June 2011

Drupal 7 Upgrade

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Thursday, 2nd June 2011 - 9:37
Drupal 7
Complete! Now just waiting for the two sites to be swapped. I still have to move over my development site blurbs as well as my recipees. OMG, I really love Drupal 7. The interface leaves me feeling like I'm driving around in one of the super cars described on TopGear (yes, I watch a lot of TopGear)...

5AM Wake Up

Submitted by Amma
on Saturday, 4th June 2011 - 6:07
5AM
Feeding

Baby wakes and he doesn't know what time it is. The first thing I think is, let my husband deal with it this time - its the weekend. Not only that, I did the very un-smart thing of staying up later than my bedtime. In fact, I had been researching reusable feminine napkins on the internet until 2AM. Go figure that the little one wakes up at 5AM. Drifting back and forth to sleep and awake I register that he's not quite yet managed to figure out what different cries mean.

Brownies

Submitted by The Cook
on Sunday, 5th June 2011 - 19:13
These succulent brownies (pecans & chocolate chips optional) are easy to make and go fast! The only thing to keep in mind is to keep bake times low to keep them from drying out.

The Cookbook

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Sunday, 5th June 2011 - 20:41
Body: 

Cinnamon & Star Anise

 

The Cook's Blog

Puddings & Pies

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Sunday, 5th June 2011 - 20:45

Savory

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Sunday, 5th June 2011 - 21:02

Chocolate Zuccini Cake

Submitted by The Cook
on Sunday, 5th June 2011 - 21:16
This recipe came to my attention (and then to my taste buds) courtesy of Sharilyn Clowes who currently resides with her Iron-working hubby, Brian, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The couple were passing through Brittany on a cycling trip that would take them all the way from the UK (with a side-trip to Ireland) then to Egypt. Steph's family had a surplus of courgettes and Sharilyn promptly offered to make what proved to be a soft and decadent chocolate cake that his family continue to remember for years to come.

Cranberry & Orange Pudding

Submitted by The Cook
on Sunday, 5th June 2011 - 21:47
This recipe is courtesy of my sister Samanthi who 'borrowed' it from Nigella. I was introduced to this pudding when my little sister promptly made a multiple course dinner for the family, Christmas 2008. Sadly, I haven't made it and I can't quite remember how well I liked it - only that I liked it enough to copy the recipe down.

Far noir au four (Black Far from the oven)

Submitted by The Cook
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 13:32
This Breton recipe is from Mamie Kersava and originates from Steph's home in Northern Finistére, France (Brittany). This is the traditionally served up 'Far Noir' made with Buckwheat flour instead of the normal flour you find in 'Far'. The other interesting thing about this cake is that it is initially cooked on the stove prior to baking.

Gingerbread Men (Soft)

Submitted by The Cook
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 13:52
These are soft gingerbreads, as Michelle is not a fan of the hard ones. Omitted the allspice and cloves, but added a pinch more of the other spices, a wee bit of nutmeg is nice too. Recipe courtesy of Michelle Pandith.

Kiri Toffee (Milk Toffee)

Submitted by The Cook
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 13:57
A traditional Sri Lankan treat - Milk Toffee usually vanishes in half the time it takes to make it. It's amazing with raisins and cashews. I have also tried making it with walnuts and raisins. Similiar to American fudge but with a harder consistency (should be almost brittle as opposed to toffee like). Great with a cup of tea or coffee and traditionally served as a sweet at the end of meals, tea time, or for festivals/New Year.

Lemon-Coconut Squares

Submitted by The Cook
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 15:40
Delicious and addictive, these lemon-coconut squares are an easy favorite. This is one of my most sought after and shared recipes. One large lemon is sufficient for grated lemon rind and lemon juice. I have also made it without separating my eggs. Separating your eggs results in a fluffier lighter texture.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by The Cook
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 15:56
When I can, I buy the Quaker Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie mix - add an egg and water as directed and bake up a storm. When I can't - I follow this recipe which is originally from the Quaker Oatmeal website. Be sure to make with 'real chocolate' chips.

