Nintendo Wii facts
October 10, 2007
Nintendo’s latest game console is the Wii. The Wii was released in the winter of 2006 and was a huge success. The way you play the Wii is amazing. All the action in the game is controlled through the motion of your remote, or wiimote. You play the Wii by pointing your wiimote at the screen and interacting with the game.
The Wii comes with the game Wii Sports and it gives you a good idea of what the possibilities are for the Wii’s controls. Wii Sports is a collection of games that you can play. My favorites are baseball, bowling, and tennis. In all the games you have to mimic the movements of the real sports like swinging the bat or bowling the ball.
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Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
October 9, 2007
What would you think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song,
And I’ll try not to sing out of key.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I get high with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I’m gonna to try with a little help from my friends.
June 1, 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Considered to be one of the most influential albums of all time from one of the most influential bands of all time, the Fab Four John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, recorded Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at the now famous Abbey Road studios.
Cate Blanchett: Bob Dylan I’m Not There
October 9, 2007
Chronicling seven stages of Bob Dylan’s life, a new biographical film I’m Not There is scheduled to premiere in the US in late November 2007.
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This American Life: Ira Glass Growth Spurts
October 8, 2007
The weekly public radio program This American Life (TAL), hosted by Ira Glass, has recently expanded into a cable television show. On Showtime, the program follows the same format as the award-winning radio show — a format that defies any narrowly-concise description.
In Showtime’s TAL Episode Five: Growth Spurts, the show examines the lives of people determined to move forward in life.
For most of her adult life, Suzanne Knode had always wanted to be a writer, but she had not been able to sit down and write more than a few sentences before walking away from the effort. Then one day, at the age of 63, she sat down and wrote an entire screenplay.
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Madonna: The English Roses for tweens
October 7, 2007
Four new books in The English Roses series of children’s books written by Madonna will became available last month. Madonna’s first book about five London grade school-aged girls, who are best friends, was published in 2003.
From a mother’s perspective, Madonna has channeled her storytelling creativity into a series of books that not only help her daughter Lourdes navigate the path of girlhood, but also for girls worldwide who read about the challenges and interests as experienced by the English Roses — Amy, Charlotte, Nicole, Grace and Binah.
From the publication of the first The English Roses book, and all books in The English Roses series since, the ages of the English Roses mirrors the age of Madonna’s own daughter Lourdes. Lourdes, who prefers to be called Lola, is now almost 11 years old and entering the age of a tween. The newest books in The English Roses series is written for a tween audience.
French Press: Best brewed coffee
October 7, 2007
All other cups of coffee taste like sludge, when compared to coffee brewed with a French press.
In my experience, there are three beverages essential to the quality of daily life; the first is coffee, then herbal tea blends that can bring sleep, lift mood, take the edge off of a stress-filled day or help open the sinuses when suffering a cold, and finally water. This is the level of importance to which I value coffee here at the cottage.
Cranberry Walnut Orange Muffin Recipe
October 7, 2007
Muffins, categorized as small quick breads, are most often baked with healthy nutritious ingredients. In fact, the combination of ingredients is only limited by imagination.
Muffins are versatile, complementing a main meal or savored alone as a simple breakfast or mid-day snack. Muffins can be made with a variety of flours, fruits and nuts.
We enjoy both the convenience of a muffin and all the satisfying tasty goodness of a muffin. Each Monday, I will feature a muffin recipe based on our cottage-favorite muffins.
Many muffin recipes call for buttermilk. I prefer sour cream. You can substitute an equal amount of buttermilk for the sour cream in the recipe that follows.
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Very Cherry Pie Muffins
October 7, 2007
Cherry muffins can be made with fresh cherries, frozen cherries — or as I found out — canned cherry pie filling.
I call these Very Cherry Pie Muffins.
Cherry muffins sounded good in a cheery kind of way on a icy cold winter day, but when I checked, all I had on hand was a can of cherry pie filling. Not willing to drive to town for a single item, which we deliberately refuse to do for both economical and ecological reasons, I chose to work with what I had in the pantry.
By popular vote, I only baked mini-muffins this time. It seems, here at the cottage, mini-muffins are the favorite size of muffin. In fact, into our second week of Muffin Monday, Muffin Monday has been renamed Mini Muffin Monday. Such is the enthusiasm for Muffin Monday, that I was repeatedly reminded on Sunday that Monday was only a day away.
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Banana-Nut Oatmeal Muffins & Crumb Topping
October 7, 2007
These are a hearty muffin and a tasty favorite here at the cottage. I add lemon juice for a bit of a zing to the Banana-Nut Oatmeal Muffins with Crumb Topping.
With the added oats, and a bottle of juice, these muffins become a dash-out-the-door take-along breakfast. Or a mid-day snack.
The crumb topping is optional, but definitely worth it.
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Triple Chocolate Strawberry Chipotle Mini Muffins
October 7, 2007
Chocolate.
Strawberry preserves.
A hint of Chipotle.
Triple chocolate mini muffins for sweethearts and chocolate lovers on Valentine’s Day. I say that because I first baked these muffins on Valentine’s Day.
Of course, any day is excuse enough for the euphoric delight of chocolate. You can omit the chipotle, and still have a very good triple chocolate-rich muffin, but the subtle aftertaste of heat from the chili blended with chocolate is a uniquely captivating experience.
Warning though, you must like spicy if you boldly add chipotle to the chocolate muffin batter.
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