted Bell Pepper Salad
Oven Roasted Vegetables
Fire Roasted Vegetable Burritos with Cilantro/Roasted ...
Slow Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup
Roasted Onions and Potatoes with Dressing
Curry roasted drumsticks with cauliflower and potatoes
Roasted Potatoes
Fish with Potato Crust and Red Pepper Sauce
Garlic-roasted Chicken Breasts
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Discover new recipes, add your own, create grocery lists and plan your menus.
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Advanced Search
Google Apps | Tutorial
This question comes up often in user forums: How do I extract a piece of information from one column and put that extracted information into another? For example, if I have a URL in one column, can I extract the date from that URL and put it in the date column so I don't have to add the date manually?
Why yes, you can.
Here it is in action in a sample spreadsheet. In this Sheet, I manually insert a URL in column B, and then the date is extracted in Column C.
This is a simple matter of using a not-so-simple formula, which you can see in the function field in the image above.
That will extract the date from URLs like:
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/04/08/4-emerging-principles-of-connected-learning.aspx or http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/04/08/a-third-of-secondary-students-use-school-issued-mobile-devices.aspx
Actually it's pretty simple for you because all you have to do is copy and paste it into your spreadsheet and then modify it slightly to make it function properly. (Incidentally, while this tutorial is about Google Sheets, this formula will also work in LibreOffice and other spreadsheets.)
Here's what this means:
Now play around with it using your own URLs. If you run into any trouble, ask me a question in the comments section below.
About the Author
David Nagel is edtorial director, education for 1105 Media's Public Sector Media Group. A 22-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art and business publications.
He can be reached at email@example.com. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at or follow him on Twitter at @THEJournalDave (K-12) or @CampusTechDave (higher education).
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Success in a 1-to-1 environment depends on strong leaders who build a culture of innovation and collaboration. Learn the key things that you need to know for a successful 1-to-1 rollout at your school. Read more...
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text:
"face pear toothpick collecting" becomes the simple specifications of "the composure" and it becomes reasonable and appears again.
which I take one toothpick straight when I strongly push the back of the face pear and hand.
"Face pear toothpick collecting" is
It becomes simple specifications; and re-appearance ☆
When strongly push the back of the face pear;
which takes one toothpick straight
where the toothpick is not on
size: About 80 X 130 X 80mm |
material: ABS resin |
JP Post EMS | Your order will be shipped to you via Japan Post EMS. Japan Post is a speedy delivery service that delivers to more than 120 countries. With an effective tracking system and insurance program, EMS is able to offer a secure delivery worldwide. You can track your package with the tracking code provided and it will be delivered within a week. See estimated shipping fee |
Credit Card | We accept credit and debit cards. The following credit and debit cards can be used: •Visa •MasterCard •American Express •JCB •others |
PayPal | We accept PayPal. After receiving the order confirmation e-mail, please proceed with the PayPal payment. Note *Please note that if payment through PayPal is not confirmed by the date indicated in the e-mail, your order will be automatically cancelled. |
UnionPay | http://global.rakuten.com/en/help/payment/unionpay.html |
For shipping rates The delivery to the outside of Japan, Handling charge will be required in addition to the EMS fee. (10,000JPY or less) 800JPY (10,000JPY or more) 8% purchase price (20,000JPY over)1,600JPY If the packing is equal to or greater than two, then the Handling charge of the packing quantity is needed |
Start Date: 01/03/2015 00:00 JST
End Date: 31/05/2015 23:59 JST
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Saturday, February 28, 2015
A daily updated summary of the week in TV.
From All Movie Guide: Lead actor-singer, onscreen from 1971. He is best known as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar (1973). ~ Rovi
© 2010 Baseline, All rights reserved.
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Enjoy this cheesy seafood casserole baked using vegetables and bread – perfect for a hearty brunch.
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Fresh or frozen crabmeat works beautifully in this dish. Imitation crabmeat (surimi) provides a tasty and economical alternative.
Try bread made with buttermilk to add an interesting depth of flavor.
This is an ideal brunch dish for entertaining because the recipe can be refrigerated overnight.
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clean-energy Subscribe to Feed
Environmental Protection Agency Nominee Gina McCarthy Inspires Massachusetts Pride
This morning, Gina McCarthy sat before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), poised to field their questions and secure their seal of approval as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. I sat a few rows […] Read more >
Celebrating Success – Offshore Wind Comes to Maryland
We don't often take time to mark our successes, but after three years of effort by countless advocates to bring clean offshore wind energy to Maryland, it is time to celebrate! Today, Governor Martin O'Malley signed the Maryland Offshore Wind […] Read more >
Weekly News Roundup – March 29, 2013
Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week's NWF news: New guide addresses parents' weather-related concerns around letting kids enjoy outdoor playtime March 27 – The new weather guide emphasizes the […] Read more >
A Win for Offshore Wind in Maryland
What a way to end the week! On Friday afternoon, the Maryland Senate passed the Offshore Wind Energy Act by a vote of 30 to 15. This was the biggest hurdle facing this clean energy policy – and we cleared […] Read more >
Initiating Sustainability through the Production of Biodiesel Fuels
In the not too distant future, Piedmont Community College's (PCC) lawn mowers and yard equipment could be powered by biodiesel fuels produced from cooking oils used in the College's snack bar. PCC is taking the lead in promoting sustainability and […] Read more >
Offshore Wind Bill Returns, Thanks to Bipartisan Collaboration
It takes a strong and innovative leader to look into a tangled web of challenges and see where intersections offer opportunity. The National Wildlife Federation congratulates Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Susan Collins (R-ME), and Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and […] Read more >
Florida Students Gather to Push for Climate Change Legislation
On February 19th, two days after the largest climate rally in history took place in Washington, D.C., guest blogger Victoria Griener and a large group of her fellow students led a local protest at the University of South Florida to keep […] Read more >
President Obama Golfs With Oil Execs During Weekend of Climate Rally
When it Comes to Climate, Wildlife Supporters Advocate for Birdies NOT Bogeys This past weekend, something remarkable happened — more than 35,000 people came to Washington D.C. from all over the country to make sure President Obama heard our message: […] Read more >
Wildlife Supporters Join Historic Rally Against Dirty Keystone XL Pipeline
On Sunday, the National Wildlife Federation and our supporters took part in the largest climate rally in history. And that's exactly what it felt like: being a part of history. Over 35,000 people came out in the blistering cold to […] Read more >
Weekly News Roundup – February 15, 2013
Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week's NWF news: NWF hails reintroduction of legislation conserving Colorado's San Juan Mountains February 15-Colorado Sen. Mark Udall's reintroduction of a bill […] Read more >


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Fillet steak for Valentine's Day
February 13, 2015 § Leave a comment
Yes I know it sounds hackneyed and a teeny bit boring but this is what I will be cooking up at home on February 14th. It won't be just any old steak and chips but one of my all-time favourite special occasion recipes, Tournedos with Polenta and Salsa Verde, the signature dish of chef Alastair Little's restaurant in Soho back in the nineties.
