Margo Berendsen: Third culture kids and teen grief

Third culture kids and teen grief

I don't devote a post to a book unless I have learned something valuable from it that I want to share with others. Never Gone, by Laurel Garver, is one I immediately knew I wanted - needed ?- to share.

I'll post my own thoughts on Never Gone coming up in December (my blog is shutting down during November for NaNoWriMo). In the meantime, here's the word on third culture kids and teen grief straight from Laurel (who by the way is in the thick of it with Hurricane Sandy right now. Many thoughts and prayers going out for all my east coast friends and family).

What is your novel Never Gone about?

A grieving teen believes her dead father has come back as a ghost to help her reconcile with her estranged mother.

That?s my most brief synopsis. My favorite synopsis is the trailer:


Your main character is a New Yorker with an American mother and a British father. How do cross-cultural issues affect the family?

American and British social rules differ more that you might think. When I studied abroad there, I struggled to get anyone to talk to me. The other British students were friendly with one another, but standoffish with us exchange students. There are rules to the game of getting inside the high walls of privacy that aren?t immediately apparent to outsiders. I didn?t get fully clued in to how these rules worked until my third visit to the UK, when the friends my husband and I were visiting pointed me to Kate Fox?s Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour. It became one of my most useful research books.

Because Britain?s large population is crammed into a small space, personal privacy is highly valued. That?s a major component of why my protagonist?s parents? marriage works. The mother likes to keep her past in the past and her emotions under wraps, so what could be better than a partner who won?t expect American levels of emotiveness? Humor is also a huge component of communication in Britain, and thus the father?s forte. Any hard-hitting or critical remark is likely to be couched in humor. Embarrassingly tender feelings can be, too.

My protagonist Danielle is what is sometimes called a ?third-culture kid??someone who lives in one culture, but whose family comes from a different culture; he or she teeters precariously between cultures, never fully belonging to either one. Thus Dani struggles with expressing her deepest feelings, suppressing and self-managing more than the typical American teen might. Yet she also wants to call others out for doing the very same thing, her mother in particular. Losing her British father requires Dani to reassess how she fits in the world, and how to reconcile with her American half.

What is unique about teen grief?

When you?re young, it?s harder to deal with major losses because you don?t have experience to draw on that puts the pain in perspective. ?Time heals all wounds? is not lived experience; it sounds like a stupid platitude adults say to shut you down. Grief feels overwhelming and absolutely impossible to overcome. Add to that the usual stuff of adolescence?hormonal changes and an identity that?s still under construction?and you can understand why grief can be especially difficult, even explosive for teens.

What?s unique about your approach to grief in the story?

I was particularly interested in exploring the immediate grief experience ? those turbulent first weeks immediately after a death. My novel begins a few days after the protagonist loses her dad and the story covers approximately three weeks? time. Danielle spends much of the story cycling through denial, anger, and bargaining. There are moments of depression and glimpses of what acceptance will look like when it fully flowers. Most of the deepest grief work is still to come for Dani, but the events of the novel prepare her to begin to earnestly do that work, rather than deny or flee from it.

Because of her family culture, Dani especially struggles with feelings of anger. It is one of the toughest emotions to keep under wraps or deflect and soften with humor. She also mistakenly believes that anger has no place in a life of faith. I hope this story will encourage kids growing up in a faith tradition that it?s okay to really wrestle with God in places of deep pain. One of Dani?s friends tells her, ?I think God can handle it when we?re mad.? He goes on to point out that large chunks of scripture are at root complaints to God. The Psalmist and other saints of old give us models for talking (and hollering and crying) to our Creator honestly about our pain, which at root is an expression of faith that He hears, cares, comforts and makes things new.

Laurel Garver is a magazine editor, professor?s wife and mom to an energetic fourth grader. An indie film enthusiast and incurable Anglophile, she enjoys geeking out about Harry Potter and Dr. Who, playing word games, singing, and mentoring teens at her church. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Add Never Gone on Goodreads.
Read a sample chapter.
It is available as an ebook and paperback from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords.

Enter to win an ebook of Never Gone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Source: http://margoberendsen.blogspot.com/2012/10/third-culture-kids-and-teen-grief.html

Andy Griffith joe johnson scientology Wimbledon 2012 TV Schedule anderson cooper fourth of july Jason Terry

Scientists build the first all-carbon solar cell

ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2012) ? Stanford University scientists have built the first solar cell made entirely of carbon, a promising alternative to the expensive materials used in photovoltaic devices today.

The results are published in the Oct. 31 online edition of the journal ACS Nano.

"Carbon has the potential to deliver high performance at a low cost," said study senior author Zhenan Bao, a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a working solar cell that has all of the components made of carbon. This study builds on previous work done in our lab."

Unlike rigid silicon solar panels that adorn many rooftops, Stanford's thin film prototype is made of carbon materials that can be coated from solution. "Perhaps in the future we can look at alternative markets where flexible carbon solar cells are coated on the surface of buildings, on windows or on cars to generate electricity," Bao said.

The coating technique also has the potential to reduce manufacturing costs, said Stanford graduate student Michael Vosgueritchian, co-lead author of the study with postdoctoral researcher Marc Ramuz.

"Processing silicon-based solar cells requires a lot of steps," Vosgueritchian explained. "But our entire device can be built using simple coating methods that don't require expensive tools and machines."

Carbon nanomaterials

The Bao group's experimental solar cell consists of a photoactive layer, which absorbs sunlight, sandwiched between two electrodes. In a typical thin film solar cell, the electrodes are made of conductive metals and indium tin oxide (ITO). "Materials like indium are scarce and becoming more expensive as the demand for solar cells, touchscreen panels and other electronic devices grows," Bao said. "Carbon, on the other hand, is low cost and Earth-abundant."

The Bao group's all-carbon solar cell consists of a photoactive layer, which absorbs sunlight, sandwiched between two electrodes.

For the study, Bao and her colleagues replaced the silver and ITO used in conventional electrodes with graphene -- sheets of carbon that are one atom thick -and single-walled carbon nanotubes that are 10,000 times narrower than a human hair. "Carbon nanotubes have extraordinary electrical conductivity and light-absorption properties," Bao said.

For the active layer, the scientists used material made of carbon nanotubes and "buckyballs" -- soccer ball-shaped carbon molecules just one nanometer in diameter. The research team recently filed a patent for the entire device.

"Every component in our solar cell, from top to bottom, is made of carbon materials," Vosgueritchian said. "Other groups have reported making all-carbon solar cells, but they were referring to just the active layer in the middle, not the electrodes."

One drawback of the all-carbon prototype is that it primarily absorbs near-infrared wavelengths of light, contributing to a laboratory efficiency of less than 1 percent -- much lower than commercially available solar cells. "We clearly have a long way to go on efficiency," Bao said. "But with better materials and better processing techniques, we expect that the efficiency will go up quite dramatically."

Improving efficiency

The Stanford team is looking at a variety of ways to improve efficiency. "Roughness can short-circuit the device and make it hard to collect the current," Bao said. "We have to figure out how to make each layer very smooth by stacking the nanomaterials really well."

The researchers are also experimenting with carbon nanomaterials that can absorb more light in a broader range of wavelengths, including the visible spectrum.

"Materials made of carbon are very robust," Bao said. "They remain stable in air temperatures of nearly 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit."

The ability of carbon solar cells to out-perform conventional devices under extreme conditions could overcome the need for greater efficiency, according to Vosgueritchian. "We believe that all-carbon solar cells could be used in extreme environments, such as at high temperatures or at high physical stress," he said. "But obviously we want the highest efficiency possible and are working on ways to improve our device."

"Photovoltaics will definitely be a very important source of power that we will tap into in the future," Bao said. "We have a lot of available sunlight. We've got to figure out some way to use this natural resource that is given to us."

