Month: July 2007

Categories
Random

The essential well-stocked kitchen supply list

I’ve been cooking for myself for a while now, but I still remember the feeling I had the first time I was able to make chocolate chip cookies without making a special trip to the store. I felt like a competent chef and housekeeper—I had flour, sugar and eggs on hand all at the same time, without even planning it! Of course I always had chocolate chips; duh.

I wanted to feel like a competent homemaker as often as possible. So once we were settled in our house, I compiled a list of the best things to always have on hand. Warning: it’s very long.

  • Baking powder (non aluminum)
  • Baking soda
  • Cocoa
  • Vinegars (rice, red, cider)
  • Flour
  • Cornmeal
  • Molasses (unsulfured)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Shortening
  • Sugar (white & brown)
  • Vegetable oil
  • Peppercorns for grinder
  • Ground nutmeg (or nutmeg nuts)
  • Garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
  • Rosemary
  • Bay leaves
  • Basil
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Ginger
  • Cloves
  • Curry powder
  • Sea salt
  • Pasta (lasagna, macaroni, spaghetti, linguine/fettucine)
  • Pasta sauces (spaghetti, alfredo)
  • Chicken broth
  • Beef broth
  • Chocolate chips!
  • Dessert mixes (cake/brownie)
  • Jiffy mixes (muffins & pizzas)
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Whole stewed tomatoes
  • Tomato paste
  • Pineapple
  • Applesauce (especially for Hayden!)
  • Black beans
  • Chili beans (though I usually just use black beans now)
  • Pickles (dill, sweet relish/cubes)
  • Evaporated milk
  • Enchilada sauce
  • Potatoes
  • Onions
  • Cereals
  • Bread (with one in the freezer)
  • Bisquick
  • Whole oats
  • Tortillas
  • Salsa
  • Soy sauce
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard (yellow, dijon)
  • Honey
  • Peanut butter
  • Macaroni & cheese
  • Syrup
  • Jams
  • Ranch dressing
  • Italian dressing
  • Mayonnaise
  • Lemon juice
  • Milk
  • Butter (unsalted)
  • Eggs
  • Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, ricotta, American, Parmesan)
  • Lunchmeats
  • Veggies (lettuce, carrots, green onion, peppers)
  • Yogurt
  • Yeast
  • Chicken
  • Beef (ground, steak)
  • Bacon
  • Frozen veggies (broccoli, mixed, peas)
  • Frozen juices
  • Tuna
  • Corn
  • Green beans
  • Cream of chicken soup
  • Canned fruits (pears, peaches or salad)
  • Rice

Obviously, this list is suited to our tastes and our household. It’s designed to create a “home grocery store” (and/or a year’s supply) so that I can create most of our family’s favorite recipes at a moment’s notice (or, for slow cooker meals, several hours’ notice…)

What’s essential in your house?

Categories
MetaBlogging

5 Steps to Getting Started with FeedBurner

Table of contents for Blogging Add-ons

FeedBurner is an excellent blogging add-on service that makes your feeds more accessible to readers and easier to subscribe to. Plus, you can move your feed easily when you move to a different blog address without losing any subscribers. And (possibly my favorite part) you can see how many people subscribe to your blog (although the number isn’t exact). Or maybe this is my favorite part: it’s free.

ugly xmlHow many times have you clicked on a subscribe button and gotten something like this at right?

You don’t want to do that to your latest potential subscriber, do you? FeedBurner gives you a pretty subscribe page with tons of options:
pretty feedburner options

And it’s really easy to do. Just go to the FeedBurner homepage:

step 1
and type in your blog’s URL in the box (step 1).

step 2
It finds your feed (if you have more than one, you get to choose which one to use, and in my opinion it doesn’t really make a difference which one you choose) and moves you along the sign up process (step 2).

step 3
I recommend changing the name of your feed from (the second box, next to the red arrow above) to something more descriptive than /feedburner. (And the /caWa, as far as I know, isn’t necessary unless there’s another blog that’s already taken your desired feed name). Enter your information to create your account (steps 3 & 4).

step 4
The default settings already activated are very useful. The second step here, “Enhance Your Stats,” offers you options to gather even more information about your subscribers.

step 5
Additional options include tracking clickthroughs, to see which items your subscribers are clicking on. Generally, I recommend against using this, but the reason may not apply to you: using this service changes the actual link in feed readers (from, say, http://www.mamablogga.com/post-title-here/ to http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/mamablogga/29057901384769018346/).

If you think people might link to your post using the URL from your feed (which happens a lot in professional blogs and link round ups, but not as much in the personal blogging arena), don’t allow clickthrough tracking. Otherwise, if you’re interested, you may check that box. If you’re podcasting, check the second box. The grey shaded box may function the same way the clickthrough tracking did; I haven’t tried that one myself yet (step 5).

