Cookies and computers some combination huh? No, not cookies on computers. Cookies as in the kind you eat.
Follow up on my post yesterday. I discovered why the chocolate chip cookies turned out hard instead of crisp and crunchy. The white powder I thought was baking powder turned out to be corn starch. I needed baking powder and hunted in the pantry thinking I had a small can of it. I found a container of white powder. I tasted it and it wasn't baking soda or powdered sugar so it had to be baking powder, right? Last night just as hubby came to bed, I burst out laughing. My brain finally got through to me and I realized the white powder was corn starch. Oh well, better luck next time. By the way, I do have baking powder now.
I have been trying different versions of a Linux operating system for the Windows computer. I tried Ubuntu, Xunbutu, and Linux Mint. Maybe it was because Ubuntu was the first one I tried, but I like it better than the other 2. Hubby is leaving it up to me to decide which one to use. All he cares about is using a browser.
Now all I need to do is decide whether I want to partition my hard drive and install Ubuntu, keeping Windows 7 or install Ubuntu over Windows 7. I've never partitioned a hard drive before but I'm willing to try. If anyone has had any experience in doing something like this, I would like to hear about it.
See you in the funny papers.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
I made cookies yesterday.
Yep, I actually did some baking yesterday. Hubby heard someone mention Snickerdoodles during the holidays and wanted to know what they were. I promised I would make some next year during the holidays, but actually I planned to do that before then as a surprise.
Yesterday I got the bug to bake. While the Snickerdoodle dough was chilling I also make some Chocolate Chip Cookies using a recipe that was supposed to be very like the Nestle Chocolate Chip package recipe.
The Snickerdoodle recipe came from a cookbook that I had in high school, 1959. I made the cookies, and darn me, I pigged out on them. I thought I had myself under control but I guess I can't control myself very well.
Now, here's the problem. I like crisp cookies. The ones where they actually snap when you break them. These were not crisp, they were hard after they cooled. I could eat them just fine, but hubby has dentures. He managed to eat one of them. So, I am trying an experiment. I wet a paper towel and squeezed most of the water out. Put a piece of aluminum foil over about half the cookies and put the paper towel on top. Then I closed the lid. I hope the cookies will absorbe some of the moisture and soften up.
Several years ago Alton Brown had an episode about cookies. He used the same recipe and adjusted it so he had crisp, medium, and soft cookies. I wish I had made notes but I didn't.
If any of you have information about how to do this, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.
See you in the funny papers.
Yesterday I got the bug to bake. While the Snickerdoodle dough was chilling I also make some Chocolate Chip Cookies using a recipe that was supposed to be very like the Nestle Chocolate Chip package recipe.
The Snickerdoodle recipe came from a cookbook that I had in high school, 1959. I made the cookies, and darn me, I pigged out on them. I thought I had myself under control but I guess I can't control myself very well.
Now, here's the problem. I like crisp cookies. The ones where they actually snap when you break them. These were not crisp, they were hard after they cooled. I could eat them just fine, but hubby has dentures. He managed to eat one of them. So, I am trying an experiment. I wet a paper towel and squeezed most of the water out. Put a piece of aluminum foil over about half the cookies and put the paper towel on top. Then I closed the lid. I hope the cookies will absorbe some of the moisture and soften up.
Several years ago Alton Brown had an episode about cookies. He used the same recipe and adjusted it so he had crisp, medium, and soft cookies. I wish I had made notes but I didn't.
If any of you have information about how to do this, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.
See you in the funny papers.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Pictures of the babies
I had a request to see pictures of the babies. I am including pictures of our old aquarium as well as those of the new.
This is the 5 gallon aquarium. The blue fish is the Betta. You can't see any of the other fish now.
This is the 10 gallon tank. Mr. B the Betta is at the top left. Those little dots at the top right are the new babies. Pappa guppy is on the right just under the babies and above the purple plant. The grey fish by the purple plant is a catfish.
I have to clean the tank today and I am going to reposition some of the decorations so it will look better.
See you in the funny papers.
This is the 5 gallon aquarium. The blue fish is the Betta. You can't see any of the other fish now.
I have to clean the tank today and I am going to reposition some of the decorations so it will look better.
See you in the funny papers.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
We have a new aquarium
Right after the first of the year, we got a 10 gallon aquarium and got it set up. The 5 gallon was loaded with algae and we didn't think it was big enough. We had 2 babies left from the batch born about December 23.
Momma guppy had another batch several days ago. I had to smile at hubby. Now he's had aquariums before but he wanted to know how often she could have babies. According to my information anywhere from 3-5 weeks. If I am counting correctly, it was 4 weeks between these batches. (I have no idea what you call a group of babies being born to a guppy.)
Mr. B. our Betta, who's real name is Buddha Boy, ate most of the first batch, but he hasn't seemed interested in these. Right now I think we must still have about 2 dozen left. We really don't need that many, but I have always said Mother Nature will decide the number of fish that the tank will hold.
