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		<title>Food on Fridays: Say Something Clever</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:02:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food on Fridays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eggs michelle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[friendship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scholars in bloomington]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scholars inn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://annkroeker.com/?p=15033</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="../2011/07/21/?cat=16" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">(smaller button below)</p> <p>For the <a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/food-on-fridays/" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a> carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and [...]]]></description>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>(smaller button below)</em></p>
<p>For the <em><a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/food-on-fridays/" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a></em> carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes,<em> your post doesn’t have to be a recipe</em>. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes.  When your <em>Food on Fridays</em> contribution is ready, just grab  the broccoli button to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually.  Then fill in the boxes of this linky tool to join the fun!<br />
<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=3ca4bd2e-48c9-42e3-ad0d-a8d45ba15fc5" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<h3><strong>Food on Fridays with Ann</strong></h3>
<p>Not long ago, some friends and I had brunch at Bloomington&#8217;s <a href="http://www.scholarsinn.com/" target="_blank">Scholars Inn</a>. We sat on an enclosed porch surrounded by windows, basking in the richness of friendship, conversation, and food.</p>
<p>I ordered &#8220;Eggs Michelle&#8221;: smoked salmon, asparagus, and a poached egg arranged on a toasted English muffin and covered with Béarnaise sauce.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/eggs-benedict-salmon.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15034" title="eggs michelle" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/eggs-benedict-salmon-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>Big wooden letters tacked above the windows spelled out, &#8220;Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine<em></em>, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever. Aristophanes c. 450 &#8211; 385.&#8221;</p>
<p>From where I was sitting, the main words I could see were &#8220;say something clever.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/say-something-clever.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15035" title="say something clever" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/say-something-clever-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>We relaxed as shafts of morning light warmed our sweaters and hair, and the few times I glanced at those words, I thought how freeing it is to sit with friends so trusted, so close, so safe, that any urge to be clever flows not from a need to amuse or entertain, but from the ease and delight of simply hearing each other laugh.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: Photos by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<h6 style="border: 1px solid; padding-right: 15px; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #84be6a; border-style: inset;">
<li style="text-align: center;">There&#8217;s always more to come: <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2871374&amp;loc=en_US">subscribe to Ann Kroeker by e-mail</a></li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Want to slow down in our fast-paced world? Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-So-Fast-Slow-Down-Solutions/dp/1434768880/ref=tmm_pap_title_1" target="_blank"><em>Not So Fast</em></a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">&#8220;Like&#8221; me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Kroeker/113894785310924" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</li>
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		<title>Curiosity Journal: January 26, 2012</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:05:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Curiosity Journal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bananagrams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[curiosity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[curious]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://annkroeker.com/?p=15028</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark.jpg"></a>Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.</p> <p>I&#8217;m late this week, however, so I&#8217;m posting on Thursday.</p> <p>Hope you don&#8217;t mind.<br /> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">:::<br /> </p> Reading <p>A few articles, mostly about brain-sharpening:</p> &#8220;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/education/edlife/a-sharper-mind-middle-age-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">A [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-13907" title="questionmark" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.</em></p>
<p><em>I&#8217;m late this week, however, so I&#8217;m posting on Thursday.</em></p>
<p><em>Hope you don&#8217;t mind.<br />
</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::<em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span></em></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Reading</strong></h3>
<p>A few articles, mostly about brain-sharpening:</p>
<ul>
<li>&#8220;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/education/edlife/a-sharper-mind-middle-age-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">A Sharper Mind, Middle Age and Beyond</a>&#8221; from <em>The New York Times</em></li>
<li>&#8220;<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/01/buff-your-brain.html" target="_blank">Buff Your Brain</a>&#8221; from <em>Newsweek</em> (via The Daily Beast)</li>
<li> Though I disagreed with a couple of the suggestions, I appreciated several ideas mentioned in &#8220;<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/30/31-ways-to-get-smarter-in-2012.html" target="_blank">31 Ways to Get Smarter in 2012</a>,&#8221; from <em>Newsweek</em> (via The Daily Beast)<em><br />
</em></li>
</ul>
<p>Also, unrelated to the mind, I really enjoyed <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/sports/finders-key-from-far-back-in-the-pack-to-the-lead-in-war-horse.html" target="_blank">the article in <em>The New York Times</em> about Finders Key</a>, the horse who starred in &#8220;Seabiscuit&#8221; and &#8220;War Horse.&#8221;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Playing</strong></h3>
<p>It&#8217;s been a big week for games. We&#8217;ve been playing Rummy and Bananagrams with my mom, who recently moved in with us, and one of my daughters has been challenging me to electronic Scrabble and <a href="http://www.wordswithfriends.com/" target="_blank">Words with Friends</a>.</p>
<p>By the way, the <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/30/31-ways-to-get-smarter-in-2012.item-1.html" target="_blank">first idea</a> in that Newsweek article about getting smarter in 2012 recommends playing Words with Friends to help reduce risk of Alzheimer&#8217;s and dementia, so&#8230;what are we waiting for? Anyone up for a round?</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/bananagram-split.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15041" title="bananagram split" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/bananagram-split-463x600.jpg" alt="" width="463" height="600" /></a></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Learning</strong></h3>
<p>See &#8220;Reading.&#8221;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Reacting</strong></h3>
<p>As I mentioned, my mom moved in with us recently. Because the kids call her Grandma, I will on my blog here, too.</p>
<p>She and my son were playing rummy at the kitchen table the other day, candles left lit from mealtime still flickering. Sometimes Grandma would win, sometimes he would win. They&#8217;d laugh together, jokingly groaning if the other played a good hand.</p>