Getting People to Subscribe to Your FeedBurner Feed
Now, even though you’ve “burned” your feed, you’ll need to make some changes on your blog to indicate that your subscribers shouldn’t use your default feed (which still exists on your blog and is the source for your FeedBurner feed).

Blogger
After Google’s recent acquisition of FeedBurner, Blogger has more fully integrated with FeedBurner.
blogger
Go to Settings>Site Feed. In the Post Feed Redirect URL box, type the address of your newly burned FeedBurner feed (http://feeds.feedburner.com/WhateverYouNamedIt). Save your settings.

self-hosted WordPress
Use FeedBurner’s own FeedSmith FeedBurner Replacement Plugin, which directs your subscribers to your FeedBurner Feed automatically (again, you’ll have to enter your FeedBurner address). Once your plugin is installed and activated, you enter the address under the Options>FeedBurner FeedSmith tab.

TypePad
Go to Configure>Feeds. Find the FeedBurner section and click on the button to connect your feed with your FeedBurner feed. You’ll have to enter your FeedBurner login information, then you’ll be given the options to choose which of your FeedBurner feeds you want to associate with your blog. Save the changes (twice).

All platforms
No matter what blogging program you’re using, you’ll want to prominently promote your feed and encourage your readers to subscribe. FeedBurner’s own Chicklet Chooser (found under the Publicize tab) is one way to get subscription graphics in your design. I’ve also downloaded RSS Subscription graphics, opened them in photo editors and tweaked the colors until they matched my blogs.

Don’t forget to link to your FeedBurner address so when your readers click the picture, they’ll be taken to the right place!

Also: it’s always a good idea to offer an email feed for your readers who don’t use RSS or feed readers. FeedBurner offers an email feed option (also under the Publicize tab). I recommend offering a link to subscribe by email right next to the subscribe by RSS button.

FeedFlare?
feedflare 1You can customize the way your feeds appear in feed readers with FeedBurner’s FeedFlares, found under the Optimize tag. You can add links to the bottom of your posts to add the story to social sites (like StumbleUpon or Digg), add a copyright notice, add a comment count, and lots more.

Additionally, you can add these to the bottom of posts on your site by checking the box in the ‘site’ column. Your on-site flares and your in-feed flares can be different.

Scroll down to customize the order your FeedFlares appear in by dragging and dropping them within the In Feed and On Site boxes (the first arrow below). Be sure to use the pull-down menu below the On Site box to get the code and instructions for adding the flare to your site (the second arrow below). Don’t forget to activate the service!
feedflare 2

Checking Your FeedBurner Stats
I check my FeedBurner stats at least once a day (I’m a data addict). I actually have a whole bookmarks folder of different stats and site measures that I use the “Open All in Tabs” option with at least once a day. The FeedBurner dashboard is one of those tabs, so I can see at a glance how many subscribers I have that day.

Check back next week to learn how to master FeedBurner!

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Categories
Contests

July GWP Day One

We’re off to a bit of a slow start for the July Group Writing Project as far as number of entries, but the caliber of entries is way up there! All of our wonderful entries today detail the complicated relationship they’ve had with their mothers at some point—and all of them found something to value from that relationship. Today’s entries:

Read and comment—these thoughtful entries deserve it! And don’t forget to submit your entries to the Group Writing Project on the theme of “Thanks, Mom.”

This is a rather random thing that I actually think about quite a bit, especially now that I’m a mother myself.

Thanks for making us eat our vegetables, Mom. No, really. We’ve all grown up to be pretty good about eating our veggies. Granted, I don’t know if we’d eat Brussels sprouts or eggplant, but my sisters and I have developed a love for cucumbers, green beans and broccoli.

Part of the reason I appreciate this so much is I now appreciate how tough it can be to get your kids to eat vegetables. Hayden actually eats almost anything with enough persuasion—the hard part is working them into your family’s diet. So I really admire my mom for always making sure we didn’t just have meat and potatoes (or spaghetti or any other meat/starch combination) on the table.

Thanks, Mom.

Don’t forget to submit your entry and spread the word!

Categories
Contests

July MamaBlogga Group Writing Project

This writing project has ended. Please view the full list of wonderful entries at the July GWP Finale, and subscribe to MamaBlogga to find out about the next group writing project!

After May’s Group Writing Project and June’s Group Writing Project were such a success, I’m excited to do it again. So, as promised, this week is the July MamaBlogga Group Writing Project!

The theme for the June Group Writing Project is “Thanks, Mom.” We’re writing about things that we’re grateful for that our mothers did for us. I’m hoping that these entries will be encouraging to one another as mothers as we struggle with doing things for our children that they just don’t seem grateful for, but feel free to go in any direction that appeals to you.

Even if you don’t choose to participate, please encourage others to participate—even non-mom bloggers can write on this topic! I’d love to get as many entries as possible because there are a lot of moms out there who deserve (and need!) to hear this gratitude.