The recipe comes from the book "Keep It Simple" co-authored by chef Alastair and food-writer Richard Whittington and first published in 1993 at the height of the restaurant's fame. It's a slim volume arranged in four seasonal chapters with attractive photographs and drawings and clearly laid-out recipes. It's a book I turn to time and time again and as I leaf through the pages I marvel that it doesn't seem dated at all. Every single recipe is true to the book's title, the flavour combinations are spot-on, and the mixture of classic and eclectic dishes means it's book you keep coming back to.
The tournedos recipe is really three dishes in one – a polenta croûte enriched with parmesan and butter, crunchy golden-brown on the outside but with a soft inside perfect for soaking up the steak juices; a perfectly cooked fillet steak medallion with the pan juices turned into a sauce with the addition of stock and madeira; a lively and unexpected salsa verde that freshens-up the dish and makes all the flavours sing.
Most of the prep can, in fact needs, to be done in advance making it ideal for dîner à deux when you don't want to be spending hours in the kitchen. I suppose that the raw garlic in the salsa verde should make this a no-no for a romantic meal but, what the heck, we've known each other long enough now not to mind a little mutual garlic breath.
Tournedos with polenta and salsa verde
Serves 4.
For the polenta croûtes
200g instant polenta
50g grated parmesan cheese
30g unsalted butter
salt and pepper
light olive oil for oiling the baking tray and croûtes
For the salsa verde
1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped
large bunch flatleaf parsley, washed, dried and largest stalks discarded (about 40g prepared weight)
small bunch basil, just the leaves (about 20g prepared weight)
half a small bunch mint, washed, dried and stalks discarded (about 10g prepared weight)
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
a little coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
150ml extra virgin olive oil
For the tournedos and sauce
Four 140g tournedos
A little light olive oil
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml beef stock
5 tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira
15-20g cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Make the polenta croûtes at least 2 hours before you plan to cook the steaks. Cook the instant polenta in a medium saucepan following the packet instructions. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and butter and season generously. Spread the polenta out onto a lightly oiled baking tray and spread out into a sheet about 1cm thick (a small crank-handled palette knife is ideal for this). Cool, then refrigerate for an hour or so. When set firm, cut out 4 rounds using a cutter a little larger than the tournedos. Brush lightly with oil and transfer to a second baking sheet lined with baking paper.
If you like, you can cut the remaining polenta into chunky fingers and brush these with oil and bake them along with the croûtes to make a stack of crispy polenta "oven chips" to serve alongside the tournedos.
And don't waste the offcuts either. Cut into the neatest pieces you can manage and keep them in a sealed container in the fridge. Brush them with oil and bake them off and they will form the basis of a light lunch served eg with chunks of dolcelatte or goats cheese or chopped tomatoes and basil.
The salsa verde should also be made ahead of time. Put all the ingredients except the oil into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chopped then with the motor running pour the oil through the spout and whizz until you have an emulsified sauce. You will need to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl with a spatula several times. Decant the salsa verde into a small bowl, cover with cling film and set aside in a cool place (not the fridge which is too cold) until ready to serve.
Remove the steaks from the fridge about an hour and a half before you plan to eat and allow to come up to room temperature.
About half an hour before you plan to eat, slip the baking sheet on which you laid out earlier the oiled polenta croûtes and "oven chips" into an oven preheated to 210 degrees C fan. Bake for about 25 minutes, turning halfway during the cooking process, until crisp and golden brown.
About 10 minutes before you plan to eat, heat a heavy-based frying pan (large enough to hold all the steaks and with an ovenproof handle) over a medium to high heat. Brush the steaks with light olive oil and, when the frying pan is hot cook the steaks for exactly 2 minutes each side, season, then transfer to the preheated oven (210 degrees C fan) for further 4 minutes. These timings work to cook a thick steak to medium rare.
Remove the steaks from the frying pan and place them on top of the croûtes on prewarmed plates and leave to rest for a minute or two while you complete the sauce. Make sure you protect your hand with a dry cloth from the super-heated pan handle and add the stock and Madeira to the frying pan in which you cooked the steaks. Boil fiercely for a minute or two until the liquid is reduced by about two thirds and is becoming thick and syrupy. Quickly whisk in chunks of cold butter and a little seasoning. Spoon over the steaks and serve straightaway.
Peasant girl with veil
August 25, 2014 § 2 Comments
I've been researching Danish food over the past couple of weeks in readiness for a forthcoming special occasion and yesterday decided to try out a recipe for the charmingly named dessert "Peasant girl with veil". In its original form, it's layers of stewed apple, whipped cream and fried breadcrumbs arranged in decorative layers in a glass bowl. It's a really simple and effective formula that ends up tasting a bit like a deconstructed cheesecake.
I decided to serve up my version in small glasses and decorate the layers with edible flowers to pretty it up and make it suitable for a party.
I lightened up the whipped cream by combining it with Greek yoghurt, pepped up the stewed apple with spices and Calvados and replaced the fried breadcrumbs with one of my guilty pleasures, crushed HobNob biscuits (for non-UK readers, these are an oat-crunch type biscuit made by UK manufacturer McVities).
To make the layering-up of the dessert more precise, I spooned the stewed apple and the cream into separate piping bags which worked a treat. Next time I make this I'm going to make sure the apple purée is really smooth to make the piping easier, and I won't make the top layer of biscuit crumbs so thick as they showered everywhere when we dug our spoons in!
These tasted good yesterday after dinner and equally good 24 hours later straight from the refrigerator.
Peasant girl with veil
My version of this classic Scandinavian dessert claimed as their own by both the Danes and the Norwegians.
Serves 12 dainty portions or 8 more substantial ones.
For the apple purée
3 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into rough slices
6 tablespoons golden caster sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons water (if required)
1-2 teaspoons mixed spice
1-2 tablespoons Calvados
For the cream
150ml whipping cream
170g Greek yoghurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons icing sugar
To assemble
8 Hobnob (oat crunch) biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs (about 120g crumbs)
fresh or dried edible flowers (optional)
Begin by making the apple purée. Combine the prepared apple, sugar and mixed spice in a medium heavy-based saucepan. Cover and place over a gentle heat, stirring regularly to dissolve the sugar and make sure the mixture doesn't stick and burn. Add the 2 tablespoons of water if the mixture seems to dry. Cook the mixture gently for about 15 minutes, stirring the apples vigorously with a wooden spoon so that they "fall" ie become a thick puree.
