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Renaissance Culinaire
 
  Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:13:00 +0200
Some of you have been wondering if your vote(s) made a difference for BOBs results. And I would say a resounding, YES! Renaissance Culinaire placed 2nd in the Best Hobby Blog Category.



I really am appreciative for everyone who rallied for me on digg and Blogcatalog and stumbleupon, and some of the mom blogging sites I am apart of - your willingness to help another blogger was great! It made being nominated for this award a whole lot sweeter! And for everyone who voted for this site - You are awesome and THANK YOU!

I am awaiting my official winner button from them, and once I get it, I will add it to my sidebar. It's cool to think that my relatively small blog had a chance to win a Best of Blog Award.

2008 started out very well and my momentum was really good, even with things going on in my personal life - I still put out some great posts, that attracted some great comments.

But if you have been wondering why the posts have started to get spaced further apart, and the foodie aspect of this site has been lagging - well I am experiencing some health problems right now that are very debilitating, and down right frightening.I have an appointment to see a doctor on the 8th.

I have been debating whether I should note this, but I decided you readers should know I haven't lost my passion for blogging or for food, I just am feeling so terrible most of the time - it hasn't left me wanting to talk about food.

Lately I haven't been social networking except for twitter. I have been twittering allot lately - to keep my mind off my symptoms, so if you'd like you can follow me and chat a bit...about geek stuff, movies, music or whatever!










  Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:05:00 +0200
When you are a child, the summers seems to be an mystical time that taunts you throughout the school days, tempting your thoughts with daydreams of water ponds and Popsicles, and with so much daydreaming comes the literal jump for joy that school is done. The thought that a whole summer of possibilities remains waiting around the corner - all for you!

In time school days turn to responsibilities, and you grow into an adult - but there is still something amazing about summer, that makes you believe once again there is a sun filled fun town that may invigorate your hum-drum routine...

Eventually you have a family of your own, and your little ones watch the changing seasons and with eyes of wonder they too are alive with the joys of summer...

But with summer comes allot of responsibility - to keep you and your family safe from the sweltering heat, and UV rays.

Jamie A. Freishtat, M.D and Rachel L. Schreiber, M.D., FAAAAI, are two Doctors who are also parents and together they make up Mommy Docs - a website that provides pediatric info for moms and their colleagues.

Here are 5 tips they recommend for parents to make summer more fun an less about worry...


  1. Have a Sun Protection Strategy: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15. Look for products that provide "broad spectrum" coverage to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Use this sunscreen routine with your child--daily application 30 minutes before going outside and reapplication every 2 hours (or sooner if swimming, toweling off, or sweating). Creating a routine will establish good habits for the future. In addition, don't forget a wide brim hat, sunglasses with 99-100% UVA/UVB protection, and sun protective clothing.
  2. Keep Pests off Your Little One: In the summer, many insects can bite or sting your child. For pesky mosquitoes and ticks, consider a DEET containing insect repellent. Apply sparingly to exposed skin (avoid backs of hands and around the eyes and mouth) and/or to clothing once a day. As the percentage of DEET goes up, the duration of action increases. To prevent unnecessary exposure, always use the lowest percentage that will last for the planned length of time spent outdoors. Never go above 30% or use on children under 2 months old.
  3. Keep the Pool Cool and Clean: Small yard pools provide a great way for kids to have fun and cool down when the temperature rises, but they can also harbor germs, such as bacteria. To keep the pool free from unwanted "swimmers," after each use disinfect it with bleach by cleaning with a solution of ¾ cup regular bleach to one gallon of water, then rinse well and dry thoroughly. Safety must: Always supervise children regardless of age when they are around any water; whether it's a bucket, a small backyard plastic pool, or the local community pool.
  4. High Heat Means Hydrate: Excessive heat exposure may cause your child to experience a heat-related illness such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke. How to prevent this: take breaks in the shade, avoid playing outside during peak sun exposure hours, and drink, drink, drink! Make sure your child is taking in plenty of fluids before he become thirsty.
  5. Rid Rashes and Relieve Itchies: Running through the yard in bare feet, taking a nature walk on a trail, and picnicking in the park are some of the joys of warmer weather. But all of this outdoor activity can expose your child to a host of plants including those which cause poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac. If an allergic reaction occurs, ask the pediatrician about an oral antihistamine and/or a topical skin care product such as a steroid cream or calamine. If the rash is extensive, looks infected, or is not getting better, call your doctor right away












  Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:44:00 +0200
I had an idea I thought would be a fun way to support our fellow food blog authors. And help create a even closer community.

I started a calender for listing food blogger blogoversary dates. The date of your food blog's official launch or first post, is your blogoversary.

The calender will allow for clickable links in the description, so you can put your blog's title in the event title, and a description of your food blog, then any links you'd like such as : your blog's link, twitter account, face book page etc. If you click on the image below, you can view an example calender event.



I used google calender to create it. It's easily searchable in the google calendar database. So your readers can follow all of their fav foodies. All public calenders are indexed by google.

You can view it by clicking this link - food blogger blogoversary. There is a small button at the bottom right you can click to subscribe/ add it to your google calender account.

You don't need to have a google account to view the calender, or get updates for upcoming or newly added food blogs :

Click on this link to subscribe with any calender that supports iCal format. Here is a list from wikipedia of apps that support iCAL.


I also burned it through feedburner. So you can subscribe or use it to add to another feed you are aggregating on your sidebar etc.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/FoodBloggerBlogoversaryDates

If you would like to be added to the calender:

Leave in comments or email me (email can be found in my profile) the following info:


  • Food Blog Title
  • Date of launch or first post (your blogoversary)
  • Food Blog description
  • Food Blog Url
  • Any other links you want publically displayed (twitter, MyblogLog, flickr etc)
I will set each event to continue to be celebrated yearly, so you will get updated every year.

I hope this can be something that is fun and usable for everyone . It gives another way to celebrate and promote your wonderful food blogs.









  Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:58:00 +0200
Once the familiar feelings and memories of your college life have started to fade away, replaced with more pressing matters, and the feeling of accomplishment has toned down a bit after graduation - you may find yourself in a panic about leaving your comfort zone and getting out into the world.




.....New Grad?

How To Survive The Real World
honest

advice will school
you...


How To Survive The Real World by Hundreds of Heads is a collaboration of tips, stories and quotes by grads who did survive, they give advice on what they learned out in the real world.

Book Specs:

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Hundreds of Heads Books (April 1, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1933512032
  • ISBN-13: 978-1933512037
  • 103 Tips on How to Win a Job and Impress Your New Boss
  • 24 Ways to "Get Out and Get On With It"
  • Info on Starting Down The Right Financial Path
  • Advice on Office Dating
  • Basic Survival Skill: Etiquette, Cooking and Buying a Car


I am always a little skeptical of guides like this. I never pick up those
"for dummies" books, Maybe it's a bit of a put off for me to purchase
a book that tries to teach you so condescendingly. But apparently these
books are helping some people - because thousands upon thousands
of "dummies" books have been sold.


How To Survive The Real World surprised me. When I picked it up and

started to read through the pages - I found it pretty enlightening and rather
humorous. It wasn't like reading from some boring manual penned by a
stuffy, elitist professional, such as allot of these types of books are, that are
geared towards grads.


How To Survive The Real World is like sitting down to chat with your
best friends - the ones you can pour your heart out to and that won't make you feel completely idiotic. The friends who you secretly admire for their guts and grittiness because they always seem to have no fear when it comes to tackling difficult situations , and who have the crazy stories to prove it. And it's these same friends who you always have the happiest and enthralling times with.



How would you like to have 774 friends like this? This book combines real, sometimes brash, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, advice from the grads who set out before you and I, to conquer their destinies - but surprise, their grand visions didn't always match their real life situation.