Other authors of the study are Peng Wei of Stanford and Chenggong Wang and Yongli Gao of the University of Rochester Department of Physics and Astronomy. The research was funded by the Global Climate and Energy Project at Stanford and the Air Force Office for Scientific Research.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stanford University. The original article was written by Mark Shwartz.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Marc P. Ramuz, Michael Vosgueritchian, Peng Wei, Chenggong Wang, Yongli Gao, Yingpeng Wu, Yongsheng Chen, Zhenan Bao. Evaluation of Solution-Processable Carbon-Based Electrodes for All-Carbon Solar Cells. ACS Nano, 2012; 121031083325001 DOI: 10.1021/nn304410w

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/Mi-id-mdp04/121031125037.htm

Avril Lavigne Microsoft Tropical Storm Isaac amber portwood Phyllis Diller Darla Moore newsweek

Researchers to debate the call for sexual abstinence education in schools

ScienceDaily (Oct. 29, 2012) ? Introducing abstinence education into UK schools could be a less effective substitute for comprehensive Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) aimed at children and young adults, say a research team led by Sheffield Hallam University.

As part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science 2012, Sheffield Hallam and partners will host a one day event to debate the issues surrounding abstinence education.

Dr Julia Hirst, from the Public Health Hub at Sheffield Hallam, says "We hope to bring together politicians, teachers, youth workers, young people and their parents to discuss the re-emergence in our society of views promoting abstinence education in schools and youth settings."

Research shows that existing evidence fails to support the view that teaching abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid unintended pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV.

"Extensive research undertaken in the US points to negative outcomes associated with abstinence education including increased risks of unprotected sex and a more reluctance to seek advice or treatment related to sexual health and relationship matters," says Steve Slack, Director of the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV in Sheffield.

There is clear evidence that access to comprehensive SRE can have positive effects in terms of increasing the age of a first sexual encounter.

"By widening understanding of safer sexual practices and equipping young people with the skills and confidence to protect their sexual and emotional health reduces the risk of unprotected sex, unwanted sex, unwanted pregnancies, and STI's. Comprehensive SRE also includes strategies for young people who want support in abstaining from sexual activity." Dr Hirst points out.

Research shows that comprehensive sex education should include a greater focus on the issue of relationships, as well as sexuality, include more discussion of safer sexual activity and further debate regarding values and up-bringing in shaping attitudes to sex.

Steve Slack agrees: "Our discussions with young people consistently suggest that while there are pockets of good practice in terms of SRE in the UK, sex education overall is too little and too late and often fails to address young people's expressed needs for across-the-board sex and relationships education."

"If we look to countries with the lowest rates of unwanted pregnancy and STIs, the least relationship abuse and more attention paid to relationships, for example, the Netherlands or Sweden; these are the countries which have age-appropriate SRE embedded in their curriculum and it is supported by youth friendly sexual health services and well-informed parents. This is what we would like to see for young people in this country." Dr Hirst concludes.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Economic & Social Research Council.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/child_development/~3/xtzNMo7MFT0/121030101449.htm

madonna super bowl halftime kelly clarkson super bowl giants super bowl 2012 half time show halftime show 2012 kelly clarkson super bowl 2012 ok go

Honeybees harbor antibiotic-resistance genes

Public release date: 30-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology

Bacteria in the guts of honeybees are highly resistant to the antibiotic tetracycline, probably as a result of decades of preventive antibiotic use in domesticated hives. Researchers from Yale University identified eight different tetracycline resistance genes among U.S. honeybees that were exposed to the antibiotic, but the genes were largely absent in bees from countries where such antibiotic use is banned. The study appears on October 30 in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

"It [resistance] seems to be everywhere in the U.S.," says Nancy Moran of Yale University, a senior author on the study. "There's a pattern here, where the U.S. has these genes and the others don't."

Honeybees the world over are susceptible to the bacterial disease called "foulbrood", which can wipe out a hive faster than beekeepers can react to the infection. In the U.S., beekeepers have kept the disease at bay with regular preventive applications of the antibiotic oxytetracycline, a compound that closely resembles tetracycline, which is commonly used in humans. Oxytetracycline has been in use among beekeepers since the 1950s, and many genes that confer resistance to oxytetracycline also confer resistance to tetracycline.

Using sensitive molecular techniques, Moran and her colleagues screened honeybees from several locations in the United States and from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand as well as several wild bumblebees from the Czech Republic, for the presence and abundance of tetracycline resistance genes. They found that U.S. honeybees have greater numbers and a more diverse set of tetracycline resistance genes than honeybees from the other countries.

Moran says it is reasonable to expect to see widespread resistance among bees, considering the decades-long use of oxytetracycline in honeybee hives. "It seems likely this reflects a history of using oxytetracycline since the 1950s. It's not terribly surprising. It parallels findings in other domestic animals, like chickens and pigs," says Moran.

Moran notes that beekeepers have long used oxytetracycline to control the bacterium that causes foulbrood, but the pathogen eventually acquired resistance to tetracycline itself. Of the foulbrood pathogens Melissococcus pluton and Paenibacillus larvae, Moran says, "They carry tetL, which is one of the eight resistance genes we found. It's possible that the gene was transferred either from the gut bacteria to the pathogen or from the pathogen to the gut bacteria."

Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand do not allow beekeepers to use oxytetracycline in hives, so it is perhaps predictable that honeybees and wild bumblebees from these countries harbored only two or three different resistance genes and only in very low copy numbers, suggesting that the bacteria did not require the genes very frequently.

The authors of the study point out that by encouraging resistance and altering the bacteria that live in honeybee guts, decades of antibiotic applications may have actually been detrimental to honeybee wellbeing. Studies have suggested that the bacterial residents of the honeybee gut play beneficial roles in neutralizing toxins in the bees' diet, nutrition, and in defending the bee against pathogens. By disrupting the honeybee microbiota and reducing its diversity, long-term antibiotic use could weaken honeybee resistance to other diseases. Hence, the treatment that was meant to prevent disease and strengthen the hive may actually weaken its ability to fight off other pathogens.

Moran says while the study is interesting from the perspective of honeybee health and could have implications for how honeybee diseases are managed, the presence of resistance genes in the honeybee gut doesn't pose a direct risk to humans. These gut bacteria, says Moran, "don't actually live in the honey, they live in the bee. We've never actually detected them in the honey. When people are eating honey, they're not eating these bacteria."

###

mBio is an open access online journal published by the American Society for Microbiology to make microbiology research broadly accessible. The focus of the journal is on rapid publication of cutting-edge research spanning the entire spectrum of microbiology and related fields. It can be found online at http://mBio.asm.org.

The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 30-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology

Bacteria in the guts of honeybees are highly resistant to the antibiotic tetracycline, probably as a result of decades of preventive antibiotic use in domesticated hives. Researchers from Yale University identified eight different tetracycline resistance genes among U.S. honeybees that were exposed to the antibiotic, but the genes were largely absent in bees from countries where such antibiotic use is banned. The study appears on October 30 in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

"It [resistance] seems to be everywhere in the U.S.," says Nancy Moran of Yale University, a senior author on the study. "There's a pattern here, where the U.S. has these genes and the others don't."

Honeybees the world over are susceptible to the bacterial disease called "foulbrood", which can wipe out a hive faster than beekeepers can react to the infection. In the U.S., beekeepers have kept the disease at bay with regular preventive applications of the antibiotic oxytetracycline, a compound that closely resembles tetracycline, which is commonly used in humans. Oxytetracycline has been in use among beekeepers since the 1950s, and many genes that confer resistance to oxytetracycline also confer resistance to tetracycline.

Using sensitive molecular techniques, Moran and her colleagues screened honeybees from several locations in the United States and from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand as well as several wild bumblebees from the Czech Republic, for the presence and abundance of tetracycline resistance genes. They found that U.S. honeybees have greater numbers and a more diverse set of tetracycline resistance genes than honeybees from the other countries.

Moran says it is reasonable to expect to see widespread resistance among bees, considering the decades-long use of oxytetracycline in honeybee hives. "It seems likely this reflects a history of using oxytetracycline since the 1950s. It's not terribly surprising. It parallels findings in other domestic animals, like chickens and pigs," says Moran.

Moran notes that beekeepers have long used oxytetracycline to control the bacterium that causes foulbrood, but the pathogen eventually acquired resistance to tetracycline itself. Of the foulbrood pathogens Melissococcus pluton and Paenibacillus larvae, Moran says, "They carry tetL, which is one of the eight resistance genes we found. It's possible that the gene was transferred either from the gut bacteria to the pathogen or from the pathogen to the gut bacteria."

Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand do not allow beekeepers to use oxytetracycline in hives, so it is perhaps predictable that honeybees and wild bumblebees from these countries harbored only two or three different resistance genes and only in very low copy numbers, suggesting that the bacteria did not require the genes very frequently.

The authors of the study point out that by encouraging resistance and altering the bacteria that live in honeybee guts, decades of antibiotic applications may have actually been detrimental to honeybee wellbeing. Studies have suggested that the bacterial residents of the honeybee gut play beneficial roles in neutralizing toxins in the bees' diet, nutrition, and in defending the bee against pathogens. By disrupting the honeybee microbiota and reducing its diversity, long-term antibiotic use could weaken honeybee resistance to other diseases. Hence, the treatment that was meant to prevent disease and strengthen the hive may actually weaken its ability to fight off other pathogens.

Moran says while the study is interesting from the perspective of honeybee health and could have implications for how honeybee diseases are managed, the presence of resistance genes in the honeybee gut doesn't pose a direct risk to humans. These gut bacteria, says Moran, "don't actually live in the honey, they live in the bee. We've never actually detected them in the honey. When people are eating honey, they're not eating these bacteria."

###

mBio is an open access online journal published by the American Society for Microbiology to make microbiology research broadly accessible. The focus of the journal is on rapid publication of cutting-edge research spanning the entire spectrum of microbiology and related fields. It can be found online at http://mBio.asm.org.

The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/asfm-hha102612.php

sweet potato recipes the sound of music celebration church new york auto show 2012 tulsa easter eggs pineapple upside down cake

Regal Beloit's 3Q Below Estimate - Zacks.com

Regal Beloit Corporation (RBC - Snapshot Report) reported adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.32 in the third quarter of 2012 compared to $1.31 per share in the year-ago quarter and $1.50 in the second quarter of 2012. The annual rise in the earnings was driven by the company?s improved operational performance during the quarter.

The results surpassed the company?s previously provided guidance range of $1.22 to $1.30 per share but failed to meet the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.37 per share.

Revenue

Net sales spiked 5.8% year over year but down 9.8% sequentially to $779.5 million, although the sales missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $840 million. The company has witnessed sequential decline in its sales due to a clouded fiscal scenario. Although the company?s residential HVAC business grew slightly during the quarter, Regal Beloit witnessed low demand in its other businesses. The foreign currency translation reduced the net sales by 1.7% from the year-ago quarter.

Segment Analysis

Revenues from the Electrical segment climbed 6.1% year over year $708.3 million mostly driven by its business acquisition activity, but was down 9.6% sequentially. Excluding the company?s business acquisitions, the Electrical segment?s sales dropped 9.2% year over year due to the fall in the revenues accrued from Regal Beloit?s Commercial, Industrial and Asian businesses. The North American residential HVAC motor sales surged 0.4% year over year. The North American commercial and industrial motor sales declined 6.4% year over year in the quarter.

Net sales in the mechanical segment hiked 2.6% year over year but declined 11.3% sequentially to $71.2 million. Sales from the North America Mechanical segment (the company?s acquired and divested businesses excluded) declined 0.9% from the year-ago quarter. The sales outside the United States decreased 9.4% year over year.

Margins

Gross profit in the quarter was $192.6 million, up 7.2% year over year while gross margin increased to 24.7% in the third quarter of 2012 from 24.4% a year ago. Operating margin in the quarter was 10.7% compared to 10.6% in the year-ago quarter and 12.0% in the prior quarter.

On a segmental basis, the gross margin of the Electrical Segment was 24.5% in the quarter versus 24.0% in the year-ago quarter. The Mechanical Segment?s gross margin declined 100 basis points year over year to 27.2%.

Operating margin of the Electrical Segment in the quarter was 10.3%, declining from 10.4% in the prior year quarter. Mechanical Segment reported a 14.2% operating margin in the quarter versus 12.7% in the year-ago quarter.

Balance Sheet and Cash flows

Exiting the third quarter, Regal Beloit?s cash and cash equivalents were $185.8 million?versus $190.9 million in the previous quarter. Inventories were $594.9 million compared with $583.9 million in the second quarter of 2012. Long-term debt at the end of 3Q12 was $781.7 million versus $899.8 million at the end of the previous quarter.?

Net cash provided by operating activities in the quarter was $71.8 million compared with $66.7 million in the prior-year quarter. The effective tax rate in the quarter was 24.5% versus 30.3% in the prior year quarter.

Guidance

Management expects that the clouded fiscal scenario and weak demand in the market would continue to affect the company?s financial as well as operating performance. However, the company?s HVAC business is expected to improve in the fourth quarter of 2012. Additionally, the company would focus more on its restructuring actions to improve its profitability.

Regal Beloit expects that the earnings per share (including the restructuring charges of 9 cents per share) will be within the range of 58 cents to 66 cents per share for the fourth quarter of 2012.

Our Recommendation

Regal Beloit currently has a Zacks #4 Rank, which implies a short-term (1-3 months) ?Sell? rating on the stock.

Read the full analyst report on RBC

Source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/85819/regal-beloits-3q-below-estimate

g8 summit netanyahu aipac vanessa minnillo super tuesday epidemiology total eclipse of the heart

Hillary Clinton visits Balkans to keep Dayton agreement on track

Power struggles between ethnic Serb, Muslim, and Croat parties are holding back Balkan states from fuller integration with Europe.

By Andrew Quinn,?Reuters / October 30, 2012

US Secretary of States Hillary Clinton speaks during a news conference after a meeting during an official visit to Sarajevo on October 30. The United States and the European Union combined on Tuesday to push Balkan states to resolve festering political and economic disputes obstructing more integration with the rest of Europe.

Dado Ruvic/Reuters

Enlarge

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The United States and the European Union combined on Tuesday to push Balkan states to resolve festering political and economic disputes obstructing more integration with the rest of Europe.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton began a three-nation Balkan trip in Bosnia, where a power struggle between ethnic Serb, Muslim, and Croat parties has stymied progress since their 1992-95 war.

Mrs. Clinton's Balkans trip, probably her last before stepping down early next year, represents her final effort to settle some of the legacies of the bloody break-up of federal Yugoslavia in the 1990s, when her husband Bill Clinton?was president.

"We're disappointed that the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina have not put the interests of the country first," a senior US official told reporters travelling with Clinton.

In similar vein, Clinton?and Mrs. Ashton will urge Serbia and majority-Albanian Kosovo, which broke away from Belgrade in 2008, to improve their ties further, US officials said.

Bosnia has been governed along ethnic lines since the war, which killed an estimated 100,000 people and split the country into two autonomous regions joined by a weak central government, under the US-brokered 1995 Dayton Peace Accords.

Intense political infighting has slowed reforms, leaving Bosnia lagging its neighbors on the road to EU membership.

Clinton and Ashton were likely to remind Bosnian leaders that they must stick with the Dayton agreement.

"Party leaders can obviously work out, within that framework, the relationships they want, but there should be no questioning of the basic fundamentals of the Dayton peace arrangement," the US official said.

Leaders of Bosnia's Serb Republic do not hide their contempt for the joint state and say it is doomed to disintegrate.

Kosovo tension

Clinton and Ashton were due later in the day in Belgrade, where they will encourage nationalist Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Socialist Prime Minister Ivica Dacic to make good on promises to improve ties with Kosovo, the US official said.

Serbia, a pariah under the late Slobodan Milosevic in the 1990s, has made some progress on reforms since his ouster in 2000, arresting war crimes suspects and overhauling the economy.

But tensions with Kosovo, which seceded with the help of a NATO air war in 1999, are holding Belgrade back and the EU says accession talks cannot start until they are resolved.

Mr. Nikolic and Mr. Dacic, whose coalition took power this year, say they are ready for more normal ties with Kosovo, but that Serbia will never recognize Kosovo as independent.

"Obviously there's much work that remains to be done and significant differences remain," the US official said.