If you're going for a dainty presentation involving piping the purée into small glasses then you need to cool it then run it through a food processor to remove any lumps that would otherwise clog your piping nozzle. Set aside and chill.
Now prepare the cream. Combine the cream with half of the icing sugar and vanilla extract and whip to the very soft peak stage. In a separate bowl, beat the Greek yoghurt with the rest of the icing sugar and vanilla extract. Now carefully combine the two mixtures by folding one into the other.
You are now ready to assemble the dessert. The layering-up is made very straightforward if the apple purée and cream are decanted into disposable piping bags each fitted with a 1cm nozzle.
Spoon or pipe a layer apple purée into the bottom of each serving glass or bowl. Top with a layer of cream, again piped or spooned as you prefer. Now spoon over a thick layer of crumbs. Repeat the process to fill the glasses but keep the top layer of crumbs very thin otherwise they scatter everywhere when you dig in with a spoon. If liked, decorate the top of each dessert glass with a piped blob of the cream and one or two edible flowers. Enjoy straightaway or cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
A simnel cake for Easter
April 3, 2014 § 1 Comment
I baked myself a traditional simnel cake last weekend just in time for Mothering Sunday. I was pleased with the end result and felt moved, albeit prematurely, to dig out the easter eggs I'd previously painstakingly blown and painted to complete the decoration of our Sunday lunch table.
Simnel cake was traditionally made for Mothering Sunday but has now become more usually associated with easter. It struck me as I gathered together the copious quantities of marzipan, butter, sugar, eggs and dried fruit needed for the cake that these ingredients seemed very much at odds with the spirit of the Lent fasting season. After all if we can't even eat the humble pancake comprising just milk, flour and eggs after Shrove Tuesday how on earth would a cake like this be permitted?
I did a bit of research into the subject. One commentator suggests that the simnel cake was given as a gift on Mothering Sunday but put aside and not eaten until easter . This sounds unlikely and peculiarly ungenerous. I found a more likely explanation on a website devoted to the rites of Catholicism. Mothering Sunday coincides with Laetare "Rejoicing" Sunday close to the midpoint of Lent and on this day worshippers are permitted a bit of a breather from the strictures of the Lenten fast and may have a bit of a blow-out before resuming the fast the following day. This sounds much more plausible to me.
A properly made simnel cake is a lovely thing with the buried marzipan layer a delightful and finely flavoured surprise in its centre. I'm sorry but you really should make your own marzipan as the bought stuff is much sweeter than homemade and always has far too much almond flavouring added for my taste imparting a harsh chemical flavour to your otherwise lovely mellow cake
The Four Seasons Cookbook recipe on which I based my version of a simnel cake has perfect proportions for the specified 8 inch/20cm cake tin. The completed cake is golden in colour with a distinct citrus flavour from the combination of zest and candied peel. I found some rather pleasing golden sultanas (see pic) to heighten the golden colour of the cake.
Baking the cake presents something of a technical challenge as the usual test for doneness, sticking a skewer into the cake and seeing if it comes out clean, doesn't work. The buried marzipan layer clings to the skewer come what may so the baker has to draw on other knowhow – checking for a slight shrinkage from the side and gently pressing the cake surface feeling for just the right degree of resistance. As always with rich fruit cakes, a long slow bake works best.
Simnel cake
Adapted from a recipe in Margaret Costa's Four Seasons Cookery Book.
750g prepared weight of marzipan (homemade is best) divided into two pieces one slightly larger than the other plus a little sifted icing sugar for rolling out
175g unsalted butter
175g Demerara butter
3 eggs
1 tablespoon golden syrup
grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
225g plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon each of freshly grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon and ground allspice
450g currants
225g sultanas
115g chopped mixed candied peel
up to 150ml milk
To finish the cake
The second piece of marzipan plus a little sifted icing sugar (see above)
2 tablespoons sieved apricot jam or marmalade (or light coloured fruit jelly if you have some to hand)
a few Cadbury's mini eggs or similar
an easter chick or two
pretty ribbon to tie around the cake
Roll out the smaller piece of marzipan into a round the exact size of the cake tin. No need to trim as it won't be visible but will form a layer baked inside the cake, just press this disc into shape with your hands. Do this before lining the tin so you can use the base as a template.
Preheat the oven to 140 degrees C fan and fully line with double thickness of baking parchment a deep 20cm/ 8 inch loose-bottomed round cake tin.
Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in first the tablespoon of golden syrup and grated orange and lemon zests then the eggs one at a time adding a tablespoon of flour after each addition of egg to help the mixture emulsify.
Stir the salt and spices into the remaining flour and fold into the mixture with the dried fruit. Finally stir in just enough milk to make the mixture a not too soft dropping consistency like a Christmas cake batter. If it's too soft it won't support the weight of all that dried fruit and the internal marzipan layer.
Spoon half the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level off. Carefully place the preshaped marzipan round onto the cake mixture and top with the remaining cake mixture. Level off and place into the preheated oven and bake until done, up to 3 and a half hours but could well be less depending on how your oven behaves at lower temperatures.
The usual technique of inserting a skewer into the cake and seeing if it comes out clean won't work as even when the cake is baked into oblivion the marzipan layer leaves a false trace on the skewer. Instead, press the cake top gently to make sure it resists and look to see if the cake has shrunk just a little from the sides of the lined tin.
Leave the cake to cool in its tin for several hours or overnight until it is quite cold. This gives you time to gather together the bits and pieces needed to decorate and finish the cake.
Remove the cake from the tin and peel off and discard the layers of baking parchment. Knead and roll out the reserved marzipan to a thickness of no more than 1cm.
Brush the top of the cake with warmed sieved apricot jam, marmalade, apple jelly or similar – something with a suitably golden colour.
Invert the cake onto the rolled out marzipan and trim to a neat circle, reserving the trimmings for the traditional marzipan ball decoration.
Turn the cake the right way up and gently mark the top into large squares or, prettier still, into lozenges using a large cook's knive. Try not to cut right through the marzipan.
To mark the top into lozenges first mark horizontal lines across the cake at a distance of c.2.5cm from each other. Then rotate the cake and mark another set of lines not at a 90 degree angle but offset so that the intersecting lines form lozenge or diamond shapes.
Slip the cake under a heated grill to lightly toast the surface to give an attractive finish to the cake. Be sure to watch it carefully at this stage so that it doesn't catch and burn.