<p>As I puttered around the kitchen cleaning up, my son looked up and asked me, &#8220;How long is Grandma going to stay with us?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;As long as she needs to,&#8221; I answered.</p>
<p>&#8220;You said it would be at least a week,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and tonight makes it exactly a week. And so I just wondered how much longer.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Well,&#8221; I said, &#8220;the doctor said she would need us to be nearby to check on her until she gets better, for <em>at least</em> a week. So she&#8217;s with us as long as she needs us, and she can stay as long as she likes.&#8221;</p>
<p>He nodded and grinned. &#8220;I like that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I like that a lot.&#8221;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Writing</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">No writing projects of consequence to note this week.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</p>
<p><strong>Credits:</strong><em> Banana Splits/Bananagrams photo by Sophie Marie. All other images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<h6 style="border: 1px dotted; padding-right: 15px; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffff99; border-style: inset;">
<li style="text-align: center;">There&#8217;s always more to come: <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2871374&amp;loc=en_US">subscribe to Ann Kroeker by e-mail</a></li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Want to slow down in our fast-paced world? Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-So-Fast-Slow-Down-Solutions/dp/1434768880/ref=tmm_pap_title_1" target="_blank"><em>Not So Fast</em></a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">&#8220;Like&#8221; me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Kroeker/113894785310924" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/annkroeker" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</li>
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		<title>Food on Fridays: Sun-dried Tomato Fish in a Bag</title>
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		<comments>http://annkroeker.com/2012/01/20/food-on-fridays-sun-dried-tomato-fish-in-a-bag/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:11:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food on Fridays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish in a bag]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish-in-a-bag recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Swai]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://annkroeker.com/?p=15017</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="../2011/07/21/?cat=16" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">(smaller button below)</p> <p>For the <a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/food-on-fridays/" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a> carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="../2011/07/21/?cat=16" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" title="fof" src="http://annkroeker.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/fof.jpg?w=246&amp;h=184&amp;h=184" alt="fof" width="246" height="184" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>(smaller button below)</em></p>
<p>For the <em><a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/food-on-fridays/" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a></em> carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes,<em> your post doesn’t have to be a recipe</em>. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes.  When your <em>Food on Fridays</em> contribution is ready, just grab  the broccoli button to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually.  Then fill in the boxes of this linky tool to join the fun!<br />
<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=a0b486fb-0bfa-4a7e-bcbc-747105047bb3" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<h3><strong>Food on Fridays with Ann</strong></h3>
<p>After picking up a package of <a href="http://news.consumerreports.org/money/2009/01/swai.html" target="_blank">Swai</a> at a reduced price, I bought these parchment bags on manager&#8217;s special at Kroger.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-bags.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15018" title="Fish-bags" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-bags-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>Then I hunted around for an <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/49328558388246506/" target="_blank">interesting recipe</a> and pinned &#8220;Sun-dried Tomato Tilapia in a Bag&#8221; to my &#8220;<a href="http://pinterest.com/kroekerwriter/food-recipes-ideas/" target="_blank">Food: Recipes, Ideas</a>&#8221; Pinterest board.</p>
<p>I would rank it a strong 10 on the Fish Main Dish scale, and my husband agreed. (Note: the kids acted like I fed them a plate of monkey brains or something equally distasteful and disconcerting, but they are funny about fish, so their opinion doesn&#8217;t count.)</p>
<p>Spray the parchment bag lightly with cooking spray.</p>
<p>Spread out a bed of spinach.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-spinachbag.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15019" title="Fish-spinachbag" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-spinachbag-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>Next time I&#8217;ll add spinach for a more lush bed.</p>
<p>Add sliced or diced peppers peppers.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-peppersbag.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15020" title="Fish-peppersbag" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-peppersbag-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>Then, shredded carrots.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-carrotsbag.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15021" title="Fish-carrotsbag" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-carrotsbag-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>The recipe said to drizzle a little vinaigrette on the vegetables, so I used some Ken&#8217;s that I had in the fridge.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-Kensbags.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15022" title="Fish-Kensbags" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-Kensbags-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>If I had it to do over again, I don&#8217;t think I would have drizzled it on the vegetables, because the recipe says to put some vinaigrette on the fish, as well. I think I&#8217;ll just squirt some over the fish, let some of it drip down onto the vegetables, and leave it at that.</p>
<p>Sprinkle the fish with all-purpose seasoning.</p>
<p>Spoon some sun-dried tomatoes onto the fish.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-sundriedtomatoes.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15023" title="Fish-sundriedtomatoes" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-sundriedtomatoes-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>Finally, fold down the tops of the bags and squeeze them, crimping tightly shut. Place bags on a cookie sheet and stick in the oven for 20 minutes or so.</p>
<p>Remove from the oven, open bag carefully, check for doneness (fish is flaky and white throughout). We lifted the fish from the bags to serve on plates, but the bag could be placed directly on the plate so that people can eat from the bag.</p>
<p>Any way you dish it up, the result? Delicious flavor combination that adds interest to a light white fish.</p>
<p>I highly recommend&#8230;for grownups and other fish lovers.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-cooked.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15024" title="Fish-cooked" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Fish-cooked-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Sun-dried Tomato Tilapia (or White Fish) in a Bag</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.redlobster.com/kitchen/recipes/" target="_blank"><em>Source: Red Lobster</em></a></p>