Clinton?and Ashton plan to hold meetings in Kosovo on Wednesday, before Clinton?goes to Albania and Croatia, both members of NATO. The West hopes Croatia's scheduled accession to the EU in 2013, following fellow ex-Yugoslav Slovenia in 2004, will encourage its neighbors to redouble their efforts.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/doLfne9v9P8/Hillary-Clinton-visits-Balkans-to-keep-Dayton-agreement-on-track

bowling green marysville tornados dr. seuss dr seuss the temptations rush limbaugh sandra fluke

Food Network Magazine Cover-To-Cover: All the Recipes in the ...

?

APPETIZERS AND SNACKS

?

Pumpkin Queso Fundido
Pam?

"I assembled the dip according to instructions except for placing mixture in the hollowed out pumpkin. I couldn't find one in small town USA!?It came out very greasy! I used a paper towel to soak up excess. My son was home so he gladly sampled the dip for me ( I don't eat meat). He said it was a little salty, due to the dried meat and seemed like it was missing something.?So there you have it!?I probably will never make this again. It gets a thumbs down."

Pumpkin Questo Fundido recipe

Roasted Garlic Crostini
Amy?

"The garlic crostini recipe was pretty straightforward - roast garlic and serve with thyme and tomatoes. Since I had done things like this before, I was anticipating I'd know exactly what the food would taste like. And though that was true, it still didn't manage to take away from the deliciousness of the combination.

I used less oil in roasting my garlic because 1/2 cup seemed like overkill (just a couple tbsp will do).? A green tomato garnished mine as it was begging to be used in my withering garden.? The combination of creamy garlic with fresh tomatoes and crisp bread was tasty, easy, and surprisingly healthy. Overall, not an especially innovative recipe but delicious nonetheless."

Roasted Garlic Crostini recipe not available online

?

SOUPS AND STEWS

Butternut Squash Soup with Chicken Sausage
John?

"Butternut squash soup with chicken apple sausage was an?unapologetic?savory soup; a great dish to warm you up on a cool autumn evening.?Since the sausage is added after blending, be sure to cut it up into small pieces that you would expect to find in a bowl of pureed soup.?I thought the fried sage leaf garnish was unnecessary and added very little to the soup.?I tried a second version of the soup with buttercup squash that I had on hand; I added fresh chopped?granny smith apples and it was?a better tasting soup, as the additional apple flavor really added some interest."

Butternut Squash Soup with Chicken Sausage recipe

?

Easy Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons?
Judi?

"Ina's Easy Tomato Soup & Grilled Chicken Croutons was as simple and crowd-pleasing as advertised but tasted even better during the week when I brought it to work for lunch. I substituted the orzo with farro (because orzo gives me the creeps. It's the texture. Whatever, we all have our issues, okay?) and I loved the bite of the farro in this- it made it feel more like a chowder than a soup."

Easy Tomato Soup & Grilled Chicken Croutons recipe

?

Seafood Gumbo
Brian

"This was good fun. ?I appreciated my luck in getting assigned this recipe because it let me abuse the 'You're-not-allowed-to-judge-my-vice' agreement that my partner and I have. ?I'm the foodie and he's the techie; peace exists in our house because we have an agreement where I don't question what he spends at Best Buy and he doesn't question my purchasing yet another kitchen accoutrement. ?So needless to say, he just rolled his eyes when the box showed up w/ our new 12 quart stockpot. :)

All of that aside, the recipe itself was good, but I wouldn't call it great. ?I made several modifications on the fly. ?The seafood quotient is definitely there, as the recipe calls for a blue crab, a lobster tail, 4 lbs of shrimp and 1 lb of crab meat. ?The seafood counter didn't have any whole crabs the day I went shopping, so I used 4 small lobster tails instead. ?That still only came to about a cup of cooked lobster meat, which ended up being a background note at best in the final dish. ?Usually when you see lobster in a recipe, folks are gonna get excited by that and expect it to be the star of the dish, so it was a bit disappointing that it was so insignificant in the end. ?I also added a few bay leaves along with the 1/4 cup of Creole seasoning. ?Other than that, I followed the recipe as is. ?The flavors were good; the crab meat takes center stage in the taste of the final dish, while the 4 lbs of shrimp provide the bulk. ?The recipe calls for so much water that the final dish is more of a soup than what I think of as a thicker gumbo. But that is also likely because I chose to serve this with grilled, crusty french bread and okra rather than over white rice as the recipe suggests. ?If I were to make this again, I would probably up the veggie quotient (maybe some diced carrots, tomatoes and okra) to add some more heft. ?

Final verdict: Good recipe - solid flavors, but quite an effort given the nearly 5 hour cooking time. ?Because of how time-intensive it was, I probably wouldn't make this again at home. ?But I got a new 12 quart stockpot out of it, so I can't complain!?I gave some Gumbo to two families on my street (it did make A LOT) and both reported it was delicious - after they added more stuff (one added corn, spinach and shrimp, one added more chicken) and cooked it longer to thicken it."?

Seafood Gumbo recipe

Melange Gumbo
Ceri ?

"I was really looking forward to trying this. ?Right off the bat I had the following issue:

• The order the recipe was written in. ?Make the roux first, then let it sit for an hour while you are cooking the chicken made no sense to me. Cook the chicken sausage and slice it when you have to boil the gumbo for an hour with other ingredients first before you add the chicken sausage made no sense to me either.
• Other issues: the roux was not cake batter like, barely even pancake patter like and I am not familiar enough with Cajun cooking to know if I could have just added more flour. My gumbo ended up more like broth with lots of meat than the richer looking gumbo seen in the picture on the Food Network site.

How I went about it: ?Thursday I cooked the whole chicken and let it cool off in the broth to keep it juicy. Friday I cooked the rest of the gumbo, in a more logical order. ?Saturday all I had to do was heat and serve. The recipe does say to skim the fat, and there was a lot!

Overall it was good, but a little disappointing. ?Considering the time and cost I was expecting something that would knock my socks off, which it did not do. Will not make again!"?

Melange Gumbo recipe

?

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Jenny

"This made a very large pot of pretty good, but not great,?gumbo. The roux got quite dark, and although I was afraid I'd scorched it, the flavor smoothed out nicely and it was a lovely rich color. It wasn't very spicy, which was fine, as everyone at our table could season it to their liking.

I confess I cut a few corners and didn't cook this for the prescribed two hours -plus. The recipe called for 21 cups of liquid. I was dubious, and started smaller, eventually stopping at about half that. I also added okra, which wasn't called for, because I like okra in my?gumbo. Many of the online reviews said the amount of salt given was too much, so I just salted to taste. I debated adding some tomato paste or other acid; it could have used a little tanginess.

This won't replace my tried and true?gumbo?recipe, but if you have all afternoon and a hungry crowd to feed, you could do worse."?

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo recipe

?

Spanish Turkey Meatball Stew
Laurie?

"This Food Network magazine recipe was every bit as easy and convenient as advertised.? I made this weeknight recipe with well intentioned ideas of altering it right from the start.? Didn't think it had enough spices (should add cumin and maybe a sherry vinegar drizzle), could use some rice and possibly hot pepper flakes.? But I dilligently followed the directions and was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the finished product.? Only a teaspoon of smoked paprika turned out to be excellent with the fire roasted tomatoes and other ingredients.

Thought it should simmer a bit longer but that ended up making the meat to stew ratio too high.? Did add some rice to stretch it for four people but will definitely make it again.? (PS? Loved that the 20 oz pkg of ground?turkey?is exactly how it is sold in the store)."

Spanish Turkey Meatball Stew recipe

?

?

SANDWICHES

?

Grilled Mortadella and Muenster Monster Sub
Rosemary?

"I'd never had mortadella and it's kind've like fancier bologna with pistachios. ?Considering I love bologna (you read that right), I thought this might be a fun recipe. ?Bottom line, it was a really good sandwich that had the after effect of eating half a country ham. ?This meat is A LOT saltier than bologna. ?The aioli was amazing, however, and I think it would be great (and much less salty) paired with sliced turkey. ?A couple of quick notes--I more than doubled the amount of dijon mustard in my aioli, basically because I'm a mustard fan. ?It was still creamy and delicious. ?Second, I didn't grill my bread. ?It's a baguette--how crusty does your bread really need to be? ? Finally, let's talk briefly about the two pounds of mortadella. ?I included a picture that shows how much mortadella I put on the sandwich and another to show you how much mortadella is now sitting in my refrigerator. ?I'm kind've convinced that the Chicago Bears fans from Saturday Night Live wrote this recipe. ?If you are able to withstand two pounds of mortadella on this sandwich you should chase it with a diuretic and some heart medicine. ? I know it's supposed to yield eight servings, but I still can't imagine eating that much meat spread over eight three-inch servings of sandwich. ?I doubt I'll come close to finishing all that left over mortadella--but I see this aioli in my immediate sandwich future!"

