Geoff's World

Random album generator

2011-02-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

Random album generator

Cooks.com - Recipe - Pantry Ravioli Or Lasagna

2011-01-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

Cooks.com - Recipe - Pantry Ravioli Or Lasagna: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

How to Make Lasagna Noodles | eHow.com

2011-01-08T05:51:00.000-08:00

How to Make Lasagna Noodles | eHow.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Butternut Squash Ravioli : Vegacious

2011-01-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

Butternut Squash Ravioli : Vegacious: "There are so many recipes involving butternut squash – especially this time of year. Ravioli it was!"

RecipeSource: Garlic-Poppy Seed Crackers

2011-01-07T04:51:00.000-08:00

RecipeSource: Garlic-Poppy Seed Crackers: "The ever-popular garlic imbues these crackers with an unmistakable personality. They stand alone and also go well with cold, crisp cucumber slices."

Newspaper Clippings concerning my Uncle Oliver

2010-10-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

From various Australian newspapers:

British Antarctic Monument Trust - Oliver Burd

2010-10-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

British Antarctic Monument Trust - Oliver Burd:

My Uncle, Lieut Oliver Burd RN was killed in a hut fire at Hope Bay on 9 November 1948.

A memorial plaque and sculpture are being erected to honour him and others who lost their lives while participating in British Antarctic Exploration.

The Beer Map of Canada | Geist

2010-05-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

The Beer Map of Canada | Geist

A Good Beer Blog

2010-05-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

A Good Beer Blog

Easy Cheesy: 4 Super-Simple Recipes

2009-12-23T06:07:00.000-08:00

Easy Cheesy: 4 Super-Simple Recipes: "If you’ve never tried making cheese, you’ll be amazed to learn that it can be as fast and easy as baking a pie. The only equipment you need is a stainless steel pot, measuring spoons, cheesecloth and a dairy thermometer."

From Mother Earh News

Winemaking in Ottawa

2009-12-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

I prefer to make my own wine from juice rather than concentrate. Some places in Ottawa which supply quality juice and supplies at good prices are:

Vinbella Winery

Musca Wine Pressing and Supplies Ltd.

DeFalco's for brewers and winemakers

I usually ferment and bottle in my basement, but these establishments also offer on-premise winemaking to eliminate much of the mess and drudgery.

(updated Dec 12 2009)

Anadama Corn Bread Recipe

2009-12-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

Anadama Corn Bread Recipe: "Anadama Corn Bread is made with molasses, an unrefined sweetener that imparts much more flavor complexity than white sugar. There are bitter and caramel notes to savor, and it beautifully rounds out the rough edges in the whole wheat used to boost the fiber and vitamin content of the bread."

Healthy No-knead Bread Recipes

2009-11-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

More "Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day" recipes:
Healthy No-knead Bread Recipes

Hershey’s Ain’t Chocolate

2009-11-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hershey’s Ain’t Chocolate: "Hershey’s chocolates, for the most part, aren’t really chocolate. They’re “the terrible bastard children of chocolate and corporate frugality,” according to Meg Favreau, writing for The Smart Set."

My comment: What do you expect from a corporate giant that shuts down perfectly viable local plants throughout the USA and Canada because they can make their "chocolate" more cheaply in Mexico.

Canadian Surplus Stores

2009-10-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

Active Surplus (Toronto): "Active Surplus is a family operated business that has dedicated 47 years to providing people with interesting products at fair, affordable prices. Our strange variety of electronic parts and unusual 'surplus items' have drawn artists, filmmakers, hobbyists, kids, and adventurers alike. There's certainly something of use, interest or intrigue for everyone that shops at Active."

10,000 Square Feet of Cool Surplus Stuff in London Ontario!: "here are 1000's of different products in our store, with new deals arriving and selling out every week !! Many deals are available only for those customers who visit our store in person."

A1 Electronic Parts - Serving the Toronto area for 30 years!: "Welcome to A1PARTS.COM
Canada's Largest Electronic Surplus Store!!!"

Canadian Electronics Suppliers

2009-10-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

RP Electronics - Test Instruments , Power Supplies , Inverters , Electronic Project Kits and more!
For close to forty years, R.P. Electronics has serviced the Electronics Industry. Located in BC, our warehouse/showroom occupies nearly 10,000 square feet.

Check out our online database listing all of our regular products and some special purchase items. Our secure shopping site will ensure your order is safely received. Online orders are welcome from the Canada and worldwide and are promptly shipped with confirmations usually the same day.