Make 11 small marzipan balls (the traditional number representing the apostles minus Judas) with the reserved marzipan trimmings and set these evenly around the cake, sticking them into place with a little more warmed jam if you like.
Complete the decoration by adding a few pastel coloured mini eggs and an Easter chick or two to the top of the cake and tying a decorative ribbon around its sides.
Central African Republic breakfast
January 30, 2014 § 2 Comments
The latest in our Breakfasts of the World Project series.
I've been well and truly caught out by events. When I began investigating the Central African Republic ("CAR"), it seemed to me to be one of the world's most anonymous nations but has since been catapulted into the headlines following the outbreak of civil war.
The country's population is estimated to be some 4.5 million in a country comparable in size to France, coincidentally the former colonial power. Much of the country is taken up by the Ubangi and Chari river basins. The capital city, Bangui, is on the banks of the mighty Ubangi river that flows south to Congo and defines the border between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for much of its length.
Since gaining independence in 1960 the CAR seems to have suffered more of its fair share of misfortunes. The notorious Jean-Bédel Bokassa 1 was crowned "emperor" 1977 in a lavish ceremony watched by the world's media. Since then, coup has followed coup more or less to the present day. Michel Djotodia, leader of the Séléka rebel alliance seized power March 2013 deposing President François Bozizé. The country has since descended into anarchy with the Christian anti-balaka militia (balaka means machete) retaliating against the mainly Muslim Séléka rebel group. Djotodia has now stepped down leaving a peacekeeping force of 1,600 French and 4,600 African troops vainly trying to control the violence. One can only hope that the new interim civilian government can deliver on its pledges to halt the violence and to organise elections by February 2015.
From this country of diamonds, timber, virgin rainforest and fertile river basins comes a recipe for the freshwater fish Nile Perch cooked in banana leaves. It seems somewhat frivolous to say so but is nevertheless true that this is a very attractive way of cooking and presenting any white fish fillets (I give the recipe below).
Given the circumstances, this was a somewhat sombre breakfast.
Somewhat to my surprise, I was able to source authentic Nile perch from online specialist retailer The Fish Society and found banana leaves in one of the specialist food shops in Manchester's Chinatown.
Steamed Nile Perch in banana leaves
Serves 4. Recipe adapted from various internet sources.
4 fillets of Nile perch (capitaine in French)
4 banana leaves, halved
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
handful flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
3 small tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Mix thoroughly together in a small bowl the chopped onion, garlic, parsley and chilli.
Arrange four pairs of halved banana leaves into rough cross shapes.
Put a quarter of the onion mixture in the centre of each pair of leaves then sit a fish fillet on top, followed by another spoonful of the onion mixture. Top with the tomato slices then wrap the banana leaves over the top to form a parcel and tie each one securely with string.
Place the banana leaf parcels on a rack set over a deep roasting dish half-filled with water.
Carefully transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the fish is tender. Serve directly from the parcels and accompanied with fried plantains and/or boiled rice.
Filipino Pop-Up Restaurant: Typhoon Haiyan Fundraiser
November 30, 2013 § Leave a comment
It's just over a week ago that my friend Gwyneth and I joined forces with our lovely cleaning lady Fe Silva and her formidable team drawn from our local Filipino community to put on a very special fundraising event to raise money for the UK Disaster Emergency Committees Philippines Typhoon Appeal.
Last Friday, 22 November, St Luke's Church, Bowdon Vale in Cheshire was transformed from an austere place of worship into a lively restaurant packed with well-wishers and supporters:
It was Gwyneth's young son Bill who came up with the idea. Moved by the plight of the Filipino people filling our television screens after the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan and wanting to help Fe with whom he has a special bond, he came up with the idea of a cake stall outside his house to raise money. Within 48 hours, this seed of an idea quickly germinated and grew into a plan for a full-scale Pop-Up restaurant catering for up to 50 people, offering authentic Filipino food prepared and served by a team comprising Gwyneth and myself and members of the local Filipino community – Fe, Kai, her husband Russell, their daughter Maru, Vicky, Jane, her daughter Jasmine, Helen, Mira and Meridel.
Another 24 hours later, our local church – St Mary's and St Luke's had offered a venue free of charge, an initial donation to the appeal of £1,000 and just as importantly, encouragement and help with publicity.
Next step was to decide on the menu. This is what we came up with:
Empanadas – miniature pasties
(contain chicken and pork)
Asian salad (V)
Pan de Sal – Filipino bread rolls with crunchy breadcrumb topping
Chicken Adobo
Picadillo (minced beef and vegetables in spicy but not hot tomato sauce)
Vegetable chop suey (V)
Steamed rice
Filipino Cream Puffs
Tropical fruit platter
Mango ice-cream
Filipino coconut macaroons
Coffee, tea, mint tea
Gwyneth took on the empanadas, salad and chop suey; I opted for the Pan de Sal, Picadillo, ice cream, and shopping for the tropical fruit platetrs. Kai volunteered to make an authentic Chicken Adobo and Fe co-ordinated a battery of rice cookers and sack of imported Filipino rice. Further help came from the locally-based MD of Bakkavor Laurens Patisseries who offered several stacks of profiteroles aka Filipino cream puffs, an offer we gratefully accepted.
The next few days were focused on shopping for and preparing the various dishes and of course publicising the event and co-ordinating all the guests.
Here are Gwyneth's beautiful-looking empanadas and chop suey vegetables (thanks to Jenny Peachey too for helping with the veg prep). It's a shame we don't have more pictures but to be honest we were focused on getting the event up and running:
Here are some of the mango ice-cream and tropical fruit platters. I discovered that canned mango makes an absolutely superb ice-cream with no need to search out the ripest mangoes and laboriously purée and sieve them. My knowledge of tropical fruit has been expanded too after a trip to the specialist Asian groceries of Chinatown, Levenshulme and Chorlton to track down papaya, custard apple, persimmons and the unusually flavoured guava as well as the more familiar mango, pineapple and grapes.
The Picadillo was quick and easy to make, incorporates loads of veggies so no need for a separate side dish. Served with rice, it's going to become part of our family mealtime repertoire:
Greatest fun for me was making the Pan de Sal rolls – delicious soft and puffy brioche-like rolls made with the secret Filipino ingredient, evaporated milk, and with an intriguing breadcrumb topping:
Sorry there are no pictures of the coconut macaroons – they disappeared in a flash!
All bar two of the evening's recipes are given below in case you'd like to try them yourselves at home. Kai has yet to divulge the secret of an authentic Adobo, and similarly Gwyneth's husband Graeme is keeping his crunchy and vibrant Asian salad recipe close to his chest.