Grilled Mortadella and Muenster Monster Sub recipe

?

Breakfast Bomber Sub
Erin

"Despite being incredibly rich, this sandwich was tasty.? It's eggs, sausage, and toast, people.? You cannot go wrong with that.? The eggs are a bit heavy with both half-and-half and swiss cheese (a whole cup!) and the amount of cream cheese a little overwhelming.? However, the simple basics are ones we can get behind."

Read more at Erin's blog. ?

The?Breakfast?Bomber?Sub recipe

?

?

PASTAS AND GRAINS

Quinoa and Bean Pilaf
Chef Heidi?

"Quinoa and Bean Pilaf was surprisingly tasty for a dish made with such simple ingredients. The recipe was easy to source and to make, and my kids each ate a whole bowl! BUT the texture was mushy, rather than fluffy. To fix this, I would have cooked it like a rice pilaf (less water, cover with a tight-fitting lid, definitely NO stirring).?And, it tasted even better with some spicy sausages and cilantro thrown in. :)

My verdict:?Tasty and easy for a weeknight meal, but the flavours didn't wow me enough to make this recipe a keeper. But I will probably take the basic idea and tweak it to suit my taste."

Quinoa and Bean Pilaf recipe

?

Ravioli Alfredo with Peas
Karen

"Pros- It's reasonably good. ?(But really? With cream and butter, cardboard can taste good).? This would be a great meatless main dish for people who still can't get comfortable with meatless meals.? Also, labeling it as easy overstates how hard this recipe is.

Cons- With half a cup of cream and four tablespoons of butter, it's not as healthy for you as that chicken breast you passed over.?And in general, I'll save my calorie splurges on something other than a so-so pasta dish."?

Ravioli Alfredo with Peas recipe

?

Lobster Mac & Cheese
Chelsea ?

"This was delicious and my guests loved it.?Ina assumed you know your way around a lobster when she wrote this recipe, but as long as you can handle that, it is definitely a classy, crowd-pleaser. ?This recipe is decadent in all the right ways. ?It?s rich, creamy, cheesy and full of sweet lobster chunks.?I put up a post about the recipe on my own blog with a little extra info on how I cooked the lobster and made the breadcrumbs. ?Here's a link in case you guys are including things like that." More at Chelsea's blog.?

Lobster Mac & Cheese recipe?

?

Mushroom and Squash Risotto
Diana?

"I didn't have time to hunt for the porcinis and oyster mushrooms-life just seems to get in the way of the best intentions-so I just went with the crimini and button mushrooms for the enitre recipe. Because of size differences I used only 1.5lbs of mushrooms. I also substituted some vegetable base (demi-glace type bullion ) when making the "mushroom broth" but did use the stems of the crimini's as well, but didn't add them back later. Now that the changes are out of the way on to the recipe.?

Great things: Tasty! I don't really care for cinnamon in general, but I stuck it out and it was totally worth it! A good balance of veggies to rice and a great layered flavor with the cheese and broth in addition to the basic ingredients' flavors.?Not so good: An 8oz butternut would be a midget!! Be sure to dice it pretty small as well-not specified in the recipe- and plan on another use for the other half ?of even a small squash. The timing given in the recipe didn't get the rice cooked through. I would suggest adding the broth in three rounds and cooking on VERY low heat to give the rice time to cook.?Overally very tasty-I would make it again, but take a whole bunch more shortcuts!"

Mushroom and Squash Risotto recipe

?

Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce
Kathie?

"So easy to make and let's face it, anything with a sauce of shallots and cream would be delicious. ?The small amount of pumpkin in this recipe did not enhance the flavor much and now what do I do with most of a can of pumpkin??Bottom line: ?We loved it! ? Rich and creamy and we felt guilty eating it."

Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce recipe

?

Beefy Mac and Cheese
Hadley

"Just like Hamburger Helper, except more time in the kitchen! That is to say: the recipe is perfectly fine, reheats well, and is open to near endless permutations - we used ground turkey in place of beef and fresh herbs in lieu of chili powder."?

Beefy Mac and Cheese recipe

?

Spaghetti with Spicy Scallop Marinara Sauce
Lauren

"While I wasn't that excited by this recipe at first, it actually ended?up much more flavorful than I expected from the simple list of?ingredients. ?I was a little skeptical that it would be?spicy?enough,?but it had a pleasant kick, and was very easy to prepare. ?It ended up?being a little soupier than most pastas, so we added some garlic?croutons made from stale bread. ?Delicious!"

Spaghetti with Spicy Scallop Marinara Sauce recipe

?

MEAT, POULTRY AND EGGS

Pork Burgers with Bacon Marmalade
Hannah

"I went to two stores looking for ground pork but couldn't find it. So, I ended up using ground turkey (and otherwise followed the recipe exactly). The burger and the marmalade on their own were rather lackluster, but together, they made a tasty burger. Definitely not knock-your-socks-off cuisine, but my husband and mother-in-law agreed that it made a tasty (and relatively quick) dinner."?

Pork Burgers with Bacon Marmalade recipe

Almost-Famous Steak Taco Salad
Sarah

"I don't normally buy this magazine so otherwise would not have discovered how to make these great tortilla bowls!!!!?I made this recipe for my husband and 2 daughters, aged 5 and 8, for a pretty normal week night meal. The only thing I omitted from this recipe were the black olives, and I added some sour cream as a garnish, otherwise I followed the recipe precisely. I was a tad nervous about making the bowls but they were surprisingly simple and I will definitely make them again. Here are the high- and low-lights:-

* the tortilla bowls were a real hit with the whole family (use a 28oz can if you have one but the 14oz was ok)

* it was quite straightforward to prepare?

* the directions for cooking the steak were just right and as my husband will say, I'm a very crappy steak chef

* overall a good combination of ingredients for texture and flavor

^ there was too much chipotle in this for the girls, and even for us who love spicy food, I thought the heat of the chipotle chile powder overpowered the rest of the dish so I will halve it next time

^ it makes a ton of salad dressing for the amount of romaine so if you still like to taste the lettuce don't use the whole lot.

^ next time I will add some avocado and cilantro to tweak it up.

And yes, there will be a next time!!!"?

Almost-Famous Steak Taco Salad recipe

?

Tomato-Yogurt Chicken Curry
Sean

"This well-balanced curry was a perfect meal as the season begins to cool off. ?The potatoes and chicken were fork tender and the yogurt served to really smooth out the texture of the sauce. ?Unable to find chiles de arbol and recognizing just a couple would not be nearly enough heat, I substituted 6 ancho chiles and 4 dried habanero chiles, which would have a very similar flavor profile but dramatically increase the heat (I did a double batch). ?When I make this again, I will be sure to use a more interesting protein though. ?I like chicken fine enough, but the gaminess of lamb or goat would match this dish perfectly."

Tomato-Yogurt Chicken Curry recipe

?

Classic Pot Roast
Christine

"Tender beef with a rich gravy all enhanced by the comforting and hearty vegetables made for a wonderful Sunday dinner. The addition of the bacon and cloves was what turned this pot roast from a traditional pot roast into something to impress friends and family. I usually go for red wine in my beef dishes but the white was a welcoming bright note! Highly recommend, not a ton of hands on time and the payoff is huge."?

Classic Pot Roast recipe

Pork and Wild Rice Salad
Gustavo

"As I needed ingredients, I took my friends Saturday morning to the Municipal Market, which is THE gourmet market in the city. As we are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, we walked there (about 5km). It was all fun and games, until we realized, literally, the weight on our shoulders. About 10kg of it (I tend to get too enthusiastic when I see good ingredients, so I bought more than I needed, as eggs, a whole kg of pecans, wine...) and we still had 5km back, under scalding Sun (which is a rare commodity in my town - so we are not that used to it, and I got sunburnt).