This book is full of really useful tips and advice for just about any situation the college grad might find themselves in. Here are just a few examples - a guide to stocking your first kitchen, resume dos & don't(s), email etiquette - this is great material to have at your disposal. I would highly recommend How To Survive The Real World.



















  Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:59:00 +0200
Have you wished there was an educational product out there - one you could add your child's pic to, that would help him/her get better at reading ? See Me Read is a product aimed at helping early readers succeed. After seeing her success from working with her own son - Lori Albert Luke , worked with childhood literacy expert Lynette Frentte to create the See Me ReadTM kit, a program that features personalized whole-word learning tools.










See Me Read Kit
Completely customizable...





The Product Specs:

I received the complete kit. The kit includes:

  1. Laminated Reader Cards (24 words)
  2. Reading Books Level 1 and Level 2
  3. Labels (24 words)
  4. Writing Pad
  5. Parent Guide on encouraging reading and
    tips for success

When you go to the See Me Read site , you

have 3 options, or kits, to choose from.

The largest kit is the complete kit.

You have the option to "Buy now,create

later" or "create now".

When you create your personalized kit,
You will be asked to choose 24 words out
of 39 words - the words are people,
objects, animals or places(such as dad,
or bathroom) . You will then be instructed
to take pictures of your child or upload
pictures you already have, that match
the what each word
describes (such as a picture of Ella stand-
ing in"Ella's room " or "Ella's cat"). These
are the words your child will be learning
to spell and read.


If you have selected the full kit you will also
need to fill out a questionnaire because the
Reading Book Level 2 has more advanced
sentences that need to be personalized to
fit your child's kit.

This process will take anywhere from
45 minutes to an hour. So prepare to have
some time freed up if you will be ordering
this complete kit.

The selected kit will then be shipped out and you
should receive it via USPS in 2 weeks.

Product Pros:

  1. Flash cards are large and heavily laminated, and are put on a jump ring - this is great because I know with my kids they loose anything cards related, having these cards on a ring ends having to pull them from every which corner and crevice in our house months after the fact.
  2. The Labels, Flash Cards, Reading Books 1 & 2 are all written in large print , and are not to busy or distracting, making for kids friendly reading.
  3. This kit integrates learning to read into your child's environment so everything your child is reading about is familiar and welcoming - there is no instance for your child to feel overwhelmed by being in a strange environment, so the learning is natural and at your child's own pace - SO much so that your child will wake up wanting to learn more.
  4. By using your own child's name and pictures on these tools, this encourages your kids to embrace themselves in a new light - one that will boost self esteem and confidence
  5. The kit is designed with pre-school and kindergarten curriculum in mind
  6. This kit is easy to use, and your child will practically teach him/herself.
  7. The included notebook has exercises to stimulate your child's creativity and fine motor skills by encouraging your child not only to read the object but to also draw the objects she/he has been learning to spell out.

Product Cons:

  1. The parent guide mentions putting the labels on the object they are describing (such as a dresser), at your child's eye level to encourage them to read wherever they are and learn through association. But I can't help but wish the labels were laminated like the flash cards.

Hint: If you purchase the kit I would recommend you take the labels into Kinko's to get them laminated - especially if you will be using with younger siblings later on.

Conclusion:

The See Me Read Kit Complete is an excellent tool to help get your little one on the right track to reading regularly. I would definitely recommend it.













  Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:20:00 +0200
It all started as...

----->Bread dough enriched with butter and spices, leavened with yeast and air was whipped into the dough.

----->ca. 1837 : Baking Powder revolutionizes cake industry (allows for consistent leavening)


Characteristics of Cakes:

*Pound / White / Yellow

  • Batter - high ratio cake (fats) , Chemical leavened.


*Angel Food

  • Foam - Air leavened, uses whipped egg.