Electronic Kits: "Welcome to Cana Kit!

Cana Kit is a manufacturer of high quality Electronic Kits and Modules. We carry hundres of educational electronic kits as well as professional modules which are suitable for all levels from beginners to electronic kits to seasoned kit builders. Most Electronic Kits are also available as fully assembled and tested which are great for OEM use or for when you don't have time to assemble the kit yourself."

Active Tech: "Active was founded in 1971 and since that time, has expanded to 10 stores across Canada becoming the largest retailer of its kind in Canada.

With over 7,500 parts in stock in our stores and thousands more in our warehouse, and over 100 suppliers, Active continues to offer our customers a great selection at competitive prices.

Our line card and product assortment includes the industry’s leading supplier’s such as Fluke, Tektronix, Cooper Tools, Kester, Loctite, Hammond, Mode, Startech, NTE to name a few.

Whether you are an engineer, technician, student, hobbyist or buyer, Active has what you need."

Reset Electronics
ABOUT RESET ELECTRONICS INC.
Reset Electronics Inc. is a stocking distributor of electronic components and provides electronic solutions to its customers.

ElectroMike: "Our inventory offers more than 40 000 products for many varied fields such as computers, electronic parts and accessories, lighting, original parts and domestic equipments, alarm systems, telecommunications (GPS, Ham Radio, Citizen Band radios, scanners), telephony, Diecast on scale model cars, car radios and all 12 Volts auto accessories."

Robots

2009-10-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

RobotShop.ca - Domestic and Professional Robots, Robot Parts, Robot Kits, Robot Repair.: "Welcome to RobotShop.ca

RobotShop, the World's Leading Source for Domestic and Professional Robot Technology. Here you will find personal robots, professional robots, robot toys, robot kits and robot parts for building your own robots.

If you are looking for robot pet care, robot floor cleaners, robot vacuums, robot pool cleaners or robot mowers, to do your household chores, this is the site for you. We also bring robots back to life™ via our Robot Repair Center."

Balloon Boy Halloween Costume Kit!

2009-10-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Balloon Boy Halloween Costume Kit!: "We couldn't resist making this easy to wear Politically Incorrect Balloon Boy Halloween Costume.

We hope you have fun with it - But please folks, don't get carried away!

Now you too can enjoy all the media attention you want with Plantraco's Balloon Boy Hoax kit. A great flying saucer that is going to put a big smile on your face. Colorado flying saucers and hot air balloon hoaxes are famous these days, get on the bandwagon for trick-or-treat halloween fun and loads of laughs for everyone!"

Website also has a great selection of radio controlled planes, parts and accessories!

Low GI cooking and recipes

2009-10-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Low GI cooking and recipes: "Low GI & Omega 3 Rich Recipes
Recipes for healthy, slower-carb eating. Eat till you're full, feel satisfied and lose weight at the same time!"

The Food Issue - Michael Pollan's Favorite Food Rules - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com

2009-10-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Food Issue - Michael Pollan's Favorite Food Rules - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com: "Food Rules: Your Dietary Dos and Don'ts"
How did humans manage to choose foods and stay healthy before there were nutrition experts and food pyramids or breakfast cereals promising to improve your child’s focus or restaurant portions bigger than your head? We relied on culture, which is another way of saying: on the accumulated wisdom of the tribe. (Which is itself another way of saying: on your mom and your friends.) All of us carry around rules of thumb about eating that have been passed down in our families or plucked from the cultural conversation. Think of this body of food knowledge as samizdat nutrition: an informal, unsanctioned way of negotiating our eating lives that becomes indispensable at a time when official modes of talking about food have suffered a serious loss of credibility.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/magazine/11food-rules-t.html

The Glycemic Index

2009-10-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Glycemic Index
The 'home of the glycemic index' - the official website for the glycemic index and international GI database which is based in the Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney. The website is updated and maintained by the University's GI Group which includes research scientists and dietitians working in the area of glycemic index, health and nutrition including research into diet and weight loss, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and PCOS and headed by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller. Each month the Group publishes a free e-newsletter, GI News, to bring consumers and health professionals up to date with the latest GI research from around the world.

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.

Recent studies from Harvard School of Public Health indicate that the risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease are strongly related to the GI of the overall diet. In 1999, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recommended that people in industrialised countries base their diets on low-GI foods in order to prevent the most common diseases of affluence, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Recipes, Food Photos & Discussion at Nibbledish

2009-10-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Recipes, Food Photos & Discussion at Nibbledish: "Amazing Recipes. Delicious Food. Beautiful Photography. Created and rated by you and fellow food-lovers from all over the world. Nibbledish is your gastronomic hub where every visit will bring inspiration and a rumbling belly..."

