Food Basics

Scots and New Zealanders join in Aid for Katrina Relief

Blog City, a blog host based in Scotland with members worldwide, has added a new function to its welcome page at http://www.blog-city.com/bc/  it is a link to donate for Katrina relief.

To ensure the donation goes straight to a well-known American charity where its members would be comfortable sending a donation, Blog City’s link goes  to the Salvation Army.

The well-known blogger NZBear, has launched Blog for Relief Day – a day of blogging focused on raising awareness of and funds for relief efforts to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina. See here for more information.  Bloggers from anywhere can join in the effort!

Meanwhile here at home in the US, Strengthen The Good is launching "Matching The Good," where bloggers act as their own matching fund for victims of the disaster.

The program: Bloggers, rather than just making a donation to their charity of choice, challenge their readers to match the level of the donation by Midnight of next Monday (that allows five days for donations). Info here.

Update: The God Blog has a prayer option for the kind of help money can't provide

Technorati Tags: flood aid, Hurricane Katrina

US Baker's Guild Wins World Cup

PARIS -- The United States' bread-baking skills were crowned superior to those of France and the rest of the world the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, the World Cup of Baking, held in Paris, France.

The 2005 U.S. Bread Bakers Guild team was coached by Didier Rosada and included Jeffrey Yankellow, both of the San Francisco Baking Institute. They beat 11 other countries' teams to win the competition, the Bread Bakers Guild of America reported today.
more here

Miracle Whip news

We have been busy, busy, busy, doing other things. I'd hoped to be able to introduce a new author here, my recently-relocated brother, Chef Paul, and that still may come to pass. In the meantime, here's something to mull over:

Miracle Whip has changed its formula. We'll be looking for replacements, as the new version is too light, and vinegary. The #1 ingredient on the label is now water, so if you've been thinking it's your tastebuds at fault, that's not the thing!

A friend used to make her own MW by adding about 1/3 cup of sugar to a cup of Kraft Mayonnaise (it won't work with Hellmans/Best Foods) and setting it in the fridge overnight. We'll be trying that soon!

The Bloggers Should Be TIME's People of the Year

I concur -- no other group has done so much to start opening up our institutions to the will of the people, no other group has so much potential to bring positive change!

From Steve Rubel:

The Person of the Year is defined as follows:

"Person of the Year is an annual issue of TIME magazine that features a profile on the man, woman, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that "for better or worse, has most influenced events in the preceding year"

For 2004, I cannot think of a single person or persons that had a greater influence on society than the bloggers. Let's remind them by making our voice heard. If you think about American politics, media, business - no one, no one had a greater influence for better or worse than the bloggers. Not Osama Bin Laden. Not Sadaam Hussein. Not John Kerry. No one. The bloggers absolutely deserve to be this year's People of the Year.

Check Steve's site for info on how you can speak your mind on this!

My #1 Most Popular Post

You never know what your readership is going to like. That's why I tell new bloggers to try a variety of things, so they can get a feel for what works and what doesn't.

I've been keeping an eye on this -- best I can, that is, given Type Pad's limited tracking -- but it looks like the all-time favorite here is the entry on mayonnaise and Miracle Whip.

Go figure!?!

This one even has page rank on Google! right behind Kraft Foods and Cooks.com

HALLOWEEN!

COOL HALLOWEEN LINKS

Halloween Online Magazine - www.HalloweenOnlineMagazine.com
... This "Official" Halloween Magazine contains a crypt full of great Halloween how-to articles, costume ideas, crafts, tricks, tips and much more.

Pumpkin Carving 101 - www.Pumpkin-Carving.com
... A great source for pumpkin carving instructions and tips. Whether you're are beginner or expert Jack O' Lantern carver, you'll find something here.

The Yard Haunter - www.YardHaunter.com
... This site is completely dedicated to haunting your front yard for Halloween. Everything from building a realistic graveyard to adding spooky sound effects.

Fearful Films - www.FearfulFilms.com
... Whether its Halloween night or your just in the mood to watch something scary, let this site recommend something from our spooky movie reviews.

The Halloween Card Shop - www.Halloween-Cards.com
... Send your friends and family a unique ecard for Halloween.

The Pumpkin Patch - www.Pumpkin-Patch.com
... Want to know all about pumpkins? This is the place. Find listings for local pumpkin patches as well.

Halloween News - www.Halloween-News.com
... Trade, business, entertainment and industry news relating to Halloween. All kinds of information.

A bona fide blogging first!

I'm probably ruffling some feathers here and there with my citizen's media project at one of my blogs. Setting the subject matter aside, what's important here is the way I'm doing it. The idea could probably be put to use by any non-profit or activist group, which is why I bring it up.