First Snow Brings Lessons Learned

First snow of the season, notified by a child's cry.
Contingency plans are a wise choice.
Next time we pack the chains and warmer boots.

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Hot Spicy Cacao Beverage

Ingredients

• 1 T Cacao Nibs
• 1/4 t Cinnamon
• 1 dash Cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch Salt
• 3 c Water, boiling

How

1. Grind nibs, cinnamon, and cayenne to fine powder.
2. Add pinch of salt.
3. Put dry ingredients in a heat resistant container and add 3 cups boiling water.
4. Allow to "steep" for a while.
5. Strain into cups and enjoy. Great #primal substitute for hot cocoa.
   

What I'd Change

• It was still lacking some zing. I may need to play with the spices more. Not sure.
• The cacao could be ground finer to extract more flavor.
• I'd like to find a way to make a primal, semi-sweet version.

Update: @findchris is working on #primal hot cocoa as well. Sounds good.
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Over Medium Eggs and Turkey

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c leftover dark meat turkey, medium chop
• 3 cloves Roasted garlic (from inside the bird...yum)
• 1 t Cumin seeds
  
• 1 T NOW Foods Coconut Oil

How

1. Heat pan to medium heat and add coconut oil.
   
2. Chop turkey and garlic. Add to pan and saute until lightly browned.
3. Add cumin seeds and saute another 30 seconds or so.
4. Gather ingredients to middle of pan and make two wells for eggs.
5. Crack one egg in each well. Fry until white begins to firm up and then turn and cook until over medium.
6. Slide onto plate and enjoy.
   

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It's Snowing!

Those are the words I woke to this morning on the porch in Arrowhead. Well, at first I thought it was a child in distress and I poked my head out of the sleeping bag in a start. As I listened more closely, I heard the words, "It's snowing!" At that, I jumped out of the bag, back in the house to get the camera and Ann, and rushed outside to take the video. (For those who live where it snows all the time, stop the grinning: I live in Los Angeles, so seeing it snow is exciting).

By the way, for those who know me, yes, I slept outside. :-)

It's quite a good thing we've leftovers from Thanksgiving, a bit of raw veges from the store, and plenty of firewood.

More pictures on Picasa.

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Thanks and a Blognote

Panettone: un-primal, but darn good

Thanks

Today is a holiday here in the USA: one involving lots of food (some primal; some not so primal). I freely admit that it is highly likely some grain may pass my lips today (some did yesterday, but it was panettone, one of the breads for which I will go off the primal rails; see above). Thanks to all those who stop by my little, tangentized blog. If you are celebrating this day, celebrate well, don't worry about "working off the dinner" (that doesn't work anyhow; live 80-20 and relax), be present with those around the table, enjoy the football games (or at least don't make faces at those who do), and don't go to be full (it does bad things to your throat).

Blognote

Anyhow, a bit of a blognote: yesterday, I monetized this blog (I know, I know). Do know, that I either own, use, or have used everything in Laura's Tangentized Associates Store. My promise to my readers is that, aside from the widget in the sidebar, I'll not put distracting bits on the blog. I will, though, place logical links inside posts: for example, if I blog about a dish I made with a particular ingredient or am writing about a particular book, I insert a link to the item in my store. Also, I plan on reviewing some items, so there will be links, and likely widgets, on those posts.

Why did I do this? Well, while blogger is free, not all blogging is free, so I'd like to fill the increasing money hole. Further, I appreciate it when other bloggers share links to good stuff, so I've decided to do the same.

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Building an Expertise Tool Box

skills content demeanor bounded set ethics truth taboos relational set pragmatic system social lubrication centered set intention key ideas prime directive

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Prayer as Constant Vocation

Always, all kinds, all perseverance, and for all siblings: prayer is more critical than we realize.
Request bold, inspired requests as true partnership with God.

Informants
Ephesians 6:18-19
TFB Sermon for 11/22/09: The Warfare of Prayer

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Thanksgiving Scotch Eggs

Ingredients

• 1 dz range fed, organic eggs, medium boiled
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 24 slices uncured bacon, 12 fine chop, 12 whole
• 1 t pumpkin pie spice

How

1. Boil the eggs to medium: boil for 5 minutes, turn off heat, let sit in hot water for 3 minutes, cool quickly with cold water; peel.
2. Combine turkey, the chopped bacon, and pumpkin pie spice. Let sit a bit to allow the flavors to meld.
3. Divide the ground meat into 12 equal portions.
4. Make each portion into a thin patty (use your hands).
5. Carefully wrap the peeled, boiled egg in the patty.
6. Wrap one whole slice of bacon around each wrapped egg.
7. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes.
8. Share with friends.
   

Makes 1 dozen.

What I would change

• More pumpkin pie spice. It was there, but too far in the background for my taste. Maybe 2 teaspoons?
• Boil the eggs for 5+2, to allow for even more creaminess when baked.
• Bake long enough to get a bit more crisp on the bacon.
  

Nutrition per egg via FitDay

Note: You can read more about Scotch Eggs on wikipedia.
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Conceive (Definition)

forming an idea through creative inference and logical synthesis; nurturing an idea into serviceable fullness through creative purposing and logical extension

Informants

• definition of "tangent" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.
• definition of "conceive" in synonym discussion under "think" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.