*Chiffon

  • Combo of Batter & Foam - whipped eggs added to batter



Ingredients:

  1. tenderizers
  2. moisteners
  3. flavorers

*Flours Used in Cake baking
  • Mainly cake flour (7-9% protein, soft milled)
  • Can use AP, Pastry,
Why Specific Protein Count needed, how it forms Gluten Structure:
  1. Bleached flour (has carotenes taken out)
  2. Flours are Made with Matured Wheat - if using a heavier protein percentage (i.e in bread flour etc, will cause cake structure to become dense, unstable and collapse into it's self.
  3. Moisture content comes from the flour

*Sugars Used in Cake Baking

What sugar does for cakes:

  1. Acts as a Sweetener
  2. Extends the shelf life of the cake
  3. Aides in creaming (process of whipping air into the batter)
  4. Gives cake crust it's color
  5. Spreading action (the process of melting during bake off)




Related Posts:










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  Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:45:00 +0200
I am excited to review 2 wonderful children's books that are geared at readying your little ones for Kindergarten and First Grade. My daughter will be entering kindergarten this Fall, and these books couldn't have come at a better time.

Out of all the "get ready" books I have seen so far, the Let's Get Ready Series from Cedar Valley Publishing are the most engaging for kids and made from materials that are kid friendly.

Both books are paperback, with thicker than average paperback pages - that are laminated! What a great feature, this allows you to let your children, or even their younger siblings handle the book without worrying too much about the book getting torn.

These books aren't just work at home books - they teach the curriculum that is found in your child's kindergarten and firstgrade classrooms.

Plus 10% of the profits are donated to literacy programs.

Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten! (Let's Get Ready Series)
is written by Linda Desimowich and Stacey Kannenberg . Illustrated by Joyce Babel-worth.

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Cedar Valley Publishing (March 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1933476001
ISBN-13: 978-193347600

Mrs. Good , the books fictional teacher guides you and your little reader through the skills needed to prepare your child for her kindergarten class: telling time, recognizing money, making a calendar, colors and shapes, body parts, counting to 100, learning 5 senses, rhyming words, opposites, seasons and much more.

From reading, to recognizing money, to learning which hand is left or right , the fictional classmates in the book show your child learning IS fun. My daughter was begging me to teach her with this book.

The illustrations are very lively and fun. With great colors to keep little ones interest on each page you share.

This book not only will give you the tools and confidence to teach your child in an engaging, age appropriate way - But will also give you tips on how to ready your child for school days, and coach her on classroom issues such as bullying.





Lets Get Ready For First Grade!(Let's Get Ready Series)
Written by Dori Schmitz and Illustrated by Tracey Jackson.

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 44 pages
Publisher: Cedar Valley Publishing (March 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1933476109
ISBN-13: 978-1933476100

Mrs. Best, the books fictional teacher, and fictional classmates, will help you teach your child important academic milestones to learn for first grade : Writing full name & number, recognizing upper and lower case letters that out out of sequence, adding & subtraction, numbers 1-30, counting to 100, recognizing patterns, skip counting by 5s, 10s to 100, know money and value, reading basic sentences, under standing weather and so much more.

The illustrations are still fun and inviting, but are much more detailed in this book, sure to interest more motivated first graders.

Lets Get Ready For First Grade! really details first grade classwork. You will feel right at home teaching and following along with the book.There are also tips for fostering self esteem and proper ways to handle sensitive issues.

Overall Let's Get Ready Series are great books that will having you wondering why you didn't find them sooner. Your children will enjoy having the time spent with you and learning the cool skills in these books. I highly recommend them!











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  Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:39:00 +0200
As an eczema sufferer and a very allergy prone person, I am always weary of trying new lotions or creams - afraid of the onslaught of terrible itching a wrong ingredient will send my skin reeling from. Most of the time I loath even "sensitive skin" formulas because they usually cause even more irritation.

Tween Screen by Screen Inc. But I was pleasantly surprised when opening Screen Inc. The lotion was very lightly scented with a tropical smell. There are no heavy perfumes or chemical smells.

When I applied the lotion - my eczema was not even affected a little. I didn't get any hives or itchiness. This is pretty big considering my history with lotions and allergies.