<p>Cooking fish in a parchment bag results in a moist, flaky fish. This  dish is great not only because it’s light but because it is simple to  put together.</p>
<p>Serves 4</p>
<p>Ingredients:</p>
<ul>
<li>8 Sheets of parchment paper [I bought bags]</li>
<li>8 c. fresh Spinach, washed and dried</li>
<li>Nonstick Cooking Spray fat-free</li>
<li>1 c. Carrots, shredded or matchstick cut</li>
<li>1 Red Pepper, cut into thin strips [I diced a little yellow and red]</li>
<li>8 Tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, fat-free [I used Ken's]</li>
<li>All –purpose Salt Free Seasoning, to taste</li>
<li>4 Tbsp Sun-dried Tomatoes, chopped</li>
<li>4 ea 8-10 oz pieces of Tilapia, skin off [I used swai]</li>
</ul>
<p>Layering the bag:</p>
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 400 degrees.</li>
<li>Spray each sheet of parchment paper lightly with Non-stick Cooking Spray on top side only.</li>
<li>Place ¼ Spinach in the center of each of 4 of the parchment paper  pieces; add ¼ of the Carrots and ¼ of the Red Pepper slices to each  stack.</li>
<li>Top each Spinach and Vegetable stack with 1 Tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette.</li>
<li>Place one piece of Tilapia on top of the Spinach and Vegetable  mixture. Sprinkle with Salt Free Seasoning and top with 1 Tbsp chopped  Sun-dried Tomatoes and 1 Tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette.</li>
</ol>
<p>Sealing the bag:</p>
<ol>
<li>Place one sheet of the parchment, sprayed side down on top of each piece of the tilapia.</li>
<li>Crimp the two sheets of parchment paper like a piecrust until the bottom and the top are completely sealed.</li>
</ol>
<p>Cooking:</p>
<ol>
<li>Place the bags of tilapia onto a cookie sheet and cook in a 400  degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal  temperature of 140-150 degrees.</li>
<li>Place the bag onto a plate and slice the parchment open at the table to enjoy.</li>
</ol>
<p>*Chef’s Tip:</p>
<ul>
<li>Other fresh fish species that work well with this dish includes Snapper, Grouper, Salmon, Halibut, Red Rockfish and Wahoo. [And swai.]</li>
</ul>
<div></div>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: Photos by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.</em></p>
<h6 style="border: 1px solid; padding-right: 15px; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #84be6a; border-style: inset;">
<li style="text-align: center;">There&#8217;s always more to come: <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2871374&amp;loc=en_US">subscribe to Ann Kroeker by e-mail</a></li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Want to slow down in our fast-paced world? Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-So-Fast-Slow-Down-Solutions/dp/1434768880/ref=tmm_pap_title_1" target="_blank"><em>Not So Fast</em></a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">&#8220;Like&#8221; me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Kroeker/113894785310924" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</li>
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		<title>Curiosity Journal: January 18, 2012</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:48:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Curiosity Journal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creativity]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark.jpg"></a>Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">:::<br /> </p> Reading <p>I didn&#8217;t get much reading done this week, and I&#8217;m trying to be okay with that.</p> <p>Sometimes I think a Kindle tucked in my purse [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-13907" title="questionmark" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::<em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span></em></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Reading</strong></h3>
<p>I didn&#8217;t get much reading done this week, and I&#8217;m trying to be okay with that.</p>
<p>Sometimes I think a Kindle tucked in my purse would allow me to make the most of unexpected free time.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Playing</strong></h3>
<p>One of our kids is considering a career in the medical field, so we attended an orientation meeting at a local hospital to prepare her for a day of shadowing. We sat in the conference room facing a wall decorated with press-on letters that formed titles representing a variety of medical careers.</p>
<p>My daughter listened closely to the presentation, while I practiced proofreading skills.</p>
<p>How many errors can you find (click on photo for larger view)?</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Misspellings.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15007" title="Misspellings" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Misspellings-600x346.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="346" /></a></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Learning</strong></h3>
<p>I signed up for <a href="http://pinterest.com/kroekerwriter/" target="_blank">Pinterest.</a></p>
<p>I left up one of the default boards labeled &#8220;<a href="http://pinterest.com/kroekerwriter/my-style/" target="_blank">My Style</a>,&#8221; because I realized I don&#8217;t really have a style. <em>Maybe,</em> I thought, <em>if I collect enough pictures of outfits that I kind of like, I could actually develop a style. </em></p>
<p>One afternoon last week I stopped by Goodwill and found a Gap sweater with the same neck as the sweater pictured in the <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/49328558388239498/" target="_blank">first photo I pinned</a>. On another rack, a gray jacket.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gap-sweater.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-15008" title="gap sweater" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gap-sweater-330x600.jpg" alt="" width="330" height="600" /></a></p>
<p>So I&#8217;m trying to experiment and figure out what works.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Reacting</strong></h3>
<p>I stuck about 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels in a small paper lunch bag, folded it shut and sort of crimped it together.</p>
<p>Then I stuck the bag of kernels in the microwave for about three minutes, but I stopped the microwave when the popping slowed.</p>
<p>I pulled it out.</p>
<p>Opened the bag.</p>
<p>Inside?</p>
<p><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/49328558388236598/" target="_blank">Perfect popcorn</a>.</p>
<p>The makers and marketers of microwave popcorn should be scared. Very scared.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Writing</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Writing projects: Stories for The High Calling, a brochure for a local client, and a few blog posts.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><strong>Credits:</strong><em><br />
</em></p>
<p>Photos: Images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.</p>
<h6 style="border: 1px dotted; padding-right: 15px; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; background-color: #ffff99; border-style: inset;">
<li style="text-align: center;">There&#8217;s always more to come: <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2871374&amp;loc=en_US">subscribe to Ann Kroeker by e-mail</a></li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Want to slow down in our fast-paced world? Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-So-Fast-Slow-Down-Solutions/dp/1434768880/ref=tmm_pap_title_1" target="_blank"><em>Not So Fast</em></a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">&#8220;Like&#8221; me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Kroeker/113894785310924" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</li>
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		<title>Shine</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:53:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[laundry]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/aqua-glitter-scarf.jpg"></a>Christmas morning, one of my kids gave me a box of things-to-keep-me-warm: gloves, scarf, and an ear-warmer headband. I lifted the soft, aqua scarf from the box and wrapped it around my neck to wear the rest of the day.</p> <p>Later, at dinner, I looked down at my lap—a layer of glitter speckled my [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/aqua-glitter-scarf.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-14988" title="aqua glitter scarf" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/aqua-glitter-scarf-199x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="300" /></a>Christmas morning, one of my kids gave me a box of things-to-keep-me-warm: gloves, scarf, and an ear-warmer headband. I lifted the soft, aqua scarf from the box and wrapped it around my neck to wear the rest of the day.</p>