Last week we were at Walmart in The Big City and this store is one of the ones that sell fish. They had Glow Fish and Ghost Shrimp. I had never seen these before and really want to get both. The Glow Fish were bright colors, more like marine fish than freshwater and they did seem to glow. I bet they really would under a black light. The only problem is I do not like to buy fish from places other than pet stores.
I just have this prejudice that unless you work in a pet store you really don't know how to take care of fish. I know that it is not always true, but that's just one of my little quirks. How do you tell if the fish are well taken care of and disease free? That's even a question for pet stores too.
I usually look at all the tanks. If the water looks clear, there are no dead fish, and no excess food in the water or on the bottom are some of my criteria. I must say that the tanks at Walmart met most of those criteria the day we were there. I'm still not convinced though even though I still want those fish.
Next time we are in The Big City, if hubby agrees, we may go ahead and get them. They are supposed to be guppy size when full grown.
See you in the funny papers.
Momma guppy had another batch several days ago. I had to smile at hubby. Now he's had aquariums before but he wanted to know how often she could have babies. According to my information anywhere from 3-5 weeks. If I am counting correctly, it was 4 weeks between these batches. (I have no idea what you call a group of babies being born to a guppy.)
Mr. B. our Betta, who's real name is Buddha Boy, ate most of the first batch, but he hasn't seemed interested in these. Right now I think we must still have about 2 dozen left. We really don't need that many, but I have always said Mother Nature will decide the number of fish that the tank will hold.
Last week we were at Walmart in The Big City and this store is one of the ones that sell fish. They had Glow Fish and Ghost Shrimp. I had never seen these before and really want to get both. The Glow Fish were bright colors, more like marine fish than freshwater and they did seem to glow. I bet they really would under a black light. The only problem is I do not like to buy fish from places other than pet stores.
I just have this prejudice that unless you work in a pet store you really don't know how to take care of fish. I know that it is not always true, but that's just one of my little quirks. How do you tell if the fish are well taken care of and disease free? That's even a question for pet stores too.
I usually look at all the tanks. If the water looks clear, there are no dead fish, and no excess food in the water or on the bottom are some of my criteria. I must say that the tanks at Walmart met most of those criteria the day we were there. I'm still not convinced though even though I still want those fish.
Next time we are in The Big City, if hubby agrees, we may go ahead and get them. They are supposed to be guppy size when full grown.
See you in the funny papers.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Since when does just showing up qualify you as a winner?
I hear this statement on TV. I did not catch what it was referring to, but it got me to thinking.
In the early grades, I think we have a tendency to always be sure that in any compitition everyone gets a trophy. Whether they earn it or not. We make sure the students pass all tests and always have the right answers. Whether they understand the subject or not. Now before you get all upset, I know this is kinda an exaggeration, but bear with me please.
I understand that when we tackle a new subject, such as addition, we need to start with the easy stuff first. 1+1 = 2, 1+2 =3, etc. Children need to succeed because when they do it makes them want to do more. Really, I understand this. I think this is what we need to do for our young children in order to instill a desire to learn.
What about when they reach middle school and high school? Don't you think at this level children should earn all their grades? I do not think students should pass any subject or grade unless they learn what is covered in the material.
I worked in a College of Education and it irritated everyone to think teachers had to teach to standerized tests. Teachers should teach the material appropriate to the grade and all students should be expected to have at least an average understand of the material and how to use it. Standardized tests should cover this material.
In my day, students actually failed grades. Oh my goodness, you no longer were with your peers. The child's poor psyche was forever marred. Well, get over it. Each of us has obstacles to over come. Our poor psyches are marred forever lots of times. We learn how to bypass these ares of our psyches and live a productive life.
Do I have a solution to what I see as a problem? No, not really. Mainly because I am not in the classroom and don't have to deal with the teacher's everyday problems. I could be completely wrong. But, it doesn't matter whether I am right or wrong, I still think give our young people what they don't earn only leads to problems later.
Look at the product of this type of schooling now. A lot of people think the world owes them a living. They shouldn't have to work for what they need, after all if they just show up shouldn't that qualify them for housing, food, clothes, medicine, doctor's care, etc. That's what it seems to me they are learning from this attitude of not hurting their little psyches.
Off my soapbox. Now it's your turn.
See you in the funny papers.
In the early grades, I think we have a tendency to always be sure that in any compitition everyone gets a trophy. Whether they earn it or not. We make sure the students pass all tests and always have the right answers. Whether they understand the subject or not. Now before you get all upset, I know this is kinda an exaggeration, but bear with me please.
I understand that when we tackle a new subject, such as addition, we need to start with the easy stuff first. 1+1 = 2, 1+2 =3, etc. Children need to succeed because when they do it makes them want to do more. Really, I understand this. I think this is what we need to do for our young children in order to instill a desire to learn.
What about when they reach middle school and high school? Don't you think at this level children should earn all their grades? I do not think students should pass any subject or grade unless they learn what is covered in the material.
