Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Fundamental Baking Tools Required


So you're ready to get up baking. You're all excited to skim through that recipe book and discover your self the ideal recipe to guide you into making scrumptious cookies that you can impress your family and pals with. But hold on. Are you armed using the suitable baking tools for the cookie mission? Allow us appear in to the checklist and check your gear.


Cookie pressSpatulaIt essential that your ingredients particularly flour is devoid of any foreign matter. You simply cannot rake through your flour to do this. That could be like finding a needle inside a haystack. You go get a sifter. The sifting process not only would break up the clumps but it aerates your flour thus giving it much more volume. For best outcomes, sift only small quantities at a time. This does not only prevent spills but it can make sifting easier and faster.Measuring cupsSifterBaking indicates needing to work with a hot oven so it's best that your hands are secured from heated surfaces like the stove or baking pans. To steer clear of getting burns, oven mitts ought to usually be worn within the kitchen. These mitts are frequently made from material and are generally insulated. Even though these oven mitts can offer you safety within the kitchen, they are not invincible from hot liquids which might nonetheless seep through the material.You're done together with your dough and are now ready to shape your cookies. Go artistic and use cookie cutters! Cookie cutters which are usually made up of tin, stainless steel, aluminum, plastic or copper are created to cut cookie dough in particular distinctive shapes. Styles include stars, hearts, moon shapes, circles and squares to name a few. Kids will certainly be enticed to grab one of those cookie characters.Note: Jim Welsh is coauthor and coeditor (with Rodney Hill and the Rev. Gene D. Phillips, S. J.) of The Francis Ford Coppola Encyclopedia, published in 2010 by The Scarecrow Press.Rolling pinsIn shaping and flattening your dough, utilizing a rolling pin is much more sensible so you might as well neglect concerning the ides of kneading or molding it together with your bare hands. Rolling pins are generally made up of wood, glass, marble, stainless steel or plastic. It's thick, cylindrical and has two handles on every end. There are essentially two types of rolling pins: the rod and the roller.A spatula appears to be a mixture of a spoon along with a knife. It takes on the shape of a spoon but it includes a blade that is blunt and far from becoming sharp. This kitchen utensil is indispensable in baking as it's utilized for mixing batter, dough and applying frosting. Spatulas are popularly made of silicone, rubber or bamboo.I only wish that Berliner's book had been published earlier, before The Encyclopedia of Francis Ford Coppola (which I co-authored) was published, for I believe Berliner's thesis unlocks one of the secrets of Coppola's success. No book has so far explained Coppola's process of serialization so well as Berliner, and the subsequent success of Godfather II, which is, apparently, another exercise in "narrative perversity." By 1974, Berliner claims, "seventies narrative design was dirmly established, and The Godfather, Part II epitomizes that form" (88). The family was perverse, the morality was perverse, and so was the fable, so the "perverse" treatment made it all of a piece. Audiences not only noticed this, but loved it. The strategy was brilliant.Cookie cutters

Baking indicates needing to work with a hot oven so it's best that your hands are secured from heated surfaces like the stove or baking pans. To steer clear of getting burns, oven mitts ought to usually be worn within the kitchen. These mitts are frequently made from material and are generally insulated. Even though these oven mitts can offer you safety within the kitchen, they are not invincible from hot liquids which might nonetheless seep through the material.




Author: Amy Wells


Hollywood Incoherent: Narration in Seventies Cinema


Hollywood Incoherent: Narration in Seventies Cinema Todd Berliner. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2010.