<p>Later, at dinner, I looked down at my lap—a layer of glitter speckled my pants and sweater, as if my lap were a cookie decorated with a few shakes of colored sugar. I shimmered a little in the candlelight.</p>
<p><em>Must be from some of the wrapping paper,</em> I thought, flipping the scarf around my neck again, as it had unwound itself, one end dangling down, the fringe scraping my forearm.</p>
<p>That night, I shook out the pants and sweater and tossed them into the laundry. I set the scarf on the floor of the closet and didn&#8217;t wear it again until the temperatures dropped a week or so later. That first cold day of the new year, I flung the scarf around my neck and noticed glitter sliding down the front of my leather coat.</p>
<p><em>The scarf!</em> I thought the strands of yarn were themselves glitzy, but they were dropping flecks like dandruff all over my coat and clothes as if someone had simply rolled the scarf in a pile of glitter before shipping it to the store. Everywhere I went, whether I sat, paused, or leaned against something or someone, I left a trail of fairy dust.</p>
<p>I amused myself with visions of young girls, wide-eyed with imagination, concocting stories of the Tooth Fairy tapping a wand against the chairs in the library or in the waiting room of the dentist&#8217;s office, but the glitter had to go. I couldn&#8217;t live with it dropping into the computer keyboard, let&#8217;s say, or the chili.</p>
<p>So I decided to launder the scarf. <em>That&#8217;ll wash away the loose glitter,</em> I surmised.<em></em></p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/aqua-glitter-pants.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-14989" title="aqua glitter pants" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/aqua-glitter-pants-199x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="300" /></a>The kids had just sorted their dirty laundry, forming a mountain of sweatshirts, sweaters, socks and jeans in the basket of darks. I tossed them into the machine along with the scarf, measured out the soap and pressed start.</p>
<p>A few hours later, I plucked a few items from the top of that load and tossed them in the dryer or hung them up to dry. The deeper I moved into the layers, however, the more the items seemed to gleam. By the time I reached the last few T-shirts and jeans that had been sitting against the washer tub, I realized they were coated with glitter. Absolutely coated.</p>
<p>I left the shiniest stuff in there and ran a rinse cycle, hoping that would loosen up the clingy bits, but when I pulled them out a second time, those clothes still sparkled. I hung up most of them on the closet rod, hoping the glitter would drop off as they dried, but I checked the next morning. Each fleck stubbornly held fast to the fabric.</p>
<p>My son&#8217;s T-shirt has a rock star vibe; my daughter&#8217;s corduroys shimmer.</p>
<p>For a while, it seems that we will look a little flashy, like junior high girls dressing for a Justin Bieber concert.</p>
<p>And yet, when we head to church on Sunday morning, I like to think that our very presence, reflecting the light as we stand to pray or praise, might remind the people sitting behind us to head back into the world and <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-15.htm" target="_blank">shine like stars</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><em>Credits: Photos by Ann Kroeker. All rights and glitter reserved.</em></p>
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		<title>Food on Fridays: Easy Beef Stroganoff</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:46:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food on Fridays]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[beef stroganoff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[easy beef stroganoff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ground beef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ground beef recipe]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="../2011/07/21/?cat=16" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">(smaller button below)</p> <p>For the <a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/food-on-fridays/" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a> carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and [...]]]></description>
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<p>For the <em><a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/food-on-fridays/" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a></em> carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes,<em> your post doesn’t have to be a recipe</em>. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes.  When your <em>Food on Fridays</em> contribution is ready, just grab  the broccoli button to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually.  Then fill in the boxes of this linky tool to join the fun!<br />
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<h3><strong>Food on Fridays with Ann</strong></h3>
<p>Contrary to what this photo may suggest, the Kroekers do not serve sauteed dog food over noodles.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/beef-stroganoff2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14979" title="beef stroganoff" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/beef-stroganoff2-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>It was after dark by the time we dished this beef stroganoff onto our plates, and we were eating by candlelight; so, I couldn&#8217;t get an appealing snapshot. But trust me: this simple dish turned out great.</p>
<p>I had already browned some ground beef that was sitting in the fridge, awaiting its assignment. We&#8217;d eaten Mexican the night before, and I wasn&#8217;t in the mood for spaghetti with red sauce.</p>
<p>A short Internet search turned up <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-ground-beef-stroganoff/detail.aspx" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, which I modified slightly based on what I had available. The following is my version:</p>
<p><em><strong>Beef Stroganoff</strong></em></p>
<div>
<p><em>Ingredients</em></p>
<div>
<ul>
<li> 2 pounds ground beef</li>
<li> 1 shallot, chopped fine (original called for onions, but I can only digest shallots)</li>
<li> 1 clove garlic, minced</li>
<li> 1 8 oz container mushrooms, sliced</li>
<li> 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper</li>
<li> 1 cup hot water (original called for 2 cups hot water)</li>
<li> 5 or 6 cubes beef bouillon (go easy on these, as it gets salty)</li>
<li>2 or 3 shakes Worcestershire sauce</li>
<li> 2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce (original recipe called for 4 tablespoons tomato paste, which is why they could get by with a bunch of water)</li>
<li> 1 1/2 cups water</li>
<li> 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (these last two ingredients were added to thicken the sauce)</li>
<li>1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<h3>Directions</h3>
<ol>
<li> Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (I used a deep pot). Add  ground beef (mine was already cooked, so I just used a tiny big of oil and added the other things), add shallot, garlic, and mushrooms; saute until onion is  golden brown.  Season with salt and black pepper.</li>
<li> Stir 1 cup hot water, bouillon cubes, and tomato  paste into meat mixture. Stir together 1 1/2 cups cold water and flour;  stir into pan.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour. Keep an eye on things, stirring to check consistency, and add water as needed to keep it from sticking to the pan or thickening too much.</li>
<li>Before serving, stir in the yogurt or sour cream for a creamier flavor and look.</li>
<li>Serve over hot, buttered noodles.</li>
</ol>