We're so grateful for all the help and support we received and absolutely delighted to have raised the sum of £7,467.50 for such a worthwhile cause.
Pan de Sal – Filipino bread rolls
Adapted from a recipe on Allrecipes.com. Makes 20.
6g fast action instant dried yeast (the kind that can be mixed directly with the flour)
5g salt
500g strong plain flour
50g golden caster sugar
50g butter
2 eggs
240g canned evaporated milk
1-2 tablespoons milk sufficient to form a soft pliable dough
50g fine dried breadcrumbs
additional evaporated milk for dipping
Mix the yeast, flour, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter then pour in the eggs and evaporated milk and mix well together adding a little additional milk to the mixture to form into a soft dough. Knead for 12 minutes. A mixer with a dough hook makes this job easy but you will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times during the process. Form the dough into a ball, oil lightly, cover and leave to prove for 2 hours until the dough has increased in bulk noticeably. It probably won't have doubled in size.
Divide the dough into quarters using scales, then divide each quarter into 5 small balls. Each ball will weigh 48-49g.
Form the mixture into small balls (weigh each one) and shape into rolls with a smooth top. Dip each ball in more evaporated milk then in dry crumbs. Place the rolls on a baking sheet crumb side up. Cover and prove for up to a further hour until noticeably enlarged (again they won't quite double in size).
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. Slip the rolls into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 180 degrees C. Bake for 8 minutes then reduce the heat again to 170 degrees C and bake for 5 more minutes until the rolls are golden-brown top and bottom and are completely baked. Cool on a wire rack.
Filipino Empanadas
A hybrid recipe: the filling comes from Charmaine Solomon's "The Complete Asian Cookbook" paired with an empanada pastry recipe suitable for baking rather than deep frying. Makes about 20.
300g unsalted butter
600g plain flour
teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6-8 tablespoons water
more beaten egg to glaze
3 rashers bacon
1 tbsp lard or oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion
250g pork and veal mince or Spanish sausage, finely chopped
125g finely chopped raw chicken
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp tomato sauce
3 hardboiled eggs, chopped
2 tbsp chopped pickled gherkins
Begin by making the pastry. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside to cool a little. Sift flour and salt into a bowl and mix well. Add the melted butter and beaten egg to the flour and salt and mix to incorporate, adding a little water as you do so to make a soft, pliable dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and need for about 2 minutes until smooth. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and set aside while you prepare the filling.
Remove any rind then chop the bacon into small pieces and fry until the fat runs. Remove the bacon from pan, add lard or oil and fry garlic and onion over a low heat until soft and golden. Increase the heat, add the meats and fry, stirring, until they change colour. Add salt, pepper and tomato sauce, stir well. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in hardboiled eggs and pickled gherkins and allow to cool before using the filling. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and line 2 large baking trays with parchment.
Divide the dough in half and roll out the first piece to 3mm thickness. Stamp out as many discs as you can using a 12cm cutter. You can of course make smaller empanadas by using a smaller diameter cutter and less filling. Put a dessertspoon of filling onto the centre of each disc, brush the edges with water and fold in half to make a semicircle. Press the edges together firmly and either mark with the tines of a fork or crimp to seal decoratively. Place on a baking tray. Repeat with the second piece of dough then reroll the trimmings and repeat once more. You can of course make smaller empanadas by using a smaller diameter cutter and less filling
Brush the empanadas on the tray with beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Best served warm.
Filipino Style Picadillo
A recipe collated from various sources. Kai says that to be authentic, this should be runny, almost a soup. To make serving easier, we cooked the mixture down until it was thick and reduced, more like a chili.
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
500g lean minced beef
1 beef stock cube
240ml water
1 can chopped tomatoes (14oz)
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp fish sauce
150g (approx) waxy potatoes (eg Charlotte variety) unpeeled, scrubbed and diced
gnerous handful of frozen peas
1-2 peeled diced carrots
1 small diced red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Fry the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil until soft and golden(about 10 minutes). Add the minced beef and cook until brown. Add the tomato sauce, fish sauce, ketchup, stock cube and water Add potatoes and bring to the boil. Cook, uncovered over a medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add the vegetables and a little salt and pepper and bring back to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes to cook the vegetables. Taste and add more salt, pepper, ketchup and/or fish sauce if required.
Filipino Vegetable Chop Suey
A recipe compiled from various sources. We made our version suitable for vegetarians but non-vegetarians can use chicken rather than vegetable stock and fish sauce rather than soy sauce to boost the flavour.
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into batons
1 small head cauliflower, separated into small florets
7-8oz baby corn, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 small head broccoli, head cut into small florets, stalk peeled and cut into batons
1 stalk celery, cut into batons
1 green or red pepper, halved, deseeded and cut into strips
8-9 oz green beans, trimmed
1 small chayote, cut into batons (courgette suggested as substitute or make up with more of the other vegetables)
4 oz mangetout, trimmed
half head cabbage, outer leaved removed, quartered and thick stalks removed then shredded
2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder
1 tablespoon cornflour
235 ml milk
235 ml water
salt, pepper, soy sauce to season
In a wok or large pan heat the oil then fry the garlic and onion until golden brown.
Add the vegetables except the cabbage in the order listed above (firmest first) to the pan stir fry each for a few minutes before adding the next. This process should take 15-20 minutes in total.
Meanwhile slake the cornflour with some of the water.
Sprinkle the stock powder over the vegetables then add the water, milk and slaked cornflour to the pan and bring to the boil, stirring as the cornflour thickens the mixture.
Season with salt, pepper and soy sauce, stir, then throw in the shredded cabbage, cover with a lid and allow the cabbage to steam until just done, about 3 minutes. Stir and it's ready to serve.
Mango ice-cream
Charmaine Solomon recipe from Philippines chapter of Asian Cookbook modified by me. She says it serves 6 – I think this quantity will serve 12 or more.
2 large egg yolks (70g)
1 teaspoon cornflour
50g golden caster sugar
470g milk, whole or semi-skimmed
further 33g golden caster sugar
2.5 sheets leaf gelatine soaked in a little cold water for 5 minutes
450-500g mango pulp (I used approx. 3 cans Sainsbury's canned mango in light syrup drained, pureed and sieved to remove fibrous bits)
2.5 sheets leaf gelatine
200g whipping or double cream
Whisk the egg yolks with 50g sugar and the teaspoon of cornflour in a bowl until thick and light. Heat the milk with the remaining 33g sugar in a small saucepan until nearly boiling. Be sure to stir to dissolve the sugar while the milk heats. Pour the hot milk onto the yolks whisking constantly then return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a very low heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, allow to cool for a minute or two then add the softened gelatine and stir to dissolve.