Jim WelshSalisbury University, EmeritusThe last two chapters examine the "limits of seventies narrative design" as evidenced in two films, Scorsese's Taxi Driver and the John Cassavetes film, Woman Under the Influence (1974), each intended to demonstrate both the "extremes" and the "commercial hazards" of this newly discovered "narrative perversity." Of course, other scholars (like David Cook, for example) noticed that many of the films of the 1970s were artistically innovative. Peter Lev linked that innovation to the decade's "conflicting ideological currents." But explaining ideology and culture won't necessarily explain box-office popularity, or what, exactly, the "innovations" involved, or why they caught on with popular audiences. Todd Berliner does just that, and that is why this book is so important. In conclusion: Don't attempt to teach the 1970s without it. This is surely one of the most important film books of the decade, pure and simply. Ignore it at your own risk.Berliner is especially interested in American filmmakers influenced by European and Asian art cinema, who then began creating odd, moody, ambiguous, and unpredictable characters populating looser narrative structures dominated by elliptical, disrupting flashbacks, and flashforwards, influenced by films as diverse ad Kurosawa's Rashomon and Bergman's Persona, and rendering both characters and plots mysterious and inscrutible. Especially influenced himself by the narrational notions of David Bordwell and others, Berliner should be able to press forward with more confidence than he sometimes seems able to muster. Nonetheless, during this experimental period, American cinema became less parochial and more interesting, more mature, and sophisticated than it had heretofore been. Some films got multiple viewings because viewers just were not sure what had conspired (in such films as Antonioni's Blow-Up or Kurosawa's Rashomon, for example). Berliner takes a particular interest in the creative implications of many of the films Tino Balio describes in his book Foreign Film Renaissance (2010).1 cannot possibly assume that a regular cup or mug could be utilized in measuring the amount of flour or sugar that you'll use for the batter. In baking, one needs to be precise. This indicates utilizing accurate well defined measurements in sorting your ingredients. These cups aid in measuring liquid components like h2o, milk, juice in milliliters, ounces, pints or fractions of a liter. Measuring cups also offer level measures for dry ingredients such as sugar and flour.Todd Berliner's book is certainly one of the best I have seen about 1970s cinema. Berliner noticed that the films of that decade just didn't make sense in the usual way that Hollywood studio cookie-cutter films of the 1940s and 1950s did. Leslie Halliwell, once a presumptive touchstone of popular taste, complained about the "arrogance" of the 1970s filmmakers, objecting to the narrative peculiarities of their films. But that alleged "arrogance" was exactly what made them appealing to audiences of the generation after Halliwell's. Berliner calls that "arrogance" narrative perversity, and celebrates it as one component that set the films of that decade apart from all others, and also helped to make them popular.

Salisbury University, Emeritus




Author: Welsh, Jim


Fun Baked Birthday Treats


The traditional birthday cake isn�t the only yummy option you have when it comes to baked goods for your child�s birthday party. We have come up with some other ideas that are more than just a substitute for a birthday cake. They are creative, delicious and just plain different.

Decorate A Cookie

�Sugar Cookie Dough
Cookie Cutters
�Wax Paper
�Confectioner�s Sugar
�Water
�Food Coloring
�Assorted candies
�Colored Sugar (different colors)
�Sprinkles

Prepare a batch of your favorite cookie dough, or purchase some refrigerated sugar dough. Roll it out and place it on the wax paper. Let the kids cut out cookies using the cookie cutter, then bake them according to the baking instructions for your dough.

Allow the cookies do cool. Prepare �Glue� by mixing the confectioner�s sugar with water to form a sticky paste. You can add food coloring to turn it into different colors. The kids can paint the cookies with this glue, then add candies sprinkles and colored sugar.

Allow them to dry and either let the kids eat them at the party, or place them in plastic bags so they can take them home after the party.

Magic Wands

�Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough
�Star Cookie Cutter
�Popsicle Stick
�Confectioners� Sugar
�Hot Water
�Food Coloring

Roll out the sugar cookie dough and cut using a star-shaped cookie cutter; bake according to package instructions.

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, and are still soft to the touch, carefully push a Popsicle stick between any two points of the star. This makes the handle for your wand.

Frost the cookies with glossy icing. To make glossy icing, simply sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Slowly add hot water, while mixing, until it becomes a smooth paste. Add a few drops of food coloring to make extra colorful treats. These wand cookies are somewhat fragile, but they're delicious and a lot of fun to eat!

Dessert Pizza

�Sugar cookie dough, store bought
�8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
�1 cup sugar
�1 teaspoon vanilla
�Fruit slices like banana, strawberries, apples and blueberries
�Greased cookie sheet or pizza pan

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice up the dough like you're making cookies.

Press the dough into a pizza pan. You should end up with thin, sweet pizza dough. Bake it for about 8 minutes and cool it on a rack.

Combine the sugar, vanilla and softened cream cheese. Spread it all over you pizza crust.

Top with the fruit slices.

There you have it � Three fun baked treats that not only make a great addition to any birthday party, whether you are serving cake or not. They are also a fun activity for the kids during the party. Give one of these a try at the next child birthday party you throw.




Author: Susanne Myers


Edge Studio Announces New approach to Voice Over Training


NEW YORK, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Voice-over artists shouldn't have cookie-cutter demos, so why give them cookie cutter training?" asks David Goldberg, Owner and Director of Edge Studio, a voice over production and education company.