<p>This got high marks from family members who rated it in the 8-10 range on a scale of 1 to 10. I&#8217;ll definitely make it again.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: Unappealing food photo by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.</em></p>
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<li style="text-align: center;">Want to slow down in our fast-paced world? Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-So-Fast-Slow-Down-Solutions/dp/1434768880/ref=tmm_pap_title_1" target="_blank"><em>Not So Fast</em></a>.</li>
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		<title>Curiosity Journal: January 11, 2012</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:38:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Curiosity Journal]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[concentration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oatmeal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steel cut oatmeal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tony Buzan]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark.jpg"></a>Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. </p> <p>Now I&#8217;m testing a slimmed-down version.<br /> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">:::<br /> </p> Reading <p>I started <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/083083706X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#38;tag=annkroekerwri-20&#38;linkCode=as2&#38;camp=1789&#38;creative=9325&#38;creativeASIN=083083706X">Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best</a>, by Eugene [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-13907" title="questionmark" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. </em></p>
<p><em>Now I&#8217;m testing a slimmed-down version.<br />
</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::<em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span></em></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Reading</strong></h3>
<p>I started <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/083083706X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=annkroekerwri-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=083083706X">Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=annkroekerwri-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=083083706X" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></em>, by Eugene Peterson. In light of New Year&#8217;s Resolutions and other hopes of pursuing goals and dreams, I thought this excerpt was particularly nice:</p>
<blockquote><p>Something very different takes place in the life of faith: each person discovers all the elements of a unique and original adventure. We are prevented from following in another&#8217;s footsteps and are called to an incomparable association with Christ. The Bible makes it clear that every time that there is a story of faith, it is completely original. God&#8217;s creative genius is endless. He never, fatigued and unable to maintain the rigors of creativity, resorts to mass-producing copies.  Each life is a fresh canvas on which he uses lines and colors, shades and lights, textures and proportions that he has never used before&#8230;anyone and everyone is able to live a zestful life that spills out of the stereotyped containers that a sin-inhibited society provides. Such lives fuse spontaneity and purpose and green the desiccated landscape with meaning. And we see how it is possible: by plunging into a life of faith, participating in what God initiates in each life, exploring what God is doing in each event. (p. 16-17)</p></blockquote>
<p>So many great little phrases packed into that passage, like, &#8220;every time that there is a story of faith, it is completely original,&#8221; and &#8220;[e]ach life is a fresh canvas on which [God] uses lines and colors, shades and lights&#8230;anyone and everyone is able to live a zestful life&#8230;Such lives fuse spontaneity and purpose and green the desiccated landscape with meaning.&#8221;</p>
<p>How? By &#8220;plunging into a life of faith, participating in what God initiates in each life, exploring what God is doing in each event.&#8221;</p>
<p>Good stuff.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Playing</strong></h3>
<p>I thought this would be <em>my</em> <a href="http://annkroeker.com/2011/12/27/season-of-creativity/" target="_blank">season of creativity</a>. I thought <a href="http://annkroeker.com/2012/01/02/art-can-awaken/" target="_blank">Art had awakened <em>me</em></a>.</p>
<p>Then my kids started clipping coupons for Michael&#8217;s, which sells art supplies, and came home with brushes and paints and sketchbooks.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtKids-lettering.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14949" title="ArtKids-lettering" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtKids-lettering-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtKids-Lettering2.jpg"><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtKids-Lettering2-watermark.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14974" title="ArtKids-Lettering2-watermark" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtKids-Lettering2-watermark-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></a></p>
<p>Apparently art awakened us all,</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtKids-acrylics.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14947" title="ArtKids-acrylics" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtKids-acrylics-399x600.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="600" /></a></p>
<p>and we will be sharing this <a href="http://annkroeker.com/2011/12/27/season-of-creativity/" target="_blank">season of creativity</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Learning</strong></h3>
<p>I enjoyed this brief video that features Tony Buzan (&#8220;Mind-Mapping&#8221;) talking about concentration. He recommends simple activities that can help our brain focus and concentrate. He also discounts the idea of the brain being a problem-solving organ. The brain is not so much a problem-solver, he says, as it is a<em> solution finder</em>. The positive tone of this semantic shift frees the brain to kick into gear and seek solutions, functioning as the amazing brain that it is.<strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p><strong><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="350" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sc3fqkwHWJA" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sc3fqkwHWJA"></embed></object><br />
</strong></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Reacting</strong></h3>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Screen-Shot-Stats-1-11-12.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14952" title="Screen Shot Stats 1-11-12" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Screen-Shot-Stats-1-11-12.png" alt="" width="426" height="384" /></a></p>
<p>It never ceases to amaze me how that <a href="http://annkroeker.com/2008/03/25/overnight-crockpot-steel-cut-oatmeal/" target="_blank">steel cut oatmeal post</a> gets around.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve learned curb any enthusiasm over traffic spikes like this, as they are never in response to a profound story I offered to my readers. They are always about the oatmeal. And because the most dramatic interest in my blog always traces back to a bowl of hot oatmeal, I just smile.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m humbled and honored to have provided such a valuable resource for people who want to start their day with a bowl of steel cut oatmeal that&#8217;s warm and ready the minute they lift the lid on their crock pot.</p>
<p>If, however, anyone knows how I can place an ad on just one post, please let me know. In fact, I&#8217;ve always wondered why I haven&#8217;t been approached by <a href="http://www.mccanns.ie/" target="_blank">McCann&#8217;s Irish Oatmeal</a>. I&#8217;d happily swap out photos on that post for a tin of <a href="http://www.mccanns.ie/" target="_blank">McCann&#8217;s</a>. I have one in the pantry right now that I could set up for a photo shoot, should they contact me about placing an ad.</p>