GI News

2009-09-30T08:42:00.001-07:00

GI News
Each month GI News will bring you up to date on the latest glycemic index research from around the world. Add this site to your favourites and check it at the beginning of the month for our regular features including:

Food for Thought
GI News Briefs
GI Values Updates
Low GI Food of the Month
Low GI Recipe of the Month
New Books

Canadian Tool Suppliers (updated 2009-08-19)

2009-08-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Our new house will have a workshop so I am starting to dream about buying woodworking and metalworking tools. Here are some Canadian sites:

Busy Bee Tools started with a single retail store and we now have 10 locations coast to coast, a successful mail order and online department, and over 6,000 products. Knowledgeable, friendly and non-commissioned sales staff makes shopping with us an enjoyable& pressure free environment. Our customer service and parts department is among the biggest in the industry. We stock parts for all of our machines and for a majority of our competition as well.

Princess Auto is a Canadian Retailer. Through our stores, coast to coast Mail Order Service and Manufacturing Division, we market unique, comprehensive lines of quality hardgoods at competitive prices. Our customers are hands on users in rural, industrial and urban markets.

Boss Tools: Whether you're a professional or do-it-yourselfer, at Boss you'll find lower everyday prices - over 6000 tools - free Canada wide shipping* - solid warranties - and an absolute satisfaction money back guarantee!

Lee Valley Tools has been meeting the needs of serious woodworkers and gardeners for over 30 years as one of the leading mail-order and retail suppliers of woodworking tools, gardening tools and cabinet hardware.

The Tool Store Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned craftsman, TheToolStore.ca has the all the tools youll need to complete your projects. Choose from our huge selection of air tools, clamps & vices, drill bits, drywall supplies, dust collection equipment, electrician tools, plumbing tools, fixtures, glues, hand tools, jigs, knobs, handles, hinges, measuring & marketing, metal working, power tools, cordless power tools, router bits, router bit sets, safety equipment, sand paper, saw blades, screws, fasteners, shop equipment, welding equipment, wood working machines and work wear.

Homemade Mozzarella Recipe

2009-06-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

A Girl, a Market, a Meal...: The Big Cheese: "The recipe is simple (mozzarella recipe); heat a gallon of milk until it is 55 degrees, add 1 1/2 t of citric acid dissolved in 1/4 C water. When the temperature reaches 88 degrees, add 1/4 t liquid rennet dissolved in 1/4 C water. When the milk reaches 100 degrees, it will be thickly curdled and pulling away from the sides of the pot.

The whey will be clear. Scoop out the curds into a microwaveable bowl and squeeze out excess whey. Microwave for 35 seconds and squeeze and repeat. Eventually you will have a pliable, stretchy mass of cheese that is ready to be salted and shaped."

Here's a link to a more detailed recipe: Ricki's 30 Minute Mozzarella

And a different recipe which includes instructions about how to make Ricotta from the leftover whey: Making Cheese at home.

And finally a recipe just for the Ricotta: Whey Ricotta Cheese Making Recipe

Recycling/Waste Disposal in Ontario

2009-06-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Do What You Can: "This website is designed to help you find places to drop-off household hazardous and special wastes and unwanted electronics that can’t be put in your Blue Box and should not go in the garbage. You can search for places by municipality, postal code or material. To get started,select household hazardous and special waste, (such as leftover paint, non-rechargeable batteries and empty propane cylinders), or electronics, (such as televisions, computers and fax machines). And thanks for doing what you can to deal with waste responsibly."

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

2009-05-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: "... with just five minutes of active preparation time. ARTISAN BREAD IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking, will show you how. The secret? Mix up a lightning-fast batch of moist no-knead dough, save it in your refrigerator, tear off portions over the next week or more, shape, and bake."

Basic introduction and instructions are also available in the Mother Earth News article:Five Minutes a Day for Fresh Baked Bread

In Canada you can get a suitable baking stone and Pizza Peel at Home Hardware: BBQ Pizza Stone with Handle

Ottawa Foodies

2009-04-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

Ottawa Foodies: "We are a community of dedicated food enthusiasts sharing our knowledge of Ottawa restaurants, shops and individual menu items. Through hard work, mutual respect and an almost fanatical commitment to eating, we have created Ottawa's most comprehensive and accurate restaurant listing and food review site."