I got the greens, the yogurt, the pecan nuts, the apple vinegar, the carrots, the edible flowers, the dried fruits (cranberries and strawberries) and the meat. As I live in Brazil, and we don't speak English, I translated literally "tenderloins" to the butcher. So he explained to me that I might be talking about two different parts of pigs, one leaner, and one fatter, that come from different parts of their backs. As I'm currently not concerned about the fat content (only the sugar content), I bought the tastier one (guess which)!

Anyway, Sunday afternoon, when I was getting ready for the big dinner, I realized that I ran out of cooking gas!

I panicked, tried every delivery number I could reach and no luck, for it was Sunday, but in the end, my friends volunteered to bring a canister. Too bad I had already cooked the multigrain rice on the microwave (hey, I was allowed to make some changes to the recipe!)

From that moment on, we had so much fun! We had a bottle of good wine and the recipe was a success! My friends and my boyfriend went bananas about the yogurt sauce (I highly recommend making three to four times the quantity suggested on the recipe)."

Pork and Wild Rice Salad recipe

?

1770 House Meatloaf
Amanda

?

"I feel obliged to admit that when we first saw our recipe assignment I was not particularly excited. Meatloaf? Is that even a thing anymore? But I assure you one thing - MEATLOAF IS VERY MUCH A THING. A very very delicious thing if you make it Ina Garten's way.

This isn't your standard ketchupy beef brick?of a meatloaf. No, this is a juicy, complex, crowd pleaser of a loaf. We served it on brioche with some caramelized onions, fresh spinach and a friend's homemade black pepper?mayonnaise?- it was spectacular and easily served 12 people. (It even made watching the first Romney-Obama debate?manageable.) The comments section was aflame with people insisting that on the show the Contessa used half the salt than is called for in this online recipe (1T instead of 2T) so we split the difference and went with 1.5T which was spot on. The only thing I might change next time is the sauce - it was delicious but could have used even more roasted garlic (I'm admittedly a garlic fiend) and more simmering to further thicken.?America - meatloaf is back! (but I still refuse to eat chicken pot pie)."

1770 House Meatloaf recipe

?

Chicken Stroganoff
Laura?

"I have to say, while the recipe itself didn't seem very exciting or inventive, it was delicious and very easy to make.? I followed the recipe as directed, with the exception of using regular chicken broth instead of fat-free and the omission of parsley.?I served it to my husband, my picky mother and my two year old daughter.? All were in agreement that it was delicious."

Chicken Stroganoff recipe

??

Food Network Kung Pao Chicken
Will & Amy

"Amy and I are in the Peace Corps in a village in Indonesia, so we had to make a few adjustments based on what wasn't available at the local market. For example, rice wine was out of the question since we live in the most conservative area of Muslim Java, so we substituted a mixture of apple juice and apple vinegar. We also substituted flour for cornstarch and used canola oil instead of peanut and chili oil. We had to butcher the chicken breast ourselves, removing the heart and innards?that was a first. Total cost of ingredients here was under $3. The outcome was great and the only thing we would change would be to add a little more spice. We loved it, our host family loved it and the village stray cats all showed up, too. Although in full disclosure, we consider McDonald's a luxury at this point, so take our recommendation with a grain of salt."

Food Network Kung Pao Chicken recipe

?

Honey-Glazed Pork Chops With Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Taline?

"Love pork chops and was happy to try this?recipe. Made it for dinner while my parents are visiting. It's a super easy recipe. I substituted the cajun spice with piment d'Espelette (French red chili pepper). Next time, I'll marinate the pork overnight so?the chops end up?more juicy and the flavors are more pronounced."?

Honey-Glazed Pork Chops With Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe

?

Bratwurst with Potato Cakes
Meghan?

"I thought that it was a great idea, but they maybe backed down from making it too flavorful? ?I wanted my potato cakes to be more?sauerkraut-y, but because you rinse the sauerkraut and squeeze it out it loses it's yummy flavor. ?I also thought the "sauce" could pack more punch--maybe using broth instead of water? ?I also wasn't sure whether to pour the sauce on or dip things in it? ?I give this a solid B."

Bratwurst with Potato Cakes recipe

?

Carne Asada Tacos with Carrot-Pepper Slaw
Megan

"This was close to a hit, but not quite.? I loved using steak instead of typical hamburger, the onions and carrot-pepper slaw were yummy, and the yogurt-garlic saucewas perfect (my favorite part of the recipe), but it simply didn't taste good enough to be worth the effort.? Namely, the effort to grate peppers and shred carrots was not rewarded with a slaw that was any better?than simply slicing and grilling the veggies.? Next time, I'll steal the yogurt sauce and use steak, but just make a standard fajita."

Carne Asada Tacos with Carrot-Pepper Slaw recipe

?

Broccoli Omelet with Tomato Salad
Alison

"1. I did not have a stove top to oven ready non-stick skillet (who does?!), so I warmed up the hash browns in my "stick oven ready skillet". I pressed them in a pie dish (sprayed w/ PAM-like product) to make a crust and baked the hash browns for about 15 minutes. I think I should have ?kept them in longer to brown, or better yet, to have a crispy crust.

2. After the 15 mins, I added the?broccoli?& egg mixture into the pie pan and returned it to the oven. It cooked for approximately 30 minutes.

3. Because I do as much organic as possible, I subbed the small tomatoes for grape tomatoes.

4. Taste: The quiche was good, however I thought is was a little bland. The next time I would add scallions or ?a few drops of hot sauce (or pepper flakes). The salad was delicious and complimented the quiche.
The quiche & the salad were very good! I think you could add a little crushed pepper to it too, if you wanted to have a bit of zip to it."

Broccoli Omelet with Tomato Salad recipe

?

Cornish Game Hens with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Larry

"This was certainly a challenge, but?NOT?due to any difficulty with the recipe itself. Suffice it to say that it took an entire week before I could prepare this.?Some of it was selfishness on my part,?and the rest was an equipment malfunction, along with an unavoidable?accident?by my wife the previous day.?The first snag I ran into was attempting to locate suitable "game?hens". Unfortunately, after?scouring the local supermarkets and individual?specialty meat markets in the Daytona area, which consumed all of a week, the only?game?hens I could locate were from a specific mass producer that I am boycotting,?for reasons I won't go into here.?What to do? Having spent 32 years in the U.S. Army, I decided to adapt to the circumstances and overcome,?and settled on a 4?lb. "fryer" chicken...yep...you heard right...a FRYER! No big deal, as the size was?perfect?for two people, allowing for leftovers for soup, tacos or whatever.?It was day before yesterday, when I finally found my "victim" bird. Upon returning home?with the prized specimen, my wife decided to rearrange the kitchen, whereupon, she managed to drop the main food processor on the?tile floor, shattering it?into several pieces. OK...no big deal. I still had a small one?(picture included)?that I seldom used, but should do well for the pumpkin seed pesto. I also need to explain, at this point, that a few days before, my wife returned home from the?supermarket with whole, un-hulled pumpkin seeds. Now, I believe in fiber in the diet, but this?necessitated another trip to the grocer to find hulled pumpkin seeds.?That trip consumed over an hour, as the local supermarket has nuts of all types (not including the customers) scattered in 5 different sections of the store.?I finally located them where the?sesame?seed,?Cajun?spice mix, trail mix and chocolate covered peanuts and?raisins?were displayed...on the far end of aisle 7, near thelunch meat! SILLY ME for thinking it could be found in the Nut, Baking, Snack or "Ethnic" aisle! ! The following day, I prepped all the ingredients, and had everything ready?to go. I used?the juice of 1 lemon (not a very juicy one) which yielded slightly over 2 T. juice after squeezing the hell out of?it, sliced?4?cloves of garlic (I like garlic...A LOT!), toasted the pumpkin seeds with olive oil and paprika (they were already salted), roughly chopped the parsley and green onions (I added an extra green onion...(I like onions...A LOT!), and allowed the pumpkin seeds, olive oil and paprika mixture to cool. Did I mention that I like?garlic and onions A LOT?