<p>Not that I&#8217;m trying to draw their attention or anything&#8230;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Writing</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Not much to report, as I scramble to comment on student papers so that they can get started on revisions.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><strong>Credits:</strong><em><br />
</em></p>
<p>Note: This post contains affiliate links.</p>
<p>Work Cited:<br />
Peterson, Eugene H. <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/083083706X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=annkroekerwri-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=083083706X">Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best</a>.<img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=annkroekerwri-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=083083706X" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></em> Downer&#8217;s Grove, Ill: Inter-Varsity Press, 2009. Print.</p>
<p>Photos: Images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.</p>
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		<title>Food on Fridays: Comparative Tasting Mushrooms</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:03:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food on Fridays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael J. Gelb]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mushrooms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saute mushrooms]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="../2011/07/21/?cat=16" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;">(smaller button below)</p> <p>For the <a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/food-on-fridays/" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a> carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and [...]]]></description>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>(smaller button below)</em></p>
<p>For the <em><a href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/food-on-fridays/" target="_blank">Food on Fridays</a></em> carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes,<em> your post doesn’t have to be a recipe</em>. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes.  When your <em>Food on Fridays</em> contribution is ready, just grab  the broccoli button to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually.  Then fill in the boxes of this linky tool to join the fun!<br />
<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=0d734347-c03d-4c8a-bce9-4117e286f18d" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
<h3><strong>Food on Fridays with Ann</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Michael J. Gelb in his book <em>How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci</em> recommends that we sharpen our senses. He writes that in the rush of our lives, it&#8217;s hard to pay attention to the sense of taste, even though the opportunity to taste presents itself three times a day.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">One exercise he recommends is &#8220;Comparative Tasting&#8221;—wine tasting parties are a kind of comparative tasting, but he encourages readers to branch out. For example, one could buy three kinds of chocolate and then take time to make the following kinds of observations:</p>
<ol>
<li>First, he suggests looking at each sample and noting differences in color and texture.</li>
<li>Then smell them, thirty seconds each, describing the aromas.</li>
<li>Taste one at a time, letting the piece melt against the tongue.</li>
<li>Sip spring water between each sample to clear the palate.</li>
</ol>
<p>He suggests doing this with lots of things: olive oil, mushrooms, beer, apples, bottled water, smoked salmon, grapes, or vanilla ice cream. This exercise helps us develop our attentiveness to detail and our appreciation of subtle differences&#8230;one of da Vinci&#8217;s many well-honed skills that contributed to his genius.</p>
<p>When I read the list, <em>mushrooms</em> stood out to me for some reason. I envisioned button mushrooms packed in blue styrofoam containers and wrapped in plastic, sitting on a self in Kroger. Above them are usually a few packs of portabello mushrooms, already sliced and always priced higher.</p>
<p><em>Maybe I&#8217;ll try that sometime,</em> I thought.</p>
<p>Well, on Thursday afternoon I dropped by Kroger and was reaching for two boxes of button mushrooms when I glanced at the shelf above, where the portabellos are usually found, and spotted a variety pack of sliced &#8220;exotic&#8221; mushrooms, marked down for quick sale. I picked it up and observed the different shapes and sizes, thinking of Gelb&#8217;s exercise.</p>
<p>I tossed them in the cart. I would taste-test mushrooms that very night.</p>
<p>While fixing dinner, I poured some olive oil into a skillet along with a little butter and sauteed the &#8216;shrooms, remembering that scene from &#8220;Julie and Julia,&#8221; where Julie&#8217;s imitating Julia saying, &#8220;Don&#8217;t crowd the mushrooms!&#8221; I say that out loud in my best Julia Child voice every single time I saute mushrooms.</p>
<p>As I was happily sauteing the mushrooms, it occurred to me that maybe Gelb expected me to taste raw, uncooked mushrooms. <em>Yes,</em> I think, <em>I&#8217;ll bet that&#8217;s what he envisioned. </em></p>
<p>But I like cooked mushrooms, so I continued, as it was too late anyway to eat any of them raw, and then I slid them into a bowl.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mushrooms.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14938" title="mushrooms" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mushrooms-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>They look kind of slimy in the photo, but they tasted wonderful.</p>
<p>This wasn&#8217;t the most thoughtful or scientific evaluation of mushrooms. In fact, I really don&#8217;t know what kinds of mushrooms Kroger had assembled for me on that little Styrofoam tray. The assortment was not labeled, so I have to guess. But looking at <a href="http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/types-mushrooms" target="_blank">this post</a> with its descriptions, I think I ate a couple of slices of oyster, maybe one chanterelle, a shitake, and maybe one slice of portabello. Maybe.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, because I chose to prepare them for dinner, I couldn&#8217;t focus my attention on the mushroom-tasting to the degree that I had intended, but I did slow down and enjoy each one more than usual, noting that some were more firm and flavorful than the button mushrooms I rely on; others were gummier.</p>
<p>Most importantly, I acknowledged my desire to awaken my senses and sharpen them.</p>
<p>I probably won&#8217;t repeat the exercise with mushrooms, but I like the idea of comparative tasting.</p>
<p>Next up?</p>
<p>Chocolate.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: Images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.</em></p>
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		<title>Curiosity Journal: January 4, 2012</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:27:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Curiosity Journal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creativity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[l.l. barkat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rumors of Water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Solitary Reaper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wordsworth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark.jpg"></a>Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. </p> <p>Now I&#8217;m simplifying, to see if I like a slimmed-down version.<br /> </p> <p style="text-align: center;">:::<br /> </p> Reading <p>From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984553169/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&#38;tag=annkroekerwri-20&#38;linkCode=as2&#38;camp=1789&#38;creative=9325&#38;creativeASIN=0984553169">Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity &#38; Writing</a>, by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-13907" title="questionmark" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/questionmark-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. </em></p>
<p><em>Now I&#8217;m simplifying, to see if I like a slimmed-down version.<br />
