Friday 28 October 2011

Give for free


This entry has
1) Charity: Can you click your mouse? You can donate for free!
2) Sundried and tomato Bread Recipe
3) Knitting Myth Buster
4) Site seeing
5) Podcast of the week

1) Charity: Can you click your mouse? You can donate for free!

Came across this amusing spoof http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5dMlXentLw
Which as you will see is part of Comic Relief.  But that only happens once a year, and it is possible to continue to give to good causes throughout the year For Free!!!   So consider visiting such sites as these, where “clicks” benefit a charity.  Some of them are one off, some could be visited more frequently, and for those who like puzzles they are catered for too, here are some examples:-


Sun dried tomato and olive bread rolls

If anyone wants to do these and not used to baking breads, and finds my description not in enough depth, just contact me via comments and I will help.
12oz strong white bread flour,
 packet of easy blend yeast,
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
About 4tbs dried sundried tomatoes cut into small pieces
6 (at least) stoned olives cut into quarters
 tepid milk/soya milkwith 3tbs olive oil and squidge of tomato puree to make half a pint liquid.  (need not be all milk it can be half milk half water)
Add the easy blend yeast to the flour, and then all other dry ingredients.  Adjust the tomatos and olives quantities according to personal preference.
Add the liquid slowly until a good soft dough is achieved.  If the dough remains too crumbly add more liquid, if the dough is too sticky to knead add some flour.
Knead dough for about 10 mins by hand or 3 mins in a Kenwood Chef type mixer.
Leave to rise till doubled in size, I put mine on the top of the stove, (freestanding stove), and put the oven on, this accelerates the rising and the dough ready in an hour.
Take the dough from the bowl and divide into 6 or 8 pieces.  6 makes nice larger size baps, 8 makes smaller ones!
Form the pieces into round balls and knead into flattish shapes, and place on baking tray.  Dust the baps with light covering of flour and put to rise again for about 20 mins so double in size again.
Oven number 7 for about 9 mins.   To ensure they are cooked tap the base and the bap should sound hollowish.
Put on a rack and cover with clean cloth to cool. 
Sit back with smug glow at how clever you have been 

3) Knitting Myth Buster
Unbelieveable though it is, there are still people out there who think knitting is old fashioned, “something my old gran did”, fuddy duddy etc.  So to nip this misconception in the bud……
The name Vogue has always been associated with stylish dressing, and Vogue knitting site is not deviating from this concept.  The link here is for their free patterns, but do look at the main stuff as well.  But I give the free pattern links as starting points, as there is also the conception that "designer" knitting is too expensive. One doesnt have to use the yarn suggested, more budget priced yarn can be substituted if the original is too expensive. .
http://www.vogueknitting.com/free_patterns.aspx
Another site with a modern approach is http://www.knitonthenet.com/free_patterns/
There are others which I will mention in future too

4)Other Site Seeing
This week satirical magazine Private Eye celebrates 50 years.  Current editor Ian Hislop is known to most as panellist on “Have I got news for you”. 
The site is:http://www.private-eye.co.uk/ gives a good indication of  the excellent value magazine.
For intellectuals who are not after satire but political awareness, then perhaps New Statesman should be the destination http://www.newstatesman.com/ but personally it is a bit heavy for me at times, but it is a thought provoking site.

 5)Podcast of the week
For potted biographies of an eclectic mix of people, try http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/podcast.xml
Some of the subjects are modern, some from history, but many interesting ones.  I like to think of these as “tasters” and then decide if I want to go on and read more about that person. Check out the site and see for yourself the enormous choice of biographies from which to choose.




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