OK...ready to go. ..oven pre-heated to 400...juice squeezed...garlic and onions prepped (did I mention that I liked garlic and onions...A LOT?)...parsley roughly chopped...EVOO?at the ready...salt measured...pumpkin seed mixture cooled...smaller food processor set up...chicken looking poised and ready for pictures...this is going to be gooooood! After reading over the recipe again (for the fifth time), I concluded that it would be better to just include ALL the ingredients in the processor, rather than having a separate rub of just garlic, salt, EVOO and paprika;?a?decision that I will never regret! I loaded everything into smaller processor and started to pulse. OOPS!!! It seems there is a chute that comes off the top of the processor that commenced to sling all sorts of juice, partially chopped pumpkin seeds and parsley, and big chunks of green onion and garlic onto the counter and floor (did I mention that I like onions and garlic?)! Now...I was certain that at some point, I had an insert that blocked that chute off, but, alas, it was nowhere to be found. After I spent 10 minutes cleaning up, I?placed the rest of the rudimentary pumpkin seed pesto mixture into a bowl and changed gears again. Two days in a row and two food processors in the trash! When facing adversity and overwhelming odds...who do you call? NINJA, of course! I pulled out my trusty Ninja Warrior and used the immersion blender attachment to emulsify the pesto?which?resulted in?aperfect consistency! OK...so far. Feeling like the idiot who refuses to believe the "Wet Paint" sign, however, I HAD to take a finger swipe over the end of the immersion blender and taste the goodness of the pesto. My-O-My!!! It was pure heaven! Like all kids, I remembered licking the batter from the beaters and bowl when my mother would make a cake, but this was on an entirely different level. Obviously not sweet, but a savory sensation with a heavy "umami" flavor. I finished up by completely?licking?up everything from the end of the blender, the beaker...and the spoon I used to?coax?it from the beaker!?I?then sampled an entire tablespoon of the pesto, and set aside 4 more tablespoons in reserve?as a?finish after the bird came out of the oven.

I?separated?the skin from both the breast and the back and stuffed the remaining pesto into, around and over the chicken, and placed it into the preheated oven. Allowing for extra baking time, since it was a larger bird, I rotated it after about 45 minutes, and baked for a total of 1 1/2 hours?on a rack in a sheet pan. It came out perfect. In the meantime, I boiled some Yukon Gold potatoes and?Italian?green beans as anaccompaniment, and mashed the potatoes with butter and milk with a little garlic (did I mention I liked garlic...A LOT?). I used the reserved pesto to coat the chicken, and the entire meal was absolutely?Nirvana! The chicken was moist, juicy and flavorful. Even the skin, which I normally remove, was?irresistible.?

With all the trials and?tribulations, was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! Would I make it again? I plan on it! In fact, this will probably be one of my "go to" recipes. As far as the pesto goes, I?intend?on trying it with pork, pasta, seafood,?Latin American dishes,?etc. It just tastes like it would go with?almost?anything and could substitute easily for a?Chimichuri?sauce. Next time, I may try adding some?cilantro to the mix as well."

Cornish Game Hens with Pumpkin Seed Pesto recipe

?

FISH AND SEAFOOD

?

Banana Leaf Mahi Mahi with Citrus and Chiles
Laura

"I had to make some modifications based on availability of ingredients, but overall I found this a lot easier to cook than I anticipated. I never would have been inspired by this recipe on my own but ended up really liking it, so bonus. My only suggestion would be that I found the fish a little overcooked." More on Laura's blog.?

Banana Leaf Mahi Mahi with Citrus and Chiles recipe

?

Coconut Fish Sticks
Marilena?

"The recipe was easy to follow and the result was delicious. Seafood with coconut is a natural combination and the few extra steps the recipe required were very much worth it. Soaking the fish in milk was not something I considered doing before, but it made the fish tender and very moist. The combination of panko bread crumbs and coconut helped form a nice crust to the fish even without toasting the coconut flakes. The chutney, lemon, scallion dipping sauce was divine and easy to put together. The only thing I did differently was to dress the steamed broccoli with some olive oil and lemon. Over all, this was one of the tastiest fish dishes I have ever prepared."?

Coconut Fish Sticks recipe

?

?

VEGETABLES AND SIDES

?

Super Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Cameron

"I'd never made twice baked potatoes before, so this was fun and new. ?The potato skins get nice and crispy in the roasting, and the potato flesh combined with the pureed cauliflower, makes a filling thats plush and velvety, with a great buttermilk tang. ?I do taste my food as I go and ended up seasoning my filling a little more aggressively than the recipe called for. ?These are homey and comforting, perfect for a grey day. ?One of these twice baked babies and a great salad makes a satisfying and casual lunch or dinner."?

Super Stuffed Baked Potatoes recipe

?

Quick Spicy Pickled Beets
Wendy

"I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how these beets turned out. The intense vinegary smell was a little off-putting when I first uncovered them tonight.? However, they were really quite tasty, if not a little too sweet.? I?d probably cut down on the sugar next time.? Their was a pleasant amount of heat (I took most of the seeds out of the serrano) and I could actually taste the grapefruit.? I?m not going to say I?d make these again, but I?m looking forward to finding ways to use up this batch.? The recipe note says they?d be good on burgers and such, which I don?t doubt, but I think they stand alone very well.? They?d be a great addition to a salad, cheese plate, or a nice foil for a rich holiday spread.? Alas, I?ll probably just end up snacking on them by themselves, straight out of the fridge.? They?ll be good for that too."

More at Wendy's blog.

Quick Spicy Pickled Beets recipe

?

Herbed Spaetzle
Andrew

"The good part is that it's made with ingredients we already have at home. It takes time, though, and there are many steps. After making the batter, you're instructed to press it through a colander into simmering water. Lots of work, so I reached for the food which was easier. The little dumplings float to the top, then you plunge them into ice water, then drain them. THEN you fry them. Served with roast chicken and veg, the spaetzle were tasty and reminded us both of matzo falafel, which is essentially broken matzo pieces sold at Passover and served in soup."

Herbed Spaetzle recipe

?

Pickled Red Onions
Rich

"WOW. ?These are little bursts of sweet tart and crunchy! ?Very quick and easy to make."

Pickled Red Onions recipe?

?

Sweet and Sour Cabbage
Anna?

?

"[This dish] was well worth the effort because it is a great side. I made chicken roast to go with it with some stock I had frozen before, garlic and onions.?The side dish seemed pretty easy and to my amazement it was indeed super easy. I got the ingredients from the farmer's market and also used my homegrown parsley which gave it a very nice touch. I wanted to try some alternative versions of it because it is perfect for playing around but due to my time issues at the moment I was happy with my sweet and sour cabbage the 'traditional' way. I took the leftovers to work and even my colleagues liked it."

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Recipe

?

Cilantro Rice with Sweet Plantains?
Joy?

"Sweet fried plantains, direct from the grocers? freezer, add an easy and tasty Latino accent to cilantro flecked and flavored fluffy rice.??Directions were clear and results were enjoyed.??Bottom line: would make it again, but note to add more chopped cilantro in the final mix.

Also, who knew sweet fried plantains were available at the grocery store? (Ok, easy - I live near a Fairway.)??I thought for sure I had the other ingredients on hand, especially the rice.??After all my well stocked pantry has basmati, long grain white, Arborio, brown, converted and even sticky sushi rice.??However, I had to Google ?medium-grain? to find out it is common to paella. Thank you Goya.??Oh, boy-a, I now own a lifetime supply."

Cilantro Rice with Sweet Plantains recipe

?

Two Potato Home Fries
Sarah

?

"This a perfectly fine home fries recipe. The use of garlic, ginger, and curry powder are a nice departure from the more typical home fry seasonings, plus the mixture of potatoes makes for a visually pretty plate. (I hadn't used sweet potatoes in a breakfast dish before but I definitely will in the future) I served these home fries with a fried egg on top and toast on the side. It wasn't life altering but it was quite tasty.?Small tweaks I would recommend when making this dish- Boil the potatoes for less time, they got a little too mushy in the pan. Mince the garlic and ginger instead of grating it, both got clumped up in the pan. Oh and I didn't have any cilantro on hand so I skipped it and I don't think it made much of difference."?