A little of the Tween Screen went a long way to cover a larger area. The sunscreen when applied to skin was very light, and there was no greasiness whatsoever. The sunscreen went on smoothly and absorbed quickly into the skin - it didn't need to be worked in and massaged diligently like some major brand sunscreens.

Plus there are allot of botanical ingredients I felt were nice to see when going through the list of ingredients. Screen Inc. Sunscreens are all made in the USA.

Tween Screen is geared toward daily use on the face. It has a SPF of 16+. That SPF is pretty standard for facial sunscreens.

Higher SPFs are available and are recommended - but that day I forgot my sunscreen and this was handy in my purse.


Overall I felt this would be a sunscreen I could be comfortable recommending - especially for people with extremely sensitive skin - who are prone to eczema , and for tweens who are at that stage when they are just approaching puberty - this will not clog pores, or feel to greasy on their skin - and if has a very pleasant scent.

Screen Inc. Also has other sunscreen products such as Man screen, Chick Screen (for us women folk) and Teen Screen (for the active teen). You can even purchase the screen in bulk.












  Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:12:00 +0200
O.k, hopefully you haven't seen this yet? I just found this while searching for baking related diggs. I love music and beatbox and baking --- this dude combines all three of my favorites...o.k AND improve! He is in an apron and has a kitchenaide in front of him. Part Monthy Python , part Martha, part B-BoyyZ.



A must see! The incredibly original and talented beatboxer Beardyman presents a hilarious routine where he "bakes" a beatbox routine from the different sound "ingredients" he has in his repertoire. Amazing, incredible, and all those digg-worthy adjectives!




digg story

For more Kitchen related You-Tube :

















  Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:15:00 +0200
Readers have left some great comments lately and I wanted to give thanks - In appreciation I will post some of them here, and continue to do it as a regular feature of the best comments every 2 weeks.

macro shot of whipped cream.

I am sorry I haven't kept up with my comments, I have been sick and the kids have been sick and we are dealing with a lot of personal stuff right now.

I wanted to thank you for taking the time to comment, so I have linked to your sites/profiles under your comments quotes. If you post and use a blogger profile - please make sure your blogger profile is enabled for public viewing, some of yours weren't - so I couldn't visit your sites.

Reader Comment Carnival

These are some really high quality pictures, I especially like the one of the oil mixed with water on the ground.

David Spiele on My Photographic Mind




Looks delicious...much nicer than what I used to watching on Edible Incredible!

Amabaie on Food Photography : Banana - Midori Strawberry torte



This is really great, I love the way you decorated the plate! I almost thought it was painted on :). BTW, I read your about section and I can completely relate :D!!! I have a BA in English (have a poetry blog too!), currently work as a food blogger, and plan on attending culinary school in the near future (only thing is, I can't decide if I want to be a pastry chef or a savory chef :D).

It's nice to meet you :)

Sophie on Food Photography : Banana - Midori Strawberry torte



Your plated desserts ROCK...stunning, each one of them!

Passionate baker...& beyond on Food Photography : Banana Strawberry Torte



Your dessert was absolutely delicious! Also David & Lee did a fine job capturing the image. Taking photos of food sounds easy, but it is a fine art just as creating the dish is.

teeth whitener on Food Photography : Banana Strawberry Torte



I look here again and again in different times by and am pleased about the interesting and well written contributions. Cordial thanks and many greetings from the center of Germany.

Bernhard on Uncommonly Cute : Infant & Toddler Clothes



In the first picture I see a ship struggling against a stormy sea, water spraying, wind tossing.

Great pic & thoughts, love your blog!

Colleen on Saterday Soul Search : Food Poetry



That look absolutely wonderful. It's amazing what you can create with a little bit of handy and imagination..

Fudge on Saterday Soul Search : Food Poetry



Great post - we had a store down the road from us (I'm on the other side of the planet to you) selling loads of cute shirts like that.