</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::<em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span></em></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Reading</strong></h3>
<p>From <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984553169/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=annkroekerwri-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0984553169">Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity &amp; Writing</a></em>, by my friend and colleague <a href="http://seedlingsinstone.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">L.L. Barkat</a>, Chapter 2: &#8220;Let the unrestrained rain of <em>my own life</em> infuse my writing. Let the <em>me-I-am-right-now</em> simply be&#8221; (18). L.L. has done it; on each page of <em>Rumors</em>, she offers life-infused writing that I take in with as much delight as L.L. drank down mint-and-lemon-infused ice water one afternoon at a nearby farm. <em>Be refreshed</em>, she seems to say. In fact, L.L. goes so far as to invite us all, as writers, to <em>be free</em>&#8230;free to be the <em>me-I-am-right-now</em> in our own work.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/books-candles.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-14926" title="books candles" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/books-candles-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>In Chapter 3, she recognizes lack of symmetry in her life and in her book, but decides, at least with her book, to embrace it. After an interaction with her daughter, L.L. decides that there will be a purple moth in every chapter of the book—or, of course, the metaphorical equivalent. She points out that Natalie Goldberg&#8217;s writing books break the rules of symmetry generally accepted in the publishing world; if there any symmetry in them at all, L.L. observes, it is the symmetry of Natalie. Like the purple moth that L.L. resolves to include in her chapters, L.L. also throws onto each page of <em>Rumors</em> that unmistakable <em>me-I-am-right-now</em>. Indeed, L.L. Barkat shows up everywhere, bright and brilliant as a purple moth sipping mint-and-lemon ice water.</p>
<p>True to her word, L.L. invites moths into Chapter 4—actual moths, not metaphorical. While doing laundry in the basement, she encounters food moths hovering near the bags in which she stores some of her grains and legumes. She surveys the laundry and the food moths and says, &#8220;There is nothing here for me&#8230;There is nothing here for me.&#8221; She blows across a capful of laundry soap to form a bubble, hoping for iridescent inspiration, but it is short-lived. The bubble pops, and she thinks there is nothing for her. But there<em> is</em> something: There is, quite clearly, the laundry and the moths, which she has invited onto the page. But, maintaining an idealistic mindset throughout, she nevertheless waits for more. She anticipates the arrival of ideas, poetry, and music. It will come. She knows it, and she wants the reader to know it, too. It won&#8217;t take long.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/monarch-6.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-14929" title="monarch-6" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/monarch-6-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>On an outing described in Chapter 5, it comes to her: Inspiration. Her girls beg her to come with them to a nearby farm, where L.L. discovers color, smells, and foods with names that become a wealth of words to work with—the very writing inspiration she was waiting for in her basement. Writing starts with living, she says, which sometimes snatches a writer out of her chair and off to a farm, dragged along by others who have such an intense passion for something that they change up our days to include the unexpected.</p>
<p>Food words continue to inspire in Chapter 6, where a particular bean takes center stage as L.L. models a make-do attitude&#8230;because sometimes writers have to use what they have on hand, especially if a purple moth has gobbled up every other ingredient typically needed to get the job done. Just as we should feel free to cook creatively, substituting one bean or spice or vegetable for another, so can writers write creatively, using what we have, not constrained by conventional wisdom and methods. We should always, however, have a few ideas in the hopper. &#8220;This is the secret of the prolific writer,&#8221; she advises. &#8220;To agree to use small beans and the ingredients at hand&#8221; (34).</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><em>My responses to the first chapter of </em>Rumors of Water<em> can be found <a href="http://annkroeker.com/2011/12/27/season-of-creativity/" target="_blank">here</a>. More reaction</em><em> yet to come.</em></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Playing</strong></h3>
<p>Many years ago I read the book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0874774195/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=wwwcontemplat-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0874774195">The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwcontemplat-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0874774195" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> (I actually had an older copy without &#8220;The New&#8221; in the title)</em>, by Betty Edwards. She teaches people more than basic drawing techniques—she teaches people to <em>see</em>. Contour drawings and flipping a piece of art upside down to copy—those exercises and more helped me realize how I had previously been drawing without really seeing what was there. Edwards helped me study the shapes, lines and curves, even the empty spaces, to begin to <em>see. </em>Then I could begin to create more accurate, realistic work as a beginner and move toward more sophisticated work in the future.<em><br />
</em></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been recalling those concepts and will be prowling through the house hunting for the book. I think it&#8217;s on a shelf in the basement, not far from where I&#8217;d stuck the sketchbooks and pencils.</p>
<p>I want to keep playing around.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Learning</strong></h3>
<p>I may be playing with art, but I want to be working on my writing, and learning. I noted <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/llbarkat/status/153939794903306240" target="_blank">this tweet</a> from L.L. Barkat:</p>
<blockquote><p>Yes, I highly recommend reading a poem a day to become a much more powerful writer. <a title="http://fb.me/1oUkxdiyV" rel="nofollow" href="http://t.co/ckYUP8MW" target="_blank">http://fb.me/1oUkxdiyV</a></p></blockquote>
<p>A poem a day. I figure I have enough poetry books lying around to read a poem a day for the rest of my life.</p>
<p>Just after <a href="http://annkroeker.com/2012/01/02/art-can-awaken/" target="_blank">our family visited the art museum</a>, I pulled a collection of Wordsworth poems from the shelf and read<a href="http://www.bartleby.com/101/528.html" target="_blank"> this</a>:</p>
<p><strong>The Solitary Reaper</strong><br />
by William Wordsworth</p>
<p>Behold her, single in the field,<br />
Yon solitary Highland Lass!<br />
Reaping and singing by herself;<br />
Stop here, or gently pass!<br />
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,<br />
And sings a melancholy strain;<br />
O listen! for the Vale profound<br />
Is overflowing with the sound.</p>
<p>No Nightingale did ever chaunt<br />
More welcome notes to weary bands<br />
Of travellers in some shady haunt,<br />
Among Arabian sands:<br />
A voice so thrilling ne&#8217;er was heard<br />
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,<br />
Breaking the silence of the seas<br />
Among the farthest Hebrides.</p>
<p>Will no one tell me what she sings?&#8211;<br />
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow<br />
For old, unhappy, far-off things,<br />
And battles long ago:<br />
Or is it some more humble lay,<br />
Familiar matter of to-day?<br />
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,<br />
That has been, and may be again?</p>
<p>Whate&#8217;er the theme, the Maiden sang<br />
As if her song could have no ending;<br />
I saw her singing at her work,<br />
And o&#8217;er the sickle bending;&#8211;<br />
I listened, motionless and still;<br />