  • Your post can take any form as long as it reflects this theme—this includes anything from serious to sarcastic, addressed to your mother, a mother figure, your mother-in-law, etc.
  • You can participate with a blog post, a podcast, a video, a page on your website, etc., etc. If you don’t have a website, contact me and I’ll be happy to publish your entry here on MamaBlogga.
  • Only NEW posts (i.e., posts have not been published prior to 23 July 2007) are eligible. Posts must be submitted through the submission form before Saturday, 28 July 2007.

Why participate?
There are lots of reasons to participate! All entries that meet the guidelines will be listed and linked to here on MamaBlogga. This an opportunity for you to discover new blogs (and for others to discover yours!). Last week, I came up with five ways to get the most out of the GWP.

And, of course, there is one more incentive: one lucky post author, drawn at random, will receive a $30 gift certificate to Amazon.com (to be announced Monday, 30 July 2007).

Finally, we’d appreciate it if you linked to this post or to the guidelines/submission form on your entry post so that others can learn about the project and participate.

Now get writing!

Categories
Random

Web surfin’ meme

Be prepared to be amazed, disgusted and confused. MommyZabs tagged me for a meme about what sites I frequent on the Internet. (Okay, you probably won’t be disgusted, other than by the amount of time I must spend on the Internet.)

What websites do you check out almost everyday?

  • The usual housekeeping: Gmail, Google Reader, usually Facebook. Oh, and Google.
  • Blog stats: Google Analytics, HitTail, FeedBurner, Google Webmaster Central, MyBlogLog stats, Technorati stats
  • Work: Marketing Pilgrim (aka “work”), Search Engine Land, Search Engine Guide, Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Watch, SE Roundtable, ProBlogger, ChrisG, Google Blogoscoped, Daily Blog Tips, SEOmoz, and probably 20 more, but I’m sure you’re getting bored now.
  • “Personal”: Get Rich Slowly, Parent Hacks, MommyZabs, scribbit, Miscellaneous Adventures of an Australian Mum, eMoms at Home (though this might count as work), Homestar Runner (usually when Hayden’s tired of me being on the computer, and I hold him and show it to him).

What websites do you check out (at least) weekly? These may be ones that I subscribe to, but I’m pretty sure I click through to less than 5x/week.

  • Work: SEO Book, Successful Blog, Lorelle on WordPress.
  • “Personal”: Like a clear blue sky, Rocks in my Dryer, ~ The Art of Life ~, Leezy Lindsey, Knitting Daily.

What websites do you check out (at least) monthly?

  • Work: Business Week (usually).
  • “Personal”: The Year of Living Gramatically (SPOGG), Knitty, Mormanity, MySpace to see if any of my high school friends have resurfaced.

What blog do you consider essential reading?
It’s a toss up. Either Marketing Pilgrim or MamaBlogga.

NO! I’m kidding. Of course. If I couldn’t read any other blog, I’d read…. ….. I’d lose my job, actually. Y’know, I have more than 150 subscriptions (which publish up to 24 stories a day!), and though many of them are solely for work, I’m hard pressed to choose among them.

I choose you, Pikachu!
Now I’m supposed to tag three (preferably five) people.

Here’s the honest to goodness truth: I hate tagging people. I hate to choose among my friends. So tag amongst yourself. Er, volunteer to be tagged in the comments!

Categories
Fulfillment Faith

Motherhood continues to surprise me with its fulfillment

Today’s post is from a friend of mine. She posted it on Facebook this week and with her permission, I’m reposting it here today.

For some strange reason I don’t seem to get this thought ingrained in my brain. Or maybe it’s just stronger every time I realize it. I don’t know for sure, but I do know that motherhood continues to surprise me with its fulfillment.

Never in my life (which has been somewhat short but very full) has anything been as fulfilling as motherhood. I don’t know why that keeps surprising me. I’ve grown up knowing that this would be the best thing I could do with my life. And yet, the ins and outs of it surprise me daily. Never have I been so challenged, learned so much, or been so happy as I am as a mother.

I’m not sure I would have believed someone telling me that my heart would practically burst with happiness when my son sings songs with me or when I hear his guttural laugh as I poke his little tummy. How does something so simple give me so much joy??

Why do some people bag on parenthood so much? Do they know what they’re missing? Or have I somehow tapped into something rare??

I don’t know, but whatever it is I love it! 🙂 God sure did know what He was doing when He made His plan for us. I suppose that goes without saying.

What do you think? Is her fulfillment in motherhood rare?

Speaking for myself, I know there are many days when I don’t really feel fulfilled as a mother. And honestly, I think much of the time it’s because I get bogged down in the minutiae and the work. The two examples my friend gives here, both of enjoying time with her son, are examples of the type of times when I feel most fulfilled—when I take a step back and just let myself enjoy the moment, without stressing about the vacuuming or the blogging.

I can also see clear ways that I can improve in this area (by worrying less about those other areas!). What do you think we can do to help ourselves feel fulfilled and enjoy time with our children more?