100mileradius.ca

2009-04-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

100mileradius.ca-index: "Many concerned culinary adventurers are making an effort to eat foods grown or harvested within a 100 mile radius of home. We recognize that the choices we make about what foods we choose to eat are important politically, environmentally, economically, and healthfully.

What food grows in your region? Let's eat and find out... Have you always wanted to try canning and preserving food for the wintertime? Try it this year....

100mileradius.ca is dedicated to helping connect Canadian 'locavores' with local sources for produce, dairy products, meat, poultry and more. We want to hear from farmers, producers, and eaters."

Lindsay's Technical Books

2009-04-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Great source for unusual and interesting books....

Lindsay's Technical Books: "For 30 years Lindsay Publications has been providing the highest quality technical books at low prices. We make every attempt to stock every book we offer for immediate shipment. This site is only a sampling of the continually changing variety of books we offer. Get complete details in our catalog."

Local (Eastern Ontario) Beef

2009-04-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Totally Natural Grass-Fed Beef!
Fitzroy Beef Farmers

"A Bag of Tools"

2009-02-14T09:21:00.001-08:00

Isn't it strange that princes and kings,
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common people like you and me
Are builders for eternity?

Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass, a book of rules;
And each must make.. ere life is flown
A stumbling block, or a stepping stone.

-- R. L. Sharpe

More time passes

2008-06-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Continuing with my apparent pattern of one post per month--here is June's update:

I got a job at SkyWave Mobile Communications (www.skywave.com)
Really quite painless--it was the fifth or sixth place I had applied and only my second interview.

I started work on June 16, only about a week after the paycheques stopped coming from Nortel.

I'll be developing firmware for a line of small Satellite transceivrs which can be used for such things as tracking vehicles or monitoring remote equipment. Really nice little company.

Time Passes

2008-05-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well that turned out to be quite a break (from blogging anyway). What have I been up to?

worked on my resume
applied to a few jobs
contemplated life
made plans
talked to a financial adviser
Helped my daughter Heather move
got depressed
snapped out of it
started networking
joined LinkedIn

I'm resigned to the fact that my best chance of employment will be something in high tech--embedded/real-time software or something similar. Preferably for a smaller company.
I'm still open to something radically different as long as I can make enough to pay the bills! In the meantime I'm going to try to make the most of my time off--I'm not likely to have an opportunity like this again until I retire.

Taking a break

2008-04-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's finally feeling like spring--although there's still a couple of feet of snow on the ground from our almost record setting winter, the sun is warm and the air is fresh. I've turned off the furnace and opened some windows.I'm listening to a Vinyl Cafe Podcast and roasting some vegetables for supper so I'm surrounded by interesting music and ideas, warmth, and wonderful smells. Very healing.

Supper tonight will be Roasted Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese from Rick Gallop's "the g.i. diet" book. We've been loosely following the g.i.diet as a guide to selecting healthier food and maybe lose a bit of weight.

Getting Overwhelmed!

2008-04-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

In the last two days I've attended a financial workshop, a Career Evaluation seminar plus started working on my personal plan and resume. My head is swimming! Each seminar just adds to my list of decisions to be made and possibilities to consider (good and bad).

I'm torn between the urge to rush out and try to get a job quickly and the little voice that says I should take my time and find the perfect next step for my career. I have two months of "notice" plus a large enough severance that I really don't need to panic, but it would be nice to be able to find a job soon enough that there's money left over to pay off some debts (that is if the taxman leaves any--another factor to take into consideration!)

The Career Evaluation included a "Birkman First Look" analysis that is supposed to help me determine what kind of job/career would suit me best. It's very pretty (and clourful) but I'm not quite sure what it's telling me--need to look at it a little more closely and think about it, I guess.

7 days later

2008-04-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well...
One week ago I was laid off from Nortel after 13 years of service (and about 10 years of "dodging the bullet").

I'm actually not all that upset (yet--I'm sure it will come). Rather, I see this as an opportunity for change, something that Bev and I had been starting to consider anyway now that the children have (mostly) left home.

I've spent the week getting used to the idea and organizing my "history" in preparation for evaluating my desired direction and stating the search in earnest.

Nortel is providing unlimited access to "Right Management", a career counselling/job hunting service so I'm taking full advantage of their seminars, tools and resources. I'm off to a financial seminar today for tips on how to handle our money until I land that new job.

Watch this blog for updates on how I make out...