We bought our friends two shirts when their son was born - Dad was a web developer, so his says "1.0" and the kid's says "2.0"

:)

Jonathan on Uncommonly Cute : Infant & Toddler Clothes



This is a very detailed review. All I can say is WOW!

NDS Games on Game Review : The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures



I wouldn't worry so much about getting the "right" picture on the blog. For me, a REAL plate with a meal on it is often better than all these "leaning tower of Piza" creations that no one in their right mind would create at home on a thursday night.

Your writing is excellent, and i would love to see what you are creating.

Anyone can make a Mignon taste decent, those that can make something good for less than $10 are the real chefs.

Erik Johnels on On Taste Memories and The Economy


Thanks soo much for contributing. And keep it up - read my posts and share your thoughts, your comment just might make it into a future Renaissance Culinaire's Reader Comment Carnival. It doesn't matter if you comment on newer or older posts - I will post according to the dates the comments were submitted.













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  Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:57:00 +0200
Apparently I have been Schmapped! Well I just checked my flickr mail and look what was inside:
Hi Amber,

I am writing to let you know that one of your photos has been short-listed for inclusion in the second edition of our Schmap Northwest Guide, to be published at the end of this month.

Clicking this link will take you to a page where you can:
i) See which of your photos has been short-listed.
ii) Submit or withdraw your photo from our final selection phase.
iii) Learn how we credit photos in our Schmap Guides.
iv) Browse the first edition of our Schmap Northwest Guide.


While we offer no payment for publication, many photographers are pleased to submit their photos, as Schmap Guides give their work recognition and wide exposure, and are free of charge to readers. Photos are published at a maximum width of 150 pixels, are clearly attributed, and link to high-resolution originals at Flickr.

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides
This is the photo that they wanted :

Fremont bridge - portland,or


Wow, that's kind of cool. My Northwest Flavor is traveling the web :) This is a picture of the Fremont Bridge in Portland, OR.

The Fremont Bridge is a steel tied arch bridge over the Willamette River located in Portland, Oregon. It carries Interstate 405 and US 30 traffic between downtown and North Portland where it intersects with I-5. It has the longest main span of any bridge in Oregon and is the second longest tied arch bridge in the world (after Caiyuanba Bridge across the Yangtze River, China).[1]

The bridge was named for John Charles Frémont, though one of the connecting streets was previously named Fremont Street in honor of the same individual.

The bridge has two decks carrying vehicular traffic, each with four lanes. The upper deck is signed westbound on US 30 and southbound on I-405. The lower deck is signed eastbound on US 30 and northbound on I-405. - facts Via Wikipedia


This photo was taken with my little point and shoot 3mp. It was raining and stormy when I took it - I kind of manipulated it a bit with contrast which made it grainy and added some deeper concentration of color. It is best viewed larger.












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  Sun, 08 Jun 2008 05:51:00 +0200
Do you value fast service? Most people would answer this question with a resounding yes. In an age when convenience is king, customer service sometimes gets left at the wayside. But apparently not at izzyprints.com. They will ready your invites within 2-3 days and ship them to you as fast as possible. If you find an error or have a problem with your order - they will go above and beyond to help rectify it and make sure your needs have been met.



...Invites in A hurry?
Need
..birth announcements..
Visit Izzy Prints.com
...party invitations...
Kwanza?...


Here is one of their baby shower designs:
Click here to view Baby Shower Floral 3
Click on the above image to view the product page.

On reviewing the website, I was pleasantly surprised at the layout. This site is customer very customer friendly.There are no itty bitty fonts, or hidden links - everything is within your view. The navigation is straightforward and logical, with all their products linked via text link, under six specific holidays or celebration categories in the right sidebar, or on the horizontal drop down menu below the header. The site search and customer service number are well defined at the top of the page.

Everywhere you look there is a navigation link - so forget about getting lost in a sea of webpages. Kudos for the website's usability.

The graphics are not drab. Images are easy on the eyes, and not over done. When you c