Two Potato Home Fries recipe

?

Roasted Beets with Lemon
Marlene?

"I made the Roasted Beets with?Lemon recipe from Foodnetwork mag.? I purchased two pounds of golded beets with greens attached.? This made barely enough for two people as a side dish.? I loved the recipe.? My husband's comment was, "It sure looks pretty but still tastes like beets."

Roasted Beets with Lemon recipe

?

Roasted?Squash?&?Tomatoes
Dave & Brian

"When we were assigned "Roasted?Squash?&?Tomatoes," we thought "ugh, kinda boring," ?but we decided to triple the recipe and make it as part of our ?(Canadian) Thanksgiving feast. ?Turns out this recipe is a keeper: simple, quick to prepare, and exceptionally yummy. ?We forgot the cheese in the heat of the carving-the-turkey-seating-sixteen-people-finishing-all-the-side-dishes preparation, and it was still a gorgeous mix of sweet, acidic and savoury. ?Makes great leftovers, too."

Roasted?Squash?&?Tomatoes recipe

?

Corn Fried Rice
Laura?

"The corn fried rice was as advertised: an easy weeknight side dish made even easier if you have leftover rice. The flavor, built with quick fried garlic, scallions, and corn, is pleasing and distinctive, but not so strong that it will overwhelm the main component of your dinner. The rice would be a fine companion to grilled or stir-fried shrimp or chicken."

Corn Fried Rice recipe

?

No-cook Beet-Orange Salad
Niki

"Luckily, I?m a fan of beets, so this salad was right up my alley.? The original calls for chioga or golden beets, but I was only able to find golden and red when I went to the store the other day.? The only downside to this is that red beets stain EVERYTHING, so it?s best to add them at the very end to avoid turning your whole salad pink.? I also used toasted pumpkin seeds in place of the Marcona almonds because we?re a mostly tree-nut-free household.?Having a mandolin is certainly beneficial here, but it?s by no means a requirement.? You want to slice your beets paper thin, so if you use a knife make sure it?s super sharp."

More at Niki's blog.

No-Cook Beet-Orange Salad recipe

?

Antipasto?Chef's?Salad
Erin?

"I made the Food Network's Antipasto?Chef's?Salad?with a few tweaks based on what I had (mixed greens instead of kale, sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes). ?It's a good lunch or light dinner with plenty of protein. However, the flavors are completely dominated by salt and vinegar due to the combination of?giardiniera, olives, and salami."

Antipasto?Chef's?Salad recipe

?

Bell Pepper Salad
Heather

"This was a simple, fast side dish to make, and it's one that I would normally skim past in the magazine. ?The lemon juice added a great deal of brightness to the?peppers, and lightly toasting the caraway seeds at the beginning really brought out their flavor. ?I enjoyed it and will definitely be making it again!?Also...My tip: ?when slicing the?peppers, cut the top off, take out the?pepper's insides, then tap the?pepper?upside-(cut-surface)-down on a hard surface to easily get the rest of the seeds out."

Bell Pepper Salad recipe

?

?

Portobello Gratin
Annie

"You can't go too far wrong with mushrooms and cheese (barring mushroom aversion or lactose intolerance), so this?Portobello?Gratin?is unsurprisingly a pretty tasty dish. ?Simple, too, as it doesn't contain much other than mushrooms and cheese. ?Pretty? ?Not so much - not that the iPhone photo helped matters there. ?It came together easily, though the mushrooms released so much water while baking that the whole thing was pretty gray and soupy looking when I removed the foil. ?The cheese did brown a tiny bit in the final eight minutes of uncovered baking, but removing the foil earlier, and maybe skipping the water, would probably yield better browning. ?Double the garlic if you want to notice its flavor and enjoy."?

Portobello Gratin recipe

?

Spicy Pumpkin and Collards
Megan?

"I have to say I was skeptical about this recipe in so many ways, but?it was absolutely delicious. I had to substitute a habanero pepper?because I couldn't find any scotch bonnets. The?pumpkin?brings the?spice level to just the right heat. I think the filling would also be?great for a year round dish ?- just prepare the filling and dial back?the hot pepper and bake it for 15 minutes with the bread crumb and?parmesan topping. The only negative I would say was finding all the?ingredients, I had to find the sugar?pumpkins?and the frozen?collard?greens?at different stores than my normal store"

Spicy Pumpkin and Collards recipe

DESSERTS

Candy Bucket Cake
Luke & Carolyn

"If you need to feed 30 and like to stack?cakes, this is the recipe for you! If you have multiple obscure Bundt pans, yet can only make a?cake?from a box, this is definitely the recipe for you! Those without easy access to premade orange fondant need not apply."

Read more at Luke and Carolyn's blog.?

Candy Bucket Cake recipe

?

Apple Pumpkin Brown Betty
Natasha?

"Everyone enjoyed this dish quite a bit. The pumpkin flavor was a bit more muted than I wanted, but that will vary pumpkin to pumpkin. It made a LOT; four servings that night, three leftover servings, and maybe a cup of leftover pumpkin puree (almost uncontaminated). This was using a 3.5 lb pumpkin. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this dish shouldn't be made by the injury-prone."

Read more at Natasha's blog.

Apple Pumpkin Brown Betty recipe

?

Haunted Forest Cupcakes
Sarah

"Although baking doesn't intimidate me, decorating does.? I had anticipated some frustration with making the chocolate tree, but it turned out to be so easy.? I printed out a tree silhouette image and used it to trace out the tree on the wax paper with the chocolate.? Melting the white chocolate in the microwave was the only part that didn't work for me - the chocolate started to seize up so I transferred it to a double boiler and melted it that way instead.? Other than that, this was an easy and fun decoration for a Halloween cupcake!" ?

Haunted Forest Cupcakes directions are available here

Wicked Witch Cupcakes
Lea?

"Unless you are a wiz with cake decorating, don't expect your homemade version to turn out nearly as cute as the one in the [magazine] photo. There was no way I was making fondant because I'm lazy (and live in a small town where I could not buy it) so I improvised by molding orange Starburst and black licorice. But without perfect-looking witch shoes, it's kinda hard to tell what I was going for. I think my version looks like a 3rd-grade art project!...I would not make these again...particularly because I'm not that into baking. But cute idea for those of you who are more perfectionist than I am!"

Wicked Witch Cupcakes

?

Silver Frosting
Jamie

"This was a very basic frosting recipe, gussied up only by?food?coloring?and?a sparkly silver finish. Because I am too frugal to pay $10 a pound for sugar, I went with the silver sprinkles in the baking aisle at my supermarket. My children are obviously not vampires, since they were attracted rather than repelled."

Silver Frosting recipe not available online

?

Orange Caramel Icebox Cake
Jill?

"Cookies in whipped cream! ?Orange caramel whipped cream! ?It was okay, for the amount of work we went to with the oranges...zesting, juicing, caramelizing...there wasn't that much orange flavor OR caramel flavor."

Read more at Jill's blog. ?

Orange Caramel Icebox Cake recipe

?

Salted Caramel Brownies
Leslie ?

"They turned out very well.? Gooey and chocolatey.? Every one at work loved them.?I made homemade caramel sauce, using Ina's recipe.?The salt dissolved when it hit the hot caramel sauce, so my 10 dollar box of Malden sea salt was not really necessary.?The recipe calls for a 9 x 12 inch pan.? I think this is a typo.? You can't get a? 9 x 12 at?fantes.com, so it probably doesn't exist."

Salted Caramel Brownies recipe

?

Baked Pumpkin Rice Pudding
Tammy

"It is a very easy recipe to follow. I selected a pumpkin from my father's farmette (6 acreas of garden) along with a bit of a shop at the local grocery shop I was on my way to make a delicious dessert. It is great warmed up service with some homemade vanilla ice cream."

Baked Pumpkin Rice Pudding recipe

?

Chocolate?and?Olive?Oil?Fig?Cakes?
Rachel

"The?fig?cakes were delicious! The cakes were extremely moist and not ove

Source: http://www.thebittenword.com/thebittenword/2012/10/food-network-cover-to-cover.html

ryan braun bryce harper may day dan savage new world trade center kellen moore octomom