Now stir in the mango pulp followed by the cream. Chill then pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine. Churn until frozen then pack into a freezer box and freeze until firm. Transfer the ice-cream from the freezer to the refrigerator approx. 40 minutes before serving to soften.
Filipino Coconut Macaroons
Adapted from various internet recipes hence the US cup measures. Unlike a traditional coconut macaroon that can be a touch dry, these macaroons are soft, chewy and tooth-achingly sweet and we think they're best enjoyed petit-four sized to serve with coffee. Makes 40-50 petit four sized macaroons.
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup golden caster sugar
2 eggs
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup flour
2 cups desiccated coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at time, then add condensed milk and vanilla extract and continue to beat until blended. A hand blender makes short work of this task.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and desiccated coconut. Add to egg mixture and beat until combined.
Spoon or pipe the mixture into petit four cases and bake in a 170 degrees C oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Bat cakes for a Night at the Opera
September 1, 2013 § Leave a comment
The opera in question was Die Fledermaus (The Bat), Clonter Opera Cheshire's summer production. We've been going to Clonter for a number of years now and theming the dessert course of our opera picnic seems to have become my speciality.
Die Fledermaus is a light-hearted operetta composed by Johann Strauss the younger in 1874. It's location is Vienna and the plot revolves around a ball set-piece scene, lots of disguises (including the bat costume) and all the silliness ends happily with forgiveness and reconciliation.
The combination of the bat image combined with the Viennese setting led me to the idea of a chocolate-bat decorated individual Sachertorte, Vienna's iconic cake, as the centrepiece of my dessert. The Hotel Sacher has updated its chocolate cake offering by selling indvidual ganache-enrobed cubes of chocolate cake each topped with a chocolate seal. I loved the idea of these and thought they would look great topped with a discreet dark chocolate bat rather than the corporate Sacher logo.
Where on earth would I find bat-shaped confectionery in summer? There were various Halloween-themed bits and pieces available online but nothing the right size. Then I thought of Slattery's, North Manchester's own chocolatier. A quick phone call to John Slattery himself and two dozen bats were lined up ready for collection in two days' time. I was even offered a choice of sizes. What service!
A single piece of chocolate cake was not going to be a show-stopper on its own so I decided that the Sachertorte would be one component within a dessert Bento-style box.
Our local cake shop supplied me (for a price!) with 12 cupcake boxes, one per guest, in a clean white card and cellophane window design that were perfect for my requirements. Sturdy enough for stacking and transport and flat-pack disposable for an easy clean-up at the end of the evening.
Now with box dimensions to work with I could visualise more easily what else I needed to complete the box. Vienna is famous for its cakes, in particular luscious layered tortes. After researching classic Viennese cakes I chose to construct a miniaturised version of the Esterházy Torte, a multilayered construction sandwiching nut sponge layers with a vanilla and nut flavoured cream, topped with a traditional feather-iced pattern.
That was two corners of the box taken care of. Now for the other two. I needed something to offset the sweet and dense cakes. A simple fruit compôte would be perfect and I chose apricot as both the Sacher and Esterházy Tortes use lots of sieved apricot jam in their construction so the flavours should be harmonious. Also, the best reason of all, apricots were in season and in peak condition.
Next I needed cream to set off both the tortes and the compôte. Sachertorte is traditionally served with a cloud of whipped cream but I like to combine Greek yoghurt and softly whipped cream 50:50, flavour it with real vanilla extract and lightly sweeten with icing sugar for a lighter, fresher result.
The apricot compôte and whipped cream could be served in transparent deli-style sealed cartons stacked one on top of each other. That left the final corner of the box to fill. What could I do here? I thought of chocolate-dipped Viennese fingers or sandwiched Viennese whirls, but these seemed to owe more to Mr Kipling than any true Viennese heritage. I then frantically thought of mini Kugelhopfs, perhaps marbled chocolate and vanilla, then had a memory flash back to my childhood when elaborate pink decorated tins of Viennese coffee flavoured with dried fig seasoning (can that really taste good?) used to be on sale. Maybe I could come up with a mini coffee meringue topped with fresh figs?
Finally I told myself to STOP and follow my own mantra of Less is More. I need not rush round the kitchen becoming frazzled before an evening at the opera. I filled the last corner of the box with a napkin, some disposable wooden cutlery (so much nicer than plastic) and the most elegant disposable plastic wine glass I could find. I then packed some half bottles of Hungary's famous dessert wine Tokaji to serve alongside. Perfect.
Here's the end result first with the box open:
and then closed ready for packing and transport to Clonter:
OK so that's the overview, now for detail on the construction of the individual elements.
The Hotel Sacher recipe for Sachertorte is a closely guarded secret but fortunately it's Mary Berry to the rescue. I used her Great British Bake Off recipe featured on the BBC Food website as the base for my Sachertorte cubes. Interestingly this is similar but not identical to the Sachertorte recipe featured in her Baking Bible. I doubled the recipe quantity given below and baked it in two 23cm (9 inch) square tins.
I then sandwiched the cakes together a generous quantity with sieved apricot jam flavoured with a little Amaretto liqueur (perfect as it is itself made from the bitter almond flavoured apricot kernels) and sharpened up with a spritz of lemon juice.
I trimmed the cakes, cut them neatly into 16 cubes and brushed each cube generously with more of that sieved apricot jam.
It was shaping up to be a warm, humid day so rather than a classic cream and chocolate ganache icing I chose to make the chocolate and butter ganache I've used before on the Ottolenghi golden clementine cake. You can find the recipe here. This worked a treat setting to a glossy sheen thanks to the honey and butter in the recipe. I needed to make a double quantity of the icing to coat all of the cubes but could probably have got away with 1 and a half times the recipe.
Finally, each individual cube was topped with one of those chocolate bats carefully transported home from Slattery's and they were left in the cool cellar until being packed up in double white fluted cake cases later in the afternoon.
Moving on the Esterházy Torte. A classic version of this cake comprises a majestic 5 layers of nut flavoured cake sandwiched with nut and vanilla flavoured cream. The nuts might be toasted almonds or hazelnuts depending on your preferred version of the cake. There seem to be countless subtly different versions of this recipe out there so I combined features of several recipes and scaled the quantities down in order to come up with the recipe I give below for mini Esterházy tortes comprising just 2 cake layers sandwiching a layer of vanilla nut cream.
These were straightforward enough to make being similar to a macaroon batter but much easier to handle thanks to the differing proportions of egg whites, nuts and sugar.