Pumpkin Pie

Submitted by The Cook
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 16:12
When I was living in Galway, Ireland, Thanksgiving would come and go and I would be left wishing for some good old fashioned North American Pumpkin Pie. My fellow Canadian pie craver Michel Durham offered up this easy recipe for preparing a pumpkin pie from scratch. I was not disappointed.

Whole Wheat Scones

Submitted by The Cook
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 16:15
An Irish tradition - whole wheat scones. Best served up with jam and butter.

Ala Thel Dala (Devilled Potatoes)

Submitted by The Cook
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 16:27
A Sri Lankan classic - potatoes fried in oil, but of course its not that simple. We throw in some chillies, some spices, some maldi-fish... the mouth watering result is best served up as a side to a plate of rice with other curries. Serves 4-6.

Updating the Cookbook

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 16:34
I've decided in an unconventional way of keeping the different sections of this website separate. So, there is a Mommy blog and a Cook's blog. At the moment, I'm updating the recipes in the Cook's blog which directly update the entries in the Cookbook (automatically filing them away for future reference). On the previous site, I had everything viewable through javascript based 'queue cards'. This was helpful to me when I was looking up a recipe but now that I use an ipad I find that it's not so ideal. Instead, the long format html pages work best and so I've made a return to them.

So far, the cookbook is divided into two major sections - Sweet recipes and Savory recipes. There is no division in terms of the origin of a recipe though I may add this via classification tags in the future. So Sri Lankan, Irish, French, and Canadian recipes are all tumbled together. They are listed in alphabetic order to make it easy to find what you're looking for.

Is there any way to display a round image in Drupal?

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Monday, 6th June 2011 - 22:54
Drupal 7
CSS
Php
themes
Where I show everyone how to display an image, specifically my blog images, in a circle using CSS in Drupal 7.x...

New & Improved SLANE Website Released!

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Thursday, 9th June 2011 - 23:25
Drupal 7.x
themes
Drupal Gardens
SLANE
My most recent Drupal 7.x site (not counting my personal site) to go live is http://slaneusa.com. This site is for the Sri Lankan Association of New England and incorporates both the still current content of their previous site and that of their youth group NESLY. I took great liberties in setting the theme - attempted to keep things as simple and clean as possible. Since my experience theming in Drupal 7.x is relatively new, I used Drupal Gardens for my base template. From there, I quickly gained insight into how the themes are put together and how elements are being called. I did have to call on some help from Stéphane for some of the more PHP and how to call specific content fields. All in all, theming in Drupal 7.x is a dream with both CSS and PHP giving much more flexibility than in the past.

Every good themer needs to know when to stop...

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Friday, 10th June 2011 - 13:40
and how hard it is to stop!  So having finished work on both the SLANE site and this site - I'm left wondering - - - what's next?  Of course, I'm starting my full time job next week and looking forward to the busy bliss of it. So what happens when you don't know when to stop?  Well - your website never gets released.  Your content is constantly changing.  Worst of all, you have no life!  Just put it down and walk away!Bottom line - find your other hobbies and go occupy yourself!

Graphics Design & Baby Announcements

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Monday, 13th June 2011 - 16:59
graphics design
GIMP
So far, I've made three.. the key was to be able to put in the sinhalese version of the names. I think that I'm better able to create the card for other people than for myself (too much selection!). Application is the best way to learn new tools and through these experiences I've expanded what I can do using GIMP and the like.

Cassoulet (Baked White Beans)

Submitted by The Cook
on Tuesday, 14th June 2011 - 21:39
Baked beans were never so good as when Mamie Kersava (Steph's grandmother) makes them. Here's her recipe.

