Goodreadsby Angie
15 Feb 2008
3:02 pm0
For a long time, I’ve been looking for a program that I could use to organize my books, rate and review them, and share preferences with others. A couple of different friends recently introduced me to a website called Goodreads and I have very much enjoyed listing and cataloging some of my favorite books there. I even found this super cool flash doohickey that can keep track of what I’m currently reading (or have read, or want to read, depending on how I code it):
And, yes, it is quite normal for me to be in the process of reading three or four or five different books at a time. I don’t know how much good my thingamajig does, just sitting here in this post, but maybe I can figure out how to display it in the sidebar somehow… Anyway, this project has also made me realize that I read far too much fiction and could really use some good moral fiber in my literary diet, if you know what I mean. I have already begun to try to remedy that, but I’d be open to recommendations!
Good Eatsby Angie
6 Feb 2008
10:02 am3
I love cooking. I think I’ve loved it ever since I was little and learned to make the best homemade macaroni and cheese in the world with my sister Emily. However, since I was a fairly picky eater growing up, I had a very limited selection of dishes I knew how to make (because, frankly, how silly would it be to cook something I didn’t like?). Going on a mission and getting married did a lot for expanding my culinary horizons, but I think my confidence in experimentation has mostly come from my favorite TV show (really, the only one I watch regularly): “Good Eats.”
“Good Eats” is hosted by Alton Brown – the Bill Nye of the culinary world. It’s all about the science behind cooking, the history of various foods, safety and hardware in the kitchen, and learning methods rather than just recipes. Lots of puns and visual aids make it extra entertaining. Watching this show inspired Jim to try making homemade jam… and now we never buy store-bought because making our own is both cheaper and tastier. When we can find flank steak for a good price, we make Good Eats beef jerky on our homemade drying rig (rather than a dehydrator), which tastes fantastic with no scary chemical preservatives. Even my baked potatoes will never be the same since applying tips from Alton Brown.
Anyway, just to experiment, I’m going to try embedding a video of the Good Eats theme song right in my post. Enjoy!
Wishlist is up and running!by Angie
14 Nov 2007
9:11 pm0
The holiday season is upon us and – along with gratitude, peace, joy, family, traditions, and the sacred nativity story – something is bound to be on almost everyone’s mind: What gifts and thoughtful acts will best show our love and appreciation to those we care about? Ok, I know this already sounds like a commercial but…well… Jim has come up with a wonderful little online program that helps you plan and organize your gift-giving and we want everyone to know about it!
Many of our family and friends have already been using the Wishlist since its creation a few years ago, but even they may not know about it’s origins. Here’s what Jim’s site says on the subject:
Now, you’re probably wondering what this site is for? That is a very valid question. I haven’t figured out everything that this website can do myself! But, until then let me tell you a little bit about it. Wishlist was inspired by my sister, Rachel, in late November 2002. I realized with a little PHP (hypertext preprocessing) and MySQL (a Linux based SQL Server) that I could make a website that kept track of users’ wishlists allowing them to share their lists with friends and family across the country. The idea sounded promising, so I did some homework and learned some PHP. This is my first PHP project, so it is bound to be flawed. There are many great ideas for the future regarding the functionality of this website, so keep checking back for updates!
If you’ve never been to the site, feel free to check it out ! If you’re already a member, it’s time to remember your login, delete old items, check out others’ lists, and start making some wishes! Remember, at the end of Thanksgiving weekend, the “Delete Item” feature will be gone!