And, as I mounted up the hill,<br />
The music in my heart I bore,<br />
Long after it was heard no more.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtMuseum-Van-Gogh-Sheaves-Detail.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14925" title="ArtMuseum-Van Gogh Sheaves Detail" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtMuseum-Van-Gogh-Sheaves-Detail-399x600.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="600" /></a></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Reacting</strong></h3>
<p>One of my daughters had her wisdom teeth removed. I am relying on the kitchen timer to send me back and forth to the freezer for ice packs, which she holds to her cheeks for 20 minutes at a time to reduce swelling.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Writing</strong></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">It is not easy to write in the midst of ice pack deliveries, but some days life has symmetry&#8230;and some days it doesn&#8217;t. Some days you just work with what you&#8217;re given and turn out what you can.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p><strong>Credits:</strong><em><br />
</em></p>
<p>Note: This post contains affiliate links.</p>
<p>Work Cited: Barkat, L.L. <em>Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity &amp; Writing</em>. Ossining, NY: T.S. Poetry Press, 2011. Print.</p>
<p>Photos: Images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.</p>
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		<title>Art Can Awaken</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AnnKroeker/~3/adWArNXYP9Q/</link>
		<comments>http://annkroeker.com/2012/01/02/art-can-awaken/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:19:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>annkroeker</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[creativity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art museum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art with Kids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IMA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indianapolis Museum of Art]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://annkroeker.com/?p=14887</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>We show up at the art museum without any real plan. Two of us brought cameras; one of the kids packed a sketch pad and pencils; our eldest stuffed gadgets into her pockets to listen to music, text friends and check Facebook; and the Belgian Wonder and our son carried nothing, free to consider the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We show up at the art museum without any real plan. Two of us  brought cameras; one of the kids packed a sketch pad and pencils; our  eldest stuffed gadgets into her pockets to listen to music, text friends and check  Facebook; and the Belgian Wonder and our son carried nothing, free to consider the artwork unencumbered and  undistracted.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Boy-Contemplates-Vase.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14891" title="ArtMuseum-Boy Contemplates Vase" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Boy-Contemplates-Vase-399x600.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="600" /></a></p>
<p>We wander through the European gallery, pausing here and there to admire a piece that catches someone&#8217;s eye.</p>
<p>My son favors three-dimensional art like vases, bowls and sculptures.</p>
<p>My camera-toting daughter is capturing her favorite works in megapixels, often murmuring, &#8220;I really like that one.&#8221; Curious, I slip over and take a look. She seems to prefer muted colors, landscapes in soft grays and browns.</p>
<p>The sketch-pad girl creates her own quick pencil-on-paper version of a blue boat against an other-worldly yellow background and later, a sculpture of two gamboling deer.</p>
<p>I prefer paintings, leaning in to admire thick brush stroke&#8217;s texture, wondering how the artists saw not once but twice—first the actual scene or subject matter, and then the version in their minds that they committed to canvas using lines, curves, splotches and color.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Van-Gogh-Sheaves-Detail.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14899" title="ArtMuseum-Van Gogh Sheaves Detail" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Van-Gogh-Sheaves-Detail-399x600.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="600" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Van-Gogh-House-Detail.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14898" title="ArtMuseum-Van Gogh House Detail" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Van-Gogh-House-Detail-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>Along the way, I find I&#8217;m unexpectedly moved by some of the works, though I don&#8217;t have much time to ponder why. The effect is as subtle and brief as the tapping of a pond&#8217;s still surface, which stirs a series of ripples that nod and flatten. I feel it, and then it fades.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtMuseum-Flowers.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14906" title="ArtMuseum-Flowers" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtMuseum-Flowers-399x600.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="600" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtMuseum-two-workers-detailed.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14907" title="ArtMuseum-two workers detailed" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ArtMuseum-two-workers-detailed-399x600.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="600" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Brother-Sister-Reading-Detail.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14893" title="ArtMuseum-Brother Sister Reading Detail" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Brother-Sister-Reading-Detail-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>I know that art can do this: it can tap the water&#8217;s surface and even cause a splash.</p>
<p>Art, I&#8217;m told, can awaken, unlock and touch deep and secret places inside us. I feel that these artists invite me to stop and stare. I can stand where they stood and see what they saw&#8230;or what they want to reveal.</p>
<p><a href="../wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Boy-Contemplates.jpg"><img title="ArtMuseum-Boy Contemplates" src="../wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Boy-Contemplates-399x600.jpg" alt="" width="399" height="600" /></a></p>
<p>But I don&#8217;t have time to explore this deeply or wonder about its power, because on this family outing, not everyone is drawn to the same thing, so  we keep moving along.</p>
<p><a href="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Awake-thou-that-sleepest.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14889" title="ArtMuseum-Awake thou that sleepest" src="http://annkroeker.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ArtMuseum-Awake-thou-that-sleepest-600x399.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="399" /></a></p>
<p>As we work our way through the American gallery, the kids&#8217; interest fades dramatically each time we turn a corner and encounter another collection. I am lingering near a Tiffany stained glass window, pondering the words—a passage from <a href="http://bible.cc/ephesians/5-14.htm" target="_blank">Ephesians 5, to be precise</a>—and soon hear someone in our party sighing heavily. I leave the window to find the youngest actually curled up on an empty bench as if to nap.</p>
<p>Art can awaken, and art can put some to sleep. I notice that even the sketchbook has been slid into a bag and the camera tucked away.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s time to leave.</p>
<p>As we pull away, the kids are visibly tired; yet, though I can&#8217;t explain it, I find myself more awake than ever.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">:::</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Linking to the following:</em></p>
<p><a href="http://seedlingsinstone.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5217906589_c7120874ca.jpg" alt="On In Around button" width="308" height="69" /></a></p>
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