Saturday, November 23, 2013

Bugger. My Dog just fecked my laptop

This is so slow. I have so much to learn. Jezze I hope my laptop gets fixed soon or I get a new one. How did Perdy break it?. Why, she was just chasing away a visitor and took the direct route, via my computer. Now the screen looks like somthing a pissed Picasso would have painted. Hell, I,m already suffering withdrawal symptoms; aniety and an elivated sence of iscolation. See, I,m feeling the empathy and missing the spellcheck

Solar oven 'Brownies.'

I intimated that I would make this posting; my solar oven cooked brownies(I called them muffins in the pervious post). I had meant to cook some chocolate-dewberry muffins but I don't think that I can cook cakes as such, unless the product is more like a dessert, so I thought that the consistency of a brownie might be more to the capabilities of the oven. The problem is that it is hard to get a dry heat when moisture is given off in the oven. I know now that it will cook chicken well, given the right conditions and that it will dry (as long as I let the moisture out through a vent) tomatoes, and other fruits and herbs. But I do not think that it will cook a fluffy cake or sponge. The result is 'heavier,' hence my belief that it will cook brownies. Of course anyone knowing me well, knows that I read a recipe and tend to ignore it! I do my own thing, with quite varying results, some of which don't warrant 'telling.' My 'Brownie recipe worked well, if you believe that the outside should be sort of crunchy and the middle---well--- berry-melting delicious. If you want he recipe--just ask. Get a solar oven first though or buy mine for a million dollars! Once again. let the pictures speak for themselves! read ROSKILL to get some other ideas of my little idiosyncrasies, re cooking. Just download it on Kindle from my website.
www.authorneilcoleman.com

 Ready to go into the solar oven.


They really do have the consistency of Brownies.  Bloody yummy!

Try the Shoe Clinic in Sylvia Park for the best service---Thanks Tian!

Today I decided I needed some new shoes. I had almost worn my 'walkers' out since I increased my walking regime and decreased my weight. The soles were looking pretty sad and it felt like my feet were just about breaking through to solid concrete or gritty sand. So---off we went to the Mt Wellington Hub, where we hoped to explore some good options. I didn't want runners or outdoor tramping shoes/boots, just all purpose shoes good for walking. We thought we would try the cheaper stores first, including Hannah's and Rebel Sport. What a total let-down. Yes, the prices were OK, but the help we needed just wasn't apparent, OK, I don't like being bothered by pushy shop assistants but it would have been nice to actually see a friendly face at least offering some sort of help. We dipped out in both stores and decided that although it would cost more, we would go to one of the 'speciality' shops at Sylvia Park.
Walking along in my worn-out New balance Walkers, we came across the Shoe Clinic. First thing we noticed was that it wasn't overflowing with bargain hunters, making a mess of the shelves and taking up scarce seating to try on the shoes. We were approached by 'Tian,' who gently talked me through my options. He measured my feet, had me do some sort of stretching whereby he could judge where I was at from a shoe-fitting-science point of view. He stuck me on a treadmill (that I wanted to take home and then started to fit me with two pairs of New Balance walkers. With the correct inserts and a good pair of socks, I felt like I was walking on clouds. Sure, I paid more than I had intended, but I hate to arrive home only to regret a purchase because the shoes  'don't do the trick.' This time at the Shoe Clinic, I had no such feelings. I am completely satisfied with my purchases and I know that a cheaper option would be bad economics in the long run. Thanks Tian and the Shoe Clinic.
www.authorneilcoleman.com