I worked in a College of Education and it irritated everyone to think teachers had to teach to standerized tests. Teachers should teach the material appropriate to the grade and all students should be expected to have at least an average understand of the material and how to use it. Standardized tests should cover this material.
In my day, students actually failed grades. Oh my goodness, you no longer were with your peers. The child's poor psyche was forever marred. Well, get over it. Each of us has obstacles to over come. Our poor psyches are marred forever lots of times. We learn how to bypass these ares of our psyches and live a productive life.
Do I have a solution to what I see as a problem? No, not really. Mainly because I am not in the classroom and don't have to deal with the teacher's everyday problems. I could be completely wrong. But, it doesn't matter whether I am right or wrong, I still think give our young people what they don't earn only leads to problems later.
Look at the product of this type of schooling now. A lot of people think the world owes them a living. They shouldn't have to work for what they need, after all if they just show up shouldn't that qualify them for housing, food, clothes, medicine, doctor's care, etc. That's what it seems to me they are learning from this attitude of not hurting their little psyches.
Off my soapbox. Now it's your turn.
See you in the funny papers.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Working with an Excel spreadsheet
I don't have Microsoft Office for the Mac. I was using Open Office for word processing and downloaded that for the Mac. I have never used the spreadsheet program part of this suite of programs. I opened the Excel spreadsheet just fine, but could not get the changes made that I needed.
I sent out a cry for help on Google Plus and someone took pity on me. He suggested I download LibreOffice which is also a suite of free programs. I tried the spreadsheet program and finally got the changes made to January. But then couldn't get the changes made to February.
He kindly offered to take the spreadsheet and see what he could do with it. After he worked his magic, I learned how to make the changes I needed and feel so proud of myself now. I really appreciate all his help. People on Google Plus are so willing to give help to lost souls like me.
See you in the funny papers.
I sent out a cry for help on Google Plus and someone took pity on me. He suggested I download LibreOffice which is also a suite of free programs. I tried the spreadsheet program and finally got the changes made to January. But then couldn't get the changes made to February.
He kindly offered to take the spreadsheet and see what he could do with it. After he worked his magic, I learned how to make the changes I needed and feel so proud of myself now. I really appreciate all his help. People on Google Plus are so willing to give help to lost souls like me.
See you in the funny papers.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
I Did It!!!
I have all my data transferred to the iMac. I did the documents via dropbox. But trying to transfer photos and movies just took too long. I moved them via USB drive, better know as a thumb drive or flash drive.
Of course, my brain wasn't working too well so when I inserted the USB drive I thought it wasn't working. It showed up in the list on the iMac, but instead of clicking on the name, I clicked on the little icon next to it. It looked kinda like an arrow pointing up. After someone on Google Plus helped me, I finally realized that the little icon was ejecting the drive. I was too ashamed to tell the person how stupid I was. But, after that little snafu everything has done just great.
I had Microsoft Office on the other computer. It was an old version, the one I had when I quit work in 2004. Since I am cheap, I didn't want to pay for anything like that for the iMac so I got Open Office. I was using it on the PC, and didn't have any problem with it. But, I didn't use it for spreadsheets. I always used Excel.
I keep track of the highs and lows for each day and like to compare them via a chart. I've never had a problem changing the data ranges, names, etc. before, but as I said I was was using Excel. For some reason I just can't get it to change in OO. I decided to try inserting a new chart. That was a flop too. I can't change the axis to get the data labels right. I need the one on the left to be the temperature range and the one on the bottom to be the date.
I keep hoping that if I look at it long enough it will magically correct itself. I worked on it several hours this morning and finally gave up. Maybe by the time I die I will have figured it out.
See you in the funny papers.
Of course, my brain wasn't working too well so when I inserted the USB drive I thought it wasn't working. It showed up in the list on the iMac, but instead of clicking on the name, I clicked on the little icon next to it. It looked kinda like an arrow pointing up. After someone on Google Plus helped me, I finally realized that the little icon was ejecting the drive. I was too ashamed to tell the person how stupid I was. But, after that little snafu everything has done just great.
I had Microsoft Office on the other computer. It was an old version, the one I had when I quit work in 2004. Since I am cheap, I didn't want to pay for anything like that for the iMac so I got Open Office. I was using it on the PC, and didn't have any problem with it. But, I didn't use it for spreadsheets. I always used Excel.
I keep track of the highs and lows for each day and like to compare them via a chart. I've never had a problem changing the data ranges, names, etc. before, but as I said I was was using Excel. For some reason I just can't get it to change in OO. I decided to try inserting a new chart. That was a flop too. I can't change the axis to get the data labels right. I need the one on the left to be the temperature range and the one on the bottom to be the date.
I keep hoping that if I look at it long enough it will magically correct itself. I worked on it several hours this morning and finally gave up. Maybe by the time I die I will have figured it out.
See you in the funny papers.
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