Mushroom Soup in the microwave

Submitted by The Cook
on Tuesday, 14th June 2011 - 21:45
I've actually tried this recipe, supplied by Rosemary Fallon of Galway, Ireland. Usually I'm against making things in the microwave - but I must say after having tasted this soup that it's absolutely fantastic and worth giving a try!

Pol Sambol (made with dessicated coconut)

Submitted by The Cook
on Tuesday, 14th June 2011 - 21:55
Traditional Sri Lankan side-dish, best served cold.

Traditional Pineapple Curry of Sri Lanka

Submitted by The Cook
on Tuesday, 14th June 2011 - 21:57
Amazing curry courtesy of my cousin Aruni Yapa of London, UK.

Chocolate Biscuit Pudding

Submitted by The Cook
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 10:39
A Sri Lankan classic! Best made with Sri Lankan Marie biscuits.

Apple Crisp

Submitted by The Cook
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 11:34
Been making this for years to the extent that I've stopped looking at the recipe. This recipe is courtesy of my younger sister Samanthi. I usually layer the apples with the crumble.

Lemon Almond Cake

Submitted by The Cook
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 11:35
Another recipe from my younger sister, Samanthi.

Salmon Cakes

Submitted by The Cook
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 11:40
Recipe from younger sister, Samanthi.

Butter Cake

Submitted by The Cook
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 11:45
Another classic.

Cakes

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 11:46

Cookies & Bars

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 11:47

Breads

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 12:01

Soups

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 12:01

Curries

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Thursday, 16th June 2011 - 12:02

Tomato Soup

Submitted by The Cook
on Friday, 17th June 2011 - 21:46
A terrific tomato soup (and I historically don't like tomato soup, but I would have a mug of this one any day). Recipe courtesy of Nija Joshi.

The saga continues... sFTP and Drupal 7

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Wednesday, 22nd June 2011 - 20:27
Drupal 7
Mac
white screen
hidden files
htaccess
sFTP
The update of D7 core followed by: How I managed to lose my frontpage to a white screen and update my modules all using CyberDuck and sFTP.

Self-Published Fiction

To date I've written several articles for university newspapers, several stories that were shared amongst friends and family, and a few works that were self-published using blurb.com (links below).

Cardamom Oat Waffles

Submitted by The Cook
on Friday, 24th June 2011 - 9:54
Original recipe was sent to me (http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-breakfast-tradition-cardamom-oat.html) from my sister Samanthi. Have yet to try this one out.

On surviving my 1st week back at work...

Submitted by Amma
on Friday, 24th June 2011 - 13:50

I trust my Nanny who gets the day shift.  I trust my husband who gets the morning shift.  I have to, don't I?  I have no choice.  Back to work without being the watchful hawk looking over their shoulders as I have done for the two weeks prior.  Happy indeed with how comfortable they are with little K and how I am slowly losing control of all of the aspects of his growth and development.

Not entirely.

I still get to dictate what and when he eats and sleeps... and his general attire etc.

Text formats...

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Tuesday, 28th June 2011 - 0:02
Drupal 7
Drupal 7 Tricks & Tips
WHY did it take me so long to see something so obvious? In Drupal 7, you can change the order in which text formats are processed. So as an Admin, you don't have to change the text format in your WYSIWYG text editor every time you use it. I didn't realize this until I watched Kevin Reynen giving his talk on Media in D7 at D4DBoston 2011.

Stretched too thin...

Submitted by Amma
on Tuesday, 28th June 2011 - 0:16

A mom first.  A wife second.  An employee third.  A boss (to our nanny).  A daughter... you may be catching my drift.

The Google+ project begins with +You.

Submitted by Diliny C.
on Tuesday, 28th June 2011 - 15:32

I unsuspectingly clicked the 'Join' Button upon receiving the invitation from Google to test drive it's new Google+ feature.  Now I wish that I could click 'unJoin'.  Somehow, I'm reminded of Google Buzz and the 'fun' that followed.  I guess like Alice in Wonderland, I shouldn't be so trusting of what I'm clicking or what pill I'm popping for that matter.