Another simple idea is to bake a cake in a heart shaped cake mold. Make some red (or at least pink) icing and then the kids can decorate the top with sprinkles and heart shaped candies."We don't have art backgrounds ourselves. But when we went into retail and decided to do children's clothing we recognized immediately how saturated the market is," Gary Goldman said. "We wanted to make ourselves unique, not follow what everyone else is doing. ... We meshed well with Rand because we shared the same vision of a clean, modern, artistic look.""Because voices, interests and learning curves are not the same from person to person," said Mr. Goldberg. "Students are more successful finding voice over jobs when our team of coaches, casting agents, and business experts tailors the student's voice over training plan and demo to that student's particular interests, potential, and resources."SOURCE Edge StudioA leading authority in the voice-over industry since 1988, Edge Studio specializes in:Make a Food Treat TogetherMost people associate chocolates with Valentine�s Day, but how about making a different treat together that your family can share together. One fun treat you can make are Rice Krispies hearts. All you need is the basic Rice Krispies squares recipe, heart shaped cookie cutters and red sprinkles. Lightly grease the insides of the heart shaped cookie cutters and press some Rice Krispies squares mix into the cookie cutters. Then remove the cookies cutters and add the sprinkles. Repeat as needed with the rest of the mixture. It�s simple enough for young kids to help out.Watch a Family Favorite MovieFor more information, visit www.EdgeStudio.com.The proof of this system is available to anyone for the hearing -- because Edge Studio regularly hires its graduates to perform in its productions for major companies.Carolyn Goldman wanted a blank canvas, so Elliott provided a stark white background on which to build their designs - ceilings, floors, walls, all white. And that space is broken up by the simplest of black frames, a grid of sorts. The only color in the store is the clothing and a yellow-tinted, boxed, children's play area, which helps draw attention to the most important elements in the environment.The new program even includes a low-budget option where the student trains themselves with personalized planning and review by Edge Studio coaches.Gary Goldman said they are planning to hold a parking lot carnival in August to benefit the nonprofit Prevent Blindness in Oklahoma. Art teachers and materials will be available to help children to express their creativity, followed several weeks later by an evening art show and sale in Automobile Alley.Elliott also designed the shopping center itself, which creates something of a three-dimensional frame within the frame for Uptown Kids. He said the attraction the designs have received by customers and the magazine speak well of Oklahoma as a creative space.Rand Elliott, principal at Elliott & Associates Architects, recently was featured in the Interior Design industry magazine for his work on the Uptown Kids store in the Classen Curve restaurant and retail complex. Elliott developed the concept for the store design in collaboration with store owners Carolyn and Gary Goldman, who envisioned something more for their business than just another cookie-cutter clothing shop.Elliott took the concept one step further, though, and incorporated dressing room mirrors and clothing racks as frames. Some of the walls can also be swung open on the grid for rearranging design elements. Elliott said the overall effect could also be perceived as almost a plug-and-play technology.

SOURCE Edge Studio




Create Valentine�s Day Family Traditions


Often the fondest childhood memories stem from family traditions that were lovingly repeated throughout the years. Family traditions have family at the center of a celebration spending time together and creating lasting memories. If you don't already have a family Valentine's Day tradition, why not start one this year. It could be the beginning of many wonderful years of Valentine's Day memories with your family.


A Valentine family tradition doesn�t have to be expensive. The main idea is to spend time with the family together. Here are some inexpensive ways you can start a Valentine�s Day family tradition in your family.The Goldmans said they felt that the products they were selling were akin to wearable art, adorning little human masterpieces - the couple have one child, 19-month-old Piper. And as such, those clothes needed to be framed appropriately.Exchange Homemade CardsCopyright 2006 Sheila Anderson"So often retail stores are done as just a place that you fill with stuff," Elliott said. "But in these frames there's an infinite range of possibilities now that you can display these clothes to really make them stand out as something special."Education services: candid aptitude assessment, career guidance, voice-over coaching, demo recording, and business/marketing skills.The "Personalized Training Plan" has three parts:Each player starts with 7 cards and plays 2 cards face down in front of them each round. The top card cannot be a heart. After each player has selected their cards then everyone turns over the top card. The player with the highest card wins all the remaining face down cards, hopefully containing some hearts. In each subsequent round, deal 2 more cards and continue play. The player with the most hearts in the end wins the game.Games are a great way for families to interact with each other and have fun at the same time. Choose a favorite family game and have an enjoyable time together. Make sure that it is a game everyone enjoys so nobody feels frustrated or left out. It�s also fun to learn a new game together so the whole family is at the same level of expertise.Production services: genre-specific expertise in production, casting, translation, project guidance and management, recording, editing, music, and sound design.Holidays are very special to children and Valentine�s Day can be made even more memorable if you create your own family tradition. Your children may even use these traditions when they are grown with their own families.The movie doesn�t have to be mushy and sentimental, as long as it is a movie that the whole family enjoys. It doesn�t even need to be a movie you�ve seen if it�s a movie that the whole family wants to see. Pop some popcorn, or eat some of the treats you�ve made for Valentine�s Day, and enjoy some time together.The more robust alternative is Edge Studio's "Personalized Training Plan." In this track, with more than a dozen coaches on the Edge Studio staff, plus experts in the industry's technology and business practices, every student gets a well-rounded perspective, whatever their voice-over specialty.