For the filling, I reached for my failsafe Lenôtre vanilla buttercream recipe which I learned when making macarons a couple of years ago. To complete the vanilla cream I folded in some more of the toasted ground hazelnuts.
The next step before assembling the tortes was to ice the tops with the distinctive feathered icing which is an essential feature of the Esterházy torte. Despite my many years of baking this was to be a first for me and the result was going to be on show to 12 opera guests so no pressure… I decided to ice a few extra tops to make sure that at least 12 of the lids would make the grade. This proved to be a wise decision as there are plenty of pitfalls for the unwary…
The cake tops were first brushed with sieved apricot jam to create a barrier preventing the icing from being absorbed into the cake surface. I'd made my water icing using a newly available product on my local supermarket shelves, fondant icing sugar. I'd hoped this would give me the smooth glossy effect of true fondant icing but this stuff is a bit of a cheat as it's merely regular icing sugar with a little added powdered glucose. This does give a nice sheen to the finished product but produces a slow-setting permanently soft icing which frankly is a pain to work with. Next time I will use ordinary icing sugar.
The contrasting colour in the feathered icing comes from melted dark chocolate. The addition of a little vegetable oil to the chocolate produces a softer slower-setting result giving you time to work the feathered pattern. I forgot the oil which made life difficult as by the time I had piped lines of dark chocolate onto a row of lids, the chocolate had set rock-solid before I had chance to try out my feathering skills.
I changed tack and piped a single lid with 3 neat parallel lines of chocolate and immediately ran the wooden skewer through in a perpendicular direction. This worked fine except that I set the lids down to dry at a slight angle and 5 minutes later the slow-setting fondant icing (see my comments above) had slid off onto the kitchen work surface. Very frustrating.
I managed to turn out 12 acceptable lids and left the rejects for home consumption later. Once the icing had dried for a couple of hours, it was time for final assembly. I chose to transport the Esterházy tortes in clear plastic clamshells designed for cupcakes and these proved to be perfect for protecting the delicate tortes. I place a torte base in the bottom of the clamshell, piped a disc of buttercream on top and gently placed the iced top-layer in position, applying just a little pressure to hold everything together.
On to the apricot compôte. This was relatively straightforward to make after the two complex mini-cakes, but with its sharp refreshing sweetness a very welcome element in the dessert box. I didn't want a babyfood-smooth purée, nor did I want something resembling a can of apricot halves in syrup. What was required was something nice and thick but with a bit of chunky texture. I thought I could achieve the texture I wanted by gently poaching the peeled apricot slices in vanilla-scented sugar syrup, carefully draining the fruit then puréeing half of it before combining it with the remainder of the fruit cut into pieces. This worked a treat. The compôte was thoroughly chilled in the fridge before spooning neatly into small clear plastic deli-style containers.
The final step was to pipe my Greek yoghurt and vanilla cream into similar deli-style pots in a relaxed swirl – more elegant than just dolloping it in to the pots.
After 2 days' work I was finally all done and packed up. The boxes and their contents travelled brilliantly and, sigh, were consumed in the interval in a matter of minutes.
Recipe for Sachertorte
Adapted from a Mary Berry Great British Bake Off recipe on bbc.co.uk/food. This quantity of cake batter makes a single layer cake. A double quantity is required to make 16 cake cubes.
140g plain chocolate broken into small pieces (or use professional baking drops or buttons)
140g unsalted butter, softened
115g golden caster sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
5 eggs, separated
85g ground almonds
55g sifted plain flour
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C (fan). Grease and line with silicone paper your chosen cake tin. This quantity of cake batter will make a slim single layer cake if baked in a 23cm round tin, or a chunky layer for a two layer cake if baked in a 23cm square tin.
2. Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Remove and cool slightly.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together very well until really light. There is no raising agent in this cake so the only lift comes from air incorporated at this stage and when the beaten egg whites are incorporated.
4. Add the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla extract and beat again. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time then fold in the ground almonds and sifted flour.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry. Add about one third of the whisked egg whites to the chocolate mixture and stir will to mix in. This will lighten the mixture and make it easier to incorporate the remaining whisked egg white without beating all the air out.
6. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with a palette knife.
8. Bake for 40-50 minutes until well risen and the top springs back when gently pressed with your forefinger. The shallower 23cm square cake will cook more quickly whereas the deeper 23cm round cake will need a little longer in the oven.
9. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15-20 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to complete cooling.
10. Glaze, ice, fill and decorate according to your chosen recipe and desired finish. A sieved apricot jam glaze topped with chocolate ganache icing is traditional.
Recipe for mini Esterházy Tortes
Makes 16-18 sandwich cakes (32-36 individual cake discs).
For the cake layers
210g egg white (whites of approx. 6 eggs)
250g golden caster sugar
125g ground hazelnuts, lightly toasted
2 and a half tablespoons flour
To complete
1 quantity vanilla buttercream
85g ground hazelnuts, lightly toasted
Sieved apricot jam
1 quantity thick water icing made with 200g icing sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, a tablespoon of schnapps and water to mix
50g dark chocolate melted with a teaspoon of flavourless oil
Begin by making the mini cake layers. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (fan). Whisk the egg whites until foamy then add the sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time whisking after each addition. Continue whisking until the meringue mixture is stiff. Fold in the flour and toasted ground hazelnuts. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle and pipe small discs 4-5cm in diameter onto baking sheets lined with silicone paper or a non-stick liner. Leave about 2cm space between each disc to allow air to circulate to achieve an even bake. They don't spread as they bake. Bake for about 15 minutes until the discs are a light golden colour. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes or so before carefully transferring to a rack with a palette knife to complete cooling.
Prepare the vanilla buttercream using the recipe given in the link above. Stir in the ground almonds. Set aside.
Divide the cake discs into two halves, one group will be the tops and the other the bottoms. Brush the smooth side of the tops with sieved apricot jam and leave to set for a few minutes. Feather-ice the tops by piping 3 parallel evenly spaced lines of dark chocolate across the freshly applied thick water icing layer and immediately drawing a wooden skewer through the chocolate lines at right angles. The chocolate is easily piped from a small piping bag made from a folded triangle of greaseproof paper with a tiny hole snipped off at the pointed end. Each draw of the skewer should be evenly spaced and parallel to form the feathered pattern. Three or four draws of the skewer should be about right for these small cakes. The feathering technique is more easily explained with diagrams and pictures so I'd suggest looking first at a detailed cake decorating book or at some of the videos available online (search terms marbled or feathered icing) if you're trying this for the first time.
Leave the iced tops to set for a couple of hours before final assembly.
Assemble the cakes by piping a disc of buttercream onto the cake base. Use a disposable piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle. Set the iced layer on top and press gently to adhere.