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Decision-Making Off-Line

data statistics analysis end of term project gantt how long how much workload per time element mindset shift soul dimensions* what want affection impact intentionalize analyze what next mental margin ride the wave intuit what now adventure versus fear

*cognition, affection, volition

Informants

• Be Intentional or Ride the Wave?
• SPSS
  

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Be Intentional or Ride the Wave?

The semester is winding down.
The transition from prescribed to chosen requires a shift in mindset.
Do I intentionalize or decide to ride the wave?

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Perspective Really Does Matter

construction of a Christian worldview defending a Christian worldview intellectual battle necessary frame intellectual equipment naturalism overcoming indoctrination powerful postmodernism recognizing/ rejecting relativism pervasive Christian engagement positive action required get up and fight

Informant

• Philosophy Made Slightly Less Difficult
  

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Tilapia, Sauteed with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Tilapia in 1 inch chunks
  
• 2 bunches Asparagus, trimmed and chopped in 1 inch bits
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 t Sea salt
• 1/4 c Cider vinegar
• 1/2 T Coconut oil
  

How

1. Sprinkle salt and vinegar on Tilapia and let sit.
2. To a hot pan with coconut oil, add sliced mushrooms. Stir until they begin to brown.
3. Add asparagus bits to mushrooms and reduce heat. Cook until slightly crunchy.
4. While the veges are cooking, saute Tilapia over medium heat, until just done. Be careful not to over cook. No one likes tough fish.
5. When veges and fish are done, toss and serve or pack in zip top bags for lunches.

Makes 5 lunch portions.


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Think (Definition)

Remembering a learned idea in order to intuit and make connections with other ideas; mental effort to make conceptual soundings of ideas and to recognize conceptual systems

Informants

• definition of "tangent" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.
• definition of "think" in synonym discussion under "think" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.

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This Christian Chooses to Enter the Fray

defend and proclaim worldview struggle intellectual engagement for all passion adequate power temptation stirred up grace proper demeanor tempered communal expectation writing chosen means locus of engagement multiple venues formation intended end knowledge building getting from here to there

Informants

• Writing Out Passion with Grace
• Philosophy Made Slightly Less Difficult, chapter 7
  

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Writing Out Passion with Grace

MW says "passion" is driving, intense, or overmastering emotion.

If God shapes and uses, and all is with grace, how should passion look on blogs?

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Back Pain and Systems

Three weeks of upper back pain. Could be pillow, stress, nutrition, structure: who knows? Per systems science, use small changes to diagnose and correct.

Suggestions?

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Pumpkin Mole with Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 can organic pumpkin
• 1 bottle Ayinger Ur-Weisse
• 1 T chili paste (homemade from Ancho, Guajiollo, and Chipotle)
• 1/2 c dry roasted, unsalted almonds, ground
• 1 t Celtic sea salt
• 3 range-fed, air-cooled whole chicken legs
• 1 sweet potatoes, cut in 1 inch chunks
  
• 1 T coconut oil
  

How

• Place coconut oil, sweet potato, and chicken legs in slow cooker.
• Combine remaining ingredients and blend with a whisk.
• Pour liquid over ingredients in slow cooker.
• Cook on high for three hours or until done.
• Makes three substantial, and yummy, meals.
  

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Practicing to Fend Off Joy Stealers

Why is it that when joy flourishes, someone tries to swipe it? Truth is, though, no one can steal it. We must give it away.

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summary of the argument engage the contributions make recommendations joy stealers What's their point? Is their critique valid? expose joy protectors What's my point? In what way is my joy weightier? practice real choice imago Dei In a cost-benefit analysis, joy wins. decide

See also Responding to Joy Stealers on Who in the World Are We?
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Evaluation (Definition)

Judging value according the capacity for maintaining flexible fitness to a purpose by means of mutually informing feedback; judging value according to definite criteria that flow from the purpose toward new ends and are aligned with that intended purpose.

• definition of "tangent" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.
• definition of "evaluation" on Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain

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Systems Show the Inputs are Off

This may be gross, but my phlegm is up--as is joint pain. This means physical, emotional, or spiritual inputs are off. Time for research...

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When the Mental Barriers Win

This morning, three miles shortened to one-half. While regular moderate movement is best, today sore back, sleepy head, and unmade coffee won. Next week, prepare.

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Experts, Mentors, and Other folk

expert mentor mentoring community increasing knowledge vocabulary and methods of the field multiple perspectives in whole person relationship paying attention direct attention in order to train a way of thinking thinking as community without slipping into group think range of freedom thorough knowledge of essentials perspective and expression lived out boundaries of freedom wisdom regarding proper accidents communal recognition of proper and improper quieting the expert self-control become experts through adequate preparation encouraging the non-expert hone listening and questioning skills hold all participants accountable for the community

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Change is Hard

my intellectual assent
has run ahead of my affections;
both are too often
running off without volition,
who keeps hanging out
with some anonymous deep beliefs.

change is hard.

Inputs
Isaiah 50:1-51:8

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Synthesis (Definition)

Constructing a new whole from analyzed parts by agentic creation of an emergent complex; using agentic behaviors to create new conceptual webs that actualize emergent structures.

• definition of "tangent" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.
• definition of "synthesis" on Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain

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