Copyright 2006 Sheila Anderson




Author: Sheila Anderson


Innovators: Uptown Kids in Oklahoma City - not just another shop


A new children's clothing store in northwest Oklahoma City has earned recognition for combining architecture, retail display and art to help drive sales.


* B. "Learning you" - To differentiate themselves, students are matched with one or more Edge Studio coaches who tailor training to that student's particular potential, strengths, and interests.Instead of shopping for cards try making cards at home. You�ll save money and have nice keepsakes. The cards can be as simple as folding a piece of paper and cutting out a heart with one straight edge of the heart along the fold. Write a customized message for each member of the family on a separate heart card for each. Encourage the other members of the family to do the same and you�ll have a nice time exchanging special heartfelt cards.A card game that has hearts as the central theme is a good match for creating a Valentine�s Day family game time tradition. Capture the Hearts is a simple card game that the whole family can easily understand and play. The object of the game is to win as many hearts as possible. The only card knowledge required is to know the order of the cards.Edge Studio has facilities in New York City, Connecticut, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, and regularly produces and trains remotely via telephone, Internet, and Skype.Read full release: http://www.edgestudio.com/press-releases/2011/06/because-every-voice-over-artist-and-career-are-different-edge-studio-announ* C. "Demo Production" the coach and student work together to prepare, record and produce the student's demo.Play a Family GameEdge Studio is known as much for its production of high-end voice over projects as for its education department. Now, Mr. Goldberg has announced a restructured curriculum to give students even more flexibility.

Gary Goldman said they are planning to hold a parking lot carnival in August to benefit the nonprofit Prevent Blindness in Oklahoma. Art teachers and materials will be available to help children to express their creativity, followed several weeks later by an evening art show and sale in Automobile Alley.




Author: Brian Brus


Ooooh Scary!!


With Halloween just around the corner, why not consider doing some ghoulish crafts with your children? One of my favorite crafts to do with the kids is Halloween candle making. Your kids will love it, and it is appropriate for any age group. You will need the following supplies to get started:


Some basic ingredients you should have:Using your wax adhesive, cover the back of the cut-out. You can also use clear candle wax, but try to work fast because the wax will harden quickly. You can use a paint brush to apply the melted wax."You can only go to the bank once," explains Plechac. "Should you submit a flawed plan, you may have closed the door forever. Why take the risk? You don't have to spend thousands on a plan. But a few hundred is an investment well worth making. Make sure you choose the right business plan writer. Look for custom and personal service, from a business plan writer who is willing to talk to you on the phone and has plenty of experience. After all, each business is different. You deserve attention, respect, and special treatment."* Eggs & Butter - A dozen large eggs and a pound or two of salted butter.* Measuring devices - You'll want a Pyrex glass cup for wet ingredients such as oil and water. You'll also want to have a set of plastic measuring cups for dry ingredients such as flour, sugar and chocolate chips and a set of measuring spoons ranging for things like baking soda, baking powder, salt and vanilla.Most budding entrepreneurs know the value of having a comprehensive business plan they can quite literally "take to the bank." But not all appreciate the importance of a custom business plan -- with the emphasis on the word "custom" as in "custom business plan."Remove the cookie cutters, and allow the wax to harden completely. This will ensure that your cut-outs maintain their shape when you are working with them.Contacts: BusinessPlanStore.ca Daniel Plechac 416-305-2111 daniel@businessplanstore.ca www.businessplanstore.ca

Now you are going to apply the cut-out to the candle. Try to place it in the correct spot on the candle. The cut-out will be difficult to move once the wax has started setting, and the candle may get damaged. That�s it! You�re finished! Trick or Treat!




Author: Cassie Morgan