Recipe for stone fruit compôte
800g-1kg ripe but not overripe stone fruit (eg apricots, peaches, nectarines or plums) peeled, stones removed and sliced
750 ml water
375g golden granulated or caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split in half
2-3 strips lemon peel
juice of a lemon
Make a syrup by bringing to the boil the sugar and water. Add the vanilla pod, lemon peel strips and lemon juice.
Poach the prepared fruit for 5-10 minutes until tender but not too pulpy. You may need to do this in batches.
Remove the poached fruit from the syrup with a slotted spoon. Purée about half of the poached fruit in a food processor or liquidiser. Cut the remaining poached fruit into bite sized chunks. Combine the fruit purée and chunks adding a little more poaching syrup if needed.
Chill until ready to serve. Don't throw the deliciously scented poaching syrup away – keep it in the fridge and use as the base for a soft drink or cocktail.


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Rising singer/songwriter Bridge doesn't know where his path may take him but, when all's said and done, he'd like to be able to say (in the immortal words of Frank Sinatra), "I did it my way." On freshly-minted project standout My Decision, his first DJBooth feature since last November's Do You Right, the unsigned artist fills us in on his ruggedly individualistic life philosophy. Joining the headliner over Proper and Rex Kudo's moody production, Treacherous Record singer K-Young echoes the headliner's commitment to self-determination on the song's chorus. Fans can find My Decision and many more original cuts on Bridge's Creature of Habit Pt. 1 street album, available now for free digital download via Audiomack.
Written by richard on 04/12/13
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Go here and look around, I think with this will help you put it back together on your own and then you will know.This will help. You can do it...we can help.
Welcome to the club. I've done that a few times when working on my old sxs and now I've pretty much learned where everything goes. Hope you get it back together soon. Happy shooting
I've fallen into the same issue a time or two several years go when I would buy jacked up guns from friends for cheap. Book mark this link Schematics Home - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools - BROWNELLS They tend to have most of what you will need in looking up schematics on guns. If you can find it there, you can find something damn close to get you rolling in the right direction. Worst case, google the $hit out of it. Liked the post about not learning if you don't jump in and try it. You'll figure it out on your own in time and be better off for it.
I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. ~George Washington
i usually clean guns at nite when im tired wife and i watching something mindless like family guy and a very small part goes winging across the room. she usually gets a good yuck or three while i prowl about the floor with a flashlight closely supervised by her cat. it happens. it sucks but it happens.
"Gun control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound." L. Neil Smith The problem with being stupid is you cannot simply decide to stop doing dumb things... "I crapped my pants to avoid the draft!!" -Ted Nugent
A good way to find lost tiny parts is put panty hose over the end of a vqcuum cleaner hose and get after it
"The whole of the Bill (of Rights) is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals.... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of." (Albert Gallatin of the New York Historical Society, October 7, 1789) "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." - George Washington


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Lodge at Tarraleah, Tarraleah, Tasmania
Tarraleah , Tasmania
Tel: 61 3 6289 1199
From the editors of Condé Nast Traveler:
Set on a remote plateau overlooking central Tasmania's highland wilderness, The Lodge was originally created in the 1930s, along with the rest of Tarraleah, a purpose-built village, to house the executives of a huge hydroelectric system that still runs through these valleys. Today the village is a privately owned tourist attraction, and the totally redone nine-room Art Deco–esque Lodge is the sparkling jewel in its crown. Most visit this region for its pristine scenery, abundant wildlife, and trout fishing. For those seeking less strenuous pursuits, The Lodge—restored in a classic black, red, and silver color scheme—offers comfort rather than serious luxury. Even so, its indulgences include a clifftop hot tub and a library containing one of the largest collections of malt whiskeys in the country.
2007 Hot ListWhen to go: The warmest months are January through March.
Which room to book: Suite 5, for its extra space, private deck, and uninterrupted valley views.
Amenities: Bar/lounge


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30 year old man | China Lake, CA, USA | Seeking women 20-30 within 50 miles of Ridgecrest, CA
your non average every day guy looking for company
its hard to describe your self... but ill give it a shot.. free style like. im the type of guy when you see walkin on the street you might glance.. or find sitting alone.. the only thing that purly modivates me is company.. i have fun around friends or hanging out places but i really enjoy the company of one i can trust in and get close to.. its been along time sence ive even tried looking for someone because mostly i hate being treated bad.. im the type that does all the stuff "studs" and regular joes think is corny.. i love being close watching movies all night just sitting out on the lawn lookin at the stars and i like cooking even know it mostly comes out burnt.. im into alot of stuff i like to aggressive skate.. bowling, working on cars , playin around on computers , snowboarding, fishing,dancing even know i cant really dance.. and i like to play the guitar.. and i love to travel and hit car shows.. i think is fun getting away for a weekend just going on a road trip doesnt matter were or when just getting out.. and im really dedicated i might not always remember stuff like holidays or birthdays because they havent really been important to me .. i cant really describe my self its more of a thing were you find out for your self because ive been told stuff i didnt believe about my self but i realise it after a while.. i can read people real well but im not the most emotional person .. well the emotions are there they just dont come out alot of the time.. and its pretty sad i know "admitting" ive been told is the hard part.. but ive never really been intement with anyone because its been like 8 years sence ive seen someone i m not really into like a super demanding state i just went to try online because im hoping to find someone in the same position im in... someone wonderful willing to spend time "im a romantic" and has some of the same interests i do.
Auto racing / Motorcross, Billiards / Pool, Bowling, Inline skating, Other types of exercise, Running, Skiing, Swimming, Walking / Hiking, Weights / Machines
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I have Cats
i play guitar , aggressive skate , work on my cars , snowboard pretty much anything watch movies go on walks have romantic times
Him | What he is looking for | |
Appearance | ||
Height: | 6'0" (182cms) | 5'0" (152cms) to 6'0" (182cms) |
Body type: | About average | Slender, About average, Curvy, Athletic and toned |
Eyes: | Hazel | No preference |
Hair: | Blonde | No preference |
Lifestyle | ||
Smoke: | No Way | No Way, Yes, but trying to quit |
Drink: | Social Drinker | No preference |
Occupation: | I'll tell you later | No preference |
Income: | I'll tell you later | No preference |
Relationship: | Never Married | Never Married |
Have kids: | I'll tell you later | No preference |
Wants kids: | I'll tell you later | Someday |
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Ethnicity: | White / Caucasian | No preference |
Faith: | Agnostic | No preference |
Languages: | English | No preference |
Education: | I'll tell you later | No preference |