“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
― Martin Luther
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Posted in Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, hope, peace, Thoughts, world | Leave a Comment »
I like taxes. I know that may be an unpopular opinion but I like a lot of what they support, such as schools and roads and clean water and fire trucks and social security and air pollution controls and building codes and protection from creatures that howl in the night. (Civilization, you get what you pay for.)
I don’t like doing taxes. I’d be a lot happier about the whole transaction if I didn’t have to pay twice, once in money and once in time.
I’m a less usual case because I pay in two countries, but most people have fairly straightforward taxes. There’s no reason to make those folks jump through all these hoops—the government already knows what most of us are paid.
Many countries use return-free filing. Under that system, most taxpayers get a quick “thanks, you’re good” and that’s it, done. (Changing the US system would take a lot more work than just waving a magic wand, of course, but doesn’t no return sound nice?) I predict we’ll see a lot of articles about this very topic come mid-April.
What would you do with the time you’d save if you didn’t have to fight through filing paperwork or work more to earn enough to pay someone else to do it?
Whatever you want, that’s what.
Aaand now it’s time to get back to it.
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
I have three bags of chocolate, white, milk and dark, 5.5 pounds each. (Thanks, Costco!)
Time to perfect multiple variations of that tofu chocolate pudding recipe, don’t you think?
See you on the other side!*
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* Yes, I’ve been working on my taxes. No, they are not done. Yes, chocolate will help. Obviously!
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Posted in Food and... | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, inspiration, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
“If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.”
― John Green
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
Today’s motto: Don’t think about it, just do it.*
Simple. Right.
Thinking about things takes up a considerable amount of energy. Energy that could be better spent on more interesting projects. It’s also not nearly as productive as I like to imagine.
Today’s example: Do I want to do my taxes? I do not, but needs must.
Are there other, far more interesting projects I could work on? Hmm, let’s see. Yes.
Would I rather put taxes into the “think about it some more a.k.a. put it off until later” column? Of course!
Like many of you** I’ve been avoiding my taxes for weeks. It’s time for a strongly-worded memo (I suppose this qualifies) and a spot of bribery.
Project: Taxes. So fun.
Reward: Time in the workshop, the library, or the kitchen. Did I mention I just received an order of good chocolate?
/rubs hands with glee
/eyes tax forms
/eh. worth it!
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* I really wish Nike hadn’t turned that saying into an inextricably-associated-with-marketing phrase.
** I’m guessing, of course, but I like my odds.
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, JPL, Mars, MarsPeserverance, NASA, science, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
Today’s date is 2.22.22. It’s a palindrome, which reads the same forwards and backwards, and for an extra level of cool it’s also a Tuesday.
Happy Twosday! Why numbers like 2/22/22 have been too fascinating for over 2,000 years
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Posted in Holidays | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, #justplaincool, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
“Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.
Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.”
― William Faulkner
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
It’s easy to form an opinion and stick with it. It’s arguably one of the things humans are best at. This process allows us to categorize our experiences in ways that help us move through a complex world.
We all make judgements, snap and otherwise, about topics as varied as food, ideas, books, events and people. We’re also often wrong. A lot.
Perception Is Not Reality | Psychology Today
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Let’s take white chocolate as an example.
“It’s gross. It tastes like fat, and not the good kind.* It’s not even real chocolate.”
I have said all of this and more. Here’s the thing.
Sometimes white chocolate is gross. Sometimes it does taste like paste. And sometimes it bears little resemblance to what we think of as chocolate.
But sometimes, just sometimes folks, white chocolate can both surprise and delight the senses.
Once I started paying attention, I realized that my preconceptions had blinded me to something good.
Caramelized white chocolate does take more time but the flavor was a mini revelation. And now as a result I have a new ingredient in my arsenal and a new version of my tofu pudding recipe. It’s still not quite perfect but I’ll keep at it until it’s right. For me, this one’s pretty close.
Just one of the many benefits of keeping an open mind.
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Caramelized White Chocolate Tofu Pudding
(a.k.a. No Preconceptions Pudding)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 349g / 12 oz. silken tofu, firm
- 200g / 7oz good white chocolate, caramelized
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat sugar and water over medium heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.
- Blend all ingredients together until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Chill for at least 30 minutes, although longer gives a denser texture. Serve straight, or with Biscoff cookies crumbled on top.
Notes: I had leftover simple syrup so I used 1/4 cup of that, plus another 1/4 cup of juice from the fruit of Mr. Man’s orange tree. (He has a potted orange tree that produces bonbon-sized fruits with very sour yet flavorful juice. If you’re using regular orange juice tweak the sugar ratio accordingly.)
This version has a bit more chocolate than the previous pudding recipe which does a good job of hiding overwhelming disguising neutralizing that distinctive tofu flavor.
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* I’m looking at you, bacon.
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Posted in Food and... | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, dessert, Thoughts | 2 Comments »
Note to self: Do not bake sweet potato fries, then put the half-sheet pan on top of Mr Man’s high-powered toaster oven and forget about it.
Today’s fun fact: “When oils or fats are heated in cast iron at a high enough temperature, they change from a wet liquid into a slick, hardened surface through a process called polymerization. This reaction creates a layer of seasoning that is molecularly bonded” to the pan.
Good for seasoning cast iron, bad for baking pans and the person who has to chisel scrape scrub off that bonded oil.
Go ahead, ask me how I know.
The fries were really good though.
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Posted in Food and... | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, #notestoself, cooking, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
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